Michael Ebert - Silent stay
9:30, 2007, FictionDirectorEbertbrothers (michael And Axel Ebert)CameraEbertbrothers (michael And Axel Ebert)EditorEbertbrothers (michael And Axel Ebert)CrewEbertBrothers (Michael and Axel Ebert)
CountryGermanySubtitlesnoneEdition2008 ScreeningsNaoussa international film festival 2008 (naoussa, greece) transhift media art festival 2008 (knoxville, usa)
< overview
Who is Michael Ebert?
Michael Ebert is one half of the The Ebert Brothers, the other half is Axel Ebert. Both grew up in Germany and are in their early thirties. They live and work in Berlin.
Your film is about?
A young person returns to a house in the countryside to spend the weekend on his own. Through patience, connecting cables and a swing he seems to discover a long lost part of himself.
How did you start with film? And do you have an educational background in art or film?
They started with film during their art school studies. Axel is a Graphic Designer who studied at the Universität für Angewandte Kunst Vienna and graduated at the Rietveld Academy Amsterdam. Michael studied Audiovisual Arts and graduated at The Rietveld Academy Amsterdam.
Could you explain how you work, what themes or concepts and what is important to you?
Ideas, concepts and images are collected in a pool. The pool is checked regularly to see if there are enough items that can be related to each other. When this is the case a storyboard is drafted and preparations for filming begin.
Technically, all types of videocameras, ranging from vintage tube-based to HDV. Editing is done in FinalCut, additional treatments in Aftereffects.
In General, their video work is mainly concerned with the individual experience of memory, reflection and metamorphosis.
Where do you get your ideas or influences from?
- The Weirdness of Life in general
- Directors like Lynch, Cronenberg
- Musicians like Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Autechre
- Older technical equipment that provides a particular sound or visual quality not found in modern gear
How does the title relate to the work, and how do you find a fitting title?
This varies from piece to piece, in the case of "Silent Stay" the title refers both to the content as to the fact that no spoken language is used.
How does content relate to the form of your work?
The desire to produce video of a certain form/aesthetic is what generates the content in the end.
How important is sound in film, and if you use sounds, do you create your own or use existing?
Sound is an integral part of the experience and is composed by The Ebert Brothers themselves. They work in a studio consisting of classic hardware synths&effects and contemporary software, including Ableton Live and Max/MSP.
How do you finance your projects (by yourself, sponsors or subsidy)?
The movies are financed with the money they earn working in normal jobs.
Nowadays everyone with the right equipment can create videoart, good, bad or ugly?
Good.
What possibilities of the web are yet to be explored? Which dangers do you see ahead?
Dangers: Censorship
Video broadcasting platforms on the internet, why or why not?
It’s good they exist, a lot of work would otherwise not be seen or forgotten.
In what category would you place your work; cinema or art. And is there a difference between those?
In general, "Cinema" would require a proper script, characters, and a minimum running time. Visual Art could be any bunch of moving images. The Ebert Brothers work is more Art than Cinema.
How important is the reaction to your film by the audience?
It is quite important.
What is your next project about?
The Ebert Brothers are currently focussing on music production, both in the studio and live. For the live part they will work on visuals, to show audiovisual art on the stage instead of on a tape.
Furthermore, there is a new Video Art Project planed for 2009.
< overview
CountryGermanySubtitlesnoneEdition2008 ScreeningsNaoussa international film festival 2008 (naoussa, greece) transhift media art festival 2008 (knoxville, usa)
< overview
Interview
Michael Ebert is one half of the The Ebert Brothers, the other half is Axel Ebert. Both grew up in Germany and are in their early thirties. They live and work in Berlin.
Your film is about?
A young person returns to a house in the countryside to spend the weekend on his own. Through patience, connecting cables and a swing he seems to discover a long lost part of himself.
How did you start with film? And do you have an educational background in art or film?
They started with film during their art school studies. Axel is a Graphic Designer who studied at the Universität für Angewandte Kunst Vienna and graduated at the Rietveld Academy Amsterdam. Michael studied Audiovisual Arts and graduated at The Rietveld Academy Amsterdam.
Could you explain how you work, what themes or concepts and what is important to you?
Ideas, concepts and images are collected in a pool. The pool is checked regularly to see if there are enough items that can be related to each other. When this is the case a storyboard is drafted and preparations for filming begin.
Technically, all types of videocameras, ranging from vintage tube-based to HDV. Editing is done in FinalCut, additional treatments in Aftereffects.
In General, their video work is mainly concerned with the individual experience of memory, reflection and metamorphosis.
Where do you get your ideas or influences from?
- The Weirdness of Life in general
- Directors like Lynch, Cronenberg
- Musicians like Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Autechre
- Older technical equipment that provides a particular sound or visual quality not found in modern gear
How does the title relate to the work, and how do you find a fitting title?
This varies from piece to piece, in the case of "Silent Stay" the title refers both to the content as to the fact that no spoken language is used.
How does content relate to the form of your work?
The desire to produce video of a certain form/aesthetic is what generates the content in the end.
How important is sound in film, and if you use sounds, do you create your own or use existing?
Sound is an integral part of the experience and is composed by The Ebert Brothers themselves. They work in a studio consisting of classic hardware synths&effects and contemporary software, including Ableton Live and Max/MSP.
How do you finance your projects (by yourself, sponsors or subsidy)?
The movies are financed with the money they earn working in normal jobs.
Nowadays everyone with the right equipment can create videoart, good, bad or ugly?
Good.
What possibilities of the web are yet to be explored? Which dangers do you see ahead?
Dangers: Censorship
Video broadcasting platforms on the internet, why or why not?
It’s good they exist, a lot of work would otherwise not be seen or forgotten.
In what category would you place your work; cinema or art. And is there a difference between those?
In general, "Cinema" would require a proper script, characters, and a minimum running time. Visual Art could be any bunch of moving images. The Ebert Brothers work is more Art than Cinema.
How important is the reaction to your film by the audience?
It is quite important.
What is your next project about?
The Ebert Brothers are currently focussing on music production, both in the studio and live. For the live part they will work on visuals, to show audiovisual art on the stage instead of on a tape.
Furthermore, there is a new Video Art Project planed for 2009.
< overview
