Casey's Bio and Abstract

Cubism and Cinema: Paralleled Explorations of the old "New Media"

In 2007, the PaceWildenstein Gallery in New York presented an idea that added a twist in the study of Modern Art History. Film, an art medium rarely mentioned by art historians, could have had an integral role in the development of cubism, the modern art form developed by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso around the turn of the 20^th century.

“La Bande Picasso” was a group of not only artists, but also film enthusiasts, and though it is not the primary influence of the art form, the similarities between early film and cubism are definitely viable, if not unmistakable.

This thesis goes beyond the period of Picasso and Braque and explores the art movements that arose from Cubism, such as Futurism, Orphic Cubism, and even Surrealism, and how these newer movements also paralleled cinema. The studies of motion, mechanization, and composition on a static surface were outright goals of Marcel Duchamp, Fernand Léger and the Italian Futurists. Certainly, it is no coincidence that the “moving picture” had played a role in the development of these movements’ ambitions.

The study concludes on the reversal of inspiration, when the inspirer becomes the inspired. Cubist film, such as Fernand Léger’s Ballet Méchanique is an example of film, which helped inspire the development of cubism, now draws upon cubism to create a truly abstract film.

“Cubism and Cinema” is developed by Casey Levental, a senior Film Production student at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Multimedia Literacy.

Casey Levental

Casey is a Film Production student at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He has been an IML Honors Student since its inception, and also holds minors in Business Administration and French.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Casey has lived in Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC; San Francisco, California and Denver, Colorado. In the fall of 2007, he spent a semester living in Paris, France to finish his minor degree in French, a language he has spoken since preschool. As a Production student, Casey has learned industry-standard programs such as Avid and ProTools, and is currently a Sound Designer on a senior film, set to be completed at the end of the semester. As a director, he has made around ten short films of his own.

On the side, Casey is an avid musician. A classical pianist since the age of five, he has also delved into jazz, rock and composing. He is a founding member of the USC Trojan Men, the university’s all-male a cappella vocal group. Music is a constant passion of his, and he hopes to include it in his future plans. After graduation, Casey intends to work in "the industry", and plans to study intellectual property and entertainment law as a fall back career.