Last wednesday a rom com saved my life

A bit of poor blogging on my part......I wrote the following on my other blog and thought as its film related that I should put it up here too....

Its a Wednesday night and I’ve spent the past week completely rushed off my well heeled feet, so much so, the other day I actually fell over as I was so exhausted! I was concealed under some shrubbery for about 2 mins concerned about where the hell my shoes flew off to during my decent into the wild shrubbery of a London alleyway. It was a pretty comical way to end the night I must say and to think I was more concerned over my shoes than the gash on my knee, ughhh I hate to think this says a lot about me...anyways if I lost my darn shoes I'll be walking around London bare foot which you will have to agree is not ideal in this weather. Anyways...yes it's a Wednesday night and I think to myself I have got to get away from the computer, all day working, working, working (which I have to admit as much as I complain...I actually enjoy), I digress AGAIN...so its a Wednesday night...I finally tear myself away from the computer and decide to sit down and watch a film. A pretty normal way to end the day relaxing eh? So I decide to go all 'Bridget Jones' on myself and watch a rom com and I ain't your rom com kinda gal, AT ALL. Yep, I have actually spent the last 1 hour and 30 minutes of my life watching some hybrid of Four Weddings, My best Friends Wedding and Pretty Woman. I imagine that was the exact pitch the producer used to sell the film as well...'it's gonna be a hit' etc etc. And I put my hands up...I enjoyed it. Yes, this hard arsed Bird enjoyed a rom com AND i was happy the guy and the girl got in on and will live happily ever after. I even found myself smiling at the end of the film, COMPLETELY INVOLUNTARILY I may add! Shock, followed by complete horror.

Am I a romantic at heart?! Or has my judgment been severely impaired by lack of sleep????

Ok, so there isn't much intellectual deep rooted symbolism over whether Richard Gere gets with the sex worker or if Hugh Grant gets with the hot American Lady or whether Julia Roberts does what ever she needs to do at her best friend's wedding but I have to admit, I just spent the last 90 mins of my life hooked on whether the chick from Will and Grace was gonna get with the guy from My Best Friends Wedding in another rom com flick about a single woman attending her sister's wedding with a male escort to make her ex fiancé jealous (fiancé is also best man at said wedding). Hmmm I see a rom com pattern here..... Complete plagrism aside, I don't care that whoever wrote the screenplay for this film is a rip off merchant, all I care about is whether or not I was entertained AND I was entertained. I was entertained by the sheer cringiness of it and the complete brazen approach to constructing a storyline based on our stereotypical outlook on love and relationships. We're all aware that something as intimate and complex as forming human connections is the most beautiful and at times destructive part of our human instinct but simplifying a complex connection like this in someway leaves people feeling hopeful in a sense. It lulls us into a state of euphoria, even for a moment. Everything with the world seems so much more simple and clean cut in films like this. The biggest problem is whether or not the bride will get jilted and not whether she can pay her bills or feed the kids.

I disengaged my brain for an hour and a half and why not? We’re all allowed our guilty pleasures and I was entertained and in some ways felt cleansed by the complete escape from reality.

I think I’m going to sleep easy tonight knowing the chick from Will and Grace got with her male escort and more than anything…I find this pretty surreal...

Rom com hell, heaven, hell, heaven?

Whatever, I'm off to dream about male escorts and weddings now. Night, night.

Christina

Submit your Video's to creative review for Annual 2010

Creative Review are looking for entries for there 2010 Annual, deadline is 2 weeks from now so be quick,

(however, i just realized its £100 to submit)

Creative Review Annual 2010 Submission

Calling all Video Artists

Wasted Spaces is currently looking for talented video artists for a temporary art wall in Wembley, London.

deadline: December 23, 2009

http://wastedspaces.org/newsletters/wembley-video-wall-email.html

Art Video Screening 2010

Call for entries

deadline: March 5, 2010
categories: Video art (single channel only)

http://www.artvideoscreening.se/submission.htm

Athens Video Art Festival 2010

Call for entries

deadline: 15th February 2010
categories : Video Art, Animation, Video Installation, Installation, Digital Image, Web Art, Performance Art

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199001949575&ref=nf
http://www.athensvideoartfestival.gr

The roundhouse is looking for films to show at its new cinema...

Details HERE

Speaking of inspirations...

to read:
Expanded Cinema, Gene Youngblood

to watch online:
Man With A Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov
Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky
Begotten, E. Elias Merhige
Stereo, David Cronenberg

Salon Video Art Prize is taking submissions...

http://www.salonartprize.com/

Deadline is Saturday the 23rd of January

VIDEO IS THE ONLY CONSTANT @ CORSICA STUDIOS!

So it begins...

The Only Constant have joined forces with Corsica Studios to hold monthly screening and open discussion evenings at this great venue throughout 2010!

IT ALL BEGINS....WEDS 3RD FEB 2010!

THE DETAILS....

We are The Only Constant, a collective of emerging video and filmmakers based in London. Our ethos is to challenge visual taboos and create forward thinking moving images. Our aim? To rant, rave and INSPIRE.

The Only Constant have joined forces with Corsica Studios for the monthly screening event ‘VIDEO IS THE ONLY CONSTANT’. A new night of screenings followed by open discussions surrounding the realm of moving imagery!

'VIDEO IS THE ONLY CONSTANT' WON'T BE YOUR TYPICAL 'SCREENING' EVENT!

Each month we are in search of fascinating videos and films of any genre up to 10 minutes in length that urge the spectator to think beyond the confines of the proverbial ‘box’. Each artist involved is invited to talk about their work and respond to feedback from spectators. We want to know what has inspired you to create your work, what you aim to achieve with your moving imagery and ultimately understand the very essence behind your CREATION! Every evening will become an open discussion in which EVERYONE is invited!

INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Please send your thoughts, inspirations and video links to…theonlyconstant@ymail.com

The deadline for video and film submissions is MONDAY 11TH JANUARY.

HAPPY VIDEO MAKING!

----------------------------------------------------

One of the reasons why I got involved with The Only Constant and wanted to help set the group up was because I felt that there was a need to help create a forum in which everyone within this field could feel inspired to make work, discuss and inspire. Video Is The Only Constant is an extention of this idea and a way of realising this urge. Artists who show work during the evening will be invited to talk about their inspirations behind their work and be involved in an open discussion with everyone at the event. We want this to become a melting pot of ideas!

Everyday new ideas are coming into fruition and expanded upon whereby we aim to make Video Is The Only Constant, a continually evolving event. Video Is The Only Constant is an evening that moves with the flow and the constant groove of the artists involved. We want this to be an evening that will be conducive in creating an atmosphere and community where people feel inspired to CREATE!

HAPPY VIDEO MAKING!

Christina

Nick Cross - Yellow Cake

I recently stumbled upon some animation by Nick Cross and was very impressed. There is also another finished work of his online at Vimeo.

Film by award-winning animator, Nick Cross. 'Yellow Cake' is a lamentable tragedy mixed full of pleasant mirth.

Informal Screening

Hey all,

Tentative date for an informal meet up and screening before Christmas. I thought this would be good as I and others have not really had a chance to see everyone's work, at least not beyond the internet. So let me know if this date works for yall. Friday the 11th.

The address is:

B8 22 Smeed Road
The Old Peanut Factory
Fish Island
E3 2NR

It is in a nice large warehouse space filled with friendlys in Hackney Wick so plenty of seating, a projector, sound system, perhaps even mince pies and mulled wine too.

And even directions!


BY TUBE:
closest station is Bow Road (20 min walk) - turn right on exit, walk down bow road until you get to Bow Church DLR (about 5 min) then head down fairfield road, past roman road, right up until old ford road then turn right (you'll see a church in front of you that sells catering equipment) then take the footbridge over the motorway. After this turn right up by the Big Yellow Storage Comany (HUGE big yellow building) then keep going till you see a blue metal arch which says 'Greenway' on the opposite side of the street. Go down the stairs under the arch, walk along dace road for a couple of minutes and you will be at smeed road, phew! you need to go through the blue door 22 into the courtyard and you will HEAR US. VERY LOUDLY. wooo!

BY DLR:
closest DLR is Bow Church (15 min walk) - directions as above from the DLR bit!
OR... Pudding Mill Lane (10 min walk) - head straight along the greenway past the olympic site until you get to the blue 'Greenway' archway, which is at the end to can't go wrong, then head down the steps, as above.

BUSES:
buses are probably the easiest....
NO. 8 - get off at Parnell Road (which actually stops on Old Ford Road) then walk over the motorway footbridge. After this turn right up by the Big Yellow Storage Comany (HUGE big yellow building) then keep going till you see a blue metal arch which says 'Greenway' on the opposite side of the street. Go down the stairs under the arch, walk along dace road for a couple of minutes and you will be at smeed road. This only takes about 5 mins. NO. 8 is also a NIGHT BUS!!! yay. this is handy.

NO. 339 - get off at Fish Island (last stop) and head up by the Big Yellow Storage Comany etc.

NO.s 276 and 488 - get off at Monier Road. Head down towards the building yards and over the roundabout until you get to Dace Road (2 mins). Walk down dace road and smeed road will be on your left.

NO. 25 - get off at Bow Church DLR and follow directions as above. 25 is also a NIGHT BUS. woop!

OVERGROUND:
get of at Hackney Wick then walk south down the motorway until you get to Fish Island roundabout, then turn into Dace Road, then Smeed Road is on your left.


and here is a map too....
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=er6&q=22%20Smeed%20Road%20London&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

SOUND TALK AND PERFORMANCE 9TH DECEMBER AND LAUNCH PARTY ON 10TH DECEMBER!!!

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE!

I'll be taking part in RART's 5-day 'art-party' @ WORK DALSTON, Gillet St N16 8JH, next week! On the 9th December I will be doing a 'sound' talk which will be followed by a performance by the electronic project I'm part of, EVE BLACK/ EVE WHITE www.myspace.com/eveblackevewhite

Talk from 7.15pm and performance at 9pm!

The very next evening will the launch party for another music project I'm involved with, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump. It's a party celebrating the release of our new EP 'BUY A LIFE' at The Victoria in Mile End. We will be supported by Veronica Falls and Battant and there will be djs and dancing until the wee hours!!! Come join in on the fun!!!

Be great if you can make it along!!!

Christina

Cotall Street Festival // Call for submissions

Hi there,
Just wanted to let you know about our film collective (http://actionfilmkolektiv.blogspot.com/) that holds regular screenings in temporary spaces in London. We have been using a flat in a large squatted building in East London and will be doing a special evening of screenings for their Eviction Festival on Friday 4th December (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=187497361261&ref=mf) . We are looking for films to show, preferably shorts and documentaries, if you have any films you would like to show please get in touch on actionkolektiv@gmail.com
Thanks, Darren

Starlets at war, war, WAR!

So the other day I was watching Kenneth Anger, a man fascinated by a bygone Hollywood era with all its camp, trash, death conspiracies and casting couch crabs...now I'm watching 'Whatever Happened To Baby Jane' featuring two bygone Hollywood starlets making WAR!

Joan Crawford, the lady with the eyebrows! Bette Davis, the 'real' actress?

You decide.

MOVES10: FRAMING MOTION | 21-25 APRIL 2010 | LIVERPOOL

http://www.movementonscreen.org.uk/

Looks good and right up my alley in terms of theme! Check it out!

10 Years

I'm currently stepping out of my comfort zone and making a short documentary...well a documentary of sorts. I will be asking my parents 'What will become of me in 10 years?'. I'll be using my mother and father as some kind of psychic tool in order to determine my future and will question how the upbringing they have given me has shaped me into the adult i've become...etc, etc. It's going to be like pulling off a plaster. Most of us know what it's like to be at constant odds with parental figures with an overwhelming urge to go against the parental grain and become your own person; this video will in a sense be a cathartic way in which I will deal with some of these issues.

I am right now trying to work out ways in which to film the project. I am debating whether or not to conceal their identity, film them shadowed or fragmented. My want to conceal their identity is in some way a safety net for me more than for them. As this is such a personal project having them in full view seems a bit overwhelming.

Filming begins next week!

Your thoughts and comments are welcome! Also please feel free to post about your current projects and ideas!

Screening opportunity

Thought this might appeal:

http://www.artsjobs.org.uk/index.php?id=25&ne_source=dailyjobs&ne_post_id=30612

The Only Constant VIMEO CHANNEL

As suggested by Morgan, simpler way for now is a vimeo channel.
So this is it http://vimeo.com/channels/theonlyconstant
I added 4 of us as moderators, the only ones I know with an account on vimeo, so please the others let me know your vimeo account and will add you as well.
I guess then you just have to add your videos to the channel...

SCORPIO RISING

60's pop songs, men in leather and motorbikes. A different kind of love story.....


Kenneth Anger I <3 you and the love you have for a Hollywood Babylon that no longer exists.

The Only Constant on Vimeo

A Vimeo account has been created for member videos:

http://www.vimeo.com/theonlyconstant

Maybe we could screen something at this...

http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/shop/product/category_id/46/product_id/399?session_id=125830315157eae88e014113ff3aa04322d72c3b09

Morgan - New Film

Screening night at the Cat n Mutton Pub

Those interested in coming along to our next meeting it will be held at the Cat and Mutton Pub, London Fields, Monday 8pm, 16 November 2009

Cat and Mutton Pub, London Fields
http://catandmutton.co.uk/

Possible shop front installation project

Ran into this today from the arts jobs mailing list and thought I would share since so many seemed keen on the idea of using a shop front to show work.

http://www.artsjobs.org.uk/index.php?id=25&ne_source=dailyjobs&ne_post_id=30475

Video work by Morgan Beringer

I post a lot of work on Vimeo. Please feel free to have a gander and share your own work here!

http://www.vimeo.com/user781195/videos

Under the bridge...

There is a large unused space under the bridge that goes over the canal here:

56 Eastway, Hackney, England, United Kingdom

All sorts tend to use the space from gypsies to tramps to photographers. There used to be a large bus parked there.

Screening Event - 61 Cotall Street