Presentation Responses and Reading Response

- PRESENTATION RESPONSES -

Jonas Mekas presentation:

The presentation on Jonas Mekas was interesting although long. I loved the fact that Mekas was always keeping up with the next thing in filmmaking, and that he even pursued vlogging for his 365 Day Project. The Film-Makers’ Cooperative also really appealed to me. I thought it was just fantastic that filmmakers had the opportunity to meet informally once a month to discuss and complain about their dreams and problems as independent filmmakers.

Harry Smith presentation:

As a visual artist myself, I really connected with the presentation on Harry Smith. I too, started out as a visual artist and graduated to filmmaking, although I don’t share Harry’s mentality that his art was infinitely better than his films. I liked how Matt and Kyle brought synesthesia into their presentation, since Harry’s films were so heavily influenced by jazz music, and we discussed synesthesia in class, so we knew what that meant for Harry as a filmmaker.

Maya Deren presentation:

I really enjoyed presenting Maya Deren’s work to the class. I usually get nervous presenting something for a class, but I think my excitement and appreciation for Maya’s work allowed me to put any nervousness aside. I am so glad I had the opportunity to finally watch all of Maya’s films and learn more about her not only as a filmmaker, but also as a unique individual.

- READING RESPONSE -

From Art House to “Microcinema”:

Despite the author’s pretentious and even sassy attitude, I appreciated "A Night at the Movies: From Art House to 'Microcinema.'" Before reading this article, I did not know what microcinema was, but I knew I agreed with the author’s claim that the little “films of broader appeal attract audiences les s interested in the art of film and more interested in the trendiness of art cinema.” As I continued to read, I became interested in the idea of microcinemas, where the communal cinema experience is the focus of the screenings, no matter if they take place in a theater or a health club like the YMCA. Microcinema allows the “fringe of the fringe” to continue to experience film as something different than mainstream cinema, even as some art house cinema becomes more acceptable to mainstream audiences.