A Visit to 'The Bounceback' Set

Rebecca Campbell — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:30:30 +0000

A Sunday afternoon on the set of The Bounceback reconnected me to all that is enchanting about filmmaking -- the passion, the camaraderie, the dedication. Thanks to talented writer and director -- and former Austin Film Society Director of Artistic Services -- Bryan Poyser, a strong dose of irreverence pervaded the day as a bonus.

Some 50 actors and crew had already put in a good five hours when I showed up at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz on Sunday for my VIP set visit, but spirits were nonetheless high. I parked at base camp where the catering, craft services and honeywagon made it look like any major motion picture and belied the indie nature of this enterprise.

After hugs with Bryan (second from left in above photo), who seemed as proud and tired as a new father, the affable Assistant Director C.J. Neels ushered me to my perch. From the back of the theater, I watched the lewd antics in comfort and anonymity. I stayed for three scenes, which moved at an astonishingly efficient clip considering how much coordination was needed between actors, dozens of background players, and music as well as the usual crew.

Austin Studios Expansion Planning Update

Rebecca Campbell — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:30:52 +0000

For three years, Austin Film Society has been planning to expand Austin Studios to include the adjacent National Guard Armory. You may have seen our posts or heard us talk about how great it will be, because in addition to more filming space, we'll have scalable offices for producing, post-production, classrooms and anything else related to creative media production. It will be a beehive of artists supporting themselves and each other.

In 2006, AFS received $5 million in bond funds and it has paid off. Since we completed renovations in 2009, Austin Studios has brought $290 million into the local economy. You may have caught the news that ABC Family's The Lying Game has been renewed for a second season. That show alone will pour an amazing $16 million into Austin's economy over just a few months! The equation is simple: The more capital improvements we can make at the outset, the better the space will function and the cheaper the rent will be.

In 2009, AFS commissioned a detailed facilities assessment of the National Guard building, which revealed the need for the $6.1 million in repairs and improvements. In 2010, AFS held two Town Hall meetings for the film community and a videogame leaders roundtable. The purpose was to identify priorities for the space, which emerged as:

Affordable, scalable space
Privacy combined with easy access to communal space

Rebecca Campbell's blog

A Visit to 'The Bounceback' Set

Austin Studios Expansion Planning Update