Megan Shaughnessy

Interview with Film Artist, Megan Shaughnessy:


GLVBX:  What was the concept behind 'indiscernible self'?

































MS:  There are several concepts that are slowly revealed throughout the film, however, the main thread is the struggle with identity and representation, dealing with the tension and separation between an individual's inner and outer worlds. This theme is present in all of my work and one of the main reasons why I use myself as the
subject. The use of the repeating beveled window represents a barrier between the outside world and the inner self and also mirrors the sense of internal struggle with individual identity. 


GLVBX:  Why did you choose to do a silent, black and white film?


































MS:  I wanted this film to feel as though it was caught in time and for me black and white film always represents a sense of nostalgia as well as encapsulating a timeless quality. I have always worked in silence and I feel, particularly for this work, that it intensifies the mood that is captured.


GLVBX:  Are you often the subject in your work?


































MS:  Yes. I started taking self-portraits about 12 years ago while I was in school. Originally this was because I really didn'thave the money to pay for models, but in the end it turned out that I actually enjoyed the solitude of
 working by myself as well as finding that I could communicate my ideas better without a third party.



GLVBX:  When did you start your film career?






MS:  I was always interested in photography and made that my primary medium, but it wasn't until I moved to the UK to undertake my masters that I really 
started to focus on film. I set out working on the juxtaposition of still and moving images, but it wasn't until I started working for a film archive in the UK that I really experimented with film. During my time at the archive I found that I was drawn to the old silent home movies, they told stories and held memories, which ultimately inspired me to purchase a 16mm camera and I have been creating short films ever since.



GLVBX:  Whom or what are your influences on your work?


MS:  I'm really inspired by artists who like to think outside the
box as well as combining several mediums together to create thought
provoking work, such as Maya Deren's 1943 film "Meshes of the Afternoon", 
Chris Marker's film La Jetée of 1962 where he used almost all stills to create a 
wonderfully haunting futuristic tale, and SamTaylor-Wood's short film made in 
2001 entitled "Still Life" which is imbued with layers of meaning about life and art.


GLVBX:  What can we see from you next?


MS:  Currently I'm working on a series of short films called
"Sleeping States" which are a succession of images, thoughts and
emotions that are based on nonlinear narratives. I am also working on
several photographic projects with a fellow artist, Emma
Shipton-Smith, the most recent entitled "Merged" are a series of dual
self-portraits. Because I have never worked with sound before, I am
also very interested in collaborating with a friend who is composer in
the UK, hopefully incorporating some of his work with my films.

Interview with film artist JP DiScisco

GLVBX How did you first get interested in filming?  

JP When I was seven years old I became obsessed with ‘Jaws.’ I was really affected by how terrifying the story was, so much so that I was afraid to swim in the ocean. I kept imagining that iconic image from the poster of the shark creeping up to its unsuspecting victim.

I found a copy of ‘The Jaws Log’ at a used bookstore and was captivated by the blueprints of the shark and the grainy, behind-the-scenes photos. Suddenly I realized…I want to make movies…


GLVBX What was your inspiration for Scatterbrain and the music you chose for the film?

JP Its strange, there are many eclectic inspirations that arose in my life at the time that formed the basis for ‘Scatterbrain,’ but probably the most obvious are the music and life of Daniel Johnston, Buster Keaton, Maurice Sendak, and the enormous collection of toys and artifacts from my own childhood that I found decaying in my basement. 

I was also listening to Joanna Newsom on a continuous loop and thinking of different ways I could visualize and interpret her music.

GLVBX How long did it take you to produce this work and how did you fund this project?  What is your process?

JP From conception to completion, it was about one year. I saved money from my job driving a truck for Edible Arrangements and lived without a cell phone for some time to pay for props like the real “stuffed” owl that I had to special order from the UK. In the end, I think the overall budget was around five thousand. The one good thing about being a truly independent filmmaker is that you don’t have a hard deadline, so you can really take your time and pay attention to the fine details.

GLVBX What is your favorite part of the film and why?

JP I really love the final scene of the film where Joe rows to a tiny island in the middle of a lake to find solitude, all set to Daniel Johnston’s beautiful song ‘True Love With Find You In The End.’ I also love the last scene because it was never intended that way at all. I had planned for a completely different ending, but decided to change it at the last minute due to difficulties with shooting at a particular location. Now I couldn’t even imagine something different.

GLVBX When your not creating rockin' films, we could most likely find you....

JP Teaching teenagers from Cambridge how to make their own films at Cambridge Community Television.

GLVBX If your life had an album cover title, it would be....

Sleep Deprived, and Wide Eyed

how we got inspired to start a film festival....

When Co-Founder of GLOVEBOX, Jodie Baehre came back from a study abroad trip from Barcelona, it wasn't the freak snow storm, food poisening, hospital, fire on her plane or the car accident on the way home from South Station that she remebered most....okay well at first it was...BUT after much reflecting it was the organization she spoke with in Spain, MODIband and their open air film festival, Sala Mont Juic.


MODIband  is an organization much like GLOVEBOX.  Both organizations were started by friends who had an idea that hadn't been done before, a spark to take something into their own hands and make it their own.  MODIband is a young catalonian organization who wanted to start an open air film festival that was affordable to the residents of Barcelonia and Catalunya and also worthy of not just great films but films that would compliment the space they chose.  What started as a small gathering has grown to festival that attracts over 5,000 people each year to the hilltops of Catalunya.


Our artist organization (GLVBX), has been very successful in showcasing the talents and work of local visual artists through exhibitions and events.  The community that GLVBX represents is fresh, young and full of ideas.  This very first GLOVEBOX film festival represents our inspiration from MODIband and the Sala Mont Juic film festival.  We hope that our first modest attempt will lead to bigger and better festivals over the years.  So...come rock out with us this June 2011, and if you are ever in Barcelona in the summer check out MODIband and all they have accomplished.

all photos from MODIband and Sala MontJuic film festival