Since his introduction to filmmaking, Feurstein has gone onto study filmmaking at Rockport College in Main and has taken part in a variety of productions, including Tom Mercer’s documentary “American General: Benedict Arnold” and as a lighting tech on PBS documentaries, commercials and film series. He recently won the 2008 Times Union Video Contest for his film “Jumpin’ Jacks” and was recently voted “Best Local Filmmaker” in the Times Union reader’s poll.

Feurstein is currently working on his second season of “eScape” – a miniseries based loosely on the ABC show “Lost.” The series follows a group of young campers who must fend for themselves after their camp counselors suddenly disappear from the camp they are staying at. Feurstein has been showing the first season of the series at venues throughout the Capital Region with the sixth and final episode being aired at the Ballston Spa Film Festival, which takes place Aug. 1-2 in Wiswall Park and at the Malta Ave. School in Ballston Spa.

Aside from filmmaking, Feurstein also teaches various literacy and art workshops, owns and operates Cucumber Alley, a lighting and rental company, and has directed and edited video games. I sat down with Feurstein to discuss how he got into filmmaking, his miniseries “eScape” and how it felt to be named “Best Local Filmmaker.”

How did you get into filmmaking?

The very fist time I picked up a video camera was when I was 8 and my sister accidentally made herself disappear on tape and from then on I became enamored by it – after that the family camera became my camera. Throughout grade school my friends and family took part in my projects and then when I went to college I decided to major in film and it all kind of just snowballed from there.

Where did you come up with the idea for “eScape”?

When my brother and I were in middle school we made a spoof on private eyes called “Mr. Schwab.” We had always enjoyed making episodic things with cliff hangers and to be continued episodes as opposed to making one straight movie, which developed out of our interest for comic books and TV dramas where you have this established story and then you can twist the plot. I eventually started teaching an after school program and when it came time for the class to end the parents started asking me about a summer program, so I figured lets make an episodic thing next. I wrote the first three episodes, but then when the kids joined the project it all changed and their ideas and my ideas all molded into our miniseries “eScape.”

What would you like people to take away from the series?

If I told you exactly what I want people to take away then I would be giving away the ending. Essentially the story follows these kids and their parents with an underlying theme of imagination and growing up and losing touch with who you were as a child and what you learned as a child and how you became who you are because of those decisions and experiences. The film is aimed at people who feel they have lost their childhood values and can never get them back or even for people who want to get them back. I hope it explains to people how to let that feeling of who you were as a child come back to you.

How have audiences responded to the series?

The response has been great – people are always blown away by it. They go into it thinking that it’s a kid’s movie so it’s probably going to be low budget and they come out of it with their hair blown back and it is a good feeling to get that reaction. Often times they will even ask what they can do to help, which is even better.

In 2008 you were named by the Albany Times Union reader’s poll as “Best Local Filmmaker” and your film “Jumpin Jacks” won the Times Union best video contest. What do you feel those accolades say about your filmmaking?

Winning the panel judged poll for “Jumpin’ Jacks” says that I have established myself with a majority of those in the industry locally and I feel that I have become important in their eyes. I think being voted “Best Local Filmmaker” in the reader’s poll says that I have the support and encouragement of my peers and the people in the community and I really appreciate that… When I make a film I feel I have an obligation to make everyone that worked on it proud of it and for everyone to have something in there that they can be proud of – there not just my films, there our films.

What is the best compliment you have ever received in terms of your filmmaking?

To me the best compliment is the fact that these kids and professionals in the area continue to ask me what I am doing next and how they can be a part of it. So the best compliment would have to be the support I receive and the fact that people continue to keep coming back to work for me and that means so much to me I can’t put it into words.

You are involved in literacy and arts workshops throughout the Capital Region. Why do you feel it is important to pass your knowledge of filmmaking on to future generations?

When I got back from school I fell backwards into a teaching position at Schenectady schools and met a bunch of great families there and found out I liked educating, but I also liked filmmaking and those things don’t go hand in hand unless you are teaching filmmaking. But seeing these kids who wouldn’t normally interact with the rest of the class or put themselves into any long term projects suddenly come out of their shells and start taking part in my productions really had a great impact on me. I would have felt lost if someone had not reached out and helped me when I was young and now I want to return that favor to new generations of kids.

What’s in store for the future?

Presently we are working on the completion of our third season of “eScape.” Then after that we have another episodic planned, which is “Battlestar Galactica” meets “Lost.” The new miniseries will be another character drama that follows different generations and the affects of one generation on another. We intend to continue forward with these episodic experiments. I am also continuing to expand my lighting company and I am going to be working with various institutions in the area to create some after school programs and variety shows for area kids.

To learn more about Mike Feurstein, visit: www.moviequestproductions.com.