WWW February 2004
WINNERS
Captains of Industry Place Second in Anti-Bush Competition
Captains of Industry’s (Watertown, MA) Fred Surr and Ted Page, along with local novelist and screenwriter Janet Tashjian, ended up winning second place out of the 1,500 spots entered in a competition for MoveOn.org’s Anti-Bush Campaign. The trio was invited on stage at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC on Jan. 12th to receive the award from academy award winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Ted told IMAGINE, ‘It was a gas.”
Backed by millionaire investor George Soros, liberal lobbying group MoveOn.org has become a high-profile player in the presidential primaries with its anti-Bush commercials. The Captains of Industry’s spot “What Are We Teaching Our Children?” is one of a flock now airing regionally across the country. The spot features young children making Bush statements that don’t seem too people friendly. You can view the spot at the www.bushin30seconds.org site. The organization was barred from placing the winning anti-Bush commercial (showing children doing skull drudgery in order to pay for the Bush tax cuts) on the Super Bowl, perhaps to make up for not barring (or is in baring) the Half-time presentation.
Captains of Industry is in a hiring mode. The jobs are posted on the careers section of its web site. They’re looking for both full-time employees and interns. For more details, visit www.captainsofindustry.com.
WORKS
Home Movies Launches its 4th Season on Cartoon Network
Series is an Original Soup2Nuts Production
The animated cult hit television series, Home Movies, launches its fourth season on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block. The show kicks off Sunday nights at 11pm. Home Movies debuted on Cartoon Network in 1999.
Home Movies is about Brendon Small, a restless, creative fourth-grader whose recently divorced mom is overwhelmed by raising Brendon and little sister Josie on her own. Brendon makes movies with his video camera. His ‘films,’ intended to be major cinematic triumphs, always get sidetracked by Brendon’s own emotional conflicts.
Brendon's soccer coach, John McGuirk, is a binge drinker, big talker, and nearly perfect negative role model. McGuirk’s specialty is giving Brendon advice usually involving porn, swords and muscle cars; things that every nine-year-old should know about.
The series makes use of the improvisational ingenuity of the actors, the music of Brendon Small, and the unrestrained imagination of the writers, artists, animators, and editors. Time magazine writes that Home Movies “relies heavily on improvisation to create true to life dialogue”. The cast includes Brendon Small as Brendon and Duane, Melissa Bardin Galsky as Brendon’s friend and collaborator Melissa, H. Jon Benjamin as Jason and Coach McGuirk, and Janine Ditullio as Paula Small.
Targeted to adults 18-34, Home Movies has a huge following on college campuses nationwide. The series has been awarded two Pulcinella awards and an Annecy nomination. Fans can check out more information about Home Movies at www.soup2nuts.tv.
Colm Meaney Comes to Town introduce Boston Premiere of Intermission
Colm Meaney will be in town to introduce the Boston Irish Film Festival’s premiere screening of the hit Irish film INTERMISSION. Starring Meaney and Colin Farrell, the film traces the interwoven lives of over fifty characters, each in their own way seeking happiness. Foremost among these is John (Cillian Murphy) whose romantic failures set in motion a series of events that entangle a variety of oddball characters including smalltime hood Lehiff (Farrell) and the hotshot detective pursing him (Meaney). This comedy drama was a hit in Ireland and is being released in the US by IFC Films.
INTERMISSION will screen at the Brattle Theatre on Monday, March 8th at 7:30pm. Meaney - a veteran of many Irish films, such Hollywood films as CON AIR, and the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation - will introduce the screening and answer questions afterwards. The Boston Irish Film Festival is presented by Magners Irish Cider who will host a free reception following the film. Tickets will be available from the Brattle Theatre. Further details can be found online at www.irishfilmfestival.com or by contacting festival director Peter Flynn at irishunex@earthlink.net.
Ara Katz forms Arrival Entertainment; Sexual Dependency Continues Success
Ara Katz reports to IMAGINE that her award-winning first feature DEPENDENCIA SEXUAL aka SEXUAL DEPENDENCY continues to do well around the world and is in consideration for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. The Bolivian film sold out two screenings at AFI where the festival added a third. Ara recently closed a 30 print deal for the film with a distributor in France and Russia.
Her new project is a documentary that has netted a LEF grant. She is currently shooting with renowned Boston photographer, David Binder, whose photo essay was in LIFE Magazine and is now in The Library of Commerce. The touching story follows the life of Gail Farrow’s husband’s life as it is now. Gail Farrow was the mother of four, a devoted wife and friend, whose life was interrupted and finally cut short because of AIDS.
Ara Katz’s newly formed company Arrival Entertainment is an independent production company responsible for developing, financing, producing and bringing to market, intelligent feature films. Arrival produces innovative and provocative material with strong commercial potential and artistic merit, capitalizing on increasing diversity of material from around the globe.
Her two partners are Chad Troutwine, a celebrated entrepreneur (recently named Forbes Magazine’s Future Capitalist of the Year) with producing credits to his name, including NORTHFORK and the soon to be released I LOVE YOUR WORK; and Sam Englebardt, who is currently finishing his third and final year at Harvard Law School. As partners the team brings a deep and diverse set of skills and relationships to the projects they choose.
Chad Henderson Joins Moving Pictures
Moving Pictures Inc., of Glastonbury, CT, recently hired Chad Henderson as Marketing Director. Chad previously worked for IKON Office Solutions as a Geographical Sales Representative and most recently as an Account Executive for First National Bank of Omaha.
Chad has already demonstrated some real marketing savvy and brings an abundance of fresh ideas to Moving Pictures’ new business development efforts. He can be reached at chad@movingpix.com.
WRINKLES
Woods Hole Film Festival Hosts Dinner and a Movie
Going out for dinner and a movie isn't a new idea, but this new twist of bringing the movie TO the restaurant is. It’s the brainchild of Judy Laster, Director of the Woods Hole Film Festival (WHFF). Starting in January 2004 and running through the end of April, The WHFF Winter Screening Series is twice monthly at Woods Hole's Captain Kidd Restaurant. For only $22 patrons can choose from a Prix Fixe Menu ranging from a wide variety of dishes. After their meal, patrons turn their seats to the screen for an hour of independent film. Afterwards live jazz music rounds out the evening. Contact The Captain Kidd for reservations: 508-548-8563 because shows are selling out, or visit www.woodsholefilmfestival.org for more info.
The Camera Company Sponsors FREE SEMINARS!
Free! That’s a new Wrinkle. The 14th Annual Pro Video/Photo/Digital Show will present 40 Free Seminars over the course of two days, March 12 and 13, at the Boston Mariott Quincy, sponsored by The Camera Company of Norwood. Most of the free seminars are 50 minutes long, some of them are two-hours and feature the emerging technologies of Panasonic, Glidecam Industries, SONY, Discreet, JVC, Matrox, Nikon, Pinnacle, Adobe Photoshop/Video Solutions, Boris, and others. There will also be workshops on nonlinear video editing, editing High-Def in 24p, and more! Once again, award-winning lighting director and director of photography Bill Holshevnikoff gives two different six-hour workshops on THE POWER OF LIGHTING (there is a charge for these 2 seminars).
Show hours are: Friday, 9-9, Saturday, 9-5. For more information, call Broadcast Division at (781)-769-7810 or (866)-769-0210. You can view a complete list, find descriptions, and register online at www.cameraco.com, space is limited.
NEW: SunDeis the First Annual New England Film Festival
An Independent film wave has been sweeping the nation, capturing the attention of many current college students. In response to this, eight Brandeis students with the support of the school’s Student Activities staff are working to create SunDeis, the first annual New England College Student Film Festival, which reaches out to the student filmmaker. The festival, scheduled for April 14th through the 19th, will provide college filmmakers throughout New England with the opportunity to display their own talent, as well as to broaden their knowledge of the art, science and business of filmmaking.
This festival will offer production-oriented workshops, seminars about starting a career in film, information about creating films in New England, as well as exciting discussions on the history and cultures of film. In addition to these seminars, vendors will be positioned throughout the festival to give students a chance to see what New England’s film scene has to offer. Panel Discussions and a keynote speaker will be featured in the afternoons of the 17th and 18th, followed by screenings of the nominated films. The festival will culminate with a grand awards ceremony on the evening of the 19th, providing donated prizes to the best and brightest college films and filmmakers.
It is hoped this festival will become an annual tradition to provide student filmmakers in the New England area with an opportunity to showcase their work and network with their peers while being exposed to the people and resources of the New England film industry.
The deadline for film submission is February 26, 2004. Films must have been produced while the filmmaker was a registered undergraduate student in New England, and all lengths (short-short through feature) and genres are acceptable. Send VHS or DVD copy and accompanying materials to SunDeis Film Festival; c/o Rebecca Cook-Dubin; MS 203; Brandeis University; Waltham, MA 02454. Please see www.brandeis.edu/sundeis for full submission information. If you are a vendor interested in having a table at the festival or donating a prize, please email sundeis@brandeis.edu.
OMEKA OKAFOR PERFORMS FOR CAMERA INSTEAD OF CROWD
Moving Pictures, a Glastonbury, CT Production Company, recently filmed a Public Service Announcement for the University of Connecticut involving nationally ranked basketball player Emeka Okafor. The thirty-second spot opens with a high-angle shot of a study lounge in the atrium of the biophysics building. We see a student enter the scene from above, but do not recognize him. At the same time, the voice of the student extols the virtues of his attending Uconn. As the voiceover continues, we see close-up and over-the-shoulder shots of him studying - turning pages of a macroeconomics book and scrolling through files on his laptop - all the while, not knowing his identity. Finally, the recognizable basketball star is revealed by an announcer saying, “meet Emeka Okafor: finance major, honors student, academic all-American. The University of Connecticut.” Emeka then responds directly to camera by exclaiming, “Uconn is amazing!”
“This spot was quite a challenge,” admitted director, Jim Nikodemski. “We only had Emeka for three hours, while normally we would expect about eight hours for a production of this style and scope. Having to set up multiple camera and lighting positions, the crew did an outstanding job of hustling the cumbersome 35mm equipment, which was attached to a heavy jib arm for most of the shots.” All in all, the shoot went well, and Emeka Okafor did a great job for his first (and most likely not his last) TV commercial. The PSA was edited, mixed and completed at Moving Pictures’ all digital facility for their client, The University of Connecticut - Communications. Visit www.movingpix.com for more information.
WRAPS
Gabrielle Savage Dockterman Film in Post In and Around Boston
Gabrielle Savage Dockterman didn’t film in New England because the story is set in the Pacific Northwest. And though she was under pressure to edit in NYC or LA, she chose IMAGINE former cover story editor, Peter White. “I’m blessed to have Peter White, essentially an LA editor who has recently come back to his native New Hampshire. And having been away for three months, I really wanted to edit here,” Gabrielle Savage told IMAGINE. Two-time Emmy nominee Sheldon Mirowitz of Verité Music in Boston will compose the original music score.
Even though away for principal photography, Gabrielle didn’t have a chance to be lonely, she was joined by locals who came to the set in Vancouver, among them screenwriter Nancy Babine, who co-wrote the screenplay, and her friends who are also writer/directors, Mary Chiochios and Rex Dean.
Having a star like Danny Glover requires a strong supporting cast. The other lead role, “Lenny,” was a challenge to find. Two casting companies had been looking for months to find the right little girl to play opposite Danny. “I actually left for Vancouver without finding her. She had to be half Asian, half Caucasian, look around 10 but be no younger than 12 (workable union rules), and be an incredible actress who could stand up to Danny Glover! I knew she would either make or break the film,” said Gabrielle. “You can imagine how nervous I was about that,” she added.
Getting desperate Gabrielle called her friend Peter Berkrot, a very talented local actor who also teaches acting and directs children's theater, to ask if maybe it was worth looking locally. He quickly threw together a casting session at his studio in Beverly, MA, New Voices-New Visions. Once again the special girl was not among them. Peter kept looking.
“We continued to consider girls from all over North America. A few weeks
later Berkrot called me and said ‘I found her!’ Since I was 3000 miles away at
the time, it took several videotapes, a DVD, phone interviews, a video
teleconference audition (!), and then finally an audition in person in
Vancouver. Zoë had done three community plays, no film, so it took some
doing to get her to understand how much different film acting is from stage
acting.” Evidently, she took direction really well and made the shift. The Wednesday before rehearsal week started, Gabrielle Savage cast Zoë Weizenbaum from Amherst, MA, as "Lenny." Still she was nervous about it, “but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. The first day of shooting I realized that my biggest fear had suddenly become my least worry. Zoë was a natural,” exclaims Savage.
The production designed and built the cabin on the side of a mountain in North Vancouver on land that is a nudist colony! The Van Tan Club (Vancouver Tanning Club) has been there for 80 years.
The name of the film, you ask? Well, it was THE WOODCUTTER, but the title has been suspended as it is too similar to the Sundance hit THE WOODSMAN starring Kevin Bacon as a pedophile. So, stand by, for a new title being developed at this time, and for more information about this endeavor.
