CAWS & EFFECT
Factory Mainspace
See show info here
Rating: NNNN
Utilizing an array of colourful and creative transparencies and two overhead projectors, Vancouver performers Jessica Gabriel and Chloe Ziner (AKA Mind of a Snail) produce vivid live animations that seem nothing short of magical.
Combining meticulously constructed layers of colourful transparencies along with shadow puppet techniques, the duo conjure up a trippy story about a pair of crows that are given a magic dream seed by an earth worm. Set to a haunting folk-inflected post-rock soundtrack (which Gabriel and Ziner also composed and recorded) the action eventually moves from forest to city, but the plot is ultimately secondary to the vibrant, immersive visuals.
As the title suggests, the crows speak mainly in avian puns, conveyed via projected speech balloons. And while some of these could otherwise fall squarely in groaner dad-joke territory, the overall aesthetic helps keeps things cute and quirky.