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Who is João Ricardo?

João Ricardo [db] (aka ocp - operador de cabine polivalente) is a musician/producer with an interest in image and light.

Your film is about?

This film was made out of found footage from the movie "Mambo" by Robert Rossen.
I used a long close up of Silvana Mangano, which highliths her beauty, and played with a mirror image of her, incessantly shifting from beauty to beast.
The calm soundtrack contrasts with the actress’s agitation, also evident in her real life (she outlived a son, separated from Dino De Laurentiis and died of lung cancer).

How did you start with film? And do you have an educational background in art or film?

My background is in music and sound.
I started experimenting with film to find my visual identity. Basically, I’m self taught.
I often work with a video artist on a common project but he uses methods of his own and my role is in the audio department.

Could you explain how you work, what themes or concepts you use and what is important to you?

My approach is pretty much the same as with music composition.
I like to explore textures and to play with layers; eventually, to manipulate time.
At this point, what’s most important is to perfect my technique to a point in that what is being conveyed is not lacking due to my deficient skills.
Conceptually, I like to think my work is thought provoking and ruptures mind frames.
Of course, that is up to the public to decide...

How long do you usually work on one project?

It’s never the same.
I have stuff collecting dust in my hard drive, waiting for a click.
Some unfinished works need inspiration and an honest dedication.
It could go from a day to a week (or more).

Do you carefully plan the production process or do you work more intuitive?

I’m an intuitive person and I like to feed my intuition.
The process requires some basic planning, certainly, but not too much.
So, that might show in my work.

How does the title relate to the work, and how do you find a fitting title?

In this particular clip, "_ANA_ANO" is the termination of Silvana Mangano.
In italian, there’s a feminine and a masculine form which ends in "a" and "o", respectively.
So, in the title there’s like a "anima" vs. "animus" dichotomy, an expression of the inner personalities.
Again, intuition always finds me a title.

How do you finance your projects (by yourself, sponsors or subsidy)?

All my art is financed by myself.
In this digital age this is not a big issue anymore.
Things can be done with a minimum of financial resources.
All one needs is creativity.

How important is sound in film, and if you use sounds, do you create your own or use existing?

To me - I’m a musician - sound is the most important, although we tend to privilege sight.
Listening to something with your eyes closed is not as uncomfortable (if at all) as watching something without sound.
Of course, sound and image can be complimentary and their interrelation is a potent vehicle when mastered.

How would you describe contemporary videoart?

Flourishing!

What possibilities of the web are yet to be explored?

Not many.
They are just waiting for the right speed to be practical.

Did the web changed your view on art, or your career?

Both.
The access to so much information makes us some kind of Renaissance super humans.
This phenomena is too recent for us to evaluate with the proper detachment.
My work is accessible at all times everywhere. How cool is that?

Where would you place your work; cinema or art. And what is the difference between those according to you?

Art.
Art is a broader concept of which cinema is part; cinema is an artistic expression.

How important is the reaction to your film by the audience?

Very!
It’s what keeps me going at it and evolving.

What is your next project about?

Not sure...



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