proposal for a poetic documentary

abstract.

Member
i posted this in the user films as well on accident but i guess it wont hurt to post it hear either. Anyways tell me what you think about it

Motion Picture
A film by Taylor McIntosh
Produced by Ted White

Project Synopsis
This experimental documentary entitled Motion Picture is an exploration within the concepts and differences between moving cinema, still photographs, and ones own eyesight. The film will also explore the rules and problems of cinema and typical Hollywood paradigm of storytelling.

Project Summary
Motion Picture will use experimentation with the camera to act as the eye of the viewer or audience. As a tribute to some of what may be the first prototypes to documentary film, Berlin and Man with the Movie Camera, the city and life around it will act as the subject in order to turn a large complex thing into one simple character. Conflict will be created through the clashing of perspective and reality due to the camera acting as the eye of the viewer. This conflict will reside within restrictions of a captured image from the eye as a camera, and the reality beyond. This reality of perspective within film and photography is far different and restricted than that of ones own vision, due to the lack of free thought within a camera. Snow skiing in an urban territory will be used to explore this idea of perspective vs. reality due to the sheer fact that it is not normal for a cityscape to see the likes of skiing.
In order to exploit the concepts of one person to a large group of people, no one is going to be interviewed or investigated. The camera will act as the only investigator for the audience to witness what is happening. Motion Picture will feature no archival footage or talking heads either, only portraits of a city and the people within.
The film will encompass characteristics between experimental and avante garde films. As far as an easily seen story, there will be none. This film is being made in order to get answers to personal questions such as, why films can’t just be about concepts, why must they incorporate stories? As the director I understand that the stories I create will not awe any audience; in order to interest my viewers I will show them unique ideas and concepts that I have thought about film, photography, and vision. While doing this I will not include myself in the film; the audience will not hear my voice or even hear personal words like I, me, or my. The style of the film will be mostly poetic with hints of observational documentary, also as a tribute to older “city-symphony” style films. The project will use these common poetic characteristics:
1. Not using continuity editing
2. Exploring associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions
3. Opening up possibilities of alternative forms of knowledge to straightforward transfer of knowledge.
For the soundtrack I will use music from all around the world in order to intertwine the diversity of a city into the film. In order to explore concepts and differences between photography and moving pictures (cinema) I will place picture frames in between the camera and its subject as if the viewer was watching pictures that move. For the last scene in the film I plan to take this concept one step further and build different sections of an art gallery. I will build this to fit my needs of carrying the gallery around to different places within the city, where I will gather friends to act as spectators in a real gallery that are watching real moving pictures. Holes will be cut out of the gallery walls and frames will be placed over the holes to add a sense of realism to this building.
As far as an audience for this film, it will appeal to everyone who is open-minded. To narrow this audience artist and filmmakers will be key viewers. I plan to distribute the film online at little to no cost on the Internet, in order to get my work out into the world.
Bibliography and Filmography:
Books:
Jolliffe, Genevieve, and Andrew Zinnes. The Documentary Filmmakers Handbook. New York, NY: The Continuum International Group Inc., 2006.

Nichols, Bill. Introduction to Documentary. Bloomingdale, IN: Indiana UP, 2001.

Films:
Baraka. Dir. Ron Fricke. 1992.

Man with the Movie Camera. Dir. Dziga Vertov. 1929.

Powaqqatsi. Dir. Godfrey Reggio. 1998.
 
Here is the new revised proposal. Tell me what you think and if anything is unclear.

Motion Picture
15-20 minutes
A film by Taylor McIntosh
Produced by Ted White

Project Synopsis
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
-Unknown
This experimental Motion Picture will focus on using the camera, as the eye of the viewer in order to present that the artistic value of an urban setting is not restricted by picture frames and filmstrips. This beauty is to be seen by those who are aware.
Project Summary
Motion Picture will use experimentation with the camera to act as the eye of the viewer or audience. As a tribute to some of what may be the first prototypes of experimental documentary film, Berlin and Man with the Movie Camera, the city and life around it will act as the subject in order to turn a large complex entity into a single character. The movie will be shot mostly in my hometown of Lewiston and the city of Portland, Maine. It will focus on the immense diversity of culture, music, and people that thrive within the heart of the city.
Conflict will be created through the clashing of two concepts: the restriction of perspective when the camera acts as the eye, and perceived reality. This reality of perspective within film and photography is far different and more restricted than that of one’s own vision due to the lack of free thought within a camera.
In the beginning of the film I will build what seems to be an art gallery. The gallery will be built with sheets of plywood and 2x4’s. When I am filming the inside this gallery I will only build the sections that I need to film, by doing this I will be able to build many different sections with the same wood and it will still look as if the camera is inside a reasonably-sized room. I will cut holes in the walls of this gallery and will outline these holes with picture frames which then frame whatever is behind the wall, in order to define it as “art”. This will be my first step to letting people see the beauty of the world around them. After I have felt that I have enough footage of this gallery I will have one more shot of the gallery being destroyed; after its destruction one frame will be left standing. This frame will not be hung on the wall; it will stand-alone, held up by a simple picture frame stand. These picture frames between the subject and the camera will be used to compare and contrast how perspective and reality work within both still pictures and moving pictures. The frames will also be my strongest way to show people that everything around them can hold artistic value and be beautiful. Essentially what I am trying to do is slowly show people that if they just take the time to look at everything around them differently then those things can become as exciting as the first time they experience them. By using this gallery I will first take away the art they are used to seeing in picture frames and will show them real moving pictures of reality. Demolishing the gallery and leaving a single frame standing will be used as my next transition of letting the audience know that art can be seen in other places then a gallery, art and beauty is wherever they want to experience it. The frames will remain in nearly every shot until the end of the movie were I would have it be knocked over in the shot to act as the last step in the process.
No interviews will be used to explain the views I have gathered. The camera alone will act as the investigator in order for audiences to witness what is happening. Motion Picture will feature no archival footage or talking heads, only portraits of a city and the people within. As far as an easily seen story, there will be none. This film is being made in order to get answers to personal questions such as, why films cannot solely be about concepts, and why must they incorporate stories? As the director, I understand that the stories I create will not awe any audience; in order to interest my viewers I will show them unique ideas and concepts that I have developed about film, photography, and vision. While doing this I will not include myself in the film; the audience will neither hear my voice nor personal references like I, me, or my. The style of the film will be mostly poetic with hints of observational documentary, and also make homage to older, “city-symphony” style films. The project will use these common avant-garde film characteristics:
1. Not using continuity editing
2. Exploring associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions
3. Opening up possibilities of alternative forms of knowledge to straightforward transfer of knowledge.
 
Back
Top