When I was in Manhattan a few weeks okay, there was a fire in a building at the end of the block. I blogged about it last week and posted the snaps I had taken on the street. Alec had captured better photos of the building but had forgotten his “My Picture” password. So, it took a little while to get them uploaded and transferred. As I mentioned in my previous post, I was amazed at how quickly they arrived, how many came and how quickly they got it under control.
The most shocking thing was watching the firefighters race into the building and, a few short minutes later, heard their axes crashing through the apartment glass to give the fire and smoke an escape route. Several crashes later, an opening allowed the ladder truck to pump water into the burning building. You can easily see that in these photos. As quickly as it began, it was contained and under control.
So, earlier in the week, when I heard about the doctor who blew up his building on the Upper East Side (rather than lose it in his divorce), I was not at all surprised when I saw the footage. The chaos looked under control.
Like many traditional photographers who made the transition to digital, Arizona Republic photographer Dave Seibert migrated from 35mm film to digital stills and is now moving into motion digital. A few nights ago, Dave brought out his digital video tool, the Sony HVR-A1U. A phenomenally compact camera (only 1.5 lbs), it very much resembles its big brother, the much bulkier HVR-Z1U. At MCC, we have the Z1U and it’s a great HD camera with native 16:9, Carl Zeiss lens and terrific fidelity in tough light situations.
I love the camera and it is what we’re using for the Zambian feature BAD T!MING because of the superior quality. In spite of that, I was quite impressed with Dave’s little wonder. It had TWO high-quality XLR sound inputs, 3CCD CMOS Sensor, Carl Zeiss lens, HD with a 2.97 megapixel resolution. The only disappointment is that it can’t do 16:9 native, only 4:3. Still, to be able to capture images of that quality from such a tiny camera was very appealing … especially if one were to be carrying that camera around for hours, as often happens in documentary filmmaking.
I think of how great it would be to have a few of those to train with and leave behind in Zambia. That would really help build the film industry and encourage production.
The panelist list is out for the Independent Producers Conference to be held at the Sundance Institute this August 3-6. I’ve been doing a lot of research on who’s going to be there and the list is quite exciting.
AGENTS include JEREMY BARBER, United Talent Agency, CASSIAN ELWES, William Morris Agency, MICAH GREEN, Creative Artists Agency, KEVIN IWASHINA, Creative Artists Agency, and RICH KLUBECK, United Talent Agency.
DISTRIBUTORS include MICHAEL BARKER, Sony Pictures Classics, MARCUS HU, Strand Releasing, and MARK URMAN, THINKFilm. I’ve seen these guys at Panel Discussions at the Festival in year’s past and they’re just excellent.
There are a number of PRODUCTION COMPANIES represesent this year. RICKY STRAUSS, Participant Productions, DIANE WEYERMANN, Participant Productions, HOLLY WIERSMA, Holly Wiersma Productions, Inc., GARY WINICK, InDigEnt, RAM BERGMAN, Gordonstreet Pictures, BOB BERNEY, Picturehouse, MICHAEL COLE, The Weinstein Co., RJ Cutler, Actual Reality Pictures, LYNETTE HOWELL, Silverwood Films, JIM JACKS, Frelaine, ROSS KATZ, RK Films, SUNMIN PARK, Maxmedia, CATHY SCHULMAN, Bullseye Entertainment, JOHN SLOSS, Cinetic Media, RON YERXA, Bona Fide Productions.
PUBLIC BROADCAST will be handled by SARA BERNSTEIN, HBO Documentary Films, MAUD NADLER, HBO Films, and SHEILA NEVINS, P.O.V/American Documentary, Inc.
SCHOLARS and wise advisors include BARBARA BOYLE, UCLA School of Theater Film and Television, CRAIG EMANUEL, Loeb & Loeb, MATTHEW GREENFIELD, Sundance Institute and PAUL COHEN.
I recall reading an article in the Hollywood Reporter very early in my career that recommended reading the trades and clipping the photos of key people in the industry. The article said that it was wise to be able to recognize people that you might be meeting. I still follow that practice.
When I was in New York, Alec and I had the chance to get together with Matt Mahurin while he was editing his new film FEEL. We were lucky enough to be able to watch about a half hour of the film. He also told us that THINKfilm ws going to distribute his first film, I LIKE KILLING FLIES. It opens on July 28. There were a couple of clips from the film in the press package. Matt said it would be okay to post them. One of my favorites was a clip of Kenny Shopsin talking about the responsibility of serving food to the public.
We saw the film at Sundance and were lucky to have chance to talk at great length with Matt (and his wonderful illustrator wife, Lisa) about the making of he film. He talked about his process, his background and the budgeting of his first film. He spoke with a candor that is rare at Sundance. People are never willing to share the “real” budget because they’re trying to sell their movie for as much as possible. It was inspiring to hear how he really made it. One of my favorite sequences in the film is where we get a view of the Shopsin Soup Sampler Take the time to sample Matt’s first feature. His second course is coming right behind it.
The ARIZONA REPUBLIC article on the Zambian film projects was published in the Mesa edition on Friday. We’ve been told it’s going to run in the Sunday edition (in the Valley and State edition). Reporter Josh Kelley did a really nice story that is being well received in Arizona and Zambia.
On Sunday, Frackson’s sister is returning home to Zambia. She agreed to take some things back for us. She’s taking the Colin Boyd interview on THE BIG PICTURE to ZNBC so they can share our efforts with citizens in the Lusaka viewing area. She also took a big stack of our printed Press Kits to distribute in Lusaka. We topped off the box with several copies of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC that will be given to the Ministers and other government officials.
Jabbes and I have been polishing up the script so it can be sent to the Zambian actors and given to the crew this week. On Saturday, we’re going to have another crew work day. We’re going to have Zambians standing in for the actors so the crew can light dark fleshtones. We’re exactly one month away. I’m getting anxious to go now. I’ve even started thinking about future projects.
Since I started on this project, a lot people around me have been learning quite a bit about Zambia. Some of it is through my research but some of self-motivated. My friend, Margaret, has been reading Zambian folk tales. She was telling me about THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. It’s about a new mother who goes into the field with her infant son. The child is visited and comforted by an eagle. When the father finds out, he can’t believe what his wife is telling him. Tragedy is the result of his unwillingness to believe. I find myself thinking of this story and wondering if there’s a way to film these folk tales. Jabbes is always saying that Zambians use parables and wise sayings to teach their children. I find them fascinating. For instance, in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, initially the mother does not talk of the eagle visit because “some things are so wonderful, they to be enjoyed privately.” In the over-connected, digitally-linked U.S., the idea of holding things privately is a powerful thought.
This is one of the goals of the Zambian Innovative Project … to bring technology to the story-telling Zambian culture and allow them to share their art and culture with the rest of the world.
I’ve been back home for a little more than a week now and I find that I really miss New York! Now, you might be thinking that the horrific bout of projectile vomiting that attacked me when I returned to Phoenix is what is making me miss The Big Apple but that’s not the (main) root cause.
While I was in NYC, there was so much more to do and so much that was more readily accessible. I was able to contact director Maria Maggenti and invite her for coffee and conversation. Filmmaker Matt Mahurin was in town editing his new film at Rabid Avid. We were able to drop-in and see the first 30 minutes of his film and chat about the upcoming release of his Sundance debut I LIKE KILLING FLIES.
And, I sure miss the food! The deli experience has changed my life! Especially, the fresh egg salad sandwiches. That’s right, I love egg salad sandwiches. (Oddly, Alec is madly in love with chicken salad sandwiches.) It’s great to pop into a corner deli and get a sandwich for $3.50. There’s just nothing like that in Phoenix. And, I miss walking to get it. You just don’t walk anywhere in Phoenix in the summer. Not willingly anyway. The thing I miss the most is probably not distinctly NY, yet — it’s the young man — Alec Edwardo. We had fun wandering the city. Alas, all good things must come to an end.
I am very, very excited to report that the Zambian film projects have been selected for the Sundance Independent Producer’s Conference. That means Zambia will be making its maiden appearance at the prestigious Sundance Institute through the country’s upcoming production BAD TIMING, which was picked from the hundreds of productions that applied for participation at the conference. Film Executive Producer Cyndi Greening (me!), Zambian Director/Co-Producer Jabbes Mvula and Editor Alec Hart will represent the film and the nation.
The Independent Producers Conference is held every August and is structured to provide participants with opportunities to explore the issues of independent producing and to apply them to their own projects. The goal of the conference is to support filmmakers in finding resources to develop their films and to enhance their options for production and distribution. The conference brings together emerging producers, executives of production companies and distributors to discuss the challenges and possibilities for bringing these new film projects to the global marketplace.
This is the 21st annual conference and it will be held from 03-06 August at the Sundance Resort in Utah, United States of America. Among the producers and distributors expected to attend this year’s conference are Michael Barker of Sony Pictures Classics, Sara Bernstein of HBO Documentary Films, Ricky Strauss and Diane Weyermann both of Participant Productions, Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing and Mark Urman of THINKfilm. The agents scheduled to attend include Cassian Elwes of William Morris, Micah Green of Creative Artists and Jeremy Barber of United Talent.
It is the connection with these established members of the industry that is most vital for the participants. The wisdom, guidance and experience of these veterans assist emerging filmmakers in making better production and distribution decisions that ensure greater long-term success for their current and future films. “To have this sort of support as we establish the film industry in Zambia is a great blessing,” said Director Jabbes Mvula. “Through Sundance, the voice of our people can be heard by the world and our stories may have a global market. The success of BAD T!MING can create future opportunities for many Zambians.”
I have to apologize for my minimal blogging the last few days. On Saturday evening, I went to a party and ate native Zambian food. During the night, I came down with what I thought was severe food poisoning. I got in touch with the rest of the folks at the party and found out I was the only one having trouble. Two days later, I find that I have passed my wretched flu on to others. I spent Sunday, Monday and most of Tuesday sleeping. Tonight, I was finally able to keep solid food down. The only problem now is that I associate vomiting with that kind of food. This could be problematic in a few weeks.
