*** Electric\bWarrior sets mode: +o Electric\bWarrior

Electric Warrior: hi Floria

HJ: OK Kids, LETS DO IT ... any questions

Floria Sigismondi: Hi everybody. I was stuck at the airport for 2 hours so be gentle.

Stefano: So Floria I may suppose you love movies...... tell me one of your favourites.

Floria Sigismondi: Roman Polanksi's "The Tenet" A serious mindfuck.

Electric Warrior: Floria - if Marc Bolan came back from the dead and wanted to do a cover of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch" and asked you to direct - what do you invision the set to look like and what would Marc be wearing????

Floria Sigismondi: It's about a man who on the fine line between being sane and insane. And you don't wether people are driving to him that or whether he's going over the deep end. And he looks really sexy dressed up as a woman.

Spaceface: Hi Floria, how do you compare workin with db to working with other artists?

Floria Sigismondi: He was extremely enthusiastic, and approached it with child-like wonder.

WickedPVCWench: Is there a particular theme you prefer, or that you might have noticed that you prefer, to use in your work?

Floria Sigismondi: I like to challenge beauty and what is beautiful. And I guess more like shining the light on dark subjects like death.

HJ: I was wanting to know if you plan on directing any short films in the near future. And if so what kind of film would it be? Thanx Aeron.

Floria Sigismondi: I've just spent the last year co-writing a script for a feature film. It's the true story about one of the most gruesome unsolved murders of the 1940s.

Floria Sigismondi: I'm hoping to shoot in January.

WickedPVCWench: Do you own very many cats? I have noticed them in a few things you have done.

Floria Sigismondi: Definitely not, I'm a dog person.

KelMarBowieToesVixen: black dahlia??????!

Floria Sigismondi: Well...

EB: How did you make the transition from photography to film?

Floria Sigismondi: I learned everything on set, I was just asked if I would be interested in directing from a local production company. Who I'm still with, called Revolver. And the first couple - it actually took me a while to make a transition from what was in your mind onto film.

Floria Sigismondi: Mostly because of the amount of people involved. As a photographer it was very insular, and having to learn to deal with so many people.

Spaceface: Here's one I always ask...I'm interested in your teenage musical influences?

Floria Sigismondi: David Bowie. Nick Cave. Sisters of Mercy.

Bonster1: Do you make a lot of changes when you are in the process or still to your original concept?

Floria Sigismondi: It's a changing process, depending on how clearly I see it. But evolves right up until the end, keeps evolving.

WickedPVCWench: I have read you are a fan of Tim Burton. Any films in particular, or merely as a whole?

Floria Sigismondi: Edward Scissorhands.

sQueak: So are you going to shop at Eatons before they close down?

Floria Sigismondi: Definitely not.

Stefano: Who is Italian......... your father.................... do you often come to Italy.

Floria Sigismondi: I was born in Italy, and moved to Canada when I was two.

Floria Sigismondi: We moved to a small steel town, city of Hamilton.

HJ: Does your childhood affect your creation? Asks Tomomi Suzuki.

Floria Sigismondi: I find that my work reflects what I'm going through at the moment of each project. It's I guess autobiographical disguised in something, filtered through music video, or film, or whatever. I find therapy through my artwork. At the moment I'm working on a series of installation pieces that are a mixture of photography, found objects, projected film and music. These are inspired from issues directly from my childhood.

HJ: What is the most impressive or emotional moment of the film you've never seen? From Tomomi Suzuki

Floria Sigismondi: Blue. In the way that she mourned, and her quietness. The director was able to capture incredible amounts of emotion.

KelMarBowieToesVixen: What is your favourite scary movie of all time?

Floria Sigismondi: I don't watch scary movies. I have a much too vivid imagination.

Floria Sigismondi: They haunt me.

Krahen: Are you looking forward to burtons iunterpretation of the legend of sleepy hollow?

Floria Sigismondi: I love Christina Ricci and Johnny Depp so I can't wait to see the film.

Bonster1: Have you made any videos you wish you had done something completely different?

Floria Sigismondi: Always.

Spaceface: Who is your favourite film director, and why?

Floria Sigismondi: David Lynch. Blue Velvet is one of my favorite films. He, to me, speaks from the subconscious, and he has a great way of putting it onto film.

sQueak: Did you play with Barbies as a kid?

Floria Sigismondi: Sure.

Coldfyr: Where do you see the music video meduim in 5-10 years?

Floria Sigismondi: Music video medium is dead.

Floria Sigismondi: It's not that the art of music video is dead, it's the medium. There isn't medium to show the work.

Bonster1: Boxers, briefs or commando ;)

Floria Sigismondi: G-strings.

NoirKat: What kind of music do you listen to?

Floria Sigismondi: My new favorite band is Godspeed.

Coldfyr: Who do you see as your major creative infuences?

Floria Sigismondi: The works of Hans Bellmer very influential in terms of deconstructing the body.

Coldfyr: Do you find music video as a restrictive meduim? or are you able to realize your vision better?

Floria Sigismondi: You have complete creative control, most of the time. So it's quite a free medium, but you always have to keep in mind it's for television. I find that most of the time I'm aware of that, so it sortof censors it. And what I'm finding right now as quite restrictive is the four minute timespan and wanting to do longer work.

HJ: What are school question?

WickedPVCWench: How did you come up with the concept for the Sheryl Crow video?

Floria Sigismondi: It was about sort of the chaos-theory and how someones actions as mundane as taking a drink of water or walking across a room could somehow affect a person traumatically in another end of the world, in another room, in a relationship.

sQueak: Did you go to art school and if so, where did you go?

Electric Warrior: Floria - are there any bands that you wish would come-a-calling to work with???

Floria Sigismondi: I went to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and studied painting, and I took one photography course, that grew into an obsession.

Electric Warrior: Sorry SQ

Floria Sigismondi: I just love the immediacy of it.

HJ: Why was a horse hanging in that one room with Twiggy Ramierez (I think) in the video "Tourniquet" by Marilyn Manson? From Tybalt.

Floria Sigismondi: To torment Twiggy personally.

Floria Sigismondi: I think I tormented him with an Eagle also. He likes animals.

Krahen: How old are you if you don't mind telling?

Floria Sigismondi: 33

Coldfyr: Have you ever stolen a pen from a hotel room?

Floria Sigismondi: Much more.

Valeria: Can you help me to understand the meaning of the wonderful Dead Man Walking video?

Floria Sigismondi: I was inspired by the works of Francis Bacon. The video was a surreal compilation of disjointed characters.

sQueak: What do you do for fun?

Floria Sigismondi: Flash my neighbor.

Coldfyr: Do you think that Ron and Howard should throw a party after each chat guest? And makes us all dinner ...and provide drinks?

Floria Sigismondi: Yes

Floria Sigismondi: I could use a drink right about now.

Valeria: Are you another internet-addicted?

Floria Sigismondi: I've just been introduced to the world of computers 2 years ago. And I have a website - Floriasigismondi.com

Rednik: Floria: Come and live near me LOL.

Floria Sigismondi: Where do you live?

Krahen: What was Pogo (Madonna Wayne Gacy) like as a person?

Floria Sigismondi: He loves to rock back and forth.

sQueak: Mac or PC

Floria Sigismondi: Mac of course.

Rednik: Manchester.

Floria Sigismondi: Manchester huh?

HJ: Is the glass half full or half empty? Tybalt.

Floria Sigismondi: Always half full.

Krahen: What are your current projects?

Floria Sigismondi: I just had a show in London and the ICA of photographs from the book "Redemption." And will be showing in New York on Novemember 4th at the John Gibson gallery on Broadway in SoHo.

Valeria: Do you like going to live concerts?

Floria Sigismondi: I get really inspired by live music. And normally come up with a lot of ideas for videos and other work. It mostly has to do with the sweat in the room.

Krahen: If you were directing a full length film who would you put in it?

Floria Sigismondi: I just saw a great performance from Robin Tunney, and PJ Harvey, Quentin Crisp.

Valeria: Have you ever seen David Bowie live?

Floria Sigismondi: Yeah. Many times. I saw him on his 50th anniversery party here in New York. It was incredible. It was great. One of my favorite performances actually was when he asked me to go to a rehearsal. To have him sit and play for me was incredible. And he's playing all the old stuff.

Valeria: What is the most emotional show you have ever been

Floria Sigismondi: The most emotional album is Barry Adamson's "Moss Side Story."

Coldfyr: Vegan or red meat eater?

Floria Sigismondi: Vegan, fish.

HJ: Do you seek out your clientele, or do they seek you? From Tybalt.

Floria Sigismondi: They seek me.

Floria Sigismondi: I've had to do seeking before, lots of seeking of clientel in the past, that's for sure.

Valeria: And what is the criterion on which you accept or not the clientele?

Floria Sigismondi: I've got be inspired immediately. I normally come up with ideas in that half-waking half-dream state. And if I have to struggle with it then I'll turn it down.

Floria Sigismondi: And of course, depending on how cool the band is.

Krahen: What were the highlights of working with marliyn manson ..Did anything wild happen on the sets?

Floria Sigismondi: I enjoyed torturing him. And giving him blisters in his mouth. And hanging him upside down. I always do that to him, I always put him in very awkward situations and body positions.

Valeria: Do you like being photographed?

Floria Sigismondi: No. That's why I do a lot of self-portraits. I guess I can truly be myself when I'm alone.

Coldfyr: Floria: My son wants to know what was like to work with "Fluffy"

Floria Sigismondi: It was a girl's night out. Dangerous girls in New Orleans on the loose.

Krahen: Would you ever work with nine inh nails? ..If so any ideas?

Floria Sigismondi: Sure. I loved the last album, haven't heard the new one.

HJ: Do you have an interesting story about db?

Floria Sigismondi: On the set of Little Wonder, I desinged Squirrel contact lenses that covered the entire whites of his eyes. And we were working in a really dusty old mental institution. We had laid peatmoss on the floor.

Floria Sigismondi: We had an eye-doctor on set who thought it was a "good" idea to put eye-drops that would numb his eyes so he wouldn't feel the dust. Hours later that started to wear off.

Floria Sigismondi: And when he took them out the white's of his eyes were completely red, almost damaging his one good eye, so he had to be rushed to the hospital. But he came back in full force, extra early the next day to make up for lost time.

Floria Sigismondi: We're going to ask about five more questions.

HJ: Any good ones out there??

sQueak: Do you like wrestling?

Floria Sigismondi: In bed.

Krahen: What attracts you to people, what qualities do you look for in your fellow wo/man?

Floria Sigismondi: A good haircut.

Valeria: Choose 3 words to describe David Bowie

Floria Sigismondi: Extraordinary. Exquistely Wonderful.

sQueak: Are you married? Are you gay? Are you something in between?

Floria Sigismondi: Not of this earth.

sQueak: Do you like Andy Warhol?

Floria Sigismondi: Sure, I would like to have a deep and meaningful and long conversation with Andy Warhol.

Krahen: If you could go back in time to meet one person, who would it be, and why?

Floria Sigismondi: Well that sort of answered that one too.

HJ: Last one.

Krahen: Have you always been so cool or do you think you get cooler with time?

Floria Sigismondi: With age. Definitely with age.

Floria Sigismondi: Thanks everybody. I've had a great time. And I'm hungry and I need a drink. See-ya.

HJ: Thanks kids...Floria has left the building...

Session Close: Wed Aug 25 01:01:33 1999