class

02.04.08

i love this class. thats all it really comes down to. unlike many film classes i've opted to take, this class is much less about set structure, and much more about creativity. one of my favorite aspects of being a film major is the idea of being able to creatively push myself to limits that otherwise wouldn't be an option. of course, as with any curriculum, there are certain things you have to do to satisfy requirements, and contrary to popular opinion, film is not just an easy cop-out of a major. but amidst the rigid structure of such classes as editing and screenwriting (i.e. "you are going to edit this footage and make it viewable" or "you are going to write a screenplay"), 6X1 provides an opportunity to have a particular project to do, but to really take it in any direction you choose...

coming into this class (and a few of my other classes this semester) i honestly felt a little bit uneducated and unprepared. luckily for me, the guidance and openness of the instructor is strong enough to where that really doesn't matter. before i withdrew from school last january, 6X1 was a class i was enrolled in, and i had the opportunity to go to the first class, at least get an idea of what 'inking' and 'scratching' on film were, and get the first assignment. since then, and in hopes of returning to 6X1 at a later date, i've been marinating on the earth, wind, fire, water assignment.

so aside from being exposed to alot of really interesting, experimental films (and filmmakers) that i probably would have never heard of otherwise, and apart from learning alot of really necessary things that every filmmaker should know (how to load a film projector, how to process film, etc...) i've been exposed to all sorts of limitless techniques in the way of creating cameraless movies. [which really appeals to me. i'm an incredibly hands-on person, and enjoy not being limited in filmmaking to things such as actors, blocking, scripting, editing, so on and so forth]. thus far, i think the magazine transfer technique has been the most interesting to me. scratching on film, yes. inking, yes. even the rayogram makes sense, it's exposing film while manipulating what's on top covering the light, thus leaving a design underneath. but i had no idea that with just clear packing tape, some torn up magazine bits, and a bucket of hot water, you could make a movie....

this class has kept me on my toes creatively, pushing me to think in ways i never have before, and probably wouldn't otherwise. it's an interesting place to be, mindscape, moviescape, film as a landscape, and if i have to be anywhere at 10am on a monday morning, it might as well be here...