A gift for isolation (Transmission)

A Gift for Isolation: Written by Tereza Stahlikova Voiced by Nick Wilkinson Images by Maria Saveleva Music by Jeremy Mayall Created as part of the Transmission: The Distance Between (Us) Matters project (2020). TRANSMISSION PROJECT: An international collaborative film making project created by 3 Hamilton based artists has resulted in 31 new short films in response to experiences of the pandemic. Transmission: The Distance Between (Us) Matters explores collaborative practice(s) in the new world of physical distancing and isolation. Using a linear process model, writers, voice artists, filmmakers and composers from different countries around the world work in teams of four (one from each discipline) to create a short visual piece (60 seconds or thereabouts) drawing on how their changing environment is shaping their experience(s). This project was started by three long time collaborators based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Scott Granville, Dan Inglis and Jeremy Mayall have been working together on various creative projects since 2007. At the start of the lockdown in NZ, they met on zoom to have a discussion about what things were going to be like, and how they might be able to create a project that would allow something creative to happen, but in an unusual way – in a direct response to this unusual global experience. They collectively developed this new project where short films would be created in a set timeframe by a randomly assigned team of four creatives. A writer, an actor, a filmmaker and a composer. They would work together on a single short film project, but they would never talk to one another about it. Potentially they have never met before. They were just provided with a creative catalyst and had the opportunity to respond in their own creative manner to the work created previously. In this process, the typical hierarchy of the film making process was removed. Every artist had the opportunity to be their own director and to create something that seemed to be the right contribution to their element of the final work. The process gave the writer 24 hours to write 150 words about their experience or reflection on the lockdown in any style. Then the actor had 24 hours to record an audio file of them performing the words. Then the filmmaker had 48 hours to create the images for the project (2mins max). Finally the composer had 48 hours to create music and sound design for the project. The films were then livestreamed on Facebook as the world premiere and to reveal who was in each team. The films were developed in four rounds. The first round saw 12 creatives make 3 films. The fourth and final round saw 45 creatives make 12 films. In total over the four rounds 31 films were made with 53 different participants from countries including New Zealand, Australia, USA, UK, and Estonia. One of the beautiful and unique aspects that defines this project is that each stage of the process is completed anonymously. The creative response is in isolation, and is explored with a huge amount of trust and respect involved, in order to make something that serves the greater good. This seemed like a perfect analogue for the experience of being in a time of lockdown and physical distancing, but it was through the art and creativity that we could be brought together