From L: Brian McKeever, Howard Zinn and Dave Sicilian

Acclaimed author, historian, playwright and activist, Howard Zinn, payed a visit to Soundtrack back in October.  He was here to record some narration for his new documentary "The People Speak," which recently premiered on the History Channel.

This documentary represents Zinn's latest endeavor to present his slightly unorthodox perspective on American history.  The film was inspired by his two best-selling books: A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People's History of the United States.  The latter he co-edited with Anthony Arnove.  Both the books and this documentary give a voice to people who are not typically included in conventional textbooks yet were instrumental in shaping US history by speaking up for social change -- women, slaves, immigrants, youth and soldiers.

"The People Speak" reveals the compelling words and actions of these influential Americans who have defined democracy throughout history.  Their stories are brought to life with performances by talented actors and musicians such as Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.  The film integrates these moving performances with archival footage and interviews to encapsulate crucial historical moments and remind us of the powerful roles protest and struggle have played in shaping our country's social progress.

Zinn is the narrator as well as the producer along with Arnove, Chris Moore, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.  To watch the trailer, to learn more about the film, or to order the DVD, please visit: http://www.thepeoplespeak.com/.

Soundtrack New York was happy to contribute to the feature directorial debut of Philip Seymour Hoffman: "Jack Goes Boating."  The film received a sound editorial treatment at C5 and then was brought over to Stage A at Soundtrack for two weeks of predubs and finaling by Ron Bochar.  Bochar took advantage of the new feature of the Euphonix console called Hybrid, which allows the mixer to use the console as a protools control surface.  He also utilized another new technology at Soundtrack: the Vcube, which adds another layer of flexibility and functionality to non-linear video playback.

"Jack Goes Boating" is an atypical romantic comedy set in New York City, which centers around two working-class couples tackling friendship, love and betrayal.  The film is based on Bob Glaudini's Off-Broadway play "Jack Goes Boating."  Semour himself stars in the film along with Amy Ryan (from "Gone Baby Gone"), John Ortiz (from "American Gangster") and Daphine Rubin-Vega (from Broadway's "Rent").  The trailer has not been released yet, but the film is expected to have its world premier at Sundance in January.

If you haven't already heard about or seen the documentary "Lemonade," then we encourage you to check it out.  "Lemonade" is the first film by Boston based copywriter turned filmmaker, Erik Proulx.  Shortly after getting laid off from Arnold Boston in 2008, Proulx launched a blog called "Please Feed The Animals" to give recently unemployed advertising professionals a forum to discuss what their futures held in store.

Surprisingly, the blog brought Proulx into contact with people who were actually grateful for getting laid off.  This unexpected feedback inspired him to create a film about 16 current and former ad professionals who have taken advantage of their unemployment by using new found free time to resurrect their passions.

Proulx himself seized the opportunity of unemployment by producing "Lemonade," despite knowing little about film-making and having a mortgage to think about.  Backed by unconditional support from his wife and their life savings, Proulx began shooting.  The project also benefited from the generosity of various volunteers and vendors who donated resources and equipment.

Both Soundtrack and Finish were happy to contribute to the making of the film.  Finish's Tim Montgomery did the online and Bruce Bolden did the color correction, while Soundtrack's Mike Letourneau and Brian Heidebrecht did the mix.  Finish's Pete Warren also cut the trailer which can be seen here: http://www.lemonademovie.com/.

"Lemonade" recently premiered at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA to a sold-out audience.  Proulx has since submitted the film to national film festivals including Sundance.  CBS Evening News also just aired a story on the film, which you can watch here: http://ow.ly/QVlM/.

We wish Proulx best of luck with the film and landing a distribution deal.  To learn more about the film, to request a screening near you, or to buy the DVD, please visit:  http://www.lemonademovie.com/.