archaeoikon 2012

Refining a Pilot Film

2012-01-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

(photo by T. Brewer)

Aparna Sharma (UCLA) in the Cuyamacas crewing on a shoot for Archaeology from the Ashes.

I have several screenings of a short film I recently finished coming up. Archaeology from the Ashes, is a film about wildfire and archaeology in California.

In its current form it is really a pilot for a longer film project I am still working on. The first of these showing will be during the North American Archaeology Research Group's upcoming symposium in Cambridge on February 11. Symposium Program

I am on the third re-edit now, and am hoping that what I tweak for the Cambridge showing will make me happy with the general progress of the project so that I can show the film in the same format for a screening for the MA Visual Anth students at USC a few weeks later. There will be an online discussion after that USC screening.

A couple of further screenings and discussions are in the works for this spring, and then an early version will be available for viewing at the International Archaeological Film Festival in Portland in May.

I would like to close out on the short versions of this film with the feedback from these screenings and get on to building a longer piece out of it. I love much of the footage I have, but want a few more shoots before I wrap this up.

(photo by T. Brewer)

This old handbuilt cabin above Lake Cuyamaca was a surprising survivor of the 2005 fires. Notice the burned hillside opposite.

West of the Taff

2012-01-24T01:40:00.000-08:00

St Teilo, image from Llandaff Cathedral

I have started work on a fun book project focused on Cardiff area history, archaeology and folklore. It is for a new History Press series called Bloody British History. Doing this book is giving me a chance to re-explore all sorts of archaeological legends and odd corners of Cardiff folklore that I have run into since first moving here in 1978. Some of them I used in teaching, or in working on different small projects, but never wrote any of it up.

I need to establish about 30 stories to explore in this book, and in reviewing what I knew, I found I had about 60 pretty quickly. So now the problem is to sift through everything and reject half my initial ideas and begin to locate sources and illustrations for the rest!

An interesting aspect of researching the book is also having an excuse to sit down with other folklorists, archaeologists, historians and archivists of my acquaintance who might have interesting insights, contacts and sources for me. This has been great fun so far, and I am enjoying the views from the eyrie of the local history collections at Cardiff City Library which is high above the city centre and has big view windows.

John Speed's map of Cardiff, 1610

At the top left of the map where you see the Blackfriar's monastery, and the river Taff flowing is quite near our house. I have decided to begin working on the chapters for legends, sites and history west of the Taff first. Gotta start somewhere.

Upcoming Workshop, Lectures, Trainings and Shoots

2012-01-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

I will be on sabbatical from consulting work from May until October of 2012, while working on a book and some finishing some film projects.

However I am finishing up current projects and will still be doing a few workshops and talks in spring 2012. _____________________________________________

February 9, 2012 On location (London) for A Thousand Year Journey.

February 11, 2012 Archaeology from the Ashes (screening and discussion) NAARG symposium, Cambridge University.

February 14, 2012 Some Ethnographic and Archaeological Lenses for Screen Mediaists (workshop for MAASM students) Bristol University Department of Archaeology and Anthropology 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.

March 2, 2012 Archaeology from the Ashes ( screening and online discussion for MVA students) University of Southern California Center for Media Literacy 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm.

March 11-15 On location (Nevada) Folk Arts Road Trip series shoots (tentative).

March 22 - 29 2012 Through the Lens: Anza Borrego Expedition. (Transatlantic Field Trip Group)
(limited spaces still available, contact me for more information)

March 30-31 2012 Interpretive Challenges in Archaeological Film Making. Society for California Archaeology Annual Meetings, San Diego CA. (schedule to be confirmed). Also filming the Malcolm Rogers symposium at SCA.

April 15, 2012 On Screen Sooner: Simple Screen Media Projects for Public Folklorists. (workshop) Association of Western States Folklorists Annual Retreat, Cheyenne Wyoming. Time to be confirmed, but expected to be the morning workshop.

April 17-20 On Location (Colorado) for untitled shoot.

April 24, 2012 LSRI, Santa Monica CA. (annual public workshops on archaeological geophysics and cultural landscape interpretation).

May 1-4, 2012 On Location, (San Diego County) for
A Thousand Year Journey.