LightRise director, Gavain Browne: A power cell of emotion

Gavain Browne’s film for the Australian Vocal Ensemble’s Peace I Leave With You is as captivating as the soprano voice of the five-time ARIA award-winning artist Katie Noonan. The striking film was produced by Sydney independent production company, LightRise, to mark the release of the new composition written by Andrew Goodwin. Noonan leads the Australian Vocal Ensemble (AVE) in the performance which was filmed at Carriageworks with dancers, Allie Graham and Billy Keohavang. The film premiered as part of the AVE’s sold-out show, Tumbling Like Stars, featuring new work by some of Australia’s best emerging and established composers.

The project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. AVÉ is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

Browne took The Stable behind the scenes of his work:

The Stable: How did the film come to you?

Gavain Browne: Katie Noonan and I have collaborated before and have a long-standing relationship as we do with cinematographer, Tony Luu ACS.

Katie is a dynamic artist who is always looking to bring different worlds together to create something evocative and special. She knows my sensibilities and felt we could work together again on this project.

TS: It’s a beautiful film that seems to mirror the song. Where did your idea come from?

GB: The idea was to expand out from the biblical context of the core text and verse. I was interested in looking at the body as a vessel to explore the duality of both internal and external peace. Sometimes one can exist without the other so at times we juxtapose aligned and fractured states.

Given what we have all gone through over the last 2.5 years with the pandemic it seemed like an interesting theme to explore in a performative and poetic way through dance, set to the mesmerising vocal talent of the AVE.

TS: Tell me about shooting the film

Our head of production, Amelia Peacocke, went above and beyond to pull it all together. We were juggling people’s schedules which created challenges. We also shot at Carriageworks right in the middle of Vivid so it was a busy space. And we had to build a rain rig inside one of the corridors and were choreographing this with a tracking camera with a 180° rotating axis. Not the easiest thing to do. Fortunately, our dancers, Allie Graham & Billy Keohavang, were amazing and were not precious about getting wet given the cold of mid-winter. Working with our cinematographer, Tony Lou ACS, is always a pleasure. As well as having a high sense of craft he always looks for positive solutions to achieve the best possible outcome on the day. That was a welcome gift.

TS: You are the co-founder of LightRise. What sets it apart?

LightRise is an independent production company and creative studio based in Sydney that was born out of our love for screen-based storytelling and design. Our collaborative spirit really sits at the core of everything we do. We value relationships and enjoy helping our clients at the early stages of projects so the best possible outcome is achieved. We are in an exciting period of growth, now bringing in other directors and creators we know and admire to expand our offering and what we can do for our clients.

TS: How did you become a director?

GB: I got my early opportunities working at the BBC in London. I built off my experience in branding and design and followed my passion in photography to explore the possibilities of film production. I started with channel brand IDs and title sequences before moving into commercials and short film and grew this side of my career back in Sydney.

TS: What is important to you as a director?

The most important thing for me as a director is balancing a robust, achievable vision while fostering a sense of ownership with all the talented

clients and collaborators who come along for the ride. With the continuing shifts in technology and approach, integrity and collaboration are still at the heart of successful work and an enjoyable experience for clients and crew alike.