words//dillon buss

There is usually a lot going on in one of Fern Silva’s short films.  Silva creates what may be considered “motion collages,” temporary invitations to the kind of places we usually only see in our dreams.  We recently had the pleasure of picking at this progressive filmmaker’s mind.

So Fern, where are you from?  Where are you living now?

I’m from Hartford, CT and I live in Brooklyn, NY.

It seems as though film comes naturally to you–your techniques with the Bolex, as well as your editing skills.  As a child, were you exposed to film/video?  When did you pick up the craft?

As a child, I never saw many films.  It was later in my childhood when I  saw my first movie in a theater; it was Who Framed Roger Rabbit and it was a second or third run.  I hardly payed attention to the film.  I was more interested in observing the audience, so I spent most of the time looking at everyone reacting.  I started making movies about 5 or 6 years ago while at MassArt, but I picked up a Super 8 camera maybe a year before then.

I see that most of your footage is strictly hand-held.  Why is that?

I’m not quite sure.  I think about using a tripod all the time.  I guess I just like to be attached to my camera when I’m shooting and be mobile when I’m traveling, although I do use a tripod on occasion.  I’ve recently been told that I shoot like a “black quarterback,” always in motion, making quick short passes down field.

I can see that you have been in many places all over the world.  Is it difficult do get your stuff around?

I can’t remember what it’s like to travel without equipment so I’m not really sure, but I try to be as light as possible (cameras, lens, film, portable audio recorder).  I guess it would be a lot more difficult if I carried a tripod.

Who do you want to relate to your films?  Is there a general audience that you would like to attract?

No one specifically–I would like my work to relate to everyone who enjoys observing.

Are there any specific themes or messages you would like to get across in your work?  Or would you rather leave it up to the viewer’s interpretation?

I would rather leave it up to the viewer’s interpretation but, no, not necessarily.  I’ll sometimes go into making a movie with specific intentions, but somewhat lose interest in them or they just get twisted.  In turn I try to stay true to what my experience was like and how I felt about it.

Who were some artists that inspired you when you were growing up?  Who are you gravitating towards now?

Growing up I would go to the Wadsworth Atheneum, so I would say a lot of the work that was being shown there.  I was always a big fan of Alexander Calder’s work.  Nowadays it always changes.  I’ve been watching all the Get a Life episodes with Chris Elliot that I could get my hands on.

I enjoy how dexterous you are with your camera.  In Spinners, you filmed roller skaters while riding on roller skates to get certain shots.  What was that like?

Well, at first I wasn’t planning on it.  I’m not a very good roller skater but everyone egged me on, so I folded like a giant omelet.  I fell once and my Bolex went flying.  Luckily I dove for it before it hit the ground, right after it bounced off my knee.

What has been your favorite travel destination so far?  Is there any place you’ve always wanted to go to for a project?

I would say India for sure, but I really love Chicago.  I’ve been a little obsessed with Croatia lately.  I would like to shoot there.

In your most recent film, Sahara Mosaic, you incorporate multiple exposures, mixed with different types of film and an array of imagery–collage on film in a way.  So much is going on in your films.  Would you like to take us through your creative process?  How do you make your films work?

Well, to start off, I don’t shoot very much.  I’ll make a movie on half or 1/3 of what I shoot because that’s  usually all I could afford.  So when I’m shooting I tend to edit in camera, but when I go into post I spend most of my time on sound, which could take forever.

I know its a tough question, but if you had to choose between the two, would you go with Super 8 or 16mm?

Yeah, that is a tough question.  When I started shooting Super 8, I never wanted to shoot anything else, but then Kodachrome was discontinued.  I couldn’t choose between one or the other.  I still shoot both, but more so 16mm.

Any new projects in the mix?  Is it South America that you’re traveling to this winter?

Yes, I’m editing a movie now that I shot in Portugal, and will be going to Brazil in a couple months to shoot another.

[For more information on Fern Silva and to see some of his work, please visit his website.]