Short film

Swinging

1981 · 2 min

A hypnotic, meditative experiment where a figure blurs into streaks of light, rewarding patience with a quiet, dreamlike sense of motion.

Overview: We see John swinging on a swing he built in his studio. He shot the film by himself with the camera placed many feet away, so that while swinging, he continuously made the camera work one frame at a time, holding a remote control using a long cable. This enabled him to record each individual frame at the precise second that he passed by on the swing at a certain position within the arc of the swinging motion, thereby creating the illusion that he was frozen in the air, or flying in circles. In doing so dressed in white against a black background while using one-second exposures in each frame, he created the visual effect by which one perceives him as a series of brushstrokes. This film is a single shot, filmed continuously over one hour.
How it feels: Whimsical, eerie and earnest. Slow-burning and needs your attention.
About: Art, obsession, identity
Content: No violence, gore, sexual content or swearing.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Add to a list: Swinging

In the USNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.

In your watch list

More like this