Bio
Matt Soar (he/his) is an intermedia artist, filmmaker, and scholar based at Concordia University in Tiohtiá:ke / Montréal. Soar’s creative work is usually located at the intersections of residual and emergent media forms and practices. His project Lost Leaders is an archival, aesthetic exploration of the histories of US/Canadian film leader standards. Screenings include ATA/Other Cinema, Poetics & Politics, Montreal Underground Film Festival, Orphan Film Symposium, RIDM, VISIONS, Engauge Experimental Film Festival, and Fantasia Film Festival 2020. Soar is the co-founder and director of the Montréal Signs Project, a growing collection of commercial and civic signs on permanent exhibition at Concordia. His web documentary Les Enseignistes de Montréal / The Signmakers of Montreal is freely available online. (119)
Questionaire
Why did you get involved in this project?
Saw the call, had collaborated with Midi previously, was looking for something creative to occupy my mind, and the theme/format felt especially appropriate given our current circumstances.
Did the one week turn-around for the work help or hinder your creativity?
Helped!
How did you feel about working on a project where you didn’t know who you were collaborating with?
Excited! Kept nerves at bay, gave me room to take risks.
Has being involved in the project changed your thoughts on creativity?
It’s reminded me that collaborative ‘team projects’, while being the bane of my students, can be incredibly rewarding.
If you worked on several videos, what kept you coming back for more and how many did you do?
I think I worked on ten videos in total, although I threw in the towel on at least two. Midi’s encouragement and patience kept me coming back. She’s unflappable!