Do I always say that every movie I do with Natascha is my new favorite? Am I guilty of that “over-excitement” when we just finish a new project together and we are dancing in our creative after-glow? My only excuse is, that really, I do believe it is, and being so involved, it is hard to decide which is our “best film” as each one has been so very different from the other. If films are like giving birth, this one was our most difficult birth, maybe breach and almost two big for mom, but in the end, it was born joyfully. I am hoping Nat will make ample comments on her side, how she saw it all *smiles, but I can say for me personally, this was the film we talked more hours over before we even began it. Our brainstorming sessions went on for days and at any hour, because initially, there was a question that came up in some very good but heated comments as to what the poem was saying to begin with. See the original post and comments:
Click this link, “Blur…The Poem”
So, what was it about..a girl? a cat?
Before we could begin deciding on scenes, we had to answer that question at least for ourselves.
I am going to refrain from saying too much more, and hope you will see the movie, and whatever comments it might inspire, share them with us here on my blog.
As we say on Nat’s YouTube Channel,
“It is a tale written out on Life’s highway. We focused on one story… and everyone knows some variation of it too. Thanks to all who helped out in the making of this, our most complicated film to date. Menubar Memorial’s RL highway footage, provided the speed we needed and is an invaluable part of the film.”
I want to extend a big thank-you to Menubar for this footage. Fate stepped in and just when he decided to go out one day and do some time-lapse filming of his town, not even knowing we were doing this project, he showed it to me one night, and the lights went off in my head. He offered it to Nat to use as much as she wanted, and really this moment of serendipity and good timing, helped us to see how we could tell our story in a dizzy and high-octane way.
A big thank- you to my co-star and co-owner of LINC Island where the movie was filmed on our “sky-lot,” Odracir Wrigglesworth. I hope he won’t be type-cast from now on and , girls, don’t be afraid to date him, he’s just a good actor… not a “real bad guy”
Thanks To RAG Randt who got me hitchhiking even though an avatar can’t hold out her thumb, he did a great work-around, and also to Dale Innis (our scripter in residence:) who came up with a way to blow that paper out of a moving car.
Last but not least, “Nat the Cat” frisky and adorable….ohh my, but what a sharp eye for angles, direction, editing, FX’s and set building. Always a joy to work with her, I hope there are many more opportunities to come.
So I present Blur, The Movie..Please see it in Fullscreen and in HD for the best quality and all comments are very appreciated. Enjoy!!
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From Luna Branwen who had trouble getting into WordPress, I paste her comment for her below:
“Wow, Kari! You and Nat knocked it out of the park! You know I love your wordsmith style and your voice; I felt the rapture, the seduction and the poignant departure vividly here in this film. The highway scenes are amazing. You two work magic together. Wonderful stuff! Love ~ Luna”
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Thank you dear Luna..yes seems WordPress was misbehaving last night as a few had problems posting comments. Thank you so much for being such a supporter of both my poetry and Nat’s and my videos. If we could make you feel all that I know we are on the right track, and that pleases us both that we touched your feelings ( speaking for Nat too)
Love an Peace.
Kari
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Nat and Karima, you are both geniuses and when you work together you bring your art to a higher level. When I first watched “The Blur” I was immediately riveted with emotion. The first time, it brought back memories of hitch hiking when I was too young to know that anything bad could ever happen to me.
As I watched it again, I experienced the sensuality of the kitten, living in the moment without concern about what might come next. Then I noticed the details, when the man took off his glasses, when the car made the U turn and the world turned upside down. Those subtles hints, that we so often ignore, that all may not be as it seems.
Next I closed my eyes and listened to Karima read this poem. It touched that place in me that was, and many times still is, naive and completely trusting. That part that is willing to give over the control to someone else. This poem is not about a car ride, a girl or a cat, it is about that experience of trusting someone completely, being betrayed, and the lost, lonely and bewildered feelings that we experience as we try to make sense of it all.
How many times does it seemed that we are ” at the end of the road”, we were lost and do not know how to go on from here. Yet somehow we find our way, we go on and we are wiser as a result. Just like a cat has 9 lives, it is never the end for us even when it feels like it is.
The poem leaves us wondering what happens next. We project our own experience into the end. That is the purpose of art. It is a mirror and we learn about ourselves from that reflection.
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Barbie, I so enjoyed your comment and your different levels of feeling and seeing our film. Yes a few have mentioned to me they were brought back to their hitchhiker days.. and I guess there was an innocence and a trust in those days, to so easily get into a car of a stranger. There must have been some hitchhiker guardian angels working overtime in that period;) Yes I feel that my poem, so well brought to life through Nat’s direction, filming and editing, is about trust and betrayal of trust. There was a very heated discussion originally when I posted the poem alone, and so many feel that it is even crueler to a creature(the cat) who has no idea why he is being abandoned..somewhere in the girl’s mind, she must have known.I agree with you about Art and hopefully how it makes one project and come to see his or her own opinions about a piece.So many views, and I love that people have taken the time to express them, both here, and to me personally. Thank you again for your valuable input and way of seeing and enjoying our “Blur”
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Karima’s and Natascha’s and Odracir’s and Menubar’s efforts here are nothing short of amazing! Karima’s writing is haunting and knits together with Nat’s very sophisticated video creation. Which knits seamlessly with real video
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This comment site has a problem. Anyway-part Deux. Very sophisticated work. Nice editing of all those pieces of work. What they are doing is difficult-seaming RL and SL art. And Sam, the big fat orange cat who sits on my keyboard and critiques everything, agrees. It won’t be long before K and N are creating feature length movies! Everything is good. Based on a noir short story. It all matches-story line…music….video…cutting….quick tempo a la 50s noir. Love in all the wrong places…..So very 50s.
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Part tres. Very fine effort all. I hate to see Karima’s ladies get dumped on all the time…but, such is life I guess. Better work than Bollywood-I mean holyride…I mean Hollywood is doing these days. Here is real talent! Well done all!
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Tube, thank you for your great comments, and even battling WordPress weirdness to leave them for us:) I am really glad Sam approved, and we got the feline vote on this one…I can hear him hissing at the cad who dropped off “Nat the Cat.” Really though, thank you for taking time out of,I know, your very busy day and leaving these great and well-thought out observations. Your words and generosity (because it IS an act of generosity to leave comments like you do) are very motivating for us both.
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Sweetly Blessed (a fellow Tukso fan and friend) asked me to copy and paste her comment here:
“I met Karima just a few short months ago and she has snuggled into a sweet place of friendship in my heart! She is amazing and incredible, so kind and so creative! Nat, I just met but she is an amazingly creative gal. Keep your eyes on these two incredibly talented women cuz they are taking Sl one movie and poem at a time! = ))”
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Hey Sweetly, thank you so much for your words..you are so sweet (just like your name:) to send them to us to include. Big Hugs
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Great stuff, Karima!
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Thank you Mr Godenot!
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Brilliant!
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Thanks so much Cardi for watching and enjoying it:)
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My point of view…eeeehm there are many, the directors view, the editors view, and the listener/reader of the poem view and my personal view, and believe me I read and heard it more than ten zillion times. If I use Karima’s picture of the most difficult birth, yes, after the longest longest pregnancy:) But the good thing is, our baby is very healthy:) And yes it is our best work so far. But not only the best as in “excellent”, darn that sounds I am immodest:), it is the process, the making of that movie. We were working more than, I think, four weeks of shooting, building the sets, re shooting, shooting additional scenes and so on, and I learned so much and oh yes I have to thank Karima and Odracir for their patience while sitting in the car, driving up and down the road… while I am shouting “Ok once again please”…. “once again please”
Being a director is sometimes like being the Queen of England, everyone has to obey, ha! Eeehm psst, dont tell them that they have to move again, because I forgot to change the windlight settings…
One of the key scenes of the movie are the “parking” scenes. It was a major challenge that they do not look clumsy or plump. At the end, we show nothing, but everyone knows what happens. I love this kind of magic!
Another challenge was the car. Its nearly impossible to drive a car fast AND straight ahead in second life. But we are clever:) And Odracir is a good driver 🙂
And WOW! Menubar’s RL footage! That was really a challenge to let it fit with the SL footage. I’ve learned soo much while using it! Thats why a BIG Thankies goes to Menubar!
As always, we are not only brainstorming at the beginning, its a continuous process and we are cool enough to change things while filming or in postpro. It is a great feeling, you have finished the movie and it renders three hours and after that you show it to Karima and she said “Oh very cool but at minute xx:xx there is…” hahahaha, omg, back to the editing software…Or if you go to sleep and wake up 2 hours later cause you have this idea…Or the rucksack scene. To be honest I think its a great scene and Karima told me that great Idea how we can use a rucksack that is not modify and let it be thrown out of the car. I dont tell you how, but its simple but perfect!
But the most important thing is, to get the feeling of the story, of the poem and of the music. And I love that Dire Straits beat. It gives the story that eeehm yes that special feeling.
And after I got that feeling, I always thought about how can I bring it to the screen? From a bright day to the darkest night? After all, the music leads me to the key scene of the movie and the poem…”framed by endless woods” …which is in many ways, and in my opinion, the end of all hope. Its the most powerful part of Karima’s poem and I hope of the movie, too.
Sooo…that are some of my confused thoughts about Blur, the movie 🙂
BIG THANKS for all your great comments!
Hugs
Nat
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Going to make this reply to Nat’s short and sweet..I LOVE your comments Nat!! I always look forward to them, and eheem..I knew you might have a “few words” to say:):)
Hugs
Karima
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I loved both your comments Nat, “The Queen of England! ” indeed! I think it is great how you take us all behind the scenes (even me!! Who knew we did it 50 times because you forgot to change your windlight settings??!! haha) Nat the Cat, was bossy but in the end that feline knew what to do:) Here’s to many many more!!
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Yet another Great collab for you and Nat! Always ready for more from such a wonderful team. 🙂
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Thank you so much Spiral..as you well know, when we get a little better at our craft, we also feel the responsibility to make sure each one is at least as good as the last, and hopefully better..That can be some hard (but enjoyable) work:) Hope we can continue to entertain you with our collaborations:)
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Oh this was really a brilliant multidimensional expression!!! Not only is it another creative collaboration by two exceptional genius artists…. for starters… but it tells a story… sad, but unfortunately a rather common story, here told beautifully. It touches me emotionally, visually, sound music and well placed poignant sounds that enhanced the statement made, movement, Natasha’s masterful mashinima work, Karima’s soul touching voice and the story she tells, her haunting music. The ride. She got taken for a ride. Kitty too. The cowardly man who used until he was sated. He then tossed both the cat that he no longer wanted and the woman who’s heart and trust he had opened, onto a remote road in a desolate place, in the dark, so vulnerable and betrayed… and he drove heartlessly away. I am warmed that she and the cat found each-other. Congratulations to all involved… this is an artful creation that touches deeply.
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Oh Jan…you just get us. as movie makers as you have always gotten me as a poet:) Your support and your deep eye for seeing and your warm willingness to share what you feel about what we make, is very much appreciated.. I too always wait for your comments..as I know you will have seen many layers in anything we make..Thank you dear friend for that gift and that support
hugs,
Karima
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Ahoy eeehm meeow, I forgot to write some words about the cat:) But the cat is very important for the story, not only as a parable, but for all the real cats, which are abandoned by people. I told you a lot about cats in the comment about the poem. So let’s talk a bit about the cat in the movie. First I wanted the cat in the very first scenes, but then I, or I bet we both, Karima and I, cant remember:) decided to use the scenes as a flashback, so erveryone knows what happend before. Thats why I used the bluish filter, to make it clear, to point at it, look look here 🙂 And hand on heart, everyone will trust someone who drives around with a cute cat in his car. Especially if you dont know about the evil plan…
Unfortunately we can’t have more cat scenes, because of the limits of animations which came with the cat avatar.
meoooow
Nat the Cat 🙂
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Yes, we did need to hear from Nat the Cat!! You looked so intent staring up in that bluish filter:)
and when in doubt about “what the heck is going on in the front seat??” you proved it’s always a good move to play and jump around in the back seat:):) Another great Nat comment Miss Cat:)
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Well I must say, your movies are getting more and more like live action pieces! I’m almost expecting actors in the next one. The plot is quite typical of many dramas I’ve seen in SL, where two people apparently go off to be alone together but it’s only one who ends up feeling alone, trudging back to civilisation feeling chastened. It’s good to see this archetypal tale exposed as a work of art.
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Thanks Steve, for your impressions and yes, this one was a mix of RL SL and a tale that even with the poignant last shot, maybe brings a glimmer of hope, that one found a good home, and the other might will look back on this day of bad judgement as a marker on her timeline, that taught as well as gave her something to love, the cat:)
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This movie, words, music, images and voice are a unity. Great artistic level. Stunning …. RL images that sometimes come along in a flash? I am always touched by Karima’s voice and words (that combination is unique) but this music and images give extra dimensions. Well done Natascha and Karima!
The story builds tension and starts relaxed. A feeling of safety is shown but from the beginning there is a hint of menace. The music plays a major role. Myself I write poems about people who were damaged by their contacts with other people. Sometimes so bad that they cannot (don’t want to) live. When I first saw this movie, emotions of NO, STOP, GO AWAY, RUN came up towards the end. But it was different. Perhaps the movie shows something that matters to all of us. About what we experience and perhaps about what we cause. Another bit of trust in people lost or just wiser?
Beautiful movie!
Janfolkert Alter
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Ahh Jan, sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your very interesting and well thought-out comment. I agree the music does play a major role for setting the mood. There is no doubt this will not be just a slow drive in the country looking at wildflowers, but a relentless, foot-on-the accelerator-speeded up vignette of highway drama. When I wrote the poem, I imagined music from the Dire Straits. Knowing I would have copyright problems using them, I found a rhythm loop that was “like the Dire Straits” and built up track after track over it. The humming churning motor sound is actually 4 levels of cello, some with reverb on them. I played the wailing guitar in the Blur part on my keypad (have to love Garage Band!!) Yes both the cat and the girl, were abandoned but if two are abandoned together, are they alone? Life sometimes gives us those surprising gifts in pairs, that seem to turn a lose/lose situation into a win/win. Thank you so much Jan for your support of my poetry, and your thoughtful comment on our movie.
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What a great piece of art you two have created sis. I loved the movie and the music and your words – you and Nat have pulled off your best work yet and I’ll need a whole new lexicon of superlatives soon!
At the risk of prolonging debate about the cat,I thought I’d throw my tuppence worth into the mix. As I watched and listened I thought that we all need to be in touch with our inner cat, to revel luxuriously in those perfect warm spots, to purr with pleasure and stretch out when we’re stroked and petted and not hold on to past hurts and pain or forget that it is ok to trust and be open even if it carries the risk of being shoved out on the roadside. We should nourish that part of ourselves. You’d think once or twice down that road would stop us getting in the car again but it takes strength and courage to face life with such open optimism and that’s what I take from your poem sis. We always find our way back from the road through those endless woods 🙂
Simply brilliant!
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Wow sis..I LOVED your comment.. You brought yet another point of view..the one that says..”if we live in the moment, we might get hurt true, but we will heal, and we had that pleasure to “revel luxuriously” in our instincts too. I am a heart-on-my-sleeve type..I do bounce back..and I do trust. I think I would not want to be any other way, because when we stop trusting, we get wrapped up in the stiff and cold arms of cynicism. Maybe we need to fine tune our instincts with each “bad judgement call” instead of retreating to “never trust again” we just learn to hone our instincts a bit better. Thank you for your very sincere and interesting point of view.
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Wonderful stuff as usual! Happy to have contributed even if it was just to make one small piece of paper blow around a little. 🙂 I’m not good at putting words to art and to emotional stuff, but this is… very good. At the end I am glad that they got away unscathed. And maybe they will be best friends now! Girl and cat, who are us. We are not of course the bad man! 🙂
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I had that little piece of paper scene in my mind, ever since Nat agreed to take on the project. It was a tricky thing to get right, and we spent quite a lot of time getting it wrong too…* smiles. Your eagerness to help out and send us that little script, helped to include,one of my personal favorite scenes. I so agree Dale..”we are not the bad man at all” I don;t think anyone saw themselves in that role…oh well maybe one..the one who gave us a thumbs down on YouTube *hehe…too close to home perhaps.. hmmm?
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I’m giving this my highest compliment; stealing it off of YouTube.
Great job Karima and Natasha! You guys do excellent work together.
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OMG! laughing so hard Menu :):) bows to your reverent showing of praise. I know only the very best gets aboard that Galleon:):) Thanks for your Fabulous!! Rl footage and for being my best Buddeh in all of SL!
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Terrific job, Nat and Karima. It is really an exciting thing when two creative minds get together and the whole becomes greater than the parts. Given the talent of the two parts, that is saying something! I was privileged to see an earlier cut of the movie, an it really shows how much work went into making the final movie. The atmosphere, voice, and story were all superb!
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Thank you Scottius!! and as everyone knows…. artistic otters are also discerning art critics:)
I have always respected you for your good taste, in Art, sardines<— (:) music and videos..so your positive comments are not taken lightly and very appreciated. Thank you so much for watching our film and for so thoroughly enjoying it it seems..Makes that long crazy production process all the more worth it!!
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Karima and Natascha,
Your work is very moving. As my querido amigo Ed Abbey used to say, “A great piece of art is kind of a club serving to rouse the slumbrous and silence the obtuse.” Your art continues to take a stand, and act as that proverbial club. Great artists both of you! I am so proud of you both!
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Hoyt, I really enjoyed your comparison of Art to a club…I hope we roused a few and delighted the majority. Your pride in us, means so very much to me (as you already know) Thank you for your words and your appreciation of what we do:)
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Very well done!!!
Bravoo Nat and Kari! Your unique style in the machinimas is very special and fabulous.
Congratulations :))
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Aww Yesikita, thank you so much for your comment and your hands-on and sincere support of what Nat and I do in our machinimas . Coming from a talented filmmaker like yourself, it’s very inspiring.
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Pingback: “Festival of Love” Comes to LINC Island Friday Oct. 18th 1:30-2pmslt | Digital Rabbit Hole
Great work! Congratulations!
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Thank you so much..Wow you discovered our video 10 years later..That means a lot you left your comment.:)
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You are more than welcome! In my opinion, a great work does not have age. 🙂
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