It is about modern day Stregheria (Italian witchcraft). If that catches your interest, why not support a Rochester writer and buy a copy?

Oh, and here’s the cover, done by yours truly (and inspired by John William Waterhouse’s The Magic [...]]]> Lesia Vincent’s first novel, “Paradigm,” is now available through Createspace and Amazon.

It is about modern day Stregheria (Italian witchcraft). If that catches your interest, why not support a Rochester writer and buy a copy?

Oh, and here’s the cover, done by yours truly (and inspired by John William Waterhouse’s The Magic Circle).

Buy “Paradigm” on Amazon.

When last I blogged, I was pushing Mind Rip’s Kickstarter campaign. Well, that fundraising tactic fell short, but that doesn’t mean we’re not making the movie any way possible. We’re continuing to shoot the first half hour of the film (which are relatively low on special effects). Thanks [...]]]> What’s been going on with Mike lately?

CSI: Mike. (Photo by Stephanie Viriyakul)

When last I blogged, I was pushing Mind Rip’s Kickstarter campaign. Well, that fundraising tactic fell short, but that doesn’t mean we’re not making the movie any way possible. We’re continuing to shoot the first half hour of the film (which are relatively low on special effects). Thanks to our leads, Joe Thompson and Kristen Royale, for shooting with us for a few nights in July. For more pics, friend the film at http://facebook.com/mindrip

Strange things happen in the desert.

Meanwhile, after a 6 day shoot in and around Death Valley, I’m now editing the feature film “3.14…” for writer/director/actor Greg Smith. This is an indie feature that looks at mathematical concepts and philosophy through dream logic. Oh, and there’s guys dressed in zebra striped lycra suits riding motorbikes. Friend the movie at http://www.facebook.com/pages/314-the-movie/142935755771042

Casa Phil-Mad

And this is a good time to mention our new base of operations for Philrose editing projects, which I’m dubbing the Phil-Mad offices. Because, you know, I’m there too. At last, John Vincent and I have enough space for computers AND noxious chemicals. (That’s office plus workshop space, folks.)

The Old Fish and the Sea

As long as I’m in recap mode, I’ll mention that I won the Rochester Movie Makers short script competition for the second straight year. My entry is the soul-searching tale of a young man and a talking trout. (Gulp! Now I have to consider shooting it.) Read “The Old Fish and the Sea” online here.

Paradigm, by Lesia Vincent, cover by Mike Boas.

Lesia Vincent’s first novel will be released soon, so here’s a sneak peek at the cover by yours truly. Paradigm’s story involves a woman connecting with her ancestors via Italian witchcraft. For the cover, I did an interpretation of John William Waterhouse’s painting, The Magic Circle. Watch this space for an announcement when the book goes on sale.

Ammo and Attitude

Ammo and Attitude is a reality show on the Versus network. Derrick Petrush (of Rochester Movie Makers) is editing the show and asked me to update the animated intro for the new season. The original intro was really well done, and it was a fairly straight forward job to go in and swap in this year’s contestants. Still, it involved a certain amount of rotoscoping and After Effects cleverness. Find out more about the show at ammoandattitude.com

Summer Filmmaking Camp for Rochester Youth

And finally (finally!) I should mention what a pleasure it was to co-teach a class on storyboarding to 36 young filmmakers at the 360 | 365 film camp. Fred Armstrong and I went in armed with dittos about camera shots and tons of samples.  The kids were super creative and super appreciative.  Their resulting short films will be going online soon at http://film360365.com/school

That’s all for now. Here’s where I should insert a witty comment about it better not be another four months before updating again, but… eh, I don’t feel like it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Rochester, NY – April 25, 2011 – Rochester based Philrose Productions is taking a unique approach to raising money for its creature feature, Mind Rip. Writer/director John Vincent and producer Mike Boas are presenting their fundraising in the style of a PBS pledge drive, which can be seen online at [...]]]>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Rochester, NY – April 25, 2011 – Rochester based Philrose Productions is taking a unique approach to raising money for its creature feature, Mind Rip. Writer/director John Vincent and producer Mike Boas are presenting their fundraising in the style of a PBS pledge drive, which can be seen online at http://www.mindripmovie.com

For Mind Rip, John Vincent is drawing from his experience as a model maker and animator to create “old school” (but high quality) creatures and effects. This means raising some funds to pay for materials and sets. In recent months, many independent artists have begun using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo to reach an audience of potential supporters. With Kickstarter, this means people make donations towards a fixed goal. That money only changes hands if and when the goal is reached.

The Philrose team looked at other Kickstarter videos to see what was being done. “While many were personal and informative, none really went all out with the ‘pledge drive’ aspect,” says Boas. So when it came time to shoot a video for Mind Rip, Boas and Vincent set the stage and prepared some tongue-in-cheek humor.

Their piece begins with a clip of actual Mind Rip footage, then cuts to a Public Television style pledge break. Boas begins his plea for funds: “Unfortunately, movies such as this aren’t free.” Vincent continues: “We can’t do it without YOUR help. We’ve got operators standing by to take your pledges.”

Throughout the video, Boas and Vincent explain their professional approach to filmmaking, but do it while demonstrating television fundraising cliches. Project backers are offered fun items like Mind Rip Tote Bags (a PBS favorite), novelty Spectre-Vision glasses, onscreen credits in the final film, signed posters and screenplays, invitations to the film wrap party, and even an opportunity to be a featured zombie in the film.

“We’re totally serious about making this movie, but there’s no reason we can’t be entertaining with our Kickstarter video,” says Vincent. The jokes here reflect Vincent’s own sense of humor, which also crops up in the Mind Rip script.

“What I find remarkable in what we’ve shot so far is how much personality our actors have brought to their roles. John Cocca and Chris Nakis are hysterical as the sheriff and deputy,” says Boas. For instance, the film’s trailer contains a scene in which the sheriff has a deadpan conversation about a pot of soup that contains a severed head. “The line ‘No, you don’t want the soup’ gets a laugh every time I show the trailer. The audience at the Buffalo Screams Film Fest loved it.” Boas took the trailer to Buffalo last fall, and it was also one a few independent trailers selected to play at the New York City Horror Film Festival.

“There’s humor in the film, but not at the expense of the horror elements,” explains Vincent. “Although the monsters are born out of horror comic books, they represent a true threat to the characters.”

Mind Rip’s plot concerns a town overrun by nightmare creatures. The main character, David Endicott, struggles to solve the mystery of these creatures and discover their connection to his brother Jack, who died years earlier. Mind Rip takes its inspiration from horror movies of the 70s and 80s like Phantasm, Re-Animator, and Evil Dead 2. Comic books like Tales From the Crypt and The Vault of Horror are also a big influence.

Vincent emphasizes that although the movie is being shot locally on a low budget, it can still look like a high quality production. “We’re shooting on HD video with professional lighting. That makes a huge difference in how a movie can feel.” Vincent’s background working for David Allen productions also comes into play. In the 1990s, he contributed to films such as Dr. Mordrid, Freaked, and Robot Wars. “We’re reaching out to a horror fans who are tired of seeing computer generated monsters in their movies. To me, movies done with practical effects have more character. They have a better feel to them, and that’s what we’re trying to do with Mind Rip.”

According to their Kickstarter deadline, Philrose Productions has until Thursday, May 26, to reach its fundraising goal of $7500. Vincent and Boas have been telling everyone they can think of to take a look at the video, pick a pledge level, and give generously.

Remember, they can’t do it with out the support of “viewers like you.”

LINKS

Mind Rip FX on Kickstarter
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mindrip/mindripfx

Mind Rip official site
http://mindripmovie.com

Mind Rip on Facebook
http://facebook.com/mindrip

John David Vincent credits on the Internet Movie Database
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0898681

Mike Boas credits on the Internet Movie Database
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1711376

John Vincent and Mike Boas are available for interview by phone, email, or Skype.

CONTACT:
http://maddogmovies.com/contact

UNMASKED
Mike Russo and I found ourselves making another 72 Hour film for the Mind 2 Movie Challenge. This year’s improv elements: a closet clown, a bunch of bills, and a [...]]]> It’s only been a short time since my last compilation post, and already I’ve got new projects to sum up.

UNMASKED
Mike Russo and I found ourselves making another 72 Hour film for the Mind 2 Movie Challenge. This year’s improv elements: a closet clown, a bunch of bills, and a hostage situation. We’ll be premiering the film (along with the 9 other contest entries) on Monday, March 7, at the Little Theatre.

ANIMATUS IN THE PAPER
The D&C did a great article on Fred Armstrong and Animatus Studio, featuring a few pictures of yours truly working on the latest Buju & Ziggie cartoon for Wegmans and Crustal Pix. Read it online, or see the scan from the paper (with additional pictures) by clicking here.

THE MITZVAH
I’m providing post production assistance to this short film from writer/director Rose Jurman. It’s a piece about doubt and regret, set during WWII.

ZOMBIE INTERVENTION
Franklin Kielar wrote and directed this horror/comedy. It’s essentially a silent short, in which I play an undead father figure confronting a young vegetarian zombie. It was a fun shoot, done in one morning (but with two cameras) back in the fall. Now it’s on YouTube, complete with outtakes.

Come out for the second annual Little Theatre 24 Hour Horror Fest in Rochester, NY, this October 30, 2010!
https://thelittle.org/filmfest.php

The Festival kicks off on [...]]]> Burn Witch Burn! Here’s a fast paced promo I whipped up for the festival. It features clips from Horror Hotel, a public domain film starring Christopher Lee.

Come out for the second annual Little Theatre 24 Hour Horror Fest in Rochester, NY, this October 30, 2010!
https://thelittle.org/filmfest.php

The Festival kicks off on Friday Night with a Zombie Walk. Everyone will meet in make-up at Java’s at 10pm. The walk will begin at 10:30pm. Zombies will make their way down East Ave. to the Little Theatre.

SCHEDULE

Friday, October 29th
o 10pm – ZOMBIE WALK @ JAVA’S

Saturday, October 30th
o 12am – SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
o 2am – DEAD, ALIVE (1992)
o 4am – RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)
o 6am – SURVIVOR’S CHOICE (5 PUBLIC DOMAIN FILMS)
o 9am – MVP Little Buddies presents IGOR (2008)
o 11am – Emerging Filmmakers presents HORROR SHORTS*
o 1pm – AMERICAN MOVIE/ COVEN (1999)
o 4pm – DIARY OF THE DEAD (2007)
o 6pm – Fright Rags Presents DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981)
o 8pm – Grindhouse presents PLANET TERROR (2007)
o 10pm – DEATH PROOF (2007)

Sunday, October 31st
o 12am – HUMAN CENTIPEDE (2009) – ONLY ROCHESTER SHOWING TO DATE!

Paul Tracy, president of RAVA, recorded the event and has [...]]]> I recently took part in a panel discussion covering the technology of podcasting, hosted by the Rochester Audio Visual Association. John Vincent and I were representing The Mad Dog Movies Podcast, and I also pulled from my experience managing The Animation Workshop Podcast.

Paul Tracy, president of RAVA, recorded the event and has posted it online. The audio quality isn’t perfect — we all shared the same microphone — but there’s some good info here for aspiring podcasters.

Podcasting Forum from Paul Tracy on Vimeo.

It’s film festival season again in Rochester, and this year’s 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival looks pretty promising.

I’ve been involved behind the scenes — I manage the website and I was on the short film panel — but there’s a ton of features I haven’t seen yet.

I [...]]]>

It’s film festival season again in Rochester, and this year’s 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival looks pretty promising.

I’ve been involved behind the scenes — I manage the website and I was on the short film panel — but there’s a ton of features I haven’t seen yet.

I encourage all film fans to check the schedule and come out to support the festival!

Here are some recommended events:

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE
Thursday, May 06, 2010 9:45 PM
Dryden Theater
and
Saturday, May 08, 2010 7:30 PM
Little Theatre – Little 5

A history of exploitation films in America. I’ve been captivated by this genre for the last several years, which is why I jumped at the chance to provide some animated titles for the doc. Director Elijah Drenner will be in attendance.

MADE IN ROCHESTER
Little Theatre – Little 1
Thursday, May 06, 2010 6:45 PM

Here’s your chance to see the best films from the 360 | 365 Shorts Contest, plus films from Michelle Cardulla, Stan Main, Dave Marshall, and last but not least… Mike Russo’s VIRGIN FANG, starring yours truly as Draculess the timid vampire.

ADULT SHORTS: Hidden Worlds
Little Theatre – Little 1
Thursday, May 06, 2010 9:00 PM

ADULT SHORTS: Private Lives
Little Theatre – Little 5
Saturday, May 08, 2010 5:00 PM

These are the two shorts blocks I helped curate.
We watched about 130 entries, then chose the 15 we loved. Trust me, these are some great films.

WE CAN SHINE: FROM INSTITUTIONS TO INDEPENDENCE
Curtis Theatre
Sunday, May 09, 2010 3:00 PM

My student, Adrian Esposito, has completed his third documentary feature, and this is the best one to date. In We Can Shine, he shares the dark history of institutions for the disabled and how improvements have been made in recent years.

FREE PANELS

Local filmmakers should take advantage of the panel events at the festival, including the following:

Demo: RED CAMERA
The Austin Connection
Screenwriter’s Panel
Screenplay Live!

MUCH MUCH MORE

As if that’s not enough, I want to take in the following as well:

THE S FROM HELL
GONE WITH THE POPE
WAKE IN FRIGHT
THE SECRET OF KELLS
IT CAME FROM KUCHAR
CELL 211
HARRY BROWN
A CONVERSATION WITH THELMA SCHOONMAKER
THE RED SHOES

See you at the fest! Visit http://film360365.com for schedule and ticket information.

360 | 365 on Twitter

Here’s the artwork (so far) for the lunchbox props we’ll be using in the Rochester Movie Makers summer shorts. I’ve got a few things I still want to touch up, but I think it’s pretty close.

For this year’s Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts, we are introducing a linking motif. For those who wish to take part in a larger anthology film, our writers are incorporating a MacGuffin — in this case a red lunchbox. We wanted to give that lunchbox some personality, so [...]]]>

For this year’s Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts, we are introducing a linking motif. For those who wish to take part in a larger anthology film, our writers are incorporating a MacGuffin — in this case a red lunchbox. We wanted to give that lunchbox some personality, so I proposed some fictional branding. It’s important to avoid copyright issues (like if we used a Spider-Man lunchbox) so our prop will be emblazoned with the MAD MONSTER identity.

I’ve spent the last couple days working on the perfect retro font style for the Mad Monster. My goal is for the box itself to be a product of the monster mania of the 1960s. Universal monster movies were playing on TV to kids who’d never seen them before. Their popularity led to Aurora model kits and publications like Forrest J. Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland.

I imagine that a character like Mad Monster would have appealed to those kids. He appeared on lunchboxes, but is now almost completely forgotten. Those lunchboxes are prized collectibles today.

To find the right inspiration for the design, I looked at magazines, toys, and comics of the era. I especially examined the covers of Famous Monsters. I like the the letters in the left column interlock with each other.

I also thumbed through an issue of today’s greatest horror publication, Rue Morgue. Check out the font used in the lower right, for the name Paul Naschy. The spiky serifs seemed like a good way to go.

After countless drawings, I scanned my favorite treatment and applied color and texture. The next step will be adding the monster character. (The font had to be done first so I would know what shape he’d be leaning against.)

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about [...]]]>

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about how great it would be if Mike Russo and I were to win top honors in an online short film contest… Got that mental image in your head? Good, now follow the link below to experience our absurd little film.

Watch Croquet The Musical at Bigstar.TV

New link! Watch it here!

Then sign in with Facebook Connect (using the login link at the top of the Bigstar page) and vote with all your heart. A vote for Croquet is a vote for ART!

Thanks for your support! Remember, I cried real tears for this film.

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition [...]]]> Behold!

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

The Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY.
Social hour in the cafe: 6pm.
Showtime: 7pm.
Awards: 8pm.

Tickets are available now at the Little Box Office to see all 10 films for $5.00.

If you’ve been following my Facebook feed ( http://facebook.com/mikeboas ) you’ve probably seen some cryptic messages about croquet in the last week.

It all came about because writer Mike Russo and myself headed up a team for the Rochester Movie Makers 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Challenge. As you can imagine, this [...]]]>

If you’ve been following my Facebook feed ( http://facebook.com/mikeboas ) you’ve probably seen some cryptic messages about croquet in the last week.

It all came about because writer Mike Russo and myself headed up a team for the Rochester Movie Makers 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Challenge. As you can imagine, this involved writing, rehearsing, shooting, and editing a complete short film in 72 hours. At the start of this event, our team (dubbed TEAM AWESOME) was assigned a line of dialogue, a character, and a prop.

The line: “We are not the doctors. We are the disease.”

The character: Uncle Billy from Utica — a secret drinker.

The prop: A CROQUET MALLET.

Naturally, this suggested the title, “Croquet The Musical.” How could we go wrong?

I’ll be posting a trailer soon. In the meantime, enjoy the following absurd pictures.

So… I went back to the keyframes and had to double the space between them. And then add in some [...]]]> I nearly blew it on this one. After what I THOUGHT was the final render, I noticed I had animated everything at double speed. So 13 seconds of footage was zipping by in 6 seconds.

So… I went back to the keyframes and had to double the space between them. And then add in some more animation so things didn’t look… so… deliberate…

Overall, a cute little scene. No zombie attacks, but it gets across a plot point — that Judy is now watching the sick girl in the basement.

Once I’m satisfied with the movements, I’ll go back in and add the grayscale coloration to the characters. Traditionally, I do that before the animation, but [...]]]> Here’s a continuation of my latest scene. Helen Cooper turns around and leaves the basement. Next, I’ll add the Judy character, who takes her place watching the sick child.

Once I’m satisfied with the movements, I’ll go back in and add the grayscale coloration to the characters. Traditionally, I do that before the animation, but I’m changing things up a little.

Some of my new drawings for Helen’s back and Judy:

I started off tracing the background and foreground elements, but to change things up, I’m using my “cartoon” style on the characters. Does it save time? Well, [...]]]> I’m trying to crank out a short segment this weekend. This shot has Helen Cooper leaving the basement, with Judy taking her place to watch over young Karen.

I started off tracing the background and foreground elements, but to change things up, I’m using my “cartoon” style on the characters. Does it save time? Well, there’s a lot more planning up front, drawing all the character pieces. Once that’s done, it’s simpler to move them around… except Helen has to turn around to leave! I haven’t drawn her from the rear yet, so it’s back to the drawing board.

Here’s the first part of the animation. Helen stands up: