A Look Into Microcinema
by Perry Mark Stratychuk
The
continuing move to drive all content into the world-wide web use is the
standard of a much broader movement often called the Microcinema
movement. Microcinema in promises a communal cinema experience, making,
showing films with virtually no stars, and limited or no budgets.
Due
to very low or no overhead whatsoever, and a markedly different or
absent business model. Microcinemas are capable of bringing truly
underground, risk-taking producetions to the viewing audience, whether
on a large LCD projector or a LCD cel phone screen, regardless of
commercial viability. But still, they receive little or no local press
and certainly no national coverage.
As important as the original film co-ops and art-houses were in the development of independent film, particularly during the 60's and 70's, there is still no comprehensive collection of microcinema sources available. Only on web-sites like www.FreeMovieMakingGuide.com and a handful of others.
Microcinema International has a database of programs, and several other webrings and lists are crawled everyday. There is now more emphasis on exhibition-based events, web-based platforms, education and digital and physical distribution, than on creating microcinema content that the general viewer would want to watch.
As important as the original film co-ops and art-houses were in the development of independent film, particularly during the 60's and 70's, there is still no comprehensive collection of microcinema sources available. Only on web-sites like www.FreeMovieMakingGuide.com and a handful of others.
Microcinema International has a database of programs, and several other webrings and lists are crawled everyday. There is now more emphasis on exhibition-based events, web-based platforms, education and digital and physical distribution, than on creating microcinema content that the general viewer would want to watch.
Mobile
TV, video on demand, pod-casting, and mobile telephony are also used to
reach new audiences around the world. "The medium is the message," as
Marshall McLuhan once said.
The Blackchair Collection and Microcinema International DVD, has a catalogue of international DVD titles distributed into retail, wholesale, online, and institutional sales systems around the globe. The more recent Salvador Dali Documentary is exclusively available from Microcinema DVD.
The Blackchair Collection and Microcinema International DVD, has a catalogue of international DVD titles distributed into retail, wholesale, online, and institutional sales systems around the globe. The more recent Salvador Dali Documentary is exclusively available from Microcinema DVD.
What
the microcinema genre lacks in content variety glamor, is made up for
in its soon to be tapped potential for community building, such as a
casual social event.Youtube and other online video sites such as
Metacafe, Vimeo and Viddler, et al provide now quite common experiences
to watch independent film on more websites than ever imagined just a few
years ago.
In his Film Encyclopedia, Ephraim Katz defines an art house as "a theater specializing in the exhibition of quality films, either classic revivals or new films of limited box-office appeal " In this new context of microcinema appeal to the mainstream, "of limited box-office appeal" is quite striking, if not, perhaps, inaccurate. In the "little" films that gain wider acceptance, something has still been lost from the original art-house experience.
In his Film Encyclopedia, Ephraim Katz defines an art house as "a theater specializing in the exhibition of quality films, either classic revivals or new films of limited box-office appeal " In this new context of microcinema appeal to the mainstream, "of limited box-office appeal" is quite striking, if not, perhaps, inaccurate. In the "little" films that gain wider acceptance, something has still been lost from the original art-house experience.
The
sense of adventure and discovery has waned even more as films of
broader appeal attract audiences less interested in film art and more
interested in art trendiness. Second, with the continuing growth of
home-entertainment systems, the living room threatens to rival smaller
theatrical experiences, with the additional attraction of the private,
customized experience that has become more and more affordable.
One-night
theaters have spread across a wide range of communities and take up
residence not only in actual movie theaters, but also in alternative
spaces like tractor trailers, cafes, bars, church basements, health
clubs and of course our own home basements. We come because we crave a
new moviemaking experience, of any sort, or simply like the attraction
of novelty as in the early days of theater and vaudeville, even if we
end up watching our old flat panel TV screen.
Originally published as "Microcinema Under My Skin" in 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment