Footage From The Flames of University Towers

So, I was at my friend Melanie's tonight (also one of my character-portraits). My friend Brian and I were just about to leave (it was around 1a.m.) when the fire alarm went off, apparently this happens a lot at this complex. We were going down the dungeon-like hallways with the lights beaming down and the siren blaring when I realized that I was holding the flip-cam that Ellen had generously supplied for us. Thankfully, I thought to use it and as you can see I was pretty excited by this whole ordeal. The way the drunken students acted at the end was so amazingly crazy. It was this great moment where I felt like a filmmaker capturing something really spontaneous and amazing. The flip-cam was really un-intrusive so it allowed me greater access to everything that was going on.

TSTV Put This in Your Mouth - Crave

I'm An Artist! - The First of My Blog Videos

So, I should be shooting two of my character-portraits tomorrow (or tomorrow and Saturday). One is on an Indian friend named Haseeb and the other on a bi girl named Melanie who I met a month ago at a coffee shop. I took this little video tonight just to talk about what was going on and my anxiousness regarding the project. Sorry, the video is sideways because I was holding the camera wrong. Don't judge me, I'm an artist.

Documentary Events Calendar

http://www.my.calendars.net/utdoccenter/

I am working on this for the UT Doc Center, but its still in the works. Here is the link for now but the format will become more uniform soon.

My Parents - Documentation

I think Michael Moore is a fat-head who doesn't properly blame those at fault.

This is a documentation of mom and dad.

Michael Moore's Origininal Critique of Corporate Mores

Last week I checked out Ellen's copy of Roger & Me, which happens to be Michael Moore's first documentary. I have seen several other Moore documentaries, including the most recent Sicko, and I was very interested in watching the film in which the infamous documentarian's unique style originated.

The film tracks the economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's shut down several large automobile factories in Moore's home town of Flint, Michigan. Throughout the film, Moore attempts to have an interview with Roger Smith, in order to talk with the CEO about the impact of his actions. The filmmaker is ultimately unsucessful in acheiving this task, despite having made several attempts to talk with the corporate head. I was amazed by how little Michael Moore's documentary style has changed over the years. Moore is the star of this documentary, as he is in every subsequent film he's made. 

Undoubtedly, Moore's style has been a popular one, which never ceases to entertain and engage his now large fan base. I too must say I was entertained by Roger & Me,  and amazed at the storytelling ability of the then first-time filmmaker. The film was tightly edited to great effect, evoking a powerful, somber mood, in regards to the town of Flint, Michigan. The distraught residents' stories provided largely unintentional humor, humor that almost seemed cruel at some times. But hey, that's life.

I've never been a fan of Moore's politics, but I've always admired the filmmaker's ability to convey his message so effectively. Roger & Me serves as the first entry in a series of documentaries that seek out social change. While I'm no fan of Moore pesonally, I still praise him for his efforts, and I nevertheless enjoyed this interesting (and still powerful) initial film.

Interesting Note: I am taking Intro to Producing this semester with John Pierson. Pierson worked as a producer's rep on Roger & Me, helping sell it to Warner Brothers for an astoundimg three million dollars. Thusly, Pierson knows a wealth of information about the film (and he claims to this day that Michael actually got not one, but two interview with Roger Smith). If anybody is interested in learning about the production of Roger & Me, I'd be happy to field any questions to Mr. Pierson.

The Maysles Brothers' Salesman

The Maysles Brothers documentary Salesman is a good example of cinematic realism in the direct cinema movement. The film chronicles the lives of a group of bible salesman in the 60s, depicting many assets of their characters, and therefore providing an interesting facet to one's view of bible salesman. The filmmakers utilize portable cameras and sound to present the viewer with real footage and sync sound. The shots are organized to give the audience a voyeuristic feeling of being there on a journey into the lives of bible salesmen. The scenes are unscripted and the camera seems to have little effect on the subjects, for the salesmen are the real performers. The Maysles’ do a tremendous job of dismantling the barriers between filmmaker and subject, making the audience feel less like a viewer but a witness. The close shots and intimate camera movement provide a rich point of view and a sentiment of truth throughout the film. Though the documentary takes place over a long time period, the filmmakers’ cinematic time somehow still appears to be reality. By showing different aspects of the subjects’ lives… from poker, to sales, to meetings, to phone calls, this is achieved.