SFSU graduate filmmakers grab footage of Joan's sound check before the show on June 25, 2003.


TWO DAY'S NOTICE

Riding on the heels of Bruce Hornsby Live at Villa Montalvo, shot and edited by MSP Digital Video students, graduates were hired to shoot the recent Joan Armatrading show in a moment's notice. "I often get opportunities for students and graduates with the right abilities and attitudes," said program director Craig Abaya. "But this time, I was contacted 2 days before the show. I called six graduates and they all happened to be available."

ASSEMBLING THE CREW

After confirming "crew call" time and negotiating a fee for the graduates, Craig went to work defining crew positions, camera settings, and game plan. Without a communication system, he gave the five videographers the gameplan. They would shoot "film style" with Craig watching from stage right, occasionally running around to check their shots from over their shoulders. Graduate, Dave Hurley, served as assistant director so Craig could focus his energies around the stage and take occasional photographs. In addition, Dave documented the crew at work on his own dv camera.
       

WHO'S ON POST?

Before the show, John Gilmore was assigned to film Joan's dinnertime conversation with band and crew. "What I found out later was that she and John returned to her dressing room to discuss editing in Final Cut Pro." Craig recalled. Unlike previous video projects, the crew was only hired to shoot. Joan planned to edit the footage after the tour. At the end of the show, Craig and videographer Tony Jenkins handed the 17 one hour tapes over to her as she reviewed the ProTools recording they'd made of the evening's performance. "Joan has always been a 'd.i.y.' kind of artist. Before the show she went from working on marketing images in Photoshop to rendering video in Final Cut Pro. She writes her own material, sings and plays guitars. She's the type of artist I admire most. She's not a product of marketing. She's the real deal."


THE DVD

The DVD of Joan's entire 22 song performance contains bonus tracks that include Joan and band backstage and during the sound check as well as shots of the DVI Students (DVants) on location.

Here, multi-artist Joan is able to flex her creative muscle with edgy video editing on Apple's Final Cut Pro. DVI graduate/assistant director Dave Hurley and Craig was provided minor technical support from via phone.

For more Joan Armatrading info or to buy the DVD, visit:
www.joanarmatrading.com.


Videos of Craig explaining the process of dv concert production along with an excerpt from "Bruce Hornsby Live at Villa Montalvo" can be found on the companion DVD to the book Real World Digital Video.