Monday, April 13, 2009

COMMUNITY FILMMAKING - 4/13/09

(Tina Flemmemer, POINTING FINGERS cinematographer,
consulting with script supervisor Jermaine Mitchell)

In July 2009 Brooklyn Young Filmmakers plans to shoot a short narrative film. We are inviting local residents to be involved in our “Community Filmmaking”. This weekly Monday blog column will keep you updated on our next steps, introduce you to the volunteers and students already involved, and let you know how you might get involved.

BYFC SCAVENGER HUNT : INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is seeking donation of the use of 2 minutes of original instrumental music to use in the opening credits for POINTING FINGERS (2009, 15 min.), our third film production that is in the final editing stages. The film closes with an original rap song donated by a Fort Greene artist . For the opening credits we are looking for something in a different vein – older generation with a slower beat, possibly blues or jazz or maybe classical, can have edge to it. We are open to being surprised. Love to hear what you have: trayceg@wearebyfc.org (718) 935-0490.


MEETING US

TINA:
“I was a very melancholic kid. Every time I felt like crying I would go in my room, shut the door and listen to the audiotape of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. I would bawl. It was so sad what happens to him.”

I was totally taken back when Tina said this. I tried to imagine her as a seven year old in the small town of Schwandorf listening to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in German. When I was ten (before Tina was even born) in Oakland, California, reading about slavery made me too sad, so when I was melancholic I read Holocaust stories.

TINA: “My therapist thinks this is a problem, my melancholy. When he said you have “chronic melancholy”, I objected. Do Americans think melancholy is always bad? Sometimes Americans are too smiley, and not because they are really feeling it. When I am melancholic I can have my most creative spells.”


Tina started volunteering with Brooklyn Young Filmmakers after she attended our January 2007 INSIDE MAN Conference at LIU. At the time she was a junior in the City College undergrad film program and living in Washington Heights. Tina initially helped us with graphic arts on publicity materials. When Brooklyn Young Filmmakers decided to started producing its own films, she was one of the emerging filmmakers who helped to make it possible. She was cinematographer and editor on FROM PAWNS TO KINGS (5 min.) and POINTING FINGERS (15 min.). Tina fell in love with Brooklyn while working with Brooklyn Young Filmmakers and moved close by to Bushwick. She graduated from City College last summer and will be going back to Germany in July when her visa runs out.

TINA: “Volunteering with Brooklyn Young Filmmakers has allowed me to step outside of the insular student world and helped me feel connected to a real community in New York. The way I’ve been welcomed with open arms by everyone working with BYFC has impressed me. In Germany you would not necessarily get that kind of welcome as an alien. Working with Brooklyn Young Filmmakers has also taught me a lot of things I didn’t learn in film school where the focus is on the technical. By helping to produce these two BYFC films I’ve learned that you can actually pull it off with little or no means. It has taught me how I can look beyond film people to just people in the community for help making a film. ”

WHAT THE NY TIMES DIDN’T COVER:

We were grateful that the New York Times recently covered Brooklyn Young Filmmakers producing efforts with an article on the Times Fort Greene blog:
http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/making-it-easier-to-make-a-movie/?emc=eta1 The Times highlighted how Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is giving residents of all ages in public housing, and other working class people, a chance to work on film productions. It was unfortunately the Times did not choose to cover the other part of what Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is focused on – getting the more affluent residents in our community to pitch-in and work alongside those in public housing to produce Community Filmmaking projects. Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is committed to speaking out about the economic divides in our community (in most communities) not to be negative but to be positive. We are developing this creative neighborhood bridging project to give diverse neighbors a chance to interact and get to know and trust each other. Please stay tune for our Monday blog postings.

peace & future,

Trayce, BYFC Director


DROP-IN: You’re invited to drop-in on the free MAKE A FILM Class Series Brooklyn Young Filmmakers is offering on Tuedays in April and May, 1:30pm-3:30pm at the Willoughby Senior Center, 105 N Portland (half a block from Myrtle Avenue), in Fort Greene public housing. All ages of adults and teens welcomed. For more info: classes@wearebyfc.org (718)935-0490.

MARK THE DATES:
Free Public Screening of BYFC Films As Part of SONYA Stroll
Brooklyn Young Filmmakers will be participating in the tenth annual SONYA Stroll (
www.sonyaonline.org) the weekend of May 16th and 17th. We also will be doing public readings of the scripts being considered for our next film project and inviting you to give input.

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