Category: 16mm Film

A 16mm film, sixth in the series, Sheepman & the Sheared (1970-1976).

“The film series was made within the workshops and the theoretical context of the London Filmmakers Co-operative and structural / material film. In the series, the coincidence of flora, fauna, other objects, processes and activities, with the film frame are in no way paramount to an inspection of the total film process by which an observation of this kind is made possible. Specific conditions to do with both Nature and human activity with Nature are recorded with the camera, but is essentially subject to the observation and reaction of the filmmaker.

“Colour ‘generated’ from the sky, the grass and berries, a system of graphic loops synthesises in the printer, not only changing hues of complementary colours but white light itself.” (1976)

The bottom image – left hand column – shows the preparation of three of the five printer rolls at the editing bench. Loaded into the printer, it was essential that the starting point for the masks was synchronised for each of the three colour rolls. They were printed in turn onto the unexposed printing stock, which was rewound to the beginning in the dark, following each exposure run.

A 16mm film, part 5 of a series, Sheepman & the Sheared (1970-1976).

“The film series was made within the workshops and the theoretical context of the London Filmmakers Co-operative and structural / material film. In the series, the coincidence of flora, fauna, other objects, processes and activities, with the film frame are in no way paramount to an inspection of the total film process by which an observation of this kind is made possible. Specific conditions to do with both Nature and human activity with Nature are recorded with the camera, but is essentially subject to the observation and reaction of the filmmaker.

An assembly of eight rolls of film each in different ways examining spatial relationships; object/camera film/projector film planes-the walls of a barn, the surface of a tilled field, the surface of the screen bearing the image of a wall in movement, the screen with an image of movement towards moving animals, movement of tractor on which a moving camera is mounted.” (1976)

Part 5 (Farm) made with the assistance of a grant from the South West Arts Association (1973/4)

A 16mm film, part 7 of a series, Sheepman & the Sheared (1970-1976).

“The film series was made within the workshops and the theoretical context of the London Filmmakers Co-operative and structural / material film. In the series, the coincidence of flora, fauna, other objects, processes and activities, with the film frame are in no way paramount to an inspection of the total film process by which an observation of this kind is made possible. Specific conditions to do with both Nature and human activity with Nature are recorded with the camera, but is essentially subject to the observation and reaction of the filmmaker.

Return to the camera image of Sheepman, together with control of camera, then examines the image resultant in conjunction with synchronous/non-synchronous sound and written word image.” (1976)

” In Sheepman & the Sheared, Leggett delicately negotiates a dialectic between creation of images, and stripping the images of their illusionism. The comprehensiveness of his task provides the film with its interest: the evident intelligence and diligence make the film an imposing work in the canon of the British structural film.” – Daryl Chin, New York Soho Weekly.

A 16mm film made as part of a series, Sheepman & the Sheared (1970-1976).
“The camera and operator record 40 seconds of film each weekend throughout a period of twelve months from the same vantage point; each period finishes with the camera framing the area in front of the window in the same way as when the shot commenced. Selection of the part of the area with the use of zoom lens and camera movement or decision about time of day (or even day itself) and precise length of run were not pre-determined. The footage obtained is assembled in order of shooting, (April 1973-74), each camera run being indicated by the blanking of six individual frames spaced; 12 + 12 + 12 + 12cut + 12 + 12. A twenty minute continuous sound recording made at the same window is printed twice onto the ungraded final print with a five minute gap before the repeat”. (1976)

The film was commissioned by South West Arts as a community collaboration with some of the bands active in Bristol, UK in 1980. It was screened as part of a rock film season at the Bristol Arts Centre (seen at the very end, on the stage of which some fans perform). The 27-min full version – is now available here – made on Super 8mm film with sync sound and edited on video, it includes the music of the bands: Apartment, Art Objects, Black Roots, Blurt, Exploding Seagulls, Brian Damage, Glaxo Babies, Slow Twitch Fibres, Shoes for Industry, Stingrays, Talisman, TV Eyes, Untouchables, Various Artists.

Following completion of the project, the filmmakers prepared a report for the Arts Association (see in left column), on their experiences working with the community – the musicians and the cinema – using the often under-used super 8mm single sound system, making recommendations for better integration of the funder’s policies and filmmaker innovations.

A film by Mike Gifford and Mike Leggett.

“What is examined in this film is through the use of paradox, the convincing illusion produced by the two great illusionists, Television and Cinema. The extent to which these two can be and do manipulate, using only the process, producing sequences complete in their synthetic state.
The film takes as a starting point the face of the television monitor. Through a series of carefully controlled processes, the abstract nature of the image (which is concerned with pattern, colour and time), is juxtapositioned with the formal images of room interiors and exteriors still using a rigid time base as a common factor between the two.” (1972).
This version is as seen in Image Con Text: Two with the voiceover at the beginning.

A 3-minute extract from a 12-min, 16mm film made as part 4 of a series, Sheepman & the Sheared (1970-1976).

“The film series was made within the workshops and the theoretical context of the London Filmmakers Co-operative and structural / material film. In the series, the coincidence of flora, fauna, other objects, processes and activities, with the film frame are in no way paramount to an inspection of the total film process by which an observation of this kind is made possible- specific conditions to do with both Nature and human activity with Nature are recorded with the camera, but is essentially subject to the observation and reaction of the filmmaker.

Film is shot from a moving vehicle; from its roof pointing forward, from its rear pointing backwards. This occurs on two occasions; the summer of 1973 and the winter of 1974. The camera runs at either 24 fps or 12 fps The film is assembled according to pre-determined factors; (i) the 12 frame / half second bias as observed in Sheepman section; (ii) a double binary – alternating apparent movement away from and toward the surface of the screen, (a function relying on the perception of successive frames); (iii) combinations of one or other of these. The primary function of the 12 frame opaque film is, as in the Sheepman section, not so much as markers of time but as a constant factor comparative to those frames they surround.” (1976)