About Last Night......;-)

(cc: rec.video.desktop, Mary Fessenden,
Marlilyn Rivchin, Stan Bowman, Rick Lightbody)

I read about a showing of a video/film-maker's work
at a local (major) university's performing-arts
center in a full-page article in a local paper.
The qualifications of the film-maker were described
(he is a local college teacher [who we were "fortunate
to have in our midst", or something to that effect],
who had taught at various other well-known schools,
received grants and awards, and whose work had been
purchased for various museum collections...). The
article gave some idea of what to expect from his
work, which sounded interesting enough to venture out
alone on a cold, damp night to see it. Apparently
others also anticipated a good evening of experimental
video/film viewing, since the room was filled nearly
to capacity by the start of the program.

Before proceeding with this, I should point out that
I am an avid fan of experimental video/film; I have
seen considerable variety, and have an appreciation
for any good attempt in this medium; I am aware of
the great range of concepts that may be tackled in
this medium; I have produced (in my time of over
three decades associated with this medium and still
photography) my share of experimental attempts (and
have expected people to sit through silent displays
of hole-punched black film leader, hand-painted B&W
"cow plops", and, maybe, some more elegant work...);
my great staying power and patience for almost any
attempt at visual-medium communication has led me
to walk out (before the end...;-) of only two film
shows in my life. I walked out of the show last night.

What I saw produced over a lengthy period of years
by this video/film-maker was a couple of good ideas
stretched very thinly over several pieces of nearly
identical material. No development in aesthetics,
concepts, or presentation appeared. The pieces were
at the beginner-level technically. There was no sound
in the pieces I saw, except in one where two pieces
of music were played - when one ended, there was a
long pause, then the other was started (and was faded
out at the end when it ran longer than the end of the
visuals...). I can appreciate crudeness in technique
if the content of the work lies elsewhere, and I can
enjoy minimalism when the technical qualities support
that - but when one combines minimalism with crude
technique, well, the result is..., yes, "crap"!

Why I write this, and what bothered me about this
show, is that there IS good work being done in
experimental video/film! Yet, if the show I saw
last night is any indication, the worst is what
gets supported by grants, shows, awards, and college
professorships. (Now, don't get me wrong - I actually
have seen the infamous "Crucifix-in-a-jar", and I
do appreciate that as a work of art...! ;-) With
the advent of good-quality desktop video production
hardware/software available at affordable prices, I
expect we will see much more good work produced (along
with the bad, of course) by people who can now enter
this field without institutional financial support.
I do hope that work like what I saw last night
is not representative of what will also receive
institutional aesthetic support, though I do suspect
that those who work outside the institutional
umbrella financially will also have a hard time
getting their work shown...