Cornel West - On His Uniform

[megajames3000]

DEAR CAMERA MAN- FUCK YOU

[jonofmadisons]

when looking at the cinemaography i am reminded of a quote from paul graham's essay "taste for makers": "It seems strange to have to emphasize simplicity. You'd think simple would be the default. Ornate is more work. But something seems to come over people when they try to be creative. Beginning writers adopt a pompous tone that doesn't sound anything like the way they speak. Designers trying to be artistic resort to swooshes and curlicues...

[jonofmadisons]

@jonofmadisons (continued) Painters discover that they're expressionists. It's all evasion. Underneath the long words or the "expressive" brush strokes, there is not much going on, and that's frightening.

[jgwphilly1969]

This is the most awful nonsense I've ever seen with the ceiling shot, the blurriness, and the damn in and out focusing. Is the cameraman on crack?

[bogeaqYT]

haha such a gnarly dude

[saumarez007]

who is the idiot with the camera

[fourteenseventytwo]

dude. WHAT THE FUCK is up with the camera work. keep the camera steady. can't even watch it cause you got me dizzy. shit.

[mfatah281]

This is precisely why you shouldn't do a pipe full of opium before operating a camera!

[xamboozi]

I feel like I'm in the room with him completely wasted. 80% actual filming him. 20% artsy side work. Thats a good formula.

[Tinderboxing]

Top comment should be much kinder. The very fact you can comment about the "camera work" is because he decided to hit the record button. Close your eyes, and you won't sub-consciously rage about having to use your eyes. I mean this comment in love, and I respect you as a person that has impulsiveness, as I did I to write this. I am sorry, I forgive you, I love you.

[InfiniteDejaVu]

Shut up about the camera and LISTEN!!!

[wareagle6150]

cameraman has A.D.D.

[Raithulu]

Wonderful interview, the cameraman needs to stop moving around and playing with the focus, etc. A formal interview is not the place for artsy camerawork.

[cynmillar1]

What's with the moving of the camera....I can't listen when I'm dizzy.

[nosey1982]

some one needs to pick up all those books off the ground!

[jimgusto]

The in-focus, out-of-focus camera stuff, takes a lot away from this interview. I didn't pick this to watch, hoping I'd see somebody experimenting with a camera. I wanted to see a good interview of Dr West. If the subject of the piece is about your camera work, why not simply interview a friend or relative. But if the subject is an interesting person, your concentration should be on the man & good unobtrusive camera work. Maybe it was supposed to be artsy, but I wasn't high when I watched it.

[raioo]

I thought the camerawork was brilliant! ~ it made me feel good I can still see 20/20 when he puts on the sharp focus.

[Tinderboxing]

@raioo LOL I love that your comment isn't hateful towards cameras, and people who like to play with them!

[DrPepx]

He seems like an awesome man, i'd love to take one of his classes.

[JugglinMunkey]

He did! Lol Dr West knows about his garments. Great video. Great way to help humanize a person who, most of us, only have seen/heard him in a non-real life mannner.

[JugglinMunkey]

Did he say he gets his suits from pakistan?

[dietketchup]

oh god.. there's 3 other interviews like this? i hope they are not all about his clothes.



[guimarin1]

everyone hates the camera work? No love for the sound guy...

[dondurito1]

yo, Dr West has been recording for the last 6 years with a band from DC called the Cornel West theory. their first album is crazy, and I hear their new joint drops july 2011. youtube em

[mosquito103]

Stop moving the camera idiot

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@mosquito103 Feel free to message me to discuss the project.

[scrabbleking1965]

Thumbs up for what he says.

Thumbs down for the cameraman, then again maybe it helped me fi=ocus on the voice.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@scrabbleking1965 It's unfortunate that you feel this way. I am open to discuss the project. Please feel free to message me.

[mehryar12345]

Kids in kindergarten do a better job of filming....whoever filmed this intervie absolutely ruined it!

[pupil8]

What i did is scroll to the bottom of this page and pretended it was a radio interview.

[MarioCordale]

To the "uncontrollable, free-spirited visual genius" douche who shot this. Thanks for shoot Dr. Cornel West as if he were the bag in the wind from "American Beauty" .

[bigcaat]

Dear God. You have the honor of interviewing someone like Cornell West and become so self absorbed with the camera work that you dump the whole interview by chasing people away. How childish and immature.

[TheHarleyrulz]

The camera ruined the entire interview.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@TheHarleyrulz I'm sorry you feel that way and am open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[nomania]

I'm from Pakistan and this just made my day =)

Love you Doctor West

[MrBobisadog]

The camera work does not do Dr. West justice at all. Please get real.

[bnkaiser09]

Showing the environment the interview is taking place in shines a lot of light on the character, intelligence, and eccentricity of Dr. West. Doing it in the way you did. . . shows how pretentious, arrogant, and unintelligent you are.

[jeffschreifels]

What is up with the camera. Terrible. Are you trying to be artsy. It made me sick watching it.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@jeffschreifels I'm sorry you feel that way and am open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[countrickter]

i liked the unfocused/focus effect but it was a tad much...but the video in all was a good documentary piece. the camera work was not rubbish it was good because i wanted to see the things you put into focus... i was not focused any where but where you zoomed into. so interesting spots came out.. just like i said earlier.. a little too much. video gets a 8 out of ten because i can appreciate what the subject was speaking on.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@countrickter Hey, thanks for the response. I am open discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[215Dant]

Interesting post but TERRIBLE CAMERA work.

[Ghostwine]

Could you forget that you're an artist for a second and just point the camera at him and let the man talk? You're not adding anything, you're subtracting. Remember who your subject is: it's Dr. West, not you.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@Ghostwine I'm open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[Ghostwine]

@CaseyFordAlexander That's the end of the discussion, as far as I'm concerned. The camera work is bad, and you can't convince me with artistic BS that it was a good choice. I was an art major, so I can tell when someone is doing "artsy" camerawork for no real reason.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@Ghostwine I was a Politics major with certificates in African Studies and Theater at Princeton. Does that make you the better judge of art?

[Danforth]

Before you watch this, take your Dramamine. Better yet -- don't watch this. Close your eyes and just listen.

[elderlypunk]

God Almighty. The camera work made me ill. Was the camera person hammered or something? I understand artsy camera work, this was not artsy. Just horrible. I had to just listen and not watch.

[kekambas79]

The mystery is over!! My enquiring mind has been answered!!! I've been wanting to know for YEARS why, Dr.West dressed the way he did. Thanks for sharing. Oh, yeah, please replace the photographer, he was terrible!

[kekambas79]

The mystery is over!! My enquiring mind has been answered!!! I've been wanting to know for YEARS why, Dr.West dressed the way he did. Thanks for sharing. Oh, yeah, please replace the photographer, he was terrible!

[beats4play]

i feel like i'm drunk (with a little LSD) watching this

[natmanprime]

waht a bout the goddamn scarf????

[activistapress]

After watching this I threw up a little in my mouth.... Thanks PM

[trusshere]

it's about cornel west, not the obnoxious distracting camera that makes it unwatchable.

[kkkkkkk7]

de de de de de  de de

[letitflo]

I feel like Mr. West wants to tell the camera man to go back to film school.

[dezmundo1251]

The camera work in this is so terrible. Whoever did it should be seriously ashamed of themselves and never pick up a camera again in their lives. Also, anyone who was involved with the segment at all, who saw what the cameraman was doing and DIDN't step in...you should also be ashamed. Cornel West is an icon, and you ruined what would have been a really interesting piece.

[dreamkasts]

Was this filmed by a spy hiding in the bush?

[gav1n1sed]

omg just put the camera down somewhere

[hammerchop]

never film again

[mikestu123]

i have an orginal piece of artwork of Dr Cornel West . it is approx 36inx52in done in chalk pastels. if anyone is interrested send me a message and I will send a pic of the art

[Hackiesacker007]

The camera work isn't that bad, you ass holes!

[CaseyFordAlexander]

This is part of a 16-minute documentary. Risks were taken. Experimental techniques were used. Serious attention, preparation and precision went into developing the visuals and sound. West's discussion transcends the uniform and the man himself. When West's image is obscured, we are forced to listen and his figure becomes an archetype. His office (as filmed) is a visual metaphor for West's battlefield where wars are fought with words. Also, the image on the floor is of a uniformed Marcus Garvey.

[Ad11ean]

@CaseyFordAlexander I appreciate the experimental component of the filming, however, for me personally, the camera work takes away from what he's saying. I found it very difficult to concentrate on what he's saying when the camera is moving around and in and out of focus. I had scroll down to block out the image just so I could focus on the words.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@Ad11ean Hey, thank you for your response. I'm open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[Danforth]

@CaseyFordAlexander Yeah? Well it made me seasick.

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@Danforth Hey, thanks for your response. I'm open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[leojeen]

The camera work is good. And the fact that Dr Cornel is happy with the way he is being filmed should inspir you to do the same.

[cteezy620]

the camera work is rubbish!!

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@cteezy620 I'm open to discuss the work. Just send me a message.

[PeaceBang]

Enough with the pretentious camera work. This looks like it was filmed by a cat. Cornel West deserves better.

[readable06]

i second MrFabiosci. if you've the pleasure to be in the company of this man, or anyone of this caliber. get your camera skills together. i ended up just listening to it instead of watching it.

[MrFabiosciarretta]

no offense to the camera man but you are filming such a great man (with a great camera), so try to make the video watchable.

the quality is so good when the camera isn't moving, I get the creative touch but try to keep it simple

[nsr0802]

I couldn't actually WATCH the video, but I did LISTEN and enjoyed the interview.

I get the gist what they were trying to do with the camera. However It turned out to be very awkward and tough on the eyes. I wouldn't back off trying to be creative, but often times, less is more.

[mjpond]

I really wanted to watch this but I stopped after 30 seconds b/c I could take the camera work.

[fineaight]

Please photogs, don't take acid right before an interview.

[thesloth12345]

yo guys back off with the hate- this video is great. i think it really works and is fun to watch unlike most interviews that are so boring- they threw a little spice in there!

thanks for another great one prepidemic! love you guys!

[ibanez456189]

GET A STEADYCAM OR TRIPOD

I couldn't focas on what this good man had to say because the camera was not only annoying but distracting. while some of the shots were very cool, they really did take away from the overall

[CaseyFordAlexander]

@ibanez456189 Rest assured, I have both. I am open to discuss the project. Feel free to message me.

[carletonatwater]

The camera man has some serious ADD. FOCUS!