The director of successful documentaries like Okie Noodling, Summercamp! and most recently Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, Bradley Beesley, made a visit for class today and discussed his rise to prominence. Although his oration covered a variety of topics, I found two of his points most interesting. First, the sense he gave of the attachment documentary subjects feel towards the documentarian even post-porject, and secondly he discussed "making stories" for his films.
I had not considered the depth at which a documentarian relates to his subjects. Beesley described some of his noodling friends calling him multiple times a week just to talk about their shared interests. I think I gained some perspective today on what getting "into" a project really means. For his documentary on the blues, Beesley lived with a muscian for about a year in poverty-striken northern Mississippi. This type of dedication and exposure led to him being considered a real part of the family even though he began as a big outsider (white, college-educated art student vs. poor, black musician). I hadn't realized before that feature length documentaries take so much TIME. Prof. Spiro also added a great point to cap this off - doing successive documentaries is like building an ever-larger family.
The other part of Beesley's visit that struck me was his perceived breaking of the cinema-verite rule of non-interference with his subjects. He said he frequently "made" stories to film. For example, before tackling Okie Noodling, Beesley created a competition for noodling that brought together fishermen from all over the area. This provided him with lots of subjects, lots of access and lots of footage. Some people may think of this as cheating, but I'm all for taking adavantage of any situation, even ones you make yourself. I would never direct my documentary subjects to do something unnatural, but I definitely have no problem in creating a situation to get the results I want. Overall I fel Beesley's visit was very informative and fun - he's certainly a creative documentarian who is helping shape the genre.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Re..'wicka wicka'....Remix
I didn't just see a documentary this past week at SXSW, I saw a movement. RiP: A Remix Manifesto, as a movie, is about the copyright vs. cultural creativity. The film itself is a self-proclaimed biased movie. Director Brett Gaylor actually encouraged the audience to boo and cheer the movie as it went along. He told us that the movie was meant to stir up emotion and make us have a reaction. We booed the bad people when they were on screen and cheered the heros.
Brett's argument is that too much of our culture is misproperly owned by corporations who want to hault the creative pulse in this country. He says that if the rules that exist now, existed 100 or 50 years ago, we wouldn't have things like Disney or The Rolling Stones. His main focus is the industry of mash-up and remix music that is extremely popular and spreading quickly.
I enjoyed the movie and respected his well supported argument, but more importantly I was astonished at the packaging of the movie. Brett has literally started a movement to remix his own movie. He has started a website and his own company that allows internet users to have full rights to clips of his movies so audience members can go home and edit new parts in.
Brett still wants to make money of course, but he realizes that yo can't fight the creative market with lawsuits and ridiculous fines. You have to embrace the change. You have to respect the creative nature of our culture and dare to inspire it further.
Technically the film is so well edited you feel like your watching him create a mash-up song as the movie unfolds. He keeps the audiences attention by referring to relevant artists such Girl Talk or showing the importance of software such as Napster and Youtube. By creating a bias movie with a clear agenda and being open about it, he allows the audience to be inspired. He gives people a reason to continue to fight against the system and build upon the great culture of entertainment that has put this country at the top of all the industries.
This is the website where you can watch the full movie in 5 minute segments. The director intros and closes each clip with a little something to say about the clip itself. This is just a cool documentary. http://www3.nfb.ca/webextension/rip-a-remix-manifesto/
Brett's argument is that too much of our culture is misproperly owned by corporations who want to hault the creative pulse in this country. He says that if the rules that exist now, existed 100 or 50 years ago, we wouldn't have things like Disney or The Rolling Stones. His main focus is the industry of mash-up and remix music that is extremely popular and spreading quickly.
I enjoyed the movie and respected his well supported argument, but more importantly I was astonished at the packaging of the movie. Brett has literally started a movement to remix his own movie. He has started a website and his own company that allows internet users to have full rights to clips of his movies so audience members can go home and edit new parts in.
Brett still wants to make money of course, but he realizes that yo can't fight the creative market with lawsuits and ridiculous fines. You have to embrace the change. You have to respect the creative nature of our culture and dare to inspire it further.
Technically the film is so well edited you feel like your watching him create a mash-up song as the movie unfolds. He keeps the audiences attention by referring to relevant artists such Girl Talk or showing the importance of software such as Napster and Youtube. By creating a bias movie with a clear agenda and being open about it, he allows the audience to be inspired. He gives people a reason to continue to fight against the system and build upon the great culture of entertainment that has put this country at the top of all the industries.
This is the website where you can watch the full movie in 5 minute segments. The director intros and closes each clip with a little something to say about the clip itself. This is just a cool documentary. http://www3.nfb.ca/webextension/rip-a-remix-manifesto/
Monday, March 23, 2009
Welcome Back!
Hello Documaniacs!
SO great that so many of you got to enjoy SXSW doc premiers!
We have a special guest in RTF on Wed. at 6 p.m. in 4D: Bradley Beesley. So, if you missed his premier at SXSW, please come to this outside event and feel free to bring friends.
On another, more practical note, please get release forms signed by all your primary subjects. Underage subjects need parent or guardian signature. I do not require that you turn these in, but they are important if you want your docs to have a life outside the University.
You can print out a release and customize with your info HERE:
http://www.sawvideo.com/youth/downloads/RELEASE%20FORM.doc
See y'all on Wed.
Ellen
SO great that so many of you got to enjoy SXSW doc premiers!
We have a special guest in RTF on Wed. at 6 p.m. in 4D: Bradley Beesley. So, if you missed his premier at SXSW, please come to this outside event and feel free to bring friends.
On another, more practical note, please get release forms signed by all your primary subjects. Underage subjects need parent or guardian signature. I do not require that you turn these in, but they are important if you want your docs to have a life outside the University.
You can print out a release and customize with your info HERE:
http://www.sawvideo.com/youth/downloads/RELEASE%20FORM.doc
See y'all on Wed.
Ellen
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Intangible Asset No. 82
Apparently, I'm the only one (of the select students i asked) who saw this film.
Fine. But you're missing out.
In her debt film, singer/director Emma Franz follows famous Australian drummer Simon Barker to Korea to find the country's "Intangible Asset No. 82", a geriatric shaman who was bestowed the title by his government as a recognition of his mastery of the art of improvisation on a sort of two sided drum. Barker's search for the Asset, Kim Seok-Chul, has been seven years in the making. Not only is the great shaman intangible, he's wily too and tends to be hard to find. Barker, with Franz in tow, meets up with another Korean musician who knows how to find Seok-Chul. The film is spent chronicling the journey of Barker and the Korean to different master musicians and finally, Seok-Chul himself.
Franz does an incredible job. Her lighting (mostly natural) is beautiful and her images are powerful. She is able to capture a singer perched on a waterfall and a private shamanic ceremony, both difficult circumstances under which to film, and disappears into both scenes easily so that the audience feels like its participating in the action. The film is very musically based so there are many shots of Barker and many others playing the drums, of singing, of chanting, etc. She puts strong emphasis on music as the universal language and lets the musicians and artist featured in her film exemplify her point. Barker's evolution as a drummer is apparent in the progression the of story and his wide-eyed appreciation of all things Korean endears the audience to him and his personal journey almost immediately.
I felt like the editing created a nice pace throughout the film, but the whole shebang itself was a little long. But she was quite long winded on her answers during the Q&A, so lengthiness seems to be a preference for her. The story itself never loses traction because all of the characters are so charismatic and open. I found myself totally captivated by Barker's journey and Franz's strong imagery. Her debut film is very impressive, and coming out on dvd!
here's the link to the trailer
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo
Austinite Bradley Beesley was totally a rock star stepping out of a black lincoln and walking the red carpet into the Paramount theater while groupies wooped and hollared at him. He arrived on time for the world premiere of his latest documentary "Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo" where it was well-received.
With such a powerful story, I knew this documentary would be great. It follows the story of several prison inmates at high security facilities in Oklahoma, switching back and forth from a male prison to the female prison Eddie Warrior. The majority of woman in the prison are being charged with drugs. That majority also have children. Every year these prisons participate in one of the last prison rodeos in the world in which inmates try out to be involved in bronco racing, bull-riding and bull-poker. The documentary provides a glimpse into how much this rodeo helps the inmates. As Jamie Brooks stated, "It was the first time I felt free." The inmates look forward to this event all year. They attempt in acting good in prison so as not to mess up their chances of being on the team.
The cinematography in the film is very captivating. One of the male prison inmates, Danny, is interviewed in his cell with moving around the bars to capture his face. It emphasizes the division of prisoner and visitor. A distinct difference when talking to Danny, who is charged with murdering a victim by stabbing them to death seven times. Although his murder sounds gruesome, the documentary highlights his social personality. Somehow, I was able to gravitate toward him and feel sorry for the length of time he has spent in jail, thirteen years without parole. This leads to a question I have about the filmmaker's choice to enlighten the prisoners. What about the victims families? I know it's horrible that these prisoner mothers are being separated from their children and spending time in an unfortunate place, but they eventually escape that life. Their victims are gone and can't experience life ever again. I wondered about the other side, the other side of the prisoners stories. Because those are probably very heartfelt, too.
I'm a vegetarian and have a huge heart for animals so, watching scenes of inmates working in a meat packing plant or others scraping their spurs on the side of the bronco they're riding was very hard to watch. It took my heart away from the inmates featured.
By presenting the stories of the mother inmates, it puts forth the bigger issue of lack of programs to help inmates who are being held on drug charges. In my opinion, it's wasteful spending to throw people in jail for petty non-violent drug transactions. They need help, not discipline. They need guidance to find a way to make a living without depending on drug-selling. One inmates talks about how she thinks how hard it is to work because the eight hours she works in one day she can make in a couple of minutes selling $100 of meth or some other drug. It's an issue that is important and was great to see mentioned in the documentary.
If you have a chance, check it out. This film is a unique story in presenting an overlooked issue among woman prison inmates.
Check out the Q&A I filmed and edited in three different parts (click HQ at the bottom of the video to watch in high quality):
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
With such a powerful story, I knew this documentary would be great. It follows the story of several prison inmates at high security facilities in Oklahoma, switching back and forth from a male prison to the female prison Eddie Warrior. The majority of woman in the prison are being charged with drugs. That majority also have children. Every year these prisons participate in one of the last prison rodeos in the world in which inmates try out to be involved in bronco racing, bull-riding and bull-poker. The documentary provides a glimpse into how much this rodeo helps the inmates. As Jamie Brooks stated, "It was the first time I felt free." The inmates look forward to this event all year. They attempt in acting good in prison so as not to mess up their chances of being on the team.
The cinematography in the film is very captivating. One of the male prison inmates, Danny, is interviewed in his cell with moving around the bars to capture his face. It emphasizes the division of prisoner and visitor. A distinct difference when talking to Danny, who is charged with murdering a victim by stabbing them to death seven times. Although his murder sounds gruesome, the documentary highlights his social personality. Somehow, I was able to gravitate toward him and feel sorry for the length of time he has spent in jail, thirteen years without parole. This leads to a question I have about the filmmaker's choice to enlighten the prisoners. What about the victims families? I know it's horrible that these prisoner mothers are being separated from their children and spending time in an unfortunate place, but they eventually escape that life. Their victims are gone and can't experience life ever again. I wondered about the other side, the other side of the prisoners stories. Because those are probably very heartfelt, too.
I'm a vegetarian and have a huge heart for animals so, watching scenes of inmates working in a meat packing plant or others scraping their spurs on the side of the bronco they're riding was very hard to watch. It took my heart away from the inmates featured.
By presenting the stories of the mother inmates, it puts forth the bigger issue of lack of programs to help inmates who are being held on drug charges. In my opinion, it's wasteful spending to throw people in jail for petty non-violent drug transactions. They need help, not discipline. They need guidance to find a way to make a living without depending on drug-selling. One inmates talks about how she thinks how hard it is to work because the eight hours she works in one day she can make in a couple of minutes selling $100 of meth or some other drug. It's an issue that is important and was great to see mentioned in the documentary.
If you have a chance, check it out. This film is a unique story in presenting an overlooked issue among woman prison inmates.
Check out the Q&A I filmed and edited in three different parts (click HQ at the bottom of the video to watch in high quality):
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The Winnebago Man
This is an amazing documentary by UT's own Ben Steinbauer. Apparently this documentary has been three or four years in the making and it shows. Having known about the project (though very little), I am completely blown away at the artistry, emotion, and talent that have been put into this film. I believe that this documentary will have a long life as a piece on the American pop culture of viral videos (as it should)!
I have a little criticism, however, about the structure and exposition of the film. It had become apparent to Ben that the documentary would need to include himself through his perspective. Unfortunately, I don't believe he set this up in the best possible way. Just as it was an after thought to have Ben as a character, it appeared as though it was an after thought within the film. The only clue as to his inclusion was him doing the voice overs and brief narrative sequences. Ben never introduced himself, and never addressed the camera in a real way (only through fake set-ups). Even when he was interacting with Jack Rebney, it seemed as if he was putting on an act - like he truly wasn't relating to Jack as Ben Steinbauer but as filmmaker Ben Steinbauer. Although the documentary isn't ultimately about Ben's personal quest to find the man behind the infamous viral video personality, it was a significant aspect and I believe a greater effort could have been made to expose the character Ben Steinbauer and his personal perspective in the introduction. Who is Ben Steinbauer?! (Somewhat irrelevant, but the way documentary included him it seems like a pertient question).
Some techniques that Ben uses that I've noticed are his tendency to shoot with real film - most of the time for b-roll footage. At one point they wanted encapsulate the beauty and serenity of northern California. Using film was an excellent idea in capturing the nuisances of the light and color of that region. Within these b-roll shots, he would shoot "portraits" of characters like Jack. For example, it would just be Jack standing there looking into the Sun. This device is useful in that it allows time for reflections and transitions. It was also justified by the fact that up to that point we had not seen Jack at all but from the worn out and degenerated VHS video. This was the time to look at the man - the Winnebago Man.
Some people may dis- me on this one, but I feel the introductory sequence of a film is an extremely important aspect that initially develops the mood and expectations for the film. Needless to say, I was blown away by the documentary's opening title sequence. Very beautifully and graphically done. Call me out on being a formalist but from that point, because of the artistry put into that sequence, I knew I was going to see an excellent documentary. Production value.
The documentary was great, and if you weren't able to see it at this SxSW film festival, I feel sorry for you. Those who went to the screening in which Jack made an appearance, well, I'm jealous.
I have a little criticism, however, about the structure and exposition of the film. It had become apparent to Ben that the documentary would need to include himself through his perspective. Unfortunately, I don't believe he set this up in the best possible way. Just as it was an after thought to have Ben as a character, it appeared as though it was an after thought within the film. The only clue as to his inclusion was him doing the voice overs and brief narrative sequences. Ben never introduced himself, and never addressed the camera in a real way (only through fake set-ups). Even when he was interacting with Jack Rebney, it seemed as if he was putting on an act - like he truly wasn't relating to Jack as Ben Steinbauer but as filmmaker Ben Steinbauer. Although the documentary isn't ultimately about Ben's personal quest to find the man behind the infamous viral video personality, it was a significant aspect and I believe a greater effort could have been made to expose the character Ben Steinbauer and his personal perspective in the introduction. Who is Ben Steinbauer?! (Somewhat irrelevant, but the way documentary included him it seems like a pertient question).
Some techniques that Ben uses that I've noticed are his tendency to shoot with real film - most of the time for b-roll footage. At one point they wanted encapsulate the beauty and serenity of northern California. Using film was an excellent idea in capturing the nuisances of the light and color of that region. Within these b-roll shots, he would shoot "portraits" of characters like Jack. For example, it would just be Jack standing there looking into the Sun. This device is useful in that it allows time for reflections and transitions. It was also justified by the fact that up to that point we had not seen Jack at all but from the worn out and degenerated VHS video. This was the time to look at the man - the Winnebago Man.
Some people may dis- me on this one, but I feel the introductory sequence of a film is an extremely important aspect that initially develops the mood and expectations for the film. Needless to say, I was blown away by the documentary's opening title sequence. Very beautifully and graphically done. Call me out on being a formalist but from that point, because of the artistry put into that sequence, I knew I was going to see an excellent documentary. Production value.
The documentary was great, and if you weren't able to see it at this SxSW film festival, I feel sorry for you. Those who went to the screening in which Jack made an appearance, well, I'm jealous.
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