The story of "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is almost as vague as the title. There is no dialogue in the first two minutes of the short nine-minute documentary, and instead there are shots of a man painting, masks, and an RV accompanied by an odd folk-sounding band. If the music and masks were not mysterious enough, the viewer does not actually learn the man's name until the very end of the documentary in the credits. He is the only character in the short film (besides his masks), but the viewer does not know his past; all they know is the man's story of his very sick liver and that he likes to paint. Although the introduction is very foggy, the narrative is told well. The cut to the man's prescription bottles filled with paint was an excellent transition from his wild masks to how his sickness was caused by and has spurred on this peculiar obsession. Then the narrative moved naturally back to the masks.
The lighting scheme throughout was very adapted to the setting. The RV, where most of the footage was shot, was obviously not very large or very light. The man seemed to operate in black-lights to highlight the masks and paints used. During the interview portions, it seems only a key light was used. Though it added to the mystery, the singular key light left harsh shadows are one side of the man's face. While the viewer now knows Fred Kress and his fate, the mystery of the entire short documentary still leaves them questioning, just as the beginning did.
"Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is an excellent portrait of an interesting life. From the beginning, we are thrust into this world of strange alien art. Colors pulse and glow through the darkness as odd music strums in the background. The music and the visuals work together to craft an incredibly riveting and quirky world that the viewer wants to know more about. The story takes its time, unfolding slowly and purposefully. We learn about Fred's art, and then the topic of sickness arises and we learn more about that. This was one of my favorite elements of the doc. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded naturally and nothing felt conventional or formulaic, just like Fred himself. Once this concept of terminal illness arises, the filmmakers distract us with his surreal art, much like how Fred uses art to distract himself from the painful reality of his illness. In this segment about his art, we learn about his popularity and how his style has evolved over the years. Sadly, at the end, we learn that Fred has passed away, but we know that he died happy with his art. This documentary achieved a very stylistic look. While it was clear that more lights were introduced to light the subject, I could tell that a lot of the illumination was provided by the art itself. The new lights weren't fighting against the superb art. The audio was clear and crisp and the music helped to establish the style of this man's life. Finally, the title was very fitting. By the first two minutes, one would think that "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" refers to an alien abduction. However, by the end, we learn that "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" indicates Fred's imminent death. "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is an intimate farewell to a man gifted with unique talent. - Reagan Wells
Sam Ritenour: "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" by Jon Bougher and Nick Corrao was a very enlightening story. I really enjoyed all of the art work that was shown and I really like the set up that he has. However, it was super sad listening to him talk about his health problems. Throughout the video, you could hear the sadness in his voice but he still managed to crack a joke every once in a while. Ultimately, what I liked most is the passion he has for his art. I liked how he said that when his time does come, he wants to be in his studio doing what he loves. It's awesome to see people dedicate their lives to doing what they love. It makes me want to find a hobby that I can be super passionate about.
“Come Down and Pick Me Up” is an interesting 9 minute documentary. The introduction to the main character Fred Kress is very vague and takes minutes to set up, but this ultimately contributes to the whole narrative by sort of plunging into this man’s life. An artist whose work ended up ruining his liver, Kress does art to pass his time, opting to die at home doing what he loves than to be hooked up to a machine for a while at the hospital. At the end of the movie we learn that he has passed away, exactly as he had wished. I liked the documentary because it looked over this man’s art in a playful, yet respectful lens, undermining the severity of his diagnosis with the man’s own playful demeanor. It gave the audience closure about Kress, while generating a sense of respect for the man and his creations. I feel like this is what I would do: create what I love creating and dying happy, instead of miserably prolonging my life.
“Come Down and Pick Me Up” is another entry in the mini documentary sphere, the bread and butter of independent film makers. The exposition of the piece is appropriately dialogue-free and minimalist for the subject: a reclusive man who is consumed with painting fluorescent alien masks and mannequins. He does this in order to keep his mind off of his impending death, to decorate the final place in which he will live, and to possibly immortalize himself through art. The lighting of the interview is unobtrusive to the dark nature of the rv in order to highlight the art and the man (the subjects of the film). --Xander Pippin
"Come on Down and Pick Me Up" was one of the more interesting documentaries that I have seen, but I would be lying if I said I didn't like it. The subject itself was a little depressing when looking at it head-on, but after watching the entire doc, I began to realize just how enlightening it was. Although Fred Kress has a terminal illness, and you can tell that he is haunted by his fear of dying, he is also gifted with great artistic talent. At first I thought it was sort of insensitive to mention his illness in the middle, but when I think about it, there is no other way I would have organized the doc. The doc is meant to highlight Fred's art as an escape from the inevitable. You can connect this to real life, because everyone will die eventually, but when you're still alive, you have the capacity to make it beautiful. In this situation, Fred literally made it beautiful with his art. Although he has a terminal illness, and he is in this small, cramped RV, he has his art, and it's clear in his attitude that his art keeps his mind off of the bad things that could consume him. This documentary is a great way to portray a story and paint a picture (pun slightly intended) of a man who has accepted his fate and is trying to make the best of it. I enjoyed "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" a lot and repeat viewings only increase that enjoyment.
Come On Down and Pick Me Up was an interesting little documentary with some beautiful cinematography. The black light used throughout Fred's home did great at highlighting the bright and brilliant colors in all of his artwork. Each shot did a thorough job of detailing what exactly was going on. Even as Fred was talking about just his illness and not his artwork, the narration of that over an extreme close up of the mask being painted kept the viewer fascinated and paying attention. His artwork alone, though, gave the viewer plenty to look at and take in. Not just is it canvases and painted masks, there are mannequin heads and even mannequin torsos scattered around. As if that isn't enough, the mannequin torsos are spinning on turn tables for an added wow factor. The subtle key light on Fred during his interview does a good job of keeping him from standing out too much in his environment but doesn't keep him in the shadows; he's illuminated but fits in. Overall, I really liked the story and loved the look of Come On Down and Pick Me Up. -Katherine Read
Stephanie Perdomo: This short documentary is well put together. From the story to the cinematography, everything flowed perfectly. I liked the introduction of video with the quick cuts of every mask Fred has made. The song and shots selected in the beginning intrigues the audience to continue to watch and find out what happens next. The quick cuts also works for an audience that has a short attention span. The constant changing of the clips keep the audience on their toes. The story enabled the audience to sympathize for Fred, yet still be at awed by the artwork he has created through the different camera shots taken. The video succeeds to be a personal portrait and realistic film by shooting in Fred's environment and interviewing him informally. Watching this makes me realize I don't have a variety of composition shots for my own short documentary. From this video I've learned that you don't need complex long shots, just a variety of short simple shots can help put together a great story.
At first glance "Come On Down and Pick Me Up" is a very colorful and interesting documentary piece that tells the story of a man who loves to paint alien masks but in doing so has almost torn his liver apart. The first few shots got me right away with the masks and bright color in the room that played of the different masks. The shots overall were very simple shots in nature but were used very efficiently to keep an audience interested with all the different shots going on.The story itself was simple and easy to follow i enjoyed the film and watching the story of a man who is enjoying his last days.
The film "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" by Jon Bougher and Nick Corrao was extraordinary! Yes, the story was amazing and very touching, but what was stunning was the cinematography. The way the room was lit along with how the shots were framed, it was genius. While watching the film, my favorite shots were the close-up shots of the masks and manikin, when the lighting was just bright enough to see detail, but without taking away from the look of the darkly lit room. What was very cool is how the process from when the guy found out he was sick to passing away was captured and told. I loved how the story was almost told with the blue mask that he was currently working on throughout the film. It helped transition the story very fluidly. Though, the best thing about the film was the crisp audio and lighting. I liked how you could hear every clearing of his throat and word very crisp and clear. The noises he made with his throat hinted that something was wrong with him before he said he was sick. But, the best aspect of the film was the lighting. It really gave you a feel of what it was like to be in that room with him and see all of his artwork for what it actually looked like.
The short film "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is a dark and emotionally touching piece that at once feels both heavy and light. To me, the film does a good job of juxtaposing both the darkness of Fred's situation and the physical darkness of the scene with the fun and colorful nature of the art which occupies his dwelling. I also really was impressed with the opening couple of minutes of the film, as the filmmakers were able to use multiple quick cuts and some simple shots to draw me in without making the exposition seem rushed. As for the interview, I really like how informal it was; I also liked how it started off with the subject talking about his sickness and then went into his art, instead of the other way around. Finally, probably my favorite element in this short movie is the shots of Fred painting a new mask that are dispersed throughout the interview. To me, this dynamic process of creating something new is more exciting than just looking at still shots of Fred's work. Also, it kind of parallels the building up of his story, with each sentence, each audio clip, filling in a little more of a blank canvas.
The short film "Come On Down and Pick Me Up" is a great and detailed documentary video. We can see many things different from our daily life. That's can really touch people's heart and gives us a new perceptive. Its great to see how does him work his artifact and how much efforts he put on his career. The audio overall were excellent and you can almost heard how does he making his mask. My Favoriate element in the video is when he making his mask, it gives a close up shots so we can see details of mask and how difficult it is -- Kuroky Pei
The story of "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is almost as vague as the title. There is no dialogue in the first two minutes of the short nine-minute documentary, and instead there are shots of a man painting, masks, and an RV accompanied by an odd folk-sounding band. If the music and masks were not mysterious enough, the viewer does not actually learn the man's name until the very end of the documentary in the credits. He is the only character in the short film (besides his masks), but the viewer does not know his past; all they know is the man's story of his very sick liver and that he likes to paint. Although the introduction is very foggy, the narrative is told well. The cut to the man's prescription bottles filled with paint was an excellent transition from his wild masks to how his sickness was caused by and has spurred on this peculiar obsession. Then the narrative moved naturally back to the masks.
ReplyDeleteThe lighting scheme throughout was very adapted to the setting. The RV, where most of the footage was shot, was obviously not very large or very light. The man seemed to operate in black-lights to highlight the masks and paints used. During the interview portions, it seems only a key light was used. Though it added to the mystery, the singular key light left harsh shadows are one side of the man's face.
While the viewer now knows Fred Kress and his fate, the mystery of the entire short documentary still leaves them questioning, just as the beginning did.
- Shelby Morgan
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is an excellent portrait of an interesting life. From the beginning, we are thrust into this world of strange alien art. Colors pulse and glow through the darkness as odd music strums in the background. The music and the visuals work together to craft an incredibly riveting and quirky world that the viewer wants to know more about. The story takes its time, unfolding slowly and purposefully. We learn about Fred's art, and then the topic of sickness arises and we learn more about that. This was one of my favorite elements of the doc. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded naturally and nothing felt conventional or formulaic, just like Fred himself. Once this concept of terminal illness arises, the filmmakers distract us with his surreal art, much like how Fred uses art to distract himself from the painful reality of his illness. In this segment about his art, we learn about his popularity and how his style has evolved over the years. Sadly, at the end, we learn that Fred has passed away, but we know that he died happy with his art. This documentary achieved a very stylistic look. While it was clear that more lights were introduced to light the subject, I could tell that a lot of the illumination was provided by the art itself. The new lights weren't fighting against the superb art. The audio was clear and crisp and the music helped to establish the style of this man's life. Finally, the title was very fitting. By the first two minutes, one would think that "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" refers to an alien abduction. However, by the end, we learn that "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" indicates Fred's imminent death. "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is an intimate farewell to a man gifted with unique talent.
ReplyDelete- Reagan Wells
Sam Ritenour: "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" by Jon Bougher and Nick Corrao was a very enlightening story. I really enjoyed all of the art work that was shown and I really like the set up that he has. However, it was super sad listening to him talk about his health problems. Throughout the video, you could hear the sadness in his voice but he still managed to crack a joke every once in a while. Ultimately, what I liked most is the passion he has for his art. I liked how he said that when his time does come, he wants to be in his studio doing what he loves. It's awesome to see people dedicate their lives to doing what they love. It makes me want to find a hobby that I can be super passionate about.
ReplyDelete“Come Down and Pick Me Up” is an interesting 9 minute documentary. The introduction to the main character Fred Kress is very vague and takes minutes to set up, but this ultimately contributes to the whole narrative by sort of plunging into this man’s life. An artist whose work ended up ruining his liver, Kress does art to pass his time, opting to die at home doing what he loves than to be hooked up to a machine for a while at the hospital. At the end of the movie we learn that he has passed away, exactly as he had wished. I liked the documentary because it looked over this man’s art in a playful, yet respectful lens, undermining the severity of his diagnosis with the man’s own playful demeanor. It gave the audience closure about Kress, while generating a sense of respect for the man and his creations. I feel like this is what I would do: create what I love creating and dying happy, instead of miserably prolonging my life.
ReplyDelete“Come Down and Pick Me Up” is another entry in the mini documentary sphere, the bread and butter of independent film makers. The exposition of the piece is appropriately dialogue-free and minimalist for the subject: a reclusive man who is consumed with painting fluorescent alien masks and mannequins. He does this in order to keep his mind off of his impending death, to decorate the final place in which he will live, and to possibly immortalize himself through art. The lighting of the interview is unobtrusive to the dark nature of the rv in order to highlight the art and the man (the subjects of the film).
ReplyDelete--Xander Pippin
"Come on Down and Pick Me Up" was one of the more interesting documentaries that I have seen, but I would be lying if I said I didn't like it. The subject itself was a little depressing when looking at it head-on, but after watching the entire doc, I began to realize just how enlightening it was. Although Fred Kress has a terminal illness, and you can tell that he is haunted by his fear of dying, he is also gifted with great artistic talent. At first I thought it was sort of insensitive to mention his illness in the middle, but when I think about it, there is no other way I would have organized the doc. The doc is meant to highlight Fred's art as an escape from the inevitable. You can connect this to real life, because everyone will die eventually, but when you're still alive, you have the capacity to make it beautiful. In this situation, Fred literally made it beautiful with his art. Although he has a terminal illness, and he is in this small, cramped RV, he has his art, and it's clear in his attitude that his art keeps his mind off of the bad things that could consume him. This documentary is a great way to portray a story and paint a picture (pun slightly intended) of a man who has accepted his fate and is trying to make the best of it. I enjoyed "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" a lot and repeat viewings only increase that enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteCome On Down and Pick Me Up was an interesting little documentary with some beautiful cinematography. The black light used throughout Fred's home did great at highlighting the bright and brilliant colors in all of his artwork. Each shot did a thorough job of detailing what exactly was going on. Even as Fred was talking about just his illness and not his artwork, the narration of that over an extreme close up of the mask being painted kept the viewer fascinated and paying attention. His artwork alone, though, gave the viewer plenty to look at and take in. Not just is it canvases and painted masks, there are mannequin heads and even mannequin torsos scattered around. As if that isn't enough, the mannequin torsos are spinning on turn tables for an added wow factor. The subtle key light on Fred during his interview does a good job of keeping him from standing out too much in his environment but doesn't keep him in the shadows; he's illuminated but fits in. Overall, I really liked the story and loved the look of Come On Down and Pick Me Up.
ReplyDelete-Katherine Read
Stephanie Perdomo: This short documentary is well put together. From the story to the cinematography, everything flowed perfectly. I liked the introduction of video with the quick cuts of every mask Fred has made. The song and shots selected in the beginning intrigues the audience to continue to watch and find out what happens next. The quick cuts also works for an audience that has a short attention span. The constant changing of the clips keep the audience on their toes. The story enabled the audience to sympathize for Fred, yet still be at awed by the artwork he has created through the different camera shots taken. The video succeeds to be a personal portrait and realistic film by shooting in Fred's environment and interviewing him informally. Watching this makes me realize I don't have a variety of composition shots for my own short documentary. From this video I've learned that you don't need complex long shots, just a variety of short simple shots can help put together a great story.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance "Come On Down and Pick Me Up" is a very colorful and interesting documentary piece that tells the story of a man who loves to paint alien masks but in doing so has almost torn his liver apart. The first few shots got me right away with the masks and bright color in the room that played of the different masks. The shots overall were very simple shots in nature but were used very efficiently to keep an audience interested with all the different shots going on.The story itself was simple and easy to follow i enjoyed the film and watching the story of a man who is enjoying his last days.
ReplyDeleteThe film "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" by Jon Bougher and Nick Corrao was extraordinary! Yes, the story was amazing and very touching, but what was stunning was the cinematography. The way the room was lit along with how the shots were framed, it was genius. While watching the film, my favorite shots were the close-up shots of the masks and manikin, when the lighting was just bright enough to see detail, but without taking away from the look of the darkly lit room. What was very cool is how the process from when the guy found out he was sick to passing away was captured and told. I loved how the story was almost told with the blue mask that he was currently working on throughout the film. It helped transition the story very fluidly. Though, the best thing about the film was the crisp audio and lighting. I liked how you could hear every clearing of his throat and word very crisp and clear. The noises he made with his throat hinted that something was wrong with him before he said he was sick. But, the best aspect of the film was the lighting. It really gave you a feel of what it was like to be in that room with him and see all of his artwork for what it actually looked like.
ReplyDeleteThe short film "Come on Down and Pick Me Up" is a dark and emotionally touching piece that at once feels both heavy and light. To me, the film does a good job of juxtaposing both the darkness of Fred's situation and the physical darkness of the scene with the fun and colorful nature of the art which occupies his dwelling. I also really was impressed with the opening couple of minutes of the film, as the filmmakers were able to use multiple quick cuts and some simple shots to draw me in without making the exposition seem rushed. As for the interview, I really like how informal it was; I also liked how it started off with the subject talking about his sickness and then went into his art, instead of the other way around. Finally, probably my favorite element in this short movie is the shots of Fred painting a new mask that are dispersed throughout the interview. To me, this dynamic process of creating something new is more exciting than just looking at still shots of Fred's work. Also, it kind of parallels the building up of his story, with each sentence, each audio clip, filling in a little more of a blank canvas.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe short film "Come On Down and Pick Me Up" is a great and detailed documentary video. We can see many things different from our daily life. That's can really touch people's heart and gives us a new perceptive. Its great to see how does him work his artifact and how much efforts he put on his career. The audio overall were excellent and you can almost heard how does he making his mask. My Favoriate element in the video is when he making his mask, it gives a close up shots so we can see details of mask and how difficult it is -- Kuroky Pei
ReplyDelete