As an isolated 16mm abstract moviemaker I'm very interested to know if there's
anyone else like me around today?
Specifically, is there anyone who works on photo-chemical celluloid motion
picture film and makes any kind of formal aesthetic work that is either purely
cinematic, abstract, or just generally lyrical and poetic, visually speaking?
I'm 30 and I spent 3 years and 10,000 dollars making a really ambitious and
stylized abstract 16mm movie called "PALMS", it's a serious piece of work that
I think is worthy of following in the tradition of what I feel are the truly
great non-narrative cinematic artists such as Will Hindle, Ed Emshwiller, James
Whitney, Pat O'Neill, Jordan Belson, Scott Bartlett, Bruce Baillie, Maya Deren,
Slavko Vorkapich, and Dziga Vertov, among others.
Are other people out there, particularly people younger than 50 and currently
active, who are also passionate and excited by the work of all these great
cinematic artists and are committed to working on celluloid? The last 3 years
have been a struggle for me to make another movie and to get my 1st one even
seen by anyone. and i also just haven't been able to find people who share my
love of cinematic technique and will share it in any way, such as emailing or
talking to each other about great shots and montages and optical techniques or
sound design techniques in the brilliant movies by these artists.
That kind of community and sharing is i feel necessary, even if only between a
few people, and it's sad when we're so alone in our struggling and hard work.
The only current 16mm moviemakers I know that are similar to me in any way are
Timoleon Wilkins and Mark Toscano and they are unfortunately inaccessible for
various reasons. I can't see their work or stay in touch with them as friends
or even associates.
Especially nowadays with all these faster, easier, and cheaper ways of
communicating around the whole world such as the internet and cell phones, it's
amazing how it seems like most people are if anything more reluctant and
difficult about staying in touch and enjoying community and fellowship.
I know that maybe there are some really great cinematic-celluloid artists
working today out there who just make their work for themselves and don't
really show it and don't desire to know other cinema enthusiasts. In a way I
can understand wanting to be like that and maybe nowadays it's the only way to
be. I might get like that too but right now I would welcome the interest and
association of serious people whom love what I love and, as my mentor the great
Bruce Baillie would say, want to be human to each other about it.
Doug Graves
4636 Talbot Drive
Boulder, CO 80303
702-580-4293
PURE CINEMA CELLULOID
http://www.purecinemacelluloid.webstarts.com/
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