what a great filmmaker can do with mini DV footage

Post by **steve hyde** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 3:33 am

....just saw Werner Herzog's new documentary last night at the cinema. I'm not sure what to say about it because my head is still spinning. HAs anyone else seen this film?

http://www.grizzlyman.com/

Post by **sooper8fan** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:57 am

did Werner Herzog shoot some of the footage in the trailer, or did he just shoot the interviews and b-roll (flying over the mountains, etc.) What else has he done? Grizzly Man looks very interesting...can't wait to see it!

Post by **steve hyde** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:54 am

...It is a documentary film about a documentary filmmaker, Timothy Treadwell -a man with serious emotional problems and an affection for wild animals. The film is built around the mini Dv footage of Treadwell. Herzogs succeeds at making a tragic comedy documentary based on this footage. One of Herzogs themes has long been the chaos of wilderness. This new film (perhaps his fortieth film or so) is an addition to his catalog on nature and wilderness and what wilderness can do to a mans mind..... or what kinds of men make a life for themselves in the wilderness.

Steve

Post by **tlatosmd** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:02 am

Werner Herzog is mainly known for his films starring Klaus Kinski.

Post by **npcoombs** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:09 am

From my friends Gregory and Maria at cinemaseekers.com a new article about this very film.

http://www.cinemaseekers.com/herzog.html

Also check out their article on Sanjit Ray, both are very good if you ignore the Abd-Ru-Shin mumbo jumbo.

http://www.cinemaseekers.com/ray/

Post by **steve hyde** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:30 pm

...yes Herzog liked to focus his lens on Klaus Kinski: "Aguire the Wrath of God", "Fitzcarraldo" and "Cobra Verde" are all films that should not go unseen. I have only explored a fraction of his catalog.

Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy" is one of the most fascinating works of cinema I have ever seen.

Thanks for the articles - I'll check them out.

Steve

Post by **Superbus_** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:29 pm

Werner Herzog is a genius and I think he has never ever learned filmmaking. This fact could be inspiring for those of us who never studied film art at the university.

Post by **Superbus_** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:29 pm

of course learning art is not a bad thing but not always necessary...

Post by **steve hyde** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:38 pm

....I don't know if Herzog was formally trained in a school. One thing is certain - he learned by doing - He was very fortunate to gain financial support for very ecentric, and often unpopular ideas. All of his films are like cinematic maps onto the convoluted geography of the world. He's filmed in South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, North America, Asia...
Perhaps he's off to Anarctica next. I would not be surprised.

Steve

Post by **Superbus_** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:53 pm

Yes, a film about an Opera house to the South Pole...

Post by **sooper8fan** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:37 pm

Superbus_ wrote:

Yes, a film about an Opera house to the South Pole...

now when you say "film", i assume you mean film?
http://filmshooting.com/scripts/forum/v ... be6c19abbe

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:20 am

I think the consensus in that thread was that if it achieves a theatrical release it can be considered a film even if the source was video... As much as I dislike the Star Wars prequels, I consider those to be 'films' despite their video origins.

Post by **steve hyde** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:10 am

... Herzog's new film originates on 35mm, super 8 and mini DV. MAybe even a bit of Super 16 or HDcam in there too. Who knows? It all goes.
What really matters is that a filmmaker have a good sense of how to use all formats to provoke different emotional/ memory responses.

film shmilm - video pideo

Steve

Post by **Superbus_** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:24 pm

sooper8fan wrote:Superbus_ wrote:
Yes, a film about an Opera house to the South Pole...
now when you say "film", i assume you mean film?
http://filmshooting.com/scripts/forum/v ... be6c19abbe

Herzog is a filmmaker even when he use digital video. Of course celluloid (or polimer - like fuji?) based film is the real film. Digital video is just something like film.

Post by **sooper8fan** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:16 am

i don't want to start any debates but I thought this was a pretty funny line:
Superbus_ wrote:

Digital video is just something like film.

if you say so, my friend.