by Rebecca Fasanello
Office Manager, Content
WNET.ORG

Latin music permeates the air of New York City: It’s in the streets, the clubs, the subways, the classroom, the concert stage, in our homes and schools. Like all the arts, it’s at once a stimulus, a playground, and a reflection of humanity. It can fire up our souls and send us soaring. Why does it have such wide appeal?

In order to explore this appeal, I helped produce these four short “interstitials” as locally-aired companion pieces to PBS’s Latin Music USA series, which premiered nationally in October 2009.

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How does the design of a cell phone, toothbrush or couch affect your life? Did you ever stop to think about it? Director Gary Hustwit (”Helvetica”) looks at our complex relationship with manufactured objects, the people who design them and the creative process behind their work. Step inside the offices of the world’s most influential product designers to see how these objects influence us — often without our even knowing it. “Objectified” premieres on Independent Lens on Tuesday, November 24 at 10pm. Inside THIRTEEN spoke with director Gary Hustwit about the film.

Q. What got you interested in going “behind the scenes” into our relationship with everyday objects?

A. You know, sometimes I just look around my apartment and think, “Where did all this stuff come from? Who made it? Why did I buy all of it? Do I really need any of it?” Just basic questions that I think we all have sometimes. I also think it’s interesting how archaeologists learn about ancient civilizations mostly through the objects they leave behind. So 100 or 1,000 years from now, what will the objects designed in our lifetime say about our culture? And I was interested in the idea that we’re having a relationship with the people who design all this stuff, through the objects themselves. Maybe it’s just me, but these are the sort of ideas I obsess over!

Q. So is this a film for design nerds? What will a non-designer learn from your film?

A. Well, we all buy and consume these objects, from computers to cars to toothbrushes. So I think we can all benefit from learning about the creative processes and thinking of the people who design them. I think it’s amazing that there’s so little public discourse about the design of all these products. In the mass media, all we get are buying guides that tout the latest crop of gadgets or whatever, but no real discussion about whether or not these things should be made, or how they’re made, or how they’ll be disposed of once we’re done using them.

Q. Is there an object that you came across during filming that particularly inspired you?

A. What inspires me the most are probably the objects we take for granted and think of as the least “designed”. Have you even noticed those toothpicks with the serrated edges on one end? Do you know why they’re there, and what the story is behind them? Like Henry Ford once said, “Every object tells a story, if you know how to read it.” So I enjoy digging into these little stories behind the hundreds of objects we touch every day, that usually go unnoticed.

Q. One of the people you profile in the film has created some of the most familiar and ever-present designs in recent memory – Jonathan Ive, the designer of the iPod, iPhone, and a slew of Apple hardware. What is the source of his inspiration and creativity?

A. I think Ive embodies some of the qualities of craftsmen from hundreds of years ago, with his complete immersion in the materials and obsessive attention to detail. He’s also very focused on the manufacturing process, and the strengths and weaknesses of producing in huge volume. His team spends as much time designing the manufacturing systems that enable them to make the objects as they spend on designing the objects themselves. That’s not very glamorous, but probably a big part of Apple’s success.

Q. Objectified is the second film of a trilogy – can you tell us a bit about your first film (Helvetica) and your plans for the next film in the series?

A. I guess I just make films about things that I want to learn more about personally. Helvetica looked at the world of fonts and graphic design, which is a subject I’m fascinated by, and one that I couldn’t believe no one had done a proper documentary on. So I’m drawn to subjects that influence our lives, but that most of us don’t really think about. The third film will follow that idea as well, but I think it’s probably more ambitious than the first two films in terms of its scope. So I’m looking forward to showing it to THIRTEEN viewers a few years from now.

Many people have big dreams, but only a few bold adventurers live them. Denis Belliveau and Francis O’Donnell took a wild idea — retrace Marco Polo’s entire 25,000-mile, land-and-sea route from Venice to China and back — and spent two years of their lives making their dream a reality. “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo” chronicles the journey of Denis — a wedding photographer — and Francis — an artist and former Marine — as they set out to follow Polo’s historic route. “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo” airs Thursday, November 19 at 8 p.m. but you can also watch it online now. Inside THIRTEEN spoke with Denis and Francis about their incredible journey.

Q. So what made you and Denis decide to go on a 25,000-mile trip to retrace Marco Polo’s journey?

Francis: Well the main reason is that no one had ever retraced Marco Polo’s entire route, several Expeditions tried and failed for a lot of different reasons. Plus we love art, history, travel & adventure. What better way than to follow the path of the world’s greatest traveler? How often are you confronted with an opportunity like that?

Denis: Also there has always been controversy regarding Polo’s account. Even in his own lifetime he gained the nickname Il millione, which means the man of a million unbelievable stories! So we took his book and used it as our guide. What we would do is go to the city, place or town that Polo wrote about and try to find the things he mentioned seven hundred years ago, and see for ourselves whether his account rings true!
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No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos tells the story of two Hungarian film students who escaped communist Hungary in 1956, with little more than a camera and a shopping bag full of film. Over the next 50 years, Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond would reinvent Hollywood movies for an entire generation, shooting some of the most notable films in American cinematic history: The Deer Hunter; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Deliverance; Paper Moon; Five Easy Pieces; What’s Up, Doc; New York, New York; Heaven’s Gate; Frances; and dozens more. The two also maintained an iron-clad friendship along the way.

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos premieres on Independent Lens on Tuesday, November 17th at 9 p.m. Inside THIRTEEN spoke with the film’s director, James Chressanthis.

Q. Was it intimidating for you to film two men who practically defined a genre of American cinema?

A. Though I am an experienced cinematographer (2 Emmy® Nominations, Additional Photography on the Oscar-winning Chicago) it was a daunting task. I felt a great responsibility to get their story right while doing justice to their amazing canon of work.

Q. So why profile Laszlo and Vilmos? Why now?

A. I met Laszlo first as a student then apprenticed to Vilmos early in my career as a cinematographer. I saw them together during the filming of The Witches of Eastwick (1987) commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and said to myself: “What an amazing story, someone should do that.” However, the stars and circumstances did not align until twenty years later when I decided to do the film in 2006. I believe their fiercely independent artistic approach, coupled with an optimistic faith in themselves, was the reason they had such an impact on American cinema. In their story, I believe young people can see a path to their own future in these uncertain times which is ripe for new innovative ways of making films.

Q. Laszlo and Vilmos worked on classics like Easy Rider, Deliverance, Paper Moon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to name a few … which of their films inspire you the most, and why?

A. McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Paper Moon, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Frances, The Deer Hunter are some of my favorites. All share the trait of portraying unique individual stories without romanticizing their characters and without sentimentality. At their best, the films of both cinematographers achieve what Vilmos Zsigmond calls Poetic Realism.

Q. What challenges did you face making the film?

A. Dealing with the staggering number of masterpieces or notable films they each shot; structuring the film which has several layers/storylines: The Hungarian Revolution; the struggle of two outsider immigrants trying to achieve the American dream; the change in American cinema and how Laszlo & Vilmos were critical to the “American New Wave”; and most importantly the evolution of a deep friendship that spanned more than fifty years.

Q. How did you get access not only to Laszlo and Vilmos, but all the other big names featured in the film – Dennis Hopper, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Jon Voight, and others?

A. All these film artists have a great love of their craft and for their two colleagues and they were very generous with their time. All participants wished to correct the record, so that history will recognize the terrific contribution Laszlo & Vilmos made to our movies.

I wish to thank not only the those mentioned but also give a shout out to Sandra Bullock, John Williams, Richard Donner, Graeme Clifford, Allen Daviau, Owen Roizman, Haskell Wexler, Sharon Stone and the late “Grindhouse King” Ray Dennis Steckler. For me the unanticipated pleasure was having so many wonderful conversations with filmmakers I have been influenced by and admire.

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.

Paula Kerger – President and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) – returned “home” to WNET.ORG on October 21st to address the Board of Directors of the Friends of THIRTEEN. Kerger, who began her public broadcasting career at THIRTEEN, was the keynote speaker in a meeting that also featured presentations by WNET.ORG President and CEO, Neal Shapiro, and WNET.ORG Vice President for Education, Ron Thorpe.

Kerger is a familiar face in the halls of WNET.ORG’s headquarters in midtown Manhattan. During her 13-year tenure with public television in New York, she held a series of leadership positions and was instrumental in overseeing the growth and diversification of THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and their many channels and services. In 2006, she was serving as WNET’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer when she was tapped to become the head of PBS in Washington. Read More …

Allan Miller has produced and directed over 35 films and television programs around the world, documenting some of the most important musical events of the last two decades. He has won 2 Academy Awards: best Feature Length Documentary for his 1979 film “FROM MAO TO MOZART - Isaac Stern in China,” and in 1975 for “THE BOLERO,” best short feature, with Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “SMALL WONDERS,” the story of a violin program in the public schools of East Harlem, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996. His newest film, YOU CANNOT START WITHOUT ME – Valery Gergiev – Maestro, a co-production of Thirteen in association with White Nights Foundation of America and WNET.ORG premieres at Symphony Space on November 2nd thru Nov 7th 2009 with Sunday screenings on Nov 8th, 15th and 22nd. The film is an intimate portrait of Russian dynamo Valery Gergiev, one of the leading conductors of our time. The film moves between rehearsal and performance sequences in major capitals around the world, and provides a glimpse of Gergiev’s demanding life as administrator of the enormous Mariinsky theater in St. Petersburg. Read More …

In the latest installment of New York on the Clock, Carlos Sarabia starts work when most people are asleep. He drives to Long Island City to pick up his breakfast cart and sets it up down the block from Thirteen’s offices. Among his faithful customers is Daniel Greenberg, executive producer of New York on the Clock, who realized the crucial but often unnoticed role coffee plays in the city. After talking with Carlos and hearing about his long hours and his efforts to raise his son, who is headed into the U.S. Air Force, Daniel suggested the New York on the Clock team go out and conduct an interview.

Thirteen.org: How long have you been going to Carlos?

Daniel Greenberg: I’ve been getting coffee every work day from Carlos for nearly four years.

Thirteen.org: What do you order from him?

DG: I start every morning with a large coffee, “light and sweet.” I can’t resist his pastries; they’re all delicious, and I have a sweet tooth. On Mondays I order a chocolate glazed doughnut. On Tuesdays I order a chocolate chip muffin. On Wednesdays I order a bear claw. On Thursdays, a French cruller and on Fridays, a blueberry muffin. Occasionally I order egg and cheese on a roll when I want something healthier…lol!

Thirteen.org: Why is Carlos important to New York City?

DG: Coffee is integral to the daily life of practically every New Yorker. Without coffee, the subways wouldn’t run, teachers would fall asleep in class, cops wouldn’t catch robbers, dogs wouldn’t chase squirrels - the city would grind to a halt. Coffee’s what makes the city run on time. Carlos supplies the fuel.

Thirteen.org: Why did you choose Carlos as a subject for New York on the Clock?

DG: After going to him every morning for 4 years, Carlos is, as they say in Spanish, “mi hermano” - like a brother. He and I talk everyday, about our families, our work, everything. Choosing to film Carlos was insprired by a conversation about his workday. I was blown away by his dedication to his business and to his family - he wakes up every morning at 1:30 am and doesn’t get home until 3pm - I have a lot of respect for Carlos.

Thirteen.org: What’s in store for upcoming New York on the Clock episodes?

DG: We have so many great and diverse New York characters coming up. We’re very excited about all of our profiles, including a hairdresser in Brooklyn, a street artist in Greenwich Village, and a tech-savvy mohel.

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Watch Carlos Sarabia and more original videos about the people who make New York tick at New York on the Clock.

The second season of the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning series Craft in America , a filmed journey of the history, artists and techniques of the nation’s rich craft culture, continues the excursion into the diverse and ever-evolving world of American craft. Season two premiere on THIRTEEN on Wednesday, October 7 at 8 pm with “Origins” and “Process.” Inside THIRTEEN spoke with Carol Sauvion, the creator and co-executive producer of Craft in America, and a potter in her own right.

Q. Many of the crafts that you explore – pottery, beadworking, blacksmithing – are rooted in hundreds of years of American history. What are some ways that these craft traditions are passed down from generation to generation?

As potter Mark Hewitt says in the “Origins” episode of the new Craft in America series, the best way to pass craft traditions down is through family. He is referring to Jugtown Pottery on Seagrove, North Carolina, where Travis Owens, a fourth generation potter receives information from his father. Through working with his parents and being surrounded with early North Carolina pots, Travis will learn methods of making pots and firing the kiln that are the product of generations of experimentation and knowledge.

This method of passing down information exists in many craft practices, from bead working to quilt making to woodworking.

Q. You do you own craft, in a way, by creating the “Craft in America” series; but is there a craft you’ve come across during your production work that you wished you could do?

After producing two seasons of Craft in America, I know that filmmaking is definitely a craft and I have enjoyed learning it. Filmmaking reminds me of craft production because several people – the producer, director, director of photography, assistant cameraman, sound recordist, gaffer, grip, and editor - collaborate on a film, each bringing skills and artistry to the project. The collaboration and dedication to the final product are reminiscent of the processes craft workshops have used for thousands of years.

I have made pottery since 1969, when I learned to throw on the wheel and fell in love with clay. However, producing the Craft in America series has brought me into the studios of many artists working in the other craft mediums of wood, glass, metal and fiber. I have felt a strong attraction to weaving after visiting the studio of Jim Bassler, who is featured in the “Origins” episode. Jim pares weaving down to its most simple form. I would love to learn discontinuous weave, the technique he is now using, which, as he says, only requires two sticks and thread. It is quite different from the complicated, and I think, difficult process of setting up a loom. If I could learn to weave, I would also want to learn wedge weave, anther technique Jim uses that allows for diagonal weaving. Jim learned this technique from studying Navajo rugs.

Q. We live in an age where most of the everyday objects around us are produced quickly and cheaply. Do you think that the traditional ways of handmade crafting are in danger of dying out?

Rather than dying out, I think there are several reasons why traditional crafting techniques are experiencing a rebirth now, at the beginning of the 21st century.

The first and most important reason is the universal urge to create that seems stronger than ever in this time of political and financial uncertainty. People, and especially young people, are turning to handwork for emotional and economic reasons.

Making something by hand gives one a sense of accomplishment and individuality that buying something does not. As Scott, the violin maker in the “Process” episode says, it is amazing to start with a piece of wood and end up with a violin.

In this time of disconnection with the sources of the objects we use, it is wonderful to make something by hand and incorporate that personal expression into our lives.

Q. So what inspires people in this day and age to pursue a career in craft? Is there a particularly inspiring story from your series that comes to mind?

There are several factors that inspire people to pursue a career in the crafts. A person who decides to work with their hands has the satisfaction of being able to express their creativity in a life that offers independence. In the “Process” episode of the new Craft in America series, Miguel Gomez Ibanez at the North Bennet Street School says it is quite different to finish a workday having made something as opposed to finishing the day having returned any number of phone calls.

Craft objects, the physical manifestations of the artist’s creativity, stand as a positive force that enriches the lives of the people who acquire them. If the objects are functional, the owners interact with them in a way that changes and humanizes their lives. The sense of touch is important to both the maker and the user of these objects. Touch is the one of our seven senses that is all but missing from contemporary experience.

Additionally, artists making craft objects are a part of the continuum that started with the first humans who learned to use tools to make things to improve their daily lives. This continuum, which is present in the pots, quilts, glass vessels, jewelry, ironwork, furniture, books and clothing being produced by craft artists today, is a vital part of who we are as a culture. In addition, the traditions of ornamentation and embellishment that accompanied the earliest crafts also exist today in objects that may not have a functional purpose but are created to inspire or satisfy emotional needs.

Eudorah Moore, who was instrumental in presenting the crafts in California in the last decades of the 20th century, commissioned a book entitled Craftsman’s Lifestyle: The Gentle Revolution. The last thing I’d like to mention is the importance of the lifestyle that accompanies a career in the crafts. Independence and an environment filled with beauty are essential elements of the craft artist’s world. The relationships a craft artist has with friends and family are the cornerstones of a community that thrives on creativity and independence. That means a lot nowadays.

In the latest installment of New York on the Clock, Chris Baker pilots tugboats for Staten Island-based McAllister Towing, one of New York City’s two towing outfits. Back in May, New York on the Clock producer Daniel Ross joined Captain Baker as vessels from the United States and Canadian Navies called to port for Fleet Week 2009. Captain Baker’s tug, the Rosemary Ellis, helped dock the U.S.S. Iwo Jima, an 844-ft Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the U.S.S. Roosevelt, a 500-ft Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Q. In the film, there are scenes that take place from sunrise to sunset … so how long were you on the boat?

We met the McAllister crew at their headquarters on Staten Island around 3 in the morning. An hour later we motored out into the harbor to meet inbound ships. We stayed on the boat the rest of the day, and called back to headquarters around 7pm.

Q. How busy is Captain Baker’s workday? Were there long periods of just sitting there, waiting for boats to dock?

Captain Baker was asleep when we boarded the Rosemary McAllister. His first mate piloted the boat until about sunrise, at which point Captain Baker took over. He remained in command throughout the day.

Q. What kind of ships does Captain Baker dock? How long does it take to dock a ship?

The range of ships that Captain Baker docks varies. Like he says in the video, he never really knows from day to day. He gets a call and goes out to meet the ship. His ship, the Rosemary McAllister, was like the top of the line boat, so he can really tow almost anything. Of course, the really big ships require more than one tug to guide them to port.

Q. Was it very difficult filming on the water? What kind of challenges did you face?

It wasn’t difficult filming on the water. The tugboat was large enough that it didn’t pitch much. Nothing like trying to film from a dinghy like we did for The City Concealed: North Brother Island. In hindsight, I think the biggest challenge — or maybe oversight on our part — was getting a variety of sounds. The engines on the boat are extremely powerful and extremely loud, so throughout the piece you get a constant drone that doesn’t offer much in the way of dynamic audio.

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Watch Captain Chris Baker and more original films about the people that make New York tick at New York on the Clock.