Hello

No one posts anything anymore!!! Well anyway just wanted to say HI to everyone!!!!

Happy New Year

People, what's wrong with you?
Is everyone so busy that we can't wish each other a happy new year anymore?! :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hope all our remaining thesis films will go well! Good luck to everyone -
have a blast on your shoots!!!

We finished the film!

2 Shaved heads. 1 Film. 1 Documentary. 1 Press kit. All shot in less than 6 days. Salty Dogs make some noise! Special thanks for helping to make this film possible. Happy Holidaze June '06...

Shadowboxer

This is supposed to take you back to the beginning...
Doesn't it feel like ages ago since we were sitting in classrooms (and on the odd occasion in the editing lab) with Efrat watching footage of a smoking Mum on a toilet watching her daughter combed her hair, all filmed through a tiny hallway?!
Well, here's some more information about the filmmaker and her career. If you guys are interested in actually seeing the entire film you can download Shadowboxer as a podcast (if you can't find it directly download UCLA's short films episode 1 of "Tight Shorts").

Vilka Tzouras is an independent filmmaker and writer. She spent the greater part of her youth training and working as a professional ballet dancer. ... At the age of twenty-one, she was forced to quit due to a knee injury after which she began her studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts earning her a bachelor degree with Honors in Film and Television Production. She started her career as an editor and producer at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City.
Vilka received the Wasserman Award, the Carl Lerner Award, Best European Short Film Award at the Brest Film Festival in France and was nominated for the Director's Guild of America Award for her first film Soldier's Bride (1998), a short about mass rape in Bosnia. "Soldier's Bride" screened at festivals both in Europe and the U.S. such as The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in NY and London.
Her most recent short Shadowboxer (2002), a film on female teenage violence, was made possible with the financial support of The New York State Council on the Arts. "Shadowboxer" premiered at The Athens International Film Festival in Greece and has since screened at various festivals such as The Palm Springs Film Festival, American Film Institute Film Fest and was awarded Best Mid-length Film at the Brest European Short Film Festival in France and the Grand Jury Best Short at Nodance and the Silver Remi award for Directing at the Worldfest in Houston. Vilka currently lives and works in Athens and New York City.

Hate

On behalf of the Salty Dogs I'd like to extend an invitation to "the other crew." Just kidding. I'm planning to hold a screening of Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film "Hate" in preparation for my thesis shoot next week. Friday December 8, 2006 NYFA SoHo Room 201 7PM-8:45PM. A great film if you haven't seen it!

Danke schon!

Mara, specifically wrote that one for you!

Anyways, wanted to thank my crew for the awesome job they all did on my shoot! I couldn't have asked for a better crew (*ouch* did I hurt the other crew's feelings?) You all worked great together and the energy on set was exactly what I hoped for! Our "wrap party" was all over the place but we'll just all get together on Nate's birthday! Once again guys, thank you so much for your effort, time, patience and sense of humor. I'm open to help anyone now on their thesis shoots.

See you guys soon!
Nagi

CONGRATULATIONS

Congrats to Nagi -
the first thesis shoot is done! ... And that in a record time of two days.
She obviously did a great job and shooting went smoothly once the problems with the school's equipment were sorted out. Well done Nagi! You can be really proud of this. Had a lot of fun :)

Writing

I've just discovered these magazines "Script" and "Creative Screenwriting" today. I think they're worth taking a look at along with Robert McKee's book "Story." Visit www.mckeestory.com

Fathers and Sons

I watched Fathers And Sons yesterday and think that it's worth while for all of you to see it. It's a really nice film and what's even better is the fact that I do believe we could have done it! Seriously it's great but ... simple in a way. Watch it so you know what I mean. It's by three directors called Robert Spera, Rodrigo Garcia and Jared Rappaport. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion.

Help with stupid hotmail

Kia ora
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.
My hotmail account is all screwed up. I can't read any emails nor can I write/ send new ones. Apart from the folders everything is non-responsive. I click on stuff and nothing happens, nothing opens up, nothing...
It's driving me nuts!!! I can't live without my emails. Want to read my family's and friends' emails and also reply to them...Don't know any email address off by heart either so can't use my other account. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Help!!! Please!!! Anyone?!? Help!

Fancy a jump off a building anyone?

Update on thesis shoot #1. I shoot in 1 week and 2 days. Oh no! My script is pretty much done but I have to finalise my production packet for Nick by Tuesday night. Everything is going relatively smoothly (fingers crossed!). We will have a crew meeting later this week once I finish having my consultations and everything is a close to final. I'm struggling with assigning crew positions, I have no idea why it's so hard. Location is still unconfirmed, there are options but the haggling isn't over. Casting is done just have to confirm availability. Unfortunately, I'm also not eligible for that deal with ABEL Cine for the 35mm adapter because no one else is renting it this month... Hope all is going well for Special K as well! Does anyone have Nick Efteriades e-mail by the way? I can't remember where I wrote it down! Have a good week off everyone!

"We're Geeks..."

This is what Tom Quinn, Head of Acquisitions at Magnolia Pictures, said when asked what was his motto? "We're geeks...we're paid to go find that movie." Visit www.magpictures.com Mr. Quinn held a Q&A session with the Producing students in SoHo tonight. He talked about the film festival circuit and sales agents. Mr. Quinn recommends filmmakers study the market and set aside some money for prints and advertising. Something to think about guys!

The coolest book in the world...

After watching many Robert Rodriquez films I have become obsessed with how this guy makes movies, Paulo must love him! ;). Most of the time he is the DP, Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Producer... etc. He is the benchmark for the guy who made it from nothing to Sin City... without a crew... get hold of his book "Rebel Without a Crew" if you can. It'll inspire you I think...

Hola

Hey guys..... I just wanted to say wassup

Ben's Barbershop Horror!

Yaay! My first blog (ever!). The picture files are a little too big to send by email or post over here, so i'll just get you guys hard copies of them! Also, anyone interested in watching "Running with scissors"? It's playing at Clearview Chelsea or Landmark Sunshine, if so let me know! I've been waiting bloody murder to watch it, Have a good one guys!

Ki'i 'Oni'oni

means "moving image" or "movie" in Hawaiian.
Visit www.hawaiiculturalfoundation.org and under Programs
click on Ki'i 'Oni'oni

Film on Film

"Joesph Campbell and The Power of the Myth with Bill Moyers"
"A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies"
"My Voyage to Italy"
"The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman"
"Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs & Blockbusters"
"Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque"
"The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing"
"Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography"
"A Decade Under the Influence"
"BaadAsssss Cinema: A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films"
"Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong"

Suggested Reading

"The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life" by Twyla Tharp
"Story" by Robert McKee
"Making Movies" by Sidney Lumet
"From Reel to Deal" by Dov S-S Simens
"The Visual Story" by Bruce Block
"The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood" by Edward Jay Epstein
"Shoot Out" by Peter Bart and Peter Guber
"On Directing" by Harold Clurman
"Filmosophy" by Daniel Frampton
"The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas L. Friedman