[Frameworks] films using the optical printer

Thu Aug 7 02:40:20 UTC 2014

In the same spirit as Mark's post, I wanted to note that Peter Tscherkassky's "Cinemascope trilogy" is actually contact printed in short stretches (much of it using a laser pointer) rather than optically printed.  He must surely have used an optical printer in some of his films (maybe "Happy End," for ex.), but since the previous poster only dropped his name without specific films, I thought it was a point worth clarifying...

R.

________________________________
From: FrameWorks [frameworks-bounces at jonasmekasfilms.com] on behalf of Mark Toscano [fiddybop at gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 8:04 PM
To: Experimental Film Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Frameworks] films using the optical printer

Baillie's CASTRO STREET has no optical printing in it.  It's all in-camera matting or A/B/C lab printing.

Also, it periodically needs to be said that Pat O'Neill's 7362 has NO optical printing in it whatsoever.  It's all contact printing and hand-processing.  A lot of people tend to talk about Pat's optical work, then show 7362 as an example in both public screenings and classes (sorry Jason!).  Pat's first foray into optical printing came approximately two years later in his installation piece SCREEN (1969), and then with RUNS GOOD, etc. after that.

That said, Pat is, as has already been said, an unparalleled artist in the medium, and though optical printing was for him merely a technological tool for achieving quite advanced aesthetic ideals, he is unsurpassed in his artful and visionary use of the thing.  Probably the most convenient and exemplary short film of his for explaining, demonstrating, or teaching optical printing work is SAUGUS SERIES, which in some ways functions as both a notebook of incredible visual ideas pretty much without precedent, and an unintentional compendium of highly diverse suggestive uses for the optical printer.  But you pretty much can't go wrong with ANYTHING Pat's made.

Mark Toscano

On Wed, Aug 6, 2014 at 12:48 PM, Stefan Grabowski <stefan at radonlake.com<mailto:stefan at radonlake.com>> wrote:
Bruce Baillie's 'Castro Street' has some really beautiful optical printing work.

________________________________
From: bigmuddy2005 at hotmail.com<mailto:bigmuddy2005 at hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2014 13:32:24 -0600
To: frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com<mailto:frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com>

Subject: Re: [Frameworks] films using the optical printer

This is a great list! Barbara Hammer would be a good addition

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 6, 2014, at 1:29 PM, "Jason Halprin" <jihalprin at gmail.com<mailto:jihalprin at gmail.com>> wrote:

Hi Carolyn,

Below is the screening list from the last time I taught Optical Printing at Columbia College. I agree that Pat O'Neill is probably the greatest example of Optical Printing artistry, and include much of his work is available for purchase in DVD form. However, I would also stress that it was amazing to take the prints of his work and view them on rewinds with a light table so that students could really study how he created his "looks". I love Water and Power too, and usually saved it until the last class in the semester.
-Jason Halprin

DAILY SCHEDULE

Class 01 – January 25th

Screening:       Pas de deux (Norman McLaren, 13 min, 1968)

Class 02- February 1st

Screening:       Passage à l'acte (Martin Arnold, 15 min., 1993)

Class 03- February 8th

Screening:       Piece Touche (Martin Arnold, 15 min., 1989)
                        Zocalo (Richard Myers, 15 min, 1972)
                        Spitting Image (Paula Froehle, 3 min., 1992)

Class 04- February 15th

Screeing:         7362 (Pat O’Neill, 10 min, 1967)
                        Roseblood (Sharon Couzin, 7 min., 1974)

Class 05- February 22nd

Screening:       Watersmith (Will Hindle, 25 min, 1969)

                        Film Wipe Film (Paul Glabicki, 32 min, 1984)

Class 06

Screening:       Wild Gunman (Craig Baldwin, 20 min, 1978)
                        Television Assassination (Bruce Conner, 14 min, 1964/95)
                        Cosmic Ray (Bruce Conner, 4 min, 1961)

Class 07- March 8th

Screening:       Alone, Life Wastes Andy Hardy (Martin Arnold, 15 min, 1998)
                        Flicker: Unsteady Motion (Paula Frohele, 7 min, 1995)

Class 08- March 15th

Screening:       Frame (Ken Kobland, 10 min, 1976)
                        Vestibule (Ken Kobland, 24 min, 1979)

Class 09- March 29th

Screening:       Chinese Fire Drill (Will Hindle, 25 min, 1968)
                        Runs Good (Pat O’Neill, 15 min, 1970)

Class 10- April 5th

Screening:       Elasticity (Chick Strand, 25 min, 1976)
                        Babobilicons (Dana Krummins, 18 min, 1982)

Class 11- April 12th

Screening:       Nocturne (Phil Solomon, 10 min, 1980)
                        Remains to be Seen (Phil Solomon, 17 min, 1989)

Class 12- April 19th

Screening:       The Idea (Bill Knowland, 20 min, 1990)

Class 13- April 26th

Screening:       Milk and Honey (Kate McCabe, 17 min, 2004)

                        Montessori Sword Fight (Mary Beth Reed, 7 min, 2002)

Class 14- May 3rd

Screening:       Water and Power (Pat O’Neill, 54 min, 1989)

Jason Halprin
jihalprin at gmail.com<mailto:jihalprin at gmail.com>

On Wed, Aug 6, 2014 at 12:10 PM, Gene Youngblood <atopia at comcast.net<mailto:atopia at comcast.net>> wrote:
I join Marcos and Adam in stressing the importance of Pat O’Neill here. Optical printing doesn’t get any better if by that term we mean an art form, an aesthetic practice, not a technique.  Another artist from Pat’s generation known for his optical printing is Will Hindle

From: Adam Hyman<mailto:adam at lafilmforum.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 10:57 AM
To: Experimental Film Discussion List<mailto:frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com>
Subject: Re: [Frameworks] films using the optical printer

The entire oeuvre of Pat O’Neill is essential, and very influential.

We did a screening with a various of interesting optically printed films as part of Alternative Projections.
http://www.alternativeprojections.com/screening-series/visions-memory-and-a-machine-optical-manipulations/

On 8/6/14 9:22 AM, "Gawthrop, Rob" <Rob.Gawthrop at falmouth.ac.uk<mailto:Rob.Gawthrop at falmouth.ac.uk>> wrote:

Monkey's Birthday, David Larcher; - colour separation, superimposition, bi-packing etc.

Slides, Annabel Nicholson; pulling film through the gate etc

Film Sound, Andy Moss; short edits/loops (sound and picture), superimpositions

(all at LUX, London.)

Rob

From: Caryn Cline <carynycline at gmail.com<mailto:carynycline at gmail.com>>
Reply-To: Experimental Film Discussion List <frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com<mailto:frameworks at jonasmekasfilms.com>>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2014 09:06:12 -0700
To: Experimental Film Discussion List <FrameWorks at jonasmekasfilms.com<mailto:FrameWorks at jonasmekasfilms.com>>
Subject: [Frameworks] films using the optical printer

Dear Frameworkers,

If I were going to undertake a series of screenings showcasing optical printer techniques, what work would you recommend?  What is the best work for understanding the cinematic potential in optical printing?  Are there any texts that could be included?  I'm asking for my own enlightenment and to take my own OP work to another level, but I might also try to put together a public screening at some point.

Many thanks, as always, for your thoughts and advice.

CC

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