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OREGON MEDIA PRODUCTION ASSN
10.2011
Oregon’s Resource for the Media Production Industry
It Takes a Village... to put on a wildly successful industry event!
See inside for more about the 2011 Oregon's Got Talent party
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Photography: By Submission Page Layout: Duck Up Productions jay@duckupproductions.com 503.701.7926 OMPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS James WilderHancock, President Government Affairs and Business Development Co-Chair WilderHancock Productions wilderhancock@gmail.com 503.245.7415 Lisa Cicala, Vice-President Membership Chair lisa@lisacicala.com 503.260.2977 Tim Troester, Secretary/Treasurer Golf Co-Chair Hays Companies of Oregon ttroester@hayscompanies.com 503.624.4770 Ryan Crisman, Past President Directory Chair Read Entertainment ryan@readentertainment.com 503.501.5454 Kathleen Lopez Kathleen Lopez Production Services Filmmakerlopez@aol.com 503.780.2767 Damon Jones Talent Chair, Health Insurance Chair Actors in Action actorsinaction@qwest.net 503.762.2911 Michael Bard Golf Chair StudioBard Music and Audio Post michael@studiobard.com 503.273.2273 Wayne Paige Scholarship Chair Digital Wave wayne@digitalwave.tv 503.227.9283 Robert Lewis New Media Committee Fashionbuddha Studio robert@fashionbuddha.com 503.490.4787 Kathleen O'Reilly KTO Studio 310.301.0023 Mike Ratoza Bullivant Houser Bailey PC Michael.ratoza@bullivant.com 503.228.6351 Susan Haley Marketing Chair Paydogs susan@paydogs.com 503.850.4742 Stefan Henry-Biskup Liquid Development shbiskup@liquiddevelopment.com 503.223.8500 Jeanna Minshall jminshall@gmail.com 541.228.7268 Christopher Toyne Talent Co-Chair NW Film Financing cftoyne@gmail.com 503.288.3551 OMPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom McFadden info@ompa.org OMPA ASSISTANT Jessica Beer jessica@ompa.org
Director’s Letter Hard Work is Paying Off Dear Industry Members, As always, thank you for being a strong community in support of growing jobs and business opportunities in Oregon, as well as for continuing to hold our professional industry standards so high. I don’t know what is more exciting to report – what should prove to be another record-breaking year of production business, or the glowing reviews of the producers who work with our local community. The job activity that we have been able to post to OMPA members is fabulous, and it is pleasing to see postings for large crew calls as well as freelance and permanent positions, at a variety of skill levels. Wrapping up one of the most active summers in over a decade, we hear the need more than ever of having a comprehensive place to locate professional crew, equipment and production facilities. As an industry association, our job becomes as much to offer tools to facilitate the multiple projects shooting here at a given time as it is to entice projects to do business in our state in the first place. OMPA’s main tool for doing both is to publish the industry directory SourceOregon.com. We are at this time excited to prepare the “Call for Listings” for new and renewed listings in the SourceOregon.com directory 2012 print edition. Some improvements in publishing the 2012 book are increased circulation, in particular to an even larger list of national commercial production clients. Let’s get even more jobs! In interviewing line producers and production coordinators about the utility and usability of the SourceOregon.com production directory, the overwhelming concern was that the directory’s usefulness is in its completeness. A more complete book not only makes it easier for a coordinator, producer or department head to find people and resources, it also represents Oregon as a place with a wealth of resources to those producers and line producers whose first impression of the industry comes from reading SourceOregon.com. One coordinator put it this way, “I wish more people would put their numbers in here… it can take me forever to track down a phone number and that is a pain in the butt. People, keep your contact info in the directory updated!” (Thanks Liz for that encouragement.) You heard her – let’s get to it! Expect an email this month about renewing your listing by the October 31st early bird deadline to save 10%! Sincerely,
The CALLSHEET is published monthly by the Oregon Media Production Association, a 501c(6) non-profit representing Oregon’s film, video and multimedia industry. © 2011 OMPA 901 SE Oak, Suite 104 Portland, OR 97214 503.228.8822 / FAX:503.228.7099 info@ompa.org • www.ompa.org
Tom McFadden
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© 2011 Disney
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OCTOBER
2ND, 2011
_For 14 months, Munkowitz and a
4:00 - 4:30 Networking
team of 5 graphic all-stars infiltrated
4:30 - 5:30 Presentation
Digital Domain's vfx pipeline and pushed through over 8 minutes of
5:30 - 6:00 Questions
onScreen graphics for the film
//
TRON Legacy. Legacy In this exclusive
MISSION THEATER
1624 Northwest Glisan Street
engagement, Bradley presents case studies of the team’s major graphic
Portland, OR 97209
sequences and shares the immense design process of each task.
//
ADMISSION
$5.00
Open to the public Brought to you by:
AT DOOR
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Lane Community College presents Transit 2011 Media Arts Conference - October 7-8 EUGENE, OR - The Lane Community College Media Arts Department and Chambers Family Foundation present the Transit 2011 Media Arts Conference from October 7-8 at the Center for Meeting and Learning, Building 19 Room 102, Lane main campus, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene. The two-day conference features a variety of experts, speakers and panelists from throughout the Western United States to present on broad a range of topics from emerging trends in media arts to working in major film studios to writing scripts to the politics of the music industry. The conference kicks-off Friday morning with Mark Shapiro of LAIKA presenting the making of the Oscar-nominated feature animation film “Coraline.” Jeffrey Cooper from LA’s Cut Entertainment Group will present “Formula for Success: The Independent Film Producer” as well as a talk on how films get produced. Paul Friedlander, director of the music industry program at California State University, Chico will present “It’s the End
of the World as We Know It: The Brave New World of Digital Music Distribution.” Awardwinning animator and author Jason Lethcoe (Walt Disney Studios, Dreamworks SKG and Sony Pictures) will talk on working for the studios as well as giving a workshop on storytelling and storyboarding. Husband and wife screenwriting team Sara and Gregory Bernstein (“Trial and Error,” “Call Me Claus,” “The Conformist”) will talk about the writer’s process as well as give a talk on how to pitch a story to studio execs. Saturday opens with Shapiro talking on “Inside the Studio: How Movies Get Made,” and Friedlander sharing his insight of the international music industry as well as a talk on the politics of the music industry. Lethcoe will talk on the emerging independent scene in film and animation. In addition, a panel of Lane student alumni will provide honest insight into their own paths to success after studying at Lane. Both days feature lighting workshops by award-winning videographer and lighting specialist Leonard Henderson, and expert panels on career paths and creative industry directions. There will be several open sessions to meet with presenters, chat and ask questions. The conference is free and open to the public but online pre-registration is required. For more information, go the Transit 2011 Media Arts Conference online, look for Lane Media Arts on Facebook or contact Chad Winkler via email or at (541) 463-3258. Lane is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action institution. Visit the website, Twitter or Facebook for more info.
10.2011 Beginning Screenwriting with David Alexander at Gladstone Community School Have you always wanted to write a screenplay but don’t know how to get started? Learn about story concept, characterization, structure, scene writing, dialogue and formatting from working screenwriter David Alexander. Dave is a past Humanitas Prize nominee, has writing credits for seven films with a new one to be aired in December, another in development. Wed., Oct. 5-Nov. 9 from 7-9 pm Gladstone High School (18800 Portland Avenue, Gladstone, OR 97027) Tuition: $49 (Senior tuition: $39) To register, or for more information, contact Gladstone Community School at (503) 650-2570
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Good Works Film Festival in Eugene & Portland, Oct 6-10 Oregon welcomes the Good Works Film Festival, a first-time event in Eugene (with a kickoff screening in Portland). The festival presents a series of acclaimed feature-length films with an array of social justice themes. GWFF is not only about great films; what happens once the lights come on is equally important. The festival celebrates and encourages thoughtful discussion, community engagement and positive action, and will be providing a context, time and space for this to occur. Numerous organizations and groups will participate, in the audience post-screening discussions with filmmakers, panels or roundtables, by providing resources and by networking and socializing at the festival Hub. All of these activities are intended to contribute to the civic dialogue and life of the community. The Bijou Art Cinemas is the home for most of the festival screenings and the networking/social Hub, the Hult Center will host our centerpiece event, and the Eugene Public Library will be the venue for a day of screenings for students. For more information, visit the festival’s website.
Rid of Me Secures Distribution Rid of Me, directed, written and produced by James Westby and produced by star Katie O’Grady has been acquired by Phase 4 films for U.S. and Canadian distribution, starting in the fall. The film – a black comedy starring Katie O’Grady as an awkward young woman trying too hard to perfect her marriage, among a new group of friends in Portland’s punk and rock scene – was selected to play in the Tribeca Film Festival, Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival (where it won Best US Narrative), San Diego Film Festival and Bend Film Festival.
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It Takes a Village . . .
By Christopher Toyne
On Friday, September 16 we celebrated “Oregon’s Got Talent” - the First Anniversary of OMPA’s launch of the Talent Section in SourceOregon.com and the OMPA agency/management ‘add-on’ membership. Over 250 people gathered at Indent Studios for an evening of new introductions, intense conversations and informal screenings of members’ work, while enjoying a New Belgium brew or two, some vintage three-buck chuck, great Popchips and the performance talents of the Portland Teen Idol finalists. Additionally, the night honored the Portland Creative Conference “Cre8con” and was the social kick-off for this fascinating and inspirational gathering, held at the Newmark Theatre the following morning.
103 non-members attended the event – and we are delighted to welcome 10 new members from within that number to the Oregon Media Production Association. As it takes a lot of dedication, hard work and many volunteer hours to stage this event, there is only one way to do justice to this report - “Name Names!” Many of these volunteers give up time every month to support our Industry by participating on the OMPA Talent Committee.
Our thanks go to Jena Bodell for her committed production of the event; Ryan Menard for his tireless stage-management and Michele Mariana for her elegant decorations. They were ably assisted by volunteers Loren Felix Kelly, Timothy Levine, James Patrick Butts and Faith Elaine Vaillancourt. Peter West, although unable to be with us on the evening due to an ‘out-of-town’ gig, created a beautiful lighting design on a zero budget. This plot was artfully executed by Sue Bean-Portinga, a master electrician with the Portland Community College Performing Arts Center, assisted by a team of her PCC Sylvania Campus students: Victor Ciccone, Cole Fiala, Dug Martell and Marissa Portinga. Hollywood Lights
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donated the specialty lighting fixtures. Drew Canulette of Dogfish Sound donated the audio amplification and provided the PA mix, sensitive to the desire of some to listen to the performance and notices, while of others to continue enjoying their conversations. OMPA is thrilled to welcome Jessica Beer as our new full-time Administrative Manager. This was her first event since taking on the position, and she was aided and abetted by volunteers Vicky Anderson, Kimber Dion Hall, LeeAnn Gibbons, Derald Krause, Suzanne Owens-Duval, Cyndi Rhoads, Sharon Ross, Laurie Slater, Patty Stark and Spencer “Tim” Wyndham. The bar was, as in many times past, superbly manned by Andrew Warnecke and Erin Mackenzie. Dennis Gleason and his Dark Wing Productions presented five gorgeous young performers in arousing solo performances from his successful Portland Teen Idol competition and tour. First was Haley Ward, the 2011 Winner from Gladstone High School. She was followed by Emily Syphus, 2011 Finalist from Aloha High School; Jereme Wilke, 2011 Finalist from Jesuit High School and Michael Chaffee, a 2008 Finalist. The final solo was from
Photos by Frank DiMarco
Jordan Thompson, the 2007 Winner who has recently achieved an RCA recording contract. Talented make-up artist M’chel Bauxal hyphenated as makeup/hair and music director.
OMPA’s Executive Director Tom McFadden introduced the business at hand, with informative addresses from AFTRA’s Nathaniel Applefield, committee member Michele Mariana, the Cre8con’s conference chairman Steve Gehlen and master of ceremonies Rob Sample. Our thanks also to photographers Jeff Amram and Frank DiMarco. Later in the evening Theo Burke provided a piano bar, with spirited renditions of great standards and accompaniment to many of our members and guests trying out at the open mic. Ryan and Tina Menard ran a free raffle, giving away limited edition “Oregon’s Got Talent” posters autographed by creator Arnold Pander and actors’ coaching sessions donated by Ted Rooney and Damon Jones. Prior to the evening event, Harold Phillips moderated a valuable and informative Healthcare Conversation, with representatives from the unions and insurance industry. The panel included Nathaniel Applefield, Executive Director for Portland/Seattle of the American Cont’d on page 18
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Portlandia Wins an Emmy
On Sept 9, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced that Portlandia’s Amanda Needham (Costume Designer) and Niki Dimitras (Costume Supervisor) won a juried Emmy award for best Costumes in a Variety or Music Program Emmy award for their work on the “Farm” episode. The Primetime Emmy rules state that in a juried award, all entrants are screened by a jury of professionals in the peer group, with the possibility of one, more than one or no entry being awarded an Emmy. There Portland’s Premiere Sound Stage Facility 35’ x 46’ Two Wall Cyc Completely Soundproof Complete Tungsten Lighting Package Full Grip Inventory and Expendables 1800 Amp Total Power Fisher 10 Dolly Paintable Stage No Weekend or Evening Upcharge
are no nominations. The winner(s), if any, are announced prior to the awards presentation. Deliberations are an open discussion of the work of each entrant, with a thorough review of the merits of awarding the Emmy. At the conclusion of the deliberation on each entry, the jury votes on the question, “Is this entry worthy of an Emmy award – yea or nay?” Only those in unanimous approval win. About the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, founded in 1946 at the birth of the medium, is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunication arts, sciences and creative leadership. Known for recognizing outstanding programming through its Primetime Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy also publishes emmy magazine. Its charitable Foundation operates the Archive of American Television, College Television Awards, acclaimed student internships and other educational outreach programs. For more information on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, its many industry-related programs and services, including year-round events, please visit the Emmys web site.
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Blackstone Edge Studios Wins Two Gold EMPixx Awards Blackstone Edge Studios’ hit YouTube series Pack Your Kit, which features interviews with six local pro photographers and recently surpassed 70,000 hits worldwide, has been awarded two EMPixx Gold Awards for the series and its trailer. Los Angeles Director of Photography, Philip Holahan who shot such series as ER, Boston Legal, etc., filmed the entire series on the Canon 5D MarkII. Glidecam Operator Marshal Serna of Blackstone Edge Studios used a second Canon 5D MarkII. Producer Donna Pizzi and Director/Creator Philip Clayton-Thompson, coowners of Blackstone Edge Studios, have been garnering nothing but praise for Pack Your Kit over the past year from camera enthusiast around the world, with many, many requests for the Portland-based company to do another series. The awards are especially meaningful to the company, considering
it was up against such big guns as CNN and BMW (with larger budgets). LA film composer Steven Argila wrote the score. Argila is currently working two major film scores, including “Peanuts” and “Basmati Blues.” BSE co-owner Philip Clayton-Thompson conceived this series after years of being on the road as a pro photographer and wondering how other pros packed their kits to make life easier. It was very gratifying for him to see the idea come to fruition under his direction.
Oregonian photographer Thomas R. Boyd (checking his camera), at a Sellwood food cart. Director of Photography Philip Holahan works the Kessler Crane. Marshal Serna looks on.
DP Philip Holahan and Director Philip ClaytonThompson check the Canon 5D Mark II with Zacuto back while shooting on the Burnside Bridge.
Thanks go out to Portland Mayor Sam Adams for his recent letter of support for Portland’s thriving film/ TV production scene. If you haven’t yet read the letter, titled “As the Film Industry Rises in Portland, So Do Our Fortunes,” do so here.
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My Summer as a Goth Feature Film Launches Kickstarter Campaign Portland, Oregon-based filmmakers Brandon Roberts and Tara JohnsonMedinger have spent the last two years crafting My Summer As A Goth, a unique telling of the classic “girl meets boy” story. Their story comes with a twist, however: a gothic, “My Fair Lady”-esque twist, fueled by the rush of summer love. Teenagers in the 80’s, Roberts and Johnson-Medinger were inspired by the kinds of identifiable characters and social situations brought to life with by legendary filmmaker John Hughes, who defined a generation through his films. As screenwriters, the duo challenged themselves to develop a script that would celebrate the extraordinariness of youth’s first loves (and heartbreaks) and relate universal life lessons that will appeal across demographic and generational lines. My Summer As A Goth is a film about the sometimes painful, often entertaining, adolescent search for identity and true love. Sixteen-year old Joey Javitts reluctantly spends her first summer away from home with her grandparents and ends up transformed by the beguiling Goth neighbor boy, Victor. During the course of her crazy summer, as Joey morphs from the girl-nextdoor to funereal mistress in black, she also runs into her high school crush, Robbie, and unexpectedly finds herself the object of both boys’ affections. My Summer As A Goth is an empowering, funny tale about how sometimes we have to try on a new identity in order to figure out who we really
were all along. Currently in the development phase, the filmmakers are seeking to raise $20,000 in this Kickstarter effort to move the project forward, launching the 45 day call for support on September 14th, 2011, and ending on all Goths’ favorite eve, Halloween (October 31st). The biggest component in moving forward is having a defined film product to shop to investors in order to obtain their intended budget. The development efforts include hiring an expert in writing business plans for independent films; hiring a casting agent and attaching talent; meeting with potential investors and casting directors in Los Angeles; as well as providing payment to their talented Portland-based crew. The filmmakers’ goal is to film in Oregon Summer 2012 for a theatrical release in Summer 2013. There are Kickstarter contribution levels for all budgets, from $5 to $5,000, with several distinctive rewards including “I Heart Goth” buttons and t-shirts; a Goth box makeover kit; an extra role in the film or your name appearing on a tombstone in the film. All contributions of $35 and above will also receive an invitation to a special Halloween night vampire film screening at the “haunted” Hollywood Theatre. There is a talented team of filmmakers behind this effort. Co-Producer, Tara JohnsonMedinger is a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning Portland film scene as Executive Director of The Portland Women’s Film Festival and co-founder of Sour Apple Productions, a production company dedicated to original filmmaking and festival exhibition. Her background includes over 20 years of experience in the film and television industry, including serving as manager of affiliate promotion at FOX Broadcasting in Los Angeles. Johnson-Medinger recently mounted another successful Kickstarter fundraising campaign, raising $10,000 for a documentary feature she is co-producing, “Rock-n-Roll Mamas.” Screenwriter and co-producer Brandon Roberts’ first script, ”In The Morning Glory,” was a Sundance Screenplay Competition and Cont’d on page 11
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Newspace Center for Photography features Frank DiMarco OMPA Member Frank DiMarco’s photography will be part of Newspace Center for Photography’s Annual Members Showcase exhibition, on view at the Center from Friday, October 7 through Sunday, October 30, 2011. Opening party is Friday, October 7 from 6-9 PM 1632 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 503.963.1935 More info on our web site. DiMarco’s work is also part of the permanent collection of Oregon Health Sciences University and is featured in a new book, “Art On The Hill - Works from the OHSU Collection”, published October 2011 by OHSU. Details on our web site.
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Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition SemiFinalist (top 10) in 2001. Roberts and JohnsonMedinger have assembled a creative team that includes: Tyson Wisbrock, a Portland, OR-based Director of Photography who has worked on television commercials for highprofile clients such as Nike, Nintendo, MTV2, Purina, and the Oregon Lottery. Wisbrock’s unique vision also extends into the music
video world (Fruit Bats, Minus the Bear) and reality television (Expeditions to the Edge, Little People Big World). Jillian Venters, the mastermind behind the long-running Gothic Charm School advice column and the author of Gothic Charm School: An Essential Guide For Goths And Those Who Love Them, serves as Goth lifestyle consultant. Visit our web site to learn more about supporting this film project.
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Eastern Oregon Film Festival Takes To The Screen October 20-22 LA GRANDE, OR- The 2011 Eastern Oregon Film Festival will be held on October 20th - October 22nd in historic downtown La Grande, Oregon. The event includes 20 films, 7 bands, 3 days of after parties and experiencing La Grande. Featured films for this year’s program include the NW Premiere of Jon Foy’s Sundance winning documentary ‘Resurrect Dead’, the West Coast Premiere of Tristan Patterson’s moving and intimate SXSW winner, ‘Dragonslayer’, and Evan Glodell’s innovative and thrilling low-budget phenom, ‘Bellflower’. For a list of this year’s full program, please visit the official festival website. 2011’s music line-up includes some of the best up and coming NW musicians. After parties will feature the likes of Portland’s Jared Mees and The Grown Children, Boise’s Hillfolk Noir, Finn Riggins, and Atomic Mama, La Grande’s own Elidila and Sons of Guns, and from Pendleton, Oregon J.D. Kindle and The Eastern Oregon Playboys. Times and schedules are available on the festival website. Eastern Oregon Film Festival is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to creating a cinematic experience in Eastern Oregon that promotes discovery, entertainment, and education via artistic exhibition and
Photo by Laura Hancock (2010) - Musician Shaun Daniel busks it outside of The Granada Theater.
viewership. Through the mediums of independent film and music we aim to expand the cultural experience within our region. Eastern Oregon Film Festival had a tremendous 2010 year screening 20 films, showcasing 4 bands, and having a heck of a lot of fun. The festival reached out to filmmakers across the globe and was blessed by the participation of such filmmakers as Matthew Porterfield (Putty Hill), Jessica Oreck (Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo), Kentucker Audley (Open Five) and many more. Nestled among the Blue Mountains and the Eagle Cap Wilderness, La Grande, Oregon is located in the center of the largest fullyenclosed valley in North America. The town itself is approximately 13,000 people and is a nationally accredited Tree Town. Sweet. Eastern Oregon University, along with the numerous boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, living room jam sessions, bike trails, bodies of running water, dive bars, drifters, and train cars, help to define the cultural landscape. Plan to attend this year’s festival in beautiful Eastern Oregon, October 20, 21, & 22 in La Grande, Oregon. Visit the festival website or connect to facebook/twitter (@ eofilmfest) to learn how to participate, attend and interact at this year’s event. Photo by Laura Hancock. Filmmaker Benjamin Morgan searches for a seat at the 2010 Eastern Oregon Film Festival
Photo by Ian Clark: Upshot at the Granada Theater 2010 Festival
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NW Film Center Offers Bill Bowling Workshop Bill Bowling, location manager extraordinaire, recently purchased a residence in Portland and to waste no time sinking his teeth into the PDX film community, he is teaching a workshop to inspire us with his (literally) worldly knowledge on shooting on location. Visit the Film Center to register. THE NUTS & BOLTS OF FILMING ON LOCATION Saturdays, Oct 22 & 29, 10 AM-4 PM Tuition: $70.00. (See below for scholarship info) Description. Locations are more than an attractive backdrop. Great locations propel and enhance the story, often becoming major characters themselves. The Film Center is pleased to present this unique opportunity to dive into the world of film locations with one of the world’s experts in the field. Whether you are already a specialist in some aspect of location production or aspire to more effectively scout or manage your own (or friends’) locations, this workshop will help you hone your skills, drawing upon the instructor’s vast experience in scouting, arranging, and supervising locations around the globe. The first Saturday class will focus on aesthetic implications of locations, architectural styles, script breakdown, budgeting, location agreements, and legal concerns. The class will include an
50% need-based scholarships are available to emerging and veteran filmmakers. Previous experience with location shooting is not required, but applicants must have some film production experience. To apply, send resume, contact information, and a brief description of financial need to classes@ nwfilm.org. Requests will be processed on a first come, first served basis until the workshop is full. No deadline.
on-location demonstration of how to select and shoot locations. Participants will be assigned to find locations as homework during the week. The second Saturday will review class location selection assignments, with participants presenting their selections as if to a director. This class day will also cover scouting/location resources, the importance of an aesthetic eye, pre-shoot tech scouts with the director and department personnel, logistical arrangements, how visual effects can factor into filming on location, negotiating, working with key players, career opportunities, and techniques for success. The goals are for participants to increase their abilities to: 1) select locations that best advance their stories, and 2) organize smooth, efficient location production logistics.
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Olde World Puppet Theatre Studios Releases First Book and Movie Olde World Puppet Theatre Studios has released its first movie, Witch Key, A Prince’s Adventure, and its first book, The Enchanted Ring, A Princess’s Adventure - fairy tale fantasy entertainment for pre-teens and families. Witch Key, a Prince’s Adventure is a one hour DVD of one of the Olde World Puppet Theatre’s most beloved stories. The movie uses puppets instead of human actors to tell its story. Unlike some other “puppet movies”, this one features three-foot tall marionettes, seven elegant and elaborate lifelike sets, an extraordinary classical music score, and exciting cinematography to bring the daring adventure to life. The five additional behind-the-scenes, making-of segments are designed to illustrate the art of filmmaking to a young audience. There is also a special download link to build characters from the film. The Enchanted Ring, A Princess’s Adventure, The Olde World Puppet Theatre Studios’ new book, is the first in the award-winning Tales of Belvuria series of marionette plays to be adapted from stage to book by Steven M. Overton, Master Puppeteer and Creative Director. This 88 page book is available both in deluxe printed as well as e-book versions. Both the book and the movie are available at http://www.belvuria.com. Steven M. Overton, Master Puppeteer and Studio Creative Director said: “It has been a lifetime dream of mine to see my stories presented in book and direct to DVD movie formats to reach a wider audience. While ours may be the smallest studio known to man, it suits us just fine - after all, our actors are only three feet tall!” The Olde World Puppet Theatre Studios is an offshoot of The Olde World Puppet Theatre, which has been performing their medieval Tales of Belvuria live for over 30 years, making it one of the longest running puppet companies in the United States. Using all Oregon-based talent, the studio spent the last four years
making the movie Witch Key, one of the most beloved and performed tales in the series. The series features 17 interlocking episodes with over 150 exquisite marionette charactersfrom Dragons to Unicorns, Witches, Pixies, Faeries, a King and Queen, and a Prince and Princess. Each story tells children and families a new adventure from the very unique land of Belvuria. The company spent the ‘80’s in San Francisco where they were Macy’s puppet company for 17 Bay Area stores. They dazzled the opening of the San Francisco opera season by featuring their jewel-like marionettes in eight windows for Tiffany & Co. The California Board of Education and the National Association of Librarians recognized Mr. Overton’s stage scripts with awards for best children’s plays for The Tales Of Belvuria. The company also planted the idea for the talking Mother Goose by Worlds of Wonder and gave inspiration to Steven Sondheim for
10.2011 his Broadway hit Into the Woods. and Seattle. The company produced The Adventures of Robin Hood for Sherwood’s In 1992, under the creative direction of annual Robin Hood Days festival. Resembling Steven M. Overton and Martin Richmond, stained glass, these unique characters lifted The Olde World Puppet Theatre returned off the windows of an outdoor chapel to battle the company home to its roots in the foes in this romantic legend of old. Portland area, opening marionette puppet theaters in both Mall 205 and Jantzen The studio has also been either puppet or Beach Super Center. For the next 15 years costume consultant for such films as Skin Deep they also continued performing their live for Blake Edwards, Mousehunt, and Titanic, traveling shows for festivals and local events as well as winning the Portland Drama Critic’s throughout the western United States. DRAMMY award for Best Costumer for Tygre’s Heart Shakespeare Company’s production of Portland’s Starlight Parade and Rose Much Ado About Nothing. Festival parade have both featured fifteenfoot tall Norse God puppets, a giant purple The goal of the Olde World Puppet Theatre smoke-belching dragon, and Renaissance Studios in the new digital age is to release costumed walk around characters winning its stories into people’s homes for the whole the company three Best Float awards. family to share. Printed and electronic books, DVDs and electronic downloads all fulfill this The studio gained recognition for building goal. Later we hope to film other puppet many of the puppets for the Hunchback of companies, preserving the traditions of Notre Dame stage show at Disney World American puppetry for future generations to in Orlando, which was seen by over 21 come. million people during its six-year run. Other challenging projects included the creation of The company operates two websites, the many of the puppets for the children’s movie destination website devoted to everything Wee Sing Under The Sea, the Barq’s Root about the mythical kingdom, and an Beer Dog, and the puppets for Portland’s international magnet for puppet enthusiasts, Tears of Joy Theatre’s Adventures of Perseus. with visitors from over 83 different countries represented to date. In 1996, the Company curated and created The Incredible, Fascinating, Steven M. Overton and Martin Richmond on the set of Witch Key Wonderful World of Puppets for The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the largest puppet event ever held on the west coast. It featured over 1,000 puppets from around the world, hands-on activities for visitors and three months of live puppet performances by the most famous puppet troupes on the west coast. Drawing over 71,000 visitors, it helped OMSI recover from the river flooding that ravaged their campus. This is still one of the company’s proudest achievements. No, No, No Pinocchio was created for the Festas Italiana in both Portland
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White Box Presents David Eckard Through Nov 12, in collaboration with the Marylhurst University Art Gym’s mid-career survey of Portland artist David Eckard’s work, The White Box at the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts 24 NW First Avenue, in Portland) will be showcasing Eckard’s most recent 2D work consisting of paintings, drawings, and video. Eckard has created elaborate sculptural and performative works for many years; in the last decade, he has moved his work into new, two dimensional representations and responses to themes that continue to engage him. The White Box visual laboratory is presenting several of these works alongside Eckard’s imaginative video productions that will be screened in The Gray Box media exhibition space. Art Gym Collaboration. The Art Gym at Maryhurst University is opening its Fall 2011 season on Sunday, October 2, 2011, with David Eckard: Deployment, a mid-career
survey covering 20 years of the Portland-based artist’s career. David Eckard: Deployment will exhibit approximately 40 artworks including: new paintings, sculptures, and performances; and a collection of previously exhibited sculptures, drawings, and documentation. About David Eckard. David Eckard is a Portland, Oregon artist, performer and educator. He received his BFA (1988) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Through objects, drawings, installations and performative interventions. Eckard investigates conditions of masculinity, identity, endurance, authority, and absurdity. His work has been exhibited internationally and has been written about and reviewed in The New York Times, Art in Review, and The Chicago Tribune. David Eckard recently performed as part of Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s TimeBased Art Festival 2011. For more information about that festival and David’s performances, please visit this link.
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The “Native Speaker” Syndrome By OMPA member Rico Vallejos, multicultural communications scriptwriter/ creative director living in Eugene, Oregon. In twenty-five years of working on multilingual A/V and broadcast programs, I’ve heard the following a few times, meant as reassurance that we have a good foreignlanguage script for a new project: “The script is OK because it was written (or translated) by a native speaker.” Reality Check. Since when is being a native speaker of a language the sole prerequisite for writing good copy? Following that rationale, finding a good scriptwriter would be quite simple: You look for someone with English as their native language and a college or graduate degree, and if they are available and interested, you hire them to write your next script. Even a Good Translation Is Not Enough. To avoid this “native speaker” syndrome, production teams often hire a translator for the task. However, a translation that’s accurate and error-free can be terribly off the mark from a branding, positioning, or messaging point of view. After all, do we evaluate creative copy only by the absence of typos and grammatical errors? Yet many translations are still deemed “very good” by professionals in our industry just by this “error free” standard. They get very excited when a “no mistakes” finding is reported, as if this means that the script will prompt an audience to action or help develop a relationship with consumers.
Email rico@RicoLatino.net for the Translation-Transcreation chart.
Red Flag. Next time you hear someone say “we need a translator” for a script, think of the skills needed to write a script. Then consider this: 99% of the translation business consists of technical copy, and consequently most translators tend to be technical writers. In 20 years as agency executive and creative director, I’ve found that of thousands of professional Spanish translators who sent me impressive résumés (with equally impressive client lists), only a handful were able to work on copy for Hispanic consumers. In most cases, the technical manuals that they translated for Fortune 500 companies didn’t give them the right experience. The Bottom Line. Get a creative, not a translator. Translators think of accuracy as first and foremost in their work, and seldom have the training, experience, or creativity to depart in a disciplined way from what’s written in English. On the other hand, a true creative writer keeps the spirit of the piece, the brand, and relevance top-of-mind, and is able to translate, adapt, contextualize, transcreate, do concepting, and write new copy as needed. Very different concepts, a vastly different set of skills, and dramatically different results. Rico Vallejos can be reached at 541-8330222 or email him. You can find him in social media as RicoLatino, and at his web site.
Rico’s latest corporate video, Rosabelle’s Story, incorporates translation and transcreation elements to convey the emotional impact of the Rosabelle’s life lesson. Click the image to watch.
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It Takes a Village . . .
Cont’d from page 7
Federation of Radio and Television Artists; Dena Beaty, Executive Director for Seattle/Portland of the Screen Actors Guild, as well as Amanda Bernard and Nancy Morgan with SAG’s pension & welfare department (via Skype.) Ray Armstrong represented Insurance NW and Phil Dietmeyer represented AFLAC. Morgan Butler introduced the innovative concept of Patient/Physician Cooperatives of Portland. Dennis Noreen, of Strategy Insurance and OMPA’s insurance consultant, was on hand to describe OMPA’s existing dental and vision plan. This was the second in a series of OMPA Talent Committee seminars, designed by Harold Phillips. The first tackled tax preparation, held last February. We plan to follow up with a seminar on investment planning, savings and investment, as well as returning to panels on tax filing and healthcare for actors and freelancers. Throughout the evening an informal screening loop of members’ shorts and sizzle-pieces played in the Indent Studio Screening Room, compiled by OMPA vicepresident and Mercycorps video editor Lisa Cicala. These included a tribute to our friend and producer C.K. Lichenstein III, directed by Vincent Caldoni (‘Certainties’; ‘Reception’ and ‘The McMillan Girl’ Trailer) and projects from Erich Demerath (‘The Plot’ ), Suzanne Owens-Duval (‘Retrospect’), Hollie Olson (‘The Salon’), Jacqueline
Gault (‘Sack Lunch’), Jim Becker (‘Soul Sales’ ), Nena Botto (‘Blue Fiddles’), Rico Vallejos (‘Rosabelle’s Story’) and Laurie Slater (‘Perfect Companion.’) The loop included commercial reels from the Pander Brothers and Paul Tice, plus actors’ Reels from Frank DiMarco, Dennis Fitzpatrick and Mad Martian. The screening ended with Kristy McPherson’s ‘The Ban-Sidhe’ Trailer.
Last, but not least, Dennis Troutman and Marcia Bell presented statuettes to the eight recipients of the 1st OMPA Superfine Actor Appreciation Award. Although all fine actors, this award celebrates the recipients’ tireless efforts in promoting their craft and the Industry here in Oregon. In alphabetical order, the awards were presented to Jeffrey Babcock, for spearheading the conversation on healthcare and heading the new OMPA
Serving the Pacific Northwest
Producers. Directors. Writers. Cinematographers. Editors, Graphic Designers
503.449.5046 360.910.7211 www.duckupproductions.com
Award-Winning Industry Professionals in Development and Production for Network Television, Cable, Independent Film, Commercial and Corporate. Fortune 500 Client List.
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speaker’s bureau; to Duane Hanson, for his advocacy work with the performance guilds; to Michele Mariana, for her committee work with the guilds; to Ryan Menard, who, alongside Rob Harris, started and sustains the mentoring and training ìGround Floorî script reading group and website; to Katie O’Grady, for her ceaseless Industry support and inspired teens & kids acting classes and workshops; to Harold Phillips, for maintaining the influential Oregon Film & TV Dollars and Professional Actors Guide websites, while being totally giving of his time; to Mercedes Rose, for maintaining almost hourly social networking on behalf of us all, while producing multiple YouTube episodes of “The Lazy Actor” - a fabulous training tool for all up-and-coming talent – and lastly “T” to Christopher Toyne. We are grateful to our sponsors and benefactors: Tim Whitcomb and Maren McGuire for providing the Indent Studios space and Screening Room; Dennis Troutman’s Option Model & Media Agency for sponsoring the poster design and printing; Nathaniel Applefield and AFTRA; George Swords and MacPac for projection; New Belgium Brewing; Popchips; Hollywood Lights, plus Actors In Action, Disjecta and Picture This Production Services for furniture and staging.
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It is the mission of the OMPA Talent Committee to add value to the talent membership of OMPA by producing events and programs tailored to the community, raising industry standards and practices, and to enhance the profile of the diverse Oregon talent pool, including promoting it in SourceOregon.com. With the extraordinary volunteer help described above – “mission completed” on this night! However, we have much work to do. Please support us. The Talent Committee meets at noon on the second Thursday of each month at the OMPA offices. It is open for any one to attend. You see, it does take a Village…
10.2011 Announcing Derald Krause 503-768-4527 Derald777@hotmail.com Actor represented by Actors in Action Cyndi Rhoads 503-750-9337 cyndirhoads@earthlink.net Actor represented by Actors in Action Kitty Norton 503-208-2149 kitty@kittastrophyprone.com Student at Academy of Art University, San Francisco Katie Arnold Elephants Catering 503-937-1019 craftservices@elephantsdeli.com Catering and full service events Jordan Whittington 503-679-5782 jwhittington@live.com Student majoring in directing at PSU Benjamin Farmer 503-851-0790 bfarmer503@gmail.com Actor represented by Arthouse Talent & Literary Judy Pearson 503-643-9378 judyspeak@aol.com Actor represented by Actors in Action Kathleen Lundquist 503-290-4742 kathleen@mystagogia.net Actor, vocalist, voiceover represented by Actors in Action
Jerry Bell 503-250-3650 true2lif@gmail.com Actor represented by Arthouse Talent & Literary Belinda Schramm 360-574-1797 bschramm@q.com Singer, actor represented by Actors in Action Paul Jordan 971-270-8234 your24friend@gmail.com Actor represented by Actors in Action Mike Dempsey 541-347-8081 mikewrites@hughes.net Actor, director, writer, teacher Dustin Kimsey 360-931-3848 dustin.kimsey@comcast.net Productions and props assistant Rico Vallejos RicoLatino 541-833-0222 rico@RicoLatino.net