Local filmmaker Alise Anderson’s film Ingrid screened on Friday as part of the Screendance Shorts II: What’s the Story?  Staff Writer Erin Malley learns a lot about her filmmaking process in just a few minutes.

Focused on exploring storytelling through movement Anderson has successfully applied her formidable education in both dance and film. Having attended Utah Valley University for Modern Dance Performance, she later received a certificate in directing and producing from Berkeley Digital Film Institute. Her films have been in various film festivals around the country. In addition to filmmaking she has a love for all things handmade and finds creative inspiration in her work with children.

What is the title of your film to be screened at the SFDFF?
The title of my film is Ingrid.

What was the inspiration for your film? A movement, an image, or a story? Or none of those?
The inspiration for my film came from a variety of places. I was largely inspired by the female characters in Twin Peaks, and Daisies, a 1966 Czechoslovakian film. I connected with their playful, almost childlike, qualities mixed with their provocative nature. With the choreography, I wanted Ingrid to have recognizable movements and purpose. Some of the choreography was inspired by the way cats and deer move with their often curious and hesitant behaviors. A sensual deer, if you will.

Within all of my filmmaking I feel inspired by creating new worlds and settings different from what I surround myself in. By creating a set for Ingrid, it allowed me  to make her world more imaginative and surreal.

What kind of camera did you use to shoot it?
I shot it all on a 5D with canon 24-70mm f2.8, canon 14mm f.28, and Zeiss 100mm prime f1 lenses.

Summarize your film in 3 words?
Borderline, passionate, lonely.

What color is your film?
Orange with a hint of red.

What does it taste like?
Red wine and lipstick.

What did you learn during the creation process of this film? 
I learned a lot about character development and research throughout the making of Ingrid. It was really important to me to flesh out who Ingrid was and where she came from. I wanted to tell a story with this film and have it go deeper than simple imagery. I wanted Ingrid to appeal to a larger audience, which meant telling a story that wasn’t hidden and abstract – like you often find in the dance world. I wanted it to be relatable.

I also learned that when you give yourself the responsibilities of being producer, choreographer, and set designer on top of directing, you just might go temporarily insane, and that anything you say or feel that night before your shoot just isn’t true.