Response to "The Film as an Original Art Form"

Hans Richter makes the claim that film is an original art form, and takes the claim further by stressing what is original and what is not original. He first states that films of entertainment value, such as the works of Hollywood and films that adapt novels and plays (which are/were already their own art forms to begin with). This is an interesting statement to consider. That is not to say that art cannot be created through Hollywood (The Godfather is an adaptation of a novel and yes I agree that the novelized version was art before it was filmed, but I'm ready to fight someone who says that the film version is not art). Richter goes on to say that film has found originality in two forms: the documentary and the experimental film. This is a valid statement, because an experimental film cannot be painted on a canvas and a documentary cannot be produced as a play. I love all forms of film, but I must admit that I completely understand when one states that "film is overwhelmingly used for keeping records of creative achievements." Actors shot on film are immortalized through their performances which society greatly admires. If only society appreciated documentary and experimental films as well.

Response to "Introduction to Avant-Garde Film"

I agree with MacDonald's observation that many are confused after viewing an avant-garde film for the first time. The reason for this is that the population is brainwashed by traditional commercial films that Hollywood spits out every week. I'd like to take this observation further. People willingly watch traditional narrative films because it follows a clear formula (such as a 3 act structure) familiar to everyone, even if they are not aware of it; people like a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end because that is the basics of storytelling. Novels and plays were admired way before film was created, and filmmakers capitalize on film as a way of documenting a play or adapting a novel. Poems and paintings, however, are not capitalized in this way by Hollywood. Avant-garde film is, arguably, the cinematic equivalent to poems and paintings. It seems that people, for the most part, are not as interested in interpretation as they are in being told what the subject matter is precisely about. You can ask someone what an Indiana Jones movie is about and get a clear response, but it is difficult to get a response when you ask someone what Un Chien Andalou is about. It seems that avant-garde is about truly looking at what is being presented rather than just being shown or told.

Artist Bio/Manifesto

My name is Bryan Nixon and I am a film studies major and a creative writing minor at UNCW. Screenwriting has become an interest of mine, and my central goal as a student at UNCW has been to learn the ways of film and the written word and fuse them. Therefore, my interests seem to be in the narrative realm. As a narrative writer, my efforts have become increasingly minimalist (I want every word and every line to count and without excess). Moreover, I have become interested in documentary production, especially after shooting a doc about Wilmington locals Gypsy Fire, a blues rock cover band. In fact, I am eager to film more live performances in the future (it's an adrenaline rush). I am eager to expand my horizons with experimental film because, although it has always greatly intrigued me, I have yet to truly "experiment" in the abstract ways in which I seek.