I felt that a good place to start my exploration of screendance would be with the work of Maya Deren. This video essay by Laura Ivins is very succinct:
I resonated with Deren's emphasis on Amateurism: not to be bound by profit motive, use modest production resources, and not emulating theater. Funding and time to create are perennial issues.
The concept of Amateurism reminded me of French New-Wave cinema:
"These critics rejected the Tradition de qualité ("Tradition of Quality") of mainstream French cinema,[3] which emphasized craft over innovation and old works over experimentation...
It argues that "cinema was in the process of becoming a new means of expression on the same level as painting and the novel ... a form in which and by which an artist can express his thoughts, however abstract they may be, or translate his obsessions exactly as he does in the contemporary essay or novel"
Can the same be said of the development of screendance"
I also find Deren and French New Wave resonating with Yvonne Rainer's "No" manifesto. And with the genesis of Punk Rock.
I also liked her use of handheld cameras, not playing to a tripod. The body of the camera operator is also an embodiment of intention. Where do shoulder rigs and gimbals fit in now?
She endorsed the creation of new realities with controlled accidents: shooting in nature including the wind, water, sun, random events in the scene.
Idea: record social dancers at live music events, e.g. Capital Social outdoors.
Characters move through different spaces with only match cuts.
Books:
Cinematography - the Creative Use of Reality
Adventures in Creative Filmmaking
From the IU Cinema Interview with Jonathan Banks ("Breaking Bad": "Zorba the Greek" was his role model and brought him to acting. Zorba and Kazantzakis are personal favorites.
"RITUAL IN TRANFIGURED TIME, 1946" : slo-mo, crowds, social dance, negative image, space/time disconnects.
Idea: realtime dancer set in slo-mo or time-lapse crowd scene: use DvR isolation maps; huge social dance events; festivals, fairs, etc. Move dancer around in crowd.
"A Study In Choreography For Camera" (1945) is prototypical for much of contemporary screendance
Dancing in the woods and in a home, ECU and low-angle POV.
Deren strikes me as a filmmaker more than a choreographer/dancer.
Her classic beauty adds impact to her work - not to be devalued. Her hair and makeup are professional, not amateur.
The value of craft in screendance is much debated. Hollywood-level imagery is affordable to the independent filmmaker: full-frame 4K RAW video, cinematic lenses, 32-bit audio, and free access to the dominant editing, F/X, and CGI software. What is the artistic value of such high production values? Must they be used just because they are available? Is their use required by the presence of skilled body and camera movement, or a sophisticated narrative. Is the overall quality of a work the product of all its elements? Are the Fine Arts the dominant standard of value?
Woodland Boardwalk in Early Spring From ChatGPT: Suggest some ideas for a dance film set on a boardwalk in the woods A love story: A dance film could be made that revolves around the story of two people who fall in love on the boardwalk in the woods. The dance sequences could showcase their feelings for each other, and how they navigate the challenges that come their way. Nature-inspired dance: The boardwalk in the woods provides a beautiful natural setting for dancers to explore. The choreography could be inspired by the movements of animals, the sway of trees, and the flow of water. The dance sequences could be a celebration of nature and its beauty. Mystery: The boardwalk in the woods can also be a mysterious place, and a dance film could explore this aspect. The choreography could be dark and moody, with dancers moving in shadows, hinting at the secrets that the woods hold. Adventure: The boardwalk in the woods can also be a place of adventure, and a dance film could sho...
The embodiment of non-place from Eugene Nikitin on Vimeo . A clear intention, good dramatic framing and lighting, just good film making... Light Falling in Darkness from Daniel de Bruyn on Vimeo . Some pretty darn good student work. Looks like something I might do: my favorite natural elements, carefully controlled Mise-en-scène , dancers with good technique and gravitas... I like Rocio's concept of " a moving portrait of a dancer". Dancers are often interesting people. Just documenting their authentic movement reveals much about them and makes for an interesting film.
A outdoor screendance location shall appear: Beautiful or ugly, natural, austere, bleak, abandoned, very old, ancient or obviously dated, damaged or repaired, unfinished, primitive, futuristic, obscure, mystical, sacred or profane, conflicted, classic, elegant, simple, unfinished, repurposed, abstract or representational, or unknown. Unconventional always preferable. Whatever it is, extreme examples play better. The location needs to be: safe and suitable for dancing free from interfering people and vehicle traffic for the many hours need for recording illuminated by direct sun during the PM Golden Hour Rock Quarry - Verona Road, old photograph Lovely example of blasted quarry cliffs that nicely emulate natural ones. This is an old Google Earth aerial, the area is now overgrown and not nearly as dramatic. Blasting is restricted near cities ad it is hard to find such dramatic locations. But this is the idea: beautiful rocks, close to home. Waite Circle I hav...
Comments
Post a Comment