Fly Away Home Trailer
Monday, March 31st, 2008Fly Away Home Trailer
By Jules Kobelin and Marcy Cravat
March 2008
This was a class exercise using Final Cut Pro.
Fly Away Home Trailer
By Jules Kobelin and Marcy Cravat
March 2008
This was a class exercise using Final Cut Pro.
I’d like to compliment Patrick and the teaching staff at Berleley Digital for the fine job they’re doing in training future film makers. I’m impressed by the professionalism of the students and their dedicationn to producing quality projects. I have been doing acting work for other film schools in the Bay Area for several years, and in my book, you guys are the best.
As an actor, sensitive folk that we are, little things sometimes make a big impression. On the occassion of my first encounter with Berkeley Digital students (an audition), I was met in the waiting room by a student on the production staff, who offered to run my lines with me.(so that I might be better prepared for the audition ).” What?”, I said to myself., “that’s the first time that I’ve had an offer like that in the several years I’ve been working with student film makers.”
Other little (and thoughtful) details, like closure with actors (whether they were cast or not), thanking them for auditioning, are furthur indicators of the outstanding training these students are getting.
I recently saw the first cut of a short film I did at the school. The short was directed by a first year student and was a quality piece in my view. Production values were wonderful I thoroughly enjoyed working with the director and his chosen crew. They were great.
I’m looking forward to doing more films with your talented group.
Keep up the fantastic work.
Dick M, actor.
A fun shoot with a positive and efficient crew. Thanks to Nick, Franco, Joel, and Rob. Well done Chirae. Special thanks to actors, Eric and Afiayanna as well as Dee and Tim from Blood Bath Boxing. Also, thanks to Colin for lending the fog machine while in L.A.
Peter Burns writes:
[1] TALENT:
I’m having terrific meetings with my principal actors.
Jim Hiser, a SAG actor of 10 years, has committed in the lead Principal role of the “Vigilante.” I met Jim over coffee in his Montclair neighborhood and I ran him through the story as well as his character. We initiated collaboration on designing the character. I also told him that I plan not to reveal the entire story to all of my talent. He agreed that this could be a positive directorial strategy in order to get certain performances from actors. Jim secured his SAG membership on Nash Bridges. Jim is also an active stage actor. I’m looking forward to his creative contribution on this project.
Shannon Nicholson has met with me three times this month at cafes in Alameda. We’ve had a lot of fun discussing the project and making casting wish lists. She has more than earned a credit of Associate Producer from me, again. She’ll be playing the role of “The Vigilante’s Mother.”
I’ve got two actors coming up from Los Angeles. One is a SAG actor, she’ll be playing “The Seductress” and another will be playing “The Lover.” I’m working on accommodations for these actors.
[2] Contacting SAG/AFTRA:
I’ll be submitting my Preliminary paperwork to Fatna Sallak-Williams of the local S.F. SAG/AFTRA office letting them know that I’ll be shooting with 2 of their members. I’ll do this as soon as I have my locations nailed down.
[3] Locations:
I require two locations. An art gallery and a basement with a long hall and separate room. I’m meeting with Jane Austin of The Oakland Film Office next Thursday to scout the old Miller Library Building basement.
[4] The script is coming along. Research, bouncing drafts of intelligent creatives, capital one credit card applicationcredit card balance transfer ratecredit card debt reduction calculator,pay off credit card debt,credit card debtcalculator card consolidation credit loanbest credit card rate,best rate and deal credit cardannual card credit fee nocard credit ecommerce processing transaction,ecommerce credit card processingcard consolidation credit debt helpunsecured visa credit cardconsolidating credit card debtcard citi credit premierpass,business card citi credit,citi credit cardcard credit processing serviceshell gas credit cardfree credit card consolidation,card consolidation credit freebank one credit card offerbill card consolidation credit debt life partner,credit card bill consolidationinstant approval uk credit cardbad card credit history,bad credit history credit cardcredit card consolidation calculator,calculator card consolidation credit deb ?,calculator card consolidation credit lobest card credit deal,credit card deal,best card credit deal transfercredit card offer,opt out of credit card offer,card compare credit different from offeruk credit card loan,card credit loan ukbank card credit ge moneycard credit point reward visa,visa reward credit cardfree unsecured credit card with bad credit,bad credit visa card,bad credit credit cardchase credit card for small business,chase business credit cardbank card credit offer onegas reward credit cardamerica bank card credit securedlow interest credit card consolidation loan,card consolidation credit loancash back business credit cardbank card city credit national,national city bank secured credit cardapplication card citi credit statusbank card credit first premier secured,bank card credit first premiercredit card debt relief nonprofit,card credit debt disabled relief,credit card debt reliefdownload free real ringtonesfree ringtones for lg phonetotally free ringtones,totally free ringtones for sprint phone,totally free ringtones for verizonfree britney spears ringtones,britney spears ringtonescellular customer free ringtones uscingular free from ringtonescellular download free ringtones uscingular free ringtones wirelessdownload cell phone ringtones,download ringtones to cell phone from pc,download ringtones from computer to cell phonec139 monophonic motorola ringtones,c139 keypress motorola ringtones,c139 motorola ringtonesnokia ringtones tracfonedownload free mobile ringtonespolyphonic ringtones t720cricket free phone ringtonescrazy download free frog ringtones character development and reading comparable screenplays all helps a bunch!
Thanks for reading.
More to come …
I just finished the second and final day of my BDFI tour and I am still buzzing with energy and excitement. I could not have ever imagined this visit going as well as it has. The facilities, faculty, equipment and students were above and beyond any preconceived notions I had of BDFI.
Where to start? I have to begin with the hospitality and personality and Patrick. He was kind enough to pick me up from the BART station both days and I knew right off the bat that I was going to enjoy the school. Any nervousness I had prior to my tour was quickly dismissed when I began talking to Patrick. He was so helpful and accommodating, with my tour and overall trip to the bay area (recommending restaurants and the must sees of downtown San Francisco).
The Saul Zaents media center, which houses BDFI, has a long legacy which quickly becomes apparent to any visitor who notices all of the movie and music posters on the walls. I love the environment that Patrick has created, allowing the students to feel that they are in a business setting. The editing suites, rather than long tables of computers, the interactive round tables in the classrooms, rather than desks, and the overall sense of community of the students and faculty all contribute to a wonderful environment that inspires creativity and teamwork.
I was able to sit in on three classes during my visit, all of which greatly contributed to my understanding of the advantages of BDFI. The first was video editing with Sharef, which reminded me of an editing class I have had before, but with major advantages. Sharef was so engaging and helpful to every student, covering a lot of material, while making sure that each student has a comfortable grasp on every trick and tip.
After a brief discussion of my love for sound design in films, Patrick dropped me off at the BART station to conclude my first day of the tour. I was about to head back to my hotel when I got a call from Patrick. He told me to come back up and that I had to sit in on one more class with MARK BERGER! What an experience! Before class started I sat in an editing sweet with Jonathon and Mark Berger, as they went over a scene from Apocalypse Now with all of the audio tracks separated. To be able to sit with him, while he discussed his creation was a pleasure. It was definitely a surreal experience, and one that I will tell to all of my friends back home.
Berger’s lecture was on sound design theory and was one of the most exciting and informational lectures I have ever been a part of. He is so experienced and competent, that all of the students seemed to be fully engaged in the lecture. That one lecture was the equivalent of twenty lectures at the UK, where I attend now. I thanked Patrick a million times over for calling and picking me back up, because the experience was one I will always remember.
The last thing that I feel I need to express is the companionship of the students at BDFI. Patrick mentioned that they build an environment where the only competition is self-competition, and it really shows. Everyone is highly motivated and focused, while being completely devoted to his or her fellow students. I had quite a few opportunities to speak with the students, which really broadened my view of the advantages of BDFI. They all spoke similarly about the fact that everyone finds their niche very quickly here, while still allowing everyone to be Producer and Directors. Everyone was very helpful and I just want to that the students and faculty for a great tour and making me feel at home.
Thanks.
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Lonnie (Ted Barker) freaks out before committing to his dream.
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Lonnie (Ted Barker) now determined to live his dream.
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Lonnie (Ted Barker) realizes he’s made the right decision.
Production stills from Peter Burns’ third BDFI student project - a parody on his personal life-decision to go to film school at 39 years of age. A final day of pick-up shooting has been scheduled.
Peter Burns writes:
The lectures we are getting - especially those regarding post production sound design, editing and mixing are on par with the best film schools in the country (HFI, NYU, USC, UCLA). Because of the legacy of the Saul Zaentz Film Center, we are privaleged to have Mark Berger as well as Dr. Andy Newell, David Bergad, and Dan Olmsted lecture on post sound production. It is remarkable to have the actual sound production experts who worked on The English Patient, The Wild, Amadeus, The Right Stuff, Apocolypse Now and many more at our disposal. These (and others) are classic pictures that changed filmmaking history in ways.
MARK BERGER OPENED HIS 3/13/08 LECTURE WITH, “THE FUNCTIONS OF EFFECTS”
This included:
[1] Defining charcaters’ emotinal states
[2] Defining the activity level and/or energy of a scene
[3] Defining the geography or space of a scene
[4] Providing transitions
[5] Embedded sounds
Other key points were:
[1] Writing sound design into the script
[2] Specific types of transitional sounds (and how to place them)
[3] Grouping kinds of sounds
[4] Using sound sweeeners and “surreal sweeteners”
[5] Cause and effect
[6] Reduced sound and the importance of pre-mixes to reduce tracks
[7] Semantic subtext
[8] An era’s film and theater sound technology and it’s application by a filmmaker in the creative decisions. For this we compared and contrasted The Right Stuff from 1989 with Test Pilot from 1939.
Mark encouraged lots of class participation.
During this lecture, Mark Berger, presented a famous clip from Apocolypse Now and ran it about 5 times: [1] with all final sound tracks; [2] with just dialog tracks; [3] with just Foley and explosions tracks; and [4] with just machine gun fire and rockets tracks. These were all final sound elements from the original mixes that went into the final product. Mark mixed these himself under Francis Ford Coppola and Walter Murch.
Check out Mark Berger’s player card at IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0074281/awards
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0074281/
Mark ended the lecture with showing the individual mixes in the ProTools sound application. We’ll be picking up here next week.
I had the opportunity to run into Mark Berger in the parking lot post lecture and I thanked him for presenting such a treat to us. He met my two kids, Tyler and Zoe. He was very sweet and shared with me that, he too, enjoyed experiencing these mixes for the first time again in 25 plus years or so.
When Patrick offered me admission it was the Thursday before class started, so I didn’t have time to doubt myself, I just dove in and faced the challenge. If given more time before the start of the semester, I believe I would have been more afraid to take on the challenge, but it was just enough time to exercise denial. On reflection, I don’t think I would have the strength to go through the first film. Preproduction was the hardest thing I have ever done in my adult life.
I had some experience working as PA on other student sets, but I was never put in charge of an entire film. I don’t think I would have ever done it on my own. I knew preproduction was an enormous task where anything and everything could go wrong and then I was told the first couple of films a student makes are terrible anyway. I think I always avoided making my own films for that reason.
Now preproduction for a short film is a walk in the park. I was lucky because my shoot went very well and we had very few challenges. But even if things are to go terribly wrong during my next shoot, I feel I could handle it. Starting BDFI is like my freshman year at college. It’s the hardest, most stressful time in a person’s life, but after that first semester, college is pretty simple.
Starting Berkeley Digital Film School has made me realize how much work and skill is required to succeed in the film industry. It can be overwhelming at times, but I try to stay focus on the current project assigned. Often times, my mind wanders to the future and I wonder what it is I should do to work in film and of course earn a paycheck to pay off student debts.
I have decided I should start paid work as a PA again in the fall, meanwhile continue to take classes and find my niche. It is too early to tell, but maybe I will develop my skills in editing, or camera work or lighting. I have always have been a late bloomer, but there is no reason why I should start to work in the field.
I would like to prep myself so I can find a stable job working for a Bay Area company so I can pay off my debts at Cal. But stability and film are rarely spoken in the same sentence, but maybe I can work it out somehow. My big goal in life is to live in San Francisco with a job in the film industry. Right now the only place that comes to mind is Lucas Studios in San Francisco and Marin County. I plan to have a meeting with Patrick, go to the UC Berkeley Career Center to research companies and patch up my resume. I am very excited for the future and also a little uneasy, but I just won’t think about it. Again I’ll exercise denial, do the best I can and it will probably pay itself off.
Every now and then there are moments when time seems to stop, and I know I’ll remember them forever; today I had one of those moments. Mark Berger retrieved his footage from Apocalypse Now and had it convection dried, and transferred to digital format so that he could present to us, for the first time in 30 yrs, some of the magic and mystery of the layers of sound he used to create this sound masterpiece. Mark Berger is an exceptional lecturer, and educator, as well as sound prodigy. The artisty with which he is able to grab my attention by assembling an inspiring number of layers of sound, and suck me into the story, even when I am trying my hardest to be an observer, speaks to the power of his talent.
Patrick, thank you so much for making this all possible! I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from the best teachers and individuals I could ever hope for! If you see me stuck in the editing room, like a bear to honey, now you know why.
Hope your dreams are as sweet and sticky as mine,
Ready (or semi ready) to tackle the second film, we are learning from our previous mistakes and getting comfortable with the whole preproduction process. What seemed like a nightmare with a deadline, preproduction now seems like a familiar routine.
Right when I start to get comfortable with film making Patrick gives us a whole lecture on sound and how to prevent our student films from looking and sounding like, well, “student films.” With these new challenges our work can only improve.