Keep a Modest Head

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:54:54 -0500

Well ladies and gentlemen, it has been a long time coming, and when I say a long time coming I mean 8 years!

Yes, I have finally finished Keep a Modest Head, my surreal biography on the last Surrealist, Jean Benoît!

A thousand, million hours and it has come to a close. It is by far the film I am most proud of, my most accomplished and I think most visually arresting.

Please follow this link to find out more!

Website Updates

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:17:26 -0600

Hello Everyone,

First off I must apologize for the extreme tardiness in getting some updates up and running to this site.

Contrary to popular belief, I have not dropped off the face of the earth, I have not retired and am not depressed and in a bad funk (not like anyone was thinking these things, its just that the site hasn’t been updated for a while, and I am not on Facebook or Twitter, so what else could you think)?

Nope, I have actually been working, working on many projects and developing new skills I never thought I would need to posses.

I will start a reverse chronology of updates for you, starting from the most recent and see how far back I will get.

Many things have been going on, so hopefully I won’t run out of time in the updates NEWS section.

Please visit the FILMS page for recent additions.

Thanks!

Deco

ps: please feel free to contact me at info@decodawson.com

Site Changes

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:51:24 -0600

I would like to take a moment to thank the Winnipeg Film Group and Fringe Online for extending a hand and helping expand this website.

A grant came through and along with four other Winnipeg filmmakers, I was selected for some website cash to help maintain this site and implement some new features.

If you don’t see them now, you should look forward to the following updates in the very near future:

NEW FILMS in the FILMS section
NEW ARTICLES in the PRESS section
A site counter
A comments section
Facebook Widgets
A LINKS section to some favourite things

And down the road, hopefully a few major changes.

Unauthorized Use of Copywritten Material

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:08:36 -0500

In the fall of 2008 it came to my attention that artist Marcel Dzama had been using a great deal of footage from my 2001 movie FILM(dzama) without permission or credit in a film/installation of his entitled The Lotus Eaters. From all accounts, the Lotus Eaters (19min) uses anywhere in the vicinity of 90% of footage from FILM(dzama), a 23minute film.

My lawyer sent Mr. Dzama a letter to Cease and Desist any future exhibitions of the work containing copywritten material. A secondary clause was added permitting the use of the film by Mr. Dzama, IF it were returned to its original edit, title, music and credits. Upon not receiving any objecting response after 30 days the Cease and Desist was considered in effect.

In March 2010 it was revealed to me that the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art was exhibiting “the Lotus Eaters” as part of a major exhibition on Marcel Dzama. After speaking with my lawyer a Cease and Desist was issued to the Museum, suggesting the Museum verify the claim and check the copy of FILM(dzama) they presently hold in their library archive. That afternoon, “The Lotus Eaters” was immediately pulled from the exhibition.

Please check here for a link to FILM(dzama) and The Lotus Eaters comparisons, incoming newspaper articles and the original press release concerning the issue.

The Home of Dick and Jane

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:32:09 -0500

While in Vancouver last week I attended the most excellent theatre experience of the year, HIVE3. Where 12 independent theatre companies each mount a play lasting between 5-20min, and the spectators show up to this large multi-use warehouse to try and “happen” upon a show.

While there I managed to find myself witnessing The Electric Company’s fantastic mini-movie theatre performance of “The Home of Dick and Jane.” The show was built for one person at a time, and you sit down on a chair as a cardboard “viewfinder” is slid in front of your face. There you are moved around a dolly track by a dolly grip and witness a live play being performed in front of you, through the “viewfinder.”

Upon seeing this I mentioned to co-creators Kim Collier and Jonathan Young that they MUST film this, and must do it now before it is taken down!

Five days later I was back in Vancouver with my mini crew of three, Craig Trudeau and Peter Hagge and together we re imagined the theatre of film back to film to theatre to film!

The shoot was a blast and it was a pleasure to donate my time to see such an amazing project get documented formally, on Super16mm film!

Recent News

Keep a Modest Head

Website Updates

Site Changes

Unauthorized Use of Copywritten Material

The Home of Dick and Jane