 In 1982 Harlan Steinberger moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Los Angeles to study music at UCLA, where he often collaborated with film students on various film projects. After graduation, he joined the musical group "Inner Secrets," and for the next five years they toured the world extensively while Harlan produced the band’s recordings.
In 1991, after moving to Venice Beach, Harlan became interested in street music and produced a CD featuring a collection of street performers. The album entitled "The Spirit Of Venice" was released internationally through Capital Records. The success of this album created much media attention with articles written about Harlan and his projects appearing in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Billboard Magazine, and Spin Magazine. In addition, a special interest story about the CD appeared on HBO’s "World Entertainment Report" in over 40 countries. Harlan continued producing music working with such artist as Fishbone, Limpopo, Boom Shaka, Mount Saint Helen, Sonja Marie, and Aya Peard, as well as producing music for and appearing on MTV’s popular TV show "The Real World."
In 1993, he co-founded Tell -Tale Productions, a non-profit organization dedicated to making educational films. He directed the company's first documentary, ”Tibor Jankay - The Art of Survival”, the story of a 94-year-old artist and holocaust survivor. The film was named one of the top documentaries of 1995 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition to airing on PBS, the film won numerous awards, including first prize at both the Columbus Film Festival and the Silver Image Festival. In 2002 Tell-Tale Productions released its second film, “Holi-days”, directed by Harlan’s wife Randi Steinberger, with Harlan contributing original music and additional camera and sound work.
In 2000, Harlan Steinberger started a independent film production company and record label named "Hen House Studios", that concentrates on recording bands and filming them at the their sound stage/recording studio. Hen House takes this edited media and makes it available on its frequently visited web site www.HenHouseStudios.com. In addition, Hen House Studios has released fifteen CDs, and three documentary films all produced and directed by Harlan. A recent CD release, “Reza- Ray of the Wine” features “Doors” drummer John Densmore and Iranian musician Reza Derakshani. Harlan recently performed with Reza and John at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Just released is a CD with Native American actor/singer/activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman entitled “A Tribute to Johnny Cash” which won a "Native American Music Award for "Best Country Recording".
Recently released is a album co-produced with legendary “Doors” drummer John Densmore called "Tribal Jazz" for Hidden Beach/Warner Bros. Records. Hen House Studios newest releases are a reggae compilation recorded in Dominica entitlted "Dominica Tenement Yard" and a folk blues record "King of Venice", from Venice Beach artist Sunny Zarro.
Hen House Studios has also produced three music based documentary films, the latest entitled “Welcome 2 The House”. This film chronicles a five-year period when the studio invited over 100 bands to record for free. A previous film released in 2005 entitled “Critical Times- Fishbone’s Hen House Sessions” documents the internationally renowned band “Fishbone” and their six weeks at Hen House Studios. Yet released is the film “Fatal Charm” a documentary that captures a high school band’s transition from the idyll of high school stardom through the first difficult years after their graduation.
Harlan and his wife Randi now balance their professional lives with the care of two sets of twins. The younger set is featured in another of Harlan’s projects "My Name Is Shawn Duck", a documentary short featuring the life of a swim teacher.
Filmography
2007- Fatal Charm - Director, Producer.
2006 - Welcome 2 The Hen House - Director, Producer.
2005- Critical Times: Fishbone's Hen House Sessions - Director, Producer.
2002- My Name Is Shawn Duck - Director, Producer, original music.
2002- Holi-Days - Original music, additional camera and sound.
1994-Tibor Jankay-The Art of Survival - Director.
Current Projects:
Michael C. Ford- (working title) - Executive Producer.
 Randi Steinberger's experience as a filmmaker was shaped by her studies in Florence, Italy, where she lived for eight years while launching a photography school and photo gallery. Throughout her extensive travels to Asia, Europe and the Middle East, she has documented a range of captivating subjects, ranging from Afghani women in Pakistani refugee camps, to experimental landscapes, and artists at work in their studios.
Randi's most recent documentary film, Holi-days, offers an insightful portrait of the modern traveler, shot on location in Jerusalem, Florence and Las Vegas. Destined to be remembered for its subtle humor and unconventional views of those iconic cities, the film is currently being considered for festivals and for worldwide distribution.
Randi collaborated with her husband, Harlan Steinberger, on their previous documentary, Tibor Jankay -- The Art of Survival, the story of a 94-year-old artist and holocaust survivor. The film was named one of the top documentaries of 1995 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition to airing on PBS, the film won numerous awards, including first prize at both the Columbus Film Festival and the Silver Image Festival.
A Chicago native, Randi studied art history in Florence, beginning in 1983. There she worked as a fine art photographer and later produced artists’ books that are now part of the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art of New York, The Whitney Museum and The Art Institute and The Museum of Contemporary Art both in Chicago. During the end of her stay in Italy, she moved to Rome where she collaborated with the late and renowned artist Alighiero Boetti on the book, Accanto al Pantheon, published by Prearo Editions in Milan.
Randi met Harlan Steinberger, a musician and producer, when she returned to the States to work as a still photographer for independent films. Together they co-founded Tell-Tale Productions, a non-profit organization. They married in 1993 and now balance their professional lives with the care of their two sets of twins.
Randi's creatively charged approach to filmmaking, which combines a journalistic focus with a provocative personal vision, has prompted festival audiences to count her as an exciting new voice on the documentary scene.
Filmography
2002- Holi-Days - Documentary. Director, Writer and Producer. Edited by Fabienne Rawley.
1994-Tibor Jankay-The Art of Survival - Documentary. Executive Producer. Directed by Harlan Steinberger.
|
