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Dark Spot

Dark Spot is a short, choreographed live performance - not a film, not pre-recorded. Movement is captured on video and projected onstage.

multimedia / intermedia / expanded cinema / live video art / installation / performance

  • Kate Rafter
    Director
  • Kate Rafter
    Key Cast
    "performer"
  • Charlie Epstein
    Cinematographer (screening version only)
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Web / New Media, Other
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Production Budget:
    150 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Webcam
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • SPHERE Digital → World Cinema Carnival
    Kolkata
    India
    May 22, 2021
    Asia premiere
    Official Selection (screening only)
  • SPLICE Film Fest
    Brooklyn, New York
    United States
    June 22, 2019
    U.S. East Coast premiere
    2nd place, Video Art (screening only)
  • ViDEOSKiN Contemporary Dance Video Works
    Whitehorse, Yukon
    Canada
    November 2, 2018
    Canada premiere
    screening only
  • The Block festival
    Logan, Utah
    United States
    September 28, 2018
    live performance
  • Sweet Tooth presented by DownRight Productions
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    August 25, 2018
    live performance
  • a·mor·phous presented by DownRight Productions
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    February 15, 2018
    live performance
  • Spectacle Garden 6
    Portland, Oregon
    United States
    October 28, 2016
    World premiere
    live performance
Director Biography - Kate Rafter

Kate Rafter's genre-crossing performances involve dance, physical theatre, site-specific immersive theatre, contemporary participation, and multimedia. In 2011, she founded AUTOMAL, a small, project-based dance company with a focus on risk and interactivity. She has presented work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Portland's Fertile Ground Festival, (a)merging, Galaxy Dance Festival, PDX Pop Now!, and OSCON.

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Director Statement

Dark Spot was developed in bed while recovering from two corrective orthopedic surgeries. This new direction in artmaking has enabled me to continue to create dance (or work adjacent to dance) while I face life-changing injuries. My body is the canvas, and light is the paint. This piece can be performed live either in person or long-distance via video chat. It can be extended into a 10-minute performance, extended into a durational installation, or adapted to accompany live music. Must be performed in near-darkness for the effect to work.