Another example of discontinuous editing

Hey all,

Check out this clip from Japanese master cinematographer Yasujiro Ozu's 1951 film "Early Summer," in which he blatantly crosses the 180 degree line. Dominate Hollywood Cinema style says that this type of cut confuses the viewer. What do you think?

Dominant Hollywood Cinema & "The Invisible Style"

So yesterday I taught my first class in the new Reel Grrls thesis program, and I don't know about yall but I had a blast! I was really excited by the responses to the homework we assigned last week: Grrls watched the classic film "Casablanca" and did readings on film sequence analysis and a summary of the Robert Ray book, "A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema."

We discussed Robert Ray's point that what we think of as "normal" filmmaking techniques are actually a highly constructed and particular set of formal and thematic rules making Hollywood Cinema the Dominant filmmaking style by which all others are measured. We watched the scene that Ray analyzed and talked about it as an example of Formalist Film Analysis, then tried our hand at Formalist Analysis ourselves.

Then we watched some examples of alternatives to continuity editing (what Robert Ray refers to as "The Insivible Style" because its purpose is to "hide" the editing from the audience). I was surprised that the grrls were rather unimpressed by some of the French New Wave film clips we looked at, but they were blown away by the Russian style of Montage editing exemplified by Eisenstein (this is the clip we watched together, from his 1927 film "October": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0QAjpeosgU). We also checked out "Ballet Mechanique" as an example of a film in which narrative is subordinate to style.

Reminder: If anyone is interested in some extra hands-on homework, check out a Reel Grrls camera and try your hand at creating a film that is not organized by narrative. How else could you organize and join your shots? By color, rhythm, pattern, shadows etc.?

Looking forward to reading all of your posts looking for evidence of "The Invisible Style" in a film or TV show of your choice and/or doing a short Formalist Analysis of the same this week!

I'm still alive

Crazy, I know. You might think differently, considering I haven't talked to or seen any of you for about a month. I don't really have an excuse, except that school plus work really sucks. Sorry to have missed you all last Tuesday. Blame Mr. Mitchell. I was filming, just with a group of boys instead of girls.
So I used to just kind of nod my head whenever we were dealt the "not enough girls in the film industry" shpeal. Reel Grrls having been my only film experience, all I saw were girls in the field. But I'm taking Live Video Pro after school now and out of the 20 students and 3 instructors I'm the one and only girl. So Malory... I believe you.
That's all for now.
I'm going to go do my math homework and then do an English project while watching Casablanca. Yes I realize it's already 10.

- Sami M.

And one more thing, why are mini bagels so much better than normal sized bagels? They're so good, but I don't understand why.

RR stands for "Really Rad."

Hi.

This weekend I turned 20. Um, whoa. Serious stuff people, serious stuff.

Currently though, I am sitting on a rug at my grandparent's hiding out from life and reading about The Enlightenment. I can say that I am thoroughly....well, enlightened. I wish though that I was watching Casablanca while eating chocoate--because that would be cool.

I have a really nasty cold. It's pretty gross. I plan on spending my time in one of two places the next few days: in bed or in class. So that is where you'll find me: in my bed or in class.....prolly wearing my pajamas and bunny slippers, sucking down orange juice as if it were the elixir of life.

-Monica

P.S. Reel Grrls are rad. Really Rad.

San Diego Women's Film Fest

Hello grrrrrrrrrrls that are reel.. yeah so, just got back from San Diego, it was awsome, hardcore, infact it was the hardest of core. Rose, Jessica, Rose's Perents, and I went down together and met some other youth filmmakers from Mineapolis, Virginia, and LA. The youth films were screened 3 TIMES!! none of the other films in the festival were screened more than once, so we were given a huge honor, cause we're so cool, obviously, duh, yeah.
We met some other directors from other films that were being screened too. and the opening film of the festival (Nina's Heavenly Delights) was pretty smashing, i must say.
Long story short: It was most definately the hardest of core.

-- sami kubo, over and out.

Hola

Hey!
fancy blog.
I feel very professional.

what am i doing

hello world, i'm not really sure what i'm doing.

Reel Grrls Thesis Program Kicks Off Today!

Hey!

We are incredibly excited to be launching our first-ever Reel Grrls THESIS Program today! In response to popular demand from our ever-more-savvy-and-experienced grrls, we have created our most advanced and longest-running program yet.

You can read about the program HERE, but basically we are going to spend the next three months intensively studying film history, theory, and criticism - all from a Reel Grrls perspective, paying special attention to films made by women from around the world.

Starting in early 2008, the Thesis team will embark upon a five-month production schedule, in which grrls will take the reins on their most ambitious projects yet, hopefully inspired by and in response to the works and theories we will have studied together.

Along the way, grrls and mentors are going to blog their Thesis-inspired thoughts, feelings, and ideas here, so get ready for a much more active Reel Grrls blog!

Check in here weekly, and learn along with us. And start getting psyched to see the most amazing Reel Grrls work yet, coming this spring.

Love,

Maile and Lila

Spring 2007 Film Pre-Screening

So here we all are, editing to our little hearts content, and we have arrived at our first deadline. This Sunday afternoon, the Reel Grrls will be showing the first drafts of their films to a panel of judges and spectators. Just like in Hollywood, the RGs will use this opportunity to get necessary feedback, as well as suggestions for revisions and additions before the big night on May 17th. We'll have a little less than a week before our final deadline, when the movies will be sent far from our grasp to be pressed onto DVD. (Remember to pick up a copy on your way out of the party!)

While we're waiting for this ever-present deadline to approach, we've been actively eating a lot of Cheez-Its-- while editing... not around the computers. That's bad. Uh.

We also got a hold of a reel of Super 8 (8mm) film for use in one of this year's films. After filming ended, we decided to put the remainder of the reel to good use and make our very own home movie...

Click To Play

PICTURES!!! And... OTHER STUFF!!!!

With our new program design making great headway this spring, we've come to find that we really know how to use a point-and-click camera. So we're pulling you into the fray to get a sneak peak at our advanced workshops, as well as a sneak preview of production week in our advanced spring program.

Advanced Workshops

Click To Play

Spring Program 2007

Click To Play