Photo Credit: Christiene Pierre-Jerome

On Thursday, May 13th, Girl’s Inc of Santa Barbara and Brooks Institute joined forces for the second time to host 9 high school girls in honor of “Take Our Daughters to Work Day.”  Katie Huber, Traci Jaslove,  Barbara Obermeier, Marcia Rubenstein,  Christy Schuler, PJ Pierre- Jerome  teamed up to give the girls insight into the world of photography and graphic design. The girls were able to step in front of the camera for a portrait session and then learned how to incorporate their image into the cover of a magazine!  The afternoon concluded with a photo retouching presentation to show the girls what goes on behind the scenes with retouching in order to help promote a positive body image. Special thanks to Chris Buckpitt and Dan Emirzian for your help with facilities and printing! It was a very positive afternoon and another successful venture between Brooks Institute and Girl’s Inc.

Presentations run from 10am through 1pm.

The Ventura Campus houses our Film and Video Production program and our Graphic Design program.

Formerly a motion picture studio, the campus is complete with a back lot, film sets, sound stages, and computer labs for editing and graphic design.

Come by and see if Brooks Institute is the right school for you!

Please RSVP: 888-304-3456

Angel City Outcasts video shoot used with permission by Josh Kirkwood

Brooks Institute’s School of Film offers a popular elective course, PRO326 Music Video. This course was designed by faculty member Judy Trotter and taught with the support of her husband and business partner, fellow faculty member Tracy Trotter. This course is intense as students pitch, gather talent, and produce a music video to screen during a huge campus screening event during week seven of the session. I had the opportunity to speak with three students about their experiences in this course.

What was your role(s) in the creation of this music video?

Josh Kirkwood: Well I must start by saying this undertaking was a solo project. Basically everyone who has a project they want to do needs to pitch it to the class. Then the class votes on which projects get green lit. This session there could only be five projects out of ten pitched. I was not green lit. This set me back as you can imagine, but I had a really solid idea and had already spent weeks planning with the band. I could either give up the project, or be willing to accept sole responsibility for its outcome. I chose the latter.  Predominately I was, and am, the Director/Producer, but filled about a dozen or so other positions throughout the process of making this video.

Nate Wehrman: I directed the Citizen Zero music video by Machine 22.

Machine 22's Citizen Zero shoot - photo used with permission by Kenneth Keeler, photo credit: Hannah Singleton

Kenneth Keeler: My role as the director of photography was to create a visual look with the camera and the lighting based on the vision Nate had in mind for the music video.

Who worked with you on this video?

Josh Kirkwood: As I mentioned, this was a solo project and I was the only one responsible to the class for its completion. Now, this is not to say I did it alone. That would be impossible. I had a truly wonderful and talented crew working with me through the production process. Josh Smith is hands-down the best Director of Photography I’ve worked with since coming to Brooks and is a pleasure on set, despite all his sarcasm. – Haha, kidding Josh.  A few others worth mentioning are Sean White (AD), Paulo Uchoa (Brooks Alumni and Cam Op), Robert Woodward (Steadicam Op), and Melissa Dayao (1^st AC). I think I had as many as thirty people involved in the shoot as a whole so I apologize to those I’ve left out, there’s just too many. But to all of you, your work is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten.

Nate Wehrman: I worked with Kenny Keeler (DP), Timothy Ayer (Prod.), Sean Atchenson (Steady cam), Jb Jacobs (Editor), Nick Compton (AD), and Danny Kerbs (Key Grip)

How long did it take to coordinate this project before shooting began?

Josh Kirkwood: I started the preproduction stage about two weeks before the session began, so right around the end of February. I met with the band and discussed ideas to prepare for the pitch to the class. After not getting green lit, things were tough. I expected to have a producer helping me get organized, but ended up doing all of it myself. After about seven weeks of preproduction we were ready to shoot.

Nate Wehrman: Machine 22 is a band that consists of some of my best friends from back in Minnesota. This project has been brewing for the last six months but the past two have been “crunch time”.

Kenneth Keeler: We were in pre-production for about two months. That included everything from working with the band to working out dates for them to fly out that would fit their schedule and the crew’s. I met with Nate countless times to collaborate on the lighting and the camera work and at what point in the song certain effects, like the rain, would go off. While me and Nate were working out the creative aspects, producer Timothy Ayer and the rest of the production team were talking with vendors for renting film equipment, calculating the budgets to make sure we were not overspending, getting insurance and permits, and scouting locations for a junkyard. The list of how much actually went on in those two months could go one forever.

How did your group come up with ideas on who to shoot and how to put it all together?

Josh Kirkwood: For the most part the band and I came up with the story and concept for the video, but I had a lot of help from my writing partner and girlfriend Kayla Magee. Angel City Outcasts’ new album is coming out May 10^th so when I approached them about making a video to promote it, they were interested to say the least.

Nate Wehrman: I pitched the treatment that I had been perfecting for a while now to my music video class and with Kenny’s help we were able to execute my vision completely. Often you get close to what you originally envision, but it’s not quite the same. This video was EXACTLY what I pictured.

How long did it take to find locations and build sets, etc?

Josh Kirkwood: The locations were probably the most time consuming aspect of the preproduction process. We shot at the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains for the first day of shooting. We had to shoot both interiors and exteriors in just one day due to budgetary limitations. I was in constant contact with National Park Service Ranger Tony Hoffman, the film coordinator for the region, for over a month prior to the shoot. I visited the location several times to scout and plan, even once with both my DP and AD.

Nate Wehrman: Surprisingly, we found our most crucial location in two days. The stage was a different story… We had to build a stage that could retain water for the band to splash around in, and we were working on a tight budget. After numerous terrible ideas of my own, Kenny called me one day and said “Yo, I’ve got our stage problem taken care of. I’ve been playin’ with Legos since I was three.” The next day he showed me plans to build a stage using grip equipment and speed rail. the whole process took two days of heavy labor.

Kenneth Keeler: It took about a month to find a good junkyard location and as the shoot dates got closer we started to build our water stage two days before the first day of the shoot. The white set up took about two hours to set up the back drop and light the scene. On day two, when we shot at the junkyard scene we arrived two hours early so we could tell the owner where we wanted the cars placed and stacked. It took us about three hours to light the junkyard and set dress everything.

What was it like to coordinate with a working band on this project?

Josh Kirkwood: Working with Angel City Outcasts was a real privilege for me in all honesty. I’ve been a huge fan of theirs for three years or so and to have the opportunity to direct a music video for them is an honor. We met several times during the preproduction process and discussed what each party wanted out of the project in the end and I’m sure we both got it. At this point the band actually hasn’t seen the video yet, but they will soon. Right now we’re trying to organize a way to project it at their record release show at the Troubadour on May 8^th as its official unveiling.

Nate Wehrman: Like, I mentioned before, I am blessed to have such talented friends who are willing to place trust in me to shoot their first video. Since I’ve known the band most of my life, they were extremely easy to work with. Even while they were shivering from the icy water on the stage they always had smiles on their faces. Everyone on the crew commented on how personable all of them are. “They don’t want you to be a fan, they want you to be a friend” as one of the crew told me.

Kenneth Keeler: It was an amazing process. The best part about music videos is that the band has a passion for what they do just like we have a passion for what we do. That combination made it just a fun experience because they were so heavily involved in the  creation process.

About how long did post-production take after the filming was complete?

Josh Kirkwood: I spent about ten days in post-production. After shooting, I took a few days off to relax and recoup because, remember, it’s a solo project. That’s right, I prepped, organized, synched, edited, and color corrected the footage myself. Each one of those processes took about two days each.

Nate Wehrman: JB and I spent the last two weeks sleeplessly in the digital labs. The cut still isn’t quite where we want it yet, but within the next month we should have a final version just in time for the release of Machine 22’s new EP “Off The Record” – June 11th.

Kenneth Keeler: They edited the film in about a week and a half, I believe, and it took our visual effect tech, Bert Beltran, two days to do the effects.

What advice can you offer to future students who will take the music video class?

Josh Kirkwood: As far as advice for future music video projects go, I would say, “don’t be afraid of the solo project.” I realize I probably made it sound intimidating, stressful, and overwhelming. Well believe me, it was exactly that. But at the same time, I had so much fun and learned all sorts of things I would have never been exposed to if I had just latched on to another group and worked on a project I didn’t really care for. It was definitely the biggest challenge so far at Brooks, but isn’t that the point? I’ve proven to myself how strong my passion for filmmaking is and I’d like to see more students here do the same.

Nate Wehrman: If there is one thing I’ve learned from the Judy and Tracy Trotter, it is that preparation is the key to success. You must be ready for anything, because everything that you thought was going to be easy is going to find a way to throw a curveball at you.

Kenneth Keeler: The best advice I can give to future students would be: Never think your ideas are too big, and always have fun doing what you do.

L to R: VP of Academic Affairs David Litschel, AIGA Director of Chapter Development Mike Joosse, President Dr. Roger Andersen, Faculty Member Alison Nigh, Photo Credit Willie Kessle

Brooks Institute celebrated its second graduation ceremony of 2010 on Sunday, April 25. I was honored to confer Bachelor of Arts degrees to 30 students. Mike Joosse, an esteemed graphic designer and director of chapter development for AIGA (the professional association for design) served as commencement speaker. Mike earned a BGD from the College of Design at North Carolina State University and has worked in marketing and advertising in Washington, D.C. and North Carolina. For AIGA, his role is to provide resources, information, design work, planning and support for program chapters and the initiatives they undertake. Prior to becoming an AIGA staff member, he served as president of AIGA Raleigh and the presidents’ council chair on AIGA’s national board of directors. One of Mike’s key bits of advice to the graduates was to find a job where you can be happy about 85% of the time. If you are happy more than 85%,  you could become complacent; less than 85%, you will not be satisfied and become disenchanted. Following his address, I presented Mike with the Exceptional Distinction Award on behalf of Brooks Institute.

The Chile documentary group held three packed release parties. All proceeds from these events benefit earthquake relief in Chile.

Last year, a group of 16 Brooks Institute Film, Professional Photography, and Visual Journalism students along with faculty member Paul Michael Myers spent seven weeks in Chile researching  and recording the country’s culture, people, landscapes, and so much more with the vision to bring what they found back to California in the form of a documentary Book, DVD and website.

They returned and on February 27, 2010 devastation struck many of those they met and the places they traveled in the form of a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake. With some quick thinking, the group partnered with Direct Relief and turned their documentary release parties into fundraising efforts for the country they have come to admire.

Documentary co-producer Jeff Johns issued this statement, “In our efforts to partner with local NGO Direct Relief International to aid the victims and those affected by the devastating earthquake in Chile in late February 2010, we are proud to announce that with your help, and the help of the local community, to date, we raised nearly $7,000 to be sent directly to organizations on the ground in Chile. With your help, this money, which totals almost $200,000 worth of medical supplies because of partnerships DRI has with medical supply companies, we are doing an amazing job getting desperately needed help to those who need it most in the country we fell in love with. Donations are still being accepted at http://www.directrelief.org/brookschile.html.”

Be sure to also visit the Revelar los Enlaces documentary website.

After serving as a photographer in the Marine Corp, Moore decided to study fashion photography. I am proud to say that he chose Brooks Institute. He studied here in the 1950s.

See some of Moore’s work in his LA Times Obituary.

Brooks Institute Board of Trustees member & editor-in-chief of Rangefinder and AfterCapture magazines Bill Hurter shared his memory of Mr. Moore, “I knew Charles Moore from my days at American University. He, along with another friend named Arledge Armenaki, was responsible for getting me to come to Brooks.”

Mark Mosrie, President of the Alumni Association of Brooks Institute recalls meeting Mr. Moore, “[I] met him once when I was in school and he invited me to his home in Northern California. A few weeks later, I took him up on it and spent three days with him and his wife. I remember walking around his darkroom and seeing PrintFile negative sleeves containing his most famous images.

Few people make a real difference in the world through their craft but Charles Moore was one of those who did.

He was truly one of the extraordinary “Brookies” (Brooks Institute alumni) whose “passion, vision, and excellence” have changed the world.

Brooks Institute is hosting an open house this Saturday, April 17 at its Ventura Campus to feature its two new certificate programs: Digital Cinema and Wedding Photography. The open house begins at 10:00 a.m.

This open house is designed to feature the two new intensive 8-month certificate programs that Brooks Institute will be offering in May: Digital Cinema Certificate Program and Wedding Photography Certificate Program.

Faculty members from the School of Film and School of Photography will be present to discuss both programs to prospective students.

Both programs will provide students with an intensive hands-on educational experience based on professional industry standards.

To make a reservation to attend this Saturday’s open house, contact the Brooks Institute Admissions Office at 888-304-3456.

Photo Credit: Cole Smothers

On Saturday, March 27^th Director and Film student Gregory Zobel with the support of Director of Photography and Visual Journalism student Hannah Singleton, film editors and students Hayden Johnson and Chris Okula, as well as a group of student and faculty volunteers worked together to film approximately five one hour episodes of the cable access show currently titled, “Brooks Institute Spotlight.”

Among the lineup of student and alumni films profiled for the first five episodes were:

“Une Vie Mervielleuse” by Sean Broadbent

“Revelar Los Enlaces: A Brooks Institute Student Documentary of Chile” represented by Jeff Johns, Amanda Reyes and Marina Dominguez

“Morton” by Johnny Bishop

“Jessica” by Brent Rumble

“Valhalla” by Jacob Strunk

“Cabbie” by Glynn Beard & Steve Gelder

“Broken” by Doug Conant

“Heard” by Mia Shimabuku

“D. On Darox and Linda the Fox” by Melina Pizano and Simara Sousa

“Pique” by Hayden Johnson

“Spare Me!” by Chris Okula and Gregory Zobel

With the pilot episode expected to be complete this week, School of Film Program Director Glynn Beard will present it to Community Access Partners of San Buenaventura (CAPS) to receive a time slot on cable access. The group expects to deliver an hour of programming per week after the pilot premieres.

Filming for the next series of episodes is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 24^th at Brooks Institute’s Ventura campus and will feature more Brooks Institute student and alumni films.

The Alumni Association of Brooks Institute (AABI) announced the winners of their first annual Visual Arts Contest. The theme for the contest was Nature vs. Man. This contest was open to all Brooks Institute Alumni and held on the official AABI Facebook Page. They had over 60 alumni participants submit more than 100 images.

The images went through a three-tiered judging process comprised of esteemed Brooks Institute faculty and alumni. Thank you to faculty members Bruce Burkhardt, Ralph Clevenger, Chuck Place, Bob Smith, and alumnus James Neihouse for giving their time to review the images and select the winners.

Without further ado, the winners are:

1^st Place: Paul Knudsen

2^nd Place: Joe Morahan

3^rd Place: Ashley Suzanne Taylor

Runners Up:

Gina Papadakis

Kodiak Greenwood

Willa Kveta

Congratulations Brookies!

"Rodeo" Image by Emma Fernelius

Brooks Institute presents the grand opening of “Revelar los Enlaces,” a student-developed documentary of Chile. The documentary, which chronicles the country’s people, life and culture, will premier as a multi-media presentation April 8, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara. Immediately following the premier, an exhibit and artists’ reception displaying the students’ documentary prints will be held at Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27.

As the premier date approached, the Feb. 27, 2010 earthquake in Chile became a focal point for the documentary group. With relief efforts underway, the students at Brooks Institute teamed up with Direct Relief International, a California-based, non-profit organization that provides financial and medical support to those in need. All proceeds resulting in the sale of the book and DVD will be donated to help the people of Chile. The students also will be collecting donations and conducting print auctions at the three gallery opening events.

“Chile now has a home in my heart,” said visual journalism student and documentary co-producer Jeff Johns.  “I realized we have an unbelievable opportunity to use these products we created to gain attention, awareness and relief for the victims of this horrible earthquake. By turning our opening events into fund raising opportunities, we have high hopes of raising funds to immediately impact those in desperate need.”

Each year, the visual journalism program of Brooks Institute offers an international documentary trip for interested Visual Journalism, Professional Photography, Graphic Design and Film students. The class, which is staged in a different international location each year, is limited to the strongest applicants. In November and December 2009, the 16 selected students and instructor spent seven weeks in Chile. Upon their return, the students created projects to showcase their experiences from this documented trip, including a multimedia presentation, a print exhibition, Web site, book and a DVD.

Following this grand opening event on April 8 will be a special screening and multimedia presentation at Brooks Institute’s Ventura Campus Saturday, April 10 from 6 – 10 p.m.  A screening and print show will also be held at the Marriott Ventura Beach Thursday, April 15, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. Each event will be unique as the students bring their Chilean experience to Southern California.