INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR

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INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR BARB BRIGGS

Barb Briggs Director, writer and producer Barb Briggs is a director, writer and producer based in Calgary. She has worked on several independent film and television productions including Finding Normal, Tic Toc, The Healing, The Prize, Weeds in the Garden, as well as award-winning series Hug-O-Gram and Super Drycleaners She was a director/ producer on two seasons of Homes & Lifestyles Canada, is a published writer, and the founder of Asvoria Media Inc. Her films have played around the world in Canada, the US, and the UK.

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Barb received her training through the Whistler Film Festival Digital First Lab, Women in the Director’s Chair, the National Screen Institute, and the Independent Production Fund. She has been the recipient of multiple grants and fellowships including TELUS STORYHIVE, the Harold Greenburg Fund, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the National Film Board, and the Alberta Media Fund to name a few.

Her most recent films Indifference and The Choice, were released this year.

Kim: How did you get into filmmaking? It definitely was not a straight line into filmmaking. I’ve tried my hand at quite a few different jobs and careers, from working in restaurants, garden centres and retail, to researcher, interior decorator, event planner, international development, communications manager, writer, and executive director of various charitable organizations. Underneath all of these I had a passion for gathering stories and the arts. Books and movies have always been a huge part of my life. From the time I learned to read, I could always be found with a book in hand and a pile more to read, and every Friday was movie night. It’s probably a bit cliché, but stories allowed me to live vicariously through someone else, to visit faraway or magical places, and to go on adventures.

Scene from Barb Briggs' film, Indifference.

After having kids, I wanted to do something more creative so I enrolled in a visual design program and turned to photography. For the next ten years I focused on documenting and capturing moments in time and place. While compiling a photo documentary on local organic food growers, I found myself wanting sound and motion but had no experience working with video. Volunteering had always been a way for me to learn, so I found a feature film that was looking for a Unit Stills Photographer. This placed me in the unique position where I was free to move around a set and observe all the aspects of the filmmaking process.

From there I was hooked. I participated in as many workshops and mentorship programs as I could before venturing into making my first short film as writer-director. I found that all the experiences I had up until this point came together in a perfect set of skills for filmmaking.

Since then, I’ve produced, written and directed multiple short films, award winning web series, music

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videos, documentaries and 36 episodes of ½ hour lifestyle content.

Kim: Where do you get your ideas for your films? I tend to draw inspiration from my childhood and dayto-day experiences. The first film I made was based on an experience I had when I was about six. We won this giant bear at a fair and that night my brother and I swore we saw it move on a swivel chair. I turned that memory into a story about imagination, reality and fears. Other sources of inspiration include music, things I hear my kids say or do, current events and history.

Kim: What are you currently working on? I just finished a short film entitled Indifference, which is doing a festival run. It received an honorable mention at the Women X Film Festival in the UK, and will be playing at the Toronto International Women Festival and the Central Alberta Film Festival. Indifference follows Lindsay, a middle-aged, married, mother that does most of the physical and emotional labour for her family and her marriage, on one day in her life. The film starts with Lindsay buying a gift for her husband in the hopes of having an intimate evening with him. When she arrives home, she faces a mess and both her husband and son are wrapped up in their own worlds to notice the house and her. This results in an argument – an argument that isn’t new to the couple. She decides to keep the peace and proceed with her plans for a romantic night. But much like earlier, she doesn’t get the response she was looking for.

Kim: What do you hope to achieve with this film? My primary goal is to evoke an emotion with the audience and share a story that I think is quite common amongst women, but often overlooked. As a middle-aged, married, mother of two, this could be my story – and at times it has been my story. This film is essentially a very personal exploration of married life. It draws not only on my own experiences, but those of a number of women I’ve had conversations with. A common thread through these conversations has been a sense of complacency and indifference that can grow in a relationship over time. There’s not a specific event or action that can pointed by, but rather a series of daily occurrences that wear away at the relationship and individual identities. When you add in idealized versions and expectations of what a mother, wife, romance, etc., “should” look like, it can make for a strong sense of failure and isolation. What I’ve found interesting is that despite all the mixed feelings, many of these women persist and stay in the relationships. Even though the film ends on a sad note, it is only meant to show a moment in time. I’ve found that the majority of films about relationships focus on the start – that romantic stage where everything is bright and happy – or the end of a relationship – showing the demise of the relationship and the resulting fallout. For this film I wanted to show that in-between stage. That daily grind. We don’t know what Lindsay will do the next day. We only know how she feels at this particular moment.

Kim: What’s next for you? Right now, I’m putting my energies into writing. I have a few projects on the go including a limited series based on the true story of a mass murder in a small town in Alberta in 1959, as well as two feature films – a family adventure type film, and a psychological horror.

Kim: What advice do you have for other women looking to enter filmmaking? I would say go for it! Tell your stories and share your experiences in your unique voice. I didn’t move into film until I was nearly 40 years old and I often have to work with much younger people that have more time and energy than I often do. I try not to compare myself to them as I’m on my own journey. Yes, there will be lots of ups and downs and you will likely face rejection, but stay true to your voice and your vision. And bring cookies. Cookies always help break the ice on sets!

View some of Barb’s work at www.asvoriamedia.ca. Her film Indifference will be screening at various film festivals in 2022/23 and will be made available online after it has finished its festival run.

Connect with Barb Twitter: @BriggsBarb Instagram: @BriggsBarb LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/barb-briggs-8b9b4a7

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DIY HARVEST BOTANICAL WREATH

BY ELLI JESPERSON

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As Fall fills the air, so does the nostalgic feeling of leaves changing and sweater weather. Encourage your creativity and learn techniques on how to make a Harvest Wreath with selection of dried botanicals with this DIY from Small Flower {floral studio}. Your everlasting wreath will give you that warm cozy feeling year after year.

SUPPLIES • Wire wreath form or willow frame • Mixed foliage (fresh product with different textures) • Mixed dried flowers and foliage, if you are making a winter wreath you may have pinecones, berries and other festive items • Wire paddle or wax covered string • Glue for finishing touches (use with care)

Additional items you may want to add: • Ribbon, twine, or special accents from your own craft closet.

1. GETTING STARTED • Be sure to cover your workspace with plastic or paper to protect it from being damaged. • You will be working with fresh products as well as dry products. The fresh product will shrink, so be sure to wrap the wire completely around each bundle until it is secure. • Take some time to prepare by cutting your greens into manageable sizes so they are ready to be added to the wreath form.

2. ADD GREENS

• Securely tie the end of your floral wire to the wire ring and bind the first bundle of stems on, wrapping tightly. • Use one hand to hold the stems flush with the wire ring. Using your other hand, wrap the stems with your floral wire paddle. • Moving in one direction around the ring, gradually build up the number of stems you attach to the wreath. • Lay a small bundle of greenery on the form, and wrap floral wire on a paddle tightly around the stems three times. • Remember, you will keep the wire attached until you have added your last bundle of greenery. Do not cut it until the end. • Add another bundle, overlapping the previous one by half; wrap the wire around the stems. Continue adding bundles until you reach the starting point. • Add your layers slightly to the left of center and then with your next addition adding your bundle slightly to the right of center. This gives a kind of weaving effect that create a nice fullness to your wreath (like fish scales).

3. ADD FLORALS

• Have fun with this step—this is where you make the wreath look fuller and add colour! Once you have some greenery attached, you can add other textural fill and flowers to your wreath. • You can use floral glue to hold the delicate flowers in place. Note: The floral glue can take some additional time to dry. • Once you’re near the end, you may want to change the direction of your placements to soften the look of the wreath.

4. FINISHING TOUCHES • Once you’ve used all the foliage you’d like to, and when the entire form is covered, tie off the wire, leaving a few extra inches before cutting the end.

Cut the wire and tie it off securely. Be sure to add a loop for hanging! • Resist the urge to add or go back to an area of the wreath that you have already completed. When you are finished designing, hang the wreath on a blank wall, then step back and evaluate. Is there anything that needs to be added or taken away? If so, go back and add or remove elements as needed. • After placing the wreath in your desired location, you’ll want to know how to care for your wreath so it lasts as long as possible. Indoor wreaths that are protected from direct sunlight should last you two to three years, while outdoor wreaths will have a shorter lifespan.

Elli Jesperson is an acclaimed florist based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She has been in the floral industry for over 30 years and owns Small Flower {floral studio}. Get your botanical wreath kit or check out her upcoming floral workshops by visiting smallflower.ca