Danielle Russell Accepts The Reach Out Award
Finishing BRIDGING THE GAP was a major feat for me. I cannot begin to explain the feeling of accomplishment I felt turning over the HDV tape with my final cut. Leaving Postworks in New York, following my color correct session, seemed to mark the end of a chapter for me. I felt as though I crossed over into the professional filmmaking world upon completing this project. I have learned a great deal during these past six months and the one lesson that stands out the most is to believe in your film wholeheartedly. There were times when things looked pretty grim, but I can say that with perseverance and a great support team I was able to accomplish the goals set by Cinereach. I was surprised and honored to receive the Cinereach Award at Reach Out, which will assist with outreach and the distribution of BRIDGING THE GAP. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the last six months. I am excited about moving on to promote the film. Since Reach Out I have visited my alma mater, Savannah College of Art and Design, to screen the movie and hold Q&A sessions in two classes. During the making of the film, I knew I wanted to educate while being sure not to bore my audience. I feel as though I have surpassed this goal considering the warm reception BRIDGING THE GAP has received.
Posts Tagged ‘Bridging the Gap’
04/16/2009
» Award Winner Danielle Russell Reflects on RFF
04/16/2009
» Award Winner Danielle Russell Reflects on RFF
Danielle Russell Accepts The Reach Out Award
Finishing BRIDGING THE GAP was a major feat for me. I cannot begin to explain the feeling of accomplishment I felt turning over the HDV tape with my final cut. Leaving Postworks in New York, following my color correct session, seemed to mark the end of a chapter for me. I felt as though I crossed over into the professional filmmaking world upon completing this project. I have learned a great deal during these past six months and the one lesson that stands out the most is to believe in your film wholeheartedly. There were times when things looked pretty grim, but I can say that with perseverance and a great support team I was able to accomplish the goals set by Cinereach. I was surprised and honored to receive the Cinereach Award at Reach Out, which will assist with outreach and the distribution of BRIDGING THE GAP. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the last six months. I am excited about moving on to promote the film. Since Reach Out I have visited my alma mater, Savannah College of Art and Design, to screen the movie and hold Q&A sessions in two classes. During the making of the film, I knew I wanted to educate while being sure not to bore my audience. I feel as though I have surpassed this goal considering the warm reception BRIDGING THE GAP has received.
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.
10/10/2008
» Cinereach Welcomes Dena, Brendon, Jules and Danielle
Dena Greenbaum (Blues), Danielle Russell (Bridging the Gap), Jules Monteyne (I Go to War...), Lindsay Mann (DP, Skip Rocks), Brendon McQueen (Skip Rocks) - Photo by Andrea Fischman
Cinereach’s second annual Reach Film Fellowship program officially kicked off Monday, when we welcomed Brendon McQueen, Danielle Russell, Dena Greenbaum and Jules Monteyne to the program. They spent two days with us, doing workshops with the program’s advisors to get them started on their film projects. From this point, they will be paired up with their Mentors, prep, shoot and edit their short films.
Monday and Tuesday’s Presenters included Steve Garfinkel (of RFF sponsor Kodak), indie producers Susan Leber (Down to the Bone, Adrift in Manhattan) and Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson, Sugar), documentary director Edet Belzberg (Children Underground, The Recruiter), screenwriter/filmmaker Afia Nathaniel, director/actor Paola Mendoza (Still Standing, Autumn’s Eyes) and director/cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Summer of Sam) gave their time generously and provided some welcome coaching. Cinereach staffers got to be flies on the wall in all those sessions (sometimes getting to participate when numbers were needed). Fractured Atlas is the fiscal sponsor to all our Fellows’ projects, and also came by to answer questions.
Each Fellow’s Mentor was also announced this week: Brendon’s Skip Rocks will benefit from the guidance of So Yong Kim (In Between Days, Treeless Mountain); Danielle’s Bridging the Gap will have Renee Bishop (of Savannah, GA’s Farmer’s Almanac TV) on its team; Dena Greenbaum’s Blues will benefit from Jeremy Kipp Walker’s (Half Nelson, Maria Full of Grace) expertise; and Nicole Kassell (The Woodsman) will work with Jules on I Go to War with Everything that Doesn’t Make Sense in a Bathtub.
We’ll track the progress of the Fellowship here on this blog, invite Fellows, Mentors, Advisors and Cinereach staff to blog, and also offer you some more detailed descriptions, photos and video of what the Fellows are experiencing so the wider Cinereach community can benefit as well. Subscribe to RSS feed to stay on top of the action!