The Four Amigos...16mm Film Manipulation Second Response

Assignment 1: Direct 16mm Film Manipulation 

This was the first film I actually got to get my hands on and create an original experimental collaboration. Wilks was my partner. We combined our film strips to create a fast-pace interpretation of the assigned theme of the four elements. Being a nature lover, I personally was excited that the Greek classical elements: fire, earth, air, and water, was the inspiration for our films.

I applied ink, oil, bleach, and paint to by 9 ft. strip of print stock. I also punched holes, scratched, and scraped with sandpaper. I used colors that represented the four elements in my mind: red/orange for fire, blue for water, green for earth, and grey/blue for air.

For my magazine transfer, I cut up a surfing magazine the illustrate water. However, this did not transfer very well; the image was very light. Therefore, I did another magazine transfer with images of fire from a razor advertisement. This transferred much better, but it wouldn’t stay sticky. I had to use tape to secure the images.

I was excited about the Rayogram printing. I brought spices from home that I thought would represent “earth,” such as basil, coriander, and salt. I also added flower decals and magazine print. I ended up being very disappointed though. The images did not translate very well at all. Most of my print was dark and unintelligible. Also, a portion of my strips did not get “fixed” all the way, and a yellow blob resulted on my prints. On the other hand, Wilks did a good job. So I was glad to have a partner to collaborate with.

The hardest section for me was the animation. I have never done any kind of animation before. Furthermore, I am not the best drawer. So, I had a difficult time getting started. I decided to keep it simple, as demonstrated in the example of turning a circle into a square. I chose to do triangles. 

The four classic elements are still essential symbols of the cultures and belief systems of many groups, including Native Americans, pagans and various tribal groups throughout the world. More modern groups such as Wiccan have adopted various symbols from these ancient cultures. 

During the Greek Hellenic civilization, the symbols used to represent the four elements of Greek physics were based on the triangle.

• Fire: Triangle points up
• Water: Triangle points down
• Air: Triangle points up with a horizontal line through center of triangle
• Earth: Triangle points down with a horizontal line through center of triangle

For my animation, I created a sequence where a triangle would change into each of the representations for the four elements. I also used the repetitive colors to illustrate each element as well. 

Overall, I was very pleased with the end result of the combination of materials between Wilks and I. I am proud of our film, and I believe together, we successfully created a 60 second manipulation that inhabit the essence of the four elements.