Recently, boulderpavement celebrated the launch of its fifth issue, and I caught up with Saki Murotani, website designer and developer, to ask her what goes into the creation of boulderpavement’s award-nominated design.

Q: How did you get involved in the project?

A: While at The Banff Centre as an animation work study, the Editors, Steven Ross Smith and Nick Hetcheson, approached me with an idea for an online, multidisciplinary journal.  They asked if I’d be interested in collaboratively designing the magazine “look” with Banff Centre staff and work studies Price Morgan, Kenny Lozowski, Susan Clarahan and Erin Ignacio.

Q: Tell me about your design concept for boulderpavement.

A: Each issue has a specific theme – sometimes the theme’s not literal, so I design by feeling or what I think looks right.  The theme for Issue 5 was language, so I tried to create a design that would complement the content and contributors.  I started working on the background design and icons first, and then I went from there.  I also like to reflect the seasons in my design.  Since this recent issue is out now, I tried to incorporate winter themes into my design.

Q: What’s the difference between designing for print and online?

A: I think the number-one difference is that with web design, you have to make sure everything enhances the user-friendliness.  Designs for the web need to be visually appealing, and they need to clearly communicate the message for the user.  Print designs also need to enhance the message or story, but it won’t interact with viewers in the same way as web designs

Q: As a designer, what inspires you?

A: I am also an animator, and I’m inspired by films and animations with amazing visual effects.  They’re mind-blowing, and they inspire me to try to make designs or animations as cool as I think they are.

Henk Guittart working with cellist Adrian Fung of the Afiara Quartet. Photo: Donald Lee.

During a snowy afternoon chat over chocolates I caught up with Henk Guittart, Director of our Fall and Winter Creative Music Residencies, to hear all about his Magic Banff Formula.

How long have you been the Director?
Officially, I started October 2010 but truly I started long before that; organizing faculty and adjudicating applications in the spring of that same year. I began coming to the Centre as guest faculty in 2006 and sort of grew into the role.

What is one of your highlights since you took over as Director? Without being a cliché, my highlight is this week – having pianist Ronan O’Hora here and this week’s population of resident artists.  That is how I live and think in the moment. 

You’re in Banff from October to March. What do you do during the summer?
Our first summer in Canada my wife, Carolien, organized a retreat for us on Vancouver Island.  We fell in love with the Island.  We come over early every summer from Holland to go back there.

What do you miss most about Holland when you’re in Banff? 
I like to say there’s nothing wrong with missing something.  So it would only be bad if my joy of being in Banff would be overruled by missing the sea, my friends in the Netherlands, and my family. 

What do you think The Banff Centre offers musicians that other residency programs don’t?
There really is no competition to this program. It is open to artists in all varieties and in all stages of their career. The length of the fall/winter program, 20 weeks is unheard of – 24 hour access to your own studio, amazing performance opportunities, incredible recording facilities, and warmth and support from your peers.   There are also all the subconscious benefits – fantastic isolation, geographical setting, and incredible scenery – the full experience of being here.  A Magic Banff Formula that leaves people asking, ‘Why can I do things here that I cannot do in my studio at home?” 

What’s your Magic Banff Formula?
Aside from working with the musicians and faculty, I love being outdoors – walking in the snow and being able to take in the landscape.    

City and Colour played the Eric Harvie Theatre. Photo: James Arnold.

On the 21st day of their cross-Canada tour, City and Colour stopped at the Eric Harvie Theatre to play a sold-out show. Guitarist and lead-singer Dallas Green’s fragile voice and vulnerable lyrics were able to captivate the large audience, providing the right setting for a truly memorable show.

Before the band performed, Dallas sat down in a small room back-stage to talk about his inspirations, performing with people like Gord Downie and Ron Sexsmith, and how he feels when compared to Joni Mitchell or Neil Young.

Dallas Green's heartfelt and haunting lyrics captivates a packed crowd. Photo: James Arnold.

My song-writing process is…I sit and play guitar and whatever pops into my head is what becomes a City and Colour song.

Director Lori Lozinski (right) on the set during Women in the Director's Chair. Photo: Kim Williams.

Lozinski, who refers to herself as a creative producer has been working in the film industry for the past 10 years, and recently was the Producer for the Genie Award-winning film Savage, directed by Lisa Jackson.

As someone who’s worked closely with film directors throughout her career, she’s contributed creatively to the style and concept of each project, which is why she’s become more attracted to directing over the past few years.  “I want to focus on having control of the creative vision,” she says. As she was finishing two intensive weeks on set, I asked her to tell me about one thing that stands out about the WIDC experience.

“WIDC has given me a greater appreciation for working with actors,” she told me. “I didn’t know how intense and hard it was going to be to watch the actors then watch the frame, and then adjust the performance. In WIDC, how I work with actors as a director is more creative and collaborative than anything I’ve ever done.”

Women in the Director’s Chair is an intensive, hands-on, annual workshop created by producer Carol Whiteman and run by the Creative Women Workshops Association. Its focus is on casting, rehearsing, blocking, on-set and post, and working with professional actors, cinematographers, designers, editors, and crews.

Toronto-based actor Glen Matthews, who's in the acting company for the 2012 Women in the Director's Chair workshop.

It’s now more than a week since I travelled to The Banff Centre and I’m still incapable of catching my breath. You could probably blame the 4,800 foot altitude in Banff (or perhaps my extended absence from the treadmill), but after two weeks of breathlessness, only one explanation remains: I think I’m in love…

It was a month ago when I received word that I had been selected to join the 2012 Women in the Director’s Chair Acting Ensemble. Talking to many of my peers in Halifax who, in the past, had participated in various programs at The Banff Centre, it didn’t take me long to get excited about my inclusion in the ensemble.

Since starting the workshop two Sundays ago (on the 15th), there wasn’t much time to stop and smell the proverbial roses; every day was jam-packed with exhilarating, exhausting challenges that kept us on our toes.

Early in week one, we had a day of auditioning (I literally mean a full day: I auditioned six times), after which the ensemble was assigned to work with their directors on the Main Scenes where the majority of our collective efforts were to be placed. I was chosen by directors Celia McBride and Sara McIntyre  to help bring their fantastic scripts to life.

We also worked on Guerilla Scenes. We were given scripts that intentionally had very little to no set-up and back story, in an attempt throw us off our game and get our filmmaking-feet wet before launching into the Main Scenes.

Glen Matthews in director Sara McIntyre's scene, called Sixy Fingers. Photo: Don Lee.

The night before shooting the guerillas, WIDC Producer Carol Whiteman gave a speech about protecting the filmmaker’s “freedom to fail” which really stuck with me. The next day, during the Guerilla Shoot I felt inspired to attempt things that I ordinarily wouldn’t try. Small things, but things nonetheless; immeasurable to the naked eye, but [personally] groundbreaking .

After we wrapped up the Main Scenes (which went phenomenally), it seemed as though things were finally slowing down…a bit more bitter than sweet. 

A phrase that’s been said again and again around here has been “It’s about the process not the product”, and you truly feel that. It’s something I’ll certainly try to hold onto as I try to acclimate (see what I did there?) back into the soul-crushing “real world” of show-business.

Thank you everyone in Banff. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with all of you.

Glen Matthews (www.GlenMatthews.ca) is a professional actor, currently based out of Toronto, with roles in HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN, THE CORRIDOR, MOBY DICK, ROLLER TOWN and HAVEN. He was recently voted Halifax’s BEST FILM/TV ACTOR by the readers of The Coast Halifax’s Weekly, and nominee for a Robert Merritt Award (Theatre NS) for BEST MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE for his work in 2010′s LOGAN AND I. Watch his demo reel here.

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen headlined the October 1 Indie Band Showcase Concert at The Banff Centre. Photo courtesy The Banff Centre/

All this past week I’ve been recapping The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience, playing you interviews, concerts and some amazing videos. To help culiminate the amazing experience Mise En Scene, Doldrums, and The Abramson Singers had working with Producers Tony Berg, Howard Bilerman, and Shawn Everett, Chad VanGaalen stopped by to play some classics and new songs off his album Diaper Island.

Chad VanGaalen helped close The Indie Band Experience. Photo courtesy Jeff Thorburn.

Coming up in the next few days you’ll hear that recording of Chad playing at the Margaret Greenham Theatre and an interview he did with Jessa Runciman. Subscribe to our podcast to make sure you get that interview and the concert recording. While you’re there, you can hear all the other interviews and concerts done by the Banff Centre Audio team.

It’s been really amazing getting to recap The Indie Band Experience. I know everyone had a great time working, recording, and making some amazing music. Keep your eyes on the blog to stay apart of other incredible things happening here at The Banff Centre.

Leah Abramson and the Abramson Singers play The Club. Photo: The Banff Centre.

We’ve been going back to the fall of 2011 on the blog this week to recap The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience. So far we’ve featured videos, interviews, and concert recordings all in the attempt to recount the amazing 3 weeks bands had recording, writing, and working with faculty like former Banff Centre resident and Weezer Producer Shawn Everett.

Yesterday I featured an interview and concert with Toronto’s Doldrums. Today you’ll hear an interview with Leah Abramson of The Abramson Singers followed by her sonically rich concert in the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

Leah Abramson belts it out. Photo: The Banff Centre.

“Singing makes me happier than anything…Even if I’m singing something sad, it still makes me happy.“

Listen to that interview and the concert recording.

Also, check out the great video below from Shot at the Dark of The Abramson Singers trekking their instruments through the Banff forests and making great music.

Special thanks to CBC Radio 3‘s Chris Kelly for his ongoing support.

Our last blog post on the Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience will feature Chad VanGaalen, keep your eyes on the blog or our iTunes U page for that interview, concert and more.

Airick Woodhead of Doldrums performs live at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

All this week on the blog we’re going back to the fall of 2011 for The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience. There are interviews, concert recordings, and videos recapping the amazing 3 weeks bands had recording, writing, and working with faculty like Producer Tony Berg – who’s worked with Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder and others.

Yesterday I featured Winnipeg’s Mise En Scene. Today we’re changing gears to hear an interview with Airick Woodhead of Doldrums, recorded and produced by Jessa Runciman. After, you’ll hear a live concert recording from underneath the Eric Harvie Theatre in The Club. If you haven’t heard Doldrums (and even if you have) this concert is really something special.

Doldrums mixing on stage at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre

“The stuff I’m doing now is actually more similar to what I started doing – when I started thinking of music as my own creation.“

Listen to that interview and the concert recording.

Also, check out the great video below from Shot at the Dark of Doldrums performing on a gondola up Sulphur Mountain.

Special thanks to CBC Radio 3‘s Chris Kelly for his ongoing support.

Keep checking the blog all week for more on The Abramson Singers, and Chad VanGaalen.

Winnipeg’s Mise en Scene, one of the 3 bands in the 2011 Banff Indie Band. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

All this week I’ll be bringing you interviews, concert recordings, and videos from The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience that happened in the fall of 2011. Bands got to work with faculty like Arcade Fire drummer/producer Howard Bilerman, recording new songs and honing their skills.

The first band of our feature is Mise En Scene from Winnipeg. Members Stefanie Johnson & Jodi Dunlop talk to Podcast Production work study Evie Ruddy about art, working in an Icelandic community, and intensely collaborating.

Stephanie Blondal and Jodi Dunlop, Mise en Scene, at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

“it’s not about just being a rock-and-roll band…which is great…but it’s a craft.”

Listen to the interview and a live recording of their concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

Also, watch this great video from Shot at the Dark of Mise En Scene performing in front of Cascade Mountain.

While in Banff, Stephanie and Jodi were turned into fairies in a video for their song Hey Velvet. Keep an eye out for the next issue of Boulder Pavement to see how things turned out.

Keep checking the blog all week for more on Doldrums, The Abramson Singers, and Chad VanGaalen.

Special thanks to Chris Kelly from CBC Radio 3 for his ongoing help with The Indie Band Experience.

Producer Howard Bilerman (left) in the studio at The Banff Centre. Photo courtesy of the Banff Centre.

The Banff Centre Indie Experience invites bands from around the world to utilize the centre’s extensive facilities for 3 weeks to write, rehearse, and record new work. This past fall, Mise En Scene, Doldrums, and The Abramson Singers all came to work with the likes of Tony Berg, Howard Bilerman, Shawn Everett, and the Banff Centre Audio team…amidst the and inspirational Banff mountains.

At the end of the three weeks, a lot of work, and an ample amount of learning, the bands were joined on stage  by Polaris Prize shortlister Chad VanGaalen to perform a concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre as a part of Alberta Arts Days.

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen. Photo courtesy of Jeff Thorburn.

Luckily, the Banff Centre Audio team was on hand to record everything. Over the course of this week I’ll be bringing you those concert recordings, interviews with the three bands, and some great videos.

Today we get to know the bands and faculty in this short documentary, produced with the support of ARDN and with the help of our friends at Deluxe Design Group.