Hello-
Thanks for the post, it was nice to hear your thoughts.
I am a film enthusiast as well, and I would also be interested in taking part
in a community of likeminded artists. I also make abstract, visual films that
my parents don't consider movies. I love Hans Richter, Maya Deren, and Man Ray
films, among many others.
I have a ton of gear, and I would like to make myself available as a resource
for film-related tools, etc. With an engineer friend, I custom build
film-related gear such as interval motors, upside-down tri-pods (for correcting
8mm-on-16mm 4-screen effect), external shutters, external scope lens gadgetry,
matte box masks, frankenstein optical printer hybrids, etc., etc. If there is
something anybody needs, I am sure I can help.
I also collect 16mm films, and have amassed a large collection, including about
200 amateur home movies that I would love to archive someday.
For a while now, I have been thinking about trying to start a film festival
that is devoted to filmmakers who shoot and finish/present their films on
celluloid. "The Film-Only Film Festival," or something to that effect. There
are, of course, already experimental film festivals out there, but I don't
think there is anything that is specifically, 100% devoted to the medium of
film, as in celluloid. Anyway, I think the idea could take off, and could help
to provide a community that is supportive to artists who are committed to film.
Maybe this could also help fill the void you are speaking of, and connect
likeminded filmmakers together. It could also perhaps help to preserve the
"dying," medium of film - a worthy cause that I think a lot of people and
institutions would be willing to help support.
Anyway, if anyone thinks that this is an idea worth pursuing, I am open to
collaborating, and building on the idea. Why not?! If we don't have a venue,
I guess we'll just have to build one!
-Ian Wood
Filmmaker
On Mar 16, 2013, at 3:54 PM, "J Vent" <jvent.subscripti...@gmail.com> wrote:
> You are not alone- I live in LA and feel the same isolation from time to
> time, being in "the" industry town is great for resources but thin on the
> experimental community experience. That said, we do have the Echo Park Film
> Center, Cinefamily and others here as centers of some activity. Milwaukee is
> a great experimental film town, UWM being the source of fresh talent. I'm
> restoring/putting together a JK 104 recently given to me, I'm all on board if
> you like to talk Op Printing.
>
> JV
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 12:32 PM, Doug Chaffin("Douglas Graves")
> <dgtols...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> As an isolated 16mm abstract moviemaker I'm very interested to know if
> there's anyone else like me around today?
>
> Specifically, is there anyone who works on photo-chemical celluloid motion
> picture film and makes any kind of formal aesthetic work that is either
> purely cinematic, abstract, or just generally lyrical and poetic, visually
> speaking?
>
> I'm 30 and I spent 3 years and 10,000 dollars making a really ambitious and
> stylized abstract 16mm movie called "PALMS", it's a serious piece of work
> that I think is worthy of following in the tradition of what I feel are the
> truly great non-narrative cinematic artists such as Will Hindle, Ed
> Emshwiller, James Whitney, Pat O'Neill, Jordan Belson, Scott Bartlett, Bruce
> Baillie, Maya Deren, Slavko Vorkapich, and Dziga Vertov, among others.
>
> Are other people out there, particularly people younger than 50 and currently
> active, who are also passionate and excited by the work of all these great
> cinematic artists and are committed to working on celluloid? The last 3 years
> have been a struggle for me to make another movie and to get my 1st one even
> seen by anyone. and i also just haven't been able to find people who share my
> love of cinematic technique and will share it in any way, such as emailing or
> talking to each other about great shots and montages and optical techniques
> or sound design techniques in the brilliant movies by these artists.
>
> That kind of community and sharing is i feel necessary, even if only between
> a few people, and it's sad when we're so alone in our struggling and hard
> work. The only current 16mm moviemakers I know that are similar to me in any
> way are Timoleon Wilkins and Mark Toscano and they are unfortunately
> inaccessible for various reasons. I can't see their work or stay in touch
> with them as friends or even associates.
>
> Especially nowadays with all these faster, easier, and cheaper ways of
> communicating around the whole world such as the internet and cell phones,
> it's amazing how it seems like most people are if anything more reluctant and
> difficult about staying in touch and enjoying community and fellowship.
>
> I know that maybe there are some really great cinematic-celluloid artists
> working today out there who just make their work for themselves and don't
> really show it and don't desire to know other cinema enthusiasts. In a way I
> can understand wanting to be like that and maybe nowadays it's the only way
> to be. I might get like that too but right now I would welcome the interest
> and association of serious people whom love what I love and, as my mentor the
> great Bruce Baillie would say, want to be human to each other about it.
>
>
>
> Doug Graves
>
> 4636 Talbot Drive
> Boulder, CO 80303
>
> 702-580-4293
> PURE CINEMA CELLULOID
> http://www.purecinemacelluloid.webstarts.com/
>
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>
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