Video: Chuck Jones — The Evolution of an Artist
In this short video essay, Tony Zhou shows us the evolution of the artist Chuck Jones who directed over 200 Looney Tunes and created dozens of iconic American cinematic characters.
Video: Nina Simone on Shock (animated short)
This newly created video by the film studio Blank on Blank animates a 1968 interview with the singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone. Taken from a radio show hosted … Continue reading
Video: Elemental
— Antoine de Saint Exubery said, “A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock pile when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind.” In this … Continue reading
Video: “The Bad Sleep Well” by Akira Kurosawa – The Geometry of a Scene
One of Akira Kurosawa’s many gifts was staging scenes in ways that were bold, simple and visual. In this short video essay, Tony Zhou shows how Kurosawa’s 1960 suspense film … Continue reading
Video: The Eyes of Hitchcock
— Alfred Hitchcock said, “Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual … Continue reading
Video: Ironweed (Complete feature-length film)
Ironweed. Directed by Hector Babanco. Starring Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael O’Keefe, Diane Venora, Tom Waits, Fred Gynne. Written by Tom Bender and William Kennedy. Released in 1987. Running time: 2:23:03. … Continue reading
Video: The Silent Friends
The abiding bond between people and trees is celebrated in this cinematic ode produced by the Spanish filmmaking company Kauri. The Big Banyan Tree is considered to be one of … Continue reading
Video: Akira Kurosawa – Composing Movement
In this short “supercut” video essay, Tony Zhou shows how Akira Kurosawa uses movement in his shots to capture mood and character. — Shot from Seven Samurai
Video: Pablo Picasso paints on glass
— In this short video, Pablo Picasso paints on glass at his studio in the village of Vallauris, on the French Riviera. It’s from the 1950 film Visite à Picasso by … Continue reading
Video: Tom Waits reads “Nirvana” by Charles Bukowski
This gentle poem shows a rarely seen lyrical side to both Bukowski and Waits. Photo Feb. 2, 1989 Ellen Jaskol/LA Times.
Video: How to be Alone
A video by fiimmaker Andrea Dorfman and poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis. Davis wrote the poem and performed in the video which Dorfman directed, shot, animated by hand and edited. The video was … Continue reading
Video: Jackson Pollock 51
In this short video, the American abstract painter talks about his work and creates one of his distinctive drip paintings while we watch. The film was made by Hans Namuth … Continue reading
Video: David Byrne — How Architecture Helped Music Evolve
As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, … Continue reading
Video: Yoko Ono — Cut Piece (1965)
An excerpt from Yoko Ono’s ‘Cut Piece’ (1965) in which audience members were invited to cut a piece off the performer’s clothing. — Yoko Ono, born in 1933, grew up … Continue reading
