Jarred Alterman Filmmaker

2011-07-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jarred Alterman is "Filmmaker pick of the week"

at Hammer to Nail with 'Convento' Review by Mike Tully

(Convento world premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. It has its New York City premiere on Saturday, July 16, 2011, as part of Rooftop Films. Visit the film’s official Tumblr page to learn more. NOTE: This review was first published on July 14, 2011, as a “Hammer to Nail Pick of the Week” at the Filmmaker Magazine blog.)

Jarred Alterman’s Convento is a multi-fold achievement. It’s an inspiring tribute to a well-adjusted family, it’s a reverent document of a very special place, and it’s perhaps most distinguishable as a stunning showcase for Christiaan Zwanikken’s artwork. As described in the film’s press notes, Christiaan is a “kinetic artist who reanimates skeletal parts and deceased wildlife with servomotors and robotics.” These creatures would be awesome (and by ‘awesome’ I mean the original definition of that term) in any environment, yet here, they become something altogether more indelible. They’re like wandering, leftover figures from some extinct futuristic planet. That said, it isn’t just the artwork itself that brings Convento to such rich life. In the way that Christiaan thrillingly fuses the natural world with mechanics in his work, director/cinematographer/editor Alterman delivers a similarly perfect marriage of form and content.

Just about anyone can become an accomplished technical filmmaker. Clearly, Alterman knows how to photograph and edit, and his collaboration with musician Lawrence Dolan cannot be understated—it’s an excellent sonic expression of the element of sci-fi naturalism that defines Christiaan’s work. But there is something deeper going on here. I have no idea how much time Alterman spent at Sao Francisco or how well he knew the Zwanikkens before pressing the record button, but with every static camera placement, every slow dolly, every edit, it feels as if he was connecting to his material on a more instinctive, spiritual level. Whatever energy is in the air or water that makes Sao Francisco such a special place, Alterman managed to bottle that into this film.

"Convento," Reviewed - Movies - News - IFC.com

2011-03-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

Unorthodox subjects demand an equally unorthodox documentary -- an "unortho-doc?" -- like "Convento," a quiet and curious film about a quiet and curious family living in a former monastery in Portugal, the Convento Sao Francisco de Mertola. They're the Zwanikkens: mother and former prima ballerina Geraldine, animal and nature lover Louis, and Christiaan, the "kinetic artist" who spends most of his time designing bizarre sculptures, like the one above, that fuse animal bones and remains with working robotics to create moving (practically living) works of art. In this former house of God, Christiaan gets to play God himself, giving life to these weird little robo-beasts.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

indieWIRE presents 'Meet the 2011 SXSW Filmmakers'

2011-03-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

ClLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE on indieWIRE

Growing up in front of the camera…

I grew up with a super 8mm home movie camera shouting directions at me. In fact, for years I was convinced my father did not have a face. All I saw was a blinking green light (while I transformed into The Hulk or Spiderman) and a static red light while my father thought about the next shot. My mother was always concerned with the lens being too close, but I couldn’t get enough. I was able to wear a cape most of my childhood.

Once a month in our North East Philly apartment we had movie nights in our smoky living room. I have vivid memories of the loud motor from the projector and a silhouette of my father carefully setting up the screen. I watched our family become illuminated and immortalized, and this feeling of being a part of something truly magical. As a kid these images on the screen were hyper-real (and sort of psychedelic.) It was like some insane version of our lives, where we talked a lot faster and sometimes screamed for no reason. The muted colors, grainy texture and dramatic shifts from light to darkness were… shocking. But I think what made the strongest impression on me was this bizarre sense of time. I was flying around in my cape in one direction and suddenly I would enter the frame from another. Day would become night. Seasons would change. What the hell was going on here? This nightmarish collision of time and space made me sea sick, but it was so exciting!

From super 8mm to VHS…

Years later I began to experiment with my own home movies. Super 8mm became VHS. In-camera edits of my friends shoving cigarettes in their mouths and drinking black coffee in diners, became a Friday night ritual. I always had a camera with me. I was always looking for that hyper-realism I felt as a kid with those super 8mm home movies. And I guess I should thank that man with the blinking lights for eyes and the lens for a face, who lured me into this profession.

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TRUE/FALSE FILM FESTIVAL!

2011-02-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

I was invited to the True/False film festival in Columbia, MO to present a series of kinetic art films
for a large, out door installation March 3rd to 6th.
The work is called: Cinema/Sculpture (a collaboration with Christiaan Zwanikken)
The films will screen every night of the festival from sunset to midnight.

More information about the festival: True/False Film Festival

OCEAN premieres at Baryshnikov Art Center

2011-01-17T12:01:00.001-08:00

On Monday January 10th, Baryshnikov Art Center premiered the film Ocean (dir. Charles Atlas);
A 5 camera, 90 minute live performance dance/film with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
Ocean was staged in the bottom of a rock quarry in St. Cloud Minnesota, and performed in the round,
with the addition of a 150 member orchestra using quadrophonic sound.

I had the amazing opportunity to be hired as Director of Photography for this film- which celebrated 10 years
of filmmaking with Charles Atlas. We had 5 cameras and a dolly to cover this ambitious performance
which took place in the round, with a live audience. It was a lot of hard work, but we had a great crew.
After watching this film projected there is no doubt the reel stars are the editors.. Bravo.

2010-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

CONVENTO TRAILER

Our first trailer is up!

MAG PIES UNITE

2010-09-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

When I visited Amsterdam last winter it was very overwhelming.
I managed to shoot a lot of material,but never had the chance to
actually construct any stories out of the raw footage.
Sometimes you just need some distance between you and the "event"
in order to gain some perspective on it.
(Of course, being a procrastinator with my own work also helps.)

"The Magpie Chapel" is a short film about public art + vandalism.
Well, its not that deep actually- It is only a moment in time.
I was staying with Christiaan in Amsterdam, and he needed
to check out his commissioned public art piece, The Mag Pie Chapel,
that had been vandalized in the middle of the night.
This has never happened to him before.
And at the time, I was barely aware of the severity of the situation;
This is a small, peaceful town in the country, who has an art-criminal on their hands.

The newly restored Magpie Chapel opens this weekend, but here is a look back with the artist,
witnessing the damage for the first time.

THE MAG PIE CHAPEL

SHOCK CONDUCTOR

2010-06-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

During the filming of my documentary film, Convento, we took a day off to film this sculpture called SHOCK CONDUCTOR. The previous night, after many glasses of red wine.. I had the idea of filming underneath the sculpture. With the help of Evan Meszaros, Tita Aaftink, Christiaan & Louis Zwanikken, we constructed a scaffolding, where the sculpture sits on huge piece of glass. The camera is on a cam-tram system underneath. I wanted to cover the sculpture from above as well so the viewer would have a simultaneous experience of visual/sound disorientation. Make sure to play this loud:

Art Amsterdam..The Installation!

2010-06-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Art Amsterdam was amazing. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of artists, and check out some amazing art.
Here is a little recap video, for those who missed it. Don't worry, this is just the beginning.
Stay tuned for more events in NYC or Amsterdam this summer!

Art Amsterdam- Children dig the Hare!

2010-05-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

This made my entire year!!! Kids are not afraid of anything!

Art Amsterdam- Minas!

2010-05-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Minas Part 1 (How a Dead Hare Explains Art) 2010
Christiaan Zwanikken, Kinetic Sculpture
Jarred Alterman, Hd Video Installation

Art Amsterdam- Install!

2010-05-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

We're running late.
Rented a car through green wheels (Sort of like Zip Car in NYC) and packed up all of our gear into suitcases.
The scale of the RAI center and Art Amsterdam is massive. Definitely not what I expected.
Almost every gallery in Amsterdam is here, and everyone is drilling, hammering, mounting.. total chaos.
We find Booth 27/ Galerie Ramakers, and start the nasty process of installation:

Art Amsterdam..The Project Evolves!

2010-05-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

(a brief history)
"Minas pt 1" was originally an installation featuring 2 components, a projection on a wall and a kinetic sculpture.
The filming took place in southern Portugal- an old copper mine vacant for almost 50 years.
This provided a surreal and apocalyptic landscape with saturated colors and the perfect tone for a
film I wanted to make. The kinetic sculpture, a hare's head, was inspired by a dead hare we came across
in the middle of this desert, alone surrounded by wasps. The image was extremely haunting.

Last night as we set up a mock up installation inside the studio, we came up with the idea to combine the two elements as one. A film within a sculpture. Now the viewer has only one choice, and the piece is much stronger.
This is why I love collaboration.

The building:

And now some cheesy fashion/building shots:

Taking over the streets:

Next post: The REVEAL!

Art Amsterdam..In the Studio

2010-05-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

We set up everything today in the studio.
I finished the film before I left but decided it was too long. So after many hours, I have a new cut that is much better,
and shorter by 2:30 seconds. Christiaan's sculpture is insane. A stuffed hare's head has been given an extraterrestrial
makeover. We worked until very late, and finally watched the two together... We have officially lost our minds.
We have to mix tomorrow, and build a platform/stand for the installation. Opening night is in 3 days.
I'm excited for the reaction.

Art Amsterdam..Arrival

2010-05-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Amsterdam on Friday morning totally out of it. No sleep on the flight, because a drunk spilled hot coffee on me
and my lap top. No worries. Laptop was fine and I was upgraded to First Class. Not Kidding- I couldn't sleep, I was too comfortable!
Friday we checked an exhibit Chris is currently involved with-"You Smell But That's Ok/ Chris Zwanikken's Band of Electric Gas"
Here are some pics below:

INSTALL PLUG IN TUNE UP REPEAT

2010-03-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

Holland: Kinetic Art pt1 from Jarred Alterman on Vimeo.

Featuring Christiaan Zwanikken & his creations
Special Thanks to the Jules Vern School

a Jarred Alterman film
©2010 flyawayfilmsnyc

SFMOMA: THIS IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL

2009-12-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was invited to take part in a live installation with Charles Atlas & Mika Tajima (of The New Humans) at the SFMOMA
The installation was a blurred line between filmmaking and performance, where I was both Director of Photography & Participant.

If you walked into the museum, you immediately were drawn to a film crew, lights, dolly track and weird array of monitors and mixers, that seemed to be controlled by no one. Sets on wheels were moved randomly, strange feedback and the sound of broken glass shattered through speakers, and old movie lights were dimmed without motivation. Unlike most film sets, you were allowed to get as close as you wanted. If you followed a series of red arrows on the floor, you were led to a theatre where the entire surreal behind-the-scenes installation was projected. Up on the screen , you may be watching yourself, starring at the very same camera that is watching you.

2009-12-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

A M S T E R D A M 2 0 0 9:

A glimpse of Christiaan's Studio

Tropen museum- reminded me of the Brooklyn Museum

HERI DONO- incredible Indonesian kinetic artist

The best Haring in town

Rice table meal with Sambol!

2009-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

I am in the process of collaborating with my friend, the kinetic artist and demented genius of re-animation, Christiaan Zwanikken. We were there to brainstorm, and test out my rented Canon 7D. (And of course take part in the liberal attitudes of Spinoza’s hometown.)

Even though it was cold and wet I had to rent a bike. Everything you do in Amsterdam- I mean everything is done by bicycle. So for 50 Euro, I had a bike for 9 days! Ok- my bike was described as nerdy, dorky, bulky, and came with a front basket, but for me it was perfect.

Riding around town was shocking. I am used to insane cab drivers, aloof pedestrians, and the occasional psycho bike courier in New York City. But none of this prepared me for the aggressive bicyclists of Amsterdam. They ride fast. They take pleasure in scaring stoned tourists. And parents ride with all of their children. An angry mom with three of her kids cut me off! They have these weird wheel barrel attachments in front that stores two children, and you can still have a child seat on the back. (Now, I’m all for progressive thinking, but this is liberalism gone horribly wrong.)

Yet somehow in the midst of all the chaos there is system that works. There are separate traffic lights for buses, cars, people and bikes. Bike lanes are integrated throughout the entire city grid, and it’s the most amazing way to experience Amsterdam.

Sitting in bars along the canals, watching the very same sunlight that inspired the master painters, it’s very easy to drink a lot of booze. It’s just that kind of European city. The weirdest sensation was hopping on my bike at 3AM, and riding very fast on cobble stone streets, over canals, completely buzzed on red wine. You ride in silence with anonymous hordes of drunk and stoned bicyclists in perfect harmony.

Hangover? No problem. I might go for the typical greasy breakfast to soak up the booze, but in Amsterdam we eat Haring. This is the miracle cure. The Haring comes from Denmark, where it is only caught three months of the year, and flash frozen on the boat. It is delicately gutted & de boned, and its’ only seasoning is a mixture of water and sound. Raw.

Its diced into small bite size pieces, over a bed of diced raw onion, and served with a pickle. I ate Haring almost everyday, except when I was eating smoked eel sandwiches. I believe this food is the reason these people are so damn healthy (and can party so hard.)

When I wasn’t eating Haring, I was exploring the incredible food of the Indonesian population of Holland. The greatest gift of the Indonesians is the creation of the Sambol- many varieties of hot sauce that go well with ANYTHING. We had an incredible rice table meal one night, and their Sam bol with shrimp paste was the probably the best sauce I have ever tasted.

On our last night, Christiaan and I went out for a rather romantic meal, (sorry Leah) and enjoyed a savory Fondue. Because Chris knows his shit, he ordered a high proof cherry alcohol- where you dip the bread lightly into the drink, then slosh it around the fondue. I almost lost my bread into the mixture, and I was scorned immediately: According to Roman legend, if you lose your bread into a fondue with friends, you had to commit suicide right there at the table. Thank you Christiaan for the buzz-kill.

In 24hrs I fell completely in love with Amsterdam. I am a spoiled New Yorker (now living in Jersey City), and its hard for me transition to another place when I am used to late night bars and 24hr bodegas. But, here I can function on the same late night excursions, drink with a diverse crowd, and eat incredible food