Leah (Wynter Zabrina) looks away while Kristina (Angelia Marie) confronts their Ballet Instructor.
Preview Clip of “Authority” at bottom of the page.
Authority is not a comfortable film to watch, but it was never meant to be. The reason I wanted to make this film is very simple. This kind of thing happens everyday, and usually it is ignored. Until very recently many institutions including filmmaking have been exposed for having condoned this type of behavior for years. A general example would be the success and fall of Harvey Winestein, but this film isn’t about the filmmaking industry.
This film is about an Instructor in the world of Ballet.
Stirling Matheson shows Peter Law the proper way to teach Ballet.
Accepting that I knew nothing of Ballet, I asked my friend Stirling Matheson from The Ballet Theatre of Indiana to be my Co-director. I wanted to ensure the class was as authentic as possible. Stirling himself is a tour de force in cinema. We will be working together on a feature later this spring featuring the many talented dancers of the Ballet Theatre of Indiana.
A couple of weeks before we shot Authority the Ballet world was rocked by the #metoo movement, when allegations were made about some New York City Ballet authorities. We knew we had a hot subject on our hands, yet it only motivated me to make this film even more. It had to be done.
Producer Jordan Leigh Wheatley and Assistant Director Emelie Flower were essential in assisting me with the emotional reaction of our talent. Our casting came together better than I could have hoped. Wynter Zabrina as Leah took on a sensitive role with so much grace and nailed take after take. Then there was Pete Law, our instructor. His part was not an easy one to play, but his dedication, professionalism, and overall greatness as a performer persevered to create an organic representation of an experience that usually stays behind closed doors. The whole cast and crew cared deeply about the subject matter. We debated creative differences and took our time with the performances.
Josiah Duncan Prepares to shoot steady with the Atlas Orion 65mm.
Knowing I wanted the maximum quality for this project. We rented the Atlas Orion B Set, a collection or 2x anamorphic lenses. Director of Photography Josiah Duncan had already signed up with me to shoot “Authority” but the opportunity to use such powerful lenses only added to his excitement.
Preparing the Storyboards might have been the most important part of this process. I wanted the lens to be too close for the audience to ever truly get comfortable. I wanted the aggressive yet subtle moments of the class to be visibly shocking to the viewer while taking root in the reality being conveyed.
Leah (Wynter Zabrina) reacts as Instructor (Pete Law) readjusts her technique.
In the end you will have to be the judge yourself as an audience member. As a filmmaker I feel a need to express myself through storytelling with ideas rooted in some form of reality so it is relatable. Be that reality ugly or beautiful, uncomfortable or incredible, as storytellers we must make it honest above all else.
Situations LIKE IN “Authority” OCCUR all too OFTEN in our world.
Was it just a matter of time for movements like #metoo to hit the Ballet world? Have we seen the inevitable exposure of a societal norm that has been underlying throughout our entire history? These are all questions we must ask ourselves, but most importantly we must ask ourselves:
How to we move forward and get better?
Support our films so we can make 2019 our best year yet!
Here is the first minute from Authority.
Producers
Jordan Leigh Wheatley
Brentton Reynolds
Starring
Wynter Zabrina
Angelia Marie
Pete Law
Audrey Robson
Photographed by
Josiah Duncan
1st AC
Andrew Torbenson
2nd Ac
Adam K. Allen
Gaffer
Nathan Savidge
Grip
Kyle Smith
Makeup By
Hallie Baumann
Co Director
Stirling Matheson
Assistant Director
Emelie Flower