One of the things I really like about being on Film Annex is that my work is 100% itself. No studios or committee or investors have their eye behind my lens telling me how to be creative. I think the world of independent online cinema is very unique and as online distribution becomes even more popular we'll see bolder uses of our medium. Which makes me very excited! I recently experimented a bit myself with a project called WITCH. I asked viewers to watch the video - comprised of several vignettes of a woman in an 18th century house - then use their own imagination and interpretation of what they saw to tell me their tale. It was so much fun! Each story I received was different, each person had a single idea about who she was and what she was doing. When people watch video and films online they seem to be more open to non-traditional narrative structures and experiments. I certainly post enough "experiments" here on Film Annex. :)
In March, I'll have the opportunity to put my film musings in front of a theater audience during the (unofficial) English language premiere of Caridad Svich’s play “In the Time Of the Butterflies”, based on the novel by Julia Alvarez at a theater in Santa Fe. The director, Nicole Phelps, as enlisted me to create the rear projections that will be used during the play. This technique has been growing in popularity from off-Broadway houses to Broadway itself, most recently in the Tony Award winning "War Horse".
Theater audiences are definitely open to the concept, perhaps because video is such an ingrained part of our every day existence, but theater is also a performance medium that has experimentation at its core. The trick of projections is to use them well: to compliment the actors on stage and not override them; to help tell the story, not take it over. I'm very excited for the opportunity to do something different with my film work.
In relation, I've also just learned about the "Secret Cinema" which is coming to NYC in 2013. An company that "screens mystery films in secret locations." From what I can decipher it's like immersive theater meets going to the movies. And I can't wait to check it out!
Does all of this diminish the purity of film storytelling? I don't think so. Not when used well and done right. If anything it gives us filmmakers a chance to create a story in our chosen medium within a new context. I know that when I experiment it strengthens me as a director and writer and gives me ideas for my more traditional narratives. Or gives me the courage to do something completely unhinged in my more traditional narratives.
I'd love to know about more instances of film being used in unique ways. Please let me know what you've seen and what you like!
Lisa
