Click here to watch an insightful, inspiring speech from John Cleese at Video Arts on Creativity. He reminds us of the value space, time, confidence, and humor have in our ability to tap into our full creative potential. Some of the ideas are present in Old School New School.
Posts Tagged ‘jazz’
John Cleese on Creativity
September 23, 2012Creativity Symposium comes to Avila University, Kansas City, MO
February 2, 2012Avila University and Steven Fischer present Secrets of Success: The Nature of Creativity, an interactive panel discussion exploring how a person can tap into his or her full creative potential. The panel continues the dialogue begun in Old School New School with such world-class artists as actor Brian Cox, jazz great McCoy Tyner, and cinematography legend William Fraker.
Join panelists Hermon Mehari, Meagan Flynn, Dr. Sue Ellen McCalley, Stanley E. Bank, and Lori Raye.
OSNS on OSNS
June 23, 2011Steven Fischer, producer of Old School New School the movie, will be appearing on Old School New School the podcast on Thursday, July 7 2011 at 6.30pm PST. More details to come.
Old School New School-McCoy Tyner makes World News
August 30, 2010The clips of McCoy Tyner’s conversation in Old School New School was picked up by World News. Check it out: McCoy Tyner Conversation.
City Paper’s Feature Story on Old School New School
July 14, 2010Released today and documents a recent shoot in New York with jazz great McCoy Tyner.
Click here and check it out!
Brian Cox and McCoy Tyner Shoots
June 12, 2010In the past few days here in NYC, we’ve recorded Brian Cox, McCoy Tyner and Francisco Mela for Old School New School, our inspirational study on creativity and how young people can reach their full creative potential.
Brian proved a true delight, a gracious host, and was so animated and electric when he spoke I’ve no doubt his appearance in the movie will be a highlight.
With McCoy I’ve never laughed so much during a recorded conversation. He displays such a lively spirit, even though in his 70s, the child within him is still alive and vibrant. He’s such a playful, fun-loving soul.
Francisco was generous with his thoughts and equally as lively as McCoy. It’s going to be fun to edit these conversations.
A journalist joined us on the shoots as he is filing a feature story for City Paper and Urbanite. He observed the shoots, made a lot of notes, and at the end of the day we spent an hour in a nearby cafe interviewing about the movie over coffee. More details to come.
Many thanks to DP Chris Cassidy and videographer Fred Weil for capturing these three remarkable storytellers, and for giving as much as they did to make the shoot a terrific experience.
L-R: Fred Weil, Steven Fischer, Brian Cox, Chris Cassidy shooting Old School New School, New York City, June 2010.
Tomas Arana, Herman Leonard, and Allen Moore
October 5, 2009The Next Old School New School subjects are…
Cinematographer Allen Moore. He’s one of Ken Burns’ trusted cameramen and has served as cinematographer on Burns’ classics The Civil War, Thomas Jefferson, The West, The National Parks. His own films are equally as amazing. The Shepherd of Berneray is an extraordinary documentary of a year in the life of a Gaelic-speaking island community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Actor Tomas Arana is also on board to appear in Old School New School. He is probably best known for the role of Quintis in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, but his credits extend way beyond…. ER, Pearl Harbor, The Bodyguard, CSI, 24 … and a ton of work throughout Europe. The list goes on. His connection with fine artists such as Andy Warhol and the lessons he learned about creativity had me completely engaged in our chat.
Actor Tomas Arana.
And legendary photographer Herman Leonard has agreed to appear in the movie! Quincy Jones once wrote that any image a person has in mind of Jazz history is probably one of Herman Leonard’s photos. He’s photographed everyone from Louis Armstrong to Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Marlon Brando not to mention Clark Gable, Harry Truman and Albert Einstein!
Legendary photographer Herman Leonard.
Old School, New School producers Diane Leigh Davison and Steven Fischer with Herman Leonard (far left) at a gallery opening in New York City. (2009, photo by Rick Edwards)
Having chatted with him, I’ve discovered Mr. Leonard to be a terrific storyteller. He told a fascinating story of a conversation he had with Albert Einstein and Einstein’s thoughts on the creative power of improvisation. I’m looking forward to this one. Details soon.
More details to follow. Many thanks to Diane Davison for making it happen!
