Anamnesis

Latest edit of Anamnesis. We’ll probably meet one more...

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:27:04 +1100

Latest edit of Anamnesis. We’ll probably meet one more time to talk over any changes …

some more thoughts. a shift. something else to use. no...

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:50:47 +1100

some more thoughts.

a shift. something else to use. no sequencing defined really. just some thoughts.

also, i’ve uploaded it into the anamnesis dropbox as an aif.

the first major edit from cormac (with some small change...

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:14:30 +1100

the first major edit from cormac (with some small change apparently!)

a bit more back and forth to go.

Early intro ideas by David. I’ve posted this mainly for...

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:41:03 +1100

Early intro ideas by David. I’ve posted this mainly for Bagryana’s benefit as she doesn’t have access to the media files from the shoot.

postedbysimon

Bagryana’s notebook during rehearsal

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:14:07 +1100

Bagryana’s notebook during rehearsal

?

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:21:14 +1100

Hi all. I am wondering whether there is any dance footage to watch.

The footage of Liz is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing more.

ramble

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:27:12 +1100

had an interesting chat last night with my parents about all my grandparents. in my dad’s words, they all died of dementia. the quote i wrote below is just something that they almost said… with a little bit of poetic license on my behalf.

they talked about the moments of lucidity. when it was clear to each parent that they were not all there.

i know this is a little bit late… or something… but it was ticking over in my mind this morning when i was running. along with some music ideas.

that is all.

david

"All our will, our wishes, our hope cannot stop this."

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:15:38 +1100

“All our will, our wishes, our hope cannot stop this.”

Here is proper scan.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:01:55 +1100

Here is proper scan.

I’ll scan this properly eventually, but have been thinking...

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:15:55 +1100

I’ll scan this properly eventually, but have been thinking about it as a ‘byline’ for the film. This is Marie Boyce’s hand writing.

postedbysimon

Liz Jones performing, Cormac Lally on camera. An instance of...

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:26:41 +1100

Liz Jones performing, Cormac Lally on camera. An instance of Liz’s character being caught between knowing, and not knowing, of something ‘slipping’.

postedbysimon

Still image exported from fcp timeline postedbysimon

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:53:55 +1100

Still image exported from fcp timeline

postedbysimon

Treated image… playing with ideas.

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:30:23 +1100

Treated image… playing with ideas.

stills

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:25:36 +1100

A collection of images by Cobie Orger from the Sunday (7th December) part of shoot.

postedbysimon

themes

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:48:00 +1100

Hi guys

Simon and Cormac asked me (arksed me) to post the themes I spoke through today.

This is a challenge given my state of disrepair now, but will try:

the themes which emerged as we worked and as I wathed were:

a woman whose memory is fading, there are gaps.

there is a son, he is a beautiful son, she remembers him as a baby and a little boy

there is a loss- how? did he die? did he commit suicide? did he go away or did things just go wrong? this is unexplained, but it is suggested that he is no longer there- by his own doing.

she remembers him, at times, partially.

the text, which is central to this is the text called ‘him’ about the little boy who loved playing in the water, and loved swimming and begged to be allowed back in

‘something changed. he stopped smiling…stopped. his heart turned. he wasn’t mine any more…’ that whole text is central to this theme.

other central text: the poem - ‘birth of son’ in the segments of text ( ‘so long now i have known you, felt your heart within my own, limbs gathering strength…’)

the movement material which was created and shot could be divided into 5 sections, which in my mind connect to these themes:

1. the circular movement on the floor and the ‘soft hands’ standing up. this i connect to the young son/baby- memories of him as a baby. Gentle. connects to the poem. (and comes from the poem- Simon’s response to the text)

2. the knife-stabbing-disturbed action (particularly the last footage of the day which was filmed on the tracks towards Simon)

Someone struggling/disturbed/unable to find a place for himself. The memory of him when things went wrong

3. early in the day there was footage of what I call the ‘light, young movement’. there is a flicking, light in the feet, tricky, sharp, light rhythm to this. Also a memory of him as a boy. Something innocent about this.

4. The ‘arms revelling’ movement is a happy memory. There is an eternity about this as well. A ‘time stopped’ feeling about it- the essential feeling of a person- (the son) - an open soul. Joyous. Fragile.

5. The repeated action of stopping, or turning away. He walks out of the light. His back is turned to us.

He is there, but he leaves. He is moving, but he stops.

This is the moment when he gives up. he is not able to continue. Or perhaps the moment that she does not know him any more. Or can’t remember him any more.

The moment of loss.

Lines connected to this for me: ‘it was like he wasn’t mine any more.’

‘how can I remember someone who never existed?’

‘I miss him.’

’ I think something terrible has happened’.

Theme: she has lost him. the loss is so terrible that she does not remember.

Only in flashes, fragments, sensations, feelings, moments of memory.

She is still chirpy, much is still normal: hence important lines are also:

Did You?

What day is it?

Now let me think that one out.

I’m not sure.

(or light little ‘memory lapse’ kind of lines similar to those above)

Final note to Cormac: to me the listening moments of Liz between takes are very important. the thought and the face are alive and present, she is already ‘doing’ as she listens, but it is the most precious moment - before actively ‘doing’ for us and for the camera. These ‘in between takes’ moments are of equal importance.

thanks guys.

plenty more where that came from, so if you want to follow up, comment or ask for clarification, please email me. cos I am bad at checking the blog. I confess.

Thanks, I have really really enjoyed the process.

sound posted by david

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:25:53 +1100

i don’t know how to comment on a specific bit in this- if it is possible- so i will do it as a separate posting. I really like the bit David has posted with Liz’s voice and sound. So it defdinitely would be great if there is any sound footage from the day of shooting or earlier, any text that is really grounded and simple like that is just beautiful.

this is a time lapse of the setup for our first day of shooting....

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:57:48 +1100

this is a time lapse of the setup for our first day of shooting. more for posterity than anything useful…

the tubes on the ground are from the homemade dolly that cormac built - we used it for some tracking shots later in the day.

a sample of sound with some of the text recorded at...

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:01:06 +1100

a sample of sound with some of the text recorded at today’s (Friday’s) rehearsal.

postedbydavid

some draft textures put together in an arbitrary order. made...

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:49:07 +1100

some draft textures put together in an arbitrary order. made them in the studio based on watching simon dance and seeking out some ostinatos that might make a base for something more melodic.

Some early rehearsal work with Liz Jones. Trying lists of...

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:07:00 +1100

Some early rehearsal work with Liz Jones. Trying lists of various lines, plus a poem by Gabrielle Eastwood Ellis (a part of which will probably be used). Very early days in terms of finding a way into working with and from a script. And very enjoyable to play with the nuance of words, and silence.

postedbysimon