FROM THE SEA - Eskimo Joe, Stella Donnelly, Perth Symphony Orchestra | WA Museum Boola Bardip

WA Museum Boola Bardip is a place to share Western Australia’s many stories. Our people, our places and our role in the world.
To celebrate the opening of the Museum with interstate and international audiences unable to travel, WA Museum Boola Bardip has collaborated with Perth Festival to produce films that showcase creative works inspired by and filmed in the stunning new Museum.
More than 100 people from Western Australia’s creative industries were employed to work on these films that highlight Western Australia’s world-class artistic talent and the Museum's stunning heritage-listed buildings and contemporary spaces.
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"FROM THE SEA"
Director: Renee Webster
Cinematographer: Allan Myles
Producers: Tania Chambers, Clint Logan
Performed by: Eskimo Joe with Stella Donnelly and Perth Symphony Orchestra
Violins: Rachel Aquilina, Madeleine Antoine
Viola: Katie McKay
Cello: Sacha McCulloch
Bass: Libby Browning
Written by: Eskimo Joe
Published by: Mushroom Music
Strings arrangement by: Iain Grandage
Mixed by: Joel Quartermain
FEATURED WA MUSEUM BOOLA BARDIP LOCATION
Stan Perron WA Treasures (Hackett Hall).
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
The magic in this piece is the fact it’s a live recording, a coming together of the classic Eskimo Joe track, From the Sea, arranged for a Perth Symphony Orchestra quintet by Iain Grandage and featuring Stella Donnelly’s gorgeous vocals. The creative collaboration happens in a singular moment in a very special place and we’re there to capture it.
One of the challenges we faced was visually trying to find ways to bring a 24m whale skeleton and the performance together, especially when the whale is suspended three storeys above the band! To achieve this, we brought in a jib (a specialized crane with a camera rig) that allowed the camera to swoop down from the whale and into the band and the musicians. The artefacts in Hackett Hall can’t be exposed to sunlight, so we created a lighting design that staged a warm, textured sunlit feel.
This is not a staged video clip. This really is a live first-time creative collaboration between Eskimo Joe, Stella Donnelly and Perth Symphony Orchestra. To be present as all the elements came together for the first time was truly magical. As that beautiful piece of music unfolded we all just held our breath and almost forgot to hit record.
© Western Australian Museum 2020