If you like Celia’s work, be sure to check out her Vimeo profile for more of her videos.

PROM NIGHT from celia rowlson-hall on Vimeo.

Created using Plexus and After Effects, Rozee “manually keyframed 19 mask paths in AE. There’s over 20,000 keyframes in the piece, but it needed to be that detailed to achieve the fluidity of movement….” That’s a load of work but worth every second. Apparently we’ll get to see ‘Schtick Man! strut his stuff again in a version of John Travolta’s Staying Alive dance. I can’t wait!

Billy Jean Plexus from Colin Rozee on Vimeo.

People, the expression of self and the interactions between each other are timeless qualities relevant to creativity, no matter what the future holds.

The varying dance styles were captured by director Nathan Drabsch over one day on a pair of RED Epics, which enabled the DMCI team to utilise effective time remapping when combining the dancers’ performances with their own abstract graphics and ism studios’ score.

FUTURE PROOF from The DMCI on Vimeo.

The work of creative studio Tell No One is bound to turn heads, their experiments with video cameras and post-production software make stunning motion graphics/experimental films that leave you wondering exactly how the created such hypnotic pieces.

Dynamic Blooms from Tell No One on Vimeo.

Forest from Tell No One on Vimeo.

100 Years Style East London from Jahbit on Vimeo.

Thomas Borowiak uses jump cuts and an empty swimming pool location to showcase the moves of dancer friend Linda Stark in his unofficial music video for Gold Panda track You.

Gold Panda – You from Thomas Borowiak on Vimeo.

If you think the moves look somewhat familiar, then perhaps like me you’ve found yourself trying to nail the same routine whilst playing the Kinect game Dance Central. Throw on your glad rags next time and you could be ready to star in next season’s promo.

Debuting at Art Basel Miami 2009, this film was shot in collaboration with the highly acclaimed dance company Gallim Dance and choreographed by Andrea Miller. Zach Gold uses the renowned quality of his photography and applies it to film, creating an engrossing series of environmental relationships, tension and peace.

Milk from zach gold on Vimeo.

This short film was made for the introduction of a new Converse / Nom de Guerre collaboration shoe. Inspired by the film Battleship Potemkin.

Zach Gold – Countdown to Violence from zach gold on Vimeo.

Amalric directs, writes and plays Joachim, a washed-up manager bringing together an American burlesque group to do a tour of his homeland France and in doing so prove himself to his showbusiness ex-partners. The narrative of the Joachim’s personal journey provides the scripted structure for the film, whilst the playful chaos of his burlesque troupe brings the lightness of mood for much of the film. For the final act the plot centres on the relationship between Joachim and and his most experienced attraction Mimi Le Meaux.

Amalric’s movie is well directed and beautifully shot, whether it’s the on-stage acts or location shots. The performances are naturalistic- these clearly aren’t trained actresses and are all the more watchable for it. He seems to have allowed the girls to improvise and whilst they’re on screen the film is alive with energy. Their camaraderie is infectious and they are the most grounded people in the film. The flipside is Joachim’s desperate attempts to recapture his alluded-to ‘glory days’. The film deliberately avoids giving too much information about how he came to his current position and, as unusual a complaint as this is in today’s exposition-heavy times, a bit of back-story wouldn’t have hurt. By the end of the film there’s the inescapable conclusion that if he had just let the girls (who are all genuine burlesque performers) do a tour and simply film the results, then as a documentary his film would have had more pathos and more laughs than the fictional piece.

That’s not to say the film isn’t enjoyable in its own right. The relationship between Joachim and his stars is wonderful as he gradually loses control over the tour and the performers become more maternal towards him. There are two worlds on display, the one Joachim is trying to create and the one he is trying to over-write. The audience want the same outcome as Joachim; him because he wants his reputation restored, and the audience because they want to see the girls on a stage big enough to contain their ample presence.

With the images of Radiohead’s Lotus Flower still reverberating around our heads, we are presented with another music video of experimental dance from one of the worlds biggest bands. Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy), the video for R.E.M.s latest single ÜBerlin prowls the streets of London following Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy) as he hot-steps his way through some of the capitals back streets.

Elegant cinematography and contemporary dance collide in John Hicks’ beautiful short Evolution.

Both myself and MarBelle have always been fond of the experimental dance short and they don’t come much better than the kaleidoscopic vision of Natacha Paganelli’s Kolo.

The video installation “Kolo/Dance” spreads a spectacular enchantment which could remind some of a minimalist version of the choreographic inventions of the time of Russian Ballets.

Kolo from Natacha Paganelli on Vimeo.

Thought of You from Ryan Woodward on Vimeo.

Thought of You – Behind the Scenes Preview – ROUGH CUT from Cambell Christensen on Vimeo.

Street Dance from Robin Cantrell on Vimeo.

Street Dance 2 from Robin Cantrell on Vimeo.

Backwards dancing is even more fun to watch. Despite knowing exactly how the relatively simple trick’s pulled off, there’s still something fascinating about watching people move in an almost, but not quite, normal way whilst the world streams backwards around them.

Arin Crumley’s posted some pretty compelling test footage of a dancer doing just that:

This is a montage from some of the shots that came out of a test shoot Susan wanted to do. We used the HVX-200 and filmed in bushwick on Puertorican day.

Spike Jones (sic) and many others have used this effect. Essentially you have people walk backwards and then you play the footage back in reverse. They then seem to be walking forwards (sort of) and all of the world around them is going backwards.

As Arin name checked him I’ve got to include Spike Jonze’s classic Pharcyde promo Drop:

And of course Donovan’s forward, but still mighty cool Surviving Desire dance:

Oval – Ah! from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

BOCANADA from Gonzaga Manso on Vimeo.

Breakdancing group Illusionary Rockaz prove that Movement never lies to Of Porcelain’s Signal the Captain .

IRC dance movement from . on Vimeo.

Anxious to use artificial intelligence to improve the world, Rosetta Stone, a bio-geneticist, devises a recipe through which she can download her own DNA into a live brew she is growing in her computer. She succeeds in breeding three beings (Self Replicating Automatons – S.R.A.’s) that are part human, part software, whom she names Ruby, Marine and Olive. They look human, but are in fact intelligent machines. The only flaw in Rosetta’s creation is that the S.R.A.’s need injections ofmale chromo found only in spermatozoa to survive. As they cannot distinguish dreams from reality, Rosetta programs Ruby, via movie tapes, to seduce men in the real world and share donations with her sisters. Ruby’s evolving contact with the real world introduces her to art, spirituality, and ultimately, when she meets Sandy, a lonely Xerox shop worker, the capacity to fall in love. All of the characters struggle to find meaning in a world where love is the only thing that makes things real. In the process they also find harmony between the real and the virtual world.

However, I couldn’t possibly say a bad word about its quadruple star Tilda Swinton, easily one of the best actors we have working on our screens today. She is also it would appear, the inventor of the Teknolust dance which is surely how we’ll all be getting down in the future. Wont it?

Just in case you now feel tempted to rent the full film, I’m sure this trailer will put you off!

All the evidence I need is below (and almost NSFW depending on how stuffy your boss is).

Daisy Lowe for UK esquire HD from Greg Williams on Vimeo.

Jaydiohead Ignorant Swan Medley from SUBVOYANT on Vimeo.

Awarded the Un Certain Regard prize at last year’s Cannes and riding a wave of positive critical response from festival to festival, Yorgos Lanthimos’ dysfunctional Greek family feature Dogtooth is an uncomfortable and darkly comedic watch. We discuss the hard road of Greek filmmaking and the power of education in shaping personality and beliefs.

What’s more interesting to me is to be able to observe how possible it is to control people’s minds & really distort their perception about the world they live in with the information that you give them.

Showlinks
Yorgos Lanthimos
Dogtooth

The work of Erika Janunger spans the fields of architecture, interior design and music, however her latest piece Weightless adds filmmaking into the mix to create a hypnotic film that itself defies categorisation, and has spawned a bookcase that is currently produced by Carl Malmsten. Erika joins us to discuss how space, movement and music can be combine to create and explore the worlds we inhabit.

Weightless Materials
Film, Production & Test Stills

Showlinks
Erika Janunger
Carl Malmsten
Shape & Colour

Weightless (2007)
A short dance / architectural movie, about defying gravity.

It’s not often I experience the films we feature in their full cinematic glory, and even rarer that I also get face to face time with the directors, but of the many films we’ve covered on the show Marcy Garriott’s feature documentary Inside the Circle – which opens a window into B-Boy culture, friendship and the challenges of growing up and finding your place in the world – definitely warranted the big screen experience. Marcy took some time out from promotion duties to discuss her approach to filmmaking.

Inside the Circle Materials
Notes for Casual Documentary Filmmaking Workshops

Showlinks
Inside the Circle
Inside the Circle MySpace
Still in Motion Interview
Sony HVR-Z1U
B-Boy City
Sony DSR PD-150
Sony DSR-PD170
SXSW
Children in Jail

Inside the Circle (2007)
Capturing the raw power of a grassroots hip-hop movement, the award-winning documentary Inside the Circle tells the stories of strikingly talented b-boys Josh and Omar, former best friends who become rivals when they join competing dance crews. Immersed in the b-boy culture of defiant creativity, Omar rises to international renown, while Josh tangles with the law. Both of them struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives, and the “B-Boy City” competitive events thrown by visionary street dancer Romeo Navarro serve as emotional milestones in their journey to adulthood. Facing off in intense dance battles that mirror the larger events in their lives, Josh and Omar seek respect, meaning and identity “inside the circle.”

Have a read and watch.

Luckily though, I overcame my inner sloth and caught Marcy Garriott’s INSIDE THE CIRCLE at the beginning of this month when it played at the Brixton Ritzy Cinema. Even better, after 102 minutes of the sickest moves, wrapped in a thoughtful documentary about friendship, ambition and finding your way, I got to meet Marcy (and B-boy Omar) who I can’t wait to get on the show for an interview very soon.

Yes I know there’s nothing worse than someone harping on about how great a screening was that you didn’t attend, but if you’re anywhere near London on Thursday 1st May, the Breakin’ Convention guys are screening INSIDE THE CIRCLE at Lilian Baylis Theatre (details below), so get over there and show your love!

INSIDE THE CIRCLE presented by Breakin’ Convention
Thursday 1 May, 19:45 pm
Lilian Baylis Theatre (Stage door entrance) at Sadler’s Wells
(Rosebery Avenue, Islington, London EC1R 4TN)
Tickets: £5

Follow the link for more information, grab the directions so you don’t get lost and check out the trailer.

As part of my CINECITY ’07 Film Festival coverage I caught up with DJ and director Alex Reuben at South East Dance’s Dance For Camera launch to discuss his dance road movie Routes and the roll of dance as a major tool in documentary filmmaking.

Showlinks
Alex Reuben
Alex Reuben MySpace
CINECITY
South East Dance
Anthology of American Folk Music
Fats Domino
When the Levees Broke
Communities in Motion
Robert Gordon
Capture 4
Arts Council England

Routes (2007)
A dance road-movie inspired by Harry Smith’s compilation, Anthology of American Folk Music. Alex Reuben sets out on the road to document lesser-known forms of American culture and the extraordinary dancing Americans of the Deep South.

La Primavera (2006)
A lyrical telling of a brief encounter between a US Navy Sailor and a young woman at a South American port town, La Primavera delves into the fleeting moments of uncertainty and flux that test the bounds of emotional connection.

My guest today is Lana Schwarcz talking about the plethora of creative roles she fills and her alternate reality piece The Upper Hand, where humans and puppets come together to bet on cross-species striping contests.

The Upper Hand Materials
Stills

Showlinks
That Lana Girl MySpace
That Girl Entertainment
Marc Fennell’s Film Ed 101
Lana’s ABC Video Lives
Tropfest
The Portable Film Festival
Apple Final Cut Pro
Mike Reed & Partners Post Production
UNIMA 2008 Masterclass Series Survey
Australian Film Television & Radio School
UNIMA 2008

The Upper Hand (2006)
When the ordinary no longer sustains its audience, the ultimate performer will do almost anything to get them back on side.

Mistress Marvel’s Burlesque Club and MC Randy invite puppets to mingle with live humans to see Lulu Fountain (pron. FounTAINE) vs Capability Brown in a competitive strip-off that is sure to blow things all out of proportion.

The giddy heights of theatrical fame will no doubt be achieved by one of these sexy ladies, but which one?

Our guest director today Nicolas d’Haussy, is a master at keeping an eye on the minutia of a project, even when working with no budget and a volunteer crew as he did on the AIDs information ad spot, It’s Beautiful.

It’s Beautiful Materials
Stills

Showlinks
Nicolas’ Site
Frenchkiss
Manganelli
Shynola
Air – The Virgin Suicides
Carol Goode
Supinfocom
Josephine Baker
Escape Pod
Samantha Henderson

It’s Beautiful (2006)
Part of a 10 film series to educate and combat against the spread of AIDS.

Frame of Mind (2004)
It’s the aftermath of a party and time to leave, but something, or someone, is holding this girl back!

Today is a show of firsts. Our guest Susie Glynn is the first solo woman director we’ve interviewed on the show to date and is here to discuss the first dance film to be featured on Directors Notes, her one minute piece Frame of Mind, which is the shortest director’s note we’ve featured, but you and I know it’s quality not quantity that counts!

Frame of Mind Materials
Stills

Showlinks
Dance South West
Joon Goh Interview
Cat’s Smack Promo
Capture
The Place
Dance On Camera Festival
Sadler’s Wells
Rotterdam International Film Festival
Constellation Change Film Festival
Chisenhale Dance Space

Director Magali Charrier and choreographer Maria Lloyd worked together to create the story and choreography for experimental dance film Left or Right for Love. The inspiration was a meeting of two ideas: Charrier wanted to explore the possible responses of individuals when surrounded by white and Lloyd experiment with gravity while constructing a meeting between a motionless man and a weightless woman (played by Lloyd).

From these initial ideas came the narrative of a woman who upon slipping into a milk bath enters her inner space of whiteness. £8,000 cash and free editing at Brighton’s Lighthouse was awarded, with Sweet Childs Films assigned the role of producer.

In the piece once Lloyd accepts her inner self, she merges with her own image and a box containing a man falls from the sky. “It happens to be the man of her dreams and she gets so filled with love that she starts to float off the ground and flies around him. There is a quirky awkwardness I wanted to express in a meeting between two people. The man holds his hand out and she lands in the palm of his hands. They have a duet where she is wildly happy flying around and a second duet with more intimate movements of the heads meeting.”

As Lloyd had never previously performed as an aerial artist, she embarked on a grueling regime of sit-ups and swimming to build up muscles. Lloyd found that aside from the general discomfort of aerial work, hard landings provided the harshest pains, earning her a three week injury during the project. After disappointing results with a climbing harness, which had to be moved manually, line producer Hester Campbell managed to source a computerized harness that greatly improved the process. Post was completed using software tools Final Cut Pro, After Effects and Avid, editor Ant Hayes spending a week wiping wires from each frame.

Left or Right for Love won best experimental animation film at the Norwich International Animation Film festival, represented Britain at the Berlin Film Festival and is being distributed by Eroarts a German distribution company. Charrier’s and Lloyd’s next project is a romantic comedy fiction piece.

- Originally published in Showreel, Issue 7 (Spring 2005)

Left or Right for Love? from Magali Charrier on Vimeo.