Part Two:  Destruction of a Prima Donna

These are the first two parts in a series of four collaborative animations by Iridium Productions, Empire S.N.A.F.U. Restoration Project, and Setravision.   The newly edited 4 part series is premiering at the 13th Annual Boston Underground Film Festival.  The new version will be posted shortly after the premiere.

Previously, the animations were shown as part of the Empire S.N.A.F.U. Restoration Project installation at the Mobius ArtRages Benefit, and last year’s Reelfest, at The Somerville Theatre.

This is a re-creation of an animation originally created by the homeless visionary known as “S.N.A.F.U”.  Though S.N.A.F.U’s original films are missing, presumed destroyed, the articulated model of the Symbiote and many of the other oddities seen in the film, are the original relics assembled by S.N.A.F.U.  In the years since S.N.A.F.U’s death, The Empire S.N.A.F.U Restoration Project has labored in collaboration with like-minded individuals and organizations to bring S.N.A.F.U.’s legacy to the public.

These Symbiote animations were staged, shot, and edited at the Iridium Productions studio.  Several objects and the projected artworks were employed from Juliet Schneider’s collection.

Setravision was formed in 1999 by  multimedia artist, designer and instructor Garabed Setrakian. In addition to his integral role as animator, technical consultant & post-production wizard, Garabed created the Symbiote title sigil.

Music on Parts 3 & 4 is by Birdorgan.

title sigil by Garabed Setrakian

from Part 3: Interfuge

from Part 4: Pyroflux Pygmalion

Sophia Cacciola on set of “Arrival”

The “Arrival” music video has arrived!  Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling is a Boston duo comprised of Sophia Cacciola (drums/vocals), and Michael J. Epstein (bass).  The band’s creative inspirations are modeled after the 1960′s British television series, “The Prisoner”.  The “Arrival” music video is a shot by shot re-creation of the TV series intro sequence.  Working with Director, Theodore Cormey of Lost Jockey Productions, Sophia and Michael have spent two years bringing this project to completion.  I joined the project about a year ago, eager to take on such a fantastic challenge from a production design perspective, with a limited budget and a mad dash to the finish line.  I couldn’t have done it without the talents of a superb roster of artists who worked tirelessly to create many of the video’s best effects.  More info on “Arrival”, including full credits and behind the scenes video and photos!

title graphics

Featuring the track “Unentranscended”, by Turkish Queen.

Based on the poem:

All The Bulbous Accidents, by Sarah Pearlstein, 2004

Ingrid cuts onions like they’re from Saturn.

They turn into miniature rings, the core bitter

Broit mit pitter*, no, she eats onion bits

She likes the tang, like alien blood,

She broods about her yellowed fingers,

She is the flower of a pest of a sun;

It persists in shining into

The basement

revealing sleep,

A dreamer’s nest.

Sleep is not dark, it is nothing like

the wounded moon

Either, it is Technicolor wonders about

Travel and Blue glass natural vases,

Held with green rope, swaying slowly

On the White terra cotta node of an

Obtrusive wall,

So delicate next to it,

African violets growing slowly

Within the cobalt bowl,

Or it is the nutrient sprinkled white

earth in that same bowl making

The flower grow,

And smells like all

It will grow,

Terrifying poor Ingrid

With all its’ useful ways.

She fears being planted,

Due to the bulbous accidents

Which are grown

So many layers down.

*Bread with butter.

Walden
performance video, 2010
Walden Pond State Reservation, Concord, MA

Director: Juliet Schneider
Choreographer/Dancer: Dorian Rose
Music:  Brian King
Assistant Editor:  Erin Gallagher

You can also watch Walden on IMDb.

Walden was first conceived in 2002 and costumed in 2003.  It was shot at Walden Pond mostly during the summers of 2004 and 2005.  It is a transcendentalist illustration of the spirit and ecology of Walden Pond.

Here are a few of the original storyboards:

Here’s a photo of Dorian wearing the newly made costume in 2003:

Winterthru
music video, 2010
Artist:  Ad Frank & The Fast Easy Women
Director: Theodore Cormey
Production Design:  Juliet Schneider

Autumn Spills
music video, 2009
Artist: Sarah Rabdau & Self Employed Assassins
Director: Theodore Cormey
Production Design: Juliet Schneider

This is a demo for the unmade movie, “Don’t Eat My Face”

director:  Juliet Schneider
music:  Charles Segal
title drawing: David Rosen
storyboard consultants:  Garabed Setrakian, David Rosen
animation assistants:  Chyle Crossley, Dorian Rose, David Rodal, David Rosen, Garabed Setrakian, Terra Friedrichs
co-editor: Garabed Setrakian

The story for Ova comes from a childhood experience of mine, attempting to incubate a wild bird egg.  Like a lot of my work, Ova evolved over a few years, enduring three studio moves and several intervening projects.  I started making sketches, notes and shadowbox assemblages relating to eggs around 1995.  I started building the set in summer of 2000, but the actual production took place mostly 2005-2007.  Ova had its world premiere at the 2008 Woods Hole Film Festival, and screened at the 2008 Northampton Film Festival.  Ova also screened at The Brattle Theatre on May 3rd, 2009 as part of the annual Mayfair Film Program, and at The Coolidge Corner Theatre from May 15th through June 30th, 2009 as part of a new program called “Shorts R Us”.  On July 9th and 12th, 2009, Ova screened at The Somerville Theatre as part of Reel Movement, and won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short.

Visit Ova’s IMDb page

Read a recent interview on Beanywood.

Title drawing by David Rosen

Below is a sampling of production stills, showing the set in various stages:

Embrace,  1996

This animation was made by capturing short video segments instead of stills.  It combines live-action movement of wind with stop-motion.

Red Set,  1996

The Red Set was built as an exercise in scale model-making.  I had originally planned to choreograph a Busby Berkeley style dance sequence, but I ended up dismantling the set.   The dolls represent characters called Neoscientific Dancers of the Exalted Universe.  I re-worked many of the ideas and materials from this project into my MFA thesis installation the following year.