Film 16 Tour – Bad Honnef

On October 18, 2012, the students woke up at 10:00am and were brought to Bad Honnef by bus. We arrived at a small house in the Suburbs and had no idea what to expect. A small, elderly man who held a film development company in his own house met us and we were very surprised to learn that he had built all of his own equipment as well as the cameras. His name was Mr. Rings and he lived with his wife and Chihuahua in a reasonably sized home. We were invited into his little paradise and began the tour of his facilities. Mr. Rings told us about how he developed his own solution for developing film and that the scientists at Canon said that it was the most efficient way they’d ever seen. The students were really surprised to learn about his technique and homemade studio.
Mr. Rings started out as an architect but later learned that he had a love for film development. He started out as an actor and director before he started building the unique machines to develop film. He also built his own house by himself. When he looked at how film was originally processed he believed that there was a much easier way to do so. So he put his talented hands to work. He applied his aptitude for architecture to film technology as he can picture every part and process in his mind without writing it down. With this talent he built developing machines, his own film cameras, and various other film equipment. It was very important to him to work economically: his machines use less electricity because they are smaller and he uses the minimum temperature needed – in contrast to bigger companies like Kodak. Also, his machines heat up faster so he can save time. Mr. Rings does everything – every single step of the development process – by himself and with the help of his loving wife.
The students were amazed at his talent and technique; we had never seen something like this before. Mr. Rings’ studio was called Film 16 and he has made a profit by developing local films in the city. His work is known throughout Bonn and Köln within the film community and is understood as one of the greatest mechanics and inventors in the area. After giving the students a short introduction on his work, he brought us downstairs to his lab. There we viewed his personal cameras and equipment for editing film. He cuts in complete darkness in order to avoid exposing the film. Since he has been doing this for over thirty years, Mr. Rings is now an expert at his profession. He also built a machine that was originally built for developing black and white film and uses it to develop color film. He simply made a few adjustments. We ventured into the developing room and were taught about the different chemicals and machinery that he used in order to develop film in the most time efficient way.
Mr. Rings has made a large profit on his business, however, that is not the reason he continues his work. It is out of pure love and passion for the art of film that he continues, even as a seventy-year-old man. In his free time he relaxes with his wife, whom also helps with the developing and cutting process, gardens, and enjoys his time in the countryside. Herr Rings has created a revolutionary system for film development and soon will pass on his knowledge to future generations, including the Loyola Marymount film students. He left us with a bit of wisdom: You can achieve every goal or dream you have if you’re curious and passionate about what you do. Everything is possible.
Written by Kate Remsen

Host Families

It has been over three months since I’ve been abroad, living in a foreign country away from not only America but also my family and friends. Having been raised in Maryland and then choosing to go to school 3000 miles away was a tough decision. I grew up in a really tight-knit family. People used to ask me if I went so far away to college to get away from my family; that couldn’t be further from the truth. I would call my parents nearly every day in college and we all take great efforts to see each other. That being said, I was still a bit nervous to be away for so long. I would have no phone for calls and texts, my parents hadn’t learned to master Skype before I left and I knew I couldn’t come home for Thanksgiving. I was in tears the night before I left and cried the whole plane ride to Germany. Now as I have a few weeks remaining, I’m feeling nervous again. Documentary aside, I am nervous about leaving the people I have come to refer to as my family.
One of the things I love most about Bonn is my amazing host family, the Kölbs. I am a part of a family of four: Hilde (Mom), Helm (Dad), Daria (18 year old sister) and Kolja (12 year old brother). I cannot say enough nice things about them. Hilde helped me find the subject for my documentary, makes some of the best dinners I’ve ever had, and goes on runs with me. We even ran a 5km race together! Helm has some of the best taste in music and has shown me examples of it. I grew up as the youngest in my family of my siblings so it is nice to have a younger sister and brother. Daria and I go out to clubs together, go shopping in Köln and watch the show Vampire Diaries together. Last but not least is Kolja. He is the spunkiest and funniest kid. I went to his basketball game one Sunday and he totally impressed me. I think he was glad I came too. We have also played Xbox and he taught me to play Rummy. In all, I don’t think my study abroad experience would have been the same without them. They make me feel like a member of the family and not just a guest.
The experience of living with a host family can seem daunting; it’s a awkward moment when you first meet the people you will be living, eating, sharing stories with. My advice to any one traveling abroad is to get to know your family. Spend time listening to their stories and learn from them. Just because we come from different countries and speak different languages, families are important no matter where you go.
Written by Hannah Finlayson

Karneval: The Sunday of a Lifetime

Did you realize that Cologne has in fact five seasons? And I grew up for years in Chicago thinking that four was enough, but then I came here and realized what we’ve all been missing out on. In November of every year, Cologne kicks off it’s fifth season called Carnival at 11:11am on 11/11. It’s one day of complete and utter craziness with costumes, singing, dancing, etc. The Carnival season is then suspended during Advent and Christmas and apparently the real craziness happens during the picks up for a week of crazy days between Fat Thursday and Ash Wednesday. This year, November’s Carnival fell on a Sunday at the end of our shooting weeks, so thankfully I was back in time to partake in the festivities.
My tale starts the night before though, when I was figuring out what to wear. From everything I heard this was like Halloween on steroids and I didn’t want to disappoint the Germans. Unfortunately all I had was my dirndl, the traditional Bavarian dress from Oktoberfest, to wear and although I’ve fallen in love with the style I thought I would need something more for this festivity. So, during dinner with my host family they asked if I would be dressing up for Carnival and I told them all I had was my dirndl. After dinner they brought out a children’s wig for me to try on, an orange Pippy Longstocking wig, one that barely fit on my head. When that failed, my host mom went upstairs to give me one of her orange jackets she said would at least keep me warm and always be easy to find in a crowd. Instead she came down with a clown costume that I gladly took instead. She asked if I had anything to paint my face with and I told her I could use some eyeliner. She looked at me as if I was crazy- although that’s nothing new-, went back upstairs and came down with face paint. Clearly I was now set for Carnival! Host family for the win.
The next morning I woke up nice and early, put on my clown face and walked out the door. There were a bunch of AIB students and workers all going to Carnival so we all took trains over to Cologne together. It was literally the most packed train I’ve ever been on. Crowds upon crowds of people in different costumes stuffed into all the train cars, I didn’t think we were even going to fit at first. Half an hour later we arrived at Cologne’ Hauptbahnhof (main station) and walked over to the main square where the big countdown at 11:11 was going to happen. All the costumes were so entertaining to see, it was so much better than Halloween. Everyone was so merry and excited, you couldn’t help but feel the happiness in the air. The mass of people in the square was overwhelming. I could barely see a thing, at one point I got on a friend’s shoulders so I could see the stage and the immensity of the place. Honestly I wish I could remember when it became 11:11, I think I kind of missed the actual moment. We were all just dancing around and talking and then suddenly it became 11:30. We did get to sing some of the traditional Carnival songs though. The AIB had given us a CD of Carnival songs, but I didn’t have anytime to listen to it during shooting weeks so the only thing I knew was part of the chorus to “Viva Colonia”. It was so much fun though, definitely a good way to unwind after nearly 9 straight days of shooting and traveling.
Once we left the main square we walked through the streets of Cologne, where I couldn’t resist getting a gelato cone, before we ended up at a dance club. I’ve never gone to a club so early in the day, but it was a blast. They played a mixture of American songs we all knew plus Carnival songs that we just gathered in a circle and kicked to! We essentially danced the afternoon away and then headed back to Bonn on a late afternoon train. The day was so fun and memorable, but the long hours of shooting were finally wearing down on me and this clown needed a nap.
Written by Sarah Bush

Leipzig Documentary Festival

The students met early in the morning and took a long bus ride to the city of Leipzig. We didn’t know much about the city but had a small idea of what we were going to do there: visit a world famous documentary festival. Leipzig became known as the “Stadt der Helden” (City of Heroes) for its leading role in the 1989 democratic revolution. Its residents organized protests against the communist regime in May of that year; by October, hundreds of thousands were taking to the streets, placing candles on the steps of Stasi headquarters and attending peace services at the Nikolaikirche. By the time the secret police got round to pulping their files, Leipzigers were partying in the streets, and they still haven’t stopped – from late winter street-side cafés open their terraces, and countless bars and nightclubs keep the beat going through the night.
The students arrived to our little hostel, The Sleepy Lion, and prepared to go meet a tour guide for a small city tour. We learned about the city’s role in World War II, famous composers, and various historical sites. The city was quaint and had character; the weather was absolutely freezing. Afterwards, we prepared for our first documentary screening. It was the first of the festival so the opening ceremony was dramatic and moving. The documentary was called Are You Listening? And was about a small village in Bangladesh suffering from the drastic weather conditions. It was a fantastic kick off to our weekend.
DOK Leipzig is a mayor international film festival that takes place annually in Leipzig. It presents the best new animated and documentary films from over 50 countries. Every year, thousands of spectators from Germany and the rest of the world discover around 350 extraordinary, thrilling and artistically outstanding films in its twelve cinemas. The film festival was founded in 1955 under the name “1st All-German Leipzig Festival of Cultural and Documentary Films” and was the first independent film festival in East Germany. In 1995 a separate competition for animated films was added and in 2004 a film industry program, DOK Industry, was initiated to allow a networking and contact platform for industry professionals. Shortly after German reunification attendance figures dropped, with just 5,500 people coming in 1993; however, they quickly picked up and in 2008 the festival had more than 27,000 attendees.
The next morning we were free to have breakfast and explore the city, as well as seeing a few documentaries; all students were required to see at least four, but many of us were excited and saw more. At lunchtime, we had the opportunity to meet the president of the festival. He was gracious enough to meet us and describe his role with the festival, how the festival chose their pictures, and the successes. The most important information we received was that the festival accepts youth submissions and has a separate category for youth shorts. It was a lucky day for the students.
We had time to see another documentary before we were led to a small medieval restaurant. We ate like kings! It was a full course meal and we were required to eat with our hands. They put on traditional music, served us glorious food, and told us the proper way of dining in the medieval times. The entire festival experience was amazing and all of the students grew in their field. We traveled back to Bonn the next day and prepared to shoot our own award winning documentaries.

Written by Kate Remsen

Pixar Exhibit : Animating my Childhood

And then there was Pixar. What hasn’t Pixar done for my childhood, teenage, and now young adult years? I’ve been lost in the ocean with Nemo, love struck over Eva with Wall-e, and to infinity and beyond with Buzz. So many of Pixars stories have touched my heart over the years and I was so excited when we had the opportunity to go to the Pixar exhibit that was visiting Bonn. The exhibit is being housed until January 2013 in the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland aka the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany. Lucky for us, the AIB brought us on an excursion to this awesome exhibit. So, on the Tuesday evening of our pre-production class week, we all headed off on the metro to learn about Pixar magic.
We had a guided tour through the exhibit, which was really helpful. All over the walls were different artifacts from Pixar’s history and films. Sketches, molds, notes, x-rays, and so many other things lined the wall that having a guide really helped narrow down all the information. He started talking about the beginning of the company and the first shot they created, “Luxo Jr.”
Knowing that we were all film students, he was able to gear our tour more toward what we wanted to know about and what we were interested in. One interesting thing I remembered was about Toy Story 2: there were x-rays that the animators wanted to create for when the toys were going through the airport in a scene, however, they weren’t sure how to animate it. So, they went out and bought action figures of their own characters and took x-rays of them. The x-rays never ended up being used in the film, but the original x-rays were discovered in Pixar’s archive of things.
Later on our guide brought us up to this wall of animated fish and explained how Pixar’s employees brought in their children and relatives’ children and had them figure out which fish they liked the best. Clearly the clown fish won their hearts before winning ours. The rest of the fish that were popular with the children became the other supporting characters in Nemo’s tale. Our guide continued to lead us through rooms of Pixar artifacts and history, but the next thing he lead us to was one of the highlights of the exhibits.
The Pixar exhibit had a zoetrope, which was made up of characters from Toy Story, to display the principles of animation. There were 18 statues of each character around the circle that were in a fixed position. So, for example, Jesse was throwing a lasso around her head so there were 18 of her, and each of the 18 Jesse’s actions would vary a little so when the zoetrope was spinning there would be an illusion of motion. It was like a 3D flip book on steroids.
Overall, being able to visit the Pixar exhibit in Bonn was a really nice experience that I didn’t want to miss.
Written by Sarah Bush

Lights, Camera, Action!

For a week and half, we had time off to shoot our documentaries. In pairs or threes, we traveled to places like Berlin, Madrid, and Arranmore Island (a small Irish island) to film our documentaries on a variety of topics. The first few days of our break I spent in Bonn, preparing and shooting some scenes in the local comic book shop for my documentary about German nerd culture. I got to geek out and meet some really cool people. We even interviewed a German professor who was particularly interested in American comics from 1930s and 1940s. I came away with some great shots and a Captain America comic.
I spent the following week in England helping my friend and fellow student Lia film her documentary, as I’d shot almost all of mine at that point. Her documentary is about deromanticizing life in Jane Austen’s time and featuring herself as the protagonist. It was a lot of fun to shoot, although a little difficult and frustrating at times.
Lia and I had to get up bright and early on a Monday morning to take our train through the “Chunnel” to London. Wrestling with suitcases and camera and sound equipment was definitely challenging. But it was worth it as soon as we pulled in at Kings Cross Station and saw the city around us. We checked in at our hostel, got some lunch (fish and chips and a real hamburger!) and explored a little bit. Then Lia and I took the tube to Piccadilly Circus, where we met some friends of her family for dinner. Afterwards, we saw a performance of Phantom of the Opera at her Majesty’s Theater, which was fantastic.
We stayed in London the first part of Tuesday and visited some of the popular tourist locations, getting some footage of the London Eye, Big Ben, and all the people walking around. Then we took the train to Oxford and wandered around there for a while, finding an awesome little shop that sold quills and parchment, several bookstores, and a shop that makes the best cookies in the world. We had the privilege of attending a lecture at one of the colleges and had a lovely dinner with the professors.
From Oxford, we took the train and taxi to an enormous estate of an English lord. Lia’s family friends just happened to rent a room in this old manor from the Regency period. As soon as we saw the interior, we freaked out. It was gorgeous and had some of the original paintings and furniture. Lia also tried on the Regency costume she’d be wearing for the next couple days, which looked adorable. We spent the night on the floor, which was surprisingly comfortable.
The next morning, we shot on the lush grounds of the estate and ended up befriending some horses. Then we filmed the interior and Lia walking around in her Regency costume. It felt like we’d traveled back to the time of corsets, fans, and grand balls. It was an amazing and surreal experience. We reluctantly left the manor to catch our train to Bath, one of the towns where Jane Austen had lived in her short lifetime.
Lia and I walked around the town center, filming the imposing abbey and the Pump Room, a restaurant popular both today and in Austen’s time. After dinner, we took the opportunity to see a movie in English (since it was too dark to film) before heading to bed.
On Thursday, we headed straight to the Fashion Museum in Bath, where we tried on replica corsets and looked at dresses from the period. We also got in some shopping, ate Cornish pasties (delicious!), and visited the Crescent, a popular hangout for ladies and gentlemen in Regency times. There was also a lovely pond with ducks and swans nearby that was the perfect backdrop for Lia’s white muslin gown and spencer jacket.
The Jane Austen museum was our last stop. Lia and I just had to grab a cup of tea at the tearoom above the museum before we took our tour. I learned a lot about Jane Austen and what it was like in her day (not that great, especially for women). We got an interview with a very helpful museum guide and purchased our Austen souvenirs before we left. Lia got all the shots she needed for her documentary, and we celebrated with a game of football in one of the local bars.
Our last day in England we spent taking the train from Bath back to London and hanging out in Kings Cross Station. We transferred through Brussels and finally made it back to Bonn, which definitely felt like home by that point. I think that all the students would agree when I say that shooting week was hectic and a lot of work, but totally fun and worth it.
Caroline Bartlett

The Weeks that Never End

I’ve never run a marathon before, but I imagine it would be as exhausting as my shooting weeks for these documentaries were. Our journey started in Leipzig as Carolina, Samantha, Andre and I left the documentary festival there a bit early to take a train to Berlin and then a plane to Madrid. Spain was our first stop to film a flamenco dancer for Carolina’s documentary. I went into this knowing nothing about flamenco dancing, so I was excited to learn more despite the fact that I knew less than a lick of Spanish. After barely scraping by Easy Jet’s luggage weight restrictions, we headed on our way to Madrid. Before we even took off I passed out in my seat. I fell asleep in Germany and woke up in Spain. It happens.
Once we arrived at Madrid’s airport we had to make our way to our couch surfer’s apartment. This was my third experience with couch surfing and from all the reviews these Spanish students had I was excited to meet them and continue the good experiences. Once we put our stuff down and met our awesome hosts, we set off immediately to scope out the place where Caro’s dancer would be performing later that night. The next day we started filming and I feel like we didn’t stop for a month straight. Every interview for Caro’s doc was in Spanish, so though I was doing sound for it, I didn’t really understand a word of it. The Zoom in my hands just served to tell me that the levels were reading well, but other than that I just sat back and listened to the foreign sounds for minutes on end. We were able to film one of her performances and I literally had a front row seat to her amazing footwork. I didn’t get to see much of Madrid in the few days we were there, but really I think I had a better experience because I got to meet a local and have a back stage pass to a flamenco dancer’s life.
After we wrapped shooting in Madrid, it was just Samantha, Carolina, and I who would be continuing to London to film my documentary. My film is about accents around the UK and how they can relate to social class, at least that’s what it started out as. Honestly, shooting week in London was one of the most stressful weeks of my college career, and possibly life so far. There were ups and downs, funny moments and frustrations, but all in all I wouldn’t have traded my week for anything. One of the coolest things about making a documentary is you get to speak to people you normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to. I got to meet another couch surfer, an actor, a comedian, a business man, a taxi cab driver, and the list goes on. Having each one of them welcome me into their lives for a couple of hours was a really special and unique experience. Although I was lost and behind on my own thoughts sometimes, they were all very kind and willing to work with me. Another great thing was having Carolina and Samantha there, other than experiencing the city as friends, it was great having people who could help clear my mind when I was getting to overwhelmed with small details. By the end of our week in London, I was really surprised at all that we accomplished, but shooting wasn’t over yet.
So far the count is, four days in Madrid, five in London, and now back to Bonn and Cologne to film more of Samantha’s documentary. Sam’s doc is about the love lock phenomenon where couples, families, and other people put locks onto a bridge to symbolize love and then toss the keys out into the water. The day after we arrived back from London we headed out to Cologne where there are thousands of locks on a bridge by the main station. We interviewed a student who wrote a thesis on the phenomenon as well as a couple who had been planning on putting a lock on and were now going to have Sam film it. We had a break on Sunday to celebrate Carnival in Cologne and then filmed some more on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday of that editing week. All in all, it was quite a long couple of weeks of shooting but I wouldn’t have traded any of it. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Written by Sarah Bush

3. Bonner Kurzfilmfest

Liebe Freunde der AIB und des Films,
die Akademie für Internationale Bildung (AIB) lädt Sie im Rahmen des
3. BONNER KURZFILMFESTS
herzlich zur Abschlussveranstaltung der AIB Semesterprogramme
New Europe
Engineering
Film&TV
ein.
Wir verabschieden unsere Studenten und Dozenten der Loyola Marymount University und beginnen den Abend mit der Premiere der Dokumentarfilme der amerikanischen Filmstudentinnen und -studenten aus Los Angeles.
Die Filmpremiere findet statt am:
Freitag, den 14. Dezember 2012 um 19:30 Uhr im Rheinischen Landesmuseum Bonn (Colmantstraße 14-16, 53115 Bonn)
Die von einer internationalen Jury ausgewählten Filme sind von jungen Talenten der School of Film & Television der Loyola Marymount University während ihres Auslandssemesters und Studiums an der AIB in Bonn produziert worden.
Jeder der Regisseure hat sich einem unterschiedlichen Themengebiet zugewandt und es auf individuelle Art und Weise visualisiert. So ist beispielsweise das Thema Liebe anhand des auf der Hohenzollernbrücke in Köln stark verbreiteten Liebesschloss-Phänomens erörtert worden und die Bedeutung des Lachens unter Berücksichtigung der Lachyogamethode, die sich in den letzten Jahren auch im Raum Köln/Bonn etabliert hat, filmisch erfasst worden. Ernstere Produktionen legen ihren Schwerpunkt auf das Porträtieren bemerkenswerter Persönlichkeiten und greifen in diesem Zusammenhang Themen wie etwa Leben mit der Borderline-Störung, Erinnerungen an den zweiten Weltkrieg und Erfahrungen von Flüchtlingen in Deutschland auf.
Während einige Dokumentationen lokal im Raum Köln/Bonn gedreht wurden, führte die Arbeit an den Filmen einzelne Regisseure auch in andere europäische Länder wie etwa Schottland, Irland, Spanien oder Italien.
Programm:
19:30 Uhr
Begrüßung der Teilnehmer der Programme Film, Engineering und New Europe durch den Bürgermeister der Stadt Bonn, Helmut Joisten.
19:45 Uhr
Vorführung von sechs dokumentarischen Kurzfilmen (á 10 Minuten)
anschließend
After-Show-Empfang und Verleihung des Publikumspreises in der Akademie für Internationale Bildung (Wilhelmstr. 27, 53111 Bonn)tickets@aib-studyabroad.org
Anmeldung:
Wir würden uns sehr freuen, Sie am 14. Dezember 2012 zur Filmpremiere im Rheinischen Landesmuseum LVR begrüßen zu dürfen. Bitte wenden Sie sich zur Anmeldung unter Angabe der Anzahl zu reservierender Tickets bis zum 12. Dezember 2012 sowie bei Rückfragen per E-mail an tickets@aib-studyabroad.org. Sie erreichen uns außerdem telefonisch unter 0228 / 33 88 39 20. Sie dürfen die Einladung auch gerne an Freunde und Bekannte weiter leiten.
Wir hoffen auf Ihr zahlreiches Erscheinen und einen gelungenen Abend!
Mit herzlichen Grüßen,
Olaf Brodersen, Programmkoordinator Bereich Film & TV