Talk:LOCALS ONLY!
From mediaartiststudio
Film Discussion
CATS DONT LIKE CANDY!
Sean Parker says,
Locals Only! was a really cool compilation that spanned a very diverse range of genres, and all of them were pretty good, though with the notable exception of the opening biking piece (which I can't find the title for) - it seemed a bit unnecessary to include. The shaky shooting, uninteresting/generic content and questionable audio quality did not strike me as festival worthy.
I loved the visuals in Some of My Best Friends Are Imaginary. The matte and key filters were used to great effect. A few of the shots dragged on a bit, but the piece kept things to a good concise length, and the concept was interesting.
Video Feedback with Sound Source, despite feeling about three times as long as it was, was kind of cool. The techniques were great, and I loved how as the film progressed, it slowly became apparent how certain effects were achieved, such as when the mirrors are revealed, etc. However, it really did need to be edited down some more, and it seemed more like cool raw footage than a polished finished piece.
Missus Adams in Her Project Runway Tape confused me a little bit. Maybe the title is what threw me off, when the majority of the piece is a documentary about clothes-making with the one bit at the beginning feeling totally different. The piece seemed too short, and I wish it developed some of its ideas further and made a more complete documentary.
The Coolympia segment was very amusing, and cool to see how much the show has progressed over the last several months. I'd seen the "Cat's Don't Like Candy" video before but it still had me in stitches.
Khabarovsk Diaries was interesting to look at, but the music is what truly drew me in. The sound design was great and complemented the images really well. The piece was confusing and mysterious but it was very interesting to watch.
17 Short Movies made me realize how amazing the look of film can be, especially after watching several videos in digital SD. I'm not familiar with shooting in 35mm but the shots looked very well exposed and composed, with great colors and focus. I was impressed and wished there was more of it.
Endless Tunnel was a real showstopper. I've seen it several times but it never loses any of its breathtakingly impressive qualities. It's has one of the best dynamic, synced soundtracks to an animation that I've seen, and the stratastencil animation style is really interesting to see, partly because it's something that very few people have seen elsewhere, and partly because the rhythm and symbolism in the piece is so compelling. I've talked with Tommy about it a little bit and hearing him explain some of the more obscure aspects revealed some interesting personal touches. It's one of the coolest student films I've ever seen.
Excerpts from a Diagnosis was a very powerful look at depression. The techniques used to convey the message (such as the ticking clock in the first segment) were very strong, yet unobtrusive. I was a little disappointed when the film ended because it just seems to cut itself short. I would have liked a brief moment of conclusion to bring it all together, or just some closing remarks before the credits.
Trans Fat was easily one of the funniest pieces of the show, and I loved how non-sequiter it was. I also liked the portrayal of trans fat as an old friend that has to go, and the hero's unconditional love for it. Highly enjoyable, and had very good animation!
Bananjo, Bananjo was a little uneven but enjoyable nonetheless. Once the film got to the banana farm it really got going and was pretty crazy. They did a good job capturing the feel of silly old-time cartoon/silent film violence. The stop-motion was impressive and added a lot of humor.
To Live: A Cinematic Study of Godard's Vivre Sa Vie was undoubtedly an impressive accomplishment, but as a viewer unfamiliar with Vivre Sa Vie and its concepts, I felt somewhat excluded by the film. Some of the shot recreations (while not all completely accurate) were well done, and it was interesting to see modern film segments shot with the old style cinematography, with long takes from wider angles than we're often used to. Though I'm not the target audience, I appreciated the dedication and commitment it was obvious that director Jeremiah Jones put into it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I appreciated greatly seeing an array of works that had been produced locally. I thought to myself, I didn't realize that people made media outside of Evergreen in Olympia. It made me feel closer and more connected with my community. I also was very impressed with how well the pieces completed by our classmates stacked up against the others.
I especially appreciated the animation Trans Fat. I though it was well made and an impressive length for an animation. The characters were ridiculous and lovable. I couldn't believe how emotionally diverse this piece was. it was obviously very funny and had good comedic timing, but I also felt the love between the main character and the blob of trans fat when they were on the island. The best line in the film was when the main character said he couldn't live without him and the trans fat responded I will always be inside of you, in your heart (or something like that). It was a great spoof of romance in media. The sound was a little jarring in the beginning, but other than that I believe this piece was surprisingly seamless.
-Tasha 12:39pm November 17th, 2008
I think it is generally a wonderful experience to view what others in your art community are creating. That being said, I didnt say you had to like everything that is being created around you.
I was also confused by the biking piece... and perhaps i found it difficult to watch due to my already queasy stomach when i entered the theater, but i did not understand what the point of the film was (or it being in the festival.) * (Actually i found myself wondering throughout most of the shorts whether i had stumbled upon some secret private society of films that all shared an inside joke that i would never be privy to.) I thought the strongest pieces were the ones from mediaworks that i had already seen. Excerpts From a Diagnosis was a personal tale of revelation and Endless Tunnel was a journey through the mind of sleepless man and back again. Brilliant! Much as i adore Coolympia I thought Sean's reel could have been a little more filled out but it was his choice of what to place upon the screen. Missus Adams Audition Tape I thought was a messed up muck of a film. I didnt understand how she thought that she would get accepted on Project Runway with it, mind you ive never seen the show, but the clothes and creativity thereof were an after thought to showing how she is the queen of a social scene and oh so much cooler than thou...!%&*(*&)*&%#@!#%^! (why. i must ask.) I appreciate Kenrick's kaleidescope creation of absraction, but for me it was also a bit too long... I can only take so much experimental geometric cinema and i learned this lesson over and again at this festival, during afternoon shorts and the 3x3 presentation. Funny how you can classify yourself as an experimental film maker and then despise most other films that title themselves experimental.
MiChaEla snOwMasSaRa
I enjoyed Locals Only, and I wish the coordinator allowed a little more time for the audience to think of questions to ask the filmmakers. I wanted to know what inspired Curtis Randolph to make the piece Trans Fat, among other things. I laughed out at Trans Fat and Coolympia (obviously), as they were cleverly made and well timed. Excerpts from a Diagnosis put me in a bad mood for its duration, which I feel was what it was supposed to do. I enjoyed the bit of animation in the middle of it, and the sparseness allowed me to soak in what each person was saying. It was very well done, and had a distinct style. It had been a while since I has seen Tommy’s piece, and it is so impressive technically. I payed special attention to the sound, because I was working on the soundtrack assignment. It definitely aided in the drama and intensity of his piece. The acting in To Live: A Cinematic Study of Godard’s Vivre Sa Vie could have been stronger, but it was solid nonetheless. The pixilation short was charming, innovative and fun. Olympia has some great filmmakers. ☺
-Lauren
[edit] Yeah for the Locals
Sorrelle: I was so excited walking into this portion of the film festival. I was proud to see many of my peers on the big screen. Watching COOLYMPIA, and listening to the crowd reaction was a highlight of the whole program. Although I loved watching everyone of the pieces I did question why some were chosen while others that I know of being submitted were not. Now I'm not being snarky I just feel that some of the videos could have been replaced to better represent our local media community. I think watching Jeremiah's Piece "To Live: A Cinematic Study of Godard's" was a complete work of beauty. His splits screens that mirrored each other were absolutly amazing infact I'm sorry this is the first screening I've seen of it and hope to see again. I also found Curtis Randolph's "Trans Fat" to be hillarious and hope to see more of his work. All in all this by far was my favorite part of the film festival in fact I wouldn't mind if we made our own film festival for a weekend playing only locals I beleive we have more talent than what was fairly represented.
This was my first time going to locals only. Overall, I really enjoyed the diversity of the works. I was a little put off by the introductory biking scene. It was poorly made and had very distracting music. Perhaps it was a strategic choice of the curators to include this bike video to set a low expectation for the works and later blow everyone away. Also, the Project Runway audition tape irritated me as well. I wouldn’t even classify it as a worthy piece of media and I was confused as to why it was in the festival. Aside from these complaints, I was especially blown away by Curtis Randolph’s clever animation Trans Fat. It was very well written and had good character development for Mr. Tarns Fat and Curtis’s protagonist. It was refreshing to see an animation that had equally strong aesthetic and good storyline. By far one of the most enjoyable pieces that night. I was blown away by the aesthetic of 17 Short Movies. It was just a pleasure to watch. Perhaps because I have a personal preference for bright colors, but the film looked gorgeous. Those images are still very much alive and are flickering in head as I’m writing this. Finally, To Live: A Cinematic Study of Godard’s Vivre Sa Vie was also very impressive. This was my second viewing of the film, and I found that what appreciated most was the interaction between the remake and the original. For example, there was split screen between Nana and Anne. Nana’s original character asked, “Can I look at you” and the remake, Anne, turns and replies “yes.” I loved this interaction between the original footage and the new footage. I wish there was more of it. But nonetheless, I’m very proud of Jeremiah for putting this together. It was truly a grand project.
-Jana Bolotin
