(I won't be able to write it 'till Friday, and that's photo blog day so another day might be better for posting it. Any suggestions for a better day are welcome.)
A 'visual arts' diary could work, I think, as long as the images are online. (Just google the title, click on images, find a biggish one that has the colours as you remember them, then insert into diary.) Contributors--and readers--can see the images--if they're big enough--and so follow any discussions based on the visuals.
I like the idea of picture juxtapositions. So if you write a diary--I'll look forward to reading it.
Re: films, I was wondering if it would make more sense to review films that are available online--not DVDs or torrents, but things like this:
European Tribune - War of the Narratives - Two Venezuelan documentaries
The Irish documentary "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" has turned into somewhat of a leftist answer to this critism, questioning how the media is used as a tool of power and control in a society. To my surprise I discovered that the film was posted on Google video. It is a beautiful and expressive piece of political documentary: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q Naturally, the Venezuelan middle- and upper class is rather irritated by the picture that is painted of Venezuelan society and their allegedly pampered and racist life style. In a move I applaud whoever responsible for, they have made a counter-documentary, discussing the ways in which TRWNBT in their view was wrong, misleading, manipulative, etc: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3378761249364089950&q More than the original documentary (which was deliberately provocative), I think the response really gives an insight into middle class Venezuelan attitudes. If you have time to see it, I ask you to not only evaluate what they are saying and how they are saying it (both in content of critism but also how they have chosen to present it), but also what they are NOT arguing against.
The Irish documentary "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" has turned into somewhat of a leftist answer to this critism, questioning how the media is used as a tool of power and control in a society. To my surprise I discovered that the film was posted on Google video.
It is a beautiful and expressive piece of political documentary:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q
Naturally, the Venezuelan middle- and upper class is rather irritated by the picture that is painted of Venezuelan society and their allegedly pampered and racist life style. In a move I applaud whoever responsible for, they have made a counter-documentary, discussing the ways in which TRWNBT in their view was wrong, misleading, manipulative, etc:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3378761249364089950&q
More than the original documentary (which was deliberately provocative), I think the response really gives an insight into middle class Venezuelan attitudes. If you have time to see it, I ask you to not only evaluate what they are saying and how they are saying it (both in content of critism but also how they have chosen to present it), but also what they are NOT arguing against.
I don't know if it'll work, but the only requirement is that contributors (and readers) watch the online work. I expect there are new developments online. Also, a lot of old work is available and (for me) the films carry a resonance that could be developed in a discussion. Youtube, though, chops things at 10 minutes which makes it difficult to watch something in one sitting. Has anyone investigated google video to see what's out there? Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.
Film blogs can have two aspects. One is the general "What did you think of it and why?"; everyone can contribute (who has watched the film.) The only danger is an argument about tastes--where I follow the Crazy Horse logic that "I like it / I don't like it" is fine, but criticism is something else.
Then there is another aspect, which we have seen an interest in with the photo blog, and that is: technical elements. Sven knows a lot about these--but whether he has time/interest in developing it. Thing is, the technical aspect is served wonderfully by youtube. All those 10 min clips, all the favourites snipped and available. Maybe there would be some interest in analysing a 10 min clip rather than a whole film?
Also, for those who have seen the film, a clip might have a "key resonance" such that it can be shown and then used to feed out to the wider picture.
A simple example: I've never been into Hitchcock. It could just be "like vs. dislike", but he's a famous director, I'm sure clips of his films are online, and maybe I'd learn a thing or eight from a technical discussion--hmmm....maybe I'm thinking "form and function can't be separated"--only maybe not!
(...like I said, just throwing thoughts out.) Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.
To be frank, I have not seen that much of Hitchcocks works to be certain that this description fits Hitchcock. I am however certain that later generations of moveiwatchers will not experience the awe I felt when I watched Jurassic Park. They made it look so real! Not like the stiff puppets or crude cuts (with blue lines around the cut-in object) I was used too. Now computer animation is standard and hanging a movie on just good animations does not work, thus a story is also needed (ok, Jurassic Park might have had a story but I hardly remember it).
