Stoic Muse Productions

Looking back at ‘Overlooking a Fall’ and the artistic process;

1. This painting is part of an animation. For the video I wanted to use some effect to transition from a cityscape to a dreamscape and so I thought rather than using some pre-programmed thing that looks like a filter, I revisited my fascination with an animation. I took the final shot from the scene, and projected it onto a panel that I painted with green screen paint, after that I thinly traced the outlines of details with a mechanical pencil, so thin that the camera would not pick it up on the next shots I would take. From there, I would paint a few strokes, step back and take a picture and repeat. I did this a lot, and all throughout one night because I was afraid that if the paint dried, it would change the color.

So the image is of the final painting, after all the layers are built up.

2. This is the green screen painting wired on top of the City shot. You can see your ads are very interesting texture.

3. this is a clip from the second half of the film. Dreamy! And that’s good, that was the goal.

This short film is a part of a series of short films called ‘Psyche’s Lullaby’, written , performed & directed by me. Right now there’s 3 episodes online. The goal was to keep on filming, but those of you know the scope of my work and the tight funding. It’s not always easy to make this sort of thing happen. That said I still plan on picking up where I left off and plan on continuing the project how I intended. When the time is right, I suppose. Several of them are already written out, just waiting.

Thanks for looking!

All episodes on www.jlmaas.space

Costumes by .l.maas

Thanks to the film crew!
aerial .film
In some of the layered parts like the effect, sparkles and clock are shots from

The sound was a mix of (I used to go buy Some Dead Lady’s Drama), with Zach Martin / Drums and / edits

And for the dance scene;
Domanique Amelia Gregory
/ dancer

Sometimes my photography is documenting history;
Philadelphia March June 2025.
It was really beautiful to see so many people show up and be peaceful.

Early in my Philly days I photographed a series of performance photographs
The concept was by .majid & who dressed as butlers and posed in awkward and uncomfortable positions at some of Philly’s iconic mansions and parks. The series poetically depicted the past’s absurdities.
It also beckons important questions;
We talk about slavery as history
But when the country has privatized prisons and more people locked up than slavery ever did, and a clear bias as the news constantly shows, we have a problem and need our politicians and policymakers to address this crisis. I call it a crisis because last I heard there’s been more effort to build prisons vs public schools. This should be alarming! And I hear a lot of fear around reparations, but then I think to myself, maybe beginning that process isn’t as difficult as some people make it out to be, maybe the first and easiest step is on a community level; like equality in funding for education, social services and other services that make life easier, because education should be accessible to everyone who wants it. Public infrastructure can be a game changer, so let it be! And I realize much of the conversation around reparations is meant to induce fear and division, we need to stop that, it’s not helping. Anyway… I could ramble on but I’ll stop for now.
Lots to think about!
Keep thinking!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9VQQXMpOcf/?hl=en&img_index=1

Procession at Dawn is on display at the @phantasticphibers show on the @cherrystreetpier curated by @bonniemacart until July 28! Lots of cool textile art! This film was included since I made the costumes. It’s part of a series called Psyches Lullaby. I also wrote and directed it. The soundtrack was a collaboration with the cinematographer @dmc_visuals @zen_fuzz I was hoping to film more episodes than the 3 released but I didn’t have any luck with grants… I was hoping to film 20+ but such is life. Glad that we got to make this one! It was nice revisiting this project after so much time, to see how much I’ve grown and changed. The dreams that used to haunt me are now welcomed as a chapter of ups and downs, a reminder of impermanence and an invite to think about what continuing this project would look like. I said I wanted it to be 20 episodes that could be a feature, but I also have thought it could be a piece that spans a lifetime and I’m interested in that. I have a notebook full of ideas for some of the next episodes. I had 4 but I pulled one offline because I was questioning the way certain symbols appeared, so maybe one day I’ll fix that. I had filmed more for a 5th episode but due to life and the wrong equipment it has remained in limbo. I’d like to finish that one as well, and then I’d have 5! Okokok all this talk is reminding me that I have to find funding… Thanks for being here and supporting me! xo -JLee / Stoic Muse Productions . Was I watching too much Twin Peaks and Maya Deren again?! lol . . #jennyleemaas #jlmaas #designer #performer #director #writer #musician #film #cimematography #dream #weird #fun #psycheslullaby #zenfuzz

Throwback to filming on the coast of Maine in January 2013?
It was cold and I’m thankful for those who made the effort with me!
I remember buying that down coat specifically because I figured I’d be O so thankful later… and I was! It’s still my go to winter coat 🤣 it held up.
This was filming part of the Psyche’s Lullaby series,
A project that I want to continue.

Throwback to making weird dream films with
It started out as a performance art piece. It was fun bringing it to film!
Some videos will be coming out soon!

I was organizing my notes and to my surprise came across the storyboards for Procession at Dawn!
It was really nice revisiting some of these thoughts, some of the ideas were finished up quite well while others remain to be done, this is a series I had planned to have on going and though it has taken a long pause, I do see it coming back.

Here is one of my entries for the I’m wearing a pink gold Wave Gown with selenite chakra necklace 📷 photo, edit, model, designer by me
I took pictures in the garden late one night after a storm, the clouds were still low and bouncing pink light all over, it was surreal so I had to catch it! 📷✨
This was a fun quarantine project!
Thanks for the challenge! It’s helping me challenge myself! ✨
I hope everyone is doing well! Whether you’re being a covid hermit or protesting, stay safe! xo

I was always a photographer to some extent;

Don’t cut the Negatives!

Another Zen Fuzz music video filmed and edited by yours truly xoxo 💋
Enjoy!
Thanks for listening!

ZenFuzz - Retrograde ZenFuzz - Retrograde Music by Nicholas Krolak Jenny Lee Maas Video by JMaas @ Stoic Muse Productions