De Nada
A site-specific dance film
Directed, filmed, and edited by Karen Lum
Starring Bridget Murano and Gracie Winston
Choreographed by Bridget Murano
The Goal
I created this film to explore site-specific dance, and merge choreography with cinematography in an intentional way. The process of many commercial dance videos involves matching the cinematography to the dance, rather than designing the choreography in alignment with the film. I wanted to create a dance film utilizing site-specific choreography that directly interacted with the environment as well as the cinematography. Therefore, all of the choreography would be designed for a specific location and shot.
The Process
The first step was to reach out to the choreographer, Bridget Murano. We worked in tandem with the goal of ultimately reworking the dance for film. She choreographed a duet for a stage performance, while I simultaneously used video footage of the dance to plan the video treatment. I developed a concept of combining screen recordings of Google Maps to build on the site-specificity of the choreography. I location-scouted from Google Maps, and planned shots that built on the locations, reimagined through dance and perspective.
The choreographer, Bridget Murano, originally choreographed this dance for stage, and we adapted it to various locations for camera. Here, the camera movement intentionally follows the dancers along the fence, hence integrating the choreography with the location with the cinematography.
Discoveries & Pivots
This was my first time filming in LA, and I quickly discovered that you can’t shoot anywhere without a security guard telling you you need a permit! Over and over again, we would arrive at a location that I had scouted, only to be kicked out after a couple takes. So the original vision for this film very quickly evolved as our locations kept changing. This obstacle taught me how to let go of what I cannot control, and quickly find a creative solution on set. I also welcomed the input from the dancers. Together, we were able to promptly adapt the choreography to the locations we secured.
After being relegated from most commercial zones, we started filming in a neighborhood, quickly moving from one location to the next, improvising movement that built on the environment.
While location-scouting in Google Maps, I found an anonymous man sitting against the wall. So I adapted the choreography to match his position, building on the modern dance concept of “site-specificity.”
Conclusions & Learnings
I learned to not be too married to the initial outcome. During production, all kinds of things outside my control can thwart the original creative vision, so it is best to let the project evolve naturally rather than stay fixated on upholding old ideas. In fact, most of my best work has been the result of rolling with the punches and working within constraints. Also, I learned that self-compassion is an integral part of the creative process. Too much perfectionism can completely halt the film from getting completed and simply prevent me from appreciating the natural evolution of the film. I look forward to working with dancers and choreographers that are interested in being a part of the creative process in creating dance for film!
