HLP Day Six :: Bowden Creative Space

So, quick update from the space before Carol and Lisa arrive..Peter and I have just set up the stage so that we can start rehearsing and planning with it in place. Very exciting! Peter has done an awesome job and it looks great in position. THANK YOU Peter Stanley for supporting this project so much (Peter is also creating our trigger system for the multiple cameras (I'll let him explain at some stage)..all round clever guy! Here is a quick timelapse of setting it up..

The finished product in place - much better than a couple of rigid but nonetheless..tables

Now - end of the day blog..

Today felt a little less productive but still great. The stage was brilliant - stable and effective, so that was a real bonus. In terms of choreography, Carol & Lisa worked at tightening up the Isadora piece, and that started looking more interesting. The most interesting development was that we started talking about integrating a 'signature' phrase into all of the characters' movement. I am really interested in seeing how a synchronous movement across all the screens in the exhibition will work in terms of both choreography and the experience of the viewer. Factoring in the need to be able to time all the pieces for them to move into the signature phrase at the same time allowed us to consider the introduction of some stillness. We have talked about a moment of repetitive breath, or a simple loop of reasonably still movement for each character, and this has been created in the new Isadora choreography. It is a really classical piece - maybe a bit obvious with some of the feminine moves and fabric interaction - but I think it will stand well amongst the other pieces as something well connected with Muybridge's female characters, and honourable in it's simplicity. Oh, and OF COURSE - we reflected on the anthropometric scans we achieved at the Uni yesterday and worked back from some of the images we liked best, integrating them into the new movement. Whether or not we use the 3D scans in the final work, this has been a very interesting process!

We shot the new Isadora using stills and flash, as well as video (traditional HDV). I have cut some of the video in with the stills sequences, just to get a feeling for the integration of a variety of movements. I know it's clunky but hey. these are rough cuts by a non-editor - just playing. Here it is..

At the end of the day Carol worked on fine tuning the Washer Woman piece, integrating the anthropometric stills as well as the signature phrase. We will keep working on that tomorrow. We have also started to roughly storyboard the work we have so far. Tomorrow I will hopefully be working with Pete Hall from Urban Cine to look at how we will use continuous lighting for the shoots, setting up more of the set, and continuing the choreographic development. Challenging, interesting and fun!