Student Originated Studies: Media

I have been having an ongoing conversation with the community art space director I met in SD.  We've been talking about DIY/low budget media and all the connotations the aesthetic brings with it.  Not that I'm that old, but growing up, queer artists didn't have money to make anything, so I associate the look of low budget with their media.  I started thinking about this while writing a final paper in Mediaworks.  I was writing on the influence of the male gaze and the film "Watermellon Woman".  I started thinking about how I could recognize queer film by its low budget look, that it was becoming part of a queer aesthetic.  So she is saying that indie filmmakers who are trying to create a look that says "I'm not part of the studio big budget system" are trying to look like they have no money.  Low budget today means anything under 10 million.  I jokingly said that straight indie artists are once again stealing from queer artists and this is just the latest example of this theft or borrowing.  That the mainstream, in their never ending quest to find what's cool, always look to the fringe cultures and take what they find.  So, now they are trying to look like they have street cred. and are trying to make films that look low budget.  But she agreed and she wasn't kidding.I'm not sure how much of this I can totally agree with.  I believe that fringe culture is co-opted by the mainstream, but are they conciously attempting to look "cool" by looking low budget?   And can we say that the low budget look is associated with queer art? Exclusively or not? This leads to all sorts of further questions:  What audience sees fringe queer films?  The mainstream audiences for indie films, are they aware of the images and/or aesthetics that are being borrowed? I haven't figured this out yet.

Home again.  Trip was half successful.  Met with Brent Altomare, who owns production company.  This was great, he was so helpful and spent about 90 minutes in his office.  I took 2 pages of notes that I will try to organize and share.  He had a lot of advice about getting work after college and how to package your reel.  He invited me to contact him when I get back down there and offered me opportunity to crew on shoots.  He said he only hires college interns because he doesn't like to make people work for nothing.  So, even though he wouldn't pay someone the first time they worked crew, the pay would be that you would be hired back again for money if he was impressed with your work.  I also met with the woman who owns a retail and communtiy art space and she offered me work...but no money.  She wants me to assist the curator and also create a public discussion space/meeting around queer art and artists.  I am very interested in this and will probably volunteer there and hope for money in the future.  I didn't get to meet with the grad school prof. but did have a short discussion with one professor.  Didn't really learn anything I didn't already know, like how much emphasis is placed on good writing.  They really value a well written application/essay.  And one must do well on the GRE.  Oh, and they want to know how much you've done outside of academia.  Talked to 2 possible drag queens for 3rd part of project.  I didn't really get a great vibe so will look more later. I'm very tired and way sunburned.