Showcasing Burlingame in video causing a buzz

His classmates at the University of California at Los Angeles didn’t want to return home for breaks, but Ungar didn’t mind returning. Once he graduated, and finished a backpacking trip across east Asia, Ungar returned to Burlingame to start working in real estate.

Noting a lack of online information featuring what he felt was special about the place he grew up, Ungar, 28, decided to start making videos featuring the various neighborhoods. The small project grew over the last year to now include about four dozen short films tackling different topics under the name the Burlingame Buzz. On Wednesday, Ungar will debut portions of the work which will then be available online. It’s the start of his aspirations for the site which will continue to feature video profiling people from Burlingame.

"It started as a way for visitors to learn about Burlingame,” he said. "Now it’s more for residents and community members to have a better feel and appreciation for Burlingame.”

The idea was inspired of similar work done by a friend in Nashville, Tenn. Ungar had not seen the video chronicling applied to a small town like Burlingame.

It started with a goal of two, maybe three videos. Ungar reunited with fellow Burlingame High alum Mark Bracamonte, who did all the filming and editing, and the pair got to work.

"It’s been a long process, a lot of time and effort. We’re almost done,” Bracamonte said Tuesday while he made the finishing touches on the two-minute long videos.

The project should create video content about the town not currently available, said Bracamonte, describing it as finding their niche.

Neighborhood profiles began to expand to include restaurants, places to visit, exploration of public works and water treatment. Ungar began exploring topics like education, community gatherings and traditions.

The short films represent lots of work. Each minute is the work of 10 to 15 hours of behind-the-scenes work.

Ungar views the videos as a community service, a way for those who don’t live in Burlingame to be introduced to the unique aspects and for those living in the town to learn more about how things work.

Bracamonte learned while working on the project as well, particularly when it came to the town’s history.

While filming for the shorts, Ungar started working on a separate project showcasing the work of young Burlingamers. Art in the Park annually brings different creative projects to be on display in Burlingame, but Ungar never saw the work of local children. He suggested the My Monet project as a result, hoping to display art work of local kids. It debuted last year with about 50 pieces from three schools.

"The best part was watching the kids come up and point to their work,” he said.

Ungar is hoping to include work from more schools this year and hoping to find volunteers to help keep the project going.

This year’s Art in the Park falls in June, the weekend Ungar plans to marry his fiancé Hava Tabari. Since he’ll be busy saying, "I do,” Ungar is looking for some help ensuring the work of local youth is displayed.

These two projects don’t keep Ungar busy enough, it would seem. He also teaches a class for first-time homebuyers at City College.

Although the four dozen shorts have yet to be released, Ungar is already planning the future of the site featuring profiles of people raised in Burlingame doing interesting things. He also wants to focus on Burlingame history and try to encourage teens to create their own work that could some day be featured on the site. The exact vision is unclear, but Ungar plans to have two new videos loaded monthly after the big debut Wednesday.

For more information, or to view the movies, visit www.BurlingameBuzz.com. Movies will begin to be posted after the premiere Wednesday. Those interested in helping with My Monet can contact Ungar at 720-5483.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.