American Seams
GFX Challenge Grant Program 2022 Regional Grant Award recipients Carly and Jared Jakins explore the female experience in the United States through the art of quilting
Regardless of who you are, what you do and where you are from, there is one thing that can connect us all: creativity. This is an idea explored by FUJIFILM GFX Challenge Grant Program 2022 Regional Grant Award recipients Carly and Jared Jakins in their documentary film, American Seams.
In American Seams, creativity comes in the form of quilting, following a collection of women with very different stories, but the same love for their craft.
“It’s about three ladies based in rural western US. Our project explores some historical threads of quilting and, in turn, the female experience in the region,” begins Carly.
“We used quilting as a lens to connect disparate women,” adds Jared. “We wanted to highlight some of their unique peculiarities, but also their commonalities – the things that unite them.
“We like to think about quilting as a metaphor for the idea of the US being this melting pot, with all the disparate pieces coming together and hopefully becoming something better through their connection.”
A quilter herself, Carly explains that they also hope to shine a light on the quilting community in the US. While extensive, it does not get the recognition it deserves.
“It’s huge,” says Carly, “and it’s an underserved population, so we plan to show it and share it. The three women we chose have very different quilting styles, approaches, and motivations, so people – women especially – will be able to relate to them.
“We want people to not only see that there are lots of women like them who might be having struggles, but also be inspired by the way these women are finding solace in their craft.”
The pair hail from rural western US themselves, so this is a project close to their hearts – made even more poignant by Carly’s personal connections to the craft.
“I had a grandmother who was an avid quilter – it was part of her identity. I always wanted to make a short film about her, and about quilting. She lived to be 100, but died last year. I believed she would live forever, I think, so I never got to make that film.
“Once this opportunity came up, I put together a pitch packet very quickly.”
The Perfect Blend
So, why documentary filmmaking? With Jared’s background in image making and Carly’s background in anthropology, a future together in the genre was inevitable.
“We realized we could marry those crafts in a meaningful way – and that resulted in documentary storytelling,” explains Jared. “It’s a way to understand and explore the world that has been incredibly satisfying over the years.”
Carly agrees: “You can communicate so much visually. Other forms of communication can be limiting, but making films together, there’s so much more to experiment with and collaborate on.”
“The stories we’ve pursued have generally been about rural or isolated communities, folks who don’t often have a camera around them,” continues Jared. “That’s a thrilling experience – working with them to share their lives.
“The whole process has been a wonderful thing. It’s become such a big part of our lives. We make films all the time, essentially, and it would be hard to imagine not doing that.”
The Perfect Tool
The pair used FUJIFILM GFX100S on the production, combined with FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR, GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro and Premista 28-100mmT2.9. They tell us how the equipment played an important part in achieving their creative vision.
“For me, the best camera is one that just becomes an extension of your process,” says Jared. “You don’t have to fuss with it or think about it. It functions when you need it to function – and that’s exactly what the camera did, beautifully.
“We used the external recorder and filmed everything in ProRes RAW. The latitude that has been providing us has been exciting.”
“I was excited about just how nice the color looked,” beams Carly. “Beautiful skin tones and lovely color. Right out the gate.”
“Premista is an astounding cinema lens and the GF Lenses were awesome,” agrees Jared. “The macro in particular was fun to work with.
“Pound for pound, it’s right up there with $50,000 to $60,000 packages – I was truly impressed,” he concludes.
To explore more of Carly and Jared’s work, visit their website. Learn more about FUJIFILM GFX100S and read the full specifications here.
You may also like...
Let's Keep in Touch!
Stay up to date on New Products, Promotions, and Special Offers!
COUNTRY / REGION
