Off The Beat / The Actor Slash Model Film Project    (working titles)

              - Exploring Trans and Gender Variant Identity in Musicianship and                 Performance.

 

  Starting in 2006 the (then) music project Actor Slash Model, undertook a a 3+ year   commitment in choosing to create a feature length documentary film to explore notions of   gender identity as it relates to music. The duo wished to seek out others in similar   circumstances as themselves, and give a voice to what was not being seen or heard, a
  realm in which the array of gender diversity flourishes and the talent is superb - gender  variant musicians. (pictured left - Lipstick Conspiracy)  

Artistically this film is focused solely on the idea of a personal journey. Inclusive of both the struggle and glory transgendered individuals, as all others, experience, this film will allow a venue for a particular niche of trans existence to be revealed and celebrated. Each story is the story of a journey in progress, or a transformation. This idea of transformation is truly what drives the film. This metaphor sustains across the boards, even relating to how we as filmmakers are on our journey, artistically, intellectually and physically to expose the journeys' and stories of others.

Throughout this film we highlight the young and the old, people who have both thrived and fought within our community for decades, and those who have just discovered their own way of moving through life. This aspect of age diversity is greatly beneficial to the notion of a journey. Albeit a personal journey, a political journey, a literal journey, the aspect of travel (through years or miles) is the binding stylistic element in this film. Our lives are 4-dimensional, our media is 4-dimensional, and each person is on his/her/ze’s journey. As trans people, our bodies are nontraditional, our lifestyles are non traditional, our ideas about culture and identity are non traditional. Why shouldn’t our way of making art, be non traditional as well? Especially when our own creative process can be utilized by millions of people as a learning tool, a coping tool, or just a shout, “hey, we’re here, we’re not going away.” The merger of 16mm film, super 8 film, video, still image, experimental uses of music, audio and sound to form a truly mixed media, non traditional documentary film, is only a reaffirmation of the place of trans people in this world.

At this time Actor Slash Model has completed approximately one half of the production process, and has begun some preliminary editing, including the production of a short film sample segment which will be available for viewing on YouTube soon. In June of 2007, with the help of assistant cinematographer Malic Amalya, the team conducted interviews in Santa Fe, NM, where they spoke with political organizer and blues harp musician Meka Gordon, and Los Angeles California, filming poet and musician Ryka Aoki De La Cruz, and jazz pianist Lauren Steely. In San Francisco, CA. they spoke with long time rock musician Anderson Toone, the lovely ladies of the all transwomen rock group Lipstick Conspiracy, hip hop musician Katastrophe and alt rockers Trannysaurus Sex. In Portland interviews were conducted with gender variant front woman Kelly Moe, of the trip hop duet Basic Fix and acapella singer May Allen, while Seattle included the transboy identified singer-songwriter Piper McKenzie, touching on his notions of feminism, song writing, and the political aspects of not taking hormones. Minneapolis consisted of chatting with the all transmen pop rocker group Tough Tough Skin, and goth transwoman Venus Demars, formerly of All The Pretty Horses. Currently aS/M is in the process of working with The Shondes of New York City and Adhamh Roland of St. Louis, as well as booking the Summer 2008 film tour to include New York, Boston, Baltimore, DC and Philadelphia, and possibly more.

OPEN CALL -- We are interested in interviewing and taping the performances (when possible) with FTM, MTF, transmen, transwomen, gender variant folks, and all those deviants existing outside of a cute gender specific box living and working on the East Coast. We are interested in all genres and all of the ways you move through life with your music - session musicians, vagabonds, office by day rock and roll by night, you’ve distributed 50,000 copies of your album, or you just like to sing in the shower. We want to hear your story.

This project is funded solely on fundraising, donations, and small grants. If you have any interest whatsoever, please purchase the 2007 Actor Slash Model release, Cheap Date. All the proceeds go to this project, estimate completion - summer 2009.

Simon and Madsen are available to speak on panels or facilitate discussions and presentations regarding their work. Please contact them directly.

If you are interested in film stills, or production photographs please visit the press page for hi-res images.

This project has been generously supported by Beyondmedia Education, The Fire This Time Fund, The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Illinois Arts Council, The Broadway Youth Center, The Leather Archives and Museum, Early To Bed, Illinois Gender Advocates, Lakeside Pride Ensemble, Think Pink, as well as individuals such as Julia Serano, Barbara DeGenivieve, Leslie Frank, Red Vaughn Tremmel, Jessica Halem, Michaela Purdue, Colin Palombi, Malic Amayla, J. Lewis Wallace, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Searah Deysach, Mollie Dowling, Nichole McCleland, Carol Queen, Moorea Malatt, Ang Garcia, Amita Lonial, Sunshine Owens, and many others.

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