The Elevator is a study in emotional, abstract, cinematic process derived from multiple digital superimpositions of footage shot from the back of a truck, re-mixed and hand-composited in interactive layers conjuring a quasi-coherent upward rush that mimics much of the phenomenal experience of our outer and inner lives.

The score is composed with machine, orchestral, and natural sounds mixed in stereophonic counterpoint to create ambiguous directional information.

Together the visual and auditory elements emote intensity, verticality, and chaos in a divergence of seeing, hearing, and feeling — delight, exuberance, and danger.

About Michael O'Donnell

The diverse subjects of biology, mathematics, and the modern industrial state strongly influenced my sense of aesthetics. Early encounters with prejudice and racism influenced my ethical development. Ultimately these experiences led me to focus on issues concerning the human understanding of reality, the relationships people have with each other, and the effects of different cultural world-views. I came to believe that art in its myriad forms plays an essential role in our common human endeavor by providing insight and alternate ways of seeing the world.

My experimental film work has been incorporated into dance performances, a museum exhibition, and has been exhibited in international film festivals in The Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, and the United States. I am a partner in Loose Threads Cinema production company.