roxana

Roxana has a date with the Geminis!

2007-08-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Although many months have gone by since my last post, I am happy to be updating this blog with the following great news: Roxana has been nominated for 6 Gemini Awards~! The Geminis are awarded for outstanding work in Canadian television and will be presented on October 17th. The general public can attend: for tickets see the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Teleivision website.

Moze couldn't be more thrilled. Here is what he says:

"Congratulations to everyone as this is a great honour. Entirely overlooked, however, is the work of the brilliant cast and music composers for reasons that will probably only be known to aliens in a far away galaxy. But each nomination is a reflection of the combined efforts the entire team and the great work that was produced. These nominations are in addition to three other awards recently won by Roxana: The first by ace cinematographer, Michael Spicer, given by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers; and the second and third for Best Performance Program and Best Score (Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk) handed out at the recent Golden Sheaf Awards at the Yorkton Film Festival.

Big kudos to Roberto Campanella for his great and rich choreography! Thank you and hugs to the CBC, Bravo! (Bravo!FACT) ARTV, Telefilm, CTF, Judy Gladstone, Jacinthe Brisebois, Elisabeth Paradis, Greta Hodgkinson, Sheila McCarthy, Alexina Louie, Alex Pauk, Jeff Bessner, Craig Merritt, Randi Kirshenbaum, Susan Kelly, Lisa Clarkson, Sheen MacDonald, Alan Geldart, Dianne Weinrib, Shane Kinnear, Ron Scott and the entire cast and crew.

And a very special thanks to the great and wonderful Robert Sherrin for his support for not only this project but his remarkable work throughout the years on “Opening Night”. You’ve left a great legacy for everyone, Bob!

The Gemini Award nominations for Roxana are:

Best Performing Arts Program or Series or Arts Documentary Program or Series
p. Moze Mossanen, Stephen Traynor
(Mossanen Productions)

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
Moze Mossanen

Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series
Michael Spicer

Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Dramatic Program or Series
Rhonda Moscoe, Martha Sparrow

Best Costume Design
Debra Hanson

Best Achievement in Make-Up
Mary Monforte

Congratulations to everyone. Check back here in October, to see what happened!

exciting times ahead!

2006-10-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Great news folks! Roxana has three wonderful dates with the public in the next months. First of these is the actual premiere of the film, which will occur at the Moving Pictures Festival in Toronto on November 2nd. The screening and a reception will be held at the gorgeously restored Gladstone Hotel. Since the hotel is also an exhibition space for artists, and since a scene in Roxana includes a ballroom scene in an art space, it is the ideal location. Be sure to come out on November 2nd at 8pm at the Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom, 1214 Queen Street West. Tickets are $10 at the door, available 30 minutes prior to showtime.

Next up in the new year is Roxana's international debut at the prestigious FIPA festival in Biarritz, France. Le Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels is held annually to celebrate international television and Roxana has the added honour of being invited into competition at the festival. Moze has attended in competition in the past, most notably in 2005 with his film, From Time to Time. It is a wonderful honour to be invited back. Anyone going to be in France in January? (Don't we all wish!)

Finally, we are now able to announce with great excitement that the film will be broadcast Thursday, February 8th at 9 pm on the CBC. The Bravo!FACT and ARTV broadcast dates will be known shortly and as soon as there is news of them I will be sure to post them here. Roxana the movie is starting to have Roxana the lady's life! Wined and dined in the best of circles - and enjoying every minute. Join in where you can!

cast and crew screening!

2006-08-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Almost two years since its first inception, and after much creative energy and tireless work, Roxana has finally been born. The movie had its cast and crew screening in Toronto at the Regent Theatre on Tuesday, August 15th. Friends, families and just plain fans gathered to see how all the months of labour finally bore out. I was thrilled to introduce Moze and Stephen who celebrated and introduced the talent assembled. Moze's sister, Mirella, an accomplished photographer, was at the event, camera in hand. Mirella's work has been exhibited in Toronto and will soon be on view again in Los Angeles and Europe. We Many thanks to Mimi for allowing me to post her images.

When the lights went down, I found myself unexpectedly nervous. It suddenly struck me that we were about to see the movie projected. As in the big screen! Though I had seen several cutting room versions, this aspect of viewing was going to be a first for us all, including Moze. It's a strange anomaly of contemporary film and television production that many large scale projects like this one, operating on a modest budget endorsed by broadcasters and destined for the small screen, nonetheless start by shooting on film, in the same way that filmmakers who are making theatrically distributed films do. The footage is then transferred to video for editing on a video system, where it is then previewed for testing on televisions in edit room suites. And of course, when it is broadcast, it will be seen only on televisions.So what a surprise, therefore, to find ourselves watching the movie in a theatrical venue, on a large screen. Changes had occurred since the last version I saw. The small adjustments a seasoned viewer makes, watching different versions in front of a tv, seemed like larger leaps on such a large screen. I found myself wondering what it must be like for those who actually created the work! I was amazed by how cleanly the emotional lines translated to the big vision from the small screen - a tribute to the masterful editing by Jeff Bessner.

New to me in this version were the sound elements: the scoring and the sound design all matched to picture. Although I had observed a recording session, I was nonetheless astonished by the accomplishments of Alex Pauk and Alexina Louie, as composers, in working with dance in a post-production situation. Normally, film projects using dance work with the music recorded during performance and production - in this case, it was all composed afterward. The gorgeous textures and melodies flowed seamlessly with the dance. The sound design by Alan Geldart was also impressive, with heels clicking down hallways and noisy neighbours all filling out the authenticity of environment.

Watching Roxana unspool on the big screen was a wonderful fulfilment of having watched it grow. I am now incredibly biased, but it seems to me the movie works beautifully to weave the story as visually as possible, relying on dance and music elements to enhance the rich and vivid emotional life that is never far from the surface of these characters. The gorgeous, lush, visual textures created by Moze and Michael Spicer, working of course with incredibly talented people like Rhonda Moscoe and Debra Hanson and their teams, allows for there to be a sense of era very rare to this kind of feature filmmaking for broadcast. In other words, most people shooting for broadcast, think in small screen terms. In this film, it feels as if each frame is saturated with texture and meaning, which then, when it comes down to the small screen, is all the more radiant. In other words, it works! Emotion, story, and visual language are beautifully brought together.

In the end, the sure test of a movie is its audience - and this one seemed excited and pleased. At the patio of the nearby restaurant where people gathered afterward to celebrate, enthusiastic applause broke out as Moze entered. He in turn applauded all those gathered, who indeed represented the vast array of talents who brought Roxana to birth. Mazeltov! to everyone!

The path now is the one to broadcast, expected in January 2007 as part of the last season of CBC's Opening Night variety series. Selected highlights will also appear later on Bravo. The film may make a stop or two along the way at film festivals. Whatever happens, you can read about it here, if not before the fact, then certainly afterward. In the meantime, congratulations to all on a wonderful project - on to the next one!

the final sprint

2006-06-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Roxana is in its final sprint. After months spent assembling and refining the cuts of the film, laying in the music and recutting, adding voiceover and mixing sound, the final moments are at hand. The journey has been mostly technical since January, about numbers and coding and timing. But the soul of the story and its artistic expression are borne out in each choice and the final shape has been given enormous new expression by the work of the editor, composers, musicians and sound designers.

I was privileged to see a rough assembly back in March and even then I was excited. At that point, the old music guidetracks and pieces used for the purpose of shooting were still in. These tracks had not yet been replaced by the gorgeous textured composition and arrangements of Alexina Pauk and Alex Louie. During this time, Moze and Jeff were talking about adding voiceover. I even came down one day to record a guide voiceover track to help them figure things out. (Moze ended up recording his own voice instead - there goes my alternate career!)

Producer Stephen Traynor was in the room at that first screening too. In the discussion that followed, we all traded thoughts on how it was shaping up. I was astonished even then by the intensity and yet sustainable consistency of the emotional line of the film. Neither gothic, nor melodramatic, it nonetheless achieved a near constant dramatic intensity, both in and out of the dance sequences. Moze was clearly mining new territory for himself.

A month later, a larger gathering huddled in a different Third Floor Editing suite and editor Jeff Bessner ran the tape again. Assistant Director Maria Popoff was among those in the room this time, as well as friends of Moze who had no relation to the project. The response was unanimously excited, while still offering important observations and questions for Moze and Jeff to consider. The biggest difference in this version was the more conscious skewing of the film's perspective in the direction of Roxana's friend, Amy. Even though the film is still centered around Roxana’s exploits, it was decided that it would be largely Amy's story, or a story told from her perspective. As a result, the difference in the clarity of the editing was remarkable. (Moze's guidetrack voice would later be replaced by actress Sheila McCarthy's.) The net result was another layer of meaning: a seamlessness of audio texture that somehow strengthened the feeling of unity to the movie. The look of the film is also sensational, with a lushness of deep primal colours in various scenes. An outside producer in the room remarked aloud how rich the film looked, and how much had been made of the given resources.

Throughout February and March, Jeff and Moze continued to refine the picture cut and gather feedback. During that time the music was recorded for the dance sequences and Jeff went back and recut the numbers to the new music. The next step was an ADR session to re-record all the dialogue in the film, followed by the "Loop Group" day, in which general background and people noises were added. Finally the dramatic music was recorded - a session I attended (see pictures below). On Thursday June 15th, all the remaining sound recording will occur, including the sounds created by the feet of the dancers and actors in both the dancing and acting scenes. At that point, all the sound elements: dialogue, music and sound effects will be mixed together and get married to the online version of the film.

Until now the movie has existed in low resolution video for cutting purposes. But when it is finished, Jeff will return to the master picture tapes and lay in every single shot again in high resolution. Once it has been onlined this way, every shot will also have to be corrected for colour, contrast and other picture enhancements.

And it must all occur by June 30th!, when the film will be delivered to CBC. After so much intense work, it will be time for a break or to take a look at other projects. Or perhaps Moze will just skip town and head to Muskoka cottage country! Either way, Roxana will be waiting in the wings, standing by for her next cue. Stay tuned.

making beautiful music

2006-04-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long time hasn't it!? The two months since the last post have been very full, not only in my life, but in the life of Roxana, as every frame of her shot footage is logged, muddled over, counted, reviewed and noted. In February, the music was recorded and in March the first rough assemblies were hung together. There is still much work ahead but also much to celebrate.

One of the most unusual elements of this production is the fact that guidetrack music was used during shooting for the ballet sequences, and the real music laid down later. The music tracks for Roxana, composed by Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk, were recorded on February 13th at CBC. In a small space with just seven instrumentalists conducted by one of the composers, the musical vision came to life. On the eve of Moze jetting off to London to visit family, he took a moment to share with me some updated thoughts on the process. The pix you see were taken during the recording sessons.

What were the unique features about this particular recording session, in comparison to your previous movies?

Moze: I must say that the music in Roxana presented more challenges than in any of my past films. But I was helped in great part by the composers understanding, generosity and musicality. You see, the music in the film – and I’m referring to all the dance music, in particular – was composed after the fact, meaning it was created once all filming was completed and we had embarked upon editing. For various reasons, but having mainly to do with the composers’ hectic performing and composing schedules, we had to use “temp” tracks in both rehearsals and shooting as the final dance could not be made in ready in time. Roberto (the choreographer) and I ended up using various pieces of music from a variety of sources such as Prokofiev, Bernard Hermann (particularly his scores for Hitchcock), as well as music by Brian Keane, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Cherry Poppin Daddies – quite an eclectic pool, for sure!

It was therefore quite the daunting task for Alex [Pauk] and Alexina [Louie, composers] to sit down with the edited dance sequences, created and shot to a different music altogether, and write new compositions that would be in keeping with not only the spirit and feel of the original pieces but maintain the tempo, timing and all flourishes and physical synchronizations between the choreography and the music. Actually, now that I think about it, the whole thing feels like an impossibility (and maybe even a bit wild), but we had no choice but to follow this route and I’m happy to say our sweat and toil has paid off. The music that Alex and Alexina have written is certainly different from what we originally started with (which was the point, anyway) but I think they’ve captured a sense of continuity and dramatic development that could not have been possible with the pastiche of the original music. We also now have the opportunity to incorporating many of the themes, ideas, textures and colours contained in the dance music into the underscoring of the dramatic scenes. Undoubtedly, it will allow us to create a sense of unity that will be unique alone to Roxana and the world she inhabits in the film.

What intrigued you about working with Alexina and Alex?

Moze: I have been lucky to work with very gifted composers. What drew me to the Alexes is that they have their own orchestra and have composed for both large symphonic bodies and smaller ensembles. They’ve also created many scores for films such as The Five Senses and Last Night and understand the dramatic connective needs between action and music. In a film with a heightened sense of reality and drama like Roxana, I needed composers who had experience with both of these elements and were not afraid of sounding baroque or unashamedly extravagant. You see, nothing in Roxana is real: everything from the décor, costuming, hair, make-up, costuming and right down to the staging and acting has been heightened in such a way to create a world that’s entirely on its own. And the music has to fit into that scheme somehow which I’m happy to say that the Alexes have absorbed into their overall score.

What was exciting about watching the recording happen?

Moze: The recording of the dance music was utterly thrilling as it was the first time I had sat before an orchestra recording for a film. From the moment I arrived and found the musicians tuning up, to watching the Alexes make last minute adjustments, to seeing the film unspool and having Alex conduct the music through its labyrinthine twists and turns, it was all completely exhilarating. It was also fascinating to watch the musicians “double-up” on certain parts so that certain sections would have a fuller sounding horn or string section or watch a musician make multiple passes on a number, each time adding a new instrument and layer of sound. There were also a couple of instances where we wanted a different feel to the music, in which case Alex would have the musicians mark the adjustments on their sheet music and we’d record it again. All in all, the musicians (mostly from the Esprit Orchestra which the Alexes conduct) were frighteningly good for they had not seen the music before coming in that morning. I was quite impressed to see them look over the sheet music and then play it so well the first time that it looked like they had been rehearsing for days!

Was this the first time you had heard the music?

Moze: I had heard the music once before the actual recording but only a very sketchy, computer-generated piano version. At first, I was quite confused (and maybe even a bit alarmed!) as I could not hear all the nuances that would go into making the pieces full and dramatic. But the Alexes walked me through each music piece, pointing out that one particular, metallic-sounding “ding-ding” was in fact the entire string section playing their assess off or another forlorn “bong-bong” was in fact the horns coming at you full force. Computers are great but they can never replace the real thing!

How will the music affect the editing of the film in terms of its pacing/rhythm/performance...?

Moze: One of the big challenges facing us in editing, now that the dance music has been composed and recorded, is to create a deeper sense of synchronization between the music and the performances. You see, what you’ll be hearing was not what the dancers heard when they were rehearsing and shooting. In the first assembly of the film, this was apparent somewhat in a couple of instances, but Jeff (the editor) has done an amazing job of bridging those moments and creating a fuller sense of harmony. We’ll also have an opportunity to have another go at some of those dance sections in the final scoring but so far everything is coming through quite nicely. It’s been a very different way of working but it has only been made possible by the awesome talents of everyone involved in this post-production phase, particularly Alex Pauk, Alexina Louie and Jeff Bessner.

Next up: the rough cut!

mary & madeleine

2006-01-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Of course, those who spent time on the set of Roxana will know Mary and Madeleine as the film's inspired make-up and hair design team. One of the great things about a blog is always having the opportunity to go back and take a closer look at some of the work that has been running in the background of a project like this one and no less valuable to its end result. In considering the visual aspects of Roxana, I have taken time out in the past to chat with Rhonda Moscoe and Debra Hanson about set and costumes. Now as we wait for the opportunity to report on how post-production is moving, there is time to explore the work of others. Where better to start than hair and make-up? Madeleine Russell and Mary Monforte designed the look of the transportive and emotional faces we will see in tight close-ups of the film. Besides the actors themselves, the work of these artists will be what creates an indelible impression.

I caught up with the divine Miss(es) "M" and here are their thoughts:

How would you describe the hair and make-up look of Roxana, in terms of defining style?

Mary: This is a stylized look reminiscent of the 50s and 60s.
Madeleine: (that's her, just visible attending to Greta on set at left) Hair styles in the 50's were defined by a distinctive look such as hair close to the head, curls, softness around the face and waves. Hair in the 60s was bigger: flips,Vidal Sasoon geometric cuts, beehives, more hairspray and teasing .

How does the work of each of you affect the choices the other makes?

Mary: they must coincide with each other and compliment the entire look, including the clothing as well. For instance, the outfit should somehow blend with make up colours and avoid an obvious clash. Also, in period looks, certain colours are more distinct to that era. These are things that are common knowledge to the costume/make-up departments during research and prep for the piece.
Madeleine: On each hair and make-up change, Mary and I worked closely and consulted each other on what we had planned for each scene, making sure both were suitable for the story and complmentary to the actor.

What are/were the challenges of creating a look for a project such as this one?

Madeleine: The challenge before the shoot was the reseach: spending many hours over books and also collecting data from the internet, then deciding all the period hairstyles for the principle actors and dancers which took days to acomplish. What wigs and hairpieces to use, colours and length of hair as final choices.
Mary: keeping the looks in sync with the period was a definite challenge, yet keeping them stylized as per Moze's request.

What cues did you receive from Moze and/or how do you generally interact with the director of a project?

Madeleine: First let me tell you Moze is a dream director and fun to work with! After our collected reseearch, Mary and I met with Moze to discuss the look he wanted for the show which was highly stylized and edgey. He described each character to us and in general his vision for Roxana, and during production we consulted many times and found we were on the same page.
Mary: Part of the job is being able to accomodate the director's vision as well as keeping the talent happy. Moze wanted Roxana's look to always be a little overdone as per her character.

How much are you impacted (generally, in any situation) by the work being done by the costume designer?

Madeleine: For me the costume designer is very important. I have to see the costume before I can get a clear vision of a hairstyle. The collars and necklines are very important, as I must incorporate a workable style. There has to be a good balance in hair and costume.
Mary: The costume designer has the power to change any looks which do not meet with their designs in general: in dance pieces, the costumes may impact the make-up because fabric may be rubbing against the face and become soiled, smudging the make-up also. These things are always a concern for both departments and I am constantly aware and ready to make any adjustments/repairs.

Roxana covers a number of different eras, closely connected. How did you manage to make each feel so distinct?

Mary: Roxana's looks are always glamorous, so the hair really helped to define different eras as well as the clothing. Madeleine: I chose very distinct hair designs for the three periods we were in: 1957, 1962 and 1967.

Which character in the movie was the easiest to find a look for? Which was the hardest?

Madeleine: The male actors were the easiest to design for. Greta (Roxana) was the most challenging because she was in every scene and every era. I used hairpieces and wigs for her various dances and scenes. In some of the love scenes we used her own hair for softer sexier looks.
Mary: the easiest was Roxana's young daughter (Susan) who required minimal make-up. In general, I didn't find any other of the character's looks really hard.

What are the unique challenges of doing your work in combination with dance?

Mary: Ensuring that the make-up stays on while the dancer is on camera performing and sweating.
Madeleine: Making sure that wigs and hairpieces are secure on the heads for the dances.

What will you remember most in relationship to your work on Roxana..?

Madeleine: That it was such a beautiful production to watch during filming. The cast was amazing to work with. Working with Moze and helping to bring his vision to life.
Mary: I love dance. I studied modern dance in my younger years, so it's always been a passion of mine. It's always a great experience to meet these artists and collaborate with them, the outcome being a great performance.

roxana party & music notes

2006-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

January plods on and this strange mild winter seems determined to stay despite all odds. Walking up Parliament on Saturday to meet Moze for dinner prior to the Roxana wrap party, I marvelled at the temperature - cold, but the cold of late autumn or early Spring. The occasional Christmas light was a quick reminder of the season that has only just passed and through a window I saw a Christmas tree, still bejewelled and twinkling despite the date.

Strolling past the Winchester Hotel, I glanced up at the second floor, home of the Laurentian Room where the wrap party would occur in just a few hours. (These are all pix from the party.) Known for its art deco markings and possibly the longest bar in the city, it also features a weekend burlesque show. A bouncer was already standing outside the side door, shivering and bouncing to stay warm.

Over dinner, Moze brought me up to speed on the early post-production of Roxana. He and editor Jeff Bessner (that's him on the right in the picture above)and Roberto met with composers Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk this week to talk about what comes next.

We screened each dance sequence and discussed the important beats and choreographic flourishes that Alex and Alexina will need to keep in mind when composing the new music, including tempo, mood, colour and texture: For the Chez Paree sequence, for instance, we discussed a more Latin feel along the lines of Luis Prima who was very propular in clubs at the time; a less foreboding and more bittersweet approach to Amy’s Solo and Mattress Quintet; and a smaller orchestral sound for the first Roxana/Susan duet.

He went on to explain that both Amy’s Solo and the Mattress Quintet are being held back until they are edited as they will be radically changed when the intercutting material is woven in. For Amy’s Solo, it is her point of view of Roxana and the Landlord making love which, in fact, informs her gestures, he explained, while in the Mattress Quintet it is Amy’s point of view again as she watches and takes photographs of Roxana’s lovemaking with Eliot and a coterie of other lovers. As the editing of these sequences might radically change both the content and length of the dances, we decided that it would be best to treat them as part of the dramatic scoring which will be done when the film is locked.

Specific musical themes for characters were discussed, particularly for Roxana and Susan. In Susan’s case, we will be taking our cue from the jewellery music box from which Roxana pulls out Susan’s photo as a young girl and remembers to herself the child she had given up. This theme would also be worked into each of the scenes (dance and drama) with Roxana and Susan. In the waltz section, I suggested that the two waltz duets (the first with Ted and the second with Rex) following the big waltz in the ballroom each need to be treated with a deepening sense of anxiety, as if things were spiraling out of control. As Roxana gets a taste of the good life and sacrifices nearly everything for material possessions, I wanted the music to reflect this feeling of moral compromise.

Although this order of creative development is highly unusual in a dance film project (most of the time, the music comes first and is the inspiration for the dance), the experimentation of this process allows for some very exciting discoveries. Moze remarked on the general level of excitement and everyone's universal feeling about how strong the footage seems to be.

The lattes imbibed, the mufflers were wound round our necks again for the short walk back up to Winchester and the party. And what a party! One end of the bar had been saved for the group who quickly filled the space and disappeared into the darkness of the space only to be lit by the occasional flicker of glass catching light. At 11:00 p.m. a spotlight fixed on a hoop hung from the ceiling and a burlesque dancer climbed into, soon beginning a balletic striptease. More dancers followed: a woman lap danced a customer, a man gyrated on the floor. The act finished with a singer, singing a torchy song that ended with her dress dropping to the floor. In a strange way it was fitting - we were hurled into where the character Roxana begins her story - the Chez Paree number belonged to this very world in a different era. These folks had no idea they were surrounded by some of the best dancers and performers in the country - who all seemed quite rapt. Rapt. Wrapped. Roxana lives and moves on, reinventing and connecting all her past and future lives.

a new year and a new phase

2006-01-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

The tree is down, the last of the turkey soup is in the freezer, the new year is here and a new phase of production is underway for Roxana. Post-production has officially begun. After the adrenalin rush of the 13 day shoot in December, most of the principals slipped away into the holiday rush, whether here or on neighbouring farms, or off onto new projects or in the case of both Roberto and Greta separately - to Italy! The intensity of the shoot has played itself out against the festival haze of the holiday season. Suddenly, January is here and time to get back to the important work that awaits.

The footage has all been viewed by Moze and Jeff Bessner, the editor, and shipped off to Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk who are completing their work on the scoring for the film. Some time in the future Moze and Roberto and Jeff and Stephen will meet to discuss what the film will now look like, how it will hang together. Although the script is still the firm guide, each phase of a movie production involves a new stage of revisioning. Did the story get captured? Has the camera found the emotional line of the film? What should the pacing be? The answers to these fundamental questions are all known and also ready for reinvention.

I checked in with Moze on Tuesday to hear his thoughts. Meanwhile, partly as a nod to nostalgia (nostalgia after three weeks?) and also to keep a sense of connectedness to the whole process of the movie making, I've decided to put up here some of the pix I took during rehearsal and production that never made it into the blog.

Here's Moze:
The next stage will be, in fact, quite interesting as Alexina and Alex will be writing new music based on all the tracks we used for rehearsals and shooting. There’s likely going to be a great deal of adjustment through trial and error for everybody but given how well this process has gone in the past for me, I’m confident it’ll all turn out OK. Once the final music is recorded, Jeff will cut the dances to the new music. It’s a highly unusual and unorthodox way of working, as almost every film has the final music recorded or at least composed before shooting the dances. After this is over, I can really say “well, I’ve done it ALL!” Well…, not quite.

Editing will continue through January and February and the first half of March before the sound designer, Alan Geldart takes over. Alan will be responsible for re-recording all the dialogue (ADR) spoken in the film as is the custom these days and creating all the sound effects such as doors opening and closing, phones ringing, street noises, cars passing as well as other more abstract sound elements (distortions in ambient noises) that will create the unique soundscape that is Roxana’s alone.

Some of this work will also be shared by our Foley artist who will work on the foot sounds, including all those made by the dancers during their dancing. I’ve made a promise to myself to attend one of these sessions as I can’t imagine what that would look like – a man, most likely a non-dancer – looking at the screen and trying to duplicate the precise brushes, slides and staccato like noises of the dancers’ feet! At this time Alexina and Alex will also start composing all the interconnecting music which ties the dramatic and musical sequences together. This is a somewhat daunting task as they will have to find seamless ways of integrating all the dramatic music with the dance sections, an undertaking even more impressive when you realize the entire film is supported by music, much like a symphony. Eventually, all the sound elements – dialogue, music and sound effects – will get mixed to one master track and then married to the onlined, colour-corrected master of the picture. Our delivery date is scheduled for the middle of April 2006. And this will be the first year in a long, long time where the film hasn’t been directly broadcast after delivery which will give me the chance to enter it, hopefully, in some festivals. (As you may know, most festivals in Canada don’t screen material that have already been broadcast.).

So,... first up: the dramatic sequences. These mostly small scenes in which characters engage each other in corridors, bedrooms, sidewalks, are like little bridges holding the islands of the dance narrative together. They can be cut together without music and so can happen now. I can only imagine what it will be like after that to have the music suddenly fill the frame and the same characters animate and come more viscerally and physically to life. It won't likely happen til February - but I can't wait!

amy's turn and shooting wraps

2005-12-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

Stage 15 of The Toronto Film Studios seemed unusually quiet on Saturday evening when I dropped by for the last remaining hours of production on Roxana. Gone were the dancers, the bright lights and huge spaces. Instead, a small, now intimate family of people remained to shoot the final group of scenes: a series of inserted shots and sequences in which Amy eavesdrops and spies on Roxana with her lovers. The scenes are delicate. The dubious ethics of Amy's actions stems from a deep love: although what she does might appear like betrayal, Amy is almost the only character in the story whose loyalty and devotion survive all others.

For most of the day, shooting was absorbed by a solo to be intercut with a love scene occurring on the other side of the wall between Roxana and one of her lovers. The solo is both an echo of what Amy sees and a sensual projection of her own desire. As choreographed by Roberto and performed by Sheila McCarthy, it is aching and edged with slightly tortured longing. The movements are expansive and yet end by curling inward. It is the kind of thing that is rarely done in a dance narrative context and will provide an important insight and texture in the film's depth of emotion.

In the small space representing Amy's apartment, a vent had been dramatically overlit to allow a surreal spotlight on the floor in which her dance may occur, further accenting the uncertain boundary between reality and fantasy. In keeping with the production's very strong design values, the rest of the room was both well-appointed and sad, reflecting its owner's loneliness.

When the sequence was finished, another short scene was shot in which Amy watches again, this time from a darkened space, and lit from below by the grate. She slowly focusses her camera and fires. The magic of filmmaking was more apparent here, as only a small bit of floor space, erected on a scaffold, was dressed and used. It was surrounded by empty wide open space. (In fact over Sheila's shoulder was the shell of another plane set.) And yet when the camera was rolling, the feeling of intensity was just as strong as in the other spaces. Pulling the camera from her face to stare, the same longing is there.

Then it is done. At about 7:30, the last remaining actor was broken from the film. As soon as Sheila had said her goodbyes and slipped away, the only shot remaining for the night was a close-up of the grate itself. With the final wrap on the shoot so close, and such emotionally intense sequences behind them, some of the keys were giddy. "Moze, you have notes for Miss Ceiling?," joked Maria, and everyone laughed. The camera was focussed intensely on the wall and its little golden chute cover. "Standby," said Moze, and everyone laughed again. "And action!" The camera slowly glided toward the grate. Incredibly, but in testament to the perfectionism at work, the shot required 5 takes. "Can I print this one?" asked a weary Angela, the Script Supervisor, also grinning. The jokes played on til the shot was done. Suddenly, the end was here and hugs were exchanged in relief and happiness.

Outside, in the cold, a small group gathered to say farewells. As I drove out of the lot, I reflected on a whole new phase which now begins. From here, there is the five months now til the film must be finished, editing, creating the music, making the story work with what has been done and what is still to be created. This blog will continue throughout all. (Beginning soon with Moze's notes on the road ahead so stay tuned!) Roxana has been shot. And 'in the can' are thousands of feet of emotion and colour and story, soon to be woven into magical life.

swinging! reunions and farewells

2005-12-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night, I drove through the large impressive but stark iron grid gates of The Toronto Film Studios on Eastern Avenue, one of the most popular places of production in the city with its fifteen soundstages. On Stage 3 I found Roxana, occupying a completely enclosed set that had been dressed to serve as many different rooms of Roxana's apartment. After almost two days of shooting, the video village of monitors and grip equipment was right now parked in the main hall of the apartment and behind us furniture from the space had been crammed into the adjoining rooms, which included Roxana's bedroom.

The action focussed on the enormous living room area with its risen space at the back. Production Designer Rhonda Moscoe and Art Director Martha Sparrow had converted it into the large living room space of a would-be sophisticate nouveau riche, circa 1960. Classical pieces of art existed alongside square shaped standing lamps that looked pulled right out of the Dick Van Dyke show. As usual the lighting had combined with the set design to shimmer colour in yet another perspective on the era I've seen painted many different styles over the last ten days.

The set up was focussed on long extensive wide dolly shots of Roxana and Amy arriving late to their own party. Guests are already there and ready to get down. A swing dance emerges and Roxana does a short vampy solo in its midst. A young hired waitress offers a drink on a platter and noticing her charm bracelet, Roxana and the girl have an immediate understanding: the girl is Roxana's own abandoned daughter Susan. The scene freezes, the lighting shifts to a dramatic red to represent an emotional solo, the music returns and mother and daughter dance an intense and emotional duet. When reality re-emerges, Susan wants to press the connection and Roxana shies away, first to Amy, who realises what is going on, and then to leave the room. It is a lot of action for one take! and will in the end be about five minutes long.

When I first arrived, the dolly tracks were already in place along the front edge of the room, echoing the view I had seen in both the Chez Paree and Art Gallery numbers. Soon after, however, the tracks were moved on an angle to allow a more intimate angle on the mother and daughter duet. I stood on an apple crate (used by the grip team) in the triangle of space leftover to the corner of the set and looked down to see little Olivia Ballantyne, the young actress playing Susan as a very young girl in other scenes. In this sequence, a brief moment had been planned in the silence and light change when Roxana and Susan first recognize each other. A superimposition was going to replace the older Susan with the younger one. As time played out in the day, however, the shot was cut. The young actress had been on set since 3:30 but did not seem to mind. Indeed, her bright emotional face watching the action of the older women, modelled for a brief moment the gifts of an acting generation to come.

The studio buzzers sounded, marking the beginning and ending of takes - several times. Each time, it was back to "ones", the starting positions of all players. I again marvelled at the endurance and stamina of performers especially those gyrating intensely to the swing style of the new years eve rhythms. At one point, an ensemble dancer appears to spin several times in the air before landing. The ensemble whoops in appreciation. (Since the music is being laid in later, the live sound of the scene is not being recorded. Therefore, dancers can say things to create the ambience of the scene, while backstage, director and cinematographer can call back and forth to the set as well.) The action of the dance moves so swiftly and in such upbeat rhythms that the mood is infectious. Beside me another onlooker taps her foot with the beat. The overall mood is festive and light, allowing for a stark contrast when the story moves into the duet between mother and daughter. I found myself wondering how Moze is able to conceive such beautiful shifts in texture in advance.

Eventually, the buzzer sounded for a final time and the day was done at 9:00 p.m. Maria, the First A.D. came forward and announced that some people were now finished and rounds of applause were given, first for Olivia, the young girl, then Christopher Body, whose strong and vibrant dance and acting presence as the Pawnbroker will be a huge part of the film's dynamic, and the extraordinary ensemble who have danced Roxana from decade to decade. Kisses and hugs were exchanged as the crew began pulling up cable and assembling boxes for the night. I wandered away to have a look at the sets being prepped for the next day - including a plane set, on which Rex Harrington, as Eliot, will receive incriminating photos. The little set had been already transformed into a Gultstream cabin of the period.

As I write this two days later on Friday night, the day of shooting is almost over in Toronto which will mark a wrap for dancer Greta Hodgkinson who plays Roxana. Almost as soon as she has stepped out of the 50s and 60s era costumes she has been living in, she will get on a plane herself for Florence, Italy, to perform with a different Roberto - Roberto Bolle, at the Teatro Communale for six performances before the year is out! Meanwhile, on Saturday's last day of shooting, all of Amy's remaining scenes observing Roxana through keyholes will be shot without Roxana there. Even now, the actors and dancers are retreating into the images and emotion they have created - blurred impressions in the memories of those who watched, while they themselves move on to other worlds.

early morning ghosts

2005-12-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Although it is still days away, the crew and cast of Roxana are already anticipating the end of 13 long, gruelling and exhilirating days. Entering the beautiful Liuna train station in Hamilton on Tuesday morning as the first light crept over its iron-work roof, the beautiful art deco accents of the interior issued a welcome sense of quiet. The crew moved around in almost a hush, or sleepiness, I wasn't sure which. The airstar balloon light had been inflated and risen to its post above the central waiting area and discreet filtered lights were focussed on the paintings of the walls. The paintings themselves were rich with details: offering nostalgic glimpses at the lives of transportation workers of the past.

This is the setting of the finale of the film and the sequence which I saw being rehearsed a few weeks ago (see "duets and trios" below). At the train station, Roxana must choose between the life she has been leading and sharing with friend Amy and the romantic interest of the Pawnbroker. Although I was not able to stay long enough to see the final trio, I was happy to observe the part of the scene I had not seen rehearsed, in which the Pawnbroker surprises Roxana at the station and duets with her to convince her to stay. The lost sadness of Roxana is mirrored in her movement - sometimes sliding away from him, or appearing to fall away, reluctant but submitted to her fate.

I was particularly struck this time by the importance of background extras. The thankless work that these people do is often inspired by a sheer love of movies. Throughout the movie they have worked long hours to provide sometimes just a very brief moment of colour in a scene. In this case, the presence of a man on a bench reading a paper offered a sense of the unstoppable nature of time - while he is engaged in something routine, behind him a woman considers the ultimate decisions of her life. Sadly, I had to run off to Toronto to teach. But as I left the station in the full sunny morning, my breath making fog, I wondered how many times every day scenes like this play out in other lives. Scenes unassisted by dance to show outward expression of feeling. The old station seemed alive with the echoes of such moments.

moonlight duet

2005-12-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Night shooting is one of those crazy realities of making movies. Some filmmakers and crew thrive on it, others hate it. Roberto likes it. He describes the feeling of pleasure in creating while others are sleeping. Stephen, on the other hand, prefers weekday shoots with weekends and evenings off. We're shooting on Saturday and overnight on Saturday, he says, shaking his head. At the same time, he is resigned. It was the only way to obtain the beautiful location: the lobby of a courthouse in downtown Hamilton. The setting serves as background for a midnight duet between the Pawnbroker and Roxana. Returning from a New Years' celebration, Roxana saunters through the lobby of her penthouse building, reflectively. The Pawnbroker catches up to her and entices her into a romantic dance in which the uncertainties and inevitabilities of their relationship are played out. The marble corridors and inlaid tile ceilings serve as an austere sign of the opulence in which she now lives. But at the same time the moonlight is a hint at the warmth or satisfaction she might also be missing.

While waiting, it was a great pleasure to finally catch up with costume designer Debra Hanson. (Here, she and Moze consider a piece of jewellery for Roxana's costume) Sipping a coffee, Debra describes the differences in working for film and working for theatre. Her credits in both are impressive to say the least, and our paths met some time ago when we both worked for the Stratford Festival. In the theatre, she explains, costume fittings are long and detailed, sometimes an hour or two to make sure they are right. In film, the designer is lucky to have fifteen or twenty minutes with the artist, and often close to the shoot itself. In theatre, clothes are designed to last eight or nine months of repertory performances and are built to be sturdy and endurable. In film, budget constraints and the likely necessity of last minute adjustments and perhaps even no use at all mean the costumes are built to last only a few days. At the same time, the eye of the audience (the camera) is closer and more scrutinizing so they must be convincing. In a dance film, they must also be designed to allow for free movement. Roxana's jacket this evening, for instance, is made of a two-way stretch material, making dance movement possible.

As we wait for picture up, the cold air wafts into the lobby through the only accessible doors and Moze looks on with concern about the potential loss of heat. Meanwhile nearby, dancer Rex Harrington who plays Roxana's lover Eliot, a politician, waits in costume, reading a paper. His entire call tonight is for one simple reaction shot which they must get at this location to his observation of the duet. The duet sequence is being covered by a steadicam, a camera which is strapped to an operator who moves with it alongside the dancers. Tonight, the steadicam operator is Mike Meagher, being guided by Michael Spicer, the cinematographer, who calls out directions during takes and while the dance is occurring. Breathe it out Mike, she's gaining on you! Immediately, the image on the monitor widens. Michael responds with That's it! When the take is over, the camera is hastily put back on its stand, the weight of it clearly a relief for Mike to have off for a few seconds!

The duet is meant to continue into a surrealist sequence in which Roxana, moving through time, dances from one man to the other in a succession of encounters that also symbolically represent her upward movement in her own social sphere. The plan is for it to include a duet with a banker, played by Roberto, to be shot later in the night. The reverse wall of the courthouse corridor is perfect for the "hallway of power" indicated symbolically in the shooting schedule to represent this timeless transformation. However, scheduling is tight, and time is running out. In the end, it seemed likely that the duet between Roxana and the banker might have to be cut, though the rest of the sequence will remain in tact.

"Lunch" is called and while others hurry across the street, Moze chats with me quietly about how he might use this as an opportunity to do something different with his vision. During the next week, he will perhaps pick up a shot that covers the missing link, but will do so creatively, with a gesture or a very brief image or scene in which the steps in Roxana's rise may in fact also include a moment of her own reflection on it. In the end, he goes off to eat, still ruminating. I was reminded of Debra Hanson's comment about how movies are ongoingly creative. Even when the cameras have stopped rolling, the wheels are still turning and minds are still humming! While limitations do exist, it seems anything is still possible.

waltzing roxana

2005-12-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoon I journeyed to Kleinburg studios - the location set north of Toronto where the company had moved for the day. Driving down a very steep driveway through picturesque snowy hills, the orange light of sunset glinted off distant trees. I wondered silently how trucks and cars get up the road in the middle of winter - how easily it must freeze over. But grip trucks are like battle tanks, they are built to get through anything! The parking lot was jammed, proof that nothing gets in the way of making movies!

Inside the studio the Art Gallery sequence was being shot. In this scene, the Pawnbroker introduces Roxana to glamorous society who do not know quite what to make of the vampish newcomer. While the women of the party wear gorgeous but conservative dresses with full skirts, Roxana saunters into the scene in a stunningly more risque evening dress, the skirt hugging her legs and soon showing a revealing slit. Paintings and statues on small tables cling discreetly on or near the walls, creating the right atmosphere but leaving lots of floor space for the dance. The costumes seemed to vibrate the colours in the paintings, as if they were coming to life.

The breath of fresh air and relief for the crew was palpable at being in a studio with almost palatial spaces behind set and vertical reach to the lighting grids above. It seemed to be a welcome break from huddling in breathfrosting basecamps and sets elsewhere. I do like studio, grinned 1st Assistant Director Maria Popoff as she moved through the open spaces. Meanwhile, the start had been complicated by a minor injury sustained by dancer Greta Hodgkinson, who stoically continued. Two cameras were operational: an A camera focussing on the wide angle and a B camera taking a closer view.

The first part of the shot happened in silence, with Roxana and Amy making their entrance with the Pawnbroker. Roxana is introduced by name to various guests and then, as it becomes clear that the men of the gathering are instantly smitten, she is drawn into a waltz in which she partners almost every single man present in a whirlwind of encounters. I was reminded of Roberto and Moze discussing the need for the dances to push through the narrative and how successfully that has happened. Through clever orchestrations of choreography and use of a later steadicam, the dance and the camerawork model the life of Roxana to come: many lovers, many broken hearts. Including, perhaps her own. Meanwhile, Amy walks the perameter of the room, observing Roxana's success with that mixture of nervousness and pride that Sheila McCarthy creates movingly.

At lunch (which came at 5:00 that day), I sat with Maria and 3rd Assistant Director Shauna Janssen. One of them must always be on headset - and turns were taken as they tried to eat. Conversation ran to the schedule for next week, including a very early morning to come at the Liunia train station in Hamilton. Getting the crew there for the 5:15 a.m. unit call was going to be complex. Eventually, Shauna and Maria left to work and Moze himself sat down. Soon he regaled those of us left (including Roberto) with a story about his first experiences with dance and public performance. As an 8 year old, he signed up for a talent show in an English boarding school, determined to do flamenco as he had seen it on tv. Spending all his time on the costume (which was custom fitted and included ruffles) it wasn't til he was waiting in the wings to go on that he realised he didn't have either music or dance steps. He improvised by stamping his feet to the strange melody played on a recorder by a math teacher yanked out of his seat! (Manijeh, Moze's mother, says there are pictures. We want to see them!)

Before the day continued, time was taken for still photographs. A sofa was pulled forward and Greta Hodgkinson as Roxana lay across it to a flurry of flashes and cameras. Besides the still photographer, his assistant, the cinematographer, myself and a behind scenes doc filmmaker were all shooting pictures. The men joined her and the results reminded me of production stills from 1960s movies - a tribute to the designers that the colour tones match so beautifully, both on camera and off.

While waiting for things to resume, I chatted with dancer Emma Lu Rommerein (that's her in the middle, resting). She plays an ensemble dancer in this movie, and was the featured actor and dancer in Moze's last film, From Time to Time. In that incredible way of hyphenates that everyone in the business seems to have, Emma is also a baker, starting up a business making gluten-free breads. Called Miss Emma Lu's, the specialty is a chocolate chip zucchini bread. Everything is in place, she says, she is just seeking a kitchen to work out of. While we were chatting, someone offered a contact. Like everything in this business, it's all about networking!

Back on set, cinematographer Michael Spicer and his teams moved the dolly tracks to get closer angles. One camera would follow just Roxana, the other the Pawnbroker. They changed position of the enormous airstar balloon light that appeared to float along the ceiling and was guided by a rope. Elsewhere above, a grip adjusted a lamp on the grid so that it focussed a little less intensely on a particular painting. So much of filmmaking is this kind of painstaking perfectionism, aimed at making the illusion as real as possible.

Eventually, I left, driving up the steep hill now shrouded in night. Exhausted. I left behind a crew still going strong and expected to shoot til midnight. Wednesday and Thursday, they are at locations on Front Street in Toronto shooting exteriors and interiors related to the drama and not involving dance. When I mentioned it to Roberto before I left, it was his turn to grin: a day off!, he said with unconcealable pleasure.

shooting begins!

2005-12-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Roxana has kicked her way into life, principal photography has begun on the movie. For the next two weeks, adrenalin will run high as the temperatures outside continue to run low. The shoot began on Thursday in snowy cold Hamilton, where it will stay through Saturday. On Tuesday, the crew moves to Kleinburg for the art gallery sequences (shot in a studio) and the remainder of the shoot will occur in Toronto.

I joined them on day 2 at the location set in Hamilton for the Chez Paree number that opens the movie. It's rare that the making of a film begins with the actual opening scenes of a film. When that happens it gives the performing company an unusual chance to establish their own sense of natural character progression, normally only possible on stage. The timing is accidental here, but there are benefits all around.

In the previous post, I e-chatted with Production Designer Rhonda Moscoe about the transformation of the old burlesque theatre discovered above a Chinese restaurant. By looking at the first picture above and scrolling below you can see the 'before and after' - and the tremendous work that has been done. Catching up with Rhonda on set yesterday, she and Art Director Martha Sparrow (both pictured) seemed very pleased. It was decided to keep the Chinese characteristics of the space in tact and to work with them as a context for the theatre, adapting it to another era.

Roberto Campanella's choreography is an almost elegant burlesque - with slow and erotic, but not provocative gestures. The combination of his movement and Rhonda and Martha's set work, along with Debra Hanson's stunning costumes, creates a feeling of a very tony torchy hideaway for high-ranking politicians of the late 1950s.

The day started with a sizeable delay. Stephen Traynor (arguably the calmest looking producer that ever lived) did not seem too alarmed, given that a very full schedule was ahead. So much of the quality of life on a film set is determined by the tone that is set in the key personnel. If the producer, director, cinematographer or their key assistants appear to be fretting and tearing their hair, then so will the others. The key is trust - and these folks seem to trust their crew implicitly. A new light needed to be added to the ceiling; the scaffolding was not big enough. But eventually the matter was taken care of and the set filled with the gorgeously and meticulously dressed and coiffed extras. Fog was pumped in to give a slight nightclub feeling of smoke and the camera was finally rolling.

First up: a full dolly shot moving along the front edge of the theatre at a wide angle as Roxana and the other dancers make their way down the steps of the stage and into a performing space between tables. I thought suddenly of the conversation I'd listened to between Moze and Roberto on the street in front of 509 Parliament just a few weeks ago, in which Roberto wondered aloud, as they imagined the set, "will there be tables?". Space on set was so tight that Moze and Roberto and Stephen watched from behind the sealed off area on a monitor, in a space equally small and running over with cables, boxes and set pieces (not to mention people)! As the dance progressed, everyone stared at the tiny television, transfixed. Several takes later, it was time for lunch. Lunch at 4:00. Lunch on a movieset is the main meal of the day and the main break. On the Saturday shoot, "lunch" starts at 7:00 p.m.!

As I wandered around, I recognized many of the crew from Moze's previous films - even behind the scenes he likes to keep his talent familiar. This 'family' sensibility only adds to the shoot, as everyone knows from experience how the others prefer to work and can be one step ahead of the game. Even on a complex day like this one, with setbacks and tight space, there is a strong feeling of camaraderie and understanding. And speaking of family, that's Moze's mother, Manijeh, taking a moment out with her son. Moze's sister, Mirella, an accomplished photographer, and a family friend, were also on hand to share in the excitement.

Lunch was served by the Harvest Moon Chinese restaurant that owns the location downstairs. While the company ate, I noticed Moze chatting with Maria Popoff, the First Assistant Director, about the next day's schedule. While the room filled with dancers and extras covered in robes, hair and makeup and head pieces still in tact, sitting to eat Chinese Food, Moze and Maria worked out the complexities of making sure everything is covered before leaving the location. Near to Moze, an extra still dressed as an army officer, chatted with a guest. Work and rest are co-existent in the movies - only there's very little of the latter for some people!

The shoot resumed with the same sequence, now shot closer: medium range, to be sure to have a track specifically on Roxana. I watched through a slat into the set the action taking place on the side, not much on camera in this shot, but still being observed with care and detail. Sheila McCarthy's character Amy, moved among the extras offering them souvenir pictures from her polaroid camera and occasionally glancing at the dance floor. I was impressed by how thorough and committed performances are, even when they are largely off-camera.

At 6:30, I called it a day as they were getting ready to move the dolly tracks to a different area of the space. Ahead: a shot of the very side action that I described above. After that, the reverse angle, Roxana's point of view, from the stage. It was early evening, but the night was still young in terms of work. For many I left behind, the working day began at 9:00! As a footnote, the mystery of the swan (see below) was resolved for me by walking on set. It seems everyone gets their own transformation!

designing creative spaces

2005-11-28T16:55:00.000-08:00

As we all count down the three days left to Day 1 of principal photography on Roxana, I took some time out to e-chat with Rhonda Moscoe, the movie's Production Designer. Production designers and art directors are crucial to a filmmaker because the entire visual look of the film is laid in their hands (and those of the cinematographer). This is probably the busiest week of her schedule, so I was grateful to Rhonda for sending me her thoughts. No stranger to the commercial and independent filmmaking industry, Rhonda has helped to design major Hollywood projects like Marvin's Room, Amistad and Finding Forrester, while still finding time to rack up a Gemini for her work on the Canadian indie Stormy Weather: the Music of Harold Arlen produced by that Canadian wunderco. Rhombus Media. Rhonda worked with Moze on his last film, From Time to Time. Here's what she had to say:

What was the most unique aspect of designing this project and what considerations are unique to a dance project?
I would say creating the look of the 1950's and 1960's through 'Roxana's' eyes. As well the whole idea of designing spaces to incorporate dance choreography. The main consideration is space. Dancers need space as well as good floor surfaces to perform their art. My job is to help bring the vision of the director alive, through design with careful consideration to the choreographer and his dancers. It also helps that I am a lover of the art of dance so each day is only a treat for me.

What, so far, has been the greatest challenge?
One of the greatest challenges so far has been finding locations which help tell the story of who Roxana is. Together with our talented Locations department we are finding a few gems, even in Hamilton. Myself and my talented team, then complete the vision with more detailed design through construction, scenic treatment, set decoration, props, and graphics, to help reveal the characters and tell a story which happens to take place in the 1950's and 1960's.

(This picture that Rhonda sent me is of an old abandoned theatre that the locations team discovered in Hamilton over a Chinese restaurant. It has the markings that are perfect for the Chez Paree opening sequence of the film. Rhonda and her team will have a lot of work to do to transform it into the burlesque house, but as Moze says the location has "great bone structure")

What do you enjoy most about working with Moze?
Working with Moze is a very creative process. You get the opportunity to incorporate all your wildest imaginative ideas. Because Moze has also written the script, he is very in tune with the characters. It is wonderful to discuss the characters and help reveal who they are through their surroundings to the most minute detail. He is also a pleasure to work with especially during the shooting as he is so excited about the dance. It is also so gratifying to see his face as the sets come alive with the dancers in them, on shoot days.

You have also worked with Costume Designer Debra Hanson before. What vision of this film do you and Debra share in terms of design? Are there any distinctive (complementary) differences? (Debra Hanson is a veteran of Canadian theatre and film and was for a time the Head of Design for the Stratford Festival.)
Debra Hanson is one of the most creative and gifted costume designers I have ever worked with. I believe Debra and I have a similar sense of conceptual design in that we see the piece Roxana, as a theatrical piece and in order to reveal that goal we need to push the envelope of design through the sets and the costumes. Lets face it, in the real world we don't have people dancing out their lives.

Last words?:
This is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with other people who appreciate the arts and as a bonus to get paid for doing what you love to do most!

duets and trios

2005-11-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was pure joy. Rejoining the rehearsal process, I once again found myself in the company of Roberto, Greta and Christopher, this time joined by actress/dancer Sheila McCarthy, at the National Ballet studios on Queen's Quay. In the enormous, brightly lit rehearsal room, they were quietly going over the very last sequence of the film which takes place on a departing train. Roxana must choose between lifelong friend and confidante Amy, and her lover, the Pawnbroker. These two characters represent the greatest influences in Roxana's life story and both love her with the same urgency. Watching Roberto's gorgeous choreography, the emotion of the scene was both subtle and huge, inviting interesting musings on how the camera will observe such wonderful diversity.

During the time I was there, the dancers were focussed mostly on the two women aspect of the trio. The dynamic of having an actor who dances and a dancer who can act is rich - the language of bodies and faces provides a natural compatibility and sense of completion. The power of Roberto's choreography is that it offers emotion through gesture as well as dance and his long fluid lines mean that emotion is almost continuous. Luckily, it is also graded beautifully. As a result, Roxana's dilemma is left unresolved but her connections to both characters are deeply felt.

In a break, Roberto and I stepped outside so I could check on my car (!) Sure enough a nasty parking notice was pinned to my windshield miraculously in tact in the gale force harbourfront winds that were otherwise ravaging everything around us. In the shadow of the building and with the sparkling lake in the distance, we traded thoughts on the emotion of the piece and the values and properties of a static camera vs. a moving one. I have learned on this production that everyone is fascinated by aspects of film production! The dancers talk about camera like old pros, wondering where it might be in any given moment. (Moze was busy all morning with the other demands of production.)

The man himself arrived as I finished chatting with Roberto. When I told him how beautiful it had looked he happily recounted the rehearsals yesterday that laid the groundwork for what I saw today. May I just add that Moze is the only human being I know who can stand in hurricane winds and still look fabulous. Not a piece of clothing ruffled, while my hair was whipped into a frenzy. I got into the car and realised that one of my sunglass clip on shades was missing. I wondered how long I had been sporting my pirate look!

production bee hive

2005-11-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, a rainy grey day, I dropped into the Roxana production office on Carlaw Avenue near Dundas. A series of first floor rooms on a long corridor are now the hub of pre-production, with a staff of about eight to ten people hanging about. Production Co-Ordinator Jonathan Pencharz showed me around. (That's a picture of him hard at work, eating his lunch.) The inauspicious gathering of rooms looked like a toned up version of a dugout or a bomb shelter, with cable running in all directions. Producer Stephen Traynor I had run into only a half hour earlier in the CBC eatery Oooh La La, having a post-production meeting on a film that is going to air in the new year. I continue to be amazed by these people who can keep four balls in the air at once!

But speaking of Stephen, what was that swan in his office? No one seemed to know for sure. I think it's an early set piece, said Jonathan. Or maybe for rehearsal. I searched my memory of the script for a swan reference and drew a blank. Maybe that will be explained in time!

Elsewhere, I intruded on a production design meeting, and in the background, art director Martha Sparrow graciously allowed me to take pictures while she worked on some drawings. Sketches and collections of research pictures adorned the walls around her. Rhonda Moscoe, the Production Desiger and costume designer Debra Hanson are responsible for bringing to life a very particular era -- in many forms, from the burlesque house to a pawnbrokers to a tony art gallery and posh Diefenbaker era establishments. We will check in with them again to see how it's going.

Meanwhile, I had to run out before my badly parked car was towed. This production so far has given me some of my most memorable parking challenges! Can't wait til we get on location.... !
Eight days til principal photography begins!

anticipation... and waiting

2005-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

Well, illness has kept me a bit out of the loop, but I am on the rebound and ready to return to Roxanaland. No rehearsals this week, while featured dancer Greta Hodgkinson (Roxana)and others perform in Swan Lake with the National Ballet Company of Canada. Sipping my chai eggnog latte and reading the Globe yesterday, I discovered that Greta and others have been doing press for the ballet this week - how on earth do they fit everything in - Greta is recovering from illness herself!? I can't imagine having to get through a day of sniffling and coughing as I've been doing and then running off to dance for two hours in a demanding role. The life of performers!

Though the production team is still very busy, there is a sense of anticipation and waiting... that moment just before pushing off the top of the ski hill. Everyone's concentration and focus are intense. Here are Moze's notes from Monday of this week:
Every day brings us a step closer to shooting…, It was interesting to see a rough draft of the shooting schedule drawn up by our First A.D., Maria Popoff, with all the pieces of the script carved up into little shooting blocks. I looked at it and thought about the two-page proposal I wrote almost two years ago where the whole thing was just a sketch. And here we are today with a team of designers, planners, managers, financiers and technicians working against the clock to make it all happen. How I wish I could know what Defoe would’ve made of all this. (His book is dearer to me now than ever as I’m constantly going back to the original text to solve certain problems pertaining not only to the story but design issues as well.) How is the overall theme of the film manifested in colour and shape? How much do I need to cut without losing the essence of what it’s all saying? Will I be able to pull this off?
Back to Hamilton again tomorrow to see some new locations and revisit ones we’re still considering. We all return next Monday for the last and final week of creating dances before two days of run-through on Thursday and Friday.

It's odd to get the feeling at once of both chaos and stillness: people rushing to attend to the details, while others stand in the wings, waiting for their cue. I'm sure there's a physics term for that kind of simultaneous contrasting energy. For now, we'll call it creative combustion!

rising to the unforseen....

2005-11-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Productions the size of this one inevitably have their challenges and unforseen circumstances. This week, dancer Greta Hodgkinson has fallen ill and another dancer has had to leave the company. On a movie shoot, or any show for that matter, the unexpected is treated like fuel for the imagination: now... okay, how can we turn this into a plus? The unexpected is even expected in some ways - the question is not will something come up, but what will it be? And how will we handle it? In this case, rehearsal schedules are being adjusted and Roberto himself is going to step in and perform for the departing dancer. No one seems to have blinked. Moze says by far the hardest challenge of his day is deciding what to wear..... now that's a dilemma!

Artistic challenges are the best kind: the opium of creative life. Here's Moze:
What Roberto and I are dealing with almost every day is how to embue the choreography with as much narrative elements as possible so that the musical sequences are as much about moving the story forward as the dramatic elements. Of course, this is the basis of any modern, dramatic musical entity – film or otherwise – but our task is to make the transitions as seamless as possible so that both drama and dance are unified and inseparable. Still, it was completely thrilling today watching the “nightclub dance” burst into fire with the spark that is Roberto’s choreography and the gasoline that is the dancers. There’s definitely something awe inspiring about simply watching bodies flying through the air in breathtaking patterns and combinations to wonderful swing music.
It helps to have been through this before - there is an underlying sense of confidence that can only come from experience.

As a different sort of challenge (and not unforseen), the music of gifted and acclaimed Canadian composers Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk, will be gorgeous, but added in mostly later. In the meantime, Moze and Roberto are using guidetracks: pieces of music that approximate the sound and rhythm the dances will have. The rescoring of the dances will present an added element for editor Jeff Bessner when the time comes, but not an unusual one. So the beat goes on. And the beat is pulsing!

team roxana

2005-11-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Good filmmakers the world over like to find a group of artists they trust, surround themselves with them and then create with those folks for as long as possible. Think of Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker (editor); Wong kar-wai and Chris Doyle (cinematographer); Woody Allen and Letty Aronson (producer). So it is with Moze, who has been working since 1988 on dance films in Canada of his own conception and direction. The choreographers and composers often change over because this is part of his vision - to showcase the country's best dancers and musicians. He continues to mine their riches wherever he finds them. Behind the scenes, however, a steady group of supporters, like flying buttresses of a cathedral, help keep the dance moving and the dancemaker's mind turning.

Choreographer Roberto Campanella was a featured dancer in The Year of the Lion and From Time to Time and is now choreographer on Roxana. He is also the Artistic Director and principal choreographer of ProArteDanza, which enjoyed a successful second season at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in October. Roberto was a principal dancer in Italy with two major dance companies before coming to Toronto in 1993 where he joined the National Ballet. His style is based on ballet technique but the dances themselves have a contemporary feeling. As it turns out, this was perfect for Roxana as Roberto's ideas fluidly engage Moze's vision.

The alumnus of other talent comes strongly pedigreed. Stephen Traynor came into Moze's professional world with From Time to Time, as did Emma Lu Romerein. Featured dancer Greta Hodgkinson, who plays Roxana, worked with Moze in The Rings of Saturn. The longest standing collaborators, however, are cinematographer Michael Spicer and editor Jeff Bessner. Spicer shot Moze's gorgeous lyrical six minute short The Golden City, the hypnotic Rings of Saturn, the passionately charged Year of the Lion and From Time to Time. Editor Jeff Bessner won a Gemini for his work on Year of the Lion. He also edited From Time to Time and will cut Roxana too.

So far the usual chemistry is working its magic. The creative sparks are flying - the good kind of sparks, out of which inspiration flies.

lush and lifts

2005-11-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

On Monday, the 31st, I went again to the 509, almost a week after my first visit. The company had moved to the larger studio space on the first floor where Roberto was putting a larger group of dancers through the development of the scene in which the Pawnbroker dances with Roxana at an art gallery opening and she steals the attention of the men attending. The sequence occurs about a third of the way into the film. With his customary exuberant gestures, Roberto marks through the sequence, displaying an energy and spirit that are irrepressible. I want it to be lush, he says to me later. Lush is my key word for this production.

Later in the afternoon, Producer Stephen Traynor showed up. While the dancers worked, he and Moze sat in a corner and discussed possible locations for a production office. In quiet whispers they mulled over the Carlaw space (has a parking lot) or the Labatt Avenue possibility. Each man had a preference but like good colleagues they weighed out the pros and cons. Stephen and Moze worked together on Moze's previous film, From Time to Time. Looking around the room, I saw another alumnus of that project, Emma Lu Romerein, whose lead role in the film garnered her a Gemini nomination.

The camaraderie among the group is high. Roberto and Moze have selected dancers who are an equal mix of those they know well and brand new faces. Moze points out a particular man in the company as someone he’s always wanted to work with.

Roberto takes the men through a particular lift in which Greta Hodgkinson is lifted over the shoulder and appears to do what looks to this laygirl like an upside down cartwheel, changing position several times on route.

After a full day of rehearsing it, Roberto runs the whole sequence. The experience of dance rehearsal is not unlike that of a movie set itself. Things happen in little increments - a minute here, a minute there, with lots of down time between. But just like a movie, when the combinations are put together, the effect is magnificent. Stephen, Moze and myself look up and are spellbound as the dancers move like lightning across the floor, swirl, lift and pass off to each other. I was fascinated all day by the geometic patterns of the dancers in the room, both unconscious and choreographed. Random and precise. A model of the flow of atoms or the movement of time. Accidental and beautiful. The final run-through of the sequence, though still just roughed together, was like a large wave approaching shore and crashing on it - the water pushing through as the new wave of dancers come from behind to repeat the pattern. Lush indeed!

quiet, inauspicious beginnings

2005-10-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday afternoon, October 24th, Roxana kicked off in the rehearsal studios of 509 Parliament in Toronto. The 509 is headquarters for Danny Grossman Dance Theatre, whom Moze worked with in Dance for Modern Times. It is also home to the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre and other arts organizations. The next day, on Tuesday, I headed in to observe. The large sprawling converted movie palace is almost always running over with Cabbagetown youth of all colours and sizes, trimmed out in their dance gear. Not far from these studios is the home of the Toronto Dance Theatre, where I once studied myself as a young girl for years. When I walked past it later that night, quiet and darkly lit, I was thrown into a sea of memory. Up a steep and very narrow stairway... or in this case a short flight of steps to a large room in which I was always the youngest. I remembered the yoga salute to the sun that began each class.

On this, the second day of rehearsals for Roxana, choreographer Roberto Campanella worked with Greta Hodgkinson (Roxana) and Christopher Body (the Pawnbroker) on a sequence in which Roxana considers selling a cigarette case for rent. The pawnbroker is a regular at the burlesque where she dances nightly and is smitten. The dancers and choreographer all know each other well and this afternoon was diligent but low-stress, plenty of time for stretching and laughter. In fact, they were done soon enough that Roberto had time to continue working out a part of the dance that involves Roxana's friend Amy, who will be played by Sheila McCarthy, also in the scene. He and Je-An Selas, his assistant, walked through some possibilities.

Later, outside on Parliament, director and choreographer shared some ideas for the Chez Paree number that will open the movie and which is being rehearsed later in the week. The question is how to visually introduce the four dancers, including the main character, in the most visually expressive way and in keeping with the vision for the number. Will there be tables?, Roberto asked about the burlesque house set it will be shot on. Moze considered some possibilities and then said he wanted to think about it more. Meanwhile, little girls eagerly entered and departed around us, an unconscious picture of the flow of time. Any one of these young hoofers may one day work with one of the gifted men I was standing with!

Moze and his movies

2005-10-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Roxana is the brain child of my friend Moze Mossanen, an accomplished dance filmmaker who has been working in Canadian film and television for more than twenty years. His movies are unlike anything else in this country - they tell stories entirely through dance narratives. Often based on classic works, his adaptations look for the timeless themes of love and loss and finds a contemporary vision for them. In recent years he has made almost a film a year, usually shooting in the fall some time and airing in January. His last film, From Time to Time, a musical fantasy story of a woman's life set to the music of Joni Mitchell, was aired in 2004. Roxana will be broadcast on both CBC and Bravo, sometime in 2006.

Roxana is an adaptation of the Daniel Defoe novel, Lady Roxana, written in 1724 about a woman who finds herself improving her circumstances through accidental moral compromise that eventually becomes quite calculating. Updating the story, Moze has set his scenario in the Montreal and Ottawa of the Diefenbaker eras and this Roxana is a burlesque house dancer down on both money and luck. Through a series of associations with men she is willing to give herself to, she improves her situation until she has become something of a political courtesan.

The great beauty and utter uniqueness of Moze's work is always the dance narrative. The work (as he puts it) is "created through a blend of storytelling, gesture, dance and music, the score itself accentuating the entire length of this wordless film and combining sound effects, both synchronous and non-synchronous," to create a story that is both impressionistic and very specific to time and place. That pic, by the way, is from the last film, From Time to Time.

Welcome to the world of Roxana. Slowly over the next weeks and months, I will watch the movie come to life, from rehearsals to production to the post. Partly for my own pleasure, and partly to increase appreciation for my friend's beautiful canon of work, this blog is a series of waltzes at a ball that promises to be full of enchantment.