Magdalena O!

Another unfamiliar ceiling.

For my Process Cinema class with film-maker Phil Hoffman, he’s pushed us to explore shooting in 16mm, more specifically with the Bolex and hand-processing our own film. There’s an added warmth and depth to the 16mm that even a 35mm shot can’t get. I’m still learning how to use it. My first day out with it on my own last month was exciting, except I forgot to wind the lever to wind the film each time, so I only shout about 30 feet of tape. Even though I walked  the clunker and my tripod all the way to the lake and back, even getting a few seconds of film was so rewarding. I expected nothing to come out, but the fast shots were beautiful and I used the light meter correctly (!). The Bolex needs a lot of light, because it’s 12 ASA so one of the most common mistakes is underexposing the film. Although you can dip the film in bleach, that creates a certain effect that you might not want. I did a reversal process with mine rather than a negative process for higher contrast and better image quality even though it takes much longer. But I love the patience and focus of working in analog. I don’t do it often. If you have a chance to use one, do it. I’ve been getting quite addicted the past few months. Watching Kelly O’Brien’s work-in-progress about her son has also shifted my understanding of cinema and production. Kelly is film-maker and the co-founder of Splice This! Toronto’s annual super-8 film festival. I wanted to link the festival website, but it’s gone as is any coherent information on it. I remember the festival because my old boss Christina Zeidler showed her films at it. In a strange way, not being able to find something online kind of feels like it never existed. Further search brings that Christina is on the Board of Directors of a new 8mm/Super 8 festival called The 8 Fest that started in 2008, two years after Splice This! finished. I must say considering some of the cross-over of people, that it’s surprising they don’t make a mention of Splice This! as a precursor to what they’re doing, because they obviously started the new festival to fill in the gap after Splice This! finished.

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Today I had two rolls (200′), unloaded and loaded them all myself. I hope it turned out. A Bolex only takes 100′ of film at a time because of its size, which translates to about 2.5 minutes each at 24 fps. It also only shoots about 30′ of film  at a time with the spring motor.  It’s incredibly impractical and necessities constant creative negotiation. I brought a field recorder with me to record the sound as I was shooting, but it’s best to just apprehend the images for now. Taking it slow is all I want right now.

Do I look like I’m trying to walk in Jane Goodall’s footsteps in the top shot? I feel it (quite abstractly of course). I’d love to shoot a color 16mm one day soon! Maybe even Super 16 if I have the chops. Super 16 is 16mm film “but extends the image into what was formerly the soundtrack area of the original negative. This provides not only a larger image, but one that is already in wide-screen ratio. Thus, Super 16 requires less magnification when blowing up to 35mm, and hence there is a much smaller loss in quality.” link

Some films I love shot in Super 16: Clerks, Chasing Amy, Party Girl, Raising Victor Vargas. The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Squid and the Whale, The Constant Gardener.

If you know me, you know I have an unabashed obsession with my younger brother Tomek. He’s turning 18 next week. He’s an amazing skateboarder, musician and artist and everything he does makes me swoon. Here’s some of his work I was able to find online (he’ll probably kill me for this, because unlike me he’s reserved and not a show-off):

He calls this “very high school”

Untitled from tomek olszanowski on Vimeo.

He’s also been making music since I got him Reason 2.5 in 2003. This is one of my favorites by him from 2007. He was 14! His abridged list of aliases include: mundanething, glib, fusechild, jazzhole.

MP3: Glib – Unorganized

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this is us in the winter!

this is him by me !

May 2010

October 2009

April 2009

June 2006

Dec 2006

May 2005

2004

NYMag ran a series of photographs of artist homes, called The Perpetual Garret. Here are my faves.

John Cage, 1979

Cage and Merce Cunningham shared a loft at 101 West 18th Street. By 1982, Cage had filled the space with 203 plants. // Photo: Lelli & Masotti/Alinari/The Image Works

Cindy Sherman, 1982

Sherman with her blind pet dove in her apartment at 64 Fulton Street, where she lived until 1983. The shower was in the kitchen and the toilet was down the hall. // Photo: Mary Ellen Mark

William S. Burroughs, 1978

right before i got really sick.

UTC + 2

some iPhone photos of Fontainebleau, a forest an hour outside of Paris / the forest is 280km squared / & there we were / it was too wet to set ourselves on fire

fits (all of me)

magdalena dramatica.