---
As I continue with this project I am going to seek out more and more collaborations with each week's topics.
Today's concept would have been impossible without the generous help of my Art in the Age of Electronic Media students.
They gave their time, energy, and honesty... and their hearts and minds, so I could realize this short.
Thank you all!
Here they are, sharing with you, the most pivotal moments of their lives:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
Sunday, February 28, 2010
MINICONCEPTDOC #6: EASY-PEASY
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Yes! I kid you not. Easy-Peasy was a randomly generated work from the Oxford English Dictionary!
We recently received an entry form in Juni's homework folder for the school's talent show. Though she has been know to completely freeze in front of a live audience, she wants to enter to display her hula-hoop skills.
She's been practicing. She has her song picked out. I thought it would be good to film a practice session, but as you'll see, even for an audience of three: BBY, Mimi, Jessi, she freezes up! What will happen on talent night, who knows!
Despite the slow start, when she gets going, she shows just how easy it is for her little stick body to swing that hoop!
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
Yes! I kid you not. Easy-Peasy was a randomly generated work from the Oxford English Dictionary!
We recently received an entry form in Juni's homework folder for the school's talent show. Though she has been know to completely freeze in front of a live audience, she wants to enter to display her hula-hoop skills.
She's been practicing. She has her song picked out. I thought it would be good to film a practice session, but as you'll see, even for an audience of three: BBY, Mimi, Jessi, she freezes up! What will happen on talent night, who knows!
Despite the slow start, when she gets going, she shows just how easy it is for her little stick body to swing that hoop!
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Contrarian
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I know, I know... this is turning me into the ever-popular political derogatory: flip-flopper. But what can I say. I am experimenting with the best possible way of generating topics for my MINICONCEPTDOCS...
{BTW - No one has taken up my offer on trumping a topic with their own suggestion. What does this mean? Nobody's reading and watching and nobody cares! But that's ok! I'm doing this for my own creative pursuits.}
Getting back to the task at hand... I am returning to the previously used word generator, which I stopped using because it generated nouns only. I wanted to have a larger pool, so I moved to the OED. However, I'm just too nervous of the possibility of something so esoteric, that I will have no ideas!
The old generator has a "PLUS" version.
Here it is: http://watchout4snakes.com/CreativityTools/RandomWord/RandomWordPlus.aspx
This plus edition allows you to generate words from various parts of speech: Noun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Interjection, and Preposition.
And you can select the complexity of the word: Very Common, Common, Average, Somewhat Uncommon, Uncommon, Very Uncommon, Obscure.
My plan is to rotate through the parts of speech and keep the complexity of the word at "average". That seems fair, right?
If this doesn't work out, I reserve the right to change the generator again!
---
I know, I know... this is turning me into the ever-popular political derogatory: flip-flopper. But what can I say. I am experimenting with the best possible way of generating topics for my MINICONCEPTDOCS...
{BTW - No one has taken up my offer on trumping a topic with their own suggestion. What does this mean? Nobody's reading and watching and nobody cares! But that's ok! I'm doing this for my own creative pursuits.}
Getting back to the task at hand... I am returning to the previously used word generator, which I stopped using because it generated nouns only. I wanted to have a larger pool, so I moved to the OED. However, I'm just too nervous of the possibility of something so esoteric, that I will have no ideas!
The old generator has a "PLUS" version.
Here it is: http://watchout4snakes.com/CreativityTools/RandomWord/RandomWordPlus.aspx
This plus edition allows you to generate words from various parts of speech: Noun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Interjection, and Preposition.
And you can select the complexity of the word: Very Common, Common, Average, Somewhat Uncommon, Uncommon, Very Uncommon, Obscure.
My plan is to rotate through the parts of speech and keep the complexity of the word at "average". That seems fair, right?
If this doesn't work out, I reserve the right to change the generator again!
---
Monday, February 22, 2010
MINICONCEPTDOC #5: MODULARIZED
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I tweeted this statement already, but I'll say it again. Filming at night is so relaxing. The later the better. When it's just you, the camera, and the environment, you can really study the stillness and the smallest movements seem exciting.
Today's film is a bit of a meditation on how we live.
Regarding the subjects of this short, the more I think about "stacked living", the stranger it becomes.
You tell me... MODULARIZED:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
I tweeted this statement already, but I'll say it again. Filming at night is so relaxing. The later the better. When it's just you, the camera, and the environment, you can really study the stillness and the smallest movements seem exciting.
Today's film is a bit of a meditation on how we live.
Regarding the subjects of this short, the more I think about "stacked living", the stranger it becomes.
You tell me... MODULARIZED:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
MINICONCEPTDOC #4: RABBLEMENT
---
For the record, this Sunday's MINICONCEPTDOC WAS completed on time. You can check the time-stamp on the Youtube upload!
However, I was not able to blog or Tweet about the finished piece because a certain Jelissa had occupied our production office to finish their latest podcast.
While they were working I fell asleep reading comics, and when I woke up at a little past midnight I was too groggy to remember to post #4's blog.
Now, on with the show.... Rabblement was a doozy. I experimented with about four different ideas, one even evolved a crazed 19th century sea-captain wielding a revolver, an ax, and club!
In the end, I went with my very first idea. I should have trusted my instincts. I suppose I wasn't sure I could make it interesting.
The actual film is a bit of irony. It deals with the inherent conflicts and some might say paradoxes of documentary filmmaking. It calls into question history, memory, veracity, representation, and reality. All serious business to me, people!
Without further delay, I present to you, RABBLEMENT:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
For the record, this Sunday's MINICONCEPTDOC WAS completed on time. You can check the time-stamp on the Youtube upload!
However, I was not able to blog or Tweet about the finished piece because a certain Jelissa had occupied our production office to finish their latest podcast.
While they were working I fell asleep reading comics, and when I woke up at a little past midnight I was too groggy to remember to post #4's blog.
Now, on with the show.... Rabblement was a doozy. I experimented with about four different ideas, one even evolved a crazed 19th century sea-captain wielding a revolver, an ax, and club!
In the end, I went with my very first idea. I should have trusted my instincts. I suppose I wasn't sure I could make it interesting.
The actual film is a bit of irony. It deals with the inherent conflicts and some might say paradoxes of documentary filmmaking. It calls into question history, memory, veracity, representation, and reality. All serious business to me, people!
Without further delay, I present to you, RABBLEMENT:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Change in Word Generation and MINICONCEPTDOC #4: RABBLEMENT
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RABBLEMENT Premiering on Sunday, February 21, 2010.
Ok. Don't be sore with me... But I am changing my random word generator. I don't only want to use nouns and I don't want to select from other word types, I want it to be completely random.
So, in this effort I am going to my of my favorite informational sources, and my FAVORITE lexicographical source, the Oxford English Dictionary!
They have a link on their homepage called: "Lost for words? Get an entry"
This little wingdinger randomly picks a word from the entire OED for you. Now that's fun!! Especially since the best part of the OED is the word's etymology.
On a related note, two of the best books I have ever read are about the writing of the OED. One is a general history and the other is about the special relationship between two key men on the project. It's editor and a writer of many of the entries.
The first is called The Meaning of Everything.
The latter is called The Professor and the Madman.
Both are written by the excellent Simon Winchester. I recommend them to you all!
And with this change, the first word from our new method is: RABBLEMENT
---
RABBLEMENT Premiering on Sunday, February 21, 2010.
Ok. Don't be sore with me... But I am changing my random word generator. I don't only want to use nouns and I don't want to select from other word types, I want it to be completely random.
So, in this effort I am going to my of my favorite informational sources, and my FAVORITE lexicographical source, the Oxford English Dictionary!
They have a link on their homepage called: "Lost for words? Get an entry"
This little wingdinger randomly picks a word from the entire OED for you. Now that's fun!! Especially since the best part of the OED is the word's etymology.
On a related note, two of the best books I have ever read are about the writing of the OED. One is a general history and the other is about the special relationship between two key men on the project. It's editor and a writer of many of the entries.
The first is called The Meaning of Everything.
The latter is called The Professor and the Madman.
Both are written by the excellent Simon Winchester. I recommend them to you all!
And with this change, the first word from our new method is: RABBLEMENT
---
Sunday, February 14, 2010
MINICONCEPTDOC #3: FALLING
---
First version of this blog crash/deleted, I cried. Here is the lesser version.
Once again, with "Falling" I had a clear idea right away. And the best part is, it would be my first venture into historical reenactment!
While working on my documentary Goodwill: The Flight of Emilio Carranza, I encountered the difficulties of filming multiple historical perspectives on a single event.
Memory is a funny thing.
It's a collection of historical events that are easily influenced.
With FALLING, I captured four perspectives on the same event, and each has it's vision/version of what happened.
During the filming, I kept yelling, "Everybody get ready for the reenactment scene!"
Juni, ever camera-shy as she is, kept running and hiding and yelling back, "I don't want to be in a revisionist documentary!"
How could she know the impact of this declaration?!
You can see how I would find this immediately funny, as I spent the last two years writing about and making a documentary that spoke about the spirit of documentary filmmaking, the importance of adhering to the spirit of the truth of the material.
It's a philosophical area of documentary that continues to intrigue me and in a way it presents itself here with FALLING:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
First version of this blog crash/deleted, I cried. Here is the lesser version.
Once again, with "Falling" I had a clear idea right away. And the best part is, it would be my first venture into historical reenactment!
While working on my documentary Goodwill: The Flight of Emilio Carranza, I encountered the difficulties of filming multiple historical perspectives on a single event.
Memory is a funny thing.
It's a collection of historical events that are easily influenced.
With FALLING, I captured four perspectives on the same event, and each has it's vision/version of what happened.
During the filming, I kept yelling, "Everybody get ready for the reenactment scene!"
Juni, ever camera-shy as she is, kept running and hiding and yelling back, "I don't want to be in a revisionist documentary!"
How could she know the impact of this declaration?!
You can see how I would find this immediately funny, as I spent the last two years writing about and making a documentary that spoke about the spirit of documentary filmmaking, the importance of adhering to the spirit of the truth of the material.
It's a philosophical area of documentary that continues to intrigue me and in a way it presents itself here with FALLING:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
---
Thursday, February 11, 2010
MINICONCEPTDOC #2: VINTAGE
---
So many ideas to explore with "vintage".
With this though, one thing occurred to me right away and kept popping back up as I explored different ideas... and that was vintage films.
And by vintage, I mean those very first images that were set down on film over a 110 years ago.
As I worked on my dissertation, the history and nature of documentary was a constant focus during production. The birth of cinema is also the birth of documentary, and I find that notion quite extraordinary. The narration from this short comes from a section of the written portion of my dissertation.
When I talk about documentary film, I make sure to mention that the very first films made were short reality pieces. In a way, they are the inspiration for this project.
I tried to take the form of this short in an opposite direction from the last one. I had the time to edit again so I was afforded the opportunity. I am excited for the day when I don't have the time or means to edit, and the whole short will be shot and posted from my mytouch phone! Exploring fidelity is as exciting as exploring form!
The musical selection for this short was created by Chris Ward. It was originally written and recorded for DE LUXE: THE TALE OF THE BLUE COMET, but I couldn't find a spot for it. I've always liked the piece very much, so I am happy I have now given it a home where it can be appreciated,
And now, I give you VINTAGE:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE.
---
So many ideas to explore with "vintage".
With this though, one thing occurred to me right away and kept popping back up as I explored different ideas... and that was vintage films.
And by vintage, I mean those very first images that were set down on film over a 110 years ago.
As I worked on my dissertation, the history and nature of documentary was a constant focus during production. The birth of cinema is also the birth of documentary, and I find that notion quite extraordinary. The narration from this short comes from a section of the written portion of my dissertation.
When I talk about documentary film, I make sure to mention that the very first films made were short reality pieces. In a way, they are the inspiration for this project.
I tried to take the form of this short in an opposite direction from the last one. I had the time to edit again so I was afforded the opportunity. I am excited for the day when I don't have the time or means to edit, and the whole short will be shot and posted from my mytouch phone! Exploring fidelity is as exciting as exploring form!
The musical selection for this short was created by Chris Ward. It was originally written and recorded for DE LUXE: THE TALE OF THE BLUE COMET, but I couldn't find a spot for it. I've always liked the piece very much, so I am happy I have now given it a home where it can be appreciated,
And now, I give you VINTAGE:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE.
---
MAKE/ MINICONCEPTDOC #1: PROMISE
---
"Practice what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know." Rembrandt
Artist in His Studio, 1629 Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
Often in the past, when I was stuck working on a large documentary, or a doc that had a looming deadline, I would undertake smaller doc projects.
For instance, during the completion of Goodwill, I also made YARDSALE! and Wolf at the Door.
The goal was to just make. Make to make. And in that process, the flow of ideas would hopefully overflow into what I was stuck on, or currently working on.
I just recently finished a short conceptual documentary piece called Faces, After Whitman. I don't have any specific projects in sight except for theater installation work for the upcoming Rutgers production of Kafka's The Trial, but I feel like I have momentum that I don't want to lose.
In an effort to keep that momentum I am undertaking a project that is in fashion these days.
I was invited to participate in a Vimeo competition called VERY SHORT DOCUMENTARIES. The docs can range from one second to one minute and must be based on the presented concept, in whatever form the filmmaker chooses. The first topic is "Happiness".
I wanted to enter quickly and I had a little piece I have always like that expressed happiness in a raw and delightful way. It's called JUNI to B.I.N.G.O.:
I haven't written on my blog of late and this above idea has inspired me to use it for posting little documentary creations, which will henceforward be known as MINICONCEPTDOCS.
I want to push myself to think conceptually, and stay active. You never know what massive flower any of these little seeds might grow up to be.
Last night, as I laid in bed unable to sleep, I thought of the parameters for this project.
First, I have decided to post the shorts on Youtube, not my normal Vimeo site.
One, so I can centralize this project on a specific channel; two, Youtube videos can be screened on smart phones, while Vimeo videos cannot because they still use the Flash plug-in; and three, Youtube has a restriction on length that will make sure I keep any submissions to under ten minutes, but the data size can be up to 2GIGS!
So, the rules:
1. Docs will be video renderings of a single concept word that will be randomly generated.
2. Word will not be generated until last entry is posted. I will use this generator (I like it. It's just clean looking!) and post the word in a blog that will be updated when the last documentary is completed. Check out Sunday's word!
3. Currently posted word can be overruled by a suggestion from any MINICONCEPTDOC enthusiast, unless the currently showing word is already in production... So check frequently!
4. Docs will be 10 seconds to ten minutes in length.
5. Docs will be posted on every Wednesday and Sunday. (However, this first one is a cheat as it is going up on Thursday.) This will go on for as long as I see fit!
6. Docs can be of any quality ranging from highly under produced to highly produced. Titles, credits, edits are not required.
My first randomly generated concept was PROMISE. This was a challenge. It's not a "thing". It made me think. I liked it.
Because of the snow days I had time to put in titles on this one, a luxury I might not always have, though I will try. There are no edits in this piece however, it is a single shot.
In the future I hope to really experiment with what the documentary form can be. Some entries may be still images, some loose video montages, others may be a single interview, and so on...
So, in getting on with it...
The channel for the films can be found here: MINICONCEPTDOCS
My first entry is, PROMISE:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT CHANNEL HERE.
---
"Practice what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know." Rembrandt
Artist in His Studio, 1629 Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
Often in the past, when I was stuck working on a large documentary, or a doc that had a looming deadline, I would undertake smaller doc projects.
For instance, during the completion of Goodwill, I also made YARDSALE! and Wolf at the Door.
The goal was to just make. Make to make. And in that process, the flow of ideas would hopefully overflow into what I was stuck on, or currently working on.
I just recently finished a short conceptual documentary piece called Faces, After Whitman. I don't have any specific projects in sight except for theater installation work for the upcoming Rutgers production of Kafka's The Trial, but I feel like I have momentum that I don't want to lose.
In an effort to keep that momentum I am undertaking a project that is in fashion these days.
I was invited to participate in a Vimeo competition called VERY SHORT DOCUMENTARIES. The docs can range from one second to one minute and must be based on the presented concept, in whatever form the filmmaker chooses. The first topic is "Happiness".
I wanted to enter quickly and I had a little piece I have always like that expressed happiness in a raw and delightful way. It's called JUNI to B.I.N.G.O.:
I haven't written on my blog of late and this above idea has inspired me to use it for posting little documentary creations, which will henceforward be known as MINICONCEPTDOCS.
I want to push myself to think conceptually, and stay active. You never know what massive flower any of these little seeds might grow up to be.
Last night, as I laid in bed unable to sleep, I thought of the parameters for this project.
First, I have decided to post the shorts on Youtube, not my normal Vimeo site.
One, so I can centralize this project on a specific channel; two, Youtube videos can be screened on smart phones, while Vimeo videos cannot because they still use the Flash plug-in; and three, Youtube has a restriction on length that will make sure I keep any submissions to under ten minutes, but the data size can be up to 2GIGS!
So, the rules:
1. Docs will be video renderings of a single concept word that will be randomly generated.
2. Word will not be generated until last entry is posted. I will use this generator (I like it. It's just clean looking!) and post the word in a blog that will be updated when the last documentary is completed. Check out Sunday's word!
3. Currently posted word can be overruled by a suggestion from any MINICONCEPTDOC enthusiast, unless the currently showing word is already in production... So check frequently!
4. Docs will be 10 seconds to ten minutes in length.
5. Docs will be posted on every Wednesday and Sunday. (However, this first one is a cheat as it is going up on Thursday.) This will go on for as long as I see fit!
6. Docs can be of any quality ranging from highly under produced to highly produced. Titles, credits, edits are not required.
My first randomly generated concept was PROMISE. This was a challenge. It's not a "thing". It made me think. I liked it.
Because of the snow days I had time to put in titles on this one, a luxury I might not always have, though I will try. There are no edits in this piece however, it is a single shot.
In the future I hope to really experiment with what the documentary form can be. Some entries may be still images, some loose video montages, others may be a single interview, and so on...
So, in getting on with it...
The channel for the films can be found here: MINICONCEPTDOCS
My first entry is, PROMISE:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT CHANNEL HERE.
---
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