LATEST NEWS
Fall 2007 KID NATION on CBS - Wednesday nights at 8pm.
Tom Forman Production's KID NATION airing on CBS
Go to this link and then select KID NATION from the fall lineup:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2007/
2007 Amazing Race
Season 11
World Race Production’s Amazing Race 11
by Bertram van Munster & Elise Doganieri
for showtimes see:
www.cbs.com
2002 - 2006 Amazing Race
Season
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
World Race Production’s Amazing Race
Seasons 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
by Bertram van Munster & Elise Doganieri
for showtimes see:
www.cbs.com
March 2002 L.A. Industry screening of TAKING THE WHEEL, written and directed by David
Ackerman
Produced by Ventana Pictures. Starring John Cleese and Patience Cleveland, with an original score
composed and performed by Elmer Bernstein. You MUST RSVP.
Date: Wednesday, March 6th, 2002
Time: 7:00pm (TRT 11:00 Minutes)
Location: Sony Lot,
10202 W. Washington Blvd.,
Jimmy Stewart/TriStar Building Rm. 23 or 24
Enter at Overland Gate
March 2002 The History Channel series, Secret Passages hour 1 & 2 air in
late April!
These hours will include 2 of the 6 segments directed by Allison Chase, including The Seelbach Hotel and The Sullivan House.
Production company: Jaffe Productions.
February 2002 TAKING THE WHEEL'S been chosen for San Francisco International Film Fest!
Festival is April 18 - May 2. Programming time TBD.
February 2002 TAKING THE WHEEL screens at Santa Barbara Film Fest
Saturday March 2, 2002 10 am at the Metro 4 Theatre -- 618 State Street in Santa Barbara, California. Come early, as seats are on a first arrival
basis.
Jan 2002 Post production edits continue for the series Secret Passages, The History
Channel
Due to air in Spring of 2002. For Secret Passages segment descriptions see Oct 2001.
Jan 2002 Berlin Film Festival premieres Taking the Wheel Tuesday Februay
12th 2002.
Oct 2001 Allison Chase directs & edits 6 segments for The History Channel
series, Secret Passages, produced by Jaffe Productions
The Seelbach Hotel: Al Capone's favorite hideout in Louisville, Kentucky was the infamous Seelbach Hotel. Capone and other gangsters used the
secret stairwells and passages underneath the hotel to escape repeated raids by the feds, during the age of prohibition.
The Sullivan House: Labor union riots escalate to a bloody massacre in the lumber-mill town of Bogalusa, Louisiana. The instigator and town controller
William Sullivan, has no where to hide but his secret hideaway, built exactly for that purpose.
The Coffin House: President of the Underground Railroad, Levi Coffin assists 3000 slaves in their journey north
to freedom, by using his cleverly designed secret garret & other hideaways in Newport, Indiana.
Palace on the Prairie: Oil Tycoon E.W. Marland build a European Castle on the Prairie and carries out illegal activities in his hidden, secret
passages, before he loses everything.
Underground Gardens: Sicilian Baldasare, "the Human Mole," digs for 40 years of his life in Fresno, California. Utilizing only primitive tools
and his imagination, he creates another world below ground spanning over 7
acres.
Deadwood Chinese Tunnels: During the age of the placer-gold rush, Chinese miners shore up horizontal adits and set up opium dens and brothels for
various illicit activities along the streets of Deadwood, South Dakota.
9-21-01 "CHANGING LANES" -VENTANA PICTURES FILM SHOOT STARRING JOHN CLEESE & PATIENCE
CLEVELAND
Ventana Pictures just got off a 3 day shoot for the short film entitled, "Changing Lanes." All went swimmingly...! Post should be completed by January 2002. Stay tuned for updates.
Photo Credits: 1) Jim Clark, 2) Mark Wagner, 3) Jim Clark
Directed by David Ackerman
Produced by Jill Jurkowitz & Allison Chase
Director of Photography Gordon Brown
Executive Producers Tavin Marin Titus & Melody Meisel
6/14/01 - A few Press Releases on our "Amazing Caves" production
- As rousing & robust a speleological adventure as one can enjoy without getting sullied or being killed..[Journey into Amazing Caves] mixes awesome
nether realms with daring action to impressive effects, the project manages the rare feat of being simultaneously smart and sensuous, offering up
science basics while thrusting us into exotic places precious few humans have ever seen.
(Los Angeles Times)
- Even though you're safe in an Omnimax theater, the cinematic descent into an unstable ice cave still manages to take your breath away. "Journey
Into Amazing Caves" holds an impressive power over it's audience - making us gasp, sigh and sit in silent awe of nature. This white-knuckled viewing
experience sets "Amazing Caves" apart from other less fulfilling IMAX films
- (Chicago Tribune)
- Amazing Caves scales new heights of IMAX excitement. It is a
breathtaking sight, captured with awesome skill by the cinematographers. (Cincinnati
Enquirer)
Way to go Gordon Brown!
- There are times - during the descent into the ice, especially - when you
have to remind yourself to breathe - breathtaking scenery.
(4 stars) (San
Diego Tribune)
5/29/2000 - MICHAEL BROWN SUMMITS EVEREST AGAIN!
Director / Cinematographer Michael Brown summited Mt. Everest on May 28th,
2001! He was filming High Definition on blind climber Erik Weihenmayer, who
is the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Michael
Brown is filming a High Definition Program on this expedition with Aperture
Films, and Newport Productions. See details about his first Everest summit
below.
Congratulations Michael Again!
EXCELLENT!
5/10/01 - SHE'S OUT THERE!
Ventana Pictures gears up for another short film production, shooting in September
2001! Allison Chase & Jill Jurkowitz team up again to film "She's
Out There" written and directed by David Ackerman. More details to follow,
but things are shaping up!
Gordon Brown - Director of Photography.
4/20/01 - VENTANA, EXP & KODAK
Ventana Pictures has been producing long-form spots for Eastman Kodak.
Cameras, Dogs, Action ! "It's a Dog's Life" (Directed by Randy Fields,
Director of Photography Gordon Brown) and "Easy Share Launch" (Directed by
Gerald Cain) are just two of several spots produced with EXP Productions
out of the San Francisco Bay Area.
3/7/01 - JUST RELEASED IN IMAX THEATRES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA :
" JOURNEY INTO AMAZING CAVES !! " IMAX
Produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, Ventana Pictures helped shoot and
coordinate this large format IMAX production. Also, Gordon Brown is a character in the film... doing unbelievable stuff like hanging suspended
across the Grand Canyon. (...?!?!? ) and kayaking with an IMAX camera mounted on the front of his boat. The Greenland ice caves were another
story ... descending 600 feet deep into the ice glacier in order to film the story. These images are stunning in the large format IMAX theater.
This 1 hour films covers stunning locations in the Grand Canyon, Greenland
and the Yucatan.
Gordon Brown - Director of Photography / Talent
Allison Chase - Production Coordinator
Michael Brown - First Assistant IMAX Cameraman
Allison Chase - Director/ Videographer for Behind the Scenes "The Making Of Journey into Amazing Caves" Greenland segment.
2/5/01 - AAP'S ADVENTURE ODYSSEY ON NBC !!! SATURDAY FEBRUARY
10TH, 12 PM PST !!
Segment one takes place in Kenya, Africa and features climber Todd Skinner,
climbing a formidable rock sentinel called "Poi".
Segment two features Subterranean Explorers who travel into the jungles
Sumatra and explore the "Mountain of One Thousand Caves". PRODUCED & DIRECTED BY VENTANA PICTURES
Segment three features local Aspenites Mike and Steve Marolt on their
recent expedition to Mount Shishapangma to become the first North American to ski from one of the world's 8000-meter peaks.
2/1/01
- VENTANA PICTURES IS RESTRUCTURING AND IS NOW BASED IN CALIFORNIA'S OJAI VALLEY !!
PLEASE NOTE OUR ADDRESS CHANGE & NEW PHONE NUMBERS ! SEE BOTTOM
OF ANY PAGES FROM THIS WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS.
10/10/00 - "A LIFE OF MY CHOICE" IN THE BANFF
MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2000 !!
Directed by Allison Chase and Gordon Brown for the
Outdoor Life Network and Outside Television, "A Life of My Choice" which features explorer Sir Wilfred
Thesiger and his Middle East travels will play Saturday night in Banff's Eric Harvie Theatre ! There will
be an additional simul-cast showing in the Banff Springs Hotel Conference Centre Theatre as well.
SATURDAY NIGHT NOV 4TH, 10 PM !!!
9/20/00 - VENTANA PICTURES' equipment department has
just purchased a "Super 16" High Speed Arriflex camera package
which will allow us to produce stunning images for
documentaries, High Definition Video or low-budget features. This camera is quiet enough for sync. sound
with a speed range from the single frames of the Norris intervalometer to 150 frames per second with
crystal speed control. The package is complete with lenses, tripod, mags and underwater splash/crash
housing is currently being designed !
9/12/00 - VENTANA PICTURES' Allison Chase & Gordon Brown
have just returned from the NorthWest Coast and a shoot with the Tsunami Rangers.
Gordon Brown took his Tsunami Ranger ranking test in open
water, stay tuned for the results... The shoot included more than Ventana bargained for with more wild action,
like paddling in a series of caves at night with surf ! And a very close call by Eric Soares, when our camera
boat & Allison speared Eric's Tsunami X-15 boat through the hull & upper deck, forcing an open ocean rescue...
all's well, but the rest will have to wait !
9/1/00 - VENTANA PICTURES prepares to head up America's
Northwest coast
to shoot Gordon Brown & the Tsunami Rangers for the
Adventures of the Underworld series !! This segment begins Gordon's rigorous test to become a Tsunami Ranger !
Check here for updates...
8/30/00 - VENTANA PICTURES program ON THE WHITE NILE:
TROUBLE ON THE RIVER THAT ROARS
airs tonight on the Outdoor Life Network. 8 pm ET/PT
8/22/00 - Stay tuned here for the premiere of WOODEN
MIRACLES...
screening at CAA in Los Angeles in mid September. Produced
by Big Fish Entertainment and VENTANA PICTURES !
8/8/00 - VENTANA PICTURES has sold SUMATRA: LAND OF ONE THOUSAND CAVES
to the Adventure Quest series on the Outdoor Life Network !!
Check back here for show times and updates - VENTANA is in Post-Production of the show which expects to air end of 2000 !
7/17/00 - SUMATRA UPDATE
We'll we have just completed the extensive caving expedition in the
jungles of West Sumatra. This area of Indonesia is an amazing location with a bonanza of cultural visuals ! The caves
are truly world class in every way and the expedition has only scratched the surface of this remote and undiscovered
area. We've just wrapped a very exciting and successful jungle caving expedition.
Now, with a days rest and some substantial food in our bellies, we are invited to follow an undercover team cracking
down on a ring of illegal tiger poachers killing the gorgeous and endangered Sumatran Tiger. More updates and photos soon...
7/1/00 - VENTANA PICTURES departs for SUMATRA: MOUNTAIN OF 1000 CAVES!
A 3 week shoot with Subterranean Explorers expedition leaders John
Lane and Adam Bodine. Filmmakers Allison Chase & Gordon Brown will cave alongside the expedition members and
document their experience while they gather scientific data in order to create a new national park in West Sumatra for
preservation of the area's natural resources.
6/24/00 - VENTANA
PICTURES just finished on-line for "On the White Nile: Trouble on the River that Roars" for Outside Television
Uganda is home to the world's longest river at it's source, the
majestic Nile River. Air date is: August 30th 2000 8 pm Eastern/ Pacific. Don't miss some of the world's most
outrageous white water rafting and kayaking !
6/08/00 - In 3 Weeks VENTANA PICTURES Disembarks to Document an
Expedition in Sumatra! This Production Kicks Off Our New Series 'ADVENTURES OF THE UNDERWORLD'
The new VENTANA PICTURES series, ADVENTURES OF THE UNDERWORLD is a
unique assembly of hard-core expeditions, that push limits to discover new worlds, exceed adventure thresholds, and return
with increased scientific and cultural awareness for these amazing environments!
These programs focus on the awe-inspiring underworld environments of caves, tubes and labyrinths, as well as explore
the world above and the people that live there. Basic scientific questions about the formation of these worlds are answered,
and leading edge research and expertise from current studies are incorporated into these action-packed, one-hour adventure
broadcast programs.
PART I : ADVENTURES OF THE UNDERWORLD
SUMATRA AND THE MOUNTAINS OF ONE THOUSAND CAVES - Subterranean Explorers
create a New National Park in West Sumatra.
Expedition leaders : John Lane & Adam Bodine
The limestone caves of this region shoot up dramatically with towering
white cliffs inside these caves. Underground caving will reveal extremely beautiful decorations and huge features never
before documented as these caves are mapped and explored in order to use resource assessment and geographic identification
to help develop a new national park in West Sumatra.
6/3/2000 - VENTANA Pictures Finishes 'Amazing Caves' Shoot
VENTANA PICTURES just got off an 'AMAZING CAVES' IMAX shoot in the Grand
Canyon with MacGillivray Freeman Films, the makers of EVEREST. For more details of their IMAX work, see. This shoot was
nothing short of amazing. Without giving much away, access was only by helicopter and the location was unreal. The rigging
to get us into this impossible location was shocking and effective.
For full details , see the show 'AMAZING CAVES' in March 2001! And stay
tuned here for updates !
5/21/2000 - Michael Brown Summits Everest!
Director / Cinematographer Michael Brown, just summited Mt. Everest
on May 21st ! He was filming school teacher Kim Gattone who was making an attempt for the summit. This was Michael's first
8000 meter peak. He led his party by three hours, going with the sherpas breaking trail for the expedition. More updates later.
Congratulations Michael! WELL DONE!
To see more of Michael's work log onto :
www.seracfilms.com.
BE SURE TO
VISIT VENTANA DEMOS & VIDEOS!
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