MONSTER

Last night in Barbican Cinema 2 writer, producer and curator Gareth Evans presented some of the edited results the lab.

Evans had visited the lab on Day 4 and observed the process in action. After seeing the three scenes projected in the cinema, his first comment to the audience was:

"...The idea that we would see something translated so profoundly from a theatrical space to a cinematic one in just a handful of days is really extraordinary... the process starts ironically in a theatre space and becomes more cinematic as it goes on. A wonderful paradox..."

Eelyn Lee and editor/composer Francis Morgan-Giles spent three days editing the footage shot by cinematographer Dominik Rippl. The results are three scenes of a monster story: the river; the hideout and the market. Lee says,

'We have enough footage to cut together four more scenes to complete the story cycle. I am really pleased with the results which are dark, full of suspense and evoke a strong sense of the estuary. We have truly created a new visual language through this unique process. It's very exciting.'  

Last week writer, editor, producer, presenter and programmer, Gareth Evans visited the Lab. Tonight he will be hosting a conversation with Eelyn Lee and her team of collaborators about their experiences, ideas and reflections in the Barbican Cinema 2. Read his own thoughts on our adventures in to devised filmmaking in this poignant and insightful guest blog. 

Let's meet tomorrow if you choose  upon the shore, beneath the bridge  that they are building on some endless river… …I told you when I came I was a stranger.                           - Leonard Cohen, from Stranger Song

  The context is all; the various transports, the means, the versions of arrival: day of rain, estuary weather, the constant pour of it. Slowing it all down, the city a crawl-space; buses locked nose to tail, so we’re off then and out in it, pedestrian in body but racing in the head while the news returns to the ‘30s, the time machine of austerity cuts losing us almost a century (in the centenary of conflict), while war by other means and war by the old means grinds on as well; and across the water, another Grand Jury failing – chokeholds as acceptable engagement; everywhere, parties digging in, closing down the borders, sealing out all difference; dark times…

“In the dark times  Will there also be singing?  Yes, there will also be singing, About the dark times.” – Bertolt Brecht

The Barbican is a bunker that forgot to go under, a prepared zone able to withstand all the weathers it needs to hold at bay. Too large to be buried, it’s a sky-high priced reminder of past, present and probable future – space as property – as that which will survive all the erasures.

We’re meeting in the Pit, the theatre at minus levels and counting. Passcodes on the stage door, industrial lifts, large enough for other realities to fit. We’re meeting backstage and down, far down. The lower depths are predicated around navigated confusion; a profusion of doors, a wonderland tumble. It’s impossible to know which open on what, on imagination or toilets, canteens or mirrors; changing rooms, all; hallways and corridors unscrolling in a seemingly endless passage; until one realises it is just that, a circular maze, an ouroboros eating itself. Mike Nelson’s Coral Reef has submerged and regrouped; in our end is our beginning… these are ghost-world dispatches – there are thousands down there, jostling for the spots, playing to the stalls…

But it feels suitable, this destabilising entrance, this complex harbouring in the morning’s main business. If it had all been straightforward, then surely that ease would have spilled into the reason we’re here, rendered it too regular, too familiar. After all, we’ve come to meet a monster…

Eelyn Lee and her Pit Lab ensemble are into their fourth day when I drop by, stacking up the hours without weather like their constantly shifting cardboard set, in freighted ventilation, cabled glow, a black walled box for 18, but strangely self-sufficient and like some ‘lord of the flies’ outcrop, seeming to run by its own unspoken rules and rituals, everyone getting on with something, and those who seem least active at a given moment still holding microphones on high stems, waiting for voices but maybe conjuring them too, sonic priestesses, aural conductors of the subterranean air.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of the Monster Lab.

Guest blog from Chris Kelly (Art Director)

Working on Monster has been an emotional and fantastical journey. As art director on the piece I had the great responsibility of creating the world of the Monster. I have worked with Eelyn on her previous piece for the National Portrait gallery, so I knew I would gain great inspiration and vision from her and together we would form an immersive set for the actors. My concept came from a love of corrugated cardboard, I view the medium as a blank canvas that can be cut and modelled in to any number of incarnations allowing for the viewer to create their own vision of the set.

The Monsters world had to evolve on a daily basis with minimal fuse and disruption to the actors focus. I designed a set that all hinged on to a portable, parcel tape covered scaffold tower. Each cardboard scene could be erected by the actors, allowing them to build their new environment and engage further with their character. To add more dimension and balance to the prop and set design I added modelling clay, removal blankets and broom handles which became food, tools, weapons and supports. All materials were a natural tone of brown and grey which related to the original inspiration of the estuary which combines decaying urbanity and natural marsh lands.

I worked with my design assistant Amy Addison to create the costume design and hair and makeup. The Monster being the focus of the piece is where I took inspiration for all the characters. I created a monster that like his environment could evolve form human to monster so his clothing had to be a somewhat a blank canvas, so I sourced second hand, very common clothing that would disappear into the background and the actors character.

Guest blog from Debbie Korley (Actress - Ghost Child)

Okay, surprise of the day? I am watching a really intense scene with actors and musicians seemingly working as one, reacting off each other, syncing beautifully and capturing the tension of the scene. After the scene, I walk to the lift and I see the musicians... 'Have you guys got a monitor to work off the actors?' Natasha, Detta and Dylan all reply with 'no'. I was completely taken aback. Then Natasha said it's good not to see because they may try too hard.

Guest blog from Nicola Bland (Actress - Gate Keeper)

Day 4 - The Plot Thickens

Another great day in the monster lab! We shot two amazing scenes exploring the turmoil and conflict caused by the arrival of the creature in the estuary. Hi Ching who plays the Underworld Boss gave a striking performance which brought out the monster in him.

Nicola Bland, playing the Gate Keeper caused havoc with her fully improvised and rousing call-to-arms speech.

Our Art Director Chris Kelly together with Cinematographer, Dominik Rippl transfomed the theatre space today in a way that surpassed all expectation!

And BIG thanks to musician Dylan Bates who's been with us for the past two days with his violin, piano fingers and hand saw!

Gareth Evans paid a visit this afternoon and had a great time chatting to everyone about the process. Watch this space to read his blog summing up his observations.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of the Monster Lab.

Guest Blog from Debbie Korley (Actress - Ghost Child)

On Tuesday, there was a deeper sense of the collaborative experience. Hearing the musicians and observing all the creatives in one room was riveting. It is so refreshing to do a film/moving image piece and being a part of creating the narrative and developing characters pretty much from scratch. My character went onto the hot seat today and I felt really immersed. These questions came towards me and even I was surprised by the answers I gave back. It was nice being someone else through first building an environment and then responding to the elements which may have influenced new ideas.

Day 3

Today we focused on the relationship between the Monster and the Lover, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir and Anamaria Marinca. Anamaria is best known for her leading performance in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, the Romanian film by Cristian Mungiu that won the Palme d'Or in Cannes in 2008.

Our starting point for the day was Shelley's Frankenstein.... the section in the book where the creature secretly observes a loving family whilst teaching himself to speak and read. We spent the whole day exploring themes of love and humanity with Kingsley and Anamaria giving some powerful and touching performances.

Day 2: Hot Seating and Character Development

With everyone a bit more settled in, we've been able to get our teeth in to some great improvisation work. We are developing some nice layers to the characters and beginning to build a vocabulary for the camera work as well as introducing a set of rules for colour and set.

In one exercise we explored the relationship between the Lover and the Ghost Child. Debbie Korley who plays Ghost Child is a seasoned improviser through her work with Told by an Idiot and Kneehigh. In this role Debbie is responding on a deeply intuitive level which seems poignant for a character who represents a collective memory. Whilst in the forum-style 'hot seat' Debbie discovered a poetic dimension to her character.

The hot-seating also proved useful for our writer, Emma Passmore who is developing some interesting poetic lines, whilst thinking about the possibilities of dialogue, narration and voice over.

We also found another way-in for developing character, camera and music simultaneously, through working with the set. We filmed short portraits of each character interacting with their associated space in the theatre. For example, we filmed the Lover building her house and the Gate Keeper interacting with her watchtower. Filmed in one improvised take with live music, this exercise helped the actors engage with their role as well as find a connection with both theatre and film space.

Powerful musical themes are emerging for each character. Today we were joined by Jo Gibson and her her tuba which provided some raw, gutteral sounds as well as a soothing atmosphere to work in! Jo grew up over-looking the Thames so also brought a strong sense of the London river with her.

Also, thanks to Duarte Cardoso who joined us on piano in the afternoon. Together, Tash, Jo, Duarte and Francis created a great musical theme for the Gate Keeper.

Day 1

First day in the Pit and we started by making monsters. The actors worked with our Art Director, Chris Kelly, taking it in turns to be the monster and the creator. Some amazing results took shape in only 20 minutes.

Really interesting to have musicians playing in the room. Natasha Zielazinski [cello] and Detta Danford [flute] devised some haunting themes to evoke a sense of place. Working closely with our editor, Francis Morgan-Giles, together they began building a compelling sound world. Looking forward to all the guest musicians coming in throughout the week.

I am pleased to announce that my new moving image project, ‘Monster’ has been selected by the Barbican to be developed during a 5-day lab in their Pit Theatre next month. Subsequently, the Arts Council England have offered their support in funding the project through their Grants for the Arts strand.

‘Monster’ is a five-day exploratory lab, exploring new ways of making moving image content through processes of devising and improvisation.

By interrogating notions of ‘demons and fear’ I will collaborate with a group of artists and performers to create a monster story set in a fictional place along the Thames estuary.

The results will be shared with an audience in the Barbican Cinema, hosted by film curator, Gareth Evans and be further developed next year in a real estuary setting where I aim to produce a long-form moving image work.

The lab will take place 1st - 5th December, 2014 The showcase event is Thurs 11th Dec at 4.30 - 6.00pm. If you would like to attend please e.mail: [email protected]