Experimentation workshop 4 - Media

In This session we took film right back to its experimental roots with Scratch film or direct animation as it is also called. This is the process of applying images DIRECTLY to the film without the use of a camera. This can be done on both blank film and film which has already been processed. There are two basic methods to produce animation directly on film. One starts with blank film stock, the other one with black (already developed) film. On blank film the artist can draw, paint, stamp, or even glue or tape objects. Black film (or any footage) can be scratched, etched, sanded, or punched. Any tool the artist finds useful may be used for this, and all techniques can be combined endlessly. The frame borders may be observed or completely ignored, found footage may be included, any existing image might be distorted by mechanical or chemical means. A third method takes place in a darkroom, using unexposed film that is exposed frame by frame. The artists places objects onto the fresh stock and then uses a small light beam to create the images. This third category of work has to be sent to a lab and processed, just like films created with a camera. Large formats such as 70 or 35mm film may be preferred for their relatively larger working area, but direct animation is done on 16 mm or even Super 8 mm film as well. Since the sound strip on 35 mm film is optical, it is possible to create synthetic sound as well as images by drawing or otherwise reproducing forms in the soundtrack area. We initially looked at scratch film pioneers Len Lye and Stan Brackhage and examples of their work We then started on our own scratch films using inks,stamps,markers etc. to apply images,lines and layers of colour directly to 10 second lengths of film. These lengths of film will be joined together to create a joint scratch film. more on Len Lye and Stan Brackhage can be found HERE and HERE I will post the resulting film when it is finished