On the unexpected and emergent in ethnographic film — An example from Java
It is not uncommon for anthropologists engaged in long-term, longitudinal, ethnographic research to have their foci and at times basic domain or research area…
November, 2013
The Affliction Series: an Interview with Ethnographic Filmmaker Robert Lemelson
Reblogged from Somatosphere: When Robert Lemelson, an anthropologist, filmmaker, and research professor at UCLA, recently visited the George Washington University to speak at a conference on how…
“Bitter Honey” Conundrum: Gaining Informed Consent (Part 2 of 2)
If you haven’t read Part 1, it can be found HERE When it comes to gaining consent ethically, there are two types—legal consent…
Why I make ethnographic films (instead of writing a monograph…)
Orwell was once asked by his editor to address the question “why I write.” Orwell, in his typically clear and direct manner, listed a…
Ethics and Voyeurism
During our trip to Bali, I was considering both visual ethnography and documentary. Specifically, I was wondering when and how are they forms of…
Mead’s Use of Film
On my recent trip to Bali with anthropologist Rob Lemelson and his film crew, I was asked to reflect upon my early remembrance of…
Anthropologists vs. Filmmakers: The Personal Perspective of a Commercial Producer
Anthropologists have a strong intellectual background and a radically different way of approaching the filming process and the making of a film than that…
Bali, tourism, and exoticism
Elemental Productions’ upcoming film, Bitter Honey, is a really important movie for the Balinese because it gives a critique to their own culture and…
Violence and Intervention: Filmmaker and Anthropologist in a Supportive Role
One of the more difficult areas in doing long-term filming is when your subjects, either because of the conditions of their lives or, more…
Editing: From Feature Film to Ethnographic Film
It has been almost three years since I started working for Elemental Productions. I have completed three movies as an editor or a co-editor,…
Autism Onscreen in Indonesia
In addition to working at Elemental Productions, I am finishing up my Ph.D at UCLA and writing my dissertation on the topic of autism…
Bali Shoot, September 2013
Photos and production stills from Elemental Productions’ recent film shoot in Bali, Indonesia during September 2013.
Reflexivity in Ethnographic Film
What is reflexivity? The question of what “reflexivity” means and why people engage in it has become a question of concern at Elemental Productions….
Review of “Bethel: Community and Schizophrenia in Northern Japan” film
Despite the increasing use and production of film and video in various fields of anthropology, there are simply not very many ethnographic films available…
Visual ethnography of people and their pets globally
A “visual ethnography” made of stills recording people and their connection to pets around the world.
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