Daniel Barnett

About the Filmmaker:

Daniel Barnett studied analytic philosophy with K.J. Shah who was a student of Ludwig Wittgenstein's. He has been making films continuously since 1967. He was union-trained as an editor, has worked professionally as director of photography, sound recordist, sound and picture editor, producer, writer and most recently Executive Producer for Educational Projects at bePictures, Inc. in San Rafael CA. He has taught film production and film theory at SUNY Binghamton, Mass College of Art, UMASS, Boston, The San Francisco Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is the author of the book 'Movement as Meaning in Experimental Film' published by Editions Rodopi, Amsterdam & NY in 2008. He has produced hundreds of film experiments and experimental films, won a National Endowment for the Arts grant as well as many other regional grants and awards. His films are in collections in New Zealand, Australia and France.

Statement of Purpose:

I began making films in order to learn about the way verbal language impedes our knowledge as well as enables it. Pursuing this goal I have made many, many film experiments, a few of which I feel have been successful. There are also quite a few finished films that are successful in that I believe they have captured some essence of my personal being that could not be expressed in words. These are not for distribution during my lifetime. The films that I have returned to the Canyon Cinema Catalogue are those few that I believe others can learn something useful from about existence or society; or may perhaps find some solace - in discovering a kindred spirit. Along the way I hope that I have found a few truly new ways that things can be beautiful.
- Daniel Barnett

Photo credit c. David Vogt 1971