Staff Pick Premiere: "Charlotte" by Zach Dorn |
This episode of the Staff Pick Premiere, forgotten folk musician Lena Black discovers her fifty-year-old song "Charlotte" was remixed into a cult music video. In the aftermath of the single's release the director Zach Dorn explores how the effect of the original track has on Lena and her daughter Diane as well as her 11-year-old grandchild, Eli.
In her note to the pop singer, Lena writes: "There is a far more serious issue than not remembering in the first place and that is not being completely understood." The theme of understanding runs through the movie, and the recent success of the track reveals past hurts. The collage that is created by combining conversations such as Lena's letter and Diane's call and the tape of Eli Dorn is a documentary of a family who is beginning to get to know one another through music.
In response to questions about the original idea for the film Dorn explained: "I loved the conceit of exploring these connections , and not seeing all family unit connect. By presenting the story through separate monologues, my goal was to create a feeling like the characters created each their own version of the same song. The story is separated into geographical, geographic as well as emotional space, however I hope that something in the midst of their struggles could be put to create a single song."
It's a tune that may be familiar to those who've witnessed their families drift apart , however "Charlotte" is different from any other family-focused drama that's been shown on . Utilizing hand-crafted puppets as well using stop-motion animation, Dorn invites us to be a part of their lives, memories, and thoughts, to create the most emotional and dramatic sensation.
As we waited for the announcement, we spoke about the announcement with Dorn to learn more about his influences and process and design. Read the interview for more details on "Charlotte. "
The film's inspiration source is the inspiration for the film is:
"In 2019 I created an animated TV series that concentrated on the world's largest sponge in the world as well as the popular TV show Gilmore Girls. One day, while buying small craft supplies in the fake floral aisle at a Michael's craft retailer Carly's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" was heard on the speakers. The cover is incredibly upbeat and an amazing music video, which is a bit odd since Joni Mitchell's original tune is a bit difficult and difficult. The feeling was amazing since I enjoyed this Carly Rae cover so much. Personally, I was of the opinion that it was more pop-song, and while it may be somewhat fake, contained the same emotions as Joni Mitchell's debut. I was a bit confused and uncomfortable with the idea. In the end, I thought of Carly Rae Jepsen and Joni Mitchell's version of "Both Sides Now" during conversations. Conversations turned into the storyline of "Charlotte ."
HTML1 When you create your script, you must:
"I created the original version of "Charlotte" as radio-based plays that were Joe Frank voyeuristic drama, with miniature scenes without the use puppets. I wrote the tale through the eyes of eight characters, who had a personal or professional connection which revolved around the subject that was "Charlotte." After spending time getting familiarize myself with these characters, Diane and Eli were the ones I found most intriguing and that's why I chose to place them on the same page along with Lena and pop singer T.Y.M. When I realized this, I spent long time trying to find a way to keep the stories interspersed."
Musicians who collaborate:
"When I wrote "Charlotte," I always had the image of musician Jenna Caravello in mind. While I was working on the track, I started emailing Jenna's fictional Rolling Stone interviews with Lena Black and a couple of false diary entries. Based on this information, Jenna wrote the folk song.
Jenna's track was sent Zhenya Golikova, a girl I met through the web. The year was 2020. Zhenya adopted my voice to notes that I had composed for a friend. They were silly and funny songs about marshmallows and cats in addition to being missing someone from a different world. The following year, Zhenya turned my music into stunning ballads. It's got the Magnetic Fields vibe, like that it was composed at the sea by some horny marine mammal.. I played Jenna's track to her, and she came back with her own rendition of the track a few days more . "
Talk-show segments:
"So many female folk artists during the 1960s and 1970s were largely overlooked. The likes of Vashti Bunyan Karen Dalton, Linda Perrhacs, And The Roches weren't considered as folk artists or placed in categories such that of "freak folk" and weren't treated in the same way as their male counterparts. This is a fascinating contradiction when folk music was attributed to progressive ideals, yet they're entangled with an underlying discrimination against women.
The way I thought of the artists I mentioned, I could picture Lena today at this stage of her life. In order to remain relevant, she'd have to be part of the 1970s Laurel Canyon lifestyle, party with the appropriate kind of people and take appropriate drugs , as well as live in a place which was created and run by males. But I don't believe she'd have the courage to pursue this idea. Perhaps it was because she had a mother. Or maybe she knew at all. It's hard to say. It was because of her grief that lasted for the duration of a lifetime, mourning for her career. What steps does she need to take to deal with the anger that has engulfed her? What can she do to alleviate her grief? For her daughter? As I considered these questions, I decided to record Lena's interactions with Sam as the prologue to her relationship with the relationship she has with her daughter. "
On developing his unique visual style:
"In my early 20s I had a job as a puppeteer but I wasn't very good in my craft. I'm missing an 8th part of my brain. This could be the cause of a lack of spatial awareness. Making or manipulating things with three dimensions was out of the realm of possibility. However, in the end I came across Toy Theater, a type of puppetry that was very popular during the late 19th century in England. I started building miniature dioramas with acrylics and matt boards, similar to a pop-up book constructed of paper, using live-projecting digital cameras in them , while I recounted stories about my landlord or pet who had passed away.
I am obsessed with the specifics of everything, regardless of what the barcode is on the box of Doritos or the form of the shape of the McDonald's Happy Meal box. Because of the absence of my brain, I'm unable draw straight lines or draw objects with sufficient real-lookingness - hence I'm an amalgamation of fragments breaking apart , and getting over-excited.
To make the puppets, I collaborated in collaboration with stop motion animators Oliver Levine and Lily Windsor to create a slightly gritty and textural style that was a perfect match to the hand-painted world of the film. When I directed the film in the midst which was in lockdown we traveled across the country, Lily from Chicago, dropping tiny boxes of llamas, as well as Oliver dropping head sculptures on my doorway in Burbank . "
The next step:
"Currently I'm working on a short film on the CGI Livia Soprano of Season 3 of The Sopranos, as well as this genetic disease known as BRCA2. I was born in an Italian American family filled with many eccentric characters and customs. In my late 20s, the BRCA2 condition affected my family connections because of the premature loss of relatives.
In the year 2020, I viewed The Sopranos for the first time. Every single episode felt like I was talking to my family again. Today, I'm writing the film where I recreate my childhood films in stop-motion and examine Livia Soprano's performance posthumously with regard to my personal grief experiences. . "
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