An hour is not just an hour, it is a vessel full of perfumes, sounds, plans and atmospheres.

 

—	Marcel Proust, Finding Time Again, translated by Ian Patterson, p. 197.

The Distant Architect -- KICKSTARTER -- LIVE!!!

The Kickstarter for my short film The Distant Architect is Live-

This season I am embarking on a major step in the preparation for my film The Distant Architect. The film has been in development for the last few years and I'm ready to take the film into production i.e. it's ready to shoot! In order to secure funding a Kickstarter campaign has been set up. The Distant Architect is a Science Fiction Noir. The film centers on a young architect named Karen who begins to question what she knows about herself and her body. Are there parts of her that are cybernetic? Does it matter? Can she still be considered a "normal woman"?  The story is close to my heart and explores some of the themes that I want to "get out there". I love Film Noir and Science Fiction and am excited to make this film telling a woman's story.   

Chicago's creative community and architectural heritage contribute to the project. The crew is made up of local artists and professionals including Producer Laurie Little and Cinematographer Jose Luis Rios.

In order to bring the project into the world we need to do some fundraising. Funds raised will be used to secure equipment, insurance, food etc. Things we need to ensure a successful production.

I am excited to share my film with you. Please check out our Kickstarter page for more information about the film and campaign. We have a few interesting donor rewards. There are incentives for digital downloads, a pass to our premiere at the Chopin theater and even my dad's famous white chocolate cake (!). Be sure to see the pitch video shot by Jim Newberry, we shot in some of the locations to be used in the film.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/1821975166/the-distant-architect

The Distant Architect is fiscally sponsored by the Near Northwest Arts Council. The NNWAC is an artist directed non-profit organization that supports creative endeavors on the Near North Westside of Chicago. The Near Northwest Arts Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit Corporation. As per our sponsorship your donation to The Distant Architect is tax free.

In regards to Kickstarter you can donate $1 - or the sky's the limit ; ) There are price levels for different rewards but any donation is appreciated. Also Kickstarter is an all or nothing platform. We need to reach our goal in 50 days! 

For more info about the film, crew members, location photos etc. Please check out these links-

The Distant Architect Website

www.thedistantarchitect.com

Facebook page-

www.facebook.com/distantarchitect

Thank you,
Best Wishes, 
Clara

Taking A Leap

Excited/Nervous/Anxious but yes, initially and resolutely excited. I launched my Kickstarter campaign for The Distant Architect. I've wanted to start one for awhile and finally everything came together. I promised I would launch on Saturday September 13th, and I did. I had a quietly thrilling few moments as I pushed the button to launch while I was sitting alone in my living room. Then I promptly fell sound asleep. I've been working extremely long hours at my "day film job". I was able to finish the clerical and technical aspects of the campaign, get the video edited. But there was no time to promote. So cue the solitary Living Room Launch Party. It's been relaxing to have a "soft launch", sort of like a restaurant. This past week my friend and producer Laurie Little and I have had time to work out the kinks in the campaign. We're rested up to start a great social media blitz- watch out. 

I am most excited though for the film. With prior funding, savings and now the kickstarter- we will be ready to go. Ready to shoot. I can't believe it, finally. I've got butterflies in my tummy and my toes tingle under the covers like Christmas Morning. My "when" has become "anticipation". 

Join me?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1821975166/the-distant-architect

Pic above from our location scout to the South Shore. A very La Jetee inspired shot.

More here

(Scene of the Solitary Living Room Launch Party)

Blixa

Nick Cave's music often evokes and conjures imagery of dark lovelorn tales, desolate tableau or dirty back alleys. Gothic narratives populated with peculiar and eccentric souls. Within Cave's band The Bad Seeds, there was the jarring presence of Blixa Bargeld. An allegorical visage and disaffected performer, he played both in the Bad Seeds and his own band Einstürzende Neubauten. Einstürzende Neubauten is one of my favorite band names ever- translated as "Collapsing New Buildings". Bargeld played with Nick Cave for about twenty years before leaving the Bad Seeds.

I was lucky enough to catch a screening of the documentary 20,000 Days on Earth. Sort of a documentary/fiction hybrid centered around the making of Nick Cave's excellent album Push the Sky Away. The camera follows Cave as he drives around in a car with some of his collaborators. And then there was Blixa. There was something poignant about their conversation. Evidently Bargeld left the Bad Seeds somewhat abruptly. He explained that he could not be in two bands and in order to care for his marriage he had needed to leave the Bad Seeds. As a fan and a listener it was affecting to hear them talk about Blixa's exit and the music they made together.

Silent Controlled Fury

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For all my love of cinema there were titles and trends that I've purposely ignored. Some I probably rightly intuited my disinterest in and others possibly because they were just too obvious. There were a few times I came around to watching some of the films I originally dismissed and then genuinely enjoyed them (I went through film school completely ignoring the French New Wave, only to become a late convert). So a couple of winters back, I thought, "What the heck," got out a bottle of red wine and watched The Godfather. I'm not a fan of mob movies or male-centered films where women seem to barely have supporting roles. The Godfather is all of those things but I still enjoyed it- and I especially liked The Godfather 2. I adore Diane Keaton and appreciate her in the Godfather films, but as Michael Corleone pushes her away, we don't see her as much. She had a strong monologue in Godfather 2 though- the "Our marriage is an abortion" scene.

What I liked the most and what surprised me, was Al Pacino's performance. I guess I was used to his louder, expressive performances like in Scarface or Scent of a Woman.

I didn't know he could be so quiet.

Quiet, controlled. There was so much weight and power to his portrayal of Michael Corleone. He was this imposing magnet that the camera, the supporting characters and the viewer gravitate towards. It's actually one of my favorite performances. It taught me a lot about acting and the comportment of the silent actor.

Also-

RIP Gordon Willis

Oh Really Now

Jarvis Cocker has a radio show!
"Jarvis Cocker takes listeners on a nocturnal journey around stories of night people."
Link to show here - www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/jcwn

Splendid.

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie