Video

Francesca Chudnoff's ALGIA

Tips for making DIY screen dance - Part I

Francesca Chudnoff in her own work ALGIA / Filmed by Krista Newey

ALGIA is a dance video work performed, edited and directed by Toronto-based dance artist Francesca Chudnoff together with visual artist and musician driftnote (a.k.a. Omar David Rivero). A self-taught filmmaker, Chudnoff has had their work screened at Festival of Recorded Movement (FORM), Art Spin and New Blue Festival of Emerging Dance.

Chudnoff is featured in our September/October 2017 print issue in the article “Video Feedback: How DIY screen dance is changing the way we create” by Jillian Groening. The piece looks at three Canadian dance artists, Chudnoff, Nita Bowerman and Jamie Robinson, who have carved their own artistic paths using iPhones, Instagram handles and pioneering will.

By creating work that can be available to anyone with an internet connection, Chudnoff reimagines social media platforms as “a hybrid portfolio, journal, and living archive.” Through storing snippets of ideas, drafts, and notes, Chudnoff can go back to previous thoughts and harvest for current projects. This active and accessible cyber work place not only allows her work to be seen, but also develops dialogue, community, and support.

The following tips were offered by Chudnoff for dance artists interested in self presenting their work via these channels.

Everything is practice

From taking a walk and looking around, to performing onstage, to reading, to filming, everything you do enriches other areas of interest.

Be prepared

Have your stuff backed up. Get a proper hard drive, a proper SD card reader and a backup battery. Invest as much time as you can in taking care of the work you do.

Be diligent with contracts

When you start working with people be strict and diligent about contracts and how you are exchanging money and the actual footage, as well as what platform it is going to be used on.

Full video credits:

a handmade aesthetic & sad girl gang production:
A L G I A featuring Francesca Chudnoff
Filmed by Krista Newey
Edit and Direction by Francesca Chudnoff
“Kannon 1” by Sunn o)))
Costume Design and Construction by Omar David Rivero (Driftnote)

See more of Chudnoff’s videos >> vimeo.com/francescachud

Read the full article in print >> thedancecurrent.com/issue/volume-20-issue-5

Don’t miss tips on how to create DIY screen dance from Nita Bowerman and Jamie Robinson - parts two and three in our three-part series.