Looking Through The Local Lens by LASA Ezine

Looking Through the

LOCAL LENS May 2017

WRITE! CAMERA! ACTION! BEHIND THE SCENES WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MAKING MOVIES NOT MY FORTÃ&#x2030; FOR THE LOVE OF FILM

whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inside...

Looking Through The Local Lens

Behind the Scenes

Write! Camera! Action! By Lydia Coleman Pages 9-12

By Frida Lopez-Stern Pages 15-18

By Clarissa Melendez Pages 27-30

For the Love of Film

Not My FortĂŠ

What You Should Know About Making Movies By Jack Schneeman Pages 21-24

By Carl Svahn Pages 33-36

Looking Through The Local Lens

letter from the editor Each person in our group is proud to have published a magazine we all put a significant amount of time and effort into. It was enjoyable to do a magazine with a topic we were all enthusiastic and curious about, and that topic was film. In our feature stories, you will discover some main components of making a film, ranging from music production to getting a screenplay noticed by a producer. We all learned valuable information from our interviews that we hope the people interested in getting involved with the film industry that read this will find helpful. The stories shared are meant to inspire either a well-educated career with film or a better understanding of what it takes to get each movie to the silver screen. Our group hopes that the information gathered by our research was presented in a way that is liked by our readers and that they enjoy reading about how the film industry is involved with our city, Austin, Texas. We thank all those who allowed us to share their experiences, and I thank my wonderful teammates who have all contributed to working hard on our magazine. Sincerely,

Lydia Coleman Editor-in-Chief

Looking Through The Local Lens

Contributors

Frida Lopez-Stern discovered her love for film in elementary school, when she received her first digital camera for her birthday and could not put it down. She has taken acting classes and camps, along with filmmaking and photography camps, where she obtained most of her knowledge about her passions. When she is not filming or taking photographs, one can usually find Frida completing homework assignments at her desk. Frida has an endless list of favorite films, but the most recent addition is Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land.”

Jack Schneeman has had a love of film for many years. He plays piano, runs cross country, swims competitively, and does martial arts, where he holds a half black belt. He has never taken part in any acting classes, but loves film nonetheless. His current film favorites are “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” directed by Taika Waititi, for it’s fantastic visuals and witty humor; and “Whiplash,”directed by Damien Chazelle, for its compelling story and fantastic acting.

Lydia Coleman’s passions are German and Film, and she plans to pursue both in college. She worked on short films in the Intro to Film and Documentary class at her middle school as well as projects from the AVP class Lydia is currently in. Besides editing, watching movies is her favorite part about being involved with film. Some of her favorite movies include “Do the Right Thing” by Spike Lee, Bryan Singer’s “The Usual Suspects”, and “My Neighbor Totoro” by Hayao Miyazaki.

Carl Svahn has had a fierce love for movies since he saw Star Wars when he was in kindergarten. He is a frequent moviegoer and patron of the Alamo Drafthouse. When he isn’t watching movies (a very rare occasion) he is reading books, playing video games, or studying for whatever quiz he has next. His favorite movie is The Empire Strikes Back for its wonderful story, characters, and just because he loves Star Wars.

Clarissa Melendez has been fascinated by film for her entire life. She plays viola in the LBJ Orchestra and boxes outside of school. Movies have had a hand in her adolescence; she not only watched them, but she took part in a few small productions, including the never-aired television short “Cereal Killers,” and “The Revolutionary War Through Goldfish Crackers.” Her favorite movie is currently Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” for its over-dramatic score and eerie aesthetic.

Looking Through The Local Lens

BUSY PAST

A HISTORY OF FILM

A VERY BRIEF DIVE INTO A VERY

ed the In 1888, French inventor Louis Le Prince film Garden first film we know of today. Called “Roundhay ce’s son, Scene,” it was just a few seconds of Le Prin Commons. ive parents in law, and friend in a garden. Creat

Looking Through The Local Lens

BY CLARISSA MELÉNDEZ

In 1886, Alice Guy-Blaché became the first female director and directed the earliest narrative film with “La Feé aux Choux,” or “The Cabbage Fairy.” Guy Blaché continued to be a huge influence and pioneer to film. Flickr.

Film is a young art. Compared to age old practices of painting and sculpting, cinematography is but a baby. Barely older than one hundred years, film has progressed at an astounding rate. In a third of the time it took to complete a medieval cathedral, film has transformed itself from a thrilling new technology to a tool to express the human experience. Here, we explore just a few of the formative events that made film what it is today.

In 1908 , compo Camille Saint ser wh en he c Saens becam score f om e th or Guiles. a film for “Th posed the fir e first film s ” Wikipe e Assa sinatio t ever origina dia Co mmon n of th s. e Duke l of

In 192 7 length , “The Jaz zS record musical an inger” be d ca e Jewis d dialogue the first fe me the fir a st fea h man . Starr ture le t into t i r n n e g g b t e Al Jol h film ure llling he tim s a w o g e i n black face. s, includin ainst his fa as a youn th Wikim g m g the d edia C istaste ily, it was a ommo ja ful inc ns. lusion unt of

Looking Through The Local Lens 6

In 1929, the film world gathered to honor the best films of the year for the first time. The first Academy Awards had thirteen categories and tickets were just $5. Wiikimedia Commons.

In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to take home an Academy Award. Her trophy was Best Supporting Actress, for her stunning portrayal of Mammy in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gone With the Wind.â&#x20AC;?

Wiikimedia Commons.

Looking Through The Local Lens

ith born w en s a w r ev uste from St blockb r lm e fi m g m in st su il-bit , the fir The na to nationwide sion 5 ” 7 . 9 s 1 w a n I J es ld ear rec ase of “ he wor the rele introduced t end to a five y rg n Spielbe nd brought a a s release ood. Flickr. w y ure in Holl rst feat fi e h t was sed; it a le e r s mputer ome alive wa o c ” y y r ll o a t t c , “Toy S ys that t was to In 1995 released tha y of a boy’s to ren as well as be he stor ation of child lms. Creative t film to ld o t t ener ed fi ed. I animat ed an entire g puter animat p om and sha d an age of c e c introdu s. on

Comm

Looking Through The Local Lens 8

Write! Camera! Action!

How The Austin Film Festival Came To Be Helpful to Local Screenwriters

BY LYDIA COLEMAN

“T

o me it’s not the biggest success that comes out of it,” said Barbara Morgan, founder of the Austin Film Festival. “To me the biggest success we have is a lot of the people who just get jobs.” For Morgan, the inspiration was always to help out the community she knew dealt with struggle. She wanted to help get screenwriters on her feet, and she has accomplished that goal.

talent that would be lost in Hollywood otherwise. Morgan started the AFF with the intention of helping screenwriters start out in the industry. The panels and competitions provided served local writers, being the first film festival to really focus on screenplays.

Sonia Onescu, operations manager at the AFF, stated that “I really liked the fact that it was like a niche, it was a very broad strokes about In 1993, Barbara Morgan opened up storytelling, but at the same time we the Austin Film Festival to screenwere focussing on just the writer.” writers in the area. After about 25 She said that when she joined, she years, they have helped to produce was captivated by how it was ”just films and help people on their way about the writer and championing to getting a job in the competitive stories, and looking at what really film industry. After finding sponstarts a film.” sors and board members to fund the festival, it took off and became “I had been a big film lover and successful in helping people display wondered why we didn’t have one,” 9

Looking Through The Local Lens

The city of Austin, Texas, has a culture heavily influenced by the arts. The Austin Film Festival became an addition to the city in 1993, welcoming filmmakers and screenwriters. PHOTO BY LYDIA COLEMAN

Looking Through The Local Lens

Morgan said. “I thought, wow, maybe we could do a film festival, and maybe I could do it in my spare time!” She said that it was a matter of looking at it nationally and internationally and not just look at it being in Austin. With determination and difficulty, especially with the funding, the festival opened. Within the first year, the AFF received lots of attention and provided for many new screenwriters. The first script that won was made by Columbia Pictures and Morgan said it helped put them on the map for the next 24 years. The location of the Austin Film Festival was beneficial. If it had been in anywhere near Los Angeles or had any direct ties with Hollywood, the attitude of the festival would have been much different. “Austin was a place where they would tell the truth. You know, you can’t tell the truth in L.A., because you’ll get docked for it,” said Bill Wittliff, founder of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University and a Board of Advisors member for the AFF. Onescu said that there’s a “level of comfort with being here. You can go down to the Driskill bar and see a writer that you’ve always wanted to talk to or ask for some advice. I think that’s what opens the ability to want to express that and share that.” Morgan says that part of the idea is also to encourage independent film. “Our mission, is to try and help put people into the mix in an industry that’s nearly impossible to break into.”

that’s hard to do well in, especially if someone is just starting out. “If you’re going to fool with the Showbiz, you’ve really got to have steel in your spine,” said Wittliff. “I’ve seen a lot of people, and I was never out there all the time, but I’ve seen a lot of people get totally wrecked, I mean GONE. People with talent, you know. It’s a dangerous place.”

year and expand into new mediums. The focus will remain writing even though it addresses all parts of the movie making process. “Our mission statement is still the same; there’s no need to change something that’s good; it’s adapting to the change and it just makes us program more content that we know people want to see and consume,” Onescu said.

However, to Wittliff it was worth getting in the middle of all the Hollywood drama. He said that “the carrot at the end of the stick, is that if you write something that has some meaning to it, and again, if you’re either lucky enough or unlucky enough to get it filmed, at that point, you know, you’re talking to the world.”

AFF has been successful in its goal of finding writers and helping them through as well as opening up the film world to a local audience. “We’re trying to break in and find those voices everywhere: where are those new voices that can add something to our media that we’re so obsessed with,” said Morgan.

If someone does not want to compete in the festival, doe not have anything to enter, or doe not have time to attend the panels, AFF has put together a podcast, radio show, and television series called “On Story”, produced by Onescu.

Overall, AFF has been beneficial in starting out young and hidden talent that could not find a foothold any other way. They get funding and support and the public attention that is needed to get started. Even though its origin was only really screenplay, its core is to help out people. That intention is behind everything they do down at AFF and Austin is thankful to have them.

“On Story” records the advice of professionals in the field. “The content, whether you’re in the room or not can be applied across any time period of your career, whether you’re, you know, in a writer’s block or you’re trying to find inspiration, the content is very universal to that, so I think that’s what helps make it valuable, even if you’re not here to experience it,” said Onescu. “We see the feedback, we get excited when we get picked up on another radio station, and, you know it’s that momentum of keeping things constantly moving along and constantly striving to do better.”

With “On Story” and the festival itself, the AFF has helped many find For many people, Hollywood is a place their way. They get more popular each 11

Looking Through The Local Lens

Bill Wittliff is the founder of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. He’s the producer of many TV series and movies, such as “Lonesome Dove”. He’s also written for movies before, like “Black Stalion”.

PHOTO BY THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL

Barbara Morgan is the founder of the Austin Film Festival, creating it in 1993 for the purpose of helping Austinite screenwriters.

Sonia Onescu is the operations manager at the Austin Film Festival and the producer of the festival’s radio and TV show “On Story”.

PHOTO BY LYDIA COLEMAN

Looking Through The Local Lens

ADMIT ONE

Editors’ Picks -forBest -of-

2016

A bevy of movies in 8 categories go head-to-head in order to be crowned KING by Jack Schneeman

Looking Through the Local Lens

ADMIT ONE

Best Indie

Best Blockbuster

Winner “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” Taika Waititi

Winner “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Gareth Edwards

A tween (Julian Dennison) and his foster dad (Sam Neil) become subjects of an international manhunt after being stranded in the New Zealand wild.

Runners-Up

1) “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins 2) “Hell or Highwater,” David Mackenzie

Ex scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) was living on a farm with wife and daughter, Jyn (Felicity Jones), when the evil empire kills his wife and takes hs daughter away from him. Years later, he is the head scientist working on the Death Star, the Empire’s most powerful weapon. Jyn joins forces with the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans, knowing that her father has the only key to it’s destruction.

Runners-Up

1)“Captain America: Civil War,” The Russo Brothers 2) “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” David Yates

ADMIT ONE

Best Comedy

Best Action

Winner

“Deadpool,” Tim Miller

“Hacksaw Ridge,” Mel

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is an ex special forces member turned mercenary who is unwillingly givien superpowers by evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein). With the help of his friends Colossus and Negasonic Teenaged Warhead, he hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Runners-Up

Gibson

“Hacksaw Ridge” is the true story of “conscientious objector” Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), who won a medal of honor for his bravery and sacrifice in the Battle of Okinawa, despite his refusal to take up arms.

Runners-Up

1) “Sausage Party,” Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan 2) “The Nice Guys,” Shane Black

1) “Star Trek Beyond,” Justin Lin 2) “Captain America: Civil War,” The Russo Brothers

ADMIT ONE

Please Note: A win in one category does not correlate to a win in another

ADMIT ONE

Best Oscar-Winner

Best Superhero

Best Kid Friendly

Winner “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins

Winner “Captain America: Civil War,” The Russo Brothers

Winner “Moana,” John Musker, Ron Clements

A look at three important phases in the life of Chiron, a young black man from Miami. Chiron is played by Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes. Chiron’s journey to manhood is molded by the support and love of his community

Runners-Up

1) “La La Land,” Damien Chazelle 2) “Hidden Figures,” Theodore Melfi

After a distasterous mission in Lagos, Nigeria, the Avengers face the Sokovia Accords; a law requiring superheroes to register with the UN. This new status quo deeply divides the Avengers, with Captain America (Chris Evans) going agaist the government, much to the dismay of his former friend Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), who must lead a team of government registered heroes to hunt the Captain down.

A daring and adventurous teenaged girl (Auli’i Cravalho) embarks on a daring mission to save her people from a dark threat, alomg with the help of demigod Maui (Dwane “The Rock” Johnson).

Runners-Up

1) “Finding Dory,” Andrew Stanton, 2) “Zootopia,” Byron Howard

Runners-Up

1) “Deadpool,” Tim Miller 2) “Doctor Strange,” Scott Derrickson

ADMIT ONE

Best Overall Winner

“Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins” Runners-Up “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” Taika Waititi “Hell or Highwater,” David Mackenzie “La La Land,” Damien Chazelle

“Hidden Figures,” Theodore Melfi

Looking Through the Local Lens

Directors and editors make artistic choices together during the editing process of a film. For Haro and Lozano, rhythm is an important factor in editing.

PHOTO BY: JOSHUA WILLSON

Behind the Scenes

What Goes on Behind the Scenes in the Life of a Filmmaker

“I

still sleep with a brace on my wrist at night,” Richie Lozano says. He is the cinematographer, editor, and producer of “The Daytripper”. “If you do this for long enough, it’s gonna start cramping up. You get repetitive stress injuries, RSIs,” he says. In fact, he got the injuries from spending so much time on his computer, editing clips for his TV show. Technical aspects of filmmaking require lots of brainpower, but it isn’t just about analysis and strategizing.There is a lot of creativity involved in operating a camera or editing a clip, but audiences 15

have a skewed perspective on just how much hard work goes into being, say, a producer or editor. It takes hours of concentration to make everything look and sound perfect. There are some significant obstacles when it comes to being a producer and managing so many parts of a project. According to Lozano, managing money is especially tough. When he and the rest of the crew presented their idea for “The Daytripper” to PBS, they were told that it would be aired if they went and found their own sponsors. Olivia Cauthen, the producer and

Looking Through The Local Lens

BY FRIDA LOPEZ-STERN director of her own feature length film, like Lozano, has had trouble trying to find the funding for projects. Another factor in producing that can be tough is scheduling. It is the producer’s job to think about details that others might forget about, such as when the crew can eat and rest. Jordan Haro has directed a feature length documentary called “Rush Brothers”. He describes it as fun and stressful at the same time. There is a common misconception about directors and producers. They are often portrayed as bossy and selfish, but

Haro describes directing as more of a management role, “... the same way like, a football coach is kind of like the overseer of everything and they know the style.” Like a lot of filmmakers, Lozano, Cauthen, and Haro have done other things besides direct and produce. They are cinematographers too, and they know that there is a lot of thought and creativity that goes into getting the perfect shot. Lozano uses a drifting technique for his show which incorporates movement. “We’ll just put a little bit of sway, or move our feet a little bit or zoom in and out, that kinda thing, and uh… to me it kind of imparted this energy, this energy where at any point I could cut to the other shot, or cut back and forth, from a reaction, or even middle of their word cut away,” says Lozano. He uses this technique while shooting interviews for The Daytripper. One of Haro’s favorite things to play around with in cinematography is lighting.

“Using light creatively is a very powerful tool. Being able to like cast someone’s face in shadows more so, uh, just because thematically that makes sense. Or um, you know, putting-- putting like a different color of a light or trying to give something a moodier feel.” The filmmakers talk about some of their personal styles and preferences when it comes to editing. Lozano explains that it takes 120 hours just to edit one 20 to 30 minute episode, and shares one of his favorite techniques. “There’s this uh... roll kinda transition that we use all the time… we do this thing that looks like a film, like the pictures roll on a piece of film.” One thing that both Lozano and Haro mention is the importance of rhythm in films. They both enjoy using music and rhythmic guidelines for their editing. The filmmakers move on to talking about some of their most trying times in the industry. Haro says that Tony Scott, a director known for movies such as “Man on Fire” and “Top Gun”, committed suicide while Haro was

“If I can’t find that rhythm I’ll make that rhythm,” Lozano says. He enjoys using music and rhythms as guidelies for editing. “A song sets the mood a lot of times for me. It’s half of the story.” PHOTO BY: FRIDA LOPEZ-STERN

working for him. “If you’re not telling stories that inspire you, it can kinda take a toll on your psychological well-being. Filmmaking is like an art; it’s also a business… and um, it’s hard to juggle both,” he says. “I think the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with as a filmmaker is um, my expectations of what I wanted to be doing. [I’ve] been just trying to figure out like, what are the stories I want to be telling.” For Cauthen, the biggest challenge has been communication. “The hardest thing about being a filmmaker, for me, is communicating what I want efficiently and clearly. I tend to communicate better with DP’s [director of photography] than actors, which is a terrible weakness to have,” she says. Lozano has had more of a personal struggle. He says that constantly being wrapped up in his job has caused health problems and disturbed his everyday life.

“The best editing in my opinion is the editing you don’t notice,” Haro says. He also mentions the importance of good audio and negative space. PHOTO BY: FRIDA LOPEZ-STERN

Looking Through The Local Lens

The three filmmakers each share something that they believe is important when trying to capture an audience’s attention. Both Lozano and Haro believe it is important to have exceptional audio in films so as not to lose the audience’s attention. Haro also adds another ingredient when it comes to making a captivating story. “I think personally that there’s a blend of mystique and stylishness, intrigue. There’s something in the way like, somebody sitting around a campfire telling a really good story, the person who tells that really cool story in that setting… they’re giving you the amount of intrigue and mystique and whatever that piques someone’s interest,” Haro

says. Cauthen stresses the importance of developing strong, three-dimensional characters. “I think if the characters are likable, or so awful you love to hate them, you will keep your audience interested in the world you’ve created. Characters’ motivations seem strange, or they don’t have a defining personality trait, etc. 90% of this has to do with writing a great character, but the final 10% is casting.” These people are passionate about what they do, and they each have a favorite part of the journey. Both Cauthen and Haro loved getting to direct their own feature length movies. Lozano enjoys the reward of just getting to see his

work complete. “I like to see it all come together… The high end is the awards and things like that but really the satisfaction of getting what I want to do almost every day,” he says. Making a movie is not an easy task. There are many challenges that filmmakers are burdened with, but they are motivated by the enthusiasm they have for the art being created. They pour their time, effort, hearts, and souls into each little moment of a story to bring it to life onscreen, and others watch with curious eyes as the seemingly effortless magic unfolds before them.

“I like to see it all come together. The high end is the awards and things like that but really the satisfaction of getting what I want to do almost every day.”

Looking Through The Local Lens

Many filmmakers prefer to film with DSLRs, which create an aesthetically pleasing image. Lozano likes to film his TV show with a different type of camera that emphasizes his documentary or news story style of filming.

PHOTO BY: FRIDA LOPEZ-STERN

Director’s Cut Editor’s picks for the best directors of all time By Carl Svahn

10.

David Fincher

Kathryn Bigelow

Although he started off making music videos, David Fincher soon became known in the Film industry for directing films such as Gone Girl, Fight Club, and Zodiac.

The only woman to win Best Picture at the Oscars, Kathryn Bigelow is known for making action movies such as Point Break and The Hurt Locker.

Looking Through The Local Lens

8. Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers have been directing movies since the 1980’s, and have continued to provide comedic masterpieces like The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona, but have also directed dramas such as True Grit and No Country for Old Men.

Quentin Tarantino

Although he has a reputation of being extremely hard to work with, Quentin Tarantino has directed and written amazing movies such as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

Stanley Kubrick

One of the most visually precise filmakers ever, Stanley Kubrick directed films such as 2001: A Space Oddessy and The Shining.

Known f and trou Francis F directed greatest ry, inclu ther, Th 2, adn A

Francis Ford Coppola

for his insanity uble with studios, Ford Coppola d some of the dramas in histouding The Godfahe Godfather Part Apocalypse Now.

Steven Spielberg

Possibly the greatest director of the 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Steven Spielberg has created some of the greatest blockbusters in hisory, including the Indiana Jones films , Jaws, and E.T.

3. Martin Scorcesse

Initially just a small kid from New York, Martin Scorcesse became knon for his incredible crime films such as Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wallstreet.

2. Orson Welles

Known in the U.K as the second best director of all time Orson Welles is known in the U.S primarily for his masterpiece Citizen Kane, which is considered the greatest movie ever made by most.

1. Alfred Hitchcock

Having created such masterpieces as Psycho, Vertigo, and The Birds, Alfred Hitchock is often recognized as the greatest director of all time.

Looking Through The Local Lens

A camera films an actress on set, Donald Tong, pexels.com

What You Should Know About Making Movies (Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Really Hard) BY JACK SCHNEEMAN 21

Looking Through The Local Lens

“R

ogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the next installment in an iconic franchise spanning almost four decades, was released to positive reviews and a lot of hype. As millions of people rushed to the theaters to watch those famous words “A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away” grace the screen yet again, their emotions ran wild: Excitement, fear, anticipation, and anxiety.

Making a film like “Rogue One,” or any other for that matter, is impossibly difficult. Filmmaking is a long,

But “Rogue One,” with its sweeping visuals and well constructed story was a filmmaking nightmare.

challenging processs with a lot of moving parts, but there are only about five steps. Of course, they all have their Looking Through The Local Lens

“People think it is so easy to make a movie, but it really isn’t”

own substeps, and those substeps have sub-substeps. “I understand how hard it is to put together a great story, finding the right cast, director, etc. to actually pull it off so I’m always wowed by how things are accomplished,” says Cynthia McCreery, Assistant Professor of Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. “People think it’s so easy to make a movie but it really isn’t.”

Making a Film like Rogue One, like Ms. McCreery said, is pretty hard. There are a lot of moving pieces, but there is generally about five steps, each with their own substeps, and each of those with their own substeps. The first stage of movie making begins with development, dubbed by professional filmmakers as “development hell.” Development is a fuzzy, nebulous, painful period in which the movie takes shape. Development has four substages, as well: story development, writing, re-writing, and financing. Story development is when the story begins to take shape, and the characters, settings, and such are all decided upon. Then, the screenwriters write and rewrite the story, developing lines of dialogue, stage directions, actions, and shooting locations. Financing is very difficult, however. If the film has a studio ordering the production of the movie, like “Rogue One,” they are all set. But if it is an Indie film, finding that money becomes a lot harder. “In my classes a lot of the kids think the hardest part is coming up with a great idea,” says Vanessa Mokry, who teaches Audio Video Production at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, in Austin, Texas. AVP is a class in which students learn about the filmmaking process. “So we are cinematic based,” she says. “Other people who teach Audio Video Production at other schools can choose to make it more like a TV broadcast, like a news show and stuff like that. But my background is more cinematic, and that is where the interests of the students lie, too. The Intro class is all about making a short film. You learn all the skills on how to make a short film, and then in the fifth and sixth weeks, you 23

Looking Through The Local Lens

A High-Def mic picks up audio in a recording studio, Markus Spiske, pexels.com

“Telling a good story with a

beginning, middle, and end and a compelling character who goes through a journey is the most important thing”

spend that time doing it, and that is how it is done. And the advanced classes continuously do projects like that,” she says.“Telling a good story with a beginning, middle, and end and a compelling character who goes through a journey is the most important thing,” says McCreery. The third stage is production. This is arguably the hardest and most stressful of the five stages, and contains principal photography, rehearsal, shot set-up, shooting, and checking the take.

easiest stages, although in “Rogue One’s” case, it can leave fans agitated for months as they concoct crazy, wild theories about the movie, waiting for it to be released. So while most people view movie making as an easy process, it is exceedingly complicated. You have five main stages to worry about, and four of them are really complicated too, and all of that is what makes it so impossibly hard to break into the Hollywood cycle.

“There is a few kids that can write, and then they have a real big struggle during production. So, managing your resources [is the hardest part]. And at different levels there is different problems. Getting the right resources, getting like, adults into your films is difficult, all those different kind of things like that. So, to me, production is the hardest,” says Mokry. The fourth stage, post-production, can be easy or difficult, depending on the genre. Editing, sound mixing, music, and test screenings all take place during post-production. This is also where CGI and other digital effects are added to the movie. If a director is making a documentary, they will need very little editing, and this stage will go by very quickly. However, If they are are producing a sci-fi film like “Rogue One,” editing takes a while, and most of the budget is spent on it, making the film look as life-like as possible. “Every genre has its different challenges for sure,” says McCreery. When the movie is complete, the film studio (or indie filmmaker) decides where and how the film will be distributed. This is one of the

Looking Through The Local Lens

the LOCAL SHOW

BY LYDIA COLEMAN

VIOLET CROWN The Violet Crown theater shows a variety of independent films and serves a dinner in a restaraunt in the lobby.

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE The Alamo Drafthouse is a local treasure with its in-theater diner, attentive staff, and hightech projectors.

Looking Through The Local Lens

This list contains some of the most beloved theaters in the Austin scene. From unique ways to dine to historical significance, these theaters are special to Austinites who love to go out and watch a movie.

IMAX The IMAX Theatre is loved for showing its educational programs and popular feature films on the biggest screen in Texas.

PARAMOUNT The Paramount has distcintive architecture. It hosts films performances, and shows films from Austin Film Festival.

Looking Through The Local Lens

NOT MY FORTÉ a look into the elusive importance of music in film

BY CLARISSA MELÉNDEZ

George Kallis conducting a recording orchestra. Creative Commons. 27

Looking Through The Local Lens

DDDGDCBAGDCBAGDC B C. This string of letters may seem like gibberish. But there is more to them than meets the eye. Let’s add some flutes, oboes, and a beautiful orchestra to play those letters. Make sense yet? Now include spaceships hurtling through the cosmos and Luke Skywalker heroically destroying the Death Star. Hear it?

In Brian Satterwhite’s workspace, movie posters are plentiful. Photo taken by Clarissa Melendez

Brian Satterwhite displays the finest of his industry in his office, including “Star Wars” figurines, the films he says influenced him greatly. Photo taken by Clarissa Melendez.

That music that erupts inside your brain and fills you with a sense of adventure is the most influential of our time. It instantly brings back memories and fills you with the emotions you felt watching that iconic film. This is the art of scoring films. Putting music to the back of moving pictures is just some of the work film composers do. It is up to them to pour emotion into the images, to unify the audience, to pull the film into a coherent product. Music has always been a part of film, since the days of silent films and melodies from the piano in the theater as the film’s sole accompaniment. Film scorers are responsible for so much in modern movies, too, and the changes in the art across time have not only reflected the film the music accompanies, but also the outside world. “Star Wars” is cited by many as the most influential score of all time; its music is one of the reasons the franchise saw the success it did and is a perfect example of the film music’s purpose.

In Brian Satterwhite keeps memorabilia from history’s greatest movies in his offiice. Photo taken by Clarissa Melendez

“One cannot think of ‘Star Wars’ without hearing the main title,” says Eugénie Edmonds, violist in the Austin Symphony Orchestra and player of musical scores. Looking Through The Local Lens

Jack Stamps, a lecturer for the Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies at the University of Texas, agrees. “For ‘Star Wars,’ music is inextricably linked to the narrative,” says Stamps. “In fact, I think George Lucas originally called ‘Star Wars’ a ‘space opera’ for that very reason.”

“You don’t go to the movies to observe a film. You go to the movies to experience it.” A movie does not have to have the cultural weight of ‘Star Wars’ for its music to be important. “Film has a need; in order to work correctly, in order to be successful, it needs music,” says Brian Satterwhite. He is a local film composer who composed for “Ride Around the World,” and “Man on a Mission,” and is currently working on “Krampus,” as an orchestrator. “Ultimately, the job of music is to take something that is pretty much observational and turn it into an experience,” explains Satterwhite. “You don’t go to the movies to observe a film. You go to the movies to experience it. It’s not enough just to watch somebody else have an adventure. You want to go on the adventure with them. And that’s the job of music. It allows you to, instead just observe Indiana Jones having an adventure, you get to go along for the ride and experience it with him.”

Those adventures have changed over the years, from Bernard Herrmann’s electrifying scores in Hitchcock classics to playful music of Pixar films. “For a long time, it was directly and overtly helping to tell the story in a very linear, overt way,” says Graham Reynolds, Austin film composer who has composed “A Scanner Darkly,” “Bernie,” and “Before Midnight.”s “If things were happy, there was happy music, and if things were sad, there was sad music.” But as film progressed, says Reynolds, that has changed. “Now, you might have a horrifying scene of a murder and a really happy song playing. It doesn’t make the murder happy. It makes the murder that much creepier. There’s a lot of juxtaposition and a whole spectrum going on in the middle.” Achieving this is not an easy feat. According to Satterwhite, when he writes a score, there are steps he must take. “My job first is to decide when and where music should go,” he says. “That’s not just me, I work

with the director… It’s truly a collaborative art form.” Reynolds agrees. “Figuring out how it’s going to work with this particular collaborator is the first step,” says Reynolds. “Then [ask yourself,] what are the parameters? What kind of palette, what kind of instrumentation is it going to be? … if you have time, create as many ideas as possible and then you edit them down to the best and then develop those.” And to turn those developed ideas into a score? “ I would either go into a studio or hire somebody to record and then I shifted into recording myself, usually with someone who works with me, but having full control from the start to the end of the recording process,” says Reynolds. “My home studio is where the music gets written and recorded and mixed and then sent off to a film.” According to Satterwhite, production has not always been so easy.

The workspace of composer Graham Reynolds, where he writes, records, and mixes his works. Photo taken by Clarissa Melendez.

Looking Through The Local Lens

Brian Satterwhite in his office, where he has composed scores for movies like “ Ride Around the World,” and “Man on a Mission.” Photo taken by Clarissa Melendez.

“It’s so much easier today to compose and produce music for a film than it was decades ago,” Satterwhite says. “I can, if asked, compose, record, produce, mix an entire score essentially all by myself if I wanted and deliver it to a director to use in a film.” The recording process is a quick one. A film composer’s jobs are always fast; directors can send a film completed, only missing music, or send a bare film concept. Varying budgets, genres, and instrumentation leads different composers in different directions.

the emotion, that turns a series of images into a story. “That’s why I love movies,” says Satterwhite. “I love to feel when I go to a film. I love to laugh and I love to cry.” And the music responsible for these emotions? “It’s its own special thing,” says Reynolds. “It’s something that people always had since the dawn of humanity and it means different things to different people. But it speaks deeply to people and it says things that words can’t.” The power these notes hold has shaped generations. And they will shape generations to come.

Film composing is an art like no other, with a role most people ignore. But it is the music in film that brings Looking Through The Local Lens

Cast and Crew Director - Bill Condon Belle - Emma Watson Beast - Dan Stevens Gaston - Luke Evans LeFou - Josh Gad Mrs. Potts - Emma Thompson Lumiere - Ewan McGregor Cogsworth - Ian McKellen Maurice - Kevin Kline

Budget: $160 million Box office info: Earned $175 million opening weekend

Shooting time: It took 96 days, roughly three months, to shoot the live action film.

Plot The storyline of the live action version of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beauty and the Beastâ&#x20AC;? is very similar to the animated 1991 version. Belle is a young woman who lives in a small town, reads books, and craves adventure. When her father goes to a market and his horse returns without him, she goes in search of him and discovers the cursed Beast has trapped him. She frees her father and lives with the once-handsome prince for a while, discovering his true nature and likeable personality. She overcomes the obstacles of Gaston and time constraints as she falls in love with him, freeing him and the rest of the servants from their terrible curse.

Looking Through The Local Lens

New

Beauty and Frida Lopez-Stern

Budget: $20 million Box office info: Earned $10 million opening weekend

Cast and Crew Director - Gary Trousdale Belle - Paige O’Hara Beast - Robby Benson Gaston - Richard White LeFou - Jesse Corti Mrs. Potts - Angela Lansbury Lumiere - Jerry Orbach Cogsworth - David Ogden Stiers Maurice - Rex Everhart

Shooting time: There was an expected time of about two years to complete production for this version of Beauty and the Beast.

La la Bel B le e ête t

Old

the Beast

Plot Belle lives in a small, uneventful village where she is judged for being the only one to read books, which is her only way of escaping her small world. After her father goes out for a trip and gets lost in the woods, she decides to go after him and discovers that he has been imprisoned by a beast. Belle must switch places and become the beast’s prisoner if she wants to free her father. Belle’s first impression of the Beast is not a preferable one, but over time the Belle learns to see the good in him. Belle discovers that the beast is under a terrible curse. The only way to lift the curse would be for Belle to fall in love with the beast before his 21st birthday. There are complications along the way, but in the end there is a bright conclusion in which Belle and the Beast end up living happily together.

PHOTO BY CARL SVAHN

Alamo Drafthouse Logo 33

Looking Through the Local Lens

For the Love of Film How Alamo Drafthouse is reinvigorating the moviegoing experience BY CARL SVAHN

he movie theater business is in a crisis. In 2016, the movie theater business made $4,310,985 less than they did in 2015, which in terms of movie theater revenue, is a massive loss. However, amidst all of this, one theater chain has managed to find a way to make movie theaters relevant again, Alamo Drafthouse. Alamo Drafthouse is a local theater that has managed to thrive in the last decade. In an age of digital piracy and streaming services, Alamo is one of the few theaters that have not seen major financial losses in recent years. Many major theater chains, such as AMC and Regal have even tried to copy Alamo’s ideas, but have not seen the same success. Built from the ground up by Tim League and his wife Karrie in 1997, Alamo started as an old parking garage on Colorado St. “They literally built the first theater here on Colorado Street themselves,” says Mike Sherrill, Chief Creative Officer of the Austin branch

of Alamo. “It was an old parking garage that they literally hung the sheetrock and screen for. Tim was the projectionist and Carrie would run the books and call the servers in, so they built it themselves.”

while the original theater would stop doing second showings, and start showing cult classics, documentaries, indies, etc. With this change, Alamo started to be recognized by the general public.

When Alamo first opened its doors, it was a second-run ‘discount’ theater. These are theaters that only show films that have finished their runs in first-run theaters, but for a discounted price. Due to the reputation of these theaters at the time, Alamo was not an immediate hit with the public.

According to Bragdon, people started to have more enthusiasm for Alamo, possibly because it was a local business.

“Most of it centered here in Austin, ” says George Bragdon, Copy Director of the Austin branch of Alamo. “And there weren’t that many folks who would be involved and writing their own social copy or their own press releases all of those kinds of things that go out to the public and are representative of the Alamo that are people seeing and communicating our presence.” However, in 2001, the League’s opened a new Alamo on Anderson St that would serve as a first-run theater,

While people praised the comfortable theaters, friendly staff, and nostalgic atmosphere, there was one thing that kept everyone coming back to Alamo as opposed to other theaters. Alamo served food and alcohol alongside regular snacks like popcorn and candy. Although this practice was not new, as several theaters had done this before, Alamo managed to do it in such a way that they made the practice their own. Due to this, Alamo’s food has become a staple of their brand, and their revenue as well. “Just on alcohol, the cost of goods on alcohol is so low that just like any restaurant

Looking Through The Local Lens

or bar, we mark it up from the price would buy that,” says Sarah Pitre, Senior Director of Programming and Promotions of the Austin Branch of Alamo. “It’s so lucrative. I think that just on a pure revenue side, it makes a huge difference.”

PHOTO BY CARL SVAHN

Another thing that Alamo did to separate themselves from other theaters was enforce an extremely strict ‘No Talking, No Texting’ policy. Alamo is also much stricter than others, you are given one warning for your disruptions, and if you continue, you are ejected from the theater without a refund. “If you cannot turn off your phone for a couple of hours,” says Sherrill. “Then frankly you’re just not our customer.” With other, more accessible ways to watch movies, theaters have been struggling to stay open. AMC has even tried to get into the food market as well, changing several of their theaters to hold kitchens and serve food. However, none of these changes seem to be helping any of theses companies. “I think the big challenge for the theatrical industry is obviously like, why would people go to a theater when

Alamo Village lobby

“If you cannot turn off your phone for a couple of hours, then frankly you’re just not our customer.”

PHOTO BY HENRI MAZZA

they have amazing huge TVs and they can rent movies on iTunes?” says Pitre. “Why would they leave?” The mistake that these larger companies are making is assuming that theaters like Alamo are successful because they serve food, but Alamo’s success doesn’t just come from the fact that it serves food. The thing that keeps people coming back was the atmosphere, authenticity, kindness, and strict rules that Alamo has built its reputation on. Everyone at Alamo puts their effort into everything they do, and they do it because they love what they do. So until these other theaters understand this, Alamo will remain one of the most successful movie theaters in the country. As stated by Mr. Sherrill, “I work here because I really love movies and I love knowing that people leave our movie theater happy.”

Sarah Pitre 35

Looking Through The Local Lens

PHOTO BY ANNIE RAY

PHOTO BY JENNY BRAGDON

George Bragdon

Mike Sherrill

“I work here because I really love movies and I love knowing that people leave our movie theater happy.”

PHOTO BY CARL SVAHN

Alamo Drafthouse Village Looking Through The Local Lens

South By Southwest is a music, film, and interactive media festival held each spring in Austin, Texas. It is a place to celebrate the art of film and thousands of people come to Austin each year to participate. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

PHOTO GALLERY

OUR FAVORITE PICTURES FROM AROUND AUSTIN AND FILM

The floor of the Alamo Drafthouse, based in Austin,Texas, is an homage to the iconic rug from Stanley Kubrick’s film, “The Shining.” Photo courtesy of Carl Svahn.

This LEGO recreation of the Alamo Drafhouse on South Lamar was used to promote the Lego Batman Movie, released on February 10, 2017. It features Batman and Robin battling all their most recognizable enemies outside the doors. Photo courtesy of Jack Schneeman

Looking Through The Local Lens

A photo of the gorgeous Austin, Texas skyline on a cloudy day. Photo courtesy of Jack Schneeman

A film camera captures the beauty of downtown Austin, Texas on a sunny day from Butler Park, an iconic part of what makes Austin what it is. Photo courtesy of Frida Lopez-Stern

Looking Through The Local Lens

G THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS LOOKIN ING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS LOOKIN

KING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS LOOKI OKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS LOOK

OOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS LO LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS L

LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS S LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LENS

NS LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LEN ENS LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL LE

OCAL LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL L LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCAL

AL LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE LOCA OCAL LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE LOC

OCAL LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE LO LOCAL LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE L

E LOCAL LENS LOOKING THROUGH THE HE LOCAL LENS LOOKING THROUGH TH