Art Film Talk

John Herman is the multi-hyphenate artist and media maker behind the new episodic web show, Gravityland. The show consists of weekly episodes, viewer responses, a blog, music videos, and a comic book, which are all related in fascinating ways. I spoke with John about episode 6 which was written by the viewers, the reaction to the show so far, and some of the surprises along the way. Do interactions between makers and viewers like this point to the future of episodic entertainment, especially on the web? The Art Film Talk theme music was composed by Colin Owens.

 Art Film Talk #25 John Herman, Gravityland [12:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Shay David is a scholar and entrepreneur who has specialized in collaborative and open-source communication systems. He is currently Chief Technology Officer of Kaltura, a collaborative media start-up self-described as YouTube meets Wikipedia. Shay earned his PhD at Cornell with a dissertation on open systems and democratic culture. He and his co-founders Ron Yekutiel and Michal Tsur are influenced by Social Constructivism, Actor-network theory, and the ideas Yochai Benkler describes in his book, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom. I interviewed Shay on December 11th in New York at the Web Video Summit where he spoke on a panel, "What's Coming Next: From High Definition to Cameraphones, Viewer Interaction and Built in Social Exchange." Do the interactions users are capable of with Kaltura point to the future of filmmaking, especially documentary filmmaking? The Art Film Talk theme music was composed by Colin Owens.

 Art Film Talk #24 Shay David [14:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick have been producing high-quality television (My So Called Life, thirtysomething) and film (Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond) for quite some time. Recently the duo launched Quarterlife, a contemporary coming of age series being streamed on the web along with an integrated social network. A significant aspect of the show is that unlike most television properties today, the producers retain full creative control and ownership. In addition to being available on MySpace and their own web site, they recently made a deal with NBC to air the show next year.

I talk with Herskovitz about the origins of the project, its significance in the context of the writers strike, and what's different about producing for the internet compared to traditional film and television. Related to this interview is "Are the corporate suits ruining TV?," an editorial by Herskovitz which appeared in the Los Angeles Times on November 7, 2007 in which he argues that Network control and media consolidation are wringing the creativity out of entertainment.

Photo credit: Elisabeth Caren/quarterlife, the Art Film Talk theme music was composed by Colin Owens.

 Art Film Talk #23 Marshall Herskovitz [27:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Zev Berman co-wrote and directed Borderland, which opens today (Friday November 9, 2007) as part of the 8 Films to Die For Horror Fest taking place in 350 theaters throughout the United States. The film, based on true events, tells the story of three Americans on a road-trip south of the border who tangle with a cult practicing human sacrifice. We talk about the origins of the project, genre issues, casting, and the cinematographic techniques behind the look of the film. Borderland is his second feature-length film.

Borderland: Cast: Brian Presley, Martha Higareda, Jake Muxworthy, Rider Strong, Damian Alcazar, Sean Astin; Screenwriter: Zev Berman, Eric Poppen; Producers: Randall Emmett, George Furla, Lauren Moews, Elisa Salinas; Original Music: Andrés Levin; Cinematographer: Scott Kevan; Editor: Eric Strand; Production Designer: Tim Galvin; Set Decorator: Pachilu Moreno; Costume Designer: Monica Araiz.

 Art Film Talk #22 Zev Berman [24:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Florian Borchmeyer is co-director of Havana: The New Art of Making Ruins (2006, German title: "Havana - Die Neue Kunst Ruinen Zu Bauen") which won the Special Jury Award at the 2006 LA Latino International Film Festival.

This unique documentary traces the reflections and thoughts of a group of Havana residents who spend their days living in buildings on the verge of collapse. There is more to Havanas ruins than the facades romanticized in countless films and documentaries, their beauty resides in the poetry of its ruins and in the stories of the people who reside in them, serving as a metaphor for the gradual collapse of the city and Cuba's political system.

Havana: The New Art of Making Ruins is available from Cinema Guild. Credits: Produced by: Matthias Hentschler, Florian Borchmeyer; Screenwriter: Florian Borchmeyer; Director of Photography: Tanja Trentmann; Editor: Birgit Mild; Sound: Frank Schreiner.Produced by: Matthias Hentschler, Florian Borchmeyer; Screenwriter: Florian Borchmeyer; Director of Photography: Tanja Trentmann; Editor: Birgit Mild; Sound: Frank Schreiner.

Special thanks to Elissa Mintz who edited this episode. Theme music by Colin Owens.

 ArtFilmTalk #21 [16:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Christen McArdle is the Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in North America showcasing avant-garde, documentary and independent films from around the world. We talk about the festival's fundraising campaign and the censorship controversy the festival has been involved with. The 46th Ann Arbor Film Festival will take place on March 25th through the 30th, 2008, and they are currently accepting submissions, the standard deadline is coming up soon on October 1st, and their late deadline is November 15th. Introduction and closing music was composed by Colin Owens.

 Art Film Talk #20 Christen McArdle [16:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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