VCU Kinetic Imaging Student Plays Key Role on Circuit City Documentary

By Tom Gresham

“Tale of Two Cities: The Circuit City Story,” a documentary about the defunct electronics giant Circuit City, is a story about a Richmond company that emerged from humble beginnings to become a major national retailer – only to hit tough times and eventually shut down in 2009 during the economic recession.

The film, which has its Richmond premiere on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Byrd Theatre, is a passion project for Tom Wulf, a former Circuit City employee. Wulf was new to filmmaking when he began work on the film and he needed some technical and creative help to fully realize his vision for the work. Fortunately, he found VCU kinetic imaging student Adam Rosenberg.

“He took every idea in my head and made them a reality,” Wulf said.

Rosenberg, who will graduate this spring with a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Department of Kinetic Imaging in the VCU School of the Arts, joined Wulf’s project this summer and became an integral part of the creation of the film, which opened the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville this fall.

Rosenberg produced animation and graphics and other visual elements to keep the viewer engaged. He also created the introductory sequence, helped with editing and dressed up old photographs, a critical aspect of the film’s first half, which traces Circuit City’s founding and growth through interviews, animation and archival pictures.

“He made the photos appear 3-D,” Wulf said. “He really gave them depth, made these old photographs come alive on the screen.”

Wulf said Rosenberg also helped solve the problem of carrying the film’s story over generations, using a set of milestones that “moved the audience through time.”

“Adam really helped make this film as good as it is,” Wulf said.

Rosenberg said he is proud of the work he put in on the film and believes the experience has accelerated his growth as a filmmaker. Wulf often gave him latitude to solve tricky problems, and Rosenberg attacked them with relish. The opportunity to confront new challenges on his own was eye-opening for the Ashland native.

“I definitely learned a lot,” Rosenberg said. “I experimented on my own, learned new ways to come up with good ideas.”

Rosenberg said his studies at VCU prepared him for his work on “A Tale of Two Cities.” He pointed in particular to an electronic animation course he took with Pam Turner, associate professor and chair of the Department of Kinetic Imaging.

Rosenberg took a winding road to kinetic imaging. He started his undergraduate experience in the architecture program at the University of Virginia, but he decided that architecture’s rules were not a great fit for him – that he would prefer an artistic field that was more wide open. He was interested in graphic design and transferred to VCU with an eye on studying in that area. However, during a one-credit class in Art Foundation, Rosenberg made a couple of videos and quickly was hooked. He elected to enter the kinetic imaging program to pursue his new interest.

“It was probably the best decision I’ve ever made,” Rosenberg said. “I love it.”
 
Alan Wurtzel, former Circuit City CEO and son of the company’s founder Sam Wurtzel, will introduce “A Tale of Two Cities” at the Dec. 8 showing. Sam Brock, WTVR anchor and reporter, will emcee. For more information about the film, including a trailer, visit http://circuitcitystory.com/.