Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

The digital video market is ever changing with new technologies coming out and gagets being presented to filmmakers and videographers alike.

FreshDV was over at NAB in Las Vegas covering the conference there. One of the new gagets that was presented was “EyeLiner“.

This is a beautiful invention. What it does is that it allows for the individual to look into the camera when they speak.

Normally people have difficulty looking into the camera because it’s not normal for people to talk interactivitly with a machine.

This invention puts a reflection of the director where the camera lens is. See the following article and video. When you watch the video, skip to the last third of the video to see the EyeLiner: NAB Video – Day 1 Coverage

The Challenge:

• Make a poor man’s EyeLiner. Perhaps I’ll present this challenge to Mr. Chung Lee, the inventor of the “Poor Man’s Steady Cam“
• What I can understand is that we need a simple mirror, a one-way mirror, somehow fixate that to a wood housing, shaped like the eyeliner, and something that allows it to stand on a tripod by itself.

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

The 60s and 70s was a change for Hollywood cinema. They called it “New Hollywood“. It was a change in form and content of films, change in the audience, nontraditional themes, society and institutions were perceived as corrupt, and a lot of new directors came about. Directors such as:

• Francis Ford Copolla
• Steven Spielberg
• George Lucas
• Martin Scorsese

These unique thing about these new young directors was that they were not raised in the studio system. They learned film in school. They learned the mechanics, aesthetics, and history of films, giving them encyclopedic knowledge of cinema.

• These guys revered the classics.
• They made personal self conscience films.
• They had the genres, but with autobiographical and personal elements in it.
• They were reflective of their own view of the world.
• They see their work in relation to the history of cinema.

It is said that the films that came out in this time period were modernist reworkings of the classic genres. The message that new Hollywood cinema gave out to the people was different from what classic Hollywood cinema would give.

• Movies became more sexually and violently explicit.
• Showed psychological complexity
• Social issues were addressed
• Gave a more complex view of the world
• Heroic actions are difficult
• Relationships are not easy
• Institutions have failed the individual
• Life is complicated

These films have conventional narrative and American subculture. Financing methods also changed. Directors had more say in what was to happen. Instead of a certain studio providing the finances, it would be a wide array of sources.

Zelig (1983)

This film is a “mockumentary” by Woody Allen, that claims documentary status. The film itself touches upon the social issue of social conformity. If you watch this film without knowing anything about it, you will believe that it is a real documentary. It has the stereotypical documentary look and style. Has the predictable pattern, news reels, interviews, sounds, etc.

Film is a medium so powerful that you can make people believe something is real when it isn’t. Film itself can be a “chameleon” (watch the movie to understand this point).

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

What makes documentary films different from the live-action fictional films? Is it the narrator, aka “voice of God” (corny, I know)? Is it the film stock they use? Is it the testimonials? Is it the recreations they have in between?

What is a documentary film? Ross McElwee in his 1997 documentary “Six O’Clock News” states, “Documentaries, which are more or less films about reality, are actually not considered by most people to be real films, but Hollywood films, which usually have an extremely high fantasy quotient, are considered to be real.”

Documentaries (sometimes referred to as non-fiction films) and Narratives (fictional films) both use the same techniques. Its just that a documentary can be defined as a “creative interpretation of reality.” Documentaries are made for many reasons, but the four frequent ones are:

• to inform
• to entertain
• to criticize
• to celebrate

One thing to keep in mind is that documentaries are always meant to entertain. Filmmakers know that if they want to hold their viewer’s attention they will need to entertain.

Another question comes to mind. Are documentaries biased?

Olympia (1938)

A documentary film by Leni Riefenstahl about the 1936 Summer Olympics. Leni was commissioned by Adolf Hitler to document they Olympics so that they may promote Nazi philosophy. Only problem they had was that the all American Jesse Owens was beating them all.

This documentary was ground breaking in that is was able to capture footage, and movement of people like never before. Something that is evident throughout the film is the use of montage editing. The film was captured in such a way that the different contenders seemed almost superhuman.

High School (1968)

During this time period, technological improvements in film equipment helped push the industry further. Development of lightweight camera equipment allowed the filmmakers to throw themselves into an experience. Direct Cinema came about. There was no manipulation or structuring during filming like that of traditional documentaries.

Frederick Wiseman made a documentary about Northeast High School titled “High School”. In this film he used no narration or music like you would expect in a regular documentary.

After having seen this documentary immediately Iraq in Fragments by James Longly came to mind. It was done in the same style. Without specific narration or music, and was put together with what was caught on camera.

Are documentaries biased? Of course they are. They are reflecting the viewpoint of the filmmaker. Can they still inform, entertain, criticize, and/or celebrate something, someone, or an idea? For sure!

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

04-10-08 Update: The following is a lesson/reflection I had some almost a year ago regarding this project but I failed to write it down. recently while writing a paper for a marketing class I’m taking, the thought came back.

It’s always a good idea to get paperwork, contracts, and deal out of the way in the beginning before the project begins. This way you don’t have to worry about conflict starting up later on. I was sitting in my car talking with Uzair about how to monotize on the efforts of Darkness2Light. I was reminded by Uzair that the verbal agreement that he had with Napoleon was to distribute it for free.

Some may think, “Why are you going to charge for this? This is Islam? You can’t charge for this!” — Truth is professional work doesn’t happen for free. Professionalism takes time and effort (although Allah-swt made this one of the easiest productions in terms of time and effort to date). When you produce something, the goal is to get what you have into the hands of as many people as possible with maximum profit.

Profit can be defined in $$ or something else entirely. People exchange $$ for something of value, thus money can be looked upon as a reflection of how many people feel they have benefited as a result of the consumer’s purchase.

Perhaps I shall expand on this at a later time…

…but for now, the lesson to relay is, “Make sure you know the terms of agreement before you start a project, not after”

02-24-08 Update: Recently uploaded the video on blip.tv, which is a much better service in terms of video quality, size limitations, and duration of video.

Just today we launched the series premiere for Darkness2Light on Reelopener.com. Check it out!

My good childhood friend “uzi”, currently president of Rutgers MSA gave me the heads up for an event they were putting together with Napoleon from 2Pac’s Outlawz. He asked me if I had wanted to record the event. Initially I turned down the offer. Knowing what sort of work was to be put into it from my experience in putting together “The Strangers“, I wasnt up to the task. At that point I wasn’t even sure if I was going to go to the event.

With school, work, film projects, and life in itself taking its toll on me. The thoughts of giving up (temporarily) began to come about. The Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alyhi wasallam said that Allah (swt) said, “If my servant comes closer to me by one span, I go towards him a cubit’s length; if he comes to me a cubit’s length, I go towards him an arm’s length; and if he walks towards me, I run unto him.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

An individual whom I consider my friend reminded me of the following hadith, Abu Hurayrah said, the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alyhi wasallam said:

“Allah, be He be blessed and exalted, has angels who travel the highways seeking out the people of dhikr. When they find people remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, they call out to one another, “Come to what you hunger for!” and they enfold them with their wings, stretching up to the lowest heaven.

Their Lord asked then, and He knows better than them, “What are My slaves saying?”

They say: “They are glorifying, magnifying, praising and extolling You.”

He asks, “Have they seen Me?”

They say, “No, by Allah, they have not seen You.”

He asks, “And how would it be if they saw Me?”

They say, “They would be even more fervent and devoted in their praise and worship.”

He asks, “What are they asking me for?”

They say, “They ask You for Paradise.”

He asks, “And have they seen it?”

They say, “No, by Allah, O Lord, they have not seen it.”

He asks, “And how would it be if they saw it?”

They say: “They would be even more eager for it and they would beseech You even more earnestly.”

He asks, “And what do they seek My protection from?”

They say, “From the Fire of Hell.”

He asks, “Have they seen it?”

They say, “No, by Allah, they have not seen it.”

He asks, “And how would it be if they saw it?”

They say: “They would be even more afraid and anxious to escape it.”

Allah says: “You are My witnesses that I have forgiven them.”

One of the angels says: “So-and-so is not really one of them; he came (to the gathering) for some other reason.”

Allah says, “They were all in the gathering, and one of them will not be excluded (from forgiveness).””

(Reported by al-Bukhaari)

I made the intention to go to the event, which later became an intention to do some recording, which led to other brothers coming on board to help with the recording, which ultimately became a full blown team effort. An event recorded with five cameras, professional lighting, access to the stage mixer for direct audio feed recording. It was as if everything fell into place. The editing was even done in record time. It took one week. About eight hours of work total, while “The Strangers” took a gruesome 60 hrs over a period of two weeks.

With each project, I myself and others around me have grown, and benefited. With each project we progress. Alhumdulillah.

Project Lessons:

• Work as a team as much as possible. Work off of each other’s strengths.
• Lighting is VERY important. The difference between “The Strangers” and “Darkness2Light” is like the difference between…darkness and light
• Tie your camel, and leave the rest to Allah (swt)

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Avant Garde Film

This is another name for experimental films. Film scholars say that studying experimental films deepens one’s understanding of the film medium. Although a wide array of films fall under this type of films, they have some things in common.

• They portray things differently from the way mainstream film did and still does in both technique and subject of film.
• Many times they are “personal projects” for its director(s). For example, it could be something that is just meaningful to their own selves.
• They are produced within a small budget.

• It is said to be “visual poetry”. It wasn’t made to convey a storyline or plot, rather its images just strewn together.
• If you ask, “What does this film mean?”…you probably wont be able to answer it.

Meshes in the Afternoon (1943)

This movies was done by a husband and wife team, Alexander Hamid and Maya Deren. Maya was a poet, teacher, dancer, and her films were to some extent, characterized by these.

Watch this film and you will notice that there are images used as symbols heavily. Symbolism that one explains in the film are interpretation of critics usually. Interpretations such as the flower representing a chance at life. Shrouded mirror representing death. Key representing opening one’s life. Phone off the hook representing a lack of communication. The list goes on.

Some themes that one can pick out are the feeling of being trapped, fear of the bedroom, marital/relationship issues. All this is done through the imagery.

A Movie (1958)

A Movie was a collage film produced by Bruce Conner consisting of footage from other films. The material was selected, and structured in a certain manner with added music. Some call this a documentary of sort.

This film is different in the fact that repeatedly you see the title and the producer of the film show on screen through out, as if Bruce Conner is saying, “hey look, I made the film”

Scorpio Rising (1963)

A experimental/avant garde documentary film by Kenneth Anger about a motorcycle gang of New York. You will notice that in this film, in place of dialogue and traditional background music, plays a series of popular 80’s songs to a “storyline.”

Something that the viewer may think about is, “What is the relationship between the soundtrack and the film’s images?” One thing to note is that, the images portray male sexuality on film. The way the camera movement characterizes that action itself. Films rarely portray the male figure in this way, but considering that the director behind the camera is gay, is understandable.

Some of the themes portrayed in the film are:

• Self-image
• Idolizing a figure
• Modeling behaovir, dress, character
• Following. Conformity in the name of “individuality”

Its interesting how the links imagery of Hitler, a gang-leader, and Jesus with disciples together to stress the themes they are pushing forward.

It’s interesting how the director is one of the founders of The Church of Satan, which is an organization for those who have a focus on materialism and individualism, and practice self-preservation as instrcuted in the The Satanic Bible written by Anton LaVey.

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Personal Comments:

Although many of the well known experimental films are not up to the moral standards of Islam, they directors prove that imagry and symbolism are strong tools to use in the visual medium. Tools can be used for good or bad, how they are used depends on the weilder.