From the performer’s perspective, filming within a live acrobatic-driven theatrical show changes the acting dynamic considerably.  High-tech 3-D filmmaking requires complicated camera angles, cranes and other gear, which in turn require time to position and setup.  Live shoots often involved a “hurry up and wait” schedule that was difficult for the performers, who require time to warm up after a certain period of inactivity.  In KÀ for example, the stage is an enormous, quarter the size of a football field apparatus that lifts vertically and spins completely around.  There’s no simple place to put a camera or a giant 5,000 pound Technocrane. Special platforms had to be built in many instances.

 

 

As lead actress and long-time Cirque performer Erica Kathleen Linz explains, “When you’re doing film, if you need to change camera angles, if you need to reset something, suddenly there might be a 20 minute break. When you’re doing acrobatics, you have to warm-up.  You have to keep your body fresh every time. It’s a really taxing process.”  Linz also described the dynamic of performing alongside big 3-D camera systems.  “There was one point where we were shooting an acrobatic sequence and I accidentally kicked a camera on a techno crane. It’s a rather expensive camera.  I was worried about it a bit. But nobody was hurt and it was no big deal.”

The film opens in theatres across the U.S. and Canada December 21^st. Check out the trailer below and 4 uniquely designed graphic posters from the film on the following pages.