While cutting my films for Permutations, I was craving exploring a new idea and despite that most film festivals have little or no financial rewards (just being accepted into some festivals is huge) I was fortunate to win a festival for my dance film Void that had some prize money. I decided to invest this money into a little creative development working with the team from Void. Despite feeling strange not to be rehearsing at Mill St, it was so good to be back in the studio (a quaint little hall in Paddington) dabbling with new ideas.
Following the time in the studio I found a few locations to hire and tested the moment in each. The idea was to see how the movement translated to the location, and eventually come back and refine these ideas further down the track.
After dabbling with the footage in the edit, I was keen to explore just one locations in particular and to draw from the history and aesthetic of the space. In dance film, this is not an unusual way to work and for me, films like Pulse, Vault, and Void began by drawing from the aesthetic or history of the location. One alternative to this method is commencing with an idea or story and finding locations to suit the story. My films, Ward of State and Love Song are examples of working from a story starting point. Dance film might also start with a movement idea such a my films Splat or Silt, or they be conceptual or experimental, such as my film Shift.
In June, we spent a few more days rehearsing at one of the locations and in early July we spent two days filming at the location as well as an additional 3 days in August. Spreading out the filming process is not the traditional way with film, but the time to reflect in between filming is an important part of my process, particularly given how editing can alter the outcome.
Along side rehearsals and filming, I was also researching the history of the location – a former telephone exchange and starting to weave in some ideas around revisiting and looking at all the old clunky telephones and exchange desks. The Brisbane Telephone Museum in Brisbane also provided some great information about former days and the nuts and blots of telecommunication.
We filmed the second part of the development in July 2022 (above) and additional 3 days in August 2022 (below).
Working again with dancer Erin O’Rourke, I also collaborated with cinematographer Saroj Kumar Chauhan who shot Void, Love Song and the Permutations pick up shots as well as AC and gaffer Jared Sexton, and Hannah Millar recording sound.
The film will be screened on October the 4th in Brisbane. Below are some stills from camera. More to come!
