Indigo Lady, A Performance Art Movie (festival entry version)

 

INDIGO LADY, A Performance Art Movie

"Indigo Lady, A Performance Art Movie" is currently in progress. the movie is montaged, 'mostly teched" improv scenes by the actors. Sylvia gives the actors the underlying facts of the scene in advance and the actors create the characters through long form improvisation - and the characters create the scene and tell their story their way. It is an exhaustive process, but extremely rewarding. 

This version of my movie-in-progress was created to be a festival entry version. INDIGO LADY is projected to have a final length of 50 minutes and will be completed by October 31, 2012. The final cost of this movie will be approximately $3,000 to $4,000. 

our process & progress is blogged at sylviatoyindustries-indigolady.blogspot.com. 

two of the previous live-action not-an-animatic pre-production storyboards for 'Indigo Lady' were part of KAPAS 2012, El Festival Internacional de Cine Performance y Cine Antisistema, kapasfestival.blogspot.com.es/p/films-en-proyeccion.html, in August 2012. 

thanks for watching!

- sylvia

soon to include animation by Michael Lewis & Tyler Cohen ...

Actor Nicholas Jackson
& designer Tyler Cohen's drawings for
Indigo Lady

Indigo Lady, A Performance Art Movie: Status, August 15th

The Storyboard now has a target final length of just under 50 minutes. There are 3 major monologues still to do: Russell's (Steve Lewis), Becky's (Rebecca Longworth), and Donald the Detective's (Nidal Yousef). Rebecca and I will shoot this coming weekend; Nidal is working on his character and we likely will shoot before the end of the month when he's ready; and Steve and I are making plans to shoot all of his scenes in the next few months. I will also shoot an interview scene between Nick the writer (Nicholas Jackson) and Donald within the next month.

In the meantime, Michael Lewis is deciding how to partially animate Tyler Cohen's drawings so that the animations can transition into live-action scenes between Indigo (Sapna Gandhi) and her parents (Diana Slampyak & Nima Nejad); Indigo and Russell; Donald & Indigo; Donald and Becky. These animation/live-action scenes will be "inter-scenes" and likely will help solve the transition problem that is in the Storyboard at the moment.

I am researching the fuzzy greenscreened image problem - since I am self-taught, the solution may take a while.

Please stay tuned. And, thanks for watching!

- sylvia

Indigo Lady: Our first trailer

sylviatoyindustries: Indigo Lady Experiment 3 from Sylvia Toy on Vimeo.

Sapna Gandhi, 'Indigo Lady'

Ms. Sapna Gandhi

British born Sapna Gandhi grew up all over The States, speaking five languages, singing in a musical group called Cosmic Kids, training as a martial artist, and balancing classical ballet with Bollywood (among other cultural conundrums). It wasn't until after graduating from Saint Mary's College of California with degrees in English and Women's Studies, that she realized her passion for acting and went on to study at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

Ms. Gandhi has played a slew of ethnically ambiguous characters, including an Iraqi farmer's wife, a Columbian boxer, an Indian bride-to-be, and a Puerto Rican cop (to name a few). Her favorite stage roles include Harper in Angels In America, Prudence in Beyond Therapy, and Susan in Do You Want to Buy My Brain? As a member of the groundbreaking Jump! Theatre in San Francisco, she wrote, produced, and starred (as an actor/singer/dancer) in the moody, mixed-media production of Terminally Female: A Cabaret. She also appeared in a few features and several short films, including starring in ifilm winner, Thou Art That, before migrating to Los Angeles.


Sapna Gandhi most recently co-starred on NBC's Awake, can be seen in the upcoming Indie cult feature, Dust Up, and stars in the performance art film, Indigo Lady, which has its premiere screening in Madrid, in August 2012. 

Ms. Gandhi's own short film, Once It's Taken Shape, (co-written and co-starring Chris Frederick) is presently in development, and she is redefining the term "short" with her comedic series, 12 Second Broad Strokes (in development with Amanda Lipppert and Elan O'Connor). She is also writing the psychological thriller, Stain (with Andy Gates).

Sapna Gandhi is Editor-In-Chief for We Make Movies, as well as a columnist, event coordinator, and DIY actors’ advocate.

Presentation, style and format

Format of Indigo Lady

Inbox

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Nena Sylvia St. Louis 6:12 PM (11 hours ago) to Sapna, Diana, Rebecca, tyler, indigo ladies, i now have a very clear picture in my mind as to the presentation, style and format of the movie. i have been exploring and experimenting, and came up with 4 videos that have the format that works for what i want to do: "performance art videos - silent montages exploring the performance of simple acts in familiar, stripped down settings - formalistic presentation, multiple sensory and emotional layers." possible settings: Violet's sewing room, Flavia's house, a gazebo (for Violet), an empty diner on the highway (Russel's mistress), a prison visitation room (Indigo), a small empty Catholic Church (Violet), a barn (Indigo), a coffin or under weathered floorboards for the Great Great Grandmother, Flavia, etc. these are coming off the top of my head, but most likely the settings would all be based on/lifted from Tyler's drawings, except for the interview with a reporter that each of you will have. i am seeing the movie as about 50 minutes long, divided into scenes that all begin with a drawing and dissolve into a scene complete with actors, props, etc., - it is likely that the actors playing the action scenes will speaking extras, one of whom would be a "doppelganger" of the main character that the scene was about (i.e., Violet's argument with her husband about the husband bathing/dressing Indigo; Russell's telling his mistress that he was getting married; the murder scene, inter alia). i would really appreciate your watching at least one of the videos in this Vimeo Album:https://vimeo.com/channels/insideoutoutsidein. this is the format of your movie. while the presentation is very formalistic, each one of your beats will involve a main frame monologue completely improvised by you based on the story facts and a memory/sensory/emotional secondary monologue. this will definitely be a chance to knock yourselves out as actors. R, i will work with whatever time you have available - we'll talk. once i have clips of each of your monologues, and a "drawing come to life" clip, i will make a trailer and begin soliciting funding.

Revised Concept & Process

changing my concept for my performance art movie, Indigo Lady: i now see it as composed of monologues by the female characters (Indigo, Violet, Russell's Mistress, Flavia) montage style the way i've been working,

kabuki geisha from Sylvia Toy on Vimeo.

but with each monologue telling the story Rashomon style; and intercut in such a way that the story is arc'ed, and so that the audience can decide for itself what really happened. i have told the actors that they really really really will have to trust me, because we will work one on one, with each actor only knowing what the other characters have said from rushes (viewing rushes is optional and up to each actor). i want a sense of isolation/persecution/victimization, self centeredness and trying to get the audience on one's side as if each character was telling their side of the story before anybody else's side of the story was told.

Designer Tyler Cohen

Tyler told me she hadn't done much work for the movie - wow! i wonder what will happen when she gets serious. - sylvia

Diana Slampyak's Development of the Character, Violet Milazzo: First Interview

sylviatoyindustries

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First set of interview questions
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sylviatoyindustries Lewis	Sun, Nov 20, 2011 at 2:34 PM
To: Diana Slampyak
interview questions for Diana/Violet I was so excited I could scarcely wait to get dressed and go into town.  But my mother came into my room wearing a narrow, lavender linen shift.  Her crazy black curls were pulled into a thick pony tail that stretched her white face across thin, flat cheekbones and slanted her eyes - YOU HAVE BLACK HAIR, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT YOU'RE CAUCASIAN; YOUR DAUGHTER IS DARK, NOT AS DARK AS THE PORTRAIT OF HER GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER, FLAVIA MILAZZO; IN FACT NOONE WAS SURE THAT FLAVIA MILAZZO WASN'T A DARK INDIAN, A MIXED BLOOD NEGRO OR AN ARAB, EVEN THOUGH SHE SAID SHE WAS SICILIAN AND SPOKE ITALIAN - DID YOU DYE YOUR DAUGHTER'S HAIR BLONDE WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD SO NOONE WOULD QUESTION WHETHER SHE WAS CAUCASIAN. Violet   Are you helping her get dressed, Blackie? WERE YOU UPSET THAT YOUR HUSBAND WAS DRESSING YOUR TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER? Indigo   Mommy!  Mommy!  I look just like Flavia Milazzo. Violet   Are you? Blackie   It’s her birthday. Indigo Mommy!  Daddy says I’m a princess. Violet Don’t you think she’s old enough to dress herself? Blackie Jealous of your own daughter?  Or me? SO WERE YOU JEALOUS OF YOUR DAUGHTER OR YOUR HUSBAND, OR WAS THERE SOMETHING ELSE. Violet She’s old enough to dress herself. And then Mommy smelled Daddy’s fingers; and Daddy shook his head - WHY DID YOU SMELL YOUR HUSBAND'S FINGERS.  But Mommy got hysterical anyway.  She always got hysterical if Daddy and I were alone - WHY DID YOU GET HYSTERICAL WHENEVER YOUR HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER WERE ALONE.  It took her an hour to calm down before we could leave the house - HOW DID YOU "CALM DOWN": JUST CHILLING OUT, DARK ROOM WITH A CLOTH ON YOUR FOREHEAD, HOT TUB, DEEP BREATHING, YOGA, ROSARY, ASPIRIN, SEDATIVE, DITCH WEED. -- sylviatoyindustries

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Sapna Gandhi's Development of the Character, Indigo Milazzo: First Interview

sylviatoyindustries

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First set of Questions - I will call you tomorrow
1 message

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sylviatoyindustries	Sun, Nov 20, 2011 at 2:32 PM
To: Sapna Gandhi
interview questions for SAPNA/INDIGO I was so excited I could scarcely wait to get dressed and go into town.  But my mother came into my room wearing a narrow, lavender linen shift.  Her crazy black curls were pulled into a thick pony tail that stretched her white face across thin, flat cheekbones and slanted her eyes - YOU HAVE BLACK HAIR, HAS ANYONE EVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU'RE CAUCASIAN; EVEN THOUGH YOU AND YOUR FATHER ARE NOT AS DARK AS THE PORTRAIT OF  FLAVIA MILAZZO; IN FACT, ISN'T IT TRUE THAT NOONE WAS SURE THAT FLAVIA MILAZZO WASN'T A DARK INDIAN, A MIXED BLOOD NEGRO OR AN ARAB, EVEN THOUGH SHE SAID SHE WAS SICILIAN AND SPOKE ITALIAN - WHY DO YOU THINK YOUR MOTHER STARTED YOUR HAIR BLONDE WHEN YOU WERE 18 MONTHS OLD. Violet   Are you helping her get dressed, Blackie? LOOKING BACK, DO YOU THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING STRANGE ABOUT YOUR FATHER HELPING YOU GET DRESSED WHEN YOU WERE 10 YEARS OLD. Indigo   Mommy!  Mommy!  I look just like Flavia Milazzo. DO YOU/DID YOU THINK YOU LOOKED LIKE FLAVIA, EVEN THOUGH YOUR MOTHER DYED YOUR HAIR BLONDE AND DO YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE BOTHERED YOUR MOTHER THAT YOU THOUGHT YOU DID. Violet   Are you? WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOUR MOTHER  GOT UPSET ABOUT YOU BEING SO CLOSE TO YOUR FATHER. Blackie   It’s her birthday. Indigo Mommy!  Daddy says I’m a princess. DID YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU WERE A PRINCESS - IF SO, WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT. Violet Don’t you think she’s old enough to dress herself? Blackie Jealous of your own daughter?  Or me? DID YOU/DO YOU THINK YOUR MOTHER  WAS JEALOUS OF YOU AND OR YOUR FATHER. Violet She’s old enough to dress herself. And then Mommy smelled Daddy’s fingers; and Daddy shook his head - HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR MOTHER DID THIS  But Mommy got hysterical anyway.  She always got hysterical if Daddy and I were alone - HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN THIS HAPPENED.  It took her an hour to calm down before we could leave the house - WHAT DID YOUR MOTHER DO TO "CALM DOWN": JUST CHILLING OUT, DARK ROOM WITH A CLOTH ON HER FOREHEAD, HOT TUB, DEEP BREATHING, YOGA, ROSARY, ASPIRIN, SEDATIVE, DITCH WEED. -- sylviatoyindustries

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Indigo Lady: First "Review"

by my friend on Vimeo:

Christina W Ward 18 hours ago: Reflections, why do we do this to ourselves?...It's not like the "astral" physical world is of concern? I love your story..."ruffles & an invitations to artificial birthdays..." Your passion makes this what it is: BOLD!

sylvia toy industries Lewis  17 hours ago: christina: even though the title character is very different from the kind of woman that i am - and was raised to be - i empathize with her. she is in a limbo of her own making, because in spite of her visceral impulses, she does not go past superficiality. and you're right: we do it to ourselves, and i am passionate about living with awareness that all of 'this' will turn back into stardust someday.

Christina W Ward 5 hours ago: I want more! ...Oh, I kind of liked envisioning you as the character, it made it more real...I am glad to know you know the difference, that makes me confident your objective was something I acknowledged as well!

Indigo Lady - casting memo

sylviatoyindustries 

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Indigo Lady quicktime storyboard - casting memo

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sylviatoyindustries Lewis	Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 4:40 AM
To: Sapna Gandhi, Diana Slampyak, tyler cohen
http://vimeo.com/32135353 hey. so i combined the montage studies that i've been making for the last month with interspersed talking head of a reading of the original stage version script. there will be talking head clips in the movie (monologues of the main characters - i.e., Sapna/Indigo, Diana/Violet/Indigo's mother, Russell - that are improvised by the actors based on the script). but also scenes of characters in action; much of this will be green-screened. there will be a lot of montage, effects (visual & sound), etc., that happens on the editing table. but there will also be full-frame clips, probably at the beginning of each plot point. just so you know, i play the ghost of the great great grandmother, who never speaks, just haunts the montage at 50% opacity at plot points in the central character's throughline, wearing a black veil and looking somber. FYI, i am upping the mother's role in the movie because the conflict between mother & daughter is one of the story's strengths. i am going to wait and see what Sapna and Diana come up with in their monologues before i cast Indigo's father. nidal, i'm including you on this even though you haven't committed yea or nay. i am reworking the script that i sent you because i think the relationship between the detective and Sapna's character (Indigo)  happens too late in the story. i probably will add a different unattainable male character who appears early (in Sapna/Indigo's) childhood; and right now i'm thinking that character is probably a priest when he reappears in the story - probably as the intercedent between the detective and Indigo's husband's mistress. meaning, it is the priest who convinces the detective to investigate Indigo's husband's disappearance. steve, can you please watch this and think about playing Russell, the husband? nima, can you please watch this and consider playing the priest? rebecca, i will ask you about this when you drop by - but in case i forget, as is my MO, will you watch this and consider playing the mistress? -- sylviatoyindustries

Film version of the 1990's solo play, 'Indigo Lady': a Quicktime storyboard

This first draft of the 'Indigo Lady' QuickTime storyboard is intended to help me, the designer Tyler Cohen and the actors go forward. 'Indigo Lady' will be a video performance art feature based on my 1990's one-woman play about a young woman who, "disappointed in love and marriage, murders her husband and turns him into ham." 'Indigo Lady' layers reality, memory, fantasy, desire and delusion. The surrealistic montages in the movie will show that layering. The talking head will be replaced as the characters created by the actors retell the story of 'Indigo Lady,' her family, life and loves in their own words, while the ghost of a famous female ancestor haunts them. Whether the ghost of Flavia Milazzo is real or only exists in Indigo Milazzo's head is part of the mystery. The play is quite visceral and so far, the QuickTime storyboard is even more so. The imagery is disturbing for some viewers, and is not intended for children.

This video and the other studies done so far for 'Indigo Lady' will soon be compiled into a Quicktime storyboard to help me, the designer Tyler Cohen and the actors go forward.

This scene happens in the title character's memory, which is compounded of events she witnessed growing up on a ranch in rural Nebraska. It's said that farm kids learn about sex from growing up with animals; perhaps they also learn about violence and suffering. Many thanks for the borrowed footage from the Internet Archive Community Video page.

Flavia's Ghost Reads from the Book of Judith

in this possible scene, Flavia reads the controversial book of Judith in the Old Testament, dealing with the fabled Hebrew general, the widow Judith, who slew the oppressor of her people, Holofernes, by cutting off his head. in this section, Judith essentially tells the elders - the male elders - to grow a new set.

in the movie, Indigo (Sapna Gandhi) possibly would lip sync her grandmother's voice reading in Italian, while the ubiquitous ghost of Flavia haunts the background.

Flavia's Ghost

green screen sketch for my video performance art feature, which layers reality, memory, fantasy, desire and delusion in the story lines of the two main characters, a mother and daughter at war with each other and their own disappointments while the ghost of a famous female ancestor haunts them - or, taunts them. whether the ghost is real ultimately will depend on the viewer.

this is another study for my movie in-progress, "Indigo Lady" (a solo play by Nena St. Louis, staged in 1995 at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre), about a serial murderer who murders the men she loves when they disappoint her. i'll be working with my talented gal pals Sapna Gandhi (Indigo) and Diana Slampyak. Tyler Cohen is creating the basic design of the settings. the movie will largely be based on Rashomon-type storytelling - i.e., monologues improvised by the 3 main actors (the third is the only man who survives, a detective who investigates the husbands' disappearances). (Indigo's trophy wife mom). Nena St. Louis play the ghost of Indigo's great grandmother, the founder of a ranching empire in Western Nebraska.

to interweave fact/memory/fantasy/illusion that are the stuff of each character's version of what happened, i will be using montages in a lot of the scenes. right now, i'm having a lot of fun creating video "sketches" while Tyler creates the real ones.

Detective Donald opens his investigation

Once an actor is cast for the role of the homicide detective, Indigo's love interest Donald, I hope to use Nebraska footage as a backdrop for some of Donald's monologues.

This video is a study in layering related events to explore how suspense, paranoia and unanswered questions create different layers of emotional response, any and all of which can compel action. This video is one of a series in my development of the visual concept for Indigo Lady, the story of a female serial killer in rural Nebraska. I was limited by a fever while working on this and used my malaise to shoot with the mindset of one who's cooped up in an environment dominated by a malfunctioning TV that's somewhat anthropomorphized.

Shine, A study for 'Indigo Lady'