Ep 133: Filmmaking in the age of COVID - Jeffrey Davis!

Oct 10, 2021 · 35m 46s
Ep 133: Filmmaking in the age of COVID - Jeffrey Davis!
Description

Jeffrey Delano Davis–Director Jeffrey spent his college years studying drama and literature at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, before marching forth to New York City with $70. After an extended...

show more
Jeffrey Delano Davis–Director Jeffrey spent his college years studying drama and literature at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, before marching forth to New York City with $70. After an extended couch surfing period,he settled into the East Village, managed a coffee shop, and performed in Shakespeare plays in a parking lot at night. Ironically, the coffee shop offered as much artistic insight as performing did. Conversations he had with artists, filmmakers, and actors shaped his understanding of artmaking. Some of the people he quizzed were Brian DePalma, Daniel Day-Lewis, Calista Flockhart, and John Leguizamo. His first TV performance was in rap great Big Punisher's video "You Came Up"as a valet. Feeling the need to expand his horizons,he auditioned for the Rutgers University MFA Acting program, was accepted, and spent three years studying under William Esper. Upon graduating, he acted in numerous plays in NYC, including "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Harlem Arts Center,"The Pavilion" directed by Michael Kostroff ("The Wire," "The Black List"), and Ken Greller's play "Troll" at The Secret Theater. Currently, he is happily ensconced in Red Bank, New Jersey, with his wife (and producing partner) Maria and their two daughters Vera and Josie. In 2018, Jeffrey penned and directed a short film called "Three Sonnets" based on a dilemma he faced when his wife was pregnant with their first daughter, which became a surprise hit. The film played multiple festivals and received television distribution on five continents. Jeffrey completed two films during the pandemic; "Breathing Room" a searing portrait of a nursing home on the verge of collapse told from the vantage point of a speech pathologist, and "The Art of Catastrophe" an intimate portrait of his family life during quarantine.

Director Statement–“The Art of Catastrophe” It all started with my mother-in-law. She comes from a line of Italians who survived World War 2, post-war deprivations, and numerous other catastrophes. She wished her relatives had captured more of their experience. So, when we were in the midst of the first wave of COVID, she said to me, "Grab your camera! Snap out of it!".I snapped out of it. I shot nearly sixty hours of footage of my family coping with quarantine, its quiet and not so quiet terrors; food shortages, sick children, and most pressing, isolation and despair. I filmed "The Art of Catastrophe" to maintain my sanity. Everybody in my family caught the bug and started creating, painting, singing, filming with me (my four-year-old shot one clip in the film), dancing, etc. We made "The Art of Catastrophe" because we had to.In its form, "The Art of Catastrophe" is a new type of Cinema Verite film that takes inspiration from Instagram Stories as much as D.A. Pennebaker and Nanni Moretti.

Do enjoy.
Jeff

SYNOPSIS
Meet Jeff, Maria, Vera, and Josie Davis. They’re your regular American family going through a once in a 100-year pandemic. Watch as they dance, sing, paint, and vacation in their driveway, all to fight back the one thing more dangerous than the virus; despair.
Culled from nearly 60 hours of footage shot at the height of the pandemic in New Jersey, “The Art of Catastrophe” is an unprecedented and unflinching look at one family’s struggle for meaning amidst chaos.

“The Art of Catastrophe” Trailer
https://vimeo.com/574115696

Like to have a ASC cinematographer as a mentor?
Have you thought of upgrading your cinematography game?
Would you like to have an ASC Cinematographer mentor you for free?

Join veteran cinematographer Suki Medencevic, A.S.C. (Disney, Pixar, FX Networks, Netflix, American Horror Story). He teaches you how to create beautiful images using three lighting techniques he has mastered on film sets over his 30+ years in the film industry.
Each technique uses basic, low-cost lighting equipment so that anyone can achieve beautiful visuals no matter your projects's budget.
Learn film lighting from an ASC cinematographer. If you want to take your cinematography to the next level, this free training will get you there. These videos are available for a limited time, so sign up for instant access.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

https://www.ifhacademy.com/a/28632/aLFBXkpN

If you liked this podcast, shoot me an e-mail at filmmakingconversations@mail.com

Also, you can check out my documentary The People of Brixton, on Kwelitv here: https://www.kweli.tv/programs/the-people-of-brixton

Damien Swaby Social Media Links:

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_damien_swaby/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/DamienSwaby?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Website
http://filmmakingconversations.com/

If you enjoy listening to Filmmaking Conversations with Damien Swaby, I would love a coffee. Podcasting is thirsty work https://ko-fi.com/damienswaby
show less
Information
Author IFH Podcast Network
Organization IFH Podcast Network
Website -
Tags

Looks like you don't have any active episode

Browse Spreaker Catalogue to discover great new content

Current

Podcast Cover

Looks like you don't have any episodes in your queue

Browse Spreaker Catalogue to discover great new content

Next Up

Episode Cover Episode Cover

It's so quiet here...

Time to discover new episodes!

Discover
Your Library
Search