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Understanding Upstate

On a hot summer night in the cramped back room of a Brooklyn bar, Jim Search, recorded his debut comedy album, Upstate Understandings. The documentary, Understanding Upstate, examines how Jim’s comedy has developed over the last 10 years by juxtaposing his early experiences as a kid growing up in Binghamton, NY, to living his adult life in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and gives you a look at all the work, collaboration, and hustle that goes into creating an album.

  • Robert Adler
    Director
  • Robert Adler
    Producer
  • Jim Search
    Producer
  • Jim Search
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 29, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Premiere at BierWax Queens - Understanding Upstate
    Queens, NY
    United States
    July 16, 2023
    World Premiere
Director Biography - Robert Adler

Rob Adler is a Brooklyn-based producer and director who works
under the banner of "Brooklyn Frequency." More often than not,
his time is spent helping other artists bring their vision to life,
but between directing films, editing podcasts, and producing
music videos, he finds time to create his own albums and videos.
In addition to directing Understanding Upstate, Rob also recorded, edited, and produced Jim’s album, Upstate Understandings. Rob has been an active audio producer for over a decade, and Understanding Upstate is his first foray into short documentary filmmaking. Along with editing the documentary, Rob also created all of the motion graphics and special effects and scored the film.

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