(Mid Level) Seeing is Believing

 The McGurk effect is a compelling demonstration of how we all use visual speech information. The effect shows that we can't help but integrate visual speech into what we 'hear'.

Watch:

The McGurk Effect

(Mid to High level) Movement, rythmn and form and cinema

Film 1.

Film is Rhythm (1921) by Hans Richter

 "Richter focused instead on the "temporality" of the cinematic viewing experience by emphasizing movement and the shifting relationship of form elements in time. His major creative breakthrough was the discovery of cinematic rhythm, which he then used as the title of his first film, Film ist Rhythmus: Rhythmus ’21 (Film is Rhythm: Rhythm 21, 1921). For Richter, rhythm was “the essence of emotional expression”: "Rhythm expresses something different from thought.... Rhythm cannot be explained completely by thought nor can thought be put in terms of rhythm... both find their connection and identity in... the life principle, from which they spring and upon which they can build...'

In Rhythmus ’21, generally considered to be the first completely abstract film, Richter used these principles to create a work of remarkable structural cohesion. Completed by using stop motion and forward and backward printing in addition to an animation table, the film consists of a continuous flow of rectangular and square shapes that “move” forward, backward, vertically, and horizontally across the screen. Syncopated by an uneven rhythm, forms grow, break apart and are fused together in a variety of configurations for just over three minutes (at silent speed). The constantly shifting forms render the spatial situation of the film ambivalent, an idea that is reinforced when Richter reverses the figure-background relationship by switching, on two occasions, from positive to negative film.

In so doing, Richter draws attention to the flat rectangular surface of the screen, destroying the perspectival spatial illusion assumed to be integral to film’s photographic base, and emphasizing instead the kinetic play of contrasts of position, proportion and light distribution. By restricting himself to the use of square shapes and thus simplifying his compositions, Richter was able to concentrate on the arrangement of the essential elements of cinema: movement, time and light.

Disavowing the beauty of “form” for its own sake, Rhythmus ’21 instead expresses emotional content through the mutual interaction of forms moving in contrast and relation to one another. Nowhere is this more evident than in the final “crescendo” of the film, in which all of the disparate shapes of the film briefly coalesce into a Mondrian-like spatial grid before decomposing into a field of pure light."

Adapted from a text by Richard Suchenski, Hans Richter, sensesofcinema.com/2009/great-directors/hans-richter/


 Watch

Hans Richter - Film Ist Rhythm (1921)


 Film 2.

Free Radicals (1958-1979) by Len Lye

Free Radicals is a black-and-white animated short by artist Len Lye. Lye made the film by directly scratching the film stock. The resulting "figures of motion" are set to music by the Bagirmi tribe of Africa.

"I made Free Radicals from 16mm black film leader. I took a graver, various kinds of needles. (My range included arrowheads for romanticism.) You stick down the sides with scotch tape and you get to work with scratching the stuff out. … … You hold your hand at the right height and act is if you were making your signature. It goes on forever. You can carry a pictographic design in your head and make a little design. You can't see what you're doing because your hand is in the way. That's why those things have that kind of spastic look."

- Len Lye

Watch

Free Radicals (excerpt)

(Mid Level) The Lounge Bar

The Song

There's a man at the bar staring into space

Why is he drinking all by himself

What could have happened to his face?

What's that thing on his head?

Must have had quite a fall

he's listening to the song that's playing

He's hardly moving at all

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema

And the song sounds like Ten Guitars

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema goes walking

And walking

There's a woman she comes in out of the rain

She waits for a while then she says

"The service is pretty slow around here"

But the man doesn't hear her, he's still listening to the song

And the song sounds like la la la

She looks around the bar she hasn't seen for so long

Nothing is changed, the jukebox playing the same old song

But just then a chord-change

Makes the blood change direction in her veins

And her heart sings dance, dance, dance to my Ten Guitars

The man at the bar has lost his memory

The man at the bar could be anybody

The bottle helps some people forget

But can the bottle help him remember

Will he ever remember who he was?

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema

And the song sounds like Ten Guitars

And the song sounds like The Girl from Ipanema goes walking

And walking

What does “Scuse me a sec” mean?

Who is Ngaire?

Who is Mike?

Who is Mr. Hadleigh?

Why do people say “I’ll get you another”?

“Hope you don’t _____ me asking, but…”

“There’s a few things I wouldn’t mid forgetting” - What do you think the woman wishes she could forget?

What makes the blood change direction in the woman’s veins?

“You’re pretty spunky?” What does this mean?

Why does the man have to wear the head brace?

“It’s all a blank” what does it mean?

“The bottle” What does it mean?

“I’ve got eyes”

“Live a little”

“I think you fractured his ______”

“We’ll chuck him off the wharf!” why is this significant?

What do you think will happen now?

Link:

The Lounge Bar

(Any Level) Destino

Destino is an animated short film released in 2003 by The Walt Disney Company. Destino's production began in 1945, 58 years before its eventual completion. The project was originally a collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali.

The film tells the story of Chronos, the personification of time and the inability to realize his desire to love for a mortal. The scenes blend a series of surreal paintings of Dali with dancing and metamorphosis.

The plot of the film was described by Dalí as "A magical display of the problem of life in the labyrinth of time." Walt Disney said it was "A simple story about a young girl in search of true love."

Watch:

Destino

(Mid Level) Abbas Kiarostami

 

Abbas Kiarostami recently died. I can't think of a greater filmmaker. His films are a universe. Here he discusses three topics:

1. Overwhelming versus quietly profound films
2. Characters
3. Illusion and reality

Watch:

Kiarostami

(Mid Level) Mystery Photos

1. Always leads to lifelong struggles and it leads to a person not to trust anyone anymore about his/her problems.  People always seem them as friends but actually are not.

2. Tangaroa, son of Kora, the white witch from Tarawera, was about to become a man. Respectul of traditions, Tangaroa, on his own, will have to face his darkest demons and to fight innumerable malicious spirits, wandering through the Wai-O-Tapu's forest, inside the Hereafter’s territory. Like his older brother Nikau before, this ultimate test will determined his duty as a confirmed sorcerer.

White sorcerers are known for their altruism, compassion, generosity, wisdom, tolerance, honnesty and their infinite kindness. They possess the power of the natural creation and are the guardians of the knowledge. Black sorcerers are known for their courage, frankness, trickery, impulsivness, leadership and their unfailing tenacity. They possess the power of the destruction and are the guardians of the reminiscence.

Leading by his uncontrolled curiosity and his childish innocence, Tangaroa will quickly find out that this choice won’t belong to himself. Wai-O-Tapu seems to have other plans for the apprentice...

3. It was such a special day for us. It was so cloudy when we got ready, which seems like expecting the approach of unknown things. Finally our dream came true. We prepared all the equipment we need. Also we made a detailed plan for our upcoming journey. Today, we decided to embark on the adventure. We were really excited to look around new world!!

4. I saw this picture one year ago when I was working on a project for my studies in communication. This project was to create an advertisement for a company or a charity for giving a strong message from ART. For this project I thought to do an advertisement for UNICEF, and this picture would help illustrate my work.


This picture was taken by Sabine Weiss, a famous Swiss humanist photographer, who has had a lot of exhibitions in New York, Paris, Geneva, London and more.

Le petite Egyptienne was taken in Egypt near to the capital, Cairo. She met this little girl in the village where she sold old dolls to help her parents.


At the first look we can think it’s a simple picture of little girl, but no. This girl represents happiness and the chlid’s soul, the innocence. What captures the attention is her smile. It is so natural. The picture was taken maybe at a funny event or something else.

Behind this picture Sabine Weiss wanted to communicate the hope in the world, and that is ART.

5.  The Gods claimed their territory by sticking their boomerangs into the ground. Now everybody can see how big they are.

6. We encounter each other on Palm Beach. Let the journey begin.

7. "Tomorrow is another day." We couldn't expect what would happen to us. It was a good beginning though.

8. Her smile is pure and walks on the wind. So clear as the reflection of a cloud on the water. And so clear, like rain that gives the sky. 

When she laughs, the stars of her eyes open and shine. With that glassy glare that only innocence has. Without those dark shadows that eclipse when they grow up. 

When his eyes open, his soul is white, like snow winter when curdled. Quiet and cal as a serene tide. Happy and at peace with everything. He unknowingly loves.

This is the beautiful portrait of ephemeral innocence. But it's just the mysterious dream of a spark of mundane existence.

9. A bear got hungry so he decided to leave his cave to go foraging. Unfortunately he didn't find any fruit or insects. So he had to walk for a long time until he reached a river that was full of fish. He caught some salmon to assuage his hunger and regained his cave.

10. I hike through the woods and suddenly I see a beautiful landscape. For me it is a clearance since I have been walking for three days without fresh water to drink or hot food.  My feet hurt and my backpack gets heavier with every hour. 

I walk down the little path which brings me to the little village with nice little houses. People are living there, baking bread,  playing with kids, and warming up their houses. I see smoky chimneys and a nice life together. 

Hopefully I find a place to hunker down.    

(Mid Level) The Mind Reader

Dave is an extremely gifted clairvoyant who finds out specific financial information. This video reveals the magic behind the magic. And by doing so urging everybody to be vigilant.

Watch:

Mind Reader

Discussion:

How does this video make you feel?