Experimental Film

What is experimental film

Personal, non-commercial, invites individual interpretation, exploits film medium, frustrates viewer expectations.

Experimental film is to poetry as narrative film is to what

Prose.

How does experimental film differ from popular cinema

Popular cinema conceals artifice, reinforces expectations; experimental film critiques culture, is self-reflexive.

Who directed Prelude to Dog Star Man

Stan Brakhage.

What years was Dog Star Man made

1961–1964.

What is the basic narrative of Prelude to Dog Star Man

A man climbs a mountain with an axe and dog, chops down a tree.

Name two other Brakhage films mentioned. Mothlight (1963), Night Music (1986).

Who directed Rhythmus 21

Hans Richter.

Who directed Print Generation

JJ Murphy.

Who directed Un Chien Andalou

Luis Buñuel (with Salvador Dalí).

Who directed Meshes of the Afternoon

Maya Deren (with Alexander Hammid).

Who directed Removed

Naomi Uman.

Who directed Ballet Mécanique

Dudley Murphy & Fernand Léger.

Who directed Koyaanisqatsi

Godfrey Reggio.

List four experimental film styles. Structuralist, Surreal, Stream of Consciousness, Found Footage.

What is “found footage”

Reusing footage from other films to create new meaning.

What is “stream of consciousness” in film

Unedited flow of experience through the mind.

Name any four characteristics. Economic independence, Brevity, Technical innovation, Mental imagery.

What is “reflexivity” in experimental film

Artwork draws attention to its own construction.

Do all experimental films have all eight characteristics

No.

Who said “The creative act is not performed by the artist alone…”

Marcel Duchamp.

Give an example of experimental influence in modern media. Music videos (e.g., Michel Gondry’s Hyperballad).

List some qualities of experimental film mentioned in class. Personal, non-commercial, critiques culture/media, invites interpretation, exploits film medium, frustrates expectations.

Who directed Fabricating Electricity and what is unique about it

Jessica Havlicek, 2004; student-made experimental short using creative visuals and sound.

What is unique about Prelude to Dog Star Man

Uses unorthodox techniques, metaphorical imagery, explores history of man.

What is unique about Rhythmus 21

Abstract geometric shapes, early German avant-garde.

What is unique about Mothlight

Made by pressing moth wings and organic material onto film.

What is unique about Fabricating Electricity

Student experimental short emphasizing visual abstraction.

What is unique about Ballet Mécanique

Mechanical rhythms, surreal montage, collaboration with Léger and Man Ray.

What is unique about Print Generation

50 generations of 60 one-second shots, explores perception and memory.

What is unique about Un Chien Andalou

Surrealist classic, shocking imagery, attacks societal norms.

What is unique about Meshes of the Afternoon

Feminist trance film, dreamlike structure, symbolic objects.

What are the eight characteristics of experimental film identified by Edward S. Small in Direct Theory

Acollaborative Construction, Economic Independence, Brevity, Technical Innovation, Mental Imagery, Avoidance of Verbal Language, Exploration of Nonnarrative Structure, Reflexivity.

What does “Acollaborative Construction” mean in experimental film

Artist performs all tasks, not typical studio collaboration.

What is “Economic Independence” in experimental film

Made outside industrial economics and studio systems.

What does “Brevity” refer to in experimental film

Usually under 30 minutes; often very short.

What is “Technical Innovation” in experimental film

Uses new or unconventional film techniques.

What does “Mental Imagery” explore in experimental film

Dreams, hallucinations, subconscious states.

What does “Avoidance of Verbal Language” mean in experimental film

Minimal or no dialogue; relies on visuals and sound.

What is meant by “Exploration of Nonnarrative Structure” in experimental film

Rejects traditional story; uses fragmented or abstract forms.

What does “Reflexivity” refer to in experimental film

Draws attention to the film’s own construction.