Future Spielbergs: Locals teens gain valuable experience in producing their own films Future Spielbergs: Locals teens gain valuable experience in producing their own films (November 17, 2004)

By Jessica Scott

Special to the Almanac

In high school, many kids wonder what they'll do for a living when they get out of school. Imagine being in high school and already knowing.

Recent high school graduates Brad Leong and Dan Engelhardt already have considerable experience as filmmakers.

Dan, now 19, a 2004 graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School, has spent two summers interning at Lions Gate Entertainment Film in Santa Monica, last year in international marketing and this year in production.

He and Brad, 18, a Palo Alto High School graduate, partnered in their sophomore year of high school, and shortly after, formed Anchange Productions, which "specializes in corporate media ventures and independent films," says Dan.

Together, the friends, who now live in Santa Monica, have made a number of short films, including "A Man's Past," a 16-mm black-and-white film using professional actors on location in Santa Monica. It won the best short film award at the Frost Film Festival in Culver City.
New film

This year, they made a 25-minute film, "God Bless," about a homeless man who struggles to improve his life. The film was screened at the VoiceLA Film Forum at the University of Southern California, where Brad is now enrolled in the School of Cinema and Television. Dan plans to enroll at UCLA next spring.

Producing the film involved 14-hour days, working with professional actors, and using a Super 16 mm Panavision camera. It was filmed over two weeks at locations such as Venice Beach and Santa Monica.

Brad directed the film and wrote the screenplay, based on a short film they made two years ago using a digital camcorder.

Dan was in charge of the production, which involved coordinating scenes, actors, equipment and locations, and pulling together resources so the film came in on budget.

They spent some five months planning the production, auditioning actors and scouting locations in Los Angeles. Brad designed and welded his own crane, which allowed him to get a bird's eye view of the actors.

"It's extremely exhausting, but we're learning new things each day about balancing costs against achieving an artistic vision," says Dan.

"God Bless" was produced in association with the Pasadena-based Voice Films Institute, which has a program to help young filmmakers, and the Culver City Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. The film received grants and donations from Apple, Panavision, Kodak, Chapman/Leonard Studio, Fotokem and Location Sound.

Two other Brads from Menlo Park -- Brad Wallace and Brad King -- are associated with Voice Films, and they both provided advice on the film.
Driving passion

For Dan, having a father who has long been in the industry significantly helped him develop his love for filmmaking.

For both, creating films is much more than a job or a hobby. "This strongly rooted passion has, in the last few years, budded into my main pastime as well as my future career," says Brad.

High school did not offer enough filmmaking programs or opportunities for either Dan or Brad.

To satisfy their desire for more information and practice, they branched out into the community. He and Brad were in charge of the video center at the Riekes Center near Menlo Park, where they had an opportunity to teach video classes and learn how to run a business.

Dan helped produce and direct a public service announcement for a benefit premiere of "Star Wars Episode II" in San Francisco.

Brad made a number of promotional commercials for organizations such as Menlo Park's Allied Arts Guild.

Brad aspires to be a director and cinematographer; his "ultimate goal," he says, is to direct and shoot "high-end independent productions."

Dan leans more toward the business aspects of movie-making, and hopes to be a producer. "One day," he concedes, "I hope I can make a blockbuster that everyone flocks to the theaters to see."
INFORMATION

For information on Voice Films, go to www.voicefilms.com. For more information on Dan, Brad and their production company, Anchange Productions, go to www.anchange.com.

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