tocus web sitedesign development

Our current crew list is below, we will be continuing to recruit, please contact me at alaric@bluebassoon.net or producer Nick Schmidt <nickschmidtatnaptown@yahoo.com> if you are interested.

Director/Writer: Alaric Rocha

http://www.bluebassoon.net

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1719012/

Alaric has Bachelor's of Music from Lawrence University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with his senior project, "Pandora's Box" a 60min film. While at Lawrence Alaric spent a term in London where he took a ten-week crash course in film making at Club Panico, which was run by Bob and Julian Doyle who have worked on many Monty Python and Terry Gilliam projects. After returning to Lawrence Alaric started a movie making club at Lawrence and produced at least two films a year while beginning his freelance work. He has had film show at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Chicago REEL Shorts film festival, The Illinois International Film Festival, Wildwood film festival and more.
After graduating he moved to Decatur, IL and worked WAND TV for two years as a videographer, editor and on air movie critic. Then he moved to Champaign, IL and worked for the Prairie Production Group as a videographer and editor for another two years. All the while continuing to produce films, music videos and working on freelance projects. He also began teaching basic movie making at summer camps, private schools and a community college.
Alaric now lives in Chicago, IL, freelances as a DP and editor and teaches filmmaking in Evanston, the Lillstreet Art Center and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.   He is currently an MFA student at DePaul.

Producer: Nick Schmidt

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3720035/

 

Nick Schmidt has worked on many productions at DePaul University and is master of the system! He has worked as a producer casting director, AD and more. Some of the films he's worked on are "The King", "Bringing up Booty", and "Snap Flash". Nick is a DC Cage employee (employee of the month many times!) and organizes the DC wide casting sessions.

 

 

Assistant Director: Priya Yavagal

Priya Yavagal received her B.E in Electronics and Communications from M.V. Institute of Technology, at the VTU University Bangalore, INDIA. She started a Theatre Production Company in Bangalore called ACTor Productions that has been producing and directing plays and short films since 2004. Priya has over 9 years of experience in Theatre and Films. She recently worked on a feature that won a state award in Bangalore. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Digital Cinema at DePaul University.

 

 

Director of Photography: Chris Vinopal

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2145308/

After graduating from the Brooks Institute of Photography with a BFA in film and video production in 2005, Chris Vinopal made his way to Los Angeles where he landed a job on an independent feature film as a set lighting technician.  After that feature, his career in lighting began.  As he continued in set lighting he moved up to Best Boy electric and Gaffer positions where he managed lighting crews, planned set power, rigging, and worked alongside Directors of Photography.   After a few years in lighting Chris was offered a manager position with a motion picture rental company Cinelease Inc.  Cinelease moved Chris to Chicago to manage the lighting, power and grip gear for “Dark Knight, “ “Wanted,” “Eagle Eye,” and many more projects throughout Chicago and the Midwest.   After a little over a year with Cinelease Chicago, the company closed the branch after “Public Enemies.”  Chris decided to call Chicago home, and went back to freelancing.  Chris traveled back and forth working in Michigan, Los Angeles, and Iowa.   Chris now finds himself at DePaul University  as the Digital Cinema lighting stage manager, AV Specialist, and teaches advanced cinematography for the School of Cinema & Interactive Media.  This has given Chris the opportunity to make the switch from Gaffer and is now shooting and building his Director of Photography reel.

 

Sound Supervisor: Greg Dixon

http://www.youtube.com/user/gdixon09

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3931706/

Greg has a Bachelor of Arts from Niagara University in Communications and has also has spent time at the New York Film Academy. As a second year student in DePaul's MS Digital Cinema program, Greg has a wide range of experience in film.  In 2010, Greg was selected by Real Ideas Studios to descend on the Cannes International Film festival with aspiring filmmakers from all over the world.  While there, he screened the film "Red Apocalypse" and competed in a documentary contest. Greg's team was selected as the winner of the Jury Grand Prize and was also given the honor of Best Aspiring Editor.

Greg has made a strong effort to study under DePaul's sound guru, Rob Steel.  He has a vast background in both production and post production sound. 

 

Tango Band: Tango Espejo

http://www.tangoespejo.com/

 

The mission of Tango Espejo: to perform Piazzolla's compositions in the style of Piazzolla.

Tango Espejo made their debut on March 18 2009 for Garold Fowler's doctoral research recital. The quintet was created to present Astor Piazzolla's compositions for quintet, with percussive effects and embellishing executed as Piazzolla prescribed his own musicians to do. Piazzolla reminded us throughout his life that 99% of his music is written out. Tango Espejo has mastered Piazzolla's style to such an extreme - it is as if

Piazzolla is leading and performing with them.  

Tango Espejo is comprised of violinist Brian Gehrich, double bassist Garold Fowler, pianist Lara Driscoll, accordion/bandoneónist Jonathan Kotulski and electric guitarist George Turner. All accomplished symphonic, chamber, classical and jazz musicians. Tango Espejo's performances have included concerts, recitals, milongas, festivals and clubs. Currently, Tango Espejo performs monthly at V. Picasso in Urbana, IL where they continue to embrace audiences and introduce them to the romance and passion of Piazzolla's compositions and tango music.

 

Composer/Music Supervisor: Garold Fowler

 

Garold Fowler teaches double bass, electric bass and guitar at Monmouth College.

Garold Fowler's double bass teachers include Darryl Pugh and Angel Sicam of the Syracuse Symphony and Michael Griffin assistant principal of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Pedagogically, Garold's method of instruction is to provide the student with a solid technical foundation of the double bass; a technical foundation that naturally fosters tone and volume, agility and accurate intonation. Learned through his teachers, this approach to double bass playing is shared by Franco Petracci and Orin O'Brien.

Garold Fowler is a second desk double bassist with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and principal double bassist with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony Orchestra and Peoria Bach Festival. Garold also performs regularly with his quintet Tango Espejo, which specializes in the music of Astor Piazzolla and tango music. His extensive performance background includes jazz, blues, musical theatre, opera orchestras and chamber music. Garold's most recent guest performer and recitalist appearances have included engagements in Central Illinois, Connecticut, Switzerland and Italy.

 

Garold's musical activities also include composing and arranging. His doctoral research involved editing and transcribing a selection of compositions for quintet by Astor Piazzolla. Among the complete transcriptions made for this research was “Introducción al Angel.” Currently, Garold is editing Invierno Porteño and Primavera Porteña by Astor Piazzolla for Tango Espejo's recording in January 2010 of the complete Four Buenos Aires Seasons and the Suite del Angel. In January 2008 Garold's arrangement for double bass and piano of “Andante Cantabile” by Paganini was published by BassScores Editions. In April 2007 Garold's string orchestra arrangement of “Verano Porteño” by Astor Piazzolla was performed by the Enescu Ensemble at UIUC under the direction of Maestro Israel Menezes; music director of the Rio Camerata Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro.

 

Editor: Sally O'Brien

http://sallyfilms.com

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1368978/

 

Sally O'Brien is a freelance editor who has worked extensively in both Chicago and Los Angeles. Born and raised in Chicago, she found a love for editing at Indiana University; even when their “editing systems” consisted of just a razor and tape. In Los Angeles she enjoyed a full spectrum of editing work: from the Tennis Channel to The Producer's Guild of America. It was there that she realized her passion was for independent films and documentary editing, and came back to Chicago to pursue her MA at DePaul University in Digital Cinema.  Recent narrative and documentary shorts include: “Unfriend” and “Transcending Family: A Film on Transracial Adoption”.