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"Mechanical Figures - twentythousandcycles.NET"
 
Experimental interactive movie inspired by
Nikola Tesla

www.mechanicalfigures.net
 

- News -


 

  • Ex Oriente (3) and East European Forum
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    From October 21-26 "Mechanical Figures" participate at the third and final session of "Ex Oriente" workshops, in Jihlava (Czech Republic). The workshop is a part of 14th International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava. The focus of the final workshop is "The Market Opens".

    On the same occasion on October 25 "Mechanical Figures" were very successfully presented at 10th East European Forum, a pitching forum that presents new documentary projects from Eastern Europe to European producers and broadcasters.
     
    Several other Croatian productions are also participants of this year's "Ex Oriente" and "East European Forum":: Djangarchi by Zoran Krema, Family Meals by Dana Budisavljević and Naked by Tiha Klara Gudac.

       
  • Mechanical Figures
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  • "Tesla" at PPTP Cross Media Forum (London Film Festival)
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    The project "Mechanical figures - inspired by Tesla" was a part of conference and forum "Power to the Pixel - The Cross-Media Forum" (London, 12-15 October). Forum is a part of BFI London Film Festival and it's the leading place in Europe for presentation of new trans-media interactive projects.
       
  • PowertothePixel
     
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    In July this year the project was selected for "The Pixel Lab - The Cross-Media Film Workshop" in Cardiff, Wales. All the projects that took part at "The Pixel Lab" workshop are also guests of this forum and market. Participants have one-to-one meetings with leading professionals from TV broadcasting and adjacent industries such as gaming, Web and mobile content.
     
    More: www.powertothepixel.com
     
     
     
      
  • "Mechanical Figures" at "The Pixel Lab - The Cross-Media Film Workshop" (Cardiff, Wales)
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    The project "Mehanical Figure_Inspired by Tesla" by Helena Bulaja was selected to take part at "The Pixel Lab - The Cross-Media Film Workshop" organized in Cardiff in July 2010 by "Powertothepixel".PowerToThePixel

  • This is a well know residential course in the field of so called "cross-media" content, ie. the content which is created for and distributed in different media and platforms, the "traditional" ones such as TV or cinema, and the new media such as the Internet, games, mobile devices etc. The focus of the course was on both creation and financing/distribution of such content. The tutors were leading experts and pioneers in this area: Brian Newman, ex president of Tribeca Film Institute, Ben Grass, producer at Pure Grass Films (UK), Guillaume Blanchot, Director of Multimedia at Centre National du Cinema (FR), and others.

    The mentor of our project was Michel Reilhac, Executive Director of ARTE France Cinema, one of the people responsible for the great international success of Israeli animated documentary "Waltz with Bashir" by Ari Folman, and the producer of several documentaries and feature films awarded in Venice and in Cannes ("Intimisto", Chinese film "Cry Woman", "The Good Old Naughty Days", "7 Days, 7 Nights" by Cuban director Joel Cano).

    The workshop is supported by Media program of the European Union. Together with our "Mechanical Figures", other 34 films/projects from 14 European countries were selected.

    The workshop continues with Cross-Media Forum, in October 2010, which is a part of London Film Festival
     
    More info: www.powertothepixel.com
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  • "Mechanical Figures" selected for pitching at Dragon Forum (Krakow Film Festival)
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    The project "Mechanical Figures_Inspired by Tesla" was selected for Dragon Forum 2010 Pitching.
     
    "Mechanical Figures" are already participating in this year's Dragon Forum series of workshops for development of documentary projects. The project was now chosen between other documentaries, about 20 of them from Central and Eastern Europe, to be specially presented to programmers and experts. The Dragon Forum Pitching was on June 1-4, as a part of the world famous 50th Krakow Film Festival.
     
    More info: www.dragonforum.pl

    More about Krakow FF: www.kff.com.pl

     
     
  • Dragon Forum
     
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" on Al Keddie's photoblog
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    One of the key contributors of the "Mechanical Figures", Scottish photographer and animator Alistair Keddie (and also author of the cartoon "Stribor's Forest" from our project "Croatian Tales of Long Ago"), put together a special page dedicated to our project.

    You can read about his experiences and thoughts on work on animation and photography for this unique project, and see his stunning landscape photographs from Scotland, Croatia, New Zealand... here...

     
     
  • Big Alba Photography
     
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" Vimeo's staff pick again!
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    The short film "Mechanical Figures 3 _ New Yorker Times" was featured as staff's pick on April 27th on Vimeo!

    Vimeo is certainly the most respected video website in the world - unlike mass-consumers oriented Youtube, Vimeo profiled as the leading site for high quality original videos, and attracts art audience and authors.

    After "Mechanical Figures 00_IDEAS", which was Vimeo's featured video in December 2009, "New Yorker Times" is the second film from the "Mechanical Figures" project to be honored in this way.

    The film can be watched here..., together with other "Mechanical Figures" shorts.
       
     
  • Mechanical Figures - Vimeo
     

       
  • "Mechanical Figures" on pitching forum in Hong Kong!
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    The project "Mechanical Figures" was selected for pitching forum and co-production meeting "Asian Side of the Docs" in Hong Kong in March 2010., The forum is organized by "Sunny Side of the Doc", leading international market for documentaries with more than 20 years of tradition. The project will be presented to producers and distributors from Asia and all around the world, such as Japanese NHK, Korean KBS, Channel 4, National Geographic, BBC, ZDF, Arte, Discovery...
     
     
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" on "Ex Oriente" workshop in Prague!
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    At the end of Mart we will take part in well known workshop "Ex Oriente" in Prague. The workshop happens in several sessions during the year, and it is dedicated to development and funding of creative documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe. They are lead by leading European producers, directors, editors and other experts.
     
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" at "Dragon Forum" in Warsaw!
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    Helena Bulaja, the author of "Mechanical Figures" was invited to "Dragon Forum" in Warsaw, Poland, the unique series of workshops for development of documentary projects and their presentation to potential co-producers.
     
     
  • "Mechanical Figures"
     
     

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  • "Mechanical Figures at 3rd "Biennial of the Quadrilateral", Rijeka, Croatia, December 2009
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    The project "Mechanical Figures" had in December 2009 its premiere for the Croatian audience at the exhibition "Biennial of the Quadrilateral" in Museum of modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka, Croatia. The expo presents artists from four neighboring countries (Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy). Curators Christiane Paul (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York) and Darko Fritz selected our project because this year's exhibition was focused on new media arts.
       
     
  • Biennale Kvadrilaterale 3, Rijeka
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    The project was presented in the form of triple interactive installation (Web / TV-DVD / iPhone), with an interactive part that included visitors in the process of creation and presentation of the film.

    More: www.bq3.mmsu.hr

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  • Video "Mechanical Figures 00_IDEAS" staff's pick on Vimeo!
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    The video "Mechanical Figures 00_IDEAS" was in December 2009 staff's pick on HD channel on Vimeo, which resulted in big number of views, "likes" and comments.
     
    The film, with thoughts on Tesla, ideas and creativity from Marina Abramovic, Terry Gilliam and Laurie Anderson, was inspired by a Tesla's childhood anecdote about his first invention, a 16 june bugs powered motor that he made when he was nine. It can be seen here..., together with other video clips from "Mechanical Figures".
      
     
  • Mechanical Figures 00_IDEAS
     
     
     

 

  • "Mechanical Figures" got a grant from EU's MEDIA programme!
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    Experimental interactive film "Mechanical Figures" got a grant from MEDIA Programme of the European Union for development of audio-visual projects, in the category of single projects - creative documentaries. Our film is one of the first Croatian productions to receive this support, which recently became available to Croatian producers and authors.
     
    EACEA's review of the project, among other things, says: "The project framework is fascinating, and the production approach is well prepared and prepared and adequate. The project has a potential in use of the new techniques and new virtual worlds, helping the classic cinematography to become even more rich."
      
     
  • Media EU
     
     
     
     
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" featured in the book "Secrets of Digital Animation" by S. Withrow
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    Our project "Mechanical Figures" is featured in the newest book "Secrets of Digital Animation: A Master Class in Innovative Tools and Techniques" by Steven Withrow. Moreover, a scene from the project is on the book's cover page!
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  • "Secrets of Digital Animation" by S. Withrow
     
     
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    The illustrated book "sets out", as the book description on Amazon says, "to demonstrate and showcase a range of cutting-edge work, new techniques, and influential practitioners within all forms of contemporary animation", from anime to Flash, from shorts to complex 3D production, and gives an "insider" overview of the ever-changing world of animation, using the numerous examples of recent projects or work in progress.
     
    By defining our project as "taking digital animation fully into the multimedia", the book brings basic information about the project, with the special accent on used techniques, technology and tricks, in the form of interview with Helena Bulaja, and with many visual materials from the project.
       

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  • "Secrets of Digital Animation" by S. Withrow
     
     
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    In his 2002 book Toon Art: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning Steven Withrow presented our multimedia project "Croatian Tales of Long Ago".
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  • "Pick of the Week" - Imagine Science Film Festival
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    The short film "Bugs Assembly" from the "Mechanical Figures" project was "Video Pick of the Week" in the last week of July at Imagine Science Film Festival!
     
    The festival's mission is to promote a dialogue between science and filmmaking, and to present science to the broader audience. It is happening in Brooklyn, NYC, and this is its second occurrence. The selected films will receive a special mention on the festival in October.
     

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  • Imagine Science Film Festival
     
      
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  • More info: imaginesciencefilm.com.
      
     
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  • "Mechanical Figures" at its first festival!
       (Streaming Festival)
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    Just after they were first released on Vimeo, the video clips from "Mechanical Figures" were invited to their first festival! They were selected by Streaming Festival, international festival of visual arts.
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  • Streaming Festival
     
      
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    The festival is focused on Internet streaming, it exists in the form of Wiki pages, but also has its "real" issue in The Hague, NL in November - our project is also going to be presented there. The main topic of the festival is "Between the Frames", or films that "through fascinating imagery, wicked editing and luring sound design dare the viewer to listen and watch... The artists signature lies between the frames."
     
    More info: www.streamingfestival.com.
      
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  • "Mechanical Figures" - first clips on Vimeo!
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    PThe first materials from the project "Mechanical Figures" (Tesla) are finally available - about 15 short clips are posted on Vimeo! (click here...).
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  • Mechanical Figures - Vimeo
     
      
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    Animated clips are divided in two albums: one is a collection of short stories inspired by Tesla (IDEAS), whereas the other brings interviews of famous artists and their thoughts on Tesla (PEOPLE).
     
      
     
  • The project will be released very soon!
  • The project "Mechanical Figures" is to be released very, very soon! We produced a series of short animated experimental films inspired with the great scientist Nikola Tesla, and they will be presented to the wide audience soon. The team in Zagreb and around the world is working on post production, animation, editing, compositing... of new materials and for different forms, including iPhone app and interactive applications for other mobile devices, a special Web page, even books...
     
    New member of the team is also a young Croatian animator Dea Jagić.
     

Mechanical Figures
  

    More information about everything we plan to make and this unique creative adventure is available here...

    If you want to join in, send an email to Helena (helena@bulaja.com)!" The project is very open in its nature, and will stay open for new collaborators, first of all animators, programmers...
     

    Mechanical Figures
     

     

  • New full-time team member: Blaz Habus
  • Blaž Habuš, aka Blashko, is our new full time creative assistant. Blashko is very successful and famous as composer, producer and DJ of electronic music, but it is less known that he is also a graphic designer. Our collaboration started in 2007 when he made a beautiful electronic remix of Christian Biegai's music from the cartoon "Regoch" ("Croatian Tales of Long Ago" project). CD with the music will be included in deluxe edition of "Regoch" (book, DVD... package) that will be published soon. Blaz will mostly work on "Mechanical Figures" project, on design, editing... and of course, on sound & music design and production.

    Since Blaz is generously publishing it under Creative Commons license, you can freely listen, download, copy, burn... his music. It is available on last.fm (click here...)
     
     
     

  • New Zealand (2)
  • In the beginning of July 2008 Alistair Keddie and Stuart Page did some extra filming - in sharp winter conditions - of the world biggest Tesla coil located at Alan Gibbs' farm near Auckland, New Zealand. They made really spectacular shots of this impressive fusion of art and technology.
     

Coil, New Zealand

photo: Alistair Keddie

     

  • Japan, energy from space
  • In April 2008 in Kyoto we filmed an interview with professor Hiroshi Matsumoto, Executive Vice President for Research and Finance of the famous Kyoto University. Prof. Matsumoto, so far the only scientist interviewed for this project, is one of the leading world experts in the field of wireless transfer of energy, and also a great connoisseur and admirer of Nikola Tesla. His project of orbiting solar power plants, to some extent based on Tesla's ideas, consists in launching of gigantic solar panels in the Earth orbit and wireless transfer of the collected energy through microwaves. Energy from the Sun can be collected in space much more efficiently than on Earth, and it is believed that the development of this technology could permanently solve energy problem on our planet, as prof. Matsumoto believes - before the year 2050!
     

Prof. Matsumoto & Helena Bulaja

photo: Alistair Keddie

     
    Prof. Matsumoto so far is the only scientist in the project, but he is in fact much more than that - a visionary, passionate creative and philanthropist, just like Tesla.
     
    In Japan - a techno-country that resembles Tesla's dream - we also filmed a lot of beautiful materials.
     

Shibuya, Tokyo

photo: Alistair Keddie
 

     

  • Team in Zagreb
  • Postproduction work on "Mechanical Figures" speeded up from the beginning of 2008, after almost 4 years since the first ideas, shootings and material gathering... the project finally entered its final phase!
    International team of authors gathers in Zagreb - Edgar Beals, Alistair Keddie, Christian Biegai... names well known from "Croatian Tales" project, spend a lot of time with us here. Work continues on stop-motion animation, compositing, editing, special effects, music, sound, and the first clips and stories are getting their final shape. When the authors are not here, the work is coordinated online...
     

Al in action

photo: Edgar Beals

     
    We did shooting in nature, on locations in and around Zagreb, and our new studio in Dezeliceva is full of creative energy coming from different corners of the world, which often leads to positively unexpected results.
     
    Also, New Zealander Stuart Page should join the team in Zagreb in late 2008.
     

Studio atmosphere

photo: Edgar Beals

 

  • "Adris" Foundation
  • Foundation "Adris" recognized the value of our project and in early 2008 decided to support it! We are very grateful because they made it possible for us to finish the project in full scale.
     
    This is the first donation we received from "private" sector, from a foundation or company. "Adris" is the biggest corporative foundation in Croatia, founded in 2007, and this was their first tender. Together with arts and culture, they financially support projects in the fields of science, environment, heritage and charity.
     

Zaklada Adris

     

  • Support from the Ministry of Culture
  • At the end of 2007 our project was finally supported from the film fund of Croatian Ministry of Culture, in the category of alternative film. The Ministry supported this and other our project before, but mostly from the funding provided for new media projects and international cultural collaboration. This is the first grant we received from the more abundant fund for film.
     

  • Performance in Budapest
  • In March 2007 Helena Bulaja was in Budapest with the performing artist Petar Grimani and the photographer Boris Cvjetanović. On different location in the city related to Nikola Tesla they filmed Grimani's performance.
     

Budapest performance

photo: Boris Cvjetanović

     

  • Filming in New Zealand
  • The "Mechanical Figures" project team was in New Zealand in February 2007. The reason for traveling so far was an extraordinary story: the biggest existing Tesla Coil in the world. The coil is actually a piece of art, a sculpture made by the late American sculptor Eric Orr and physicist and inventor Greg Leyh, and commissioned by Alan Gibbs, New Zealand businessman and inventor, well known patron of arts. 
     

Coil, New Zealand

photo: Alistair Keddie

     
    Indeed it is very unusual that the biggest existing Tesla Coil (Tesla at his time did some experiments with bigger coils in Colorado Springs...), a 130,000 Watt power unit, was built as a work of art on such a remote place, as a part of Gibbs' sculpture park on his farm near Auckland, together with other works of the world most famous contemporary artists.
     
    We also shot an interview with Alan Gibbs, and Peter Roche, conceptual artist from Auckland who uses neon, light and electricity. For the feature and animated part of the film we shot many other attractive materials in this beautiful country.
     

New Zealand

photo: Alistair Keddie

     
    Another new thing is that Alistair Keddie, the Scottish landscape photographer and animator, author of the cartoon "Stribor's Forest" from our project "Croatian Tales of Long Ago" also joined the team! The new member of the crew is also Stuart Page, New Zealand director, cinematographer, photographer and video artist.
      

  • The first presentation of "Tesla" project
  • On Interliber, Zagreb major book fair, on Friday November 10th, we presented our project inspired by the scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla. The presentation was a part of the program of national quiz for the promotion of reading, organized by Zagreb Public Libraries and Croatian Center for Children Books. We presented what was done so far, together with some thoughts about Tesla by famous artists that we interviewed for our interactive film. This was the first public presentation of the project in Croatia.
     

  • Island of Pag
  • In October 2006 Mare Milin and Helena Bulaja were on the island of Pag, Croatia - photographing and filming the materials for feature and animated part of the film. Very unusual location - because of strong winds the island is as bare as the moon surface...
     

Pag

photo: Mare Milin

      

  • Interviews with Terry Gilliam, Andy Serkis and Christopher Priest!
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    The team of the interactive film inspired by Nikola Tesla was in Frankfurt at the end of September 2006, to film interviews with Terry Gilliam and Andy Serkis. A week before the team was in London to film an interview with the British writer Christopher Priest.
     
    The interviews with Gilliam and Serkis were filmed at eDIT festival in Frankfurt. The festival is intended for film professionals, primarily in the field of special visual effects, and for the 9th time it united the VE elite from Europe and America. eDIT is famous for its relaxed and intimate atmosphere, where the attendants really get a chance to meet and communicate with the stars and famous masters. Both Gilliam and Serkis were honored with Special Achievement Award at this year's eDIT festival, together with the legendary Ray Harryhausen, who is one of the greatest masters of special film effects of all times, and who did the VE in spectacles such as "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Clash of the Titans".
     
    Three years ago, at eDIT 2003 festival "Bulaja Publishing" presented its award-winning international project "Croatian Tales of Long Ago"!
    [Here you can see the trailer of the 2003. festival with Helena's interview...]
     

Terry Gilliam & the film crew

photo: Mare Milin

     
    On September 16th 2006 at Tate Modern Gallery in London we filmed an interview with Christopher Priest, author of the novel "The Prestige" in which Tesla is a key episode character. The newest Christopher Nolan's film with David Bowie as Tesla is based on the book (coming out in October 2006).
     
    You will be able to hear some of the inspiring and - as expected - witty thoughts about Tesla that Gilliam, Serkis and Priest shared with us by mid 2007, when this complex film product with the working title "Mechanical Figures - 20.000 Cycles.Net" should be ready.

    If you wonder what's the connection between Gilliam, Serkis and Tesla, click here...
     

Ch. Priest & the film crew, Tate Modern, London

Christopher Priest and the film crew, Tate Modern, London
photo: Mare Milin

     
  • Tesla's birthday - filming in Belgrade
  • On the 150th birth anniversary of Nikola Tesla (June 9-10, 2006) we were again filming in Belgrade.
     

Laurie Anderson & Dana Budisavljevic

photo: Mare Milin

     
    The reasons were the performance by conceptual artist Petar Grimani in Tesla's Museum, in hotel "Moskva" and on the streets of Belgrade, and meeting Laurie Anderson, who gave a concert dedicated to Tesla in Belgrade, as well as Terry O'Reilly, the director of the opera Violet Fire that premiered at the National Theatre. We also filmed an interview with Dana Budisavljević, Croatian filmmaker and Nikola Tesla's grandniece.

 

  • Belgrade - Budapest - Zagreb
  • The team of the interactive film about the scientist Nikola Tesla was in Belgrade and Budapest on May 18-26. Among other things, in Belgrade we interviewed Terry O'Reilly, the director of a multimedia opera Violet Fire inspired by Tesla's life. The opera will premiere in Belgrade at the National Theater in July 2006, as a part of the celebration of Tesla's 150th birth anniversary.
     

Terry O'Reilly, Zvonimir i Helena Bulaja
 

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    In Budapest we were shooting in the famous City Park (Varosliget) - the place where Tesla came to the idea of rotating magnetic field while he was watching the sunset and saying verses from Goethe's "Faust".
     

Rade Serbedzija, Zagreb May 2006

photos: Mare Milin

     
    After we were filming in Zagreb - we interviewed the famous Croatian actor Rade Šerbedžija and the magician M. G. Taylor.

     
     
     

  • More filming in New York, March 2006
  • On March 22nd the team of the interactive film about Nikola Tesla was in New York again, where we filmed an interview with the famous performance artist Marina Abramović. In 2004 Marina Abramović made a performance Tesla's Urn in Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade.
       

Crew & Marina Abramovic, NYC March 2006

photo: Mare Milin

     

  • Filming in New York, January 2006
  • On January 11-26th, 2006 a small team of our Nikola Tesla project was in New York City.
     

Christian Biegai, Sabina Hahn, Laurie Anderson, Helena Bulaja, NYC Jan 2006
 

     
    In the two weeks of intensive shooting we filmed about 10 interviews with acclaimed artists and creative people whom Tesla inspired (Laurie Anderson, Eric Orr, Douglas Rushkoff, Samantha Hunt, Matt Dilling, Craig Marin & Olga Felgemacher, Jamie Mereness, Joseph Kinney, Stephen Whitty), and most of the fictional materials for the film, with Josipa and Marijana Bronić, Sabina Hahn and Christian Biegai.
     

Film crew at Bryant park, NYC Jan 2006

 photos: Mare Milin
  
  

 


 
 

 

  Laurie Anderson & Galatea; photo by Mare Milin
Coil New Zealand
Washington Square
Terry Gilliam
Wellington, New Zealand
Galatea Knitting
Bugz Slovenia
Sabina Hahn
Rade Serbedzija
Gala in Galatea, New Zealand
Laurie Anderson
Montauk
Gala at Brooklyn Bridge
Galatea Flying
Whaiotapu, NZ
Blue Room
Galatea's House
Montauk
Peter Roche
Tesla Radio
Bugz Circle
Shibuya, Tokyo
Bronic Sisters
Bronic Sisters
Budapest, Hungary
New Yorker Hotel
Christopher Priest
Slovenia River
Samantha Hunt
Bugz
Bug no. 13
Bug no. 13
Belgrade
Magnifier
Sabina Arch