An Industry Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: The Joy of 2020
Genre: Short film Documentary
Date: January 15th, 2021
Director: Bailey Bass
Producer: name(s)
Executive Producer: Curious Spark Productions: Bailey Bass, John Boughton, Carly Censi, Michaela Tramuta
Writer: NA
Cinematographer: NA
Production Company: Curious Spark Productions
Budget: NA
Financing: NA
World Premiere: Our World Premiere is at NYCITFF
Website: https://www.instagram.com/curioussparkproductions/
The Official Trailer for The Joy of 2020
Watch The Trailer for The Joy of 2020 directed by Bailey Bass
A Short Biography of Bailey Bass
Bailey Bass is a New York based freelance director and producer. She holds a BA in Theatre and BS in Public Relations from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Bailey gravitates towards work with strong female characters and stories that carry an interesting, unusual and individualistic voice.
She aims to create diverse theatre that will challenge her audience to contemplate and question the society we live in. Bailey loves to collaborate. It is an interest she holds dear. It her path to pursue new developmental work and finding ways to re-imagine the classics.
The Bailey Bass Interview
indieactivity: Tell us about “who you are”?
Bailey Bass (BB): We are four theatre-based creatives who met in college. All four of us came together this past year, during the pandemic, in order to find ways to stay creative, as our main medium was shut down for the time being. We formed our collective, Curious Spark Productions, and our first major project was our short film documentary The Joy of 2020.
Introduce your film?
Bailey Bass (BB): Our film, The Joy of 2020, touches on the idea that no matter the circumstances, one can always find beauty in each day. We follow the stories of five individuals who found ways to persevere, in a time when the world took a pause. These stories are highlighted by a compilation of small moments from within communities everywhere, forming unity amongst us all.
Tell us why you chose to write, produce, direct, shoot, cut/edit the movie? Was it financial, chance or no-budget reason?
Bailey Bass (BB): As the four of us gathered via zoom for our weekly meeting, we reflected on different project ideas. We kept coming back to the hardships of 2020. There has been so much negativity this past year and we wanted to find and create some positivity. Our reason behind this film was our drive to continue being creative, in a time where our normal “creative routines” became no longer tangible. We also wanted to find a way to highlight the beauty that was discovered in 2020. I think people will continue to look back at 2020 and remember all the pain and sadness that this past year created, but I hope people can watch this film and remember bits of joy that came along the way.
Introduce your crew?
Bailey Bass (BB): This project was a very company-based, all hands-on deck process. All four of us took specific roles and really learned as we created. We explored how to collaborate together, while navigating a medium that we were vaguely familiar with. If you are interested in learning more about the creatives, as individual artists, that make up our team, please visit their websites and give them a follow on Instagram. I have included everyone’s position and how to find more information on each artist. Bailey Bass (Director), John Boughton (Editor), Michaela Tramuta (Music Director), Carly Censi (Creative Development Consultant/Lead Producer).
What are your personal experiences putting on all these hats/responsibilities (simultaneously)? Tell us about story, writing, and production?
Bailey Bass (BB): I think artists are used to wearing multiple hats, so although the idea of playing multiple roles in a process can be overwhelming, I believe all four of us took on multiple responsibilities and grew our artistic tool boxes. Putting together a film, no matter how short, can be a harrowing and taxing process, but as artists, we were all kept so alive and excited by the premise of creating something new and finding happiness in this year.
What is the source of the idea? How did the story develop from the idea? And how did the story evolve into a screenplay? Why do this story? Do you have a writing process?
Bailey Bass (BB): The project idea originated from exploring the idea of what it is like being in your 20s in 2020. This conversation led to a lot of negative outlooks on this past year. Someone in our Collective said, “let’s focus on the positive”, and the idea sparked from there. We started to ask ourselves, what joy did other people find in 2020?
Let’s talk pre-production: take us through a timeline of how you started and ended it?
BB: We met up in July and started with a google document, 4 computer screens over zoom, and in 3 different time zones. 8 months later, we’re still on zoom and finding time to make art together. That document had tons of ideas and avenues that the four of us wanted to explore. One of those ideas was focusing on what it was like being in your 20’s in 2020. That idea brought up a lot of hard conversations, so we decided to switch that energy into positivity and specifically focus on the good in this past year.
We met several times a week on zoom. In the beginning in the fall, trying to figure out how we would portray this positivity. We decided we all wanted to challenge ourselves and explore film as a medium. We reached out to friends, family and our social media network and gathered over 50 (1-5 minute) videos of people sharing their joy with us that they discovered or reignited in 2020. Then, we reached out to 5 individuals who experienced a major shift during this past year and asked them to reflect on the joy they found, despite their circumstances.
What were the advantages and disadvantages in the way you worked?
BB: Two major disadvantages in the way we needed to work was collaborating completely through zoom/video calls and distance. The 4 of us were spread out through 3 different time zones. The best part of working together was being able to collaborate and create with friends.
When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
BB: Our collective was formed in December 2020. We decided we wanted the film to be under a name that represented all of us. However, the way we approached the name and how we are marketing ourselves is not in a company style. We’re a community of collaborators who are interested in connecting with others in the industry and making more projects together- specifically during COVID. As career driven individuals, we all want to be able to focus on our individual careers, while also balancing contributing to this group as much as we can.
What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
BB: I hope people walk away from this film and remember to find the joy in their everyday lives. Even in the toughest of times, we can find good, experience moments of happiness and continue to grow as individuals and a society. I know a lot of people have looked at the year 2020 as an absolutely terrible year, but we must remember to stop and look at what 2020 has taught us.
What else have you got in the works?
BB: Next up for Curious Spark Productions, is a project called “Pass the Art”. This project is similar to the idea of the children’s game of telephone. We started with a prompt and one of our artists used that prompt as inspiration to create something. They passed it to someone else in our collective, and that person is creating something inspired by the piece of art they received, and so on.
Tell us what you think of the Case Study for The Joy of 2020. What do you think of it? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook. Or join me on Twitter.
Follow Bailey Bass on Social Media
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
MORE STORIES FOR YOU
