Eurica Media Lab has offered workshops since its inception in 2009 and continues to mentor its students on a regular basis. These are some of the highlights.
In France:
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- Patrick Darrin, Director of Photography, is showing our workshop participants how to work with a Canon camera to create a short movie.
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- David Kagen, Gaffer, is showing the students how to light. His credits have included CSI:NY, Entourage, True Blood and American Crime Story.
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- Florian Fricau, ElvinaAttali, and Margaux Rocher are planning Elvina’s shoot.
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- Achim Boina and Florian Fricau are editing the footage that they have shot.
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- Mathieu Lacoste and Mathieu Hassan are discussing film. Mathieu Hassan is a gifted animator and Mathieu Lacoste has gone on to become a cinematographer in Paris who works consistently in the industry.
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- Susan Lynton, Executive Director, meets with Mme Mayor of Collobrieres, Christine Amrane, and mentor, IoannaBrisswalter
Workshops set in the French countryside afford motivated 18-26 year olds the opportunity to learn and work together.
Curriculum – Theoretical courses were held in the morning, and practical exercises and hands-on experience in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. These covered:
- Week One – General initiation for all participants to essential aspects of filmmaking and acquaintance with equipment
- Weeks Two-Four –
- Creation of film teams
- Specialized workshops for members of each group dedicated to writing, image, sound, set design or editing
- Team workshops for overall film conception
- Finalization of scenario and film project by each team
- Set-up of internet site
Our first cross-cultural training workshop in media in Collobrieres, France paired ten professionals from France and the United States with twenty-two young adults, 18-26, from both countries. It was funded by the United States Department of State under an Innovation Grant.
The town of Collobrieres made a significant donation of space, logistical support, and the equipment park in the Var contributed equipment as did many of the workshop’s teachers.
Several of the little films created were shared with a wider audience at the Cannes Film Festival. The Ambassador to France from the United States supported the effort and Eurica was interviewed for French television.
The students created cultural portraits of each other that they then filmed. They lived and worked together capturing their experiences documentary style. They all wrote scripts, then four were chosen to film. Everyone participated in the production of those scripts, which became three to five minute dramatic vignettes. It was an intense program that awakened everyone’s creativity, including that of its teachers.
In USA:
Kaufman Astoria Film Studios in New York City has been the home for Eurica Media Lab film productions and workshops in Directing, Production Design, and Cinematography.
Directing Workshop, United States – Under the auspices of the French government and FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), Eurica Media Lab ran a workshop focused on directing actors.
Lenore De Koven, who has taught at Columbia University, helped to start New York Women in Film and Television and worked in the theater on many productions, led the workshop. Her book, Changing Direction, with a foreword by Ang Lee, her former student, is the basis of all the workshops she runs. She has helped many young directors to improve their craft and has opened the eyes of those new to directing. Her book has been translated into multiple languages and is used around the world.
The workshop was taught in English and required our French students to stretch their language skills, so that by the end of the program they could give direction in English. Every student improved English comprehension and conversation.
During their time in the United States, the students also met others at New York University and were invited to attend a series of films that students their age had created. They toured sound studios, went to a Jazz concert, and took part in the New York social life.
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- Students watching while one of their group works with an actor on-stage.
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- IonnaBrisswalter has her chance to direct an actor and give what one of the participants called “the good words” to describe the action she wants her to take.
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- Lenore DeKoven receiving a thank you gift from the students
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- The participants of the workshop at Times Square with Eurica sponsor, Michael Spera, a founder of Eurica Media Lab,who is now deceased.
Production Design Workshop, United States – Not everyone who comes to Eurica Media Lab is interested in being a director, actor, or screenwriter. Some are talented artists who can benefit from working with top production design luminaries, such as, our workshop leaders,Patrizia von Brandenstein and Stuart Wurtzel, who for no fee, gave generously of their time for two weeks. They taught this cross-cultural group more than they would have learned in an academic setting in a semester. They paired would-be production designers with those interested in directing to create an authentic environment in which a production designer works.
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- Patrizia and Stuart receiving gifts for their generosity. Not only did they take our participants on location to see the sets of The Good Wife andBoardwalk Empire and have their production designers walk them through step-by-step their production design, they shared years of their own work some of which had garnered them multiple awards—Stuart for Angels in America (5 Golden Globes and an Emmy) and another 47 wins and 40 nominations, Patrizia for Amadeus (Academy Award) and a myriad other nominations and awards.
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- At Kaufman Astoria Studios, a set is being built for the TV pilot, Pan Am. The set designers are mocking up the inside of an airplaneon a sound stage. The workshop participants listen to how it is being done as they stand inside the wooden frame for the fuselage.
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- Some of Eurica’s students sit on the steps of the Sesame Street set, which has been the permanent home for that series. Made at Astoria Film Studios, it is seen around the world. The set includes many mini-locations and takes up a large sound stage. During their time at Kaufman, the group was shown many sound stages to see the diversity of motion picture product being filmed there. Each of the sound stages was organized to create individual worlds, such as the one that housed the hospital for the series, Nurse Jackie.
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- Mathilde Rachet, a gifted artist, sketched her version of Alice in Oz—Oz being the time she spent with Eurica Media Lab in the United States. At the going away brunch, when everyone else was eating, she used the paper covering the tablecloth to draw. It was a wonderful gift and the sentiment was much appreciated.
Cinematography Workshop United States – teaching skills through on location training. Eurica treats all applicants to the program as if they are already established professionals and they learn by doing. All our workshops include a cross-cultural mix of students. The Cinematography Workshop was funded by FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) and supported by Kaufman Astoria Studios, private donors and the French government.
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- Ivan Vskokovicand Daniel Sanchez break down locations for the film Like Your Brother that Daniel Sanchez wrote and that Jeremie Laurent was set to direct. Executive Director of Eurica Media Lab, Susan Lynton, captures the discussion.
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- Fred Murphy, ASC, workshop leader for cinematography scouts locations with the crew, including Zak Mahmoud, who was tasked with helping to create storyboards for the shoot of Like Your Brother.
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- Mathieu Lacoste, cinematographer, and JosueLoayza, assistant cameraman, discuss aspects of the Red Camera and their next shots.
Production Workshop, United States—a cross-cultural learning experience funded by the United States Department of State, Kaufman Astoria Film Studios, Panavision, and private donors for 18-26 year olds who do not have the financial wherewithal to receive academic and professional training without support. This workshop also invited adult mentors to participate from countries in North Africa.
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- Didier Ballivet, mentor, and Assistant Director, discusses a shot with the Director, Jeremie Laurent, in the foreground, and the boom operator, Brian Neris, in the background. Like Your Brother was shot over 6 days in Queens, New York, and in Westchester County. There were multiple locations in multiple cities requiring a large crew of young people, catering, and logistics similar to any large production.
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- The clothing warehouse is costume designer, Ann Roth’s, personal collection that she allowed the crew of Eurica to use as they saw fit. Their only restriction was that theyhad to return the costumes as they found them. Ann’s generosity allowed all the actors in the film Like Your Brother to have great wardrobe at no cost.
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- Brain Neris, boom operator, and Leo Robert, sound engineer checktheir levels for a shot on location in an auto body shop.
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- The full crew and actors who were present for the auto body shop scene relax with the shop’s owner.
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- MounesKhammar, mentor from Algeria, and CharlyFavier drink homemade limeade at a café next door to Kaufman Astoria Studios and discuss the next steps in the casting process
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- JosueLoayza instructs Jeremie Laurent, director; Breanna Fulton, second camerawoman; Brice Allouani, grip; Zak Mahmoud, script supervisor; and Brian Neris, boom operator where to meet the rest of the crew.
The Final Production…