NO POST THIS MONTH --
April Fools
Gotcha?
Welcome, new subscribers from the Winter 2023 group. Thanks for joining the community we are trying to grow. The goal here is to have a resource for filmmakers genuinely interested in supporting and learning from each other. The filmmakers in this group are vetted in the form of having attended one of my classes, so perhaps this can become a space to find reliable collaborators and avoid the trappings of typical film production social media channels. Always feel free to respond to these emails and let me know a project you would like to have shared in future posts. (including reels etc)
This month’s screening selections are at bottom.
The Features Continue…..
I heard some cool feedback about the events announced last month and assumed this month would be a come-down after posting screenings for TWO FEATURES last month. I did not imagine it possible to have another such cinematic bounty anytime soon —
Enter Kevin Breisch…. dripping with bog water as he rises from the depths, brandishing in place of Excalibur a trailer for his very own feature:
I will let Kevin speak for himself: “Do you want to see the trailer for a movie that won't come out for at least a year? This is the teaser trailer for the film 'Modern Rockers.' I shot this with my brother in Hershey, Pennsylvania before we moved to Burbank, and it is currently in post-production (Tyler's editing class has helped a lot with that). It's 35 seconds long and is meant to give an idea of the film and our respective abilities: him as a writer/director, and me as a producer/editor. If you like it and would like to potentially work on any future projects with a couple of twentysomething Pennsylvania transplants, shoot me an email at kbreisch4434@comcast.net
Thank you!
(Let me know if that's too long or if you need it to be worded differently)”
I think that was worded just fine, Kevin, and we look forward to following the project.
RESOURCE DUMP:
For anyone who wasn’t in my Post for Film & Television class this past Winter quarter, here is a treasure trove of useful materials for post-production planning/management provided by Matt Johnson. A graduate of the UCLA TFT Directing program who moonlights as a very special form of superhero… A DIT.
I highly recommend downloading and making use of this in whatever way best serves you.
Let me know how it works for you. I’ll treat this link like a living document where more materials are added now and again.
CULTURE SHOCK
This is a cool new section with a WIP title. All inspired by Anne Duka from Latvia who wants to promote the incredible filmmaking going on in her home country. (and no, Anne — you are not the only Latvian filmmaker in this impressive subscriber base)
Hi. I made a list of Latvian movies I think are amazing and show great insight into our determination for freedom and independence, our culture, and even our social life. The movies are of different genres and based on different time periods. Some heavy and emotional and some incredibly funny. A lot of them have won or been nominated for different awards nationally and internationally and are made by great directors who work worldwide. I have the links to where they can be watched and all offer English subtitles, although the majority of them need to be bought, rented on Apple TV+, Amazon, or Vimeo, or get a subscription for streaming platforms (GO3+ and tet+) in Latvia, yet still available in U.S. territory. The subscription is quite cheap and doesn't go over 5$ and you get to watch a bunch of them.
It turns out image galleries don’t look so great on here so pop that PDF open for a very well designed treat. Very nicely done, Anne. Why didn’t I make it the first post?
- And never forget, though Sergei Eisenstein is not a subscriber… yet.. he was born in Latvia.
A Special Event with an appearance by the author of your favorite Alumni Newsletter?
If you are rolling your eyes and groaning over my mention of Sergei Eisenstein, somehow under the impression that this was a safe space where I would no longer haunt you with the specter of important figures from the history of editing… then you really won’t like this next update:
Sunday Ballew is connecting us to screenings of the always divisive (in my class) ‘Man with a Movie Camera’. Some love it, some appreciate it, some hate it… Or maybe just hate homework. Whatever category you fall into perhaps a subsequent viewing under your own free will shall change your opinion.
Behold: an opportunity to see the film accompanied by a live orchestra, with a specific take on the material. Longtime fan of and occasional lecturer on City Symphonies — Tyler Danna — will be on hand to introduce and moderate the 5/12 Los Angeles Screening at the Secret Movie Club a little over a month from now. There are more dates and information below. (Reply and ask me for more info if you would like and I can send the robust information on the event I was originally forwarded. It was too long for this post — according to Substack — including screening dates across the whole country)
Direct links:
https://www.montopolismusic.com/man-with-a-movie-camera
And here are the dates:
https://www.montopolismusic.com/tour
Tyler the moderator? Supporting Ukraine relief??? Why not post this at the top?
Tickets are on sale now at 20 arthouse cinemas across the American west for the Montopolis live score to the silent film Man with a Movie Camera (1929).
Montopolis is partnering with the relief organization Bird of Light Ukraine to raise awareness of the ongoing refugee crisis. Donations for Bird of Light will be accepted in the lobby at every screening on the tour, and a portion of the proceeds from the entire tour will be donated to support their efforts.
5/9 San FranciscoCA 4 Star Theater 5/10Oakland CA The New Parkway 5/11Los AngelesCA Alamo Drafthouse 5/12 Los AngelesCA Secret Movie Club 5/13Santa AnaCA The Frida Cinema
The Bird of Light Ukraine organization has built a humanitarian supply line that sends millions of dollars of goods to the hardest hit parts of Ukraine. With in-depth knowledge of the region, they can respond quickly to the greatest needs as situations change on the ground, a challenge for larger, more prominent NGOs.
Montopolis is an Austin, Texas based musical ensemble that performs live scores to silent films. Their original score to Man with a Movie Camera toured cinemas throughout the Midwest and Northeast in 2022 at venues like the Music Box Theater in Chicago, the Nitehawk in Brooklyn, and Cornell Cinema in Ithaca, NY. One of the most influential documentaries ever made, the film recently placed 8th on the Sight and Sound greatest films of all time poll. The live score by Montopolis has been called "stunning and transcendent" by the Austin Chronicle.
Revered as a visual masterpiece, Man with a Movie Camera gives historical context to the current Russian invasion and lays bare the costs of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. Composer Justin Sherburn’s joyful original score celebrates the beauty and resilience of Ukraine’s people and aims to inspire American audiences to support the country in its time of need.
The grandson of Romanian immigrants, Montopolis pianist and composer Justin Sherburn has a personal investment in the history and culture of Eastern Europe. His original score incorporates indie rock, extended techniques, and traditional Ukrainian folk melodies. According to Sherburn (whose Ashkenazi family name is Shapiro), the work is “an exercise in the power of music to undermine a film’s intention.” Man with a Movie Camera was commissioned by the Soviet regime under Joseph Stalin to showcase the might of industry in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. The composer’s romantic score transforms a nationalistic propaganda film into a celebration of the human spirit, emphasizing the humanity of the Ukrainian people over the industrial prowess of the Soviet Union.
EXCERPTS OF THE FILM SYNCED WITH THE MONTOPOLIS SCORE
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More about the film:
Man with a Movie Camera is an experimental 1929 Soviet silent documentary film, edited by Yelizaveta Svilova and directed by her husband Dziga Vertov, filmed by his brother Mikhail Kaufman. (guess how I edited this blurb)
LA SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
And in closing we have another amazing curated list from our cinema gatherer Isidor. Thank you so, so much for putting these together for us, Isidor. Let us know in the comments if you check one of these out!
4/1 Aero | 7:30pm: The Complete Jean Vigo (1930's)
4/2 & 4/7 Czech Noir film series at UCLA Film & TV Archive
4/6 Secret Movie Club | 7:30pm: Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959, Alain Resnais)
4/7 Aero | 7:30pm: High and Low (1963, Akira Kurosawa)
4/21 Los Feliz 3 | 7pm: Spider (2002, David Cronenberg)
4/21-4/22 Orphan Film Symposium: All-Television Edition UCLA Film & TV Archive
4/22 Academy Museum | 2pm: Johnny Guitar (1954, Nicholas Ray)
4/22 Million Dollar Theater | 7:30pm: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
4/28 Academy Museum | 7:30pm: Eyes Without a Face (1960, Georges Franju)
4/30 Los Feliz 3 | 4pm: Lillian Gish (1984, Jeanne Moreau)
4/30 Academy Museum | 7:30pm: Barry Lyndon (1975, Stanley Kubrick)
Have an outstanding month, everyone, and keep us posted on all the cool projects you are working on. I have a couple more cool things to share — including what might be an awesome free screening space — but that is for next month. Between quarters is exhausting. And on that note…. sorry for the typos which I won’t be looking back to inspect.
-T
Have a former classmate you would like to add to the group? Apparently I have 15 years worth of amazing former students I’m trying to grow this Network with….