Mouse In The House

Still more work to do on “Around June”, so how about a blog entry with a status update. We have been on the “post-production” since February. This term makes it sound like “pre-production”, “production” and now “post-production” are three very separate phases of creating a movie. But all three phases are very much intertwined, important decisions from the preproduction help us now finish the movie. One example is the sound work we do with Jay Shilliday at Slate Run Pro. All work that Darcell Walker, the sound recordist, did during the preproduction and the shoot helps Jay now to get the best possible sound mix done using the original sounds from the locations, new foley sounds, the new music recorded by Didier Lean Rachou and the ADR recorded by Brad Henke. The same for coloring, where Gary Coates work as a color grader at Video Arts builds on work that the Director of Photography (DP), Peter Hawkins, and James Savoca, the writer/director, did earlier.

written by Achim Voermanek

It was a great experience to shoot “Running for Life” with my fellow co-students at San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking about Robert Benavidez, whom I met during my two marathon training cycles with the San Francisco AIDS Marathon program. He is really an inspiring person and I tried to tell his personal story of living with HIV and being an athlete in my documentary. Well, some aspects of it, since the movie is only 7 minutes long.

But the San Francisco Frozen Film Festival selection committee liked it and admitted it in its lineup. It was shown on July, 15, 2007 at 6 pm at the Roxie Theatre. Exactly a month after my first festival screening, I got my second one!

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: aids, frozen film festival, premiere, running for life

Yes, my first narrative short movie was accepted at a local film festival here in San Francisco!It’s called The San Francisco Black Film Festival and the movie was shown on June, 15 at 3.15 pm at the Theater Artaud.

This was my first time at a film festival with one of my own films. It felt great! Seeing the movie on a big screen with a live audience and getting some feedback afterwards from people in the hallway.

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: premiere, san francisco black film festival, short film, the blue brick

The feature film “Around June” is now in post-production and I was hired as a post production supervisor. The work involves supporting the director, James Savoca, who is editing the movie and his two assistant editors. In addition I coordinate with Andy Rozal, the web designer, Victoria Ponce, who is doing the making of documentary, Charlie Canfield, the animator, Jay Shilliday, the sound designer, Gary Coates, the colorist, the post production team at VideoArts, Didier Lean Rachou, the composer, and the title animators at Expression College for the Digital Arts.

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: animation, around june, coloring, editing, music, post production, title sequences

At San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking I did a commercial and a website for “German Beer”. The video is now up on YouTube. The website with the punch line is at http://www.loveinaboat.com. Have fun with it.

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: advertising, commercial, german beer, website

During prepoduction I kept on asking James Savoca, the director, about a role as an extra in “Around June”. And I got a role! So far for being persistent. I played an “immigration officer” in a scene that was shot as the very last scene of the film. It was a great experience and I got some acting tips along the way from Jeff Handy who was the other “immigration officer”. And a nice compliment at the end from Peter Hawkins, the DP of the film. Let’s see whether the scene will make it into the final movie and I don’t end up on the cutting room floor. Or the digital equivalent of that.

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: acting, around june, extra, movie shoot

I worked on the independent feature film “Around June”. It is directed by one of the teachers from my school, James Savoca. I worked for two weeks as a 2nd AD (Second Assistant Director) working for the first AD, Paolo Lembo.

One week was work during the pre-production and one week was during the producion. Later I worked a week as a grip for Ernie Kunze.
 

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: around june, grip, movie shoot, second assistant director

I had the chance to act in two commercials of co-students at San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. One is for Mountain Dew directed by David Keenan. Watch it on Current TV. The other is for a new car that will revolutionize the convertible market and the van market at the same time. This one is by Nathaniel Nicks and can be found on YouTube.

written by Achim Voermanek

The Independent Film Channel (IFC) has a great video “laboratory”. Here are the links to the movies “The Blue Brick” , “Keeping Memory Alive” , and “Running For Life” on the IFC Media Lab website. Please, if you have some time, go there, watch the movie and if you like it, let them know with your rating.

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: ifc media lab, keeping memory alive, running for life, the blue brick

If you want, you want watch “Running For Life” and “Keeping Memory Alive” on Current TV’s website. Both movies are now available for viewing and feedback on http://www.current.tv/studio/people/voermanek

written by Achim Voermanek \\ tags: current, Current.tv, keeping memory alive, running for life, short documentaries