DARK MATTER: a collaboration of light, sound and movement
It was a warm, clear morning in Sydney's East. Drill Hall had been booked for the entire day. A film crew was setting up, two young dancers were slowly stretching and I, wringing my hands in anticipation, was eagerly waiting for it all to begin.
One of my ongoing projects is a group called SILAMOR - a collective of musicians, artists and film-makers dedicated to collaboration and the creation of meaningful content. After three months of meetings, planning and preparation, the day had come when we were ready to shoot.
The objective was to create a film clip was for my newly recorded song, DARK MATTER - a composition comparing the nature of love to particular astronomical phenomena.
The concept was simple. Put two dancers in a darkened space, map out the choreography and light them beautifully.
At this stage I was loving the experience and hoping for the best. What I wasn't prepared for was the level of professionalism and dedication that presented itself throughout the day. Each of the people present in that room had generously donated their time and their talents to this project. Some of them I met for the first time that day, yet it was magic.
At this stage I was loving the experience and hoping for the best. What I wasn't prepared for was the level of professionalism and dedication that presented itself throughout the day. Each of the people present in that room had generously donated their time and their talents to this project. Some of them I met for the first time that day, yet it was magic.
"Something happens when you make art for the right reason. Not that there is one right reason, but there is the reason that you make it, the reason you know is right for you. I believe that when people sense this, the occasion emits a certain kind of 'collaborative pheromone'. When that happens, we can't help ourselves. We are drawn to it. We want in on the action"
There was a collective acknowledgment in that space during those 8 hours of filming. We were all making something, creating something... something new... together... spontaneously. Each and every one of us brought our experience, our skills and our enthusiasm to that moment - to ultimately create a greater whole through the sum of our parts.
This is the joy of sharing, the joy of working with like-minded people.
This is what collaboration looks, feels and sounds like.
The wonderful and remarkably talented people who made this project possible are: Naomi Hibberd, Ben Marret, Kent Marcus, Jack Kemp, Matt Bedford, Tom Truong and Thomas Gfeller.
