Interview with Filmmaker Klaus Hoch (EMERGENCE)

EMERGENCE played to rave reviews at the September 2019 Experimental/Dance/Music Festival in Los Angeles.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Klaus Hoch: I co-created a new way of creating music with Peter and wanted to create something that expresses the music.

I had the idea in my head for a long time – using music to have humans emerge from the inanimate world, become sentient and then return to the inanimate state.

I do a lot of doing single-take, hand-held, visually-enhanced, performance videos and wanted to expand on that: a single-take drone shot, choreographed to dance, with expressive effects within the take.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

About 8 months. I’ve had the basic idea for a long time. I had Peter compose the music for the concept. The actual shoot was just 1 day.

There was a lot of searching for a large enough, appropriate location and a drone and operator that could respond to the choreography.

Since it’s a single long take, the post was relatively fast except for the visual effects woven into the single shot at various places.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Drone Dance ? Two words is really hard for a project like this.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The main problems were finding: 1) a choreographer and dancers, 2) a specific location – large, textured enough, with natural light and available. and 3) a drone pilot (and drone) who could execute what I had in mind – a long take with intricate moves and getting close to the dancers.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Surprised at the different things they saw in the work. How they interpreted what I had conceived. It was all good.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

I see and imagine things then try to film them. I have always liked the idea of the inanimate coming to life as a human – being awoken by art, in this case music.

The dancers emerge from the piano as aspects of the piano (the costumes), discover life, discover each other, reject the exterior world (the blinding light) and then return to the inanimate world (back into the piano)

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Chinatown.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

Great. It worked very smoothly for this music video.

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

I couldn’t possibly pick one.

10. What is next for you? A new film?

Another feature film. I did one several years ago (then I developed an illness which now I’ve recovered from).