Countdown to Couch Fest #5 - Tess Martin Goes Swimming with Whales #indiefilm #2012CFF #animation

Quick, tell all of your friends...the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival is tomorrow! I’m excited to meet and hear about the movie-loving strangers who will gather and chat about shorts all day long -- shorts they love, shorts they hate and shorts they don’t quite understand.

'The Whale Story' - Animator Stefan Gruber, Animator Webster Crowell, Director/Animator Tess Martin and actor DK PanAnimator Tess Martin’s experimental tale ‘The Whale Story’ will be representing the U.S. alongside Kumar Satkunarasa’s ‘Life and Stuff’from Europe.

In just three minutes, ‘The Whale Story’ evaluates whether a fisherman’s connection with a female humpback whale is an example of inter-species communication or a mysterious fluke.

Earlier this month, Martin told me about her hopes of opening up a wider discussion about how fascinating the ability to communicate with animals could be and how shooting birds might not be the best solution for saving a group of endangered species.

Madlab Post: What are some of the challenges that you faced while making ‘The Whale Story’ and how did you overcome them?

Tess Martin: Well, ‘The Whale Story’ was animated frame by frame on a 16x32 foot wall in a public park in Seattle. I had use of the wall and a cadre of volunteers for two days. So immediate challenges were time and sunlight. We had to move quickly, but luckily I had four experienced animators helping me, and a very patient actor, and we managed to shoot all the wide shots in those two days. 

At the end, though, it did start raining, and the paint that were re-applying to animate the whale and water movement started streaking, and we had to stop the shoot. You can still see a bit of the streaking in the film if you pay attention. I went back to the wall with the actor and filmed all the close ups the next week. You can see a time-lapse of the making of the film: WATCH HERE.

In August, authorities in Argentina launched a 100-day plan to shoot seagulls that have been attacking the whales at sea; Eenvironmentalists disagree with the plan. Do you agree with the The Authorities or The Environmentalists -- or would you try an alternative approach?

Gosh, I don't know. I'm not really an expert on this type of thing, and am not familiar with this particular situation. It sounds like there's an unusual amount of seagulls, and that this method of feeding is new to them, in which case, it makes sense to contain them to save the whales. But shooting them out of the sky sounds a little weird, and like it would cause other unintended consequences, like lots of bird carcasses.

'The Whale Story' - Animator Britta Johnson, Animator Amanda Moore, Animator Webster Crowell, Director/Animator Tess Martin and Animator Stefan Gruber.Do you have any goals for ‘The Whale Story’ with regards to reach or audience impact?

I'm hoping that as many people as possible see the film, whether in festivals, or online, and are inspired by the story. I think of it as a starting point for conversation about animal consciousness, and human-animal communication. How can we know for sure whether the whale was saying thank you? Is it possible to ever really know for sure what an animal is thinking? What about our pets, the animals we feel we know very well? How different would the world be if we could communicate effortlessly with other species?

If you could only protect one group of endangered species, which animal would it be?

I look at the animal kingdom from the perspective of a fascinated layman, and thankfully, I do not have the power to make such a decision. I have my favorite animals, of course - I've always liked cats and felines, but I also find whales and other water creatures so fascinating precisely because their environment is so different from ours. But asking which species you would save is like asking which of your children you would save - obviously, you would just try to save all of them.

The Whale Story is playing tomorrow, Saturday, November 10^th at the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival. Check the “Attend” tab on the festival’s website for showtimes.

Can YOU communicate well with your pets?

This post is a continuation of my Countdown to Couch Fest campaign -- a selection of brief, yet, randomly outrageous and sometimes insightful interviews that I conducted with many of the directors behind the films playing at this year's Couch Fest lineup and will be publishing semi-daily between the regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme and King Dong programs until Saturday, November 10, 2012!

Countdown to Couch Fest #4 - Quebec’s own Martin Thibaudeau Conquers Prudes, Extreme Sports in 48-hour Film #2012CFF #indiefilm

Seattle, WA is shaping up to be among the busiest of Couch Fest 2012 locations -- prepped and ready to showcase everything this film festival has to offer. One of the things that I like about Seattle’s lineups are the fact that there are multiple showtimes at each location. 

l-r 'Parachute' director Martin Thibaudeau, cinematographer François Gamache, actor Louis Tremblay and actress Christine Beaulieu.

So, those of you who are in the area can really pack in most, if not all, of the short films by traveling from one house to another. Of all the shorts playing in Seattle, I highly recommend watching ‘Parachute,’ a movie Couch Fest describes as being about a couple that discovers a particular parachuting club where you probably won't die.  

I recently spoke with Canadian filmmaker Martin Thibaudeau who wrote, directed and produced this six-minute comedy -- in France.

Thanks to Thibaudeau, I found another example of how good movies CAN be made in less than 48 hours and why it serves the human race well to get out of our comfort zone, for that is where adventure rests.

Madlab Post: Is this movie more about facing fears in general, or is it about the vulnerability that couples face when trying to salvage something that they could possibly lose?

Martin Thibaudeau: I hope people will interpret the film in their own way, but in my mind, it's about prudence versus temerity, comfort versus adventure. Two ways of life, two qualities that oppose themselves in our minds all the time. How do they affect our relationships? What effects do they have on our happiness, on our survival?! Which is better?

It's also about bad customer service ;-) 

Have you ever been in a parachute?

I've never done parachuting. I'd like to try it but it's not on top of my priority list. There is something trendy about these extreme sports, isn't there?

'Parachute' director Martin ThibaudeauCan you tell me something that I don't know about the making of this film?

It was shot in the Trouville, France Short film festival by a French and Quebec (Canada) volunteer cast and crew -- in one day and screened in front of the festival audience 48 hours later. The young French actress [Kenza Laala] playing the parachute company reception girl was doing her debut in this film. It was her first shoot. Not bad eh!  

What is more valuable to human beings -- security & peace of mind or adventure?

I personally identify more with adventure but I also indulge in some security and peace of mind. We all need both. It's a question of dosage.
 

PARACHUTE is playing on Saturday, November 10th at the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival. Check the Couch Fest website’s “Attend” section to find showtimes in your area.

What is the most adventurous activity that YOU have ever participated in?

 

This post is a continuation of my Countdown to Couchfest campaign -- a selection of brief, yet, randomly outrageous and sometimes insightful interviews that I conducted with many of the directors behind the films playing at this year's Couch Fest lineup and will be publishing semi-daily between the regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme and King Dong programs until Saturday, November 10, 2012!

Countdown to Couch Fest #3 - Duncan Cowles’ Lamp Casts Mom As Lead Actress by Accident #indiefilm #seattle #2012CFF

As the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival creeps up on us, I’m starting to wish that the event organizers added an extended program to the Philadelphia lineup. Don’t get me wrong, the 90 minutes of award-winning short films playing in Philly on Saturday are a treat.

There are downsides to living at home when you're twenty-one. - The Lady with the Lamp

Regardless, I crave the chance to introduce Philly movie fanatics to some of the most entertaining shorts that are playing in Seattle, Washington -- such as Jimmy Weber’s six-minute horror 'Incubator' and Martin Thibaudeau’s six-minute comedy/drama 'Parachute.' 

Luckily, I've had the pleasure to discuss the films as well as other wacky subjects with the very people who made them -- no matter whose house, apartment, office space or garage they are playing at. UK based documentarian Duncan Cowles, whose latest work 'The Lady with the Lamp' was selected for Couch Fest 2012, is one of these people. A week before Halloween, Cowles told me how he used to perform as James Bond, ended up making two short films at once and why timing is everything when it comes to figuring out when you should no longer live at home with your parents.

Madlab Post: How did you celebrate your 21st birthday?

Duncan Cowles: On the actual day of my birthday I had a family meal, and then at the weekend I booked out the back room of a bar in Edinburgh called Dragonfly and had all my mates round for a few drinks.

'Lady with the Lamp' Filmmaker Duncan Cowles and his Mom.

What age should parents require their kids to move out from home?

I'd say that just when the time is right. I eventually moved out just before turning twenty-two, which was fine for me. Apart from dealing with my Mum's enthusiasm for lamps, there wasn't too much that got in the way of my freedom and with going to College and University in Edinburgh, it didn't make sense to fork out for a flat.

Tell me something I don't know about The Lady with the Lamp.

The film happened completely by accident. I was filming a video blog for a different film about the culture of car pooling called ‘Pooling Together,’ when my Mum came barging into my room unaware of the fact the camera was on. I was simply waiting for her to leave so I could carry on my video blog.

How did you convince your mother to be in this film?

My Mum didn't get much of a choice. She chose to be in the film the moment she decided to criticise my bedside lamp. I had no intentions of making a film about her at all. Upon seeing the film apart from some minor embarrassment, she saw the funny side and doesn't seem to mind too much that it's been going to different film festivals.

If you were given 48 hours to make a movie starring Daniel Craig, what kind of role would you give him to play?

I have no idea what I'd do with him in 48 hours. I think I'd like to see him in some sort of comedy role -- maybe bring him up to Scotland and see him in some difficult, awkward situations such as getting on the wrong side of an angry pensioner. Or maybe trying to settle into the quiet life by joining a local tea dance to impress an old woman he met at the deli counter in Tesco. I'd find something to do with him -- maybe film him having dinner with my Mum? Or taking her shopping for a lamp?

Will you be going to see 'SkyFall?' 

Yes I've seen 'Skyfall' already. I've always been a massive James Bond fan since I was little. At my primary school talent competition, on stage in front of all the staff, parents and pupils I walked out to the James Bond theme and proceded to pretend shoot the audience. I then stated, "The names Cowles... Duncan Cowles." I did it two years running.

The Lady and the Lamp is playing on Saturday, November 10th at the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival. Check the Couch Fest website’s “Attend” section to find showtimes in or near your area.

And yes, I merged today’s Couch Fest post with my King Dong series and for good reason -- Daniel Craig, who now succeeds Jeremy Rener on the throne, is also from the UK. Hey, if Duncan Cowles can make two films simultaneously, then I can cover two topics/series in one blog post, right?!

Has YOUR mother or father ever walked in on you during a surprising or awkward moment?

How old were YOU when you moved out of your parents’ house?

This post is a continuation of my Countdown to Couchfest campaign -- a selection of brief, yet, randomly outrageous and sometimes insightful interviews that I conducted with many of the directors behind the films playing at this year's Couch Fest lineup and will be publishing semi-daily between the regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme and King Dong programs until Saturday, November 10, 2012!