Melancholia (2)

Melancholia is a symbolic experiment contemplating the human condition's struggle with mental health.

A number of variations were created for this animated experiment, please review the alternate attempts for consideration at the links below.

The 4 primary individual micro experiments can be viewed here:
http://www.michaelamter.com/melancholia_Micro.htm

A version intending to highlight 4 variables illustrated with color is here:
http://www.michaelamter.com/melancholia_C.htm

The 4 individual micro experiments with color variables is located here:
http://www.michaelamter.com/melancholia_Micro_C.htm

Original FilmFreeway Project Page - Extended Format:
https://filmfreeway.com/Melancholia939

  • Michael Amter
    Artist
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short, Web / New Media, Other
  • Genres:
    Mental Health, Melancholy, Sorrow, Suffering, Depression, Mania, Pain, Saddness, Variable, Mutation, Wave, Limit, Uncertainty, Grief
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 30 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • FEDAXV 2022
    Valdivia
    Chile
    November 21, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Festival ECRÃ
    Rio de Janeiro
    Brazil
    July 1, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Dreamers of Dreams Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 19, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Experimental Superstars
    Novi Sad
    Serbia
    September 24, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF)
    Chișinău
    Moldova, Republic of
    September 23, 2021
    Semi-Finalist
  • */ 17th Athens Digital Arts Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    September 20, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Wallachia Int'l Film Festival
    Bucharest
    Romania
    September 10, 2021
    Award Winner
  • Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    July 31, 2021
    Finalist
  • ONED International Film Festival
    Versailles
    France
    June 15, 2021
    Experiment Award
  • Art Film Awards - Monthly Competition
    Skopje
    Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
    December 2, 2021
    Finalist
  • Älvsbyn Film Festival
    Älvsbyn
    Sweden
    May 8, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Roma Short Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    May 2, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Seoul International Short Film Festival
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    May 1, 2021
    Official Selection
  • New York Tri-State International Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    April 25, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Iconic Images Film Festival
    Goštauto, Vilnius
    Lithuania
    April 20, 2021
    Official Selection
  • New Wave Short Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    March 4, 2021
    Finalist
  • Tokyo International Short Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    March 3, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Luleå International Film Festival
    Luleå
    Sweden
    January 17, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
    Košice
    Slovakia
    January 11, 2021
    Finalist
  • 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival
    Bali
    Indonesia
    December 23, 2020
    Finalist
Director Biography

Michael Amter developed an exquisite personal vocabulary of metaphorical imagery over the years. He began serious artistic study at Washington University in St. Louis. There he was recognized early for an obsessive work ethic producing a unique expression. During this time a number of his paintings were stolen during a special exhibition at this institution.

Michael has a truly diverse background, including extensive work in television and film production to support his personal artistic endeavors. The artist has exhibited extensively throughout the globe, beginning professionally with the iconic 01 Gallery in Los Angeles during the early 90’s. Later he would be known for a wild variety of film/video experiments, rewarded by several opportunities to contemplate various themes with extensive travel in France, Japan, Singapore, etc.

Michael’s impressive history involves a wide range of noted entities, including 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Apexart, Cité Internationale des Arts, Creative Time, Des Lee Gallery, Gallery Aferro, Instinc, Meridian International, Studio Kura, etc.

The artist has encountered a number of humbling moments in relation to his personal expression. Notably a request by former director Mr. David Ross to provide a submission for the Whitney Biennial in the 1990’s. Michael’s piece created for a special 9-11 memorial exhibition is included in a collection with the US Library of Congress. However, his most memorable experience proved to be visiting the impressive special needs artists of Atelier PorePore in Tokyo during the Fall of 2016 and Summer of 2019. Currently a sampling of the artist’s drawings can be found at the Pierogi Gallery on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in NYC.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Exploring mental disorder commonly experienced with the human condition. Aspects of this study were originally exhibited in the Visceglia Gallery at Caldwell University curated by Andrew Baron. This experimental effort was recently revisited and reworked during the Covid19 pandemic. A series of animated clips mediating emotive concepts in an intentional repetitive manner to replicate certain patterns experienced in life. Attempting to create simple visual metaphors contemplating alienation, grief, depression, isolation, loss, mania, mortality, etc."

"The imagery for this work was inspired by creating a simple graphic metaphor while considering various theories encountered in science and physics. The primary symbol dominating this experimental work is a direct reference to basic codes experienced in genetics, DNA, etc, mixed with various elements impacting life; including light, gravity, time, space, etc. The animated symbol was modestly conceived during a humble reflection after studying various theories regarding particles, waves, etc. A primary factor involved was Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, producing numerous variations of this graphic motif's movement with random changes impacting direction, size, shape, etc. Trying to interpret the vastly complex in the most simplistic manner possible. Of the many variations, the mutated results, four animated examples are on display in the video submitted here, selected for their relation, contrast, effect, etc. "