Control

December 13th, 2010

Lloyd has been experimenting on how to control minds using film. He has been reading Jean Baudrillard’s “Control Societies” and attempting to control filmic space to make the audience feel comfortable to then ‘spit them out the other end.’ He wants to control what is happening within the filmic space. To try and find a lull space in the presentation. Thinking about his own control or lack of control in his own life.

Critique:
Craig Kalpakjian: “Wouldn’t all cinematic space be scripted space? Besides – a lot of ideas are being thrown around. But you are moving beyond this piece already. You don’t have control over this piece like you would want. No sure how the game is utilized or even how the stopped clock is utilized. If you are working initiatively, then you need to take responsibility for the work.”

Meg Rorison: “Focus on what you said of the ‘missing dimension’ described from Baudrillard’s writings. Feel the usage of the dead person and the footage from Youtube.

Lloyd Lowe, Jr.: “The middle footage is suppose to be a lack of control; of camera, of dying.”

John McNeil: “A lot of elements seem to be usage of older cinematic references (giant frozen block, the usage of Risk game).”

Craig Kalpakjian: “You should take a look at these films for some direction. Cache and White Ribbon. All cinema is manipulative, but it must acknowledge itself as being such in order to be effective in bring about some sort of message. Manipulation of the joke to what end? Control but why?”

Lloyd Lowe, Jr.: “I want to showcase how the media is controlling us.”

Craig Kalpakjian: “That is a very complex subject that might be too much for just this piece.”

Timothy Druckrey: “You are so focused on the technique that you are losing sight of the content. The element of time is needed to be addressed. Risk as a game needs to be addressed. Games are apart of military culture (see anything relating to the Cold War). Symbolism in the Iran-Iraq War – This was a lecture in New York during the first Iraq war before invasion of Kuwait, something you should read before dealing with the weight of all the symbols within your piece. You can’t be innocent about what you decide to place within the filmic space. Famously Baudrillard claimed that ‘The Gulf War didn’t happen’ because the only way we as the public were aware of it was through the media. A general would stand in front of a crowd of press reporters, he would show them night-vision video of missiles attacking parts of a city and declare victory. That is all what the reporters saw, that is what we as the public were told about.”

Recommendations:
Caché – Film
White Ribbon – Film