Investigation: Avant Guard Composure

For my first project of the year I want to make a film that uses every aspect we associate with experimental films, in order to make fun of the way we relate to these films. My goal is to do something that has just enough meaning that a pretentious art person could write some long dribbling over it, while having so little meaning that any analysis put onto the film will have no basis. The essential thesis of this film will be that there is no true Avant Guard filmmaking, instead people working within the supposed Avant Guard are simply using a separate set of tropes.  

This first week I am focusing on Avant Guard film composure. When making this film I think my general schedule will be: Score, editing, additional sound components. This project will not need any new production as I will be pulling clips out of my video library, animations I have already been given permission to use, and public domain footage.   

What is Avant Guard Composure 

Avant Guard composure is all about breaking the forms of music that we know and associate with music. In this study I will be explaining the ideas behind serialism and minimalism. Then I will discus possible ways to bridge the two. 

Serialism:   

Serialism is breaking the ideas of harmony and tonality in order to create a new idea of what music can be, maximizing the use of every musical element. The most notable mark of a serialist piece is the absence of any traditional scale, instead using the 12 tone technique. Serialism encompasses various musical movements including: postmodern composure, free jazz, and futurism. It can also be argued that some of the most notable rock of the 1960-80s was based on the idea of serialism, however the more important influences there were non-western musical scales. Serialism's greatest influence on film scores is the breaking of traditional tonalities which is most notably seen in the scores of Jon Brion (Punk Drunk Love, Lady Bird, Synecdoche New York).

 

Minimalism:

Minimalism originated as a response to serialism. Instead of breaking the normal limits of the elements of music, minimalism uses the idea of repetition to create complexity. Having simple musical ideas go in and out of each other to create tension against itself. Perhaps this is not a good explanation of what minimalism is, refer to the video above for a more detailed explanation. Minimalism can be seen throughout film scores, but is notably seen in the scores of Jonny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood, The Master, Inherent Vice) and Hans Zimmer (Inception, Blade Runner, Dunkirk). 

 

Examples in Film, Paul Thomas Anderson:

A notable director who almost always uses Avant Guard composition in their films is Paul Thomas Anderson. His films are about moments of change and crisis, so the use of these Avant Guard compositions is understandable. He also is good at identifying the type of tension displayed in his films and choose the composition style based on that mood. In Punch-Drunk Love a serialist score is employed to represent the constant tension coming from multiple angles in the film. Whereas There Will Be Blood uses a minimalist score in association with its slowly building tension. For this specific project Anderson provides limited inspiration, however he will serve as a good role model in incorporating these scores throughout the year as I move to more representative pieces. 

 

Incorporating this Idea into My Films:

On a aesthetic level I tend to appreciate this type of composition more than the neo-romantic style that is pervasive in film scores. When incorporating this type of score I will try to have its style match the tone of the film, similar to Paul Thomas Anderson. For the purposes of this specific project, I will be combining both of these styles. When doing this I will have to constantly remember that mixing all the colors together makes a murky brown. My plan is to make about 5 tracks on Garage band, all in different time signatures and keys. Two will be minimalist, Two Serialist, One Combined. In all of these tracks I will include me saying "This is the Avant Guard" in some form. Then I will layer this into Premiere with various other samples and songs. leveling this out to make the most aggressively unlistenable Avant Guard Track. I have a good amount of experience making this type of music though my band:

    

 

Work Long:

Monday: Looked at Avant Guard [film] composure for examples  

Tuesday: Started on the Score for "This is: The Avant guard", collecting strange sound files - base audio   

Wednesday: Continued work on score 

Thursday: Continued work on score, started looking at strange video assets 

Friday: Continued work, started layering different tracks in Premiere