User:Gerald Waldo Luis/16R

One Six Right: The Romance of Flying is a 2005 independent documentary film directed and produced by Brian J. Terwilliger, exploring general aviation—specifically Van Nuys Airport—primarily through the eyes of pilots and people involved in the industry. Terwilliger, an avid aviation enthusiast, conceived the idea for the film five years prior to production. With enough budget, production commences: they filmed it using a high-definition camera, the first independent film to be filmed on it.

One Six Right premiered on June 25, 2005, at the Hollywood Pacific Theatre. It then had a 2006 national tour that ended in Van Nuys itself. However Terwilliger failed to attract potential distributors, and it was eventually released independently on DVD; the team used a viral marketing strategy that instantly gave the film a cult following. It was later on HD DVD, making it both the first documentary and independent film to be released on it. In 2015, the opening year for Terwilliger's next feature film Living in the Age of Airplanes, it saw a Blu-ray release. Overall, it was received positively for its narrative, Nathan Wang score, editing, and cinematography.

Summary
One Six Right: The Romance of Flying covers the history and diversity of Van Nuys Airport, as well as the condition of the general aviation industry as a whole. It first interviews pilots who have been to Van Nuys, exploring how they first got interested in aviation and their experience of flying, specifically in the airport. According to them, the feeling of flying is heavenly, free from societal disturbances and allowing for a more diverse appreciation of nature. They describe Van Nuys as home, also a very special spot of their childhood, and its most commonly-used runway, 16R, as a reminder of that. This is further amplified when they performed their first solo. Van Nuys is the world's busiest general aviation airport, busier than London Heathrow itself.

The film then shifts its focus to the history of Van Nuys, which began as Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport in 1920, an ambitious project to make the eponymous area an aerotropolis. Three men named Heffron, McCray, and St. John got into a real estate development process. The layout of the two runways, which makes the airport weather-friendly, were the best in the United States. It was opened on October 1, 1928, "but because of the 25th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight December [17], 1928, they decided to make the formal dedication that day." It soon formed a large community of aviation industries and enthusiasts. Marketing efforts include holding several events to highlight the airport's advantages. Later, Amelia Earhart set a speed record flight there. However the airport became unpopular during the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and further amplified by the Great Depression. During these periods, it was used to distribute contraband. It began resurging when executive vice president of operations, Dean Daily Sr., allowed the film industry to shoot in the location; an example is Casablanca (1942). On December 7, 1941, the United States government acquired Metropolitan Airport, changing it to the Van Nuys Army Air Base, as well as lengthening the runways and changing its material to concrete. According to pilots, the subsequent period is the prospering era of general aviation, and the golden age of airport. In 1957, it was renamed Van Nuys Airport. Runway 16R was lengthened by 2,000 ft. Amid all this, Van Nuys became involved in various revolutions in the American aviation history.

The film then says how general aviation airports are facing backlashes from the nearby community, with various petitions on banning certain aircraft, or even close the airport down. As a result, one general aviation airport in the United States closed per day. On March 30, 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley illegally bulldozered the runway of Meigs Field, in order to build a park named after his wife, despite civil negotiations to build the park while preserving the airport. The film's interviewees expressed disgust at the action: "It's scary because what it says is, somebody can go anywhere and do that, and that's that." They continue by disagreeing the notion that general aviation is causing noise pollution: "[Just] shut your mouth for a few minutes, and wait until they (the airplanes) go by." They argue that general aviation is important to society, such as transporting cancer patients. However they acknowledged that the industry is not perfect, and highlighted the many efforts to make airplanes more noise and environmentally friendly.

Background and development
Brian J. Terwilliger conducted his flight lessons and had his first solo in Van Nuys between 1995 and 1996. He said that the airport's apparent diversity "in terms of businesses and people that fly here today and in the past" is one of a kind, and became fascinated with it. In February 2000, he was visiting his sister in Denver, when he ended up chattering with Pat Wiesner, the owner of Wiesner Publishing and a general aviation pilot based in Van Nuys, who also worked for his sister at the time. Wiesner asked Terwilliger if he had seen The Bodyguard (1992), wherein "In the final scene of the film, with an airport, that’s Van Nuys Airport, and in the background you’ll see my airplane." It immediately struck to Terwilliger that Van Nuys "wasn’t your average airport", and that it is a subject worth telling. He was also interested in archiving the airport's 75 years of history as of the time. With enough experience in the filmmaking industry, he also thought it was time to make a film.

Terwilliger later e-mailed the public relations department of the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns Van Nuys, inquiring if they have any archival footage that can be used in the film. Terwilliger stated they showed interest in the project. Then, he began searching for financial and official support. His first support comes from a writer of the Van Nuys Aviation Business Journal, who published an article about the project in its 2003 issue. One of the first investor was Jim Dunn, owner of the Airtel Plaza Hotel, located nearby Van Nuys. Aviators Clay Lacy and Barbara Cesar became initial supporters. He later created VNY Documentary, LLC, a limited liability company, which he managed too. Phil Aune, Van Nuys' most loyal air traffic controller (ATC), gave Terwilliger a US$100 check to start the LLC, saying "I know this isn’t much, but I hope this helps." Terwilliger expressed gratitude, saying that it was the first check written to help the project. "Ironically, to start the LLC bank account, it required [US$100]; that was the check that did it!"

Filming and editing
Principal photography commences thereafter. Terwilliger wanted the cinematography to "“capture the spirit and the beauty and the excitement of that perfect day and perfect flying conditions and the smooth air right at sunset, [and nail the perfect landing]. If I could capture the essence of that experience in a film, then I’ve succeeded." Panavision donated one respective iteration of their Sony CineAlta HDW-F900 and HDW-F950 camera, two 1080p, 16:9 cameras with a rate of 24 frames per second. The film team only had to pay the insurance. After knowing about the project, Kevin LaRosa, a helicopter pilot known in the film industry, spared himself some time to do aerial filming. The helicopter's nose is mounted with a ball-shaped camera called Gyron, which is gyroscopic on all three axes. Terwilliger was said to be "very vocal" in instructing the cinematography department. 13 aircraft were used for aerial sequences. 85 interviews were conducted. Overall, over 120 hours of footage were filmed. They were later trimmed to 73 minutes, in an editing process that took 54 weeks, using Final Cut Pro and done by Kimberley Furst.

The film's audio uses 5.1 surround sound technology. Terwilliger wanted the sound to be "as polished as possible", and wanted it to be distinct from typical documentaries that downplay the usage of audio. On one channel of the cameras, a boom microphone was attached, wireless lavalier microphone on the other side. Because of the many footages shot, the sound department was overwhelmed, and not all footages had audio embedded. The Gyron was also unable to record audio; in this case Terwilliger travelled to various other airports to record the noises of similar planes. In certain shots, he prioritized cinematography more than the audio; these were later relived during post-production. For shots featuring aircraft that are deemed "rare or unique", Terwilliger directed the pilot of said aircraft to get the sounds of it. He also used a transceiver to record various ATC chatters. The result of all the effort is an extensive set of audio recordings, which he is able to use for future project should he need it.