Imaginary Forces

Imaginary Forces designs visually compelling projections for director Julie Taymor's operatic "Grendel"

Los Angeles, CA – (June 2, 2006) – Entertainment and design company Imaginary Forces (IF) recently collaborated with Tony Award-winning Director Julie Taymor on “Grendel,” Elliot Goldenthal’s groundbreaking operatic premiere inspired by the Beowulf legend. IF Creative Director Karin Fong designed a series of projections, which enhance and are interrelated to the live performances on stage.

“Karin Fong and her team at Imaginary Forces were amazing,” remarks Director Julie Taymor. “In a matter of weeks, they pulled the projection designs off beautifully. Karin has a great understanding of theater production, as well as the aesthetics I wanted for ‘Grendel.’”

Elliot Goldenthal’s Grendel is based on the 1971 John Gardner novel of the same name, which retells the Anglo-Saxon legend, Beowulf. The libretto has been co-authored by Julie Taymor, who also directs, and J.D. McClatchy. The monster, Grendel, is presented as an alienated, passionate thinker trapped in the body of a beast and outcast from the world of men.

Julie Taymor creates an enthralling visual landscape using projections, puppetry, masks and a richly layered and highly emotional score by Academy-Award winning composer Elliot Goldenthal. To create the projections, Taymor enlisted the talent of Imaginary Forces’ Karin Fong who, in addition to her extensive background in feature films and commercials, has an ongoing collaboration with Wynn Las Vegas to develop content for its outdoor multimedia theatrical shows, and has created distinctive tour visuals for DJs Sasha and Digweed.

Fong designed the projections used in “Grendel” with Imaginary Forces handling animation and production in tandem with Modern Film & Video. A visualization of a glorious tale, an architectural rendering, and a “life mask” that illustrates the main character’s transformation are among the projections Fong and the IF team created.

“As designers, our role was to find a way to enhance the performances on stage and complement the singers,” explains Fong. “The projections work with the sets to help transform the stage into a mythical environment. For some sequences, we used a painterly language – rough, crude and abstract. Other sequences use lyrical Celtic forms that set the stage as a kingdom.”

“Grendel” employs a spatial and sparse set design with the live singers and dancers interacting with animations and visuals projected on scrims, as well as set pieces, such as an ice wall and a suspended giant facemask. In designing the projections, Fong and the IF team worked to Elliot Goldenthal’s music, as well as character and costume renderings to get a sense of how everything would integrate together. All of the animations and designs are cued live during the show since performances may vary.

“Julie and her vision of this opera were totally inspiring,” concludes Fong. “I loved being pushed to go raw and visceral at times, but stately and majestic at others. When the team made our first trip down to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to see a test, we saw how our cinematic pieces take a life of their own onstage. Projected on a scrim, the illuminated lines of one segment appeared dimensional, layering onto the scene and dancers behind it. It was exciting to see the transformation, the kind of moment where you think ‘yeah, let’s do more of this.’”

Grendel opens on Thursday, June 8, 2006 at 7:30 PM at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Preview performances will take place on June 1 at 7:30 PM and June 3 at 2:00 PM. Additional performances will take place June 14 and 17 at 7:30 PM and June 11 at 2:00 PM. Grendel is a co-commission and co-production with the Lincoln Center Festival. The first New York performances of Grendel will take place at the New York State Theater on July 11, 13, 15 and 16, 2006.

Designed & Produced by: Imaginary Forces (IF)
IF Creative Director: Karin Fong
IF Designers: Karin Fong, Andreas Berner-Jackson, Arisu Kashiwagi, Michelle Dougherty, Noah Olmsted
IF Animators: Andreas Berner-Jackson, Masan Yi
IF Editors: Caleb Woods, Joe Denk
IF Inferno Artist: Rod Basham
IF Producers: Marissa Levin, Alexis Kronhaus
IF Coordinators: Merrill Stephens, Joe Denk

Client: LA Opera
Director: Julie Taymor
Composer: Elliot Goldenthal

Release Date: June 8, 2006