The Web is becoming a more and more powerful archive for film-making that you might not otherwise see. In addition to sites like the Internet Archive / Prelinger Archives, you can now catch up on more recent film, video, and sound history, ca. the 70s and 80s, and works with a decidedly more experimental tilt:
Expanded Cinema, blog by Joao Ribas (via Rhizome.org)
For feeding inspiration to your eyes, it’d hard to do better than Jaoo’s choices. Two of my favorites:
This work by Abigail Child is a perfect example of her knack for cutting together faux documentary scenes with actors, narration-free sound, and brilliantly edited sound scores into subversive experimental works. The results are always witty, and as much about music composition as film. I got to work with Abi while an undergrad at Sarah Lawrence, which was a great way for me to both get inside her head and annoy the real film students. (I was in music.)
Charles and Ray Eames are design geniuses, and they’re finally starting to get mainstream recognition for their film work and not just their (also wonderful) chairs. Their design sense is just as fresh today as when applied to this otherwise-dated Polaroid ad:
I’m betting James at Retro Thing is going nuts for the cameras, too.
In other news, the Eames films are now being made available on DVD. Study them well, and — as long as you makes sure the Eames people don’t find out — go VJ with them. Well, if you can bear to touch them, anyway.
Got a favorite source for online video inspiration? “Curating” your own video history blog? Let us know about it!