"I was rehearsing some scenes for _Theory of Achievement_; Jeff Howard, who is an actor I work with often, came over one day with the accordion and played the song for the film. I remember thinking, 'This is honest cinema.' Just turn the camera on something and they'll do all the work. They'll feel it -- they won't be pretending anything. I find that very pure and fascinating."
--Hal Hartley, 1993
I'm actually still gathering material for "A Day in the Life of the Eight-Foot Bride", and editing it as I go along. However, since a few people have expressed an interest in the film, I did want to put up a small webpage to answer any questions.
"A Day in the Life of the Eight-Foot Bride" is a backhanded documentary chronicling a day in the life of Amanda Palmer, a mime/street performer best known for her statuing work in Harvard Square. She takes to the streets in full bridal regalia, stands on a small pedestal, and waits perfectly still in a pose until someone puts money in her milk can. At that point she breaks pose to give the contributor a daisy and make a graceful gesture. Because her act is unusual and beautiful, and because it's not the kind of thing that happens every day (or in every city), I wanted to offer a visual documentation of this enchanting and highly unusual busking act.
I hope to have the film done by Halloween so that I can enter it in the Chlotrudis Fest. And when it is done I would like to put a Real Video clip or two up here. In the meantime, here are some websites for you to peruse.
An interview with Amanda Palmer. A bit outdated, but still informative.
Harvard Square -- the official website for the Eight Foot Bride's haunt. Yeah, it's pretty much devolved into an open-air shopping mall, but the street-performer scene on Friday and Saturday nights can't be beat.
Petra Haden and Miss Murgatroid. Fortunately, the music I plan on using in this short is in print and availible everywhere. I'm using the song "King of Swords" to score the film. Petra Haden and Mis Murgatroid came together to make beautiful accordion/viola duets that shimmer with grace and eerieness, sparkle with playfulness, and run on a current of artistic spirituality. If you like John Lurie's chamber-quartet score for Stranger Than Paradise or the mini-symphonies of the Rachels, don't let Bella Neurox pass you by.
The Lumiere Brothers. As much as I am loath to reveal my cinematic influences, it does seem like I've become quite the silent-film buff since I've started to work with Super-8. I've been watching a great deal of the old Lumiere films in particular while working on this project. The Lumieres were among the inventors of the silent film camera, and their early shorts captured moments of everyday life. Though my film incorporates technology that the Lumieres hadn't thought of yet (like zooms, dollys, and splice cuts), I find myself inspired by their method of chronicling routines that some might find mundane.
Interested in screening a final cut at your film festival? Want to give me money to cover my film stock, development, and registration fees? Email me. 
