Asst. Prof. Samuel Raymond Forkner
Abstract :
The surprising variety and number of artistic practices in Southeast Asia is much higher than in many other regions. Dances and parades, performances and ceremonies articulate a multifaceted culture were place is defined by its connection to spirit and art. This work combines the best of documentary film footage from numerous locations in an attempt to visually demonstrate this resplendence. The travelogue takes the viewer on a non-narrative two-thousand kilometer journey encompassing the southern and central regions of Thailand, all the way up to the northern border and into eastern regions of Myanmar. The diverse cultures documented in this footage, gathered over the previous twenty, years have similarities in their expression. They are connected by gestures of dance, musical rhythms, visual cues and ritualistic performances. The cultures are also connected by an acceptance of diverse religious beliefs and artistic expression in nature.
Objectives :
As the reach of motion-pictures has increased dramatically over the past two decades, new technology has allowed more people to create and distribute them. New technology has dramatically changed the way creators make videos, but it has also changed the way viewers digest media, so it has altered audience tastes. New media has an effect on the mainstream because the new devices make creating some types of shots easier and others less so. The shift in focus from a relationship between an activity and its place to an individual in their own self-created context is becoming more apparent as the modern world becomes more culturally homogenized. This trend in mainstream media makes it more difficult to promote films based on traditional work, folk art, cultural performances, dance and ritual. This trend creates the need for a philosophy to
-
Create a work for an all age audience
-
Produce a travelogue or non-narrative film which educates
-
Highlight the artistic value in SE Asian traditional art forms
-
Make the work available, for free and spread to a wide audience
-
Generate more interest in traditional theory and its applications in art and contemporary art
Conceptual Framework :
Creating a sense of place has defined good photography since the early 1930s. Due to the popularity of photographers such as Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson, the connection between figurative forms and the landscapes in which they exist creates a profound sense of place. This concept has been highly influential both in the art world and popular media since long before motion-pictures became the mainstream. Dorothea Lange captured the reality of the situation during the Great Depression. Her compositions would become the standard for documentary photography in the future. Ansel Adams framed iconic images of the American West in the 1940s which are still imitated today in nature documentaries and feature films. Henri Cartier-Bresson captured the expression of his subjects in their relationship to the architecture or the environment. Even the early motion-picture camera operators from Russia in the 1920s, the Kaufman brothers Boris, Mikhail and Denis (better known as Dziga Vertov), were pioneers of the idea that documentary film exposes the truth of life through the camera’s objective gaze. The compositions of these famous artists have become the framework for non-fictional motion picture production in journalism, documentary films, music videos and candid videos. Furthermore, films such as travelogues, films without sound and art films rely more heavily on the visual techniques use to create a sense of place because there is no scripted dialog to drive a narrative. The internal framing of any particular shot uses the methodology created from this formative period in photography. In terms of editing a motion-picture from these types of clips, an associative montage works to bind unrelated productions together, synthesizing relationships between art and culture by juxtaposing sequences of metric, rhythmic and tonal montage.
Process / Methodology :
The process of accumulating footage came from years of research, travel and working jobs in remote areas, unique areas, and promoted areas for tourism and agriculture. Documentary footage was stored over the years from live events captured at performances and staged events for public promotions. The process of assimilating footage required the need to change old video formats in to a current standard so it could be woven together on the same timeline. By always focusing on cultural performances and art throughout my career, I have obtained a lot of footage from SE Asia. There has always been a focus in my cinematography on bringing out the character or details in a work that hasn’t been done before. Selecting from this footage to create a visual montage of regional culture, shots were chosen based on their internal composition and they way they would match or contrast with other interesting shots. The visual rhythm was based on a soundscape created from natural sound during recording and foley work done in post-production to bring out certain elements inside individual frames. Interesting sequences were expanded in length for more flexibility in cutting between the less similar types of shots. After which more research was done to find sounds that synchronized with the activities or highlighted certain moments authenticity. The soundscape was refined and the cinematography re-edited to match, again and again until it became a self-contained work.
Techniques and Materials :
-
Video footage from different formats: Mini-DV tape based recorders, interlaced transitional format, high-definition, and progressive digital video were all upscaled to 60fps MPEG-4 Advance Video Coding (part 10) (H.264)
-
Cameras: Canon Optura mini-DV camcorder, Panasonic AG-AF102 with Lumix 12-140mm f/4.0-5.8 lens, Canon EOS M50 mirrorless camera with 22mm f/2 STM and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lenses
-
Music: Si Thammaraja from the Works of Bunyong Ketkhong performed by his Pupils, Divine Xylophonist, 1920-1996
-
Sound recording: Pathana Pali Chant recited by Mahakanthawada Sayadaw U Nanda Minjutha
-
Sound effects: ambient sounds, instrument sounds, synchronized spot sounds, nat sound
-
Audacity open source software for sound design
-
iMac 2019 editing and graphics software
Result / Conclusion :
This four-minute travelogue is an associative montage cut to a soundscape which was created from the natural sound recorded along with the footage. This natural sound was also edited in a montage style and then only later used synchronize unrelated shots together. Although the video footage is from the past, the film creates the illusion of being in the present due to the techniques used from non-fiction film and documentary work. The cultures presented seem to be taking place right now. It is a non-narrative work cut together with the intention of creating relationships between activities to drive an abstract story about life.
References :
Ban Pakia Lahu Village, Chiang Dao, Chaing Rai. September 14th 2019.
Chinese Festival. Wat Arun, Bangkok. 2001.
Innlay Orchid, Inle Lake, Taunggyi, Myanmar. January 12th 2020.
Jao Mae Jao Po Nightime Parade. Baknam Pho, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. Feburary 12th 2013.
Nang Talung. Nong Khae, Si Sa Ket. Thai Cultural Center: April 1st 2001.
Nang Yai Wat Khanon. Photharam, Ratchaburi, Thailand. Thai Cultural Center: March 31st 2001.
Nora Dance. Thai Cultural Center: 2001.
Ordination Cerermony. Kaunghmudaw Pagoda, Sagaing, Myanmar. January 15th 2020.
Presiding Buddha Image. Uminkoeze Pagoda, Sagaing, Myanmar. January 15th 2020.
Si Thammaraja. The Works of Bunyong Ketkhong performed by his Pupils, Divine Xylophonist, arranged 1967. Produced by Sujit Wongthes, Bangkok: 1996.
U-Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Myanmar. January 11th 2001.
Washing the Face of the Buddha. Mahamuni Pagoda. Mandalay, Myanmar. January 10th 2020.