It wasn't too long after I got to film Ronnie Landfield and his wife Jenny in his Tribeca studio moving paintings around, that the storm of the century for NYC hit and ended his time there. I'm glad I got to spend some wonderful time there, either filming, or just hanging out. Ronnie is always a great person to talk with. We have lots of differences in the way we see art, but that's what makes the conversations all that much richer. I've been looking forward to visiting his new studio for years now and who knows when i'll be able to get up there to film.
If you know someone who likes to sponsor art projects, especially of the documentation sort, please get them in touch as it takes more than I've got to make these films for you. History needs films like this.
Thanks for watching!
Jeffrey Collins
Artist/Filmmaker
As I was living for a period of time in Pennsylvania. I got the opportunity to take time to make a documentary on Tamaqua's favorite resident, Portrait Painter Stephen Bennett.
My working with Stephen really brought this together. During the making of this documentary, I got to learn more of how calculating Bennett was about his paintings and about how he likes things done. It is because of this steadfast desire to communicate his work in the most clear way, that this documentary is as good as it is. I am very Thankful to Stephen Bennett for granting me the time to make this about him.
I hope you enjoy it and decide to learn more about him on your own.
I am working on another documentary for Stephen at this moment and when finished, will share it with you here.
Over the past few years, I have been working on finding new things to film. Thankfully a friend of mine had a desire for making a video of his new exercise program for Seniors at a Salvation Army Post in the town of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. We made the idea up and how we would go about filming it. I finally got to use my lavalier mic on him, as trying to film outside and using a field recorder to listen to one voice in an outdoor venue would be quite difficult. Our friend let us use his backyard to do the filming, as he has this wonderful natural rock retaining wall that we wanted to use as our backdrop.
Michael has been doing this form of Chi-Gung aka Qigong for years, and recently converted a lot of the teachings to go with the Bible instead of the traditional methods, working with a new set of moves to help mature people keep their flexibility and also marry that with teachings from the Bible.
We shot the video in one day. I used two camera angles to film him from, so you really get to see how the movements are made.
Shot on my Canon 5D2 with a Zoom H4n and Lavalier Mic for sound. Edited on an Apple Computer using Final Cut X.
I appreciate what we accomplished and look forward to making more videos for people, maybe even businesses soon too.
I wanted to take this time to let you know that you can subscribe to Duochrome Films/Jeffrey Collins and receive updates about the films and how everything is going. I usually send out less than 3 per year, so you don't have to worry about me crowding up your inbox.
We are about to launch another crowdfunding campaign and would like to include you in the email list so you can stay in touch throughout it. This campaign is looking to be a grand one that will allow for a number of interviews to be made. Adding even more volume to this amazing collection of films on artists.
Thanks for your help. If not for you, most of this wouldn't have happened. Here's a nice clip to help you realize more of what you are helping to accomplish...
I have been going over my inventory of amazing interviews with even more amazing people. I've been thinking of running another filming campaign to help get certain interviews made with a few people I have been talking with for months/years. I decided to make this cool montage of imagery from the interviews so far and realized I'm almost at 30 interviews. Pretty sweet considering that 5 years ago I had this dream to make a film like De Antonio did with PAINTERS PAINTING. Only thing is I ended up going way beyond what his vision was. Especially when I decided that each of these people is so unique it's hard to put them all into one film.
I'm so THANKFUL to all you wonderful people who have let me come into your homes, and studios and interview you. I look forward to continue our journey together, along with all the new names that have yet to be included. Even those that have decided to not be a part of this. I still appreciate all we did together.
In order...
Anders Knutsson
Art Guerra
Carl Belz
Darryl Hughto
Dee Solin
Francine Tint
Forrest "Frosty" Myers
James Panero
John Zinsser
Karen Wilkin
Klaus Kertess
Liv Mette Larsen
Loren Munk
Louise P. Sloane
Michael Brennan
Peter Reginato
Richard Timperio
Robert C. Morgan
Robert Sagerman
Rodney Dickson
Ronnie Landfield
Ruth Ann Fredenthal
Sandi Slone
Seren Morey
Stephen Bennett
Susan Roth
Vincent Como
In 2012 I began my filming that has continued since on painter Michael Brennan. I've been infatuated with his work since I first learnt of it. His ways of thinking about painting and ideas about how one creates. Which truly came to fruition in his 2014 exhibition at Minus Space in Brooklyn NY. Michael has a deep connection through films and literature into his paintings and I believe parts of this film shine light on that. Michael is a professor of painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and if you are of college age and want to study painting, he is definitely one I would want to study with.
Thanks for watching. I hope you got a lot from it.
Jeffrey Collins
Director
I was introduced to Francine around 2013 during my first visit with Sculptor/Painter Peter Reginato and Painter Dee Solin to the Hamptons to visit ArtMrkt Hamptons. Francine's work was in the same booth as Peter's and while I didn't get to meet her that weekend. I did soon after. We finally got to get together in September of this year and filmed for a couple hours. What you are about to see is a culmination of that day.
Equipment used:
Canon 5D2
GoPro Hero 3
LG G4
Zoom H4n for Audio.
