Cologne City Tour

The students took a day trip to the neighboring city of Cologne and experienced a new way of city life. Cologne is a larger city compared to Bonn and therefore has more people and tourism. The students woke up early in the morning and set off to the wonderful city. Despite the wind and the chills, the students were led on a walking tour around the city. With over 1 million inhabitants, Cologne is the fourth biggest city in Germany and the biggest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is also the oldest major city in Germany at about 2,000 years of age. The students then discovered that the central station is located on top of an ancient roman city. Who knew? We were able to go under the main area and look at the recently excavated buildings. It has been turned into a parking lot.
Back on the surface, we continued our city tour and learned about the famous alcoholic drink made in Cologne, “Eau de Cologne”. Located in house 4711, 300 years ago, an Italian settled there and created what he called “Miraculous Water;” it contained 85% pure alcohol. In that time, people would take the drink in drops as a medicine for headaches or toothaches. The streets of Cologne and many parts of Europe did not have a good sewage system and the streets were covered in human feces. People would take “Miraculous Water” (aka “Eau de Cologne”) and dab it under their noses in order to hide the smell.
After the city tour, the students took a train to Cologne Ossendorf and had a guided tour of MMC Studios. Much like the studios in Los Angeles (but smaller), MMC studios consisted of sound stages,television studios, television sets, and much more. The students received an inside look on how Germans make films and the differences between Germany and the United States. Radio and television production studios of the largest German broadcasting station, WDR, are in Cologne. The inauguration of the WDR in 1956 marks the beginning of history as a media metropolis.
Back in the city center, the roman excavations throughout Cologne, halted new construction, however, that didn’t stop them from building up and up. And up we went: the students clambered up the largest chapel in Cologne, Der Kölner Dom. It is one of the world’s largest churches and is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, (1880-1884) the cathedral was the tallest structure in the world until the completion of the Washington Monument. The gothic style building showed signs of wear but miraculously it survived the bombings of WWII, unlike the rest of the city. An elevator took us to the top of the cathedral and we were able to walk on the scaffolding placed around the building for reconstruction. We ended up far above the catholic alter looking down on the ceremony below. We explored the height of the church and experienced the largest bell in all of Germany. What a wonderful sight!
After a long day in the city, the students hopped on a train and headed back to our little town of Bonn, ready for another school day ahead.


Written by: Kate Remsen

German Editing

“Suchst du etwas?” After constantly rewinding, rewinding, looking at other takes, watching a new cut, I can’t count the amount of time I heard this line while editing our narrative projects. The other week, all the groups that shot narrative scripts switched projects for editing. Of course, our group got the project that was translated into German and had the longest script. To say that editing week was trying, would be an understatement.
One of the biggest challenge of editing this project was the fact that it was in a foreign language. Yes, there were other issues that arose from the video and camera, but most of the other narratives has similar problems so we were all on an even playing field there. Editing in German was daunting to our entire group, but it was not until we started wading through the footage that the full immensity of the task hit us. We were provided with the script in German with English translations and some good production notes. That gave us a little something to work with thankfully, but while everyone else’s finished cut averaged 3 minutes, ours averaged ten... So, right off the back you can see what we were working with. But, back to the main idea.
Editing in a foreign language is more difficult than I even anticipated. Though we had the English words right in front of us the whole time, it was still so jarring to have to listen to all the German that sounded like gibberish to my ears. Deciphering the different words became easier as I went along, but it was still a back and forth between the script and my monitor. The constant questioning of whether the line was correct made it difficult to even concentrate on the take. For example, in one take one of the actors messed up his lines and started apologizing and saying let’s take it from a certain line and keep rolling. This would be perfectly easy to understand, had it been said in English.
Instead, I thought it was dialogue I was missing or was improvised. It took me a few times watching the take to realize that it wasn’t even part of the scene. I never realized how much I took for granted editing in English. By the end of the week, I was so exhausted by the energy it took to edit in German. Though it was a very trying week for our group, I did enjoy the learning process in the edit. The most frustrating part of the week was just that I wanted to do the best job possible. It took a while, I was literally the last person editing in my group. Editing in German made me want to learn more of the language and to never again take for granted the fact that I can edit in English. It was such a long week for our group, but in the end I think each of us ended up with a cut we could be proud of.

Written by: Sarah Bush

Kreuzberg: My Kind of Neighborhood

On the Thursday of our Berlin excursion, we had a “My Berlin” day where we were split up into three groups for exploring the city. One group focused on the city’s Cold War history, another on urban art around the streets, and our group took on the neighborhood of Kreuzberg.
Kreuzberg is an immigrant hub in Berlin. The six of us set out for the neighborhood’s museum that is dedicated to the diversity of history that lies there. Once there we met Intissar, who would be our guide for the morning. She began by giving us a brief history of the neighborhood and how it came to be. The immigrant side of the neighborhood really came about when Turkish guest workers started immigrating to the area. Now there are about 150,000 residents in Kreuzberg with about 150 different cultures existing. After Intissar gave us a short introduction, she gave us iTouches which we used to listen to stories from different residents of the area. On the floor of the museum there was a large map of Kreuzberg with different colored numbers that corresponded to individual’s recordings of their experience. Some were about conflict, others about playgrounds, or religion there was such a wide range of ages, races, and voices. As I walked around the floor of the building, it became my quick introduction to the streets and the people.
After we each listened to a few stories, Intissar led us out into Kreuzberg. Something really striking about the neighborhood was the amount of graffiti and street art. The walls were abound with words and images plastered on by spray paint. Some were really cool and interesting, others less captivating and more generic, but there was not one street lacking some mark. Intissar became our window to the neighborhood, she brought us past an apartment complex where a reality show similar to MTV’s Real World but located in Kreuzberg is filmed. The neighborhood built too many parking structures, so one we passed by had been converted into aKindergarten. Apparently the ramps are still inside and the children use them to race around during recess. No wonder they have the autobahn here, they start kids thinking about cars so young. If only we could drive as fast. After passing the Kindergarten, we came across a four story building whose top floor was often used as a reception area for Arabic weddings. Intissar mentioned that she usually taught her tour groups a little traditional dance step from the weddings at this point, but she waved it off as if it was no big deal. There was no way we were missing this. Our entire group pleaded and she was so surprised we wanted to learn the dance. Who wouldn’t want to dance in the streets of Berlin? The six of us gathered in a circle, grabbed hands, and began stepping with our left foot over our right. Left again over right, and then kicking out with our left. It was a simple move, so we kept practicing it over and over and then she took out her phone and began playing a Arabic tune. There we were, six Americans and a German dancing on the sidewalk. It was perfect.
Intissar continued to lead us around and she brought us to a spot where the Berlin wall used to run through the neighborhood. Down the street, there was a famous squatter’s house that had been there for years that has been really helpful to residents. Our next stop was going to a neighborhood mosque. It was the first mosque I had been to and I was so surprised at how normal the outside of the building appeared. It just seemed like a courtyard entrance in the middle of a city block. Once inside, however, we just saw so and learned much more. Intissar taught us about the five pillars of Islam, why the rug pattern was all pointed in one direction (toward Mecca), and about the way one is supposed to pray. Coming from a Catholic background myself, it was really fascinating to learn more about a different religion.
After our mosque visit Intissar took us one last place: Wonder Waffle. My mouth started watering from the name. Each of us ordered delicious waffles for dessert with chocolate, strawberries, kiwis, pineapples, and even some chili pepper for an adventurous soul. Definitely a well balanced meal. I’m really on top of those over here. Overall, we had such a great little excursion around Berlin. Being able to do more than just the typical sightseeing for a day and actually focus on a neighborhood gave me a stronger grasp on the people of Berlin. I would love to go back some day. After all, I could use more balanced waffle lunches.



Written by: Sarah Bush

Potsdam

Choo Choo! After a long 6 hour train ride, the students arrived in the small city of Potsdam, just south of the capital of Germany, Berlin. Immediately after we left the train station, we embarked on a cruise on the Havel River. We lazily floated past the “Beverly Hills” of Potsdam and gazed upon beautiful houses and castles lining the river. The biggest lake, where we loaded onto the boat, is the lake “Great Wannsee.” Delightful riverscapes alternated the architectural monuments of the past: the castle and park area which belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage, the bridge “Glienicker Brücke,” the villas of the former Ufa – film stars situated at the lake “Griebnitzsee” and the “Truman Mansion,” the residence of the former American president Harry S. Truman in the days of the Potsdam Conference. A wonderful experience and break from the train. We arrived at our beautiful hotel “Hotel Ascot Bristol” and were free for the rest of the evening to explore the city of Potsdam.
The next morning, rising early, the students traveled to the HFF Film School, founded in 1954. It is the oldest and only arts academy in the German Land of Brandenburg and contains some of the more modern technology for the students. Students at the HFF can make the most of a modern teaching and studio building and excellent supervision from internationally renowned teaching staff and service-oriented administrative staff, as well as a family-friendly university environment. We were taken on a private tour of the building and lastly, had the honor of watching some of the student films. Loyola Marymount has some competition in Germany!
The HFF film school is conveniently located next to the Film Studio Babelsberg, the oldest, large-scale film studio in the world. Founded in 1912, it has produced hundreds of films, including Metropolis, The Blue Angel, and Inglorious Bastards. In 2012, Studio Babelsberg will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The students were led around the studio and experienced: the sound stages, big enough to build a full sized ship inside, the operating rooms, filled with HD TVs and thousands of dollars worth of equipment, costume and prop departments, with hundreds of thousands of different items and clothing, and much, much more. The students were very excited to see a studio very similar to the ones back in Los Angeles. It was fascinating to see the workingsof German film and culture as well as the productions from the studio.
Cinematic history has been and still is being written in Potsdam. In addition to the movie and television industries, Potsdam is home to many top companies in high-tech and design. Potsdam is both a city in which to live and to love. You can make yourself at home here, and the students sure felt that way. But alas, our trip was cut short as we had to make our way back to the train station, leaving Potsdam for another day, heading to the big city, the big apple of Germany: Berlin.



Written by: Kate Remsen

Memorial Site of Former Concentration Camp in Sachsenhausen

During our excursion to Berlin, we were given the opportunity to take a guided tour of the memorial site of the former concentration camp of Sachsenhausen. There is no real way to put into words the intensity of such a place; the crimes and horrors committed there are painful to hear about, yet even more painful to see in person. When we first arrived at Sachsenhausen, we all noted how cold the weather was. As our tour guide, Michael, took us to the entrance of the camp, he asked us to keep in mind that while we were cold standing there in our winter coats and layers that prisoners of the camp were given only two cheaply made outfits. And the weather was to get much colder than that September afternoon. With that, we headed inside for what would be one of the most emotional tours I have ever been on.
We started by learning some important information about Sachsenhausen. Between 1936 and 1945, more than 200,000 people were imprisoned in Sachsenhausen. At first the prisoners were political opponents of the national socialist regime. As time continued, people declared by the national socialists to be racially or biologically inferior were imprisoned at Sachsenhausen (Homosexuals, Jews, etc).
Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built in the form of an equilateral triangle with its buildings grouped symmetrically around an axis. This was the “ideal” or “model” concentration camp that others soon mimicked. A semicircular roll-call area was located directly in front of a tower where a SS officer monitored the proceedings. The camp is almost a perfect equilateral triangle.
On the tour, we were able to visit the barracks where the prisoners lived. Overcrowded, unsanitary and overall harsh conditions, the barracks were by no means a place to live. We were able tosee original torture devices that were used on the prisoners by the SS officers. The cruelty of these mechanisms was sometimes so intense that prisoners would die during the torturing. Continuing, we went to the “hospital” where many were brutally murdered. We saw what were once a gas chamber, an execution chamber and a crematorium. Prisoners entered the building believing they were having a routine check-up only to be senselessly murdered.
I think the hard part of visiting a concentration camp is the remembering. We have learned about the holocaust since we were old enough to absorb the tragedies of what occurred. Perhaps we hear something so much that we become numb to it. Everyone can agree that the holocaust was horrendous and everything that took place is so awful it is hard to contemplate. At times on the tour I felt as though I was in a museum, one that I may have visited in Washington, DC. However, as I walked into the room where lives were cut far too short and acts of such appalling violence occurred, I think it hit me more than I thought possible.
I know that Auschwitz is a popular camp to visit. Given the opportunity, I would want to visit there, or any other camp for that matter. I do not believe that all camps are the same and that if you’ve seen one, you have the general idea. Each camp has a grizzly story where people’s fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters were ripped from their lives and were treated as if they were subhuman. Sachsenhausen concentration camp has a dark, dark history.
It is hard to find words, but I can say this: seeing a concentration camp, putting a real picture with the stories I had heard, was one of the hardest things I have ever seen. May all the souls taken at Sachsenhausen and during the holocaust rest in peace. You are not forgotten.



Written by: Kate Remsen

Days

The alarm sounds at an unthinkable 7:15am. Is this a mistake? No junior in college has to be awake this early. No juniors except the18 brave film students at the AIB. One might think that a typical day for study abroad students includes sleeping in, waking at maybe 10am, grabbing a coffee and a croissant at the local bakery before heading to class for an hour or two, then out to a pub for a nightcap. I imagined that sort of day for myself at least. I was in for a rude surprise.
As I hit the alarm, I usually decide that I need at least 10 more minutes of sleep. 15 minutes later and I’m up. I run downstairs to grab a quick breakfast (not a bakery croissant, but luckily I can still have a coffee and yogurt). Back upstairs where I frantically get dressed and ready. As I run out the door, I do a mental checklist. Okay I need: my phone, my house key, my wallet, German homework, external hard drive, film homework, among a slew of other items. Out the door when I realize I have to turn my 4-minute walk into a 2-minute walk; the bus leaves at 8:34 and it is now unlikely that I will make it. I begin my frantic sprint to the bus and just as I get to the door, off goes the bus. I wait for another bus, the 8:40, and will be to class 5 minutes late.
We begin German class with our quirky teacher, Hilde. She is full of morning energy that can either be contagious to our lethargic group or have no effect depending on what time we got to bed the night before. Normally we all will make a coffee or tea to help us stay focused as we learn the ins and outs of a rather difficult language. German class ends (if it is one block) at 10. We then have a 15-minute break before we jump into one of film classes. We have directing, cinematography, and editing. We take each class every day for a week, then cycle through. We have a British professor for directing, Andrew, a German cinematography professor, Jens, a German editing professor, Andreas, and Kurt, our LMU professor, aka the sound guy. Each professor is incredibly talented and helpful. Though their styles are quite different, I have already learned so much more than I thought was possible to garner in half a semester.
We get finished with class 5pm, sometimes hanging around the AIB for an hour to finish work and make sure we’re ready for the next day. I have dinner with my host family at 7, chat with them until around 8:45, then back upstairs to finish my homework, Skype friends and family, then to bed to start the process all over again.
Although the set up is similar to high school (early mornings, class all day), I wouldn’t change it for anything. I feel like I am learning a cast amount more than some of my 45-minute long classes. With a few weeks left before we start shooting our documentaries, I imagine we are all going to miss the days we got to sleep in until 7:15am.

Written by: Sarah Bush

The Camcar Experience

On Monday, after German class 18 film students boarded a train to Cologne. We were headed to a camera and lighting equipment rental with our Cinematography professor, Jens the Lens. After taking another tram in Cologne and walking several hundred meters, we arrived at the warehouse. Jens along with one of the camera workers helped direct us around on our tour. Although most of us had checked out equipment through school, this us where freaking out. After camera we moved toward lighting and grip. Rows upon rows filled up the warehouse with this section. Finally we ended with the dolly section.
Walking around the place was really cool, because we were able to compare it to LMU’s equipment. Obviously, quantity wise CamCar has us beat but otherwise our school does have some good stuff to offer us. Being in a professional rental place gave us a cool window into what it would be like in the real world instead of renting it out from our school.
place was obviously much larger and with much more equipment. We started off at the front desk where besides being your starting point for pick up and drop off, also gave you things you could purchase like clappers or tape for your production. On to the camera department, Jens showed us the rooms where one can check their equipment before taking it out. Next we moved into a room where the worker checked the lens for scratches. Moving through each room, we took in the immensity of equipment available to us. Although most of us won’t be able to lug around much for shooting our documentaries, the narrative kids inside

Written by: Sarah Bush

A 16mm Kind of Week

In today’s digital age, it’s so easy for someone to get their hands on some video recording device, whether it’s a Canon DSLR or an iPhone, and start to make films. It has become really convenient and it has made filmmaking very accessible to the masses. All of this, however, has also put physical film on the back burner. Though many features are still shot on film and it has many advocates, the digital world is still giving it a run for it’s money. After being a film student for almost two and a half years, I myself finally worked with film stock for the first time this past week.
Jens, our cinematography professor and resident Thor look alike, began the week by taking us to to a camera and lighting equipment rental company. From there we received a tour, walked through lots of camera, lenses, gels, donuts, dollies, apple boxes, etc. The place just kept going and going. The visit served a double purpose, however, as we were able to pick up equipment we would need to shoot on 16mm film later that week.
Upon arriving at class on Tuesday, we all split into smaller groups so that while one group learned how to load film with Jens, the rest of us were shooting interviews for AIB’s website. I was in the second group to learn, so once our turn came around the five of us sat at a table with Jens to learn film loading. Before us was a canister with 16mm practice film and a magazine to load it into. He demonstrated the process to us, and then set us loose. Since we only had four magazines to practice on I sat back and waited for someone to finish before I could get my hands on one. This actually gave me an advantage though, because I was able to watch everyone else load and memorize the process more as well as learn from other’s mistakes. Eventually Justice finished first and I took her supplies and ventured into the world of film. Having watched five other people load, I was feeling somewhat confident that I could load easily. It started off really well, doing the part that was supposed to be in darkness was simple enough- perhaps because we were practicing in light. Once I flipped the magazine over to thread the film, it became a little trickier. Here, I had to make sure my spool was the correct length and also push the film through a small slit to run it back through.
Pushing the film through became really difficult. It kept spitting back out at me, but eventually I managed to work it out and successfully loaded my 16mm film... then I had to try loading it in the tent.
Honestly, as soon as I put my hands inside the completely dark tent with the film and magazine I felt like an astronaut. I had a little difficulties here, but overall it wasn’t as hard as I was envisioning.
On Wednesday, we finally had a chance to actually shoot on the 16mm film. That day we would be filming an introduction for our screenings later that semester. Jens came up with a concept and we all just went with it, though most of us weren’t sure why we were searching through sheets in a bed, or sitting in the passenger seat of a car, looking through a window, or breaking glass bottles. I’m sure he has a clear vision inhis head. If anyone does, it would be Thor. It was assigned so that each person would be in one scene and be able to film another. I was able to film Will in a car. Jens drove us around while I sat in the passenger seat and then the back seat and recorded Jens’ hands and Will’s eyes through the dashboard mirror. It was really cool actually having the camera in my hands. Only downside is that camera was heavy and I hadto do all handheld shots in the car. At first it was a matter of keeping the camera steady and then it became a matter of keeping myself steady. While I was in the back seat, I tried sitting on the edge of the seat to get as close to the front as possible, but then as soon as the light turned green and we started moving forward I completely fell backwards in the mini van. Though I don’t want to pursue being a DP, I can see howfun and interesting it must be to get your hands on film cameras and making movie magic happen. Being able to work with and on film was a really unique experience and I’m really glad we had the opportunity to.

Written by: Sarah Bush

Beethoven on Water

The other week, we had an outing after class to go to a light and water show in Bonn. The show was on a German national holiday, Unity Day, remembered on October 3rd every year that celebrates the unification of the east and west. If you’re looking for a clearer picture of the light show, think Disneyland’s World of Color, but with classical music- and in the pouring rain. To be honest it was one the most fun experiences I’ve had in Bonn so far.
The night started off overcast and drizzly, so a few of us went around to find some dinner. There was a stand by the Platz, or square, where they were serving potato pancakes with apple sauce. And if that wasn’t enough we got Nutella crepes afterward, because no meal is complete without it. At this point in the evening, the rain really started coming down. We stood underneath some stand awnings, but soon enough we had to secure a spot to see the show, which of course was right out in the open. Pushing past the crowds, we found more of our group and managed to snag a spot front center for the show, but thankfully not in the splash zone- yet. Water started gushing from the fountains and a projector began flashing images onto the fountains. After a few minutes of advertisements, the real show finally began.
This show was an extension of Beethoven Fest which occurs every year in Bonn, the birthplace of Beethoven. Classical music started blasting from the speakers and it was an amazing show despite the rain. Somehow we ended up being pushed farther toward the front of the show and ended up in what felt like a splash zone at Sea World. The rain also decided this would be a great time to pick up in intensity. My rain jacket’s hood I was wearing suddenly felt so useless against the barrage of water. Not everyone was prepared for the rain so some people were already soaked. As a group we all just took off our hoods and let our heads get soaked from the show and the elements. It was so much rocking our heads out as the music turned to more modern hits. I’m usually so busy with class or traveling around Europe that getting to experience this cool show in Bonn really made my week. Even though Bonn isn’t a huge metropolis, it’s a really nice home to return to. Events like these and the sweet people make it a wonderful place to study abroad in.