AV News 183 - February 2011
Movies or Not?
Maurice Dybeck ARPS (In Movie!)
Two thoughts that might be put into the MOVING IMAGES debate.
Contrast in Style - Since Movie and Still are such different styles, as soon as
you mix them, true, you surprise and maybe delight your viewers. But, since
MOVIE is such a more gripping style, after you have let the genie out of the bottle,
you will be hard put to revert back to STILLS.
There are interesting parallels - in style mixes - in the world of cinema.
Remember 'The Wizard of Oz' ? Normal life in Kansas was black and white. But
as soon as were were urged to Follow the Yellow Brick Road, the fun began. And
there was no looking back. Michael Powell played the same trick in 'A Matter of
Life and Death'. But, typical of his quirky sense of humour, he reversed the styles
and the condemned bomber pilot and our wartime world were glorious blazing
colour. But beaurocratic 'Heaven', at the top of the escalator, was black and
white. But it made his point.
I once made a Son et Lumiere in a church (all slides and spotlights). But only
switched to movie for the last 30 second climax. And the moral of that is... (as the
Duchess said to Alice - in Wonderland) Stick to your Last and don't mess around
with yer Media.
Images in Time - So they want us to look at the relationship between Time
and Motion? In AV (stills) we go to great trouble to chose a moment in time that
gives us the image we want. We then hone up that image with Photoshop or
whatever. We then relate that carefully-crafted image to our message. We link it
carefully to other images and embellish it with appropriate sound. In this process
we are in complete charge of the timescale. Our images can last as long or as
short as we chose. Now, if you are to add (ready-made) moving images to this
creation you have problems. Think of your work so far as a mosaic. To add movie
would be like trying to slip, into that mosaic, a LIVE WIGGLY WORM!
The problem is: moving images have a life of their own. Unlike your stills,
products from your chosen fiftieth of a second - Movie shots move and have a
beginning, a middle and an end. (Or should have.) Someone pointed a camera
at a scene, set the camera rolling and let it 'suck in' five, ten, or fifteen seconds
of 'Action'. Now if this shot is precisely the action that you want for your 'Mixed
Media' creation, fine. You can squeeze your wiggly worm into place and bingo,
you have the latest RPS prizewinner.
But my guess is that few stills workers will want to get into this field. And why
should they? Despite the onslaught of TV and the Web, most of today's new
media images gain nothing profound by movement.
As my sergeant major said in the army "Stand Still when you Move!!!!"
Let us hope some of our gang can sort this lot out. I used to belong very much to
the Film Group but it has been conspicuous by its absence in recent years. I
wonder what their view on all this is? Looking back at earlier issues of RPS
Journal, Film was well represented and quite a few distinguished professionals
shared in the running of the Group. One got a good feel of the real world of filming
from them and I found their advice and support a great help. But no longer.
However, I guess that, despite their silence, they have no more wish to be
'Reorganised' than those in AV.
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