2 from Bernard Gigounon


Bernard Gigounon – Looking Down (2005, 4.9MB, 2:21)


Bernard Gigounon – Rem

Nicolas Provost – Bataille

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Bataille (clip) (2003, 1MB, 32 sec.)

“In Bataille, fragments from the Akira Kurosawa’s film Rashomon
are subject to a mirror effect. A scene in which two samurai fight
each other becomes a cosmic field of monsters where horror and
pain evoke beauty and joy.”

from Nicolas Provost.

Zach Kmiec – mmmff


Mmmff Activities Workshop 2006: Call for entries (2006, 10.1MB, 1:58)


Mmmff Activities Workshop 2006 (2006, 13.8MB, 3:44)

Here’s the setup:
Jennifer Proctor taught a videoblogging class at the
University of Iowa in 2006. Every student set up
his/her own videoblog and made vloggy goodness.
Then, many abandoned their work, though I’d
personally expect nothing less.

While I knew one of the students in the class
(UI is one of my alma maters), a guy I didn’t
know – mmmff – caught my attention more.
Using a cell phone I’m pretty sure he just found
somewhere, Zach then made collage videos of the
five seconds or less the phone would capture in every go.

In the first video, the premise of the phone and
its limitations are introduced, and in the second
follow-up piece, the plan – to make a compilation
of activities you can do in 5 seconds or less – is executed.

It’s pretty much the opposite of boring, predictable,
talk-to-your-camera vids that litter so many hosting
services these days.
This is video functioning within constraints.
It’s also wildly hilarious.
Some of the very best random and weird videoblog
work I’ve ever seen.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights


Seth Brau – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2008, 18.1MB, 4:31)

Really lovely piece of moving typology from
Seth Brau of the Human Rights Action Center.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
turns 60 this year. Read the full text here.
Music from Rumspringa.
Video via Osocio

Sharon Hayes – Symbionese Liberation Army Screeds #13, 16, 20 & 29


Sharon Hayes – Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) Screeds #13, 16, 20 & 29 (2002, 7.4MB, 2:49)

Between 2001 and 2002, artist Sharon Hayes
reenacted four tapes from the SLA Patty Hearst
abduction in 1974. These respeakings were
performed before an audience, mostly memorized,
but the audience was instructed to correct or feed
Hayes a line when she made a mistake.
Entertaining, reflective, and somewhat moving.
A real treat whether you lived through the original
events or not.

Voting

voting
Voting (2008, 37.2MB, 13:37)

I know we featured the folks at Sporkworld only recently
but they just posted this and it’s wonderful
– & somewhat topical…
Watch it all – it’s deadly serious but Millie Niss
makes her points with the kind of comic timing
many would kill for.

What Is – The Cupcake – or – King of the Hill


What Is – The Cupcake – or – King of the Hill (2005, 11.1MB, 2:58)

Very funny war film spoof from defunct vlog What Is.

LSD Spell – John Michael Boling

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LSD Spell (2008, 560kb, 30 sec.)

“video banner created for Art Fag City’s masthead ”

by John Michael Boling.

Will Luers – Commute


Will Luers – Commute (unnamed one of eight) (2001, 3.6MB, 1:00)


Will Luers – Commute (unnamed one of eight) (2001, 3.5MB, 1:00)

I set myself the task of recording the same route
to work (Brooklyn-Manhattan) eight different
mornings from winter through spring. Each
segment was edited to exactly 60 seconds.
The linear and cylical experience of the urban
commuter lends itself to the database structure.

Will Luers, also known as Taylor Street Studios and
various projects under the name SolubleFish, has a
great history of making web video. Sometimes artists
are a little miffed when we post their older work, but
I think respecting your own history is important.
Luers’s work is no different. This piece from 2001
might seem obvious in 2008, when taping your
commute seems pedestrian (hah) and obvious.
But these vignettes – eight in total – are a lovely
reflection on repetition, routine, and subtle change.

Xologola – Michael Robinson


Xologola (2007, 49.3MB, 1:18 min)

DeK, from no fat clips!!!, recommends this piece by Michael Robinson
with sound by Bish.
It’s undeniably skilfully made & pretty though I can’t help wishing
more happened.
There’s a moment, about 1:06, where we seem to be gearing up
for some visible variation in tempo & geometry but the moment
passes & the piece ends.
Nonetheless one can’t help but admire the process:
… made up of scans and pictures of branches,
broken and scratched glass, and digitally painted textures…