Interview: RICEBOY SLEEPS

Riceboy Sleeps is an art collaboration between Jónsi Birgisson and Alex Somers comprised of still images, music, video, and storytelling. Releasing a picture book in Iceland in 2006(1000 hand numbered editions), they held their first exhibition at Gallery Turpentine in Reykjavik.

In 2007, a second unnumbered edition of the book was released as well as two singles, All the big trees and Daniel in the Sea. Further exhibitions outside Iceland followed in the US and Australia. They currently have an exhibition at the Agency Gallery in London(10 April-17 May, 2008).

Jónsi Birgisson is also a member and lead singer for Sigur Rós and Alex Somers who has worked on artwork for Sigur Rós is a member of the band Parachutes. As Jónsi and Alex were setting up their exhibition in London as the interview was conducted, each was interviewed separately though the answers are presented here in a compiled format.


Sioux: How did the Moss Stories and Riceboy Sleeps project develop and what were your motivations?
Alex: The project began four years ago and there was never any motivation, we didn't realise that we were starting a real project. It was just the two of us making music and making artwork for fun really.
Jonsi: It just started with me and Alex and we wanted to do something together. Alex is just in the same headspace.

Sioux: Did that start from the videos you've done?
Alex: Actually, we started making music a long time ago and we made lots of songs and we were recording and stuff and then at some point since we both did videos on our own, we decided it would be fun to make videos for some of our songs and that's how it began and then Jonsi and I moved in together so we began drawing and painting a lot together.


Sioux: What would you say are the key differences in your musical work with Riceboy Sleeps as opposed to your creations with Sigur Ros and Parachutes?
Alex: It's quite similar. We use the same instruments, same microphones. I think the process is quite similar except Parachutes is Scott and I, and Riceboy is Jonsi and I. I think working with Jonsi, everything is much more brave and spontaneous and I think with Parachutes we're not as brave as Jonsi, he's so brave in trying and going for things. And sometimes I forget that if I'm not working with him . They're quite similar.
Jonsi: Yeah, just different. Me and Alex work differently. Riceboy is more like playing with sounds.

Sigur Rós - Glósóli

Sioux: And would you say the Riceboy Sleeps project will have an impact on your future work in Sigur Ros and Parachutes? If so why and in what way?
Alex: I don't know. We have plenty of time to do both and we've had offers to do Riceboy and Parachutes projects together. I don't know if that will happen or not. And I don't think either will effect the other in a negative way, only a positive way, more creation and more making and having fun.
Jonsi: I don't know. It could do.


Sioux: Does the aged and worn aesthetic signify anything in particular to you and your work? And what was the motivation in using old, rustic frames in your gallery work?
Alex: It's more of a feeling and atmosphere we're trying to create than a specific message. We're never really aware of trying to tell people something, we're more interested in having people feel something so it's just a really good feeling and something we've both been really attracted to before we even met eachother. It's comfortable, it feels like things have soul. Before we met, we were both collecting old photographs and old books and didn't really know why, we just both really like them. Then when we started making artwork, it just got incorporated into our work.
Jonsi: We do the pictures first and we found these frames just lying and it would kind of suit so well with the other stuff we were doing.

"...when I met Jonsi, I was really, really poor and I was just living off of rice mostly..."

Sioux: Who is Rice Boy?
Alex: When it started out, it was the name of one of our songs called Riceboy Sleeps. It was just because when I met Jonsi, I was really, really poor and I was just living off of rice mostly and I was sleeping too much so Jonsi was writing a song while I was asleep one day and he named it Riceboy Sleeps. For some reason ever since then we just called whatever we were working on at the time, Riceboy Sleeps. We never decided for that to be officially be our name, it just happened.

Riceboy Sleeps - Daniel in the sea

Sioux: And Daníell(in the sea)?
Alex: Oh, he is just a fictitious character based like, we make stories also. He's just a character. He's just a really beautiful character and sometimes he's blind in our stories and sometimes he's not blind. Maybe because all the stories haven't quite finished so we're not really sure what is happening.

Sioux: Would you tell us about the creation of the accompanying videos and how they relate to the book itself?
Alex: Actually, they don't really relate to the book though everything shares a similar aesthetic. The do go with the book. It's a similar texture and feeling though conceptually they're not matched.

Riceboy Sleeps - All the big trees

Sioux: All the big trees is an unusual title considering Iceland is without trees. What do trees mean to you?
Alex: We both love trees. They're so beautiful. The title was actually made in the States, on the east coast in Maryland. Jonsi made a present for my mother and on the back he wrote 'thank you for all the big trees' and I think somehow stuck with us and we just used it for a song. Forests, I find them beautiful and full of life, amazing sounds, wind blowing through the trees, good smell...
Jonsi: I just like them when I went to visit Alex's mother who lives in Maryland, there were so many trees in their backyard, so big, so nice and cosy, comfortable.

Sioux: Is there a particular significance in the boy and girl that feature in the Riceboy Sleeps book? (Jonsi) Is that you and your sister, Sigurrós?
Jonsi: Me and my sister? (laughs) No, definitely not. Just fictional characters.

Sioux: Would you characterise your work as Icelandic? And what influence would you say Iceland, Reykjavik and its artists have had on your work?
Alex: I don't know. Probably not. Just the support and encouragement that I've known in Iceland. People don't judge you when you're making artwork and music and people support you and it's a small community. In other cities, I found it's maybe more judgemental instead of just supporting you and I find that a very encouraging environment to live and work in.
Jonsi: No, I think, yeah maybe, but you do whatever you are, your characteristics.


Sioux: What are your thoughts on the categorization of arts between “high brow”, “low brow”, “fine art”, and “outsider art”? Do you feel these labels serve any purpose?
Alex: No, not really. I don't even know where we would fit in. I've never really thought about it. It's like people need to box things up, but no, I don't think it's important.
Jonsi: They probably serve a purpose for those in the artworld, but of course it doesn't matter.


Sioux: What is your favourite technology and why?
Alex: Favourite technology? That's tricky. When we make our stuff we really like to make it as organic as possible though we use computers for layering and scanning things like that. And for scanning in our drawings and reshaping them and playing with the format. We like to use the computer and scanner. I don't know. Favourite technology? It sounds so bad if I say a computer. We don't really like graphic design so we don't want our stuff to look graphic design-y or anything like that.
Jonsi: Maybe the, I don't know. Maybe computers. Maybe the most important one. There's so much freedom, you can use it whatever way you want.

Sioux: Would you choose a colour (it doesn’t have to be a favourite) and explain the ideas and feelings it generates for you?
Alex: The only thing I can think of is that in the last year, I've got really into the colour light blue. I don't really know why. I just like it when I see it, something like a light blue boat that's washed out faded. It's just really beautiful, like a worn or washed out feeling. I see it on boats a lot in the harbour.
Jonsi: Light blue. Did Alex say light blue?
Sioux: Yes, he did.
Jonsi: (laughs) Yeah, we both really like light blue. It has to be perfect light blue, worn out light blue, old chipping paint... It's so soft or something. I think we actually like all colours if they're desaturated or worn out.


Sioux: Also, would you select an image that you feel is powerful (it can be a painting, a photograph—and does not need to be art, it could be a package design or an object) and explain why it has an impact on you?
Alex: Hmm. The last couple of years it would be anything in nature. I'm just super into nature; trees, plants, fruits.vegetables. I just like to be as close to that as possible.
Jonsi: Indirectly, there's a lot of people, my friends, my family, my sister is doing a lot of cool stuff with the full moon and meteors.

Sioux: And if we end with a political message, a piece of advice to artists, and a recommendation?
Alex: Be honest. Just make what you want to make. I don't feel I'm in a position to make any recommendations. That's the only thing that's important is to be true to yourself.
Jonsi: Just to be as honest in what you do and to create as much as you can, it gives you so much purpose if you create a lot of stuff and you're honest in that creation. It gives you so much and makes life worth living.

Sioux: Thank you.




Links:
Riceboy Sleeps
Riceboy Sleeps MySpace
Riceboy Sleeps Wiki
Moss Stories
Gallery 801
The Agency Gallery
Gallery Turpentine
Sigur Ros
Parachutes
Book Gallery

Interview: THE DIRECTOR OF "LYNCH"

Lynch is a unique documentary on David Lynch which intimately follows his creative process. Filmed over two years, the film follows David's journey through ideas as he completes his latest film, Inland Empire.

The director immersed himself in David's world, living and working with him over the two years enabling him to capture a more personal side to the artist.

Being the first interview with the director of Lynch, I feel priveleged and grateful that unseen forces have chosen SiouxWIRE to begin their campaign.


There's been a lot of speculation surrounding your identity. What is the intention in removing yourself (at least in name) from the production and do you feel it augments the documentary in any way by doing so?
MY CHOICE TO USE AS PSEUDONYM WAS A PERSONAL ONE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I DO WHENEVER I ENTER INTO ANYTHING CREATIVE. I HAVE HAD MANY PSEUDONYMS BEFORE AND COULD QUITE POSSIBLE HAVE MANY MORE. I NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO BECOME SUCH AN ISSUE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CURIOSITY IT SEEMS TO BE CREATING. IT IS UNFORTUNATE IF IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE FILM IN ANY WAY AND I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T.


How did the project develop? And what did/do you hope to achieve with the documentary and what initially attracted you to the it?
I HAD KNOWN DAVID FOR YEARS BEFORE THE IDEA TO MAKE A FILM ON HIM CAME TO US----- THE INITIAL IDEA ACTUALLY BELONGS TO JON NGUYEN----- HE CALLED ME ONE DAY IN NEW YORK AND ASKED IF I THOUGHT DAVID WOULD LET US MAKE A FILM ABOUT HIM. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT KNOW BUT IT COULDN'T HURT TO ASK---- SO I HOPPED ON A FLIGHT AND MET WITH DAVID AT HIS HOME IN LOS ANGELES WHAT I WANTED TO ACHIEVE WITH THE DOCUMENTARY WAS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE A PERSONAL VIEW OF DAVID'S CREATIVITY----- CREATIVITY WHICH IS CONSTANTLY COMING OUT OF HIM. FROM THE TIME HE WAKES UP TO THE TIME HE GOES TO BED HE IS CREATING.

What did you learn during the creation of the film in terms of documentary filmmaking? Is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance and would you approach future documentary projects using the same methods?
TO BE HONEST I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING--------- MAYBE THAT YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EVERY SHOT AND THAT THERE IS NOT A SECOND WHEN YOU CAN RELAX BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. IF I WERE TO DO ANY FUTURE DOCUMENTARIES I WOULD EMPLOY MANY OF THE SAME TECHNIQUES AS WELL AS SOME NEW METHODS----- BUT I AM STILL IRONING OUT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT.


To what did David Lynch's own methods directly or indirectly influence your filmmaking?
I THINK THAT DAVID'S COMMITMENT TO EXPERIMENTATION HAS HAD A BIG INFLUENCE ON ME----- I NEVER FELT AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT.

Personally, what have you learned while working on this film?
I LEARNED THAT WHENEVER POSSIBLE GET THE BEST SOUND YOU CAN.

Prior to starting the documentary, what were your expectations of David Lynch and how did they change over the course of making the film?
I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT FROM DAVID TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. HE IS A FRIEND BUT HE IS ALSO VERY GUARDED---------- AT A CERTAIN POINT I REALIZED THAT HE WAS GOING TO LET ME FILM EVERYTHING I WANTED AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE UP TO ME TO EITHER SUCCEED OR FAIL---------- HE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME THE WOOD TO BUILD THE FIRE.


Would you say this is a film aimed at a general audience, artists, fans of David Lynch or all of the above? And generally speaking, what do you think each of these groups will get from watching the film?
THIS FILM IS AIMED AT ALL AUDIENCES, BUT IS PROBABLY A BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW A BIT ABOUT DAVID. THE POINT OF THE FILM WAS NOT TO ISOLATE ANYONE THOUGH---- I WANTED ANYONE WHO WAS CREATIVE TO BE ABLE TO GET INSPIRED BY WATCHING DAVID CREATE---------- I WOULD HOPE THAT EACH GROUP WOULD WALK AWAY FROM THE FILM AND WANT TO GO HOME AND MAKE SOMETHING.

What do you feel separates David Lynch from other directors in terms of his creation process from writing to working with actors and technicians on set?
I WISH THAT I COULD TELL YOU WHAT MAKES DAVID DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DIRECTORS BUT I HAVE NOT EVER FILMED OTHER DIRECTORS SO I CANNOT COMPARE THEM TO HIM. I THINK THAT ALL DIRECTORS HAVE THEIR OWN STYLE AND THAT IS A GREAT THING.

Was there a particular day's filming or event that sticks out in your mind?
EVERY DAY OF FILMING WAS SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT.. THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE WAS INCREDIBLE------------- IMAGINE IT------- SHOOTING DAVID EVERY DAY FOR OVER 7 MONTHS.


How did you approach editing two years of material and did the structure of the film develop organically from the material or did you have a preconceived blueprint from which you worked? (Out of curiosity, how much material was actually shot?)
THE FIRST 7 DAYS I ATTEMPTED TO EDIT THE FILM I WAS CRIPPLED WITH A FEAR----------- THEN 1 DAY I FOUND THE WAY TO BEGIN WEEDING OUT THE STUFF I DID NOT WANT TO USE AND THINGS FELL INTO PLACE FROM THERE I SPENT MANY MANY MANY MONTHS TRIMMING THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS DOWN TO 50 WHICH IS WHAT I MADE THE FILM FROM. I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH OF A BLUEPRINT EXCEPT FOR A SMALL STORYLINE THAT JON HAD TOLD ME ABOUT---------- HE WOULD COLLECT QUOTES FROM DAVID'S CAREER AND SEND THEM TO ME AND I WOULD PICK THINGS THAT INTERESTED ME ABOUT THEM AND SEE IF I COULD WEAVE THEM INTO SOME SORT OF STORY. OTHER THAN THAT I EDITED ON FEELING. IF I DID NOT FEEL A CLIP IT DID NOT MAKE IT INTO THE FILM.


Was there anything that surprised you either during the course of filming or looking back at the material?
I THINK THAT THE THING THAT SURPRISED ME THE MOST WAS THE CAMERA WORK AS I WATCH THE FOOTAGE I CAN TELL WHICH CLIPS CAME FROM WHICH TIME PERIOD--------- AS THE FILM WENT ALONG THE CAMERA WORK GOT BETTER.

Does the subtitle "one" denote that there will be an additional film from the material you collected?
A TRIPTYCH IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.

On completion, are you left with fewer or more questions than when you began?
I NEVER REALLY HAD MANY QUESTIONS FOR DAVID----- I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN SHOWING HIM RATHER THAN QUESTIONING HIM------ SO I GUESS I HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS AS I HAD HAD WHEN I BEGAN BUT TO BE QUITE HONEST I HOPE THAT I NEVER GET ALL THE ANSWERS------------

Thank you.

Links:
LynchDocumentary.com
LynchDocumentary MySpace
DavidLynch.com
David Lynch Wiki

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Interview: ESZTER BALINT

Born into a life of art, Eszter Balint has been a musician, an actor in both stage and film, and a witness to the vibrant art scene of New York since the late seventies. Known to many for her role in Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger than Paradise", her deadpan performance as John Lurie's cousin Eva encapsulates a beat mentality that together with Lurie and Richard Edson create the fascinating trio that's the backbone of the film.

At the age of 10, the Squat Theatre group for which her parents were members was exiled from their native home in Hungaria after angering the authorities. Wandering through Europe and performing in abandoned spaces (hence their name), they eventually moved to New York in 1977.

With encouragement from her grandmother and mum, she took up the violin at 6 and the passion for music would foment during her teen years when the Squat Theatre's New York home would transform into a nightclub for which she would DJ. During this time, she made her recording debut playing violin on an early rap track produced by Jean Michel Basquiat and featuring rapper Rammellzee, made a cameo in Basquiat's "Downtown 81", and featured in Jim Jarmusch's classic "Stranger Than Paradise".

In the years to follow, Eszter aspired to work in film though a move to Los Angeles soon took the sheen from this endeavor and she returned to her musical roots creating music for films, forming a short-lived band with Sixteen Horsepower's Pascal Humbert, and finally returning to New York to write and record her debut album Flicker in 1998.

In addition to her musical work, she also made appearances in other films over the years, most notably Steve Buscemi's "Trees Lounge" (1996) and Woody Allen's "Shadows & Fog" (1992).

This interview was conducted shortly after the release of her latest album, Mud, in 2005 and is part of the Ramble Rocket archive. It is also significant in terms of SiouxWIRE in that Eszter was the first person for whom I requested an interview and her enthusiasm has to a great extent remained with me to this day.


SIOUXFIRE: It's kind of strange. Before getting this set of questions together, I read a lot of reviews for your albums Mud and Flicker. It's this kind of thing that makes me think I'm not listening to the same thing or I'm in an alternate reality. A lot of reviews describe your voice as harsh and the music as "heavy". (Your music is uplifting to me - Mud is like sitting in a cabin in a bayou drinking cognac by candlelight where you can smell the wood and earth, and friends are all around) What do you think about reviews and some of these descriptions they
attribute to your music?
ESZTER: Well, I'm not entirely sure we're reading the same reviews. I love the way you describe Mud, that's just fine by me, lovely in fact. Thanks. But there were a number of reviews here that did seem to hint at something similar. On Flicker I think my voice probably is a bit
harsh, harsher than it has since become, so that may be somewhat deserved. (I've worked on becoming a more relaxed singer. And still have a ways to go, it's an exciting and probably never ending process.) I don't recall reading that so much about Mud, but if the words harsh and heavy popped up, it maybe because my lyrics, musical sensibilities, and well perhaps even my vocal delivery has a bit more edge than a lot of the material these reviewers listen to within the so-called "singer-songwriter" genre. Which, for better or worse, is the context in which they're going hear me; obviously what I do is not hip hop, or a punk-rock thing. For a generally earthy, warm, somewhat rootsy, and very much song-driven record, Mud has a few harsh and maybe even heavy touches. (Honestly I am not thrilled with the word heavy, but if it means the opposite of light, well, I can live with that)


SIOUXFIRE: I read an article recently where these scientists watched people put together puzzles. Some put sides together and worked their way in, some made little islands and then joined them together, and some just started with one piece and worked their way out from there. How do you go about putting your songs together?
ESZTER: Funny you mention puzzles. Putting songs together is very much like a puzzle to me. But sort of random at the same time, which sounds like a contradiction, but it's not really. The process is certainly not linear. i think at the start it's kind of random and abstract, and then
these random abstract elements, pieces of music and words, fit together in a way that finally has to feel inevitable, like a puzzle.

SIOUXFIRE: What time of day/night do you work best?
ESZTER: Right after waking up and at night. Before and after the bullhsit of the day. But it's not always feasible to get the perfect times, so lately I'm challenging myself to rise to the occasion when it arises. It just takes longer and more concentration to get to that sort of neutral, other place during the day.

SIOUXFIRE: Do you get itchy feet?
ESZTER: To be on the move? yes. To work? yes. To dance? Not really.

SIOUXFIRE: Are there any instruments that you don't know how to play, but would like to try?
ESZTER: I have so much work to do on the instruments I do play. Or pretend to play. I would love to actually play the piano (or any keyboard instrument) for real, for instance. I can play simple melodies and stumble my way around basic chords but that's it. And I have so much to learn on the guitar, which is what I tend to write on. And working on my singing is a lifelong project (but in a good way.) And just to maintain my abilities on the violin, which is a very unforgiving instrument, takes work. And I'd like to write on the banjo which I can barely pluck a few notes on. Thankfully I think I'm fairly musical and have enough basics down to figure out a simple line on a number of instruments. But as you can see, I have my hands full - so no, I don't want to take up and master a brand new instrument.

"In a very unfriendly music business where most anybody trying to do decent work is out on their own, the digital breakthroughs have quite simply made the difference between being able to afford to do your work, or not."

SIOUXFIRE: What do you think about digital vs. analogue music?
ESZTER: I'm not very militant about it, but I do think there is a warmth and depth, an extra dimension to the analog medium which I tend to prefer. I can usually hear or feel it, but that said, that whole subject takes a major back-seat to the work itself. Just to state the obvious. And
the never ending advances in the digital realm make me shy away from any final verdict. Getting closer and closer. In a very unfriendly music business where most anybody trying to do decent work is out on their own, the digital breakthroughs have quite simply made the difference between being able to afford to do your work, or not. I did my last record as a combination, basics and mixing in analog, overdubs at home on digital - It was still expensive and difficult but ultimately the happiest compromise, I've no complaints about it sonically whatsoever. I'd probably like to do it the same way again.

SIOUXFIRE: Will you tour outside the States anytime soon?
ESZTER: No plans right now.

SIOUXFIRE: Have you ever heard music from Mirah or Tennessee Twin? (If not, I'm going to have to get you onto them)
ESZTER: No but I will check it out. I need something new to listen to.

SIOUXFIRE: I have you on a mix tape with Nick Cave, Bjork, Beck, PJ Harvey, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits. it's kind of my happy work tape. Does that sound offd? Do you listen to any of these people?
ESZTER: Yes I listen to all of them. I"ve spent less time with Nick Cave than with all the others. Thank you, wonderful company. If this is your happy tape, what's your sad tape?


SIOUXFIRE: I know you make music and act - do you paint, photograph, write poetry? Is that your art on the website?
ESZTER: I can't paint for shit. I haven't tried in ages, maybe I should again. I love photography but seem to have no talent for it whatsoever - can't even take a decent snapshot. I once took a snapshot of a weird dried up tree/root thing sticking out of the sand on the beach, somewhere in
northern California, about 10 years ago, it is the only cool picture I've ever taken.

Yes I write poetry, love poetry, and sometimes feel that's maybe what I should really be doing in the long run because I end up torturing some of my poems into songs when I need words. And I end up not writing many poems meant to exist just as poems, because I think I should be writing songs instead.

SIOUXFIRE: A coupleNew Yorkquestions. (I used to live there for a while) Did you ever go the Princess' restaurant onHouston Street? The Princess only ever had one table and no windows and she'd cook this amazing food. The reason I ask is that again, I'm reminded of it when I listen to Mud and I have this psychic vibe that you've been there...
ESZTER: Sounds great. I don't think I've ever been there, and I'm pretty sure it's no more. Sounds like the old New York.

SIOUXFIRE: That photobooth picture on the cover of Flicker - was that made at Little Ricky's in Greenwich Village? (I used to sit in that booth and think about the famous people who sat there - I was a real goof)
ESZTER: No, it's from a video arcade in Chinatown, Mulberry street I think. Actually, I believe this one is also history now.

SIOUXFIRE: Has New York changed a lot in the time that you were in LA? From a distance, it seems to have become a bit conservative.
ESZTER: See my answers above. yes, but it was starting before I even left. But more and more it's a completely new place with new people. I am not sentimental really, certainly not about misery, I just don't relate to the new version all that much. It costs like fifty bucks just to step on the sidewalk. But the garbage still stinks in the summer. And the construction workers are still at it on Canal street. So you see, some things never change - just not sure it's the best things.


SIOUXFIRE: This is all starting to sound a little too serious to me so I'm just going to say a random word.. Sandwiches.
ESZTER: Efficient. Perfunctory.

SIOUXFIRE: Just curious, do you read much? And do you ever read comics?
ESZTER: I've never gotten into comics, not even as a kid. Too bad cause it would be so much cooler if I could say yes.

I go through phases of reading. I wish I got around to more. I recently read my first Graham Greene, The End of the Affair, and honestly thought this may be one of the three best books I've ever read in my entire life.


SIOUXFIRE: A little about the films you've been in - what was it like for you when you were in Downtown 81? You were, er, 13 or 14? The credits of that film are like Who's Who of contemporary artists.
ESZTER: I was 14 or 15 in downtown 81. (which was actually shot in 1980 I think, or at least in part)

I remember being a little sad because in one version of the ever evolving non-script I was supposed to have a bigger part.

SIOUXFIRE: Have you every eaten a TV dinner?
ESZTER: Once or twice, when I was like 13. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world, for like 30 seconds. I quickly outgrew that phase.

from Stranger Than Paradise, Jim Jarmusch 1984
(Eszter & John Lurie)

SIOUXFIRE: Were you a fan of Screaming Jay Hawkings when you were in Stranger Than Paradise and was it your idea to include his music in the film?
ESZTER: No, had never heard of him.


SIOUXFIRE: How did you end up in Woody Allens' Shadows & Fog?
ESZTER: I auditioned for it. He wanted to see me, I think, but maybe I'm having illusions of grandeur. But at the very least his casting director requested me for the audition. which went as follows: i showed up in some extremely air conditioned and extremely dimly lit fancy uptown
hotel lobby, (the whole thing had this aura of a very well kept secret.) and Woody came out, greeted me and shook my hand, sort of glanced at the ground and said thank you. I went home and an hour later my agent called and screamed: He loved you!! True.


SIOUXFIRE: You knew John Lurie before Stranger Than Paradise - when did the two of you meet and how did Jim Jaramusch come along?
ESZTER: I met John when I was just a kid, I think I was 12. (and he'll never let me forget it either.) I was living at Squat Theatre on 23rd street, he had just moved to NY from Boston, I think, and did a performance there. This is pre-Lounge Lizards. Then he became friends with one of the members of Squat and started hanging out there a bit. I think he introduced me to Jarmusch much later - they knew each other just from the downtown scene, but I'm not exactly sure how. John may have been the one who suggested me for the movie.

SIOUXFIRE: What do you see in your crystal ball in say er, 5 or 10 years?
ESZTER: Hmmm, I'm not sure. I'm not really looking. Maybe because I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, or because I'm too busy trying to catch what life throws my way. Wow, that is such a personal question. kind of caught me off guard. Should I think about it?
SIOUXFIRE: Not sure. I haven't thought about it. Probably not.

Links:
EszterBalint.com
SquatTheatre.com
Chicago Sun Times, Hedy Weiss - article

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Interview: The Blackheart Gang - MR. JANNES

In the second of the Blackheart Gang interviews, we have Jannes Hendrikz whose responsibility is in essence to make Ree Treweek's drawings dance to Markus Wormstorm's music. He is the compositor, 2d-animator, cinematographer, and creative director of the team. Jannes recently left Blackginger (who created the 3d elements and provided the hardware required for The Tale of How) to freelance.

As well as providing generous answers to my queries, he has also kindly provided some exclusive stills and moving images from early in the production of The Tale of How.

The Tale of How is free to download HERE and more information is available in previous posts HERE, HERE and HERE. See the first installment of the Blackheart Gang interviews with Ree Treweek HERE.

From the perspective of artistic direction, is the look from the Tale of How something you want preserved or do you see the project evolving over time?
I am very much into spontaneous, interactive expression of our art forms. I see The Household project as a growing interactive medium. It goes wherever it needs to go and I follow. It’s about being attentive to its needs and letting it grow.

How important was Ringo as a foundation for the work you did in The Tale of How? What did you learn while working on it? And is Ringo set in The Household?

Yes, Ringo also forms part of The Household. Before we started Ringo none of us knew eachother that well; most of us had just met at the time. We wanted to do something, make something. I don't know. A type of creative chemistry just developed among us. At the time, none of us had any real experience; we just threw ourselves into it. Ringo started as a weekend project but we ended up working on it for another nine months. We didn't plan. Things just developed. I think that this is the basis of our working dynamic--the magic. We learned as we went along with it.

"We did have a few creative hiccups and we had to move on--we had to compromise, we had to collaborate."

Being a labour of love, you kind of need to offer everyone working on the project the freedom to express themselves so it gets really difficult to do what you want without overlapping with someone else's ideas. We did have a few creative hiccups and we had to move on--we had to compromise, we had to collaborate. This was the biggest lesson Ringo taught us and this secret lies at the base of our collective. Learning to collaborate opens up creative doors and solutions, and helps you to develop into a more mature artist. It helps you define yourself and your role. And this was the next lesson.

Ringo(2004)

We knew that if we were to work on the next project we would have to define our roles. So before working on Tale of How we had loads of discussions about who wants to do what and what we'd like to achieve and how we can support each other in doing so. I had to be very sensitive to the needs of the people I asked to join. I really wanted to create an environment for everyone to grow. Ringo was an essential part of my growth.


You said you nearly had a nervous breakdown at the end of the nine month development of the Tale of How; what happened? Was it that bad?
Hmm...well...yes, it was bad. I wasn't exaggerating. It really took me months to recover. I had a full time job at the time at a visual-effects company that always had work for me. The day work was demanding. So I worked from 9 - 6. popped out for an hour dinner break where I would meet up with Ree. This was our time to see friends and loved ones before we return to Blackginger to work till 1 - 3 in the morning. This was the ritual for every other day, except weekends where we would work from 10 in the morning to late at night.

During this time me and my girlfriend bought a flat that we moved into. By the end of it...the last 2 months, my morale was at an all time low. I was tired and worn out. I had to focus myself to finish this thing that took over my life. My boss was complaining that my private life is interfering with my ability at work. My girlfriend at this point completely frustrated with the fact that I'm never at home and emotionally unavailable. The last weeks I kept on falling asleep watching renders, stared into space and when we finally finished both me and Ree didnt know what to think. We didn't know what to feel and then slowly, over the next few months, readjusted to normal life again.

The whole experience was very surreal. I suppose I just have a very intense way of experiencing life around me, I am very passionate. It's the only way I can explain why I push so hard.


Would you give us an idea of your workflow in particular, how you bridge the 2D and 3D in your work? And which software/hardware is/was involved and why? How closely did you work with Justin Baker in the development of the 3D elements and how difficult was it to preserve the look of Ree’s drawings?
I always composite in 3d space; it gives me freedom to play with depth and perspective but then again, I really didn't want it to look like a 3d movie, or like a 2d movie in 3d space. I wanted something authentic so when it came to using actual 3d renders, I decided that they had to look exactly like Ree's linework. Justin modeled and rigged the birds and then started playing around with different shaders. We went backwards and forwards till we found a treatment that worked.

Justin then started animating all the elements on a background plate (2k resolution) I supplied as a placing reference. The 3d renders would then be layered into my comp and the camera moves added. Justin had full freedom to animate the birds using his own interpretation of the story. The only limitations were technicalities or keeping within the story. Me and Justin used to work together at Blackginger, so we were already familiar with our own type of workflow.

We worked on duel 3 gigahertz Dell machines with 3 gigs memory. Justin worked with XSI and I worked with After Effects 6.5. XSI has amazing 2d shader capabilities and rendering in passes also helps. After effects is definitely the only package to use for a project like this. Other compositing packages will not be able to perform in the same way or offer me the same amount of freedom.

Time Lapse Composition

You’ve mentioned that each scene was made up of around 300 layers; what challenges did this present and what did you learn working with such a rich tapestry of elements?
One half of all the elements was Ree's drawings and the other half consisted of atmospherics (mostly video footage) and textures. The first challenge was getting my computer to process all of this. I basically broke each shot into 3 main layers: fore, middle and background. Whenever possible, I rendered out the frames of finished sets, and used them as proxies to be able to render a full shot. I also had to set my views to as low as quarter resolution to be able to preview the shots over the timeline.

"Having so many elements certainly slowed me down, but being able to chop and change and play at any point during the process definitely added to the look of the film."

Most of the time, I just had to render the shots at the end of the night before we left, to be able to check the animation I did during that night. Having so many elements certainly slowed me down, but being able to chop and change and play at any point during the process definitely added to the look of the film. You just need the time to be able to do that. Every shot was crafted and cared for till it felt right, and having all the layers available helped me work like that. In the end, we ran out of time, and some things just had to be left the way they were knowing that we did the best we can.


In creating what we now see as The Tale of How, were there any other versions of the composite before the final? If so, can you describe these?
Well, before we started on the prints, Ree gave me her drawings for page 1 (shot 1). I played around and tested a few ideas. when I finally felt I had something, I really wanted to test it out animated, so I downresed the psd, collected some video elements I had, and put everything together. this was a starting point that I felt happy with and got Ree and Markus to have a look at it. They loved it and thats where it went. In the following days I basically tested cameras and their movement, a few animation teqniques and thought about the workflow and basically made 5 variations of the first test render, and that was that. I knew that I had loads of time to think about the animation while composing the prints and things developed from there.

The first composite test for Tale of How

Are storyboards used at all? Why or why not?
No, we didnt use storyboards for Tale of How. We had 13 verses in Markus's poem and one print for each. The prints took us about 3 months then Ree had to start drawing on all the extra elements we would need for the animation and I started putting things together. We wanted to have more shots and angles but we simply did not have the manpower and time to do so, so we made each shot as beautifull as we could hoping that visually one would have enough to look at and that we could get away with the shots we had.

"I used this part of the animation to add drama and break the pace by using quicker cuts and camera moves unlike anywhere else in the piece."

We just knew that the first part of the story needed to be dark and eerie, and the second half, light and hopeful. We also didn't use the print for shot 8 (the part where the bird gets broken in half) because we needed to build a more dynamic and visually interesting picture than we had. I used this part of the animation to add drama and break the pace by using quicker cuts and camera moves unlike anywhere else in the piece. Our workflow was very much based on the prints. It will be very different for our next projects. We believe in the power of using storyboards.


How far off is The Tale of Then from completion? And what work has been done thus far? Likewise for The Tale of When?
We are planning to start by the end of the year. Now we are just getting our resources together, getting the story fine tuned, then do storyboards, animatics etc etc.--Lots of pre-preparation. We are giving ourselves a year of production time on the next one...all depending on resources. We might even work on the Tale of When at the same time, we don't know, we'll have to see how things develop over time.

What arts do you practice personally outside the Blackheart Gang? And which artists inspire you personally?
Well, the Blackheart Gang's been taking up all my time. If there were a few things I could wish for, it would be for extra arms, the ability to not having to sleep, and longer nights. ah...what I can tell you are my wants. I want to shoot documentries, I want to make puppets, I want to start a theatre production, make music.... sigh!

"Cooking is great because it involves so many of the senses."

As a video & film artist, I am quite removed from the final product. There's a long process to this medium. it rarely ever gives you immediate interaction like playing a musical instrument. Processing just takes too long. The other frustration is that it is a virtual medium. There is no real tangibility so I do long for a more hands-on form of expression. There is something I do regularly, and that is cook. Cooking is great because it involves so many of the senses. It offers so much variety to experiment with, and you can eat what you've made!

I am a lover of listening to sound and music. I can honestly say that I spend 70% of my time on listening. Sound is my deepest source of inspiration. I suppose it’s because it gives me full freedom to interpret it visually. I initially got into video because I visually wanted to create what I saw when listening to music. I like moody, emotional music. Some favourites at the moment include: Svarte Greiner, Dictaphone, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Apparat, Loscil, and the Shins.


I also draw a lot of inspiration from short films at the moment. Its such an amazing medium, such a huge variety of style, technique and experimentation. I am in love with moving picture, it’s enchanting, especially sincere storytelling, mostly without dialogue. Slow visual storytelling oh! I am very much into Russian animation from the 60's and 70's. The beauty, sensitivity and wonder of Miyazaki's films damn! His films always revitalizes me, reminds me of what's really important. Also, my brother gave me a collection of stop-motion by the Quay Brothers and I recently discovered the surreal and bizarre etchings by Max Ernst. Difficult to name specifics... cause I pick up little bits here and there, tiptoeing over what keeps me going.


What have been some of the most important things both personally and professionally that you’ve learned while working on the Blackheart Gang projects?
As an artist, I’ve never learned so much, so fast. Working on these projects and being an artist, I suppose that my personal and professional life goes hand in hand so I've learnt that work is not about the end product; it is about the time you spend around that and how you deal with yourself and others in that time. Enjoying your work and staying true to it is essential. I know now that my self expression is an in-the-moment thing, and it’s at those times when I can truly experience myself and get to know myself and my abilities better... pulling your hair out in despondency, the height of accomplishment, the stress of a deadline or those flowing moments of spontaneity.

Thank you, Jannes. I can't wait to see more of The Household. See you on Otto's hill.

Links:
Ree Treweek Interview
theblackheartgang.com
The Blackheart Gang Myspace
The Concise Overview of The Household
Motionographer Article
The making of The Tale of How(YouTube)
Blackginger

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Interview: SIL VAN DER WOERD

Sil van der Woerd is an independent filmmaker and graduate of the Academy of Arts and Design in Arnhem, Netherlands and attended the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. In 2004, he created Duet and recently released his follow-up Swim. Both works combine live action, effects, and music to carry their narratives and create unique environments.

Swim


Duet

Do you see yourself as an artist, craftsman, or combination of the two? And why?

As an artist. I make films because I want to share a story with an audience, to show them worlds that are inside my head. I don't make films to show that I am able to make them. The precise work of reaching a certain level of detail in the images (to make the imaginative worlds appear convincing) could be called craftsmanship though.

Soundtracks are a dominant feature of your work. Would you explain your choices of music for both Duet and Swim, and how they relate tothe shorts as a whole?
I pick the soundtracks to underline the films atmosphere. For Duet, I wanted a combination of classical and modern music, since that was the theme of the film. I chose heavy beats because I wanted every contradictory and energetic element opposite the sweet girl and dragonfly.

For Swim, I wanted a pulsing soundtrack, subtle in it's changes. Cold, almost like the sound of the ramming of piles underwater.

"Swim was born out of a collection of sketches and a desire to somehow show how insanely magic the power of life really is."

How did the concept for Duet and Swim come about?
The concept for Duet was born while exploring the borders of live action and animation. I was thinking about what animation would need to stand up against live action and visa versa. I started playing with the idea of melted contradictions. Modern and classical dance and music, digital and real images, etc. In Duet, my goal was to bring these elements together and make 1 convincing performance out of it. Swim was born out of a collection of sketches and a desire to somehow show how insanely magic the power of life really is. I wanted to create an almost dead, high tech, by humans controlled space, that would shrink to no importance at the moment new life is born and the forces of nature take over.

When creating your works, what is the most important element and why?
Music is the starting point and biggest inspiration. When I listen to music, visuals automatically start pouring into my head. Music is a great inspiration because music is so widely interpretable.


While working in CG, it's all too easy to fixate on the craft of building as opposed to the overall design; a bit like an architect focusing too much on the building methods as opposed to the end product. Do you recognise this problem and if so, how do you avoid it?
I am familiar with the state of being lost in modeling and aiming for a photo realistic look. CG eats up a lot of time because you yourself decide when your work is finished, and if you're a bit self critic like me, it never really is. So to avoid that, I usually work heavily on a model for a short amount of time. Then I step away from it, and finish it once I am fresh again, or have the courage to throw it away. Deadlines also greatly help to effectively make creative decisions in reasonable amounts of time.

"I learned a lot to literally do every facet of the productions myself."

What would you say are the positives and negatives of CG work?
Positive: no boundaries; all you can imagine is make-able and can appear convincingly real. Negative: no boundaries; because everything is possible, one can easily get lost in the techniques and spend months and months while not being very creative. I feel that certain restrictions are helpful to fully use up the restricted space and find it's boundaries.

Would you tell us about the work flow you employed in your shortsand the software/hardware used? And what were the most importantthings you learned while creating Duet and Swim?
I make the films by myself. This means I am responsible for concept, camera handling, light, producing, editing, animation and visual effects. It may not be the most effective way, but I learned a lot to literally do every facet of the productions myself. The only thing I don't have credit for is the music. I learned the software (Maya, ZBrush, After Effects, Boujou) myself while studying at the Academy in Arnhem and during courses at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. The most important thing I've learned is to make sure that every single function in the pipeline of making a film is of great importance and needs an equal attention. I also learned, that if I want to keep on working on bigger projects without losing my creativity, I need to give certain functions of the process to specialized people, which is what I am doing in my current projects.


How was your time at the Gnomon School? And how does your experiencecompare to your time at the Academy of Arts and Design in Arnhem?
Gnomon was great, I had a wonder full time. Gnomon is all about the technique. They have very experienced teachers. It was the opposite of the Academy in Arnhem where there were no professionals in animation and where it was about the concept mainly. I think these studies were a good combination; at the Academy I discovered my own style and it's importance while at Gnomon I learned to raise the technical side of my work to a more professional level. At Gnomon I also had a great chance to experience some of the film-industry from backstage.

Who are the artists that inspire you and why?
I find inspiration in old Disney movies, Bjork, Chris Cunningham, Arvo Part, Speedy J. To me, these are artists whose work is close to nature or is the exact opposite of it.

What aspirations do you have for the future? And what are youworking on at the moment and when will we see new work from you?
Right now, I am focusing on being a director of music videos. In the future I hope to direct a feature film. At the moment, I am finishing a music video for singer Lolly Jane Blue. The video, called 'Worms' is almost 6 months in production and will be released on Thursday October 4th 2007. Worms will be available on my own website www.microbia.nl and on the singer's website: www.lollyjaneblue.com

Links:
Microbia
Revver

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