In 1964, editor Fred Heinrich broke into the spot business at John Urie & Associates, a pioneering Los Angeles studio which helped start numerous filmmaking careers over the years.
Fast-forward to the early 1990s and Heinrich decided to conclude his distinguished career as an editor. He embarked upon a new path, teaming with his wife, producer Stephania Lipner, to launch a career spawning ground which has gone on to transcend any single studio. In response to the racial unrest, violence and destruction of the Rodney King riots in L.A. in ’92, Heinrich and Lipner decided to do something that would make a positive difference in the lives of youngsters who might not otherwise get the chance to be part of the film community.
That “something” turned out to be Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF), which since ’93 has provided free-of-charge training and hands-on experience in different aspects of filmmaking to numerous graduates of varied ethnic backgrounds and from financially disadvantaged families. The program has also helped secure paid entry-level jobs for many grads.
Indeed, the grass-roots brainchild of Heinrich and Lipner made–and continues to make–its mark, improving the lives of and career prospects for deserving high school students. Assorted ICF grads are now full fledged professionals in the industry.
Heinrich recalled that the purpose of ICF hit home for him during its first year, when students from Bell High School in Bell, Calif., brought in their school video yearbook, which included five obituaries.
“That underscored the fact that we need to help create some opportunities for underprivileged young people in the inner city,” affirmed Heinrich.
Based both on his work as an editor and ICF, Heinrich was at press time slated for induction into the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE) Hall of Fame during this week’s AICE Awards ceremony.
Heinrich has seen the industry evolve during his career–from Movieolas to computer-based nonlinear editing, from the days when commercial production companies maintained edit houses to the emergence of editorial boutiques. (He for example was an in-house editor at the legendary commercial production company FilmFair and then went on in 1973 to form his own entrepreneurial venture, the mainstay editorial firm Wildwood in Hollywood where he turned out notable work, including the long running Well Fargo”Stagecoach” campaign out of McCann Erickson, San Francisco.)
But the biggest evolution was a personal one as the successful editor embarked on a new career chapter some 16 years ago, closing Wildwood and dedicating himself to ICF. His retirement from editing hardly means he’s retired. “Stephania and I work 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week,” related Heinrich. “Inner-City Filmmakers has become a full-time passion.”
Heinrich noted that while a rousing success, ICF still needs help in terms of contributors, professionals and companies who will provide opportunities for qualified grads to get their foot in the industry door. He and Lipner urge those interested to call ICF at (310) 264-3992 and/or to log onto www.innercityfilmmakers.com.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More