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mystified, we were able to get on top of the project; in fact, we were able to come from a more original place than we might have, had we gone to film school and learned the "correct" procedures.
The opportunity to collaborate with Ron Fricke was unique. Ron is a gifted artist and technical designer. He has the rare capacity for brilliant composition and a masterful command of the camera system as a tool. Indeed, any success that
Koyaanisqatsi
enjoys is the result of a fruitful collaboration between Ron, Philip, myself and the provocative and intelligent crew that was assembled for the film: Alton Walpole, Michael Hoenig, Walter Bachauer, Anne Miller, and Dennis Jackob. All of us in our own manner added vital energy.
MacDonald:
At what point did Hilary Harris become involved?
Reggio:
During the editing of the film, which took place in Venice, California, someone called me up one night from New York, very hysterical, and said he had seen a film on channel thirteen in New York: "You gotta check this out immediately!" So I looked at
Organism
and called Hilary.
MacDonald:
This was after you finished shooting?
Reggio:
Well, the shooting never stopped. We had stumbled onto the time-lapse technique in some low-visibility commercial work, and it became clear to me and Ron that this was the language that we were missing. We became focused on time lapse as a way to create the experience of acceleration. So we shot all the way through the editing; we were still shooting in 1982, the year the film was released.
I got a copy of
Organism,
looked at it, and was very pleased. I
felt
that I sawand after conferring with Hilary, I was
sure
that I sawa very different intention in his footage. His intention was to celebrate the city:
Organism
is a celebration of modernity. He had none of the metaphysical concerns that I havethat's no put-down of Hilary; it's only an indication of a different point of view.
Also, Hilary's shots were very short. Now, of course, with time lapse, it might take you a long time to shoot a six-second piece, but I was looking for much longer shots. Though Hilary was willing to sell me footage, most of the footage he had was unusable in our film. I asked if we could employ him to do some of the shooting. He said he would be delighted.
MacDonald:
How much of the New York material is his?
Reggio:
Several of the most powerful pattern shots of people and traffic were shot by Hilary. However, most of the New York shooting was done by Ron Fricke.
MacDonald:
Have you seen Fricke's
Chronos
?
Reggio:
Yes, I have.
MacDonald:
That's another instance of a time-lapse film where the