Dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange.
~ Cobb, Inception
When the idea for our 2023 show theme Cinematic was first born, we naturally thought— well, let’s make a dance film inspired by a movie! This was not our first venture into dance films. When our 2020 production, Teller of Tales, was canceled due to COVID, videographers Brionna Harris and Eric Bassett partnered with us to film the entire show at various locations throughout Idaho. (Feel free to check that out on YouTube!) We also debuted Justene Vaterlaus' Through a Child's Eyes, filmed and produced by Jake Rapp, last year at Exploration. But we digress. Back to Daydream.
Daydream, inspired by the major motion picture Inception, is a dance film directed by Lorraine Fisher (Explore Company member & Media Coordinator) with a skeleton crew of Jake Rapp as the cinematographer, Kanyon Rapp as 1st AC, and Robyn Tucker as choreographer. It starred five Explore Dance Company Members: Hannah Jarvis, Hannah McKarcher, Melissa Petty, Robyn Tucker, and Justene Vaterlaus.
"When Justene first asked me to choreograph I was so nervous," said Tucker, choreographer for Daydream. "I gravitate toward floorwork in choreography but filming outdoors in white costumes meant all of the movement had to remain off the ground. I was also being handed someone else's vision and asked to bring that to life through movement. What if she hated what I came up with?"
Working with strictly natural light, the cast and crew spent two full days in September of 2022 shooting in various locations around the Treasure Valley, and a large portion of time at JUMP in downtown Boise. Both days were roughly 10-12 hours long, as we maneuvered around to find the best spots for light to shoot each scene. Don’t worry, we didn’t forget to break for lunch both days at our favorite pizza spot downtown, Wylder.
"So much time, thought, and energy went into this film," commented Fisher, Daydream director. "Not just the editing and shooting but the layout beforehand. We only had two days to get all the footage I needed. There was no second chance if I got to the editing stage and realized I was missing something."
Everyone worked so hard to make this film a success. But, in true Explore fashion, we never forget to play hard also. Our favorite moment? Probably using a leaf blower to make it look like wind was blowing papers around. No wait, maybe it was running around a public place in black and white unitards. (Security LOVED us!) And then there was watching us all try to walk down the steep hill without getting our white clothes dirty. Or the moment we SWORE we saw something slither by in the grass.
Curious how the film turned out? Daydream will be premiering at our 2023 charity benefit concert, Cinematic, on April 28th, 2023 at the Nampa Civic Center. We can't wait to share it with you!
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