Freshi This, Freshi That

In addition to "How to Make Movies," the Freshi brand extends in several directions: a website (freshiflix.com), a quarterly magazine ("Rated FreshiFriendly"), and an after school filmmaking program (Freshiflimworx.com) that is in the process of spreading worldwide. Freshi has created a series of packages designed to allow schools and other educational interests to bring filmmaking to kids and teens everywhere. It's been selling like crazy- the packages are shipping across the country and beyond.

Just look at Youtube - kids are deeply into filmmaking - and they're starving for information on how to do it right. For me, everything's come full circle from the days when I was a young (11 year-old) filmmaker. I would have given everything to have a video camera (with sound!!!) like so many kids have today...

Once Upon a Time...

I started making films when I was eleven years old, just after my family had moved to California. A couple of years previous to our move, my father had been given a gift of a FujiFilm Single-8mm camera. This was the short-lived Japanese answer to the super-8 movie format that was popular then. The camera was simple to use: a "point and shoot" camera without any extras. At 18 frames per second, the 50 foot roll of (silent) film ran for three minutes. FujiFilm had also given my father a box of film, developing included, so we were all set.

I used the camera a bit in New York before we moved, shooting some footage of my friends and my neighborhood, but hadn't yet begun to create movies with real stories. It wasn't until we arrived in Tarzana, California that I could begin my filmmaking advenure. Arriving at the beginning of July - I had a lot of time to burn - and a lot of opportunity to begin bonding with my first movie camera - and figure out just what moviemaking was all about...

Next: "Hookman"