“Man Vs. Meteorite” (Hombre Vs. Meteorito) won first prize in the documentary category at the 2010 Tandil Cortos Film Festival. The 10 minute film shows how an Argentine Knife master uses the skills his gaucho grandfather taught him to make a foot-long knife out of meteorite metal using century old techniques. The film was produced by San Telmo Productions and directed by Gabriel Balanovsky. The film was commissioned by Artisanal Knives as a way to publicize the high quality of knives made in Argentina by focusing on this unique challenge: to make a knife out of metal from outer space. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Jorge Crespo
“The Hooker & the Transvestite 2″ Takes First Place in Filmaka “Hard Times” Contest
For these two working girls, it sucks to be hungry. . .
It took a year to get the results back, but there in. . . a jury made of 12 Hollywood a-listers including Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog and Colin Filth have declared “La Puta y la Transvesti, parte 2″ (The Hooker and the Transvestite 2) the winner of the Filmaka “Hard Times” short film contest.
The first part of the contest received more than 1000 entries, of which 18 advanced to the next round by popular vote and by the other filmmakers. These 18 filmmakers then received 20 days and $1000 dollars to film the second part of the first film (ie, the second episode of a web series).
Now, we along with the other monthly winners will have to produce another short film, and the winner wins the production of a movie!
So if you have three minutes, check out this short which features Argentine film stars Lola Berthet and Luis Machin, as well as theater star Luis Aponte. The 25+ crew featured local legend Director of Photography Jorge Crespo as well as the support of Ajaf Cinema and Ñandu Sonido.
Whether we win the second round or not, we are planning to make this San Telmo Production’s first fiction feature film!
You can watch the short following the link below or on the side bar.
http://www.filmaka.com/watch=film_id=f9714e7a-cb1a-102c-a44a-00301b46cca5
Award Winning DoP Jorge Crespo directs music video for the first time
After lighting and shooting more music videos than he can count and winning “best cinematography” at the 2007 BAFICI, wunderkind Jorge Crespo directs his first music video. Produced by Gabriel Balanovsky of San Telmo Productions, cool camera moves and post-production magic turn this low-budget clip into a compelling experimental statement about Argentina´s political situation, with a punk beat. The band is “Mal Pasar” a local punk icon and the song is called “Violencia” (Violence).
The actor is local theater and movie star Guillermo Angelelli.
Locations include an old fishing warf and the Casa Rosada (presidential palace) of Evita fame.
While the video will be released in late February, you can take a sneak peak now:
It´s a Wrap: 2009!
So sorry that I haven´t been blogging much lately: I´ve been jumping from meetings to pre-production planning to last-minute film shoots. Right now we at San Telmo Productions have two clear focuses: the pre-production of a documentary about Dog Walkers in Buenos Aires that will be shot in January (which we are producing for Australian director Peter Wilson, with Jorge Crespo as Director of Photography and Ñandu Sonido doing sound recording), and planning our first feature-length documentary, “Goals for Girls” about a female soccer team in the most infamous slum in Buenos Aires.
If that wasn´t enough, November had Gabriel doing local production fixing for “The Nazi Hunters” a History Channel docu-drama, location scouting in Iguazu for a German historical film that takes place in 1790, and running around meeting potential buyers/investors in DocBsAs and Ventana Sur, two film markets held in Buenos Aires in November.
Next year will be about project development, growing our client base and finally writing that fiction screenplay. We want to thank all of our clients and friends for helping us make some great fiction and documentary content that shows a different side of Latin America to the world.
I´ll be sending updates about the production on this blog and twitter. And I´ll make sure to let you all know what will happen with the new “Media Law” and film regulations that promise to shake up the local film and TV industry in Argentina.
Keep the comments and questions coming!
BEST HOLIDAY WISHES! FELICES FIESTAS!
Behind the scenes video of “The Hooker & the Transvestite 2″
Behind the scenes of “The Hooker & the Transvestite” Episode 2 (La Puta y la Travesti). Actors Lola Berthet, Luis Machín and Luís Aponte, a crew of 25 and DoP Jorge Crespo braved freezing cold temperatures to film the second part of a short film for the Filmaka “Hard Times” contest. Directed by Gabriel Balanovsky and Ginger Gentile. Making of and photography by David Castre Bravo.
“Making of The Hooker & The Transvestite” Episode 2
A great job was done by David Castre Bravo. Actors Lola Berthet, Luis Machín and Luís Aponte, a crew of 25 and DoP Jorge Crespo braved freezing cold temperatures to capture a bit of film magic. The set electricians began at 4pm and finished at 8am! Lights were provided by Ajaf Cinema and sound equipment by Ñandú Sonido, who also co-produced the short film.
It´s a Wrap: The Hooker & The Transvestite
Luis Aponte and Lola Berthet
The filming on Friday night was a great success: our crew of 25, plus actors Lola Berthet, Luis Aponte and Luis Machín braved the cold to produce one really funny short for the filmaka contest: The Hooker & The Transvestite. Our Director of Photography, Jorge Crespo, lit up over 1000 square meters of park for a dramatic scene (and coordinated that they turn off and on with the camera rolling). The photography he captured on the his Sony HD camera using a 35mm lens is incredible, he really got that film look.
We are now running around to finish the post production. This means the following:
1) Downloading the material to be edited (for a three minute finished product we filmed about 30 mintues of material).
2) Editing, and re-editing, the short until it´s just right (in this case we are under a lot of time constraints, normally this process can take longer than the two days we had!)
Luis Machín acting drunk
3) The film then is color corrected, in this case by the Director of Photography. Color correction can be a misnomer: more than correcting mistakes, Jorge Crespo changed the color of the lighting and pushed the colors to make them “pop” as they should in a comedy.
4) Charlie Yusim, who also composed the music for Gabriel Balanovsky´s “Enjaulado” and a fashion commercial that he produced, creates an original score, in this case very Tim Burtonesque.
5) Gaspar Scheuer, of Ñandu Sonido, one of the best sound studios in Argentina, corrects the sound recording and does the final mix when the music is done.
6) All these elements are placed together, with subtitles and end credits. Done!
(All Photos were taken by David Castre)
Lola Berthet was not harmed in the making of this film.
Lola Berthet (the Hooker), Luis Machín (the Drunk), Luis Aponte (the Transvestite)
It takes a lot of lights to light up a park at night!
Co-directors Ginger Gentile and Gabriel Balanovsky check a shot in the Sony HD camera with 35mm lens with DoP Jorge Crespo
The traveling track is ready.
The actors battle the cold!
Isn´t life a drag?
The HD monitor waits while lights are put in place (only about 30% of what we used is in this photo).
New Documentary films making knives by hand in Argentina
Gabriel Balanovsky directs the shot.
San Telmo Productions filmed the first part of what will be a feature length documentary about knife making in Argentina. The knife is an indispensable tool for the gaucho (Argentine cowboy), used both to work and to eat the huge cuts of meat the pampas are famous for. Long ago, most gauchos made their own knives by hand, and today a select group of artisans continue this art. Working in hidden workshops, they turn scrap metal into beautiful knives, all by hand. Collectors and chefs from all over the world prize these creations, and it is not uncommon for an Argentine to bring his own knife to an asado, or barbecue.
The first part of the documentary, which is executive produced by Gary Parker, will look at the making of a very special knife is litterally out of this world (details will be revealed in the film!)
Directed and produced by Gabriel Balanovsky, Photography by Jorge Crespo (winner of so many photography awards that I won´t list them here) and edited by Ginger Gentile. Sound recording and post by Damián Montes Calabro. Filmed in HD.
Jorge Crespo films Guillermo making a knife
Guillermo files down a knife.
