ATX ARCH: SPACE POETRY
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Documentary, Experimental
This is not just another architecture documentary — it's a sensory experience built from voices. Over twenty-eight designers and architects shared fragments of memory and reflection. We’ve woven their contributions into a polyphonic soundscape, listening for harmony, rhythm, and resonance.
ATX ARCH: SPACE POETRY
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Documentary, Experimental
1 Campaigns | Texas, United States
27 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$2,135
Goal: $20,000 for post-production
This is not just another architecture documentary — it's a sensory experience built from voices. Over twenty-eight designers and architects shared fragments of memory and reflection. We’ve woven their contributions into a polyphonic soundscape, listening for harmony, rhythm, and resonance.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
ATX-ARCH: Space Poetry aims to restore the human voice in cities by creating a film that re-centers architecture as a cultural, social, and emotional act rather than merely a technical field. It features testimonies from Austin’s designers and architects to show how buildings are shaped by values, histories, beliefs, and experiences.
The film seeks to make design accessible, helping audiences understand architecture’s influence on how we live, gather, move, and belong. Through interviews and a poetic soundscape, it highlights diverse perspectives on equity, social justice, art, politics, spirituality, and law. Visually, black-and-white portraits of Austin create a shared canvas, showing that architecture is everywhere, impacting everyone, even unnoticed.
Why Crowdfunding Matters
This project is being brought to life through the support of people who believe that Austin's story is worth documenting.
Your contribution will directly help us move the film from an ongoing creative project into a completed documentary.
Funds raised through this campaign will be used for the production and completion of the film, including:
- Original Score
- Foley (organic sound experience)
- Color Correction
- Music and Foley sound editing and mixing
- Final master and deliverables
What Happens After the Campaign
Crowdfunding doesn't simply help us make the film—it gives us a clear production path.
Phase 1 — ORIGINAL SCORE
Estimated: October/November 2026
Commissioning and creating an original musical score that forms the emotional core of the film.
Phase 2 — FOLEY (ORGANIC SOUND EXPERIENCE) & COLOR CORRECTION
Estimated: November/December 2026
Capturing and generating authentic sounds that add texture, depth, and realism to each scene. Improving the visual tone and consistency to reinforce the film's story and its black-and-white aesthetic.
Phase 3 — MUSIC & FOLEY SOUND EDITING AND MIXING
Estimated: December/Januray 2027
Travel to California to supervise the sound experience. Foley and Sound Mix. Edit, layer, and blend all music and sound elements into a cohesive, immersive soundscape.
Phase 4 — Final Film & Public Presentation
Estimated: Early 2027
The completed film will be mastered and prepared for screenings, festival submissions, and distribution. Campaign supporters will receive their promised rewards according to the fulfillment schedule outlined in this campaign.
Our goal is to inspire a new way of listening to cities.
Directors Journey
* Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Gustavo Bernal is an award-winning filmmaker, video editor, and storyteller with a degree in Animation and Visual Effects from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
* He has worked with leading advertising agencies and production companies in Venezuela and New York, including Havas Health, Warner Bros. Television, The Vidal Partnership, and Adrenalina.
* His editing portfolio includes projects featuring notable figures such as Spike Lee, Questlove, Thalía, Moby, Magic Johnson, and many other artists, entertainers, and business leaders.
* Also, he produces architecture-focused films and interview series for organizations such as AIA Austin. He has served as a video editor for the Mentor Dino Podcast and the AIA Pittsburgh Perspective series. His photography has helped the architecture project “Maraca Bench” by Lemmo Architecture & Design earn the 2026 AIA Austin Design Award of Merit Recipient
* His short documentary Tiny Victories 2.0: A Tale of Empathy has screened internationally and won the Emerging Ideas Award at the Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit. Tiny Victories 2.0 has been showcased at film festivals worldwide, including in Venice, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Chicago, Dallas, and London.
* Gustavo has shared his expertise on storytelling in architecture and film at prestigious events such as AIA Austin Design Excellence, the Texas Society of Architects Conference, and the AIA National Conference.
* In 2023, he was honored with the AIA Austin President’s Award for his impact on the organization and its community and At the TxA25 Annual Conference & Design Expo in Dallas. Gus was awarded, The Texas Society of Architects Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media, in honor of John G. Flowers, Hon. AIA.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Supervising Sound Editor
Costs $5,118
This person oversees the entire sound post-production process. They are responsible for making sure all the different sound elements
Facility Rental
Costs $400
Renting a studio where the sound editor, Foley artist, or voice talent can work in a controlled acoustic environment.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $800
Specialized professional audio equipment is required for sound post-production, including microphones, audio recording, and monitoring.
Foley
Costs $3,200
Foley is the process of creating and recording sounds that match physical actions happening on screen, and it's important for vital sounds.
Dubbing
Costs $3,600
A final sound mix is the last stage of sound post-production, where built around voices functioning almost like a musical composition.
Color Correction/ Color Grading
Costs $3,500
Professional color correction & creative color grading for the completed film, the grade should help establish visual continuity.
Travel Expenses to San Francisco for Post Production
Costs $1,000
Since the audio process will take place in California, travel expenses are needed to supervise the film's post-production.
Movie Theater Rental
Costs $2,382
After the film is finished, the goal is to hold an official presentation for the community, highlighting their work and celebrating.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR
Gus Bernal is a Venezuelan-born filmmaker, video editor, and visual storyteller whose work bridges film, architecture, and design. A graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, he has worked across film, television, advertising, and branded content with agencies and production companies including Havas Health, The Vidal Partnership, Adrenalina, and Warner Bros. Television.
Since 2019, Gustavo has been a creative partner of AIA Austin and the filmmaker behind the WiA Profiles interview series, now in its fifth year, highlighting the stories and contributions of women in architecture. He continues to produce video and storytelling content with AIA Austin and the Texas Society of Architects, helping bring architecture and the people behind it to wider audiences.
His work has received numerous awards, including the AIA Austin President’s Award (2023) and the Texas Society of Architects Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media, in honor of John G. Flowers, Hon. AIA (2025). His film Tiny Victories 2.0: A Tale of Empathy has also been screened internationally and received the Emerging Ideas Award at the Better Cities Film Festival.
Through his work, Gustavo uses film to tell meaningful stories, celebrate architecture, and connect communities with the people and ideas shaping our built environment.
COMPOSER
Jeffrey Roden is a professional electric bass player from the 1970s through the 1980s. Jeffrey played national tours with Marshall Hooks, Johnny Tillotson, and performed with Bo Didley, Big Jay McNeely, and Dick Clark. After working in the house orchestra for production shows at Harrah’s Reno and Lake Tahoe through the late 1980s, Jeffrey decided to change direction and dedicate himself to creating sparse and enigmatic works for the bass that allowed the subtle beauty of the instrument to be fully realized.
Jeffrey released four records on his own record label from 1994-1999. His first solo bass release “Mary Ann’s Dream” was featured on over one hundred national and international radio stations including KCRW Los Angeles and BBC radio. In 2008 Foster Reed released Jeffrey’s solo bass work “seeds of happiness parts I and II” on his renowned New Albion Records label. Foster described Jeffrey’s work as “miniature and minimalist cycles as finite and elusive as leaves on a tree, as pearls on a string; an offering for equilibrium”.
Jeffrey began using the piano to express the simple beauty that he found in the bass. His first solo piano composition “12 prayers” was featured on a two-CD 2016 release from Berlin-based Solaire Records and its premiere performance was positively reviewed by Allan Kozinn in the New York Times. Though the work’s silences and repetitions reminded critics of the work of Arvo Pärt and Morton Feldman, Joseph Newsome of Voix des Arts argued “Comparing Jeffrey Roden’s music to that of any other composer in any genre would be a disservice to this artist and the originality of his work. for people willing to listen with both their ears and their souls.”
FOLEY ARTIST
Shelley Roden is an award-winning Foley Artist working at Skywalker Sound in Northern CA. She has created and performed Foley sound effects for over two hundred live-action films, animated films, television series, and games. Recent projects include Toy Story 5, Hoppers, Behemoth!, and the episodic series Wonder Man and Andor.
Shelley shares her love for Foley art by engaging with students and the public through interactive workshops. Artist visits include The Savannah College of Art and Design, Drexel University, Ithaca College, Sonic College in Denmark, annual visits with Virginia Commonwealth University's department of Kinetic Imaging where she is an affiliate faculty member, and the Strong Museum of Play in her home town of Rochester, NY. Shelley is writing a book containing personal interviews with her Foley artist colleagues.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
ATX-ARCH: Space Poetry aims to restore the human voice in cities by creating a film that re-centers architecture as a cultural, social, and emotional act rather than merely a technical field. It features testimonies from Austin’s designers and architects to show how buildings are shaped by values, histories, beliefs, and experiences.
The film seeks to make design accessible, helping audiences understand architecture’s influence on how we live, gather, move, and belong. Through interviews and a poetic soundscape, it highlights diverse perspectives on equity, social justice, art, politics, spirituality, and law. Visually, black-and-white portraits of Austin create a shared canvas, showing that architecture is everywhere, impacting everyone, even unnoticed.
Why Crowdfunding Matters
This project is being brought to life through the support of people who believe that Austin's story is worth documenting.
Your contribution will directly help us move the film from an ongoing creative project into a completed documentary.
Funds raised through this campaign will be used for the production and completion of the film, including:
- Original Score
- Foley (organic sound experience)
- Color Correction
- Music and Foley sound editing and mixing
- Final master and deliverables
What Happens After the Campaign
Crowdfunding doesn't simply help us make the film—it gives us a clear production path.
Phase 1 — ORIGINAL SCORE
Estimated: October/November 2026
Commissioning and creating an original musical score that forms the emotional core of the film.
Phase 2 — FOLEY (ORGANIC SOUND EXPERIENCE) & COLOR CORRECTION
Estimated: November/December 2026
Capturing and generating authentic sounds that add texture, depth, and realism to each scene. Improving the visual tone and consistency to reinforce the film's story and its black-and-white aesthetic.
Phase 3 — MUSIC & FOLEY SOUND EDITING AND MIXING
Estimated: December/Januray 2027
Travel to California to supervise the sound experience. Foley and Sound Mix. Edit, layer, and blend all music and sound elements into a cohesive, immersive soundscape.
Phase 4 — Final Film & Public Presentation
Estimated: Early 2027
The completed film will be mastered and prepared for screenings, festival submissions, and distribution. Campaign supporters will receive their promised rewards according to the fulfillment schedule outlined in this campaign.
Our goal is to inspire a new way of listening to cities.
Directors Journey
* Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Gustavo Bernal is an award-winning filmmaker, video editor, and storyteller with a degree in Animation and Visual Effects from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
* He has worked with leading advertising agencies and production companies in Venezuela and New York, including Havas Health, Warner Bros. Television, The Vidal Partnership, and Adrenalina.
* His editing portfolio includes projects featuring notable figures such as Spike Lee, Questlove, Thalía, Moby, Magic Johnson, and many other artists, entertainers, and business leaders.
* Also, he produces architecture-focused films and interview series for organizations such as AIA Austin. He has served as a video editor for the Mentor Dino Podcast and the AIA Pittsburgh Perspective series. His photography has helped the architecture project “Maraca Bench” by Lemmo Architecture & Design earn the 2026 AIA Austin Design Award of Merit Recipient
* His short documentary Tiny Victories 2.0: A Tale of Empathy has screened internationally and won the Emerging Ideas Award at the Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit. Tiny Victories 2.0 has been showcased at film festivals worldwide, including in Venice, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Chicago, Dallas, and London.
* Gustavo has shared his expertise on storytelling in architecture and film at prestigious events such as AIA Austin Design Excellence, the Texas Society of Architects Conference, and the AIA National Conference.
* In 2023, he was honored with the AIA Austin President’s Award for his impact on the organization and its community and At the TxA25 Annual Conference & Design Expo in Dallas. Gus was awarded, The Texas Society of Architects Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media, in honor of John G. Flowers, Hon. AIA.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Supervising Sound Editor
Costs $5,118
This person oversees the entire sound post-production process. They are responsible for making sure all the different sound elements
Facility Rental
Costs $400
Renting a studio where the sound editor, Foley artist, or voice talent can work in a controlled acoustic environment.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $800
Specialized professional audio equipment is required for sound post-production, including microphones, audio recording, and monitoring.
Foley
Costs $3,200
Foley is the process of creating and recording sounds that match physical actions happening on screen, and it's important for vital sounds.
Dubbing
Costs $3,600
A final sound mix is the last stage of sound post-production, where built around voices functioning almost like a musical composition.
Color Correction/ Color Grading
Costs $3,500
Professional color correction & creative color grading for the completed film, the grade should help establish visual continuity.
Travel Expenses to San Francisco for Post Production
Costs $1,000
Since the audio process will take place in California, travel expenses are needed to supervise the film's post-production.
Movie Theater Rental
Costs $2,382
After the film is finished, the goal is to hold an official presentation for the community, highlighting their work and celebrating.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR
Gus Bernal is a Venezuelan-born filmmaker, video editor, and visual storyteller whose work bridges film, architecture, and design. A graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, he has worked across film, television, advertising, and branded content with agencies and production companies including Havas Health, The Vidal Partnership, Adrenalina, and Warner Bros. Television.
Since 2019, Gustavo has been a creative partner of AIA Austin and the filmmaker behind the WiA Profiles interview series, now in its fifth year, highlighting the stories and contributions of women in architecture. He continues to produce video and storytelling content with AIA Austin and the Texas Society of Architects, helping bring architecture and the people behind it to wider audiences.
His work has received numerous awards, including the AIA Austin President’s Award (2023) and the Texas Society of Architects Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media, in honor of John G. Flowers, Hon. AIA (2025). His film Tiny Victories 2.0: A Tale of Empathy has also been screened internationally and received the Emerging Ideas Award at the Better Cities Film Festival.
Through his work, Gustavo uses film to tell meaningful stories, celebrate architecture, and connect communities with the people and ideas shaping our built environment.
COMPOSER
Jeffrey Roden is a professional electric bass player from the 1970s through the 1980s. Jeffrey played national tours with Marshall Hooks, Johnny Tillotson, and performed with Bo Didley, Big Jay McNeely, and Dick Clark. After working in the house orchestra for production shows at Harrah’s Reno and Lake Tahoe through the late 1980s, Jeffrey decided to change direction and dedicate himself to creating sparse and enigmatic works for the bass that allowed the subtle beauty of the instrument to be fully realized.
Jeffrey released four records on his own record label from 1994-1999. His first solo bass release “Mary Ann’s Dream” was featured on over one hundred national and international radio stations including KCRW Los Angeles and BBC radio. In 2008 Foster Reed released Jeffrey’s solo bass work “seeds of happiness parts I and II” on his renowned New Albion Records label. Foster described Jeffrey’s work as “miniature and minimalist cycles as finite and elusive as leaves on a tree, as pearls on a string; an offering for equilibrium”.
Jeffrey began using the piano to express the simple beauty that he found in the bass. His first solo piano composition “12 prayers” was featured on a two-CD 2016 release from Berlin-based Solaire Records and its premiere performance was positively reviewed by Allan Kozinn in the New York Times. Though the work’s silences and repetitions reminded critics of the work of Arvo Pärt and Morton Feldman, Joseph Newsome of Voix des Arts argued “Comparing Jeffrey Roden’s music to that of any other composer in any genre would be a disservice to this artist and the originality of his work. for people willing to listen with both their ears and their souls.”
FOLEY ARTIST
Shelley Roden is an award-winning Foley Artist working at Skywalker Sound in Northern CA. She has created and performed Foley sound effects for over two hundred live-action films, animated films, television series, and games. Recent projects include Toy Story 5, Hoppers, Behemoth!, and the episodic series Wonder Man and Andor.
Shelley shares her love for Foley art by engaging with students and the public through interactive workshops. Artist visits include The Savannah College of Art and Design, Drexel University, Ithaca College, Sonic College in Denmark, annual visits with Virginia Commonwealth University's department of Kinetic Imaging where she is an affiliate faculty member, and the Strong Museum of Play in her home town of Rochester, NY. Shelley is writing a book containing personal interviews with her Foley artist colleagues.