Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

FINALLY finished my pity party and am back on the bright side today! I started working on the Zambian film project yesterday (with a vengeance) and got myself all excited again. So, I’m back on the bandwagon and working hard.

[Don’t get confused — although, Lord knows, I get confused by me sometimes — I still love teaching and will miss it tremendously. I’m just focusing on how I can teach in Zambia and other environs to keep myself happy.]

Gina and Margaret have come on board to help with producing tasks for the film. With three of us in the harnesses, pulling in the same direction, we’re moving at a quicker clip. Contracts are being written and signed. The press kit is being completed. The proposal and budget are being finalized. Eeeeee-yah!! Ride’em cowgirl. Let’s get a move on.

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I hoped I’d feel differently after a good nights sleep. Alas, I’m still quite sad, today. I just can’t imagine not teaching. Think of the thing you love to do most in the world (playing music, going to movies, spending time with your child) and imagine that can’t do that thing for an entire year … get the feeling?

I guess I could teach somewhere else. I so love my students and program at MCC; it would be hard to put the same energy and love into building a similar thing for another school. The MCC students are what make this so dang hard for me. They’re so determined and hard-working. They’re happy, excited and passionate about their work and being in the classroom. They inspire me to work harder to teach them more. Big bad bummer.

Perhaps I just hate change and the coming year will be wonderful. Who knows? Here comes the back and the front of the hand again. The great part about change is new opportunity and new learning. The bad thing is that you lose whatever you had before the change. The birth of something new requires the death of something old. The irony is that I’m always encouraging the students to follow their passion and try new things. I understand their trepidation and resistance more the last few months.

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“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.”
— Immanuel Kant (German Philosopher; 1724 - 1804)

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I got a great email from former MCC Animation student Jordan Pack last week. He writes, “Cyndi, your class on After Effects has saved my butt so many times! All the other animators ask for help when using it and then ask where I learned it. I proudly say, A school in AZ called MCC!” Stephen Glauser from MCC just got in the animation program, too. Lotsa fun.

Here is my final from last semester — http://www.iamthefro.com/BatGuyWeb.avi. I start character animation and Renderman coding next semester. Oh boy! I also made a goofy little film about the insanity of advertisements for the class that former MCC student Jarod Cardon was a Teachers Assistant in — http://www.iamthefro.com/TheAdvertsWeb.avi.

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Artist Michael Moore was awarded $18,000 by Columbus College of Art and Design. Moore submitted a portfolio of his work and application and competed with students nationwide.

Located in Columbus, Ohio, CCAD is a wonderful Art school. (I envy their many galleries!) Maricopa Community Colleges have an articulation agreement with CCAD that makes it very easy and appealing for Maricopans to continue their studies toward their Bachelor’s degree.

At CCAD, more than 1,300 students from 40 states and 30 foreign countries are enrolled in one or more of seven majors: Advertising and Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Fine Arts (including painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, and glassblowing), Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Media Studies (including photography, digital imaging, video and film, storyboard and computer animation, and photo illustration). In addition to major areas of concentration, they offer specialized courses of study in animation, art therapy, computer graphics, fashion illustration, product design, package design, and photography.

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The Media Arts students took on several projects for the college recently. The Graphic Design students worked on posters for Assessment Week, Communication Day, the annual Student Art Show, Media Arts courses of study (to send to high schools) and Graduation reminders. Eric Aguirre did an amazing poster on graphic design and illustration. Made to look like a comic book or graphic novel, it’s wonderfully engaging. Jeniece Toranzo made a companion poster for motion media (digital filmmaking and animation) that is visually compelling and powerful, as well.

M.K. Racine has been working diligently for over a month on the creating downloadable PDFs on ALL of the programs at Mesa Community College. She’s done a fabulous job! I’m incredibly excited to know that students and community members can quickly access information on programs without having to drive to campus and wander around to find a printed brochure. I’m hoping this means interested individuals can get information immediately (and THEN come to campus to talk to instructors and advisors). M.K. also produced both the Communication and Assessment posters!

Media Arts Filmmaking Students (there are over 20 students involved) are working on Video Spotlight Promos on a variety of careers available on campus. Student producer/directors set up the shoots, student videographers captured footage, and student editors are putting the promos together. The real standouts thus far have been Jeniece Toranzo, Lindsey Black, Michael Montesa, Carlos Espinoza, Gina Puma, Pam Bowman, and Stephen Shelley. My son, Alec Hart even worked as a videographer on one of the shoots.

Heath McKinney has almost turned himself inside out getting a dual-language DVD ready for the Spanish-speaking market. He, Ross Ingle, Jeanette Roe and I recorded the absolutely fabulous Sherrie Soria doing an informational presentation in Spanish. We’re trying to finalize the edit. We’re struggling with silly things (like how to hide the holes in the wall where I removed the clock from the wall). Originally, we had hoped to have it ready for an on-campus presentation on Friday but we’ve finally conceded that we’ll have to mail them next week. Regardless, we do have a Spanish-language DVD for the school … AND, it’s ready to be used NOW … to support enrollment for the fall. You gotta feel good about that. Kudos to Heath and Ross for super-human effort.

We’ve shifted into our final couple of projects. A Chinese-language DVD/CD and an interactive MCC promo CD. Oh yeah, and the Zambia project.

The students have said that they learned soooo much from doing these projects. There’s nothing like “real” clients and “real” deadlines to really drive the lessons home for them. I’m really glad we were able to serve the college AND the student learning at the same time!

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As my sabbatical approaches, I get sadder and sadder. Unfortunately, there’s always the bad along with the good. One would think a sabbatical would be a wonderful thing. A full year off (with pay) to pursue one’s interests and studies. What could be bad about that?

The saddest thing (for me) is that I love my students. I love my program. I love my Media Arts faculty. I think we all do good in the world. I think the administration has been very good to us. Teaching is so much a part of me; I can’t even imagine not teaching. It’s been sixteen (16!) years. I love, love, love what I do. I work unbelievably hard to make sure the students learn as much as they can so they can be as successful as possible. I am so unbelievably sad not be able to do it. It hasn’t even started yet, and I already miss it.

Ironically, the ONLY reason I applied for the sabbatical was because I was frustrated and angry about things that were going on at school. A classroom had opened up in my building and I (foolishly) thought they would give it to us for our computer graphics lab. They didn’t. We were given a new faculty line that others in our department wanted to surrender for a lab tech; I couldn’t believe they thought that was more important than supporting our area. There was resistance to scheduling challenges, collapse of an OYO that led to an adjunct crisis, and the suggestion that we use admission by portfolio to “reduce the size of our classes.” There was the resistance to adding web classes. In my eight years, there was always pressure to reduce our number of students and resistance to adding anything new. So, I thought it would be better to take a year off to recharge my batteries.

But, as I always say, “You can’t get the front of the hand without the back.” What I thought was a good solution turned out to be quite a mistake!! Shortly after I found out I had been awarded the sabbatical, I was told to reduce our contact hours (the number of classes we offer) IN HALF. (There is a suggestion that this isn’t really what was said but it sure is we heard and wrote in our notes.) Then, fear really set in. I realized how all of the things I’d been doing to prevent the reduction of the Media Arts area for eight years could now be enacted with impunity. I tried to find out if I could delay my sabbatical.

After that inquiry, day-to-day life in the department became unbearable. I was tag-teamed in meetings and told to sign the sabbatical papers. It became obvious that life would be very unpleasant if I stayed. So, I signed the papers. Now, I lament ever filling them out. Welcome to my pity party.

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“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” U.S. Author (1934 - )

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Several of the top awards at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival went to outstanding films that we saw at Sundance in January. There were a number of documentaries that debuted at Full Frame and were highly recognized as well. Prizes were awarded on Sunday, April 9, 2006 at the annual Awards Ceremony. The Festival presented awards in the following categories:

FULL FRAME GRAND JURY AWARD

Iraq in Fragments, Directed by James Longley and John Sinno. Cyndi’s Note: Screened at Sundance; amazing film; strongly recommended! Special Mention: A Lion in the House, Directed and Produced by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert. Cyndi’s Note: Screened at Sundance; yet another amazing film; also strongly recommended! $5,000 cash award and $20,000 in-kind for video-to-film transfer of the winning film or lab services. The Jury Award is chosen by a jury consisting of members of the national filmmaking community.

FULL FRAME AUDIENCE AWARD

The Trials of Darryl Hunt, Directed by Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg. Produced by Katie Brown, William Rexer II, Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg. An HBO Documentary Film. Cyndi’s Note: Screened at Sundance; recommended! $3,000. Provided by the Doc Arts Board of Directors. This award is chosen by calculating audience ballots filled out during the four-day Festival.

FULL FRAME JURY AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

No Umbrella: Election Day in the City, Directed and Produced by Laura Paglin.$10,000 in film stock. Provided by Eastman Kodak. The Jury Award for Best Short is awarded to a film 40 minutes or less in length.

CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY FILM STUDIES FILMMAKER AWARD

The Refugee All Stars, Directed and Produced by Zach Niles and Banker White. $7,500. Sponsored by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The CDS Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary films that combine originality and creativity with firsthand experience in examining central issues of contemporary life and culture. In keeping with the Center’s mission, the award was created to honor and support documentary artists whose works are potential catalysts for education and change.

THE CHARLES E. GUGGENHEIM EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

I for India, Directed by Sandhya Suri. Produced by Carlo Cresto-Dina. Cyndi’s Note: Screened at Sundance; amazing film; strongly recommended! $2,000. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family. This annual prize is awarded to a first-time documentary feature filmmaker as a way to foster the work of new directors, young and old. It recognizes the extraordinary care that Charles Guggenheim took with filmmakers with whom he worked to mentor and counsel throughout the filmmaking process.

FULL FRAME/EMERGING PICTURES AUDIENCE AWARD

The Refugee All Stars, Directed and Produced by Zach Niles and Banker White. JVC GY-HD100U high-definition camcorder. Sponsored by JVC. A special audience award will be presented to the filmmaker whose work is selected by the members of the digital extension of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival being set up by Emerging Pictures and Full Frame in various locations around the country. Only feature and short films participating in this program are eligible for this award.

FULL FRAME INSPIRATION AWARD

My Country, My Country, Directed by Laura Poitras. Produced by Laura Poitras, Jocelyn Glatzer.
Honorable Mention: EXIT, Directed by Fernand Melgar. Produced by Florence Adams. $5,000. Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation. This new award is presented to a film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality.

FULL FRAME PRESIDENT’S AWARD

The Intimacy of Strangers, Directed by Eva Weber. Produced by Samantha Zarzosa. $5,000. Sponsored by Duke University. Aimed at recognizing up-and-coming filmmakers, this new prize is awarded to the best student film.

FULL FRAME WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD

Smiling in a War Zone, Directed by Simone Aaberg Kaern, Magnus Bejmar. Produced by Helle Ulsteen. $5,000. Sponsored by the White House Project. This award will be given to the film that best portrays women in leadership.

FULL FRAME WORKING FILMS AWARD

Rain in a Dry Land, Directed and Produced by Anne Makepeace. A POV/ITVS Film. $5,000 cash award and $5,000 in-kind for the development of the film’s outreach plan. Sponsored by Working Films, with support from the Ettinger Foundation and the Tides Foundation. Sponsored by Working Films, the media non-profit that is a nationally recognized activist-driven bridge between high quality documentary filmmaking and concrete impact, this prize will be awarded to the film that has the greatest potential for supporting serious grassroots organizing and social change.

SEEDS OF WAR

Sir! No Sir!, Directed by Daniel Zeiger. Produced by Vangie Griego, Aaron Zarrow.
Workingman’s Death, Directed by Michael Glawogger. Produced by Erich Lackner, Miriam Quinte, Pepe Danquart. $5,000. Sponsored by Walter Mosley. Sparked by the worldwide wars — and the policies and cultural attitudes that continue to promote them — this award honors two filmmakers who lay bare the seeds and mechanisms that create war. There are two prizes awarded of $2,500.

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“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”

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I spent twelve (12) hours this weekend teaching Maya and had a great time. Four instructors and two students worked diligently all weekend on mastering modeling, animating and rendering. They worked in Polygons, NURBs and SubDs. With the exception of a failure to Batch Render, they experienced much success. I directed them to some of my favorite 3D sites, High End 3D and CG Society and Gnomon. I was also surfing around and found a pretty sweet 3D reel at Flatboy.

After meeting with and recording Darcy Renfro in the Governor’s office, I am really glad I took the time to do the training because it helps to strengthen the workforce in the state of Arizona … especially with the Governor’s desire to stimulate the film industry (and by extension, the animation industry). Teaching teachers geometrically expands the potential number of skilled workers. (Notice the previous posts about former MCC students Stephen Glauser and Jordan Pack being two of sixteen chosen for the animation at BYU and former MCC students Kohl Glass and Jared Cardon being accepted into the film program.)

So, KUDOS and CONGRATS to Peoria faculty Ken, Jamie, Chris and Jeff for committing themselves to mastering Maya this weekend. Recognition as well for students J.J. and Frankie (who have a wonderful 2D animated short about Dust Bunnies) for spending the weekend indoors. Finally, SUPER DUPER RECOGNITION to Stephen and Jared. Later this week, I’ll post exciting news about the MCC graduates who’ve gone on to success in Arizona Universities.

Does anyone know … how to import a TIF SEQUENCE or JPG SEQUENCE into Final Cut Pro? It’s so easy in AfterEffects. Surely there must be an easy way to do it FCP!!! Please help us out!

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Over the weekend, I caught the independent film WALK ON WATER on one of the premium movie channels. It had it’s world premiere at the Berlinale in 2004. I was flipping through the channels and caught it just as it was starting. It had that independent look and feel, so I paused and got hooked.

Actors LIOR ASHKENAZI and KNUT BERGER had nuanced yet powerful performances. Berger plays the grandson of a Nazi war criminal who struggles with the stain of his bloodline. Ashkenazi is the recalcitrant Mossad agent given the task of using the grandchildren to locate the Nazi. The sexual tension and aching loneliness of the main characters is palpable on screen. I popped over to IMDB Pro to see what these actors had done since walking on water (in the Sea of Galilee, no less) and was disappointed not to find much of anything. I expected to find more. Perhaps that will change soon. I would love to have either one of them. The richness of their performances make the movie worth watching (although I was terribly disappointed with a few plot points).

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Some great news from former student Stephen Glauser today! Stephen took the beginning filmmaking and other media arts classes. He did one of the funniest short films I’ve ever seen. He spoofed campus security. It was a hoot! So, it was no surprise to hear that he’s doing well at BYU. He writes:

“Sorry it has taken me so long to write. For the past two semesters i have been working my ar$$ off. I never knew how intense the animation program is here. Finally, after a year, I got my portfolio put together and submitted it. Who would have thought that of all the applicants they only choose sixteen. Luckily I am one of them. Hooray for me!!! That was the hardest thing I’ve done and I am not close to being over …. I miss you and your classes, they were fun.”

Of course, I send my heartfelt congratulations to Stephen (and family … Mrs. Stephen is in the family way) AND look forward to hearing all about his future successes. I’m sure there will be many!

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I’m spending the weekend teaching Maya to several teachers in the Peoria Unified School District. I’m trying to condense my 16-week ART170 and ART185 classes into two days. So, I’m covering modeling, animating, lighting, rendering and dynamics. So far, they’re keeping up and doing well. It isn’t easy to master Maya in two days.

My initial plan had been to record the sessions and market them to people who wanted a crash course in Maya. When I got there, the classroom setup was not ideal. In fact, in order to see the projection, they needed the lights to be off. The tape was nothing but a smeary blur. I’m going to have to come up with an alternate plan for how to produce the Maya Crash Course. I have no idea how many people would purchase it anyway … sometimes, I think hundreds … sometimes, I think no one. At this juncture, it’s a moot point.

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Today, the Media Arts crew spent the afternoon at the office of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitanowith Economic Policy Advisor Darcy Renfro. Darcy was sharing the Governor’s position on education, workforce development and economic trends in the state. It was a fascinating afternoon. First, there was the view of the city from the 8th floor. It was a breezy day so the American and Arizona flags were snapping smartly on the poles. There were several interesting artifacts that were on display.

On top of the visual treats, we had a tremendously educational afternoon. We learned that the Governor has committed a tremendous amount of time, money and energy to the development of the Arizona workforce to meet the demands on industries that have come and are coming to the Valley. She spoke about information technology positions (web designers, graphic designers, digital content producers, editors, programmers and such), growing healthcare shortages, teacher shortages, construction needs and travel/tourism needs.

I was most excited to hear that the Governor is making a sincere and concerted effort to bring film production back to Arizona. Renfro spoke of the need for more film production workers (editors, cinematographers, video assistants, grips, gaffers and so on) to support the industry in the state. It was terribly exciting.

Then, I told her about the upcoming Zambia film project. She asked for more info. It was too much excitement for one day. I had to take a big nap after I got home.

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