"Man built most nobly when limitations were at their greatest." The Cinemasolo is my own little art form. It relates to traditional film the way comic opera relates to theater. So far, I've made scores of these since 2003 and shown them at events such as the 48 Hour Film Project and Quickflicks NYC. I usually work alone because . . . well, I can. I never really thought about bringing other people into the process; it isn’t necessary to claim other people’s time to do the things I want to do. I started out making these funny musical videos mostly to amuse myself and my friends. Eventually, the Cinemasolo took on a life of its own. It grew into a series of entries in film contests and screenings. Everywhere I went, people asked how many people worked on my films. I'd say . . . . "Uh, one. Just me." For some reason they were impressed with that. Over time, I realized that making silly musical videos all by myself was my "brand." That's show biz, ya know - ya gotta have a gimmick! At one point I saw that I'd actually created my own little art form, which I describe like this:
— Frank Lloyd Wright
There are two essential roles in film and theatre -- actors and audiences. All other film and theatre jobs are extensions of those two roles. A Cinema Soloist distills that relationship to its essence by telescoping all “behind the camera” tasks into the work of a single individual. Composers and theatre artists have experienced direct artist-to-audience contact for centuries, but only recently has it become possible for cinematic artists to explore that same direct connection through the power of digital technology. We are now at a critical moment in which cinematic performers can define the parameters of entirely new art forms.
The Cinema Solo is a unique genre, as distinct from conventional moviemaking as a piano sonata is from a symphony. A piano sonata can be composed and played by a single performer, and so it expresses the unique vision of one particular individual. The symphony, on the other hand, requires a conductor and orchestra, making it the collaborative result of a large group effort. Would anyone say that Beethoven’s piano sonatas are less worthwhile than Beethoven’s symphonies because they involve fewer people? Of course not -- they’re simply different categories of work.
The Cinema Solo is defined by its limitations, but limitations are what define a style. Only by pushing against the boundaries of existing limitations do you truly begin to make art.
So now I post a new item to Youtube every weekend and travel to various film festivals to find new audiences for the things I do. If you attend one of the live events that I'm part of, please say come over and say hi! -Bill Dyszel
