Frameworks Decade and "vs."

From: Captain P.J. (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Jan 25 2007 - 08:17:12 PST

('binary' encoding is not supported, stored as-is) I have dropped in and out of Frameworks more times than I can count. The thing that usually signs me off is one of these "vs." threads: film vs. video, Mekas vs. Lucas, politics vs. politics, Hollywood vs. Everyonelse, Godzilla vs. Spider-man (wait, that was a different forum). In fact, when I see a thread that has fifty responses, my first inclination is to delete all of them- I've learned from experience that they have become "vs." threads. It seems like there are so many boundaries and wars within "experimental film" that it doesn't even feel liberating anymore! How discouraging that must be to a newbie!

I admit to being one of those "lurkers" lately. I used to write about works and experimental "moving images" quite a bit and now I feel that I simply use Frameworks (albeit rarely) to advertise my screenings, ask technical questions, crack jokes, etc. I think I sometimes forget how helpful this forum once was to someone who had just seen experimental works and wanted to know more (wow- seven years ago).
  
I think part of the problem is this: http://hollywoodastronomer.blogspot.com

When I first started this thing, I would sometimes cross-post my blogs on Frameworks (I think one of my Brakhage screening experiences was the last one I posted), but got discouraged because these threads generated very little discussion (unless someone was "correcting" me for falling outside of the increasingly (and ironically) defined lines of "avant-garde"). Moreover, sometimes I feel like summing myself up in a picture or a video clip (or talking about Russian rocket bodies falling out of the sky). I also enjoy the random wanderers. So I migrated to blogging and and became passive on Frameworks.

Perhaps if a few of us started actually discussing experimental works again (and some people do, I might add, they just get buried), this list could balance itself out a little better. I think some "vs." chatter is okay, but honestly, I can bash Hollywood or politicians on almost any forum. I'll never forget the day I met someone in New York whose eyes got big as she realized, "YOU'RE Captain P.J.!?" People do read those posts, too!

Hopefully,
Courtney

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For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.