Cucalorus Week Part 1


Note: I posted this update to the wrong blog but had it in before the deadline. Originally posted 11/7/17

I'm pretty stoked for the Cucalorus festival this week! My short "6/2/16" will be screening this week on Saturday at Thalian Hall at 1pm. This will be the first time my short is used as an opening for a feature film - I'm used to screening my films at short blocks. Because of this, I feel like my experience will be a little new, and I actually am wondering what exactly I do in this case. Would I be able to do a Q&A or is it dedicated to the feature filmmaker? Should I still attend? I want to answer these two questions before I go, just so that I don't embarrass myself. I don't think I've attended a feature block with an opening act before either. Should I be honored? What if people hate my film? It is a very personal piece. I regret sending it in!

I intend on growing through this experience in my self confidence but also with the idea of being a bit awkward and being presented in front of a bunch of people. I've never been that good at standing in front of a stage, so hopefully this time around I can learn how to get more comfortable with audiences. I'm also looking forward to meeting other filmmakers, as I would love to network before I graduate. I have some projects coming up that I'm producing so scoping out great filmmakers would benefit me in the long run.

I'm setting up these goals for the week:
1. Speak to at least five people about their filmmaking and get their information
2. Be social. Attend at least three of the parties and just learn how to be around many people in one small space.
3. Ask at least two questions per Q&A panel

I'm going to be attending the opening night Oyster Party at Bellamy since I'm a filmmaker, and I plan on spending a lot of time in the filmmaker's lounge. I'm attending my own screening and staying for the feature "She's Got a Plan" but I also will be checking out the convulsions short block. I do so every year. I'll be swooping by Tech Mountain and the CIE for some Connect events as I'm also an Entrepreneurship minor. Spectrum shorts looks like something I'd like as it's the queer short block and I'm BURSTING with energy thinking about checking out "Tragedy Girls" because that movie is SO my aesthetic.

I can't wait to update this blog about my experiences! I'm determined to make this year my best Cucalorus!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Installation Ideas & Presentations

Our last project of the semester is coming up and it is installation! I'll be perfectly honest here, I have never attempted to do an installation piece before although I really do enjoy seeing them, so this assignment is both a treat but also a fear of mine. I don't want to mess this up! As for ideas, Jake mentioned wanting to have something like a tunnel or enclosure that incorporates beach elements. I pitched the idea of using sheets and shower curtains and hitting them with lights in order to have some cool diffused effects. I think it would be cool to have a soundscape going in the background along with a kiddie pool that we could use with actual ocean water. That, or make some water and sprinkle some salt in it. I have some extra shells that we can even glue to the outside of the pool. I want to use the tealights I purchased for the music video so that they don't go to waste. I'm looking to mostly give my assistance through this process and handle more of the logis...
Read more

This Week Signing Off!

This week marks the end to my semester of production classes, experimental projects, and collaborating with others in the department. I found this class in particular to be very fun and educational. I've definitely become a better filmmaker both through the projects we've had to do and the filmmakers we had to present on. This class has exposed me to many experimental filmmakers that I haven't heard of before but I want to use their influence in my work, such as Jen Proctor, Michel Gondry, and George Kuchar. And, if I'm being honest, I took some influence from Marlon Riggs thanks to some of what we saw in class and I added it to my documentary. I wanted to emulate some of the lyricalness of Tongues Untied and in the future, I think I'll borrow some more techniques from the documentary. This class also introduced me to film stock and how important lighting is. I have never worked with film before in my life, and though I don't have an interest in it overall, I ...
Read more

Cucalorus Week Part 2

So! I have a lot to say about Cucalorus, both in what I learned and what I observed. The week started out on a very rocky foot with Dancealorus and some incidents of racism and sexism that I experienced as a filmmaker. Most of the sexism and racism came from a few filmmakers in the filmmaker’s lounge, who were very condescending and loudly spoke against feminism. Dancealorus was also a bit problematic, themes of race and immigration prevalent throughout but not portrayed in a constructive way. There was a lot of culture appropriation, black face, and very insensitive political statements made. The positive to my first night? It reminded me of how the industry is and what my role as a woman of color in it is in letting my voice be heard in order to remedy this. I learned quickly that I needed to change the way I postured myself, dressed, and walked in order to get more recognition and respect. I needed more confidence in myself, and once I started going to events in makeup with my ha...
Read more