DCP 80: Are We Evolving?

Jun 27

Diving through the mind’s eye … sifting debris of the splintering conscious … lurking in chambers of hope and memory …. spark ignites the other in self … stealing dominion in fragile reality … both collide … who shall prevail? Director RUSCH MEYER was inspired by a visit to an old disused sanatorium while scouting potential locations for his next project. Exploring the long, dark, rotting corridors, the decaying rooms, he found himself pondering on the contrasts of tragedy and hope which must inevitably have coexisted in such a place, journeys taken inside the mind which may never have been physically possible, parallel lives lived in the imaginations of the people who worked or were admitted as patients in the building, escaping in their own way the drudgery and despair of their environment. RUSCH MEYER says “I could sense the history of the place as I walked around - so many stories of disease, death, but also of hope and recovery. I started to imagine the different mental states inside a person who might have worked or been a patient here. The idea for the film grew from these thoughts, a journey between the subconscious and the superego!" Inviting some key collaborators to join him on the project, he returned to the old sanatorium to realise his vision and to begin to capture and create his exploration into the surreal world of “Alter Ego”. Credits: Actress: Jördis Richter (Lucky Punch) Direction & Edting: RUSCH MEYER DoP: Robert Staffl Production: Robert Staffl & Simon Ruschmeyer CG/VFX Artist: Nando Stille Music & Sound Design: Radium Audio Make Up: Mel Willmann Costumes: Laura Büchel Camera Assistant: Esther Dittmann On Set Sound Recording: Rene Paulokat Runner: Chris Kneißl Supported by: MBF Filmtechnik Social Media Distribution: Nina Claasen, Momme Funda Thank You: Cornelia Bremer & Klaus Friebel, Ambiente K. Friebel Bau Torsten Schmitz, Terra Projektentwicklung GmbH Irene Krause Equipment: Sony F3 Canon 5D, 7D Software: Adobe Premiere & After Effects Nuke, Maya, Twixtor Shot on Location at Beeltz Heilstätten. © RUSCH MEYER 2012

In this week's episode of the Digital Convergence Podcast, Walter Biscardi of Biscardi Creative and co-founder of the Atlanta Cutters Post-Production Users Group join Chris Fenwick, planetMitch, and I in a lively discussion.

From the planet5D newsroom, planetMitch tells us about how Black Magic Design is listening to customers and are already making firmware changes to their NAB 2012 bombshell - the Cinema Camera. Walter Biscardi mentions that the camera will be demonstrated at the next Atlanta Cutters meeting in July.

We discuss the evocative and beautiful short film, Alter Ego, by Rusch Meyer. It was shot in an old, decaying sanitorium with a Sony F3, Canon 5D Mark II, and 7D. The film is a tour-de-force of poetic cinematography that epitomizes what we've been calling "passion projects" on this podcast.

Walter answers planetMitch's question on how to start a user group and what made the Atlanta Cutters group a success. Walter also continues the conversation started at last week's Atlanta Cutters meeting on "Selling Yourself In Post." Excellent observations by Walter and Chris on freelancing and what appears to be an evolving sense of entitlement expected by more and more people graduating from film school.

The feedback from our listeners has been phenomenal. We share some of that feedback in today's show. We want to thank you for getting the word out about the podcast. Encourage your friends to download Apple's new podcast app and have them search for "digital convergence" and subscribe.