Inanimate 48 July 2019 Submissions

Fan Favorite voting is now available! Click here to vote for your favorite Voting is open until August 15

Winner

Alex Milewski – Upside Down Metal Trees

This video is a mini tribute to many things: bike life, parkour, dance and Baja California (Mexico). I wanted to make something simple and free from choreography / planning. I found my “apparatus” by walking around downtown Longmont for a bit, and didn’t have a song picked out until after I shot the footage. To me, free-form experiences like these are what make dance so life-saving: because no matter where you are or what is around, if you have music and the ground you can escape into dance. The idea of not “needing” a large flat/open space is just that much more freeing: because we can dance anywhere on anything!

Music: Hotel California, The Eagles. Guitar Cover by Grab the Guita

“Your submission truly inspired me to get up and move – and that’s the core of what I was looking for from Inanimate 48 videos. I loved watching your curiosity develop into confidence – you weren’t afraid to show us what it looked like to test out using this space in different ways (tap tap tapping your foot off the wall to find your balance – a sensation I could deeply relate to). The editing supported the pacing really well and the song helped develop the storyline – from the initial discovery (at around 0:28 the guitar almost sounds like the wheels in your head turning as you ponder “what is possible here?!”) to really finding your style as is applies to this inanimate object. I can’t wait to go find some of my own upside down metal trees to climb.”

“I was captivated by his movement, especially after 1:00”

“Alex’s piece expressed a strong sense of playfulness and commitment to exploration. The choice of apparatus and music helped to execute his concept. The creative editing techniques enhanced the piece, as it felt like a cohesive addition to the overall vision. The piece effected me on an emotional level.“

Honorable Mentions

April Skelton – Summerlong

Received 3 Honorable Mentions

“From the first moment to the last, your submission washed over me like the languid summer sun of my adolescence – and I didn’t read your artist statement until after I finished the video. That’s to say, you did a fantastic job of weaving the story together with each of your choices – the location, the editing (slow motion used in a way to suggest we should question how time shows up in this story) the song, the time of day and how that changed the quality of the light as the sun peeked through the trees. It felt like joyful play, nostalgia/timelessness – almost as if I had fallen asleep on the grass and wound up in an afternoon nap-induced dream.“

“This was well thought out and executed. The filming/editing was very effective. It had a lovely movement quality and truly evoked summer”

So beautifully crafted. The video editing was intentional and artful, and only enhanced the overall vision of the piece. Every clip helped to support her artist statement. “Is everything possible if it could always be summer?” The aerial movement was beautiful and well executed. I loved the bubbles and the experimentation with different camera angles.

Elyria Escher

Received 3 Honorable Mentions

“I absolutely loved watching this piece. It felt like you were moving just for you – just for fun and that brought an element of intimacy that brought me back for subsequent views.”

“This piece showed that you can really work with anything. –And omg that pole moment!”

“This piece is a celebration of the luxury of boredom” This is a very strong thesis statement, and was completely delivered in the piece. I loved the development of the behavior gestures as dance, and the use of repetition. I LOVED the SINGLULAR moment of a pole being present without using it as a pole, it’s so meta and brilliant. In the artist statement, she said “I hope that it makes you smile.” It certainly did.

Victoria McDowell-Drew – Anthesmaveria

Received 3 honorable mentions

“This submission had such powerful concept that never lost steam. I loved the moment of facing the camera in moving in – I physically recoiled feeling you were about to enter my space. I appreciate that the strobe was a way the lighting could mirror the visual theme of repetition – and I also found myself slightly distracted by it from time to time.”

“This piece fully went with concept and the video editing was effective. The movement quality felt more effective when on ground, for me, the apparatus almost took away from what she was doing.”

I love the commitment to the style and genre. She finds some really powerful use of space, including backing up into a corner but also coming close up into the light, near the camera. She uses floor and rope, and I love the eating the rope moment.

Julia Smirnova – Sea Cyr

Received 2 honorable mentions

“Wow, gorgeous submission. The initial reveal of the cyr was totally unexpected and such a viscerally satisfying treat. The delicacy of the unveiling and the care that you took with the movement in your hands was spectacular. I saw references to mammalian evolution with the object coming from the earth and returning to the sea. I saw the epilogue to a famous painting “what happens after The Birth of Venus?” I was really hoping to see what it would look like for you to truly let the cyr bear your weight on sand or in water – especially if it didn’t end up looking like the movement I’ve come to expect from this object. I had this moment when it was first unburied of “They’re gonna cyr on sand, I can’t wait to see what happens!!!” and I am still left a little unsatisfied wondering about that possibility that we never ended up witnessing.”

“I was inspired by her choice of taking an apparatus out of its environment so that it cannot be used traditionally. It is also very well filmed and edited.”

Veronica Rosas – Alien

Received 2 honorable mentions

“I really enjoyed the middle section of this piece with your body mostly hidden inside the hammock. It allowed me to watch the fabric as a form and it felt like you were able to really explore what movement was even possible with the restrictions of the hammock pressing back against you – which culminated in the very satisfying alien birth.”

I can fully relate to this artist’s statement, about how this piece gave her the permission to “be a weirdo.” Her movements and choreography were very expressive in a very authentic way, which connected me to the lyrics of the song as well. I really enjoyed watching this piece.

Erinina Marie Ness

Received 1 honorable mention

I love that this artist took an artistic risk in exploring jagged, twitchy, and sporadic movement quality. Similarly, the choice to work with a sparse soundscape allowed us to hear her breath and focus in on the movement.

In the Wings Aerial – Breaking Free

Received 1 honorable mention

Great concept and execution, which was enhanced by the music choice and the editing. Super fun and engaging to watch. There was a couple of choreographed movevment sections which would have loved to see more of. I loved seeing the artists working together in collaboration.

Micah Wylie – I am the moon

Received 1 honorable mention

“The lighting was a simple and skillful way to bring “LUNAR” to this piece and it ended up challenging me to watch your movement in new and unexpected ways – thank you for that! Instead of looking for your overall form, I ended up looking at the shapes of light reflecting off of your body and that was a really fun and interesting way to absorb your moonglow. I wonder what it would look like to reeeeeallly slow down the movement to accentuate the transformation of those highlight shapes.”

Rebecca Rome – for j; eight feet above and six below

Received 1 honorable mention

What stood out to me was the stunning visual design that she was able to accomplish in such a simple way in her living room. Her shapes were simple, but done with careful intention, creating beautiful effect, all in a single take with no editing or fancy tricks. To me this piece was all about the performer’s emotional state and simplicity.

The Aerial Meow

Received 1 honorable mention

Very expressive. I love the use of space and choice to use the wall. Very good usage of low ceiling height. Love the curtains blowing and the general mood of the piece.

Fan Favorite

Amoretta

Also Received 1 honorable mention

What stood out to me about this piece was that the performer really committed to her movement quality in telling the emotional story of this character. Also, very strong musicality. Well done!