The "Pan" films, presumably not titled as such originally, was a series of nine different one-minute short films created by experimental filmmaker Hollis Frampton for his enormous thirty-six hour film cycle "Magellan". As such, they were never released as individual works or given title cards because of being an intended part of this greater context, and in the end never actually used due to the project being cut short by the filmmaker's death in 1984. Reportedly, Frampton had originally hoped to complete seven-hundred and twenty "Pan" films in all, although for whatever reason only nos. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 697, 698, 699, and 700 are available now. One would think that because of the large gap in numbering there were more shot remaining unavailable; but due to a lack of evidence supporting this, the series is generally known as containing only nine.
"Pan 3" is the fourth of the series and like "Pan 2" before it, also bears a distinct similarity with an earlier work preceding the short. Whereas the latter consisted of the familiar rock-falling scene from "States" (1967) presumably recreated, this film brings back the timelapse/fast-motion photography seen originally in "Surface Tension" (1968), but here resembling Part V of "Hapax Legomena"--"Ordinary Matter" of 1972. In it, the viewer is once again treated to a visual thrill as the camera moves rapidly through a cornfield, reminiscent from the final scene of the aforementioned film and probably using the same location. If one would say any of the "Pan" films were stand-alone, this one would probably rank more on that side along with "Pan 0" due to the fact that the effect itself is already fascinating on its own. Furthermore, the use of color as opposed to the B&W from the other film brings the imagery more to life, and because of the short run-time it is not repetitive like that 1972 work. Interesting for what it is if remaining unjudgeable due to being part of a greater context.
"Pan 3" is the fourth of the series and like "Pan 2" before it, also bears a distinct similarity with an earlier work preceding the short. Whereas the latter consisted of the familiar rock-falling scene from "States" (1967) presumably recreated, this film brings back the timelapse/fast-motion photography seen originally in "Surface Tension" (1968), but here resembling Part V of "Hapax Legomena"--"Ordinary Matter" of 1972. In it, the viewer is once again treated to a visual thrill as the camera moves rapidly through a cornfield, reminiscent from the final scene of the aforementioned film and probably using the same location. If one would say any of the "Pan" films were stand-alone, this one would probably rank more on that side along with "Pan 0" due to the fact that the effect itself is already fascinating on its own. Furthermore, the use of color as opposed to the B&W from the other film brings the imagery more to life, and because of the short run-time it is not repetitive like that 1972 work. Interesting for what it is if remaining unjudgeable due to being part of a greater context.
