Zarah Shahab - soft teeth

“I have been working on ironing out the practicalities of bringing imagined fantasies to materialization. I am working with Ileanna Cheladyn on designing costumes for the creatures in the film and have been collecting materials to create the installation once we are in the location, deciding that I am most interested in using found materials. I met with videographer/after effects specialist Arya Hawker to get more inside on the logistics of chroma keying and other affects that could be useful for the metaphysical explorations I am interested in creating. I am in the process of creating a story board and working with the dancers on scores that achieve the moments necessary to create some post-production filmic magic. Remaining open and curious while transforming imagination into the realities of time and space.”

June 1st, 2019

———-

”It feels really neat to manifest into reality a freaky vision of mutant creatures. The first level of that was material based with costume and installation design – sitting with a pile of fabric and outlining abnormally shaped monsters into it then filling them up with stuffing from couch cushions. Then stringing up an installation of weirdly shaped objects and getting the dancers into the costumes – a lot of sewing and simplifying choreography because of new bodies and limited vision. Now in the process of editing and seeing a whole secondary layer of this vision manifesting due of VFX and how we can manipulate the creatures with chroma key and other effects. I feel proud of really trying to create these creatures from scratch and exploring ways they can illustrate transmutation. Although it is not exactly what I imagined in the beginning, something solid is being created and is communicating the essence of what I wanted to communicate.”

August 1st, 2019

Tamar Tabori

The past month has been spent finalizing everything for the shoot and making sure we know what we want to do when we start editing. This means planning out everything shot by shot camera wise and editing wise. After solidifying the choreography, I made time for the other key puzzle pieces. Working on the music with a musician has been very rewarding because as a dancer I am used to dancing TO the music, rather than the music being made for the dance. Finding a place to film was stressful but when we found District 28, it all started to fall into place. The studio itself is almost like a white bowl; we are very excited to film there and to see how it effects editing.

June 18th, 2019
IG: @tamamamar

——-

“Dance and film aide us in understanding, exploring, and relishing in the idea of a normal not being normal. It allows for a means of finding comfort somewhere we weren’t initially comfortable. From December 2018 to May 2019, field footage from Thailand, Vietnam, and Israel have been collected for the process and final edit of this film. The improvised movement from said places will be used in the final choreography. The footage of landscapes will be incorporated as overlay, mixing past and present experiences into a cohesive look. Currently we're playing around with possible edits, effects, and styles! Getting excited for what's to come.”

May 25th, 2019

——-

”This whole summer has been a blur; one thing that has stayed clear is the purpose and progression of this film. The reality of adjusting to normal is continuous anywhere you are, even if it's where you grew up. I am extremely proud of the ability of my team to stay calm and cool, creating a shoot space that is fun rather than stressful. Initially I thought that since we got a grant for this project, I need to do things differently; more grand. It is with time and staying true to the original concept that I realized nothing needs to be changed or amplified. There is beauty in simplicity and rawness.”

August 1st, 2019

Jord Campbell and Ty Sloane

We've been making looks, filming, partying, dancing, exploring, shopping, waking up early, going to bed late, following our pleasure and following our pain. Welcoming all the messiness of partying, friends, pride month and unpredictable weather to inspire many filming sessions. The editing process has begun, just as intuitive and organic and the filming. We've had great meetings with our sound designer to discuss visions and directions, Maddie will begin composing after seeing the first draft.

June 18th, 2019
IG: @tjsloane , @xlqpopart , @hfitm

——-

Jord and Ty are exploring a theme of sequins with movement that ties to the nightlife, queerness, and extravaganza that is tied with the world of sequins in our lives. As of yet the process has been building in an organic way where Ty picks a mode of filming, thus far doing a full film camera, 50 mm camera, and phone. In this process we're diving into who Quinn (Jord) is in SEE QUINN RUN by putting sequins in unexpected places. Thus far we've explored the melancholy, abstract, and fluid motions of Quinn in a public environment and in the bedroom.

May 25th, 2019

———

”I'm proud of the way we stuck with this project as it evolved, and allowed the film to affect our life choices, change tones dramatically and express a profoundly personal part of us.”

August 1st, 2019

All Bodies Dance Project

“We are currently working on making a plan for shooting the three dancers together. It is quite challenging to find an accessible space, somehow affordable space to rent in Vancouver, but we are on it! We are also reviewing the first draft and deciding how to change it after the feedback we received!”

June 18th, 2019
IG: @allbodiesdance

———

“Shooting and editing a first draft that will be shown at The Dance Centre on June 1-3 as part of All Bodies Dance Show. Working with music composer and reflecting on what to do next.”

May 25th, 2019

——-

”I was extremely impressed with the support and help that I received from Sophia and the all team when looking for an accessible venue to shoot Ho.Me. Josh at Cineworks has also been very helpful in figuring out gears! I am proud of how smooth, light, enjoyable, and funny the process has been so far. We really enjoyed ourselves during the shoot, even when tired and in moment of tension.”

August 1st, 2019

Jenna Mazur

“Leading up to the shoot, Dane and I had a busy week of organizing, picking up gear and props and making last minute decisions. We had studio sessions to plan out all the shots we wanted and created a video document where we subtitled the shot with the name of dance move and the gear that would be used.
We shot Trace, Tread on June 8th at Left of Main. On the day, we were on set for 20 hours. We had an amazing crew of people on hand, not only doing the roles they specialize in, but helping out with whatever task or project needed to be done, including cutting and hanging fabric to fit seven windows, creating props for animation tracking, measuring distances between the tracking props, and running out to buy emergency extension cords. The shoot consisted of introductory shots, choreography, stop motion and shots to implement the animation later on.
We had a lot of gear, and the holding, loading and unloading process of it all was challenging. The weekend overall was pretty exhausting, but very fulfilling to see the idea pan out with the help of such great collaborators. I’m excited to see the footage and start the post-production process!”

June 18th, 2019
IG: @jennaberlyn

——-

Early on, the process involved studio research where I tried to develop choreography that had a feeling of morning ritual, quietness and tender attention. I was feeling the process of coming into my body each day, and attending to my energy and the energy of the space. I reached out to Dane Armour to come onto the project as a key collaborator because I was intrigued by the animated images he was sharing. I wondered how we could bring dance and animation together in a film to elevate a tone or feeling. We brainstormed ideas and developed a concept to use handmade props and animation to physicalize the energy of the space and the magic that can be felt in the daily routines of working. Many meetings and a test shoot later, we have continued to define the concept, and have brought more individuals onto our team.

May 25th, 2019

——-

"The experience of this whole project being supported by F-O-R-M has been great. It has included lots of pre-planning, one long day on set and two shorter pick up or test shoot days, lots of editing and post production work, and continuous communication with collaborators. So far I think I’m most proud of how I’ve opened up to collaboration. This project is by far the most collaborative one I’ve spearheaded to date, and I’m excited about what other individuals have offered and shared. This project has shown me that trusting something I care about in the hands of others can create outcomes I never would have imagined otherwise. I usually shy away from asking others for their time and ideas. I love doing everything myself, but splitting up responsibilities on a project of this scale was not only necessary for the sake of time and energy but also to use the awesome skills everyone came into the room with.”

August 1st, 2019