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FrameformThat's a wrap!That’s right, we are coming to a close to season 5 and the Frameform series. It’s been a wonderful 5 years of making this show, but as time evolves, so have our lives and workloads…so we’re putting a pin in it.Today we’re reflecting on a wonderful season of interviews and discussions while also looking back at the past 5 seasons of lively topics that we have covered. We’re having heart to hearts, and getting a little gushy, but isn’t that what friendship is all about sometimes?We want to thank all the listen...2024-10-3054 minFrameformNordic Screendance NetworkThis week’s episode of Frameform features three extraordinarily experienced artists-Kati Kallio, Maia Sorensen and Helena Jonsdottir- who wear many hats in the screendance field as filmmakers, curators, educators and more. Clare spoke with them about their work in screendance creation, curation and education and how it is informing the establishment of a nascent Nordic Screendance Network. The conversation broaches the necessity of regular in-person meetings for practitioners as well as how the strength of a network can aid in the advocation of a more sustainable screendance field for those working in it.Kati Kallio is a pr...2024-09-2736 minFrameformA love letter to dance with Maggie BaileyHello! We’re back from our summer recess which means we have more episodes to come for the rest of the 2024 year!For today’s episode, Hannah sits down with Austin, Texas filmmaker Maggie Bailey, discussing her 2022 dance documentary, Moving Together. This particular doc is something I myself (Hannah), have not seen in the dance documentary mode. What made this movie really stand out from others is that the story blends a soothing balance of cinematic movement that we commonly see in screendance, but then pairing those vignettes with gentle interview voiceover. Overall, Maggie guides viewers on a we...2024-09-0450 minFrameformMake S&!7: Creative Prompts for Dance FilmUnless you have hit the screendance jackpot, it’s highly unlikely that you are a full-time screendance maker. Carving time out to create your own work can be a bit difficult and sometimes it’s intimidating to start. As Frameform goes into the summer break, we are offering creative prompts designed to help you practice creating dance films on a regular basis. These are not recipes for masterpieces, rather ideas to help you break out of familiar patterns and discover new and interesting ideas for future work regardless of budget or technical familiarity.Happy creating!–4...2024-05-2211 minFrameformLOCATION SCOUT: Black BoxesMost theater-goers are familiar with black boxes. We’re not talking about literal boxes that are black but in a way it’s not totally off the mark. Walking inside a black box theater, it’s pretty bare and minimal – empty space, a place for an audience to sit, and maybe a few studio lights for dramatic lighting. These spaces may not have that grand sparkling feeling when you walk into a 200+ capacity, red curtain adorned proscenium, but it serves very much the same purpose: possibility in creativity.In this location scout round table discussion we’ll be spotlig...2024-04-2443 minFrameformA Somatic Approach to Screendance with LollyIn today’s episode, we welcome Lolly, a friend of the podcast and Dancinema collaborator. Dancefilm is a special mode of expression and calls for a different approach of reception. Lolly has been our liaison, guiding us to consider screendances – the way we view, feel, and discuss them – from a new perspective. Lolly’s various projects intersect art, dance and somatic coaching. At Dancinema’s festivals for a few years now, Lolly has led somatic meditations before screenings to help us transition from the buzzing of the outside world into a clearer mind and body space to ac...2023-06-2148 minFrameformIn the Mood for ColorThis episode is full of COLOR. Maybe not every color of the rainbow, but do they look very pleasing to the eye. Today’s keyword for this episode will be ‘aesthetic’ which is definitely the first thing that comes to my mind while watching these 3 picks.Red, yellow, green, blue, and so on can emphasize many different moods. If you’re someone with synesthesia, you absolutely know the feeling of what color does to the brain when you are either listening to music or reading a story. It wasn’t until 1939 when Technicolor perfected the 3 color process making its...2023-05-3142 minFrameformLocation Scout: ForestsIf you thought we were done with location scout episodes, boy you are incorrect. We still have a few in our back pocket! We’re going into the deep deep forest to ground our roots in what nature has to offer in this episode. Let’s be real. Dance films taking place in the woods is a hard production. Most we’ve personally seen or made are not the strongest works. To be honest, forest films have a lot of limitations. To feel totally immersed, you have to take your gear and crew far away from battery supply...2023-05-1737 minFrameformSite-Specific ChoreographyYou’re probably reading the title of this episode and thinking “site-specific choreography? Aren’t most screendances site-specific?” You are certainly right, listener! You must be a screendance fan!As you know, site-specific episodes have been a recurring topic on the show. As we’ve segmented the dropped pins over the years, we’ve built an understanding of what the director may be conveying through movement within the landscape. The camera allows dance audiences to go on a journey that they may not be able explore on a live proscenium stage. The beauty of these films is that they pu...2023-05-0348 minFrameformA Conversation with Rogue DancerIn this episode, we are highlighting the wonderful Jennifer Scully-Thurston, also known as Rogue Dancer. Frameform listeners may already know this friend of the podcast and fellow panelist at last year’s Screendance Symposium. Enjoy this conversation with Scully and Jen Ray including experiences producing festivals online and in person, creative approaches to curation and the pursuit of solutions instead of obstacles. Jennifer Scully-Thurston (Scully) is a choreographer, dance filmmaker, curator, journalist, and video installation artist. She is founder and director of FilmFest by Rogue Dancer, a monthly thematic on-line event devoted to dance. She has curate...2023-04-1936 minFrameformFF for DCW: Gabri ChristaIn this episode, we are highlighting Gabri Christa, a core figure and throughline of Dance Camera West’s events we attended earlier this season. “Gabri Christa makes work for stage, screen and everything in between. She hails from the Dutch Caribbean and lives in NYC. Christa is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she teaches Screendance, Composition, Dance in Film lecture course, Contemporary Caribbean Dance and Yoga. She also directs the Movement Lab at Barnard and is the founding director of the social justice screendance festival Moving Body- Moving Image....2023-04-0521 minFrameformFF for DCW: David RousséveDavid Roussève is a renowned choreographer, writer, director and filmmaker, as well as a longtime board member and juror of Dance Camera West. Along with his many accomplishments as a professor at UCLA, and artistic director of the dance theater company REALITY, David has been a dance film practitioner for decades. His films, such as Bittersweet & Two Seconds after Laughter, have screened worldwide and he was involved in the UCLA Dance/Media Project, which produced the anthology Envisioning Dance on Film and Video edited by Judy Mitoma.–Visit David’s website hereW...2023-03-2235 minFrameformFF for DCW: Samantha ShayThis week, Clare speaks with Samantha Shay, a multidisciplinary artist and founder of the international production company Source Material, who is currently in residence at Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. Samantha outlines her unique path to dance film and shines a light on her research and engagement with Pina Bausch’s work. She also discusses the process (and some funny anecdotes) of the creation of her film Mother Melancholia, a film that approaches patriarchal politics and eco-feminism through an unguarded, unsettlingly beautiful meditation.Mother Melancholia continues its festival run along with Samantha’s newest work, Romance. This film is a...2023-03-0826 minFrameformFF for DCW: Bella DocumentaryFrameform is back in session and we’re kicking the season off with a collaboration! Earlier this year, we joined forces with Dance Camera West, by interviewing 4 selected filmmakers who were screening at this year’s 2023 fest.First in line, Hannah chats with director/producer Bridget Murnane, celebrating her first feature documentary “Bella,” a biopic championing the life of California’s own, Bella Lewitzky. Murnane discusses her experience tracking, collecting, and building a story from archives, while reflecting her passion for sharing Bella’s life work for art and performance. “Bella” has been quite the success so far this year an...2023-02-2325 minFrameformBeyond Spectacle : The Fits*CONTAINS SPOILERS* We’ve made it to the annual Beyond Spectacle episode which means our feature presentation today is our last viewing of the year. But before we wrap up on season 3 of Frameform, we’re screening Anna Rose Holmer’s 2015 indie feature, “The Fits.” A story taken place outside of Cincinnati, Ohio following 11-year-old Toni, a tomboy who struggles to fit into her new dance troupe while experiencing an epidemic of violent fits amongst the team. As we follow Toni’s day to day routine– boxing with her brother, filling water canteens, and observing the next door da...2022-10-1937 minFrameformRemembering Simon FildesThis week’s episode is dedicated to the life, work and legacy of Simon Fildes who was an international award-winning film-maker, artist, curator and teacher. This episode features the voices of some of Simon’s many collaborators and colleagues, who share their memories and reflections on both him and his work.Simon was a pioneer in choreographic approaches to editing and his work with frequent collaborator Katrina McPherson continued to push boundaries and expectations of the hybridization of dance and film. Simon was also a leader in the screendance field, facilitating networks and conversations that connected and inspi...2022-10-1338 minFrameformA Conversation with Lórand Janos from ChoreoscopeThis week, Frameform welcomes Lórand Janos, a multi-hyphenate artist and the founding artistic director of Choreoscope: Barcelona Dance Film Festival. Lórand’s is passionate about the world of dance film and is not afraid to ruffle feathers and break molds when it comes to Choreoscope’s programming, which includes scenes from television and alternative media as well as screendance. The tenth edition of Choreoscope takes place between October 18-24. https://www.choreoscope.com/–ALSO MENTIONEDPeacemaker Opening Title SequenceIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia-Mac’s Dance Scene2022-09-2849 minFrameformMusic Videos: Missy Makes You Lose ControlOk, you caught us again in another music video episode. We just can’t get enough of the power of dance and music uniting together in the world of visual entertainment. But in the years of the early 2000s, there was a flavor of music videos that were incredibly different from years past and future. One of those outside the box artists leading the way of wildly explosive yet iconically memorable music video hits is no other than Missy Elliott– the OG. How can you forget “Lose Control,” and its bizarre digital visual effects? Missy’s head being pasted onto dance...2022-09-2143 minFrameformLocation Scout: SnowGrab your boots and your toque - we’re going on another location scouting adventure and this time our destinations are snowy! Highlighting a few selections, we discuss possible themes, trends, and significance of cold places in their many manifestations. We reflect how snowy locations symbolize hibernation, silence, cycles of life, and how each of the selected works express ideas of no place, any place, snowy places, and beyond. Highlighted in this episode:Direction(s) (2015)Dir. Ena Granulo @enakurtagicgranulo @ohnoproduction The between all things (2020)Dir...2022-09-1435 minFrameformINTERMISSIONThe lights have risen and it’s time for a pause. Get a stretch in and walk over to the lobby. Meeting new people at film festival intermissions is always fun– you get to learn who they are, why they came to the event, and what films interest them. Basically, we’re here bringing an intermission to you! You’ve heard our views on a variety of dance films, but haven’t really talked about why we may be so critical or how we got involved with screendance in the first place. Grab your snacks for this one before the lights...2022-08-2456 minFrameformDeep Dive: West Side Story (2021)Something’s coming, something good…. it’s our West Side Story deep dive! Every season we like to pick at least one feature film to dedicate an entire episode to. This week, we’re discussing the 2021 remake of West Side Story. We cover some comparisons and context, what we did and didn’t enjoy, and some key takeaways from our viewing experiences.Did we all love it? Do we all recommend it? Do any of us prefer the original 1961 release? Find out on this week’s episode of Frameform. Mentioned in this episode...2022-08-1045 minFrameformDancing in the Air: DronesGet ready to fly! This week, the Frameform team discusses the uses and mis-uses of drone cinematography in dance. They discuss the aesthetics of the drone camera as well as how its associations with military and surveillance affect the way the onscreen image is read. They reflect on the drone’s potential as a dance partner and what differentiates flight as embodiment and flight as spectacle on film.Clare also provides a small primer for listeners interested in working with drones on their next project (READ: know your fly spaces!!)–FILMSTarg...2022-08-0340 minFrameformFilm 103: Putting Your Work on the InternetIt’s 2022 and it’s time to get with the program people. PUT YOUR WORK ONLINE. Do it in a fashion that makes sense to you. Whether that be hosting your own website portfolio or starting a YouTube channel focusing on the creative process. Overall, sharing *content* online is essentially necessary in this digital age. Representing one-third of the Frameform team (Hannah here), I find that the internet is the one of the best outlets to share and explore dance film as it already embodies a niche community spanning across the globe. As the next genera...2022-07-2740 minFrameformCaring and MetaNiches with Sumedha BhattacharyyaOver the last two years, screendance artists have been living, meeting, watching and practicing online. If you are in the screendance online sphere, you probably noticed the impeccably curated and presented Duet with Camera. Duet with Camera is dedicated towards sustaining the growing area of interdisciplinary practice, experimentation and collaboration in dance and cinema, with a focus in cultivating a pioneering space for Screendance learning, teaching, creating and researching in India.The instigator of Duet with Camera, Sumedha Bhattacharya is an accomplished artist whose own online space is a treasure trove of reflections and analysis of screendance fr...2022-07-2052 minFrameformLocation Scout: Empty Swimming PoolsWe’re back with our regularly scheduled programming! In today’s episode, we’re back on the location scouting game by taking a closer look into dance films taking place in empty swimming pools! Like our previous episode with warehouse films, deserted swimming pools have populated the screendance world with its desaturated backdrop aesthetic. Something about the hues of blue tile and barren empty sea floor sets up a new proscenium for movers to navigate through. We break down the draw to this environment and what the film is doing differently from non-pool locations. Time to make a very dry sp...2022-07-1334 minFrameformSeason 2 Wrap UpThat’s a wrap for Season 2! But before we go on break, we finally had the chance to sit down together in the same room and reflect on our podcast journey.As we look back on Season 2, we thank all the humble guests who sat with us to learn about their point of view on dance film. Furthermore, we gag and giggle on the possibilities of what’s to come for seasons ahead.Thank you to all who have been listening and supporting us during the past 2 seasons. We’ll see you next year!VIDE...2021-10-1335 minFrameformBeyond SpectacleWe’re back with another Beyond Spectacle episode looking at dramatic fictional films that integrate dance and movement into their story.For this episode we are joined with previous Frameform guest, Nathan Scoll, who chose our destiny to dissect Disney’s 1949 animated double billed feature, “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.”As we focus our attention to the film’s second story following Ichabod Crane, we notice many recycled characters from childhood favorite films and examine the Disney aesthetic on how they use dance to support the characteristics of our glutinous cast.Follow Nat...2021-09-2942 minFrameformLocation Scout: DesertOn our last episode of Location Scout, you voted for us to cover films that were in water locations. However, fear not if you pined for the DESERT as that’s where we are headed next.For quite some time, desert locations have been making its rounds in the dance film circuit. With its empty surroundings and expansive room for birds eye drone shots, this dry landscape is a great backdrop for shape shifting patterns of movement.As we buckle up with our bottles of water for our discussion, Clare talks with dance filmmaker and ed...2021-09-221h 03FrameformDance in Dozens of DrawingsWith animation, almost anything is possible. And in this day in age, there are so many styles and forms of inventive moving design. In today’s episode, we’ll be exploring many modes of animated dance films.From gravity defying claymation to the expressively complex technology of 3D generated imagery-- it’s amazing to see how animators are bringing their own spin to choreography for the characters they create for the screen.As we dive into this wondrous world of animation, Jen sits down with dance filmmaker, Wilkie Branson, talking about his recently completed film, Tom, a...2021-09-1541 minFrameformWorking With KidsWhile kids and teens sometimes arise in our conversations on tech, culture, and our own experiences, we wanted to dedicate an episode to focus on what it’s like working with them and watching them in the context of screendance. While there are some differences when collaborating with and teaching with this younger demographic, our conversation reveals that the extra creativity, play, and care involved all are values that translate well to working with any demographic.This episode includes an interview with Alla Kavgan, who shares about her New London Calling, which features an all adolescent cast, pl...2021-09-081h 01FrameformDANCEFILM Network: Cara HaganWhere do you watch dancefilm? On TikTok? In a theatre at a film festival? Maybe a gallery? How do we share and enlighten this form of art? How do festivals or algorithms pick which films to feature on their platforms?On today’s episode, curator, writer, filmmaker, and all around great person, Cara Hagan answers such questions on showcasing work as a festival curator and researcher. Hagan, most known as the head of the Movies by Movers program at American Dance Festival, talks about her insights on curating a dynamic showcase for audiences, experimenting with creative outlets to...2021-09-0145 minFrameformViewfinder: Dance for Every Body“One in four people in the US have a disability that impacts a major part of their life….What if the dance world reflected that statistic? (via @stanceondance)”Whether intentionally or not, the dance world often privileges certain types of bodies and abilities, which can raise a barrier to potential ideas and creation. In this episode, we cover an array of films that make visible the unique physicality of performers who are often marginalized in the dance community.We discuss the barriers inherent to presentations of screendance (both on and off the screen) and propose strate...2021-08-2559 minFrameformDANCEFILM Network: Project HomeIn this season’s edition of Dancefilm Network, Jen connected with Larkin Poynton and Chris Martin to share about their collaboration Project Home @projecthomeart - a creative homegrown project building community and connectivity worldwide through movement, filmmaking, education and big ideas.We discuss the production of their dancefilm Home in Iceland, Homework educational program, Homescreen fesitval and other shared experiences of their evolving company. Thank you Chris and Larkin for a great conversation, and all you do to enrich dancefilm/screendance culture!--Watch Home, the dancefilmProjectsHomework Education2021-08-1840 minFrameformDeep Dive: Metropolis“The mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart”With its myriad manifestations of choreography through the body and filmic form as well as themes surrounding the mechanization of the human body that almost resonate more strongly today than they did almost a century ago, Fritz Lang’s seminal Metropolis easily has a place in the dance film canon.This week, the Frameform team takes a deep dive into Metropolis (1927) and assesses it through a screendance/dance film lens. They contextualize the work with other film (City Symphonies, early avant-garde) and dance (cabare...2021-08-1138 minFrameformOutside Eye: Conversations With Non-Dance FilmmakersYes, dance film is a pretty niche mode of filmmaking-- not everyone is familiar with its artistry. But that’s the point of Frameform; to spread the appreciation and practice of screendance for audiences beyond the classroom and film festival space. This week, Jen, Clare, and Hannah sit down with 3 friends outside the dance film community and find out what they know, like, and dislike about the form.--Today’s guest conversations include:Jon Gann @jonganndcJack SchweitzerArthur Veenema @arthur_veenema from the A Century In Cinema Podc...2021-08-0455 minFrameformLocation Scout: WaterYou voted for it, so we’re talking about it! In today’s Location Scouting episode, we're focusing on dancefilms taking place in WATER locations.Just a water’s range is vast from vapor to ice, so are the variety of dancefilms that involve water. As we focus on three examples, we will discuss the meaning of water and how the location plays a key role in each of these dancefilms.Of course, we also share some general wisdom for anyone looking to create their dancefilm in a watery location.--FEATURE...2021-07-2839 minFrameformMusic Videos: OK GO & Treading New TerritoryWe're back with another music video round table, taking a closer look at the band that is pushing the boundaries and possibilities of music videos, OK Go.Over 15 years ago, OK Go went viral with their backyard hit "A Million Ways," becoming the most downloaded video in 2005. A year later the infamous follow up, “Here It Goes Again,” ranks as one of the Top 30 Best Music Videos of All Time by TIME Magazine in 2011.Since then, OK Go has gone above and beyond creating unforgettable music videos with strategically quirky choreography from bandmate’s sister, Trish...2021-07-1440 minFrameformDANCEFILM Network: Interview with The Motion Dance CollectiveIn the latest edition of Dancefilm Network, we connect with the Motion Dance Collective (the MDC) aka Omari “Motion” Carter, Anna Clifford, and James Williams.The MDC is an award winning screendance production company that not only creates screen work, but also presents education initiatives including its podcast, The MDC Talks.We touch on many topics including transitioning from a collective to company, the niche-on-niche world of screendance podcasts and the one question hanging over the heads of anyone at the intersection of dance and film.Follow The Motion Dance Collective@them...2021-07-0757 minFrameformFabricating Identities: Costumes & CharactersCostumes transform a subject -- instantly creating a character, a personality, or a mood for the screen. The sheets of fabric, material, or in some cases sculpted masterpieces, take the shape to the character’s storyline, portraying a larger role to the picture.In today’s discussion, we will take a closer look at some exquisite examples of imaginative costumes, how they are structuring the dance landscape, and uncovering the physical and metaphorical layers they leave behind. Alongside our weekly roundtable, Jen sits down with fellow Vancouver filmmaker, Rodrigo Rocha-Campos, discussing his personal filmmaking interests and p...2021-06-161h 09
FrameformViewfinder: Timeless MoversWestern cultural norms tend to define a certain age threshold for societal value, which the dance world tends to lower at all turns. In the dance field, it’s normal to see professional dance artists hanging up their shoes before the age of forty, leaving a dearth of voices, perspectives and experiences that could push the field forward.The Frameform team discusses how the inclusion of elder dancers both in front of and behind the camera can provide a greater variety and depth of stories told in dance film and steer the field away from overused and po...2021-06-0958 min
FrameformRewind: The Physical TV CompanyIn this season’s edition of Rewind, we connect with Karen Pearlman and Richard James Allen, also known as The Physical TV Company: Australia’s premier company for the production and distribution of “stories told by the body.”We discuss their multi-decade collaboration and how, among other things, they derive inspiration from classic cinema and reframe cinema’s history in the process.--FEATURED The Physical TV Company@physicaltv @karenpearlman @richardjamesallen -WOMAN WITH AN EDITING BENCH (2016)Dir. by Karen PearlmanDIGITAL AF...2021-06-0235 min
FrameformOld Technologies New PerspectivesThough we live in a time where sophisticated technologies are part of daily life, we have noticed a nostalgia and trend towards using Super 8, 16mm, and 35mm film.Even though these analog methods can be more tedious, expensive and limiting, artists are still drawn to these precursors of the digital camera. We are seeing more experimentation by going into the past and combining methods from across decades.In this episode we highlight dancefilms that these old technologies and with new perspectives in a way that is free of gimmicks and full of noteworthy awesomeness.2021-05-2644 minFrameformScreendance for Smart PhonesThese days, it is very common for most people to own some kind of smart device. Whether that be an iPhone, Android, iPad, or tablet, these handheld gadgets have become a reliant tool in our everyday life. And in this day and age, these pocket devices are one of the most utilitarian devices in a filmmaker’s arsenal.From 4K camera quality, smartphone supported accessories, to the countless number of film and photography applications found in app stores, all are available to assist your one-person crew.In today’s episode, we invite Mobile Dance Film Fest...2021-05-191h 00
FrameformSeason 2 (Trailer)Frameform is back with another season of jam-packed discussions around the intersecting topics of dance and film! And this year, we are going even deeper.Exploring topics such as landscapes, animation, advertising, and so much more. We’ll have special guests join us on various conversations, as well as sitting one on one with artists and major contributors in the dance film community.Mark your calendars, Frameform Season 2 will be releasing Wednesday, May 12th!--Follow us on Instagram! @frameformpodHave a question? Email us at frameformpodcast@gmail.com...2021-04-3001 minFrameformBonus Episode: Year in ReviewAs we look back on a very strange year, the Frameform team takes a moment to review and gush over some dance films favorites that have been keeping us company.Email us: frameformpodcast@gmail.com--Hannah’s PicksHAIM - I Know AloneDirected by Jake Schreierhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfZSgr_si4IThe Man Who Traveled Nowhere in TimeDirected by Vincent René-Lortiehttps://vimeo.com/322899476Drop Out BodiesDirected by Lud...2020-12-301h 17