Seize the Clay
Andrew Barker
6 Bloomsbury Way, Harrisdale 6112
0432387984
Title: Seize the Clay
Style: Commercial Documentary with elements of expository documentary
Team:
Producer – Kirsten Barker (Kando Media)
Director – Andrew Barker
DOP – Andrew Barker + Jhuver Jimenez
Writer – Leith Phillips
Editor – John Barker
Sound – Chris Powell
Production Designer – Kirsten Barker and Andrew Barker
Short Synopsis
In the busy streets of Leederville, Studio P is reviving pottery among its expanding community in the City of Vincent.
Long Synopsis
The pottery wheel is Vaughan Smithson’s happy place. The former plumber quickly fell in love with pottery. Vaughan and his partner Katie Anderson opened Studio P in Leederville four years ago. He welcomes us to the studio to share how pottery changed his life and why Leederville's lively community inspires his art. Studio P isn’t just for pottery; it’s a place for everyone to find their own happy spot, too.
Who is Studio P?
Studio P is a pottery studio located in Leederville and home to many potters of all skill levels. The studio offers a range of courses and workshops, including kids’ wheel throwing, a build-your-own brekkie set and pet nat and pottery nights.
Vaughan Smithson and partner Katie Anderson launched Studio P in their ‘homie’ backyard studio. However, the space was quickly outgrown with growing interest in their classes.
In late 2020, Studio P opened its doors in the heart of Leederville offering a laidback space for the community to get creative with clay.
Website - https://www.studiop.net.au
The Story?
Pottery requires skill, patience, and resilience, something Vaughan understands well. It has changed his life. We explore Vaughan's journey through the art of pottery and its meanings. We follow Vaughan in the studio and around Leederville as he meets locals, finds ideas for his pottery, while embracing the flaws in life just like pottery, helping him find balance and resilience.
Pottery mirror Vaughan’s life. It's messy, and just when you think you have control, everything can fall apart. Yet, with care and effort, it became something beautiful and useful, and Studio P was born. Through pottery, Vaughan, wants to encourages a positive outlook by improving flow and spontaneity, while offering a space for grief, and enhancing self-expression and confidence. For Vaughan, pottery symbolises ongoing transformation, representing hope, renewal, and the idea that even in chaos, our lives can rise to grace and fulfilment.
Why tell this story?
This is a celebration of one of the oldest forms or art in one of Perth's oldest and creative suburbs - Leederville. Their community is diverse, multicultural, creative, and values its rich history. While some nearby suburbs have changed, Leederville has kept its edgy vibe and developed a lively, youthful atmosphere. Studio P is one of the local studios that offers classes for beginners and experienced potters to improve their skills. This story puts a light on the growing pottery community in Leederville. Pottery is becoming popular with people of all ages. Social media raises awareness of pottery, but this personal film will tell their story more powerfully and authentically. This story will inspire beginners to try and welcome back those who struggled with the art.
The approach
The plan for capturing this story includes:
Showing the City of Vincent community through still life motion. Capture the vibrant fast paced streets. Intimate.
Filming Vaughan in a Cinema Vérité style as he goes to the studio and spins a wheel, gets coffee, interacts with locals, and teaches a class. Capturing a more meditative and planned slower pace inside the studio.
Interviewing Vaughan at Studio P about his journey and the studio's role in the Leederville community, along with some voiceovers for support.
Style
Cinema Verité: To feature Vaughan at the studio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSr6OsOl6Is
Unique frames and movement: Attaching the camera to moving objects to immerse viewers into the Studio P space. These are interesting insert shots of objects and POV + whip pans to show movement in the studio. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy6Umg2PBF7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Still life/stylised landscapes: Filming the Leederville Town Centre showcasing a blend of shops, civic spaces, restaurants, bars, and homes, all working together in harmony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOYrpk-A45s
The overall style is similar to The Bear TV series, especially in city scenes and kitchen camera angles. However, the edit will be slower and shots will hold longer. However, there will be some quick cuts/transitions during pottery activities. To capture Leederville we have drawn inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s use of establishing shots and the real life footage used in The Bear Season 3 episode 2.
Samples
Audio
Music and sound effects are important in telling this story. Sound effects will highlight pottery and the lively sounds of Leederville, while music will reflect the atmosphere of Studio P and Leederville’s vibe. A mix of rhythm and blues with jazz music will be used through out the film to capture the vibe of Studio P and Leederville. Ambient classical music will be used at times to creating a calm and meditative mood during pottery activites.
Producer Statement
This brand documentary aims to capture the essence of Studio P and celebrate the pottery community in the City of Vincent. Owner Vaughan Smithson started it in his backyard, recognising the growing interest in this art. Established in 2020, Studio P's modern space in Leederville fits well with local artists and residents. Vaughan believes anyone can learn pottery, making it welcoming for both beginners and experts.
The expected audience for this film includes both newcomers to pottery and experienced artists. It targets a broad range of creative people in Perth.
The team gains professional exposure and improves our skills. Andrew and Jhuver can develop their cinematography, while I can further develop my producing skills in the film industry. As an event’s coordinator I have a lot of similar experience and skill set as a producer.
The production should be simple yet authentic, reflecting the true art of pottery without feeling commercial. It must convey the atmosphere of Studio P and highlight Vaughan and his team's personality.
Budget - Hire an extra gaffer alongside the $1000 gear fund. The $7000 will be split among the crew and catering.
Pre-production - Director will work with DOP and Vaughan to come up with an appropriate shot lists and sample images. Producer, Director and DOP to conduct several technical site visits at the studio and surrounding locations in Leederville. Director and DOP to come up with camera and lighting kit gear required for shoot days with a lighting plan. DOP to conduct lens and camera tests. Editor and colourist will be involved in the LUT colour development with the Director and DOP. Director and writer to come up with interview questions. Producer to produce shoot day run sheets and safety reports for production including catering requirements and emergency evacuation plans.
Production - Shoot over two full days in Leederville and one day at Vaughan's house. A gaffer will be needed for the studio shoots. An assistant camera and lighting will be present each day. All crew to be briefed of their roles and give run sheets day before. Lunch and snacks to be provided.
Post-production - Involves an editor and a colourist.
Distribution - Target local festivals, local screenings, and aim to feature on Vimeo Staff Picks and ABC Art.
Director/DOP Statement
The Director aims to show the interactions between Vaughan, Studio P, and Leederville. Vaughan should be filmed with handheld or moving shots using 35 or 50mm lenses. Leederville should be shot without movement, instead focusing only on what's within the frame. Studio P requires more creative movement, unique angles, and wider lenses. For some shots we will anchor the camera to objects to get an interesting perspective and immerse audiences into the scene.
To achieve this there will be plenty of camera tests and location scouting to find the best times to film. We will use the Sony FX3 for its full-frame quality and user-friendliness. Filmed mostly at 25fps, with some shots at 50fps and slow shutter speeds to enhance certain activities captures in the studio. We'll pair it with SLR Magic Micro Prime cine lenses for a unique vintage feel.
The $1000 budget will cover lighting, v-mounts, and audio gear. Since we have many shots to take in the studio, the setup should be simple, using only a few lights and a lot of negative fill to control light and atmosphere. The lights must be powerful, mobile, and have various reflector options. Andrew and Jhuver will collaborate on the film's mood, location, and lighting plans, but Jhuver will be the Director of Photography during the shoots. A gaffer will be needed to set up the lights.
Filming in golden hour is important to showcase the beauty of Leederville. The lighting style is very naturalistic. We don’t want it to be too muddy neither too high key. This is a big studio with plenty of white walls, so we will need to control the light coming in. A lot of negative fill and blocking out windows that are not in the frame. We will motivate light through windows and practicals. An overhead light will serve as the main light on the subject, while spotlight fixtures to replicate sunlight. We will film indoor scenes during the middle, while outdoor shots will be filmed during golden hour.
Producer Bio
Kirsten is an up and coming film producer for videos, documentaries, and product ads. Previously an events coordinator at St John WA and The Hub at Technology Park, she moved to film production by applying her transferable skills. This year she has produced videos for Aboriginal Productions and NDIS participants. See linked films.
https://www.instagram.com/kando.media.au/
Director Bio
Cinematographer Andrew has been directing films with Kirsten at Kando Media. He focuses mainly on social issues like art, all abilities and Aboriginal culture. Andrew has DOP’d festival run short films and documentaries. Previously Andrew has been a state public servant for over ten years, where he has developed strong communication skills and empathy towards individuals and community groups.
https://www.instagram.com/andrewbarker_dp/
https://app.milanote.com/1RB9971lS1yneW?p=lqyAWskwSx6
Chris Powell - SAE alumni top of the class in sound design.
John Barker - Curtin University Film Alumni
Leith Phillips - The West head of editor and documentary alumni.
Jhuver - DOP and current Curtin University Film Student (2nd year) and internship at Limitless
Previous Films:
Last Leg - Short narrative film (festival run) - https://vimeo.com/951818709/687f0a2860?share=copy
Jaydens home - Commercial documentary (complete) - https://vimeo.com/972153205?share=copy
Aboriginal Productions - Videography (ongoing) - https://vimeo.com/992131190?share=copy
Jack Wong Sue - Documentary (post production) - https://app.milanote.com/1RmEPq121uNbeW?p=T5rtWEE5OE3