::::Stan Brakhage::Metaphors on Vision:::: [ book ]

Metaphors on Vision is a collection of writings by non-narrative film-maker Stan Brakhage particularly concerned with his personal approach to film. His work is beautiful and striking and his influence on the cinematic avant-garde should not be underestimated. I thoroughly recommend clicking through to the book and also checking out some of his work.

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::::CHERNOZEM::85A Collective:::: [ cinema ]

I would love so much to get to see this. The premiere, which is this Friday, is completely sold out. Still, it is running till the 5th of may.

From The Glue Factory website:

Burrowing through that dark vein of German Expressionism and Soviet propaganda films, 85A Collective, in association with the Glue Factory, are proud to present their first self-produced film: ‘Chernozem’ (Black Earth).

Launching as a fringe event to G.I. 2012, the film has been expanded into a ‘total cinema’ experience- a hair raising Gesamtkunstwerk entitled: ‘CHERNOZEM:KINO!’

Quite literally taken on a surreptitious ride through a series of multi-sensory scenes from the film within a large-scale post-industrial environment, the awe-struck audience can expect mesmerizing mechanical kinetic sculptures, immersive set design, intense lighting + projection, pummeling live music, salvos of sound design and rapid-fire performance … with the terrified cinéaste ultimately ‘projected’ into the film itself!

“A desperate cog in a monstrous machine!!”

CHUNG! CHUNG! CHUNG! CHUNG! CHUNG!! CHUNG…!!

:::The Glue Factory:::
:::85A Collective:::

::::’ploom.::::zine::::Fledgling Arts Collective::::

There’s a-doin’s transpirin’

::::Kafka Apartment Bloc::::partial treatment for a shortfilm:::: [ photography]

::::project ghostdub is now known as glitch:::: [ image ]

::::The Burning of the Doll’s House:::: [ video ]

“Doll’s house I spent two years making, being destroyed in a fire.” – Harriet.

::::GL1CH:::: [ photography ]

another still from untitled-tone-poem film project.

::::the hungry light:::: [ photography ]

Another still from untitled-tone-poem-project

::::blossomclash:::: [ photography ]

A still from a forthcoming Tone Poem. Maybe.

::::Elgato Film Productions::::The Girl Who Is Sitting Next To Me:::: [ video ]

Oh blog! How I have forsaken thee! Whence forth the tides of life do raiseth up to claim my lungs as mine mind’s lagoons for which to drown within these eyes do turn asunder and let decay claim this monument to thine outpourings.

Or some such shit.

Time for a story. Way back when it was 2010 (or was it 2011?), maybe sometime around this here autumnal season (although, frankly, it feels more like fucking Winter right now) a coffee house did open in yonder city of Ayr. An independent coffee house called Su Casa. With very tasty coffee. A treat it was to stumble upon and GOD DAMN do they do fine coffee. Upstairs I did wander to find a group of people muchly chatting. Full of awesome espresso I did introduce myself and join in – struck with a rare moment of sociable as I was. After all, the exchanging of conversation and ideas and the meeting of people are what coffeehouses are famous for, going all the way about to the first one in London in eighteencanteen. I wrote a piece on this subject in fact, one which I never finished, which I was going to gift to the owner of Su Casa for promotional purposes (I wanted to help, see).

Of this group of ragamuffin artists and students and general peoples there was one sat alone at a table, a laptop before him, working away at some video editing software. His name was Alberth Mg. We got to chatting. Alberth was a film maker. Alberth had forgone film school. Alberth had a vision.

At that time in his life he was spreading his time between Ayr and London making promo videos for bands and solo artists. A good way to pay the bills I would say. Personally, I was between shitty temporary jobs at the time, but not yet at the point of self-immolating desperation as to my prospects of finding employment. Plus, I had my mysterious novel going on. Still, I envied Alberth. He’d managed to hobble something together and was going for it. We exchanged details, followed each other on facebook and went on our merry ways.

Our paths didn’t cross much in the really real from then on but I kept abreast of what he was up to with his company Elgato Film Productions and various other projects via the book of the face.

So, now it is now, and Elgato are really ramping up. They have a short film, Reflections, due to be premiered next month. A shiny new website. A ragtag production team. A force to be reckoned with I reckon.

And now, in time for Halloween, A sketch called The Girl Who Is Sitting Next To Me.

Enjoy!

::::&hst:::::d][b:::: [ image ]

::::they call me ghostdub:::: [writing]

ghostdub. that’s what they all call me – i can’t even remember the name i had before. ghostdub.ghost.dub. because. because. because…i was dead. straight flatline. butbutbut.but Suzie…Suzie wouldn’t let them cut the line.screaming hysterical said she’d kill anyone who tried. Time…you… you lose it, over there. beyond the beyond. The Great Whatever. everything becomes like liquid. When the marbles finally returned they told me that I’d been gone 16 minutes. Guaranteed brain death. Youre produce.

but then i came back. They think… was it me? or just an echo? a dub? it stuck. what came back wasn’t what left, they say. corrupted.decompression error perhaps. They tied me up for my own protection. maybe theirs. i was in that place for quite a long time. halfmad. half here half there. Frankly, I’m still not really here.

at first they wouldn’t let me dive. said i might not come back at all. but i snuck it. it actually made me better…like i needed to dive to feel whole. Now i’m really only half here – constant transmission. i have someone to keep an eye on me. Whilst gone they say I got into mischief. i don’t remember.

::::ghostdub:::: [ still ]

::::ghostdub::::

:d:::μεταphasis:::d:

Ballard, The Drowned World and science fiction cinema [ musing ]

Twitter is great for certain things. If you are expressing yourself with only 128 characters it brings a certain clarity of thought, encouraging not only levity but also the sharing of fleeting impressions. It can also be a great conversational tool. My first thought was to post this musing to twitter but, at the end of the day, more people following this blog than follow me on twitter. Also, I do like to go on a bit…

Anyway.

I am currently reading The Drowned World by JG Ballard. I got it out from the library over a year ago along with a few other Ballard titles and kinda forgot to return it. Another county library system I owe money to added to an already extensive list. Reading it I am struck by its inherent cinematic nature – The urge I have to film it is overwhelmingly strong and I find myself pondering how a certain paragraph, page or scene would be expressed in a screenplay and through the camera lens. I think if done right it could equal the works of Tarkofsky in its expression of the interior. In fact, Tarkofsky would of been a perfect directorial candidate for a adaptation.

I have recently been struck by a thought concerning science fiction cinema – With the exception of perhaps ‘Alien’ all the greats have been based on short stories and novels. What is it about science fiction that makes it so inherently unsuited to being expressed in screenplay form from inception? (ooh! Inception! No, wait, wasn’t that based on a short story by Nolan’s brother?)

Maybe I’m wrong and getting carried away with this notion of mine. What do you think?