New York - Before the move

I was a little worried about moving to New York.  Would I be able to settle in?  Would the pace be too fast?  Too much?  As I type this in a cafe in the lower east side of Manhattan I have to say that I feel as comfortable as ever.  I feel like I live here already.

This is my best friend Matt.  We grew up together on the same block in south FL.  We are walking through Williamsburg Brooklyn.

Making a Monster?

In the summer of 2007, myself and a creative partner of mine, Roman, where brought on one of the first Master of Fine Arts feature films to be made from the new program at the University of Central Florida.  Director Danny Daneau, while in pre-production, approached us in hopes of creating a web-based episodic documentary series to be aired on the production's website.

 http://monsterintheattic.com/

Roman and I spent two days driving from our home Orlando, FL to Kanab, Utah, a small town in southwest Utah.  Upon arriving we spent about a month with the crew in the Perry Lodge Hotel where we all slept and lived, and our two locations, the Heritage House and the Paria desert.  This is the largest project both Roman and I have ever encountered, with over 50 hours of footage we face the challenge of honing in on the themes of the footage and creating short episodes, keeping an audiences attention to continue watching as the series develops.  This is something independent feature films are utilizing in the marketing stages of filmmaking and is certainly the future of film marketing.

We are currently finishing up with post production with an expected premiere early July.  You can see a teaser trailer here or on the production website.

my life and The Smiths

It is terribly difficult to try and describe myself without explaining the music I listen to.  We listen to music because of the emotional connection made between listener and sound, much like the emotional connection made between two people.  But can this be substituted?  Like thousands of other introverted, quiet, shy and emotionally wrought individuals around the world, The Smiths have struck a chord deep into our hearts and minds.  People often do not understand the unbreakable connection to this music, Morrissey's poetry, Marr's riffs.  It is even troubling for me to express with words.  There is no denying the importance of this band in my life, since I started listening five years ago, it has truly shaped the individual I am, for better and for worse.  I have no regrets.

film, love, and Ross McElwee

It was fall semester, 2007, when I was first introduced to a filmmaker whom I immediately came to be informed, influenced and relate to.  His name is Ross McElwee and the film was Sherman's March.  McElwee had set out to film a documentary about the route General Sherman took through the south during the civil war and too see how the south is still effected by it.  What happened along the way changed the film entirely, McElwee began to film the women he had met along the way and documenting the failures of his love life.  This struck me because of the way I felt, and still feel, about the lack of a relationship, a companion even, and the toll it takes on my ability to express creativity.  

During this time I was in search of a topic, an idea for my documentary workshop film.  After seeing this film in class and once again later that night I knew I needed to make a film that explored my feelings about the south and how empty I felt.  The next semester I set out to make my film, The South Lost the Civil War.  I traveled with my grandmother to the Mississippi Delta, the flattest area of Mississippi with roots in rich cotton plantations.  My grandmother was born there, raised and attended college, but left for Florida when she married soon after college.  Our family had owned slaves there and my feelings toward this have always been filled with guilt and shame for the south.  Upon visiting and shooting my film, a greater confusion and isolation engulfed me.  Unlike Ross, I had met no one of my age, let alone female.

UPDATE

I found some clips of Sherman's March on youtube. First is the first few minutes of the film, followed by a segment entitled This is Pat.

zoned out

During my four years at UCF, I became sort of the unofficial video documenter of an organization I belonged to, Students for a Democratic Society.  When I begun to hone in on documentary filmmaking my junior year I had all of this footage at my disposal.  

This film, Zoned Out, documents the trials and tribulations of a radical student organization and their fight for free speech on their college campus.  The film is 35 minutes, the longest film I had ever made.  I hope you enjoy.

put the fun between your legs.

I made this short documentary for a women's studies class last semester.  We where assigned to do a social change project, this is what I came up with.

resumé

Chris Walker 

210 Humboldt St, Apt. 25 Brooklyn, NY 11206 

Phone: 954.907.6165 Email: SDPChris@gmail.com 

American Civil Liberties Union – 2007-2008, Shooter/Editor
• Shot and Edited Speeches, Presentations and Conventions for Web
• Freelance Based

“The South Lost The Civil War” – 2008, Mini DV, Short Documentary
• Director, Cinematographer, Editor

“Behind the Attic Door: The Making of The Attic Door” – 2008, Mini DV, 

Produced by Danny Daneau and Erica Harrell, Episodic Documentary Series
• Co-Director, Cinematographer, Editor
• 2008 Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers Forum

“Put The Fun Between Your Legs” – 2008, Mini DV, Short Documentary
• Director, Cinematographer, Editor
• Featured on CITIZENshift, National Film Board of Canada

“Outside Orlando” – 2007, Dir. Roman Safiullin, Short Documentary
• Editor

BEACON TV – 2006-2007, Editor
• Logged and Captured News Style Footage
• Made Selects, Edited Feature Packages and Promo Spots for Broadcast
• Worked Directly with Producers

Other Professional Experience:
PA: “The Nowhere Kids” – 2008, Dir. Eric Juhola, Short Film
Sound Op: “Jean d’Arc Goes To Memphis” - 2008, Dir. Kate Shultz, Short Film
Cinematographer: “Young Radicals” (Pitch Reel) – 2007, Dir. Ivy Meeropol, Doc.
PA: “Love In The Time Of Rarebit” – 2006, Dir. Craig Weinstein, Short Film
PA: “Melissa With A Heart Around It” – 2006, Dir. Andrew Gay, Short Film
Sound Op: “I Am Afraid of Witches” – 2006, Dir. Erin Mosura, Short Film
Sound Utility: “A Memoir To My Former Self” – 2004, Dir. Jamie Babbit, Short Film

References: (Contact Info by Request)
Randy Stulberg - Associate Producer, Brooklyn Independent Television
Jeb Brunt - Producer, BEACON TV
Ivy Meeropol - Director, The Hill (2006), Heir To An Execution (2004),

Equipment Background:
Cameras: Sony PD-150 Mini DV, Panasonic DVX-100 Mini DV, And Sony DCR-250
Mini DV/DVCAM
Non-linear Editing: Final Cut Studio 2, Avid Systems
Proficient in Macintosh and Microsoft Platforms, Microsoft Word, Excel and
PowerPoint. Heavy experience with Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere as well as
Final Draft.

Education/Internships:
University of Central Florida – BA, Cinema Studies, Minor in Sociology, 2008
Blowback Productions - Intern, 2008
BEACON TV – Post Production Intern, 2006

hello.

I've been putting off the first post of this blog.  But here it goes.  I would like to first say that this blog will be the home of my creative endeavors, my résumé and artistic statement, a place for people to look at my work and hire me.  I am a documentary filmmaker, documentarian if you will.  I am fascinated with observing everyday normality and documenting people and places photographically and cinematically.

More will be added to this blog, organically, such as my thoughts on leaving Florida for Brooklyn, NY and being a very recent college graduate.  So welcome, I hope you come and visit again.