experimental cinema examples

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What is Experimental Film — History, Examples & Movements

W hat is an experimental film? This elusive and niche genre can be difficult to define, and there are many common misconceptions about experimental filmmaking, but we’ll be sorting through the fact and the fiction to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means for a film to be “experimental”. We’ll get started with a definition, then dig deeper into experimental filmmaking as a genre, and finally close things out by taking a look at some notable examples.

Avant garde film definition

First, let’s define experimental film.

There are many film terms and phrases that could use simple definitions, and we’ve compiled them all in our ultimate guide to filmmaking terminology . You can also look up definitions for every genre of film in our ultimate guide to movie genres .

EXPERIMENTAL FILM DEFINITION

What is an experimental film.

An experimental film is a project bucks the trends of conventional cinema and pushes the medium of film in unexplored ways. The spectrum of experimental films is extremely broad; this genre encompasses a great many types of projects of varying lengths, styles, and goals.

There are experimental feature films, though more experimental projects have shorter runtimes. This is due in part to many experimental films being made for low budgets and/or the fact that the majority of experimental films are never intended for mainstream appeal or traditional distribution.

AVANT GARDE FILM CHARACTERISTICS

• Can be any length
• Niche and often artsy
• Pushes boundaries and tries new things

Experimental filmmakers

Digging deeper into experimental film.

Let’s dig a little deeper into what it means for a project to be classified as an experimental film. There is a modicum of debate over what exactly constitutes an experimental film, and some projects blur the line between traditional cinema and experimental filmmaking by including elements of each. Experimentation can be found in the editing, in the filming, in the subject matter, or in the manipulation of the camera and celluloid’s chemical and mechanical processes.

A beginner’s guide to experimental cinema

There are many misconceptions about what experimental filmmaking is, so let’s dispel a couple. One common belief is that experimental films have no story. While some experimental films certainly lack anything that could be considered a traditional narrative, that does not hold true for all experimental films.

Another commonly held notion is that experimental films are weird for the sake of being weird or that they are simply filmed nonsense. This is quite a reductive stance to take on the entire genre, but it is an opinion shared by many. The audience for experimental films can be extremely niche, and experimental filmmakers are aware of this. They are not made for everyone.

Surreal = experimental is another common misconception. Containing an element of surrealism does not automatically make a project experimental in nature. However, there is an intrinsic linkage between surrealism and experimental cinema, so the misconception is understandable. Let’s clarify this point with an example.

Sexy Beast  •  dream sequence

This dream sequence from the gangster flick Sexy Beast is undoubtedly surreal yet there is nothing experimental at play. The surrealism is conjured through traditional filmmaking means only. So, while surrealism and experimental cinema often go hand-in-hand, surrealism alone is not enough to constitute a film being labeled as experimental; the filmmaking methods and the pushing or warping of boundaries play important roles as well.

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The history of experimental cinema

Experimental filmmaking over the years.

Since the first camera was invented , artists have been experimenting with the tool. At the dawn of cinema, everything was an experiment. It was only through the intervention of time that certain techniques and methods became standard.

While many of the techniques used in Voyage dans la Lune seem antiquated by modern filmmaking standards, they were absolutely boundary shattering way back in 1902. Radical experimentation was necessary to pull off so many things that had never before been seen or created in the medium of film.

A Trip to the Moon

As cinematic techniques improved and became seen as standards, there were still filmmakers willing to experiment and push the envelope. 1929’s Un Chien Andalou was an early masterpiece of both surrealism and experimental filmmaking. Many of the techniques used in Un Chien Andalou were experimental at the time but have since been integrated into more standard filmmaking techniques as the decades have passed. Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel were two master surrealists and played an important role in the common linkage between surrealism and experimentation through their boundary pushing methods.

Un Chien Andalou

By the 1940s, surrealism and experimental filmmaking were further linked through the work of Maya Deren. Over time, she has proven to be one of the most influential experimental filmmakers of all time. She created a number of experimental short films, the first of which, Meshes of the Afternoon , is often credited as a turning point for experimental and avant garde cinema. The short remains a highlight of the genre more than 70 years after it was first released.

If you are interested in making your own short films, check out our how to make a short film guide first.

Meshes of the Afternoon  •  Maya Deren

Andy Warhol is a name well known in the pop art world, but he made numerous contributions to the experimental film world as well. Warhol made nearly 150 experimental short films throughout his lifetime, and a number of them made throughout the 1960s were considered important contributions to the form. Below is a compilation of six of Warhol’s shorts made between 1964 and 1966.

Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests

David Lynch is perhaps the most well-known filmmaker to consistently experiment in his films. He earned a spot on our list of the best directors of all time . Some Lynch projects explore a blend between experimental cinema and traditional filmmaking, while other Lynch projects comfortably fall into the “wholly experimental” category. Since his debut feature in 1977 with Eraserhead , Lynch has continued to employ experimental techniques in his feature films to this day. A significant degree of Eraserhead’s experimentation can be found in the atmospheric sound design . Listen closely to the trailer below.

Eraserhead  •  trailer

Now that we’ve explored a brief history of experimental filmmaking, let’s see if we can sort experimental films into a few distinct categories.

Experimental film examples

Types of experimental films.

Though experimental films in general can be a bit difficult to categorize as they defy convention by their very nature, there are a few common types we can examine from a bird’s eye view . The first type is: experimental films that challenge the form of filmmaking . This includes projects that defy the expectation of what a film is and manipulate the creation process, like Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man .

Dog Star Man  •  complete

This piece of experimental filmmaking was originally produced as four shorts before being compiled as a singular project. Dog Star Man is often hailed as an experimental masterpiece and was made through various manipulations to the film stock, experimenting with different exposure types, and radical editing techniques.

Another film that lands in the “challenges the form” category is Derek Jarman’s Blue . This one-hour-19-minute experimental film features just a single, unchanging visual for the entire duration: a solid blue screen. An intricately orchestrated audio track underscores the static visual, and the two combine to form a highly emotional experience.

Blue  •  Derek Jarman

Our next type of experimental film is the experimental documentary . Check out our list of the best documentaries to set a baseline for traditional documentary filmmaking before we jump into the experimental side of the genre. This experimental category encompasses projects like the nearly century old Soviet-produced Man With a Movie Camera . The full documentary is available to watch below.

Man With a Movie Camera

Another experimental documentary found in this category comes from none other than Orson Welles with For for Fake . This documentary, essay-film hybrid blurs the lines between fact and fiction in a fascinating way.

F for Fake Video Essay

Experimental Animation is a tried and true category of experimental filmmaking with many worthwhile and envelope pushing entries. Again, you can set a baseline for the non-experimental side of this genre by checking out our list of the best animated films ever made . As for the experimental side of the medium, first, we can return to David Lynch for his contribution to the category.

Six Men Getting Sick

The above short film, Six Men Getting Sick , was David Lynch’s very first foray into filmmaking. He began his journey into the arts as a painter, and you can see him bridging the gap with this painted filmmaking experiment.

For further examples of experimental animation, we can look to the Quay Brothers. Their shorts utilize a dreamy blend of stop-motion animation and puppetry. A number of their shorts are in the criterion collection; here is a highlight reel for four of their shorts.

Criterion teaser for the Quay Brothers

And for one last example of experimental animation found in a recent film, we can look to 2018’s German-Chilean production La Casa Lobo . Sculpture, stop-motion, traditional animation, and other artistic techniques were blended together in jaw dropping fashion that utilized life-size sets and dizzying camerawork. This experimental production pushes the boundaries of animation and accomplishes things never before seen in the medium. It gives the absolute best stop-motion films a run for their money.

The Wolf House  •  trailer

Experimental filmmaking remains alive and well in the modern filmmaking age. As long as there are boundaries left to push, filmmakers will continue to experiment.

What Was Dogme 95?

If you’re interested in experimental filmmaking, the Dogme 95 cinematic vow of chastity makes a fascinating case study into a radical filmmaking experiment. Learn about the movement, why and how it was created, the films that comprise it, and more, up next.

Up Next: What was Dogme 95? →

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Ten Masterpieces of Experimental Cinema

The following list by Justin Remes, author of Motion(less) Pictures: The Cinema of Stasis and the forthcoming Absence in Cinema: The Art of Showing Nothing , considers ten canonical experimental films. You can also watch the films below.

•  •  •  •  •  •

“I don’t like experimental films.” 

“What experimental films have you seen?”

“Well, I’m not sure I’ve ever really seen one, but…”

I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count.

While almost everyone has seen avant-garde paintings by Picasso and Pollock, few have ever had the opportunity to see an avant-garde film by Buñuel or Brakhage. Those who are interested in exploring this cinematic terrain might want to check out one or more of the following films, listed in chronological order. Since experimental films are often difficult to find, I have only included works that can currently be seen in high-quality versions online. 

Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, Un Chien Andalou ( An Andalusian Dog ) (1929) (16 minutes) (NSFW)

In his autobiography, My Last Sigh , the great Surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel wrote, “I’ve tried my whole life to simply accept the images that present themselves to me without trying to analyze them.” This is precisely how one should approach the bizarre and irrational images of Un Chien Andalou : an eyeball being sliced open by a razor, ants swarming out of a hole in a man’s hand, two corpses buried in sand on a beach. Buñuel and Dalí pair these bewildering images with a soundtrack that includes a couple of sensual tangos, as well as the magisterial “Liebestod” (or “love death”) from Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde . Un Chien Andalou is disturbing, disorienting, and startlingly original. Those who see it never forget it.

Walter Ruttmann, Wochenende ( Weekend ) (1930) (11 minutes)

To create this odd intermedia experiment, the German filmmaker Walter Ruttmann wandered through the streets of Berlin and recorded his surroundings with a camera without ever removing the lens cap. In other words, Wochenende features a complex sound collage of voices, marching bands, and sirens, but it is completely devoid of images. Instead, spectators are free to imagine whatever content they like on the blank cinema screen before them. In the words of the Dada artist Hans Richter, Wochenende is “a symphony of sound, speech-fragments, and silence woven into a poem.”

Joseph Cornell, Jack’s Dream (c. 1938) (4 minutes)

American artist Joseph Cornell was a pioneer of found footage filmmaking (that is, creating films by reworking content from preexisting films), and Jack’s Dream is one of his most compelling cinematic remixes. As one listens to the gorgeous strains of Debussy’s Clair de Lune , one sees a number of apparently disconnected images: a puppet show, seahorses, a sinking ship. Like many actual dreams, Jack’s Dream is ephemeral and enigmatic.

Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) (13 minutes)

Albert Einstein once wrote, “The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” It is hard to think of a more mysterious film than Meshes of the Afternoon , a dreamscape that is replete with haunting and cryptic images: a flower that transforms into a knife, a woman who pulls a key out of her mouth, a hooded figure with a mirror for a face. Deren influenced just about every American experimental filmmaker who came after her, prompting Stan Brakhage to call her “the mother of us all.”

Note: When Meshes of the Afternoon was originally released, it was completely silent, but in 1959 a musical score by Deren’s third husband, Teiji Ito, was added. The silent version of the film is more compelling than the sound version, however, so if the version you are watching has sound, I would encourage you to mute it.

Stan Brakhage, Window Water Baby Moving (1959) (12 minutes) (NSFW)

The filmmaker Marjorie Keller once mused, “I don’t know that there could be an avant-garde filmmaker in America that is not in some way indebted to Stan Brakhage, has not studied his films, has not thought about them and taken them seriously.” While Brakhage made over 350 films, one of his most memorable and influential is Window Water Baby Moving , a work that documents the birth of Stan and Jane Brakhage’s first child, Myrrena. Brakhage uses rapid nonlinear editing, out-of-focus shots, reverse motion, and jump cuts to capture just how frenetic and disorienting childbirth can be.

Kenneth Anger, Scorpio Rising (1963) (28 minutes) (NSFW)

In the early 1960s, pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were revolutionizing the art world by appropriating images from popular culture: comic book characters, Hollywood celebrities, cans of Campbell’s soup. Kenneth Anger brought a similar sensibility to his film Scorpio Rising , a heady brew of religion, drugs, motorcycles, Nazis, and homoerotic sadomasochism. At a time when most filmmakers used classical music for their soundtracks, Anger used only contemporary pop songs, like Elvis Presley’s “You’re the Devil in Disguise” and Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet.” Scorpio Rising is also populated with images drawn for popular culture: comic strip panels, gay pornography, and appropriated images of James Dean, Marlon Brando, Jesus, Dracula, and Hitler. One of Anger’s many acolytes, Martin Scorsese, confessed that when he first saw Scorpio Rising , he was “astonished”: “Every cut, every camera movement, every color, and every texture seemed, somehow, inevitable.”

Joyce Wieland, Cat Food (1967) (14 minutes)

Spectators of Cat Food hear crashing waves while watching Wieland’s insatiable cat, Dwight, voraciously eat fish. Whenever one fish starts to be consumed, another seems to miraculously appear. The film has a mythic quality, bringing to mind the New Testament story of Jesus feeding a crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish, as well as the ancient Greek story of Prometheus, whose liver was eaten out by an eagle every day, only to regenerate and be eaten again. Films like Cat Food prompted Hollis Frampton to opine, “The thought of some Purgatory wherein I might be deprived of seeing Joyce Wieland’s films makes me regret my every sin and dereliction.”

Hollis Frampton, Carrots and Peas (1969) (5 minutes)

Carrots and Peas is a cinematic still life in which images of the titular vegetables are paired with the voice from an exercise film played in reverse. Early in the film, Frampton manipulates the imagery by flipping it upside down, adding a color filter, and painting the filmstrip itself. As the film continues, however, the interventions cease, and the viewer ends up staring at a single static image of carrots and peas for a prolonged period of time. Once this happens, one begins to notice details of the shot had originally escaped one’s attention: the indentations on individual peas, for example—or the way one carrot slice seems to be hiding from the others. Carrots and Peas is so odd and inexplicable, it makes me giggle with glee.

Norman McLaren, Synchromy (1971) (7 minutes)

To create this exuberant abstract film, McLaren photographed striated cards with colorful lines on them and placed them onto the film’s soundtrack to produce a series of specific pitches. McLaren then placed these same cards onto the film’s visual track, thus creating a precise synchronization of sound and image. The result is an orgy of color and sound, an exhilarating experiment in cinematic synesthesia.

Naomi Uman, removed (1999) (7 minutes) (NSFW)

Uman erases the women from an old pornographic film using nail polish and bleach, and the result is a provocative and playful deconstruction of cinema’s representational codes. Uman invites viewers to do whatever they want with these “holes.” One can attempt to “peek” at the women who are being erased (since they occasionally become visible, in whole or in part, for a split second). One can enjoy the absences as absences, taking pleasure in the film’s shimmering voids. Or one can fill in the blanks with one’s own desiderata. In the words of Claire Stewart, “The hole in the film becomes an erotic zone, a blank on which a fantasy body is projected.”

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Since the creation of the camera and the dawn of cinema, film has been one long experiment. Experimental film has often been defined through its rejection of traditional storytelling and structure, its defiance of logic or reason while creating mesmerizing scenes through dreamlike abstraction and subjective narrative.

A key figure in the early history of experimental film was the French filmmaker Georges Méliès. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, Méliès was one of the first filmmakers to use special effects and trick photography to create fantastical and surreal images on the screen. His films, such as A Trip to the Moon and The Impossible Voyage , were some of the first examples of what would later be called experimental film. Another important trailblazer during the silent era was female director Lois Weber who is credited in creating an estimated 200 to 400 films. She was credited with pioneering the use of the split screen technique to portray simultaneous action in her 1913 film Suspense .

The 1920s and 30s saw the development of experimental film with the rise of surrealism and the Dada movement with artists Man Ray, Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Florey who pioneered the boundaries and medium of creative short film.

Director Maya Deren would lead the movement into the ’40s with her groundbreaking short Meshes of the Afternoon . She abandoned surrealism and instead focused on using multiple exposures and superimposition in her work creating striking imagery.

Underground cult directors Jack Smith, Kenneth Anger, Steven Arnold James Bidgood ( Pink Narcissus , 1971) and Wakefield Poole all created visual imagery of transgressive sexuality that have become artifacts of queer cinema. Anger would blaze the trail with his legendary films Rabbit’s Moon (1950); Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954) and Scorpio Rising (1963).

Jonas Mekas, one of the most important figures in avant-garde film, was part of the underground movement in the ’60s pushing the boundaries of censorship (and legality) with his films The Brig (1963), Lost Lost Lost (1975) Gun of the Trees (1962). Of course, in France, director Jean-Luc Godard helped popularize the French New Wave with Breathless (1960).

The decade also saw a new wave of Black directors contributing to the medium. Edward Owens’ critically-acclaimed 1966 short film Private Imaginings and Narrative Facts opened the space for Black filmmakers and led the wave of emerging talents contributing to the medium in the ’70s. This included Charles Burnett with his 1978 film Killer of Sheep and Barbara McCullough with Still from Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification .

Filmmakers have continued to push the boundaries of cinema with modern masterpieces in recent years such as Béla Tarr Ágnes Hranitzky’s The Turin Horse ; The Lobster directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and Enter The Void by Gaspar Noé.

Scroll down to take a trip through the history of experimental cinema from its inception to the films that carry the transgressive torch today.

THE LIGHTHOUSE, 2019

Dir. Robert Eggers, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

THE WOLF HOUSE, (aka LA CASA LOBO), 2018

Dir. Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León, featuring Amalia Kassai(voice), Rainer Krause(voice) and Karina Hyland.  

THE LOBSTER, 2015

Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz.

THE TURIN HORSE, (aka A TORINOI LO), 2011

Dir. Béla Tarr Ágnes Hranitzky(co-director), starring Erika Bok, János Derzsi and Mihály Kormos.

ENTER THE VOID, (aka SOUDAIN LE VIDE), 2009

Dir. Gaspar Noé, starring Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta and Cyril Roy.  

RUSSIAN ARK, 2002

Dir. Aleksandr Sokurov, starring Sergey Dreyden, Mariya Kuznetsova and Leonid Mozgovoy.

GUMMO, 1997

Dir. Harmony Korine, starring Jacob Sewell, Nick Sutton, Lara Tosh and Chloë Sevigny.

THE WATERMELON WOMAN, 1996

Dir. starring Cheryl Dunye, Valarie Walker and Guinevere Turner.

CHRONOS, 1985

Dir. Ron Fricke

KOYAANISQATSI, 1983

Dir. Godfrey Reggio

STALKER, 1979

Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy and Nikolay Grinko.

WATER RITUAL #1: AN URBAN RITE OF PURIFICATION, 1979

Dir. Barbara McCullough

KILLER OF SHEEP, 1978

Dir. Charles Burnett starring Henry G. Sanders amd Kaycee Moore.

HOUSE, (aka HAUSU), 1977

Dir. Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, starring Miki Jinbo, Kimiko Ikegami and Kumiko Ôba.

ERASERHEAD, 1976

Dir. David Lynch, starring Jack Nance.

THE MIRROR, (aka ZERKALO), 1975

Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy and Ignat Daniltsev.

JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES, 1975

Dir. Chantal Akerman, starring Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte and Henri Storck.  

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, (aka LA MONTANA SAGRADA), 1973

Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky, starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, Horacio Salinas and Zamira Saunders.

THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, (aka LE CHARME DISCRET DE LA BOURGEOISIE), 1972

Dir. Luis Buñuel, starring Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Bulle Ogier, Milena Vukotic, Paul Frankeur, Stephane Audran and Fernando Rey.

PINK NARCISSUS, 1971

Dir. James Bidgood,  starring Bobby Kendall and Don Brooks.

LUMINOUS PROCURESS, 1971

Dir. Steven Arnold, starring Pandora, Steve Solberg and Ronald Farrell.  

EL TOPO, 1970

Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky, starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky and José Legarreta.

VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS (aka VALERIE A TYDEN DIVU), 1970

Dir. Jaromil Jires, starring Jaroslava Schallerova, Helena Anýzová and Petr Kopriva.

THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES (SAYAT NOVA), 1969

Dir. Sergei Parajanov, starring Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan and Vilen Galstyan.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, 1968

Dir. Stanley Kubrick, starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester.

WAVELENGTH, 1967

Dir. Michael Snow, features Hollis Frampton, Lyne Grossman and Naoto Nakazawa.

PERSONA, 1966

Dir. Ingmar Bergman, starring Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson.

PRIVATE IMAGINGS AND NARRATIVE FACTS, 1966

Dir. Edward Owens

THE CHELSEA GIRLS, 1966

Dir. Andy Warhol, starring Brigid Berlin, Randy Borscheidt and Christian Päffgen.  

DAISIES, (aka SEDMIKRASKY), 1966

Dir. Vera Chytilová, starring Jitka Cerhova and Ivana Karbonova.

I AM CUBA (aka SOY CUBA/YA KUBA), 1964

dir. Mikhail Kalatozov, starring Luz Maria Collazo, Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood and José Gallardo.  

SCORPIO RISING, 1963

Dir. Kenneth Anger, starring Ernie Allo, Bruce Byron and Frank Carifi.

8 1/2, 1963

Dir. Federico Fellini, starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée and Claudia Cardinale.

LA JETEE, 1962

Dir. Chris Marker, starring Jacques Ledoux, Étienne Becker, Jean Négroni(voice) and Hélène Chatelain.

LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, (aka L’ANNEE DERNIERE A MARIENBAD), Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, 1961

Dir. Alain Resnais, starring Delphine Seyrig and Giorgio Albertazzi.

GUNS OF THE TREES, 1961

Dir. Jonas Mekas starring Ben Carruthers, Argus Speare Julliard, Adolfas Mekas, Frances Stillman and Ben Carruthers.

BREATHLESS, 1960

Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg and Daniel Boulanger.

THE SEVENTH SEAL, 1957

Dir. Ingmar Bergman, starring Bengt Ekerot, Max von Sydow and Gunnar Björnstrand.

RASHOMON, 1950

Dir. Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune and Machiko Kyo.

INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME, 1954

Di. Kenneth Anger, starring Samson De Brier, Marjorie Cameron and Joan Whitney.

MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON, 1943

Dir. Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, starring Maya Deren.

RAINBOW DANCE, 1936

Dir. Len Lye starring Rupert Doone.

THE BLOOD OF A POET, (aka LE SANG D’UN POETE), 1930

Dir. Jean Cocteau, starring, Enrique Rivero, Elizabeth Lee Miller and Pauline Carton.

THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA, 1929

Dir. Dziga Vertov, starring Mikhail Kaufman and Elizaveta Svilova.

UN CHIEN ANDALOU, (ANDALUSIAN DOG), 1929

Dir. Luis Buñuel, written by Salvador Dalí and starring Pierre Batcheff, Simone Mareuil and Luis Buñuel.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413 — A HOLLYWOOD EXTRA, 1928

Dir. Robert Florey and Slavko Vorkapich, starring Jules Raucourt, Voya George and Robert Florey.

ENTR’ACTE, 1924

Dir. René Clair, starring Jean Börlin, Inge Frïss and Francis Picabi.

RETURN TO REASON (Le Retour à la raison), 1923

Dir. Man Ray, starring Kiki of Montparnasse

SUSPENSE, 1913

Dir. Lois Weber, starring Lois Weber, Val Paul and Douglas Gerrard.

A TRIP TO THE MOON, 1902

Dir. Georges Méliès featuring Georges Méliès, Victor André and Bleuette Bernon.

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What Is Experimental Film: The Essential Guide

What is an experimental film? It’s a question that deserves an answer. It may also be the phrase most likely used to describe films in the most pretentious and least helpful manner possible. But what does it actually mean?

Etymologically speaking, there’s nothing particularly experimental about “experimental film.” The word comes from the Latin word experimentum or “test,” and was initially used in chemistry in reference to scientific experiments.

However, it soon found its way into other scientific fields, as well as philosophy and mathematics. The concept of a “test” soon became associated with pushing boundaries, trying new things, and generally not taking the easy road.

This isn’t too far off from how we use it today. Experimental films are typically more concerned with form than content. They can eschew traditional narrative structure or display techniques that aren’t commonly seen in mainstream cinema.  

What Is experimental film

What is experimental film.

Experimental film, also known as avant-garde film or underground film, describes a category of films that are often made outside of the mainstream commercial filmmaking industry.

The primary characteristic of experimental films is to focus on the exploration of new cinematic techniques and visual expression.

Experimental films are often either manipulated photographic images, collage films, short films , or a combination of all three.

Some feature abstract film techniques, sound manipulation, rapid changes in image size and style, or alternate frame rates. Some rely on mechanical devices that use optical effects such as mirrors.

Experimental film is a realm where filmmakers break free from conventional storytelling, exploring new narrative techniques and visual styles.

It’s where the norm is defied and creativity knows no bounds.

In our deep jump into the world of experimental cinema, we’ll uncover the essence of what makes a film ‘experimental’ and why these films are vital to the evolution of the cinematic arts.

We’ll explore the pioneers of this genre and their groundbreaking works that continue to inspire filmmakers and audiences alike.

Join us as we unravel the captivating elements of experimental film that challenge our perceptions and push the boundaries of what film can be.

Definition Of Experimental Film

When we jump into the essence of experimental film, we encounter a realm that transcends traditional storytelling.

These films are often characterized by their non-linear narratives and avant-garde aesthetic.

The very nature of experimental film defies easy categorization.

But, it’s essential to pinpoint certain elements that are hallmarks of this innovative genre:

• A focus on the visual and auditory experience over conventional narrative structure,
• The use of abstract or symbolic content to convey themes and emotions,
• An emphasis on the filmmaker’s personal artistic vision.

Filmmakers in this space are liberated from the constraints of commercial filmmaking.

Their works are personal and can be seen as an extension of the artist’s thoughts and feelings.

One might argue that experimental film is akin to poetry in motion.

Like a poem, these films invite multiple interpretations and affect viewers on a deeply subjective level.

Groundbreaking experimental works like Meshes of the Afternoon challenge audiences to engage with the medium in a radically different way.

These films often require an active viewer – one who’s ready to piece together the story from a disjointed narrative or to find meaning in a seemingly unrelated sequence of images.

The landscape of experimental film is ever-changing and hard to pin down.

It’s a genre that’s constantly evolving as artists push the boundaries of what’s possible within the medium of film.

Breaking Free From Conventional Storytelling

In the vibrant world of experimental film, we find a refreshing liberation from traditional cinematic narratives.

Conventional plots, predictable character arcs, and the familiar three-act structure are eschewed in favor of a form that’s boundless and unconfined.

Filmmakers venturing into this domain aren’t just telling stories – they’re exploring the medium itself.

Every shot, cut, and sound in experimental cinema is an opportunity to innovate and communicate ideas and emotions beyond the scope of words.

Drawn to the possibilities of the canvas that is the screen, artists behind experimental films use their visual lexicon to create unique experiences.

Consider the powerful aesthetics in Meshes of the Afternoon , where the visual language speaks volumes, rendering dialogue almost unnecessary.

The hallmarks of experimental film often include –

• Non-linear narratives – Innovative use of camera techniques and editing,
• Emphasis on mood and tone over plot,
• Abstract imagery to evoke a range of interpretations.

As filmmakers, our goal isn’t to simply entertain but to evoke, provoke, and question.

We aim to challenge the viewer’s perception and provide a cinematic experience that resonates on a deeper, often more personal level.

By deliberately stepping away from mainstream storytelling, experimental film opens up new horizons for cinematic expression.

The intersection of film and viewer in this arena is a space ripe for exploration, where the act of viewing becomes a participatory experience.

In embracing the experimental, we provide a counterpoint to the familiar, a contrast that often highlights the potential and elasticity of the film medium.

Audiences who step into the world of experimental film become part of a conversation – a dialogue between creator and consumer where the rules are rewritten with every frame.

Exploring New Narrative Techniques

In the world of experimental film, narrative takes on a form as malleable as clay.

We encounter stories that twist time, space, and reality to create something wholly unique.

Through various means – fragmented storylines , dream sequences , or unreliable narrator s – these films push the boundaries of how a story can be told.

One noteworthy approach to narrative is the use of hyperlink cinema .

Flicks like Babel or Syriana create a tapestry of interwoven story threads, connecting characters and events across different narratives.

This style mimics the interconnected nature of our digital world and offers a rich ground for exploration.

Experimental filmmakers often employ visual symbolism to convey meaning, sidelining traditional dialogue-driven plot development.

Consider The Tree of Life ; its visual sequences speak volumes without a single line of dialogue.

The essence of experimental narrative is to ask fundamental questions about cinema itself.

What are the limits of film?

How can we transcend them?

Such questions lead to techniques including:

• Non-linear storytelling,
• The use of montage to suggest rather than narrate,
• Mixed media formats that combine film with animation, still photography, or digital effects.

In our quest to understand experimental cinema, we look to pieces like Enter the Void .

It’s a film that shatters conventional narrative structures, offering a sensory overload that defies easy description.

The narrative unfolds not as a straight line but as a spiral, looping and re-looping through a character’s life.

We examine how Dogville stretches the concept of a set to its limits.

The film unfolds on a nearly bare stage, challenging audiences to enrich the sparse visuals with their own imagination.

The journey into the heart of experimental narrative techniques is an ever-evolving adventure.

As we jump into more films, we unlock new ways to mold and understand the stories we tell.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZiqBTZMJ-b0

Pushing The Boundaries Of Visual Styles

We see experimental films as audacious art forms that dare to challenge and redefine the aesthetic norms of mainstream cinema.

They plunge into uncharted visual territories, often achieving a unique cinematic language that can be both perplexing and fascinating.

These artistic ventures frequently embrace a variety of unconventional visual styles.

We’ve observed a range of groundbreaking approaches in films like Enter the Void where neon-drenched visuals complement a narrative that defies linearity.

One significant trend within these films is the manipulation of color and light to create an emotional impact.

We consider The Fall a prime example, with its kaleidoscope of vibrant hues painting each frame to not just tell a story but evoke a visceral response.

Experimental filmmakers also experiment with:

• Aspect ratios – altering the viewer’s perspective,
• Camera techniques – embracing handheld or drone footage,
• Post-production effects – using CGI to generate new realities.

By pushing these boundaries, film becomes more than storytelling; it becomes an immersive experience.

Under the Skin utilizes minimal dialogue paired with stark, haunting imagery to invite us deeper into the alien perspective of its protagonist.

Textures and patterns play an essential role as well.

They can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, like the intricate shadow play in The Cabinet of Dr.

Caligari, which still inspires filmmakers today.

Our exploration of experimental film reminds us that the medium is a canvas for innovation.

Each frame, with its meticulous composition and thoughtful design, can redefine what we consider possible in the art of filmmaking.

Pioneers Of Experimental Cinema

When we explore the origins of experimental film, it’s impossible to overlook the groundbreaking work of Maya Deren.

With her film Meshes of the Afternoon , she catapulted herself into the spotlight, setting a precedent for personal and avant-garde narrative structures in cinema.

She blazed a trail for filmmakers seeking to express complex subjects outside the confines of traditional storytelling.

Another luminary in the field was Luis Buñuel , whose collaboration with Salvador Dalí on Un Chien Andalou remains a quintessential work.

This film challenged viewers with its dreamlike sequences and stark, surreal imagery.

It demonstrated the power of cinema to tap into the subconscious, liberating film from the shackles of linear narratives.

Stan Brakhage, an icon of the American avant-garde scene, pushed the boundaries of what film could be.

His body of work, most notably Dog Star Man , exemplified the use of hand-held cameras and rapid editing.

Brakhage’s emphasis on visual perception as a personal, almost tactile experience redefined the role of the viewer.

The impact of these pioneers can be seen across various aspects of modern and classic cinema –

• Reinforcement of personal narrative,
• Exploration of dreamlike and surreal imagery,
• Challenge to traditional story structures.

Their contributions are not merely historical footnotes; they continue to influence filmmakers who strive to forge unique visual narratives.

These trailblazers showed us that experimentation isn’t just about breaking rules – it’s about creating a new language for storytelling that’s only bound by the limits of our imagination.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcr98xQ39-k

Groundbreaking Works And Their Influence

We can’t talk about experimental film without acknowledging Meshes of the Afternoon by Maya Deren.

This film set the stage for narrative flexibility in cinema.

With its circular story and symbolic imagery, it inspired filmmakers to jump into the subconscious of their audiences.

L’Âge d’Or , created by Luis Buñuel, disrupted the film industry with its bold critique of bourgeois society.

It used surrealism to unlock new forms of expression.

Buñuel’s work left a permanent mark on the film landscape by breaking down narratives steeped in reality and reimagining them through a dream-like lens.

Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man exemplified the power of editing to create meaning.

His splicing technique questioned the very essence of moving images.

Brakhage’s contribution lies in his ability to evoke raw emotions, encouraging filmmakers to explore the visceral potential of their medium.

These experimental films sparked movements which continue to influence today’s cinema:

• Meshes of the Afternoon paved the way for films that challenge linear storytelling,
• L’Âge d’Or served as a blueprint for satirical narratives in contemporary film,
• Dog Star Man remains a master class in editing, inspiring innovative ways to manipulate time and space on screen.

Their nonconformist methods were revolutionary.

They urged filmmakers to view the camera as an extension of the human eye.

Not just to capture reality but to create a tapestry of perception that defies it.

Each one of these works embodies experimentation beyond just form and narrative structure.

They embed complex themes and emotions into the visual language.

Our understanding of film as an art form is richer for their daring explorations.

Captivating Elements Of Experimental Film

Experimental film thrives on the fringe of conventional cinema, challenging viewers with its unique characteristics and aesthetics.

What Is Experimental Film – Wrap Up

We’ve delved into the essence of experimental film, uncovering its power to transcend traditional storytelling and engage us on a profound level.

These films challenge our perceptions, inviting us to experience cinema through a fresh, often avant-garde lens.

As we embrace the unconventional rhythms and narratives of experimental cinema, we’re reminded that film is not just entertainment but a dynamic art form capable of endless evolution.

Let’s continue to celebrate the bold creators who dare to express their visions without boundaries, forever changing how we perceive the art of filmmaking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the structure of experimental films.

Experimental films often feature a nonlinear structure that manipulates time, crafts fragmented storylines, and fosters unique connections with the audience.

How Do Visual Effects Enhance Experimental Cinema?

In experimental cinema, visual effects and editing techniques are used more for expressive purposes rather than simply for aesthetic appeal.

What Role Does Sound Play In Experimental Films?

Soundtracks in experimental films aim to defy conventional expectations and help create immersive and often unexpected auditory experiences.

Are Experimental Films Limited To Specific Genres?

No, experimental films are not confined to specific genres.

They often explore a wide range of philosophical and psychological issues.

How Do Experimental Films Utilize The Camera?

Experimental films push the boundaries of traditional camera usage, redefining it as a creative tool rather than a passive recording device.

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Top 25 Experimental Films

2. In the Mood for Love

3. Un chien andalou

5. The Seventh Seal

6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

8. Upstream Color

9. The Turin Horse

10. The Lighthouse

11. Open Your Eyes

12. Rashomon

13. Enter the Void

14. Irreversible

15. Timecrimes

18. Possession

21. Ex Drummer

22. Stalker

23. The Lobster

24. Russian Ark

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The 30+ Best Experimental Movies

Welcome to the captivating realm of films that challenge conventions, play with form and substance, and provoke discussion. Our expertly-curated Ranker list serves as your guide to the best controversial experimental films that captivated the audience and redefined cinematic storytelling. Wielded by visionary directors, these films push the boundaries, disrupt common tropes, and invoke powerful reactions. 

Rooted in an experimental and provocative ethos, these films are loaded with unique narrative styles, expressive visual language, and characters that defy the mainstream cinema. From surreal dreamscapes to disquieting realities, the chosen films encapsulate a wide range of topics and themes, making this a versatile list that caters to diverse tastes. 

Compare films and dive into the nuances by leveraging our user-friendly interface. Learn about each film's vivid descriptions, key cast members, and notable facts. Enrich your movie watching experience and engage in enlightening conversations as you explore the world of controversial experimental cinema.

Gain instant access to your preferred films with our integrated streaming service buttons. Whether you are a subscriber of Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Paramount+, or Amazon Prime, our website offers seamless navigation to your streaming platform of choice. Each film entry harbors clickable buttons redirecting to the movie on the above-mentioned platforms, ready to be streamed at your convenience.

Revel in the rich diversity this list offers, from psychological dramas to outlandish horror, each film's distinct style and daring narrative brings something new to the table. Connect with the Ranker community, gather insights, and join the ongoing debate on these ground-breaking films. 

Our Ranker list stands as a testament to cinema's transformative power. Unveiling stories that stay with the audience, these controversial experimental films beckon to the curious and the adventurous. Join others in discovering unexplored cinematic territory and find your next watching experience here on Ranker. Delve deeper, explore further, and embrace the power of experimental films.

Seven Servants

Seven Servants is a masterclass in experimental cinema that effortlessly melds together unconventional storytelling techniques with striking visual aesthetics to create an unparalleled viewing experience. The film's intricate story structure challenges traditional notions of linear storytelling, taking viewers on an immersive journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Its breathtaking cinematography further accentuates the captivating atmosphere created by this remarkable piece of artistry. Combining these elements with thought-provoking themes exploring power dynamics and human relationships, Seven Servants truly transcends cinematic norms to stand as an extraordinary example of innovative filmmaking.

Flushers is an avant-garde masterpiece that skillfully pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. This experimental gem showcases a bold vision, utilizing daring themes and innovative visual styles to challenge viewers' perception of cinema. With its striking imagery and unconventional story structure, Flushers takes audiences on a surreal journey through uncharted territories, constantly defying expectations while leaving an indelible mark on the world of film. The groundbreaking directorial approach ensures that this enigmatic work stands as a testament to the limitless potential for artistic expression within the medium.

Asudem presents an intriguing amalgamation of visceral horror elements and provocative thematic underpinnings. This visionary piece redefines genre conventions by employing cutting-edge visual styles and story devices to create an immersive experience like no other. Through its evocative blend of nightmarish imagery, disturbing symbolism, and thoughtfully constructed plotlines, Asudem offers a startling exploration into the darkest recesses of human nature. With its unrelenting intensity and masterful filmmaking prowess, this standout work leaves a lasting impact on viewers long after the credits have rolled.

Breathful is an enthralling tour de force in experimental cinema that successfully marries exceptional visual innovation with audacious thematic explorations. The film's distinct style lends itself to a hypnotic viewing experience, as viewers are drawn into the labyrinthine story that defies traditional expectations. The daring directorial choices and sublime cinematography create an unparalleled atmosphere of intrigue, ensuring that Breathful remains a fascinating example of boundary-pushing cinema. This artistic triumph is sure to captivate film aficionados and casual viewers alike with its unyielding ambition and visionary execution.

An Andalusian Dog

An Andalusian Dog remains an undisputed classic within the realm of experimental cinema, boasting an impressive legacy that continues to inspire filmmakers today. As one of the earliest examples of surrealist film, this groundbreaking masterpiece effortlessly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy through its dreamlike imagery and unconventional story structure. Its provocative themes exploring human desire, fear, and obsession are expertly woven throughout each frame, sustaining a palpable tension that leaves viewers enthralled long after their initial viewing experience has ended. Timeless in its avant-garde vision, An Andalusian Dog undeniably remains an essential piece within any cinephile's collection.

• # 17 of 86 on The Best Silent Movies of All Time
• # 61 of 97 on The Best French Movies That Are Absolute Masterpieces
• # 274 of 425 on The Greatest Movies in World Cinema History

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie stands tall as a groundbreaking entry in experimental cinema, thanks to its inventive blend of biting social commentary and surreal storytelling techniques. This acclaimed work showcases masterful craftsmanship in both its screenplay and visual presentation, resulting in an unforgettable cinematic journey that keeps viewers riveted from start to finish. With its subversive exploration of bourgeois society's hypocrisies and contradictions, this scathing satire delves deep into the human psyche while challenging long-held societal norms. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie undoubtedly serves as a shining example of experimental filmmaking at its finest.

• # 350 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 180 of 425 on The Greatest Movies in World Cinema History
• # 24 of 74 on The Best Oscar-Winning Foreign Language Films

By Amelia Ames

April 17, 2017

After MoMA's Bruce Conner retrospective this past summer and the Whitney's celebrated "Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art" survey, experimental film finally seems to be back on the New York art world's agenda. But for a long time, film was the thorn of art history after that thing called "Hollywood" came along, which threatened the avant-garde film's separation from mainstream cinema.

Experimental or avant-garde film can be traced all the way back to canonical artists like Marcel Duchamp and Many Ray , but what happens post-Hollywood? Here's a quick guide to postwar experimental film in the United States, ranging from Expanded Cinema of the '60s to the origins of underground queer cinema with artists like Jack Smith. We've got the critics and the crucial texts you need to read (each essay has been linked) and the artists you need to know.

Expanded Cinema of the '60s

Critic to Know: GENE YOUNGBLOOD Seminal Text to Know: Expanded Cinema (1970)

Gene Youngblood was a crucial theorist of media arts and alternative cinema during the 1960s and '70s. He was the first to consider video an art form, folding computer and media art into the genre. His seminal book Expanded Cinema was the first to define one of the most heterogeneous movements in film history. As you can probably guess from term, “expanded cinema” refers to cinema that expands beyond the bounds of traditional uses of celluloid film, to inhabit a wide range of other materials and forms including video, television, light shows, computer art, multimedia installation and performance, kinetic sculpture, theater, and even holography. Mixing psychedelic consciousness and Marxist theory, Youngblood explains “when we say expanded cinema we actually mean an expanded consciousness.” So if you’re still confused after seeing Stan Vanderbeek’s immersive psychedelic Movie Drome (1965) at the Whitney’s Dreamlands exhibition this year, take a look at the first chapter of Youngblood’s Expanded Cinema (the entire book is available on the PDF link above).

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Stan Vanderbeek, Carolee Schneemann , Malcom Le Grice, Mark Leckey

Found Footage Film

Critic to Know: CRAIG BALDWIN Seminal Text to Know: From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link : A survey of found-footage film in San Francisco Bay Area

Any narrative of postwar experimental film has to begin in California. Reacting against the expansion of Hollywood, experimental film was, in essence, a form of cinema that radically opposed the aesthetics and politics of mainstream media. The rise of psychedelic light shows, beatnik films, and alternative outdoor venues like Canyon Cinema (a filmmakers cooperative started by Bruce Baillie that exhibited independent, non-commercial film) all lead the Bay area to become an epicenter of avant-garde film in the second half of the century. Experimental filmmaker Craig Baldwin’s essay “From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link” is a must-read for anyone interested in a short genealogy of found footage film, seen in likes of Bruce Conner and Gunvor Nelson's work. A pioneer of found-footage himself, Baldwin remains in San Francisco to this day where he continues to program content for Artist’s Television Access, which broadcasts art films on Public-access television. For more on experimental film in the Bay Area click here to see the Berkeley Art Museum’s catalogue, “Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945-2000.”

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Bruce Conner , Craig Baldwin, Robert & Gunvor Nelson, Chick Strand

Structuralist Film

Critic to Know: PETER GIDAL Seminal Text: "Introduction" of Structural Film Anthology (1976)

Structuralist or Materialist film is what Minimalism was to sculpture in the 1960s. In his paradigm book Structural Film Anthology (1976), English theoretician and filmmaker Peter Gidal writes frankly that "Structural/Materialist film attempts to be non-illusionist" in its attempt to "demystify the film process." Structuralist film, like Minimalist objects, doesn't actually represent anything. Instead, it exposes the relations between the camera and the way an image is presented, and explores the characteristics specific to the medium—spotlighting elements like flatness, grain, light, and movement. Tony Conrad's film The Flicker (1966), exemplary of the movement, consists purely of rapidly alternating black and white frames, achieving a kind of strobe light effect. If you're hesitant to submit yourself to the full fifteen minutes of Flicker (we don't blame you), then take a look at Gidal's introduction in the Structural Film Anthology to get a better idea about what this strange movement was really about.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Tony Conrad, Hollis Frampton, Michael Snow

Feminist Film

Critic to Know: LAURA MULVEY Seminal Text: Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist, currently teaching film and media studies at Birbeck, University of London. Drawing from psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, Mulvey’s seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975) was crucial in inaugurating the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism. Mulvey was the first to term what has come to be known as the “male gaze.” In the essay, she argues that classic Hollywood cinema inevitably positioned the spectator as a masculine and active voyeur, and the passive woman on screen as object of his scopic desire. The essay challenged conventional film theory and paved the way for an entire era of feminist artist’s work on the male gaze (think Cindy Sherman’s Untitled film stills.). After reading “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” you’ll never look at a Hitchcock or John Wayne the same.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Peggy Ahwesh, Barbara Hammer, Laurie Simmons

Camp & Queer Cinema

Critic to Know: SUSAN SONTAG Seminal Text: "Notes On Camp" (1964)

Susan Sontag was one of the most revered writers, filmmakers, political activists, and critics of her generation. Sontag wrote extensively about photography, culture and media, AIDS, and the Vietnam War. Sontag’s most well known essay, “Notes on Camp,” is crucial for anyone interested in the legacy of queer filmmakers like Jack Smith, who is most known for his banned film Flaming Creatures (1963) that right-wing politician Strom Thurmand mentioned in anti-pornography speeches. Although Sontag does not define camp, she writes that the essence of a “camp” sensibility lies in “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” For anyone interested in the kitschy, exotic films of Jack Smith and underground Queer Cinema, Sontag’s “Notes on Camp” is a must.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Jack Smith, Andy Warhol , Isaac Julien

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A Critical Guide to Understanding Experimental Film

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Top 10 Experimental Films to Watch Right Now

The experimental film genre goes back as far as film history takes us. One of the first experimental films was done by Thomas Edison’s assistant, William Dickson, on the kinetoscope called “Monkeyshines No. 1” around 1889 or 1890. In fact, you could say all early silent cinema was experimental as the filmmakers were literally figuring out how to use the camera and editing to tell a story or use it to express or explore dreamlike visual art.

Out of experimental film came many new offshoots of the genre. One of the more prominent ones was avant-garde, which usually has no conventional point to them and focuses on exploring innovative and creative issues such as time, fantasy, dreams, or perception. The German silent film classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the more famous early examples of dreams or perception.

Today, the genre has given birth to other offshoots, such as cinematic poetry and the cinematic diary, akin to the works of the late great Jonas Mekas. Even the experimental documentary has been around longer than viewers realize; the city symphony films are an early example or, more recently, Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg.”

Pulling from experimental film history and more recent works, here are ten experimental films you should watch.

Related: 10 Sci-Fi Short Films That Will Give You The Creeps

10 “Un Chien Andileu” (1929)

This is many film students’ introduction to experimental film. The French title translates to “An Andalusian Dog” and has nothing to do with the film itself. Crafted by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, this silent surrealist journey uses dream logic to construct a non-narrative that is very Freudian in its design and meant to be shocking.

The film’s concept is actually a mix of two dreams that both the creators had—Dali’s hand covered in ants and Bunuel cutting an eye with a blade. When watched, the film invokes unease in that you are trying to make sense of a dream and can’t. Our brains try to find something relatable in the film and sometimes can’t. When we do feel some sort of connection, it’s a completely different interpretation, which is what the filmmakers wanted. They wanted to leave you thinking and trying to make sense of it. They know you can’t exactly be just like a piece of surreal art; it’s always up for debate without any true solution.

This is what makes “Un Chien Andileu” a must see for anyone interested in experimental film. [1]

9 “The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra” (1928)

This film is a silent-film hidden gem. The film was made for $97 in 1928, and in American avant-garde cinema is considered one of the early pillars in the genre.

It centers on an actor who makes his way to Hollywood hoping to hit the big time, only to be dehumanized by studios, landing the role of a simple extra. They even write 9413 on his head, making him just a number in their system.

What makes the film so unique is how they leaned into their budget with a lack of resources and visually gave Hollywood this surreal emptiness, something that people from the outside had not seen before depicted. The use of German expressionist lighting, superimposition, twisting shapes, and disorienting angles really makes the film memorable as it visually shows the actor’s descent into madness and death caused by the demeaning dark side of Hollywood. [2]

8 “Manhatta” (1921)

This film is considered to be the true first American avant-garde film by many. “Manhatta” was a collaboration between painter Charles Sheeler and photographer Paul Strand. The non-narrative documentary is a visual poem that is simply exploring two things. First, it provided an abstract view of the city through carefully set up visual compositions. The second one is actually how the camera is used. This is done by experimenting with photography, film, minimalistic camera movement, and incidental motion in each film frame by exploring their relationships with each other.

Being a silent-era film, it does use intertitles, but unlike most films, it uses a Walt Whitman poem instead of dialogue or scene explanations. [3]

7 “From Afar” (2020)

An absolutely beautiful short film that will only take two minutes of your time. This is part of the cinematic poetry genre I mentioned earlier. Its simplicity and use of editing make it an experience that lingers.

Much like “The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra,” filmmaker and poet Andrei Purcarea uses what he has to his advantage to visually push the poem along. Many of the shots don’t have anything to do with what’s being said exactly when you watch, but at the same time, you get this feeling of understanding.

However, unlike “The Life and Death of 9413,” this film doesn’t have fast cuts or superimpositions. In fact, the editing and pacing are more akin to “Manhatta,” visually telling us a story to go along with the poem. Is this whole film really about a ship, or is it more about something in life that represents a ship we missed and can’t see anymore? What did the characters miss? Who did they miss? The use of the lone red chair and the mirror on this beach looking out at sea…very existential. Very experimental. Very moving. [4]

6 “Catharsis” (2018)

This short film beautifully uses the experimental style to invoke emotion as we journey into the subject’s mind. It is a surreal reminder that we may not know what someone is going through, even if they seem calm on the outside. This film by Naleeka Dennis follows Marsha as she struggles to cope with the loss of her beloved by attempting to live in a fantasy world. But she must eventually deal with her grief.

The ending shot especially hammers this home as the world seems very eerie around her now. It was the same before we dove into her mind, but knowing what she is dealing with really changes your perspective. [5]

5 “Until There Was Nothing” (2020)

This wonderful short was released last year and really takes on a fantastic premise—standing on Earth in its final moments as it enters a black hole. Created by Paul Trillo, the images at first seem beautiful but suddenly change as they stretch toward the sky. While it may seem like a bleak film at first, Trillo notes, “Someday this will pass and there will be nothing left… That’s not something to fear ‘because we come from nothing’ as Alan Watts puts it… and from nothing comes something new.”

The surreal visuals caused by intense gravitational forces with the use of philosopher Alan Watt’s talking about the meaning of nothingness really gives the film a much deeper feel. [6]

4 “Stellar” (1993)

Stan Brakhage is the perfect mix of artist and filmmaker. With 380 films to his credit, it’s hard to choose which one to even pick. Brakhage’s work is unique and can be best described as live paintings. Meaning that he would paint or scratch or do something on each frame and then project it. The results were really mind-blowing. “Stellar” stands out to me as it feels like something that could’ve been used in early sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey or TV shows like the original Star Trek .

The last few frames are particularly surprising as a strange picture appears amongst the starry images. Like all art, “Stellar” is whatever you perceive it to be. For me, its a journey through space and the birth of the universes, with the first creature in the universe coming into being at the end. See how you interpret it. [7]

3 “Night Mayor” (2009)

A fantastic gem of a film. Guy Maddin’s visuals harken back to early silent film while giving a touch of modernity by filming on newer formats that even include VHS. Yet it’s his use of lighting, old-school tricks, and editing that really helps give this film its surreal aspect. Like we are watching a dream.

“Night Mayor” is a visual journey into the mind of a Bosnian immigrant, Nihad Ademi, who thinks he has discovered a way to harness the power of the Aurora Borealis in order to broadcast imagery from coast to coast. [8]

An absolute must-see short film!

2 “Light Is Calling” (2004)

Bill Morrison is an amazing filmmaker. He is unique in that he helps bring forgotten or close to decaying films back to life as experimental cinema. I highly suggest his film Decasia (2002) and Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016).

“Light Is Calling” is a short he did in 2004 in which he takes decaying nitrate film from 1926 titled “The Bells” and gives it new life.

After having the film optically reprinted, it is edited into a new format to go along with a 7-minute composition by Michael Gordon. IMDb describes the film best as a “meditation on the fleeting nature of life and love, as seen through the roiling emulsion of film.” [9]

A magnificent decaying dream.

1 “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943)

Maya Deren was a jack of all trades. She was a dancer, choreographer, film theorist, poet, photographer, avant-garde promoter, and experimental filmmaker.

Deren believed that film should be an experience. “Meshes of the Afternoon” is definitely that—and a very important experimental piece. The film is considered one of the most influential experimental films in the history of American cinema.

The film is essentially a dream. Using dreamlike logic to create a unique experience for the viewer, it follows a female character who falls asleep after returning home. Her vivid dreams draw us in as her darker inner desires play out before our eyes. It’s actually hard to distinguish reality from the dream, but that is the point. She involves you mentally. [10]

A very influential piece on many filmmakers, including the works of David Lynch.

More Great Lists

10 great British experimental feature films

These are all excellent places to start exploring the visionary tradition of Britain’s boldest artist filmmakers.

By  William Fowler , Georgia Korossi , David Somerset , Stuart Heaney , Adam Scovell , Amy Tobin

“The actors are tired,” says an actor – is it an actor? – in this strange, enigmatic film by Ben Rivers about post-colonialism and creative vampirism. The Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers takes its name from a story by Paul Bowles set in Morocco. Initially, it stalks the trail of a new film production by European auteur Oliver Laxe, trekking the Atlas mountains and undergoing physical hardship. But Bowles’ earlier vision threatens to take over as director Laxe is kidnapped by his own cast, throwing the viewers’ already confused expectations into disarray. Rivers’ film highlights the politics of filmmaker tourism and, by way of its documentary codes, questions whose film is actually being made here, and even what that film is. Each shot in this entropic stew stands as an enigmatic fragment in and of itself – there’s something akin to a magical spell being cast here.

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As this viewer stills chews over the power of this bold, elliptical new work, we look at the history of British experimental feature films by way of 10 examples; at one level implicitly considering the connections between each film but at another highlighting the differences and sense of possibilities that come each time you start from a new and different map. Some are by people who identify or identified as ‘artists’, others are, in conventional terms, simply non-commercial. It represents a rich area of British filmmaking that while admittedly more well known and accessible than it was, still deserves a lot more – and more frequent – digging up and exposing to the light. Like The Sky Trembles…, the films below often use documentary codes and work in the grey areas between fact and fiction.

William Fowler

Borderline (1930)

Filmmaker: Kenneth Macpherson

Borderline offers a unique insight into the filmic obsessions of the UK ’s privileged Bohemian set in the 1920s. Directed by Scottish artist and writer Kenneth Macpherson , it features a cast including Paul Robeson (already a celebrity in his own right) and his wife Eslanda , as well as fellow contributors to Close-up, an early intellectual film journal.

The story follows a group who one suspects are much like the actors themselves, presenting a tale that touches upon the taboo subjects of homosexuality, miscegenation, racial discrimination, dispossession and migration in a nameless location (though actually set and shot around a residence in Switzerland). But rather than its complex themes, it’s the ambition of this innovative, elliptical film that have endured. Borrowing much from filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and G.W. Pabst , Borderline boasts highly expressive editing and stunning cinematography, with its cast beautifully lit in sculptural compositions. The restored version of the film has been superbly re-scored by Courtney Pine , one of the UK ’s major composer-musicians.

David Somerset

Herostratus (1967)

Filmmaker:   Don Levy

Originally funded as an ambitious short, Herostratus expanded in the mind of its creator to become the BFI Experimental Film Fund ’s first ever feature film and was the first film to be screened at the then new ICA cinema in 1968. Don Levy , an Australian polymath once thought of as the great hope of British experimental cinema, now sadly overlooked, adapted the legend of Herostratus (who reputedly burned down the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus to gain immortal fame) to that of a contemporary figure, the self-destructive Max, who, seduced by the lure of celebrity, sells his suicide as a media event to a marketing firm.

The resulting fusion of improvised drama with violent passages of kinetic abstraction owes as much to the US avant garde ( Stan Brakhage in particular) and Austrian Actionists like Kurt Kren as it does to the European art cinema of Michelangelo Antonioni , who was a reputed admirer.

Stuart Heaney

The Lacey Rituals (1973)

Filmmakers: Bruce Lacey, Jill Bruce and family

Inspired by such humorous instructional films about wartime water rationing as those made by that other great British eccentric, Richard Massingham, for the Ministry of Information, assemblage artist, proto performance artist, absurdist music hall entertainer and all-round national treasure Bruce Lacey creatively collaborated with his entire family to make and star in this self-reflexive proto-video diary.

Filmed on 16mm in their home (an Arts Council-funded live-work space in a converted Hackney warehouse), the family instructs their imaginary Martian audience in how to do mundane domestic chores. The resulting assemblage  leaves in all the outtakes, flash frames and clapper boards, turning its camera on its own crew. In the process it comes across as a playful structuralist reality show with a Blue Peter aesthetic, foreshadowing YouTube tutorial videos by over 30 years.

Riddles of the Sphinx (1977)

Filmmakers: Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen

Revisiting Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the King, groundbreaking theorist-filmmakers Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen seek to understand in the legendary creature of antiquity – the Sphinx – the patriarchal representation of the mother-child relationship. Both Mulvey, author of the groundbreaking essay ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, and Wollen, author of Signs and Meaning in the Cinema, pioneered psychoanalytic and semiotic explorations of cinema, and Mulvey is one of the instigators of feminist theory in cinema and popular culture.

Scored by the hypnotic compositions of Mike Ratledge , Riddles of the Sphinx is the pair’s second feature, following 1974’s Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons . Made with support from the vital BFI Production Board (1965-99), it’s one of the boldest visual experiments to emerge from 1970s British film. 360-degree panning shots inform the film’s unique structure and narrative, which centres around the domestic environment of a broken marriage, women in their professional environment and a spirit of independence.

Georgia Korossi

Blackbird Descending – Tense Alignment (1977)

Filmmaker: Malcolm Le Grice

Blackbird Descending screens at BFI Southbank on Thur 17 May as part of Crossing the Threshold: Experimental Films and Performances from Malcolm Le Grice

The first of three feature films by experimentalist Malcolm Le Grice , Blackbird Descending took him away from the London Filmmakers’ Co-op and instead placed him in the domestic sphere, exploring what it can mean to make art not just at home, but somehow through it. It rigorously and in extremely engaging fashion not only plots out the space of a suburban house and its garden but also fragments that space through the cutting up and blurring of activities and expectation.

At one level the film is a giant elliptical puzzle, ready for the viewer to untangle, but at another it’s a melancholic ode to the passing of time and the patterns of daily live, with its rituals and repetitions – sort of like Groundhog Day (1993) or Reginald Perrin. Its existential qualities make for a very different pastoralism to that evoked by Vaughan Williams ’ ‘The Lark Ascending’, as referenced by the title. It’s a suburban pastoralism; a tree is cut-down, winter arrives and snow covers the quiet back garden.

Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair (1978)

Filmmakers: Susan Shapiro, Esther Ronay and Francine Winham

Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair takes the fairytale of its title and remakes it as a feminist narrative, interrogating the ideological impact of storytelling. A product of the activism around rights for women in the 1970s, the film takes female relationships as its subject, as well as being made by women who were involved in the London Women’s Film Group .

Repeated retellings expose the ways in which the fairytales pattern heterosexual romantic and generational relationships, making male lovers into heroes, female lovers into heroines and mothers into witches. However, as the film goes on and the story gets reframed in film noir, melodrama and essay film style, the logic of the fairytale is undone, ending with a joyful final sequence showing women making and enjoying music together. Here the refrain ‘Rapunzel, let down your hair’ is transformed from a demand to a call of empowerment and liberation in the chorus of a song written and performed by Laka Koc .

Jubilee (1979)

Filmmaker: Derek Jarman

Filmmaker Derek Jarman attended Slade College of Fine Art from 1963, where he met David Hockney and Patrick Proctor and got in with a small part of London that was swinging. A decade later, following his homoerotic first feature Sebastiane (1976), he tackled the dark currents of London in the silver jubilee year. In an interview conducted by producer Colin MacCabe and director Bernard Rose in 1990, Jarman recalls: “In Jubilee, the violence is unpleasant; there wasn’t much love around then.”

So Jarman turned punk London into a future apocalypse, and had the 16th-century Queen Elizabeth I and her occult aide Dr Dee come visit through magical means, evoking it as shadow of their very own time, channelling Jarman’s interest in alchemy and Jungian psychology. Anarchy here meets esoteric philosophy and occult ideas. The film features punk icon Vivienne Westwood’s model Jordan in the role of writer Amyl Nitrite alongside punk groups Adam and the Ants, The Slits and Jayne County . Its provocative impact and critique of the media is as relevant today and makes for a distinctly unusual portrait of punk as it was;  Jubilee blends drama, ideology and music to present the chaos and madness dominating London’s streets in the late 70s.

So That You Can Live (1982)

Filmmakers: Cinema Action

If this film was French it would be considered an arthouse classic, or so says a colleague of mine at the BFI National Archive. Distinctly moving and reflective, it evolved out of a larger project entitled The Social Contract, developed by political film collective Cinema Action , who had formed in the wake of the events of May 68 in Paris.

When member Ann Guedes met the powerful, charismatic Welsh union convener Shirley Butts , the film shifted focus, however, getting closer to Shirley and her family as she campaigns on the behalf of striking factory workers. Her daughter, who struggles to find work, reads periodically from Raymond Williams’ The Country and the City, cutting into the action, and the film moves between individual experience and issues much larger – notably the residues of history in the landscape and the traditions of working class knowledge, learning and solidarity.

London (1994)

Filmmaker:   Patrick Keiller

The first of Patrick Keiller ’s three-film series about fictional traveller Robinson, London is the filmmaker’s take on the state of the capital in the aftermath of the 1992 election, when the Conservative party returned to power for a fourth successive term.

Narrated by the great Shakespearean actor Paul Scofield and filmed as a succession of fixed shots around the city, Keiller’s film idealises London as a monument to the poets, writers and romantics who once lived there, including Sterne, Rimbaud and Baudelaire. But this is a nostalgic utopia: through the chaos of successive social and political failures mirrored in public transport, employment insecurity and the health system, the city Robinson yearns for has declined and modernity is nowhere to be found. Instead, it’s a town haunted by IRA bombings, and a centre for international finance whose social and cultural life has gone untended.

By Our Selves (2015)

Filmmaker: Andrew Kötting

Andrew Kötting is an artist who brings a physicality and endurance to cinema. An experiment in walking as much as an experiment in filmmaking, his 2015 film By Our Selves focuses on these elements through an emphasis on the psychogeography of a landscape. It follows in the footsteps of the poet, John Clare, whose madness leads him to walk 80 miles over four days from Epping Forest to Northamptonshire. Kötting frames Clare’s tragic disintegration not by recreating period details from his original walk, but by partaking in the walk itself and framing the modern topographical changes as the poet’s own instability: a madness of pylons.

Clare’s neuroses manifest in the cacophony of Ballardian motorways, the hum of wind turbines and, eventually, through Kötting himself as a straw bear anchoring his walk – the filming process daring to become the ultimate of Clare’s many delusions. Kötting is a landscape punk of the Derek Jarman school of experimental DIY , yet with the same ethnographic curiosity of Margaret Tait or Werner Herzog . He is a refreshingly 21st-century cinematic wanderer.

Adam Scovell

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• Film Reference
• Criticism - Ideology

Experimental Film

Three types of experimental film.

In the late 1960s experimental film headed in a new aesthetic direction. In an article published in Film Culture in 1969, critic P. Adams Sitney defined the structuralist film as a "tight nexus of content, a shape designed to explore the facets of the material" ( Film Culture Reader , p. 327), which becomes clear when these films are compared with previous avant-garde traditions. In the films of lyricists such as Brakhage and Baillie, rhythm is dependent on what is being photographed, or on the associations possible through manipulations of form. In Window Water Baby Moving (1962), for example, Brakhage's quick cuts fragment time and connect his wife Jane's pregnant stomach to the birth of their daughter. In contrast, structuralist films don't have "rhythms" as much as they do systems that, in Sitney's words, render content "minimal and subsidiary to the outline" ( Film Culture Reader , p. 327). Watching a structuralist film, then, is a little like watching a chain of dominoes: after the first domino tumbles, our attention is on how the overall organization plays out rather than on the individual dominoes. Sitney considers such Andy Warhol Factory films as Sleep (1963) and Eat (1963) to be important precursors of structural film, particularly because of their reliance on improvisatory performance and fixed camera positions. Later in the decade, other avant-garde filmmakers turned to structural film. Michael Snow's influential Wavelength (1967) is organized around a forty-five-minute zoom that moves from a wide shot of a New York loft to a close-up of a picture of ocean waves on the loft's farthest wall. Snow continued to explore reframing with Back and Forth (1969), a shot of a classroom photographed by a camera that pans with ever-increasing speed, and La Région centrale (The Central Region, 1971), a portrait of a northern Quebec landscape photographed by a machine that runs through a series of automated circular pans.

Critic David James has isolated the origin of structural film in the "radical film reductions" of the 1960s Fluxus art movement: works such as Nam June Paik's (1932–2006) Zen for Film (1964)—a projection of nothing but a bright, empty surface, occasionally punctuated by scratches and dirt—points to a cinema preoccupied with its own formal properties. Fluxus films, and the structuralist movies they spawned, explore the material nature of film as a medium and the various phases of the production process. For example, Peter Kubelka's (b. 1934) Arnulf Rainer (1958–1960) and Tony Conrad's The Flicker (1966) consist solely of alternating black-and-white frames of various lengths to explore the optical effects of flicker. Paul Sharits's (1943–1993) Ray Gun Virus (1966) and S:TREAM:S: S:ECTION:S:ECTION:S:S:ECTIONED (1968–1971) add color, emulsion scratches, and even portraits of faces to rapid-fire flicker. The distortion of space through changes in lens focal length is the subject of Ernie Gehr's (b. 1943) Serene Velocity (1970), which juxtaposes long shots of an empty corridor with shots of the same hallway while the camera zooms in. Larry Gottheim's Barn Rushes (1971) explores the nature of filmic representation and duplication by photographing a landscape under different light conditions and with different film stocks. J. J. Murphy's Print Generation (1973–1974) subjects a one-minute piece of film to fifty duplications, and the process renders the footage abstract and unintelligible. (Murphy also distorts sound, and one twist of Print Generation is that as the image distorts, the sound becomes clearer, and vice versa.) In Britain, Malcolm le Grice and Peter Gidal, and in Germany Wilhelm and Birgit Hein, also worked in this mode.

The graininess and dirtiness of the film image is considered in Film in Which There Appear Edge Lettering, Sprocket Holes, Dirt Particles, Etc. (Owen Land, 1966), which offers a starring role to one of cinema's most ignored performers: the "Chinagirl" that lab workers would use to check the quality of a print. Ken Jacobs's Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son (1969) analyzes a 1905 short of the same name by speeding up and rewinding the original footage, and by zooming in on portions of the mise-en-scène to such a magnified degree that details become grainy abstractions and blobs of light. The nature of projection itself is the subject of Line Describing a Cone (Anthony McCall, 1973), which requires an audience to stand in a gallery space and watch a projector throw a light beam that gradually (over a half-hour) changes shape into a cone.

The most important structuralist filmmaker is Hollis Frampton (1936–1984), who began his career with a series of films that explore minimalist elements. Manual of Arms (1966) organizes portraits of New York artists into a rigid grid structure, and Lemon (1969) subjects the fruit to a series of ever-shifting lighting designs. Frampton's vision expanded and deepened with Zorns Lemma (1970), which was strongly influenced by the animal locomotion studies of proto-filmmaker Eadweard Muybridge. The seven-film series Hapax Legomena (1971–1972) is Frampton's Ulysses , a compendium of formal innovations that, at its most accomplished—as in part 1, Nostalgia (1971)—is both intellectually and emotionally moving. Frampton died in 1984 at age forty-eight, having spent the last decade of his life on the unfinished epic Magellan (1972–1980), fragments of which (particularly Gloria! [1979]) function as stand-alone films.

Structuralist film was influential enough to spread to many different countries. Filmmakers such as Malcolm Le Grice and Peter Gidal congregated at the London Film Makers' Cooperative to screen their structuralist works and debate the future of the avant-garde, while in France, Rose Lowder began a series of 16mm loops that explored frame-by-frame transitions and their effects on audiences.

STAN BRAKHAGE b. Kansas City, Missouri, 14 January 1933, d. 9 March 2003

The most prolific and influential experimental filmmaker in US film history, Stan Brakhage also wrote insightfully about his own films and the work of other filmmakers. The most oft-quoted passage in experimental film criticism is the opening of Brakhage's text Metaphors on Vision (1963): "Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception." This passage explicates the major aesthetic strain in Brakhage's films: abstraction. From the beginning of his career, Brakhage combined the photographic image with marks and paint applied directly onto the filmstrip, and many of his films of the 1980s and 1990s are completely abstract, partly for financial reasons and partly because he believed in the liberating power of nonlinear, nonnarrative aesthetic experiences. Some of Brakhage's abstract "adventures in perception" are Eye Myth (1967), The Text of Light (1974), The Dante Quartet (1987), and Black Ice (1994).

Brakhage briefly attended Dartmouth College on a scholarship, but he found academia so uncongenial that he had a nervous breakdown, left school, and spent four years traveling and living in San Francisco and New York. During this period Brakhage made his earliest films, including psychodramas such as Interim (1952) and Desistfilm (1954).

While making Anticipation of the Night (1958), which he intended to end with footage of his suicide, he fell in love with and married Jane Collom. Stan and Jane remained married for twenty-nine years, and a major subgenre of Brakhage's work chronicles the rise and fall of this marriage, from domestic quarrels ( Wedlock House: An Intercourse , 1959) and the birth of children ( Window Water Baby Moving , 1959) to Brakhage's increasing estrangement from Jane and his teenage children ( Tortured Dust , 1984). Many critics consider Brakhage's singular achievement to be Dog Star Man (1962–1964), a four-part epic that uses multiple superimpositions to connect the activities of his family (then living a back-tothe-land existence in rural Colorado) to myth and the rhythms of nature.

In 1996 Brakhage was diagnosed with cancer, which might have been caused by the dyes he had used to paint on film. His last works include the live-action self-portrait Stan's Window (2003), and Chinese Series (2003), a film Brakhage made on his deathbed by using his fingernail to etch dancing white marks into black film emulsion.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING

The Wonder Ring (1955), Reflections on Black (1955), Anticipation of the Night (1958), Window Water Baby Moving (1959), Mothlight (1963), Dog Star Man (1962–1964), The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971), The Text of Light (1974), Murder Psalm (1980), The Loom (1986), Commingled Containers (1996)

FURTHER READING

Brakhage, Stan. Essential Brakhage: Selected Writings on Film-Making . New York: McPherson, 2001

James, David E., ed. Stan Brakhage: Filmmaker . Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2005.

Sitney, P. Adams. Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde, 1942–2000 . 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

"Stan Brakhage: Correspondences." Chicago Review 47/48, nos. 4/1 (Winter 2001–Spring 2002): 11–30.

Craig Fischer

Yet the structural film movement was essentially over by the mid-1970s. Structuralist films were triumphs of formal design, but a new generation of leftist experimental artists criticized the apolitical nature of films such as Wavelength and Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son , and began to make movies with ideological content that tackled social issues such as feminism and colonialism. Yet, reverberations of structuralist film continue into later avant-garde film. Sink or Swim (Su Friedrich, 1990) follows a Zorns Lemma –like alphabetical structure, while Teatro Amazonas (Sharon Lockhart, 1999) is a witty commentary on cultural colonialism and a stylish update of Standish Lawder's structuralist Necrology (1971), a one-shot film of people on an escalator projected backwards.

Stan Brakhage.

But structuralist filmmakers realized that cinema's formal properties could do more than just tell stories, and made artworks that revealed to us that sometimes a zoom can be more than just a zoom, that it can embody nothing less than a way of seeing.

Another important wave in 1970s experimental film, roughly concurrent with structuralist film, was the rise of the "new talkies," feature-length works influenced by critical theory and the politicized art films of Jean-Luc Godard (b. 1930), Jean-Marie Straub (b. 1933), and Daniele Huillet (b. 1936). Although most experimental films are short, the feature-length experimental film has a long pedigree. During the 1950s and 1960s, as Deren and Brakhage were making their influential short films, other avant-gardists dabbled in longer, more narrative forms. Ron Rice's (1935–1964) Beat-saturated The Flower Thief (1960) and The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man (1963) are feature-length showcases for actor Taylor Mead's inspired improvisations, while Warhol's 1960s films were often longer than most Hollywood films. Some, such as Chelsea Girls (1966), ran in first-run mainstream movie theaters.

The feature-length new talkies that emerged in the 1970s were a more specific type of avant-garde genre. The new talkies are typified by an engagement with critical theory and a return to storytelling, albeit to deconstruct storytelling as a signifying practice. (Many new talkies are simultaneously narratives and essays on narrative.) These traits are clear in the quintessential new talkie, Laura Mulvey (b. 1941) and Peter Wollen's (b. 1938) Riddles of the Sphinx (1977), which tells the story of Louise, a woman who talks with coworkers about childcare and decides to move from a house to an apartment. Sphinx 's form owes much to Godard, but its narrative is something new: an attempt to capture the life of a woman without recourse to genre, "erotica," or the male gaze.

Other key new talkie auteurs are Yvonne Rainer (b. 1934) and Trinh T. Minh-ha (b. 1953). Rainer began her career in dance, bringing aesthetic and political radicalism to the performances she orchestrated as part of the Judson Dance Theater. Her movies such as Film About a Woman Who … (1974) and Privilege (1990) form a kind of spiritual autobiography, tackling various subjects as Rainer herself goes through a lifetime of experiences and observations. Shot through all these films is Rainer's belief in everyday life as a site of political struggle, showing how the personal is always political. Trinh T. Minh-ha's own multicultural background—she has lived in France, the United States, and West Africa—informs Reassemblage (1982), Naked Spaces—Living Is Round (1985), and Surname Viet Given Name Nam (1989). These films renounce traditional narrative and documentary forms, and search for avant-garde ways of representing people of different societies (including Senegal, Mauritania, Burkino Faso, and Vietnam) to First World audiences. But Minh-ha's recent career reveals the difficulty of sustaining new talkie practices in today's film culture. In his seminal essay "The Two Avant-Gardes," Peter Wollen argues that the politicized Godardian art film and the formalist experimental film were the twin poles of 1960s cinematic radicalism, and that the new talkies can be understood as an attempt to bring these poles together ( Readings and Writings , pp. 92–104). Yet, since the 1960s, art cinema has shifted decisively away from radical politics, while experimental cinema has exploded into a multiplicity of approaches, some formal in emphasis and some not.

One mutation in experimental film occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a group of New York artists made films that emulated the do-it-yourself aesthetics and catchy nihilism of early punk rock. Made in 8mm on miniscule budgets, these films rejected both Hollywood norms and the pretensions of the more formalist tendency in experimental film. Although this movement went by various names ("new cinema," "no wave cinema"), "cinema of transgression" is the most common because of its defining use in Nick Zedd's infamous "The Cinema of Transgression Manifesto" (1985), which begins with a denunciation of the "laziness known as structuralism" and the work of "profoundly undeserving non-talents like Brakhage, Snow, Frampton, Gehr, Breer, etc." and a celebration of films that directly attack "every value system known to man" (p. 40). Like most manifestoes, Zedd's "Transgression" slays the father and claims a complete break with an outmoded past. But many of the cinema of transgression films were, in essence, exhibitions of scandalous behavior, and are logical descendants of an experimental film tradition that includes Kurt Kren's (1929–1998) material action shorts of the 1960s and Vito Acconci's (b. 1940) early 1970s 8mm performance documentaries (which record Acconci plastering up his anus and crushing cockroaches on his body). One significant difference between these precursors and the cinema of transgression is venue: Kren's and Acconci's works were screened in film societies and art galleries, while the transgression films were shown mostly in New York City punk bars.

Although Zedd's manifesto was clearly an act of publicity-seeking hyperbole, the cinema of transgression delivered, throughout the 1980s, a robust wave of avant-garde filmmakers and films. In several works made between 1978 and 1981 ( Guérillère Talks [1978], Beauty Becomes the Beast [1979], and Liberty's Booty [1980]), Vivienne Dick combined documentary interviews, melodramatic narratives, and a jittery camera style perfectly suited to low-fi 8mm. Beth and Scott B.'s Black Box (1978) is a stroboscopic aural assault that treats its spectators like tortured prisoners. Other important transgressors include Richard Kern, Alyce Wittenstein, Cassandra Stark, Eric Mitchell, Kembra Pfahler, James Nares, and Zedd himself, whose affinity for over-the-top parody is present in his films from Geek Maggot Bingo (1983), a send-up of cheesy B-movie horror, to the video spoof The Lord of the Cockrings (2002). Several factors, including the steady gentrification of New York City's Lower East Side and the spread of AIDS, ended the cinema of transgression. Yet the films of many contemporary avant-gardists, including Peggy Ahwesh, Jon Moritsugu, Luther Price, and Martha Colburn, bear the influence of the transgression example.

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An introduction to Experimental films

This definition covers experimental films, artists' films and avant-garde films An international film practice that has explored cinema’s capacity to manipulate light, motion, space, and time, and/or expresses the filmmaker’s personal artistic vision. Usually linked to broader trends and practices in fine art, avant-garde film is particularly closely associated with modernism , tracing its origins to 1920s Europe in the work of artists motivated by a desire to add a temporal dimension to painting and sculpture. Formative early works Rhythmus 21 (Hans Richter, Germany, 1923–25) and Symphonie diagonale (Viking Eggeling, Germany, 1923–24) explore the musical organization of filmic time; while Le ballet mécanique (Fernand Léger, France, 1924) and Anémic cinema (Marcel Duchamp, France, 1926) offer graphic investigations of Cubist space. The influence of Surrealism is apparent in La coquille et le clergyman (Germaine Dulac, France, 1927) and Un chien Andalou (Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel, France, 1928); and that of Futurism and Constructivism in Chelovek s kinoapparatom/Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929). Elsewhere in pre World War II Europe, the avant-garde impulse informs the work of Len Lye, Norman McLaren and Alberto Cavalcanti in Britain , as well as the poetic documentaries of Joris Ivens in the Netherlands and Henri Storck in Belgium . In 1929, the first international conference on avant-garde film, held in La Sarraz, Switzerland, was attended by Sergei Eisenstein, Cavalcanti, and Richter, among others.   ... Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2020).  Avant-garde film . In  A Dictionary of Film Studies . Oxford University Press. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2022

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To find books and other resources about experimental films in the Library's collections, use the subject heading experimental films . Use this same search to find actual experimental films located in the Jones Media Center. Other related subject headings are listed below.

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Articles and other writings about experimental films can be found in many publications. Our collection does not include titles which look exclusively at Experimental films.  You can use Film & Television Literature Index , or Academic Search Complete to find articles. MLA International Bibliography is another option for articles.

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• Avant-garde. 3: experimental cinema, 1922-1954 by Kino International Call Number: Jones Media DVD #9705 Long before home video there flourished an alternative cinema culture on college campuses and around art theaters, where foreign film fare was often accompanied by a short subject. As reliable 16mm film equipment became available to non-professionals, artists independent of film centers began experimenting with cinema. Serious film societies sprang up in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, holding semi-private screenings of non-commercial artistic films. For years, these pictures have been exhibited only in infrequent museum screenings, if at all. This collection is of mainly American pictures, principally one-man artistic endeavors made from little more than an artist's desire to express feelings with a camera.

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Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies (Part 1): Why You Should Be Making Experimental Films

Into the weird and wonderful world of experimental film you've come to the right place..

Here at NFS, we've covered experimental films from time to time, sharing details on how they're made and things of that nature. Last month we even shared a delightful, albeit brief, history of experimental cinema that touched on a few of the core concepts and definitive filmmakers of the genre. Despite these brief forays into the avant-garde, however, we've never actually talked about making experimental films. Until now, that is. In our new series, "Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies", we'll explore not only the multitude of reasons why every filmmaker can benefit from experimental filmmaking, but also how to get started with making shorts in all of the most popular experimental sub-genres. Stick with us on this one. It'll be a fun ride.

What Is Experimental Filmmaking?

Experimental film is difficult to define, not because its guidelines are so abstract or even esoteric, but because it's such a wide-ranging genre that defining it almost defeats the purpose of the genre itself. In one sense, it refers to anything that defies the conventions of traditional narrative and documentary cinema. It doesn't have to tell a story. There don't have to be characters. There doesn't even necessarily need to be a message of any kind. It can be visceral or mundane, engaging or a complete bore. It can be highly personal or overtly political. It can be literally anything.

On the other hand, experimental film is an aesthetic and aural art form. Film inherently takes some of the most expressive elements from other artistic mediums and combines them into a magnificent smörgåsbord of sight and sound. All films have elements of photography, music, painting, dance, etc. However, narrative and documentary films don't necessarily use all of these artistic elements to their full potential; they're more focused on creating an enhanced sense of narrative reality than creating pure aesthetic art. With experimental films, however, the extent to which these elements can be mixed and manipulated to evoke or portray emotion or ideology is infinite.

As a result, experimental filmmaking is an absurdly powerful artistic medium that can be matched by few, if any, other art forms in terms of pure expressionistic potential. If that's not reason enough to get started with this fantastic genre, here are a few more of its copious benefits.

Benefits of Experimental Filmmaking

There are numerous reasons why you might want to make experimental films alongside (or instead of) narrative and documentary films. These reasons are varied, and there are certainly more than I can list and write about here. But the following reasons should give you a basic sense of why experimental filmmaking might just be one of the most beneficial things that you can do as a filmmaker.

Creative Freedom: First and foremost, this type of filmmaking is one of the most creatively freeing things that a person can do. Narrative filmmaking, like it or not, is all about restraint in what you show and how you show it. Even the narrative films that break away from convention are subject to the idea that every image and every sound needs to be in service of the story and the characters.

With experimental filmmaking, however, you're free to throw any and all restraint to the wind and make creative decisions that would be "unacceptable" in the world of narrative film. You can express emotions, ideas, concepts, and literally anything else through literal or abstract imagery, through juxtapositional editing, through creative use of sound design. You can disregard the technical, and focus solely on the creative.

Spontaneity: In narrative filmmaking, it's difficult to be truly spontaneous. When time is money, which it always is in a narrative environment, people tend to stick to the schedule and get the shots they need to tell the story. This isn't a bad thing in the slightest, but it's not conducive to creating art, which requires at least a certain amount of spontaneity.

With experimental filmmaking, creative decisions can be well thought out choices made prior to shooting, or the shooting can be a spontaneous act of expression in and of itself. When you're not burdened with schedules and shot lists, and the AD isn't hassling you to get the next shot set up, you are free to make creative decisions as you see fit, right on the spot.

Personal Expression: Narrative filmmaking, by its very nature, is a collaborative craft. In order for narrative films to be made properly, it takes dozens (if not hundreds) of individuals, each with a specific role in the production of that piece. Even though we still promote the idea of the auteur in our current filmmaking climate, pure personal expression is nearly impossible in an environment where hundreds of unique voices coexist. Don't get me wrong, creative collaboration is a fantastic thing, and it's the best way to make narrative films, but it can be detrimental to the idea of the personal art.

Experimental filmmaking, however, offers filmmakers the ability to express whatever the hell they want, in any way they want. Your cat just died and you're all torn up inside? Make a film about it. Girlfriend dumped you for a guy named Chad? Make a film about it. The point is that making films like these can be both cathartic and productive, and oftentimes the process of making the film can help you resolve, or at least gain perspective about whatever issues you might be going through.

Social Expression: A good many narrative films have cultural, social, political, or religious undertones implicitly stated through narrative conventions. However, when tremendous amounts of money are on the line, investors and EPs tend not to want their finished films to be political or religious statements due to the fact that those types of films alienate audiences, which is the last thing you'd want to do in the pursuit of making a commercially successful film.

Just like the previous section, experimental filmmaking allows you to focus your creative efforts squarely on the statement that you're trying to make with your film, without any of the back and forth politics that come with narrative filmmaking. If you want to make films about your displeasure with the US Congress, then you can make the most scathing critique known to man. That's your prerogative as an experimental filmmaker.

Creative Betterment: With experimental filmmaking, anything and everything is possible. You can try things with the camera that you would never think to do on a narrative set. In the editing room you can stack, manipulate, and composite video to your heart's content. You can create the most mundane or insanely abstract images and sounds and re-arrange them in any way you see fit.

When you have no creative restrictions, you're more likely to try new things and, well, experiment. It's through this experimentation that you can begin to bolster your creative toolset, and create and master techniques that you may be able to incorporate into your narrative and documentary films.

Defining a Unique Cinematic Voice: It might seem fairly cynical of me to say this, but most narrative films these days are all strikingly similar to one another in terms of their style and what they offer the audience in an artistic sense. Most of us grow up watching and studying the same films, and when it comes time to make our own, we draw from the same cinematic vocabulary that most other filmmakers are using. The result is relative conformity.

In my opinion, that's what makes filmmakers such as Steve McQueen so successful and prevalent today. As someone with a background in fine art and video installation art, McQueen has forged a unique style and perspective that has allowed him to take the narrative filmmaking world by storm with his three features. No one is making films like McQueen, and that can be at least partly attributed to his early career as an experimental filmmaker and artist.

In the same vein as McQueen, you can begin to develop your own unique cinematic voice through an exploration of and involvement in experimental filmmaking.

There Are No Wrong Answers: In the world of narrative and documentary cinema, there are definite guidelines as to what constitutes a good or a bad film. Whether or not a film is good or not all depends on the writing, the directing, the acting, the cinematography, the editing, the sound, and so on. With experimental cinema, however, these "restraints" can be tossed out the window because expression is the primary purpose, not technical perfection.

This might sound like a cop-out, and to a certain extent, it is. With that said, just because the primary goal of this type of expression doesn't mean that we should be sloppy in the technical aspects of making these films. However, technical knowledge isn't a prerequisite for experimental filmmaking. There are no major barriers to speak of. You don't necessarily need a camera or an in-depth knowledge of After Effects . The only thing you really need to get started is an inherent desire to create and express yourself.

Experimental filmmaking is a world all its own, and it's one that is often overlooked by the majority of filmmakers these days. It certainly shouldn't be, though. It's a unique and powerful art form that provides countless benefits beyond the fact that it allows us to be artists in the truest sense of the word.

In order to get you guys even more stoked about making experimental films, here's one of the greatest of all time, Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon:

In our next article, we'll talk about the easiest way to get started with making experimental films, the "found footage" film.

What do you guys think? Do you have any experience with experimental filmmaking? If so, what did you think of it, and what were the benefits (or disadvantages) of that experience? Let us know in the comments!

• A (Very Brief) History of Experimental Cinema ›
• Dissecting the Experimental Genre in Film and TV ›
• Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies (Part 1): Why You Should Be Making Experimental Films ›
• How to go about writing the screenplay for an experimental short film ... ›
• 7 Reasons You Should Be Making Experimental Films in Your ... ›
• Tips for starting with experimental films? : r/Filmmakers ›

There's a One-Minute Logical Answer to Why Pixar Moms Are So Thicc

They inspired a whole meme, but there's a logical reason why they look like that... .

Look, we all know the meme this conversation comes from, so I won't belabor the point. But let's all agree that Pixar moms are stacked.

Turns out, there's a logical reason for it, and it's not pilates. It's a strategy used by animators.

Check out this video from fullcomma where it's explained why Pixar moms look Like That . Then let's talk after.

It turns out at the end of the day, the choice to thicken body parts is to differentiate age. That's really it.

It's called Hartman's hips, named after animator Butch Hartman. Basically, if you give a cartoon woman big breasts, they're not considered family-friendly by a code from back in the day. So hips became the standard substitute to denote a mature adult woman.

This hourglass figure, with a tiny waist and large hips, became the standard across the animation. And still is today.

As TV Tropes points out, we may call them Hartman's Hips solely due to alliteration, because that female shape may be better associated with other artists such as Genndy Tartakovsky or character designer Stephen Silver.

Yes, they're all male animators. As the field gets diverse, maybe we'll see a change in the portrayal on-screen.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: fullcomma

What Are The Best War Movies of All Time?

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Experimental Cinema

News and resources on experimental films, the music and sound of experimental film, rating: .

This book explores music/sound-image relationships in non-mainstream screen repertoire from the earliest examples of experimental audiovisuality to the most recent forms of expanded and digital technology. It challenges presumptions of visual primacy in experimental cinema and rethinks screen music discourse in light of the aesthetics of non-commercial imperatives. Several themes run through the book, connecting with and significantly enlarging upon current critical discourse surrounding realism and audibility in the fiction film, the role of music in mainstream cinema, and the audiovisual strategies of experimental film. The contributors investigate repertoires and artists from Europe and the USA through the critical lenses of synchronicity and animated sound, interrelations of experimentation in image and sound, audiovisual synchresis and dissonance, experimental soundscape traditions, found-footage film, re-mediation of pre-existent music and sound, popular and queer sound cultures, and a diversity of radical technological, aesthetic, tropes in film media traversing the work of early pioneers such as Walther Ruttmann and Len Lye, through the mid-century innovations of Norman McLaren, Stan Brakhage, Lis Rhodes, Kenneth Anger, Andy Warhol, and studio collectives in Poland, to latter-day experimentalists John Smith and Bill Morrison, as well as the contemporary practices of Vjing.

• Preface: Jeremy Barham
• Introduction: Holly Rogers
• Chapter 1: Absolute Sounding Images: Abstract Film and Radio Drama of the 1920s as Complementary Forms of a Media Specific Art, Dieter Daniels
• Chapter 2: A Primitivism of the Senses: The Role of Music in Len Lye's Experimental Animation, Malcolm Cook
• Chapter 3: An Educational Avant-Garde: Sound and Music in Julien Bryan's OIAA Films on Latin America, 1942-1949, James Tobias
• Chapter 4: bup bup bup: Aural Innovation in the Films of Norman McLaren, Terence Dobson
• Chapter 5: Sights and Sounds of the Moving Mind: The Visionary Soundtracks of Stan Brakhage, Eric Smigel
• Chapter 6: Discontinuities and Resynchronisations: The Use of Sound in Polish Experimental Cinema from the 1930s to the 1980s, Daniel Muzyczuk
• Chapter 7: Grid Intensities: Hearing Structures in Chantal Akerman's Films of the 1970s, Paul Hegarty
• Chapter 8: Meaning and Musicality: Sound-Image Relations in the Films of John Smith, Andy Birtwistle
• Chapter 9: Audiovisual Dissonance in Found-Footage Film, Holly Rogers
• Chapter 10: Rebalancing the Picture/Sound Relationship: The Audiovisual Compositions of Lis Rhodes, Aimee Mollaghan
• Chapter 11: Sounding Decay in the Digital Age: Audio-Visions of Decasia (2002) and Lyrical Nitrate (1991), Nessa Johnston
• Chapter 12: The Sound of Queer Experimental Film, Juan A. Suárez
• Chapter 13: Avant-Gardists and the Lure of Pop Music, Carol Vernallis
• Chapter 14: The Music of Gustav Mahler in Experimental Film Contexts: Questions of Visual Music and Intermedial Theory, Jeremy Barham

Holly Rogers is a senior lecturer in Music at Goldsmiths, University of London. Before this, she was the founding director of the Research Centre for Audio-Visual Media at the University of Liverpool, Fulbright Scholar at the DocFilm Institute in San Francisco and Research Fellow at the Humanities Institute of Ireland. Her primary interest lies in the relationship between sound and image in experimental film, video art and music video. Holly is the author Visualising Music: Audio-Visual Relationships in Avant-Garde Film and Video Art (2010) and Sounding the Gallery: Video and the Rise of Art-Music (2013). She has also edited two books on audiovisual media: Music and Sound in Documentary Film (2014) and Transmedia Directors: Sound, Image and the Digital Swirl (with Carol Vernallis and Lisa Perrott, forthcoming). She is a founding editor for the book series New Approaches to Sound, Music and Media.

Jeremy Barham is Reader in Music at the University of Surrey. His academic interests lie in the areas of Mahler, 19th- and 20th-century Austro-German music and culture, screen music, and jazz. He has undertaken periods of archival research in Vienna, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, and Wiesbaden, and convened three international conferences, on Mahler (2011), early film music (2014) and the music and legacy of Miles Davis and John Coltrane (2016).

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Film Theory

Theories about films.

An Experimental Cinema

May 14, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

Introduction

An experimental cinema is a genre in film making which is characterized by the use of a non-linear narrative, use of an asynchronous or no soundtrack at all. It is a low budget film, usually self-funded or financed by small grants and funds. The crew consists of a very few people, sometimes just one person who is the filmmaker.

The origin of experimental films dates back to around the 1920s when visual media was gaining popularity as a form of art. It was a distinct part of the avant-garde movements back then. Surrealists and French impressionists laid emphasis on exploring the genre whilst experimenting with the non-linear narrative, soundtracks and camera work. By the 1950s, the movement reached France. Artists like Hans Richter, Jean Cocteau, Dudley Murphy and many others became important experimental filmmakers who contributed to the European Avant Grande.

Films of Time

The most famous experimental films of all times were considered to be Luis Bunnel and Un-Chien andalou . Others in the list are ‘ Berlin: Symphony of a metropolis ’ by Walter Ruttman and ‘ The man with a movie camera ’ by Dziga Vertov filmed in Berlin and Kiev respectively. These films and many others were instrumental in creating a new focus angle, slightly away from classical Hollywood films.

Growth of Experimental Cinema

The actual ‘ birth ’ of experimental cinema took place in the post-world war Avant Grande in America. Although the European Avant Grande had its influence on Hollywood since the 1920’s, with films like Manhattan by Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler and also Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood extra , it had left a mark on Hollywood. These films were made before the world war and were characterized by artists working in isolation. These series of activities in film societies continued over the next two decades when in around 1962, the perspective started changing. Films such as A Movie and Cosmic Ray , unlike the early experimental films started shifting the focus from individual consciousness and first personification to abstraction, from non-linear narrative to oblique angled narratives.

In fact, the later works even saw the addition of soundtracks in their films like the film Scorpio Rising by Brakhage where he surprised the audience with the addition of a rock soundtrack. That was the era of structural-materialist film makers. Around the 1970s, experimental films became more and more conceptualized. Yoko Ono was one such well-known name who contributed to the experimental film society with her notorious and bold film called Rape .

Conceptual films also encouraged feminist film makers where they promoted ideas that defy gender norms and patriarchy. Most of the artists who were involved in experimental film remained aloof from mainstream Hollywood and became professors at universities like State Universities of New York, California Institute of the Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and a few others. Though these filmmakers themselves do not hold college degrees, they continue to pursue their practices and refine them while continuing to teach. The inclusion of this subject in the film courses has further led to the popularization of the genre.

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Weird and Wonderful: How Experimental Film Narratives Can Inform Interactive Digital Narratives

• Conference paper
• First Online: 27 October 2020
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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12497))

Included in the following conference series:

• International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling

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An analysis is made of historical experimental films in order to determine if alternative models and techniques of narration are in use that may inform current and future creators of interactive digital narratives (IDN). An overview of experimental film leads to five case studies chosen as being of most relevance to narrative: these discuss works by Deren, Greenaway, Frampton, Markopoulos and Rybczyński. All these works predate the establishment of digital and interactive technology. Characteristics of verticality and repetition, spiral structures, ‘interlexia’ transitions, voice-over disjunction, trance narratives, multiscreen and multilayering, and the use of equations and set theory to determine the form of the film, are shown to be of potential interest to IDN.

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Rees, A.L.: A History of Experimental Film and Video. BFI, London (1999)

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Hales, C. (2020). Weird and Wonderful: How Experimental Film Narratives Can Inform Interactive Digital Narratives. In: Bosser, AG., Millard, D.E., Hargood, C. (eds) Interactive Storytelling. ICIDS 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12497. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62516-0_14

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Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera:

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An excellent introduction to the basics of experimental filmmaking, with a welcome emphasis on film rather than digital work, and the use of a simple camera, a Bolex. As the author notes, all you need is a roll of film, a light meter, and a camera – add to that inspiration, and you have a handy and accessible guide to DIY independent filmmaking.

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