The Shape of Films to Come

[Music] [Music] popular art of our century held a preview of their own future filmmakers found the world bought together the greatest concentrates had ever seen they were the hit of the fair motion pictures it has been said of the only art form man has invented in the last five thousand years it is an art which grew out of technology machines and electricity chemistry and optics and it is an art in which new technology sparks new bursts of creativity today film artists are exploding with inventiveness in multi images and multi screens in mixed media and computer-generated films a fantastic variety of movie experiences pointing the way to an even more fantastic kitchen the British poverty bow displayed one of the most brilliant uses of multiple images to date on three screens Don Levy's sources of energy [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] this is lap raise appearances including two unusual film theaters this theater uses five screens 12 by 16 feet each arranged in the form of a cross here the Canadian film board shows how effective multiple screens can be in a storytelling film the filmmakers play their screens for dramatic values alternating images building mood and suspense [Music] [Applause] [Applause] four Canadian Pacific Francis Thompson and Alexander Hamad used six large screens 3000 square feet for their film we are young filmmakers say multiple screens forced the audience to be selective you move your eyes from picture to picture selecting your image and this they say increases the viewers involved [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] the province of Ontario built one of the largest screens in the world three stories high six storeys wide for a film by an Ontario native Chris Chapman called a place to stand it shows what the new shape of films can do to the old-fashioned travelogue [Music] unlike the multiple screen films we've seen Chapman's method needs only one projector the money images are printed onto a single roll of 70 millimeter film twice as wide as ordinarily used in theaters with this technique the filmmaker is free to use any number of pictures and any size or shape be chooses for a wide variety of effects [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this is a whole family of film innovators John Whitney and his three sons of Los Angeles their goal new instruments for the new visual arts of the future the Whitney's want the film artist to have it is disposal as great an array of instruments as the musical composer they design and build their own equipment it is automated and it is computerized they use it to explore the fundamentals of graphic design working with abstract images the Whitney's program their ideas into a computer the computer relays the instructions to the automated camera and animation Stan the result is a series of images in motion accomplished faster and more precisely than older methods would allow this three screen film is by Michael mark and John Whitney Junior [Music] [Applause] [Music] at Stony Point New York Willard Van Dyke director of the film department of New York's Museum of Modern Art visits Stan Van Der Beek's movie drone a hemisphere for films like the Whitney's van der beek considers the computer an essential tool for the filmmaker of the future Thunder be convened Ike a sly on the floor to look at the images above van der beek covers the entire surface of the dome with slides as well as motion pictures like a planetarium the dome gives the illusion of infinite space van der beek calls it a replica of the universe van der beek foresees of time when he will be able to store millions of still and moving images in a computer memory bank and recall them at will to orchestrate them on his movie drone [Music] Vanderbeek sees other uses for the computer at Bell Laboratories a used one to generate moving designs and photographed them off the computers visual display screen this technique opens up a new form of imagery which Vanderbeek says could not have been achieved in any other way [Music] at Expo Czechoslovakian filmmakers put the computer to work in an ingenious new concept for audience participation it is called Kino Ottoman the film has stopped two turning points in the plot to let the audience vote on how they want the story to develop first the audience is briefed on how Kino automat the push buttons feed into a computer tabulating the vote of each seat number registers on a frame around the screen the computer adds up the votes and flashes the totals of the green buttons and the red the actor on stage Miroslav Hornet check also stars as mr. Novak the hero of the film the movie is called one man and his world mrs. woo Buddha has inadvertently locked herself out of her apartment she tries to explain this to her husband I can explain the whole thing to you her towel is caught in the door of her neighbor mr. Novak who had innocently tried to help the lady you weren't expecting me so early no what happened hello Martha look mr. Novak I'm not blind I can see what's going on here the joke my wrong mr. Svoboda please you've got nothing to do drug abuse today what do you mean by that for heaven's sake try to be reasonable mr. slow Buddha explain I've known my wife five years why would you let me tell you what happened I was dining and somebody rang the doorbell I'm going out give me the knee you can't leave me here in the new Novak's wife Martha arrives hi yes mrs. Novack I was outside I didn't have any clothes and your husband came out and don't stay with me I'll explain this even bother bother Martha Martha come back wait come out huh I let me make it quite clear you're not coming back in here again what should Novak do follow his wife or followers neighbor's wife that choice is left to the audience you know he's a French lady in his flat and he's owned by the French word decide for him according to your own inclination that should occur in a few seconds he directs according to our decision the green pasture says to follow advice on the computer you've got ten seconds again time's running out the audience casts its votes the green button to follow his wife the red button to follow mrs. vole button the computer tabulates ee-vie come on it's in our bag Novak goes off in the direction the audience has sent it water come here a minute didn't you see me coming why what time was it 10 to 3 you have an excellent memory lucky for me come with me and tell it to my wife I never interfere with things that don't concern me I'm not asking you to interfere just say it was 10 to 3 come on I'm afraid I can't ever set the regulations for anybody but she's going back to her mother I have no authority to prevent it why excuse me I know you made their chosen we complied but what a novel is very bad our opening life does run so fast but don't haste I'm not yeah now Pina automat will give the audience a chance to change its mind the action will be reversed to the point at which the audience last voted and they will vote again on the same alternatives all right then and I think it over once more for the last time you have not an opportunity to do something but in real life would be impossible to decide once more what has been already decided you can change your mind in truth the alternative solution that means you either confirm your choice by the green button or you may change it by the advantage of the computer remember please their green button size so for his my brain man to help me fix Barbara you've got an audience does change its mine and Novak goes to help mrs. Swoboda [Music] mr. Buddha are you alright [Music] I have to get home mrs. D MEC [Music] this is for Buddha again I took care it's nothing to do with you the decision of the audience has sent Novak in a circle he's right back where he started ready for the audience to start him off in a new direction New York's EDM sweller also mixes film and live performers but in a very different way this composition is called Bodyworks M Schiller uses three handheld 8 millimeter projectors he paints the live dancers with movies of dancers and he bathes the whole scene with bursts of color so you can't distinguish the live action from the film the movement becomes almost hypnotic the images turn into abstractions the many uses of film will demand new theater designs this theater at Expos labyrinth photographed by Life magazine may be one of them the twin screens measure 17 by 37 feet one lies horizontally on the floor below the balconies the other thrusts vertically up the far wall the point of view shifts between the horizontal and the vertical to give us the feeling of an extra dimension [Music] [Music] [Music] in the 21st century true three-dimensional films will be a reality computers may be essential tools of the filmmaker there will be visual wonders beyond imagination today the emphasis is on technique technique will be mastered the sound was in the 30s color in the 40s wide screens in the 50s the technique is not enough in the 21st century as in the past great films will start with meaningful ideas with a writer and a blank piece of paper with actors and directors with individual filmmakers using their talent and inspiration to transform them into works of art [Applause] [Music]