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OREGON MEDIA PRODUCTION ASSN Oregon’s Resource for the Media Production Industry
SOURCEOREGON DIRECTORY RELEASE PARTY! CAMERAS & COCKTAILS
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OMPA Members may pick up their free copy of the directory on site. Non-members may purchase directories.
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OREGON MEDIA PRODUCTION ASSN
04.2016 Board of Directors
Mission The mission of OMPA is to champion the film, television and digital storytelling industry to create a thriving environment for state of Oregon. Promote the quality and quantity of resources available to outside production companies. Leverage the growth of Oregon’s media industry to advocate for our members in state and local governments. Photography & Content: By submission Page Layout: B. Design | www.bdesignpdx.com | 503-737-5158
Board of Directors David Cress, President Producer Mary McDonald-Lewis, 1st V.P. Dialect Coach Jacqueline Gault, 2nd V.P. The Gault Shop Dennis Gleason, Secretary/Treasurer Dark Wing Productions Jose Behar ZĂœM Media Slater Dixon Creative Director Skye Fitzgerald Director of Photography Roland Gauthier Hinge Digital
Candice Jackson Entertainment Attorney Neil Kopp Filmmaker Devon Lyon Lyon Films Greg McMickle Production Designer Shelley Midthun Oregon Storyboard Gretchen Miller Hive-FX Ben Popp NW Film Center
Staff Janice Shokrian Executive Director
Industry Directory
Jessica Beer Administrative Manager
www.SourceOregon.com
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Director’s Letter Dear OMPA Members, At OMPA’s Annual Meeting in January, we embraced the theme OMPA: Bridge to Opportunities. It is interesting to see the relevance of this theme throughout the first quarter of 2016. Increasing the tax incentive fund will certainly increase opportunities for productions. The Oregon Film Office announced that they would be accepting applications for iOPIF starting May 2nd. If you have a project that qualifies for the indigenous production fund, be certain to let us know. Promoting our members is a benefit of OMPA membership, plus it is a great joy to celebrate your efforts, your excellence and your innovation. OMPA has partnered with University of Oregon to conduct a survey that will measure the effectiveness and relevance of OMPA membership. To span the gap between passive and effective membership, OMPA would like to hear from you. Please take the time to complete this important survey so we can better serve our membership. Finally, OMPA has sent SourceOregon 2016 to the printers. The directory is a muchanticipated resource for everyone in production. OMPA member, Michael Koerner is generously sponsoring our party! Please plan to come to Koerner Camera Systems on April 27 and be the first to see the new directory. Enjoy food, libations and connecting with each other. As always, it has been wonderful getting to meet so many new members at our last Cameras & Cocktails event. You have asked for consistent networking events and OMPA is committed to making this happen; not only in Portland, but around the state. Please continue to share your news with OMPA through our media outlets; weekly email blasts, jobs emails, monthly newsletter and our social media. OMPA is proud to have you as a member and we are pleased to celebrate the unabridged version of your accomplishments. Warm regards, Janice Shokrian Executive Director OMPA
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iOPIF to Begin Accepting New Applications May 2, 2016 July 1st will mark the beginning of a new fiscal year and a new round of funding for our film incentive programs. As a result, we are preparing to open up the application process for our “local filmmaker” program, commonly referred to as the Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Fund (iOPIF). We will begin reviewing and accepting iOPIF applications on May 2nd, 2016. Our iOPIF Advisory Committee will evaluate all applications submitted between May 2nd and May 6th as having been submitted at the same time and allocate the limited iOPIF funds accordingly. We are looking for projects that are fully financed and ready to be produced this coming fiscal year. No applications will be accepted before May 2, 2016. All applications must be submitted electronically to shoot@ oregonfilm.org. The iOPIF application form is available here (PDF). In order for applications to be considered complete, the following must be attached: • Script, synopsis, or project bid • Budget (including Oregon projected spending)
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Production schedule Finance plan Proof of funding Producer’s letter of intent
Full details on the iOPIF incentive program can be found on our website: oregonfilm. org/incentives Please feel free to contact Tim Williams (971-254-4021, tim@oregonflm.org) with your questions on the requirements, the application process, and/or your specific project. As a reminder, the legislation for iOPIF allows local “media production services” to be eligible for rebates through the program. Media production services, as defined in the bill, include post-production services and interactive video game development. For more information on the changes to the iOPIF that went into effect last year, please read our previous posting and FAQ here. We will notify all applicants of the status of their application by the end of May. If you have any questions on the application process or the iOPIF program, please email shoot@oregonfilm.org.
BendFilm Named a “Film Festival Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine In its annual selection of “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” MovieMaker Magazine selected BendFilm among those honored in 2016. MovieMaker says: No, gorging on craft beer isn’t a priority for everyone... but it doesn’t hurt. Besides the 23 breweries surrounding this fest’s hub, visitors can rent out a 12-seat baron-wheels (the “CyclePub”) if they fancy.
Just don’t party so hard you miss the intriguing panels, which in 2015 included a second-edition talk from Film Fatales founder Leah Meyerhoff about overcoming female filmmaker obstacles, and another about effective social media usage. The BendFilm Festival takes place in Bend, OR from October 6th through October 9th in 2016. See bendfilm.org for more info.
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BendFilm Presents: EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT On Monday, April 18, at McMenamins Theater at 5:30pm, BendFilm will present the first in a new series of programs entitled “In Case You Missed It…” This series will feature films that were part of last year’s festival that have been getting rave reviews. EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT won 16 international awards, including one at Cannes, and 12 nominations, including an Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. And at the popular Rotten Tomatoes website, it gets 99% on their Tomatometer! EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (d. Ciro Guerra,Columbia, 2016, 125 min) centers on an Amazonian shaman, the last survivor of his people, and two scientists who are searching the Columbian Amazon for a sacred, psychedelic healing plant that attaches itself to rubber trees. Based on the real-life journals of an American biologist, Richard Evans Shultes, who is revered as the father of modern ethnobotany, and the German ethnologist and explorer, Theodor Koch-Grünberg, the film takes us through the real-life ravages of colonial exploitation by ruthless rubber barons. The film is part documentary and part poetry. And it is gorgeous. Shot
along the border of Columbia and Brazil, the intrepid film crew had to contend with snakes in the water, and the likelihood of contracting horrible diseases. It is also shot in black and white, a surprising choice for a film set in a tropical rainforest, but it works by giving the jungle textures and depth that color film hides. When: Monday, April 18th @ 5:30pm. Doors open at 5:00pm Where: McMenamins Old St. Francis Theater. Tickets: $11 for general public / $8 for BendFilm Members. Available now at bendfilm.org
Click to watch the EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT trailer
Teen Idol Announces Auditions Season 10 of Teen Idol has started its audition schedule, which runs through the end of April. English, Spanish & Russian singers and stand-up comedians can compete for cash prizes, summer tour, networking and of course fun for this one-of-a-kind nonprofit program – and it’s free! Volunteer opportunities are also available to adults and students with time commitments as short as 30 minutes
sharing the program to helping find venues, tour opportunities, mentoring and more. To register or find out more, go to www. TeenIdol.org. Teen Idol is an Oregon Nonprofit giving students the opportunity to practice their craft, learn to speak and perform in public and expand their network through hands on industry activities at no cost. Teen Idol has endorsed the OMPA since 2011 and our producer serves on its board.
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OMPA Announces Release of 2016 SourceOregon Directory The Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA) is proud to announce that the 2016 SourceOregon Directory will be released on Wednesday, April 27th. Qualifying OMPA Members may pick up their free copy of the directory at the annual Directory Release Party (an OMPA “Cameras & Cocktails” event) to be held that day at Koerner Camera Systems in Portland (2323 N WIlliams Ave.) from 4-7pm. Non-members may purchase a copy. SourceOregon is an invaluable tool for anyone doing media production business in Portland, containing contact information and descriptions for myriad pre-production, crew, post production and
support services in the industry throughout the state. About listing in the directory, OMPA Member ABI Insurance says: “We rely on the SourceOregon listings to generate new business for our agency. This year, we got so much new business from our listing that we paid off our membership and advertising costs in the first 3 months!” What: SourceOregon Directory Release Party - a Cameras & Cocktails event When: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 from 4 to 7pm Where: Koerner Camera Systems, 2323 N Williams Ave, Portland
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How AIFF Transforms the Historic Ashland Armory into A Movie Palace With the 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival just behind us, let’s take a look at one thing that makes the event so special: turning the Historic Ashland Armory into a movie palace. This is a three-day job that involves about a dozen professionals and volunteers! The transformation starts on the Monday before the festival opens and begins when a professional digital projector is wheeled into the bare Armory. The projector is about the size of a four-drawer filing cabinet and is part of a system that also includes a massive computer server that holds several terabytes of digital information (films!), and a lens that is carefully selected for the Armory. Before the projector can be installed in the elevated booth, two 4 x 6-foot custom wooden beams are inserted to hold the booth floor absolutely steady. Without these beams, the booth would vibrate slightly every time the projectionist moves, and this tiny vibration would be magnified by the projector into a major on-screen jiggle. Once the system is installed, and the floor is rock solid, the server starts “ingesting films.” The transfer of film to projector takes half the time it takes to watch the actual film.
Next up is the assembly of the 30foot screen, which snaps together with an aluminum frame and reflective plastic material. It takes about 10 people to lift the screen from the floor into place – very carefully. Sound checks happen on Tuesdays when a technician installs four small microphones on 3-foot stands around the perimeter of the interior of Armory. The goal is to balance the sound throughout the room. On Wednesday, volunteers tape out the seating plan on the floor. The 450 chairs are set up in an arc to optimize sound reception and so that each chair faces the center of the screen. (Geometry!) While signage goes up, the technical director and the principal projectionist run color corrections. Every one of the 100-plus films that we show in all of our venues is sampled to ensure that the digital information is there and is optimized for its projector, and screening room. All of this work is done to ensure that the films you see are as close to the director’s vision as can be. Here’s a fun time-lapse video by AIFF volunteer and photographer Alex Georgevitch that shows volunteers setting up 450 chairs in the Armory. Phew!
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AIFF Announces 2016 Winners The recently wrapped 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival has announced the following winners: Jury Awards Best Feature: BASTARDS Y DIABLOS Best Acting: FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE / Honorable Mention: A LIGHT BENEATH THEIR FEET Best Short Film: Killer / Honorable Mention: El Tigre Les Blank Award: Best Documentary: HOOLIGAN SPARROW / Honorable Mention: THE BIRTH OF SAKÉ Best Editing: Documentary: NUTS! / Honorable Mention: IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE Best Short Documentary: The 100 Years Show / Honorable Mention: Greenwood
Special Awards Rogue Award: Heidi Ewing Rogue Award: Rachel Grady Juice Award: Celia Rowlson-Hall Pride Award: Barbara Hammer Audience Awards Jim Teece Audience Award for Best Short Film: The Stairs Audience Award for Best Short Documentary: Mothering Inside Rogue Creamery Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: VOYAGERS WITHOUT A TRACE Varsity Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: BASTARDS Y DIABLOS
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TAO Presents TAD Talks: Innovation District April 19, 5:30pm, McDonald Theater in Eugene TAD Talks feature exhibitions and performances by local artistic talent and a speaker series in which leaders from the arts, tech and business communities provide short presentations focused on a particular theme. The focus of the next TAD Talk is downtown Eugene’s developing innovation district. With the growing tech industry, a vibrant arts and culture scene, and an engine of innovation that is opening soon, TAO and our many partners believe we can maintain downtown’s current momentum of economic development and civic engagement. Downtown Eugene is going through a period of revitalization. The Eugene City Council is considering extending the current downtown urban renewal district to pay for an expansion of the pilot fiber Internet network and other projects. Technology Association of Oregon, along with RAIN Eugene, Lane Workforce Partnership, the UO | Lundquist College of Business and other organizations are collaborating to cultivate the professional, social, and residential ecosystem needed to support an innovation district in downtown Eugene. The theme of the upcoming TAD Talk is inspired by a report published by The Brookings Institution and authored by Bruce Katz and Julie Wagner titled, “The Rise of Innovation Districts.” In the report, they draw attention to cities “where leadingedge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators. They are also physically compact, transit-accessible, and technically-wired and offer mixed-use housing, office, and retail.” Projecting forward to 2021, the upcoming TAD Talk will draw attention to ways in which downtown Eugene could cultivate its
own innovation district by the time the world arrives for the IAAF 2021 World Championships. Speakers • Tomi Anderson, Cultural Services, City of Eugene • Brittany Quick Warner, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce • John Park, Harmonic Laboratory • John Stapleton, PIVOT Architecture • Andrew Nelson, UO | Lundquist College of Business • Nick Nelson, Keller Williams Realty Eugene & Springfield • Joshua Purvis, Technology Association of Oregon in the Southern Willamette Valley • Daniel Hintz (via Skype), Velocity Group Also Featuring • An arts installation from the upcoming (sub)Urban Projections Digital Arts and Media Festival • A photo exhibition by Sam Gehrke • A hip-hop performance by Ki D Esign of The Architexthearchitex.bandcamp.com • Beer tasting by Sam Bond’s Brewing Co. Schedule 5:30 pm: doors open + beer tasting 6:30 pm: hip-hop performance 7:00 pm: speaker program Tickets $15 General Admission / $10 Students and Technology Association of Oregon Members. Register here. See more online here.
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11th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival April 29, 30 & May 1 at Bijou Art Cinemas in Eugene Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon returns April 29, 30 & May 1, 2016 to the Bijou Art Cinemas in Eugene, Oregon. DisOrient is a social justice film festival dedicated to deconstructing the media stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans as “Orientals.” We believe in the power of film-as-art to educate, heal and improve the lives of people by giving voice to our experiences.
The VIP Pass of DisOrient 2016 ($75 presale and $80 at the door) will have a limited availability and will sell quickly. The pass includes the official DisOrient T-shirt (while supplies last), gift bag (while supplies last), priority seating, and an all-access pass to all films during the festival as well as to the catered opening night reception and closing night awards gala. The VIP Pass also gives exclusive access to the green room to relax and enjoy food and beverages throughout the Festival.
SuperGenius Works with Legends At SuperGenius we take pride in a lot of things: Our culture of craft. The incredibly talented people who make up our team. Our impeccable taste in fine rugs and papercraft portraits. Most of all, we are proud of the legends we work with. Every year our reel is packed with highlights from the best and most beloved games released in the last few years. Games made by legends with the help of our trusty little studio. Many of these legends are reading this now. We’d like you to take a minute and check out our latest reel. We’re super proud of this one in particular. Whether you remember what it took to get these moments on screen or you are seeing them for the first time, we think you will all agree that they are
products of immense talent and dedication by exception individuals and teams. That said, we dedicate this year’s reel to the legends of our industry. You know who you are. You might also notice that our new reel is sitting on a brand new SuperGenius website. Check that as well. We’re pretty proud of this too.
Click to watch the 2016 reel from OMPA Member SuperGenius
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Northwest Film Center Unveils New Website The new and improved nwfilm.org is live! Head over to nwfilm.org on your phone, tablet or desktop to peruse the Film Center’s upcoming films and series. Read film descriptions and reviews, watch trailers, purchase tickets to upcoming screenings, and more. Action, Anarchy, and Audacity: A Seijun Suzuki Retrospective and (Re)discoveries: New Restorations, New Prints are all happening in April and are not to be missed.
While you’re there, peruse the Spring term filmmaking classes like Art of Filmmaking I, Lighting on Location, and CLAYMATION Studio with Will Vinton, sign your kids and teens up for Film Camp. You can also reserve equipment and facilities for your next filmmaking project or submit your film to the 43rd Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival.
The Northwest Film Center presents IF THERE’S A HELL BELOW With Director Nathan Williams in attendance Just screened at the Slamdance Film Festival, Williams’ film is a tense thriller that follows a journalist and an informant as they seek to exchange information in the wide-open prairies of Eastern Washington. Paranoia and panoramic beauty collide as heightened states of awareness suggest they are not alone at all. In an age when sharing classified information can both liberate the masses while imprisoning the whistle blower, this unique film sets audiences directly in the middle of sacrifice and fear. “[If There Is a Hell Below] makes evocative use of all that vast emptiness, with allusions to existential elements in the style of North By Northwest and No Country For Old Men.”—The Hollywood Reporter. (94 mins.)
Screening times Wednesday, April 20 at 7pm Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum-1219 SW Park Avenue Admission: $9 General; $8 Students, Seniors; $6 Child Advanced Tickets: http://bit.ly/1S0uD6g
Click to watch the treiler for IF THERE’S A HELL BELOW.
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BLACK ROAD Screens May 18 in Portland Oregon-made futuristic thriller, BLACK ROAD, screens in Portland on May 18th at 7pm at the Living Room theaters. Ticket price includes a reception following the screening sponsored by the Oregon Film Office and OMPA. Enjoy wine and appetizers and visit with the filmmakers. Special guests include director Gary Lundgren, producer Anne Lundgren, cinematographer Patrick Neary, composer John Morgan Askew, Oregon Film Executive Director Tim Williams and OMPA Executive Director Janice Shokrian. Set in the autonomous, rebel State of Jefferson in 2029, BLACK ROAD stars Sam Daly (The Office, Daly Show) as cyborg drifter Dylan Grant – a failed military experiment. He’s 100% human but is assisted by his artificial intelligence implant, “Clyde” (voiced by Andrew Wilson). Aimless and broke, Dylan urges Clyde to help him find work and a new beginning on the reckless but “free” Jefferson coast. After saving a mysterious woman’s life outside a nightclub, Dylan is sucked into her dark world, becoming her lover and accomplice. Going against Clyde’s wishes, Dylan and Lisa (Leilani Sarelle) plot to negotiate a financial settlement with her maniacal exhusband Sterling (Simon Templeman) – a tech tycoon who’s developing unregulated warfare technologies and testing (on unsuspecting subjects) the hypnotic, addictive properties of the black root plant he grows on his private compound. If only Dylan can keep Lisa and Sterling from killing each other, he may just walk away with a small fortune and a new life – with or without Clyde’s help. This suspenseful,
character-driven, slow-burn thriller is written and directed by Gary Lundgren (CALVIN MARSHALL, REDWOOD HIGHWAY) and was beautifully shot on the majestic Oregon coast by award-winning cinematographer Patrick Neary. Michelle Lombardo and Danforth Comins co-star. BLACK ROAD is the third feature made in Southern Oregon by the Lundgrens. Previous work includes the baseball comedy CALVIN MARSHALL (starring Steve Zahn) and REDWOOD HIGHWAY (starring Shirley Knight and Tom Skerritt). “The community is incredibly supportive,” says Producer Anne Lundgren. “We love living and making movies here. We have a talented crew that we’ve worked with for many years. The landscape is beautiful, and the locations are accessible, varied and numerous. Southern Oregon is a wonderful place to raise our family, and we plan to make movies here for many years to come.” Seating and reception space is limited. Tickets are available through Tugg: https:// www.tugg.com/events/95853.
Click to watch the trailer for BLACK ROAD.
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2016 Oregon Media Arts Fellowship Winners Announced The Northwest Film Center, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Oregon Media Production Association are pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Oregon Media Arts Fellowship (OMAF): Rose Bond and Pam Minty. Rose Bond is a Canadian born media artist who lives and works in Portland, Oregon. Her short films have been screened in international competitions including Sundance and the New York Film Festival. Although her roots are in frame-by-frame, hand drawn and direct animation, her current work focuses on public site-based animated installations. The Fellowship will aid in producing Bond’s latest project, “Animate Turangalia.” Working with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in December of 2016, “Animate Turangalia” will premiere the 1949 Turangalia-Symphonie by French composer Olivier Messiaen. This lush 20th century masterpiece combines exotic sounds and cultural myth, including, birdsong, Balinese gamelan music, post war popular culture, Sanskrit and the myth of Tristan and Isolde. The work is meant to be experienced visually as well as aurally. Bond will produce a feature length multi-screen animated film that will be projected simultaneously on six interconnected, video mapped screens for the Oregon debut of Turagalila. In addition to her own animations, she will select 6 students from the Animated Arts program at PNCA to contribute abstract works. The projections and symphony will all take place inside of the Schnitzer Hall. Portland-based artist, Pam Minty’s work explores geography, home and community through still photography and motion pictures. Her films have been exhibited at Anthology Film Archives, Center for Documentary Studies, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Film Studies Center at University
of Chicago, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, International House Philadelphia, Los Angeles Filmforum, Place Gallery, Portland International Film Festival, San Francisco Cinematheque, UnionDocs, Vancouver International Film Centre, as well as other venues throughout North America. Minty’s OMAF funded project, HIGH LAKES, will work in both the documentary and narrative realm, telling the story of young women living and working in campgrounds during the summer in the Cascades of Oregon. Utilizing an observational approach, Minty will train her camera on these women as they work in laundry facilities, restaurants and cafes, cabin/motel housekeeping. Using the narrative form, stories will be created surrounding the recreational activities away from work. The project is inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience working at Diamond Lake twenty years ago. The Media Arts Fellowship supports Oregon filmmakers who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the media arts. Jurors reviewed the 70 submissions from applicants throughout the state, weighing artistic merit, the potential of the proposed activity to advance the artist’s work, and the feasibility of the projects proposed. The two 2016 winners will share the $10,000 Fellowship which is currently funded by the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Oregon Media Production Association. The Northwest Film Center administers the Fellowship and is currently looking for additional funders to grow it beyond its current state. The application deadline for the 2017 Oregon Media Arts Fellowships is January 1, 2017. Applications are available online now. Click here for application. For further information, please contact Ben Popp, ben@ nwfilm.org, or the Oregon Arts Commission, www.oregonartscommission.org.
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Oregon Production GREEN ROOM Opens As reported by Josh Leake
One of 2014’s largest film productions in Oregon is hitting the big screen— right on the heels of the film industry’s incentive boost to entice projects to shoot in the state. Those in the know attended a special Portland screening on Saturday April 9th with cast and crew. GREEN ROOM will screen at Cinema 21 on April 22nd and Hollywood Theater starting April 29th. After its recordbreaking successful run of THE HATEFUL EIGHT, the Hollywood Theater has become Oregon’s go-to theater for independent studio films. GREEN ROOM premiered at Cannes Film Festival followed by a few other high-caliber festivals including Sundance and Toronto. The film was written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, known for his breakout film BLUE REIN, which premiered
at Sundance in 2014. Saulnier and OMPA board member, Neil Kopp, brought the dark action drama to Oregon. Cast members Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots wereon hand to answer questions during a Q&A after the screening on April 9th.
Click to watch the official trailer for GREEN ROOM.
The Northwest Film Center presents Animation By Design April 22, 2016
Presented in association with Portland Design Week, this short program of abstract animation features a variety of diverse work by Oregon and Washington animators with distinct graphic styles. This program includes Joanna Priestley, Joan Gratz, Aaron Ross, Marilyn Zornado, Laura Heit, Micah Weber, Kello Goeller, Jefferson Kincaid, Reed O’Beirne, Eric Ostrowski, Ruth Hayes, Devon Damonte, and Sarah Jane Lapp. Before or after the films, drop by the Stevens Room, adjacent to the theater, and make your own film. Come learn, make, and watch! In conjunction with the Portland Art Museum’s $5 Fridays, admission includes the galleries as well as the films. (60 mins.)
Screening times Friday, April 22 at 5pm Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum-1219 SW Park Avenue Admission: $9 General; $8 Students, Seniors; $6 Child Advanced Tickets: https://nwfilm.org/ films/animation-by-design/
A still from Joanna Priestley’s SPLIT ENDS
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Harold Phillips Rides to Help Stop Diabetes For the fourth year in a row, OMPA Member Harold Phillips is joining the Central East Portland Rotary Club in riding the Tour de Cure to help Stop Diabetes (and this year is the 25th anniversary of the Tour de Cure, to boot!) Harold is joining thousands of riders from across the country to celebrate this milestone and to raise money to further the mission of the American Diabetes Association: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all those affected by diabetes. Harold says: Now, I don’t put out “the ask” for fundraising efforts very often, but like millions of Americans I’ve been touched by diabetes - several of my friends and more than a couple members of my family struggle with this disease, and I want to do everything I can to help stop it. Speaking of my family, my father is joining me on the trail again this year, as are other members of my family! Chances are, you probably know someone who has been affected by diabetes too, and you already know how important it is to stop this disease. By making a donation on my behalf you’ll be helping the Association provide community-based education
programs, protect the rights of people with diabetes and fund critical research for a cure. Performers like me often try to make a difference through our work. We can help to educate people about issues facing society, and influence the conversation about those issues - but how often does the every-day working performer have an opportunity to make a direct impact on a disease that affects millions of people nation-wide? You don’t have to be a rich movie star to make a donation - even $5.00 and $10.00 donations can make a difference! With your help, we will fight for a future where a parent does not have to hear that their child has diabetes. A future where an adult does not have to face the uncertain times ahead after receiving a diabetes diagnosis. A future where you and I will know that we had a part in making this possible. I truly appreciate anything you can afford to kick-in for the cause. You know I believe that anything is possible if we work together... well, together we can Stop Diabetes! Thank you!
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American Benefits, Inc. Open House From OMPA Member Justine Avera At ABI Insurance, we rely on the SourceOregon listings to generate new business for our agency. This year, we got so much new business from our listing that we paid off our membership and advertising costs in the first 3 months! To celebrate, we would like to invite all OMPA members and volunteers for our open house on April 15th from 3 pm – 6 pm. We will have snacks and beverages, kids and friends are welcome, and there will be some raffle prizes. Also samples from the new food and beverage business: Unobtanium. Our insurance team is looking forward to meeting you all and showing off our new office space, which was entirely gutted and rebuilt to be much more of an open environment, filled with natural light (who knows, it might be good for on location filming!). It’s no surprise that the Pacific Northwest has become a mecca for the filmmaking industry. For over 40 years, outstanding iconic films have been shot in our beautiful region, embracing an exceptionally personal relationship with the Northwest’s natural beauty, and marking that quirky creative synergy that is so prevalent in daily life. The region radiates with an edgy grit, combining the backdrop of metropolitan eco-green cityscapes with the glorious, untamed beauty of our rivers, lakes, mountains and coastal ranges. All of which contributes
to a more-than-thriving Pacific Northwest media industry. Since 2007, the region has experienced a 24% increase in film and video production including many acclaimed film shorts and feature films, internationally hailed movies, television programs, commercials, video games, animation, instructional videos, documentaries, and multimedia products. 17 independent cinemas alone call Portland home. Incidentally, Oregon has over 71 production companies which have planted their roots, including Laika Entertainment, a nationally recognized animation company that produced ParaNorman and Coraline. Literally hundreds of films have been shot and produced in the Pacific Northwest. Each of these productions have pulled from locally sourced cast and crew --- acting talent, stunt people and fight choreographers, amazing artists for costuming and make-up, food catering, and professional production support services including sound stages, equipment rental houses, post production and editing facilities, all contributing vitally to the economy. Pacific Northwest filmmakers combine offbeat independence with their passion to produce and express their art – for art’s sake – which continually feeds our region’s creative mill. Yes, the industry’s roots run deep. The team at ABI Insurance is honored to be a part of this exceptionally creative industry.
Date: Friday, April 15, 2016 Time: 3:00 - 6:00 pm Location: 4800 SW Griffith Drive, Ste 300, Beaverton, OR 97005
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Oregon Can Be The Magrathea of AR & VR By Peter Lund of SuperGenius, as originally posted on www.oregongames.org We’ve entered the age of holograms. Remember Tony Stark building his suit in Iron Man, or for those who remember life before 1990, the Enterprise holodeck? We’re pretty much there, and Oregon’s virtual and mixed reality development scene is attracting a lot of attention. It’s easy to see why folks are looking around – the virtual and mixed reality markets are projected to be worth $150B by 2020. We’re at the brink of the newest tech gold rush, and companies from video games to healthcare to the automotive industry are looking for the best places to develop for platforms like the Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s Hololens. When entertaining business friends from out of town, I’m often asked what makes Oregon special. It’s not a rhetorical question – after visiting for a day or so, people realize that we’ve got something good going on here. I answer by ticking off the normal talking points: ● “People here are really collaborative!” ● “It’s a craft community – people make things they’re proud of!” ● Of Portland – “It’s a small town – everyone knows each other so there’s no room for a**holes.” All of that is true, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. Yes, people here are friendly and dedicated. Yes, we play in our Cascadian wonderland and laugh in the face of rain. But why? When I sat down to write, I reviewed my stock response. I still don’t have the answer, but I do have a better one. I think what makes us special is that we’re particularly good and conscientious builders. Over the decades, Oregonians have painstakingly created a place where we want to live. We build with
other people in mind, because we know a great community or product means that your friends, neighbors and customers are happy too. We do this so much that we’ve changed the calculus of capitalism – from community planning meetings to conference room negotiations, I have time and again seen people and groups make decisions that seem, from a competition perspective, counterintuitive. Contacts are shared, business is referred, concessions are made, all because the participants know that the end result will be that much better. We trust that good will to be returned, and it almost always is. In my industry, we build worlds. Day after day Oregon’s developers expertly transmute ideas into digital reality, from AAA video games to life-saving training simulations. The hardware platforms emerging in the virtual and mixed reality space are the most exciting tools we’ve ever seen, and Oregon is uniquely placed to develop for them. Here’s why. Oregon enjoys a unique development landscape. Most of our studios are independent, and their origin stories are often similar – companies founded by Bay Area refugees and migrants from the north escaping the Seattle Freeze. They came here to escape the vicious schedules of the large development houses to start companies focused on the important things – the craft of excellent engineering and beautiful design. Most of our studios pay the rent by selling their services to the big developers, and they’ve survived by being very good at delivering excellent product on time and on budget. The nature of the work gives us another edge. You can spend years working on a single big title at a major studio. Oregon’s developers work
04.2016 on multiple projects a year with large studios, which means that our talent must deliver quality that matches or beats our clients’ internal teams. We shift art styles and development environment ts as we move from project to project, so Oregon’s development community is particularly flexible and skilled. Developing in Oregon is, on average, at least 20% cheaper than building the same product in Seattle or San Francisco. Labor incentives passed this week by the Oregon Legislature mean we can compete with heavily subsidized markets in places like Montreal and Texas. Quite simply, Oregon is the best development deal on the West Coast. Our workforce pipeline is unique. For years we’ve worked with the K-12 system to universities to make sure that Oregon students can pursue careers in games and digital media. Last year, Microsoft offered a Hololens research and development grant. It was extremely competitive – hundreds of teams from institutions around the world
19 applied. Microsoft announced the winners last November: UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Dartmouth, Virginia Tech, and an Oregon team comprised of Clackamas Community College, Oregon Story Board, and Intel. Let that sink in for a minute. Right now, Oregon is the only place in the world where you can learn to develop mixed reality applications on Hololens without being accepted to or paying tuition at a Tier 1 research institution. That’s a message that every developer worth her salt needs to hear. In Douglas Adams’s classic The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (if you haven’t read it, treat yourself) there is a legendary planet called Magrathea. The Magratheans had a unique skill – they built custom planets, and they were so good at it that they became the richest people in the galaxy (before their expensive product crashed the galactic economy). Oregon is full of world builders too – some of the best around. We’re open for business. And we promise not to bankrupt the galaxy.
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The Design of VR: Experience a WILD Environment During Design Week Portland by Rick Turoczy of Silicon Florist It’s been a while since we’ve had a new communications platform. One that is new and different and motivates us to think about new ways of designing. And creating content. And experiences. But we’re seeing more and more of that happening with our reality, both augmented and virtual. That’s where Oregon Story Board alum WILD is playing. And now you can too. During Design Week Portland, WILD will be bringing its immersive virtual reality environment to the Story Board coworking space in Old Town. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind Happy Hour event. Experience Virtual Reality in a way that lets you touch and interact with your virtual environment. Created by local, Oregon Story Board alumni, WILD. While you wait for the WILD experience, play with a Google Cardboard using your
own personal phone. And when you’re not experiencing a virtual world, experience non-virtual food and drink. Come and live the future! Tickets for the experience are $15 per person which includes snacks and beverages while you wait—or if you want to hang out and compare notes after the experience. Walkthroughs are available ● Tuesday, April 19, 2016 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM ● Wednesday, April 20, 2016 from 3:00PM to 6:00PM ● Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM For more information or to register to attend, visit Experience a WILD Reality at Oregon Story Board.
Oregon Story Board Drives Augmented Reality Development by Rick Turoczy of Silicon Florist
One good story deserves another, so speaking of Oregon Story Board… Virtual Reality isn’t the only reality they’re exploring in Portland. Following up on the grant they garnered from Microsoft, the digital storytelling accelerator now offers Augmented Reality development training specifically designed for the Microsoft HoloLens environment. The current offerings include: ● 1-DAY HOLOLENS OVERVIEW: Get hands-on with HoloLens. This instructorled training will provide you with hands-on experience and a thorough introduction to the early best practices for development and design.
● 4-DAY BOOTCAMP: Dive deep with HoloLens. This instructor-led training will provide you with hands-on experience, a thorough introduction to development and design in HoloLens, and extended practical application of core principles to the development of sample HoloLens applications. Sound interesting? No costs or timing are listed yet, but you can add your name to the waiting list for more information. [Full disclosure: I am the cofounder of Oregon Story Board and continue to serve on its board.]
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New OMPA Members Oxford Suites Mary LeViner, Group Sales Manager 503-283-3030, 503-816-4030 maryl@oxfordsuites.com www.oxfordsuitesportland.com Hotel group sales
Girl Scouts OSW Fatou Ouattara, Site Registrar 503-977-6834 fouattara@girlscoutsosw.org www.girlscoutsosw.org Youth development organization
Michael Cooney
971-344-3204 mic@cooneys.us Student studying Mass Communication at Linfield College
Cheryl Felix
415-259-9092 Go4Katt@gmail.com Student studying Green Building/Real Estate Investing at SF School of Architecture/Fortune Builders
Michael Hamilton
503-985-8042 mk.subscribe@gmail.com Student studying Digital Film & Video at Art Institute of Portland
Luke Kennedy
503-539-2683 luke4peace@gmail.com Student studying Video Production at Portland Community College
International Youth Silent Film Festival Jon Palanuk, President 503-320-4875 jp@makesilentfilm.com www.makesilentfilm.com Film festival
That’s a Rapp Productions, LLC Justin Rapp 503-442-9350 justin@thatsarapp.com www.thatsarapp.com Writer, director, general crew
Todd Schellinger
503-329-4186 todd@toddschellinger.com toddschellinger.com Camera Operator
Joshua Winegarner
503-442-0903 joshua.winegarner@gmail.com Student studying Filmmaking & Animation at NW Film Center School of Film