On September 16th 2009, World-Famous Documentary Filmmaker Ken Burns took a break in the middle of an intense promotional tour for his new film on America’s national parks to stop by Flashpoint Academy and meet privately with a handful of our film students, staff and faculty. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the kind of meeting that will surely inspire our students during their time at Flashpoint and well beyond.

The students, many of which were first year students, engaged Mr. Burns with a number of compelling questions ranging from why he chooses the subject matter that he does to how his career has been different because he resides in New Hampshire.

As busy and pressed-for-time that he was, Mr. Burns carefully and articulately explained the origins of “making the still photograph come alive”, explaining that his father had a darkroom in the basement as he was growing up and seeing the photo emerge through the chemicals fascinated him. This process, of course, has come to be known as “the Ken Burns Effect”, a popular name for a type of pan-and-scan effect used in video production from still imagery.

Mr. Burns said he was impressed with Flashpoint gleefully exclaiming “I want to come here!” He enthusiastically explained that his latest documentary odyssey, The National Parks, has been in production for a decade, a topic he has always wanted to explore due to his fond boyhood memories of Shenandoah State Park in Virginia.

The National Parks will air on PBS beginning September 27th.

Wilmette composer’s work premieres in London
September 17, 2009
By J.T. MORAND

Miguel Kertsman saw his imagination come to life in London three weeks ago.

The Wilmette musician/composer’s opera “O Saci,” what he calls his children’s music play, was staged at St. Paul’s Church in London’s Covent Garden with Maurice Ravel’s opera, “L’ Enfant et les Sortileges” on Aug. 27-29.

The saci, a one-legged child who wears a magical red cap and has the power to cause great winds, launched himself from Brazil to the shores of England, where he met a Welsh water fairy capable of causing rain. The two worked together to put out a fire that was about to engulf a village. The saci, a prankster, is a Brazilian folklore with which Kertsman is quite familiar, having been born and raised in Brazil until he was 18.

“I’ve always been fascinated by that folklore since I was a kid,” he said. “I was never scared by this character.”

He was scared of other Brazilian legends, such as the bodiless, hairy leg that would attack children as they slept.

His fascination with the saci led him to write “O Saci” in record time after Alexander Medem, the director of Ravel’s opera, asked him to write an original musical theater piece that could be paired up with “L’ Enfant et les Sortileges.” Kertsman began writing in April and had to have the musical score delivered by mid-July.

“I wrote it very fast,” he chuckled.

At the same time, Kertsman was working on two movie soundtracks, an audio branding campaign, two concertos, two records and working full-time as a professor at Flashpoint Academy, where he’s on the recording arts faculty.

But, he added, he always wanted to write a musical theater piece for children and liked the idea of writing one where representatives from two different cultures worked together to achieve a positive goal.

“I was looking for a theme with universal appeal,” he said. “It’s a short piece for kids. It’s tender.”

“O Saci” is being referred to as an opera, but that’s a mistake, Kertsman said, because there are no sung words. The only words are spoken by a narrator between scenes. But, it’s not a traditional musical either. Medem wanted a pantomimed piece, Kertsman said.

Kertsman has worked with leading musicians in several genres and his classical works have been performed at major venues all over the world. His music has been released worldwide by Sony Classical and RCA Victor/BMG. But, unveiling “O Saci” in London is one of the most exciting events to happen, he said.

“I’ve never had anything premier in London before,” he said.

He’s hoping “O Saci” will come to the United States next year.

“I’m talking to people in Chicago right now,” he said.

Click here to go to the story on EvanstonReview.com.