Element Productions Creates “Stories from the Red Sox Nation” for NESN

Director Paul Canney (at monitor) with crew for “Stories from Red Sox Nation” on location at Fenway Park. Photo by Kayellen Moran.	Director Paul Canney, Red Sox PR Director Glenn Geffner, and Red Sox First Baseman Kevin Millar on location at Fenway Park for “Stories from Red Sox Nation,” produced for NESN by Element Productions. Photo by Kayellen Moran.

Every Red Sox fan has a story to tell about how the Red Sox have had an impact on their lives. For many New Englanders, the Sox are more than just a ball club - they are the glue that holds the region together. Some of these compelling stories are being showcased on “Stories from Red Sox Nation,” currently airing on NESN.

Eran Lobel and Paul Canney of Boston-based Element Productions created and produced the original series. Besides producing the show, which involved everything from researching stories to working with editors, Canney also directed most of the featured segments.

Ranging from the profound to the hilarious, the producers took stories from all over the map of Red Sox Nation to share with viewers. Some of the stories that aired included the lifelong Sox fan hit by a car and stuck in a coma for the entire history-making ‘04 playoff run (when he woke up from his17 day slumber, he was shocked

to say the least) -or the story of a 14-year old boy who was inspired by Sox legend Dwight Evans when his favorite player delivered on a promise that gave him the strength he needed to beat his terminal cancer.

The acclaim surrounding the show can be explained by the unique and compelling approach taken by Canney and Lobel to let fans share their stories in their own words. As Bill Griffith, of the Boston Globe said, “This is good TV by any measure.”

“We wanted to make sure the show was done for the fans and by the fans,” Canney explains. Lobel continues on that note, “The Red Sox are the heart of this city, and the meaningful relationship with their fan base is something we wanted to explore.”

Other stories told on “Stories from Red Sox Nation” include a Vietnam veteran whose parents mailed him audio recordings of Red Sox games from the1967 dream season, as well as an airport worker who gave Sox slugger Manny Ramirez a ride home from Logan not once but twice during the 2004 playoffs.

The show debuted on NESN on September 10th and is currently re-airing. For more information about the show and about Element Productions, visit www.element.cc For broadcast times, visit www.NESN.com

Boston University Offers New Recording Arts Certificate Program at Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) Waltham MA Campus

The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University (CDIA) is now offering a two term (nine months) Recording Arts Certificate Program at their Waltham campus located at 282 Moody Street. Certificate Programs are also offered on a part-time basis during evening hours.

The new CDIA Recording Arts Certificate Program provides intensive, hands-on training that gives graduates the practical skills, cutting-edge techniques and latest technologies to prepare for a career in one of many facets of the audio world, including music production, audio production in the visual mediums of filmmaking and television, as well as the gaming and interactive industries.

Bob Daniels, Executive Director of CDIA said, “Several modules in the Recording Arts Certificate Program have been designed to include team-based projects that bring together audio students with CDIA's filmmaking and animation students.  The intent is to give our students a real-world experience of the truly collaborative nature of working with audio for visual media. And, keeping with CDIA's practical skills-based approach, near the end of the Recording Arts Certificate Program, audio students will oversee the entire song production process from pre-production meetings through final mix.”

In addition to the new Recording Arts Certificate Program, CDIA offers Certificate Programs in Digital Photography, Filmmaking, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Game Art & Design and Graphic and Interactive Design.

The Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) at Boston University allows students to express their creative vision and turn it into a practical reality.   Whether they are novices looking for an exciting career or seasoned professionals seeking to expand their talents, CDIA at Boston University offers extensive, hands-on training in today's advanced digital imaging arts. CDIA's Certificate Programs are led by world-class instructors who are practicing experts in their fields, and backed by the resources and reputation of Boston University's internationally renowned College of Communication. For more details visit www.cdiabu.com.

VIEWPOINT CREATIVE PROMOTES PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING ON OLN

A series of screen grabs from Viewpoint Creative's recently completed promotional campaign for OLN's “Professional Bull Riding Built Tough World Finals.” Images are courtesy of Viewpoint Creative.

Viewpoint Creative has just completed the promotional campaign for OLN’s “PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals,” the professional bull riding championships in Las Vegas,  which began on October 28th.  It’s the toughest ticket in town.

TV spot and print feature a mythic showdown between top-ranked bull rider, Justin McBride, and a series of threatening tornadoes imbued with the spirit and power of the bull. 

“The concept,” says Viewpoint Creative designer Matt Naboshek, “was to convey the menace and destructive energy of these bulls, and the guts it takes to ride them.  It’s man against a force of nature in one of the most dangerous sports around.”

Shot at El Mirage Dry Desert Lake Bed outside Los Angeles, Viewpoint Creative director Patrick Kiely continues, “Our camera angles and editorial style pay homage to the old western showdown. 

It was a challenge to shoot, with gas powered wind machines, green screen, and flying debris.  Each was a crucial element for the final composite of live action and CGI tornadoes.  Once we got it ‘in the can’, Kirk Smith, our editor, immediately understood what we were after and brought a ton of dramatic tension to the scene.”

The spot required significant CGI and composite work as tornadoes were created and images of bulls were woven into the spinning funnels.  The twisters also needed to smash through fences, rip away road signs, and finally charge the rider.

Viewpoint Creative CGI artist, Dave So, describes the process of building the bull:  “After designing the bull and exaggerating prominent features such as eyebrows and nostrils, I created individual particle systems that flow along each major facial feature.  This process creates a smoke-like substance that forms the shape of the bull’s head. 

The smoke and dust needed to travel in a unified speed and direction in order for the effect to be believable.”

Continues CGI artist, Ryan Gillespie, “Each tornado was initially constructed in Maya using cloud particles.  We then pre-composed the tornados in After Effects as layered elements.  Supplying our Flame artist with the main funnel from sky to floor, the swirling mass localized around

the ground plane, and a dynamic trailing cloud of particles, he could then track the mass of the tornadoes and apply additional debris layers.”

Viewpoint Creative Flame artist, Mark Koehne, brought all of the diverse elements together, replacing sky in every shot, inserting the tornadoes, the bull and the flying debris.  “Each shot was an animated painting, bringing exaggerated anger to the tornadoes and the ferocity of the bull existing within.  The sky, itself, was a third character.  In each shot it becomes increasingly lively and imposing. It was built out of about 10 different layers composed in different directions to give it the swirling effect that our designer, Matt, envisioned.  Finally, I added a camera shake over the entire spot for that last subconscious hint of evil.”

The spot and print were written, designed, edited, composited and produced by Viewpoint Creative.  It began airing in mid-October.

Emerson College Establishes Nation's First Comedy Archives; Collection Includes Oral History Interviews with Dozens of Comedy Legends

clockwise from top left Betty White, bill Dana, Bea Arthur, Don Knotts, Jonathan Winters. Emerson College has established a new program dubbed American Comedy Archives. It's believed to be the first of its kind undertaken by an academic institution.These photos are from the Emerson Comedy Archives and courtesy of the Emerson College Information Office.

Emerson College has established a first-of-a-kind program (a new wrinkle) to collect material that will facilitate the exploration of comedy as an authentic American art form. The core of the collection at present is a series of oral history interviews with individuals who have played leadership roles in the development of American comedy.

The idea for the project originated with Bill Dana, a 1950 Emerson College graduate whose career in comedy has included serving as the head writer for the Steve Allen Show and creating his own television show built around the character of Jose Jimenez, which he portrayed.

The College initiated the project in February 2005. Since then, Dana and Project Manager Jenni Matz have interviewed 34 comic luminaries, including Norman Lear (Emerson Class of '44), Shelley Berman, Phyllis Diller, Don Knotts and Jonathan Winters.

Dubbed the American Comedy Archives, the project is the first undertaking of its kind at an academic institution, according to Robert Fleming, assistant director for access services at the Emerson College Library, where the collection resides. He said the project “reflects Emerson's view that comedy -- as a social, cultural and political phenomenon as well as a form of entertainment -- is an underrepresented field of study.”

Fleming believes Emerson is uniquely qualified to house the Comedy archives because of its focus on drama and theater, film, radio and television broadcasting, journalism, marketing communication, writing and publishing. He noted that as producers, writers and performers, many Emerson alumni are comedy trailblazers. In addition to Lear and Dana, they include: Vin Di Bona (America's Funniest Home Videos) Max Mutchnick (Will & Grace), Kevin Bright (Friends), Doug Herzog (Comedy Central). Jay Leno (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), and comedians Denis Leary, Eddie Brill, Steven Wright, Andrea Martin, Anthony Clark and Mario Cantone.

Ted Cutler '51, chairman of the Emerson Board of Trustees, said the goal of the project is “to acquire, preserve and make available primary source materials that document the professional activities of the groundbreaking individuals who wrote, produced or performed comedic material for radio, television, motion pictures or live performance.”

In addition to recording oral histories, the archivists are collecting scripts, monographs, photographs, audio and video recordings, ephemera, memorabilia, and the personal papers of important figures in comedy. Thus far, manuscripts have been obtained from Dana and from director-actor Howard Storm, whose credits include the televisions shows Mork and Mindy, Taxi and Valerie and the films PECOS BILL, ONCE BITTEN, and BROADWAY DANNY ROSE.

In addition to the individuals named above, oral history interviews have also been conducted with Bea Arthur, Ed Begley, Jr., Jack Carter, Dick Cavett, Irwin Corey, Bill Dana, Sam Denoff, Larry Gelbart, Shecky Greene, Charles Grodin, Pat Harrington, Hugh Hefner, Buck Henry, Arte Johnson, Hal Kanter, Peter Marshall, Jackie Mason, Louis Nye, Gary Owens, Janis Paige, Billy Persky, Tom Poston, Tony Roberts, Jay Sandrich, George Schlatter, Leonard Stern, Howard Storm, Betty White and Fred Willard. Interviews are scheduled this month with Dick Gregory, Barbara Feldon and Andy Rooney.

The College, which has provided seed money for the Archives, is seeking additional support for the project from alumni, friends and the public at large, according to Fleming. To learn more about the American Comedy Archives, visit www.emerson.edu/comedy.

Feature Film Shot in Maine Premieres in Portland

The LaPann Family: Stan Grunder, Ryan Shoos, Michelle Violette and Madeline McNulty in “MUD.” Add Photo courtesy of Empty House Film

MUD, Maine's first feature film produced entirely in high definition digital video, premieres in Portland on November 18 at an event hosted by Trinity Music Partners. MUD is an independent feature film written and directed by Andy Davis of Empty House Film (Porter) and produced and shot by Olin Smith of Motion Media (Portland).

MUD features Maine locations, Maine actors, and Maine musicians. It stars local actors Michelle Violette, Ryan Shoos, Stan Grunder, Madeline McNulty, and Terry A. Burgess (IN THE BEDROOM). Local music by Sara Cox, Tree By Leaf, Phantom Buffalo, Joe Bryant and others fill the film's soundtrack.

MUD is a story about a poor family, struggling to make ends meet when a deadly secret unearths itself and threatens to tear the family apart. Davis describes the film as a “suspenseful drama that carries a message of hope.”  The film's name, MUD, refers to “The middle ground between the place you came from and the place you want to go to,”according to Davis.  “We all get stuck in the mud,” he says, “sometimes you have to keep trudging; other times the mud is too deep and you have to turn back.”

The 70-minute film, the first feature film for both Smith and Davis, was shot primarily in the western Maine village of Porter in August. According to producer/cinematographer Olin Smith, MUD was recorded entirely on a high definition 24p video, with the quality of 16mm film but the convenience of digital video. “The crispness of this new high definition digital technology really captured the emotion of our actors,” says Smith, “and I think we have something that really stands up on its own, something that touches people.”  

After its November 18th Portland premiere, MUD will begin a film festival run and will begin seeking distribution. “Our Portland premiere will provide us with some crucial audience reaction”, says writer/director Davis, “The reaction of the viewers is something we'll all be looking at very closely.”

MUD will have its world premiere at the Pavilion, 188 Middle Street the “Old Part” port section of Portland.  A cocktail reception, with music by the Maine band Tree By Leaf begins at 6:00 PM with the screening scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Many of the Maine-based cast and crew members are expected to attend.

For more information, visit www.emptyhousefilm.com

Maine-made Movie CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN Portrays Legendary American Painter Marsden Hartley 

Clockwise from top: [1] Director of photography, Geoffrey Leighton (right), gives the action signal to actors Michael Maglaras (Marsden Hartley) and Dan Harris (Cleophas) as executive producer,Terri Templeton, looks on during location shooting at Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park in Freeport, Maine. [2] Director of photography, Geoffrey Leighton (right) shows director Michael Maglaras (Marsden Hartley) the shot composition of actor Dan Harris (Cleophas) as he walks up the pier. [3] Marsden Hartley (Michael Maglaras) being rowed to East Point Island, Nova Scotia for the first time. [4] Marsden Hartley (Michael Maglaras) with Louise Young (Jaima Fogg) in Corea, Maine, 1941. [5] Marsden Hartley (Michael Maglaras) saying final farewell in solitude at the grave of the two dead brothers, Adelard and Etienne. [6] CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN director, Michael Maglaras. All photos courtesy Two17 Films.

A new movie based on renowned Maine painter Marsden Hartley’s epic poem CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN will be shown at the Portland Museum of Art on November 17th at 5:30 PM.  A reception with the director, Michael Maglaras, will follow. 

This movie was shot and edited entirely in Maine and features a nearly all-Maine cast and crew. 

In the summer of 1943, the Lewiston, Maine-born painter and poet Marsden Hartley – tired and ill – returned to Corea, Maine for what was to be the last summer of his life. As the film opens, he is seated in his makeshift studio. He recounts, as if to an unseen visitor, a secret and tragic story that unfolded seven years before while he lived with a fishing family on East Point Island, Nova Scotia – an experience that would permanently transform his life and his work as an artist.

This poignant narrative, CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN, is now a feature-length movie.  “This film is quite unusual…there’s an intimacy that Maglaras manages to achieve that draws the audience into the film’s story…this is a notable achievement…the filmmaking style is unique.” (Wolf Moon Press Journal, October 8, 2005)

Director Michael Maglaras, who also plays the role of Marsden Hartley, tells the magnificent story of CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN using Hartley’s text in its entirety, preserving in the film the poem’s original thirteen-chapter structure. Twenty-four paintings and drawings by Hartley, as well as flashbacks to his Nova Scotia experience, illuminate the days leading up to and following the great Atlantic hurricane of September 19, 1936, when Hartley lost the young man who had become the great love of his life.

“Following this death, the last seven years of Hartley’s life were given over to reliving this loss through poetry and paint,” said Maglaras. “Hartley painted and repainted this simple Nova Scotia family – leaving behind a heart-rending narrative of great beauty, which we have now captured on film.” 

This powerful and evocative film – “brilliant...outstanding…and remarkable” (Lewiston Sun Journal, June 23, 2005) – premiered in June in Hartley s hometown of Lewiston, Maine, where hundreds of people turned out to see this portrayal of the world-renowned painter. CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN is currently being shown in select venues throughout North America in preparation for entry into the international film festival circuit.

The film will screen November 17th at 5:30 PM at the Porland Museum of Art. A reception with the director will follow. For more information visit, www.two17films.com