Institute History
Description
Appreciating what goes into creating a film is often elusive; after all, making movies is the ultimate "smoke and mirrors" trick: The world you see on the set is not at all the world that ends up on film, and sometimes a lot of the footage that is shot ends up on the cutting-room floor in crafting the narrative of the story. Unseen technology processes the final cut, which is projected through a dark room to come alive magically on-screen. The film is then consumed by the viewer, who is invisibly moved to act in unpredictable ways.
Jennifer and Kevin McCoy's fascinating and infinitely clever installation, Our Second Date, brings all these working parts of production, postproduction, exhibition, and consumption together inside one room. A miniature movie set is precisely lit, lensed, and set into motion, generating footage that is simultaneously edited and projected onto the screen, resulting in a short film about the role the medium has played in the artists' relationship-their second date at the movies. The many parts of the magical process of moviemaking are exposed, but although the McCoys evaporate the shroud of mystery, Our Second Date also ironically manages to make films and filmmaking even more magical.