Hello, I Like You
by Mixtape Club
Abstraction, especially in film, scares some people. Many of them are my friends, actually. If a movie or short film doesn't have an extremely rigid narrative spinal chord, they begin shifting in their seats. Unless there's a very clear story that carries them from beginning to end, they start to get very, very uncomfortable.
"This is weird man. What does it even mean?"
The assumption is that because the filmmakers chose to abandon narrative, they must be trying to convey a very deep, serious message; and since that message may not be immediately apparent, some viewers feel belittled by abstract art in general. That assumption is a complete fallacy* of course. Abstract film need not be deep nor serious, as we'll discover in just a minute. But while I certainly don't share that sort of reaction to abstract art, I guess I understand it. Many believe that film's only role is linear storytelling, because that's mostly all we ever see. People want to be shown in no uncertain terms, and within a very rigid structure, a precise sequence of events.
But film, especially short film, can do so many more things than that. The reason abstract art can be powerful is that it bypasses the brain and heads directly to the gut... or heart in some cases. And abstraction need not be frightening. Chris Smith and Jesse Casey were commissioned to make a short film about happiness, and with Hello, I Like You, they absolutely hit the mark. It's just as 'weird' as any other purely abstract film, but it's so infectiously positive that you can't help but smile when you watch it.
That's obviously all that it was designed to do. Abstraction isn't necessarily meant to be challenging. It's just a storytelling choice. It's a style, a technique that can be used to convey any number of ideas, whether they be simple or complex; only without the rigidity of a strong narrative line. All one needs to do is open themselves up to it. Each person has a different tolerance for abstraction in art, much in the same way that different people can suspend disbelief to varying degrees. But to shut it out completely puts you in a position to miss so much.
After watching the following short film even my friends couldn't be confused about what it means, or if they looked carefully, what abstract art is capable of.
Enjoy!
Oh! And remember to subscribe to Vidpicks on Vimeo for all the videos I share on BradBlogspeed in one, easily navigable place!
*The false dichotmy fallacy I believe, but I'm very bad at identifying them properly. Feel free to correct me in the comments section.
More from Mixtape Club
When F5 commissioned us to do a short film conveying happiness, we thought what better way to express our happiness than to distill the essence of our craft, to serve up a creamy shot of artistic espresso? So with this film, we’ve gone back to the basics, the simplest of inanimate objects, and transformed them into a tapestry of playful, choreographed dance for your enjoyment. The musical accompaniment was composed as part of the filmmaking process by the lovely gentlemen of Huma Huma.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BradBlogspeed/~3/1PtsWaTPHzU/a-happy-abstract-little-film
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar