Magdalena Jachimiak & Anna Bieluszko
Polish artists
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Interview:10 questions
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
Magdalena Jachimiak
I was born in 1981 in Poland, where my adventure with fine art and photography began. I attended a specialist College of Art (1996-2001), then University of Warmia and Mazury(2001-2002). After that, I arrived in London and enrolled on a ( BA) Graphic Design course.
That is where I got seduced by media and moving image and developed my further conceptual thinking. After graduating in 2007, I began some freelance work for music artists and collaboration with independent film production.
Lately I have been working together with Anna Bieluszko producing video art.
Anna Bieluszko
I was born in Poland in 1981,where I finished Secondary School of Art as a ceramist.
In London I attended mosaics courses and studied for 2 years (BA) Surface Design at the Universtity of Arts, London. I recently came back from Erasmus exchange from Maastricht, Holland where I had a chance to explore different fields of study such as Animation, Graphics and Video. This led me to this year’s enrolment on the Film Production and Design course at Kingston University.
I have been collaborating with fellow designer, Magdalena Jachimiak and together we are building on our combined art/arts experience and producing Video Arts and Music Videos.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
Both of us had some encounters with film and felt desire for this medium, before joining forces last year. We realized that still images could not always expresses what we had to say. We needed an extension from still images to the moving image to capture and express the range of our ideas.
3. What kind of subjects have your films?
Our joint journey into film has only just began but we are open to a range of subjects that we would find inspirational and suitable for our artistic vision and purpose. We tend to get seduced by spaces and objects, which we can later put into surreal contexts.
4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
Mostly we develop films through brainstorming, drawing, sleeping with ideas, eating with them, walking: then scripting a story line and having a production and development plan. We retain flexibility within that plan. Often finding better ideas than initial ones, we are constantly sculpting our visions.
Sometimes the moment of inspiration starts from only one unusual object in some charity shop or antiques auctions, which tend to be our sources for costumes and set design.
There are no rules or definitive styles for anything we do. It depends on what we feel is appropriate. Sometimes what we do, happens because of our instinct and intuition , and we are always open to new experimental ways as well as using old and traditional styles.
5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
Our equipment covers the whole range, from professional cameras, SLR and digital cameras to amateur mobile phone cameras and Holga – depending on the intended result. We mix photography with moving image, often experimenting , using different materials as camera filters.
But it is not the quality level of equipment which is the main concern in our work, but the idea and it’s execution .
6. What are the chances of new media for the genre film/video in general
and you personally?
It is easier to reach wider audience through the internet nowadays and with equipment being easily accessible, even kids can make films. I think, that transformed film/video making into something much less exclusive. Which is good and bad really, because everyone can have a go with producing a film, but as the field becomes so much more competitive – it can be more difficult to beat the crowd of filmmakers and make a more remarkable vision into a good film.
7. How do you finance your films?
So far we had funded films ourselves, trying to keep costs as low as possible. I have had discussions with potential investors which may become more concrete as we develop our experience.
8. Do you work individually as a video artist/film maker or do you work in a team?
if you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?
We work together and as individual artists. We do participate in team work projects as well. We find pros and cons in all of those ways. But, if you are determined to realize your vision you can work either way, overcome difficulties and gain benefits for your personal development.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
Our favorite and much appreciated directors and creators are Federico Fellini, David Lynch , Derek Jarman, Qentin Tarantino, Chris Cunnigham, Lars Von Trier, Emir Kusturica, Jim Jarmush, Matthew Barney and Bjork, We also get influenced by music , books, or even the company and conversations with fellow artists and film makers. Our photography and drawings often determine the visual form of our work.
10. What are your future plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
Both of us dream of simply being given the opportunity to express ourselves and to appear on the art scene to a wider audience; to be able to explore the video/film more and to develop our skills within that genre. We are in the process of building our showreel and continuing our education. We will be making music videos and plan to become Vj’s.
Can works of yours viewed online besides on VideoChannel? Where?
List some links & resources
At the moment we are unable to provide you with any links, as our website is under construction.