Rhine and Dine

The Rhine Cruise morning began like all mornings seem to begin here in Germany: frigid and early. Our bus dropped us off in a tiny village along the Rhine River that resembled the Eiffel in a lot of ways with its medieval style buildings and cobble stone streets. We stopped at a little bakery before embarking on the boat, and our Professor Mikael Kreuzriegler generously bought our group a bunch of jelly filled donuts, that we gorged on. By the time we stepped on the boat we looked like a group of jelly donuts ourselves with the amount of sugar we had coating our clothing and faces.

The Rhine cruise, was worth it despite the torrid weather and provided us with a picturesque view of the rustic castles, vineyards, churches, and medieval homes dotting the hills along the river. Our group sat in lawn chairs on the deck of the cruise and taught each other how to use the different settings of our camera to achieve the ultimate photo. We talked about our documentary plans and the amount of unexpected cultural differences we had experienced in Germany so far. Everything felt surreal as we glided past castles and archaic buildings on the Rhine, which looked like a ribbon of sky next to the green hills. We got off at our “port” in another little village, where we ate lunch. We enjoyed a traditional German meal of Schnitzel and fries, which we’ve all grown quite accustomed to. We were feeling rather lethargic after the relaxing meal and amiable conversation. However, this feeling lasted only a short while, after all what is a German excursion without a treacherous hike up to the top of a castle?

After lunch Olaf Brodersen rounded us up and marched us up an endless set up steep stone stairs. When I say marched, I do mean he marched to the top, while others of us dwindled along and used the “picture taking excuse” to catch our breath along the way. When we got to the top of the hill, the castle very much resembled the castle from our excursion to the Eiffel except this one was particularly striking because you could look over the wall of the castle and see a view of the Rhine River and all the buildings scattered around it. Our group took this opportunity to take a plethora of Gopro selfies with the epic background behind us, which made for some like worthy profile pictures later. We then toured the castle lead by our very knowledgeable tour guide who once again reaffirmed us in our belief that living in 2014 is far better than living in 1514. We were taken to the torture chamber where we learned about some of the atrocious torture and punishment techniques used on people who broke laws in and around the castle. One punishment, for example, was when a woman was caught committing adultery she would have to wear a metal mask that resembled the snout of a pig. When she would put it on it would pull her head down forcing her to crawl on all fours like a pig would. Ironically after most of the girls in our group heard this form of punishment we snorted, like pigs, with disgust. After browsing the gift shop we made our way back down to the bus, feeling a bit conflicted about our next activity, which involved cheese tasting. It felt a little strange to be on our way to celebrate Germany’s cheese after seeing images of people being stretched to death.



Nevertheless we made our way back down and loaded back on to the bus. To a couple of the students dismay, myself and some other girls in our group decided to convert our bus into a musical theater production on wheels by singing the entire soundtrack from Wicked all the way to the cheese dairy.
When we reached the cheese dairy we got off the bus buzzing with noise, half of us humming to Wicked, the other half groaning at the humming. Our tour of the cheese dariy was very interesting we were lead through the basement past barrels and barrels filled with cheese that was far older than us. We learned about the tradition of German Cheese Princesses.
This is a German tradition similar to Miss America, only the Cheese Princesses actually knows how to find Africa on a map and not only that but they have to be extremely educated on the subject of their region’s cheese. Once a Cheese Princess is elected from each one of the regions along the Rhine River, one will become the German Cheese Queen through a series of competitions. If a princess is crowned Queen she will travel all over the world and try and educate people about German cheese, so lets hope she can find Africa on a map! We learned about the process of making cheese and that German cheese is so unique, because the soil by the Rhine contains certain nutrients that give German cheese its exclusive flavor. German cheese making and German cheese festivals are a huge part of the German culture and have been prevalent in Germany since the days of castles and metal pig masks as a form of torture. People used to eat more cheese than water back in the early centuries because the water was dirty and the cheese was delicious. They would go through several kilos per person a day. We left the cheese diary and got back on the bus and made our way down the street to another cheese diary.

Here we enjoyed a delicious, and romantically lit meal, surrounded by candles in a quaint stone room. Laughing and conversing was a great way to end the day.

On the bus ride home we were a full-fledged Broadway musical.
We arrived back in Bonn slightly buzzed and exhausted, but it was the good kind of tired, the kind of tired one feels after a productive day.

By Kendall Milton

The IBC in Amsterdam

On Saturday September 13th, the group woke, met at the Bonn Hauptbahnhof and boarded an early train to Amsterdam - all in the name of film.
While this city is known as the party capital of Europe, our group had much more important intentions. We were there to see, “the essential global meeting place for everyone engaged in creating, managing and delivering the future of electronic media and entertainment technology and content,” or the IBC.

This quote, taken directly from the International Broadcasting Convention website is the best way to compass the tradeshow that IBC is. Companies, businessmen, students, and technology lovers from all over the world flock to the RAI convention center to showcase and learn about the latest and greatest technology, and we were a part of the crowd! Specializing in technology ranging from cameras, to video chat services, to software, to projections, to satellites and everything in between, the IBC is extremely popular and brings very well known companies like GoPro, Cannon, Red, Sony, Adobe and many, many more together. This was an absolute heaven for us film lovers and industry aspirers.



At the convention we were able to attend seminars on things like the latest editing software, learn from the company’s representatives themselves in detail about the technology, and hands on try out and experiment with all of the products!

The last aspect was probably the most exciting part about the entire visit. We were able to explore the tradeshow, find exhibits of some of our favorite technologies and then actually use them. We got to try on steady cams, operate drones, and even practice on Red and ARRI cameras that movies like The Social Network, Gravity, and Gone Girl have all been shot on.
One of the most memorable experiences was after the ARRI presentation, we ran into guest speaker Phedon Papamichael. Now to many people, a name like “Papamichael” sounds like a fictional character; however, to us he is very, a very important person! Papamichael is an incredibly talented and renowned cinematographer known for films like “The Pursuit of Happiness” and “Sideways.” This was the cherry on top of an already amazing experience! We were completely starstruck when we got to meet him, but he was a really awesome guy and took some time to talk to us about his methods for lighting, setting up shots and his opinions on cinematography related topics. We even got some pictures with him, too!



Attending the IBC was a once in a lifetime experience and it really let all of us “nerd out” about the equipment that makes our passions come to life. We came back to Bonn the next evening with so much experience and knowledge about the industry, the products, and the direction the future of technology is heading; also with a great story of meeting one of the top cinematographers of our time.
Not only did we have an unforgettable experience that made us realize how incredibly lucky we are, but it made us very excited for our futures in the film field.

By Jocelyn Cooper

The Narratives

The first major keystone of our experience here in Bonn is without a doubt the Narrative Projects.
Within the first weeks in Germany, we as a group decided on four scripts, written by four of our own students to be made into films. After several weeks of instruction on directing, lighting, cinematography, we were ready to begin the process of turning these screenplays into reality.
Castings were exciting days for everyone. Dozens of German actors revel at the fact that they have the chance to be in a film made by a “Los Angeles Filmmaker”.
As the casting calls were set up, the four separate teams of filmmakers ready themselves for a series of auditions. One performer after another gave their rendition of the characters that we had laid out on paper. An experience that would normally be very stressful was surprisingly exciting and educational. Most of us had never experienced a casting call with so many options and with actors so motivated to become the character you created. By the end of the week, the choices were made, and it was time to move on to shooting.
The next few weeks were stressful. The various group’s producers were frantically trying to organize call sheets, props, and transportation for the shooting days. Meanwhile, the directors and cinematographers worked out a shot list and style for the film. Everyone’s job was important. Some people were prepared for their duties; others had never done them before.



I was the director of the film called “Sight Seeing”. This was a charming story about a clever food stand owner who beguiles a group of tourists into buying his food. The objective was simple enough, but the actuality of shooting this film was astounding. There are always going to be problems that you can never predict will happen on a film shoot, and this project was no exception. We had only one filming location, but this may have already been a grave mistake. The Bonn University building, our establishing shot, had a beautiful cinematic look to it; however, the amount of foot traffic it received was infuriating to say the least. While I struggled to get the shots I needed, my sound guy was getting a headache from all the bikes, planes and sirens ruining our takes. My script supervisor was acting as a human barrier to prevent people from walking into the scene, and my very pale actor was beginning to look like a lobster in the scorching sun. Some people were saying that it was the hottest day Germany ever had in September. By the end of the first shooting day, everyone was exhausted. Personally, I thought it went rather well.

The second day proved to be more efficient. The “first day jitters” were gone and the crew was much more acclimated to their roles. The hard part was over, now we could start being real filmmakers. Despite completely different lighting conditions, broken props, and a lack of extras, the crew was able to pull together and get the shots we needed. At one point, we had the producers, the cameraman, and even the director acting as extras in the film.
Perhaps we could have done things a little differently or planned a little better, but everyone there that day learned what it takes to be on a film set and the challenges you face. Now all that’s left was to bring the film to the big screen.

By Casey Chavarria

MY BERLIN

Berlin. A city so dense with history it worried most of us. How were we to take in all of the information that was about to be presented?
In a short period of four days we would learn more about the Nazi era, Cold War Germany, and Reunification than we thought we ever could. The nature of our trip to Berlin was based on independence. Rather than sit in a class room and listen to a professor drone on and on about seemingly the same thing it was on us to go out and learn something. Thankfully, the AIB gave us the tools we needed to get the best possible learning experience.
There were many wonderful pieces to our Berlin excursion, but the keystone day was our individual cultural learning days. We divided into four groups and were given a location, a person, and a time. We just had to get there. The four categories all combine to create a portrait of Berlin. The first was a multicultural tour. Here students met with a Turkish guide who lent her knowledge of immigration to Germany and the issues surrounding the influx of Turkish and other Arabic men, women and children. Next was the Cold War and the division of Germany after the second World War. One group had the opportunity to learn about Berlin street art and how influential those pieces are in the culture not only of the present but of the past. However, the group I was a part of was tasked with finding out about what life was like in the GDR. Our instructions were few: find place, visit place, meet guide, present what we learned.



Ultimately, it was on us to rally our minds and focus on what we were witnessing because each of the places we visited and each of the guides we talked with had very important places in German history.
Fast forward past the bus and public transport mishaps and you find us staring up at the daunting sign “You are now leaving the American Sector.” This imposing symbol marks the border of West Berlin to East Berlin where various United States and Allied guards, diplomats, and of course a strapping John F. Kennedy were all received into East Germany. The remains of the actual checkpoint are few. McDonalds, department stores, and Pommes stands dot the site where Allied and Soviet tanks met at a standstill. Some Germans dressed as Americans posed with tourists in front of the lone checkpoint. That was a little strange. Our day was beginning to look like a tourist’s dream, until we met Rolf.
A wild-eyed toothless man waddles up to our group of four. Startling us with his enthusiasm, he ushers inside, assuring us that we are about to get the inside tour. Little did we know... Rolf began by giving us an explanation of the GDR and the history of the division of Germany; largely information we already knew. His speech begins to turn into a ran about current German politics. Oh brother. How long will this last? Fortunately, he casually throws in a bit of information that throws off the group.






“I smuggled 129 East Germans into West Germany.”
Woah, woah, Rolf. Hold on a second. Our group of four simultaneously dropped our jaws. We ask him to repeat that. And sure enough, he leads us to his photo inside the museum confirming exactly what he had just said. Following that, he talks about how he was imprisoned by the secret police, the Stasi. For nine years, they beat him and interrogated him. His teeth now made perfect sense. Rolf explains that his wife always asks him to fix up his mouth. But he refuses. His gums are a symbol for the trials of East Germans. He was sentenced to fifteen years, but fortunately for him and everyone the wall came down sooner rather than later.
The tour went on, and Rolf continued to wow us with the amount of political heroes he knew and his seemingly endless knowledge of not just the GDR, but the whole of Germany and its history.
Our time with Rolf sped by. But, I can say with a cross on my heart, that I have never learned more at a museum that day. We were forced to engage and learn. We were given the hammer, all that was left was hitting the nail on the head.

By Nick Logsdon

Cologne day Trip

At the beginning of our third week in Bonn, we traveled about thirty miles down the Rhine to the city of Cologne. During our day trip in Germany’s fourth biggest metropolis we learned that it comprises a distinct city culture, remarkable Roman remains, and lots of Schnitzel.

However, the most prominent feature, undoubtedly, is the Dom Cathedral. Towering over 157 meters into Cologne’s skyline, the Cathedral was once the tallest building in the world. When we arrived at the front of the grand structure, with our backs almost in a full bend just to see the top, we all looked at each other in worry.

Were we really going to climb all the way to the top of that!?

Inner fears of heights, elevators, and even exhaustion from stair climbing kicked in. The carefully crafted, black stained stone, fairytale land gargoyles looked down at us, captivating our interest. How could we not take advantage of an exclusive tour of one of the most beautiful, magical looking, artistic creations of all time?



Our fears and apprehensions simmered, and we all jumped on the elevator to the first tier above ground. The initial step onto concrete after exiting the glass box riding the outside of the building cued a sighs of relief. The Cathedral might have withstood two world wars, but that elevator definitely would not have. We followed our tour guide, as his long black hair and jacket blew behind him, and boots clicked with every step down the tiny hallways through the archways, and around the organ.

Suddenly, we transformed into students at Hogwarts following Professor Snape throughout the castle many of us fantasized about as adolescents. Every component of the Cathedral reminded us of the novel, from the spooky black stone, to the tall ceilings, obscure doorways and tiny stairwells.



As film majors, we tend to let our imagination take over sometimes- and this is what probably was happening - but there was just a Hogwarts aura that we couldn’t shake off. We exited, what in our minds looked like a secret door, to the outside of the first level roof - and our magical wizardry powers quickly disappeared. The railings seemed to disappear as we looked down to the people below us, and our fears became very real again. Embellished stonework and spires surrounded us; and as we learned the time and skill that goes into creating them, our beliefs returned. The statues and stone structures had to have been created with magic. The detail and complexity was so incredible, that we came to the conclusion there is no other way they could have been made.

Feeling more confident and secured in the powers of the Dom, we left the outside and entered a very tight winding stairwell. With each step resembling the way to Dumbledore’s office, we climbed on, and on, and on… Each time we were convinced we had climbed long enough, Professor Snape - I mean our tour guide - would shake his head and signal us to keep going.



When we thought we would collapse if we had to climb one more stair, the real powers of the Dom were revealed. The bright light struck the stairwell as the doors overhead opened and we slowly climbed out onto the highest standing point of the building. A crystal clear view of the two towers in the front of the Cathedral, the Rhine, the Roman Empire arch, the apartment buildings, the street performers, the protesters, the city shoppers… every inch of Cologne was finally in sight. While the Dom is an incredibly striking, massive structure that belongs in a fantasy novel, the true magic of the place is the understanding of the city it gives. Not only could we physically see all of the city, but the Dom has also been apart of the majority of its history. This gave us a full spectrum insight to Cologne.

Although we had to leave our magical fantasy at the Cathedral, we left Cologne with a powerful understanding of the city and an experience we will always remember.

By Jocelyn Cooper

Editing Week

Fresh and energized from the Monday excursion to Cologne, the film program quickly got down to business for their first week of editing class. This week, with the addition of a film screening Tuesday night and two days of casting that ran after hours at the new AIB, proved to be an intense test of academic endurance. On Tuesday morning, the program was introduced to Andreas Frowein, who will be instructing editing classes for the entirety of the semester. Andreas has taught film at various universities across Eu-rope and the world and is especially knowledgeable with editing software and the tech-nical side of post production.

Shortly after Professor Frowein’s introduction, he began teaching the basics of Avid Media Composer, the primary editing software being instructed to the film group from Los Angeles. Avid, along with Final Cut 7 and Adobe Premiere Pro, is a top-of-the-line “industry standard” software that many professional filmmakers prefer. He taught the foundational techniques of editing with Avid to enhance our filmmaking tool belt and help us maintain a well rounded background as we move forward in our film education. To get a hands-on experience, each student received some video files transferred to cut together on their own. It was difficult to get used to the flow of a software program like Avid, but once we got into it, things started moving more smoothly. This little scene we had to edit, would be the class’s first project that would be due at the end of the week.

After spending the first day in the editing lab, the class had more lecture-style instruction the second day, learning more of the theory and conceptual purpose of editing for film. In the second portion of day two, and in order to do a hands-on experiment students shot a scene with two cameras and three actors from the class. Jocelyn Cooper, Nick Logsdon and John Capone acted and improvised a scene. Following the three actors improvising for the class, Andreas decided it would be worth shooting for real and not just experimenting with physical demonstration. Kendall Milton took the helm as director of the scene along with Sam Zook and Victoria McCurrie as camera operators. The content of the scene progressed in a light-hearted and comedic manner with Logsdon and Capone developing an interesting chemistry. But perhaps the most important thing, we learned difficult shooting and editing techniques.

Overall, it was an intense week of work both in the editing lab and in overall discussion and planning for the nearing shoot dates of the narrative projects. The students put many hours in the editing labs not only to familiarize themselves with Avid but to also put together a smooth and polished cut of their scenes.

It’s shaping up to be an exciting semester with Professor Frowein!

By John Capone

Once Upon a Time in Germany

On August 23rd our Bonn Film 2014 group, still strangers to one another, heaved ourselves into a bus rubbing sleep our eyes at 7:45 am, and returned late afternoon on August 25th no longer strangers. Through the course of the weekend we were brought together through a series of interesting activities. We sagged against the bus seats and dozed off as we started our 45 minute voyage to the Eifel. Our first stop was a monastery which was a beautiful church surrounded by remote stretches of grass dotted with various farm animals. Some of us sought entertainment in the monastery in dubbing voices for the rooster and his fifty hen mistresses that were in a pen near our bus, while the majority of the group attended a Catholic service at the monastery lead by the monks who reside there. It was very formal and the entire service was carried out in Latin. Most of us were extremely fascinated by the level of devotion to their faith these men had. We learned that they are rarely allowed to leave the monastery once they agree to be a monk for life, and that during meal times they are not allowed to speak to one another. Judging by the animated conversation going on at all our meals on this trip, I don’t think any of us would make successful monks. Our class loaded back up into our bus, and some of us were engaged in deep conversations about the idea of religion and where we were personally in our levels of faith.

At our next location we shuffled out of the bus and looked up in awe at the rustic castle looming over us. The castle looked so magical I half expected a dragon to come soaring over our heads. Rainer, who served as our own personal tour guide, led the group up to the castle while we all eagerly snapped “artsy” pictures. Rainer proceeded to take us through the castle and gave as an extremely interesting and informative tour. I am not sure if our group was more horrified to learn about the deadly battles that occurred in the castle hundreds of years before, or the fact that people used to have to sleep sitting up right because their hair styles were too complex to lay flat on. We all came to the conclusion that we are thankful not to have been born in the 1500s because of several reasons, including the brutal torture techniques that were used as forms of punishment, the fact that people used to climb through the toilet hole to attack the castle, but mostly because none of us would have wanted to date any of the creepy people gazing back at us from the portraits on the walls.



We loaded back into the bus and continued on our journey. We enjoyed a delicious lunch, and most of us ordered authentic German Schnitzel. After lunch we arrived in Monreal, a quaint little town with a population close to fifty people. The town is a cluster of little houses that appear frozen in medieval times. Glistening rivers flow under little canals and vibrant flower boxes hang in front of every window sill. It’s a quiet little town with only one hotel, and the entire distance can be walked in a matter of minutes. Rolling hills loom over Monreal and the majestic ruins of some castles sit on top of the hills. Rumors told me the Germans are active people and they weren’t lying. Our group endured three vigorous hikes over the course of our next two days at the Eiffel, and one began right when we arrived. Our youth proved little assistance to our hiking abilities, in contrast to Rainer who whizzed straight up to the top of the mountain. On the way up there was lots of stopping to “take pictures”, which really meant stopping to “catch our breath before passing out while keeping up the facade that we are actually, in fact, in good in shape.” However, when we reached the top our trek proved to be completely worth it. The view of the town was incredible and we must have brought some California sunshine with us because the weather was perfect. Some of us were not satisfied with just being on top of the hill, and we climbed up a winding stair case in one of the castle towers so we could be as high up as possible; proving we do have the mentality it takes to be film makers in Hollywood.

Later that night we hiked up another mountain. During our night hike we carried lighted torches. It proved for a very entertaining experience accompanied by lots of off key singing and myself nearly lighting my friend Kiana’s hair on fire. The hike following that one was not as carefree. It was a sunrise hike at six am the next morning, and despite the fact that we had to be up before the sun, the hike was extremely worth it. Rainer led us through a mystical forest and past fields of corn and little farm houses. We saw lots of sheep lounging in little pens, and sampled lots of sweet raspberries growing on the bushes. When we returned and had our morning eggs and coffee they tasted extra tasty after our morning workout.

We spent our days at a quaint little wine house that also doubled as a hotel for the duration of the weekend. The girls slept there, while the boys had houses to themselves. We ate most our meals at this wine house and all of the meals were delectable. We enjoyed a variety of delicious German foods including roasted pig with a delicious sauce, fresh eggs, fresh ham, some of the best bread I have ever tasted, Crčme Brulé with berries, homemade soup and more. All of our directing classes were also held in this place, and by the end of the weekend it felt like home.



We had several classes and exercises which included pitching the top eight narrative script choices and selecting the four the class wanted to make into movies. We also learned a lot about how to tell a story and convey emotions through visual images. One exercise we had to do was all about conveying an emotion just through pictures. In groups of two we had to draw a slip of paper from a pile of others and on these pieces of paper were written two separate emotions most of which were opposites of each other. Some examples of these emotions included bored to excited, naive to mature, and indifferent to excited. We then had to go out into the town with our partner and photograph images that captured these emotions and then juxtapose them next to one another to create a story. After lunch we presented the images on a projector in front of the class. People came up with all kinds of creative and clever ways to tell their stories utilizing nature, animals, buildings and inanimate objects. Our conversations over everyone’s projects became very philosophical and carried out for quite some time.

This project was also a great experience because it seemed to bring together partners who initially had not known each other very well and overall proved to be a great activity for our group.

After classes, and mandatory activities each night included sharing meals with our professors and having heart to hearts with one another about politics, our personal lives, our futures and what constitutes a good Tinder profile picture.
Overall the Eiffel was a success: the views were spectacular, the castles were pretty, the food was appetizing, we learned a lot, experienced a lot and most of all formed bonds with one another and our teachers.

By Kendall Milton

My Host Family

Arrival time at the AIB in Bonn: six in the morning. It’s closed until eight. Fantastic. Michael Hibbs and myself have two hefty packs filled with the stuff we’d been wearing and using for a week during our pre-program trips to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Surely there was a stench, but our trained noses had gotten used to it by our arrival.

It’s closed. Okay. We decided to take a cat nap in a park, not sure of the legality, and not sure how much we’d stand out. I don’t know if two kids toting backpacks and setting up hammocks in a public park describes the locals. Regardless, we slept. And it was a well deserved nap, although not nearly long enough. By 7:30 we were awake again, and packed. We returned to the AIB in hopes of the door being unlocked, but alas! It wasn’t. We were ready to cry. Our week previously had taken it’s toll on us. We’d been unprepared for everything Stockholm, Copenhagen, and the rest of Europe had to offer and there we were stranded outside of our school craving a long nap on anything softer than a park bench.

As we start toward our park encampment, we are called out to by someone from behind. And wouldn’t you know it, he lets us in! Although I promptly forgot his name, we thanked him profusely and immediately fell asleep on one of the many supremely comfortable couches. Finally, the routine had begun; we made it inside the AIB.

The next couple of weeks would require more adjustment but our host families made the adjustment bearable and actually enjoyable. My host mother arrived with an enormous smile. She stretched her arms out for a hug as if we were the prodigal sons returned. It was perhaps the warmest welcome from someone I didn’t know. She helped us load our bags, and drove us through Bonn for a quick tour. Along the way she told us she really just picked up English, about a year and a half ago. That says dedication to the kids she hosts. She emphasized how her and her husband worked hard to learn English not only for the students but for themselves as well. The students get something out of it, and so do the families.

Our home for the semester is fantastic. It’s nice, but it never overwhelmed. Cozy is the best word to describe the place. From pickup at the AIB, I felt at home. I was not nearly as nervous as I was initially.



Because we had just arrived, our host parents prepared a traditional German dinner for us. It was the simplest thing, but every part of the meal felt just right. We met one other student they were hosting for a month and us three immediately connected. Natalia, is her name. She was friendly and cordial right from the start. I really believe it’s my host parents’ desire to respect and care for other kids as if they were their own, that can bring people from multiple countries together. At the dinner table that night, there were two Americans, three Germans and one Grecian. The conversations we had were beautiful, profound, silly, sometimes meaningless but always wonderful.
First nights so often go terribly, but that night was absolutely one of the best first nights I have ever had. I can’t wait for the rest of the semester with this wonderful family.

By Nicholas Logsdon

Former AIB Student Launches Career

One of our film students from 2013, Christopher Helkey, has been doing very well in LA, after he returned from Germany. He is finishing up school and running a small film production company that he just started in LA.

„I used my "The Magic Moment Film" I made in Bonn as a portfolio video which helped me get two huge contracts from two very big clients. I still work with Steven, my composer and I have been able to hire him to create music for several of my clients which is very cool.
I want to thank the AIB for putting on such an amazing program. It really helped me launch my career and jump ahead in my professional film life.“ 

Christopher Helkey

AIB Welcome Party 2014

Shortly following the intense soccer tournament, all AIB students and host families gathered together for fun and merriment. The event was started off right with an introduction from the mayor of Bonn, which included a short history of Bonn and a welcome to all the students. There were mountains of delicious foods and great live music from the local band, Steal a Taxi. Each AIB program had the opportunity to introduce themselves to all the host families and fellow study-abroaders.



The LMU groups opted for just a simple introduction, while the students from Penn State and Texas A&M showed the crowd some famous football chants. The Italian students had the entire audience involved with their crossword that eventually spelled out the opening lines to their national anthem. The AIB did a great job putting together this event where all the students and host families were able to make connections and spread the international love.

Written by Janette Danielson