Mojave Phone Booth

The filmmakers produced the HD feature for less than $40,000, and speak to this effect in seminars and Q&A's, often in conjunction with various festivals where the film has played. So far the film has won two Jury awards for Best Feature and is scheduled to screen at several more festivals through the rest of the year.

In the middle of the Mojave desert, rests an abandoned phone booth, riddled with bullet holes, graffiti, its windows broken, but otherwise functioning. Its identity was born on the internet, and for years travellers would make the trek down a lonely dirt road and camp next to the booth, in the hopes that it might suddenly ring, and they could connect with a stranger (often from another country) on the other end of the line.

This is the story of four disparate people whose lives intersect with this mystical outpost. Mojave Phone Booth pitches us deep into the lives and psyches of these working class people in Las Vegas.

For years, travelers would make the trek down a lonely dirt road and camp next to the booth, in the hopes that it might suddenly ring, and they could connect with a stranger - often from another country - on the other end of the line. This is the
story of four disparate characters whose lives intersect with this mystical booth, and the common voice they seek on the other end of the line.

Exploring themes of love, death, the mystery of the universe, and the phenomenon of inter-connectivity, Mojave Phone Booth takes us into the psyche of these characters, examines the double-lives we lead, and the necessary sacrifices we must make to survive in these challenging times.

"Mojave Phone Booth" was directed/co-written/co-produced/edited by John Putch and co-written/co-produced by Jerry Rapp, with producer Jerry Jacobs. The ensemble cast includes Annabeth Gish, Steve Guttenberg, Christine Elise McCarthy, Robert Romanus, David Deluise, Kevin Rahm and Missi Pyle.
LEARN MORE & SEE THE TRAILER...
www.mojavephonebooth.net

Strangers with Candy

Being a die-hard fan of the aggressively offensive, consistently hilarious Comedy Central series “Strangers with Candy”, which starred Amy Sedaris as “boozer, user, and loser” Jerri Blank, who returns from a life of prostitution, drug abuse, and theft to finish high school at Flatpoint High. I own all 3 seasons on DVD.

I have gone to see several plays by Amy’s brother, David, in which she appeared. I went to a reading of the book Wigfield (which Sedaris co-wrote with “Candy” co-creators Paul Dinello and Steven Colbert) and bought one of Amy’s home-baked cupcakes at the concession stand. You would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated fan of Jerri and her high school misadventures than I.

In that light, the long-awaited feature film adaptation of “Strangers with Candy” (which serves as something of a prequel to the show) is tough to review impartially. Sedaris, Dinello, Colbert, and their plucky supporting cast of freakish role models and disposable teens could basically read old issues of National Geographic in character and I’d be satisfied. Which is pretty much what they do here.

Forced to re-establish characters and relationships for the non-fan audience, and working more around its myriad of celebrity cameos than with an actual plot, “Strangers” is a half-realized half-success – which for a fan like me is completely adequate but may leave casual audiences confused or disappointed.

The story begins with Geraldine “Jerri” Antonia Blank (Sedaris, uglied-up almost beyond recognition, as we love her) getting out of a long prison stint and returning to her parents’ house on Long Island. She’s surprised to find that her mother is dead, her father (Dan Hedaya of “The Tortellis”) is in a coma, and she has a new bitch of a stepmother (the hilarious Deborah Rush) and bratty younger stepbrother, Derrick (Joseph Cross, replacing the original Derrick from the series).

When daddy’s doctor (inexplicably played by Sir Ian Holm, who provides the film’s first belly-laugh when he slides down a banister without warning) tells Jerri that her father might be awakened from his coma with memories of the good old days, Jerri decides to go back to high school and be the good student that she never was.

Trouble is, Jerri is now a lumpy, worn-out, sexually aggressive ex-junkie felon with atrocious fashion sense and no social graces. But rather than be picked on at school, as one might expect, Jerri utterly horrifies the students into complacency (when she isn’t using her prisonyard fighting tactics on them, that is).

Her only friends are the meek and sweet Tammi Littlenut (the wonderful Maria Thayer) and Megawatti (Carlo Urban, standing in for the series’ “beleaguered minority”, Orlando), and she openly lusts after attractive kids of both sexes.

The teachers and administrators are either clueless or completely unconcerned with the welfare of the students – Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon) has been running the school into debt and needs to produce a science fair win to justify their budget to the board of education (represented by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Allison Janney, for some reason), and turns to science fair ringer Roger Beekman (Matthew Broderick) to guarantee a win for Flatpoint.

This of course angers resident science teacher Chuck Noblet (Steven Colbert), who should be more worried about his deteriorating secret affair with art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck (director and co-writer Paul Dinello) than his classes. Or maybe not.

LEARN MORE & SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.strangerswithcandymovie.com/home.html

DOOLLEE.com

www.doollee.com is the "not for profit" free online guide to modern playwrights and theatre plays.

You can navigate and quick search for information on Plays, Playwrights, Literary Agents, Theatres or Publishers. To find out about how you can add information or get listed by doollee, contact us. The site is committed to remaining free and unsponsored but you can show your support by purchasing your Plays and Books through them!

If you haven't already discovered it, use the quick search alphabet to search for any one of the 16,000+ Playwrights listed on this site. You can also view information on plays by the most popular Playwrights listed on the site.

LEARN MORE...
http://www.doollee.com/index.htm

30 Days RAW

We're in the final stages of editing a rawcumentary film about raw food called Supercharge Me...30 Days Raw. View trailer here: http://www.SuperchargeMe .com
It's my personal story about what happened when I went 100% raw for 30 days. We began filming in April '05, so it's been a long journey, but we're intent upon turning out a film that is as entertaining as it is educational.

We don't have a Hollywood budget for marketing & advertising, so please support us by helping to spread the word. Send your friends to the film site: http://www.SuperchargeMe.com

When you sign up on the site for updates, we ask for your city & state. That helps us determine which geographic areas have the most people with interest in the film. That way we can strategize which film festivals to apply to.

Thanks so much for your support!
Jenna
Producer
Supercharge Me...30 Days Raw

http://www.SuperchargeMe.com

EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

Something that helped teach me about the transition from the "normal” world to Lala-land was a movie called SWIMMING WITH SHARKS. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s the story of an assistant to a mean ol’ nasty producer who finally snaps one day, holds his boss hostage, and pours Tabasco sauce in inflicted paper-cuts on his face.

It’s a poignant and sweet tale of (taken off the DVD cover) “back-stabbing, two-facedness, and revenge” in Hollywood. When once I used to laugh at the absurdity of the film, now I cry when I think of how true it actually is for many, many, many people. This film is chock full of important lessons to surviving the biz. Below are a couple of my favorites that I've learned to follow.

1.) “This is not business, it’s show business. Punching below the belt is not only all right, it’s rewarded.” – Rex (played by Benicio Del Toro)

This is very true. People can get away with just about anything out here- remember that. OJ, Robert Blake, Michael Jackson… The key is, when you’re playing with the big boys, wear a jock strap and/or you do the punching in the crotch first.

2.) “Life is not a movie. Everyone lies, good guys lose, and love does not conquer all.” – Buddy Ackerman (played by Kevin Spacey)

Yes- don’t trust anyone. This goes for any industry. People are crazy. However, you can be nice- just don’t let anyone walk all over you. Being nice really works to your advantage. Nobody likes an asshole. And love? Hahaha….good luck finding it in this town.

3.) “You have no brain. What you think means nothing. What you feel means nothing… You are solely there to protect your boss’s interests and serve his needs.” -Buddy Ackerman

This is true. However, don’t be afraid to show that you are an asset to the company in more ways then just making coffee. Bosses respect an employee who is pro-active. Once you’ve been at a job for awhile and your boss is not receptive to your ideas or suggestions, maybe it’s time to get a new job.

LEARN THE REST...by Lauren Modery
http://www.triggerstreet.com/gyrobase/TriggerDigest?oid=oid%3A960154

LUCKY

A romantic comedy set in Los Angeles that follows the romantic dating exploits of four poker playing buddies.

A hilarious script by Mike Andrews and graet comic performances by a cast of talented newcomers.

SEE THE TRAILER…http://www.daviddagostino.com/enter/gettinlucky/page2/page2.html

REESEVILLE

Reeseville is a character driven murder mystery, set in the rural midwest. David Meyers (Brad Hunt) returns to the small town in an attempt to silence the demons of his past. Shortly after his arrival, David’s father, John Meyers (Cotter Smith) is found dead of an apparent suicide. Or is it?

Buried secrets of the town begin to unfold as the coroner, Zeek Oakman (Mark Hamill) begins to suspect that the suicide was staged. The Sheriff, Jason Buchanan (Brian Wimmer) must work quickly to solve the crime and stem the tide of a rapidly growing obsession between David and Jason’s sister Iris (Majandra Delfino).
The outwardly peaceful appearance of Reeseville begins to unravel as the town’s dark underbelly is exposed.

HOLLY MOSHER, Producer
After graduating with honors from NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts film program, Holly spent two years in Brazil working as an assistant picture and sound editor on four feature films, including the Oscar nominated O Quatrilho, and Tieta do Agreste starring Sonia Braga.
Returning to the United States, she contributed to the well-known PBS productions, Reading Rainbow and Puzzle Place and then began producing commercials for Pyramid Pictures.
Having a background in everything from pre to post production helped her to successfully produce Lady in the Box. She also recently completed the documentary In the Eyes of a Child.
Her knowledge in all areas of the film making process made her successfully control the production of Lady in the Box. She is confident that Pied Piper has a winning formula with the same team members.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.welcometoreeseville.com/Story.html

BUY SELL KILL

Buy Sell Kill, a Flea Market Story, is a dark comedy that follows Blackjack Belducci, an out of control gangster under the Campello Crime Family.

Blackjack is out of chances due to his erratic behavior and people “above” want him whacked. But Blackjack’s boss, Frank Campello decides to give him one more chance.

As a form of punishment, and to keep Blackjack on the down low, Mr. Campello forces Blackjack to move to Georgia and operate a money laundering scam by working at the Mason County Flea Market.

Although Blackjack by no means wants to go, he knows he has no option and heads for Georgia. It isn’t long before Blackjack is caught up in the middle of a bitter feud over stray cats between the elder vendors and realizes these hillbillies may be more dangerous than his gangster associates back home in NYC.

Blackjack, who wanted no part of the flea market life, suddenly becomes obsessed with the “Golden” space, which is in a prime location at the flea market and generates tons of cash. But the owner of the space, Sherman, refuses to sign it over to Blackjack leading to a “Deliverance” type showdown in the country.

The obsession for the space is what leads to Blackjack’s downfall after being lured in by Claudine, another vendor, who promises she can help him get it, but actually ends up blackmailing him into killing Nelly, the toilet cleaner, over the cat dispute.

Reluctantly, Blackjack follows through with the plan, which turns into a total disaster, snowballing into other catastrophes.

As we near end, Blackjack finally fulfills his new dream and acquires the “Golden” space, but a surprise ending takes that away, and shows Blackjack that the citizens of Mason County are far more deadly and smart than any member of the Mafia back home.

SEE THE TRAILER...
http://buysellkill.com/trailer.html

ACTOR'S SPOT

There's a NEW FREE website just for actors.

ActorsSpot.com is a new site for actors, producers, directors, filmmakers, etc, that is 100% free and designed so that we can all connect. It's like myspace for the entertainment industry!

You can post and view casting calls all over the US, there are chat rooms, message boards, FREE PROFILES you can sign up for and upload your demo reel, resume, and photos.

Again it's all FREE! Please support this NEW site and sign up!

Casting agents please post your auditions! We really want this online community to grow. --Actorsspot.com
CLICK HERE TO VISIT...
www.ActorsSpot.com

Give What You Want To Get

I hear a lot of filmmakers grousing about what isn't working for them, or in independent filmmaking as a whole.

"My film didn't get into this &#*$ing festival or that &#*$ing festival!"
"My film got in, but there were only five %$#*ing people in the audience!"
"I can't find a *&^%$ing distributor!"
"I found a distributor, but they haven't done a %$#@ing thing for me!"
"The only $#@*ing thing I see in theaters is $#*@!"
"Nobody cares about independent &#%*ing film!"

They are often quite surprised (and defensive) when I remind them that they probably have unwittingly contributed directly to the situation that disturbs them. The common response is often one of mild outrage, leading to a recounting of all of the work they have done for their film(s) and for themselves. Given all they are doing, how could they be held accountable for anything?

I admit, it is annoying to have someone like me point the finger back at you when you just want to vent. We all need to do it without shame from time to time. But it is also important to be aware that sometimes intense self-focus, no matter how much work it involves, can put us in a bubble, without any relationship to the world around us.

When you are aggravated and/or disappointed by all around you, it's important to step back and ask yourself "What have I done to contribute to the
situation?" Or, more importantly, "What have I not done to help create a world
that will support my filmmaking?"

Without getting into new-agey spiritualism (not that there's anything wrong with that, but...), what you put out in the world is what you get back. What you support will support (or not support) you.

Do you read scripts and offer feedback to filmmakers struggling as you have struggled (or are struggling)? Do you help the filmmakers making films you
admire/respect/enjoy? Do you go see films of filmmakers doing the kind of work you hope to create (and for which you hope to have an audience)? Do you rent those DVD's? Do you attend festivals in which you hope your film will play? Do you then see the work of the other attending filmmakers?

The idea of "giving what you want to get" is not just a karmic concept, but has real, practical viability. I've done it. I've seen it. When you start operating in this manner, it creates a ripple effect. You support a filmmaker, who then supports you. That filmmaker sees the benefit of having supported you and does it for someone else, who will also learn and pass on that energy, and so on, and so on. And if all filmmakers supported the films, filmmakers, festivals, publications,
organizations, etc. that they care about, those are the ones that will thrive
instead of the plethora of shams, scams and incompetents that currently dot
our indie landscape.

It's important to be focused. It's even important to be self-focused, but broaden the concept of self-focus by considering your "self" as part of a larger community. Read other filmmakers scripts. Work on other filmmakers films. See other filmmakers films. Go pay to see films you want to support and/or buy their DVDs. Support meaningful filmmaking organizations and/or participate in their events. Attend/support festivals you care about.

In the end, support your community so that it can support you! If you contribute to nurturing and sustaining the things in the world around you that you care about, they will survive to sustain you.
Jacques Thelemaque
Chief Community Officer, Withoutabox

jacques@withoutabox.com

TMNT

They're back!

And they're out to capture the box office with a vengeance.

The first teaser trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been released by the Weinstein Company.

Looks more like TMN frogs!

SEE THE TRAILER...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/teenagemutantninjaturtles/tmnt_large.html

DO-IT-YOURSELF-DISTRIBUTION?

I'm constantly impressed by the DIY spirit in filmmaking, just going out and doing it, instead of waiting for someone else to pay for it. Generally speaking, the big sale to a distributor is the end goal that the filmmaker has in mind. Not so for the filmmakers in this indieWIRE piece, which profiles the innovative DIY distribution tactics taken by two filmmakers, maximizing social networking and the viral power of the internet, plus some good old-fashioned negotiating skills.

Getting your film before audiences who want to see it is definitely a good thing. Best case scenario is that you prove that there's an audience for the film, then leverage that niche into a distribution deal with a company that has the ability to take it into larger markets. You're hoping to become March of the Penguins. Except the name of the game these days is "screw the niche, I need a franchise." Nobody at the studio level is taking the time to nurture the niche and let it grow into a real audience.

This used to be called "legs," but now smaller films are cut off at the knees and never allowed the chance to prove that they can walk. As Reid Rosefelt put it, "except for the biggest Hollywood movies and sleeper independent films, theatrical is a loss leader." Loss leader for studios, maybe, but for the DIY distributor, maybe self-distributing can actually mean that the filmmaker makes his/her money back (if the film is modestly budgeted in the first place) and even turn a profit. Isn't that the dream? To be able to make a movie, have people see it, and make some money so you can keep doing it?

Say you're a writer/director. You get a production entity to fund your movie to the tune of $1-$2 million. They put $40,000 in there for your salary as director, and maybe buy your script for $20,000. But, because you need to pay your stars, and you've got ambitious ideas for set design and extras staging you end up deferring your director's fee and possibly even your script purchase fee (since you're probably not guild) because you need more money to get what you want. You spend a month prepping, a month or six weeks shooting, two months or so in post racing to the Sundance deadline.

You agonize and screen and finally you get in to Sundance and now you're on the festival circuit, promoting the hell out of your movie, enjoying the attention. But by now you haven't worked in a year, and when the production entity sells your movie, they pay you your deferred fees but that money just goes to pay off the credit cards you've been living off of and used to fly your DP, your editor, and your girlfriend to Park City because you're that kind of guy. You're generous, so you're broke. You're a director, but you're also unemployed for all intents and purposes.

The mini-major that bought your film is psyched about it, and they're planning to release it later in the year. They're going to do a solid marketing campaign, which hopefully means butts in seats but also means money that the film has to make back before you or anybody else gets any profit participation. You get profiled in Filmmaker magazine but you start wondering if you should email your friend with the studio job and see if you can get some work writing coverage. Anonymously, because you're hot shit and that's supposed to be a full-time job.

The entire course of your life rests in someone else's hands, that of the distributor who owns your movie. They make it a hit, you stop worrying how you're going to pay the rent. They screw up the marketing, and you file for bankruptcy. You have no control over the process, and you have to smile and love every minute of it because you're living the dream. You're a Filmmaker, bonafide.

LEAR MORE ABOUT DO-IT-YOURSELF-DISTRIBUTION? by Annie Frisbie
http://www.zoom-in.com/blog/2006/08/diy_distribution_tactics.php

ROOM

Written & Directed by Kyle Henry

A selection at Cannes (Director's Fortnight) and Sundance in 2005, Room is the disturbing, surreal story of an overworked Texas woman who cracks under the economic and psychological pressure of supporting her family.

Julia (Cyndi Williams, in a stunning, gutsy performance) is barely making ends meet by working at the Paradise Bingo Hall in Houston when she begins having visions of a stark, bleak, mysterious industrial room, accompanied by intense headaches and disturbing blackouts.

After waking up from a minor car accident, she robs her employer, abandons her family, grabs a plane, and arrives on the streets of New York City in search of the room itself, haunted by psychic visions that continue to drive her to extreme acts.

SEE THE TRAILER...
http://homepage.mac.com/cinepraxis/iMovieTheater1.html

ANALOGUE

Set in the heart of London ANALOGUE is a psychological thriller about a detective, Luke Meek and his obsession with trying to find his partner and best friend, Jason McCoy, who disappears after they are victims of a brutal attack. With no memory of the incident except fragments of sound, Luke tries to solve the mystery of what really transpired on that fateful night.

After making enquiries he pulls in a suspect for questioning. During the interview the suspect, Frank Lawrence, begins talking to an unseen person in the room, then collapses holding his head in pain. In the ensuing confusion Frank escapes leaving Luke with just an audio tape of the interview.

After two years of investigation Luke pulls in another suspect, Shin So and inexplicably the same thing happens again, an unseen person, the claims of searing pain, the escape, a second audio tape.

Using his instincts Luke plays the two interview tapes in synchronisation and realises that the two suspects are in fact having a conversation with each other two years apart and that it relates directly to the disappearance of his partner Jason.

The clues on the tapes lead Luke into a dark and deadly world where he uncovers the mystery surrounding his partner and ultimately the truth about himself.
SEE THE CONCEPT TRAILER...
http://www.analoguemovie.com/page3.htm

SIDEKICK

Batman has Robin; Captain America had Bucky; the animated Super Friends from the 1970s had some stupid monkey.

For good or for bad, sidekicks are a staple in the realm of comic book superherodom. They're generally lurk in the shadows of their leaders, taking on the role of lackey, cabin boy or scapegoat, playing second fiddle all the while. The sidekick is also a clever plot device to save the real hero at the last second or to raise a little heck in the first place. And as much as the sidekick may try, none have emerged to take the prolonged hero spotlight for themselves. Well, maybe one. And it's Sidekick by name only, director Blake Van de Graaf's gem of a Canadian indie.

Shy computer consultant Norman Neale (Perry Mucci) lives in a comic book world. When he's not working, Norman is scouring the back issues of his local comic shop or debating the inner workings of the subversive world with Chuck (Daniel Baldwin), the shop's owner. It's clear that Norman is happier in his fictional world of super-strength, heightened senses and sticky spandex than he is in his own lonely existence.

Victor Ventura (David Ingram) is Norman's opposite. Confident and successful, a looker and a talker, Victor's got it all. And then Victor gets even more when Norman discovers that Victor has strange powers much in line with the Force from Star Wars.

Considering his life that's going nowhere, Norman sees purpose in being a part of something special. Norman pleads fate to Victor as he tries to convince his co-worker to take up the role of a real superhero. Norman envisions a world straight from the funny pages where Victor saves cats from trees, rescues old ninnies walking out into oncoming traffic and foiling would-be bad guys from committing such scandalous acts ranging from the theft of stolen jewels to taking over the world.

But Victor must have seen the X-Men movies or listened to the Crash Test Dummies sing about Superman never making any money. Victor wants nothing to do with using his powers for good, saving cats or wearing spandex. He doesn't want to be labeled a freak.

Sidekick, which was written and produced by Michael Sparaga, could have easily been an orgy for fanboys, oozing with greasy comic book references and alienating any of its non-comic reading viewers. Instead the film uses the genre as a launching point into something much more human. Yes, one could categorize Sidekick as "hero film" because on one level it is, but only on the most basic level.

Sidekick is also a funny and heartfelt delving into humanity, exploring what drives us, what we value and how people work. Although it may sound pretty heavy, Van de Graaf navigates the film in such a way that it feels very light. There's lots of humour and small moments that lighten what might have been a heavy mood.

Usually "hero films" are reserved for blockbuster status, complete with lots of digital effects, loud noise and whatever else the producers can throw in front of a blue screen. Being an independent production (and a Canadian one at that), there wasn't a lot of room for fancy visuals. I've seen many films in similar situations, facing the same budgetary constraints, that still try to look like a Hollywood blockbuster.

These films often fail miserably because the bad effects are a distraction from whatever else is going on around it. The crew of Sidekick seem to understand their constraints as it never tries to be fancy. Sure, there's a couple of effects shots, but they're kept simple and to a minimum. Instead, the film takes a wiser approach, focusing on story and character over looking like Superman when in fact they're not even on the same level as his three-day-old footprints.

Sidekick is fun and thoughtful. Even though I have read a comic or two in my life, it's not just for us nerds. It's about people doing people things with a slightly extraordinary twist. It's a universal story. Honest.

SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.sidekickmovie.com/trailer.htm

DOGWALKER

"The thing with dogs is they never hide their feelings. They're pure energy and emotion, extremes inside ourselves ? intense love, intense savagery."

"So you're saying instead of an inner child, we have an inner dog."

"Humor. Wow! Completely unexpected mental agility ? maybe you're not the useless, pothead punching bag that I think you are."

When first we glimpse her, Ellie Moore (Diane Gaidry) has enlisted in her own one-woman Witness Protection Program, pushing past pedestrians at the airport to grab the first plane out of Buffalo, just steps ahead of a mad-dog boyfriend, who has to be physically restrained from getting at her on the plane.

Most men are dogs to Ellie: she's mugged by drug-dealing mutts, propositioned by a creepy upscale john, rejected for waitress work by a basset hound-like fast-food manager. What can she expect when she wakes up from a drunken stupor surrounded by a pack of actual dogs? Yielding to her instinct to run, Ellie bashes her already battered skull into the nearest tree. She has fallen down a kind of urban rabbit-hole, emerging into the otherworldly haunts of the dogwalkers and dog-owners of Laurel Canyon.

One of the natural leaders of this enclave is one of the most misanthropic female characters since Margaret Hamilton terrorized little girls and their little dogs. Looking a bit like Anne Bancroft in a fright wig, and acting like a meaner version of Ratso Rizzo, Betsy Wright (the late Pamela Gordon) administers tough love as if it were New Year's Eve champagne.

"The Dogwalker" follows the relationship between Ellie Moore, a troubled young woman struggling on the mean streets of L.A., and Betsy Wright, an older, ailing, misanthropic dogwalker in need of help with her business and wrestling with her own dark past.

In Betsy, Ellie encounters a dark mirror of herself - a lonely, angry, complex woman whose own troubled past proves disturbing like her own. And in the dogs, Ellie finds
lost pieces of herself as she fumbles with the leash to her own life - struggling to hold on as it pulls her toward a brighter future.

The film stars the late, great Pamela Gordon and also Diane Gaidry, my wife, who recently won the Outstanding Actress award at OUTFEST for her role as Simone in "Loving Annabelle."

SEE THE TRAILER and LEARN MORE...by Jacques Thelemaque
http://www.thedogwalkerfilm.com

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN

"EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN is a film about when you get older and you feel certain doors closing very quickly on you. It deals with that feeling of now or never." - Douglas Coupland

Ryan, a loveable twenty-nothing, is tempted into a money-laundering scheme, but struggles with his ill-gotten gains while trying to find happiness.

Ryan tries hard not to try hard, but is surrounded by over-achievers. His hippie friend has gone capitalistic in a not-so-legal way. His older brother has always been capitalistic in a legal-if-not-so-ethical way. And his father, after losing his job and his faith in the system, has found profitable promise outside of the establishment. Even the woman he desires is comfortable being supported by a big-time car thief.

As Douglas Coupland has done in the past, new questions are raised about the period we live in. Is it possible to just drift into the new century? Is the middle-class facing extinction? When is "enough" enough? And is there any hope that not everyone wants to be a millionaire...

Paul Fox, the director, is an accomplished film and television director with a professional array of impressive, award winning feature films, music videos, short films, and television productions to his credit.

Upon graduating from New York's School of Visual Arts, Paul's thesis film, "Last Round Up," won several international awards and was invited to the Sundance Film Festival.

Paul was then chosen to participate in the Director's Lab program at Norman Jewison's prestigious Canadian Film Centre. During that time Paul also directed music videos and commercials for Toronto's Revolver Films.

While nurturing his film career, Paul has honed his craft directing episodic television, including episodes of such high-profile series as "Cold Squad," "Show Me Yours," and "Degrassi: The Next Generation."

Paul's first feature film, "The Dark Hours," is a taut psychological thriller that was released in Fall 2005. The film received international acclaim and won numerous awards including: Best Film at the Austin Fantastic Film Festival, Best Feature at the Dead by Dawn festival in Edinburgh Scotland, Best Horror Feature and Best Director at the Phoenix International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, the 'Best of Puchon' award at the PiFan International Fantastic Film Festival in Korea, the 'Midnight X-Treme' award at the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, and the Best Film Award at the New York City Horror Film Festival. The film was also invited to the Chicago International Film Festival, the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, the Montreal Fant-Asia Film Festival, the Malaga Film Festival, the Cardiff Film Festival, and the Macabro Film Festival in Mexico City.

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN is Paul's second feature. He is currently in development on several new projects, including "The Mysteries of Ice Fishing," from his own script.


SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.shorelineentertainment.com/movies/EGG.html

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY: “Baby’s Momma Drama”

10 years, 3 kids and you are NOT the father...

This is the independent documentary story of 4 different guys. They are from different worlds, but they have the same thing in common. They all end up in court and in the pursuit of justice, find out something else. They find out that it doesn’t matter if you are black, white, latino or asian, if you are in the system, you got “Baby’s Momma Drama”. Their lives will never be the same.

The court doesn’t want you to see this film, so check it out for yourself. See if you know someone that is going through or has gone through this. It is real funny to watch, but when it happens to you, you won’t be laughing much. You could be next.

As fathers, we have experienced the suspension of driver’s license and the impounding of our automobiles and the seizure of bank accounts and homes. The court doesn’t care that you no longer have transportation or a place to live. They just want your money to pay for child support; even if the kid isn't yours...

Without the car and the driver’s license, there are choices that have to be made. You must get to the job. Wherever it is. This is real and happens every day in courts around the world, not just in the U.S. This happens to men around the world, U.K., AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE. When you go to court, you are not allowed to voice any dissatisfaction. If you raise your voice you could have a felony on your record. Now you are the criminal.
SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.babysmommadrama.com/
http://www.babysmommadrama.com/trailer.html

SOFTWARE for Tutorial movies

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how priceless a movie would be...

What software is used by the creators of tutorial movies?

They all capture screen moves well and all are coordinated beautifully with audio. Is it software more common to many of us, is it simply a technique, or is it specialized software?

LEARN MORE...

http://www.graymachine.com/tutorials.html

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/

Filming the Squanderville Government

"Empire of Debt", the book that says that our government has put every American family in debt by $132,967.00 is being made into a movie!

Are we mortaging our children's and our garndchildren's future and paving the way for the demise of the American dollar?

The film crew descended upon Washington D.C. to obtain the shots that would introduce the audience to its representatives; show what they are doing with their constituent's money and examine what is really happening.

View the slideshow here:
SEE THE SLIDESHOW...
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/slideshow.html

MAN ON THE BOTTOM

A classic noir love triangle, with an international twist. MAN ON THE BOTTOM has the distinction of being the first major feature film to be shot on location in Cameroon, Africa- the flagship feature for international production co Sanaga Media. This film was developed by an American production company, shot on location with a completely native cast, in conjunction with the Cameroonian ministry of culture. Writer/director Christopher Baldi (GRACE AND THE STORM) has created a film similar to classic mysteries like DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and relocated it to modern Africa. Shot in English, with a French-dubbed version being produced simultaneously.

Meet Marie, the ultimate femme fatale- a beautiful, sophisticated, and ruthless young woman, with a natural manipulation over any man who crosses her path. Luke is her young lover, at first seduced- and ultimately blackmailed- into plotting the murder of Ahmado, Maries wealthy husband. What neither of them realize is that Ahmado is already aware of the plot against him. MAN ON THE BOTTOM begins simply, as a romantic thriller with a classic love triangle. But this triangle soon leads to crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses, as the tension escalates towards a violent, bloody showdown, and a jaw-dropping twist ending.


SEE THE PREVIEW...
http://www.bolt.com/chappellabe/video/1734709?cn=STREAM_chappellabe_video_large_PAGE1

THE GLORIUS MUSTACHE CHALLENGE

INDY DOCUMENTARIES go where no documentary has gone before...they document ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING...

LOGLINE
A hilarious look at one of pop culture's bygone trends and a tribute to the young men risking shame and ridicule to bring it back.

SYNOPSIS
In an age ruled by beards, goatees, and clean-shaven faces, one man fights to save the mustache from permanent extinction. Jay Della Valle challenges a new generation of men to embrace the stache and face the consequences. As resistance mounts from girlfriends, friends, and family, this hilarious film dares to explore what it will take to bring the mustache back.

PROJECT SUMMARY
The mustache used to be a symbol of a man's entry into the dignified elite. In modern times, however, the mustache has fallen from grace. Still, mustache challenges happen all over the world for sport, charity, and amusement...

Out of the hairy abyss comes "The Glorius Mustache Challenge"-a social engineering experiment designed to rescue the sexy mustache from the pop culture graveyard.

Director and host Jay Della Valle brings us on his quest to raise a revival on the upper lips of our youth. In 2004, he hits the streets with a stack of flyers and a dream. He issues the challenge to men under 30: To grow a mustache for 1 month. No beards. No goatees. Just the lone stache.

Brave young men answer the call. They come from all walks of life, from a radiologist, to a musician, to an airline pilot... to the one high school student willing to take the risk. Some are excited and ready to grow. Others are nervous about the negative reactions of girlfriends and friends. They all face social disgrace to join the budding mustache movement.

As the growing gets under way, we learn about great mustaches through time, in an animated history of the mustache. We discover how something as simple as a little hair on the upper lip can change a man in surprising ways.

Meet Chad, a New Jersey entrepreneur, who grows a little fuzz and loses his business, his friends, and both of his girlfriends. On the opposite coast is Nick, a California surfer who catches more waves, and more ladies, once he starts rocking the 'stache.

After the month is over, the men have mixed reactions. LA actor Peter falls in love with his new mustache persona and vows to make it a lifestyle. Business owner Jeff thinks he might need therapy. Former farmer Walker experiences PSSD, "Post-Stache Stress Disorder." He feels dorky, less confident, and antsy to grow it back.

The stubbly seeds of a revolution have been sewn...

As the movement spreads, we see just how much one man can accomplish with no budget, no backing... just a glorious dream. Jay and his band of mustachial merry-makers hit historic Union Square and stage a protest march for mustache rights. Jay heads out to the New York bar scene to find out just how much the ladies despise mustaches, and tries to change their minds. Later, Jay and his fuzzy-lipped followers bring the message to the masses when they appear on The Today Show and Good Morning America, Glorius Mustache is on the front page of the paper. Staches are sprouting on the lips of celebrities and trend-setters everywhere.

The mustache is back!

SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.gloriusmustache.com/

The STORY of PRIYA RAMRAKHA

Priya Ramrakha, the Kenyan photojournalist killed in Biafra in 1968

The images could quite easily pass for an "illustrated African history of the 1960s": Kenneth Kaunda’s painting in a studio, his unmistakable forehead captured in meditative concentration; an ebullient Jomo Kenyatta with passionate eyes brandishing his iconic flywhisk; grieving school children watching their dead mothers in Aden; Queen Elizabeth II and Haile Selassie in a jovial mood in Addis Ababa; severed heads and limbless bodies in Biafra; the ecstatic celebrations of independence from Nairobi to Nyasaland.

But I look through the pictures again. There is one photograph that stands out from the pile on my lap. It is of a tall man, lithely built, with a thick mop of black hair and a doleful pair of dark eyes against a strikingly gentle face. I am driving north in search of him, a Kenyan who told African stories with his camera.

"The first time I met Priya I was working freelance for Time magazine in Kampala and Priya had come there to charter a plane to fly to Bukavu in the Congo. We were standing outside and we noticed a big snake lying dead on the pavement. Instead of going close to look at it, Priya angled his camera, with its big telephoto lens, towards the snake. He looked at the snake through the lens but he didn’t take a picture. He kept talking to me, tinkering with his camera and looking at the snake through the lens.

SEE THE TRAILER - LEARN MORE...
http://www.priyaphoto.com/

PIRATE BAY Secrets

It's Saturday night and I'm lounging on a living room sofa surrounded by lanky twenty-somethings in shorts and deep tans. Across from me, a wire emerges from a green Xbox -- modified to stream movies from its hard drive -- and snakes past two dusty turntables and into a video projector, which is displaying a menu of movies that would make Blockbuster jealous.

Peter, this living room's owner, selects a title, and the text "For Your Consideration" fades onto the screen, marking this movie as a leaked screener from the Academy Awards: Someone in Hollywood ripped their review DVD copy of the film and uploaded it to the internet, where it eventually found its way to this hacked game console. Peter chuckles, others cheer.

And barely a month after Swedish police raided their server room and carted two administrators and their legal help off in handcuffs, the lanky co-operator of the Pirate Bay -- the most popular and hunted piracy site in the world -- settles back to watch a pirated copy of Spanglish.

Harbored by a country where 1.2 million out of 9 million citizens tell the census that they engage in file sharing, the Pirate Bay is as much a national symbol as it is a website. Protected by weak Swedish copyright laws, the Bay survived and grew as movie studio lawyers felled competing BitTorrent trackers one-by-one. Today it boasts an international user base and easily clears 1 million unique visitors a day. New movies sometimes appear at the top of the site's most-popular list before flickering onto a single theater screen.

With its worldwide following, many here see the Bay as the devil on Sweden's shoulder, legitimizing contempt for intellectual property rights and threatening to saddle the country with a lasting reputation for international lawlessness. "It's very difficult to make people act legal when they've been doing something for some time," says Marianne Levin, professor of private law and intellectual property at the University of Stockholm. "In Sweden the debate (on file sharing) came very late."

READ MORE...By Quinn Norton
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71543-0.html?tw=rss.technology

CBS to start streaming prime-time shows

CBS Television will begin showing episodes of several new and returning prime-time shows for free on the Internet, becoming the second network to do so.

CBS already sells downloads of episodes on Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store and Google Inc.'s video store. In May, it launched an advertising-supported online channel called "innertube" to stream programming created just for the Web.

The network said Tuesday that starting next month it will begin streaming episodes of a new show, "Jericho," as well as returning shows "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," "NCIS," "Numbers" and "Survivor."

The shows will contain fewer ads than when they are shown on TV. The ads also will be shorter -- typically 15 second to 30 seconds -- and cannot be skipped, CBS said.
The shows will become available the day after they appear on TV. Episodes of "Jericho" and "Survivor" will remain available online for the entire season, while episodes of the other shows will be online for four weeks following their initial airing.

"Making our new and returning prime-time series available to our viewers is the next step in innertube's programming evolution," Larry Kramer, president of CBS Digital Media, said in a statement.

ABC began showing episodes of four prime-time shows, including "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" for free online in May. The network was the first to sell episodes on iTunes last October.

ABC recently hailed the success of its later effort, saying that in May and June, the network's site showed 16 million video streams. The network is expected to expand its online offerings in the fall.


READ MORE...By GARY GENTILE, AP Business Writer
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8JH4D8G1.htm?sub=apn_tech_up&chan=tc

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (episode 1)

Darth's brother works in a grocery store...
SEE THE EPISODE...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wGR4-SeuJ0

Canon Expands Its Three-CCD HD Camcorder Line up with New Handheld XH A1 And XH G1 Models

New XH A1 Camcorder Offers 24 Frame HD Recording for Less than $4,000

Both of Canon's new three-CCD HD camcorders - the XH A1 and XH G1 models - provide broadcasters, cinematographers and production facilities with a full line of professional, high quality, low cost HD solutions. Broadcasters, Event videographers, and cinematographers with tight budgets will appreciate Canon's flexible, powerful and feature rich XH A1 and XH G1 HD camcorders. Whether on set, in the field, or shooting a feature film, these two camcorders offer selectable frame rates and deliver stunning 1080i HD video.

Building on the image quality of the award winning XL H1 model, the XH A1 and XH G1 HD camcorders offer a Genuine Canon 20x HD zoom lens, Super Range Optical Image Stabilization, 60i, 24F, 30F frame rates and total image control. The XH A1 model will be available in late October for an estimated selling price of $3,999*, while the XH G1 model adds HD-SDI output with embedded audio and timecode; Genlock synchronization and Timecode In/Out and will be available in mid-November for an estimated selling price of $6,999*.

"Canon is now offering a full range of HD solutions that give professionals the control they need at a price point they can afford," said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the consumer imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Joining the open architecture of the XL H1 model, Canon's newest camcorders round out our high definition line by providing features and design demanded by a wide variety of professionals."


LEARN MORE...
http://www.independentfilm.com/technology/canon-24f-hd-handheld-camcorder-xha1-xhg1.shtml

CUPID’S MISTAKE

A refreshing and humorous take on dating in Los Angeles, Cupid¡¯s mistake follows the lives of four of the city¡¯s inhabitants.
Toya, a Korean-American model, is unable to choose between the two men in her life. Susan, an actress going though a personal crisis, is in love with Gil. Gil is a struggling filmmaker who¡¯s attempting to document the true meaning of love but can¡¯t see true love until it hits him in the face. Ken, the object of Toya¡¯s affection is a Japanese-American bodybuilder and personal trainer who expresses his angst through his work is oblivious to Toya¡¯s advances.

Shot against the backdrop of Santa Monica this story about love and relationships isn¡¯t your typical, glossy Hollywood version but a real life look at the pain and frustrations of meeting your mate only to have your love be unrequited. It is also about what happens when love comes your way but you miss it only to wake up and find it¡¯s too late to recapture the romance.
Funny, witty and ironically heartwarming Cupid¡¯s Mistake probes into the nuances of finding, keeping and losing love.

The total cost of production for the American film Cupid's Mistake,
directed by Young Man Kang was US $980.
First shown at the Light and Screen Film Festival in New York
on 25 January 2000, it was released in theaters on 24 August 2001.
LEARN MORE...
Keeper of the Records - GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LTD
http://www.youngmankang.com/eindex.html

Content Insider: Into the Pirates Lair

“Me? I’m dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It’s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly…stupid.” – Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Sparrow was right !!!
Honest people do/say stupid things.
Reviewers said the sequel – Dead Man’s Chest – would be a bomb. It racked up record ticket sales in its first 10 days … $258.2 million.

MPAA said pirates stole more than $70 million from them in the same period.
Their solution -- put the biggest, baddest safe around their treasures imaginable with double, nay triple locks to keep the low-lifes out. Hint: They're looking at YOU !!!

At the same time, honest people are telling us:- content will soon be virtual and on demand, when and where you want it- the better the DRM control the more people will enjoy the content because they will be protected from themselves- the disagreement on formats is killing the next generation technology so no one will buy it anyway
LEARN MORE...BY MILES WESTON

http://dvd.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=56804

YOUR TV IS LYING TO YOU.

The principles of visual 'truth' in media production.

'Reality TV' may dominate the broadcast channels of late, documentaries of 'fact' may rake in more dollars at the box office than the latest Hollywood comic book remake, but make no mistake; your TV is lying to you…!

Frightening enough as this idea may be you should also strap yourself in for a second disturbing 'truth'; this is not a new development - your TV has always lied to you.

There isn't now, nor has there ever been, any such thing as 'reality' in media production; whether for the small or large screen. Even the most earnest and intimate of documentaries is as false and un-real as any Hollywood fantasy epic.

What is often misconstrued and taken for 'reality' should more correctly be labelled 'truth'; the 'truth' of what a filmmaker can get an audience to believe. What visual and aural messages can the filmmaker deliver to an audience to coerce them into believing that what they are seeing is, in some way shape or form, 'real'?

Obviously this idea in turn prompts questions from the sceptical of "what can you get an audience to believe?" to which, of course, the answer is… Anything.

Essay by Mike Jones, August 2004
[first presented at Get real and all that spiel: English Teachers Association Conference. Darling Harbour, Sydney. July 2004. First published in Australian Screen Education magazine, September 2004]

WEBSITES for FILMMAKERS

If you're a filmmaker and you want to shop your project to film festivals, be sure to check out:

http://www.withoutabox.com

There's also a component to WAB called Audience, where you can post videos online as well as a page about your project.
http://www.withoutabox.com (for filmmakers who want to learn more about festivals, distro, production, etc., you can also post videos there through the Audience feature)

Good places to post videos:
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.myspace.com (they have a film area)
http://medialab.ifc.com/
(This is kind of like Myspace.com for film industry people)
http://www.filmties.com/ view_profile.php?member_id=4653&aid= 4653

Brewster McGee

Brewster McGee and his buddy are a couple of dangerously obsessive misfits who spend their lives together hatching huge marketing strategies and improbable get-rich-quick schemes from the parking lot of the Chicken Hut.
Their twisted attempts to ensnare a lonely, unsuspecting employee of that establishment in to their world meets with disturbing results
"Brewster McGee" begins with a quote from Voltaire, then cuts directly to a scene at a fast-food restaurant, the Chicken Hut. Talk about shifting gears.
Voltaire is forgotten soon enough, so get used to the Chicken Hut.
Almost every frame of "Brewster McGee", a snappily written but visually static first feature from Vancouver writer/director Ross Munro, takes place either in the restaurant or outside in its parking lot.
The latter locale is inhabited by title character Brewster McGee (Brent Neale, previously seen in Guy Maddin's "Careful"), a foul-mouthed no-account with an inexplicable Missouri accent who has a dark opinion about everything.
Brewster spends every waking hour in the Chicken Hut parking lot, sitting in his old Plymouth, eating fries and raging at the world to his ultra-polite, long-haired friend Malcolm (Reid Edwards).
While Brewster says things like, "I'd rather clean radioactive waste from my tongue than work in a f-----g cheesy joint than this," Malcolm tends toward sentences such as, "I'm just tickled pink to expand our friendship circle like this."
Me: successful indy filmmaker with a feature called "Brewster McGee" (see my website for reviews/info- www.filmmakerrossmunro.com
LEARN MORE...
http://www.filmmakerrossmunro.com/brewster.html

SHE'S MINE

She's Mineis a short film By Erin Dorn

Synopsis : While two men read in a park, they notice a woman.

To me style is just the outside of content, and content the inside of style, like the outside and the inside of the human body. Both go together, they can't be separated. - Jean-Luc Godard
SEE THE FILM...
http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/summershorts/ss06_sheismine.shtml

DESECRATION

Dante Tomaselli, an Italian-American writer/director/score composer, studied filmmaking at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute, then transferred to the New York School of Visual Arts, receiving a B.F.A. degree there. His first film was a 23-minute short called, Desecration, which was screened at a variety of horror and mainstream film festivals and venues.
Tomaselli expanded Desecration, which he also wrote, to feature length. And in 1999, the film received its world premiere to a standing-room-only audience at the prestigious Fantafestival in Rome.The release of Desecration (1999) on DVD by Image Entertainment resulted in laudatory notices unique for an independent horror production.
Made on the minuscule budget of $150,000, Desecration received instantaneous acclaim for its nightmarish visuals. The supernatural chiller quickly established itself as a modern horror cult favorite and became an Amazon.com Top 10 Best Seller under the category of Horror & Suspense.
Tomaselli has been a lifelong supernatural/horror aficionado and is also the cousin of film director Alfred Sole, whose Communion (1976), made its own mark in the world of Catholic-themed horror films 28 years ago.
His second feature film, Horror (2002), began principle photography January 15, 2001, in Warwick, upstate New York. Final cost of production and post production: $250,000. Horror, a visually arresting chiller, had a group of runaway teens escape from a drug rehab and encounter demonic forces in a rural farmhouse. In a bizarre casting twist, the film starred celebrity mentalist/magician Kreskin.
"Horror is about uncovering secrets buried in the subconscious mind," said the 36-year-old director. Dante Tomaselli's Horror was released on DVD in the United States and Canada by Elite Entertainment May 27th, 2003. The film garnered raves in the horror and cult press and was even favorably reviewed in Variety Magazine.
It was also an Amazon.com Top 10 Best Seller under numerous horror categories. Most surprisingly, with a surge of online articles and a devoted cult following, it charted # 7 out of all movies on the IMDb for the week of September 21, 2003. Tomaselli just completed his third feature, Satan's Playground (2005). The director states, "The viewer should taste color. And touch sound. I want Satan's Playground to be one of the most nightmarish and atmospheric horror movies ever made."
Satan's Playground stars 70s & early 80s cult-horror icons Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Ellen Sandweiss (The Evil Dead), and Edwin Neal (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Tomaselli is now looking ahead towards the creation of a fourth feature, The Ocean (2006), an occult shocker about mysterious and deadly riptides. Continuing in his tradition of casting leads from horror greats of yesteryear, Judith O' Dea (Night of the Living Dead) and Margot Kidder (The Amityville Horror, Superman) are slated to star.
The creepy tale centers on Cathy (Margot Kidder), a psychic who travels to Puerto Rico to be with her estranged family after the drowning deaths of her daughter's husband and son. Upon arriving, Cathy begins receiving frightening premonitions as the ocean continues to claim more victims. Judith O' Dea (Night of the Living Dead) will play a scuba diver who, along with Cathy, ultimately discovers that a watery apocalypse may soon be at hand.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.filmties.com/view_profile.php?member_id=3330

DELIVERY THE MOVIE

DELIVERY
Ksfilms Productions was born out of the excitement of creating something out of nothing.

The thrill of going from that initial concept or idea to a highly creative finished project.

It was founded in 1998 by Dante Zambrano and Jose Zambrano Cassella, with the goal of reuniting a select group of creative and technical artists all in one place.

SEE THE TRAILER & LEARN MORE...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=75000871

A Look at "Disturbing Images"

A popular misconception about moviemaking is that it's easy. You might think, "How hard can it be? You just set up a camera, people play pretend, and everybody has a good time." Wrong. Find out what's really involved as I relate my experience of making my first feature film—Disturbing Images.

It all began when I was asked to be an extra in a movie called Murder Below The Line directed by Norm Macera. While on the set for Murder, I talked with Norm and the camera people about their equipment—I'm a bit of video tech geek. Eventually, Norm and I got to talking about our backgrounds. He has a broad background as a writer and filmmaker. I have an extensive background in video and multimedia production (about 19 years of experience). So, he asked me if I'd like to become more involved with Murder, and I said yes. I ended up developing the opening and closing title segments for Murder and helped him with some of the effects shots.

While working on his movie, Norm asked what I really wanted to do. I replied, "I want to direct." He said he had a script he'd like me to read. It was Disturbing Images (DI). I liked the script and told him I wanted to direct it.

In February of 2005, I started work on DI. The initial step was storyboarding the script. This was an important part of the process, as it enabled me to visualize what I was reading, translate how I wanted it to be filmed, and map out what shots I was going to need to get for each scene. Storyboards also help to figure out the flow of the movie when it is being edited together after everything is shot. Storyboards are not written in stone; they act as a guideline. Storyboarding for DI took about 3 weeks. Bear in mind that I work a full-time day job for which I travel a lot; I'm in Florida as I type this. And, I have the usual plethora of other responsibilities related to family and owning a home. I had to work on DI in whatever spare time I could manage.

By the way, the work in the beginning of the process is known as preproduction, which is essentially the planning stage of moviemaking. While I was doing the storyboards, I also worked with Norm on casting for DI. I posted audition information on Tribe.net and Craigslist, as well as the Philadelphia Film Office Website. I let the actors know up front that there was no pay for this project. I think it's important to be on the level from the start. Norm suggested including information on the Philly Film Office's call-in hotline and also established the location of the auditions at Rebel Production Associates in New Jersey. Norm then introduced me to a couple of people who could help with equipment and personnel. Things were rolling! I planned the auditions for a weekend in March, with shooting slated to start in April.

Before we held auditions, I wanted to establish film locations with the people Norm introduced me to and find people to work as crew. Scouting locations can be tricky; you have to be aware of what the environment is like with regard to noise, light, parking for cast and crew, sufficient amount of space, power, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, when you are working with a limited budget (mine was limited to pretty much nothing), you take what you can get and be extremely grateful for it.

LEARN MORE... By Sean McKnight
http://www.microcinemascene.com/artman/publish/dist_images.php

Let The Dead Times Roll!

HOODOO FOR VOODOO

When a group of college kids win a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, they soon find themselves on a rollercoaster ride of survival as bodies drop left and right.

The workers at a local Voodoo tourist trap suddenly begin turning up dead, and the group must bind together and stay alive to figure out who is behind this most wicked plot.

But, hey, who can be inconvenienced at the biggest party of the year?

Filmmaker Steven Shea just updated the Corner on his new film Hoodoo for Voodoo.

A new Horror/Comedy from Abyssmal Entertainment: This looks like a fun indie film that is now in the post production phase. The film was shot in a marathon 12 days. It stars Linnea Quigley and will also have appearances by Lloyd Kaufman and Debbie Rochon.

VISIT THE SITE...
http://www.hoodooforvoodoo.com/

Lark & Cher (2006) A Short Drama

Secret lovers risk an intimate moment with dire consequences!

Lark is trapped between her family's religious beliefs and her romantic relationship with Cher. When fate forces Lark's hand, will she make a choice, or will someone choose for her?

Esosa Edosomwan is a Manhattan-born Actor of Nigerian descent. Esosa has studied at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Cornell University, The Actors’ Workshop of Ithaca, the British American Drama Academy, the Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab and The Actor’s Center. She has also written several one act plays including Vivian X, which won the 2005 Heerman’s-McCalmon Playwriting Award.

Lark & Cher confronts inter-related issues of sexuality and religion when secret lovers risk an intimate moment with dire consequences! Lark is trapped between her family's religious beliefs and her romantic relationship with Cher. When fate forces Lark's hand, will she make a choice, or will someone choose for her? Lark & Cher features compelling performances, high drama and a shocking conclusion!


LEARN MORE...http://www.milesmaker.com/

SOAP GIRL

Epoch Entertainment & Leapfrog Production’s Soap Girl, a controversial new film featuring a marvelous ensemble cast who have more energy, sex-appeal and charm than any group to strut and vamp across the camera in recent memory. (Film Threat)
Soap Girl debuted at the Big Bear Lake Film Festival winning the Audience Award including Best Asian American Feature. It has already garnered a five-star review from Film Threat and generated a lot of controversy over the internet message boards.
Soap Girl tells the story of Maya, a young Asian girl who applies for work in a seedy Hollywood massage parlor. As her true motivations are slowly revealed, she falls in love with a virgin poet who steals her heart.
Soap Girl is from award-winning Korean American director Young Man Kang (Cupid’s Mistake, First Testament, Death Valley Diary) and stars award-winning actor Luciano Saber (Placebo Effect, Scared) Kerry Liu (Blood Sisters, Terrortoons) and Gina Hiraizumi (The Kingston High.)
LEARN MORE...
http://www.youngmankang.com/soapgirldvd.htm

Why we had to kill BITCH

Has Kevin Spilker made the funniest student film of all time, or has he made a truthful documentary about the night he and his pals had to kill their best friend's abusive ex-girlfriend, Bitch?

Nothing says feel good comedy like a dead hooker, running afoul of the mafia and lynch mobs... and those're just the flashbacks.

In a half-assed attempt to pass his film class, Kevin Spilker is making a documentary on his best buddy Eugene (the only one of Kevin's friends to say "yes.").

Kevin wants to document a day in the life of a normal guy but there's one big problem. Eugene's not normal; he's a loser. Sure, we catch him getting his manager fired and giving dissertations on the latest Travolta flick, but for the most part all he does is whine about his ex-girlfriend, Bitch.

But all that changes when the girl of Eugene's dreams walks into his life and then quickly out of it. With the aid of Kevin and their friends Stanley & Quentin (not losers, just morons), Eugene spends the rest of the documentary trying to re-connect with her.
It's a shame that this new girl works at a bar and, for reasons that have to be seen to be believed, none of these twenty-somethings have their ID. Luckily they have a favor to call in from their friend George, the world's worst drug dealer.

The gang once lied to the Grand Jury to keep George out of jail after he was busted for putting a musical horn in his car and selling ice cream laced with marijuana to kids to expand his client base.
TO THE WEBSITE...
http://www.fivecentproductions.com/killbitch/

Stanley W. Key and The Wonderful World of Mishaps

Our Genre and Elements
Genre: Fantasy
Character: J. Splain, Window Washer
Prop: Photo, drawing, or painting of a pet
Line of Dialogue: “That was when I was young and naïve.”

The Motor Boatin’ Maniacs was founded to simply do one thing, tell stories. Our goal is to create a community where writers, actors, musical artists, sound designers, and directors can collaborate on the common love for telling stories.

Motor Boatin Maniacs participated in the 48 Hour Film Project in New York City. The 48 Hour Film Project's mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork skills. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on “doing” instead of “talking.” We would like to thank everyone who helped make our film a success.

About the Project
The Project is an international filmmaking competition where teams have just 48 hours to make a film from scratch. In that 48 hour period, all creativity will take place, including but not limited to: Writing the script, Rehearsing, Costume/Set Design, Shooting, Editing, and Sound Design. At the event, each group will choose the genre of its film in a random drawing. Teams will be given the option of relinquishing the genre selected in the drawing for a Wild Card genre. If opting for the Wild Card, teams may not go back to their original genre.

In addition, each group will be assigned required elements that must appear in its film, such as a specific character, prop and/or line of dialogue. The required Character and Prop must be seen on-screen. The required Line of Dialogue may be spoken, sung and/or written. It may be in any language, though if it is unclear that it is the Line, there must be a translation.
TO THE FILM...
http://www.motorboatinmaniacs.com/projects.html
Copyright © 2006 Motor Boatin Maniacs. All rights reserved

THE DESCENT

THE DESCENT is Neil Marshall’s hotly anticipated follow up to his 2002 hit DOG SOLDIERS. Directed by Marshall from his own script, it tells the story of an all-female caving expedition that goes horribly wrong, and stars Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone and MyAnna Buring. Set in a cave system deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Marshall describes his film as ‘DELIVERANCE goes underground’.

On a daredevil caving holiday, six women friends are unexpectedly trapped underground when a rock fall blocks their exit. Searching the maze of tunnels for a way out, they find themselves hunted by a race of fearless, hungry predators, once humanoid but now monstrously adapted to live in the dark…

As the others battle for their lives, Sarah (Macdonald), still recovering from a mental collapse brought on by the recent deaths of her family, is fighting for her sanity. When old secrets are revealed, the friends turn on one another, causing the group to implode. Betrayed and desperate, Sarah realizes that to make it back to the surface, she must become as savage as the creatures themselves.

One year after a tragic accident, six girlfriends meet in a remote part of the Appalachians for their annual extreme outdoor adventure, in this case the exploration of a cave hidden deep in the woods. Far below the surface of the earth, disaster strikes, and there’s no way out.

The group splinters and each woman pushes on, praying for another exit. But there is something else lurking under the earth. As the friends realize they are now prey, they are forced to unleash their most primal instincts in an all-out war against an unspeakable horror – one that attacks without warning, again and again and again.

THE DESCENT movie has already had a hugely successful release both critically and commercially in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. In September, 2005 the film took the top competition prize -- the Méliès d’Argent -- for Euro feature at Lund International Fantastic Film Festival in Sweden, and in November, Neil Marshall won Best Director and the film Best Technical Achievement (for the Editing) at the British Independent Films Awards (BIFA's) (THE DESCENT was nominated for Best Film).

It has also been nominated for Best British Film, Best British Director and Best British Producer by the London Film Critics Circle (the winners are announced in February), an unheard of achievement for a genre piece. Check out the great Flash opening on the official website...
TO THE WEBSITE...
http://www.thedescentfilm.com/
TO THE TRAILER...
http://www.virgin.net/movies/movietrailers/thedescent.html

How did "HORROR" come about?

HORROR
I starting writing it right around the end of 1999, when there was all that end-of-the-world talk going on. I wanted to harness that feeling...that we all could be predestined for a horrible, violent death.
The idea that the threat of violence can strike at any moment. I knew that Horror had to be hallucinatory, surreal...kind of a continuation of my first film, Desecration. I wasn't through exploring that universe, visually and emotionally.
Horror" seems like "Desecration" in that it's a religious horror movie. But this one isn't Catholic so much as Protestant. Why does religion play such a major role in your horror films?
I guess it has something to do with how I grew up, my background being Italian American and having two very religious grandmothers. But, really...I just think organized religion is a very scary thing.
It gives me a feeling of paranoia. One group against another, thinking the other one is wrong and they are better, holier. Religion causes wars. It has a dark force that can't be denied. Also, as you know, my cousin, Alfred Sole, directed "Alice, Sweet Alice," the infamous Catholic slasher.
I saw it at a very early age and it is forever imbedded in my psyche. "Desecration" was specific. It was a Catholic hallucination. "Horror" can be any religion. I was going for a perverse puritanical vibe.
“Horror" looks like it was shot in 16 mm, which gives it that old-school look from the 1980s -- like "Evil Dead".
It was also beautifully photographed. What can you tell us about the importance of using film when you make a horror film (some people are shooting direct to video) and what do you think about digital film? I know "Session 9" was shot on digital film and it actually seemed to work pretty well.
Well, "Horror" was shot on Super 16 mm film. Thanks yeah, I agree, it does give it that old-school early 80s look -- that's what I wanted -- color saturated and vivid yet somehow faded with a little bit of grain.
I will only shoot movies on film -- only. If you want to go for a painterly look -- you shoot on film. Video, even the best video, is thin. I'd prefer grain over pixels any day. You're right, though, I heard the digital videography in "Session 9" was outstanding.
I still never saw the movie; I have to check it out. Maybe I'm being too hard on Video. It's great for shorts. But it's just my gut instinct -- to shoot film while doing a feature.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.esplatter.com/profiles/tomaselli.htm

1st TESTAMENT: CIA VENGEANCE

CIA Agent Phillip is having doubts about his service to his country and his assignments to kill the very people he once befriended. His boss tells him to do his job and not question orders, but Phillip has made his decision and refuses to kill anymore.
To save his life his boss takes him out the field and re-assigns him to the easy job of training a South Korean female spy to assassinate the leader of North Korea. But the female is not who is appear to be, Phillip is betrayed by his own people and everyone is now a target.
For the first time ever, Korean and Black film producers have joined forces to produce a new action/drama/espionage feature film. "Testament" the first in a trilogy written, executive produced and starring Ron Becks(FilmGod Studios) is the story of a CIA operative who refuses to kill anymore is assigned to an easy job, train a Korean woman in CIA procedures to bring down the separation in Korean politics.
It is directed, edited and produced by Young Man Kang whose award winning films Image of Korea, Cupid's Mistake, Haitian sLAVE , Yoos Roots about Korean life are will respected in the Korean community but cross all cultural boundaries embracing all races.
Becks and Kang have joined forces to expose racial stereotypes, create a dialogue between the Black and Korean cultures and to entertain audience world wide with a thrilling action/drama.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.youngmankang.com/1st_Testament.htm

eleVATE - A Ben Shackleford Film

The Australian short film eleVATE is a dark psychological thriller which tells the story of an insecure loner named Rowly, who develops an unhealthy obsession with a voice activated elevator in his office building.
Acclaimed Melbourne-based solo musician Mandy Kane plays the lead role of Rowly, starring alongside Sallyanne Ryan ('The Nugget') and NIDA student Angela Scundi.

The privately funded film is presented by Crystal Screen Productions and LR Media. eleVATE is Directed by Ben Shackleford and Produced by Shelley Egan. Writers are Shelley Egan, Ben Shackleford and Sallyanne Ryan. Executive Producer is Lisa Raciti.

Mandy Kane has written the score, and also the film's theme song 'Glitch' which features on his forthcoming EP.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.elevatemovie.com/

I AM LLOYD HAMLIN

Incidents of chance and circumstance through-out his life has warped the mind of comic-book store owner Lloyd Hamlin. He believes he possesses the same powers of his beloved superheroes and has dedicated his life to defend the world against evil. It is only until a curious news reporter interviews Lloyd that we realize Lloyd's fantasy may be more reality than fiction.
An eccentric comic book store owner.
An eager young reporter.
A camerman who wishes he was somewhere else.
Director and editor by day, screenwriter by night - Mark Roush crosses into unparalleled worlds in both occupations. Residing in the Shanghai city of Portland, Oregon he is consistently on the lookout for new talents to collaborate with. While developing his newest feature film entitled, "The Vastness", Mark had completed his second short film, "I am Lloyd Hamlin", and is currently penning a horror entitled, "Storage". Always working on new concepts and ideas for screenplays, Mark can be found frequenting local demolition derbys, photographing dark city alleyways and on occasion can be seen eating packets of mustard in an ill-lit room for inspiration.
SEE THE TRAILER...
http://audience.withoutabox.com/films/iamlloydhamlin
TRAILER http://www.blackspotfilms.biz/lloydhamlin2.html
http://www.myspace.com/black_spot
http://www.blackspotfilms.biz/film_force/
http://www.newadjustment.com/

CATWOMAN:PRINCIPLES and an interview with its DIRECTOR

Interview with Chris .R. Notarile, head of "BLINKY-PRODUCTIONS" and director of "Catwoman", "Power Girl" & many other great films. Chris tell's RubyFilmz about his upcoming film's and some in depth info on "BLINKY-PRODUCTIONS"

CATWOMAN:PRINCIPLES-Coming at You from Director Chris Notarile and Blinky Productions is this Catwoman Fan Film based on the Jim Balent vision of the character who first appeared in the comics in Her purple duds in 1993.
In this film We meet a rather bored Selina Kyle (played by Niki Notarile) searching for some way to get through yet another night of Bad TV and loneliness. Well, when Your'e one of the most skilled Cat Burglars in Gotham who just so happens to have incredible reflexes and agility one solution would be to put on Your face so to speak.

Dressing up in Her Catwoman suit Selina hits the rooftops of Gotham looking to have a little fun. Catwoman manages to break into a Penthouse window and discovers some precious trinkets that catch Her eye. As She oggles Her new found treasures She hears a noise.

It seems that Ms. Kyle isn't the only one interested in the contents of the exclusive Penthouse apartment. A team of clumsy, inexperienced Cat Burglars fumble their way into the apartment with all the grace of a Bull in a China Shop. hiding in the shadows Catwoman rolls Her eyes, utterly disgusted with the rookie Burglars sloppy techniques.

When She's finally had enough Catwoman confronts the Burglars and begins to take them on one by one. The fight scenes that follow are fast and furious leaving the viewer needing a neck brace, We finally get to see the truly violent side of Selina Kyle as She breaks bones and serves up multiple cans of whoopass. Niki Notarile's plays a cocky, sultry, and mischievous Catwoman who is a fine representation of Her Comic Book counterpart and makes purple look mighty good!

What makes Mrs. Notarile's performance as Catwoman stand out from some of the others I've seen in both Fan Film and Hollywood interpretations is Her lack of vunerabilty as the character. Selina Kyle is often portrayed as being weak or helpless before She dons Her Catwoman suit.

In CATWOMAN:PRINCIPLES Mrs. Notarile is a take no nonsense gal from the opening scene to the finish of the film. Director Chris Noraile has truly done His homework and it shows. Inside sources tell Me that even Jim Balent Himself digs this film and that's sayin' something. What more is there to say but yet another fine piece of work from Blinky Productions!

I look forward to seeing more of Niki Notarile's work after Her fine performance in this film. Speaking of which, check out Chris Notarile's newest film POWER GIRL:THE CLASSIFIED'S for a special appearance by Niki as Selina Kyle.-Review by Fanboy Will

SEE THE INTERVIEW...All content is copyright © 2004-2006 Blinky Productions Inc. Graphic design by Chris .R. Notarile of Blinky Productions.
http://www.rubyfilmz.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=190

History of Consumer HD

HDV was first brought to market by JVC, who created the recording standard, then released the GR-HD1 in early 2003 (MSRP $2500). This 720P camcorder was the first to tap the consumer market, albeit at the higher end, for HD video. Sony followed suit, joining the HDV partnership and releasing their first HDV camcorder, the HDR-FX1, in September 2004, followed by the pro-version, the HVR-Z1, two months later. All of Sony’s camcorders had the alternate frame rate, 1080i, rather than JVC’s 720P.

Canon also joined the HDV partnership in 2003. The public waited, and waited, and waited while Sony continued to release HDV camcorders, their HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1. In the interim, Panasonic chose not to join the HDV ranks but to strike out on its own with the DVCPRO HD format, though they concentrated largely on high end models for the first few years. But only recently, after careful observations of the market, did Canon finally make its move.

The announcement of the Canon XL H1 was met by a surprised but generally enthused response. The $8999 price was higher than any HDV camcorder in the prosumer market, but the interchangeable lens system (including compatibility with the wide array of XL lenses), excellent handling, input/output selection, 24 frame mode, and simplicity and affordability of the HDV media (ordinary MiniDV tapes) was impossible to deny. The XL series had been a mainstay of indie filmmakers, documentarians, and students for years, and brand loyalties tend to run strong in the camcorder markets. There was a good chance that those willing to spend the extra money would eventually yield to the glamour of the Xl H1. But they may no longer have to.

Canon’s announcement of the XH G1 and XH A1 today suddenly thrust the company back into the spotlight of the high definition video world, nearly a year after the XL H1 release. Tripling its HDV line-up, Canon may have some catching up do to in a market that has grown by leaps and bounds in the three years since the inception of consumer-oriented HD. Do these new models compete?

READ MORE... by David Kender-John Neely contributed to this article.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canons-Role-in-a-Crowded-HD-Market.htm