For the Filament festival, I attended the DANCE MOViES Commission 2009-2010 premieres. The DANCE MOViES Commission is a program by EMPAC that has been around since EMPAC’s opening where they featured the first four movies made. The five movies I saw today were selected by a panel, and then given the funding to be created. The idea behind this program is to help support the creation of videos that merge dance and technology. With these experimental dance videos, EMPAC hopes to promote the dance film genre in America.
Knowing this, I really did look for the connection between the dance and video. It was interesting to see how obvious the video component came into some of the movies, while it was more subtle in others. For one movie, it had three separate moving images, filled with different effects. Another one focused on where the camera was aimed, and how much or how little was shown, while another would have the dancers in one place and then cut to them in a completely different place, but still in the same position. Overall, I felt that it would have been impossible to get the same effects across in a live dance performance. They each used video to help create the images shown very well.
One of my favorite movies was Hoop. The setting was very important. It was a black darkness that was mirrored in the dancer’s clothing. This all helped to make the silver hoop really pop out. When the dancer spun the hoop around, you would get the illusion that there were many hoops, and the resulting image was just so hypnotizing and fascinating to watch. Also, several of the shots, which would include just a part of the dancer, like her hand or her foot, along with the hoop really lent to the illusion that she was almost floating. Although this movie was only four minutes long, it really was one of the most interesting to watch, and left a big impact on me.
My other favorite was The closer one gets, the less one sees. This movie made me smile from the title. When it started it would only show images zoomed in close, so that you couldn’t get the overall picture. But as the movie went on the camera slowly started backing away, until the end where you could see all the boys. This movie stood out from the others, because unlike them, this one had a story and dialogue. The four boys in the movie were all entertaining, and really gave the movie a light air, despite the fact that they’re beggars in Rio. The video aspects of the movie really came through with the camera angles, in the beginning with the close ups, to the time when they’re practicing/dancing together. They helped give the movie a feel of being juggled, and overall I really enjoyed the movie.
There was a movie that I felt wasn’t put together as well as the other ones. Quince Missing was easily the longest movie at 16 minutes, and I will admit that I was ready for it to end before the minutes were up. I feel that part of that was a lack of fluidity in the music, and some of the visuals. There were several times when I thought it was over from cues in the music and the end of scenes in the movie, but instead it just kept going. There were also some parts that I felt could have been shortened or cut out. But at the same time there were some scenes that I found interesting and thought they were creative images. The part where the guy walks across the scene over and over, almost getting stuck in the middle each time was well done. I just thought that it could have used more scenes like that.
Overall, it was interesting experience to see the different ways these directors combined video and dance. While some of the videos were not as enjoyable, it was definitely worth it to see the ones that were.
I have to agree, The closer one gets, the less on sees was one, if not the best video of the five. I thought the camera angles made the film all the more interesting. Also, I thought that the storyline behind it was very interesting as well. The fact that the boys loved what they did and worked hard to be the best at their trade, despite the fact they may not have been financially well off, was inspiring. Also, I liked that the camera angle started very close and backed away, allowing you to not be sure what the movie was about until the end when the full performance is shown.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree that the movie Quince Missing far too long and that the music and visuals lacked in fluidity. That being said, I did think that certain points in the movie were entertaining to watch, such as the individual performances. I thought that the group performance with the two dancers was far too long and boring, but the parts done by the dancer who was by himself were fun to watch, or so I thought. I thought that he was talented and was able to convey a message about reaching a point one may be too fearful to cross.
It's such a shame that the shockingly low quality of both editing and cinematography in Quince Missing cast such a shadow over the very talented dancers featured in the film. I stayed after for the post show talk where an unedited clip of the solo dancer you both mentioned was shown and I must say, his talent was much more evident in the raw footage than in any part of the finished product. Another thing that bothered me about Quince Missing was the absurdly unnecessary close ups which only served to limit the amount of actual dance being shown on screen. Unfortunately I carried this frustration over while watching The Closer One Gets, the Less One Sees (aptly titled) and was not able to enjoy it in the same way that you both did.
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