It is safe to say that in life, people try to attain certain levels of talent and success in their respective fields. For some, it is their jobs, and for others it is just a hobby that they truly enjoy. For Oliver Kramer '02, filmmaking is a pursuit in which he is both talented and successful. His many films and other productions, which have been met with much acclaim, are tangible testaments to his level of achievement.
The New York native film major first got interested in film when, at age 15, he and a few of his friends adventured to browse in the cult section of a video store. The movie they selected was a Japanese fantasy film called "Tetsuo the Ironman." After watching the film in which a man is fantastically transformed into a machine, Kramer said to himself, "that's interesting; I could do that." That experience served as the beginning of his journey of studying, observing and eventually writing his own movies.
During his high school summers, Oliver took several college-level film classes at institutions such as Boston University and Vassar College. After his freshman year at Dartmouth, Kramer felt a profound distaste for the College and a deep sense of frustration over the direction of his career. He left the College for three terms during his sophomore year to work professionally, starting with a camera position for a video shoot in France.
Following a brief stint of advertising work for Young and Ruebicam, Kramer took a job at the acclaimed production company Killer Films, where he ascended to the rank of manager. From there, having made many significant connections and picked up valuable knowledge, Kramer was hired for the camera team of the film "Chelsea Walls," directed by Ethan Hawke, which is slated for release this fall.
After making his own short film, Kramer returned to Dartmouth in the spring of 2000 feeling more confident with his surroundings and with his work. It was upon his realization of this confidence that Kramer started to develop a style of his own for his films. Inspired mainly by the French new wave and Italian neo-realist movements in film, Kramer's style is one that tends to focus on the inner workings of the individual rather than the narrative or realism of the plot line.
"I never believed, as they used to teach in film school, that you can't show internal emotions on screen," said Kramer.
His motion picture "Our Little Life," which premiered this summer in both Los Angeles and New York City, was Kramer's first taste of major recognition for his films. Some industry professionals, however, have called his work experimental.
Currently working on his next film, Kramer is finding difficulty in the process of changing his style to appeal to new audiences. But, Kramer understands that the inclusion of more narrative in his films is essential for their mainstream appeal.
Kramer describes his current state of mind as being "accelerated." He recently worked on the new "Truth" anti-smoking commercials while also writing his new film based on the life of the philosopher Louis Althusser.
In addition to his filmmaking abilities, Kramer is an incredibly intelligent and shrewd observer of cinema. In discussion of "Annie Hall," Kramer pointed to the last scene as one that he thinks about every time he writes for his films. "The focus of the last shot of the film is a table the couple used to sit at. It's a romantic comedy about a love that ends and that's why it seems so real," Kramer said.
Oddly enough, Kramer does not own many movies. He has only a select few that he feels have taught him something. But his love and appreciation for film is undying. Kramer will continue to pursue a career in filmmaking mainly because, save a few friends, film is the only thing he has come across that is "endlessly interesting."
