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 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.
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.
But that’s only the beginning! At least two shorts are going to require additional lunchbox characters. I’ll have to jump into those next.
If you have any interest in seeing the long hours of Photoshop painting that went into creating Mad Monster, check the links below.
Part 1:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6388643
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 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
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.
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