Listen to Tara's Live VO Demo

You can now stream my VO Commercial demo live on my web page....

....as well as here!



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Oops, My Reels

I actually updated my reels on my website not too long ago, but forgot to update them here! See below for reels of my directing, producing, and voice over work! (Editing to come soon.)

You can also get more info on my website.

Let me know what you think!

VOICE OVER DEMO 2010

New "Cereal for Dinner" Site!

Good news: my NYU 16mm thesis film, "Cereal for Dinner" (formerly titled "Day of Embers") is nearing its post-production completion!

It's been a long time coming, and I appreciate everyone's patience as we work on the finishing touches of sound and color correction. This site is a way of paying my respects to a group of fantastic people that have helped in so many ways to make this film happen.

So, without further adieu, I invite you to visit "Cereal for Dinner's" official website! Here you'll find everything on the "Cereal" world:

• Trailer
• Production Stills
• Schedule
• Film Supporters
• Cast/Crew
• Updates on the Film's Progress

Later on, we hope to keep track of film festival entries, as well as premieres. In addition, I have added links to our crew's professional websites, so you can check out what else they've been up to.

Please feel free to leave comments, ask questions or leave suggestions about things that can be added to the site. And most of all, thank you once again for your ongoing faith in the film: it's a long journey, but it's worth the time. I hope you will agree.

Music Video in the Works

Joining forces with filmmaker, Ryan Haupt and DP, Corey Snyder, I am producing a music video for the Brooklyn-based indie synth pop band "Behavior."

The video takes its influences from the films of Kenneth Anger and the music itself. Check out the project with the link on the side!

And while you're at it...help us out with a donation!

Help Amos Poe Make His Next Film!

My former professor, inspirational mentor and good friend, Amos Poe (hope you aren't discouraged that I've elevated our relationship to this status, Amos, but we have been through flaming lawnmowers and sprained feet in Florence ^^), has a new project on the horizon....and he needs our help!

"As some of you may know, Amos Poe is one of the leading figures of the no wave cinema movement and is considered by many to be the father of the modern indie American cinema. (see Celine Danhier's "Blank City"). His films include: "The Blank Generation", "Unmade Beds", "The Foreigner", "Subway Riders", "Alphabet City", "Rocket Gibraltar", "Frogs For Snakes", "Steve Earle:Just An American Boy" and "Empire II".

His current project LA COMMEDIA di Amos Poe is inspired by Dante Alighieri’s 700 year-old literary masterpiece “La Divina Commedia” and Edward Muybridge’s 19th century breakthrough “The Horse In Motion”, arguably the first “motion picture”.

The key element of this film is the idea of a journey in motion, a pattern of events. Amos and Dante are two “travelers” in the middle of their years that have to confront themselves while undergoing a mid life crisis. "In the middle of my years I found myself in a dark wood..." so begins The Inferno." (Excerpt from KickStarter page)

(Also, our friend JR Skola at Dawn of Man Productions is involved as well!)

Be an official backer of "La Commedia"!

New Collaboration Video, "Quietly Awake"

Over the weekend, Ryan decided to record some footage with our Flip HD cam; he's been wanting to make sort of a tone poem for awhile now, and while walking in Prospect Park, we decided to just go for it.

"Quietly Awake" 2010

Ryan Haupt

Flip Cam HD

(Edited in iMovie)

CAST
Tara Rose Stromberg

(Yes, the cast is none other than yours truly. I swear, it wasn't my decision! The director was very selective.)

Quietly Awake from Ryan Haupt on Vimeo.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy....for Snubbing Avatar

Staying true to my word, I will be tuning in next year (as if I could ever kill that habit) as Avatar did not completely ruin my Oscar experience. Cameron's snarky face was an eyesore, but I got through the show, and was happy to see his ex-wife bring in the awards for Best Pic and Best Director (a milestone for all female filmmakers everywhere!......even though I didn't get a chance to see her film yet.)

Still, it wasn't as rewarding as the Oscar days of yore. Perhaps I was just easily amused back then, but I feel like the awards were so much more entertaining as a kid. At least I got to spend the night with a bunch of other wise-cracking friends who made the experience much more tolerable. (You can read about my musings here. For here, I'll keep it constructive for the filmies.)

I won't say much, since the internet is being bombarded by people's opinions on the Oscars (and most of them are the same). I WILL say that the one good thing about being disillusioned by the drama surrounding the awards is it makes me realize that winning an Oscar doesn't have to be the only way to prove one's worth in filmmaking. I always believed this was the case; but in reality, the world is not so black and white, and there are many great artists who are never rewarded for their work, or never gain the recognition that comes from winning a coveted Oscar.

If you've got a loyal audience, and most of all a loyal conscience, then you can feel certain that what you've created is indeed a magnificent creation.

Of course, an Oscar wouldn't be so bad either.

Alice For Reals

Just found this gem on my morning blog surf: the world's 1st screen adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland".....over 100 years ago!

This beautiful 35mm B&W was shot only 8 years after the birth of motion picture technology. In the wake of the new Burton "Alice," this is certainly a breath of fresh air. They just don't make 'em like they used to.



Read all about it at BFI, or take a peek at this snippet from YouTube:

"The first-ever film version of Lewis Carroll's tale has recently been restored by the BFI National Archive from severely damaged materials. Made just 37 years after Lewis Carroll wrote his novel and eight years after the birth of cinema, the adaptation was directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, and was based on Sir John Tenniel's original illustrations....

....With a running time of just 12 minutes (8 of which survive), Alice in Wonderland was the longest film produced in England at that time. Film archivists have been able to restore the film's original colours for the first time in over 100 years."

DOE Update: New Title Christened + Music

Just thought I'd pass on the good word that my film DOE ("Day of Embers") has officially been re-titled "Cereal for Dinner."

This was a decision made based on the following:

a.) "Day of Embers" sounds like a post-apocalyptic epic thriller, whilst my film is about two kids, a sprinkler, and a lawnmower that happens to catch fire. It doesn't need the fanfare.

b.) I wanted a title that tied into the childhood theme and that meshed with the message; I was having dinner with Ryan and my producer, Josh, when I started talking about my family (which is what the script was based on) and the fact that we were so chaotic and odd that we used to eat cereal for dinner frequently. A lightbulb appeared over each of our heads, and the title was born.

In addition to re-vamping the title, I have been trying to rework the edit to make it shorter and more engaging. Unfortunately, I can't do any sound design until the edit has been finalized, and it desperately needs it better sound. In some ways I feel this is hindering the actual editing process, but I have no choice but to cut what I can as is.

One thing I have been trying to do to help with the flow is to incorporate some music beforehand to get a feel of where I want it and how it can be utilized to affect the emotions portrayed onscreen. Ryan has put together one main theme to use throughout to represent the kids; it has a very bittersweet, ethereal, summer sound. I am also experimenting with some other songs he's created before that are more fast paced (see original trailer) to hype the energy up for the scenes with the parents arguing and lawnmower climax.

Check out Ryan's new track (and other music) here!

Oscar Nom Nom Noms

Here they are: my own deliciously juicy tidbits on the Oscar nominations this year.

I haven't seen all the films that were nominated, or those that should have been, so it's with some reluctance that I make a fuss over any of this. But I will put forth my opinion anyhow, since everyone else is doing it, and if you don't want to read it you can just leave this blog, go find some smug, self-proclaimed film buff's nifty list and proceed to silently judge them.

DISCLAIMER: I have not, nor have I ever claimed I am a film buff.

PHEW. My conscience is cleared.

My first question would be, where is the film Moon? First time director, Duncan Jones, did a fine job with this 2001-esque story. The space sets look amazing. Mostly because, I would think, they are ACTUAL sets. Really conveyed the eeriness and isolation of being alone on a distant planet. This should have at least been given a nod for director or screenplay.

And far more perplexing is the fact that Sam Rockwell wasn't nominated for Best Actor. He basically carried the film himself! (And if you've seen it, you know that means much more than what it appears.)

And, I gotta say it...The Limits of Control got no love. Don't even get me started.

Also Somers Town (Shane Meadows).....Bad Lieutenant (Wernor Herzog)....Drag Me to Hell (Sam Raimi)....? Really, nothin........?

Sigh.

"Best Picture"
Couple things wrong with this picture...first of all, there are 10 nominees. That's a lot. Also, Avatar is on the list...now here's the dilemma. I haven't seen Avatar (I have no desire to, really - don't shoot me, I'm not pretentious, I'm just choosy with spending my livelihood money), but the last time I checked it was pretty much animated.

The rule, so I've heard, is that you need at least 75% animation in your film to qualify as an "Animated Picture." Maybe that's not the case with Avatar. OR perhaps it isn't...perhaps they just wanted to nominate Avatar because it is the highest grossing film, like, ever, yada yada, and James Cameron totally created a world of his own and blew our 2D minds with flying jellyfish and he must truly be a great director to like, even imagine this. (I mean, my sister draws giant mechanical, flying sea creatures, and it didn't cost her millions and a few years of her life, but I digress...)

To top it off, Up was also listed under Best Picture. Which was, yes, a good film. Perhaps not just for the graphics, but for the story and how it was executed.

IF that were the case...then why is there an "Best Animated Picture" category as well? Is that just for the mastery of the particular craft of animation, or for story, or both? And if so, how is that different from "Best Picture"? In my opinion, a good film should have both. So why pigeonhole animated films into their own category when they essentially achieve the same goals?

Lest we forget that once upon the time Beauty and the Beast was nominated in the "Best [not Animated] Picture" category...

"Best Actor"
Jeff Bridges. I like him. Not enough to see him play a drunk country musician...but I have faith. Morgan Freeman again, seriously? Did they even bother to watch him in the movie this time?

"Best Supporting Actor"
I don't even care about the others (though I have a little crush on Christopher Plummer..); maybe it's easy to play a criminal when it's a Nazi, but Christoph Waltz' villain in Inglorious Basterds made me pee my pants.

"Best Actress"
They nominated Penelope Cruz for - no, not Broken Embraces - but...Nine. WTF.

"Animated Feature Film"
WHERE THE HELL IS PONYO YOU SHITHEADS!? Honestly, I could cry. Did they forget about Miyazaki's masterpiece? Beautiful illustrations, GREAT English casting, a classic fairtytale story - no good or evil, even - just the circumstances of two kids. Well one fish, who dreams of living on land, and one kid, who wants to help her. Maybe the simple plot served as the excuse for its lack of Academy appeal.

Ohhhh I forgot, movies have to have things that EXPLODE and make REALLY LOUD ANNOYING NOISES and end in an EPIC BATTLES in order to gain mass appeal from younger audiences. ::rolls eyes::

Though, I admit, I'm still torn on this list. Remember I said before that this category needn't exist? It's because these ARE the best pictures of the year, by far.

I was hesitant to see The Princess and the Frog as I've lost my loyalty to Disney gradually over the years. I was also a Little Mermaid fanatic, and I was afraid of wounding my inner child further. I will say this: they have redeemed themselves in the world of cel animation. And the music (though Randy Newman annoys the crap out of me) was fully entertaining. That art deco scene was a pleasant surprise.



The Fantastic Mr. Fox is so fun to watch. Yes, George Clooney was basically playing himself. And yes it's a Wes Anderson film; but boo to all the naysayers. He could be an asshole for all I know, but as a director, Anderson did some kick-ass stop motion, and I laughed wholeheartedly through its entirety. Haven't experienced a movie like this since Wallace & Gromit...

(....which is also on the list for Animated Shorts! When the hell did that come out and why haven't I seen it!?)

Remember as a kid how some movies used to give you the creeps? Make you afraid that something would grab you in the dark, or that your parents would suddenly disappear...and you would DIE? Coraline brings those scary, yet necessary feelings back. I felt like a kid again, and I'm sure the whimpering children next to me enjoyed it as well ("Oh no Coraline, don't go in there!!!" ::Screams::)

Up. My friend Josh puts it perfectly: the first 10 minutes of the film are probably the best moments of drama written in history. The rest was a rollicking fun (albeit predictable) Disney movie. Not too shabby.

"Directing"
If Cameron wins, you can count me out of next year's Oscars. He's an asshole. Don't believe me? Remember when he won for Titanic? ....Yeah.

"Writing" (Original Screenplay)
I think Quentin really deserves this one. Killing Nazis hasn't been this good since Indiana Jones.

Well, my rant here is done.

So, after all that, will I be watching the Oscars? Well, since I don't have cable at home, no. Unless there are a generous few willing to let me loll around in my PJs for 5 hours whilst eating Pringles.

(Read all about my Oscar ritual, which has been seriously disrupted by the bummer of reality, here.)

Remembering Jay Reatard....

In memory of the late and great Jay Reatard, Ryan Haupt recently posted this Cleveland '07 video interview with the then young, up-and-coming musician his blog.

We had been to about three of his concerts, each one roudy and entertaining. I will confess I never thought I'd be a fan of this type of music, but his prowess cannot be ignored.

You can tell he loved what he did; in the end, I guess that's all that matters.

Jay Reatard Interview 2007 from Ryan Haupt on Vimeo.