The Rural We: Diane Pearlman
The executive director of Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative tells us about a new youth film challenge.
Photo by Carolyn Ross
While many people in the film industry head to Hollywood or the Big Apple to make movies, Diane Pearlman took the opposite route; in 1992, she came north from Manhattan to be part of a burgeoning visual effects community that emerged in Western Massachusetts in the wake of VFX pioneer Douglas Trumbull’s move to the Berkshires. Over the years, she witnessed firsthand that filmmaking provided a powerful boost to the local economy. After the Massachusetts legislature instituted a generous tax incentive program in 2005, she helped create the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative to bring more media productions and revenue to Western Massachusetts, support local film industry professionals, and provide educational opportunities to grow and maintain local talent.
I’m originally from New York City—born and raised there until I was seven years old. After attending Vassar, I started a theater company in NYC, worked for an ad agency and movie trailer company, then found my way to R/Greenberg Associates, at that time the only visual effects company in the city. Although I went back and took film classes at NYU, I learned the visual effects business and trained my eye from my hands-on experience at R/GA.
When Douglas Trumbull moved here from LA in the 1980s, VFX pros followed, lured by multimillion dollar projects and a better lifestyle. I was one of them, working with Doug on three attractions for LUXOR Las Vegas. After that, I co-founded Mass.Illusion, where we developed groundbreaking, Oscar-winning effects for such films What Dreams May Come and The Matrix. Remember “bullet time?” That technology was created here in the Berkshires!
Film and TV have a tremendous impact on the Berkshires, both as creative endeavors and economic drivers. Crews need lodging; they frequent restaurants, theaters, and local stores. We founded BFMC in 2009 to highlight our talent and locations and bring productions to Western Massachusetts. In addition to assisting shoots (permitting, sourcing crew, cast, locations, catering, housing, etc), we run workforce development courses, teach filmmaking to students, offer networking events and conferences, and maintain a database of local industry pros for hire. We are the film resource in Western Massachusetts.
There’s been a lot of production here recently, including Skelly (on Netflix this fall), Down with the King (which just won the grand prize at Deauville), and a PBS woodworking show: The Garage with Steve Butler. We've got a documentary shooting at Chesterwood, an indie—The Art of Human Flight—wrapped last week, and another short begins this fall. BFMC is a resource for them all. And we also run important community endeavors.
This summer, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation partnered us with the Civic Life Project to run the Bridging Divides, Healing Communities Youth Film Challenge. This initiative encourages local young people to share their perspectives by making a short film on polarizing societal issues. We’re hosting production workshops by local filmmakers and providing resources and cameras for those who need them. It’s free to submit; we’re giving entrants $50 toward their productions; and the films will be judged by industry pros, with a top prize of $2000 and screenings at venues in Columbia, Berkshire, and Dutchess counties. It’s important to help young people make their voices heard and foster the next generation of filmmakers. The deadline is November 1.
We’re currently conducting a feasibility study to build Kemble Street Studios (KSS), a state-of-the-art mixed studio/lab/classroom/production facility on Shakespeare & Company’s campus. KSS is dedicated to education in the art and craft of filmmaking and responsible media messaging. KSS will feature live and virtual production, streaming media technology, and the full gamut of post-production services; it will serve as a central platform to stream original Berkshire content to the world. We need an industry to attract and keep young people in the Berkshires. We believe film and media will do just that.
