Patterns emerge through this collection of reflection on the New York subway line. In the absence of physical space, distance is found in thought. Private moments connect in a conversation of looks as a fictional narrative forms. It is set to a Miles Davis score.
Monica Guddat is a Toronto-based cinematographer, filmmaker, and installation artist. Her film work ranges from documentary features and reality television to music videos and shorts including SCHLECHT (BAD) and ALEYTHIA. She is a member of Crevice, an artist collective that explores moving-image projection in interactive environments and space. Guddat teaches film production part-time at Ryerson University.
What inspired you to make this piece?
This film was inspired by riding the train and watching people in
reflections on the windows, by the rhythmic pulse of light and sound,
by watching how people find personal space in thought on a crowded
subway, by seeing the spell of those private moments broken when one
gaze meets another.
Briefly tell us about how you made your film or video: what camera and format did you use to shoot your piece, and what system did you use to edit it? What is your working process? Did you use any special techniques to make this work?
The film was made from hours of collected footage riding the 4-5-6
line and found itself in the edit. I cut it, and then a piece on a
Miles Davis soundtrack for a Louis Malle film seemed like the right
sound and it fit almost perfectly with the film -- I trimmed a couple
of things and it was a perfect marriage. I shot in DV on a PD-150 and
cut on Final Cut; the images were heavily processed and color-timed
in post with some compositing.
What is the relationship between your work as a video/filmmaker and life in the New York metropolitan area?
New York has inspired me for many years, and I've spent more time on the
subway there than in my hometown (Toronto). Mundane and everyday
moments can take on new meaning when you travel away from wherever you
call home, and when I travel to New York (and I'm not working) I enjoy
exploring and playing and discovering through the lens.
What films/videos and makers have inspired or influenced your work and why?
The documentary process, and films of that genre, inspire me
tremendously. Seeing the magic of the worlds around and within us and
finding stories that seem stranger than fiction.
If viewers are interested in obtaining copies of your work for rental and purchase, whom should they contact and at what address and phone number?
The film is available through Monica Guddat:
mguddat@gmail.com.
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