American Teen (2008)

Director:

Nanette Burstein

Writer:

Nanette Burstein (writer)

Release Date:

25 July 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques. |

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Teen | High School

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Hannah Bailey	...	Herself
Colin Clemens	...	Himself
Geoff Haase	...	Himself
Megan Krizmanich	...	Herself
Mitch Reinholt	...	Himself
Jake Tusing	...	Himself
Ali Wikalinska	...	Herself

Directed by
Nanette Burstein

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nanette Burstein		writer

Produced by
Sharon Barnes	....	associate post-producer
Nanette Burstein	....	producer
Rebecca Cammisa	....	field producer
Nancy Dubuc	....	executive producer
Ted Gesing	....	associate producer
Eli Gonda	....	producer
Ryan Harrington	....	co-producer
Christopher Huddleston	....	producer
Owen Katz	....	animation producer: Blacklist
Karen Lawler	....	animation producer: Blacklist
Patrick R. Morris	....	executive producer
Chris Ohlson	....	associate producer
Greg Orselli	....	field producer
Elisa Pugliese	....	executive producer
Jordan Roberts	....	producer
Adina Sales	....	animation executive producer: Blacklist
Molly Thompson	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Laela Kilbourn

Film Editing by
Nanette Burstein
Thomas Haneke		(as Tom Haneke)
Mary Manhardt

Casting by
Tamra Barcinas

Art Direction by
Pistachios

Production Management
Rebecca Merle	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
Junko Shimizu	....	sets & props

Sound Department
Mark Binder	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rebecca Cammisa	....	sound recordist
Mike Chock	....	supervising sound editor
Mark Coffey	....	first assistant sound editor
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Reale	....	sound mixing recordist
Anna Rieke	....	sound recordist
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Randy Wilson	....	foley recordist

Visual Effects by
Micha Boström	....	CG artist: fight
Cecilia Chien	....	additional Flame artist
Matthew W. Johnson	....	smoke artist
Kristian Rydberg	....	CG artist: fight
Lutz Vogel	....	Flame artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Rebecca Cammisa	....	additional cinematographer
Robert Hanna	....	additional cinematographer
Wolfgang Held	....	additional cinematographer
James Rexroad	....	photographer: portraits

Animation Department
Ariadne Binderl	....	paints and textures
Aaron Bjork	....	animator
Cecilia Carlstedt	....	illustrator: animation
Matthew Encinas	....	animator
Diogo Kalil	....	animation director
Diogo Kalil	....	animator
George Katz	....	animator
Stefan Lagerstam	....	lighting & rendering
Alex Lins	....	character designer
Shu-Chen Lin	....	modeler
David Lobser	....	animation director
David Lobser	....	animation photographer
David Lobser	....	animator
Anna Molund	....	animation producer
Nanospore	....	animation director
Aron Ögren	....	animator
Derek Picken	....	animation director
Pistachios	....	animation director
Pistachios	....	animator
Alli Sadegiani	....	animator
Cecilia Skedinger	....	animator
Sean Starkweather	....	animator
Josh Thorne	....	animation executive producer
Lutz Vogel	....	animation director
Lutz Vogel	....	animator
Lutz Vogel	....	designer
Zoe Wishart	....	animation director
Zoe Wishart	....	animator
Zoe Wishart	....	designer
Steve Woodruff	....	animator

Editorial Department
Jonathan Giraldo	....	assistant editor
Jason M. Harvey	....	first assistant editor
Brian Hayashi	....	assistant editor
Brian Hayashi	....	post-production
Jennifer Lee	....	assistant editor
William Lehman	....	assistant editor
Timothy Lozada	....	assistant editor
Cyril Merle	....	assistant editor
Katie Schulz	....	post-production coordinator
Jaron White	....	contributing editor

Music Department
Chris Douridas	....	music supervisor
Jim Schultz	....	music editor

Other crew
Alex J. Johnson	....	production assistant
Daniel Manco	....	production assistant
Keith Overton	....	production assistant
Erin Owens	....	production assistant
A.M. Peters	....	assistant to director
Emily Radecki	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• 57th & Irving Productions
• A&E IndieFilms
• Blacklist
• Firehouse Films
• QuasiWorld Entertainment

Distributors

• Paramount Vantage (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Vantage (2008) (worldwide) (theatrical) (except UK)

Other Companies

• Cinetic Media  domestic sales
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA)  international sales
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual material, some drinking and brief smoking-all involving teens.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Warsaw, Indiana, USA

Company:

57th & Irving Productions

You want to stay with these kids forever

In the documentary "American Teen," which had its Regional Premiere here at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival on the heels of an auspicious Sundance debut, filmmaker Nanette Burstein chronicles a year in the life of a group of high school students from Warsaw, Indiana.

On the face of it, it seems like we've seen this before -- the popular girl, All-American jock, shy pimply geek, and wild child -- growing up and dealing with the overwrought, overblown, magnified time of life that is adolescence in rural America. But this is 2008, and issues that were never raised in the past, or were overlooked -- mental health, self-acceptance, peer pressure and the need to fit in -- take on a new, frightening reality in this day of Columbines and nooses and hatred taken to unheard of levels. The consequences of ignoring what our teens are saying are more frightening than ever before.

Yet Burstein's subjects are a refreshing dose of a reality we don't see on television -- yes, these kids are troubled and in need of support, but they also demonstrate an impressive capacity to heal themselves. They are smart, streetwise, and comfortable in their own skin. They are smart, funny, and adorable. They have more to teach us about the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves than we may be willing to admit.

Ultimately, they grow on us because we've all been there, if not one then a combination. There are more awww moments than one can count and, in the end, we want to stay there in Warsaw, Indiana.