Local film outfit ventures on its own

A local film production outfit, formerly known as the Pacific Rim Academy, has abandoned plans to establish a movie-production institute within the Northern Marianas College.

Now known as the Talk Story Studios, the newly-established production company has decided to go solo on its film-production venture, launching recently its first major live entertainment showcase that has hit primetime television screens through the local TV station.

But the company, run by Hollywood-trained sound effects editors Butch and Les Wolf with studio aide Michael Black, disclosed it still has every intention of serving as an educational venue where local students with passion for filmmaking can begin their journey towards learning all about the industry.

“We are having problems communicating. When we couldn’t get the college to work with us, we had to restructure our equipment and go into live broadcasting and production on our own,” said Mr. Butch Wolf, a sound effects expert who has been in the business for 22 years.

Mr. Wolf claims that NMC earlier guaranteed to include courses offered by the Pacific Rim Academy under the college curriculum by the Spring semester.

“They guaranteed that we would be on it,” he said.

Failed discussions between the academy and the college triggered a decision on the part of the filmmaking outfit to make it on its own.

“I have tried for almost four years to deal with them. And I have been promised a lot of things. We have signed lease agreements but still nothing has been done,” said Mr. Wolf.

For the college’s part, NMC Director Tony Deleon Guerrero said that the college’s association with the academy has been that of a tenant-landlord relationship.

“They have been leasing a space within the NMC property. They have tried to open up classes but due to the low demand, as I understand it based on discussions, the college has not made moves to include them in the curriculum,” said Mr. Deleon Guerrero.

NMC said the academy has not drawn a significant number of students to sustain the program. But Mr. Wolf claims the contrary. He said the academy was able to sign up some 30 students to take the program.

To date, Talk Story Studios has produced a total of 35 locally-shot commercials since September 2000.

The company is also booked to do 52 weeks of the Sports Rock show hosted by Chris Nelson and John Cramer shot live at the Lens Bar and Grill in Garapan, which is also aired on Hot 98.

“We’re trying to make this similar to the “Tonight Show with David Letterman” with guests, bands and performers,” said Mr. Wolf, an Academy Award winner.

Mr. Wolf, 43, comes from family of film experts with cousin and business partner Les Wolf, 40, also a Grammy Award winner.

He has also been nominated 12 times in the Golden Reel Awards under the Motion Picture Sound Editors category for his part in the blockbuster films such as Die Hard 2, Startrek, Hill Street Blues, the Hunt for Red October, L.A. Law, Unforgiven, The Undersiege, and Eraser, to name few.