Experimental film - My reflection

Giovanni Peresson
Jan 15, 2024
4 min read

By Giovanni Peresson 15/01/2024

Credit: Marcel Duchamp's : The Fountain

Since my last blog just before Christmas I have given myself, some time to think back and reflect on the module as a whole and how my skills and knowledge have developed from both theory and practice perspectives. I believe there are both positives and negatives throughout, which I wish to discuss based on my blog and 1-4 minute film. Throughout the twelve weeks of work, I believe I have more questions on experimental film now then how I started. I originally had very little knowledge on the subject, but it is definitely both the most interesting and complicated module I have come across.

I chose the Title Echo’s very carefully, I experimented with different titles to best describe what I was trying to achieve. The idea behind my title is to do with the phrase “echoes of the past” to symbolise how the past has influenced modern art.

This film highlights the contrast between modern and traditional art forms by using traditional art in a modern setting, much like you would see in product photography. With this, I aimed to create an unsettling emotion throughout through the use of visual effects and sound design. I did this to bring the viewer back in time in a way that might relate them through the viewing of older films.

I used Art from around my own house which was owned by my grandparents in Italy who collected art of all shapes and sizes, As my grandfather himself was a very successful artist, He created mosaics and stained-glass windows for churches and cathedrals all over Milan and Italy. He and other artists would often exchange pieces to each other as gifts, and these are the origins of all the works seen in the film. This heavily influenced the film and is my inspiration for its creation. It is very personal to myself, as it does explore my family’s history.

Throughout the production of the film, there have been both theorists and practitioners that have influenced my work, as well as the personal inspirations above. I took inspiration from the film: Meshes of the Afternoon, (1943), M. Derren and her use of the double exposure which I used to amplify the contrast and the continuity. Another technique which I used by experimental composer Pierre Schaeffer in Millares 1970 (1971) Escobio E. and the way blurs the lines between diegetic and non-diegetic sound. I used to create a sound design which is not a part of the world this is set in but uses sounds from that world. These are two techniques from my viewing of experimental films which I personally thought would fit in with my film.

I researched two books; O’Pray, M. Avant Garde Film (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003) And Rees, A.L., A History of Experimental Film and Video Production (London: BFI Publishing, 2002) which I used to explore the history of experimental film and how filmmakers evolved the genre through time which I used in the production of film to overcome the challenge of making a film that can be classified as experimental and have the qualities of an artwork rather than be like a mainstream film.

To me the definition of experimental film feels more difficult to identify, and what is to say if a film is classified as a form of art or not? This is a question I have found myself pondering on as in reality art is subjective and even traditional mainstream films can be viewed as art and contain methods used in experimental films such as surrealism etc. My thoughts and opinions have become stronger in the subject.

Unlike traditional films where there is a strong preproduction stage where you set everything out on paper what you’re going to do, I feel like it’s much like making documentary where you’re in a changing environment and your ideas evolve and mature as you get further into your production. It felt more run and gun and “let’s see what happens if I try this”. To the average filmmaker this is the wrong approach to take, but I believe for experimental film this is the right approach to take, and I wouldn’t change it if I could.

I believe the cinematography and lighting are the strongest aspects of the film, especially when comparing to previous works. In this film, I have been able to use my previous mistakes and practice to achieve a look I like and that works. The film set out to explore art of the past in a modern setting, whilst it was successful in this aspect I do believe in certain areas such as the editing I could have done more. The film challenges the conventions of traditional narrative filmmaking whilst still having subliminal meaning and purpose, and with that I am proud of that result.