Mental? or Experimental?

I feel experimental films are a way of exploring reactions of the viewer to specific visual/auditory images. Many of the films that we have watched in our classes pertain to this. I bet that if the creator's of these films had the chance to sit in on one of our classes to see how and why the audience reacts the way it does, they would be there without a moment's hesitation.

In terms of whether or not an experimental film can have a narrative, I say sure, why not? Narrative in itself means, the telling of a story, and I believe these films can do that. However, its whether or not these story's are obvious that we notice them or not. I think, even if the film is basically an account of someone's experiments playing with film, images, audio, and the audience's perception of any one of these aspects, it is still proof of a narrative. It can tell the story of what the film maker is learning, or their thought process while creating and shooting their next scene in a film.

I also believe that a narrative can become an experimental film, in a vice-versa sense. Just because a film has a narrative, doesn't mean that it cannot contain any form of experimenting. Whether it be the use of a color, a specific sound or dialog, all can be played with to see the outcome (thus making it experimental). One of my favorite examples of this is Sin City, with the use of overtones of red throughout a specific story in the film, it definitely played with the viewer's mind and made them aware of the impact of color, even by itself, can make on an audience.

I feel that many of these films are important, though not all. It really depends on what the artist decided to do with the information that these experimental films produced. As I stated previously, I am sure any one of the artists that created the films that we watched, would love to sit in and watch the audience's reaction. I believe, for good reason. The data that can be obtained from the audience (ie, if a specific color can convey a specific feeling the audience, or if a specific Beats Per Minute in a music sequence can almost in effect control a viewer's heart beat) is invaluable. But the only time that that data can live up to its worth, is if it is utilized in subsequent films to help control the impact, feeling and message that a movie can convey. The value of experimental films, can mostly be seen in the cause and effect relationships that exist between certain elements of film and an audience member's reaction.

... Signing Out