Friday, December 1, 2023

Umfeld, 2007

This film is a mostly abstract film just under and hour in length. It's an audiovisual trip. First off, this film is not for epileptics or people sensitive to quick, contrastive imagery. That Pokemon episode that gave people seizures has nothing on this movie. You've been warned.

The film was directed as an interplay between music and visuals with Scott Pagano doing the visuals and Speedy J doing the music.

This film has 8 movements. Each movement has a generalized style of motion. Some shake back and forth, some pulse like a heart, some crossing imagery. I won't say too much because it will ruin the surprise to those who watch it. Unlike other abstract animated films which are more like a progressive dance through visual elements, this one is more convulsive like a more focused early night dream sequence. There are windows and other fragments of technical structures that occasionally appear so the film isn't fully abstract.

I don't think it's going to be everybody's cup of tea, being rather back and forth and convulsive compared to other abstract or experimental animations, and in its similarity at times to visions one experiences when one can't quite fully fall asleep, but I really enjoyed it. I give it an 8 out of 10.

If you want to check it out, I'll embed it here and you can then choose to watch it on YouTube. I hope that one or both filmmakers make another feature length project. Scott Pagano's website





Check out the movie or the other work of either Scott Pagano or Speedy J. Once I find another gem I'll be back again.