The Contemporary Independent Experimental Filmmaker

From mediaartiststudio

For filmmakers that cannot relate to the aesthetic and seediness of the mainstream film industry, or even the appeal of the “indie” narrative feature, it is drastically harder to sustain themselves by producing the art they want to produce. Because experimental media is not as accessible as narrative or documentary media works, experimental filmmakers are almost always forced to work independently as a default, which is not always an unwelcome manner of working. Because most experimental and avant-garde filmmakers do not have the funds to produce high-budget films, they usually have to work within their means, which is for the most part very low-budget. However, this aspect is what makes experimental cinema extremely interesting –because the filmmakers need to work with “what they got,” they figure out new, nontraditional or unconventional ways to portray their ideas on screen. Though it is difficult to become an independent experimental filmmaker --the most fame anyone who considers him/herself one could reach would only exist in the art world--, it is still possible to make a living, or a half-living, producing the work he or she loves. In the US, there are various resources out there for independent artists, and it is in their best interest to take advantage of them.

Contents 1 Community Support 1.1 Funding 1.2 Film Communities 1.3 Festivals 1.4 Venues 2 Anotated Bibliography 3 Selected Filmography 4 References

[edit] Community Support

[edit] Funding

Many organizations –both non-profit and government-funded—that fund the arts support video artists because of the influence their art has in the development and evolution of the medium. For example, a well-known organization that provides Washington state artists with resources is Artist Trust. A statement about the support that these organizations give that sums up their importance is one given by a Seattle visual artist, saying, “I think the recognition may be the biggest bonus in the long term, while the funds are the most helpful in the short term.” (Nancy Peterfreund on her Artist Trust grant)^[1]. One of the most surprising funded video exhibitions is the screening of filmmaker Pipilotti Rist's Open My Glade on a giant Panasonic screen in Times Square in New York, funded by Public Art Fund.

[edit] Film Communities

Through the years, localized and international film communities have sprouted across the world. These tend to simply provide varying types of support for the artists within the community. Perhaps one of the most successful of these filmmaker cooperatives is the Film-Makers' Cooperative, a non-profit artist-run organization functioning since 1962. It was founded in New York City by Jonas Mekas, Stan Brakhage, Shirley Clarke and others to distribute avant-garde films. Today the cooperative hosts the largest collection of experimental and avant-garde cinema in the world. Canyon Cinema, a Bay Area-based cooperative, which also distributes and exhibits films, is another highly successful group that has been running since the late 1960's. Canyon Cinema is an interesting case, because though it began in an era where media was not as easily distributed as today, it gained a following from holding screenings in local artists' backyards and basements.

A present film cooperative -though these days it is more of a distribution label- that is comprised of a younger generation is the Portland-based Peripheral Produce, headed by filmmaker Matt McCormick. It began in 1996 as a screening series that showcased local Pacific Northwest filmmakers, that "would take place anywhere from a punk club to a movie theatre to an art gallery."^[2] After receiving inquiries on where one could get a hold of a copy of a film that screened in the series, the group decided to become a video label. In 2001, Peripheral Produce started the Portland Documentary and eXperimental Film Festival, which exhibits new experimental and documentary works from around the world. Peripheral Produce maintains do-it-yourself ethics, while not taking itself too seriously in the art world. The curators seem to understand that anyone -not just "high-art" artists- can make a genuinely good film. Notable video artists that release work through this label are: Matt McCormick, Miranda July, Vanessa Renwick, Bill Brown, Naomi Uman, Animal Charm, and Hellen Hill.

[edit] Festivals

Though many popular festivals showcase experimental works in their programs, there are a good amount of film festivals that focus specifically on avant-garde and experimental cinema. The most notable ones are the New York Underground Film Festival (which retired in 2008), the LA Freewaves Experimental Media Arts Festival, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, and the Portland Documentary and eXperimental Film Festival. These festivals are usually more relaxed and less capitalistic in nature.

[edit] Venues

Finding an adequate venue for the screening of one's film is important since it can affect -subconsciously and perhaps wrongfully so- how the audience views the work. Films can be seen in any place that has a projector and a surface, or simply a television, so there are endless possibilities for spaces to screen one's media work. The most common venues for experimental filmmaker's are galleries, museums, and theatres. In the US, venues such as the Anthology Film Archives in New York City (which contains two theatres), and San Francisco's Cinémathèque, often showcases experimental film, digital media, and performative cinema, though they mostly focus on already established artists.

Galleries, depending on the influence each has, seem more willing to screen experimental films from up-and-coming artists. For example, Ryan Trecartin's non-conventional, narrative feature-length I-Be Area was shown in the Elizabeth Dee Gallery in Manhattan, causing him to win great exposure and even acclaim in a New York Times article. Galleries come in all shapes and sizes, so it is always possible to have your work screened in one.

A new medium that is surprisingly becoming a venue for independent video and film artists is the internet. Although usually seen as a medium that strips dignity and quality from the work or makes it seem dispensable, it is becoming more and more a valid way to share one's films. About Trecartin's work, NY Times columnist Holland Cotter says:

The relationship of this work to an art world structured on galleries, museums and fairs is, potentially at least, one of detachment. You can 
experience “I-Be Area” on a laptop wherever and whenever you want. That may be a reason why few of these new video artists feel the need to live 
in New York City. They have chosen a medium that is not only flexible and affordable but has a history of embracing experimentation.[3]

One filmmaker that has put his own work up on the internet for exposure is Kalup Linzy, who has already gained attention for his multi-episode serial "All My Churen," available offically on youtube.

It is important to remember that these are not the only venues for underground filmmakers. Since there are examples of successful filmmakers and film cooperatives that started from screenings in people's backyards and basements, there should be nothing in the way of one starting his or her own screening series and seeing where that leads. Whether one is working inside or outside the system, it is important to create and be a part of a community that shares the same interests and goals. It's true, anyone can make art, and everyone can sustain themselves --if not by making art, then to keep making art.

[edit] Anotated Bibliography

Hatfield, Jackie, ed. Experimental Film and Video: an Anthology. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006.

Experimental Film and Video: an Anthology included analysis on some works from this decade, but mostly seeemed to focus on works from the United Kingdom created from the '70s through the '90s. I did not end up choosing any material from this work, since through the compilation of essays, it was difficult to find a filmmaker that interested me along with an essay that spoke more than a few paragraphs about the artist's work. Also, the films discussed in this book were hard to get a hold of in limited time.

Cotter, Holland. “Video Art Thinks Big: That’s Show Biz.” The New York Times. 6 January, 2008. Available online

In this article Cotter talks about the direction video art is heading, which “is shaped by a combination of pop fantasy, ingrained cybersmarts, neo-tribalism and an angst-free take on contemporary life that marks an attention-deficient Internet culture”. Starting off with Ryan Trecartin’s I-Be Area, he states that some video art is becoming more narrative and longer in running time. Because the current generation grew up in a time surrounded by technology and media, the art reflects this fast-paced culture while trying to create personal narratives in a new cinematic language. Cotter also compares Trecartin to other media artists that he considers are also a part of the "second or third wave in queer identity politics." Other artists discussed, but not necessarily similar, are Kalup Linzy, Nathalie Djurberg, and Sadie Benning.

[edit] Selected Filmography

Ryan Trecartin

Yo A Romantic Comedy. 2002, 12 min, color, sound.

What's The Love Making Babies For. 2003, 20 min, color, sound.

Wayne's World. 2003, 8 min, color, sound.

Valentines Day Girl. 2001, 7 min, color, sound.

Kitchen Girl. 2001, 3 min, color, sound.

A Family Finds Entertainment. 2004, 42 min, color, sound. Watch Online

(Tommy-Chat Just E-mailed Me). 2006, 7:15 min, color, sound. Watch Online

I-Be Area. 2007, 1 hour 47 min, color, sound. Screened in Class. Watch Online

Matt McCormick

The Problem with Machines that Communicate. 2008, 13 min.

Light Tiger Eye. 2008, 4 min.

It Was a Crushing Defeat. 2007, 7 min.

fifty years later. 2006, 3 min.

See a Penny Pick It Up (Yacht music video). 2007, 4 min.

Jumpers (Sleater-Kinney music video). 2006, 5 min.

The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal. 2001, 16 min.

Sincerely, Joe P. Bear. 1999.

Miranda July

Atlanta. 1996, on Audio-Cinematic Mix Tape, Peripheral Produce.

The Amateurist. 1998, on Joanie 4 Jackie 4Ever.

Jesus' Son. 1999, Lions Gate Films (as an Actor).

Getting Stronger Every Day. 2001, on Peripheral Produce’s All-Time Greatest Hits, Peripheral Produce. Screened in Class.

Me and You and Everyone We Know. 2005, IFC Films (Director, Writer, Actor).

Shana Moulton

Whispering Pines 1. 2002, 1:55 min, color, sound.

Whispering Pines 2. 2003, 3:56 min, color, sound.

Feeling Free with 3D Magic Eye Poster Remix. 2004, 8:13 min, color, sound.

Whispering Pines 3. 2004, 7:33 min, color, sound.

Whispering Pines 5. 2005, 6:32 min, color, sound. Recommended Viewing. Watch Online

Whispering Pines 6. 2006, 5:45 min, color, sound.

Whispering Pines 7. 2006, 4:43 min, color, sound.

Whispering Pines 8. 2006, 7:34 min, color, sound.

Pipilotti Rist

I'm Not The Girl Who Misses Much. 1986, 7:45 min, color, sound. On Youtube

Sexy Sad I. 1987, 4:36 min.

Pickelporno 1992, 12 min, color, sound. Clip Online

Ever Is Over All. 1997, two overlapping projections, color, sound. Clip

Open My Glade 2000, 1 min segments, color. Segment Used as Exhibition Trailer

I Want to See How You See 2003, 4:48 min, color, sound. Screened in Class Watch Online

[edit] References

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