Reach Film Fellow Suel Kim’s (RFF ‘07/8) film SNAP-SHOT is in the finalist round for channel Thirteen’s short film contest.
View the film (and vote for it!) here.
The film with the most votes will be broadcast on PBS. Good luck Suel!
Archive for December, 2008
Reach Film Fellow Suel Kim’s (RFF ‘07) film “Snap-Shot” is in the finalist round for channel Thirteen’s short film contest.
View the film (and vote for it!) here: Snap-Shot
The film with the most votes will be broadcast on PBS. Good luck Suel!
12/18/2008
» Visit to Dena’s transfer session at Postworks
Last Friday I dropped in on the supervised transfer of all the 16mm dailies from Dena Greenbaum’s Blues, taking place in Studio 5 at Postworks in Soho.
Postworks has just signed on as a sponsor of our four Reach fellows, providing them with a wealth of in-kind services and access to top notch finishing for their projects.
Dena in Studio 5 at Postworks
Unlike with feature films, which will often undergo a “one-light” transfer for all their dailies from film to video at this stage, the Fellows will see all their dailies color-corrected via a supervised telecine, then edit using the resulting video footage.
Because they are working with fewer feet of film than they would on a feature film, this workflow is a good option. It gives them maximum flexibility and helps save time and budget.
Blues gets transferred from film to video
It was a treat to see Dena’s film come to life as we sat in the darkened studio, our eyes glued to the monitor. We look forward to screening her rough cut in the coming weeks.
12/17/2008
» An update from Danielle Russell
As forewarned by my mentor Renee Bishop, a documentary tends to take shape during the shoot. My shoot was a big challenge as I worked with my own family members on Thanksgiving Day. A group of non-actors that were celebrating a huge holiday proved to be especially challenging subjects for the sound crew. I must admit being the director/producer of such an event was tiring and invigorating at the same time. I was a bit depressed about missing all the great food, but I will forever be able to boast about having had some of the best craft services ever on a shoot.
Danielle and family at the Thanksgiving shoot
I am very excited about the story I was able to obtain from this tightly knit unit. I went in knowing that I would be asking pretty demanding questions. Incorporating interviewing skills that I went over with Renee also came in handy on the set. I was able to use the ice-breaker techniques I was taught to make a nervous giggling aunt more calm for an interview. The shoot was a triumph but it was only the beginning to building a great documentary.
At this point, the post-production process is well under way. Having done the tedious sub-clipping and sound syncing of the dailies myself,
I have handed off the footage to, and am now working very closely with, Dorothy Arkle (formerly the Senior Editor at Farmers’ Almanac TV, Savannah GA).
Renee and Danielle with other crew at a pre-production meeting in November
In our meetings in the weeks leading up to now, Dorothy and I discussed the story of my film and my vision for it extensively. As the process evolves and the story takes shape I am feeling more and more confident about the project and I am building steam for the second phase of the documentary, researching and gathering supplemental footage and materials.
When I was making short experimental films and theater productions in school, I was working with no money, zero budget. I usually asked friends to shoot for me in exchange for some beer or food. When I made theatrical pieces and I needed to make costumes, I went to various post-offices in Chicago and took some of their overnight envelopes that are partially made of fabric. When I had enough, I sewed them together for costumes. Finding and making things with a limited budget is what I have learned in school. This remains a valuable lesson for my work.
So observes on the set of Skip Rocks
Sometimes film students have the impression that the budget of a film will dictate its quality. This is not the case. I believe the most important thing a director must do is to figure out the heart of the story. Once this can be communicated to the cast and crew, the film is on its way. When there is passion and it’s clear, then everyone on the production will support whatever decision the director makes. If the film’s budget requires scenes to be cut, then the director can evaluate what scenes can go or be modified without sacrificing the heart of the story.
Brendon and So confer privately on the set of Skip Rocks
I feel lucky that I had the chance to visit Brendon on his set. I saw that he was thinking on his feet and working well with his crew. It remains to be seen how the film will be composed at the editing stage. I am excited for him.
Congratulations to Yamin Segal! Her short film, EL LADRONCITO, was a Cinereach grant recipient and will premiere at the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival!
Annie Waldman speaks about her RFF experience to the 2008/9 Fellows during an October workshop
Congratulations to Annie Waldman, one of last year’s Reach Film Fellows. Her film, “So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away,” has been selected as part of the 2009 Sundance Festival’s Short Film Program. Annie’s doc, follows a group of students who return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to finish high school with their friends despite their parents’ relocation and absence.
New York Magazine said of the film, “Utilizing a lyrical, expressive mise-en-scène, with otherworldly music from Louisville band Rachel’s, Waldman effectively conveys the experience of these kids’ dislocation, even as their lives still seem full of possibility.”
An image from "So the Wind Won't Blow it All Away"
To read more on Sundance’s 2009 Short Film Program, click here.
12/05/2008
» Marketing Skip Rocks…
While Skip Rocks is “just” a short film, Co-Producer Kacie Barton and myself aim to make a big splash in the marketing of the film. In an effort to raise an audience base and raise awareness for the film’s focus on Alzheimer’s, we’ve launched a website and a facebook group. We hope these tools will help with the marketing of the film and allow us further opportunity in terms of our options after the film is completed.
Skip Rocks web page
The website offers cast and crew info, press links, a sponsor page, a tax-deductible link for fund raising, and soon enough, pictures from filming.
Check us out if you get a chance and feel free to join our facebook group for important updates on screenings, trailers, press, etc.
12/03/2008
» Jeremy Kipp Walker talks about visiting Dena’s set
Dena directs her actors
After weeks of hard work and planning Dena Greenbaum finally got to call “Action!” on the set of her short film “BLUES” on Saturday morning, November 15th. What had led up to that moment amounted to countless hours of preparation including script writing, script revisions, auditions, rehearsals, location scouting, budgeting, and scheduling… LOTS of scheduling.
With only four days to shoot and several large scenes taking place outdoors, Dena’s film required a bit of luck from Mother Nature during the early winter month of November – a time of year that can bring a tumultuous forecast along with limited daylight.
Dena's actors perform a scene
Luckily for the cast and crew of “Blues”, Dena was all over it. She came up with multiple shooting scenarios which took into account rain, complicated actors’ schedules and limited availability to her interior shooting locations. When Friday and Saturday of her first shooting weekend brought rain, Dena called an audible and brought her team out to Long Island in order to shoot indoors.
When Sunday cleared, it was back to Brooklyn to tackle the exterior scenes while the skies were sunny. That’s where I joined Dena and her team on Sunday, November 16th to observe her shoot. The rain had passed but it had left cold temperatures in its wake. What I found on set was a committed team of young filmmakers working together in balanced unison. Despite the stress of fading daylight, the overall vibe was laidback, methodical and efficient. Dena and her team started each set-up with several rehearsals, careful not to expose any precious film stock until all the kinks of each scene had been properly worked out. I was impressed by the great attitude everyone shared both in front of and behind the camera. Everyone was working together – lending a hand to move equipment, helping to pack or unpack the trucks, and chipping in however needed. There were very few complaints about the cold temperatures and everyone remained focused despite very long hours and a few company moves. I very much look forward to working with Dena during the post-production stages of her project. So far things are off to a great start!
Jeremy Kipp Walker is a producer/director and partner at Journeyman Pictures. He recently produced “Cold Souls” (Sundance 2009), starring Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn and Emily Watson, as well as Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s baseball odyssey “Sugar” (Sony Pictures Classics). He produced “The Passage” (ThinkFilm), the Oscar nominated “Maria Full of Grace,” and co-produced Oscar nominated “Half Nelson” (ThinkFilm) among other prestigious projects. Walker is the director of acclaimed short films “Super Powers” and “Goodnight Bill”, which won top prizes at the Tribeca Film Festival and many others. “Super Powers” was among the inaugural films to launch YouTube’s premium channel garnering nearly 1,000,000 hits in its first week.