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homomenhommes · 18 days

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … April 11

1780 – William Smith and Theodosius Reed are pilloried in England for attempted sodomy. They are attacked by a crowd throwing objects, killing Smith. The London Morning Post endorsed the crowd's actions.

1901 – The Wisconsin author Glenway Wescott, was born on this date (d.1987). A major American novelist during the 1920-1940 period and a figure in the American expatriate literary community in Paris during the 1920s Wescott was the model for the character Robert Prentiss in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.

He produced a series of best-selling, highly regarded novels, notably The Grandmothers (1927), The Pilgrim Hawk (1940) and Apartment In Athens (1945), although he didn't complete a novel after the age of forty-five. He was equally well known as an arts impressario and for the company he kept.

Wescott is a linking figure at the heart of the American literary scene in the middle of the 20th century. As a young writer in 1920s Paris, he associated with Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. On his return to the States he was a central figure in New York's artistic and gay communities - W. H. Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Somerset Maugham, E. M. Forster, Jean Cocteau, Ford Madox Ford, Thornton Wilder, and many others were among his acquaintance.

Wescott by Lynes

Although only some of his work hints at his sexuality, he wrote a private journal from 1937 until the 1950s, focusing on his private life and relationships with fellow gay artists including lifelong partner Monroe Wheeler, photographer George Platt Lynes and Paul Cadmus – this was published in 1990 as Continual Lessons. His relationship with Monroe Wheeler lasted from 1919 until Wescott's death.

There was a Paul Cadmus painting that hung in his house. In it, three men, clearly arranged in a triangle, are sitting on a picnic blanket. The men are George Platt Lynes, Monroe Wheeler and Wescott himself. The picture below may be that painting:

1914 – Norman McLaren (d.1987) was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was a pioneer in a number of areas of animation and filmmaking, including drawn on film animation, visual music, abstract film, pixilation and graphical sound.

His awards included an Oscar for the Best Documentary in 1952 for Neighbours, a Silver Bear for best short documentary at the 1956 Berlin International Film Festival Rythmetic and a 1969 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film for Pas de deux.

McLaren was born in Stirling, Scotland and studied set design at the Glasgow School of Art. His early experiments with film and animation included actually scratching and painting the film stock itself, as he did not have ready access to a camera. His earliest extant film, Seven Till Five (1933), a "day in the life of an art school" was influenced by Eisenstein and displays a strongly formalist attitude.

McLaren's next film, Camera Makes Whoopee (1935), was a more elaborate take on the themes explored in Seven Till Five, inspired by his acquisition of a Ciné-Kodak camera, which enabled him to execute a number of 'trick' shots. McLaren used pixilation effects, superimpositions and animation not only to display the staging of an art school ball, but also to tap into the aesthetic sensations supposedly produced by this event.

His two early films won prizes at the Scottish Amateur Film Festival, where fellow Scot and future NFB founder John Grierson was a judge. Grierson, who was at that time head of the British General Post Office film unit, saw another of his movies at an amateur film festival and took interest. He hired Mclaren for the GPO as soon as he completed his studies.

After making four films for the GPO in London, including Love on the Wing, McLaren moved to New York City in 1939, just as World War II was about to begin in Europe. He worked as a freelancer until 1941.

At the invitation of Grierson, he moved to Canada in 1941 to work for the National Film Board, to open an animation studio and to train Canadian animators. During his work for the NFB, McLaren created his most famous film, Neighbours (1952), which has won various awards around the world, including the Canadian Film Award and the Academy Award. Besides the brilliant combination of visuals and sound, the film has a very strong social message against violence and war. If you have never seen this brilliant 8 minute film, take the time to watch it below:

Not many Canadians realize that Neighbours garnered its Academy Award in the documentary category, or that McLaren's film was cut and expurgated in classrooms in many countries because of its resolute depiction of violence between two next-door families. The irony is that McLaren was the most gentle of figures, whose experiences filming the brutal fighting during the Spanish Civil War turned him into a lifelong pacifist.

In his early period in Canada, McLaren spent considerable time developing the animation department of the board. McLaren's presence at NFB inspired younger generations of animators, notably Oscar-winning producer, writer and director Derek Lamb, director Kaj Pindal and, perhaps most notably, the tragic, driven talent of Ryan Larkin. Also among his pupils are numbered James McKay of Toronto and George Dunning who designed the animation for the Beatles' film Yellow Submarine.

McLaren was gay, and his longtime companion was NFB director Guy Glover, whom he met at the ballet in London in 1937. The two were together until McLaren's death in 1987.

1932 – Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz) is an American actor, singer, dancer, and photographer. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film versions of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe Award. He also originated the role of George M. Cohan in the musical George M! in 1973, and the Wizard of Oz in the musical Wicked. He also starred as Moonface Martin in the Broadway revivals of Anything Goes, and as Amos Hart in Chicago.

Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Goldie "Grace" (née Epstein) and Mickey Katz, a Jewish actor, comedian, and musician. He started his career in the Cleveland Play House's Curtain Pullers children's theatre program in the early 1940s, appearing in productions such as Grandmother Slyboots, Jack of Tarts and a lead role in the their mainstage production of On Borrowed Time.

Grey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March 1973 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 film version of Cabaret. His victory was part of a Cabaret near-sweep, which saw Liza Minnelli win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win Best Director.

In 1958, Grey married Jo Wilder; they divorced in 1982. Together, they had two children: actor Jennifer and chef James. He is also a photographer; his first book of photographs, Pictures I Had to Take, was published in 2003; its follow-up, Looking Hard at Unexpected Things, was published in 2006. His third book, 1.3 – Images from My Phone, a book of photographs taken with his camera phone, was published in 2009. An exhibit of his work was held in April 2011 at the Museum of the City of New York, titled "Joel Grey/A New York Life."

In January 2015, Grey opened up about his sexuality in an interview with People, stating: "I don't like labels, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a gay man."

1955 – The American singer songwriter Michael Callen was born on this date (d.1993). He was a architect of the response to the AIDS crisis in the United States.

First diagnosed with "Gay related immune deficiency" (GRID) in 1982, Callen quickly became a leader in the response to the epidemic. He was a founding member of the People With AIDS Self-Empowerment Movement among other organizations, and he testified before the President's Commission on AIDS and both houses of the United States Congress. As a founding member of the New York Gay & Lesbian Community Center Board, and through his activities in other organizations around the country, he also became a leading voice in Gay and Lesbian politics.

In 1983, Callen co-authored the book How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach, which outlined the tenets of safe(r) sex. In 1990, he wrote Surviving AIDS, which received an Honorable Mention from the American Medical Writers Association.

He was a founding member of the Gay a cappella singing group The Flirtations, with whom he recorded two albums. He also had a solo album, Purple Heart (Significant Other Records, 1988), which a review in The Advocate called "the most remarkable Gay independent release of the past decade."

In partnership with Oscar winner Peter Allen and Marsha Melamet, he wrote his most enduring song, "Love Don't Need a Reason," which he sang frequently at Gay pride and AIDS-related events around the country. In 1993 he appeared in the films Philadelphia (as part of The Flirtations) and Zero Patience (appearing in drag as a singing virus, Miss HIV).

During the last year of his life, Michael worked furiously to record over 40 tunes; Twenty-nine of these compositions have been released posthumously as a double CD, titled Legacy, which garnered four Gay & Lesbian American Music Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Recording by a Male Artist. Legacy, recorded with the help of such prominent musicians as Holly Near, Cris Williamson, David Lasley, James Taylor, Greg Wells, k.d. lang, Fred Hersch, Arnold McCuller (Phil Collins) and Steve Sandberg (David Byrne, Ruben Blades) is a testament to Callen's commitment to the Gay and Lesbian community as well as his own passionate struggle for Gay identity and selfhood.

Callen died of AIDS-related complications in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 38.

1961 – Vincent Gallo is an American actor, director, musician and painter. Though he has had minor roles in mainstream films such as Goodfellas, Arizona Dream, The Funeral and Palookaville, he is most associated with independent movies, including Buffalo '66, which he wrote, directed, scored and starred in and The Brown Bunny, which he also wrote, directed, produced, starred in and photographed.

Gallo was born in Buffalo, New York. Both of his parents emigrated from Sicily. Gallo lived in New York City and from there traveled around most of Europe. In his adolescence, Gallo was frequently arrested for petty crimes and for indecent exposure, and has reminisced in print about his compulsive adolescent masturbatory habits. While living in New York, Gallo was a go-go dancer at various homosexual clubs and has also admitted to prostituting himself to homosexual clientele. "I did do sexual things for money. With men, I've never performed or had fellatio performed, but I did do jerk-off things. I would go in a peep booth and watch straight porn and get paid 5 or 10 dollars to have somebody watch me masturbate."

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gallo was a painter in the New York City art scene showing with famed art dealer Annina Nosei, performed in a rap duo and was part of the first hip-hop television broadcast Graffiti Rock, and played in an industrial band called Bohack which released an album titled It Took Several Wives. In the early 2000s, he released several solo recordings on WARP records. Gallo is known for his outspoken views and generally sarcastic nature, once stating: "I stopped painting in 1990 at the peak of my success just to deny people my beautiful paintings; and I did it out of spite."

Gallo has modeled, most notably for Calvin Klein, and been photographed by Richard Avedon. He first began painting, then racing motorcycles, and finally became an actor.

Gallo acted in the film Arizona Dream, with Johnny Depp, in the cult comedy Palookaville, and in The Funeral, and had a lead role in the film Truth or Consequences, N.M.

In 1998, his debut film Buffalo '66 was nominated for, but did not win, an award for "Best First Feature" at the Independent Spirit Awards.

In 2003, Gallo starred in and directed the film The Brown Bunny. The film, which chronicles a motorcycle racer's cross country road trip, co-starred Chloë Sevigny. The film, which contained a scene of Sevigny performing unsimulated oral sex upon Gallo, received overwhelmingly negative critical response to its initial cut and became a media scandal, in part due to Gallo's use of a still image from a sex scene on a promotional billboard. According to Andrea LeVasseur of the Allmovie, The Brown Bunny "premiered to much derision at the Cannes Film Festival."

1969 – Leonard Miron is a Romanian television and radio presenter and journalist and works for Romanian National Television (Televiziunea Română).

He was born in Galaţi, Romania but was brought up in Piteşti and graduated from the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy before starting a career in media. He speaks fluent English and French as well as German and Spanish.

He has worked on a number of different television programmes, but is best known for presenting music shows and galas such as the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Since September 2005 he has been living in London, where he has been studying for a Ph.D. in London and working at the same time as a flight attendant for a London-based airline. He returns to Romania weekly, where he presents a range of light entertainment shows.

Starting in 2014 Leonard has worked for Viking River Cruises, one of the biggest river cruise lines in the world. As a Program Director on Viking Embla and Viking Lif, Leonard rapidly gained both respect and popularity among both passengers and crew, and was mentioned in stories in magazines and newspapers in USA, Canada, Australia and Europe. His popularity increased season after season and in 2017 he was a constant presence in reviews published by the acclaimed website cruisecritic.com

He came out as gay in November 2012.

2013 – The French Senate in Paris approves the law for equal marriage and adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples.

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scotianostra · 2 months

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19th February 1972 saw the death of John Grierson, the film director and producer.

John Grierson was born in Perthshire, son of a local school headmaster. He studied philosophy at Glasgow University, but was drawn into film-making through post-graduate study in the US on the influence of mass media on public opinion.

His ground-breaking work on the Scottish herring fleet, Drifters, had its premiere in 1929 alongside the first British showing of Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. In 1936, he produced the celebrated Night Mail, directed by Harry Watt with script by W.H. Auden and score by Benjamin Britten.A prolific director and producer, he was particularly influential through his creation of film units within the Empire Marketing Board and the Post Office, nurturing a whole generation of documentary makers, including Edgar Anstey, Sir Arthur Elton, Stuart Legg, Basil Wright, Harry Watt and Cavalcanti. Among his many achievements, John Grierson established the National Film Board of Canada during World War II, and served as UNESCO’s first Director of Mass Communications and Public Information in 1947. Throughout his long career, he was in some way responsible for the production of well over 1000 films and television programmes.

Grierson’s influence on factual film-making was immense, underpinned by a strong social commitment. Of this he said: “The basic force behind documentary was social and not æsthetic. It was a desire to make a drama out of the ordinary, to set against the prevailing drama of the extraordinary: a desire to bring the citizen’s eye in from the ends of the earth to the story, his own story, of what was happening under his nose.” In fact he came up with the word documentary for this type of film.

The documentary (especially on television) has gone through many stages of creative development since he died, but he left behind a legacy in the many film-makers who dominated the British factual film (and BBC television) after the war. It could well be argued that the special place of excellence enjoyed by British television today owes much to that tradition, which was available to make movies when the BBC only had radio experience behind it.

This is not to say that Grierson did not generate an element of mythology, fuelled at times by some of his colleagues, he thrived on being centre of the stage, was a shrewd publicist for his own causes, self-interested, brutally blunt about his colleagues, and a great performer in projecting a carefully cultivated image. But if he perfected this style in raising his own stature, he did it for worthy and sincerely supported causes. Without it, he could never have succeeded in making governments, industry and bureaucrats finance the schemes and the films which created the documentary movement and it is said his influence and enthusiasm spread everywhere.

Much more on Grierson here

#scotland #scottish #history #filmmaker #documentary

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vintage1981 · 6 months

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Exclusive First Look The Wicker Man The Official Story of the Film by John Walsh

Take an exclusive first look deep inside the book that looks at the making of the best British horror film ever made, The Wicker Man. Author John Walsh offers a chance to win a signed copy too. The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film hits shelves in the UK on October 23 followed by the US on November 7.

Pre-order your copy everywhere books or sold or here:

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🇺🇸 https://tinyurl.com/WickerManAmazonUSA

The definitive guide to the making of the landmark horror movie The Wicker Man is lavishly illustrated and packed with insights into this classic chiller.

The Wicker Man is one of the greatest horror movies of all time – a chilling exploration of an isolated community with a terrible secret. Featuring a stellar cast including Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, and Ingrid Pitt, The Wicker Man has terrified audiences worldwide for fifty years. Author and filmmaker John Walsh tells the story of how this singular – and somewhat unlikely – folk-horror classic came to be, illustrated with fascinating behind-the-scenes photography, new interviews, exclusive artwork, and never-before-seen material from the StudioCanal archives. Learn the secret history of Summerisle – if you dare…

About the author: John Walsh is an award-winning filmmaker with a focus on social justice. His work ranges from television series to feature films. He is a double BAFTA and double Grierson Awards nominee for his ground-breaking work. He is a trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.

In addition to his film and TV screenplays, John has written for The Telegraph and online publications on film history, politics and religion. He is a four times Rondo Award Nominee for “Book of the Year” with Harryhausen: The Lost Movies, FLASH GORDON: The Official Story of the Film, Escape From New York: The Official Story of the Film and Dr Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films. Coming in 2023, Conan The Barbarian: The Official Story of the Film.

Published worldwide on the 24 October 2023 UK & USA | Hardback | 192pp www.walshbros.co.uk @walshbros

#youtube #The Wicker Man #Christopher Lee #Edward Woodward #Britt Ekland #Ingrid Pitt #Robin Hardy #Anthony Shaffer #Paul Giovanni #British Lion Films #Peter Snell #John Walsh #Titan Books

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warwickroyals · 1 year

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can you do a who's who of your second anniversary photo?

Back row (L - R): HRH Prince John of Pape (Clarence and Phyllis's elder son), HRH Prince Clarence, Duke of Pape (Louis's brother), HRH Princess Mary of Glencairn (Louis's paternal cousin) with Micheal Belgraves (her son), Mr. Jack Belgraves (Mary's husband), HRH Princess Valerie of Glencairn (Mary's youngest sister), HRH James, Prince of Danforth (Louis's eldest son), HRH The Prince Phillip (Louis's second son), Mr. Lee Greirson (Frances's husband)

Middle row (L -R): HRH Phyllis, Duchess of Pape (Clarence's wife), HM Queen Katherine (Louis and Clarence's mother), HM King Louis V, HM Queen Irene (Louis's wife), Andrew Belgraves (Mary's son), HRH The Princess Jacqueline (Louis's daughter), Esther-May Grierson (Frances's daughter), HRH Princess Frances of Glencairn (Mary's younger sister)

Front row (L-R): HRH Princess Jillian of Pape (Clarence's daughter), HRH Prince Jacob of Pape (Clarence's younger son), HRH The Prince Henry (Louis's youngest son), Heather Belgraves (Mary's daughter), Jonathan Grierson (Frances's son).

Check out my family tree HERE.

#warwick.answers #anonymous #this picture took a LOT

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tengomilpalabrasparati · 8 months

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Los aficionados y profesionales de una de las prácticas acuáticas más interesantes y emocionantes festejan su día mundial, cada 7 de septiembre. Se celebra el Día Mundial del Buzo.

Con ello se pretende homenajear a aquellas personas que ejercen esta práctica profesional con diversos fines, sumergidos en las profundidades de océanos y mares.

¿Que es un buzo?

Un buzo es aquella persona que utiliza un equipamiento especial (máscara, chaleco estabilizador, aletas) que le permite sumergirse decenas de metros bajo el mar y moverse con comodidad en el agua, a bajas temperaturas. Respiran a través de dispositivos que almacenan gases respirables.

La práctica de buceo se realiza con diversas finalidades: profesional, recreativa, turística, científica, así como para la realización de actividades subacuáticas, tales como el mantenimiento de estaciones petroleras en el mar y muelles.

La profundidad y el tiempo de sumersión dependerán del equipamiento utilizado, así como la destreza del buzo.

Filmografía sobre el tema

Te invitamos a disfrutar y compartir los siguientes títulos de documentales y películas emocionantes, acerca de las situaciones y vivencias de los buzos en las profundidades del mar:

Cave Rescue (Tailandia. Director: Tom Waller. Año 2022): un equipo internacional de buzos de élite se moviliza para rescatar a 12 niños tailandeses pertenecientes a un equipo de fútbol masculino, atrapados en las cuevas de Tham Luang en el norte de Tailandia.

Last Breath (Reino Unido. Director: Alex Parkinson. Año 2019): un buzo comercial realizaba una reparación a unos 100 metros de profundidad en el Mar del Norte, quedando atrapado en el fondo del mar con sólo 5 minutos de oxígeno y pocas esperanzas de rescate.

Mission Blue (Estados Unidos. Director: Robert Nixon. Año 2014): la oceanógrafa Sylvia Earle encabeza una misión personal para salvar nuestros océanos: Mission Blue. Consiste en crear una red global de áreas marinas protegidas, conocidas como "puntos de esperanza".

Pioneer (Noruega. Director: Eric Skjoldbjaerg. Año 2013): a mediados de la década de 1980 un submarinista profesional se involucra en experimentos arriesgados y negocios turbios, durante los orígenes de la industria de perforación de petróleo de Noruega.

Sanctum (Australia. Director: Alister Grierson. Año 2011): un grupo de submarinistas, entre los que se encuentra un padre y su hijo, realizan una expedición a la cueva más grande del mundo. Se enfrentarán a inesperados peligros, por causa de una tormenta tropical.

Into the Blue (Estados Unidos. Director: John Stockweell. Año 2005): cuatro buceadores se encuentran en la búsqueda de un tesoro legendario en el fondo del océano, encontrando un siniestro misterio.

El Gran Azul (Francia. Director: Luc Besson. Año 1988): un joven francés, con un talento especial para el buceo, ayuda a un profesor en sus experimentos marinos.

Comparte información útil e interesante sobre el Día Mundial del Buzo en las redes sociales. Utiliza los hashtags #DiversDay #Buzo

#7 de septiembre. Se celebra el Día Mundial del Buzo.

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leebird-simmer · 1 year

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Intro to Film Studies, Ch. 9: Documentaries

1. How do we recognize and define documentary as a distinct form?

2. What types of documentary are there, and how do they overlap and interact with each other?

3. What relationship does documentary have with fiction, drama and reconstruction?

4. In what ways does the notion of performance problematize documentary as a form?

What is a documentary?

subgenre of non-fiction

makes observations about the real historical world, rather than fabricated fictional worlds

yet these boundaries are fluid. As we will see, several documentaries have re-enactments or even fictional narratives.

One of the earliest and most famous definitions is by John Grierson “a creative treatment of actuality.”

If we recall, ‘actuality’ was the term we used in relation to the early films like Lumiere’s Workers Leaving the Factory.

Actuality: derived from the French term actualite given to the short non-fictional films made in the early period (1895-1906 or so). These films often consisted simply of people going about their everyday business, or of particular events (sporting contests, visiting dignitaries).

associated with novelty, cinema of attractions

can be considered proto-documentaries

the technology was the star

accompanied by music, introductions, voiceovers, etc.

Educational/Informative

- not just “capturing truth,” but a filmmaker’s shaping of “reality” of that subject material

- Grierson states that the difference between recorded material and what we might call a documentary is “a method which describes only the surface values of a subject, vs. a method which more explosively reveals the reality of it.”

Bill Nichols’ six modes of documentary:

1. Poetic (mood or tone of a subject)

Ex. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927), Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

2. Expository (designed to persuade)

Ex. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

3. Participatory (filmmaker actively engages with the subject)

Ex. Michael Moore’s documentaries

4. Observational (appearance of neutrality/detachment)

- shows a desire to preserve some way of life

- Flaherty did fabricate events; questions of ethics are very important.

Ex. Nanook of the North (1922)

5. Reflexive (commenting on the documentary itself)

- encourages the viewer to think about the representation

- Ex. The Thin Blue Line (1988)

6. Performative (filmmaker & subject are actively performing and co-creating the documentary)

- Ex. Grey Gardens (1975)

* These categories are flexible and may blend into each other. Different modes can be dominant in different scenes.

Post-war developments in documentary film

less confrontational, more observational

longer shots, lighter handheld cameras

development of Direct Cinema

French filmmakers moved in the opposite direction, towards cinema verité, in which the filmmaker has interacts with the subjects openly and doesn’t try to hide their involvement.

Direct cinema: A type of documentary filmmaking that emerged in the US in the 1950s, associated with Robert Drew, Richard Leacock, Don Pennebaker, Frederick Wiseman, and the Maysles Brothers. Direct Cinema films often have a ‘fly on the wall’ aesthetic, linked to the strong belief that the filmmakers were mere observers of the reality they were filming. This apparent detachment and neutrality has been as controversial as it is influential.

Cinema verité: The French term (literally meaning ‘cinema truth’) is sometimes confused with a US kind of filmmaking which is actually closer to direct cinema. The confusion stems from the common ‘immediacy’ that the films have – filming people with handheld cameras and portable sound recording equipment – but cinema verité properly has a foundation of interaction between filmmaker and filmed, rather than the detachment seen in direct cinema films.

Reality TV: a relatively recent development in television, a form of highly structured program using observational material of ordinary people. The programs have a ‘documentary’ basis in the sense that they use actuality footage, but they are often shaped to fit specific formats (game shows, dating shows, before/after, etc.). In this respect, reality TV is a good example of how documentary can be taken and recontextualized by contemporary television to suit its schedules.

Rhetorical: Designed to persuade. Rhetorical strategies in documentary are those that relate to the film’s or program’s argument. This may be explicit (e.g. a voiceover or presenter actually stating what the argued points are), or it may be less immediately obvious (e.g. a filmmaker might cut from an image of a political leader to a shot of a firing squad; this could be seen as an argument against the politician).

Topicals: The name given to nonfictional ‘news’ items in the early period. A royal visit, the opening of a factory, a sports event – anything that could be of interest to a local audience – could be labelled ‘a topical’. As documentary developed as a form, topicals were subsumed into newsreels and other forms of film reporting.

Participant observation: A social science methodology where researchers immerse themselves in the social context/group they are studying, often for years at a time. In documentary terms, such an approach arguably leads to more ‘natural’ responses, as the subjects have become used to the filmmakers and cameras.

Ethics: concerning morality, or codes of conduct. There is a strong ethical discourse running through the history of documentary, and debates to be had about the ethical dimension of things like reconstruction, filming people without their consent, informing the viewer of the extent of filmmaker intervention, and so on.

#my notes #study blog #film studies #documentary

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buffleheadcabin · 1 year

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John Grierson Drifters 1929

#youtube

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usernoneexistent · 2 years

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Ask Game: Lineage Challenge

Last day of the lineage challenge and thank you to @kathrynalicemc for hosting it. Here I’ll answering some questions already but feel free to ask about anything to do with the Moss family, whether about members themselves or the creation behind to me as the creator. Without further ado, here are some questions answered.

1. Canon or Fiction? If your family is a Canon one you made your own: what drew you to that specific family? Did you make any changes to Canon, and if so, why? If your family is completely original: Where did the Family name come from? What was your inspiration and who was the first OC you created for it?

The Moss family is completely original though how I got the name is not very interesting. I picked Moss when I randomised the surname when I was creating my character for the Hogwarts Mystery game and thought huh, what a cool nature name and stuck to the theme. Quite quickly afterwards Juniper Moss was created, her Arabic names came later but she was the first OC I made for the Moss family.

2. Family Ties: What other families are related/connected to this one? Are they Canon families or creator made families? (Tag them!)

Oh boy! I have a couple so I'm doing closest relative to distant.

Weasley: through marriage by Juniper Moss and Charlie Weasley and so far only canon family.

Hasni: an Algerian pureblood family, by marriage through Julia Moss and Jalil Hasni though divorced later.

Ludwig: a muggle German family, Abigail Ludwig birthed Jacob's son but they never married.

McLaughlin: a muggle Scottish family, through marriage by John Moss and Anges McLaughlin.

Sweets: an American wizarding family, through marriage by Aileen Moss and Theodore Sweets. Through the Sweets, they are also distantly related to the Arcane family @oneirataxia-girl.

Rosewood: an American/British pureblood family, Colin Moss is the illegitimate child of Scott Rosewood and his half-siblings are Glenn and Winona. Through them, the Mosses are distantly related to the Mercury family @slytherindisaster, the Miller family @hogwartsmysteryho, and the Nowak family.

Extra: the Albatross family through Juniper and Charlie unofficially adopting Zola Albatross and the Zidan family by Juniper legally adopting Marwa.

3. Foundations: What year and which OC was the founder of the family line? If the family goes back hundreds of years and you don’t know the first member, tell us about the oldest OC in the family you have created.

It has yet to be determine who officially founded the magical branch of the Moss family however they can trace who the originator of the dominant blue hair gene came from. I already mentioned Allister Grierson in my previous post however I'll consider him my oldest OC for now. He lived in late 1400s, that's really all I have on him for now.

4. Fun Facts: Do you have any misc lore you have that you haven’t had a chance to post about? Talk about anything you like!

• The Moss have not moved out of Fife since the 1500s with the exception of a few strays. There used to be more cottages next to each other but eventually was repurposed or destroyed (more the latter).

• Due to the Mosses understanding persecution first hand themselves is what lead them to help others being persecuted or discriminated against.

• Juniper and Jacob are not the first Mosses to have no Hufflepuffs for an entire generation.

• Before the success of the family pub the naughty cliffs they used to be food and wood farmers to make their living.

• A couple of Mosses may have been involved with anti-ministry of magic movements to restructure the magical government and believe in living in harmony with muggles (spoiler; they failed).

• Every century, there has been at least two Mosses that got arrested for mainly petty crimes and political reasons.

5. Free Space: Feel free to ask any creator a question not listed here and maybe you will get one in return!

Go ahead and ask 💙

#lineage challenge #moss family #i somehow made everyone related #lily's answers #ask game

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spectaculardistractions · 2 years

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Far from being progressive, these films are, in spirit, just what they were intended to be: literally speaking, commercials, for the E.M.B., or the G.P.O., or any other part of the Establishment, and, therefore, for the status quo of - of all periods - the thirties. True, more complacent films might have been made; but that's hardly a very positive recommendation. Grierson affected to despise, and probably did, aesthetes and intellectuals, and congratulated himself on having fooled them. Empson, at least, had his number right away; and it's for their purely aesthetic qualities that only the very best documentaries will abide.

Raymond Durgnat, A Mirror for England

#raymond durgnat #a mirror for england: british movies from austerity to affluence #john grierson #william empson

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samrieimg · 11 months

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I don't matter and this comment doesn't matter but I just want to say that I really enjoy your writing and it has influenced my writing in a very positive way I think. I have improved as a writer in looking at how you write things while still figuring out my own style. I would write an essay or super long analysis of it all but I've got no mental energy for it.

Thank you for doing what you do. I feel a little silly saying how much fanfiction means to me but I think it does a lot. And yours is probably my favorite.

This isn't supposed to put any type of pressure on you and I'm sorry it's all depressing and sentimental but I wanted to say it.

:( don't worry, reader, I am in the same boat mentally. Your feelings are not invalid and I empathize with your struggle.

My own writing is also inspired by others, so you are not alone nor is it strange; one of my biggest writing influences ended up being Hollywood era film theory and mostly an obsession weirdly with the Canadian Film Board and John Grierson.

I really took nothing away from my film classes other than "consider who is holding the camera and why." And so a lot of time that plays into my stories, but like when a character has the POV, how do they treat it.

Chip in my JR/WI stories is my epitome of shittiest camera man to ever exist. His POV is heavily flawed and limited. Wil's in Sugar Lips is also designed to be the same way, but douse it in the layer of depressing, sad, aching music and claws of capitalism.

#fic asks #author rambles

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leitch · 1 year

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My son won my fantasy football league this year and is not shy about broadcasting it.

Here are this week’s stories:

MONDAY Seven Veteran Free Agents Who Deserve a Shot in 2023 (MLB.com)

TUESDAY Tom Brady, Still Chasing the Dragon (New York) My Big American League West Preview (MLB.com) Transcript, People Still Read Books, John Hendrickson (Medium)

WEDNESDAY Untitled Medium Piece (Medium)

THURSDAY Untitled MLB Piece (MLB.com)

PODCASTS

”Waitin’ Since Last Saturday (subscribe in iTunes) We got very up in our feelings, post national title.

Grierson & Leitch (subscribe in iTunes) Grierson’s not back yet, but I talked to John Hendrickson, author of “Life on Delay.”

Seeing Red (subscribe in iTunes) We did a show! Bernie is the best.

And ... everybody’s back to work. Have a great weekend, all, and remember: If the British monarchy is good for nothing else, it's superb at producing the subjects of films.

#Week In Review

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scotianostra · 1 year

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19th February 1972 saw the death of John Grierson, the film director and producer.

One of the founding members of the British Documentary Movement, Grierson is seen by many as Scotland's most important filmmaker.

Grierson was born in the old schoolhouse in Deanston, near Doune, Scotland, to schoolmaster Robert Morrison Grierson from Boddam, near Peterhead, and Jane Anthony, a teacher from Ayrshire.His mother, a suffragette and ardent Labour Party activist, often took the chair at Tom Johnston's election meetings Johnston being the driving force behind our Hydro-electric scheme.

The family moved to Cambusbarron, Stirling, in 1900, when the children were still young, after Grierson's father was appointed headmaster of Cambusbarron school.

After serving on minesweepers during World War 1, he graduated from Glasgow University and served a Rockefeller fellowship in the USA, where he developed an interest in mass communications and spent some time in Hollywood. On his return to Britain, he became Assistant Films Officer at the Empire Marketing Board and was commissioned to make Drifters, a documentary about the North Sea herring fleet. In 1933 Grierson became Films Officer at the General Post Office film unit, and in both these capacities he played what has later been argued to be a pivotal role in British film culture.

Grierson's specific achievement as a director is not easy to assess, as the documentary movement took a collaborative approach to production. Grierson is only credited as directing Drifters; however, he exerted significant influence on the talented team of young filmmakers he attracted around him. Drifters contains many of the traits that would later characterise the documentary movement's output, notably an emphasis on the social interaction and everyday routine of the fishermen at sea, and on the economic importance of the fishing industry, and some technically innovative 'underwater' shots achieved at the Plymouth Marine Biological Research Station. The new montage style of Soviet cinema and the poetical style of Robert Flaherty were clear influences on Grierson.

In June 1937 Grierson resigned from the GPO and formed Film Centre, an advisory and co-ordinating body for the documentary film movement. It was this kind of supervisory capacity that characterised Grierson's role and influence on factual film, with him also acting as production advisor to Films of Scotland, and, throughout the war, serving as Film Commissioner at the National Film Board of Canada.

After a brief and fairly fruitless period in New York, Grierson returned to the UK in 1946. In February 1948 he was appointed to the Films Division of the Central Office of Information. Over the next two years he attempted to re-establish a major programme of government documentary production, but was repeatedly frustrated by political opposition and public sector spending cuts provoked by the post-war economic crisis. In the 1950s, Grierson acted as joint head of Group 3, the production arm of the National Film Finance Corporation, spent several years in independent television, before finishing his career teaching at a Canadian university.

Critical opinions regarding the impact and influence of Grierson on British film are sharply polarised, possibly more so than with any other prominent British filmmaker. His supporters claim that he single-handedly established the principle of public service filmmaking, analogous to Reith at the BBC. His detractors believe that the legacy of Grierson is more modest, that the documentary movement films reached limited audiences and their cultural impact has been exaggerated. Because so much of his vision was expressed through managing the work of others rather than by direct involvement in making specific films, his legacy as a director per se is in many ways a side-issue.

Grierson went into hospital for a health check-up in January 1972; he was diagnosed with lung and liver cancer and was given months to live.During his time in hospital he spent time dictating letters to his wife, Margaret, and received visitors; however, he fell unconscious on 18th February and died on the 19th. In his wishes for his funeral he had detailed his desire to be cremated. Also according to his wishes, his urn was placed in the sea off the Old Head in Kinsale, and his brother Anthony, who had died in August 1971, had his ashes placed at the same time.A small flotilla followed the Able Seaman, which carried the ashes, and when the urns were lowered into the water, the fishing boats sounded their sirens

#Scotland #scottish #filmmaker #documentary maker #pioneer filmaker #history

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vintage1981 · 1 year

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Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films by John Walsh Available Now from Titan Books

The definitive guide to the making of the classic 1960s Dr. Who movies, lavishly illustrated and packed with insights into these beloved films.

Dr. Who and the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films is the definitive guide to the making of Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. The first and only big-screen adaptations of the long-running TV series, the films, starring Peter Cushing as the titular time-traveller, are beloved by fans – and the Daleks, in glorious Technicolor, have never looked better.

Author and film expert John Walsh has unearthed a treasure trove of archive material, interviews and stunning artwork, and takes us through the whole process of translating the metal monsters from small screen to big. In-depth information on the production, design, casting and special effects is accompanied by full-colour illustrations, including props, posters, and behind-the-scenes photography – making it the perfect gift for fans of the films.

About the Author

John Walsh is an award winning filmmaker with a focus on social justice. His work ranges from television series to feature films. He is a double BAFTA and double Grierson Awards nominee for his groundbreaking work. John’s 1989 documentary on Ray Harryhausen (Movement Into Life) is held in the Ray and Diana Foundation‘s archive. John also produced HD audio and film commentary recordings with Ray in his final years.

Hardcover | $50.00 Published by Titan Books Dec 05, 2022 (UK) Dec 20, 2022 (US) | 160 Pages | 10 x 12 | ISBN 9781803360188

REVIEW

By Brandon Gantt

Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films is a title that I have eagerly looked forward to since it was announced. Filmmaker and author John Walsh has the golden touch (or pen) when writing definitive guides on classic cult cinema. He’s done it thrice over with his tomes, Harryhausen: The Lost Movies (2019), Flash Gordon: The Official Story of the Film (2020), and Escape From New York: The Official Story of the Film (2021), all for Titan Books. To say my expectations were high would be an understatement. Consumers and reviewers highly regarded all three previous titles, and all were nominated for Rondo Hatton Classic Horror awards!

Luckily Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films lives up to Walsh’s previous titles and my lofty expectations! John takes control of TARDIS and drops us effortlessly back to the swinging sixties, where Dalekmania was running wild, culminating in the two 1960s Doctor Who film adaptations, Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. John does an admirable job of painting a vivid picture of the making of these two films, drawn from lots of archive material, interviews, unseen artwork, and gloriously restored and colourised photos by Clayton Hickman. The book examines the complete production process for both films, including production, design, casting, and distribution, all accompanied by a cornucopia of illustrations, behind-the-scenes photos, posters, and props that I’ve never seen before. The overseas promotional campaigns are always fascinating, as Doctor Who had yet to become the worldwide phenomenon it is today.

This book is a must-purchase. Whether you are a fan of Doctor Who or just cinema, John Walsh has done a magnificent job capturing the excitement and enthusiasm of 1960s Doctor Who.

Interview with John Walsh

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#John Walsh #Doctor Who #Titan Books #Dalek Films #Daleks #Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films #Dr. Who and the Daleks #Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.#Dalekmania

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mi4011ayodyarajakaruna · 8 days

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Norman McLaren

Norman McLaren was born in Stirling, Scotland, on April 11, 1914. He had two older siblings, a brother named Jack, and a sister named Sheena. At 21, he went to Russia for a vacation, which solidified his communist beliefs, much to his father's dismay who had funded the trip hoping to change his mind.

At the age of 22, McLaren left Stirling to study set design at the Glasgow School of Art. While there, he joined the Kinecraft Society and began experimenting with various filmmaking styles and techniques. It was at the Glasgow School of Art where he met Helen Biggar, and together they created films outside of school, aiming for national recognition.

In his early film experiments, McLaren would scratch and paint directly onto the film stock due to limited access to a camera. One of his earliest surviving films, Seven Till Five (1935), was influenced by Eisenstein and showcased a formalist approach.

McLaren's film Camera Makes Whoopee (1935) further explored the themes of Seven Till Five, inspired by his new Ciné-Kodak camera. This allowed him to create various 'trick' shots using pixilation effects, superimpositions, and animation to capture the essence of an art school ball.

Both of McLaren's early films received awards at the Scottish Amateur Film Festival, where John Grierson, a fellow Scot and future NFB founder, served as a judge.

In 1941, Grierson invited McLaren to move to Ottawa and join the National Film Board. McLaren's main tasks were to establish an animation studio, train Canadian animators, and create promotional films. Upon his arrival, he collaborated with American director Mary Ellen Bute on two films called Spook Sport and Tarantella. One of his notable works was a promotional film called Mail Early, which reminded Canadians to send their Christmas cards on time. McLaren also contributed to Allied propaganda documentary films by creating animated shorts and maps. He later worked on a series of animated French songs called Chants Populaire in 1943. In 1944 and 1945, McLaren produced a similar series in English called Let's All Sing Together.

By 1942, the demand for animation at the NFB had grown rapidly, and McLaren struggled to keep up. Grierson then asked him to recruit art students and form a small animation team. However, this task proved challenging as many students had enlisted in the war. McLaren managed to find recruits from the École des beaux-arts de Montréal and the Ontario College of Art, including talented individuals like René Jodoin, George Dunning, Jim McKay, Grant Munro, and Evelyn Lambart, who would become his future collaborator. McLaren trained these emerging animators, and together they worked on various projects such as cartoons, animated cards, and propaganda documentaries. In January 1943, Studio A, the NFB's first animation studio, was officially established with McLaren as its head.

Throughout his time at the NFB, McLaren created a total of 70 films. Some notable works include Begone Dull Care, Rythmetic, Christmas Cracker, Pas de Deux, and the Oscar-winning Neighbours. Neighbors is particularly remarkable for its powerful combination of visuals and sound, delivering a strong social message against violence and war. McLaren's talent and dedication were recognized with awards such as the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film for Blinkity Blank. In fact, McLaren chose Blinkity Blank as his diploma piece when he was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

McLaren collaborated with UNESCO during the 1950s and 1960s to develop educational programs focusing on film and animation techniques in China and India. His series of "Animated Motion" shorts, created in the late 1970s, serve as a valuable resource for learning the fundamentals of film animation.

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His legacy -

McLaren's legacy lives on through various tributes and honours. The National Film Board paid tribute to McLaren by naming its Montreal headquarters the Norman McLaren Building. Additionally, the borough of Saint-Laurent, where the NFB is located, is named a district after McLaren. In 1979, the Edinburgh Film house dedicated two seats to McLaren and Grierson. McLaren was also the focus of the short animated documentary "McLaren's Negatives" in 2006. The NFB celebrated the 65th anniversary of NFB animation in the same year with a retrospective of McLaren's restored classics and a new DVD box set of his complete works. Furthermore, in June 2013, the NFB released the "McLaren's Workshop" app on iTunes, allowing users to create films using McLaren's animation techniques. In June 2018, a ballet titled "Frame by Frame," inspired by McLaren's life and work, was staged by Robert Lepage, principal dancer Guillaume Côté, and the National Ballet of Canada. McLaren's influence has even reached filmmaker George Lucas, who has acknowledged McLaren as an inspiration for his own work.

#Youtube

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