#brooklynfireproof

New Political Campaign "Don't Vote" is Now Live

NAIL Communications brought their new politically-charged ad to Brooklyn Fire Proof's Seltzer Rooms last month. The series of pieces, "Don't Vote," and it's associated website "Knock the Vote" are now live. Creative Director Alec Beckett commented to Brooklyn Fire Proof on the importance of the piece: "We would live in a very different country if young people voted anywhere near the average of the rest of the population. But they don’t. Many organizations have implored youth to get out and vote, but election after election turnout among 18-34 year-olds is under 50%. So we figured we’d try something different. We’d tell them not to vote. But in a way that pissed them off so much they’d rush to get to the polls.

Alec, on working with Brooklyn Fire Proof on this project: "Brooklyn Fire Proof was amazing. They were all in on this project. Honestly, given our tough timeline and budget restrictions there’s no way we could have pulled this off without their enthusiastic participation. Thanks for helping save democracy Brooklyn Fire Proof!"  

The piece was also selected as Adweeks's "Ad of the Day" on September 28, 2018. From Adweek's feature: "As the perplexing storm that is American politics rages on, countless groups are working to encourage voter turnout ahead of this year’s midterm elections. One of these groups is Acronym, an organization formed last year that’s dedicated to getting Democratic candidates elected.

With midterm elections around the corner, Acronym is currently trying to get young people—who historically have posted lower voter turnout rates than their older peers—to register to vote. To achieve its mission to get more young people off the sidelines and into voting booths, the group recently released a series of tongue-in-cheek, if not dark, films that mainly aim to scare millennials into casting a ballot this year.

The campaign, created pro-bono by Nail Communications, features some senior citizens talking straight into the camera as they explain why they’d prefer it if young people didn’t vote this year. The one-minute ad portrays elderly voters as out-of-touch conservatives who aren’t concerned with or bothered by the issues of today. For instance, one older woman blankly states that climate change is a “you problem,” explaining that she’ll be dead soon anyway. Another woman simply says she “can’t keep track of which lives matter.”

"The Films of Brooklyn Fire Proof Classroom" - Free Screening April 12, 2019, 7:30pm

Brooklyn Fire Proof is pleased to announce a new initiative launched in early 2019: Brooklyn Fire Proof Classroom. The first step of the program aims to bring filmmaking education and skills to members of the New York community with no previous filmmaking education, while utilizing a simple, and universal tool: the cell phone. To commend the completion of the first workshop series, BFP will present a free, open-to-the-public screening of the completed films, along with a short documentary about the program, at Brooklyn Fire Proof on Friday, April 12 at 7:30pm. The filmmakers, programmers and educators will all be in attendance.

The BFP Classroom initiative has come together thanks to key organizations that BFP has worked with over the past decade, bringing together the Millennium Film Workshop and Job Path as partners this inaugural session. Together they’ve launched a “new media” filmmaking class, with an emphasis on cell phone filmmaking, utilizing avant- garde techniques. The creator of the BFP Classroom program, Kenneth Filmer, BFP’s Director of Stages, Production and Programming elaborates: “The goal of Brooklyn Fire Proof Classroom is to give people filmmaking skills who might not ordinarily be making films. Despite the talk about diversity in the media, most films still seem to be made by well-to-do, fancifully educated types. We want to see the students become skilled filmmakers, and hopefully eventually film professionals (a second-tier, job placement program is in the planning phases). And for purely personal reasons, I just want to see the films created as a result of the program.”

The Millennium Film Workshop, a renowned NYC-based experimental film organization, took the lead on instruction. The four Classroom sessions were led by Millennium’s Joey Huertas & Paul Echeverria and taught students the basics of screenwriting, production, editing, screening and distribution (all within the cell phone). Students were selected by Job Path, a NYC organization focused on assisting those with developmental disabilities to live independent lives.

During the break in the workshop’s 5-week schedule, a gallery show—“The Exhibitions”—ran for two weeks in one of BFPs on-site galleries. The group show was co-curated by Art//Division’s founders, Johnny Mattei and Robert Hill, and BFP’s curatorial arm, BFP Creative, and offered a look into a journey through the lives of the artists. 


The inaugural workshops, and the associated art show, were both successes, and BFP looks forward to planning its next round of Classroom workshops and seeking new partners to collaborate with. To close the kick-off season Brooklyn Fire Proof will publicly premiere the initial students’ films, as well as a documentary made throughout the process.

ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FILM WORKSHOP:

The Millennium Film Workshop is an NYC-based non-profit organization that has pioneered filmmaking workshops since its founding in 1966, and is dedicated to the exhibition, study, and practice of avant-garde and experimental cinema. Joey Huertas is the Executive Director of the Millennium Film Workshop, and is an award winning film & performance artist, social worker and art therapist. He also runs his own DIY underground monthly film screening/reading series called Hijack! Paul Echeverria is an assistant professor of communication & media arts at Western Connecticut State University and the founding director of the Digital and Interactive Media Arts (DIMA) program, and Millennium Film Workshop board member.

ABOUT JOB PATH:

Job Path is an organization that helps people with autism, intellectual and other developmental disabilities find stable and satisfying employment, live in their own homes and contribute their skills and talents to community life. Established in 1978, Job Path was also a pioneer, being the first organization of its kind in New York State and one of the first in the country. Last year the people Job Path supports worked at close to 100 different businesses and not-for-profit organization across New York City. Job Path’s art program, Art//Division, was built to reinforce the idea that art is for everyone, regardless of backgrounds or life experiences.

For more information about Brooklyn Fire Proof Classroom, or to get involved, email [email protected]. For information about the upcoming screening, or other special events, visit www.brooklynfireproofstages.com/screenings.

“The Films of Brooklyn Fire Proof Classroom”

In Association with Millennium Film Workshop and Job Path
 At Brooklyn Fire Proof’s Seltzer Room Studios, 102 Ingraham St., Brooklyn, NY 11237 Friday, April 12, 2019, 730pm FREE - Seating will be available for approximately 160 people and will be first-come, first-served.

Opening Night of the Queens World Film Festival Tonight!

Brooklyn Fire Proof is a proud sponsor of the Queens World Film Festival, which tuns nine in 2019. This year's festival includes an annual multi day/multi venue festival, youth-oriented educational initiatives and year round screening opportunities for QWFF filmmakers, past and present. The festival is programmed in thematic blocks with evocative titles, and each program is followed by a post-screening dialogue to engage audiences from the demographically diverse communities that comprise the borough of Queens. Each year the festival has a very robust submission session, with films coming from all over the globe, 63 nations to date, including Cuba, Franc, Spain, Serbia, Korea, Bangladesh, China, Italy, the Ukraine, Iran, Scotland, Belgium, Finland and the UK to name just a few. In every year’s festival there are tender films, heartbreaking films, and several works that are extremely provocative, maybe even, disturbing and the selections tie us into conversations people are having around the world via the real stars of the festival: the films. It’s about surrendering to the films, without looking for familiar names, titles, scores. It’s about creating the right context for personal, intimate films grouped together for a cinematic experience you will not get anywhere else on the planet. The 9th Annual Queens World Film Festival returns to the Museum of the Moving Image in both the Redstone theatre and the Bartos screening room as well as the historic Zukor Theatre at the Kaufman Astoria Studios located right next door for 11 days of exciting indie films - March 21 - 31, 2019. Strategically placed between the two venues is the fabled Astor Room with incredible food and special discounts just for QWFF participants and attendees. The festival village is located in the Astoria Arts District which is subway close and easy to find via foot or in your car (Yes, there is street and metered parking!) Tonight is the Queens World Film Festival's 2019 opening night. More information is available here: https://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/2019/opening_night/

We'd also like to highlight the fest's two honoree screenings: https://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/2019/TPOG/ https://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/2019/honoree/ The two panels this for this year are also a highlight: https://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/2019/panel/ https://www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/events/2019/blockchain/

Some Open Availability and New Developments in Our Stages

We have a lot of our regular clients tell us that they can never get into our stages because we're always booked with long term shoots. While it's true that we've had big shows in about 70% of the time over the last 4 or so years, we do have a decent amount of open availability over the next few months. For anyone who hasn't been here in a while, we have made some significant changes and additions in our stages, including: -An additional 15 tons of HVAC air conditioning added to our large stages, for a total of 35 tons of air conditioning (as well as another 15 tons of HVAC in our smaller stages). -A new, robust gigabit up/down FiOS WiFi connection with high-speed Ubiquiti base stations installed in every support stage, studio and support room. -Two new parking lots, one with a rolling gate, security cameras, and a turn-key production office on site. Of course, we're still a New York State QPF, with five soundstages, support rooms, cycloramas, drive-on access, heavy cam-lock power, a huge array of industrial locations and two buildings full of additional loft office/work space. We're constantly doing everything we can to make our environment a welcoming, creative place to work. Email us at [email protected] or call us at 718-456-7571 to set up a scout or to discuss availability and rates.