I videotape many improvisations such as this one, and I use the material to make finished films, such as this one:
Typically, I will begin a new film by looking through my archive of improvisation tapes, such as this one. When I find one I want to use, I will listen to the improvised text over and over, and compose a complete musical score to go with it. The music expresses the underlying dynamics of the improvisation. This takes one or two months.
The final stage is when I create multiple layers of imagery for the film. Again listening repeatedly to the soundtrack (which now has music combined with words), I will create images which express the underlying feelings and ideas that emerged spontaneously during the improvisation. The images make it easier to see that underneath the seemingly fluid and volatile quality of the improvisation, there is a tremendous underlying unity.
The entire process typically takes 7 or 8 months for a 20 minute film.
