Experiencing Interruptions?

ALEATORIA

Chaos is incarnated as Aleatoria, the goddess of chance. Created through aleatoric and random processes, including randomizing images and decision making, using social networking to create shotlists and cameras set up in random locations and spun on constructed wheel mounts.

  • Christopher Spencer-Lowe
    Director
    TWO, TRANSFER, YGGDRASLL, The World Tree, MEATING,
  • Misha Horacek
    Key Cast
  • Christopher Spencer-Lowe
    SOUND
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    experimental narrative, Experimental fantasy
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 20, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 8
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival
    Halifax
    Canada
    June 7, 2017
    World ( unfinished with LIVE SOUND)
  • FIN: The Atlantic International Film Festival
    Halifax
    Canada
    September 18, 2017
    World
  • Antimatter Media Arts Festival
    Victoria
    Canada
    British Columbia
  • Silverwave Film Festival
    Fredericton
    Canada
    November 2, 2017
  • ZUBROFFKA Film Festival
    Bialystok
    Poland
    December 8, 2017
    European
Distribution Information
  • Winnipeg Film Group
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Christopher Spencer-Lowe

Christopher Spencer-Lowe (CSL) is an award-winning filmmaker, media artist and performer of unusual works in public. His most recent direction in life has stemmed from the birth of his daughter, which inspired him to reflect on the importance of memory in our unconscious relationships with our world. The first work in this series, TRANSFER (2014), created from found super 8 home movies and semi-autobiographical scripted sequences, has garnered significant attention and awards at multiple festivals. NOSTALGIACHOLIA, LIVE FROM THE PAST (Halifax, Nocturne Art at Night, 2015), an installation where passers-by were literally placed inside of the home movies of strangers was experienced by over 1,400 participants in one night. Coming full circle, CSL’s current film in the ‘Nostalgiacholia’ series was appropriately co-created by his daughter and inspiration, Harley, from age two to age four. TWO (2016), currently screening at various festivals and venues, uses fragmented Super 8 photography and treated recordings of Harley and CSL’s two years at home together to re-create the experience of memory in the cinema. CSL is currently finishing a short film commission, ALETORIA, which uses chance and randomly chosen images to personify and embody the force of chaos. CSL is an active member of the Halifax filmmaking and arts community, often teaching film and media art and serving on various boards and committees.

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Director Statement

I have sought the comfort of control in my work as a shield from the fear inherent in its creation. Lately, I have grown to resent that need as a kind of interior tyrant. Inspired by the theme of chaos, I thought that using random, or aleatoric, methods to shoot and edit a film would force me to surrender to chance, dethrone the tyrant and even free me to try some new things.

Using social media, I asked random people to tell me three images that came to their minds when thinking of chaos and chance. This generated a list of 80 images, 44 of which I was able to find a representation of online and re-photograph onto Super 8 film. By rolling dice for the order, I assembled the found ‘chaos’ images, creating a collection of randomly collected images, or ‘aleatoria’.

I mounted a Super 8 camera into a 35mm film reel and rigged it to a handwinder. With this ‘chaos jib’, I could spin the camera vertically and horizontally, creating a ‘swishing’ effect as images flew by, eventually stopping in a random position.

In creating a live-action element to personify my chaotic approach, I shot a scene in which actor Misha Horacek becomes Aleatoria, a personification of chaos. There were no rehearsals and every decision was as spontaneous and automatic as possible.

Although I did create a general map of the film, I used the rolling of dice and other approaches to determine the specifics of editing.