film and narrative

I recently had an experience that I am having trouble getting my head around I though maybe you all might be able to help.

This thursday I drove into Richmond to attend my second Flicker. For those of you not familiar, Flicker is a screening of local, independenlty produced short films. The only rule for submission is that your film must originate on either 8mm or 16mm film. I say that some may be familiar because there are several citys in the US and a couple abroad including LA, austen TX, and Ashville NC that sponser Flickers. It has been a very inspiring experience. To see films that are made with resources that are accesable to people like myself reminds me that there is noexcuse for me not to be making films. That however isn't the point here.

I was watching some of the more experimental shorts desperatly searching for the point. Why did the filmmakers assemble that footage in that way with that music. What is the story they are trying to tell. It was at that momemnt that dispite the fact that I have watched hundreds upon hundreds of films I had only seen film with a narritive. I was not accustomed to there not being a narritive. It was the only way I knew how to approach film. I had only thought of film in terms of story not as photography.

I fashion my self an amatuer photographer and am quite comfortable taking pictures that neither tell a story nor have any point other then wanting to see what would happen when I capture a particular subject at a particular moment. To capture the interplay of light and shadow. I had never thought of useing motion film to do the same thing.

Perhaps I have done a lousy job of describing my experience and you have no idea what the hell I am going on about. Or maybe my experience is akin to believing that I have invented the wheel. Regardless I feel as if a whole new world has opened up to me and I do not have the experience or the knowledge necceasry to really understand what I am thinking. I am hoping that I have done a well enough job of explaining my experience that someone here can point me in the right direction. I am looking for essays, books, websites, anything.....
 
Mikey D,

You're probably referring to a whole genre of films which run the gamut from abstract to experimental narratives. First, I find it very refreshing you are so interested in discovering other potential to film then just telling a story in the traditional, classical way. Sometimes these avant garde works tell a 'story' through association (the most fundamental example, to me- montage comes to mind...watch Sergei Eisenstein's odessa Step sequence) Eisenstein based his montage theory of story conveyance on the Japanese hieroglypic code system....seemingly disparate images 'colliding' with each other to form a third idea.

Some works simply want to challenge an audiences' pre-conceptions about what film should be...they are probably more interested in the formal qualities of film (from it's raw state-silver halides on plastic) they may be commenting on film's history (art for art's sake) rather than presenting a story. Take a look at Stan Brakage's films like 'Mothlight' (moth wings glued onto leader)

Some films seem to be more like installations where they try to change the environment they are displayed in...rows upon rows of video monitors, projected colors from a succession of strategically placed projectors, etc. These tell a story which effects a viewer (in time).

Another philosophy of some artists is to see how far they can push the audience by testing various film conventions on them....Warhol's 8-hour epic of the Empire State Building, Michael Snow's infinite zoom to two windows (Wavelength).

I think there are no limits to the moving medium as an expressive artform...it is what you make of it.
 
Thanks for the reply Bird.

I figured it was avant garde/experimental that I was aiming at. I have been digging around on ye 'old world wide web and have found some interesting things. I need to carry my self up to the book store to see what I can find there although all extra funds right now are being saved for a shotgun mic. Perhaps if I can find a good read I'll carry it over to coffee shop to sit and sip. In the mean time I will keep me ear to ground until I find more events like Flicker to attend. I already intend on making time this year for several festivals but I hope to be able to make more time to see what folks are up to. I figure exposure is never a bad thing, beside I never know who I might meet.

If anyone else has any other suggestions I would be greatful.
 
Here is a forum dedicated to the 'godmother of the avant-garde', Maya Deren:

http://www.algonet.se/~mjsull/

Luis Bunuel 's book, 'My Last Sigh'.

Bunuel and Dali's film, "Un Chien Andalou'.

A compilation (book) of film theories and critical essays, 'Film: A Montage of Theories'. (everything from Eisenstein to Jonas Mekas)
 
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