As the world remembers the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, watch “After the Fall,” which aired on PBS’ Global Voices in 2008. The film is a portrait of modern Berlin, recounting the story and disappearance of the most absurd of the world’s constructions: the Berlin Wall.
WNET.ORG correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with Donald G. McNeil, Jr., Science and Health Reporter at The New York Times, about President Obama’s declaration of a H1N1 national emergency, and the reports of shortages of the H1N1 vaccine.
For more on how the H1N1 “swine flu” virus is affecting New York, please visit our comprehensive website that features the latest news from across the PBS spectrum as well as original reports from the field.
Laura Berning earns a living by knocking on strangers’ doors and asking to peek inside. She’s scouted and managed locations for major Hollywood motion pictures, including Quiz Show, Donnie Brasco, and Spider-Man 2. Generally, Laura sticks to scouting Manhattan, snapping photos and putting together location files for directors to review. She’s the subject of the latest installment of the thirteen.org original video series “New York on the Clock.” Inside THIRTEEN spoke with Daniel Ross, a producer of the series, about his experience on location with Laura Berning.
Q. During the course of your shoot, did you come across a location with Laura where you thought, “Damn. I’d love to film something else here someday…”
A. We visited a roof terrace at Rockefeller Center (which you see in the piece). It’s actually a really strange spot, about 10 stories above the street, dominated by sleek skyscrapers, pre-war office buildings, and the steeples of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Q. As a filmmaker yourself, do you have the same eye as Laura when it comes to scouting locations? Or does she have a different way that she looks at places?
A. Laura’s scouting is a bit different than what I encounter when shooting. Usually, I shoot where I have to — a subject’s workplace, home, hangout, etc. I don’t really get to choose. When I do sit-down interviews with a subject, I get to frame him or her with the background I want, but it still has to come from a location that’s part of the subject’s life. Laura works in fiction, so she has the good fortune (or curse) to be more choosy. She can also imagine a location’s potential after set and production design
inevitably alter it from its natural state.
Q. Has Laura’s job changed a lot since she started in the business 15 years ago?
A. Now that we’re in a severe recession, Laura says, buildings and homeowners are less likely to offer bargain deals for permission to shoot their locations. While more places are opening their doors to film productions as an added source of revenue, the ability of studios to negotiate low shooting fees has decreased.
Despite polls that showed Michael Bloomberg with a double-digit lead in New York City’s mayoral election, the incumbent squeaked by Comptroller William Thompson to win a third term as mayor Tuesday night. With 100% of New York City precincts reporting, Bloomberg edged out Thompson, the Democratic challenger, by 51 percent to 46 percent. Bloomberg becomes the fourth mayor of New York City to serve at least three terms.
What do you think of Mayor Bloomberg’s victory? Are three terms too much? Please post your comments below.
This Thursday at 9 p.m. on THIRTEEN, New York Governor David Paterson will appear in a special town hall meeting to answer questions from New Yorkers about the economic climate in the state.
Got a question for the governor? Submit your question to Gov. Paterson in our comments section below — it may be asked in Thursday’s town-hall meeting.
Submission deadline: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m.
