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Page 1: Keeping the skills alives3.amazonaws.com/isuma.attachments/6_keeping_the_skills_alive.pdf · Jon – Getting the props for this film was one of the trickiest and most challenging

KeepingtheskillsaliveConversationwithJonFrantzonOctober18th,2017ByGabrielaGámezGabriela–HowdoyoumakeaHaidafilmlookHaida?Jon–Gettingthepropsforthisfilmwasoneofthetrickiestandmostchallengingthingstodo.Forinstance,thebentwoodboxeshadtobemadeoutofcedar,sothefilmhadtoborrowsomefromthemuseum,otherswerelentbyGwaii,andthenthefilmcommissionedthemakingofanother13bentwoodboxes.Havingpeoplemakesomeofthefilmpropsnotonlycreatesjobsforpeopleinthecommunity,butithelpskeeptraditionalknowledgeandskillsalivebyemployingpeopletodothemagain.Thegoathornspoons,ahistoricitemforHaidatoeatsoupwith,wasanotherchallenge.Theoriginaloneswerecarvedandhighlyornateandwerehighlyvaluedcommodity.Themuseumwouldn’tlendthefilmuseofthemastheywereverypreciousandfragile.Jonandhisteamhadpeopletryingtoreproducethem,butitwasveryhardanddidn’tlookgoodenough,sotheycouldn’tbeused.Theyendedupnotusingtheminthefilmatall.

Traditionalwovencedarroothat.IsabellaEdenshaw(Kwii.aang),Haida,1858-1926/CharlesEdenshaw(CharlesEdensaw/Tahaygen/Da.axiigang),Haida,1839-1920.Frome-Humanity.orgCourtesyofNationalMuseumoftheAmericanIndian

Page 2: Keeping the skills alives3.amazonaws.com/isuma.attachments/6_keeping_the_skills_alive.pdf · Jon – Getting the props for this film was one of the trickiest and most challenging

Thencreatingthecostumes,thatwasoneofthebiggestchallenges.Thetraditionalcostumes,likethehatsandcapstokeepwarm,weremadeofwovenbarkandroots.Inordertogetthismaterial,peopleneededtocollectthemandthisactivitywasverytimeconsuming.Lookingattheirtimeline,thefilmcrewdecidedtheycouldnothaverealcedarclothing,therewasjustnotenoughtimeormoneytocollectthematerials.Sotheyendedupusingraffia–amaterialfromAfrica–andhiringagroupofweaverstodothis.ThisissomethingJonthinkswoulddefinitelyhavetochangeonthenextfilm,becauseitwouldaddsomuchtothefilmandthecommunitytohaverealwovenbarkandcedarrootclothing–evenifittakestwoyearstodothis.

RaffiafibersJon–Thefilmhadtoproduce26outfitsxtwo,astherewasaseasonchangeinthefilm,soeachactorneededtohavetwocostumes.Theyalsoneededtohaveextracostumesavailableincasetheyweredamaged.Toproducemorethan50outfitsinatighttimeframe,wedecidedtohireaprofessionalcostumedesignertoworkwithlocalHaidaandcompletethejobinthattimeframe.TheyhiredAthenaTheny,acostumedesignerfromVancouver,whoknewGwaii,andeventhoughshewasnotindigenous,shehadalotofrespectfortheculture.Athenabroughttwofriendsandworkedwithlocalpeopletoproduceallthecostumesin2months.Theywereabletointroducesomecottonandwoolastherewerealreadymoderngarmentsinthetimeperiodthefilmissetin–thelowerstatuspeopleusedtraditionalcedarclothingandtheeldersmorewool.Introducingcottonandwoolhadanotherbenefit–itallowedforsomevariationofcolourinthecamerawork.

Page 3: Keeping the skills alives3.amazonaws.com/isuma.attachments/6_keeping_the_skills_alive.pdf · Jon – Getting the props for this film was one of the trickiest and most challenging

Fortheshooting,thefilmhiredSandyCochrane,aproductiondesigner.JonsaidtheywereluckybecauseSandywasaprofessionalproductiondesignerwhohappenedtobeinHaidaGwaiifor6months,sotheyhiredherfor3monthstooverseethecostumesandpropsontheset–andberesponsibleforcostumes.

ModernadaptationofalonghouseinOldMassett.http://www.oldmassettvillagecouncil.com/youth-center/Thefilmcreatedareplicaofalonghouse;itcouldnotbearealoneasthatwouldtaketoomuchtimeandmoney,soitwasamodernadaptationappropriateforthatera.Jon–Everythinginthefilm,everysingleprop,themats,thespoons,theracks,everythingwasresearchedextensively.Thecostumeandtheproductiondesignersdidalotofresearchthemselves,andtheybothworkedcloselywithGwaiiwhogavethemideasandinformationtomakethishappen,butwasnotinchargeofanyofthelogistics.Thatwasthebestprocess,whereGwaiihadaculturaladvisorroleandtheotherswereinchargeofmakingithappen.


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