Response to Movies

Despair 

First off I love this little short film. Despair is a film that was created by Alex Prager, in 2010. The short film has a color to it that I just absolutely loved. Also the emotion of this short film it stands out and makes you feel that emotion of what could be going on. 

 As the main charter we see through the film stands out from all the rest. Which the reds I feel are there to bring not only a connection to her shoes but the red door as well. I feel there is meaning behind that I want to look more into. While watching the film the story line can be left up to the viewer as some may say. As the start of the movie it seems like she may be having a problem with someone as shes in the phone booth and walks about in a very upset type of attitude. The film goes on to show her walking through a red door and then in the end she falls out of the window but yet it shows her in a time frame from day until the night. As the movie ends all that is left is her shoes on the ground which makes me wonder where did she go what happen to her. I guess that is how she left it to be in some sense. 

This short film is unique to each person who watches it as everyone can say their own story about it. Some could think her boyfriend broke up with her, or she got bad news from work, or even home life. While watching the movie I just had my own idea of what was going on and what happened, and what could of happen at the end and so much more. 

The Five Obstructions

First off when I started to watch this movie I was confused for the most of the movie, as it was hard to understand.Once I took the time to really look into the movie it helped me understand it more. As I feel it was harder to understand just as it was in a different language. While doing some of my own research it showed that this move was a recreation of another movie "The Perfect Human" when I saw this the movie made a lot more sense to me. 
As I look back at the movie there were a few parts of the movie that were really interesting to me. Also the fact that John was given five different ideas that he would had to overcome and be the perfect human. Which when I hear of the perfect human it makes me think of what is the perfect human because, in today's society no one knows who that perfect human is. The one scene that I happened to like was that of obstruction number two as Von Trier sent Leth to the most miserable place on earth. As for the scene he decided on an elegant meal. As when he came back with the films it is said that Trier did not like them.
Overall I can honestly say that this was not one of my favorite movies that we have watched, as it was hard to understand. Not only that but I felt like it just kept going on and on, and I would lose focus on the movie. I would like to go back and watch the film though as I feel there are deeper meanings to this film that I am not just really understanding.

John Szarkowski: A Life in Photography   

I loved watching this short film it was interesting and me thinking a lot about my own life as a photographer and to why I am a photographer and the reason why decided on this major. John changed the way photographs were looked. He wanted to add more to the photographs beside documenting something for someone. 
One of the main parts that interested me the most was how he started out being a photographer and found his passion for it. Like most photographers during this time he got a simple little camera to shoot. He then transformed their home bathroom into his very own darkroom which is truly amazing. I have always thought about making my own dark room in my own house someday because I do love shooting film and each shoot I try to take a few photographs on my film camera as well as doing all the digital. Soon his family made him move to the basement which in his life was beneficial he had more space to do what he loved to do. As into the fact he did not think of just documenting something for someone but he thought of it as art and something that needed to stand out among all other photographers. Which is something I feel all photographers deal with because every photographer wants to stand out and have their images mean something and have others be like oh I know that photographer and I remember this photograph by them. 
After watching this film it makes me think a lot about my own photography and why I love it and what I want to do to make myself stand out. I also think about the idea of how much photography has changed in the world today because everyone can say they are a photographer now. When I think about it a true photographer should know about not only history of photography but also how to be able to develop their own photographs using a dark room. With this you learn more about photography and not to just snap the button to take it. It is interesting to see how it has grown and makes you think about what is next in the world of photography today. 

Manufactured Landscapes

Before watching this short film I have never heard of Edward Burtynksy. After watching this film I have started to have an interest in his work. As I love taking photographs of images that send a meaning to someone. Which a lot of his work does and especially his short film about him. While watching the movie it makes me wonder about China as most of us already know most of our items come from that area. While watching it the first few parts in the factory kind of made me a little happy as now of days most people us robots for the type of work those workers were doing. And the photographs he produced from the location were beautifully done even though the people in them seemed sad and did not want to be there. As the movie went on there wthat some people do not care for example in the little town that takes apart all the computers and such items. As to the fact they basically pouted the water supply. Which makes you think about all the different things we as humans do to the world. Everyday no matter what in some way or another we affect the world. For example all the new buildings we are putting up or new housing, which towns that are little and have been their for years and years do not like this change. In my opinion if I was in the same boat they are I would not want this change either. And for some people they are forced to go with it even in the little town where they got money for distorting their home. 

Since watching the movie I have looked more of Edwards work up and I simply love it. So many different feelings you can get from one photograph. It is amazing how one person can make you have so many thoughts about a photograph or even during the film. As it makes me wonder all the different things we do to this world as humans. 

 

5 Broken Cameras

The movie 5 Broken Cameras, was really interesting to me. At times it was hard to follow due to the different language barrier but I loved the movie. Throughout the movie he changed to many cameras he started out with a simple camera that did not do much, but with that camera he came a live and started to shoot things that made people have second thoughts. While watching it I really thought hard about how I would feel out there during that time. It also makes me think twice about the way I live at times. Also it makes me think of all the other things going on around the world and things that happened in the past. It is almost like when America was first being colonized and the leaders at the time were taking the land from the Indians. This time was similar to that in Palestanin where they were being forced to basically give up their land that they used to grow items on. It also puts in the perspective that I wish there was something I could do to help this and stop this because here in America I feel as I take my life for granted some times, I have a place to live get all the things I WANT and yes it is a WANT not a NEED unless it goes along the lines of food or such items as water. Which I do not think about others that may be in need, for example the money I spend on take out all the time could be sent to one of the charities for children who are without food. 

Watching movies, journalism videos is always so powerful. As you hear about this stuff but when you really see it from a film perspective it is different. For example when the two cameras he had saved his life yes it is one thing to hear about it but to watch it live gives a whole different meaning to it. Even though he did not always carry the best of the best cameras and when one broke he always found a way to get a new one to keep shooting what is going on. If it were me in the situation I honestly would do the same. Because these short clips of what goes on out there make the entire world understand what is going on. 

One part of the movie that really stood out to me was the fact that they would take the CHILDREN. It is just crazy to think that someone would do that. To take a child from their home with their family when some of the children do not really understand what is going on. But it also makes me think of the thousands of children in Darfur and other countries that have to deal with as I would say adult items. In my opinion no child should be taken from their family, especially if there is not a good reason to do so. Which in the situation during the movie of Emad's children and family how Gibreel says the children are to grow tough skin is a little true in the situation. As in yes you can run from it to stay safe, but if those children do not grow a tough skin they will not have it easy when they are grown in the real world. 

This movie is a great selection to watch as journalism is a wonderful way. After watching it I really can capture the power film/movies have. For instance if he did not have the camera to capture all of this, others would have no idea what is going on. Also I do believe the camera kinda protected him, as he did have situations where the camera did not and fights broke out. But in the end those cameras saved him in more than one way. For example when he got shot at both times the camera protected him, now with out that camera in front of him he would of been shot and could of been killed. After watching videos like this it makes me want to help and not just sit back and take my life for granted that I do not have to go through any of this but no one should go through this.   

Georges Rousse 

This short movie was interesting to me. I have never really thought about photographs in the sense that Georges has done. Except for one instant when I was in my second photography course as ISU we had to create a contact sheet to where the negatives made one photograph. I have great appreciation for this photographer to go through all the steps that he went through to get the final image. He had lots of work in each image from math to painting and taking the photograph. It is just unbelievable to see what is created and it makes you take a second look at all of his work to see how it is there. Especially some of his early work that seemed that something was floating over what he was shooting but in reality was not, it was just simple paint.

It makes me want to challenge me work and look more in depth when creating something.

RIP! Remix Manifesto 

As this is my second time seeing this movie not much has changed since I first watched it except I was able to think about it more in depth. There is a fine line between what is copy right and what is not. In the world of art today it becomes harder and harder to be more creative, as I even noticed it in the class I took last semester because I would turn to Pinterest for ideas or Google or even Facebook. There is a differences between inspiration and "copying" or appropriation. When it comes to remixing items with some artist it can be seen as "copying" or some can be see it as original work. Now as far as it being considered original work their are many things that would have to be considered here, in my opinion it matters how much they take and how much they add their own work in to it, as far as music goes. I know a lot of DJ's that use parts of songs to make a wonderful song, and is it copyright if they play this music at events. As it is with movies you can not show a movie with out getting copyrights to it for an event. But then I also have to take a step back and think to my self where they line is drawn.

With today's world it is easy for people today to get a hold of items form other artist because we have technology that allows us to do so. So when someone post something online is that "copying", because when it comes to what people most online people can get a hold of. As for example one photographer who I follow through Facebook, had one of her images stolen which she considered it be copyright. In this case another photographer took her images, it was also more than one image, and she would clone our the person or baby in the images. She then would place her own photograph of a baby or person into the image from the other photographer. Now is this "copying" or something else, in this case my own opinions I see it as "copying" even though the photographer did take our stuff and put her own stuff in to I still feel there is that fine line that was crossed. In this instance I can see it as inspiration if the other photographer used that image to make her own set up for the newborns or what the picture may have in it. This brings up the whole idea about creativity that artist have today, is it really their own or are they looking off another's work. Which I feel my creativity and originality is hard to achieve, for example my nature shots, there are may nature shots out there and if you do not think out of the box your image can float into just all the other nature images and blend in and not stand out. 

I guess when you think about "copying" and remixing everyone has their own ideas of what could be that fine line.

"Nobody's Here But Me"

To be honest I have never heard of Cindy Sherman before, as this is my first History of Photography course. I also find myself not looking into older photographers as I do photographers in the world today except for a few that I have written papers about for other class or reports. So as far as liking Cindy Sherman I like a lot of her recent work and what she had behind it. I admire that she was a self portrait photographer, as I always try to work on my self portraits. As she was able to put her self into a whole different person. Especially her thought behind it she kept changing her self till she could no long recognize who she was and would just start photographing. 

As she moved forward with her work she added ideas to her photographs to make statements. Most of her worked that I liked were her still film work. As they stood out the most to me while watching the movie.

When her worked started to change, I was a little iffy about her work and what I really liked about it. For the most part I liked the statements it would bring forth. She started to work with artificial bodies, which was different to look at. Where at this time a lot of her images came from horror films, which yes I love a horror film but her images had this odd feeling to them. She wanted people to feel different about the photographs. Cindy Sherman started to add more nudity in to her work and wanted it to be questioned. As she moved forward she added more ideas to her work to make her images really stand out, as it shoes people more of a reality in the photographs. 

I still have no idea how to feel about her later works, maybe I need more time to read into her work and decide for myself.