I used footage that I had shot in Chittenango, NY and created a short video experiment. The goal of the film was to explore different editing possibilities with static shots to determine what types of movement can be created through alternative editing. As Chittenango, NY is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum the author of The Wizard Of Oz I used a sound clip from a public domain version of the audio book to provide the sound track. I really enjoyed the way in which the calm audio conflicted with the sporadic visuals and thus made the visual that much more jarring toward the end of the piece.
Previous to taking this class I had started to edit what I had filmed for An Invisible Idol. Once I completed The Land Of Oz I used the remaining editing days to experiment with different introductions to An Invisible Idol. I wrote and recorded a different, more personalized, introduction and edited new images to coordinate with that introduction. After that I went through and started to piece together a biography about Curtis Richter which can be seen here.
Within the Remix Culture Seminar we were required to create a piece of remix art incorporating other arts that had been created previously. I developed a silent abstract film that was created by re-filming different horror movie segments. Instead of combining the scenes verbatim and editing them together I only filmed specific parts of the screen which were chosen at random to see what sort of effect the images had on the viewer. After the screening I lead a discussion about remix art and what should be qualified as remix based on what part of the original piece is understood by the viewer. The main discussion point with my film was whether or not copyright law is even a factor for a piece like the one I created as the original imagery is indecipherable.
I’m not sure how it was in the rest of the United States but today in Upstate NY it rained all day. Around 4:37 (or so the stove clock told me) the power at my cottage went out leaving me high and dry in regard to getting any online work done for my graduate program. Instead of pouting about it I decided to utilize caveman time to update my website.
Whereas most people require laptops and internet for their website updates I mostly rely on cheap printer paper and my glorious Pilot V7 pen. I hand drew every element that I knew I wanted on the background of my website from the letters welcoming people to my digital space to the caricature of myself holding a robot. Once the power came back on I quickly scanned my drawings, fiddled a bit in photoshop and then uploaded the background, and my new “face,” into cyber space. I figured since the website has been active for a little over a year it was time give it a revamp. Slowly but surely some other aspects of the site will be changing and perhaps even a new website or two is on the horizon. I bet all three of my devoted fans can’t wait to cue up some more RSS feeds with my name attached to them.
Stay Updated,
Ryan
P.S. If you notice any issues with the updates or feel there is anything that needs heavy maintenance please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at ryan@ryanzlomek.com. I always appreciate the feedback.
I still have trouble grasping the concepts of basic anatomy, expressive anatomy, facial expressions, horizon lines, proper contrast, erasing, perspective, shading, patience, tool selection, steady hands, scaling, vanishing points, objects in space, shot composition, and a slew of other things.
BUT, I now have my studio set up so I can crank out images like this:
to satisfy my artistic cravings and perhaps even learn how to draw at the same time.
Expect more ridiculousness, more often, now that I have space to work and time to create!
Stay Excitable,
Ryan Zlomek
P.S. All drawings created in my studio space will occur while listening to vinyl (none of that there digital stuff). Give your record player some love and see if can help bring out your creative side. That Is An Order!
I’ve always had issues with addiction. Not in the traditional sense (I’m still straight edge at 24 and that isn’t changing anytime soon) but more so in regard to a need for knowledge. It’s typically not an intellectual craving that holds any true value to society. I will never do the type of research that will determine different ways to cure cancer and win the lottery simultaneously but I don’t have a problem reading seventeen different “academic” essays about the correlation between adolescent comic book readers and enhanced media literacy capabilities.
My most recent addiction has related to the writings and performances of Harlan Ellison. He has been writing professionally in a variety of forms from political essays to science fictions short stories since 1955 and is still going strong at the age of 76.
Other than being a great writer, Harlan Ellison also is quite the unique personality. Similar to some of my other favorite artists he is also a negative unpredictable cynical old man. Notorious for saying things and acting in ways that make others uncomfortable he truly is a character. He mailed a dead gopher to his publisher when he felt they were trying to screw him financially (this end in a $35,000 fumigation bill), he successfully sued James Cameron for stealing some of his ideas for the famous movie The Terminator, and managed to obtain pneumonia while writing his story Pretty Maggie Money eyes naked sitting next to an air conditioner.
Last night I watched a documentary about Harlan entitled Dreams With Sharp Teeth for a second time. After the film’s completion we watched the extra features in which the director filmed Harlan Ellison and Neil Gaiman (writer of Sandman, American Gods, and Coraline) eating pizza together. At one point Neil Gaiman discusses the smile that appears on his face whenever Harlan does something absurd and antisocial. At that point my buddy turned to me said “Ryan, you’re my Harlan Ellison.” It’s good to know I have the power to make people as comfortably uncomfortable as an angry 76 year old yiddish man from Ohio.
When I first started absorbing his material a few weeks ago I sat down on my couch and started unconsciously sketching with my Pilot V7 as I often do. After the picture was completed it seemed to have the same type of gritty feel that Harlan Ellison’s work gives me.
If you’re interested in reading or listening to anything by Harlan Ellison I highly suggest his stories I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream, The Discarded, Pretty Maggie Money Eyes, and The Prowler In The City At The Edge Of The World. You can find an assortment of his short story collections and books at your local book store.
Ryan Zlomek (That's Me!) is an independent filmmaker, unconscious animator, amateur illustrator, creative writer and professional educator from Chittenango, NY.
Ryan Zlomek (That's Me!) is an independent filmmaker, unconscious animator, amateur illustrator, creative writer and professional educator from Chittenango, NY.
