BMFI Weekly Update

Magical Guests at Pennsylvania Premiere of Magic Camp

For one glorious week each year, budding magicians make the pilgrimage to Bryn Mawr College for Tannen’s Magic Camp, where they learn sleight-of-hand and showmanship from top illusionists like Criss Angel and David Copperfield.

Emmy-nominated director Judd Ehrlich, a former camper himself, decided to revisit this oasis of alchemy for his latest documentary, Magic Camp, which will have its Pennsylvania Premiere at Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Tuesday, December 4, followed by a Q&A with Judd and a magic performance by campers and counselors.

Keep reading for excerpts from our exclusive advance interview with Judd Ehrlich about his advice for aspiring filmmakers, the challenges of documentary production, and filming at Bryn Mawr College.

Magic Camp

Filmmaker Appearances

(NR) USA – 1 hr 26 min – in English – digital
2012 · d. Judd Ehrlich

Every summer, Bryn Mawr College hosts Tannen’s Magic Camp, the world’s most prestigious overnight camp for young magicians. This heartwarming documentary chronicles the competition amongst the campers, all of whom strive to be the next Houdini. The event will conclude with an appearance by director Judd Ehrlich and performances by young magicians from the camp.

CLICK TIMES TO BUY TICKETS:
Tuesday, December 4 7:30pm

An Interview with Magic Camp Filmmaker Judd Ehrlich

Adapted from BMFI's blog, BMFInsights. Read the full interview here.

In advance of the premiere event, Magic Camp filmmaker Judd Ehrlich spoke to BMFI's Devin Wachs over the phone from his office in New York.

What drew you to this project? How did you discover Tannen’s Magic Camp?
I went to it as a camper. I grew up a couple of blocks away from Tannen’s Magic Shop, which is the oldest magic store in New York. I would hang out there and learned about the camp. When I arrived, I found this completely unique place where people from all over the country could share their passion for something that not everyone understands. This group of about a hundred kids were obsessed with the same thing. It was 24/7 magic with a staff of professional magicians who volunteered their time. There were no secrets; you could ask anyone how anything was done. I think that feeling extended beyond magic. It was a safe environment for kids who were not the captains of the football team, where they were free to be themselves and be accepted.
At Tannen's Magic Camp, loving magic is always in style.
Later when I became a filmmaker, I knew I wanted to do something about magic. The camp had been approached to do different projects—reality show type things—but it was important to them to work with somebody they could trust and that they knew understood the kids, the camp, and magic. They had to trust [the filmmaker] not to reveal too much about the secrets of magic, but also not take advantage of the campers and the special environment at camp. It was an honor and responsibility, and important as a filmmaker, because so much of making a documentary comes down to access and trust.

I was also thrilled that Tannen’s is now at Bryn Mawr College. When I went to the camp it was at a military academy on Long Island, but Bryn Mawr has a magical quality. I loved having the campus as a backdrop for these kids’ stories; it almost became another character in the film.
Tucked away just off the Main Line, Bryn Mawr College serves
as the campers' "real life Hogwarts".
This is your third documentary. What is your favorite aspect of documentary film production? The most challenging?
I love the whole process. In documentary you’re working with a very small crew so you have to be involved in every piece of it along the way. I come from an editing background, and a film really does get made in editing, especially a film like this that is a verite documentary. You go in with an idea of the story you’d like to tell but it’s dependent on what you capture. It can be very exciting but also daunting when you get back to the editing room with hundreds of hours shot. So many different films could be cut from the same footage; you have to find the best story.

"[Magic Camp] is about finding your voice and finding who you are."
You’re active in educating young filmmakers about documentary production. What is the #1 piece of advice you would give to an aspiring filmmaker?
Try to watch as many films as you can and draw inspiration from them. In a way, it comes back to the purpose of magic camp. It’s all about finding your voice and finding who you are. That is the project of adolescence in general, but it is also the challenge for the filmmaker, to find out who you are as an artist.

One thing that is unique about the film industry is that it’s still about apprenticeship. If you have a good work ethic and are passionate about what you are doing, you can start at the bottom and work your way up. I’ve seen a lot of people do this successfully. If you’re in a position to start interning, it’s a great way to prove yourself to be someone who is invaluable and it can lead to a job and you can work your way up. There are so many specialties in film—post-production, lighting, cinematography—where you can join a union and make a living doing something you love.
We look forward to hearing what you will ask Judd at his Q&A following Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Premiere screening of Magic Camp.

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Juliet Goodfriend
Executive Director

email: info@brynmawrfilm.org · phone: 610-527-9898 · web: www.brynmawrfilm.org

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