Film 202 - Part One: Field Report

After attending the “Traces of the Wild” showcase, featuring multiple works by Robert Schaller, it was quite easy for me to identity similarities between his work and the films shown in class the prior Monday. The comparison of the works from both sessions is found mainly in their imagery, concepts, technical creativity, and viewing experience.
All the films experimented with the creation of unique imagery through rather unorthodox manipulation of the film itself and even its projection. This unusual manipulation of the medium is the aspect I found most intriguing and constant throughout the works shown both in and outside of class.
The 2008 film Suspension shown in class not only experimented with changing the identity of the film through unconventional processing techniques but also involved the modification of the projection. Superimposing two separate films over one another through dual projection seemed to add a whole new layer of depth to the already densely manipulated footage. The projecting of the two images over each other, rather than adjacently which is what most people think of when they imagine a multi-projection film, came as a surprise to me. Though the change was rather subtle, most likely since the layered images were identical with the exception of one being in color and the other in black and white, it created an almost dimensional viewing experience. It certainly would not have been as effective with only one projection. However, I will be honest in saying that had I not been informed of Suspension’s dual projection characteristic I probably wouldn’t have noticed it. I do not think this is bad, in fact being presented with the knowledge of the projection before the viewing made me question just how closely I really watch films.
Robert Schaller also used a multi-projection system in the presentation of one of his films, of which I unfortunately do not recall the name, with three projectors placed horizontally instead of vertically. The deviation from the typical single-projection technique was more apparent in Schaller’s film since he positioned the images next to each other, not over, but created a change in the frame itself. The 4:3 aspect ratio turned 90 degrees made for another multi-dimensional experience. The three frames conveyed black and white images of a lone female dancer performing movements within a dark space accompanied by rough distorted imagery that offered a seedy contrast to the elegance of the dancing. I felt the exploratory nature of Schaller’s tri-projection work more accessible because of its variety. The placement of these three images next to each other gave way to a more optional viewing experience by giving us a choice between three moving images rather than just two duplicate images layered over each other to add more concentration to the single screen like Suspension.
Schaller did experiment with some multi-layering by double exposing his film which is a step closer to the effect of Suspension. However, Schaller’s use of multi-layering was a bit different not only in that he used a single projection but also because he superimposed completely different images over each other while adding a zoom to oppose each shot – while one image would zoom out the other would zoom in. This technique was very effective and allowed me to draw a comparison between this film and Suspension. All the works, in their abstractness and vividly sporadic imagery, allow you to create your own conclusion from their high concentration of ideas and labor. This was surely a consistent attribute present in every film.


-Quinn Hester