After a little bout of email tag, the very talented filmmaker Elise
Kermani was nice enough to let me probe her brain as to what it takes
to be a successful independent filmmaker. Elise completed her film
Jocasta
and it is a stunning example of how original and diverse independent
film making can, and should be. Through grassroots, 'shot-gun' film
making, Elise took Euripides' infamous play about family awkwardness
and retold it in her own interpretation of the Oedipal complex. Elise
knows what she's doing when it comes to truly fulfilling art, so let
her explain her various theories and methods in this candid interview
that the internet has provided us with. And, with this being the New
Roots Project, take note of the film/theatre interplay that she touches
on frequently (eat that synergy!). So, heed the call...
Q:
Explain Jocasta and how it differs from some of your other
projects.
Jocasta
was inspired by the magnificent architecture of the Great Stone Barn
which is a Shaker ruin in upstate New York. We originally wanted to
do a performance there, but because the barn was structurally unsafe
we decided to film the performance instead of having a live audience
there. The idea to perform a Greek play by Euripides came after we
found the barn. When we found out in 2006 that they were going to
start reconstruction on the barn, we had just three months to get our
crew together and film it. So it was a ‘shot-gun’ project: no
funding, and not a whole lot of time for preproduction planning.
It
differs from my other projects in that Jocasta exists mainly as a
‘concrete’ art product, whereas the other projects I’ve created
have been fluid and performance based, meaning that they would be
continually evolving from performance to performance and were never
completely ‘set’. It’s exciting to think that Jocasta doesn’t
need me and can exist after I’m dead!
Q:
What aspects of theatre translate so well on film?
In
Jocasta, the cinematographer was able to go into small places where
no audience could get to. In film you can set specific angles, and
you can be more specific in setting the tone and the rhythm of the
performance. In live performance the audience member uses his eyes to
shift from one place on stage to the other, in film the editor makes
those decisions for the audience. Being
able to see minute facial expressions and design detail is a
theatrical dream. In fact, in my past performance pieces I used live
camera feed on stage in order to get extreme close-ups, for instance
of my feet walking on marbles in “Private Eye/Public Hand”
(performed at PS122 in 1995), or of a woman putting on lipstick in
“ANNE” performed at the Experimental Intermedia in 1996.
Q:
How can film help enhance a theatrical production?
In
film there is freedom to use diverse images which can deeply impress
a theme into the subconscious of the viewer-this is helpful in
creating a structure for the film. One can quickly jump to different
times of day and to different locations-in live theatre this is much
more difficult. Although I still love live theater, making a film is
in some ways more feasible for me than putting on a live theatrical
production. Performing night after night is exhausting, but in film
the actors perform only once: for the camera. Their work is then
immortalized for audiences to see multiple times.
Q:
As an experienced sound designer, how much do you rely on music/audio
for establishing themes and tones in your work?
For
Jocasta I was doing the sound design at the same time as the video
editing-they interacted with each other. Sometimes the music would
influence the cuts, and then the music would then in turn need to be
edited to fit the new visuals. It goes back and forth like this for
me very quickly during the edit, it would almost be impossible to do
this technique with two people-it is a one person job.
Q:
How do you work with actors when translating a play to film?
Both
actors, Marty New, who played Jocasta, and Michael Potts, who played
Oedipus, understand how to act for film without much interference
from the director or DP. They went to acting school together at Yale,
and have played several classical roles with each other for many
years; they know each other so well that the level of trust and
creative play was instantaneous and collaborative. I asked Alan
McIntyre Smith (DP), to move around them as they performed their
lines without interruption, as if they were on stage. Alan then
choreographed his shots around these performances. For instance,
Marty and Michael performed the whole scene for the close up shots,
and the whole scene for wide shots-we did not break up the lines. I
wanted to get a sense of the flow of one performance.
Q:
From personal experience, what are some of the bigger challenges
facing up-and-coming filmmakers? Are there any myths about
distribution and/or production that should be dispelled?
The
main problem with being an artist today is maintaining a balance
between making your art and making a living to pay for your art. If
you can figure that out, whether that means you have to become a rich
lawyer, or you acquire a unique skill that pays well and is needed in
your field, you are ½ way there to ‘making’ it.
There
are too many people who think they can make a living from their art.
I think this is creative suicide. The reality is that you have to
figure out the money question first, the “how are you going to pay
your rent” question. Once you are secure with an answer to that
question, then you can go to the 2nd
issue of making your film. Then the issue is how are you going to pay
for your film. It is sad, but it does all come down to the simple
fact of having enough ‘money’ to make films. I think some younger
filmmakers make dangerous decisions that are unrealistic –that is,
they think that one of their films is going to be an instant success
and they will get rich and be able to quit their day jobs. But, if
you have the attitude that you might have to work your day job
forever, then you won’t be disappointed. Pick a day job that pays
well, and one that is tolerable for the long term! Making films is
expensive, even if you get distribution, and even if you got famous
from one of your films. You still have to figure out the money and
then you have to figure out how to keep your creative juices flowing
in the media-hollywood rat race.
Q:
With the folding of festivals such as the New York Underground Film
Festival and the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in the last year,
do you feel that experimental film and video are able to have
adequate venues to be presented in?
It
does seem that there is a plethora of opportunities for experimental
film these days-and it’s the same for experimental music, dance and
theater. I think that audiences are willing to take chances on seeing
and hearing something unusual. In fact, it seems that younger people
actually gravitate toward the diverse, the unique, and not just with
‘going with the crowd’. Young people want to think for
themselves. That’s great! And, if a festival doesn’t exist for
your type of film or music—you can start your own festival. It is
very easy to make a global network for your work these days with the
internet.
Q:
Do you see experimental theatrical film becoming more interactive in
the future? That is to say, incorporating both elements into a more
live, community setting? Any personal preferences as to where you
would like to see it progress to?
Your
questions are very insightful! Our next project will be a hybrid
theater/film piece that will waver back and forth between the live
theater experience and film. And Jocasta will be presented in the
fall in context of a live performance with 4 trombonists and 2
dancers. So, yes, for me this interactivity is very important, as
well as the need for creating a personal ‘community’ for our
work. The other thing that is important to me is the sense that our
work is truly collaborative—it was not made by any one ‘ego’
but rather by a group of like-minded people working together for
something bigger than themselves or their individual art.
Q:
Where and how can Jocasta be seen these days? Explain the internet
competition.
From
May 5 until June 30 Jocasta can be seen at www.independentfeatures.com which
is the web site for the ‘Independent Features Festival’. After
watching you can vote for it and the top 21 films will be screened in
July at the Tribeca Theater in New York. We also have video clips on
YouTube and we are listed on iMDB.com. But our main premiere event
for New York will be on September 24th,
2008 at the NewFilmmakers Summer Festival held at the Anthology: www.newfilmmakers.com. We
are the last feature film of their summer season, and we are going to
create a live performance extravaganza to celebrate!
Q:
What are you working on right now?
We
are writing a script for a new opera that will involve a hybrid
technology between film and live performance. We’ve applied for a
few grants and residencies and are now waiting to hear back from
them. If we don’t get the funding we’ll go forward with the
project, but on a much smaller scale. Hopefully we will get adequate
funding to be able to offer decent pay for all the artists involved
and to explore new ground in bringing theater to film. It is
interesting that Lincoln Center has begun to bring Opera to national
movie theaters - we are doing something similar. We hope by filming
live performances we will be able to bring our work to larger
audiences, hopefully eventually to TV audiences. With the exception
of a few well written shows, television has sunk to a cultural low,
perhaps we can get in on the upswing and help bring homegrown theater
to all American living rooms! Now, that’s a dream.
Trailers and further information on the film and the woman herself can be found on Elise's website, www.elisekermani.com.
Thanks Elise!
