Leslie Raymond
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Contact Information*:
San Antonio Texas USA |
Position: Special Projects Director Contact Type: Artist |
| Affiliation: Ann Arbor Film Festival | |
| web: http://potterbelmar.org | |
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Bio:
Leslie Raymond is one half of the AV-duo known as Potter-Belmar Labs. Potter-Belmar Labs videos have also been screened and included on compilations by Blackchair. Leslie Raymond does not use recipes. All of her efforts are experiments. She approaches a selection of disparate ingredients with the spirit of a pioneer and an inventor. She is an artist without limitations of medium. Those extracategorical spaces are her territory, bringing together material and data--and often other artists--from far reaches and allowing a culture of relationships to grow. She creates art this way, and she generates grand spectacles this way. Leslie Raymond is, herself, one of these experiments, with a line of Russian Jewish heritage in one direction, and Chinese Taoist off in another. Her father is an architect; her mother is a potter. Where these strands come together is where Leslie Raymond begins, experimenting with process, texture, taste, and presentation. In addition to her professional artwork, Leslie Raymond teaches classes in new genres at the School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan, and works part-time assisting photographer Stephen Graham in Ann Arbor MI. Filmography/Awards Info: 1. Why did you make this film (Rife w/ Fire)? Stephen Rife & I had studios in the same building in St. Paul. When I first became acquiainted with his pyrotechnic work, I felt that what was & still is doing is extremely powerful, and immediately wanted to get his work more exposure. I also knew right away that inherent to his medium of fire are 2 extremely basic elements of the film medium-- light & movement. (the statement I wrote for the film says that, basically... Please refer to it for a more poetic take) The other element that led me to do the film is the existence of an optical printer at the Midwest Media Artists' Access Center. It had been several years since I'd had access to one (at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and, it being my true love of film processes, I could not stay away once I discovered it upon moving to St. Paul. 2. How long did it take to make this film? A little over one year. I shot Stephen's performances on R8, S8, & 16mm film for almost a year before beginning to work on the printer. The optical printing took about dozen sessions over the course of 2 months maybe... this includes doing a plethora of preliminary tests with my filmstock (color reversal) which my teacher, Dennis Couzin, had shown me how to do several years earlier. The editing took less than a week. Then I created the sound mix in an evening session with the assistance of my friend Patrick Maun, on his Mac, and then tightened up the sync by cutting out a freme or two as needed back at the editing table (after getting the sound transferred to mag). 3. What was the biggest challenge you faced in making this film? The fact that nobody at MMAAC at that time really knew much about the printer. There was a problem with the film in the projector gate slipping, which I was actually able to work around & even work into the film in one part. 4. Do you have any "war stories" that you would like to tell us about the making of this film? 5. What can you tell us about the technology/equipment that you used? Camera? Editing? Software? Hardware? Film stock? Video tape stock? Sound equipment? Etc. I shot with my 16mm Bolex, and a couple of old & obscure S8 & R8 cameras. Worked on the JK optical printer at the MMAAC in St Paul using a color reversal stock. Recorded an interview with Stephen on a WM-D3 recording walkman (not digital) & mixed & edited on a friends Mac (I can't remember the software, but we were able to have the moving image as a reference). Edited with my poor-woman's system of moviescop, rewinds, squawk box, synchronizer. I went to an interneg & made prints off that. 6. Do you enjoy one aspect of filmmaking more than any others? yes: the optical printing process. Not from a technical standpoint, but from the creative/intuitive side. I think this is similar to the process of kiln firing. My mother is a potter, so I grew up around this situation of her preparing work to fire (including glazing), setting up the internal environment of the kiln by controlling the heat, airflow, & other variables. This process can only be 'controlled' to a certain extent. What becomes important is setting aside the technical knowledge & relying on the intuitive to create sequences imbued with texture & movement which have the possibility of evoking different kinds of spaces-- perhaps more akin to the spaces of dream, memory, & emotion. 7. In what country or region do you live? Is it important to your art? If so, in what way? Currently I live in Ann Arbor, MI. I moved here to get my MFA at the U of Michigan in New Genres. Having been out of school now for almost a year, my most major mission is to get out of town. Despite the reputation, Ann Arbor is extremely conservative when it comes to the fine arts (except for the A2FilmFest--YAY!--thankyou filmfest!). So I find that, as an extremely experimental artist working in all media including "social sculpture" & other very conceptual forms as well as concrete forms like installation & projections, this is a difficult place for me to create & exhibit work (though I do exhibit here at the Matrix Gallery-- YAY for the Matrix!) because there are constant demands that I explain myself. 8. What does "Microcinema" mean to you? 9. What does "Independent" mean to you? 10. What are a few tips you can give to other filmmakers? 11. Do you have ideas for another film? If so, will you share them with us? 12. Who is your favorite film director? 13. What is your favorite film? 14. What else would you like to tell us? This Contact appears in this database if Microcinema International has screened a film directed by the Contact, a film directed by the contact is featured in a DVD distributed by the Blackchair Collection Shop, or featured an organization or activity linked with the Contact. This database is used for commercial as well as informational, non-commercial purposes. It is a historical archive of Microcinema International's activities. Inclusion in this database and archive in no way implies a continuing formal relationship or affiliation with Microcinema International or the Blackchair Label nor an endorsement of its activities by the Contact. Contact details are not displayed in order to protect privacy. If you wish to contact this artist please see their website as listed above or write Microcinema International and we will be happy to forward your e-mail.
Microcinema Interview/Article:
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