choreomania

The Hermitage (photos)

The following images relate to the “current timeline” filming whereas the flashback sequence will be differentiated in part by the progress of renovation in specific areas. That is to say, the parsonage is more renovated and looks to be in “good working order” so this will work well for the flashback scenes, before the collapse of society. On the other hand, the sanctuary and basement areas are less renovated at this time, so they will work better to convey both the passage of time (post flashback) and the deterioration of the space post societal collapse.

Addt’l images to be uploaded in August for the parsonage (flashback).

Sanctuary – 9:00 A.M.

Balcony Stained Glass – 6:00 P.M.

Additional Spaces

The Libretto

Below is the current draft of the story, containing numerous points where we need to identify dance and filming opportunities, and add those to the script.

Ultimately, as we coalesce all the input from movies and filmmakers, we convert this to some form of storyboarding.

Story (draft 260818)

A small group of survivors of a post-societal world park their old truck haphazardly on the sidewalk in front of an old church with boards over the doors. An AM radio frequency is spray painted on the boards. The survivors hand crank their radio and dial into the frequency (1518) but they only hear static. Upon exiting the vehicle and closing the doors, a message starts to play: a warning.

A single “infected” person stands between them and the door, making a repetitive series of movements. The survivors mimic the movements and avoid confrontation, making their way into the old church.

The survivors are nearly fully covered up with jackets and hoodies, with steam-punk type goggles over their eyes. Upon entering the church, they see windows and glass doors covered by old newspaper and cardboard. The survivors walk past the sanctuary doors, making their way up two flights of stairs to the balcony overlooking the sanctuary. They quietly set their bags down and fall asleep.

[Possible hyper lapse shot of sunlight going through phases, beaming through different stained glass windows that surround all sides of the sanctuary.)

(Music notes: a capella, dark-version of “You Are My Sunshine” (Jennifer C) and some of the verses may be reused later when there are instruments or audio tracks beginning in the progression of next scenes. Musical foreshadowing, or a gradual accumulation of the component pieces of the larger score.)

LATER THAT DAY

An unknown amount of time passes; the survivors awaken to dusk light entering the stained glass windows of the sanctuary. They look over the edge of the balcony, noticing movement below. There appear to be figures in some pews, but the sanctuary is full of shadows and it’s difficult to see clearly.

The survivors make their way down the two flights of stairs, using a side door to enter the sanctuary. They encounter an “infected” person inside the sanctuary, locked into the familiar cycle of repetitive movements. They imitate the movements and make their way beyond the ‘infected’ person.

Seeing hands emerging from several pews, the survivors move quickly to the front of the sanctuary and navigate to stairs leading downstairs.

Escaping to and apprehensively exploring the lower level, they encounter another infected person(s) in the basement rooms. They turn around and go back up to the sanctuary.

Ultimately the lead survivor comes face-to-face with the “infected” person they first noticed in the sanctuary. He panics on locking eyes with the “infected” person in the sanctuary, dropping his hand-crank light on the ground. The drop puts the light into a strobe mode. Slow motion with a tight shot on the infected person’s eyes, which seem to hold some glimmer of understanding, rather than fear.

FLASHBACK
Several years prior, seven sisters are living in the parsonage of an old church. A number of scenes unfold with laughter and dancing. (Obviously this needs to be fleshed out.)

BACK TO REALITY
Modern day. Return to survivor and infected person locking eyes with strobe light flashing.

INT. CHURCH – NIGHT or DAWN
(Assuming we rig very bright lights outside WEST stained-glass window, like moonlight.) The light of the moon coming into the space Transition to harder, heavier rock style music. Survivor backs up to show the perspective of the hosts, who are equally as scared by the visitors, as they are of them.

Both are controlled by different things but fear is present in both.

The movement in this sequence is the bulk of the non-pedestrian / primary dance. It needs to be worked out choreographically.

This point is a blank bc we have things to work out and the story will need to follow what develops from the choreo.

Likely leading to a minor invasion attempt by infected persons outside requiring some development of bonds of trust between the survivors and the sisters.

Ultimately leading to a departure?

Warning Message: origin

In the opening sequence, a ‘warning message’ plays on the survivors’ radio, but they do not hear it. The text for this message has a fascinating history.

Warning Message: text

This place is a message, and part of a system of messages… pay attention to it! Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.

This place is not a place of honor… no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here… nothing valued is here. What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us.

This message is a warning about danger.

The danger is in a particular location… it increases towards a center… the center of danger is here… of a particular size and shape, and below us.

The danger is still present, in your time, as it was in ours. The danger is to the body, and it can kill.

The form of the danger is an emanation of energy.

The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.

The Dancing Plague of 1518

From an article about the Dancing Plague:

In the sweltering summer of 1518, in the French city of Strasbourg, a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into the street and began to dance.

...Read More

Music Notes

Whoever creates the music, whatever it is, and however it is made, we should be cognizant of the moments during filming when big audio changes are needed, big moments. We will be planning out the stillness and crescendos in advance, and acquiring music that fits our movement score (this means filming and dance, both). Rather than fitting the filming and dance into a pre-established form.

Also here’s a real link to new expunk music.

The links to the music by Tomahawk and the video by Massive Attack are not about specifics, just feelings.

Be interesting to discuss some (momentary or longer) insertion of a version of You Are My Sunshine that is true to the song? Bc that shit is dark and heavy and it could be devastatingly awesome if done right, a la Jennifer C.

Visual Elements:

Filming

EXT ideas

• Tilt shift on opening
• Compositing for ext?
• Or just WB and smoke bombs?

INT ideas

• Same model cameras sideXside during pivotal moment for instantaneous fps transition mid take (a la Blackhawk Down)

Filming Opportunities

Lists of imagery, links to evoke brainstorms

Coalesce from below AND the Notes page about this

Backlit (middle ish)

Inspiration: backlit shots

I Hate When Girls Die video by Die Spitz

Masks of men as defense strategy in case of occupation

Filming follows story

No cool ideas for shots unless

https://www.reddit.com/r/Filmmakers/s/DE98vD3icv

Here’s the source video for the photos of multi-arms:

https://youtu.be/-lKafyA1eB0?si=2ACjCyLqdGFoWLY9

And here’s another video about strobing, which we did with Amy at Hyatt’s using John’s big strobes at the old warehouse office off Bridge. But we just took stills, this is about finding something new to say with strobes and movement. Requiring innovation in the design of both lighting and dance.

Now watch the same effect over cranked:

https://youtu.be/3hV6PFakZwk?si=YtpvaVQ6yo3pJxfT

Inspiration: Time-Lapse Video

Will need some height in order to avoid eight million headlights… maybe on the outside, it’d be on the scaffolding focused on the chapel