Friday, December 03, 2010

A Videopoem: Tones of Noir



direct link: Tones of Noir
music: Alex Bailey, 'Piano Improvisation No 7.'

Do poems wait to be born? A poem whittled out of thundering mist at Niagara Falls. The roar of the Falls, music, voice.


I wanted the voice to be as light as the mist, and as strange as a dream with noir elements. (Don't worry if you can't hear all the words -it's meant to be a bit ghostly, and you can read the words here.)

Tones of Noir

Numinosity
     washes the sky.

Poems rise
     out of thundering mist.

I think it is a crime.

She rushes by.

The water, 
     the power in falling.

Begin when it's in motion
and stop before it ends.

Mystical crystal spikes
     of sun.

He waits.

We walk quickly
covering ourselves against the watcher.

_
Video I shot in Niagara Falls, Canada, a few days ago, edited in Final Cut Express, Video I shot in Niagara Falls, Canada, a few days ago, edited in Final Cut Express, and layered a few recordings of the poem I wrote for this piece.

Niagara Falls is magnificent!


Still from video:



_
I'm entering this in Big Tent Poetry's prompt this week. I read the prompt Wednesday night (had only 6 hours sleep since then, video poetry does that to me, sigh) and thought, hmnnn, enough? ...maybe.

::Smiling:: Thanks!



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18 comments:

  1. I love the idea of a video poem!

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  2. Anonymous4:11 AM

    Wow, what an experience that was. Amazing film and poem.

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  3. Very dramatic. Nice use of the film and music and narration to present this poem. Ethereal.

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  4. Thanks, Tilly!

    Vivinfrance, thank you for your kind comment. As you know, it's so much work, to receive a nice comment is such a gift.

    Nan, thank you, and for your appraisal of the technicalities of using a multi-media approach - always nice to hear it works for someone - and yes, that high, too sweet voice of mine lends itself to the ethereal. Alls I need is wings huh?! ::grinning::

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  5. A video poem what a great idea.
    Niagara Falls is beautiful. I went a few times while growing up in New York.
    Pamela

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  6. How creative and clever! Your poem alone is beautiful, without adding the video component!

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  7. I love the whole idea. A video poem, wonderful. But, I'm with Mary. I like the poem alone as well. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us,

    Elizabeth

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  8. Thank you, Pamela! I haven't been to Niagara Falls since I was 13, which was a very long time ago, so it was terrific to witness the power of the Falls again. Though the town that's developed since casinos moved in is quite hilarious - dozens of haunted houses and wax museums.

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  9. Hi Mary, thanks... though the poem was in fact inspired by the video footage I had taken and edited and so, for me at least, inseparable. The whole videopoem took about 20 hours of intense work and seriously sometimes I wonder why I go to such lengths when I am not trained in the medium.

    Hi Elizabeth, and thanks, too! Though I'm wondering if perhaps the multi-media approach is a bit much at Big Tent, and I can understand how text alone is preferred.

    Because I am driven to produce multi-media pieces, I find I can't contribute to Big Tent's weekly prompt because I find there isn't enough time between Monday and Friday to do one of these... I know, I know, don't, but how can one explain what one is most inspired to do?

    This week I was quite happy to finish this at 2am and be able to join the Ring for once!

    Hope it's okay - it's just what I do nowadays.

    blessings xo

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  10. Oh, yes! It is enough. Love the layered misty sounds, so perfect for the words. You've such a great voice. And the music was a good fit, too.

    "the power in falling." Wonderful!!

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  11. Deb, you are so sweet, thank you. I know you have been by many sites, with many to go no doubt, and so am very appreciative of your stopping by here with some kind and supportive words. It was a great prompt, and really did get me moving with this footage of the fabulous and powerful Falls.

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  12. nicely done....thanks for sharing

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  13. Thanks, Wayne, and Gautami!

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  14. Anonymous10:15 PM

    i love niagara falls -- the energy there is poetry! thanks for writing with us!!!

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  15. So totally beautiful, and I envy your creativity!

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  16. Thanks, Cynthia! If it's there, it's called hours and hours of work (like 20 hours, seriously, during a continuous 30 hour stretch when I managed 6 hours of sleep). Luxury in that, I'll grant. If one knew what one was doing, that is. Entirely self-taught, when I start I never know what I'm doing or where it'll end up. :))) Embarrassed to show, too (when we have real film around us everywhere by trained people), and that takes courage. So, especially thanks for giving me a little room to say all this too! Much appreciate!

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  17. Oh, my. This is inspiring. Thank you.

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