workshop:

Workshop: Odorama Scent Creation

re-create scents from the film Polyester

31 Oct 2015

Scent enthusiasts and John Waters devotees alike are invited to join us in re-producing the original scents from the smelliest cult classic, Polyester. Together we will work on scent designs according to the scratch and sniff cards published in 1981. How do you recreate the smell of pizza, dirty shoes or new car smell? The results will be presented November 12 during the screening of Polyester.

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Odorama Scratch-and-Sniff Card - "It'll Blow Your Nose" Odorama card from the John Waters film "Polyester". The smells on the Odorama Card were as follows: 1. A rose flower. 2. Flatulence. 3. Model Airplane Glue. 4. Pizza. 5. Gasoline in a can. 6. Skunk. 7. Natural Gas from an oven. 8. A new car smell of leather upholstery. 9. Dirty shoes. 10. Air Freshener from an aerosol can. John Waters

John Waters’ 1981 release, Polyester, was the director’s first film with a feasible budget. For the B-list marvel, this meant a chance to experiment with the typical film viewing experience. In Waters’ scandalous nature, Odorama was devised, an olfactory gimmick that incorporated the sense of smell into cinema. In initial Polyester screenings, Odorama scratch-and-sniff cards were distributed and the audience members were instructed to sniff along to the corresponding numbers that appeared on the screen. In doing so, the audience whiffed on-screen odors in-sync with the film’s star Francine Fishpaw, played by Waters’ notorious muse, Divine.

What will you do?

With over three decades since the release of Polyester, Odorama cards are no longer easy to come by. In this experimental workshop, a concoction of scents will be created, emulating the 10 scents found on the original Odorama scratch-and-sniff card. Our scents will then be used in an interactive Polyester performance screening, on November 12th, an opportunity to experience the film in the original way John Waters intended. Let's make Smell-O-Vision!

The Odors from Polyester

The smells on the Odorama Card were as follows: 1. A rose flower. 2. Flatulence. 3. Model Airplane Glue. 4. Pizza. 5. Gasoline in a can. 6. Skunk. 7. Natural Gas from an oven. 8. A new car smell of leather upholstery. 9. Dirty shoes. 10. Air Freshener from an aerosol can.

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Jorg the Scentman during the first Odorama edition - The Scentman is an aroma-jockey, for the first edition of Odorama at Mediamatic Biotoop he was assisting Caro Verbeek during her talk about scents in art history. Margherita Soldati

Information

Workshop: Odorama Scent Creation
Saturday, 31st of October, 10.00 - 17.00
Mediamatic Biotoop, Dijksgracht 6, Amsterdam
Tickets: €15,00.
Please note that this workshop is in English