Eclectic, maverick, innovative - adjectives often used to describe director Francis Ford Coppola, whose ground-breaking films have spanned from the war-torn jungles of Vietnam to the smooth jazz of 1920's Harlem.

So it's no surprise that American Zoetrope, his production studio in the heart of San Francisco, is equally eclectic and innovative. From Coppola's four-star restaurant/café on the first floor to the digital telecine next door, Francis has made American Zoetrope the definitive haven for the independent filmmaker - a place where aesthetics are never compromised to serve technology.

Recently Digital Media Online was granted an exclusive tour of American Zoetrope with Howie Stein, a longtime filmmaker and American Zoetrope's Facility Manager. Howie allowed us to see the many services that American Zoetrope offers, and experience the place where Francis Coppola sculpts his cinematic visions. Like the filmmaker that built this studio to capture his dreams, American Zoetrope is never predictable - but always entertaining.

A Turn of the Century Survivor
When you first arrive at American Zoetrope, the first thing that takes you off guard is the non-Hollywood studio look of the building. Angular and art deco, American Zoetrope seems to jut out of the middle of the block like the prow of a giant 1920's cruise liner that was accidentally parked in the middle of downtown San Francisco. The studio is located in the Sentinel Building, an historic landmark in San Francisco's North Beach area.

Today American Zoetrope is in a unique position to serve as a facility, since it was originally designed initially to meet the needs of in-house film productions. Because all tools and processes were developed with their own needs in mind, a filmmaker can find a production haven at American Zoetrope because all the tools and processes were developed during the real-world film productions.

According to Stein, American Zoetrope's Northern California location is an asset. "Being 400 miles away from Hollywood gives us a unique twist and perspective," notes Stein," and through the miracles of the Internet and Fed Ex, we're really not much farther away from Downtown Los Angeles than Burbank."