Intern at Bigfoot!

Liam is a new editor intern at Bigfoot, working under Fashion TV. He's been here just three weeks, and is working in our 6-month program. Liam says he likes working at Bigfoot because you get involved in projects as soon as you arrive. In editing you can edit so many different ways; it's very creative and you start to figure out your style. In a way, the internship is a test run for the real world of filmmaking.
Prior to coming to Bigfoot, Liam had graduated from filmschool and worked on a few shorts in London. In the Fashion TV editing suite, Liam gets a taste of Filipino culture - the Filipino editors break out in song and it makes you want to add a bass line to accompany them. The country is quite famous for Karaoke (it's practically the national sport), and Liam notes that even a waitress in a restaurant will sing as she serves you.
An interesting thing Liam has found in Cebu is getting used to the transport system. "You have to make your own way" - Jeepneys and taxis take a while to get used to but it's worth the effort of learning to use the system. Then, you're free to roam about Mactan Island and Cebu city.
You can apply for the internship program here.

What's shot at IAFT

As a 101 project, Taiwo Badejo shot and edited this cheeky short about trying to get a girl and removing all obstacles in the way of doing so. Great work Taiwo!
Other work from the International Academy of Film and Television can be found on the IAFT website or on their youtube channel.

Education and Work

Brian Valdez came all the way from Dallas, Texas to the International Academy of Film and Television over a year ago and truly made his mark in that time. Not only did he win the award for best thesis film (in 16mm no less!) but he has been working the past four months as assistant production coordinator on Bigfoot's latest feature film project Tears From Afar. Brian has nearly finished his work with Tears, as we call it back at the studios, and the last major shots are currently being filmed in the south of Viet Nam. Congratulations Brian, and best wishes for Los Angeles!

Click here for further information about Brian and the International Academy of Film and Television.

201

Warning: explicit language, gore



At the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) students complete a series of projects in their studies. At the end of the basic level the 101 students or 101's do their "MOS" which is a film without dialogue. The 301's get to do a final thesis project and go all-out in terms of cast and locations and equipment used. The 201's are in between but nowhere near forgotten. They do great work and come out with quirky films like the one above, Beat Sushi Sushi. For more student films, visit the IAFT youtube channel.

Tears from Afar: drama

Bigfoot is on the loose and shooting a new film called Tears From Afar. This film will shoot in the Philippines, Viet Nam and even Florida. Here is a serious look at at the film.


The first two shots are of our Vietnamese lead Thanh.


Bebe plays a victim of human trafficking in the film.


Thanh is shocked as he enters.


Here's an epic look at production designer John Sabato and producer Ashley Jordan. John looks just like Indiana Jones with that groovy hat of his!


Jimmy engineering sound.


Crazy Filmmaker Program students (of the International Academy of Film and Television) film Behind-the-scenes on the feature as part of their program.

Photography by Johannes Bichmann

New IAFT images

The International Academy of Film and Television is rebranding itself with a series of more captivating images of student life and of life around Cebu. These are a few in the running for this new branding.

Esta salsa es muy caliente!

Part of the fun of being in a big company with folks of many talents are the intermittent courses and workshops you can take. A few weeks ago, I took part in an acting course and more recently a Salsa dancing class led by Meredith. I'll even be teaching a a photography masterclass starting next week! Above, Daphne enjoys some latin sounds.

Meredith sets the example through the mirror.


We straightened out Keith's feet over 5 weeks. Now, there's a distinguishable right & left :-)


Keith is grateful!


photography by michalgarcia.com

DILIM

DILIM is an IAFT student film directed by Chino, shot as his thesis film. It will be showing at the end of next term (about 9 weeks from now). Plot synopsis: Two American soldiers befriend a Filipino soldier and find themselves invited for dinner - a dinner for cannibals. The protagonist, played by James Farrel, finds himself a prisoner of the cannibals as they attempt to convert him to cannibalism. Yum! Pass the sausages :-)



This doll was a prop in the film and had the freakiest eyes you've ever seen!


This is the interior and exterior of the house we shot at.


photography by Joel Gana and michalgarcia.com

Say hello to my little friend!

We have a new friend in the marketing department. Just outside on our balcony, this cute spider of unknown variety keeps us safe from the mozzies.

It's not very small, but is very welcome :-)

If you know what kind of spider this is, leave a comment!

Congratulations Graduates!

Twelve more students are now graduates of the International Academy of Film and Television, which had its graduation ceremony this past Saturday. Graduates of the program hail from the Philippines, the United States, India, and Holland. Some of the graduates are returning home, while others have been employed at Bigfoot Entertainment with a new film currently titled "Tears From Afar" which begins production Monday. In addition, some of their thesis films which were screened at their graduation will be submitted to festivals around the globe. You can view some of the unsubmitted films online here.


Mentor Jeff Bacon squeezes in between a few of the graduates on this festive occasion.

Acting with IAFT

Last night was the end-of-term performance for Alex Murphy's acting course, part of the curriculum at the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT). Both students and current interns took part in the monologues and scenes performed at our dance studio.

In this shot, Samim is preparing to act out a torture seminar by Begosian. To start the performance, we shout a response:
We are here at Bigfoot...our acting careers have gone kaput!
Alex is helping to change our lives...We've gotten rid of girlfriends boyfriends wives
We love to do monologues and dance, Alex is building our confidence!

The nine week term ended with a bang. Here are a few pictures of the action:


Alex Murphy is no Robocop, but he teaches a mean acting class! Here he's giving last-minute direction before the final performance.


Niko performing Begosian's "The Fan"

Annu bustin' out Hamlet's "to be or not to be" speech.

Angela rehearses a scene from "Jawbreaker" before the performance.

Meredith and Tra perform a scene from the play "A whole house full of babies."

Olaf performs a killer rendition of Tyler Durden from "Fight Club"

Annu is a drunken pastor imitating bacon frying. Abstract, but extremely funny!
photography by michalgarcia.com

Wheels of Innovation

Sat down with Bill Gardner and listened to his discussion of what CRAZY Filmmaker Program is as well as his history here in Bigfoot Entertainment and its academic arm, International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT).

The program essentially as I see it, targets the edgier side of creativity. Most of the time filmmakers and everyone involved are trapped into conventions and niches of what works and what viewers generally accept. And yet time and time again, audiences have grown smarter. They’ve become very capable of predicting how the story turns out, how the characters develop.

We are in an age of predictable entertainment.

I assume the CRAZY Filmmaker program addresses this on many fronts. Currently, IAFT has a one-year immersion program but the newly offered program requires a two-year immersion – that’s hardcore. Touching on the crafts of creating Fashion Television shoots, TVCs and even public service announcements. And to cap off the program, as mentioned by Bill, the students would be involved in a feature film production within Bigfoot.

I have nothing but an optimist’s outlook on the possibilities of such a program. To create a slew of new-age filmmakers bending conventions, going against the status quo’s of superheroes and CGI enriched feature films.

Mind you, I’m not in total disagreement of such an approach in filmmaking, neither do I desire to disparage the efforts of our modern day film artists – but don’t you just want something new?

Movies and TV shows have become stale throughout the years. Has creativity died with innovation? Suddenly Hollywood realized there’s more money to be made on action flicks and linear storylines drowned with ennui.

Perhaps this CRAZY filmmaker program that Michael Gleissner conceptualized could be the new primordial creative boom the global film industry’s been waiting for – too far fetched you say? It could be CRAZY enough to work.

To commemorate the program's edginess and creative openness, posted the vid that made me go gaga for everything CRAZY.