Making a Movie

For the past few months I have been working with film maker extraordinaire Patrice Halley to create a mini doc about my work. This has been a far more intense process than I anticipated.

   

Allowing anyone in my studio while I'm working is unusual but to have a guy with a camera in your face and underfoot every which way I turned was especially daunting.

    

Patrice is a pro though and not only is he very good at what he does he had me laughing at some of the most awkward moments and we had a lot of fun with the whole process.

 

 A time lapse camera was set up to record the painting of this diptych. It was interesting how the constant clicking of that camera every 15 seconds instilled itself into the whole painting process.

Actually it was exhausting! 

I am fortunate to be working with a creative camera man and we didn't only film indoors. We also took a road trip to Middlebury, Vermont where Patrick impressed me immensely by managing to cross the border without his passport (it had been recently destroyed in the dryer) He convinced the border agents of the importance of our filming project. Clearly, I was with a seasoned traveler and journalist.

In Middlebury we filmed the opening of "Light Up the Night" an exhibition of my paintings at the elegant Edgewater Gallery

A fun event with music and wine enabled us to shoot some clips of the paintings installed in this unique gallery venue perched above a roaring waterfall. 

  

While in Vermont we also had the good fortune of connecting with my dear friend Peter Bloch, an excellent drone photographer. Peter helped us film a couple of shots in the woods. It is an exciting experience to have a drone come flying at your face through the trees. Peter's obvious experience and ease with flying made it relaxing and fun though!

Another day Patrice and I headed up to the top of Mont-Royal to shoot some snowshoe scenes. I was pretty much done with snow by this point in winter and didn't feel like doing these shots. However, once we got up there and in spite of the cold, it was a glorious day for a shoot and my winter blues were transformed into utter joy!

There was fresh snow and the sun made an appearance. It was perfect for snowshoeing. Patrice was able to film a large Pileated woodpecker flitting from tree to tree. There was hardly anyone up there that morning. I had so much fun making fresh tracks in that fluffy snow while Patrice was down on the ground shooting my feet moving in slow motion! 

I think I had the better job that day!

 

Our final shoot was filming several of the larger paintings in various locations around the city. We met under a bridge in a park where we set up the first shots with the skyline of Montreal reflected in the water. This grey, neutral background was perfect for popping the  colorful tree painting. My iphone pics are nothing compared with the shots that Patrice got that day and I can't wait to see them as part of the film.

A couple of shots under the Jaques Cartier Bridge! I loved this location and it is always an adventure to shoot quickly in areas we aren't technically supposed to be. 

 An Autumn Waterfall in some winter woods.

And of course one of my most recent paintings was filmed in my own hood, just down the street from the studio.

For me, the hardest part of this process was the voice recording. I found it difficult to speak live with a mic recording me, so intimidating! We had to do about a million takes but I think we finally did it - with the help of a little red wine and Patrice's immeasurable patience and coaching. 

Everything has been sent to the editor now and soon we will have a completed project. I am excited to see the results! Stay tuned and do check out the very talented Patrice Halley and his work. I highly recommend him for any filming project you may have.

The Final Movie: Its All About Paint

photo by © Kaye Fallick