Pérez Belarra, Rocío

Rocío Pérez Belarra
Argentine videomaker

biography

Interview: 10 questions

1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background .
Rocío:
I’m from Argentina. I studied multimedia arts and music. Today I study electronics arts and experimental harp in Buenos Aires.
Tomás:
I’m from Chile. I graduated from Audiovisual Communication in Chile and studied playwriting and screenwriting.

2. When, how and why started you filming?
Rocío:
I start to make video in 2005 when I was studying multimedia arts in the National University Institute of Art (IUNA). There I made my first video and I liked this medium as a personal form of expression of and his independent nature.
I do it in a very intuitive way but always chasing the surprise in the image. Looking for images that are not a reflection of reality. I just think that art seeks to escape from reality.
Tomás:
I started filming in Argentina in 2008 after studying in Chile. I was interested in the idea of making films made by very few people and as freely as possible.
I usually work without a script, relying on image and sound and the possibilities of creation.

3. What kind of subjects have your films?
Rocío:
In my videos always appears something about childhood, animals, the uncertainty of life, memories, dreams, learning.
Tomás:
My videos are about memory, the journey of life and death.

4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
Rocío:
I always work the sound to expand the imaginary range proposed by the image. I use a dream aesthetics. The principle is create poetic relationships.
Tomás:
I’m more interested in image and sound as poetics narrative elements. I seek an aesthetics of sleep, where the notions of time and space disappear.

5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
We work with Canon digital SLR cameras with various lenses and used To record digital sound Fostex, Audio Technica microphones hiperdireccional, Cardioid Shure, Audio Technica studio headphones.
To edit image and sound use MackBook pro i7 and i3 iMac. Editing programs we use are Final Cut and Adobe Audittion.
We also use slide projectors and Optoma HD digital projector.

6. What are the chances of the digital video technologies for creating art using “moving images” generally, and for you personally?
In general we believe that technology makes digital video reach more people in the world with your work, we are more connected.
And in particular, low production costs and the speed of technical processes.

7. How do you finance your films?
In both cases, the videos are financed by ourselves taking the greatest possible freedom to work.

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?
Rocío:
I have experience in both and are very different ways of working.
The first is very personal and almost an encounter with oneself, a ritual.
The second is an encounter with the other and their potential, which is motivating. I work a lot with Thomas.We work with friends electroacoustic composers, including: my brother Dionisio Perez Belarra and other friends: John Escobar, Pablo Cutufia, Rosa Nolly, Juan Pablo Posada and Eliana Rosales.

Tomás:
I have worked both ways. I prefer to work alone or with Rocío and friends electroacoustic composers.
Working alone gives me the ability to control all the factors of the video. Working in groups, is the sum of the psychologies of all people who work which can be very good, as well as very complex.

9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
Rocío:
I was greatly influenced by the poetry. I love music and poetry of Boris Vian, Artaud’s poetry and San Juan de la Cruz, the paintings of Van Gogh, Rebecca Horn installations, films and sound of Norman McLaren, the inventions of John Cage and Nam June Paik.
Tomás:
I love movies of Raúl Ruiz, images of Stan Brackhage, electroacoustic and experimental music.

10. What are your future plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
Rocío:
My dream is to continue making videos, venture into a long films. Learn more about photography, moving image and music.
Tomás:
My future plan is to continue producing works. and my dream is to expand the possibilities audiovisual formats.

Can works of yours viewed online besides on the CologneOFF platform? Where?
Yes. You can add all our works to the Cologne Off platform through this link:
https://vimeo.com/user2160147.
List of links and resources:
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user2160147
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/acheiropoieta.creacionesaudiovisuales
The musicians links:
Dionisio Pérez Belarra:
https://soundcloud.com/dionisio-perez-belarra/aqui-y-alla-todo-el-tiempo
https://soundcloud.com/dionisio-perez-belarra/all-y-mas-all
Eliana Rosales :
http://www.myspace.com/elianarosalesmusica