For Ellen at Sundance 2012
Here at Brooklyn Fireproof we are proud to continue to facilitate a space for independent cinema. This is another stellar film that utilized our studios and premiered at Sundance last week! Congratulations to the cast and crew of For Ellen!
For Ellen, the third film from director So Yong Kim, has been nominated for the prestigious Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Like her first two films, In Between Days and Treeless Mountain, For Ellen is motivated from personal experience that delicately reminisces about the first time the director met her own father. The feature follows Joby, Paul Dano, a young heavy metal rocker as he vies in his last ditch effort to earn shared custody of his 6 year old daughter. So Yong Kim’s interview with Filmmaker Magazine gives readers a small glimpse into her motivations for her latest film.
“Sleepwalk with Me” a Sundance 2012 Film
Adapted from an off Broadway comedy and partially shot here at Brooklyn Fireproof, Sleepwalk with Me is the first film by Mike Birbiglia and produced in part by This American Life host Ira Glass and the hilarious Nathan Lane. Birbiglia is an eccentric comedian, who’s related one man theatrical show ran at Bleeker St. Theater for close to two years. After writing a book, Birbigla now stars in his Sundance debute. If it is anywhere as well received as his standup performances and book, all with the same title, we are sure great things will come! Check out Mike talking to Filmmaker Magazine about his film! Wanna see this film in a theater near you?? WE DO TOO! So, hop on This American Life’s website and speak up so we can get this film in theaters!
Pariah NYC Release Date!
BIG NEWS, FOLKS!
Pariah, an indie that filmed on our stages last year, will be celebrating it’s NYC theatrical release on December 28th!
Here at Brooklyn Fire Proof, we’re big fans of all cinema but when an indie starts getting some wild attention and filmed at our stages, well, all we’ve gotta say is:
SCORE ONE FOR INDEPENDENT CINEMA!
Okay, so let me back up and tell you a little about the making of this film because it has a pretty cool backstory. Dee Rees, the writer and the director of Pariah, based this feature on a short that she began penning while interning on Spike Lee’s Inside Man. Then, under further guidance from Spike Lee, she finished her 2007 short that screened at Sundance and the LA Film Festival. The folks at Sundance dug her short so much that she was able to participate in the Sundance Institute where she expanded her piece into a feature.
Since, Rees’ feature has blown up! After it’s premiere screening at Sundance, it received a STANDING OVATION! (A standing ovation at Sundance, now, that’s an honor!) By the end of the festival, Focus Features had picked it up for distribution and Bradford Young, the film’s cinematographer, had won the Excellence in Cinematopgrahy Award, US Dramatic Competition. To boot, Pariah is the first Kickstarter film to receive major distribution! Post Sundance, the good news just keeps a-comin’! At the Independent Spirit Awards, Pariah recieved two nominations and Dees walked away with the Breakthrough Director Award. Woot! Woot!
The film is playing at NYC’s Sunshine Theater beginning December 28th. Still on the fence about going, well, check out the trailer and I think you’ll change your mind.
Das Racist showed up to Studio 3 and who’d they bring?
Michael Jackson.
Really.
Well…
Okay, maybe not REALLY the real Michael Jackson…
…BUT, these days, an MJ impersonator is as close as we’re gonna get! In a November interview with Black Book, Das Racist tells Nadeska Alexis how they used a Michael Jackson impersonator for the music video to their single, “Michael Jackson”.
Wanna know where they filmed the homage to The Gloved One’s “Black or White”? Brooklyn Fire Proof. YEP and when a totally awesome rap trio talks about how big our spaces are…well, that’s about enough to make us blush!
Das Racist, thanks for the shout out! That was totally awesome!
Ch-ch-check it out:
Das Racist’s Single:
Jogyo- Rude Boy
Seltzer Room Studio One is the backdrop for this music video shot here this summer. Directed by Ariel Danzinger and shot by Marcus K. Jones.
The Heart, She Holler
Blood flowed like murky swamp water this summer at The Nut Roaster as we hosted the production of Adult Swim’s Southern Gothic miniseries “The Heart, She Holler.” All summer long we wondered what was going on with all the elaborate wigs, various kinds of taxidermy, & plethora of crochet work. The show premiered on November 6th and we finally got to see what it was they’d been up to……and it turned out stranger than we could have possibly imagined. And that’s how we love it.
Teletextile- I Don’t Know How To Act Here
A few months ago Pamela Martinez stopped by Stage A in our Nut Roaster Studios. She teamed up with director Oliver Ogden to create a music video for her song “I Don’t Know How To Act Here.” Now the video is ready for the unveiling! This Sunday at the Mercury Lounge she will be preforming at 10:00pm check it out! We will be uploading the official video soon so stay tuned!
We now present to you “I Don’t Know How to Act Here”!
http://vimeo.com/27531813
Tayisha Busay- Nothing’s Happening
Tayisha Busay has been away on tour and we miss them. In their absence we have been listening to their new album Focus/ Virus over and over and over and over! We thought we would share some of the love with a look at their most recent music video that was shot on our Stage A. Check it out!
Styles P Ft Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross- Harsh
Last month we got a visit from an Italian director (Fabrizio Conte) and his French bulldog (Peanut). We showed them Stage A and a reservation was born. By the end of the week we had Styles P, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and their entourage in our Nut Roaster Studios. We were pretty excited, the neighbors were pretty excited, and a good time was had by all. Check out the video for “Harsh” off of Master of Ceremonies.
Eve to Adam- Run Your Mouth
Rock band Eve to Adam released their album Banquet for a Starving Dog this summer and with it they also released their music video for “Run Your Mouth.” Shot here at the Nut Roaster, this high energy video turned our stages into a concert venue/interrogation room. Thank you guys for bringing a little law and order and family values to our corner of Brooklyn.
Check out what Taki Sassaris and Alex Sassaeis from Eve to Adam have to say about the experience.
Twin Sister -Kimmi in a Rice Field
Last month Twin Sister’s drummer, Bryan Ujueta, and filmmaker Dan Devine co-directed the visuals for “Kimmi in a Rice Field”. Two of our BFP staff, Kevin Hayden (DP) and Sydney Buchan (Producer), also had a hand in this creation. The team decided to use our Seltzer Room Studios to create this lush and freaky flick. Shot in Studio#1 Andrea Estella and Taísa Rodrigues turned our 1,000 sq ft white cyc into a moonlit supernatural forest. Check it out:
Das Racist
The Brooklyn hip hop group Das Racist just released their first full length album Relax this week. They also released their music video for the single “Michael Jackson”. We had the high-energy trio in our stages for the creation of this gem. Our baby Seltzer Room #1 even gets a little cameo, check it out:
Tayisha Busay
We love us some Tayisha Busay so when they decided to shoot here again we were STOKED. Here is their most recent audio visual one-two punch entitled “Focus”.
Rope outfits…Rarrwww. BUT WAIT there’s more: Tayisha Busay is playing TONIGHT with other Brooklyn legends such as Tiny Victories, Great Tiger, A&R, AND DJ JD Samson. They will all be rockin out at Glasslands at 9pm and so will I and so should you. I could go on and on but why read when you can watch vids on the internet!
Great Tiger-3D!
Yesterday Grier Dill of Great Tiger graced us with his presence and unveiled Great Tiger’s latest visual creation! “Videodrome” was shot here at BFP with the help of some of our creative staff members, was given some very tender loving care from Grier himself, and has now EXPLODED onto the interwebs in glorious three dimensional awesomeness. Hopefully you have those 3D glasses from your childhood cereal box still safely locked away in your keepsake shoe box like me. If you aren’t a hoarder you can still score a pair by to going to their show on September 9th at Glasslands! In the meantime check it out anyway because it still looks pretty good in regular ole’ 2D.
Austra
If you have not had your ear drums tickled by this band you are missing out. Austra’s magical Toronto trio is made up of Katie Stelmanis (vocalist, pianist), Maya Postepski (drummer), and Dorian Wolf (bassist). Their recent album was released May 17 and they chose Brooklyn Fire Proof as the venue for their music video! Directed by M Blash (Lying) the video for “Lose it” takes place in an almost bare room and is both surreal and playful. Check it out below and look at their tour dates as they are set to play in Brooklyn on 10/6!
VBlasting Off!
Some of you may have heard of Tyreke Evans of Gunning for That #1 Spot or of Sacramento Kings fame. Well we at BFP got a chance to witness his all star skills when he came down for a VBlast commercial earlier this summer. Here is a behind the scenes look at Mr. Evans heatin’ up the greenscreen, directed by Charles Nordeen with music by Twenty Three.
TV on the Radio “Will do”
Recently we had a visit from local Brooklyn band,TV on the Radio, at Nutroaster Studio. The song Will Do is a new single off their fifth album. This in depth song is fitted with strong electronic and new-wave imagery of the “future”. A visual journey would be the best way to describe this video, its stunning use of electronics without losing its purpose suits the style of TV on the Radio.
Phantogram Video Debut
Up-and-coming indie band Phantogram debuted their new video for “When I’m Small” last Monday night on MTV.
Shot at The Nut Roaster and directed by BFP favorite Isaac Ravishankara, “When I’m Small” is a visually-striking (and at times, trippy) piece that captures the melancholic tone of the song.
The bleak landscape provides an appropriate backdrop for the video’s striking imagery. Check it out below:
The Ready Set Is Ready to Party!
This November, The Ready Set took over Studio A and rocked it on the set for their new video “More Than Alive.”
Directed by Isaac Ravishankara and produced by Brooklyn Fire Proof’s own Anchor Light Productions, “More Than Alive” is an Groundhog Day-esque illustration of the dreamscape of singer Jordan Witzigreuter. The audience is transported with our hero through the chaos of a never-ending house party of fun, fear and intrigue. So prepare to get down with Jordan and friends, but watch out for the laser-eyed zombies! Check it out below:
“After We Met” New Art Exhibition at Nut Roaster
There’s new art going up at the Nut Roaster and you are all invited to come check it out! It’s free, right here in the heart of Bushwick.
“AFTER WE MET”
November 6 – 21, 2010
Temporary Storage
120 Ingraham Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11237
Opening reception: Saturday, November 6, 6-10 pm Closing party (featuring a performance by Tao Lin): November 21, 6-9 pm
Temporary Storage Projects kicks off its programming at Brooklyn Fire Proof with AFTER WE MET, a multi-disciplinary exhibition organized by guest curator Claudia Eve Beauchesne, and featuring works by local and international artists.
These days, most relationships are formed and/or maintained online, but our mediated exchanges are still shaped by memories of face to face meetings, and sustained by the prospect of future encounters. AFTER WE MET is an exploration of the ties that can bind two people on a personal level or in an artistic context. Some of the works were made by two artists working in collaboration; others are formal or conceptual representations of interpersonal relationships made by a single artist; others still are remnants of past affiliations, or salvaged fragments of virtual exchanges. The participating artists live in different cities and work in diverse mediums, but their artistic practices and this exhibition are the products of true connections. Shown side by side, the works form a dialogue and become part of a larger conversation. After we met, this is what we made.
Participating Artists:
Bittertang (Michael Loverich & Antonio Torres)
Peter Giang
Shawn Kuruneru
Kristin Loekegaard & Ingvill Sunnby (NOR)
Blaze McKenzie & Jeffrey McKenzie
Dexter Miranda
Must Burn Books (Greem Jellyfish & Diana Ro)
Eduardo Paulo
Bill Sullivan
Dang Trinh & Thanh Truc Trinh (CAN)
Greg Wasserstrom
Hours: Weekends, 12-6pm, or by appointment (347-262-4135) *open until 7pm on November 14th for the BETA Spaces festival. For more information, press requests or images, contact Claudia Eve Beauchesne at maxellcdr@hotmail.com or 347-262-4135
Bittertang is a Brooklyn-based design farm run by Antonio Torres and Michael Loverich, who strive to bring happiness and pleasure into the built world by referencing that pleasurable world which surrounds us. Bittertang’s work has been published in architectural magazines, and has recently received the Young Architects Prize from the Architectural League. Last October, Bittertang was selected to build their inflatable sukkah in Union Square, New York. (www.bittertang.com)
Peter Giang is a lifestyle photographer based in Queens, NY. His work has been shown in several group exhibitions in New York. A surfer and skateboarder, he wants his photographs to show that, despite all the seriousness and sadness that life may throw your way, the world can still bask in the sunlight of excitement, and an all-around good time can be had by all. (http://petergiang.tumblr.com)
Shawn Kuruneru is a Canadian artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Earlier this year, Kuruneru had a solo exhibition at Night Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. This December, he will be part of the selection show at The Drawing Center in New York. (http://sitekreator.com/shawnkuruneru/shawn_kuruneru_cover.html)
Kristin Loekegaard is a Norwegian artist based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her current work is inspired by low-budget horror films, DIY special effects, Scandinavian esotericism, drone music and soundscapes. Her frequent collaborator, Ingvill Sunnby, is an Oslo-based photographer working in television and video production. This is the first time that their work is shown in New York.
Jeffrey McKenzie is a professional printer based in Oklahoma City, OK. His son, Blaze McKenzie, is a musician and sound engineer in Brooklyn, NY, who has played with several local bands and is about to release the first album by his self-produced music project, The Can’t Tells. This is their first collaboration. (www.myspace.com/canttells)
Dexter Miranda is a graphic designer and artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He coordinates figure drawing and painting sessions at the Brooklyn Artists’ Gym, and was co-curator of the group show The Figure and Other Drawings, held at B.A.G. in the spring of 2010. His multi-disciplinary project, The Face We Make, was part of the exhibition PUBLISHED/SELF-PUBLISHED at Galerie Yves Laroche during the Art POP 2010 festival in Montreal, Canada. (http://drawings.dxtr.com)
Must Burn Books is Diana Ro and Greem Jellyfish, an artist duo creating books, installations, photos and videos. Past collaborations include DRY VAGINA and The Start of Something New. They live and work in New York. (http://werestickingwithyou.com)
Eduardo Paulo is an artist currently based in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and his paintings have been shown in group and solo exhibitions in San Francisco, CA, and in New York. He is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshield Foundation Award. (www.eduardopaulo.com)
Bill Sullivan lives and works in New York. His work has been exhibited and published internationally. Many of his recent works employ various types of re-photography to create new kinds of optical texture. (www.billsullivanworks.com)
Dang Trinh and Thanh Truc Trinh are siblings based in Montreal, Canada. Thanh Truc is a graphic designer, a photographer, and the co-editor of the design magazine Pica. He recently curated the exhibition PUBLISHED/SELF-PUBLISHED at Galerie Yves Laroche during the Art Pop 2010 festival. Dang Trinh is a fashion stylist and consultant for clients including Denis Gagnon, Boutique U&I and Commissaires. Dang and Thanh Truc collaborate frequently on projects combining fashion and fine art photography. (http://thanhtructrinh.blogspot.com)
Greg Wasserstrom is a Brooklyn-based writer, photographer and social critic. He has written for Gawker, Raw Story, and Wonkette, and was awarded the National Mark of Excellence for editorial writing by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2005. (http://gregwasserstrom.com)
BFP Artist Profile: Isaac Ravishankara!
Brooklyn Fire Proof has always invited artists of various mediums into its community, and with the Nut Roaster Stages right across the street from the work studios, we are happy to be the home base of some incredible film makers and video takers!
Here we present the first of a series of short videos that will put a spotlight on various artists who have work studios here at BFP. Take a look at our first interview with the very talented, MTV – VMA nominated director and filmmaker, Isaac Ravishankara!
Check it out:
Isaac Ravishankara
Brooklyn Fire Proof goes Vamp
Brooklyn Fire Proof was transformed Shakespeare chic, in a vampire way, for Jordan Galland’s new film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead
(Photo by Bryan Baum)
As a young and torpid director played by Jake Hoffman tries his hand at modernizing Hamlet with his dysfunctional cast, things get further complicated when his hapless production is over run by a secret vampire legend. Check out the trailer here and see the awesome, creepy graveyard and the vampy undead feast in studio A as it goes ghastly.
Nada Surf
Nada Surf shot their music video for “Electrocution” here in Brooklyn Fire Proof’s Studio A rocking through all four seasons in 3 minutes.
Director li Stonberg uses rear projection to make a world with aptly electric nature elements and a time-lapse sky in the background to shift colors and seasons. With a flower blooming and a burning orange tree swaying in the breeze one moment followed minutes later by chilly purples and snow “Electrocution” feels timely for our recent heat wave in Brooklyn.
Holy Rollers In Theaters Now!
Brooklyn Fire Proof is pleased to announce, the latest drug smuggling film on the big screen was shot at The Nut Roaster
Check Out The Trailer for Holy Rollers!
One Million ecstasy pills were smuggled into the USA by a group of Hasidic Jews in 1998. In 2010 that group found themselves smuggled into Brooklyn Fire Proof/Nut Roaster where Director Kevin Asch put together a movie inspired by true events about a young individual (Jesse Eisenberg) who is brought into the lifestyle of dealing ecstasy by his close friend who has ties to an Israel Drug Cartel. Check out Holy Rollers in theaters NOW to see what this “2010 Sundance Official Selection Film” is all about.
