Film
Films move my soul, heart and mind. The collaborative process, which includes working with other artists such as cinematographers, production designers, and composers, is one of the most creative, joyous, and awarding experiences. From escapism, to inspiration, filmmaking has a way of lifting the spirit and even changing the world.
Film Portfolio
Film Editing Reel
This is a reel of various films I edited over the years. It includes highlights from some of my best work, including the Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival trailer, a tribute video I created to honor film director Federico Fellini, a short mashup project combining scenes from the movie The Hudsucker Proxy, with music by Soul Coughing, and the intro to my 8 part web series: 2 Minute Celebrity Movie Talk.
FEDERICO FELLINI TRIBUTE VIDEO
This is a video tribute I did for Italian Filmmaker: Federico Fellini. I synched scenes from his movies, including, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, and Amarcord, with a musical piece from Cirque Du Soliel’s Corteo, a show which reminded me of his work. Fellini’s films are a spectacle a watch. He’s one of my favorite directors and I never get tired of watching his movies.
Marcel,
A SHORT FILM BY SAM PASSER
A man who has lived a great many years shares his treasures and adventures in a small antique shop. One day, he is given some rather inconvenient news, but takes it in stride, and spends his day the best way he knows how: by savoring every moment. Highlights of this experience include collaborating with our producer Thorne Winter III, and our composer Gavin Brivik.
2015 Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival
This is a trailer I made for the 2015 Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival. It was co-edited in conjunction with the MultiCultural Sci-Fi organization in Atlanta, Ga. Through this collaborative process, I believe we were ultimately successful integrating film footage from festival entries with a soundtrack that hopefully leaves the viewer inspired to attend the festival.
NATIONS OF THE WORLD (But It’s a Movie From Every Place Mentioned)
This is another video compilation I created. It is a parody of the “Nations Of The World” song from the cartoon series, Animaniacs. I was amazed to be able to find and compile shots from various films that originated from every single country or region that is mentioned in the song. ENJOY!
EVERY OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL sONG (1934-2016)
This is a timeline video I did highlighting films that have won the Oscar for Best Original Song. At the time I’m posting this explanation, the video has so far received over 196,000 views. Honestly, I was very surprised that it was viewed that many times. It’s fun to view any time, but especially during the awards season.
LORD OF THE RINGS 1978/2001/2003 Synch
This was a fun experiment I did using Adobe Premiere. Here, I synched the audio from the opening to the 1978 version of Lord of the Rings, with the visuals of the Lord of the Rings trilogy from the early 2000’s
ECHOES: Voices of Jewish WisdoM
This is a short documentary I directed and edited that was screened during a special art exhibition event at my local Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. The exhibit was the culmination of a year long journey among various local Jewish artists. The artists were interviewed about their inspirations and Jewish heritage in connection with their work. As the title of the program suggests, this project revolved around the theme of spreading Jewish wisdom to the next generation through the medium of the visual and performing arts.
THE QATSI TRILOGY/TIME FORWARD
This is a video mashup I created that combines both a film series called “The Quatsi Trilogy,” and the musical theme to a Soviet Film called “Time Forward.” I was amazed at the outcome, as these two completely unrelated works synched seamlessly together. I wanted to capture both the glory and chaos of human industry through sporadic imagery and fast paced editing.
THE COATRACK
Here is a short, funny short film I made for a class project while at SCAD. It involves a man getting ready for his day while confronted with his rather rebellious coatrack.
HUDSUCKER PROXY/CIRCLES CROSSOVER
Here is a fun video mashup I created that combines the song “Circles” by Soul Coughing, and the hilarious film “The Hudsucker Proxy” from my favorite directing duo: The Coen Brothers. WHAT FUN!
PAPRIKA ON PARADE
When I saw this scene from “Dumbo,” my mind flashed on the the song “Parade” that was featured in the anime “Paprika.” That spark of inspiration led to this short personal project. Don’t you think the combination of these two fits perfectly?
Every Oscar for best production design (1927-2016)
This was a subsequent compilation I made to my hit “Every Oscar for Best Original Song” tribute. This time, as the title suggests, the montage shows the chronology of all the films that have won the Oscar for Best Production Design. I continue to be amazed at the creativity of the production design talent over the years. This video has gone on to receive over 10,000 views.
2 Minute Celebrity movie talk Sample
We shot this entire 8 part web series (2 Minute Celebrity Movie Talk) in a single very long day. We were fortunate that our location scouting landed us a great recording studio that worked, not only for sound purposes, but also had just the right feel and look for this project. I had eight changes of clothing, one for each of the “interviews,” and switched outfits in between each take. I wrestled with how to film each scene, as I was doing both my own voice as the “host,” and the voice impersonations of each of the celebrity guests. In the end, I decided to record both parts/voices in the script at the same time (continuously in a single shot), switching back and forth from “interview voice” to “celebrity impersonation voice,” leaving a slight bit of time between each. Then, during edit I inserted the celebrity image each time that voice occurred, so that it would look like we were talking back and forth. Additional Episodes may be found on the Voice Over and Film Exploration pages.
A TRIBUTE TO THE MOVIES
This is one of my favorite video projects. In essence, it tracks the history of cinema from 1876 to the present day, with the soundtrack to “An American Tail” in the background. Some of the highlights include the silent era, the introduction of sound to film, German Expressionism, musicals from Hollywood’s golden age, innovations in animation, and blockbuster hits. It shows both my passion and love for this wonderful art we call the cinema, as well as showcasing various iconic moments from various movies.
THE films of terry gilliam
This is a video tribute I made to one of my favorite directors: Terry Gilliam. Over the years, Terry Gilliam has taken us to wondrous worlds, showing both the beauty and chaos of the human race. From "Miracle Of Flight" to "The Fisher King," to "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.” The song I used in the background is “Mr. Blue Sky” by The Electric Light Orchestra.
Song and dance in classic movies
Here is another compilation video I made that pays tribute to song and dance in classic cinema. The song I used to synch with the video was “It’s Oh So Quiet,” by Bjork.
scott Pilgrim/White Stripes Mashup
Here’s yet another mashup I did. This time with The White Stripes and one of my favorite movies: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. I loved the energetic feel of both these works and had the urge to splice them together. I think the synchronization is very smooth with this video. It was a lot of fun to make and the result is satisfactory.
The FILMS OF BUSTER KEATON - "Do It Anyway"
Here's a tribute video I've been waiting a long time to do. Buster Keaton really is someone I look up to as a performer. He really is able to take a chance in life and hardly ever loses his cool. I never get tired of watching his movies. The song is "Do It Anyway" by Ben Folds.
man with a movie camera - “Money For Nothing”
This is another favorite of my video tributes. It’s a series of clips from Dziga Vertov’s 1929 film “Man With A Movie Camera” synched with the song “Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits. Both the energy and hyperactivity of these two works are very much the same for me. I’d thought I’d give it a try.
MOVIE VILLAINS AND MONSTERS
This is another video mashup I made that pays tribute to a few iconic movie villains and monsters. The song I used in the background is “A Mean Green Mother From Outer Space,” from Little Shop Of Horrors. This was a lot of fun to make and exercised my editing abilities.
every oscar for best documentary short (1941-2019)
Here is yet another compilation video I made. This time around, I’m honoring every film that has won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short. The category and subject matter is large and diverse, with each short chronicling a fascinating part of our world that speaks to a certain audience. The song used is “A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics” from the movie “A Beautiful Mind.”
Trailer for PHOTO IS:RAEL
Here is a trailer I created for an event in Tel Aviv, Israel, called the International Photography Festival, or PHOTO IS:RAEL. PHOTO IS:RAEL is an event where photographers from all over the world come to showcase their work. The video I created was made to highlight that portion of the Festival exclusively dedicated to works created by individuals with disabilities. I edited the raw footage, selected and incorporated the music, and designed and added the graphics. I was fortunate to be able to actually attend the event which was at the top of a skyscraper overlooking downtown Tel Aviv. It was an inspirational experience.
GREEN IN FIlM
Here we have another video compilation I made. This time, it’s a tribute to the use of the color green in film. I hope to maybe make other videos that focus on the use of a certain color or hue as well. The song used is “Bein Green” By Kermit The Frog.
A Tribute To The 80s
Here is a video I made that pays tribute to something other than just movies. But rather, an entire decade, and events that defined it. This was a challenging and fun experience for me, and I hope you enjoy.
The Films of The 2010’s
Here is another compilation video I am personally proud of. It is a celebration of just a few of the countless films the 2010’s had to offer. Like most other decades, this one had a wide and colorful range of different genres, themes and characters.
Make it stand out
A FEW OF My fAVORITE FILMS (BABYLON STYLE)
This video montage is a personal selection of a few favorite films of mine, all done to the soundtrack of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.
