NYIT Alumna Perrine Gauthier Screens First Short Film at Big Apple Film Festival
Old Westbury, N.Y., Nov. 28, 2006: New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) alumna Perrine Gauthier’s first short film, Blankout, was selected into competition and screened on Nov. 18 at the third annual Big Apple Film Festival at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Presented by the Big Apple Film Society, the festival is dedicated to showcasing films from the independent film community.
Gauthier, who is from the region of Alsace in France, originally wrote and directed Blankout for an independent film production class while earning her Master of Communication Arts in media management at NYIT. She describes the film as a nine minute trip through writer’s block, taking the viewer into the abyss of the mind of a writer lacking inspiration and lucidity.
“The production of this film was an amazing experience that I loved sharing with the actors and crew members involved,” says Gauthier. “I’ve always liked films about the writing process, such as The Shining by Stanley Kubrick and L'Homme Qui Aimait Les Femmes by François Truffaut,” she added.
To support Gauthier’s vision for the film, the crew employed the keying technique, shooting scenes in front of a green screen. During the post-production process the green background is replaced by another image. Due to budget restrictions, the green screen was homemade by the director of photography, Sadiq Misallati.
Gauthier’s first film production was the short film, One Way, written and directed by her former NYIT classmate Antoine Kerninon. “One Way was a real challenge considering the time and budget constraints,” says Gauthier. “The film introduced me to a crew of truly motivated and passionate people and we have been making films together ever since. With each new project we try to set the bar higher.”
Since completing Blankout, Gauthier has written, directed and produced a new short film entitled The New World. “It’s a very different piece in the sense that The New World is all about suggestion. The film leaves a lot of room for personal interpretation,” says Gauthier. “The future is not what it used to be” is the intriguing logline of this six minute huis-clos (shot behind closed doors). In addition, Gauthier is working on a couple of documentary projects, as well as a first mid-length production, a Noir detective story set in the 1940s.
Gauthier currently resides in New York City. Upon graduating from NYIT last August, she was hired by Branscome International, a New York City based sales agent that specializes in animated content. “Although my first vocation is in production, this position in distribution is a great opportunity for me to learn more about different aspects of the film and TV industry, such as marketing, sales and acquisitions,” says Gauthier. “Whichever career path I choose, film production will always be a part of my life.”
For more about Gauthier’s work or to view trailers and pictures of her productions, visit www.myspace.com/cameoproductions. For more information about the Big Apple Film Festival visit, www.bigapplefilmfestival.com
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