#time's movement on celluloid

[thethirdbear]

[dizzymoods]

When i started youtube i did a survey of video essays to make sure like what i wanted to do wasn’t already being done.

And i looked at a bunch of black and queer video essayists in particular to see the field.

i did watch james somerton’s knock off Celluloid Closet video and i clocked it immediately like girl that’s everybody’s first intro to queer cinema. the doc was put up in 10 min chunks on youtube since 2006. they put the whole thing up on youtube the same year it lifted the 10min limit back in 2010. you not slick!

but every other queer film person on youtube does it too. they’d be nothing without Vito Russo. And they take from b ruby rich’s new queer cinema reader. that’s the scope of their understanding of queer film. And in the NQC reader there’s an essay on Queer Third Cinema which is just queer cinema of the Third World….which is a complete misunderstanding of Third Cinema. the NQC reader had its share of critics at the time of its publication. but they don’t know that.

And the black film people are hopelessly trying to reinvent Donald Bogle. every black video essayist has their own proprietary trope that is a manifestation of a tom, coon, mulatto, mammy, etc. There’s a reason bogle was, in a sense, generic because how these tropes continue to live change with the times but the core remains the same.

I’ve seen videos about the LA Rebellion as a movement from UCLA. I can’t remember if she said it in spirits of the rebellion or w/e but Julie has a line that goes something like “we weren’t a movement just a bunch of black kids at the same film school” and everybody hated UCLA. The LA Rebellion happened in spite of UCLA. Elyseo Taylor, who headed the program that we attribute to the LA rebellion —the ethnocommunications program— was fired after a year and the program shut down at the same time because the white failsons of producers weren’t getting the special funds the “blacks” were. And the LA Rebellion existed outside of UCLA too. The major actors of the movement studied or worked at The Performing Arts Society of LA (PASLA); Larry Clark taught cinematography there as well.

i know the hbomberguy video is about plagiarism but the other major issue with the youtube video essay industrial complex is that it’s giving “hey guys i’m taking media studies 101 and i just learned something that’s gonna blow your mind! It’s called the male gaze”

[archeolatry]

Recently I've been trying to remind myself to take in more "slow media" (akin to the "slow food" movement)- less content, more longform art. I've dusted off a very old list of films that I haven't seen but should, gleaned from the AFI Top 100. Some of it is patience-testing, from musicals (My Fair Lady) to epics (Lawrence of Arabia). Most of it is stuff that didn't necessarily appeal to me initially but is one of those Movies One Should Watch: From Here to Eternity or The Wild Bunch. And some of them are shameful, glaring gaps from the days before you could instantly stream gigabytes of data per second through a screen and into your faceholes. A film of the latter variety is The Third Man.

I watched it last night to keep from doomscrolling and doom-refreshing. (A strange and fascinating choice, in retrospect.) I had heard the above speech before, but in the context of the film it hits even harder. It's not exactly true —Germany invented the cuckoo clock, for one thing— but this speech, as well as others most of Orson Welles' film-defining dialogue, shows you just what kind of man Harry Lime is.

Like the protagonist, we're swayed by Harry's charisma even as we are repulsed by his words. By vastly oversimplifying a paradigm-shifting period in human history and adding a little rosy hindsight, what Harry's saying almost makes sense in a 'big picture' kind of way. But when you find out how Harry made his money and the human toll it took, the picture becomes much, much smaller. It's a great promise to think that hard times may make you into another DaVinci, but it is perhaps more likely that you'll simply be poor and die of the plague.

Relatable, right?

I guess what I'm saying is this: Watch a classic film. Really watch it. Even if that actor or director is "problematic". Put your phone away, even if you feel the urge to look up something that you think will clarify an aspect of what you're watching. Be discomforted. Ask what the film is trying to say. Read or watch The Celluloid Closet. Try to see what's between the lines. Buy physical copies of media you treasure. Put it in your memory where it can't be deleted from collective consciousness. So many classic films —Spartacus and High Noon, just to name a few— were allegories necessitated because of The Hays Code. And whatever censorship Project 2025 has coming down the pike means the great possibility that something like the Hays Code may exist again. Media literacy is going to be more important than ever. You will be forced to learn the differences between queerbaiting and queer coding, because coding might be the most queerness you get. Sometimes ancient Rome is just ancient Rome, and sometimes it's Hollywood under a combination of self-preserving, self-enforced guidelines and government witch hunting overseen by a petty tyrant.

We've seen this shit before.

[ljblueteak]

Review of Give My Regards to Broad Street, Nov. 6, 1984

All idealism aside, it's obvious that today's youth view the Beatles as a nostalgic phenomenon from a past era which somehow seems even more intangible since the death of John Lennon in 1980.

Bearing this in mind, one wonders what criteria should be used in reviewing Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street. Should it be viewed as a production intended or the general movie going audience, or as one which caters primarily to the McCartney/Beatles fan movement? In all honesty, the film falls flat in the former category, while it soars in the latter and for that reason alone one should go the obvious route: the film is designed for a theoretic pre-sold audience (much like Star Trek or James Bond films) and as such should be judged in that manner.

It's been fourteen years since McCartney's last celluloid appearance (1970's Let it Be) and twenty since the Beatles classic, A Hard Day's Night, yet he has managed to effortlessly step in front of the camera again and exude the same charm and vibrancy which made him and the other Fabs (as in Fab Four, for those of you who missed out on it during the '60s) such a sensation at press conferences and on television appearances.

He has the ability to take his role very seriously, yet at the same time making the audience feel as though he's saying, 'why don't we have a bit of fun and music with me guitar?' It's that quality of Broad Street which allows it to succeed at the level it does.

There is a plot (albeit an extremely contrived one, which focuses on missing tapes for McCartney's new album, and the fact that if they're not recovered by midnight the star's empire will be handed over to an unscrupulous businessman with big ears and sun glasses. Egad!), what's an ex-Beatle to do? Why break into song, of course, and that's precisely the direction the film takes.

While the clock ticks away, the unflappable McCartney takes every opportunity to grab wife Linda, old buddy Ringo Starr, such rock star favorite as Dave Edmunds and Eric Steward, and perform (whether in the recording studio, on the set of a motion picture or in fantasy sequences) new versions of Beatles classics ("For No One," "Yesterday," "Eleanor Rigby,") McCartney solo hits ("Silly Love Songs," "Ballroom Dancing," So Bad,") and new numbers ("No More Lonely Nights," "No Values," "Not Such a Bad Boy").

The musical direction is quite effective, especially considering that it goes against the fast cutting trends of of such films as Flashdance or Footloose. The proceedings are handled smoothly, from the simplicity of McCartney strumming his guitar and cooing a Beatles medley to the elaborate futuristic backdrop of "Silly Love Songs." In fact the only musical sequence that falls flat is an instrumental called "Eleanor's Dream," which is a tedious exercise taking place in the 18th Century that is totally incongruous with the rest of the film.

While the supporting cast, ranging from Ringo to Sir Ralph Richardson (in his lead role) does its job, it's McCartney who's really on center stage at all times, and director Peter Webb manages to make his star shine throughout.

Give My Regards to Broad Street is a pleasant enough diversion to the movies, and, depending on how you regard McCartney and the Beatles, it will either give you cause to sing along, or wish they'd just "Let it Be."

--Ed Gross Jr.

Emphasis mine!

[eternal--returned]

Rod Serling ֍ Ida Lupino in The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 4: The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine (1959)

Picture of a woman looking at a picture. Movie great of another time, once-brilliant star in a firmament no longer a part of the sky, eclipsed by the movement of earth and time. Barbara Jean Trenton, whose world is a projection room, whose dreams are made out of celluloid. Barbara Jean Trenton, struck down by hit-and-run years and lying on the unhappy pavement, trying desperately to get the license number of fleeting fame.

. . .

To the wishes that come true, to the strange, mystic strength of the human animal, who can take a wishful dream and give it a dimension of its own. To Barbara Jean Trenton, movie queen of another era, who has changed the blank tomb of an empty projection screen into a private world. It can happen—in the Twilight Zone.

[arts-cintora]

The Pink Phink (1964)

The Pink Phink (1964) directed by Fritz Freleng and Hawley Pratt, written by John W. Dunn. Part of “The Pink Panther” series.

"The Pink Phink" is a classic short animation film created in 1964 as part of the Pink Panther series. The plot revolves around a mischievous and creative character known as the Pink Panther, who decides to paint his house pink. However, a grumpy and artistic neighbour, a man named Big Nose, lives next door and is flabbergasted by the Pink Panther's rare choice of color.

The story unfolds as the Pink Panther and Big Nose engage in a humorous battle of wits and wills, with the Pink Panther continuously finding clever and funny ways to turn his house pink while Big Nose attempts to keep it blue. Ultimately, "The Pink Phink" is an iconic animation that explores the theme of creativity, individuality, and the importance of embracing uniqueness, all wrapped in a humorous and colourful tale.

"The Pink Phink" was made using traditional hand-drawn animation techniques, which were the standard methods of animation production in the 1960s. Here's a brief explanation of the process:

The characters, such as the Pink Panther and Big Nose, would be designed, giving them their distinctive appearance and personalities.

Animators would then begin the labor-intensive process of creating the animation itself. Each frame of the animation is drawn by hand, with slight variations to create the illusion of movement. In the case of "The Pink Phink," this process involved countless drawings to bring the characters and scenes to life. After the frames are drawn, they would be inked to create clean lines, and then they'd be colored. In the case of "The Pink Phink," the choice of colours was essential to the storyline, as the Pink Panther repeatedly tries to change the color of his house from blue to pink. The inked and coloured drawings are transferred onto transparent celluloid sheets, or "cells." These cells can be layered over the background art, allowing the characters to move against the painted backgrounds.

The cells and background art are photographed one frame at a time using a special animation camera. This process captures the individual frames and assembles them into a complete film. And last but not least, the final step involves adding sound effects and music to enhance the viewing experience.

"The Pink Phink" and other animated shorts of its time were typically shown in theaters before feature films, forming a part of the movie-going experience. This was the era of theatrical cartoons, and animated shorts were a common prelude to the main feature.

Audiences in the 1960s generally had a positive reaction to animated shorts like "The Pink Phink." These cartoons were a beloved form of entertainment for both children and adults.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pink_Phink

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058472/?ref_=ttls_li_tt

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/ThePinkPhink

[k00284834]

Movement: Animation (Research)

16/01/23

Today was an introduction to the Animation discipline. Our task was to research 3 different approaches to animation.

I chose:

1. Cel Animation: (Hand Drawn)

This is one of the oldest forms of animation. The background is painted using watercolour or oil paint, with characters and other objects in the scene painted on transparent pieces of paper. They are then transferred to celluloid.

Why I Like This Style?

I like this form of animation as it reminds me of childhood cartoons such as 'Mickey Mouse' and 'Tom and Jerry'. It's style also fits the theme of my Movement project.

Example:

2. Cut-Out Animation:

It’s one of the simplest forms of animation. It involves using paper or fabric to make objects and characters.

In the video below, animator Lotte Reiniger places her cut out figures on a light box to create contrast.

Why I Like This Style?

I like this style as it's so simple to achieve. The paper cut-outs make each figure easy to create. It may save a lot of time compared to cel-animation or Claymation.

Example:

3. Clay Animation:

This technique uses clay characters, and is shot using stop motion, to create an animation. It’s used in children’s films and cartoons and can take years to produce.

Why I Like This Style?

Similarly to cel-animation, I like this style as it reminds me of childhood cartoons. Although the process is very time consuming, I still love this style.

Example:

[onebluebookworm]

Ranking Books I Read In 2022: 10-6

10. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center - bell hooks

What I Liked: Probably one of the most accessible books on feminist theory I’ve read. hooks, as usual, has some fire quotes in here that just sing to me. What I Didn’t Like: Nothing, it was great. Final thoughts: A perfect companion to Ain’t I A Woman, and a great jumping off point for anyone getting into or wanting to expand their understanding of feminist theory.

9. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries - Rick Emerson

What I Liked: In-depth, compelling research. Very humorous, even for so dark a subject, but knew when it needed to stop joking and give something the tact it deserved. What I Didn’t Like: This isn’t the books fault, but I’m very mad I can’t go back in time and kick Beatrice Sparks in her fucking shins. Final thoughts: Another well-done book about a niche subject that appeals to me specifically, along with a heavy dose of a bittersweet desire to time travel and save the poor, misunderstood children this witch made her fortune on. TW suicide, mental illness, and poor handling of that mental illness.

8. The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything - Mike Rothschild

What I Liked: Another book that really balanced the humor and seriousness, but honestly even better than Unmask Alice because you can tell Rothschild is just...so tired. Gave great insight into this bizarre little internet phenomenon, which I appreciate. What I Didn’t Like: Some political discussion that got kinda boring. Final thoughts: The perfect way to learn about what the hell QAnon even is, how to fight it, and where we got from here. TW suicide, mental illness, and child abuse.

7. Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg

What I Liked: Beautifully simple prose. A protagonist I adored. That line from Queen Christina I read in Celluloid Closet - about being nostalgic for a place you’ve never been - was ringing in my head as I read about vintage lesbian bars. What I Didn’t Like: I know this book is semi-autobiographical, and therefore Feinberg based a lot of what happens in it on things that happened to her and people she knew, but goddamn it was depressing. It took me a long time to read it just because every page would bring new pain that I needed to process. Final thoughts: An essentially for young LGBT people, especially young butches and GNC kiddos. Heartbreaking, yet hopeful. TW for rape, homophobic and transphobic language.

6. Unbound: My Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement - Tarana Burke

What I Liked: Burke’s absolutely badass voice throughout the entire thing. I would have a beer with her, she seems hella cool. The fantastic metaphors used to describe her feelings of shame and guilt over her assault, only for it to come to a poetic climax when she’s forced to confront not only her child being victimized, but how her bottling up her feelings about her past has affected them both? Chef’s kiss. What I Didn’t Like: Nothing, it’s excellent. Final thoughts: Like Stone Butch Blues, this book will break your heart and rend you asunder, but I feel like it does a marginally better job with balancing the pain and the happiness. TW for sexual violence of all kinds.

[ilearnedthistodaysblog]

#1153 Was the transition from silent movies to talkies difficult?

Was the transition from silent movies to talkies difficult? Yes, the transition from silent movies to talkies was difficult, not just technologically, but also for the actors. Movies began to appear alongside the invention of photography. Early photographs took hours to take, but once it became possible to take photographs instantly, movies were the next logical step. After all, a movie is only a lot of photographs taken very quickly one after the other. Movies rapidly became popular, and movie theaters sprang up in most towns. Movies were short and movie companies tried to make as many movies as they could. People would pay to go to the movie theater and watch more than one movie. A lot of these silent film stars became household names. Some of them most people would still know, but not a lot. A lot of silent films haven’t stood the test of time either, primarily because they were filmed on celluloid, which is highly flammable. Incidentally, silent movies were not called “silent movies” until talking pictures took off because they were just movies. Giving a name to something after the fact is called a retronym. By the 1920s, movies with sound had become technically possible. Ernst Ruhmer had come up with a way to record sound the sound onto a film by translating the sound into light. The first real talking movies were released in 1927 and the last silent movie was “The Poor Millionaire” released in 1930, but once talkies had appeared, there was no real hope for silent movies. Charlie Chaplain made two silent movies in the 1930s, but they were only released because of his star power. The studios had stopped making them. So, was the transition from silent movies to talkies difficult? There were several difficulties that arose. The first were technical. Recording sound onto the film was not easy because the quality of mics and sound recording devices was low. Mics had to be set in specific places and the actors needed to stand very still underneath them and direct their voices at the mic or the mic wouldn’t pick. It couldn’t record sounds that were too loud, too quiet, too high, or too low. They had a lot of trouble recording women’s voices. The mic would also pick up all of the other noise in the studio, so everything needed to be kept soundproof. Cameras at the time worked by rotating the film through the camera as each frame was shot, which was a very noisy process. The cameras needed to be sealed up in soundproof booths as well. Managing to pick up all of the sound was a very taxing job. Replaying the sound in the movie theater was not easy as well. As all movies were silent at the time, no movie theater was wired for sound. They slowly transitioned, but it was not an easy process. In the beginning, it was difficult to amplify the sound, making it hard to hear. Even when movie theaters were wired for sound, the sound and the picture weren’t always in sync. The technical problems were overcome fairly quickly, as is the way with most new technology. The effects for the actors were longer lasting and sometimes career ending. The first problem was the style of acting. Silent movie stars had to express everything with their body language and their facial expression. They had exaggerated movements and the scenes were shot in a way that made them as easy to understand as possible. When sound came along, these actors had to recite their lines, but they were too used to over exaggerating. Talkies required a different type of acting skill. A lot of the new actors that became big in the talkies had come up from theater or musicals, where they were used to talking as a part of acting. A second problem was that some silent movie actors didn’t have voices that matched the characters that had become famous for portraying. Their voice, or what they were saying, could ruin the image and then the studios didn’t want to use them. A heavy foreign accent was no problem in a silent movie but many actors lost their jobs because of it when talkies came about. The directors and the screenwriters also had to adapt. This who new way of acting required new scripts and new methods of directing, but that didn’t come easily. Scripts were unnatural, poorly paced, and far too stilted. It took a while for the directors to get the hang of the new style. However, just as with the technology, there were a lot of problems, but it didn’t take too many years to overcome them. By the early 1930s, the quality of talkies was rising and a whole new raft of stars became famous. Some silent stars that did manage to make the transition that we will have heard of were Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Lauren and Hardy. And this is what I learned today. Enjoyed this? Try these: - #673 When did silent movies end? - #777 What are “Spaghetti Westerns”? - #189 Why does our voice change when we inhale helium? - #594 Why do we lose our voice when we are sick? - #606 Why do cameras have mirrors? Sources https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/108qt35/why_was_it_so_hard_for_so_many_actors_to_make_the/ https://collider.com/babylon-true-story https://www.centralcasting.com/how-talkies-changed-the-film-industry https://ilearnedthistoday.com/index.php/2023/08/07/when-did-silent-movies-end/ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/silent-film-actors-transitioned-talkies-6882 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_film https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/75z49j/chaplin_and_the_emergence_of_talkies/ Image By Metro Pictures Corporation (still) - File:Sheet_music_cover_-_JULIO_-_OF_THE_ARGENTINA_(1921).jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45462406 Read the full article

[nfr-reviews]

NFR Reviews #12: Newark Athlete

Released 1891 / Inducted 2010

Watch film here

Many early actuality films enticed viewers through increasingly varied imagery and notable people. Subjects of Thomas Edison’s film studio included a lineup of the era’s celebrities: boxers, dancers such as Carmencita, father of modern bodybuilding Eugen Sandow, and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Travelog films, sometimes funded by railways, shot footage of scenic locations across the US and into Mexico, Hawaii, Japan, China, and Hong Kong. Major news events such as reenactments of the Spanish-American war and the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake were covered. There were even suggestive films of women for the appeal to horniness. But before all that, the National Film Registry’s oldest entry is comparatively ordinary: thirteen seconds of an athlete swinging clubs. Later films were oriented towards wide commercial appeal, but this one was an experiment with Edison’s new technology. 

Edison’s role in the invention of motion pictures has often been overstated. Centuries of inventors experimented with displaying a series of images at such a rapid-fire pace it gave the illusion of movement. 17th century magic lanterns functioned similarly to a slide projector backlit by kerosene lamps, while 1830s Stroboscopes made drawings appear to move when viewed through slits in a disc. The advent of photography in the mid-19th century opened further possibilities: Coleman Sellers’ 1860s Kinematoscope, which mounted photos on a wheel of paddles. Eadweard Muybridge’s 1870s Zoopraxiscope, an image projector inspired by a bet on whether a running horse takes all four hooves off the ground (they do, and Muybridge proved it by setting several cameras along a racetrack and using a string to set them off in quick succession as the horse ran past). Etienne-Jules Marey’s 1880s Chronophotographs, taken at a rate of 12 pictures per second by a camera he developed to better capture subjects in motion. William Friese-Greene, who designed a camera and widely displayed his films but struggled with film projection. Louis Aimé Le Prince, a contemporary of Edison’s who created the earliest motion picture footage on paper negatives in 1888. Both he and Edison experimented with celluloid film, but Prince disappeared in 1890 before he could complete his experiments. 

The earliest test films were the Monkeyshines trio from 1889-90, a failed attempt to film movies on cylinders similar to sound recordings of the time. Newark Athlete was a subsequent attempt at moviemaking with clearer image quality intended to be viewed on Edison’s Kinetoscope, a machine which was completed and previewed to audiences in 1891. A kinetoscope looks like a cabinet with an eyepiece mounted on top. After collecting a nickel from the viewer, the celluloid would pass between the lens and a lightbulb and roll by quickly enough to create a motion picture. While Edison received much of the credit, these inventions were primarily created by his staff, especially assistant William K. L. Dickson. Edison came up with the basic concept of a “kinetoscope” and provided employees with the pay and lab space, but Dickson was the one who designed and created the working machine. He and his team also invented the kinetograph, a camera which recorded the film through a mechanism that moved the celluloid quickly enough to produce exposures. 

Technological progress comes about through a mix of direct collaboration, like the employees who worked on the Kinetoscope, and similar ideas between unconnected people building off one another, like how Edison was influenced by Muybridge and Marey. The reality of patent law encourages people to instead pretend that progress comes through singular geniuses far ahead of anyone else. Patents on successful inventions can impact the livelihoods of inventors, not to mention their pride and sense of accomplishment. The law is supposed to prevent people from outright stealing someone’s invention and taking all the profit. Towards the end of William Dickson’s life, he mused that recently he’d been getting more credit for “my pioneer work at Edison’s–in producing the 1st film/present day cinema film…” He dated film samples sent to a relative several years earlier than their actual year of creation. It was speculated as an attempt to increase his importance to the origin of movies, as well as to establish when ideas were created in the eyes of patent law. Edison’s attempts to profit off his patents were more aggressive and had wider implications to the early film industry. He tried to patent the concept of a movie camera in itself, forcing competitors out of business. The Motion Picture Patents Company, in which Edison agreed to share patents amongst the nine largest film companies, was intended to be a solution to this. In practice, it smothered up-and-coming independent studios in copyright lawsuits and gave Edison more power than before. In 1915, the Sherman Antitrust Act put a stop to this through a court ruling that patents cannot be used “as a weapon to disable a rival contestant, or to drive him from the field.”

In the environment Newark Athlete was created in, it makes economic sense for inventors to cling to their ideas as unique. But this attitude harmed the medium as a whole when taken too far through Edison’s monopolistic strategies. In addition to the works that come out of them, the secondary value of smaller studios is to provide more competition and thus persuade the big players to do better. In comparison to later actuality films which depicted notable parts of history and culture, Newark Athlete is a simple test of what the Kinetoscope was capable of. It doesn’t represent the clear beginning of film, but it doesn’t have to. The National Film Registry doesn’t include non-American titles, including the work of people like Marey or Prince, so starting here makes some sense. However, its simplicity and debt to predecessors don’t prevent it from being a major innovation in its time with continued historical significance. 

Sources

https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/kinetoscope

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pickford-early-history-motion-pictures/

https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-motion-pictures/overview-of-the-edison-motion-pictures-by-genre/

https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/librarycollections/2014/12/02/william-kennedy-laurie-dickson-a-legacy-of-the-moving-image/

https://www.lindahall.org/about/news/scientist-of-the-day/william-dickson/

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2021/03/thomas-edison-the-unintentional-founder-of-hollywood/

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/origins-cinema-early-inventors-pioneers

https://lkouniv.ac.in/site/writereaddata/siteContent/202004260643328777nishi_films.pdf 

https://web.archive.org/web/20110514180127/http://www.kino.com/edison/d1.html

[animationstoriestochill]

More than just a bull

You've probably heard the name of Ferdinand before, this charismatic bull has two animated films, one in 1938 and another in 2017, that quickly made people fall in love with him. But this charming story of a bull who preferred to smell flowers over fighting became much more than what it originally started as, from a children's book, to a banned story, to a tradition in Sweden. This is the story of Ferdinand, the Bull that changed the world.

The book of Ferdinand the bull (1936)

In 1936 the book "The story of Ferdinand" was released to the public. Written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson, the story of Ferdinand was a fun short story of a bull who enjoyed smelling flowers over fighting who one day got confused to be an aggressive bull because of him getting sting by a bee, but when taken to the arena for a bullfight in Madrid, he just sat and smelled flowers and eventually returned home.

This book became very popular World wide specially in the United States because of the simple message it gave to kids about being yourself , an important message that will be important to the story (so put a pin on it while you read). The book ended up being a grate success, so naturally, Wald Disney jumped into the bag wagon and created their version of the story.

Ferdinand (1938)

On November 25th 1938, Disney would premier to the world the animated short of Ferdinand and to say it was a game changer is an understatement.

For starters we first hace to understand the way animation worked in the past. During the 30's the way animation worked was by drawing every frame by hand by the animators, each frame would be then recorded by a strip of film and checked to see the results in a machine called Moviola. Once Disney gave his approval the inking department would then draw every single frame again in a transparent celluloid sheet as well as being colored while the backgrounds is painted in water color, the frames are then shot one by one with a technicolor, a machine that would ran 3 strips of color film (red blue and yellow) at a time allowing them to combine into and create a fully colored film.

And what about the parts where the background is zoomed in or out? That's the job of the Multi plane camera. Have you ever seen how a pop up book has different cutouts at different heights depending on the scene? That's the same premise the multi camera used, by dividing backgrounds into different layers the camera could then shot the planes moving at different speeds creating the ilusion of depth. You can see this in the short in shots like Ferdinand at the end at the hill or when the arena is shown for the first time. All of this things combined resulted in this fabulous short that actually won Disney an award that same year, but Ferdinand's story is far from being over.

An Icon over the years

After the release of both the book and the film both of them ended up banned from Europe, this is because many of the political leaders at the time saw the film as pacifist propaganda so places like Germany, Italy, and ironically even Spain banned the screening of the short, in the words of Francisco Franco Bahamonde “Ferdinand es una maniobra judeomasónica a favor del pacifismo y de la República” (Ferdinand is a Judeo-Masonic scheme in favor of the republic and pacifism). Another group that Ferdinand impacted was the queer community and movement. Remember how I mentioned the story had the message of "Be yourself", well Disney's short took it one step forward and depicted Ferdinand with stereotypes or actions that would allow queer people to recognize as an allegory to them (this is also called queercoding) which is incredibly clear if you're part of the community like me just how easily the short can be taken as an allegory to both the community and how pathetic toxic masculinity can be.

For the people like me who were born in 2000's Ferdinand is also known as critique on animal cruelty and animal rights. While this is true, the mayor influence for this is neither the book or the original film but instead the 2017 movie produced by BlueSky studios, which re told the story of Ferdinand while also expanding on the previously discussed topics that the character was already known for.

Interestedly enough, in Sweden the original short film is also a staple tradition to watch it due to a show called "From All of Us to All of You" that is screened every Christmas eve where it contains a compilation of Disney shorts including Ferdinand, the short is actually so popular that the one year where they didn't screen it, the show reached it's lowest amount of views, with people complaining to bring Ferdinand back.

Happily Ever After

If you have the time I heavily recommend you to watch the original film. Personally this is a film that I saw as a child on a DVD and every time I re watch it the story of Ferdinand feels closer to home. So now next time you see this bull around, remember the incredible history he has both in his and our world. Until next time

[22003191artstudioiiib]

Week Four

Raul ~ A nonlinear history of video art

Harun Faroki, Arbeiter verlassen di Fabrik (Workers leaving the factory), 1995

It was the first thing captured on celluloid

To prove it is possible to capture movements in images

Running away from the factory like they have somewhere better to be, they’re already running out of time

Steve Partridge, Monitor 1, 1975

Repeating performance of the same actions in canon of one another

The previous performance is recorded and displayed on the monitor to repeat endlessly within itself

A loop of video and visual within the monitor

Oscar Muños, Re/tratos, 2003

A face is being painting onto concrete with water

The water evaporates as the concrete is heated up by the sun so he must repeat his marks again and again

Constant disappearing

The footage is sped up

Trying to remember the facial features of the first and the previous faces

It was made in a time when people were disappearing, and like them the memory of them would vanish

Based on real people

Pete Anderson, Eye bath, 1977

Illusion where every time the eye blinks, the water ripples like a water droplet has fallen

The eye is distorted by the ripples but appears again once the water stills

The eye is underneath the water and the water is above in a glass container

Chris Burden, Tv commercials, 1973-1977

Science has failed, heat is life, time kills

Advertisements that would randomly appear on television, reaches a lot more people than normal strategies even with the invention of the internet

Shoot, 1971

Asked a friend to shoot him in the arm

Documenting the whole experience

Using media as a witness, as news, as history of an event

Replay, slow mo, repeated action and emphasis

Bas Jan Ader, Fall 1, Fall 2, Broken Fall, 1970

Slow motion

The shoe falls off comically in both falls, just as he falls it flies up and off

He fought against the portrayal of artists being perfect and the existence of mistakes

He used a film camera so he had a limited amount of resourced time to shoot in

Fall, cry and constantly fail

He tried to cross the Atlantic in a dingy and disappeared (no one knows if he failed or not)

Martin Creed, Work 1094 (Thinking/Not Thinking), 2011

Bunch of dogs walking across the screen back and forth

I was thinking and then I wasn’t thinking

Thoughtless and intuitive action by the dogs and then chosen action by Martin with the music and the cutting of footage

Martha Rosler, Semiotics of the Kitchen, 1975

Zooming out of a close up on the title

Performance of mundane tasks

Demonstration of using the equipment, not necessarily in the correct way but to make a sound/action with it

Tv shows with women hosts and the expectation of how they should present themselves

Martin Creed, Work 503, 2006

Forced vomiting

Gross but I’m used to it because of growing up with siblings who struggled with acid reflux

Really taxing performance, just reminds me of the times I’ve been sick

Jørgen Leth, Warhol eating a hamburger, 1981

Literally just watching Andy Warhol eat a hamburger

Actually kind of relaxing but makes me want a burger insert Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic line “Makes me want a hot dog real bad”

Burger, New York

Analysing the mundane

Advertisements would never look like this (they should though)

Salla Tykkä, Lasso, 2000

Music, narrative, camera angles

Creating attachments and inform a narrative

Open ended stories

Ad Busters, The production of meaning, 2006

Found footage

Research from Week 3 Feedback:

non-space

surrealist connection

why the outdated technology

try the video projected, on a monitor

why do I prefer to show it on a CRT tv

Cans

Soda cans were first invented by Napoleon Bonaparte because of the need for food preservation in the French military. There was no reliable way to transport fresh food while on the battlefield, going between areas. Many soldiers were dying from malnutrition and starvation while fighting, so he offered a prize to the inventor who designed a method for mass food preservation. It doesn't say if this invention was a can of some sort, so I have no idea what the actual invention was. Nicolas Appert made progress in 1806 and discovered that glass jars filled with cooked food didn't spoil.

Cans were initially invented to preserve food for war to provide fresh food in easily transportable parcels.

A cylinder has the maximum packing structure for transporting of goods, you can fit the max amount of contents into the shape while not sacrificing space or materials.

Ironing to make the cans taller and the walls thinner, the bottom is impressed into a dome and withstands more pressure than a flat bottom. Trimming 6mm from the rim to level the surface for the next steps.

Decoration on the can

Necking takes eleven stages as it is gradually angled inwards so it can be capped. then flanged so the cap can be seamed on. The top and the side are pressed together so no air escapes and a sealing compound is put between to make sure no gaps or leaks. A full can has tension so the walls are strong, so the cans be safely stacked.

Original cans didn't have tabs, you would use a tool to open them by puncturing holes. The tab is a 2nd class lever and then switches to a 1st class when the cans seal is broken.

Can wraps and can sleeves create a second skin on the outside of the cans usually with a cool design and important information. They conform to the shape of the can and form the aesthetic design promotional part of the soda can.

I don't think I want to replicate the can-wrap designs but instead copy the effect they have. I will experiment with making cans in the style of consumable cans and experiment with different finishes to see what kind of a finish I can achieve with different things (spray varnish, mod podge, etc)

[vintpenrestor4]

Vintage Fountain Pen Restoration

Rediscovering Elegance: The Art of Vintage Fountain Pen Restoration

Introduction: In today's fast-paced digital world, the allure of vintage fountain pens continues to captivate enthusiasts around the globe. These elegant writing instruments, with their intricate designs and smooth ink flow, evoke a sense of nostalgia and sophistication. However, as time passes, many vintage pens fall into disrepair, their once-fluid nibs becoming scratchy, and their delicate mechanisms ceasing to function. Yet, for those passionate about preserving history and craftsmanship, fountain pen restoration offers a fulfilling journey into the past, breathing new life into these timeless treasures.

Exploring the Rich Heritage: Vintage Fountain Pens Vintage fountain pens are more than mere writing tools; they are symbols of craftsmanship and heritage. Dating back to the 19th century, these pens were meticulously crafted by skilled artisans using materials such as celluloid, ebonite, and precious metals. Each pen bore the hallmark of its era, from the ornate designs of the Art Nouveau period to the streamlined elegance of the Art Deco movement. Collectors cherish these pens not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for the stories they tell about bygone eras and the individuals who wielded them.

The Journey of Restoration: Preserving History One Pen at a Time Restoring a vintage fountain pen is not merely a mechanical task but a labor of love and dedication. It begins with careful inspection and assessment of the pen's condition, noting any signs of wear, corrosion, or damage. Depending on the extent of restoration needed, the process may involve disassembling the pen, cleaning each component meticulously, and replacing worn-out parts with authentic replacements. Skilled restorers must possess a deep understanding of pen anatomy and craftsmanship techniques to ensure that the pen retains its original character and functionality.

The Art of Nib Work: Crafting the Perfect Writing Experience Central to the restoration process is the delicate art of nib work, where the pen's nib is carefully adjusted to achieve optimal performance. This involves smoothing out imperfections, aligning tines, and adjusting ink flow to ensure a smooth and consistent writing experience. Skilled nibmeisters, often revered for their expertise, can transform a scratchy and unresponsive nib into a dreamy, effortless writer, each stroke gliding across the paper with grace and precision. For enthusiasts, the joy of writing with a restored vintage nib is unparalleled, offering a connection to the past and a tangible link to craftsmanship of yesteryears.

Preserving Authenticity: Honoring Tradition in a Modern World While restoration breathes new life into vintage fountain pens, it also raises questions about authenticity and preservation. Purists argue for maintaining the integrity of a pen's original components, resisting the temptation to modernize or alter its historical character. Authenticity, they argue, is paramount in preserving the cultural and historical significance of these artifacts. However, others advocate for a balanced approach, acknowledging the value of functional upgrades and modifications that enhance the pen's usability without compromising its authenticity. Ultimately, the restoration process is a delicate dance between tradition and innovation, guided by a deep reverence for the pens' heritage.

In an age dominated by digital communication, the allure of vintage fountain pens endures as a testament to craftsmanship, elegance, and tradition. Through the art of restoration, enthusiasts breathe new life into these timeless treasures, preserving their heritage for generations to come. As we continue to embrace the convenience of modern technology, let us not forget the simple pleasure of putting pen to paper, guided by the smooth glide of a meticulously restored nib. For in the world of vintage fountain pens, the past and present converge, inviting us to rediscover the beauty of the written word and the artistry of days gone by.

[influencermagazineuk]

From Silver Screen to Boardroom: 5 Hollywood Icons Turned Entrepreneurial Powerhouses

Hollywood isn't just about glitz and glamour; it's also a breeding ground for sharp minds and ambitious spirits. While some actors bask in the limelight, others crave a different kind of spotlight – the one illuminating the world of business. These are the Hollywood icons who have transcended the red carpet and built formidable empires beyond the silver screen. 1. Jessica Alba: Jessica Alba / Image: Instagram Beyond her acting prowess, Alba is a beauty and wellness mogul. The Honest Company, founded in 2011, blossomed from a desire for safe and effective baby products. Today, it's a billion-dollar empire offering eco-friendly and non-toxic products for families. Alba's vision, strategic partnerships, and relentless drive solidified her place as a leader in the conscious consumerism movement. 2. Ryan Reynolds: Known for his comedic timing and witty banter, Reynolds' entrepreneurial savvy is equally impressive. His investment in Aviation Gin transformed the brand from a struggling spirit to a pop-culture phenomenon. His sharp marketing moves, witty social media presence, and genuine passion for the product turned Aviation into a billion-dollar success story, proving that sometimes, the best business cards are witty tweets and a disarmingly charming grin. 3. Gwyneth Paltrow: Paltrow's journey from Oscar-winning actress to lifestyle guru began with Goop, a humble newsletter offering clean-eating recipes and wellness tips. Today, Goop is a sprawling empire encompassing e-commerce, content creation, and even physical stores. Paltrow's meticulous branding, unwavering commitment to quality, and willingness to embrace unconventional practices established Goop as a cultural zeitgeist and cemented her place as a wellness entrepreneur to be reckoned with. 4. Reese Witherspoon: Witherspoon's acting legacy is undeniably impressive, but she's also a force to be reckoned with in the production world. Hello Sunshine, the production company she co-founded, champions female-driven stories and empowers diverse voices in Hollywood. Her focus on quality content, shrewd business decisions, and commitment to social impact solidified Hello Sunshine as a powerhouse production company and solidified Witherspoon's reputation as a champion for change both on and off-screen. 5. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: From electrifying wrestler to box-office behemoth, The Rock's entrepreneurial spirit shines beyond the arena and the big screen. Teremana Tequila, his premium tequila brand, was born from his desire for authenticity and quality. His meticulous attention to detail, strategic partnerships, and relentless work ethic propelled Teremana to immense success, showcasing The Rock's ability to dominate not just the silver screen, but the liquor industry as well. These Hollywood icons are living proof that success takes more than just acting chops. Their stories of hustle, vision, and strategic adaptability offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and remind us that sometimes, the most impactful legacies are built not just on celluloid, but on boardroom tables and strategic market moves. So, the next time you admire a Hollywood star, remember, there might be a brilliant entrepreneur lurking beneath the glitz and glamour, ready to conquer the world of business with the same passion and dedication they bring to their craft. Read the full article

[carlasarmentoassignment]

The Nemo's A No No Affair - 1970

"Josie and the Pussycats" was a cartoon series produced by Hanna-Barbera, created by Dan DeCarlo and launched in 1970. Hanna-Barbera, known for its innovative animation techniques and efficient production approaches, became dominant in the TV cartoon market during this period.

The episode "The Nemo's A No No Affair" followed the adventures of the fictional band Josie and the Pussycats, made up of Josie McCoy, Melody Valentine and Valerie Brown. In this episode, the band is going to perform on an island and to get there, the gang goes by boat, but what they didn't expect is that the ship is in the path of the villain Captain Nemo, who sinks boats that cross his path, starting a series of adventures and confusions. The series was known for incorporating music into the stories, creating a unique experience for viewers.

At the time, Hanna-Barbera's innovative animation technique involved the extensive use of celluloid, repeating previously used drawings and movements, and prefabricated backgrounds to reduce costs and increase production efficiency and speed. This cost-effective approach was instrumental in consolidating Hanna-Barbera as a leading force in television animation, being dubbed the "General Motors of animation".

The public's reception of the series was positive, as it combined music, adventure, and comedy in a way that appealed to young audiences. Today, "Josie and the Pussycats" is remembered as an outstanding example of Hanna-Barbera production and 1970s pop culture.

The series is very much in the format of Scooby-doo, with young teenagers solving mysteries but appealing more to a female audience. I don't like this kind of storyline, but it was an exciting format for the time. I'm a Hanna-Barbera fangirl and of the world of the absurd, not the one that copies reality.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_and_the_Pussycats_(TV_series)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278829/

https://hanna-barbera.fandom.com/wiki/The_Nemo%27s_a_No_No_Affair

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/4489-josie-and-the-pussycats/season/1/episode/1

[arts-cintora]

Animation in the 1930’s

Krazy spooks (1933) Directed by Manny Gould and Ben Harrison. Written by George Herriman, Harry Love, and Rudy Zamora. Produced by Charles Mintz.

"Krazy Spooks" is a 1933 animated short film that falls under the Krazy Kat series. It was produced by Charles Mintz and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The Krazy Kat series originated from the creative mind of George Herriman and had previously been adapted into animated shorts.

This short film shows Krazy Kat and Kitty looking for refuge on a haunted house after their car broke down. On this old house, Kat and Kitty are terrorized by skeletons, ghosts and many other crazy and scary creatures that kidnap kitty, and kat must rescue her.

The making of this short film consisted in several steps:

Inking and Painting:

After animators drew the individual frames on transparent celluloid sheets (cels), the next step was inking and painting.

Inking involved tracing over the pencil lines with black ink. This step ensured that the lines were clean, bold, and consistent in thickness.

Background Painting:

Backgrounds were painted on separate cels or sheets of paper. These backgrounds provided the setting for the animation and contributed to the overall atmosphere of the cartoon.

Background artists had to ensure that the style of the backgrounds complemented the characters and action as the main focal point of the scene. This required a high degree of skill and attention to detail.

Photography:

Once all the cels (both characters and backgrounds) were inked, painted, and ready to shoot, they were placed on an animation stand or camera rig. Each cel was placed on the stand, one at a time, in the correct sequence, taking a photograph of each cel in its respective position. The camera would capture a single frame, creating a still image of that particular moment in the animation, and latter on photographed in rapid succession, typically at a rate of 24 frames per second (fps) or 30 fps to give the illusion of movement.

In the 1930s, animated short films like "Krazy Spooks" were typically shown to the public in theaters before feature-length films. This was a common practice during the era of the Golden Age of Animation. These shorts were often well-received and beloved by audiences of the time, and people were amazed by the innovations in the animation industry.

Over the years, many of these shorts have been preserved and can still be watched today through various forms of media, including DVDs and streaming services, creating (in my opinion) the same amazement that it did back then.