Journal 3 - Week of Feb 5th

I was very sick this past week and was not able to make it to class on Monday, February 5^th. I did go into e-reserves and read the readings and saw extra footage that can compare, to what I hear, to what we saw in class. I know the films that we saw in class were considered dark and creepy. They had unique images that can be considered not normal and mentally challenging to see. I actually in a strange way enjoy these films. Everyday out and about you see normal visions. But to be able to see disturbing images that you rarely see in reality, I find very intriguing. For example, knowing this is not an experimental piece, the film Hostel is one of my favorite films. Call me sick, but I find it interesting to see the reenactment of people getting tortured. I will and hope not to ever see any thing in my life like that, but to be able to see what it could be like satisfies me in a way.

I did not get too see the film by Vito Acconci in class, but I did read on his techniques of film and how he uses these to make his film. It talks about how his image on video is flat and grainy making the vision blurry. This can add uniqueness to shots when filming or maybe just confusion. He also questions himself in relation to the viewer, where am I? – below, above, to the side, hidden. Once that is figured out he than reason what physical position to place him.

I have to give credit to Acconci for making his films feel real. The realism he brings to the screen is through the technique. You think at first that Vito just simply was depressed and brought out the camera, laid it on the floor and simply just spilled his lonely self into the lens. But when it comes down to it, everything had to have been planned out to the finest detail. The realism I feel from his films makes me uncomfortable and that is his goal, which I applaud him.