“When a choreographer gives me the freedom to edit all of the footage together into something totally different, that’s when the work can become cinematic,” she continued. “Pam trusts her collaborators to make these choices. Her notes are minimal — just enough to shift everything in the right direction.”
As we’re approaching the one year mark of the pandemic, the effect it’s had on the city’s cultural energy is palpable. Despite this, art — often the only respite in times like these — is more important than ever. The upcoming docuseries, Flow State/North Brooklyn Artists, filmed in its entirety during the pandemic, follows sixteen artists in North Brooklyn and how they’ve adapted during this challenging time.
EVENT 4/18/2020
The 2020 New York Emmy Award WINNER. Best Arts Special.
[ Producer and Director of Photography] Minos Papas and I wanted to be sure that every shot was carefully considered to tell a story about the overbearing concrete versus the expansive, promising cityscapes. So, we reset each artist’s work to highlight the city and bring out the juxtaposition of art/city and speed/deceleration.
The dialogue was sparse but meaningful, built within the framework of an adult daughter meeting her mother for the first time. The sentences were short, but powerful. And while the story was not new, it did not fall into Hallmark Channel tropes. It was real and effective.
If Sargent keeps this up, she’ll be nominated for bigger awards.
“I haven’t really seen Hong Kong except from the sky, and it’s totally surreal,” says Liz Sargent, the fourth emerging filmmaker to make a fully funded short film as part of “The Stay” collection, her eyes fixed on the cityscape below. “This whole thing has been surreal!” She turns away from the window and smiles. “And it’s been a great way to see Hong Kong.”