Movies
Novice Robots
A humorous and stylized examination of that most dramatic of appliances: the blender. A suspenseful journey into the turbulent world of frappe and puree. Music by Scott Sloan.
The symbiotic relationship between man and machine is explored in a Laundromat. Music by Moksha Kusa. Actor: Matt Genz.
An insightful look into one of the most powerful and commanding kitchen appliances ever designed: The Electric Can Opener. An examination of "can versus machine" with a predictable outcome, The Magic Hostess is a highly stylized portrait of domesticated technology. Music by Matt McCormick. Hand model: Amy Rose.
An ethereal gaze into neoteric pedestrian travel and an up-close look at the mechanics of a modern staircase. “Moving Staircase” briefly highlights the movement and motion of an escalator and its interaction with people. Music by Marc Fischer. Escalator Passenger: Amy Rose. Escalator provided by Bill Naito Company. Created for the Blu Dot Furniture Film Series.
Rolling through a quiet parking structure in that moment of transition from late night to early morning, familiar hieroglyphs guide a car through layers of empty parking space. Music by Moksha Kusa.
It melts butter, it pops corn, it makes a delicious low-fat snack in a matter of minutes. A short thoughtful glimpse at that mid-1980’s built yellow plastic machine. Music by Solar Marquardt.
The salad shooter is an electric vegetable slicer and shredder that takes the work and mess out of salad preparation. Watch as this modern day marvel proves that sometimes new technology can get a little sloppy. Music by Unrecognizable Now. Hand Model: Jennifer Budke.
A portrait of consumerism from the view point of the product. A musically driven meditation on the monotony of grocery shopping. Music by Marc Fischer.
Notes:
Novice Robots is a collection of short movies concerning household appliances and machines that are often overlooked in our day-to-day lives. This project began as a photography exercise but has grown into a study of industrial design and a lesson in capturing color, texture, and mechanics of industrial objects. Mixing specialized soundscapes and creatively photographed machine aesthetics, these movies bring objects alive in both an artistic and humanization form.
Novice Robots have screened around the world from university architecture, literature and film schools, to museums & new media events, as well as film festivals and microcinemas.
Past screening highlights include:
The New York Underground Film Festival, The Chicago Underground Film Festival, Viper|Basil, CMJ FilmFest, The Museum of Modern Art in Rio De Janeiro, The Hamburg International Short Film Festival, The Aurora Picture Show and the PDX Fest.