Feedback and random thoughts

Lots of feedback over the past month, lots of thoughts... where to begin?...

Some of the audience were frustrated by the paleness of the video images. While I thought the inability to see clearly what was on the screen said a lot about surveillance, there are degrees of murkiness (a lighter shade of pale?) - so, hopefully, we'll have a darkened space in August, which will clarify the projections. Someone commented on the flickering: she couldn't figure out why I was making that happen, what the relationship was between what the dancers were doing and the flickering ... it wasn't me, it was the cameras searching during every minuscule change of orientation ... again, the representation, or metaphor, isn't clear enough to the audience.

How to represent distance: Martine said that would be clearer if the audience were all on one side - that the shift from horizontal to vertical couldn't be equally visible from all angles. Not sure I understand, but it is something to consider. Since I don't feel I've fully explored the possibilities in the round, and since we are keeping the aerial element for the time being, will have to put horizontal exploration and proscenium presentation on hold.

The screen: Stretch the fabric, as I'd originally wanted. Cathrine suggested having it on casters, so we can change its placement, or remove it entirely at some point. Good idea. Will see if this is practicable.

The piece needs to be longer than 15 minutes. Am now working on expanding, by lengthening the solos, repeating the final duet section (with change of orientation and timing), maybe lengthening the walking and the aerial sections. We need stillnesses and silences, to give the audience more time to take everything in. Those moments can be times for scanning, so that the projected images become more present, providing better balance between the elements.

Sheila suggested having Kally and Steinvor start somewhere outside the studio, so that we see their approach into the space on the screen. I feel this has been done enough by others, and am not sure it would add anything significant to Homing/In. Thinking about it, though.

To be continued...

Video of showing of the first configuration of Homing/In, at Dance Base, 20 June 2008

(this is a wide-screen video, but the server doesn't recognize the format - hence the elongated bodies!)