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Video Journalism workshops at VIVO

Learn on-camera reporting, off-camera interview skills, documentary shooting techniques, polished journalistic writing skills, and documentary editing.
Participants will develop a documentary concept (or bring one you have in mind) and shoot footage that will be analyzed and edited over two workshop sessions.  You are welcome to use VIVO’s video cameras, or you can bring your own.

1. Camera Skills & Interviewing
Learn how to set up a great interview with lights, camera, and appropriate questions. In this session we will also cover documentary shooting and sound skills. Homework: Shoot some footage!

2. Documentary Editing
With footage you’ve shot as homework from session one, we will learn to cut together a short news story with a voiceover, on-camera introduction, and develop a solid structure.

Make docs that ring true!

Continue reading “Video Journalism workshops at VIVO”

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Live Music Playlist from St John’s Newfoundland!

One of my missions in St John’s was to record as much live music as possible, for sharing with my friends and colleagues and for possible use in a future video installation / exhibition.  After two visits to Newfoundland over the decades, the amount of live music was what stuck with me the most.  Like, without leaving downtown, I shot 9 bands in a week and a half.

There’s something for everyone so by all means, skip through if something’s not to your taste…

The Black Bags play “Raining Hammers” at the Ship
The Faded Yellow Line at The Levee
City on the Coast plays “The Emperor of Japan” at Fred’s Records
Liz and Nat farting around at Black Bag Media Collective
Lunge at The Levee
Box playing “Helter Skelter” @ Trapper John’s
Blacky O’Leary at Kelly’s Pub
Salty Dolls live at the Ship
Pathological Lovers at The Ship

This was a residency with Catherine Falkner at the Black Bag Media Collective. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and Liz Solo.

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Extraction is in the works

Extraction Chinese Character
Extraction Cast and Crew

After two years of research and planning, Theatre Conspiracy is digging into the creation of the documentary-style play Extraction. Our international cast and team of theatre artists are in residence at The Cultch in Vancouver for the next couple of weeks to experiment before a work-in-progress presentation at Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival on July 21. Continue reading “Extraction is in the works”

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The Cultch presents Extraction

Here’s a little taste of the show I’m working on for Theatre Conspiracy.  Our workshop performances will happen in July at the Cultch and at the Richmond Int’l Film & Media Arts Festival.

The Cultch presents Extraction – YouTube.

“Through the biographies of four performers, the bilingual, documentary-style play Extraction looks at lives transformed by the rapid growth of Beijing and Fort McMurray, Chinese investment in Alberta’s tar sands and the evolution of Canada/China relations.

Extraction, directed by Amiel Gladstone, will run March 5-9, 2013, as part of the season at The Cultch in Vancouver. Theatre Conspiracy was presented with the annual Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, a $60,000 prize that will support the development and production of Extraction.”

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The Fine Line: Twisted Angels at Woodwards

I’ve just polished up the multimedia projections on this new dance work for Dancers Dancing.  I’ve been working with Judith Garay for years as a videographer and now as a projections designer.

For this show I’ve been using Isadora with Osculator, to allow Wii controllers in the dancers’ costumes to affect the projections.  I’ve played with a little animation, and I have an infrared camera doing a some motion detection.  It will be an awesome experiment for me and the dance, music, costumes and lighting are beautiful.

Please come and check it out!

The Fine Line – twisted angels

May 23-26, 2012 | 8:00 PM
$25 Adults | $15 Student/Seniors

Studio D, 2nd Floor
Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

Dancers Dancing and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs
present, as part of the SFU Woodward’s Faculty Research Series, the world premiere of

The Fine Line ~ twisted angels
A multi-media dance work inspired by perception, revelation and change

Performed by Cai Glover, Vanessa Goodman and Bevin Poole of Dancers Dancing.

Choreographed by Judith Garay, Artistic Director of Dancers Dancing
Music by Patrick Pennefather
Costumes by Margaret Jenkins
Lighting Design by John Macfarlane
Video Design by Flick Harrison

A PERFORMANCE TALK BALK WILL BE HELD AFTER THE SHOW ON THURSDAY, MAY 24TH.

The Fine Line ~ twisted angels explores in movement, sound and image how we experience, perceive, relate to and react to our internal and external worlds. Ephemeral, sometimes transformative, the moments between perceiving, sensing and cognition create a rich tapestry of somatic images. The work engages with the fragility of our existence and risks the deep and dark journeys necessary to project the internal experience directly onto the stage.

Since 1999 Dancers Dancing has mounted productions both in Vancouver and on tour. The company is known for its passion and technical excellence, and for reaching diverse audiences. The press has called the company “…truly exciting…” and a recent production “Bursting with energy from the moment the curtains open, this powerhouse of a show was a delight from beginning to end…” Artistic director Judith Garay has been choreographing professionally for over three decades starting in New York where The New York Times called her “A choreographer with a sure inventive touch” and more recently in Vancouver where The Georgia Straight said “Garay has an incredible ability to boil down relationships to simple gestures that are loaded with meaning.”