MICHAEL SUMNER / film & video (old version)

2011-02-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

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2009-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

BETWEEN 5TH & 6TH (excerpt)

film: Michael Sumner
words: Melody Sumner Carnahan
voice: Alex Neville
music: The brilliant Dullards
audio mix: Alex Neville

Between 5th & 6th was originally filmed in 1984 in B&W Super-8 at three frames per second from the side window of a 1964 Ford Galaxie, driving around the block five-and-a-half times (5th - 6th - Howard - Mission, in San Francisco). The stop lights and traffic determined the pacing, rhythms, and framing of the camera.

The soundtrack—based on Melody Sumner Carnahan’s story “Mona Lisa”—was created in 2007 in collaboration with the band, The brilliant Dullards, who performed the soundtrack live at the premiere screening (High Mayhem Festival, Santa Fe) with pre-recorded narration by Alex Neville. Later, for the final soundtrack, the narration was mixed with the multi-track live festival recording, along with additional electronic and acoustic elements generated by the band.

(Excerpt is 2:24 of the 16:40 film/video.)

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2009-01-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

IT SHOULDN'T BUT IT DOES (excerpt)

video/audio: Michael Sumner

All images were originally made with still cameras, both digital and film. The soundtrack was created using a broken mono cassette recorder.

(Excerpt is 2:09 of the 4:02 video.)

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2009-01-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

THROBBING GRISTLE 05/29/81 (excerpt)

film/video: Michael Sumner
music: “Vision and Voice,” Throbbing Gristle

This was the last live concert of Throbbing Gristle in the 20th century. Kezar Pavillion, San Francisco, May 29, 1981.

The film was created under extremely low light conditions. An Eumig 830 XL Super-8 camera was used that has an unusual feature -- the “LT” (Long Time) setting. That is, when the camera is turned on, the shutter opens . . . then closes only after sufficient time for the proper exposure of one frame has elapsed. A new automatic pulse then triggers another exposure and so forth until the take is completed. The exposure times for individual frames range from 1/12 second to one minute per frame. The accumulated images are shown here at three per second.

The soundtrack recording is from the same concert. “Vision and Voice” from “Mission of Dead Souls, The Last Live Performance of TG,” CD, used here without the permission of Mute Records, Ltd. (p) 1980/81 Industrial/Fetish Records © 1991 Mute Records, Ltd.

(Excerpt is 2:14 of the 7:11 film/video.)

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