Ballet Meets Robotics: The Making of Francesca Da Rimini
(USA, 2015) 5:13
Director: Ashley Rodholm
Saturday, October 10 | 4:30 pm
Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th Street, San Francisco
MAP | BART | Parking Info
Single Ticket: $15 (Students: $13, ID required)
Description
Ballet Meets Robotics is a short documentary that offers a behind-the-scenes look at how cutting-edge technology was employed in the short dance film Francesca Da Rimini. Directed by Tarik Abdel-Gawad, the short film stars principal dancers from SF Ballet Maria Kochetkova and Joan Boada. The ballet Francesca Da Rimini was choreographed by Yuri Possokhov and is based on a story from Dante’s Inferno and set to Tchaikovsky’s composition of the same name.
The project as a whole was an experiment to synchronize a robotically controlled camera with the dancer’s every step. The camera moves were designed to fluidly coordinate with the choreography and orbit around the dancers to present an intimate and unique view on the performance. Using a combination of motion capture, 3D animation, and industrial robotics, Francesca Da Rimini demonstrates how the synthesis of art and technology can bring a new perspective to a classic art form.
Additional Credits
Lead Dancers Maria Kochetkova & Joan Boada | Editor Ashley Rodholm | Cinematography Joe Picard, Sam Conkling, Pedro Figueira and Ashley Rodholm | Sound Mix Harald Boyesen
Francesca Da Rimini
(USA, 2014) 2:59
Director: Tarik Abdel-Gawad
Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov
Description
Director Tarik Abdel-Gawad delivers Francesca Da Rimini, a film experiment using a robotically controlled camera to capture ballet. The short dance film stars San Francisco Ballet principal dancers Maria Kochetkova and Joan Boada performing a segment from the Francesca Da Rimini ballet. With sweeping intimacy, Francesca Da Rimini shows how robots are capable of not only shooting extremely technical shots, but also capturing the nuanced, human side of a ballet.
“The film itself brings the viewer closer to a ballet performance than is possible on a stage. Using a robot allows the camera to be choreographed as well as the dancers, achieving spectacular shots designed specifically for this performance,” says Tarik Abdel-Gawad. “The end result is a film that makes viewers feel they’re in the room dancing with the performers.”
Additional Credits
Lead Dancers Maria Kochetkova & Joan Boada | Executive Producer Edward King | Producer Ashley Rodholm & Anastassia Metrikin | Director of Photography Joe Picard | Editor Ashley Rodholm | Cinematography Joe Picard, Sam Conkling, Pedro Figueira and Ashley Rodholm | Sound Mix Harald Boyesen
