shortly about us
History
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 (Impact Films) at Lawrence and produced at least two films a year while beginning his freelance work.
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 and freelanced full time. He creates promotional and educational videos, teaches filmmaking and works on film sets in many capacities. His influences are Terry Gilliam, Michael Gondry, Orson Welles, Woody Allen and the films, "Casablanca", Cinema Paradiso", "Scent of a Woman", The Third Man" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". His other interests include the argentine tango, cooking and he is an Eagle Scout.
Artist's Statement
As a writer I am interested in the subjects of loneliness, isolation, and separation, themes in all of my work so far whether it be a comedy, horror, drama or music video. I also apply these ideas in the way I work. If I'm given a script to direct or shoot, I try to separate myself by coming up with a new perspective on the subject matter. I am not interested in directing the next Hollywood action 
blockbuster, but more indie-style films. I am mainly interested in working with a group of passionate creative filmmakers to create movies that have subject matter that interests me, and a style that fascinates me.
My hero filmmaker Terry Gilliam said, "I often think my ideas are mediocre until reality intrudes and improves them." I love this thought and apply to every project I work on.
company profile
Awards:
Festival Showings:
testimonials
“I wasn't sure what I wanted, but when I saw the finished product I knew, 'that's what I wanted!"
-Skip Houston, Avon Theater Manager, Decatur, IL
"Alaric was great to work with he was really good at putting stuff together in a film, he had a good bag of tricks!.”
-Frankie Levangie, Student and nephew of Producer Brian Grazer
"It [Alaric's class] changed the way I saw everything. I am graduating film school in december and then shooting a film around the world for the following three months. I've been working in film for a year (something I never dreamed possible when I took that class as a high school senior.) I guess I'm just saying thanks! Thanks for giving me a camera and an opportunity to see the world through a lens! It's one of the random experiences that shaped my life up to this point."
-Caity Barillas, Student
"I have been struck by the specific aesthetic vision Alaric brings to a project, and the incredible work ethic he demonstrates in achieving that vision."
-Bill Yauch, Lead Editor and Videographer at Prairie Production Group
"You are AMAZING."
-Angela Allyn, City of Evanston, IL
"Alaric Rocha has a vision that translates very well into his projects. As an actor in many of his project s...Ican attest to his workmanship, and his ability to effectively convey his vision. Alaric breaks things down to me in a way that allows me to understand exactly what he wants, bringing his vision from mind to the screen."
-Greg Trumbold, Actor and Co-Worker
Alaric has been teaching movie making since 2002. His course is based on the course he took in London at Club Panico, and 
is now offering his version of the course to you.
The course may vary based on your time constraints, number of students and needs. It is possible to tailor courses to emphasize specific subjects like acting for film, camera work editing, music film etc. However, the basic course will provide an overall view of the entire moviemaking process. It is structured to give students a taste of what the real moviemaking world is like. Students will learn how a set should run, get a specific understanding of everyone’s role and learn some of the lingo. Studies will emphasize hands on experiences with professional moviemaking equipment along with lectures that will be accompanied by movie examples. These lectures are geared to teach students the “language of cinema”.
We know that when a woman is crying on screen and then we cut to a cracked photo of a man that she is most likely upset that he has left her, but “why” do we infer this from just two images? What other tools of cinema are there to turn this scene of drama into one that would make us laugh out loud, what direction could one give the actor to make the audience fear her and pity the man? In my crash course on movie making students would learn how to answer all these questions, to communicate through the language of cinema and to “manipulate the audience like an emotional organ” as Hitchcock once stated. For films aren’t just a glamorous form of entertainment but as you can see, an art with a language all it’s own. Everyone understands it, but speaking in the language is what this course will teach.
Working in groups of 2-4 students will direct and shoot a short “neutral” movie script . Each group will take this same script and, using the techniques learned, manipulate it into a specific genre, i.e. thriller, comedy, drama, action. The remaining students will fill out other cast/crew positions for each other’s film. Supervised editing will be done on industry standard software. At the end of the course, each student will have his/her own DVD copy of every short film made during the course. Upon completion of this course, the student will have attained enough knowledge and skill to under take their own film productions.
Click to view a sampleing of my students' work. More of my students' work can be seen on youtube at the Evanston Media Camp's page and the Northbrook Media Camp's page.
"Alaric has gone beyond expectation in curriculum and works independantly with efficiency, and communicates effectively with co-staff."
- Rachel Goldberg, Evanston Media Camp Supervisor
Shooting
Alaric is familiar with many cameras, including the panasonic series DVX and HVX (with red rock mount) the Sony DSR series and HD cameras and personally own the Canon XL2 (with both 3x and 20x lenses). This camera shoots on mini DV tapes and has the ability to shoot anamorphic wide screen and at 24pa (to give the image a more cinematic look) As a DP he prefers to read the script, see the locations and create his own shot list and story boards if time allows (using Frame Forge 3D). However he is also comfortable working more as an Operator for a Director and creating the specific vision the Director may have or somewhere in between. On site he tries to lead by example and keep the set running as smoothly as possible.
In addition to owning the camera Alaric also has a Lowell Light kit with miscellaneousgrip equipment. Please contact Alaric for rates and availability.
Editing
Alaric has experience with Avid, and Adobe Premier but works with Final Cut Pro on a daily basis since 1999. He fluent with this program and all it's advanced settings and many third party effects. He is also fluent with DVD Studio Pro and Adobe Photoshop, Frame Forge 3D and Final Draft. He's comfortable working on his own or with someone looking over his shoulder. Please contact Alaric for rates and availability.
