Hugh on Devotional Cinema

         After reading Devotional Cinema I realize the importance and power, more so now,  that film has; especially film that is true to its own nature. This short book illuminates the possibilities of film by presenting the most important factors one must be aware of. Dorsky explains how devotion, in regards to film, can bring about an entirely different more fulfilling experience. Dorsky explains the two basic types of time present in film, being relative time and nowness. He also says that shots and cuts, when complimenting each other, can open up wondrous moments of exploration. He says you cannot have one without the other, and that they are cinema's primal handmaidens. I really enjoyed this section of the book especially, because it presented the same information I've been taught over and over in the simplest most informative way possible. I found this quote by Dorsky to sum up the main idea of shots and cuts, "The shots, as moments of luminous accommodation, ripen and expand and are popped like soap bubbles by the cut. The cuts re-declare the clarity of the shots, restating the primal clarity of the view."
          While I find Nathaniel Dorskys viewpoints beautifully articulated and profoundly interesting, I don't agree with everything he says and stands for, because I think he tends to bring to much of the ethereal, inner soul type attitude to what is ultimately a personal conquest. But I do think that films that are more enjoyable and more spiritually gratifying, are ones where the filmmaker has allowed their true nature to mix in with a personal connection to an unbiased ideal. I think this book will help me in my film career because I have more of an awareness to vision, and the power of film now. I feel as if now I can approach a film with a clearer sense of connection, and appreciation.

Finalized Project Description

The Tar Heel Apostle

            We will follow the campaign currently in progress to have Father Thomas Frederick Price, a Wilmington priest, declared a Roman Catholic Saint. We will interview a specialist on Father Price in Mt. Olive, NC, Father Robert Kus of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Paul Townend of St. Mark’s, in order to understand why Father Price is worthy for sainthood as well as the process and qualifications thereof. While examining the sainthood process, we will explore what it means to be a saint, who is worthy of the title, and what a person and his/her supporters gain from sainthood. We hope to encourage people to consider what role religion plays in modern times.

            While many films about religion are serious and formal, we’d like ours to be lighthearted but respectful. By discussing the subject of Catholicism in this manner, we hope to make an enlightening and approachable documentary. Also, we want the film to be smooth and professional looking which means no handheld shots, no vox pops, and the film can’t look gritty.

            While the most obvious target audience is Catholics who are interested in different aspects of Catholicism, our intent is to make an informative documentary for non-Catholics. Therefore the film appeals to both religious and secular filmgoers. It’s also appealing to North Carolinians or anyone interested in American history.

            We will seek out funding from different church groups or Christian filmmaking societies that would enjoy financing this film. The film will be distributed through film festivals in North Carolina, though we believe the film has the potential to be picked up by film festivals throughout the US.

Brad on Dovotional Cinema

Nathaniel Dorsky writes about film with a lyrical, poetic style akin to Werner Herzog. On page 22, Dorsky describes the film Voyage to Italy, as “so direct and effective that one cannot say exactly why it functions with so much power;” a similar statement can be said about Dorsky’s writing style. His feelings for films extend far past mere appreciation. To Dorsky, film is one of the greatest expressions of life. However, his writings about cinema and the film experience are more existential than technical. Though he discusses aspects of mis-en-scene, his descriptions do not extend past speculative theories. His philosophical approach to film does not offer much to the practical documentary filmmaker except the notions that “great films make people feel good,” and “filmmakers should try to be innovative.” In point of fact, all of his examples were taken from narrative films.

Still, I found his section on “Time” and the “nowness” of a film to be of some usefulness. He explains how originality can add to a film’s realness and make it seem in the moment. Indeed, the repetition of common documentary clichés and techniques, much like the tedious exchange of prearranged, idle dialogue phrases and ideas, can weigh down a situation and make it seem phony and uninteresting. My group and I have discussed the look and tone of our documentary and have agreed that we want to keep it light and approachable. So many films about religion take a serious, formal tone in reverence to the topic. We would like to keep ours relaxed and lighthearted while still being respectful to the subject matter. Hopefully we can accomplish this through our interviews, either with our discussion with our subjects or our camera placement.

In the end, I find Dorsky's views on film to be romantic, but perhaps too philosophical. I tend to be critical, and if Dorsky is simply going to speak of film with grand, idealized sentiments rather than give tangible examples for filmmakers to aspire to, I can't take him very seriously. I will say that he has a superb writing style that keeps the reader thouroughly engrosed, if annoyed by his lack of conciseness.

Morgan on Devotional Cinema

  Essentially, this book establishes everything in cinema that I love. It speaks of truth and clarity and the fluidity of the motion picture. I feel like this is THE filmmaker's and film lovers bible. Given that, you can already tell how this book will inspire my approach as a filmmaker. Now, with every single creative decision I will think, " Am I being true to virtues of cinema, and since cinema affects my metabolism (as a viewer), am I being true to myself? Is this scene (or interview) expressing the nowness of this particular moment, or is it undercutting it? I think they're may be moments where I might fall from grace, and in those moments, I'll go back to the book and realize the correct approach to my creative decision.
    Also, Nathaniel Dorsky cites examples from specific films that express the truth that he preaches on. By citing these pictures, Dorsky points out the apostles of Purity in Cinema. Films such as the passion of joan of arc (1928) and La Notte (1961) demonstrates to filmmakers like myself the idea of balance in cinema: The balance of the subject and self and the balance of narrative and nowness. I know now that there is this balance, and it is my duty as a filmmaker to uphold this balance in every film I make. I will need to think, "Is this shot in the now? Will the viewer be as one with this scene/shot/image as I am now?" If not, I will need to reassert the principles laid out in the book to make sure that the scene/shot/image expresses quintessential nowness. 
     Now that I've opened up Pandora's Box thanks to you Shannon, I now have some serious responsibilities (not like I didn't before) as a filmmaker. Anyways, I truly believe that this book represents something of greater power in cinema. I think a strong example is when sunlight passes through leaves and makes its way through the lens and hits celluloid. At that moment in time, while the winds graces through the trees, and the light still manages to bounce itself onto the celluloid; The affinities of now imprint on film.

Project Proposal and Crew Positions

Brad Clayton: Director, Researcher, Interviewer

Hugh Chatham: DP, Lighting, Researcher

Morgan Lear: Producer, Sound Recording, Researcher

Option 1: SOPA Documentary

We will explore the proposed Stop Online Piracy Bill and how it will do much more harm than good. While discussing the SOPA Bill we will briefly examine the topics of privacy, online piracy, and Internet control. To do this, we’ll interview North Carolina Representative Mike McIntyre, a knowledgeable professor in the Computer Science Department, and the operators of online sites who would be affected by the passage of the SOPA bill. It is our intention to show that, while the prevention of media piracy is an important issue, the SOPA bill goes too far by infringing upon many liberties. Even if the SOPA bill is shot down, we believe that more like it will come as corporations and governments attempt to control Internet activity.

Our documentary will implement an experimental approach with a somewhat bleak tone. We might try actually filming a computer screen with our interviews playing on a Youtube video.

Option 2: Wilmington’s Saint

            We will follow the campaign currently in progress to have Father Thomas Frederick Price, a Wilmington priest, declared a Roman Catholic Saint. We will interview UNCW Theology professor Dr. Young as well as a clergyman from either St. Mary’s or St. Mark’s Catholic Church to understand the process and qualifications of sainthood. While examining the sainthood process, we will explore what it means to be a saint and who is worthy of the title. We hope to encourage people to consider what role religion plays in modern times.

            For this documentary, we will try to create a “heavenly” atmosphere by using a brighter exposure and using holy music in the background.

Option 3: Wilmington Massacre

We will document the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, the only coup d’etat in American history. While covering the event, we will also explore the documentation of history and the issues of race relations then and now. We will interview UNCW public history Prof. Gisolfi for her expertise on the subject.