It was the type of day where even the street signs bent down to smack my face

Matt smacked

Second Line: A short film for The Little Theater's Screensaver campaign

I was approached by producers Brianne Merkel & Chris Hogan-Roy to come up with a short film to promote The Little’s Screen Saver Campaign. The Little, Rochester New York’s premiere art house cinema, has launched this Crowdrise Campaign to fund the conversion of their theaters to digital.

So what did I come up with? A funeral for film. We did it New Orleans style and even included a casket full of old film artifacts. But this is Rochester a.k.a. Kodak Town. The birthplace of film. People can get very sensitive about celluloid. I do love film & will remember it fondly. But the times…they are a changing.

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Much thanks to the amazing cast and crew who helped make this production possible. Photo credit – Chris Hogan Roy

Be a Screensaver!
http://www.crowdrise.com/littlescreensaver
https://thelittle.org/screensaver

Written by Matthew Ehlers, Brianne Merkel, & Chris Hogan-Roy
Produced by Brianne Merkel
Directed by Matthew Ehlers
Director of Photography – JR Kraus
Sound – Mike Barra
2nd Camera/Props – John Vincent
Grip – Mike Boas
Camera PA – Jeff Enssle
Best Boy – Shane Morris
Costume/Props Master – Mary Steeves
Production Design Asst. – Kenya Chester
Editor – Chris Hogan-Roy
Post Supervision – Jeff Beach

Cast

Director……………………..Mike Koldan
Robot………………………..Mike Boas
Steve Dave…………………Jeff Enssle
16mm Mourner………….David Spiro
2nd Line…………………….Rheytchul Kimmel, Eric Maira, Brian William, Chris Crouse, Douglas Szczesny, Terri Cvetan, Sean Michael Smith
Pallbearers…………………Pat McCabe, Phillip Frey, Randy Huckabone, Don Casper
Mourners…………………..Diane Chevron, Corey Morgano, Noel Wilfeard, Sandy Gabriel, Frank Calandra, Julie Cramer, Susan Katz-Aser, Tyler Aser, Owen Aser, Kurt Mueller, Laura Garrison

Special Thanks – Rob MacGown of Flying Baby Pictures, 57th Street Productions, Eggwork Productions

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Sigh…
daenerys targaryen

“Life under the F n’ G” – Smith & 9th Street Subway Station Construction

April 26, 2013

At long last…

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Someone made an auto-tune video about the joy of taking this station. Well done!

 

April 4, 2013

I’m taking this as a good sign.

F & G Train Sign

There’s a deli next to the Smith and 9th Subway station, that was closed completely in June 2011 for repairs. I asked the guy who served me coffee when he thought the station would open again. “This month!” he declared. He may be right according to RT&S. Mark your calendars for 4/22. If I’m not busy, I’ll cover it live via UStream. But I’ve heard such promises before (nice try Gothamist). They said the station would reopen at the end of 2012, but then Sandy hit. There are other signs of progress or at least strange architectural decisions.

Smith & 9th Facade

The material looks like aluminum and it reminds me of an Ikea kitchen accessory. Here’s MTA’s artist rendering to get the full picture of what they’re going for.

Smith & 9th Aritist Rendering

March 25th, 2013

Progress!

F&G Station Interior

That is an actual MTA Subway booth being installed into the F&G Train Subway Station at Smith & 9th. And right next to that? An actual subway card vending machine! Why am I so excited?

A little background…

In August 2012 I moved into an apartment on the corner of Smith Street & 9th Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. From my front door it’s a mere 50 steps to the Smith & 9th Subway stop for the F & G Trains. But that station had been under construction for months (much to the consternation of everyone in Red Hook). Added to that is a huge project to refurbish the entire viaduct that spans the Gowanas canal. It’s the tallest elevated train on the planet.

F&G Construction

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Sorry I have to pause while a construction lift drives past my window. Every morning around 7:55 AM they start. Usually two hydraulic lifts are used to take construction workers 50 feet in the air to start jack-hammering the old concrete. When they both move the BEEPS double. BEEP BEEP BE-BEEP B-BEEP BE-BEE-EP.

Contruction of the Brooklyn Viaduct

I swear since I moved in August 2012, the scaffolding has moved down the street approximately 15 yards. That’s it!

The purpose of this blog is to track this construction project. So be sure to stop back and see what happens next. And by all means, add your FnG Station stories and photos.

 

Eastman House Process Documentaries dir. Matthew Ehlers

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The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography presents a six part documentary series Photographic Processes for the SEE: Untold Stories exhibit. Produced by Eggwork Productions and directed by Matthew Ehlers. Watch all six documentaries.