Shadows

We would like you to be part of this Project and for you to help with making it happen. Without you and your help we will not be able to make this dream come true. We hope you are interested in the idea of “portray shadows” as much we are (the team).

In this shortfilm I want to work the shadow in a totally visual way where I will register the almost invisible: the shadow’s movement, how it moves and rotates, how it describes its form in different places. How it swells, expands, grows and shrinks the opaque elements that we are and that exist around us. The shadow’s movement is generated by the changeable light of nature. The shadow affirms figures and objets giving them weight and volume, as there are also bodies and objects, as well as light and air. The shadow’s issue has always been fascinating and enigmatic for the human being. Deep, opaque or slight, and nearly transparent, they have been used to accompany the passage of time, also to measure hours, the passing moment of dreams, of reality, of feelings, of the rational and the irrational, magic and legend, terror and the mystery. As Rafael Alberti wrote in "A painting" (1945_1952): "Turned around the light. And black was born."

Shadow will portray the enigmatic and poetic shadow’s growth and how slowly it’s killing her mother, the light.

I have always been excited about the shadow´s world for many reasons. From graphic drawings through chiaroscuro painters like Caravaggio, German expressionist cinema, silhouette and Siloutte, a Japanese philosophy book called "In Praise of Shadows" widely read in Architecture schools around the world and the beautiful Plinian myth where a young Corinthian potter's daughter (Butades Scion), made a portrait of her lover projecting his shadow through a candlelight, for her to remember him when he goes to war. It is said that with this story the portrait was born.

The more I read about it, and therefore gathered information about it, the more I got passionated about the idea of “Shadows”. Eventually, years later, I thought about making a beautiful record, a beautiful portrait of the subject that has been fascinating me for so long. I have decided that the length would be a shortfilm, and that it would simply portray, in the most precious and poetic possible way, the strange world of shadows.

Shadow is a complex project, demanding in terms of metereological conditions, lighting and weather. The appearance of any element could constantly interrupt the filming, delaying the shooting schedule set for weeks. Each shot has to be accurate, with no camera shutter bugs nor atmospheric changes which affect the visibility of the shadow. The technique we follow to capture these movements is the timelapse. Each shot is filmed during 6 or 7 hours and, for that time, there can not be any single mistake, if so (usually a cloud or light changes) the process must be repeated. Therefore, the unique moment of the year to film is in summer, which restricts the number of takes, as for each shot, it can take 2 weeks to finish without any errors.

We have already made some tests which have shown that each shot requieres previous shadow´s movement analysis and studies; each take must be properly studied prior to shooting: how and how long is this shadow going to be, how does the sun effect and where will the shadow be projected. We also have atmospheric effects which could complicate the take. Because of all this, each shot has a great cost, being the reason why we are looking for funding in order to be able to film every single take needed for The Shadow Project.

WHAT WILL MY DONATION BE USED FOR?
The money will go to the logistic and equipment expenses (for the recordings in different locations during the duration of the project) as well as the picture and sound postproduction costs. The total budget is € 25,000. Verkami funding will be complemented with the support of the Canary Island Goverment and other private contributions that we are negotiating for.

CALENDAR

The recording will be in summer 2013. The post production period will carry on through October and November with the idea of finishing the film in December 2013. Part of the reward will be given to you from October 2013, others as workshops, the dinner, premier attendance, for the end of the year, January 2014 at the latest.

More information: sombrashadow.tumblr.com