Sam GRS 1

Project That May or May Not Sept 20. 2023

What? Work(ing Together) in Process is a film based work (potentially with an installation) by myself and Marty. It is an explorative correspondence regarding the processes amongst the makers of a film that strives to to be or not to be a film. A project in crisis, much like the creative minds behind it- two people who unexpectedly became friends and collaborators, inside a heterotopia on the west side of Rotterdam. The film aims to be a collectively authored project, by both filmmaker and non, as I want to avoid the pitfalls of typical 'portraiture'.

How? The current state of the film is comprised of video material that has (and continues) to be collected, over the course of ~1 year. I would regularly visit the (sex) shop where Marty works. First just to hangout and eventually with my camera. Together we record in fragmented manners, our conversations, the visitors, he interviews me, vice versa. It has become a pile of footage, that over the past several months we have begun digging into, together, in editing.

Why? I am curious about using images and telling stories, contrary to traditional narrative/filmic means. Marty confided in me years ago when we first met, that he was struggling with a sort of creative crisis, one he knew he needed to get out of by doing something- but unsure how. I was struggling with some sort of companion, subject(although i hate that word now) and setting to help my own crisis with trying to make a film that satisfies my need for making free from commercial or traditional restraint. The setting of our work was convenient as it was under my apartment. It also lend its hand to a whole slew of other questions and topics regarding sexuality, heteronormativity, violence but pleasure, safe spaces and more. Marty in many ways is an opposite to me: twice as old, willingly lives without an address, has avoided technology for the most part in the last 15 years, and no formal artistic training. He challenges me to always see things inversely to how my usual reaction is. I believe this duality of difference we share is powerful- especially when shared on screen.

Workflow Working on this project has slowly changed from the idea of making a portrait of a person in a place, to a free form (but somewhat essayistic) 'non-film'. Marty maintains he has no idea how films should be made. He has no expectations, contrary to me. Lots of our discussions revolve around this. How do we make this film together as two differing people from different worlds? In the current edit I have made, I am starting to see opportunity for a definite approach in making a complete work. This might involve writing somehwat of a script, something to map out so-called 'scenes' in finding a way for us both to share our ends of the story we both live.

Timeline I've now finished an edit. I look to make a whole new prototype in the coming month or two, maybe more aligned with my official project proposal. Meanwhile, I should make consistent effort to continually collect footage together. I would love to be in a space where in the new year Marty and I can just focus on editing together, as it is tedious to do with two people together. From there we can do pickups and eventually, consider forms of installing this work (maybe with different channels or an accompanying performance?) for the final presentation.

Relation to Previous Practice As stated I come from a world of cinematography and entertainment/commercial business filmmaking. I have struggled with fascinations of making documentations of people and places, and I want to hold a dear connection to what I put in frame. Marty became a friend first, one I was fascinated by with how he lived his life. But he is now a co author with me. Decentralizing the idea of 'directed by' opens up a world of new possibilities for us to work within. Sharing every idea from absurd to serious, this is important to me- to unlearn things, recycle codes an conventions, and so on.

Project That May or May Not

Sept 14. 2023

What? An installation using primarily video and (maybe?) other mediums (readymade?) that explores the places, roles and assaults of images in contemporary (western?) society, both literal and conceptual. It may pull from notions of simulacra and hyperreality (Baudrillard, Mcluhan etc) and attempt to look at these implications in a more present day setting regarding information technology and cloud based modes of production. There will ideally be several pieces in this work. For example, one might look at stock footage and its flexibility of uses but also it’s 2-dimensional quality void of soul. Another may explore data storage, and how files are ‘thrown’ into the cloud. While serious in nature, humour will be applied to explore both literal and conceptual notions of image making and using. These seperate, short video pieces will attempt to use different familiar forms- ex. short film with an actor (maybe me), montage, digital collage and be presented through different physical forms (mobile phone, CRT). It will provide a contrast between the rapid, consumerist based images and stage a battle against this with slow (cinema). It hopes to carve out an alternative path of understanding the human relationship to earth in regard to the non physical (waste?) of visual surplus we encounter.

How? The project use a method bouncing between theory and practice. On one side, collecting and reading relative literature and art works (both past and present) surrounding the topic, studying it, and attempting to build bridges between them to arrive at new questions (maybe even conclusions, but that’s doubtful). That will happen simultaneously with production of experiments, prototypes and maquettes in relation to these questions. I expect the pieces of this project to be fairly ‘DIY’ in terms of aesthetic, due to both means and in contestation with the notion of ‘professionality’ in images. While I expect this to be a mostly autonomous process, I would love to find ways to collectively author some pieces , similar to what I want to do with my film work. But maybe thats for another project.

Workflow I have been reading on this topic and (distantly) related philosophies of contemporary art, anti extractivism, colonialism for some time. I tend to keep comprehensive notes and will continue to do so. Many times these notes then lead to thoughts on an idea for a work/piece that could be used in this installation. I will continue to use these processes but begin to turn these notes into actually made prototypes.

Timetable Sept/Oct - Continue to round out what exactly I want to focus on here (through the literature i read and writing i make. First steps, experiments in making Nov/Dec - Regroup and understand where this is headed (coupled with proposal/beginning of thesis). Is the scope too large? Do I really want to do this right now? Am I making the connections I said I hope to make? Jan/Feb/March - With the thesis becoming more concrete, my grad project should also be more concise in how I understand, talk about and work on this project. By this time I hope to have several prototypes hashed out and nearing completion/touch up. Or scrapping ideas in favour of new unexpected ones. April/May/June - Heavy focus on how I will choose to present these seperate pieces of the project, so they can be in conversation with each other. As things ‘seem’ to finish, I find this is the moment where i suddenly become aware of things I may have overlooked, misjudged etc. Maybe this is a chance to write or do something extra around that. Maybe not.

Relation to previous practice My previous practice was rooted in traditional filmmaking, specifically cinematography. In these worlds, the production of images will stop at nothing to get the ‘perfect take’ or the ‘cinematic look’. As I started last year to build a filmmaking practice out of small scale, collective projects that are simple(r) and (less) harmful in production (with regards to waste, data, modes and means of production). I looked to craft something out of seemingly nothing (but in actuality loaded situations, places, moments). In this new project, i hope to apply a similar approach albeit in a more deconstructed format that follows less of a narrative route in favour of a conceptual or philosophical study or statement(s).

Choices made I am choosing to try something different for me, something that excites me and scares me. Something that is relevant to what I do on a daily basis (create images for commercial means to survive). Something that aims to push back against this not just in my head but in reality. This will require me to make the choice of putting a stronger focus on writing and thinking in regards to these concepts that interest me but sometimes feel distant or foreign. I must also make the choices of doing, the experiments- a choice I have not yet made.