Michel Gondry

The video module and my film studies elective have made me look at film and video in a completely new way. My interest in Michel Gondry has been established since seeing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - definitely one of my favorite films, which won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The thing I love most about Michel Gondry is the fact that he uses no special effects, everything is done in camera.

Here are some quotes from the actors that explain a little better than me how and why Michel Gondry is so brilliant!

Jim Carey: "The completely artistic and whimsical, crazied visual side of Michel Gondry and his ability to experiment is incredible."
"When i got on the set and saw what Michel was doing with forced perspectives it was not only brilliant but so much fun for the actors."
"He has this desire to do things differently and it's brilliant to be original"

Kate Winslet "He really is a visual genius and i say that with utter admiration.




These are a few music videos that i found particularly inspiring.


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Gondry's most recent film Be Kind Rewind - also a brilliant film. Some of the shots and effects he creates are very clever.



During the remake of Rush Hour 2, Black recalls, "I was hanging off a jungle gym in a playground, pretending it was a tall building, and Michel put some toy cars on the ground beneath me. Shot from above, it looked ridiculous, but also totally effective and hilarious."

The result is a film in which the characters make movies the same way Gondry does — with improvisation, ingenuity, and a good deal of chaos. It's definitely not the Hollywood way. Think of it as two kinds of science: Hollywood is all computational physics — elaborate mechanics and digital effects — while Gondry is the home chemist, more superglue than supercomputer. His movies are a kitchen-sink brew of animation, claymation, stop-motion, in-camera tinkering, pedestrian jerry-rigging, and old-school smoke and mirrors.
(http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/16-01/ff_gondry)

I would very much like to develop my video editing skills and hopefully continue to use video within my work despite there not being a module on it next year.