From: Steve Polta (email suppressed)
Date: Tue Aug 05 2008 - 12:09:12 PDT
More specifically, for anyone out there who has not heard, the mighty Film Arts Foundation, major supporter of independent film production (and experimental production to some degree) to filmmakers in the Bay Area and beyond, has basically closed its doors and suspended most of its operations. It's my understanding that they still exist as a fiscal sponsor and production mentor (for sponsors) but... no more publications, no more classes, no more equipment for checkout, no more resource library, no more tape library, no more festival.
I do not know the specific details as to what happened. They seem to have lost focus a few years back during some executive level transitions but I cannot point to any reason or person who can be blamed for this (although I'm certain a fair number of people can).
Over the last couple of months the main project of Film Arts has been its own liquidation: resolving accounts, dumping furniture, finding a home for its archive and yes, selling equipment. Alain's statement ("FAF is selling...") is slightly misstated; it properly should read "FAF has sold...". There was a public sale maybe a month ago and seemingly *everything* "went" (i.e. was offered): everything from full on sync-sound rigs to abjected regular-8 splicers; Nagras, lenses, projectors, booms, headphones, you name it (I picked up a motorized super-8 viewer and a bitchin' projector stand). Not for sale (at the public sale) was such gear as Steenbeck's, dubbers, mixing room gear (FAF had a sound studio with sound-proof booth), optical printers. This stuff was not for sale but I'm pretty sure it is gone--sold, donated, who knows; dunno if it's to good homes or bad but it seems to be, for the moment at least, not collectively available. Probably in private
hands or some more restrictive commercial (or non-profit) ownership. But I dunno.
Where to get on a Steenbeck in San Francisco? Where to get on an optical printer? These are the questions people are asking. I do not know the answers. Where does one get on an optical printer in other cities? I know that in Escondido CA where I grew up (and likely all of San Diego County) for example, the likelihood of accessing a $30 a day Steenbeck would be an utter impossibility. It's a very sad deal.
(Of course, to take an alternate viewpoint, I suspect that recent use of FAF's Steenbeck and optical printer had dropped significantly in recent years due to the rise of video-based filmmaking and the ease of home editing and effect-making. I was always kind of amazed that they kept it all around as long as they did...).
Steve Polta
--- On Tue, 8/5/08, 40 Frames <email suppressed> wrote:
> From: 40 Frames <email suppressed>
> Subject: Re: optical printer available in san francisco????
> To: email suppressed
> Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 10:31 AM
> FAF is selling there 16mm post production equipment or....
> can you be more
> specific?
>
> Alain
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 12:46 AM, k. a.r.
> <email suppressed> wrote:
>
> > Huh. so I just found some emails about Film arts
> selling off all their
> > gear???
> >
> > So, where can one go to use a steenbeck and an optical
> printer in san
> > francisco?
> > any ideas????
> > any info much appreciated,
> > sincerely,
> > kristie
> >
> >
> > Kristie Reinders, B.F.A.
> > Director of Cinematography, Electric Visions
> > Curator and Head Projectionist, Electric Mural Project
> > The Mission, San Francisco, CA
> >
> > 'A first class technician should work best under
> pressure.'
> > - - - Issac Asimov
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > Your PC, mobile phone, and online services work
> together like never before.
> > See how Windows(R) fits your
> life.<http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/108587394/direct/01/>
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info
> > on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> 40 FRAMES
> Alain LeTourneau
> Pamela Minty
> 425 SE 3rd #400
> Portland, OR 97214
> United States
>
> +1 503 231 6548
> info(at)40frames(dot)org
> http://www.40frames.org
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.