This weeks readings are from Film Art: An Introduction, which I’ve read for last years Intro to Cinema Studies class. It’s a really informative book and is quite easy to understand.

Experimental film is something I’m still not that familiar with, so I figure I’ll discuss it in my reflection.

• Experimental films are usually created as a form of the filmmaker/artists expression; a way to visually show emotion.
• They may follow no traditional narrative, in fact may follow no tradition whatsoever. They are wholly unique works that challenge the conventions of popular cinema.
• If they do contain narrative, it may be hard to decipher it. These films often attempt to challenge audiences, so if there’s a narrative in there, they’ll have to dig deep to find it.
• These type of films could be shown in an art gallery or exhibit rather than a conventional cinema, and in my opinion, would stray more towards a form of art than cinema.
• Abstract form is the focus on colour, shape, pattern, repetition, size or movement in a film. For example, the narrative of an Abstract form film may be the transition from Blue to Red.
• Placing two shots together sequentially can create meaning that wasn’t there if they were played on their own. That is how Associational form creates its story and meaning; through editing.
• Associational form is the use of juxtaposing various shots together to create meaning where otherwise there wasn’t.

Documentary filmmaking is something I’m currently learning now in my major, but I’m still relatively new to it as I usually stick to narrative cinema.

• Categorical form is the grouping of various things a society considers as similar, eg. a documentary about England would cover various regions in England, the culture of England, groups within their society, their economic and political standings, their history as a nation etc.
• Rhetorical form is when the filmmaker uses a persuasive argument to proposes a question to the audience. Many news report shows like ACA or 60 minutes will produce short rhetorical form documentaries. It could be based around an injustice within society, or shining a light on an issue to the public.

Combining many of my sketches together to create an experimental short will be a challenge. I’ll need to create meaning between my shorts by juxtaposing them together, which I don’t think will be that hard, but I think creating a cohesive narrative with them will be tricky. I want to create mine with some form of narrative, using associational form rather than the use of abstract form. I think I will end up with a better result if I do that.