Local Filmmakers Angle Their Lenses to Enlighten Others

In the unfortunate wake of several drowning and rescue incidents in Long Beach waters this past summer, filmmakers Dave Feldman and Rockville Centre native Liz Byrne recently completed principal photography for a public service announcement that aims to raise awareness about the dangers of swimming off the city's shores.  

The $10,000 production, which will see post-production completion and distribution in coming months, was a collaboration between Feldman's eFace Media and Byrne's Vision of One production companies, with cooperation from Long Beach City Manager Charles Theofan and Long Beach's lifeguards and fire and police departments. Extras include local residents who act as police detectives, parents of a drowning victim, school children and other beach-goers. 

"Perhaps the biggest star of the film was the beach itself," Feldman said.

The documentary dramatizes Long Beach lifeguards taking to the water off National Boulevard beach in an effort to recover a young swimmer caught in the ocean's rip currents while friends watch from the beach. The film will also highlight lifeguard's instructions on how to calmly and safely swim ashore.

For both Feldman and Byrne, working in Long Beach was a true labor of love, and a chance to do good work right in their own backyards.

"I was born and raised in Rockville Centre and spent my teenage summer days in Long Beach," Byrne said. "I moved here in 1999. I wanted to be near family and friends on Long Island and felt that there was only one community I wanted to live in. I am on the boardwalk four to five times a week either biking or walking. The fresh air is intoxicating and the breezes sooth my soul."

Feldman used to hitch rides to Long Beach in the 1970s. And as he got older and started his media career working in Manhattan, he quickly realized that Long Beach, with its 50-minute train ride into the city, was the only logical choice for him.

"I think this is one of the world's nicest beaches and the community is terrific: great restaurants, artists, music, and lots of good people," he said.

In a decidedly anti-Hollywood stance, Feldman and Byrne are more interested in using their creativity for helpful causes rather than gaining notoriety and fame.

City Hall intends to distribute their final product to local and regional elementary and high school students to educate them about staying clear of the ocean when lifeguards are off duty, the only time when swimmers have drowned, at least in recent years.   

"Liz and I met when a mutual friend learned that she was looking for a videographer," Feldman remembers. "We hit it off, found we had a lot in common, and particularly interests in meditation and spiritual growth. We both realized that we could help more people by working together."

After a 24-year career on Wall Street, Byrne came to the partnership through a long process of spiritual awakening.

"I spent many months meditating, praying and journaling in order to find a new path," Byrne recounts.  "I realized that there were three very simple and personal goals that I wanted to incorporate into every decision that I make: first, to completely love what I do every day; second, that every decision and new venture would be in service to another person or group of people; third, that my work would involve the beauty of the arts and performance."

The Feldman-Byrne duo will continue with the same mission by which it was created, that is, angling the lights and cameras towards causes that can make positive change in people's lives.

"Our areas of interest are peace, religious understanding, tolerance, sustainability, cultural unity, health, literacy, poverty, bigotry, and surviving financial challenges," said Feldman. "We are actively seeking projects that shine spotlights on the world's challenges, offer solutions where possible, and which contribute positively somehow to the human experience."