In The Days Of The Comet

Independent 16mm film influenced by Gene Youngblood's "Expanded Cinema," 1972. The title comes from H. G. Wells' Utopian science fiction story. The film was made in that spirit in anticipation of a great rebirth when comet Kohoutek visited in 1973. Shot in Ektachrome and Tri-X 16mm film around Boston. Other shots are from students' out takes found on the cutting room floor at the "Boston Museum School" (The School of the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston). Many of the African music soundtracks are rare original recordings made in parts of Africa by Boston musicologist E. Richard Freniere.
The apparent continuities and discontinuities are part of the film's purpose, an experiment in "random" editing versus editing to tell a story.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• independent
• art
• film
• 16mm
• experimental
• montage
• synaesthetic
• cinema
• comet
• kohoutek
• stopframe
• editing
• dada
• grebe
• boston
• holt
• ennis
• richard
• norcross
• helen
• bottomly

[KeyFilmation]

can you please tell me how you put the word "waiting" on top of the background using film? thanks

[MediaSpinner]

This 16mm film was edited using the A and B roll technique. Parts such as "Waiting" and other titles were on the B roll. Ordinarily if there is a shot on the A roll, there would be black (opaque) film on the B roll, known as Checkerboard editing. The film lab then combines the two rolls onto one final 16mm film print.

[uglinessman]

I only liked the first few minutes of it (before the "story" involving the chocolates started), but I have to say that YouTube needs way more of this kind of thing (and way less videos of random anime scenes set to a song that's attributed to Weird Al even tho he didn't do it).

[MediaSpinner]

Cool... yeah, this was an experiment in continuity vs. random editing. It is difficult NOT to impose some kind of meaning from one clip to another. Dig that crazy authentic African tribal music! Way better than Weird Al and most American Pop.

[rokarolla]

love 2 hear about locations and landmarks. citgo sign is pretty obvious..where was that In n Out?

[MediaSpinner]

Yes the Citgo sign is a well known Kenmore Square, Boston landmark, and other shots were closer to Copley Square and downtown Boston Chinatown. I believe IN 'n' OUT was near the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth streets. It's been 30 years since I shot that! The apartment where "Passions Fashions" was shot is on Peterborough Street across from the Fens.

[KeyFilmation]

hey if you want you can see my new scratch animation....it's on super 8 called "arterial deposition in T. & B. (thought and being)" unfortunately I had to cut like 3 minutes out of the video for youtube because I did not want my face on youtube...yes I know...childish...

[stripeybasil]

I loved the experimental stuff, but i agree with uglinessman about the chocolates movie, and also the bit with the animated dancing mannequin, didn't belong in this film. It seems like maybe you were trying to incorporate your earlier work into one film to make it epic or something -- but that just didn't work. Those bits aside, it's really enjoyable and a great timecapsule of the early 70s.

[okfoxtrot]

very good