Thank you for the invitation but I am currently teaching three film
courses at Dongguk University in Seoul!
Please do raise the point that films being made on film today are as
much about their material as about their content (true obviously for
many avant-garde filmmakers such as Brakhage, Sharits, Jacobs etc but
now true in general for anyone determined to shoot film material).
If one has kept the same film camera for many years, shoots
sparingly, does their own labwork and cuts with scissors and tape,
then it is much cheaper to work on film than on new media. Otherwise
it is a real choice to make the effort nowadays.
The choice pays off because there is a true physical (as opposed to
virtual) connection between the material running through the camera
and the shadows projected on the screen: the film image is
indexically related to its content, whereas digital projections are
mainly symbolical. The mechanical shutter invokes the phi phenomenon
which creates the illusion of motion through flicker, rather than
beta movement which the digital projector invokes. The phi phenomenon
forces the viewer to participate actively in the illusion (during the
third of the time spent in the dark). Studies in brain waves will
show the difference between film and digital perception: film wakes
us up.
Color and texture is a very small part of the important distinctions
between the technologies. This is why I think the word analog
distracts us into thinking that choosing film is only a stylistic
choice.
Thank you for hosting this event.
Pip Chodorov
At 20:13 -0500 11/11/14, Matt Whitman wrote:
If you feel that you are alone in this strict use, Pip, you should
come to the event if you are able to do so. Particularly for the
panel/Q&A afterwards. It would indeed be instructive for other
members of the public who are not privy to this list to be aware of
the distinction that you make and this ongoing discussion. If you
are not able to attend, I am happy to raise this point myself during
the panel and make it clear that even in the naming of the event,
there is debate in how and where these terms are used.
Provided that all of the artists showing work and participating in
the discussion consent, an audio recording of this will likely be
posted online. Will let you know.
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