Author Archives: brittany

Three Lumieres from LOMEG_ROM

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Lomeglumiere #030 “uncut scenes” (2008, 5.4MB, 1:05)


Lomeglumiere #019 “video painting II” (2008, 5.4MB, 1:05)


Lomeglumiere #003 “goodle” (2008, 3.4MB, 0:44)

Three lovely thought-provoking lumieres from LOMEG_ROM.
The point of the Lumiere project was to get people to think
differently about their practice. LOMEG_ROM’s lumieres
vary widely, sometimes a still shot where seemingly
“nothing” happens, other times a still camera and a
piece of furniture moved back and forth in front of the
lens. Whatever they’re up to, I always enjoy surprises
from this Norwegian duo.
I chose these three as departures from other lumieres,
in content or style. Brava.

Pleix – Beauty Kit

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Pleix – Beauty Kit (2001, 4.3MB, 2:17)

One more from Pleix, innovative work that speaks for itself.

White Winter Hymnal

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White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes (2008, 5.7MB, 2:28)

Beautifully poignant music video from Fleet Foxes,
directed by super talented Sean Pecknold.

Toaster

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Morgan Schwartz – Toaster (2001, 7.3MB, 3:30)

From Morgan Schwartz.

Creation Myth by Robert Todd

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Robert Todd – Creation Myth (2007, 39.3MB, 5:46)

Robert Todd is a master of 16mm. With an enormous
catalog behind him and no sign of his work ceasing in
the near future, Todd is slowly migrating his work onto
his personal website.
What a treat for us.

This piece, Creation Myth, is one of several I will repost
here over time, to show respect for these subtle, moving
visions.

Todd says: “Love of sky, love of earth and air, with
water helping us along form the backdrop to this
reflection of life-essence and its evolution.”

And, full disclosure: Rob has previously been my
professor, and I personally consider him one of
the kindest, most knowledgeable and professional
working artists under whom I have had the privilege
of studying. I wish I had been better able to absorb
his teachings at the time. He is truly a Bolex genius.

Take a Chance on Me

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ABBA – Take a Chance on Me (1978, 9.9MB, 3:55)

I have an unnatural obsession with ABBA, and thankfully,
Doron already posted one of their classic and amazing
music videos.
Let’s break this one down a little, though it’s clearly enjoyable
without my commentary.
First off, the ABBA couples broke up, but at least they didn’t
go the way of my favorite stateside 70’s quartet, Fleetwood
Mac. No reason to partner-swap, folks.
Anni-Frid (Frida – the brunette) tends to be my favorite.
In this video, we find her repeatedly half-winking and
jumping in place.
Also, I would like to own her blue sweater and those boots.
When she puts on those yellow headphones and starts
dancing for Benny, I can totally understand why he ends up
chasing after her in the last few moments of the video. Her
moves, at times, make this whole video.
The cross-fades between lovers faces are priceless.
Isn’t it also pretty amazing when Agnetha throws her head
back and that giant red spotlight takes her place on the word
“magic”? It is magic.
With the screen cut into quadrants and that unbeatable soft
focus, I could not be more serious when I say this is music
video history worth preserving.

Skye Bender-deMoll

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Skye Bender-deMoll – Organic Brand Ownership Networks (2007, 9MB, 0:18)

We love moving charts and maps, in case you couldn’t tell.
This one, from Skye Bender-deMoll, features organic food brands
circa late 2007, and their often overlooked connections.
The yellow nodes are food processors, blue are investment firms,
green are organic brands, and red are new organic brand introductions.
via Another Limited Rebellion

The Loneliness of the Species

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Krista Birnbaum – Agatha and Bernice (2006, 35.2MB, 4:12)

The Loneliness of the Species is a three-video series
by Krista Birnbaum, featuring little white mice friends
and their respective teacups. The first features a mouse
named Constance, who roams his china playground alone.
The second (seen here) and third videos show the coming
together of Agatha and Bernice. A pleasure for animal
lovers, a simple, elegant piece about companionship and solitude.

David Yun

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David Yun – A Taste of Home (2007, 4.9MB, 2:19)

When David Yun went home to care for his terminally
ill mother, he found himself as disconnected and
alienated from his small hometown as he had always
been. Clip from Yun’s seven and a half minute video.
Beautiful footage and a voice-over that never becomes
too precious or pretentious.
Strangely (or perhaps not), I have family from
that exact small town, Livonia, Michigan, USA, a Detroit
suburb.

Three from Fred Muram

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Fred Muram – Brownout (2006, 1.4MB, 0:38)


Fred Muram – Three Hands Feeding Me Garbage (2005, 804KB, 0:21)


Fred Muram – Still Scared of Needles (2008, 1MB, 0:27)

Three very short, very endearing works from Fred Muram,
commentary on culture and mass media, consumption, and
physical appearance.

A lot can be said in under 40 seconds.

Me and Rubyfruit

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Sadie Benning – Me and Rubyfruit (1990, 24.9MB, 5:40)

Classically beautiful and poignant video-diary-esque
early work from the innovative Sadie Benning. Me
and Rubyfruit, a reinterpretation of Rita Mae Brown’s
Rubyfruit Jungle, finds Benning lamenting the limitations
of being a young lesbian woman in modern culture.
Roughly sixteen when she made this piece, it was shot
on a Fisher-Price Pixelvision 2000 camera, making the
intense grainy footage all the more raw.

The Listening Project

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The Listening Project (2008, 31.5MB, 2:43)

It feels a bit cliched, but I’ll give this one the
benefit of the doubt, of doing relevant and
important work about the current state of
global relations.

The Listening Project is a documentary feature film
that puts a human face to world opinion of the U.S.
Filmed in 14 countries, it explores many facets of
America

LAb[au] – PixFlow #2

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LAb[au] – PixFlow #2 (2007, 132.3MB, 0:30)

PixFlow #2 is a generative artwork showing a vector field and moving particles/pixels shaping into flows as their density evolves. From the mutual influence in between vectors and particles results an unsuspected, highly evolving behavior.
a preview of the latest from LAb[au]

Two from Sergei Sviatchenko

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Sergei Sviatchenko – Street & White (2006, 4.7MB, 2:42)


Sergei Sviatchenko – 20 hours tv (2004, 1.6MB, 1:46)

Simple, beautiful pieces from Sergei Sviatchenko,
the first with a great soundtrack by the band Kashmir
and the second totally silent.
Neither is wildly entertaining, but I found both to be
so calming in their simplicity.
Originally from the Ukraine, Sviatchenko now lives
in Denmark.

Shotgun Stories

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Jeff Nichols – Shotgun Stories (2008, 10.3MB, 1:50)

Shotgun Stories tells the tale of two families with the
same father. One, in which the children are named
Kid, Boy, and Son, came before dad sobered up and
found Jesus. The second, his marriage to a beautiful
woman who had four more boys, was his do-over.
After his death, an explosive feud breaks out between
the grown half-siblings.
It opened to rave reviews, and from the chilling
trailer alone, I can see why.

Beck – Girl

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Motion Theory – Beck – Girl (2007, 38.9MB, 3:28)

From Venice, California visual design/filmmaking studio
Motion Theory, this laid back Beck video was directed
by Mathew Cullen and Grady Hall.

The Puffy Chair

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Jay and Mark Duplass – The Puffy Chair (2005, 6.3MB, 2:14)

Debut feature from the Duplass brothers, a few years
old, and part of the Mumblecore filmmaking movement,
which I seem to be partial towards.

Sex Positive

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Daryl Wein – Sex Positive (2008, 16MB, 2:43)

Groundbreaking film from 24-year-old Daryl Wein.
I hate it when people mention my youthful age, but
I think since I know my motivations for doing it, I’ll
just accept that we all mean it as a compliment.

Wein’s portrait of 1980s AIDS activist Richard Berkowitz
is such a contribution to our modern understanding of the
history of AIDS and gay rights activism. One of the first
to speak out about the need for safe sex in the gay
community, Berkowitz was ridiculed and ostracized.
This excellent documentary finds Berkowitz today and
revisits his time as an S&M sex worker before becoming
an outspoken critic of the AIDS epidemic. Much of the older
footage is also courtesy of Berkowitz.
An outstanding collaboration.

WalMart Growth

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Toby Segaran – WalMart Growth (2008, 6.6MB, 0:46)

Toby Segaran isn’t a media artist – he’s actually
a software developer and writer. But, he made
this excellent video clip of American WalMart growth
from 1962 to the present on his off time at work,
and the way I see it, the best work sometimes
happens when you, well, aren’t working. Similar
to these videos made with the processing language.

Standard Operating Procedure

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Errol Morris – Standard Operating Procedure (2008, 11.2MB, 2:00)

We don’t hide our love for Errol Morris – see here
and here – but there’s no need for us to apologize.
The man is a genius. His latest feature, Standard
Operating Procedure, interviews Abu Ghraib prison
guards and tells the story behind the now-infamous
photographs of abuse from the prison, uncovered in
2003. Dubbed a “nonfiction horror film” by Morris,
this investigative film, much like A Thin Blue Line,
helped Morris once again dig deeper into a crime
file, this one just more contemporary.

When you see a picture, you don’t see outside the frame.

With the frightening pictures as a jumping off point,
Morris interviews those involved with the scandal to
get the whole story.
Can’t wait to see this one.

Anna Chiaretta Lavatelli

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Anna Chiaretta Lavatelli – SHE:contaminated (2005, 33.5MB, 13:58)

Brooklyn-based Anna Chiaretta Lavatelli works in
video and super 8 film.
An explanation of SHE:contaminated:

An examination of cellular abnormalities in video and
super 8mm film in which the three identities of the
character SHE confront the nature of their malformation,
and the affected woman they have collectively become.

I find this piece so moving, particularly the openly segment.
Her metaphors are completely brilliant and resonate with me,
perhaps mostly as a woman but also as an artist.
Also a huge fan of her supposedly poor compression –
love the idea, love the execution.

The Intimacy of Strangers – Eva Weber

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Eva Weber – The Intimacy of Strangers (2007, 7.4MB, 2:23)

Trailer for the innovative The Intimacy of Strangers,
“a story of life, love, loss and hope – told entirely
through overheard mobile phone conversations of
random strangers.”
Winner of several festival awards, including the President’s
Award at the 2007 Full Frame Film Festival, which is extra
exciting as Full Frame is one of the first festivals that has
started showing videoblog work within the last year. Be sure
to check out the excellent IoS website, a wonderful complement
to the actual film.

Me and You and Everyone We Know

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Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005, 27.3MB, 2:43)

Trailer for the brilliant 2005 film
Lovely and humorous teaser for an equally delightful movie
From female mastermind Miranda July

Keep On Smoking

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Michel de Broin – Keep On Smoking (2006, 8.2MB, 2:51)

Absolutely hilarious video for a fantastic piece of interactive art.
I thought I was going to end up with a statement about
smoking cigarettes with I came across Michel de Broin’s
Keep On Smoking.
But completely unrelated, de Broin says this:

As an alternative to petrol, this custom-made bicycle
transforms kinetic energy produced by the cyclist into smoke.
The will to power is a renewable energy resource that can be
recuperated by a power generator supplying enough electricity
to operate a smoke machine. The work is the result of two
coupled machines; the one human is productive and the other
machine, consumptive. This coupling of machines produces smoke,
a waste energy that is liberated freely in the atmosphere.

Two from Human Dog

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Garage Door (2006, 4.4MB, 0:47)

Human Dog was one of the first videoblogs and has
been closed down since early 2007. Luckily, all of
the media remains online (so far). One of the best
things about the entire series of videos (and the various
serials therein) was creator Chris Weagel’s ability
to tease out the absurdity of everyday life without
hitting the audience over the head with his message.
Video that was made specifically to live online, this
is some of the best work ever produced in videoblog
format.

Papa and Daddy

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Papa and Daddy – Jump Start (2008, 9.8MB, 0:53)

Papa and Daddy (Shawn Preston and Ross Ludwig)
made this terrific 2008 Superbowl commercial,
a fun coincidence since I found their charming ad
work via Food Chain Films, a nice page of several
directors based in Portland.

Marc Greenfield’s drought

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Marc Greenfield – Toothbrush (2004, 5.5MB, 0:31)

Emmy winner Marc Greenfield’s public service
announcement about Denver water
via Food Chain Films

My View

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Phil Hamilton – My View (2007, 12.6MB, 1:00)

Phil Hamilton doesn’t post video very often.
When he does, it’s just freaking cool.
Phil is now a freshman at the same school where
I’m currently finishing my graduate degree, but
I’ve never see him in real life.
This is a video of his dorm room view.
The music is also original, by him.
His work – all of it – always makes me wish
I was younger, and that is a real compliment.

Ready for the Floor

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Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor (2008, 26.6MB, 3:42)

Yeah yeah, more hipster music videos. But they’re so good!
Hot Chip’s second single from their newest album,
featuring their front man in various Joker references,
including the line, “You’re my number one guy,”
originally used repeatedly in 1989’s Batman.
See? You know you love it.
From Nima Nourizadeh.

GARhodes – Mirror

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Geoffrey Alan Rhodes – Mirror (2006, 22.2MB, 6:09)

Holy sh*t this is amazing.
Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, aka GARhodes, is an
insanely talented artist across mediums.
The impossible mirror shot only becomes more
impressive as this piece progresses, and I sure do
love reflexive performance art done right.
Wow.

Seth Kendall – Gnaritas Monstrum

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Seth Kendall – Gnaritas Monstrum (2007, 4.1MB, 1:50)

Adorable, multi-award-winning animation from Seth Kendall.
via GPSFF

Maya Ciarrocchi – Herd

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Maya Ciarrocchi – Herd (2004, 4.6MB, 2:04)

Excerpt from Maya Ciarrocchi‘s single channel
video/sound installation, which plays a continuous
15 minute loop of black and white footage of New
York streets.
Ciarrocchi said, “The frenetic movement of the street
is slowed to a pace where the viewer can form an intimate
relationship to the histrionics of everyday events.”

The Golden Age of Barcodes

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Dion Laurent – The Golden Age of Barcodes (2004, 27.6MB, 5:05)

Dion Laurent’s project is a “multi-ethnic international
representation of procreation and population explosion,
increased consumerism and capitalism, and the
commodification and devastation of our natural world.”
Enough said.

Paris 1983

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Iris Piers – Paris 1983 (2005, 33.3MB, 2:39)

8mm film of her parents in Paris from 1983,
reedited by Iris Piers, who was in utero at the time.
Music by Vincent Delerm.
via [PAM]

Sensual Seduction

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Snoop Dogg – Sensual Seduction (2007, 35.3MB, 4:08)

So Snoop Dogg is a misogynist and exploits
his own Black culture regularly.
I get it, and I preach it: the guy is nasty.
But if this isn’t an amazing music video,
I don’t know what is.
This song is called Sexual Eruption, but for
obvious reasons, the edited “clean” version
is the one being passed around.
It’s been out for several months, and I’ve been
debating whether or not to post it.
But since our mission is to post what thrills and
excites us, here it is.
I hope it does something similar for you.

Meshes of the Afternoon

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Maya Deren – Meshes of the Afternoon (1943, 99.4MB, 13:30)

A fabulous old film about the subconscious and
the psychology of film noir,
Deren’s first major avant-garde work, a seminal piece,
made with her collaborator (and later husband)
Alexander (Hackenschmied) Hammid.
Originally a silent film without dialog,
music was composed for the piece
in 1959 by Deren’s third husband Teiji Ito.

LOOK

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LOOK (2007, 10.3MB, 1:43)

Trailer for LOOK, the movie, which is composed
entirely of surveillance camera footage.
LOOK asks (and attempts to answer) questions about
security versus privacy, highly relevant in modern,
legitimately paranoid times.
Are you always alone when you think you are?

Up in Smoke

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Kisser (Up in Smoke) – Philip Sanderson (2005, 8.6MB, 2:54)

From the intentionally abandoned (but archived) brut smog.
Find more of Philip’s work here.

Tribulations

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Tribulations (2005, 17.6MB, 3:59)

As the resident DVblog 20-something pseudo-hipster,
I’m almost contractually obligated to post video like this.
LCD Soundsystem makes insanely danceable tracks,
sometimes clocking in well over twelve minutes,
always ironically self-referential and poking fun
at their main demographic (who may/not be getting the joke).
So here is the 2005 hit single’s clever music video.
Girls with barrettes and men in women’s pants everywhere rejoice.

Quiet City

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Quiet City (2007, 11.2MB, 1:52)

Stunning, reflective trailer for Quiet City,
a movie by Aaron Katz, available from Benten Films.
These are my favorite kinds of films.
I love living in – being in – cities, but I prefer them
when they are their most silent and empty.
Text loosely taken from the Apple trailer site, edited by me:
Together, Samantha and Charlie, two somewhat aimless youths,
share twenty-four hours drifting from late night diners, to city parks,
to abandoned apartments, to a party and art gallery deep in the heart
of industrial Brooklyn. Delicately realized with generous humanity,
Quiet City offers hope for intimate connection in a world that grows
larger by the day.

Eyes on the Fair Use of the Prize

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Eyes on the Fair Use of the Prize (2006, 20.9MB, 2:19)

Another important, striking piece from the
Media That Matters Film Festival 6.
The filmmaker, Jacob Caggiano, is a young man who I
believe is even younger than me, and according to him,
the whole short film came together at the last minute.
I think this is a beautiful effort.

Brian Gibson – A

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Brian Gibson – A (2007, 11.1MB, 0:25)

DVblog’s own Brian Gibson made this, and I love it.
Maybe I just suck with lights and filters and editing,
but I don’t know how he does this.
Really charming.

What is Joppa?

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What Does Joppa Mean? (2007, 41.7MB, 3:34)


Where the hell am I going to get $10,000,000? (2007, 22.7MB, 1:57)

I’m not usually a fan of Internet video series,
but I LOVE Joppa.
Here are the first two episodes of the series,
including the infectious intro that first got me hooked.
I think the first season is the best, still sort of raw.
Produced by four adorable guys who live on the
northern Massachusetts coast, Joppa asks important
questions like “How much is that in hands?”, “Is jive
a language?”, and “Isn’t the Lupus like a giant rabbit?”
I rarely laugh so hard.

via Joppa on blip.tv

Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary)

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Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary) – (2006, 65.8MB, 6:05)

From the excellent Media That Matters, powered by Arts Engine,
a short film from the Media Matters Film Festival 6.
Submissions are soon due for the 8th annual online festival.
Since I saw much of 6 on the big screen last year,
I’m reposting some of the most striking pieces.
All pieces are made by youth or other independent producers,
all under eight minutes.
This stalkumentary is also a 72-minute documentary,
cut down here to reach a wider audience.
Stories like these make so much sense to me,
being from a similar area, similar background.
Poignantly done, this is a lovely piece.
I also happen to really like asparagus.

Body of War

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Body of War (2007, 16.8MB, 2:30)

Trailer for the forthcoming documentary about
paralyzed Iraqi veteran Tomas Young’s fight to tell
the truth about the war.
Sad and informative, not to be missed.
Produced by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue,
original music by Eddie Vedder.

I Found Love

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Grow Design Work – I Found Love (2006, 8.8MB, 1:35)

So precious. A “music video” made for Nick Jr. show
Yo Gabba Gabba, from Bran Dougherty-Johnson,
who is Grow Design Work. Originally a Free Design
song, covered here by the Trembling Blue Stars.
This makes me so happy.

O’Reilly – Ident

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David O’Reilly – Ident (2007, 2.1MB, 0:47)

A quirky short from David O’Reilly, via music video
production company Colonel Blimp.

Razr: Gondry

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Michel Gondry for MotoRazr2 (2007, 7.4MB, 1:01)

I have to admit I’d find this more interesting if
Michel Gondry had actually used a Razr to record footage.
In this case, cell phone company Motorola commissioned
the music video director-cum-hipster filmmaker to make
a “film based on the experience of their new Razr2 phone.”
I wish using my phone was half as interesting.
I’ve also heard these are hideous devices, image appeal aside.
I’m fairly certain it didn’t deserve its own short film, but I digress.
Classic Gondry: pretty and predictably whimsical.

Catastrophe Keeps Us Together

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Rainer Maria – Catastrophe Keeps Us Together (2007, 23.5MB, 3:35)

A fun music video for the fantastic band Rainer Maria, directed by Claire Carr�.

What Would Jesus Buy?

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Trailer for ,
a documentary about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping,
produced by Morgan Spurlock.
I’m not convinced that Spurlock is the man to spread a good message,
but I sure would go to any church where Rev. Billy showed up.
DRIVE THE DEMONS OUT OF THOSE CASH REGISTERS!!

How are you?

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Pete Prodoehl (2007, 17.3MB, 0:50)

From the unpredictable, sporadically-published,
and very charming tinkernet.org.

The Ties That Bind – Su Friedrich

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Friedrich
Su Friedrich – The Ties That Bind (1984, 14.2MB, 4:03)

From the classic avant-garde filmmaker; a found-footage,
personal and historical documentary reflection on wartime
and Friedrich’s mother’s coming of age in Nazi Germany,
presented here during yet another period of unrest
in our uncertain world.

Inflatables in Public Space

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JooYoun Paek – Self-Sustainable Chair (2007, 4.2MB, 1:37)

Joo Youn Paek demonstrates how to use her
self-sustaining chair on a walk down the street.
This and several related excellent related projects
originate in the NYU ITP program.


Real DMB TU – Life Dress (2007, 5.2MB, 0:33)

From Anna Maria Cornelia (also known by pseudonym
Ann De Gersem), a Life Dress which allows a person
to create instant personal boundaries in public.
As a woman often bothered by unwanted attention
in public – not to mention a lover of profound design
– I am so pleased by this concept, even if the end
result might be even more unsolicited scrutiny.
The dress is featured here in a commercial for
South Korea’s mobile broadcast service, TU Media.

Wim Delvoye, showing skin

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Wim Delvoye – Sybille II (1999, 15.8MB, 4:35)

Wim Delvoye, in addition to his main artistic passion of tattooing pigs,
here shows us what could be worms, mutant fungus, or blackheads
(yes, I know which it is – but I’m not telling).
Things are never as they seem.
This is a little gross, but so are most things when scrutinized this much.

Thank you step ladders

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Richard Hogg – Thank you step ladders (2007, 23.2MB, 3:51)

Richard Hogg is best known for his work as a designer and art director, but he’s made a few contributions to the world of film over time, including this quirky piece from his days at Airside.

Pet Shop Boys – Integral

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Pet Shop Boys – Integral (2007, 18.7MB, 3:21 min.)

There is so much to say about this.
And while I want to discuss surveillance, QR codes, and the passage of time,
I think this video speaks for itself.

pouringdown – fever dream

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pouringdown – fever dream (2007, 24.5MB, 3:42 min.)

Always truth in art from pouringdown.
If only we had more folks like this in the world.

Cockroaches from Catherine Chalmers

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Chalmers
Catherine Chalmers, Crawl Space (2004, 1.9MB, 44 secs)

From Catherine Chalmers, creator of spooky and often deeply unsettling
videos and still photographs about housefly mating,
genetically engineered mice, and cockroaches taking over everyday spaces.

World Hug Day: Berlin

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hug
World Hug Day (Gao Brothers) (2007, 10.7MB, 4:48)

The latest in a series of mass hugging performances
(assuming an embrace is ever performative) from the
Gao Brothers. Berlin, Germany; September 11, 2007.

Take Away Shows

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Shins
The Shins – Gone For Good/Turn On Me (2007, 50.5MB, 9:36)

Liars
The Liars – Freak Out (2007, 17.5MB, 2:59)

From Vincent Moon’s ongoing collection of Take Away Shows,
two examples of impromptu concerts in public spaces or back rooms,
both hipster American bands but unique and fantastic with their own
pop-folk and frenetic, avant garde styles.