Thoughts on making a new film.

Since moving from Florida to NYC around four months ago I became fascinated with the dynamics of public transportation, especially the subway system.  Observing the interactions and mannerisms of the people riding the trains made me think of how this would read in a documentary.  In film school I came to the realization that I needed to be making documentaries, especially those of the direct, observational or vérité movement because they really are a reflection of my personality.

This project idea gives me concerns and challenges that I am unsure of getting over.  The subway is a very intimate space and the presence of a camera would shake such a space, to the point of disruption, therefor ruining any sense of truthful observation.  This leads to the choice of camera and how not to disrupt such an intimate space, at least as little as possible.  Even with the smallest of camera, can this really be accomplished?  The film could easily fall into voyeurism and lead to some ethical dilemmas of privacy and such.  

And then there is always the issue of releases and the general reaction of commuters with a camera pointed at them.  The more I think about this the less I feel the possibility of such a project.  Subway musicians are plenty and interesting in themselves, perhaps the film would focus solely on those people?  I can not see the film working without the relation of these musicians music to those riding the trains.

Behind The Attic Door - Episode 2 - The Old Frontier

"The red dirt gets in your blood." THE ATTIC DOOR crew arrives in Southern Utah to prepare for the production ahead.

Behind the Attic Door - Episode 2 - The Old Frontier from The Attic Door on Vimeo.

Behind The Attic Door - Episode 1 - A New Frontier

From The Attic Door website.

We are proud to present the very first episode of Behind the Attic Door.

Documentary filmmakers Chris Walker and Roman Safiullin have created seven episodes about a group of young filmmakers, on the verge of realizing their childhood dreams, who must journey to the desolate American West in order to realize their vision.

Please stay tuned to the blog every week for a new episode. Even more, help us spread the word. Link our video to other blogs, forums, and social network profiles (our facebook and myspace). Leave us reviews and ratings! Thanks for the unwavering support and we hope you enjoy.

Please check out our video profiles:

Behind the Attic Door - Episode 1 - A New Frontier from The Attic Door on Vimeo.

Resumé Update!

Resumé has been updated, check the link to the right.

In other news, I started my first day at Blowback Productions yesterday. Blowback has produced films such as Slam, Protocols of Zion, and my friend Ivy Meeropol's Heir to an Execution.

My day started off watching screeners of selects made for the two projects in progress, one a documentary about the failing garment industry in New York City and the other a verité documentary series on the current race and crime issues in Newark, New Jersey.

My duties include tape logging and production assistant work out in the field. The interns at Blowback are a direct part of the workings of the company and it is very exciting to be a part of.

Logging 136 Archival Film Clips.

Model?

A few months ago, walking down Bedford Ave in Brooklyn, I was tapped on the shoulder and asked if I could be photographed for a magazine.  I said sure and was brought over to a brick wall to have my photo snapped.  The issue's theme is Us Vs Them, the section I appear in is Brooklyn vs Manhattan, apparently looking at the differences in fashion (although Bedford Ave is so ever skewed).

I always joke about a possible career in modeling and it was funny this happened.  Just another NYC experience.

BALLAST

Its not often that feature films are set in the Mississippi Delta, where I shot my short documentary The South Lost The Civil War. The new film BALLAST, directed by first time filmmaker Lance Hammer follows a young boy drifting through the spare flatlands of a wintry Mississippi township and a middle-aged man sits in his rural home, frozen in grief after his brother’s suicide. These striking images set in motion a riveting story of three people trying to reposition their lives after experiencing a traumatic loss. Lance Hammer won the best director award at the 2008 Sundance Film festival for his assured hand with which he tells a delicate, quietly unfolding story using understated means and non-professionals from the Mississippi Delta.



Upon watching the trailer for the film, I noticed right off the bat that this film also explores isolation and a certain mood found in the color and tone of the film. The film seems quiet, meditative and spontaneous yet confined and even features long shots of trains, a theme used in my film. Ballast opens in NYC October 1st at Film Forum. This is a must see for me, and anyone for that matter.

Share The Streets

I've always attributed my introduction to filmmaking to the skateboarding videos I made with my good friend Matt Webster. We grew up together in south Florida and got into skateboarding around the same time, quickly realizing people were documenting their skating and producing videos. Our first few videos were shot with Matt's father's old VHS video camera, shoulder mount style; and edited with two VCRs hooked up together to a TV. Over the years we upgraded cameras and moved on to non-linear editing on our computers. Our biggest production, Share The Streets, was completed in the summer of 2006. Shooting lasted roughly four years with Matt and I living in Orlando. We premiered the video at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale, it will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life.

Below is a segment from the video, the introduction.