Creating the Arizona quilts documentary
Genevieve Guadalupe's "Agave Azul" - one of many extraordinary creations for the "100 Years, 100 Quilts" Arizona Historical Society state centennial exhibit.
I’m at the point where the rubber meets the road in creating the half-hour video documentary that will accompany the Arizona Centennial Quilt Project and the Arizona Historical Society‘s state centennial celebration exhibit “100 Years, 100 Quilts.”
Months of work have led to this point, starting in September with shooting the intake of 100 quilts created by Arizona quilters. The intake process took place in three main batches in Tucson, Phoenix and Prescott, with a few more being mailed in.
After we had the chance to see and photograph all of the quilts for the show, a group of 13 quilts was selected to become the focal point of a round of interviews with quilters from the show. Among those selected in that group were a 12-year old race-car-driving boy, a group of traditional hand quilters from Prescott, a retired Air Force munitions targeting expert, a third grade class from Phoenix, a former leader of Prescott’s Frontier Days, and a number of art quilters of incredible talent from around the state. Along with shooting the quilters, stills and footage from their local areas was also produced to highlight where they came from.
Interviews were also conducted with members of the Arizona Historical Society’s administration and staff, as well as members of various quilting groups who who formed the Executive Committee of ACQP and hatched the idea of celebrating the state’s centennial with the quilt exhibit.
In addition such milestones as meetings to organize the show and various spinoff products (a book and DVD), as well as the actual mounting of the show, were filmed.
Over the past two months I have been busily transcribing every word of everyone interviewed, and labeling literally thousands of clips, to get the materials organized. These transcripts in turn were used to generate an outline of the basic contours of the documentary. And now the individual voice tracks are being laid down on the timeline to create the sound bed of the film.
After that numerous passes of the sequence will be made, editing for time and clarity, smoothing out audio, adding titles, credits and the like, and inserting the images that strengthen the narrative.
By the weekend, a DVD master will be burned and turned over for duplication, so that copies will be available when the show opens February 18 at the Arizona Historical Society’s Tucson branch. If time permits, a second short film will be added, showcasing what today’s Arizona quilters are all about.
A very busy week ahead.
Photo, video by Daniel Buckley – CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Click here for more on the quilting project.
Thanks for the update, Dan! Looking forward to your film and the show…
It’s a joy putting it together.