Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

Alec has chided me for allowing the blog to shift from the filmmaking focus. While I find the conspiracy and freedom of information sites to be great material for story ideas, Alec is more concerned wtih the nuts and bolts of feature and documentary film production. So, yesterday, a nod to a Festival selection. Today, a shift from my personal archive of photos to some of the largest historical archives of film and still footage.

British Pathe is an incredible site offering over 3,500 hours of video and 12 million images from their nearly eight decades of archives. All of the footage can be downloaded for FREE in low resolution windows media format. Storyboards of the films and detailed summaries help you avoid wasted download time.

ITN Archive is their for-profit parent. When you find the footage you want and want it in a higher, editable format, ITN can help you out.

Archive.Org is a 501(3)C organization located in the Presidio of San Francisco. With their fabulous Wayback Machine, Archive.Org offers permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format. Amazing things can be found here.

Another for-profit option is the Stock Footage section of the LA_411 Directory. All of this searching for archival footage is, of course, a result of the Robert Evans Documentary The Kid Stays in the Picture with its innovative approach to combining still images and archival film to create more drama and tension.

“History never looks like history when you are living through it.”
    John W. Gardner (1912 -)
    U.S. Administrator

[Read more →]

D. Kohl Glass, director of The Promethean and Der Ostwind, sends the following:   I found out some great news today. My friend and former BYU student Jared Hess got his film Napoleon Dynamite accepted to The Sundance Film festival.

The feature film is based off of a short film Jared made titled Peluca which showed at Slamdance last year. The film is a comedy about a socially inept youth growing up in rural Idaho. They shot Napoleon this last summer in Preston Idaho and shortly afterward I got to see their very first rough cut and I thought it was hilarious. If you are going to Sundance I highly recommend you see this one! (Kohl is one of my former students at MCC.)

“Only learn to seize good fortune, for good fortune is always here.”
    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
    German Dramatist

“Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all humans.”
    Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
    US pacifist, social worker, sociologist, & suffragist
    Speech, Honolulu (1933)

[Read more →]

I grew up in Wisconsin. I was raised as a Roman Catholic. I was old enough to remember the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Not surprising then that I am a dyed in the wool liberal. I loved JFK for his youth, his idealism, and his ability to inspire people. I watched Oliver Stone’s JFK and Barbara Kopple’s Beyond JFK. While the thought of a lone gunman is more reassuring than the idea of a conspiracy, the TRUTH seems to be more available with the passage of time.

There are so many websites now that endeavor to reveal the secrets that people try to hide. Tops on the list is the American Civil Liberties Union, an excellent starting point for addressing the hidden challenges to our civil rights. Steven Aftergood’s Project on Government Secrecy is another resource (covered in the Washington Post this week) that seeks to disclose that which some feel ought to be commonly known.

If you want to know who is buying the attention of your senators and congressional representatives, the information is on Open Secrets. I found The Memory Hole to be an invaluable source for difficult to locate documents (like the 9/11 transcripts) and images (soldiers injured in the war). And, for the last 30 years, Public Citizen has been on the front lines in the fight for freedom of information.

I’ve been sick all week. So, I’m going back to the couch and remind myself that Ignorance is Bliss. I’m going to go “bliss out” with a little more Robitussin and a novel. I’ll finish the NY Times tomorrow.

“Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.”
    Dorothy Sarnoff (1914 - )
    Broadway Singer, Actress & Public Speaking Coach

[Read more →]

   
Next Wave Films
Documentary Film Resources & Info

Last year, a friend visited from Canada. Richard was deeply interested in the story of Michael Rockefeller disappearing into the jungle (rumored to have been consumed by cannibals). I was researching the story as a potential documentary idea when I discovered someone had already explored the whole living with cannibals angle. Next Wave Films’ Keep The River To Your Right is the story of seemingly mild-mannered elderly Jewish New Yorker, Tobias is actually one of the most fearless adventurers of our time who lived and travelled among cannibals.

While that was interesting, even more interesting was the fact many of Next Wave’s documentary films have screened at Sundance. They have participated on several award-winning films. Take a look at their filmography at Next Wave Films. I was impressed. As I explored their site more, I discovered a treasure trove of filmmaking resources.

Next Wave Film Resources include links to low-budget and no-budget filmmaking. And, if you have a documentary in progress, they even offer opportunities to get Finishing Funds for worthy films. Applications for finishing funds can be found on their site.

“The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.”
    William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)

[Read more →]

Yesterday was my sister Roxie’s birthday. Roxie is an English instructor at Cadott High School. Most of the time, when I think about Roxie, she is about as old as the girl in this photograph which was taken while I was in college. I didn’t get to call her yesterday so I thought I would blog her birthday wishes. (Roxie is pictured on the right.)

Six weeks ago, it was also my youngest brother and sister’s birthday. Kim and Kevin (fraternal twins) celebrated their birthday on October 5th. Roxie and the twins were so closely placed that they are all the same age for six weeks. For Sandy and me, they were almost like triplets. Kim is a Health Aide at Chippewa Falls Middle School and also works as a stylist at A Cut Above in our hometown of Chippewa Falls. (Kim is the one in the middle; Kevin, our only brother, is to the left.) Kevin is the only one of us that didn’t end up working in education. Kevin lives in Virginia with his family and is an electrician.

Sandy’s birthday is in the spring and she isn’t in the photo but I was on an education kick and her son’s birthday was in mid-November, so I decided to toss her data in here, too. Sandy is Administrative Secretary at Chippewa Falls Senior High School. There is only ONE public high school in Chippewa Falls so nearly everyone from Chippewa Falls has the same alma mater. Once, while I was driving home for one of my high school reunions, I was thinking about how everyone in town knew everyone else who was the same age because we all came through high school together. I can look at my high school yearbook and remember something about every kid in there. Joan would NOT say that is a good thing but it IS what is SO.

“As was his language so was his life.”
    Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)
    Roman Stoic Philosopher

The reason for the complaining quote above is that I have been having a terrible autumn. I’ve had one illness after another. I spent the whole weekend in bed or on the couch with a raging chest cold. Bah humbug.

[Read more →]

“Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.”
    Rita Mae Brown (1944 - )
    U.S. Author Starting From Scratch, 1988

“Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.”
    Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)
    Chinese Philosopher

[Read more →]

Today, I looked in the mirror and thought about … mirrors. I thought of something I’d heard once about how it makes a difference which side you part your hair on and found the site that explains the theory and sells a “non-reversing mirror”. The Hair Theory actually proposes that which side you part your hair on makes a difference. According to the theory, the left hair part draws unconscious attention to the activities that are controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain (activities traditionally attributed to masculinity). A right hair part draws unconscious attention to the activities that are controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain (activities traditionally attributed to femininity). I had read of politicians who changed their hair after learning about this.

Then I got to thinking about one of my favorite ART topics. The topic of artist tricks and secrecy. Artist David Hockney’s   Secret Knowledge is a wonderful book that postulates (and, in my opinion, proves) that painters from the Golden Age used mirrors to assist them. Hockney claims that he has rediscovered a lost trade secret of Western art’s grand masters — not just Caravaggio but also van Eyck, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Dyck, Velazquez and perhaps even Rembrandt. Hockney has caused jaws to drop with the provocative idea that these masters used mirrors and the strong, hot light of the noonday sun. Living with an artist, I am very aware of “trade secrets”.

“Sex is a bad thing because it rumples the clothes.”
    Jackie Onassis (1929 - 1994)
    Former First Lady

[Read more →]

When Alec and I were in California, we had the good fortune to meet L. A. Opera baritone Dave Babinet. There was no opera company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and I don’t recall opera on either of the two TV channels either. It was quite fascinating to explore this whole other world with Dave. I’m looking forward to a winter performance. Dave is thinking about putting up a blog of his own to share his insights on a performing career.

For film literacy and criticism be sure to take a look at B. Ruby Rich. At one of my first Sundance experiences, Ruby Rich was a panel moderator on Sex and the Cinema. Todd Verow, the director of Frisk (and several other directors) were discussing their films (all of which had strong sexual content). A fellow in the audience (sitting two seats to the right of me) stood up to confront and loudly condemn filmmakers their films and said that religious imperatives and civic obligations required that they not make such deviant films. He was particularly angry at Verow because he had just seen his film. It was an angry confrontation. What was very amazing was that, as the moderator, Ms. Rich deftly handled the gentleman’s complaint and then used it as a bridge to a very meaningful discussion about moral responsibility, aesthetic commitment AND how to balance that with societally mandated self-censure. Her book, Chick Flicks is excellent.

More Film Related Links:     Resources for women filmmakers can be found at Women Make Movies. (Why do I encounter so few women filmmakers?) Another tremendous film resource is Green Cine Daily. Their posts are very “linky” and full of production information.

“Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it has always meant: ignoble civilization and therefore imminent downfall.”
    Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959)
    American Architect

[Read more →]

One of my very favorite sights is the site of Craig Mullins. Mullins is a professional digital and fine artist. He does concept drawings for computer games, matte paintings for film and traditional media (oil, pastel, charcoal) for fine art work. He graciously posts a lot of work at a size that allows committed students the opportunity to study. Check out the Gallery.

He also references Dhabih Eng’s site, Sijun.Com. Sijun has member boards that allow aspiring artists to post their work and get feedback from professional artists. In the past, artists have been hired based on their posted work. The Tips and Tutorials section is particularly useful.

And, for the film students, a must read article on the Forty Best Directors. I spotted this on Greg.Org, a site by an independent filmmaker in New York. He also has wonderful art links. His site, along with Liz Levy’s Persistence of Vision are invaluable resources.

“Nietzsche is dead.”
    God ( - )
    Supreme Being

[Read more →]

One of my former students dropped by school on Friday. Kohl Glass, the writer/director of The Promethean was in town for a family event. We got to talk about the great success of The Promethean and discuss new projects in the works.

Certainly one of the projects I am most excited about is Der Ostwind. Der Ostwind is a hand-drawn animated film that Kohl started with Jake Parker and Lewie Lampton while they were still at Mesa Community College. Kohl is finishing the film at BYU. I’m certain it will be successful on the festival circuit next year. The website has concept art, storyboards, the script and even a few animatics.

You can find Lewie at LewieLampton.com and Jake at Agent 44.net. I have loved working with these guys and like to keep an eye on what they’re up to. They’re so creative, committed, eager and productive. It’s inspiring!

“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.”
    Jeff Valdez
    No relation to Juan Valdez

[Read more →]

The festival approaches and I am in the middle of making plans for attending (in addition to all my teaching activities and such). Today, I followed up on lodging in Park City. I am now secure in the knowledge that we will have somewhere indoors to sleep. We have always had very good luck with Deer Valley Lodging (800) 453-3833. I wouldn’t say they’re cheap (about $189 per night, plus tax) but they do have two queen size beds in each room and a kitchenette. While it may sound cheap to mention the kitchenette, the movie schedules and raging crowds at the restaurants make it very appealing to know food is available somewhere.

The film guide is due in December. I’m dying to see what makes it this year. In other years, I have gone the first five days of the festival. This year, when I tried to buy daytimer passes (which used to be good for the entire ten days but are now only good for five), the first five days had already sold out in the first 45 minutes. So, we were forced to attend the last five. I’m thinking it will be fun because some films will have strong word of mouth by then.

“Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.)”
    Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914)
    The Devil’s Dictionary

“Cogito ergo dim sum. (Therefore I think these are pork buns.)”
    Robert Byrne

“Cogito ergo spud. I think, therefore I yam.”
    Graffito (April 24, 1980)
    Reported by Herb Caen, San Francisco Chronicle

[Read more →]

Alec got a job last week at F1 Race Factory in Phoenix. It’s an indoor go-kart racing track. Could there possibly be a better job for a teenage boy? He is so happy, I think he would work for free (but please don’t tell his boss that). Today, I watched him sweep the track for over an hour. I doubt I could get him to spend four minutes sweeping the kitchen (certainly not happily). It’s fun to see him happy and working.

He got the hook-up from Mike Luciano, a former student of mine who loves filmmaking. Mike went to Sundance with us last year but didn’t buy a package (so he didn’t really see any great films). We’re trying to get him to go with us again this year. I’m expecting GREAT things from Mike. He’s personable, hard-working and ethical. He’s the one who worked on Squeezebox, the movie, at Subvoyant last summer. He’s also the only guy who routinely posts on the Film Blog. Anyway, my thanks for the hook-up too, Mike!

My nephew, Kevin Bowe, is 21 today. Happy Birthday, Kevin! Hope you’re having fun!

[Read more →]

The festival approaches and I am in the middle of making plans for attending (in addition to all my teaching activities and such). Today, I followed up on lodging in Park City. I am now secure in the knowledge that we will have somewhere indoors to sleep. We have always had very good luck with Deer Valley Lodging (800) 453-3833. I wouldn’t say they’re cheap (about $189 per night, plus tax) but they do have two queen size beds in each room and a kitchenette. While it may sound cheap to mention the kitchenette, the movie schedules and raging crowds at the restaurants make it very appealing to know food is available somewhere.

The film guide is due in December. I’m dying to see what makes it this year. In other years, I have gone the first five days of the festival. This year, when I tried to buy daytimer passes (which used to be good for the entire ten days but are now only good for five), the first five days had already sold out in the first 45 minutes. So, we were forced to attend the last five. I’m thinking it will be fun because some films will have strong word of mouth by then.

“Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.)”
    Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914)
    The Devil’s Dictionary

“Cogito ergo dim sum. (Therefore I think these are pork buns.)”
    Robert Byrne

“Cogito ergo spud. I think, therefore I yam.”
    Graffito (April 24, 1980)
    Reported by Herb Caen, San Francisco Chronicle

[Read more →]

“Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.”
    Billy Wilder (1906 - 2002)
    Screenwriter and Director

“The mark of a good action is that it appears inevitable in retrospect.”
    Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1895)
    Author

[Read more →]

The Art Faculty Show opened yesterday at Mesa Community College. We, the faculty, will greet the public at the opening reception is tomorrow evening (Wednesday, November 12 from 6pm until 8pm). The show runs through November 20.

I have two conceptual art pieces in the show. One is a Macintosh Powerbook 150 that hangs (portrait style) and is covered with red and green acrylic paint. It is entitled, Is It Art Now?. Being in the more commercial realm of the art world, it’s my response to the patronizing “fine artists” starving in their ivory towers who look askance at computer art.

The other piece is more conceptual and more personal. Entitled Burned Out ?, it’s a very expensive bulb that used to be in the overhead projector in my classroom. Each replacement bulb is rumored to cost $500. This particular bulb spent a month in the trunk of my car while I sorted out my evolving role in the world. Like the bulb, I had to adapt and re-purpose myself in response to the changes around me.

“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”
    Noel Coward (1899 - 1973)
    English Actor and Dramatist

[Read more →]