When A Fragrance Can't Be Forgotten
Sometimes you think you know what you're shooting. Sometimes it changes on the spot. We roll with it. That's the creative process.
When we get a call that Drake wants to shoot something TODAY, we just drop everything and jump in to help. He needed the final scene for a longer video that had already been filmed, for his company Better World Fragrance House. Shot in the only 5-star hotel we have in Houston, the Post Oak.
Agency: Dream Crew
Production CompaniES: Telescope + Freenjoy
Location: Post Oak Hotel, Houston
Director of Photography: Theo Skudra
Camera/Grip: Tristan C-M
Camera assistant: Blaine Walker
Audio: Joey McKeel
PA: Matthew Buehrer & Wills Goldie
Netflix Family "Like A Mother"
Collosal Youth's Like a Mother series was a sweet project for us to place as many local Houston women as we could find available to work on the crew.
Check out this clip of a docuseries by Collosal Youth called "Like a Mother" that we worked on for Netflix Family. This brilliant and inspiring series takes a look at mothers who are navigating family life while pursuing a challenging career, as in the episode shot about an Astronaut Mom.
Series: Like A Mother
Production Company: Colossal Youth
Production Services: Bird House Productions
Director: Lara Everly
DP: Senda Bonnet
Adidas, Footlocker, and Maxo Kream for the P.O.D Shoe design
We get to meet the team surrounding the celebrities we are filming and it's always amazing what a small town Houston actually is. The creative economy is alive in this town and always seeking a platform to launch from.
adidas created a social-only campaign for the release of the P.O.D. shoe design featuring various performing artists in several locations.
We enjoyed working with Houston's Maxo Kream for a meet & greet at the Galleria Footlocker followed by a private concert at White Oak Music Hall.
We even walked away with a coral pink pair of P.O.D. shoes and can vouch that they are legit! They have walked many a production mile.
Producer: Kamp Grizzly
Production Services: Bird House Productions
Line Producer: Lynn Birdwell
Celebrity Talent: Maxo Kream
Director: Yogi Hakim & Rico Zapata
DP: Dan Mohr
For the Fanatic Fans of CJ Stroud
Sometimes shoots don't require a hundred people on set, and just roll out in real time.
We loved working with @cj7stroud. 🏈 He's a super star!
Fanatics called us, and we were happy to come play. We can report CJ's just as fast a thinker as he is fast on his feet on the football field, and this video is proof.
The concept was the have the rookie sensation for the Houston Texans call up his fans who had recently bought his jersey. He would make the "cold calls" and pretend to be customer service.
His interactions with the fans (who thought it was a prank call) was a joy to watch unfold.
Congratulations to this young man and his well-deserved success. To many more years in the NFL!
@houstontexans #texans @ohiostatefb #GoBucks
Field Producer: Lynn Birdwell
Director of Photography: Raul Casares
Gaffer: Mike May
Audio: Kent Ohler
Editor: Edward Ruedemann
Jazz Legend and Luxury Watches
One of the most lovely locations in Houston is the Astorian, conveniently located blocks from our office and truly a gorgeous view of downtown during the day or night. A curated jazz series by the renown jazz drummer Eric Harland was just a perfect evening, also starring Breitling.
We created web content for Breitling's luxury watches, by filming a stunning and intimate jazz concert at the beautiful Astorian with the Breitling Houston Ambassador, Eric Harland.
Production Company: Bird House Productions
Celebrity Talent: Eric Harland
Agency Producer: Kerry Chrapliwy
Director: Lynn Birdwell
Director of Photography: Raul Casares
Photographer: Blaine Walker
Location: The Astorian Houston
Wanderlust Content / Invislign Global Asset Photo Library
Dr. Cozad and Dr. Comeaux were kind enough to open the doors to their beautiful Spring Texas offices for a 3 day photo shoot with our 2 photo teams and we recommend them as sincerely nice people too. Most people need an orthodontist. Everyone needs a dentist. :-)
Invisalign's global branding continues to grow with its devoted following, and their global assets photo library was expanded and refreshed in Spring Texas. 🦷
Wanderlust Content and Photographers Caleb Kuhl and Robby Klein created a massive new library of images in just 3 days. Our shooting locations were so terrific -- and we decided we really liked the dentists and orthodontists we worked with! (enough to keep coming back for straighter teeth)
Type: Photo library assets
Agency: Razorfish
Production Company: Wanderlust Content
Production Services: Bird House Productions
Lead Photographer: Caleb Kuhl
Photographer: Robby Klein
Product: Invisalign global branding assets library
#Invisalign #Hughes&CozadOrthodontist #ComeauxDental
Lauren Crew Helps Pizza Hut Recruit With Real Personality
Texas is the corporate headquarters of some interesting companies. Did you know that the Pizza Hut HQ is in Plano TX, just outside of Dallas? They actually have a full set up inside the building for filming commercials and for training. We had a great time exploring how they support their staff and help them succeed.
We worked with Brandessa Hale on "You Do You" recruiting campaign for Pizza Hut. This was a fun shoot with real employees with big personalities who really showed us how much fun it could be with a creative team cooking up a storm together. We LOVED working with Lauren Crew.
Type: Web content
Agency: Fact & Fiction
Production Company: Source Productions
Production Services: Bird House Productions
Director + Photographer: Lauren Crew
DP: Alex Themistocleous
Product: "You Do You" recruiting videos and stills
Launching Reebok's Nano X2 Shoe Line
We do a lot with professional athletes in Houston. We have a lot of them! It’s nice to sometimes travel to other super star athletes for brand launches and film them where they actually live and work out. This project was just gorgous to shoot, and our talent were all brilliant.
Reebok enlisted elite global athletes and trainers to bring to life the Official Shoe of You campaign and mantra.
Photographer Anthony Blasko and Director of Photography Raul Casares worked together on location and in studio, in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island to tell the stories of three athletes. We show how these incredible athletes thrive inside and out of the gym wearing Nano X2. The men's shoe took a workout with cross-fit superstar, athlete and training coach Christian Harris, and the women’s shoes with uber fitness instructor Jess Sims, and uber soccer star Julie Ertz.
Christian Harris has a really great gym in Long Island, in which we spent a good day working. What a nice guy he is. Some amazing locations that we didn't know existed included Socceroof, an indoor pro soccer training and live event space. We shot at their Long Island City / Astoria location. Former pro soccer player Julie Ertz showed her dexterity and speed. With the heat in Houston, you'd think this kind of space would be popular here too! And it was literally the most gorgeous day you could imagine next to the Queensboro Bridge, when we shot at Queensbridge Park with Jess Sims and her beautiful dogs.
Usually we are providing production services for Vayner and NEEDaFixer but we flipped the script and hired each of the companies to work on our project this time. Thank you John Sepe and Will Tatum with Vayner and Saskia Schiel with NAF for your kind stewardship of the different elements of the project for us.
We then worked with our final talent remotely, although we would have all loved to travel to Iceland. Can you imagine living in Iceland, being a world class athlete, and having your own open-air gym in your backyard? Professional cross fit and Olympic weightlifting athlete Annie Thorisdottis has all that. We loved working with her on this Reebok project. She did a lot more work than we did. :-)
For Annie’s portion, we filmed with remote production approvals from Reebok and Bird House Productions in New York. We were thrilled to work with Creative Artists Iceland and our Director / Photographer / DP Bernhard Kristinn. Deep gratitude to Saskia Schiel for her impeccable production management support.
Type of production: Photos/Video web content
Client: Reebok
Reebok Director of Production: Merritt Davies
Production Company: Bird House Productions
Producer: Lynn Birdwell
NY Production Services Company: Vayner Productions
NY Photographer: Anthony Blasko
NY Director of Photography: Raul Casares
NY Celebrity Talent: Christian Harris, Jess Sims, Julie Ertz
Iceland Production Services Companies: NEEDaFIXER / Creative Artists Iceland
Iceland Production Manager NaF: Saskia Schiel
Iceland Celebrity Talent: Annie Thorisdottir
Iceland Director, Photographer + DP: Bernhard Kristinn
Film Fatales for Parity and Inclusion
I am so impressed with what this organization has done for women -- by women -- in the film industry. And it all started at home, with an idea amongst friends having dinner. For a city like Houston, these are important conversations to be having. We affect change faster as a team of like minds. We are all in this together.
Film Fatales is a non profit group, formed in which supports an inclusive community of hundreds of women and non-binary feature film and television directors nationwide.
Each month, Film Fatales organizes panels and networking mixers where filmmakers can discuss their projects, share resources, and advance their careers. The goal is to raise the visibility of marginalized directors and increases the talent pool for industry organizations, programmers and production companies looking to work with more underrepresented voices by recommending directors for jobs, grants, labs, screenings, and other opportunities. By expanding the landscape of storytelling, Film Fatales continues to bring exciting new films to the screen.
Founded by director Leah Meyerhoff, Film Fatales advocates for parity in the film industry and supports a membership community of over a thousand feature film and television directors of all marginalized genders. The group is formed of a large number of formidable and successful directors, and serves to support each other.
Lynn Birdwell, who also serves as the Executive Producer of Bird House Productions, is proud to have been qualified and accepted as a member of Film Fatales.
Breath, The Pulse of the Universe
One of our favorite yoga masters in Houston Texas, is the transcendental Pam Johnson. Together we created not only a film, but ultimately an immersive experience performance event.
Honoring International World Breathing Day, observed annually on April 11
About
Breath, the Pulse of the Universe the creation of Pam Johnson and Lynn Birdwell, is a three-part experiential homage to the breath, beginning with a mesmerizing short film, produced by Bird House Productions and directed by Birdwell, followed by a mandala breath troupe performance by Johnson and the Talasana Breath Troupe, and closes with a short, beautiful guided breath meditation.
The short, inspirational film, featuring the velvety and unbelievably slow movement of Pam Johnson, is an elegant study of light and breath, honoring the technique and style of Bill Viola’s timeless video art. It captures the metaphysical essence of slow motion, rhythmic breath and luminosity. The audience observes and becomes keenly aware of the sound and movement of the life force, the breath. This experience is further deepened when Johnson leads the breath troupe in a devotional, orderly slow-motion mandala offering, performed to the music of their breath. Both the film, and then the performance, were created to capture and inspire awareness about our constant companion, the breath. It is the essence and integrity of the ancient healing practice of yoga, as well as our innate human capacity to create and manage our internal spaces. The guided meditation lead by Birdwell leaves the audience with a lingering and subliminal experience of spirituality and art. Participants are encouraged to quiet external distractions, tap into their internal senses and allow this intimate and timeless work of art to take over fully.
Videos
“Experiential BREATH Event”
“The next great frontier of human exploration is not outer space, but inner space — the development of the human mind.”
“BREATH Art Film”
“Although this film is a visual study of light, and a rich and enveloping audio experience, the viewer will most likely find themself physically breathing along with the film, without conscious awareness of having begun to do so. There is a physical awareness and connection that each viewer will have in each part of the performance. The beauty and artistry of the use of symbolism throughout the program, the pace of the breath, and the elegant lines and shifting light in the film, are all-of-one conscious physical experience.”
– Lynn Birdwell
Troupe Mission Statement
The precision mandala breath troupe’s sole purpose is to demonstrate through movement and breath, the techniques of focusing energy, balancing the body, tuning the mind, and harmonizing with the calming vibrational sound of the ujjayi breath and the universal sound of OM.
Based in the whole brain learning techniques of ancient Himalayan yogic healing and meditation practices, Breath, the Pulse of the Universe captures the essence and integrity of toning the vital organs, enhancing the senses, and merging both outwardly and inwardly with the frequency of sound and refulgent light.
Directors
Artistic Director, Pam Johnson
Pam Johnson, is a yoga educator and breath coach practicing and teaching ancient classical Himalayan yoga for the past 30 years. She is the founder of The Heights School of Yoga as well as a museum-level fine artist, specializing in large-scale black and white drawings and biomorphic sculptures. For Pam, these two disciplines nurtured the creation of Breath, the Pulse of the Universe. Pam’s passion is teaching breath-centered yoga and studying physics.
Film Director, Lynn Birdwell
Lynn is a staunch defender of television and film development in Houston. She provides production services as an Executive Producer for Bird House Productions, which includes film, series, commercials, music videos, content and photography for world-class artists, production companies, directors, photographers, and global brands.
Performances
Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Rothko Chapel, Houston, TX
EASTSIDE YOGA, AUSTIN, TX - OFFERING FOR SRIVATSA RAMASWAMI
Performance Testimonials
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON
“Smita and I thank you and Pam for an exhilarating experience. The Breath creation drew us out and then in … as we shared in the homage with all our senses. Thank you for the film! I got lost in the gentle, elegant movement, the subtle shifts in focus and light, and in the rhythmic breath. The symbolism involved in all the elements captivated my conscience self. The highlight of the evening for me was the guided meditation – which Smita and I are still talking about these days. The language was spiritual and artful, the pace led to contemplative following, and we were left encouraged to enter internal spaces undistracted. Peace…” Jamie Johns
“Beautiful and very impressive…. No reason why more sequences can (not) become dance, because the breath becomes the background music. (The experience) is different than the routine yoga asana. People were very impressed. I’m happy that it is an art expression.” Srivatsa Ramaswami, The modern day authority on Vinyasa Krama
“I thought the whole event and especially the breath awareness felt very “personal”. It felt astonishingly intimate, an inner experience of breath.” Randall Morton, Past Executive Director of The Progressive Forum
“It was inspiring to me and I learned a lot.” Ann Hyde
“To the uninitiated, attending “Breath: The Pulse of the Universe” could be a life-changing experience. To the rest of us, it bordered on nirvana. The combination of riveting video with hypnotic live action delivered a breath of fresh air to the standard yoga room meditation, opening our eyes, ears and soul to the universe and beyond.” Lou Congelio
“I was there and loved it.” Nan Hall Linke
ROTHKO CHAPEL
“Breath, the Pulse of the Universe connects us to that essential rhythm–internal and external–that is fundamental to our existence. It resonated even more fully inside the Rothko Chapel.” Christopher Rothko, Chairman of the Board, Rothko Chapel
“Breath, Pulse of the Universe, at the Rothko Chapel was a revelation, a multi-sensory experience that practically defies language. It invites the audience into rapt attention; we are changed in our very participation.” Claudia Horowitz, Former Interim Executive Director, Rothko Chapel
“Such a wonderful performance Pam. Awe inspiring! You are an absolute inspiration to me! The whole team who worked on this did an incredible, spiritual journey.” Stephanie Cole
“What a wonderful evening. It was so good to slow down with a beautiful presentation and film.” Carrie Glassman Showemake
EASTSIDE YOGA, AUSTIN, TX | OFFERING FOR SRIVATSA RAMASWAMI
“During the performance there was a moment when I saw immense light radiating. Normally, performing can be a nerve-racking experience, but because this practice and performance is focusing on the breath which leads you back to the heart, the spiritual center, it was a calming and peaceful experience, an experience that was shared between performers and audience. Being part of the Troupe has deepened my own personal practice and has given me the opportunity to share my heart, my light, my soul with the world.” Simone Olivier, Austin Troupe Member
“Simply exquisite. The energies of the evening stayed with me and were delightful and wise and peaceful companions throughout the night and the next day. I would recreate that experience every day.” Don Gordon
“Exquisite program and performance!” Adrienne Johnson
PROGRAM CREDITS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR - Pam Johnson
EVENT DIRECTOR - Sydney Dao
TROUPE PARTICIPANTS - Adrienne Johnson, Collenna Shakti, Cynthia Poole, Hannah Underwood, Joe Heller, Leslie States, Linda Stokes (Dance Consulting), Margit Williams, Melinda Barsales, Michelle Bonich, Monica Townsend, Nirij Mendes, Olga Dentzien, Pam Johnson (Choreographer), Sandy Lease, Simone Olivier, Tricia Waldrum
GUIDED MEDITATION - Lynn Birdwell
SEATED MEDITATOR - Jordan Glazer
GRAPHIC DESIGN - Megan O’Sullivan (Soula Creative)
BREATH Art FILM CREW CREDITS - Lynn Birdwell (Producer/DIrector), Pam Johnson (Talent), Raul Casares (Director of Photography), Richard Lacy (Gaffer, 2nd Camera), Brian Albritton (Audio Recordist), Andi Meckna (Makeup/Wardrobe), Robbie Meckna (Production Support), Cliff Davis Editorial, Wire Road Studios (Sound Design)
WISDOM TEACHERS AND LINEAGE- Sri T Krishnamacharya, Srivatsa Ramaswami, Swami Vidyadhishananda
CONTACT
LYNN BIRDWELL
FILM PRODUCTION
832-439-2595
lynn@bhprod.com
bhprod.com
PAM JOHNSON
BREATH TROUPE PERFORMANCE AVAILABILITY
BREATHE AND MEDITATE LIKE A MASTER
713-301-9238
paminbreath@gmail.com
pamjohnsonyoga.com
The Univ of Houston's 27th Annual Table Talk for Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Most of us don't often have opportunities to engage in meaningful conversation about our life's work. When we do have the chance, with an embracing group of like-minds, it can be used as both a purposeful endeavor to share all the things you love about your career path, and also a time to reveal some of how the industry's sausage is made.
I was honored to have been invited to serve as one of the many hosts at the 27th Annual University of Houston Table Talk luncheon. It is a fascinating combination of conversations, led by women of various cultures, professions and experience at each table. I'll be back as a guest. It was just such a great event and a great cause.
This event benefits the Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program at UH, which combines theoretical and empirical studies to give students the tools to analyze the gender dynamics of the past and present, and to build a fair future. The event was a success with a filled ballroom of interesting and engaging people.
Thank you to Elizabeth Chiao, MD, and Staci LaToison, the Table Talk 2024 Co-Chairs, and to Elizabeth Gregory and Sara Rehman, WGSS & IRWGS, and all the event organizers for inviting me to serve as a Table Talk Host this year.
Our table had The. Best. Time. We talked about AI, the Houston film industry, and what a perfect city we have for the film industry -- since it is as tech-forward as our city. It was basically the Houston Chronicle and me at #Table5.
Thank you also, to everyone at #Table5, let me know if there is ever anything you need that I can help with.
Rich Baby Daddy
Trying something new and creative sometimes means opting for the surprise of lo-fi and vintage style. This was a very special production that was quick and exciting. And we got a hilarious reminder of what it used to be like in the days when we still had a video tape transfer step, before post production could commence.
Drake decided he wanted to create a music video for the song Rich Baby Daddy, and to Direct and DP it too. The call? Wednesday. The shoot? Saturday. It must be released on Valentine's Day.
It was shot on a Hi8 camcorder, to give the feel of a real home video. Some phone video is used as well in the final edit. This meant we had to find a place in Houston to transfer that footage from video to digital.
The video got 12M views in the first 2 weeks on YouTube, and fans continue to hotly debate how it was shot and the format used, and who the baby's daddy was. 😂
We can quickly turn around a request like this, and execute (find a real working hospital that will let us shoot at midnight!) -- things that couldn't be done if we didn't already work with the best film industry professionals in Houston.
After wrapping this 10 hour shoot, Drake flew AirDrake to Las Vegas and won a bet on the Chiefs at the Superbowl.
Director & DP: Drake
Label: OVO
Agency: DreamCrew
Freenjoy Executive Producer: Nathan Scherrer
Denim Executive Producer: Christian Tyler
Denim Producer: Alex Dall'Orso
Bird House Productions Producer: Lynn Birdwell
Production Manager: Leora Mohr
Production Coordinator: Kim Gagne
Production Designer: Electa Porado
Set Decoration: Stephanie Marett
Props: Peter Blanford
Art Assist: Adrian Sanchez
1ST AC / Media Manager: Blaine Walker
Audio Mixer: Marcus Chandler
Gaffer: Dan Mohr
Key Grip: Christopher Lovely
PA / Playback: Matt Buehrer
Grip & Lighting Equipment: Cinema Resource
Camera rentals: Hogan Films & Scott Ross Productions
Vanity Fair - Simone Biles
Simone is the most rewarding celebrity athlete talent to work with. She is game for anything, is the consummate professional, and is also a sincerely nice person.
We always love working with the Biles family in Spring, Texas. Even in her life as a newlywed, often one of Simone's parents is with her on a shoot. And although Houston is a big city and Simone is an international star, the film and editorial world here is a smaller village; and so we have all spent a lot of hours with the Biles', and they are each amazing.
On every major editorial shoot, we meet new creatives and artists who are significant and selected specifically to work on the project, some who travel in from all over the world. This shoot included the amazing photographer Adrienne Raquel for the February 2024 Vanity Fair cover story.
We also had Simone for the full day, instead of just an hour. We enjoyed the production support and stage provided by Captive Studios. It was the first time Bird House Productions had the opportunity to shoot there!
We appreciate the words from the Vanity Fair IG post that read: Simone Biles’ rise to fame was thrilling, intense, and a bit disorienting for the legendary athlete—and still is.
It's a great article by Leah Faye Cooper. The two discussed life as a newlywed, her recovery from Tokyo, and how she’s feeling about the 2024 Olympics.
Photographer: Adrienne Raquel
Wardrobe Stylist: Miranda Fetahu
Hair Stylist: Nikki Nelms
Makeup Artist: Sheika Daley
Set Designer: Kendyll Legier
Designer Assist: Effie Frank
Movement Director: Charissa Kroeger
Lighting Director: Sebastien Johnson
HOUSTON CREW
Production Services Company: Bird House Productions
Bird House Productions Producer: Lynn Birdwell
Production Manager: Caleb Hernandez
Digitech: Gary Pilcher
Photo Assist: Nneoma Aijwe
Photo Assist: Scott Nidermaier
Art Assist: Stephanie Marett
Art Assist: Elizabeth Kilgore
Seamstress: Janelle Flanagan
Wardrobe Assist: Miranda Fetahu
Manicurist: VCI Artists
Coordinator: Alyssa Cole
Location: Captiv Studios
Catering: Sam Salah
PA / Driver / Runners: Ross Barber, Matthew Buehrer, & Malachi Talbot
Camera, G&E: Texcam
Camera, G&E: Cinema Resource
Production Supplies: Affordable Prod Rentals
Travis Scott
The ultimate expression of surrealism in music. This was a tremendous effort under the leadership of Executive Producer Nathan Scherrer and the ultimate Music Video Director ever — Dave Meyers. The most collaborative creative experience ever, and what a great locations backdrop for Houston Texas. A very long song, a lot of just jaw-droppingly stunning talent, production design, locations and scenes.
We got to work on this original music video for the award-winning Travis Scott song "Sicko Mode" ft Drake. This video went 7x platinum and was called the "Citizen Kane" of Scott's music videos by Rolling Stone Magazine. We shot for 3 days all over Houston with Travis, and then a month later, had both Travis and Drake on set for the day. Basically, it was a BIG deal and we were honored to be a part of it!🎶
Label: Epic Records
Type: Music Video
Title: Sicko Mode
Production Company: Freenjoy Inc
Production Services Company: Bird House Productions
Celebrity Talent: Travis Scott, Drake
Director: Dave Meyers
DP: Scott Cunningham
BHP Celebrates the 2015 Bad Bad Man Music Video
One of our favorite music videos was half live action and half paper animation. Shot in 2015 for Runaway Sun’s lead singer and song writer Andrew Karnavas, we are always happy to watch this film.
“SOUTH PARK MEETS SIN CITY” IN THE BAND’S HALF-LIVE, HALF-PAPER ANIMATED VIDEO DIRECTED BY LYNN BIRDWELL
WHO
Lynn Birdwell –Award-winning Houston-based Director, Bird House Productions
Brandon Ray – Award-winning Houston animator, Paper Brain
Runway Sun – Delta Rock band from Houston, TX, featuring Andrew Karnavas
WHAT
Bird House Productions announces the release of Runaway Sun’s Bad Bad Man music video. As Creative Director and Director, Lynn Birdwell created a landscape that allows for visual cues in the live action that find their way in and out of Brandon Ray’s paper animation. The music and the imagery are a perfect, haunting combination.
Born out of lead singer Andrew Karnavas’ love for antihero stories, Bad Bad Man follows a man hollowed out by the murder of his wife on their wedding day. Bad Bad Man is a mix of performance video, punctuated by beautiful shadowed imagery of a shrine to his wife. And it’s all glued together with some very unique paper animation by award-winning Houston animator Brandon Ray. The story comes to life in that animation. In a walking arc of fury and grief, our Bad Bad Man, now a paper figure in a surprisingly dimensional paper world, tracks down and eliminates his wife’s killers. The video smartly uses the animation to take the edge off of a nasty, bloody business. But that edge returns every time the animation cuts back to Karnavas, staring us down.
“The song is a heartbreaker,” says Lynn Birdwell. “Given a chance to make justice personal, who has not considered righting a wrong, in their darkest thoughts?”
#BADBADMAN PAPER CUT OUT
The Bad Bad Man is on a search for his wife’s killer. Print out the “Cut-N-Play” Bad Bad Man and take photos of him on his search. Upload the pictures and tag #badbadman to share his journey.
Download the Paper Cut Out
MEDIA LINKS
Bad Bad Man Music Video
Runaway Sun
www.runawaysun.com
twitter.com/runawaysun
facebook.com/runawaysun
Bad Bad Man Song on Soundcloud
Brandon Ray (Animator)
“Cut-N-Play” #BadBadMan Character
FROM DIRECTOR LYNN BIRDWELL
In Runaway Sun’s new music video, “Bad Bad Man”, Director Lynn Birdwell explores the dark side that lives within every soul. “It’s a story about a man and how he responds to the tragic murder of his wife,” explained Birdwell. The haunting, prophetic lyrics, written by Runaway Sun lead singer, Andrew Karnavas, take us on ominous journey of death and self-confession. “He’s a man in crisis, overwhelmed by grief and anger, who seeks revenge and eventually gets what he is after,” Birdwell added.
The video is a compilation of monochromatic performance footage and stark, black & white paper animation gently interspersed with the softly lit, color imagery of a Day of the Dead ofrenda. We follow the animated “bad man” throughout the video as he relentlessly pursues and disperses his wife’s killers. As the kills increase so does his burning obsession, literally and metaphorically. “We chose to render the storyline in animation to accentuate the intense rage and sorrow that our bad man is feeling,” said Birdwell. “Also, the animation, created by Houston animator, Brandon Ray, gave us a different, surreal texture to weave into our video tapestry.” “The altar scenes are all very subtle,” Birdwell added. “The ofrenda is a collection of photos, a necklace and remembrances of the slain woman’s marriage lit by candles that illuminate their love and desire.” Midway through the story, the music abruptly shifts to a lighter, more sensitive tone as the husband confesses, “My hat wasn’t always this black. It was white like my wife’s wedding dress,” helping us to realize the enormity of his transformation. “I’d love for people to get lost in the mystery of the storyteller’s situation; the depth of feeling and insufferable loss that comes with losing the person you’ve become one with in marriage.” Birdwell explained.
In the final scenes, our animated characters come into the real world of the ofrenda as a fire burns in front of the woman’s photo. She sees herself avenged as the bad man looks on with the fathomless eyes of someone who has seen more than a person should ever see. Whether he really killed these men or whether he has dreamed the executions in a continual walking nightmare of grief, we don’t know. All we do know is she is never, ever coming back. And neither is he.
BHP Set Medics work safely during COVID-19
Unions, studios, major universities and global organizations now offer courses which are available for crew to become educated and certified in protecting everyone on set. This era marks the emergence of the new crew position: COVID Compliance Officer. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the disease COVID-19 continues to spread and evolve globally, the film industry works diligently to continually seek and employ better methods and safer solutions to working as a team on a film set together.
Safely working in film production during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic
Information and education is important for a higher quality of Safe Sets
Lynn Birdwell, Bird House Productions, Executive Producer
During the past year, we have all seen on-location and in-studio behind-the-scenes photos of our friends and colleagues -- in crew and talent roles -- on set in varying situations, safe and not safe. Each time I see a photo of crew members crowded around a monitor, masks on or masks off, I am fearful that because of those choices, someone may pass the virus to someone else inadvertently and someone will become ill, the virus exposure not having been contained.
Since March 2020, we have often passed on projects that we felt were not going to protect the crew. Several crew members have reported, to their great surprise and disappointment, they have shown up at their call time to a shoot to find neither the talent nor their clients wearing masks, and were never planning to put them on. I have heard those kinds of reports as recently as two weeks ago. At this point, not having been briefed in advance about that likelihood by the producer, director, other parties who are participating in the shoot remotely, the local crew must decide if they will:
immediately walk away; or
just keep their masks on and finish the job, go home, quarantine from their families for 14 days, collect that one job check, and lose two weeks of work while self-quarantined.
I have seen both of these scenarios play out, here in Houston and elsewhere.
In Houston, in particular, it’s more important than ever that we each protect ourselves and our families. We should each take every personal precaution in our day to day lives, but also should expect a very high level of expectation of a strong COVID safety compliance plan from our production companies, agencies, clients, and all those managing the organization and scheduling of the job itself.
As we have learned to shoot with smaller crews, limiting exposure, and requiring longer time to do things we would have done faster with a larger team, shoots have evolved to accommodate safer sets. From not shooting at all to slowly developing possible COVID-safe methodologies, the film industry has experienced a steep learning curve in the last year.
Throughout the Summer and Fall of 2020, we were glad to have participated in the development of general production industry guidelines for COVID-safe production practices and risk mitigation protocols. But it really hasn’t been until right now that we are noticing approved production budgets, especially for larger or global companies, consistently including generously endowed line items related to COVID safety, such as PPE and testing. This usually includes one or more COVID Compliance Officer (CCO) as a crew member, no matter how small the rest of the crew footprint is. And as a matter of course, PPE is now usually shipped directly to the local production office, or a P-Card provided specifically for that purpose, without any delay or question about the value of that budget line item.
And -- finally -- it’s becoming the absolute norm for a PCR swab test (or other form of COVID-19 testing) to be a firm requirement for all personnel working on all projects. And on long form television series and features, weekly or even daily testing is simply part of the job requirements. Every day upon arrival at set, whether for a one day or muli-week shoot, it is at the very minimum required of every person to have his or her temperature taken, to complete a health questionnaire, and sign a COVID-19 waiver in a screening area before entering the production studio or location.
Newly created during 2020, the CCO is a unique position on the film crew. This person can be someone who has production experience as a Set Medic, who would already be a healthcare professional or first responder, such as a paramedic, fireman, or nurse. However, more and more, we are seeing other crew members taking the required courses and becoming certified to serve as a CCO. This is possible because the position of CCO does NOT take the place of a Set Medic.
BHP Set Medics was developed by Erin Krammer (EMT/Paramedic) and Julie Earley (C-NPT, CEN, CFRN, CCRN-A). The Set Medic is prepared to examine and evaluate the medical care needed to crew and talent. When BHP Set Medics was formed, the only focus was on the safety of the crew and talent, to provide support for emergency medical assistance, because at that time, we did not have a contagious pandemic to address. However, these types of medical professionals -- paramedics and nurses -- are already highly trained to deal with the protocols needed as a part of their required career skill set. They are usually the folks teaching the COVID informational classes for the rest of us.
At this time, BHP Set Medics’ professional personnel are certified to serve as the Lead CCO on set. This is especially important if there is a crew and talent headcount larger than 20, for which a department of more than one CCO is required.
But every one of our professional crew members in Houston should consider becoming certified to take on this newly-important crew position of CCO. Because we are in Houston, which is a market with a smaller crew base, many of us often can be found on set, working in a different position from shoot to shoot. If nothing more, it doesn’t cost much to have a full and thorough education about how to work more safely and with confidence. At this point in the pandemic, everyone on set should feel informed enough to feel very comfortable in bringing attention to anything that does not fit within the parameters of a safe set.
Many projects now require crew and talent to watch COVID-related safety videos and to take short questionnaires about COVID safety protocols, prior to coming to set. This is great, but they are very elementary, and the courses that are most informative are much longer, providing far more depth of information. Even with the initial vaccines now becoming available, due to the fact that the virus is mutating so quickly, we can expect to be working under these protocols for some time to come. We should all strive to know as much as we can to insure our safety on set and to protect our families when we return home from a shoot day.
According to Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert who heads the Wellcome Trust, “Curtailing infections sharply has the added benefit of reducing the chances for the virus to evolve even further. Already other variants have emerged… It is essentially a numbers game: The more virus is circulating, the more chance mutants have to appear.”
In the long term, mutations will arise that threaten the usefulness of current vaccines. And since we want to work, let’s actively practice coronavirus safety precautions throughout our personal and professional lives.
Among the many, many online COVID-19-related courses now recommended for use in relation to film production, we suggest these:
COURSES SPECIFIC TO PRODUCTION
Health Education Services (through BigMarker.com)
COVID-19 Compliance Officer (C19C0) Training ($50 and requires a registration and time slot, since it is a live instructor-led course. This is probably the most current continually-updated course available now.)
https://healtheducationservices.net/training/covid-19-compliance-officer-c19co/
https://www.bigmarker.com/healtheducationservices/Covid-19-Compliance-Officer-Training
Safe Sets International (recommended by Wrapbook.com)
Free COVID-19 Certificate Course (Level A)
https://practicesafesets.co/certificate/Safe Sets COVID-19 for Leadership (Level B) ($45)
https://edu.practicesafesets.co/courses/safe-sets-level-b
CSATF (available to IATSE, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters and other guild members)
COVID-19 Prevention Training
https://www.csatf.org/covid19/prevention/
LINKS TO KEEP CLOSE AT HAND
Not a course, per se, but a great access for resources, especially for commercial production, we like this article and all it’s many links for the various time periods and department needs and solutions: https://www.wrapbook.com/covid-19-filmmaking-resources
The Joint Report of the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters’ Committees for COVID-19 Safety Guidelines - A Safe Way Forward (this was written in mid 2020 and has yet to be updated, but it’s very helpful) https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/ProductionSafetyGuidelines_June2020EditedP.pdf
INCREDIBLY HELPFUL COURSES ABOUT WORLD HEALTH AND THIS PANDEMIC
World Health Organization (WHO)
Introduction to COVID-19: Methods for detection, prevention, response and control
https://openwho.org/courses/introduction-to-ncov
Johns Hopkins University (through Coursera)
COVID-19 Contact Tracing
https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19-contact-tracing
Stanford University (through Coursera)
COVID-19 TraIning for Healthcare Workers (this is especially useful for our Set Medics, who are already EMT/paramedics and nurses)
https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19-training-healthcare
OSHA (through 360Training.com)
Free COVID-19 Awareness
https://www.360training.com/course/coronavirus-awareness
We will try to keep this updated as changes come. If you have any feedback, please share with lynn@bhprod.com
Holograms & Telemedicine – A Campaign Created in Houston
2nd.MD, a leader in Telemedicine, required a web and mobile video produced, to introduce their on-line agent “Gabi,” a virtual assistant, who will streamline consultation services with human doctors and nurses to remotely-located 2nd.MD clients.
Press Release
Houston, Texas
2nd.MD, a leader in Telemedicine, required a web and mobile video produced, to introduce their on-line agent “Gabi,” a virtual assistant, who will streamline consultation services with human doctors and nurses to remotely-located 2nd.MD clients.
Houston-based Bird House Productions, in association with zyntroPICS Inc., proposed to 2nd.MD’s Creative Director, Eddy Henry, the prospect of creating a holographic “Gabi” by shooting that element of the video on a volumetric video production stage.
2nd.MD’s Creative Director, Eddy Henry, said “Let’s do it.”
After exploring options for a volumetric video studio partner, Metastage/Los Angeles became the best facility available. Metastage CEO Christina Heller, says, “zyntroPICS and Bird House Productions are ahead of the curve when it comes to virtual production. Integrating volumetric captures into game engines for framed 2D content is new territory and they are at the forefront figuring out what works and what doesn't.”
Volumetric video is generally applied to Augmented Reality applications. In order to create a web/mobile video, including a 3D set and digital FX, the Gabi project required a team of Digital Production and Post Production talent, familiar with UNREAL game engine creative design. Josh Maida says, “At Six Foot we are always excited to work with cool new tech and were extremely pleased to be invited by Bird House Productions and zyntroPICS to work on a volumetric video for 2nd.MD.”
The final web/mobile video will be released to 2nd.MD clients in June 2020. In addition to the video, proof of concept tests utilizing the same files include Mobile App Augmented Reality, Web-based Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Looking Glass Factory displays.
Weymueller stated, “Volumetric video and holograms introduce human actors into areas previously reserved for 3D animated characters. Additionally, this gets truly exciting where the creative assets generated are applied to cross-platform storytelling environments, from video, to AR, to VR, to Holographic displays.”
Bird House Productions and zyntroPICS have entered into a strategic partnership whose goal is to establish a scalable volumetric and real-time virtual production stage in Houston in 2020. Birdwell and Weymueller first met when working together to produce the world’s first bilingual episodic web series in Houston, the year after YouTube was launched.
CONTACTS
Bird House Productions
Lynn Birdwell
BHProd.com
lynn@bhprod.com
zyntroPICS Inc.
Eric Weymueller
zyntroPICS.com
contact@zyntroPICS.com
The Film and Video Gig Economy & the Coronavirus
For the gig economy, the effects from a recession versus the coronavirus pandemic are very different. If it were just a recession, we would just lose corporate and industrial work, for that time period. But with COVID-19 infecting people in groups, there is less chance of any productions continuing since film production is really a team sport. So, how do we continue moving forward.
How do you survive during a recession working in the gig economy?
Lynn Birdwell, Bird House Executive Producer
Many film industry professional jobs are done by freelancers. That is particularly true of Houston Texas, where there are few large film production companies and no major studio systems in place.
According to Sean Maxwell, a co-founder of Cinema Resource, and also a long-time Key Grip, Camera Operator, and DP on many major TV shows and films, “Normally in a recession, film and TV aren’t affected and would continue as usual. In fact, even do better sometimes because it is a cheaper entertainment value.”
In fact in Houston, we also don’t traditionally fall into a recession at all when much of the rest of the country is feeling it. Houston is uniquely outside of that bubble.
But as Sean adds, because of the complete shut down of many organizations during this coronavirus pandemic, “This is wholly different. In any bottom line business operation the contractors are the first to go. I don’t know anyway to make it better or even how to survive it.”
He asked me, “What are your thoughts?”
I realized when he asked that, I’m doing, at that moment, what I do every day. For producers who are in development, who are seeking new business, and executive producers who are running companies, for many -- the work continues as usual. There really is no “weekend”, we just keep it moving forward.
I’m working on continued business development now, and maybe that is the way to talk about it. This is the time to update all our directory listings, fix our websites, do our taxes, learn more about our equipment, take online classes, develop things we have been trying to find time to do. Make those connections online and renew our goals and plans.
I signed up for Tom Vaughan’s writing class on a recent weekend. Freelancers and entrepreneurs in the film industry may not be getting paid for this time, but we can use it wisely to get ready for when we do get back to work and go back to having no time for organizational stuff again, as is the usual situation.
Raul Casares is Sean’s partner in Cinema Resource (a grip and electric and camera rental company), and Cliff Davis’ partner with Blade Media (a camera and drone services company), Jerry McCallum’s partner with In Motion (a camera motion equipment company) and a co-founder of Bird House Productions (a production services company). He has worked from high school to now in every sector of the film and video production world. From television stations to feature films, from local to global brand commercials, and also music videos, corporate communications, live events, and industrials.
This is unique to Houston’s film and video market -- we are all hyphenates. We are all used to wearing many hats. Many of the crew in Houston have portions of their business fall into several types of professional production industries and even different departments on or off set. It’s great. We can all keep working often, just doing different kinds of things in different formats.
Raul says, however, that we should remember that Houston’s primary business in the production world is the corporate and industrial videos, such as training and educational films, marketing -- both B2B and B2C, and news. It’s a business town. We have yet to truly build a thriving film and TV industry here, so there is not as much of that type of work, as there is of the regular corporate and industrial gigs.
The reason that’s important to note is because in a recession, on the industrial and corporate level, the companies who are making corporate communications or training videos, may choose to not spend their budgets on those projects. No problem. In Houston, during a slight recession that affects our corporate client jobs, we’ll just keep working on the incoming global brand commercials, documentaries, TV shows, films, non-profit projects, and our own projects.
If it were just a recession, that corporate and industrial work is the only part of our business we would all lose, for that time period. But with COVID-19 infecting people in groups, there is less chance of any productions continuing since film production is really a team sport.
So in Houston, we need to be safe, take care of ourselves and our families. And consider that this is for a time period only, not forever.
Furthermore, what time we have can be reinvented, since we are creatives.
Wash your windows. It’s not hot or cold, so clean the attic. Read every issue of the International Cinematographers Guild Magazine. Take Master Classes online. Redo or make your website. Organize your equipment and finally create the price list all the production managers have been asking you for. Write your screenplay. Do your taxes. Rewrite your screenplay. Test out that camera, light, rig you have been putting off testing. Register for the Film Finance Seminar Houston and we’ll let you know when the dates have been set for what will now be an online seminar.
Prepare and renew and remind yourself how creative you are. And get ready.
The Arts are the Lifeblood for Any City
The Houston Creative Endowment, a non-profit 501(c)3, is dedicated to preserving, protecting, developing, fostering, and supporting the creative industry by focusing on the film and television production industry in Houston, Texas.
The Vision Behind the Houston Creative Endowment
Houston, Texas
Around $800 billion is made in the creative industry in the United States of America annually. As the fourth largest city in the U.S., Houston doesn’t capture nearly enough of that revenue.
To encourage the development of a creative economy in Houston, and to provide a support system to the existing professional crew in the city, and connect our creative industry globally, Bird House Productions Executive Producer Lynn Birdwell has partnered with like-minded film professionals to establish the Houston Creative Endowment (HCE).
“There are a lot of creative people in Houston. We can develop projects here,” says Birdwell, founder of Houston Creative Endowment. “We created HCE to be a fiscal sponsor for films. We’ll model it after the Austin Film Society, which has done a really great job of building a large group of people who are professionals and who are serious.”
The Houston Creative Endowment, a non-profit 501(c)3, is dedicated to preserving, protecting, developing, fostering, and supporting the creative industry by focusing on the film and television production industry in Houston, Texas, to build a stronger creative economy. The organization is encouraged by the United Nations pronouncement of the year 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. Many other countries and cities are thinking similarly and building a creative sustainable industry.
“Most of us know the feeling of being touched by an individual work of art: a painting, song, play, poem, or novel. When touched, we are moved and transported. This, through one particular form of art,” shares Birdwell. “Film, the combination of so many different types of art forms, provides the transformative experience that art is constantly seeking to provide.”
Birdwell firmly believes film is the only art form that supports all other art forms. Making quality film and television is a team sport. It’s not just one human engaged in a creative process. There can be hundreds of people engaged in the development and execution of the single creative vision of the film or episodic series.
When a film is truly great, it’s only due to a masterful collaborative spirit of all the personnel involved because film requires so many specialties and skill sets. A great film must have all cylinders firing in every department, all the way through post-production.
Our global creative industry economy is valuable and affects the quality of life and financial well being of all manner of peoples. As the most diverse city in the United States, any progressive movement developed in Houston, to better the lives of others and build education and vocational outcomes,has a decidedly global effect.
HCE is committed to the development of Houston’s creative industry economy and supports the United Nations declaration of 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. HCE desires to develop global creative partnerships, focusing on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals will provide a foundation for economic growth in Houston..
In line with that initiative, Bird House Productions and the Houston Creative Endowment are hosting and sponsoring Film Finance Seminar Houston. This event is part of a larger initiative to develop a profitable film arts industry in and around Houston and serves as the next major step in building the Houston creative economy through film.
This 2-day seminar will deliver a high-caliber panel of industry experts to teach investors and executive producers how to develop, fund, produce, market, and distribute profitable films and episodic series.
For more information about Film Finance Seminar Houston, please visit https://filmfinancehouston.com.
Houston’s Potential to Be the Next Global Film Epicenter
As a New Yorker working in the arts sector in Houston, Houston Cinema Arts Society Artistic Director Jessica Green sits down with Lynn Birdwell to discuss how Houston’s diversity can help build the next great global film city.
HCAS Artistic Director Jessica Green Discusses Houston’s Diversity Can Support a Film Industry
Houston, Texas
As a New Yorker working in the arts sector in Houston, Houston Cinema Arts Society Artistic Director Jessica Green sits down with Lynn Birdwell to discuss how Houston’s diversity can help build the next great global film city.
"There are obviously a lot of challenges, there's a lot of infrastructure challenges, but there is so much potential to develop film production in Houston...We do have a long way to go, but the further we can get, the more we're going to tap into this potential, and it's really, like, endless what could happen here around developing a real film industry."
Speaking from the first-ever Black Media Story Summit at the DeLux Theatre in Fifth Ward, she also talks about the power of film and its healing process for black filmmakers and audiences.
Lynn Birdwell: Hi, it's Lynn Birdwell with the Bird Feed Podcast, and I'm here today with Jessica Green with the Houston Cinema Arts Society. Jessica, thank you for talking with us.
Jessica Green: Thank you.
Lynn Birdwell: So, this is the last day of the festival. Tonight, there's a film in the theater that we're in, and can you tell me a little bit about the movie?
Jessica Green: Yeah, yeah. One of the closing programs is here, at the historic Delux Theater in the fifth ward, and it's Always in Season by Jacqueline Olive. It is a film about the history of lynching, but also a modern-day lynching, current lynching. And, it was at the Sundance Film Festival and it won an award there. It's an incredible, urgent documentary. And one of the reasons why it's included at the Houston Center Arts Festival is all about the arts and all about artists and all about, you know, multifaceted representations of the art.
So, this film, interestingly, includes theatrical, historical reenactments of lynchings. This is something that people are doing now, kind of, you know, extreme art therapy, if you will. So, we definitely wanted to include it in the festival. It also bridges the first-ever Black Media Story Summit, which is happening here today, at the Delux Theater, also.
It really speaks to the mission of the Houston Center Arts Society, which is as much about engaging audiences around the arts, but also engaging artists and supporting artists and empowering them.
It's not just about audience engagement, it's also about empowering artists and serving them and supporting the pipeline. So, we have more artists, we have more filmmakers.
Lynn Birdwell: Well, we never had a film festival in Houston like this one. So, how did they find you, and what do you do with this festival?
Jessica Green: I'm the artistic director, and like many things in life, it was through relationships. I was invited to be on one of the juries at the Ashland Film Festival who my predecessor, Richard Herskowitz, who's amazing, he's the artistic director and the executive director of the Ashland film festival. So, we met up, and he was still doing Houston at that point. Then, I also met, who was on another jury, Marian Luntz, who is the head of film at the Museum of Fine Arts, and really kind of created that whole program and has ushered it for almost 30 years, and is just a force of nature and really is such an important pillar of arts in Houston.
So, it was an opportunity. I'm really interested in what I would call cosmopolitanism, you know, urban culture, which to me is everything. It's high and low and it's about, you know, respecting the kind of rarefied, you know, fine art, you know, culture as much as street culture. And, I thought a lot of my interests and my literacy and my values could translate to Houston, it also being such an incredible, generative place of so many different kinds of urban culture -- so much diverse culture.
So, I thought, you know, kind of, again, my values, you know, as a programmer, as a curator, I thought would translate well to this arena. And as we all know, Houston is the most diverse city in the country. So, as a New Yorker, that was really attractive, and really frankly, Houston was the guiding light -- was always, you know, what I was most interested in around this project, the fact that it was happening here, the fact that it would engage what is happening here, which is really interesting and fascinating, and I'm just scratching the surface. I just started coming here a few months ago and I, you know, look forward to understanding it more. But I also, again, born and raised in New York, know that big cities are ... mysterious. Parts of them will always be unknown, unknowable. You cannot get to everything. There's no way. I've lived in New York my whole life, and I will never completely understand it. And I think Houston is similar, and I think that's also what defines a true global, great city. Literally, everything is happening in Houston, every kind of person, literally everything is happening here. It's the world in itself.
Lynn Birdwell: And, there's no geographical barriers. So, it's not even like New York City where it's like, there it is. Right? You got your boroughs and then basically Manhattan's an island. Houston, it's just sprawling. It's neighborhood-based. You can drive and drive and drive and drive, and still be in Houston, and be in China or be in Mexico. It's just completely different neighborhoods, and they're massive.
Jessica Green: Which is really inspiring; it's amazing. And, it's an incredible muse to program around.
Lynn Birdwell: So, one of the things you mentioned was the Austin Film Society. We don't have anything like that. I would like for there to be. I'm trying to work on that. We don't have that in Houston, which is a supportive organization that's a fiscal sponsor and all of those things specific to film. When I was talking to Michael Robinson, who's on your staff, I told him, you know, one of the things that I've noticed is that there's a lot of separation in Houston because it's neighborhood based, because it doesn't really have a firm film core here. I didn't feel like most of the professionals in our industry were actually connecting with the Cinema Arts Festival because it felt to them like it was just a festival that was just, you know, an attraction. But, it should be and can be something where the city that it's in, the people that are actually doing film production in that city, go to the festival, support and participate in all of the different programs.
Many of the crew that I use, they have been on every single movie that was ever shot in, you know, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, wherever, LA -- TV shows and movies, big, huge movies, James Cameron movies. Those people live in Houston, but none of the work that they do is here. And so, I'd like to think that organizations like the Houston Cinema Arts Society can connect with all of them the way we all need to connect with the university programs and help build a studio system, that doesn't actually exist here. And, when I say there's never been anything like this organization that you work with now in Houston, there hasn't been. And, we really do need it.
Jessica Green: I agree. I mean, we have to start somewhere, so thus this summit today. I mean, this is a step in this direction of really focusing.
So, being able to partner with Black Public Media and the Austin Film Society on this all-day summit, it's a baby step, but it's completely in that spirit. That's why I wanted to make sure my first year as artistic director, that stamp was there, that seed was planted that we, you know, build on. I think the thing is that there are obviously a lot of challenges and there's a lot of infrastructure challenges, but there is so much potential to develop film production in Houston. I mean, that's the thing, we do have a long way to go, but the further we can get, the more we're going to tap into this potential. And it's, it's really endless what could happen here around developing a real film industry.
Lynn Birdwell: But, it's not the responsibility of the Houston Cinema Arts Society to solve this problem.
Jessica Green: Well, in part though, we do need to participate.
Lynn Birdwell: Yes, but we all need to participate, exactly.
Jessica Green: It's all of our responsibility.
Lynn Birdwell: Yes. You know, there is no "one" organization in Houston that all the professional, a-list crew [members] belong to because it doesn't exist here. So, what we do need to do is to find a place where we all come together and then we're, you know, really participating in all of these organizational things, like you're providing, at a professional level. Like, that's really probably the goal. And then, what I was talking to Fleurette [Fernando] about is film in Houston is not considered an art, and it's also not considered an economic conversation either.
I think if we could refocus the lens on film, which supports all other art forms, then the investment in film production and learning how to make money on film as well, which just is education, really all it is, then it can be seen as a big piece of this economic industry.
The NEA had a report, a couple of years ago, that something like $600 billion was made in the creative economy in the United States alone. And, I think Houston is a very big city, and it's a very wealthy city, but I don't think it thinks of film or any kind of media industry to be something that is a worthy investment.
Jessica Green: It hasn't happened, for sure. I'm not surprised about the NEA report. I mean, the fact remains that the two biggest exports of the US are #1 finance, #2 media.
Before this, I was the director at the Maysles Documentary Center, which has a documentary program in Harlem where young people are trained on how to make documentary films about their communities, about their experiences. So, this is something that I'm really passionate about. I think it is completely an opportunity, and it just needs to be opened up so much more for young people, and the barriers to entry really need to be taken away.
One thing, a couple of things, I would just say about the place of a festival, or any festival, and kind of my philosophy that does connect up to what you're talking about, I think, you know, where festival programming is actually critical around, I think there are a couple of things. For instance, this year the opening night film was Waves from Trey Edward Schults, who grew up in Houston. Modeling is key. I was really happy that I was able to do that because one of my goals from day one and one of my pillars of my thinking about this: he's from here, Lizzo's from here, Beyonce's from here. Like, how are you really strategic about bringing Houston's favorite sons and daughters back, right, to model to everybody. I think that's part of it. I think that does actually lead to retention, I think it's really important to bring people back here. Even if they don't live here, bring them back here, vet them, celebrate them, have them share.
The other thing is really tapping into what does exist in terms of local story, local narrative, local filmmaking. Last night, which was the fourth night of the festival, we had three events that were all locally driven in terms of the themes, the makers in three different locations. These were not movie stars. There was no big Robert Redford, whoever, it was all local stories about neighborhoods, about local figures with local makers. Everything was popular because there is so much interest in Houston from Houston. And that kind of dovetails with the last thing I want to say about this is documentation is really key.
I think you have to amplify these stories and telegraph them to the world. I think that helps in bringing people back that are from here and being really intentional about making sure the story is about this place getting out to the world. I think that also will help embed things and can also really support the development of an industry and a production industry.
Lynn Birdwell: It's gonna take time. Thank you very much. Thanks for being with us.
Jessica Green: Thank you. Thank you very much.