Local Industry | Massachusetts

If You Open It, They Will Come

1 Apr , 2002  

Written by Jason Redmond | Posted by:

A preview of the 2002 edition of Filmmakers Open Studios.

Open doors are traditionally rare in the movie business, but each spring Boston-area residents and filmmakers get an inside look at the inner workings of the local film industry through the groundbreaking collaborative effort of the Filmmakers Open Studios organizers.

The event unites a diverse gamut of artists, studios, and organizations with the general public. Film, video, animation, post-production, audio, media education, exhibition, and distribution-related venues will be opening their doors between April 27 – 28, 2002. Anyone from the Sunday matinee attendee to the struggling independent filmmaker shooting her first feature film is welcome to glean some knowledge from these professionals.

This year’s program has been expanded to two full days to accommodate the growing numbers on both sides of the door. The days are broken up geographically to offer the greatest convenience. On Saturday, April 27th, venues in Allston/Brighton, Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston will be screening films, hosting panel discussions, and fostering the sort of general artistic banter that one comes to expect of any independent artist. On Sunday the 28th, the commuter rails and bus lines give the subway system a rest and offer passage to the Newton, Waltham, and Watertown participants. All 50 venues may be accessed free.

Filmmakers Open Studios was the brainchild of Filmmakers Collaborative and the Boston Film and Video Foundation, for the 25th anniversary of the New England Film & Video Festival, in 2000. Now in its the third consecutive year, the event continues to be coordinated by Filmmakers Collaborative to help the community connect with this active and growing independent film scene.

For the digitally inclined, several venues will showcase the latest in digital technology. Boston-based Boston Camera rents film and video cameras, and digital is definitely on the upswing. Richard Wurman, General Manager and CFO of Boston Camera, explains: "We are seeing more digital cameras go out the door…Boston Camera is advertising and growing its digital video inventory, and we can now be more responsive to the increase in digital camera inquiries."

Down the street, at Boston University, Sam Kauffmann, Associate Professor of Film, will be conducting a presentation on widescreen television and its future. "How can we economically shoot for this new format?" Kauffmann asks. The presentation will show how Super-16mm film can be shot and then anamorphically "squeezed" to create a true 16×9 project for widescreen projection, HDTV presentation, DVD, and HD-ready televisions.

The digital trend continues with Finish Edit, a full service post-production facility, and first time participant in Filmmakers Open Studios. Finish Edit performs HD transfers and digital color correction services, and has the ability to work on any digital format. Don Packer, Finish Edit’s Chief Operating Officer, feels that most independent documentary filmmakers and corporate productions are not aware of their capabilities, but the need for the services exists.

A local filmmaker shooting or finishing a project on HD no longer needs to send the tapes to New York to have it finished. Packer’s firm recently purchased a top-of-the-line Davinci color corrector, the only such machine in all of New England, and the same model used on big-budget productions in Hollywood. They made this hefty investment because Packer predicts that by next year, "at least one-third of our work will be transferring footage to HD for color correction and finishing on film or HD." He also believes that more filmmakers will use HD as an acquisition format, and Finish Edit is ready and able to get the job done. HD projected films will be a common thing in the next five years, according to Packer, and although he believes film will never die out; this will be an exciting opportunity for visitors to see HD’s capabilities.

The Dudley Film Program is also looking to generate some awareness of itself during Open Studios. It was founded by Dr. Valerie Weiss three years ago to teach Harvard graduate students how to make short films using digital video. The catch? These graduate students are attending law school, medical school—anything but film school. Talented and well-known writers, directors, and producers teach workshops and the public is invited, free of charge. The films the students produce during the program are screened during the Dudley Film Festival.

But Weiss’ vision doesn’t stop there. Collaboration is on her mind as well. "We hope to foster a relationship between the students and the Boston film community," she said. She wants her students to partner with community professionals, rental houses, and actors to make their films.

Lisa Simmons is also trying to create a collaborative environment. Simmons, President of the Color of Film Collaborative, is working to unite filmmaking professionals of color in the New England area. "So many actors of color were leaving for New York, and nobody in the community knew anybody else," she said. The Collaborative has changed that. Members now make films, and take Collaborative workshop classes together. Simmons vision is to follow the San Francisco art coalition model of the 1960s, where local production companies partner with the Collaborative members to keep everyone working and producing quality films.

Tom Robotham, Creative Director and D.P. at Robotham Creative, Inc., agrees that collaboration is important. "As economic pressures ease up, production companies and independent producers will be in a bind as they try to meet pent up demand without going out on a limb of increased fixed capacity or personnel. Our goal is to function like the producer’s short term deputy, working autonomously but under their explicit direction." In fact, he is utilizing a "deputy" theme as part of a fun demonstration of their services during Open Studios.

More evidence of this need and desire for collaboration within the Boston community comes from two other participants. Evelyn Carrigan, Associate Producer at édoFilms in Cambridge, says, "We think this is a great opportunity for independent filmmakers to become known to the larger community. We want to celebrate independent filmmaking in the Boston Area."

And Amy Geller, President of the Board, Women in Film & Video/New England (WIFV/NE) adds, "In a time when budget cuts in arts funding and the downturn in the economy have devastated arts communities everywhere, I am inspired to see the Greater Boston film community united for the biggest and most comprehensive Open Studios to date."

The Boston film community is proud of its level of output and will stand tall for two days in April thanks to Filmmakers Open Studios. Bob Hirsch, a manager at High Output and Charles River Studios, says, "The roster of participating companies illustrates the phenomenal range of creative possibilities that our community makes available to film makers, to advertisers, to anyone with an image or a message to communicate."

Dorothy Aufiero, Producer for SCOUT, a local production company, reminds everyone, "The local film and television community is a tremendous source of pride for us and we’ve certainly seen it gain recognition on a national level this past year. Now it needs to gain the same kind of fervent support as the local sports teams, and we’ll really be able to have a creative impact."

The sentiment that Boston can compete with New York on a creative level is something that the people behind these participating venues take seriously. They believe that with the latest technology, and strengthening the community through collaboration, Boston will always have its share of the industry — if Filmmakers Open Studios has anything to say about it.

For more information, visit www.filmmakerscollab.org/openstudios.htm.


For more information, visit www.filmmakerscollab.org/openstudios.htm.

Leave a Reply