Our dear friend and favorite editor Zac Stuart-Pontier (Catfish, Opus Jazz and tons of other Supermarché projects) was named Top 25 New Faces in Independent Cinema by Filmmaker Magazine.  Read the article here.
We’re very proud.
Long live the king…of editing.

xoSM

“NY Export: Opus Jazz” was on PBS last night!  CLICK HERE to find out when it’s airing again in your ‘hood.

(Just to prove that it was on TV, here is an image from ZSP’s shockingly outdated home television.  You’d think that the most successful film editor in NYC right now could afford a new TV that doesn’t cut 30% off a widescreen image, but perhaps now is not the best time to discuss that.)

xoSM

I just got back from SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.  Between mini-golf and the shooting range, I had a chance to see some friends films.

First up was Jeff Deutchman’s “participatory documentary” about the day Obama was elected president.  He asked friends and filmmakers (including me) all over the world to document their experiences.   The first cut is great, but he now has a website up where people can upload their footage, and he will continue to update the film as more footage pours in.   Send him something!

10 minutes after Jeff’s screening I rushed over to another theater for the premiere of our film “NY Export: Opus Jazz.”  It was a profound experience to finally see this three-year labor of love in front of an audience.   We got some nice reviews too.  It will air on PBS on March 24th at 8pm.

Our friend Lena’s film “Tiny Furniture” totally knocked me out.   Deservedly, it also won the Grand Jury Prize.   A lot of buddies worked on this movie and they did an incredible job.

xoHenry

Last Friday night we drank a bottle of champagne and locked picture on Opus Jazz.  It’s been about 6 weeks since we wrapped.

We also have an air date : March 24th, 2010 on PBS!

xoSM

Hey look!  Our buddy Lena wrote this great dispatch about Opus Jazz for the terrific movie blog Hammer to Nail.

Finally an article focusing on Key P.A. Brad Payne (pictured above with Lena) and how he became the most desired man on set.

Click here to read the article….

xoSM

We spent our last week shooting the 5th movement in a Lowe’s movie palace from the late 1920’s in Jersey City.

It was spooky and beautiful.

Joe nailed this shot.

(photos by Joe Anderson)

Becky relaxes.

(photos by Yaniv Schulman)

The entire cast & crew, from 80 feet up.  A happy family.

Words cannot express what an incredible experience making this film has been.   No one did it for the money, we made it for art, FOR LIFE.  We’re all sorry it’s over, but the editing must begin.

The film will air on WNET/PBS in Spring 2010.

xoSM

September 7th-11th was the 3rd week of shooting our 35mm ballet film “NY Export: Opus Jazz”….

First we finished up “Statics” in Red Hook.  A 360 degreee Steadicam shot forced up onto the roof to watch.

(photo by Joe Anderson)

Then we moved to McCarren Park in Williamsburg.  Ariel hired these guys who paint parking lots to make the incredible vanishing lines on the ground.

(photo by Yaniv Schulman)

Tiler Peck posing for Supermarché’s upcoming Grip Calendar.

(photo by Henry Joost)

Henry in front of a little more sweet production design.

(photo by Yaniv Schulman)

xoSM

During our 2nd week of shooting we were visited on set by NYT reporter Gia Kourlas, who wrote an amazing article about our project.  Béatrice de Géa took photos.   Our grandmothers were very proud.

Click here to read the article….

xoSM

Shooting continues.  We shot the 3rd movement of the ballet (Improvisations) at P.S. 146 in Brooklyn and finished up Statics over the weekend in Red Hook.

(photos by Joe Anderson)

(photos by Kate Reeder)

xoSM

Week 1 making the 1st Jerome Robbins ballet movie since West Side Story.  We filmed in Coney Island, the Lower East Side, Bushwick, and portions of the 2nd movement “Statics” in an abandoned warehouse.

Our cast is made up entirely of dancers from New York City Ballet.  They work incredibly hard.   They also blog and make funny videos on set about baby wipes.

Camera operator Joe Anderson nails a helicopter shot.

Something bad also happened.  Early Tuesday morning Mel was driving me home from set and disaster struck.  I think my beloved Subaru of 10 years might be totaled (it’s worse than it looks).

- Henry