Man in Camo

This film as a whole is an incredible visual spectacle, with its usage of its various multi-media creations to form this clear picture of who Ethan Minsker is. While I think slightly self-indulgent at times, it makes sense given the nature of the project, and it paints this very proud and confident picture of the type of artist that Ethan is. It completely justifies its run time and always stays so fast and interesting, never leaving a moment without some animation or music to fill the gap. There's such a scope to Ethan's work that by the end there's no way you won't be a fan of at least some idea of visual presented here.

I think experimental is the best word to describe Man in Camo (Ethan Minsker, 2018). The movie employs so many different mediums of art from film (obviously), to photography, stop motion, painting, sculpting etc. And yet it all fits together as one cohesive piece of art. Art is undeniably the movie's center. Ethan Minsker is a habitual artist; that's to say that he's always thinking about what he's going to make next. This movie brings you from his tumultuous upbringing to his life current day (2018) balancing a family, art, and relationships and how his art and life has changed along the way.

Man in Camo is a raucous explosion of multimedia and gorilla filmmaking. It is also a touching, introspective portrayal of one man's journey from angry punk rock kid to doting father, that lays bare the struggles of an independent artist trying to live his truth and support a family at the same time. If you're a child of the 80s who still looks in the mirror and wonders if you should get a new tattoo or if you ought to dye your greying hair blue, you will relate to this film.

I had the pleasure of seeing this film at The Gorst Underground Festival. I found this documentary, (which is Ethan Minsker's telling of his own story; his life, his art, his creative process, and background) original, inspiring, and thought provoking. This story/documentary, is not told in any kind of traditional way. It is not linear. There is a lot of material involved here, and the work has depth. The artist has done some intriguing self-examination, especially into the way his own mind works and creates. An inspiring and encouraging story for any artist and/or creative person.

I was lucky enough to see Man In Camo at The Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival in Bay City, Michigan. Honestly, when I first saw the trailer I didn't really have any interest in seeing it. It looked pretty self-indulgent...which it is...it's also endlessly fascinating, There is so much going on visually that it's hard to focus at times but it all comes together and is a beautiful insight into Minkser's life and growth as an artist. I met Ethan during the festival and he's a fascinating guy and I think "Camo" is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything he's done and will do. Well worth seeing.