Reflections on the times we spent together

In this class I learned that digital media uses many of the artistic
principles and means of communication that have never shared quite a
unity and parallel to a human's mode of processing information.

Not only did I learn the joys and challenges of blogging and digital
design as enhancement of a virtual experience, but acquired new means
to express myself. I think hypertext is one of the most exciting
developments in digital media and an incredible way to communicate. When I
read something or see an art work- I am instantly curious about the
piece's sources, influences, and connection to further thought. If
computers are making us less reliant on our memories to absorb
information - hypertext is encouraging our minds beyond their physical-
social capacity so that we are more connected and informed
than we would normally be by simply relying on our immediate surroundings. I love that by reading a digital text one can actually follow the thought process of the author by following their hyptext tangents.
I can imagine David Foster Wallace - RIP- who enjoyed lengthy and
gratuitous footnotes to his fiction -using hypertext to birth a web of
spiralling thoughts from each sentence – had he have had the chance.

I enjoyed the sampling of different approaches to digital expression, and definitely felt that we scratched the surface of many interesting media; This class has definitely moved me one peg closer to realizing an interesting and artistic sense of journalism using sound clips, hypetext, photogrphy and video - as in an opportunity to create and entire DIY media center!
I look forward to continuing exploration of these new programs and html coding, while using the design and artistic lens that we were exposed to with Prof Anderson and Prof Lucas..and the awesome TA's and computer lab helpers!

Thank you everyone and enjoy the break!

Reel Dialogue: Engaging and Entertaining

On Friday the 13th last November, I attended
"Real Dialogue" : the first (of many, I hope) Hunter College Department of Film & Media and the IMA/MFA Program, documentary film screening and discussion forums.

This evening’s films shared in the topic(s) of LGBT's: current media representation ("NO MORE LIES: a portrait of a filmmaker" by Sam Feder (hunter student); familial relationships to traditionally heterosexual parents and siblings ("DON’T BRING SCOTT" by David Pavlosky (hunter student); and today's labor laws and rights in the U.S. ("OUT AT WORK" by Kelly Anderson and Tami Gold (hunter professors).

Each filmmaker stayed after the screenings to answer questions about their films and to participate in an open discussion on some of the issues brought up by the provocative selection of social activist's films. The evening’s moderator opened the Q&A with a question for the audience: "Where do you place yourself being a part of the progression of change? (+ in terms of some of these issues).

I thought much about this question when viewing David’s film “Don’t Bring Scott” as he attempted to capture an ongoing confrontation with his conservative Midwestern parents and his three brothers of varying generations on his relationship with his partner Scott and whether or not Scott was welcome at family gatherings.
What seemed to be initially a tearful maybe even an indulgent personal journey for David, who invited us into a home video (many hand held shots – what has become a reality T.V. visual aesthetic), ended up building in emotion and intimacy with his family and the audience, effectively revealing very honest and varied opinions on David’s “lifestyle” in a hugely compelling way.

His family represented a microcosm of the current American social climate – fear, tolerance, acceptance, and indifference. By David's patience and silence during these interviews with his family these incredible point of views were explored and proved that it is important to ask why one holds certain values and if they are important when they hurt and others.

It raised the question for me as an audience member and a filmmaker “Why do we care?” and why does David care? Why not live and let live?
Again, the moderator's question to the audience was where we saw ourselves in relation to activism and again I wondered – what makes someone push themselves in a path to instigate change and push others to change with them? David’s film was a very successful portrait and journey from “Don’t Bring Scott” to family gatherings to Scott taking family portraits with all the Pavlovskys at Christmas time, and this change was possible because he dared to ask hard questions and listen for the answers. Once explored, these harsh barriers once firmly erected, fell down everywhere and the film triumphantly ended with Scott meeting David's family and being included in the holiday portrait.

The moderator's question coupled with the miraculous change in David's film, prompted me to ask the question of David: "What drew you to social and personal activism, especially in your own home?"

To listen to David’s response click here.

In short, David needed to complete a project for his documentary film class, but it was his longing "to have a life" that made him push through the restrictions of who he was formerly able to be with his family in contrast to who he was independent from them with his lover.
He said that change doesn't come quickly - that it takes time and patience.

And so, I will patiently await the next scheduled “Real Dialogue” screening and forum as each film was not only entertaining, educational and provocative, but a great way to inspire fellow filmmakers and artists attending Hunter – and beyond.