1/2ot: Oskar Fischinger

[Cool Cat]

In those days I'm downloading using Emule some Oskar Fischinger's cartoons. I would like to share this:
http://www.yossarko.com/wdfaa/files/allegretto.wmv
I suppose that is the first version of Allegretto, created in 1936. Presented in (ruined) Gasparcolor.
I have "Komposition In Blau" and "Muratti Privat" too, who would like too see them?

[mayerson]

I am at a loss to know why there isn't a Fischinger DVD collecting his work. While I am generally not a fan of abstract animation, Fischinger's films are fantastic. I wish that somebody would make them available and I thank you for whatever you do make available.

[Cool Cat]

Is available a vhs with some of his cartoons that I'm actually downloading it via emule. If anyone want to know the link, send me a private message.

[Bamse]

I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that while Fischinger is best known for setting geometrical shapes to music, this really describes only a part of his filmography and as far as it's known, the reputation of an early music-"video" maker was not what he was after. He simply thought music would help people to understand his films better but the plan pretty much backfired.

Fischinger was especially versatile in 1920's, when he was experimenting with the abstract possibilities of wax (seen in the film Wachsexperimenten (1923)), multiple projector possibilities (Fieber, Vakuum and Macht (1926-27)) and a cutout experiment that reminds me of Emile Cohl, if anyone or anything at all (Seelische Konstruktionen (1927)). He also made six narrative animated shorts (known as Münchener Bilderbogen (1924-26)) and an original live-action experimental film (München-Berlin Wanderung (1927)) On top of all that, he also invented a combustible engine that burned inert gases without causing pollution and founded a company to develop it, but he doesn't seem to have gotten very far with that.

[wundermild]

I am at a loss to know why there isn't a Fischinger DVD collecting his work.
Quoting Pip Chodarov from the RE:VOIR Fischinger PAL-VHS tape booklets:
[...] we have found DVD quality insufficient for experimental film. MPEG compression was developed for natural and predictable motion; it works by vectorizing similar adjactent images and only keeping information about movement, about the parts of the picture that change from frame to frame. In most of our films, however, EVERYTHING MOVES, everything changes. Many of our filmmakers were trying to push the envelope, creating all kinds of of single frame activity.
In a traditional DVD, only 1 out of every 6 or 12 frames are actually burned on the disk; the inbetween frames are then calculated by the player based on vectorized information. But for the films we distribute, EVERY frame needs to be on the disk [...]
Unfortunately, DVD throughput is still too slow today to play back 25 frames per second at high resolution. We hope the advanced Blu-Ray DVD [...] will be available in a few years for reproducing films at a higher speed of throughput. In the meantime, we will continue publishing films on VHS [...]
I agree in general on Chodarov's explanation. Even MPEG-2 at high bitrates makes trouble on scenic pan shots, producing artifacts or even blocks. Now, why don't they produce laserdiscs any more?

[JDWeil]

I don't know where they got that print, I've much better ones. Thsi short was originally titled Radio Dynamics and then changed to Allegretto and the prints I've seen it was shot in Agfacolor.

[Studio Toledo]

Is available a vhs with some of his cartoons that I'm actually downloading it via emule. If anyone want to know the link, send me a private message.

There was once a LD compilation released by Pioneer in the '80s of his work as well, including my favorite, "Motion Painting #1", though with a different orchestral score that replaced the one originally heard on the film.

[Cool Cat]

Hi guys, I've uploaded another Fischinger's cartoon: Komposition In Blau.
http://www.yossarko.com/wdfaa/files/kompositioninblau.wmv
I hope you like it.

[Duck Dodgers]

Very interesting stuff , thanks Cool Cat !