Because he often doesn’t plan his films, Joseph Bernard said he begins making an experimental film by simply looking through the camera’s viewfinder until he finds something he likes.
Bernard, a Detroit-based filmmaker, painter and photographer, is presenting his film series “Prismatic Music: The Short Films of Joseph Bernard (1978-85)” on Friday at the IU Cinema.
After decades of work, Bernard said he recently began digitizing and archiving his films.
“My films have been sitting in the basement for 40 years, and that’s not good,” he said.
“Prismatic Music” is a collection of 12 experimental short films by Bernard, each ranging from two to 16 minutes long.
Because all the films are silent, Bernard said the title “Prismatic Music” is ironic.
“And yet, if they have any strands, it’s in that they are prismatically charged,” he said. “They’re not narrative films. They’re things that have to do with light and color and movement.”
The 90-minute program is a longer timeslot than he’s used to, he said.
Bernard said the films are dense in content, which leaves for a lot to take in.
Bernard spent 35 years teaching at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies.
Throughout his career, he said he launched several film courses and became close with many students.
“The idea of trying to repay what’s been given to me is part of what teaching is all about: trying to save people some time, primarily, trying to help them not make the same mistakes I did,” he said.
Bernard said he advocated teaching independent, non-narrative film because he didn’t want his students to compare their work to multi-million dollar Hollywood films.
During his time teaching, Bernard said one of his students Jeffery Plansker, encouraged him to digitize his films.
As a result, Bernard said he and Plansker flew out to Los Angeles to digitize 40 out of more than 100 films through the company Cinelicious Hollywood.
While in Los Angeles, Bernard said he met members of the Motion Picture Association of America, who offered to house his films in their vault for safekeeping and study.
Even though he still loves the aesthetic of physical film, he said he has quickly become a fan of the digital medium.
“I don’t have to worry about putting them on a projector and have the projector eat the film,” he said. “It’s so convenient to drop a disc in a Blu-ray player. The ease, it means so much to me. It takes away all the anxiety.”
Although he has received little encouragement throughout his career, Bernard said the kindness of students like Plansker give him hope to keep creating art.
Bernard said anybody can make films if they are passionate about it.
“You have to figure out what makes your heart beat a little fast,” he said. “What are you attracted to? What means something to you?”
Likewise, he said being genuine has helped him succeed as an artist.
“Whether you’re a filmmaker a painter, a sculptor, a dancer, it should be personal,” he said. “It should be almost embarrassingly personal. Let that be what pulls you.”
