What defines your style as a film-maker?

[kye]

18 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Short films, action movies are probably my favorite. I shoot live events as well (where I actually make money?)

Cool.  Any examples you can post?

[thebrothersthre3]

1 hour ago, kye said:

Cool.  Any examples you can post?

I have some of my shorts on my youtube thebrothersthre3

[Emanuel]

@kye this forum is not the same since you've landed. Kudos for your posting : ) My vote for a new mod! : -)

 

 

[kye]

11 minutes ago, Emanuel said:

@kye this forum is not the same since you've landed. Kudos for your posting : )

Thanks mate!

11 minutes ago, Emanuel said:

My vote for a new mod! : -)

Please no!!

[Emanuel]

Yet on that difference between British and American English, I think pop culture has had a significant role to inspire editing as for instance. Also directing BTW. And new distribution channels have imposed a dominant style to hardly leave versus the fundamentals exactly as you wrote, Kye. It is a delicate balance.

But a reward concomitantly. Towards a future-proof to not lose of sight a whole century of film language and semiotics in our back.

Here's where Don's @webrunner5 entry fits ; ) Pardon for a bit of fake modesty from my side as well : P

E : -)

 

[kye]

1 hour ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

I have some of my shorts on my youtube thebrothersthre3

Cool shorts.

In terms of your style, I'm not really that sure.  I don't watch enough horror or action to be able to see past the standard techniques and shots to see what is more uniquely yours.

Anyone else have a more familiar eye?

[Towd]

3 hours ago, kye said:

Do you aspire to the "more is more" style of Michael Bay, or the wealth of Michael Bay?

Either one is fine - no judgements from me - just curious if the style is the goal, or a means to an end.

Haha, may we all make Michael Bay money some day in our career.

But I posted the Michael Bay example maybe to be a little provocative to the art house crowd.  Saying you hate Bay is a bit like saying you hate Trump-- it's always a safe response.  (Please nobody attack me.  I promise I didn't vote for the guy.  I'm just saying...)

Seriously though, I find that I look for "Bayhem" when I'm editing a project.  Is there a shot with more parallax in the foreground?  Or a shot with more motion?  Maybe a whip pan or some other movement.  Those are the shots I seem to gravitate to, so I think that the Bayhem style is something that I'm looking for.  I certainly can't recreate the complexity of some of his shots.  Just that panning background on a telephoto lens with a circular dolly track that he does is technically very hard to recreate on a rushed shoot.  (I've tried with limited success.)  But, I think when even Werner Herzog is acknowledging the style, there is something there worth studying.

[kye]

14 minutes ago, Towd said:

Haha, may we all make Michael Bay money some day in our career.

But I posted the Michael Bay example maybe to be a little provocative to the art house crowd.  Saying you hate Bay is a bit like saying you hate Trump-- it's always a safe response.  (Please nobody attack me.  I promise I didn't vote for the guy.  I'm just saying...)

Seriously though, I find that I look for "Bayhem" when I'm editing a project.  Is there a shot with more parallax in the foreground?  Or a shot with more motion?  Maybe a whip pan or some other movement.  Those are the shots I seem to gravitate to, so I think that the Bayhem style is something that I'm looking for.  I certainly can't recreate the complexity of some of his shots.  Just that panning background on a telephoto lens with a circular dolly track that he does is technically very hard to recreate on a rushed shoot.  (I've tried with limited success.)  But, I think when even Werner Herzog is acknowledging the style, there is something there worth studying.

It depends on what you're trying to achieve.  Bayhem is a style of art, but so are the styles of films like Russian Ark, or how Nicholas Cage acts.

It doesn't mean we have to like them, or emulate them, or that any style is any better or worse than any other.  Don't be afraid to admit you like a particular style.  Study it, practice it, celebrate it, and own it.  and then get paid for it

There's a whole debate around selling out vs being a genuine artist that I think people misunderstand.  If you compromise your art just to make money then that's unfortunate, but who are we to judge.  And if you happen to make art that lots of people like, then there's nothing wrong with that at all.

[TurboRat]

7 hours ago, Snowbro said:

Spending all my money

+ going into debt ?

[Kisaha]

I respect Bay, he is for real, I do not watch his films though.

If anyone knows about NBA, is this 23 year old guy, that once was called in Sports Illustrated "the best high school player since LeBron James" and finally went no.2 in NBA draft, but his team (Milwaukee Bucks) released him (didn't even make an offer) so he went to Chicago, which he won local champions as a youngster for 20.000.000$ per year. After a month into the season Bulls are trying to find a trade partner, but they may just have to buy him out because the guy is "unplayable" in todays NBA and it seems he is destined for minimum contracts, or China - where they do not play defense anyway, Hero-ball is their game.

 This guy, Parker, said last year "They don't pay players to play defense." This is a trap that everyone can fall in, in every aspect of life, if you go for the money, you may loose everything in the end, while loosing yourself from the beginning.

Michael Bay is great, because he does what Michael Bay do.

[TurboRat]

1 minute ago, Kisaha said:

I respect Bay, he is for real, I do not watch his films though.

If anyone knows about NBA, is this 23 year old guy, that once was called in Sports Illustrated "the best high school player since LeBron James" and finally went no.2 in NBA draft, but his team (Milwaukee Bucks) released him (didn't even make an offer) so he went to Chicago, which he won local champions as a youngster for 20.000.000$ per year. After a month into the season Bulls are trying to find a trade partner, but they may just have to buy him out because the guy is "unplayable" in todays NBA and it seems he is destined for minimum contracts, or China - where they do not play defense anyway, Hero-ball is their game.

 This guy, Parker, said last year "They don't pay players to play defense." This is a trap that everyone can fall in, in every aspect of life, if you go for the money, you may loose everything in the end, while loosing yourself from the beginning.

Michael Bay is great, because he does what Michael Bay do.

Jabari Parker?

I agree with the above. If you gonna do it for the money, you won't get too far.

[Kisaha]

Just now, TurboRat said:

Jabari Parker?

I agree with the above. If you gonna do it for the money, you won't get too far.

Yeah! Jabari! NBA is where I spend most of my - limited - free time.

Also, never try to be someone else, if Jabari wants to be Harden, well, he won't!

[Ingerson]

"Style"?

[kye]

2 hours ago, TurboRat said:

If you gonna do it for the money, you won't get too far.

Did you ever watch a documentary called Exit Through the Gift Shop?

It was a film made by Banksy about the guy who was making a documentary about him.  It is a ouroboros mind-fuck and spectacular in every way.  The reason that I mention it is that the guy wanted to be as famous as Banksy but without doing any of the work or getting good at art, so he did a bunch of paintings for a huge show and they were terrible, but he talked himself into thinking he was great, and then because he sunk so much money into it people believed he must be great and so his work sold for heaps of money.  In the end you're kind of left wondering WTF happened, what is good and what isn't, and how the F can anyone tell anyway.

Going for the money doesn't always end badly!

[Kisaha]

9 minutes ago, kye said:

Did you ever watch a documentary called Exit Through the Gift Shop?

It was a film made by Banksy about the guy who was making a documentary about him.  It is a ouroboros mind-fuck and spectacular in every way.  The reason that I mention it is that the guy wanted to be as famous as Banksy but without doing any of the work or getting good at art, so he did a bunch of paintings for a huge show and they were terrible, but he talked himself into thinking he was great, and then because he sunk so much money into it people believed he must be great and so his work sold for heaps of money.  In the end you're kind of left wondering WTF happened, what is good and what isn't, and how the F can anyone tell anyway.

Going for the money doesn't always end badly!

Funny you mentioned it, I was just reading that we will have a huge Banksy expo in my city.

Sorry for interfering, but this is one of the greatest films of the century!

This is really a mockumentary, the character is created by Banksy himself and mocks the whole artistic world and the "gallery" driven artistic market. He was creating the whole project a few years before release, gossips/articles/art/websites e.t.c

How shallow is the DOF on this film, by the way?!? 

[kye]

28 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

Funny you mentioned it, I was just reading that we will have a huge Banksy expo in my city.

Sorry for interfering, but this is one of the greatest films of the century!

This is really a mockumentary, the character is created by Banksy himself and mocks the whole artistic world and the "gallery" driven artistic market. He was creating the whole project a few years before release, gossips/articles/art/websites e.t.c

How shallow is the DOF on this film, by the way?!? 

I was reading about it after posting and apparently there is a lot of confusion.  The wikipedia page for Mr Brainwash (link) has some interesting snippets in it.

Quote

However, it also adds that "it is impossible to prove whether his latest incarnation, Mr. Brainwash, is sincere. The film suggests that Guetta's artistic alter ego is largely a creation of Banksy, a notion Guetta doesn't refute." Guetta told the paper: "In the end, I became [Banksy's] biggest work of art."

Which seems to suggest that it's all fake, however then there is this:

Quote

Mr Brainwash made his major auction debut on May 14, 2010 at Phillips. The piece, a massive canvas, was given a pre-auction estimate of $50,000–70,000. It showed a Charlie Chaplincharacter with paint can and roller in hand. The background of the work was adorned with the artist's Madonna and Heart image, set in an urban/street environment.[30]

The London Fall 2010 Phillips Contemporary Art Sale was Brainwash's second appearance in auction, this time with two works, described as spray and metallic paint, acrylic and paper collage on canvas.[31] The smaller of the two measures 106.7 x 106.7 cm (42 x 42 inches) and shows Kate Moss amongst heavy brush strokes and splatters of red, pink, and white paint all amongst a gold background. The larger one, measuring 162.6 x 121.9 cm (64 x 48 inches), shows Albert Einstein in front of a graffiti adorned wall. The works sold for about $67,000 and $120,000, almost three times their estimates.

and this:

Quote

An episode of the Morgan Spurlock-produced documentary series A Day in the Life follows Guetta for a day. He is shown preparing for a large Los Angeles show. In the episode he reveals that all of his work since his 2008 debut has been completed with a team of graphic designers.

and this:

Quote

In 2009, when Madonna was set to release her greatest hits compilation, "Celebration", she asked Mr. Brainwash to design the cover. He designed 15 different covers for the wide release, singles, DVDs and special edition vinyl.[19] Mr. Brainwash also collaborated with Madonna for her Hard Candy Fitness in Toronto. The Hard Candy Fitness opening featured the live onsite creation of an 11 by 30 foot Madonna mural, designed by Mr. Brainwash.

What we have is a real person, who was featured as a real artist in a fake documentary by a real artist, whose status as an artist is challenged and the real person won't say he is an artist. So that seems pretty straight-forward, he's not an artist.  He reveals in a real documentary that all his work since his debut has been completed by a team of graphic designers.

Definitely not an artist then.

Unfortunately, since his debut, apparently he's done the following:

• Designed album covers for Madonna
• Designed art to promote Rock The Vote
• Done work for Michael Jackson
• Might have been part of the official promotion for Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Directed a video for Coke featuring Avicii
• Did work for Coachella
• "created a one-of-a-kind Mercedes-Benz 2015 GLA" for Mercedes, whatever the hell that means
• Appeared in performances

and has sold art worth something like $250K.  

Does making art, selling art, or appearing as an artist make you an artist?  Who knows, but I just love that even by reading the wikipedia page you're still not sure what the hell is going on, and I think that's the whole point.  The questions aren't if he's an artist, how much Banksy did, if the documentary is real or not.  The questions are: What is art?  What makes something valuable?  Do we judge people by their actions or by what they say (or don't say)?

My take-away impression from the docs was that it was kind of like a prank on the art world that they fell for, but I think that the prank is actually on humanity, because there just aren't answers to these questions.

And how shallow was the DOF on that film?  About right for a documentary - nothing to do with the work I create

 

[kaylee]

edit: oops, autism again

[kaylee]

7 hours ago, Emanuel said:

@kye this forum is not the same since you've landed. Kudos for your posting : ) My vote for a new mod! : -)

no more mods. we can self regulate

@kye regarding your post above, holy S*** i did NOT know any of that stuff about mr brainwash??? ill have to look into it...

that being said, historically secure art pieces do not involve "street art", which tends to be remembered for about 3 seconds. could banksy be an exception? sure, maybe

anyway, heres my "style" tip: BE RECOGNIZABLE

most important soundbite tip ever if youre a

• fine artist
• photographer
• filmmaker
• graphic designer
• product designer
• transportation designer
• illustrator
• sculptor

or ANNNYTHiiiinng else in the arts, your work needs to have a recognizable look, and it needs to be unified. this is how people identify you: your clients, fans, patrons, followers, etc.

this is way easier said than done, and does involve some risk taking, but if you dont take some risks, your work is doomed to be an imitation of whats been done already

[kye]

1 hour ago, kaylee said:

 

@kye regarding your post above, holy S*** i did NOT know any of that stuff about mr brainwash??? ill have to look into it...

that being said, historically secure art pieces do not involve "street art", which tends to be remembered for about 3 seconds. could banksy be an exception? sure, maybe

Neither did I, fun stuff!

I just watched a doc called Saving Banksy on Netflix and it was about the guy that tried to save a Banksy from San Francisco and wanted to save it from being painted over by cutting it out of the wall, and what happens after that.  It's not as good as Exit but still interesting to watch and leaves you with the same WTF reaction over the system and how things just don't fit together.  

Recommended

[Kisaha]

Do you remember "Girl with balloon"?

Now it is "Love is in the bin", and worths even more!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/oct/11/woman-who-bought-shredded-banksy-artwork-will-go-through-with-sale

Mr. Brainwash, or whatever is called, is a Banksy creation, the stunt was to make it seem real, so he was pulling some strings for a couple of years before the docu-release, and maybe after. Banksy is THAT good.