Ahead of the world premiere of For Now, I Am… at Tramway on 26 + 27 May 2015, we’ve been catching up with the creative team to find out about their creative processes and inspiration behind Marc’s new work.
First up is a Q+A with Jamie Wardrop, Visual Projectionist.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more Q+As with other members of the creative team!
Jamie Wardrop, Visual Projectionist
1. How did you get involved with Marc Brew Company / For Now, I am..?
It was initially through a colleague Kim Simpson who manages the Work Room, a studio and support network for dance at Glasgow’s Tramway. We collaborated on an installation that used live visuals and she kindly passed on my details to Marc. After an initial meeting describing the show and what he needed Marc invited me on to the team!
2. How did Marc’s story / movement inspire you create the visual projections?
A lot of the early discussions revolved around the spiritual and purifying of water, as well as the elemental forces. It became clear that the huge white sheet in the dance could become a canvas for the healing processes that Marc experienced, during his recovery from his accident. For me, water in projection was something that I had wanted to experiment with a for a long time so it was the right project, at the right time . Water really can express so many permutations and relates deeply to the subconscious and emotions – this was a great ‘well’ of inspiration to draw on.
3. What is your process of getting from inspiration to the finished piece?
I am lucky that Scotland is full of water. I find myself getting lost in its hypnotic qualities and already had a bank of film I had shot of it on my travels. For the project specifically, I spent a lot of time at the side of Loch Lomond on different days watching the surface of it change in different prevailing conditions (including the pouring rain!). This became the source for a lot of the video in the show. I always switched from film in to digital animation. I began to create more abstracted forms of water in 3d animation software, to bring a different aesthetic to the piece. Working with the creative team in rehearsal we began to edit and refine the material and quite intuitively certain parts of it really started resonating with Marc’s choreography.
4. How does the projection help tell the story of For Now, I am..?
The lighting, sound and projection are really complimentary in Marc’s piece. The create moments of sublime suspension which express the struggle and eventual transformation Marc had to face in the light of his shocking accident. I think together we have made something using simple and pure elements that really allow us to revel in the story of Marc’s movement. The projection, I think helps us get immersed in Marc’s performance.
5. Why do you think people should come and see For Now, I am..?
Marc has created a piece of work of arresting honesty. As well as going in to an experience that is deeply personal, I think it is also universal. People will be touched by the story of overcoming adversity and coming out the other side stronger than before. And of course like any such journey there are a few surprises on the way.