Lab Notes:
Issue 1
Every day is an invention.
Every day is an invention.
Adult Life Lab is Growing!
Welcome to the Adult Life Lab Notes - Issue 1
Adulting: To behave in an adult manner and successfully engage in adulthood activities.
A Note from Amy Scatliff :)
Hi everyone! I hope this message finds you happy and thriving.
You’re receiving this because you’ve been part of the Adult Life Lab journey, and we couldn’t have come this far without you.
As an artist, I’ve spent years developing concepts, animations, and inventions, fascinated by how adults use creativity and friendship to get through the drudgery of adulthood. Invention doesn’t have to happen in a lab—it can happen around a kitchen table, where friends dream up whimsical ideas that make adulting easier and more fun.
What began as a short film during my time in Turku, Finland—following the fictional Henry and his friends as they create whimsical inventions to tackle adulting—has expanded into telling Henry’s story across different mediums. We’ve had two U.S. art shows (where participants play “Guess the Invention” in lab coats), a community project, and new inventions created. Over 100 people from Finland to the U.S. have contributed to this project, which truly feels like a collaborative lab.
We aim to complete the short film by early 2025, and while moving from a DIY project to polished post-production has been a learning curve (and takes time and money!), we’re committed to making it happen. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Here are some highlights we’d love to share so far!
We are excited to announce that Finnish musician Litku Klemetti has agreed to let us use her music in the film!
Music to Our Ears
Brand Red Studios and Filming The Inventions and ‘Voices’!
FILMING: We were excited to film the inventions made in Turku by the Turku Hacklab and Ann Catherine Sipilä, aka Anki of Ullrike by Anki.
We also filmed the “experts/critical inner voices” that get in your head during adulthood.
Interior of the Turku HackLab who worked with us to build three inventions that appeared in the film and in the art shows.
Anki (artisan and owner of a one-woman yarn dying company, Ullrike by Anki) and Amy in Turku, Finland, October 2023
We worked with Brand Red Studios, owned by Berry alumni Ryan Simmons. If you come to Georgia consider filming with Ryan’s studio. Ryan was incredibly awesome in working with us. I tried to do it my own DIY way and I’m learning that I need to expand to working in a studio.
Brand Red Studios with Ryan Simmons and Joseph Saul Portillo standing very still on a rotating platform.
Ryan Simmons filmed the props from Turku at Brand Red Studios (Rome, GA). I wanted the inventions to get extra special attention and to look like they were in a Brookstone catalog or a scientific journal. When I wrote the first script, my idea of a lion was just some yellow flat kindergarten felt. Talking with my friend Henry Posio and then meeting felter Anki really took us way farther with this invention.
Thank you to local Rome, GA cast June Rowland (YouTuber), Tom Reeves (Priest), Joseph Saul Portillo (Scientist), and Tanya Portillo (Academic) play examples of those pesky, judging voices that get in our head.
Origin Story
When I wrote the 13-page script, I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do with it, but I brought it to a co-working place that I had a desk at, called The Hub. My neighbors down the hall agreed to try out a few scenes of the script. I brought in a couple of lab coats, and we created a social science research lab run by friends trying to cure common adulting problems. I was amazed that these new friends, i.e., my fellow office mates, jumped right into it. Talk about being 'creatively kind'!
Henri Niemi plays a Scientist here who loses control of his emotions. This fun afternoon with kind new friends became the origin of wanting to make a short DIY film Adult Life Lab. We later got to do this scene again at Brand Red Studios with four local people from Rome, GA. Since then, we've become friends and collaborators.
Henri Posio plays an angry priest. Notice that the white collar is a paper towel folded over. Henry figured this out and wore a black t-shirt.
Martin Henkelmann plays an egotistical YouTube star. In real life Martin is a filmmaker and he suggested we film these little videos against the white backdrop, which looked great.
Art Shows
We held two art shows in Pittsburgh, PA, and Safety Harbor, FL, and also appeared in a show at Berry College (Rome, GA). We met some incredible people who collaborated with us to get the message out about Adult Life Lab. We'll share more about these art shows in our next newsletter, but here is a little sneak peak!
Watch us set up for the Art Show in Fast Motion
Foster Owens and Hillary Bogdan with The Camera Never Lies video installation at Ketchup City Creative
Curator Jennifer Panza and Amy Scatliff at Ketchup City Creative
Our Production Coordinator Adam Heyes also set up an “Art Show Explorer” page on our website for gallery visitors to learn more about the film and our team, the art featured in the show, Turku, and to find local DIY resources.
Amy, Art, and Adulting
A little about Amy’s journey :)
Before I started in film, I was in education. I was sketching my observations about learning and being an adult daily. I become flooded with scenes and inventions to cure problems in adulting. Adult Life Lab allowed these stick figure drawings, diagrams and sketches to come to life.
I've sketched all the professional pants I hated wearing at educational conferences. Do you have an item of clothing that you hated wearing as an adult? I've found that adulting is also about the small annoying things.
Pete and I moved to Berry College, Rome, GA in Fall of 2021.
There’s No Place Like Rome
In this Newsletter, we want to tell you about Rome, Georgia, and invite you to visit and join us for upcoming events!
We’ll share highlights from Turku in the next volume. In the meantime, you can check out this site about Turku!
Here’s Rome, GA. We are 1.5 hours from Atlanta and 1.5 hours south of Chattanooga, and we are located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Dressing Up Our Dream
Who did the people who raised you dream you’d be as an adult?
Who did you dream you’d be?
In this portrait series, we journeyed through time, imagination, and self-reflection. Residents of Berry College and the Spires Retirement Community in Rome, GA, delved into their past and envisioned their future through the power of dress-up costumes.
Do you recognize Tom Reeves on the left? He played the priest! After filming at Brand Red, Amy, Joseph Saul Portillo (who played the scientist), and Tom started a project at the Spires, where Tom lives.
Portrait Series
October 31-Nov 3
The Rome Film Festival, currently run by Seth and April Ingram (both great supporters of Adult Life Laband awesome humans), was Burt Reynolds' favorite film festival. It features stars like Mario Van Peebles, Ethan Hawke, Danielle Deadwyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Billy Bob Thornton.
The Creel House
(aka the Claremont House)
This Gothic revival home is featured in Stranger Things, Seasons 4 and 5. They are currently filming Season Five. Built in 1882, it has been a single-family residence and bed and breakfast and is now owned by Netflix.
Every October people from all over the country come to Rome, GA with their schnauzers. It features a huge parade through downtown with dogs in all sorts of costumes.
Pecan bars are a specialty in Rome, Georgia. This bar came all the way from Honeymoon Bakery to our set in Turku, Finland.
On the right, Kate White of the Honeymoon Bakery carefully packed the best pecan bar- a Georgia specialty- to make it through three airports on the way to Finland!
We hope you enjoyed our inaugural issue of the Adult Life Lab Journal.
Next time, we’ll share highlights from interviews with adults and kids about adulting and the Adult Life Lab inventions, filmed at Georgia Highlands College. You’ll also see photography by Joseph Saul Portillo, art show and prop-making highlights, and more about Turku, Finland, and our amazing cast and crew. Do you know someone who’d love to learn about Adult Life Lab? Tell them to subscribe and join the fun!
Wishing you all the best!
~Amy