The Feature
Encyclopedia
'The Feature' is a collaboration between filmmakers Michel Auder
and Andrew Neel
. Using a vast video ‘library’ that Auder has created over the last 40 years, in combination with original present-day footage of Auder shot by Neel, the two filmmakers are setting out to make a feature length film loosely based on the story of Auder’s life.
Auder pioneered a form of video diary, starting with his first Sony
Portapak
camera in 1969, obsessively documenting the people, places and events in his life. His style and originality have been protected from the constraints of commercial filmmaking (as he planned), and what results is a highly idiosyncratic visual record of his life and times. The Feature marks Auder’s return to a more mainstream cinematic mode of story telling – a mode he has not visited since the early years of his career.
Auder’s life is punctuated by marriages to Viva Superstar
and Cindy Sherman
and a loose affiliation with the Warhol Factory. Some of his most intimate moments are captured on tape. He is a consummate voyeur
– one who literally reads scenes of intimacy and daily life as verses of poetry unto themselves. From the gritty bohemian haunts in New York City
, to the desolate Islands of the South Pacific
we will travel with him...
The Feature will not be a "bio-pic
". Although the narrative is linear, footage from various periods in Auder’s life will be used throughout the film. The story will be augmented with satirical sit-down interviews of the present-day Auder and biographical information (both fictional and real) will be integrated into the hyper-theatrical scenes shot by Neel. In this sense, Auder is both an actor and a director in this consciously subjective film.
Michel Auder
Michel Auder was born in Soissons France in 1945. He began making films at the age of 18. He was influenced of the French New Wave and experimental cinema, most notably Jean-Luc Godard and Andy Warhol. In 1969, Auder met and eventually married Viva, one of Warhol’s principal talents. A year later,...
and Andrew Neel
Andrew Neel
Andrew Neel is an American filmmaker. He was born in Vermont in 1978.Neel co-founded SeeThink Productions together with Ethan Palmer, Luke Meyer and Tom Davis in 2001 after graduating from Columbia College with a BA in film studies...
. Using a vast video ‘library’ that Auder has created over the last 40 years, in combination with original present-day footage of Auder shot by Neel, the two filmmakers are setting out to make a feature length film loosely based on the story of Auder’s life.
Auder pioneered a form of video diary, starting with his first Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Portapak
Portapak
A Portapak is a battery powered self-contained video tape analog recording system that can be carried by one person. Earlier television cameras were large and relatively immovable, but the Portapak made it possible to record television images while moving around...
camera in 1969, obsessively documenting the people, places and events in his life. His style and originality have been protected from the constraints of commercial filmmaking (as he planned), and what results is a highly idiosyncratic visual record of his life and times. The Feature marks Auder’s return to a more mainstream cinematic mode of story telling – a mode he has not visited since the early years of his career.
Auder’s life is punctuated by marriages to Viva Superstar
Viva (Warhol superstar)
Viva is an American actress, writer and a former Warhol superstar.-Career:She was born Janet Susan Mary Hoffmann in Syracuse, New York. She was given the name Viva by Andy Warhol before the release of her first film but later used her married last name . She appeared in several of Warhol's films...
and Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman is an American photographer and film director, best known for her conceptual portraits. Sherman currently lives and works in New York City. In 1995, she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She is represented by Sprüth Magers Berlin London in and Metro Pictures gallery in...
and a loose affiliation with the Warhol Factory. Some of his most intimate moments are captured on tape. He is a consummate voyeur
Voyeurism
In clinical psychology, voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature....
– one who literally reads scenes of intimacy and daily life as verses of poetry unto themselves. From the gritty bohemian haunts in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to the desolate Islands of the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
we will travel with him...
The Feature will not be a "bio-pic
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
". Although the narrative is linear, footage from various periods in Auder’s life will be used throughout the film. The story will be augmented with satirical sit-down interviews of the present-day Auder and biographical information (both fictional and real) will be integrated into the hyper-theatrical scenes shot by Neel. In this sense, Auder is both an actor and a director in this consciously subjective film.