Local filmmaker Doug Martin, will be screening, for the first time, his short film THE BRIEF ENCOUNTER at this year's New Hampshire Film Expo (Oct. 11-14). Shot in Somerville in B/W, 35 mm, using local actors and crew, THE BRIEF ENCOUNTER is a whimsical, romantic vignette about a man, a woman, a Laundromat and a mix-up of their underwear that leads to a chase to save her from a menacing, well we can't give it away. Doug Martin, a 1998 Emerson grad, has worked on several local film projects over the past four years - including his own. He has worked on such films as NIGHT DEPOSIT, directed by Monika Mitchell, DOG DAYS with Ellie Lee and Azeem Robinson's GUILTY OR NOT. Many of the talented people that worked on this film, it seems, were drawn from the page of IMAGINE, like Azeem, Wayne Kimball, and Andrew Mudge, for example. Doug's first short film, THE BIG P, screened at The Museum of Fine Arts, Northampton Film Festival and the second annual (and unfortunately last) Somerville Film Festival. Doug currently works for Rule Broadcast Systems in Watertown and is already working on his next film project. Doug will be attending the New Hampshire Film Expo along with his film for Q & A. The screening schedule for the Expo is posted at www.nhfilmexpo.com.  

On September, Friday the 13th, Donlin Teleproduction Engineering rallied the troops and headed out to the Worcester Centrum for the Neil Diamond concert. With all superstitions set aside for the day's events, the Donlin crew geared up for a show that required a complete wireless, remote three-camera setup.
 
With Neil Diamond back in the states, a post-production company out of Manhattan required supplemental concert footage for an upcoming December release of a Diamond "Live" DVD that was originally produced throughout the UK. Donlin Teleproductions suited three Sony DSR-500 PAL cameras with wireless zoom and focus control using the Charly by bebob, and the remote pan/tilt option was accomplished by fitting the cameras onto Egripment's ENG Hot Shot head. The gear was quite compatible and setup went remarkably smooth; despite the three black cats, a broken mirror, and that hexing by the evil video witch.

The minutes ticked away as final adjustments were made and then, out of darkness, the music begins with, "We're coming to America Hooray". And the rest is Donlin history.
 

Watertown-based Pulse Media spent its busy summer delving into the worlds of rock n roll and Hollywood. In June they shot VH1's first-ever two-hour Behind the Music about local boys Aerosmith. Using both film and video, Pulse Media shot in-depth interviews with all the band members at their Boston homes and their Marshfield rehearsal facility. There was even a trip down memory lane when Steve Tyler and Joe Perry took the Pulse crew to Lake Sunapee, NH. It was here that Aerosmith first started to get noticed playing tiny gigs at the Anchorage Restaurant and The Barn Bar. Rob Massey, Pulse Media's president and chief cameraman, was happy to be working with Aerosmith again, "We've shot the band many times and it's always fun to listen to Steve and the guys tell their rock n roll stories."
 

In their feature-film news, Pulse Media has been busy shooting a behind-the-scenes featurette for Federal Hill Pictures' JESUS MARY & JOEY. This romantic comedy set in Rhode Island recently finished filming in Cranston, RI. The film focuses on the comic consequences of a man falling in love with a woman who claims to have experienced a miracle. Starring in the film are Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Esposito, and local boy Vincent Pagano. In addition, Stacy Keach, Tess Harper and Charles Durning make cameo appearances. The producers are hoping for an early 2003 theatrical release.
 

Finally, Pulse Media shot interview footage for an upcoming E! Entertainment special chronicling the life of the enigmatic Marlon Brando. Famed cinematographer Gordon Willis (THE GODFATHER, PARTS I, II, & III) and Brando biographer Peter Manso, both Cape residents, spilled the beans on tape. Look for True Hollywood Stories: Marlon Brando to air later this year.
 

On Monday, September 23, WERS, 88.9 FM, expanded to a 24 hour-a-day broadcast schedule, joining the ranks of the other premier Boston-based FM radio stations that air programs 24-hours a day. This historic move allows WERS to offer its audience of 120,000 weekly listeners an additional 28 hours of programming every week. The change will also provide the students of Emerson College with an additional 14 announcer and producer positions to enable even more learning opportunities.
 
The new schedule means "Revolutions", the Boston radio dial's premier electronic music program, will be extended an extra hour to end at 3 AM. From 3:00 until 6:00 AM, the station will feature a variety of musical genres, with students being awarded slots based upon the originality of their programming ideas. "It promises to provide the kind of creative, off-center programming for which WERS is widely-known," said David Murphy, General Manager.
 
WERS is listener-supported radio at Emerson College. Signing on in 1949, it is the oldest non-commercial station in the northeast. The station is a professionally managed student-operated station, providing approximately 200 students with the experience of working for a major-market radio station while they are still in school.
 

In what was considered a real twist the night of The Hatch Awards, the announcement came that the senior Arnold Worldwide executive, Lisa Unsworth, who has run ArnoldÕs $100 million anti-smoking campaign is leaving to become president of the Boston Idea Group.
 
Lisa Unsworth, a managing partner at Arnold and five-year veteran, will leave the Hub's largest agency in October and join the Boston Idea Group in November.
 
"I have loved working here,'' Unsworth said. ``I just felt ready for a new challenge.'' Idea Group's chairman, Rich Doucette, said in a statement that "Unsworth brings great passion for the business.'' Unsworth said she aims to reach out to members in the advertising, communications, public relations and other industries and position the Idea Group to be as relevant as possible.
 

You'd expect your chiropractor to go see a film once in a while, just like everyone else does. But make a film? That's another matter entirely. Yet, that's exactly what Dr. Lawrence Ferrara of Boston's fashionable Newbury Street has done. Ferrara recently wrapped postproduction for A STRANGER WITHIN, a compelling thriller filmed in and around Boston. A screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre for the Cast and Crew occurred the last Saturday in September, much to the delight of all who attended
 
According to Ferrara, writing a screenplay was less difficult for him because he has observed much about human behavior in his practice. "As a chiropractor, I'm trained to see people's smallest actions, which I do all of the time," he admits. "As a result, I was able to develop fictional characters with unusual quirks."
 
The characters in A STRANGER WITHIN are indeed quirky and unusual. This offbeat thriller is a captivating story about Danny, a child-like 20-something who is living with his older brother, Bill, a successful therapist. As Danny discovers his brother's dark side, secrets of the past are revealed. According to director Ferrara, "Characters that deviate from the norm are more revealing of the human condition and make us take a look at ourselves in unexpected ways."
 
Ferrara adds, "Such is the case with A STRANGER WITHIN. I sought to create unusual characters that have the ability to portray both our positive and negative aspects. The purpose of this film is to enable the audience to identify with emotions they may avoid in real life."
 

Apparently, there are advantages to shooting a film in Boston. "Due to the fact that there is a growing film community here," Ferrara claims, "I was able to bring together an ambitious crew from Emerson College, a talented composer from Berkeley School of Music -- and take advantage of many good fee-free locations in and around the area." (That's in the days of a Mass Film Office)
 
Ferrara's interest in film began as a child, when he was able to get a poster from THE WIZARD OF OZ with the original signatures of Ray Bolger and Jack Haley. He has been an avid film fan all of his life, and this prompted him to take a film directing class at Boston Film and Video several years ago. That one experience led him to production work, assistant directing positions and finally to A STRANGER WITHIN, which he also directed and produced.
 
If you've ever had an adjustment from Dr. Ferrara, if you're interested in checking out the results of his big career "adjustment," or if you simply enjoy a good thriller with an unusual bend and some familiar Boston locations, check www.astrangerwithin.com for updates. The film is currently being submitted to regional and national film festivals.
 

Rhode Island producer / director John Lavall's documentary RATED X - One Family's Business premiered at the Rhode Island International Film Festival this past August 11th 2002 and won the Viola M. Marshall Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary.
 
RATED X chronicles the day-to-day struggle of the Berberian family as they try to maintain and run their small movie theatre for the last forty years. In 1960 Jon Berberian and his wife, Elizabeth, were both successful opera singers with the New York City Opera. In 1962, as a gift from Jon's father, they received a grand old Vaudevillian theatre in Providence, Rhode Island. They dreamed of hosting stage productions and operatic performances in their newly acquired theatre. When this turned out to be unprofitable, they did what they had to do to survive. Today, the Columbus Theatre shows adult films every night and all day on Sundays.
 
RATED X - One Family's Business was shown at the 2002 IFP Market Spotlight on Docs in New York City on September 30th, at the Angelica Theater. For more information please visit www.ifp.org.

The Telluride Film Festival yielded two Boston filmmakers awards. Michael Ball won the Short Film Award with his LEGALIZED AMERICA Mockumentary - 24:41. The film is a satire that delves into a society where all illicit drugs are legal.
 
Michael Ball recently received a Master of Fine Arts degree from BostonUniversity where he completed the short film. His most recent project involved a month-long shoot in five African countries working as a cinematographer. You can contact Michael by email: michaelball@legalizedamerica.com.
 
Diane Cotting won the Documentary Prize with her film ONE IN NINE, 42:41 minutes. The film is an inspiring documentary about nine breast cancer survivors who came together to train and race in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. They expose themselves and share their journeys, with raw emotional honesty.
 
Diane Cotting is a Boston native and first time producer. As a result of her battle with breast cancer, she became determined to create a film with a positive message of hope and courage. Diane has founded and presently operates a nonprofit organization committed to supporting breast cancer survivors. You can contact her or visit her web site: dcotting@cottingco.com, www.cottingco.com.