Non-narrative SA

Non-narrative SA

This assignment is to assess my knowledge of Non-narrative film and to help me create my own idea of a video installation, which may use the same principles. This will include a brief history on non-narrative film and the context of each piece in detail.

History

Non-narrative film is a film art that does not narrate to explain its plot line or entertain viewers. There are a number of non-narrative type films that include different aesthetic forms. There are non-narratives, Abstract, Alternative and non-linear. Abstract film is a subgenre of film that is unclear in a number of ways. This can include the plot, story line, what is going on etc. This usually allows for the viewer to interpret the film in their own way. An example of an abstract film is Norman Mclaren’s Pas de deux, which is basically just a woman dancing in a dark room. What Mclaren did was devise a piece that could be interpreted as anything. He placed a figure, which is assumed to be a woman, within a dark room and has her perform an interpretive dance. The room is dark so the viewer can only focus on the dancing.

Non-linear film is a subgenre of film aesthetics that does not follow a particular sequence i.e. when the volume is not being played in chronological order. The film may start at the end of a story and work its way back to where it started through flashbacks. Another type of non-linear film is when the telling of one story is shown in three different ways. An example of a non-linear film is Pulp Fiction, which is directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film tells the story of three people and explains how they all made it to one particular point. The film starts at the end point of all the stories and flashes back to one of the protagonist’s story. After reaching the end of one person’s perspective you suddenly go back into another flashback in order to see another person’s perspective. Another example of non-linear film is “Hang Over”, however I will not be going into much detail about the film. Many modern day TV series and films use these subgenres in order to tell a story. An example can include the Japanese anime “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”, which starts at the end of the series in the first episode and works its way to that point throughout the series.

Context

Title- Pas de deux

Artists- Norman McLaren created in 1968. He is a film director/animator who has created a number of pieces for the national film board of Canada. He specializes in a range of film making techniques such as drawn on film, visual music, abstract film, pixilation and graphical sound.

Type/Genre- Non-narrative abstract

 Content- The short film is a video of Margaret Mercier performing the Pas de deux with herself throughout the first half and then being joined by her mirror image. Halfway through the video she is then joined by a male dancer (Vincent Warren). There are three main effects that were used for this video, all of which are visual effects. During the start of the video the ballerina is dancing with her mirror image, after which a still image of the ballerina is projected in the near future to show the audience what she will be doing momentarily. Later the same ballerina multiplies and each image portrays a different part of the dance. After the male dancer enters a motion blur effect is used to add to the style of the dance. The choreography was linked well with the effects used, meaning the pre-planning was done well in advanced.

 What was he trying to do? – Since it is an abstract piece there is no clear meaning to the piece, however I believe that Norman McLaren attempted to project his meaning through multiple medians such as interpretive dance and video film effects. Also adding simple effects to add to the beauty of the video. Personally I interpret it as a display on the beauty of two different expressive forms when they collaborate.

  Inspiration- There is a number of events that could have given McLaren the idea to create the “Pas De Deux” i.e. the Vietnam War or the winter Olympics that were held in France. In fact he may not have been influenced at all by current events and just came up with the idea on his own. He could have taken the idea while watching someone pray and composed the dance. I say this, because there is a particular scene in the film that appears to be a person praying to the statue of a goddess.

Title- Earth, Wing, Fire, Water

Artist- Bill Viola created 09.06.2014. A modern day contemporary artist whose work mainly resides in the realm of video installations. He has created a number of well known artistic pieces such as “Heaven and Earth” or “An Ocean Without a Shore”. He uses digital effects and sound to help him project his pieces meaning and uses far more modern methods to showcase his work.

Content- The exhibition is a combination of four video clips that each portrays a person undergoing the terrors of one particular element. The clips are played individually on four vertical screens, which are placed side by side in order to give the effect of one horizontal screen. To me the idea of the screens is an indirect message telling viewers to look at the bigger picture. The video links itself to every individual regardless of his or her heritage or religion, because it uses the idea of a fundamental human experience.

Wind- The clip is of someone holding onto a rope while undergoing a vicious attack from a strong wind.

Fire- A man sitting in the centre of a room while being surrounded by fire. He is unable to move, because he knows it is pointless to try and escape the flames of death.

Earth- this clip involves a man constantly being pelted with dirt from above, which sort of simulates someone being buried where they stand.

Water- A person being hung upside down as a large amount of water rushes down their body from above.

Influences and what he was trying to do- Viola was attempting to exhibit the harsh realities of the world through medians that everyone can relate to. His influences usually come from any one of the fundamental human experiences and in this particular instance he chose death as his median.     

Conclusion
I have learned a number of ways non-narrative videos can be exhibited and what different forms they can take. Using different methods to tell one story or letting the viewer use the video to create their own idea of what the film was telling them. These are some new ideas that I may include in my own video.