Performance Dates:
4th October 2008 - DanceEast - Ipswich 01473 639230
1st - 8th November 2008 - Lakeside Theatre - University of Essex
01206 873261
26th November - The Junction - Cambridge
01223 511511
December 2008 (TBC) - The Hat Factory - Luton 01582 878100
6th - 18th January 2009 - Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts - Norwich 01603 593199
Essex Dance - (TBC)
Heather Eddington's State of Flux DanceFilm Company presents A Blank Canvas:
Entering the studio with a blank canvas, Heather set herself the challenge of capturing every detail of her dancer's imagination through movement, film and hand-drawn animation techniques.
Through the dancers recounting their individual and vivid journeys, Heather has brought to life their personal stories using colour, shape, texture and sound the result being sometimes humorous, at times strikingly truthful but always intriguingly beautiful.
The finished work is a short dance-film animation in which the two characters in this story move through their animated world interacting with the drawn objects and with each other.
Through residencies at The Sainsbury's Centre for Visual Arts and at DanceEast, choreographer Heather Eddington has collaborated with a range of highly gifted and innovative artists to create the piece, which lasts for approximately 10 minutes. It is designed to be shown either as a short film in a performance context or exhibited in a range of spaces such as galleries and foyers and which can remain in each space for any specified period of time.
Presentation Options:
Version 1: Gallery/Exhibition Spaces
Wall-hung and shown on 6 TFT monitors on a loop. Can be accompanied by an interpretive exhibition about the making of the piece.
Version 2: Performance spaces
Projected onto a large purpose built screen, mounted on stage. Would be suitable as the opening piece or first after interval piece of a mixed bill performance. Can be accompanied by a foyer exhibition about the making of the piece.
A Blank Canvas Workshops
State of Flux can provide practical dancefilm-making workshops for all ages and levels.
State of Flux's dancefilm workshops appeal to a wide range of participants through being able to offer a variety of activities such as performing, choreographing for the camera, camera work and post production. Participants can have the opportunity to try out all the different disciplines or focus on one, working alongside the experts to produce their finished dancefilm.
Heather has been delivering educational projects since 2000 and has completed many successful community, school and college based projects receiving excellent feedback and results.
Workshops are tailored to the needs and abilities of each group. Heather often works with a group to produce a finished dancefilm which can then be shown to an audience and turned into a DVD to go towards participants' portfolios or as a record of their achievements.
Workshop A: 1 DAY WORKSHOP - 'A Journey' and Invitation to a local performance of 'A Black Canvas'
- Heather will work with a group of approximately 15 students.
- In small groups students will storyboard their individual ideas based around the theme of 'a journey'
- Students will work with Heather to create their choreography, plan their shots, work on character, record voice, sounds, music etc.
- Students will perform and film their work.
- Heather will edit students’ footage and send them the completed dancefilm.
Workshop B: 3 DAY WORKSHOP 'A Journey' and Invitation to a local performance of 'A Black Canvas'
The Workshop is geared towards building the skills and techniques that are required when working as a professional dance and film artist. The workshops are aimed at professional dancers or those in full time training.
Workshop can be designed to link to specific units and assessments such as: choreography / performance workshop / site specific performance / current technologies.
Guided by the team, participants test out their own dancefilm ideas, plan and choreograph their sequences and learn how to use a wide range of technical equipment to produce their own dancefilm.
Stage 1: IDEAS
- Heather can work with a group of approximately 15 students.
- In small groups students will learn how to storyboard their individual ideas based around the theme of 'a journey'
- Student will learn specific techniques behind choreographing for the camera
- Students will be given a period of time, 1 day to a week, to create and rehearse their choreography, plan their shots, work on characters, record voice, sounds, music etc ready for Heather return.
Stage 2: FILMING
- Heather will work with students to teach them how to use the equipment and various filming techniques and tips.
- Student will use semi professional and professional cameras to capture their work.
- Heather to take footage to capture in preparation for the next session.
Stage 3: EDITING
- Heather will work with the students to teach them how to use Final Cut Pro editing software.
- Student will use laptops to edit their footage to create their finished dancefilms.
- Films exported to DVD.