Tell us about yourself and your creative background?
I’m Annie, and I’ve been part of ‘Icon Theatre’ for seven years. However, this film project was the first I’ve done as part of ‘Theatre 31’, and it was really enjoyable to do something creative that wasn’t strictly theatre-based work. It’s something I probably wouldn’t have ever done if I hadn’t been given the opportunity by Theatre 31 – so thank you. I first joined Icon for confidence reasons, and I can say that it worked. The world of theatre and creativity is a weird and wonderful place, and it welcomes you no matter who you are, or what you want to do in the future.
What is the film about and what inspired you to create it?
My film is about how the Coronavirus affected [us] last year, and how humanity is coming out the other side. We did see struggles, but we also saw hope and goodness in humanity too. I was inspired by the work of ‘Tom Foolery’ who created a wonderful poem – and many since – in May last year (I think) and I wanted to create something that we could reflect upon in the future that gives a true representation of what it was like to live through the pandemic.
What is your creative process?
So, the first thing I did was the poem. I began writing it at one of the sessions we had with Theatre 31 about our initial ideas and kept writing every time I was inspired. This usually came in the early hours of the morning when the world was still asleep. It was quite a calming yet chaotic process, but everything else fell into place once that was written. Covid-19 affected everyone last year, and I wanted to show that. So, rather than just using any footage that I had, I asked everyone I knew to send me any footage they had if they were comfortable with that and I had quite a few responses. The narrator of the poem Emily Gray, I met a week before we went into the first lockdown, so I thought it would be fitting that she read the poem. Last year proved a connection between everyone that can’t be broken even if we can’t physically be with one another. Then came putting the clips and narration together, which was the fun part. Although there were a few complications...
Did you come up against obstacles?
The obstacles I faced when putting the footage together first and foremost came from sound and copyright, although, that was quite simple to amend by just removing those bits. Another obstacle was after putting the film together. I realised I needed legal permission from those under 18, so I needed to approach everyone who sent me clips to fill out a form. However, once I’d gotten over those hurdles, all was well!
Tell us one thing you are particularly proud of and one thing you would have done differently?
If given the opportunity again, I would try and match the voiceover to the beginning and end narration because it’s slightly quieter in the middle, which is annoying! I’d also make the transitions of each video clip a little smoother because they weren’t great. I’m proud of actually being involved in the film project. I wasn’t going to do it, but I kept seeing it advertised through Icon and thought, ‘it’s worth a shot, let’s do it’, and I’m so glad I did.
You can watch find ecstasy in lifeon Voice now, as part of our Winter Film Festival.
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