Fresh Direct Spec Spot

Check out my acting chops (or lack thereof) on a Fresh Direct spec spot, directed by Michel Rothschild, shot by Corey Snyder, and produced by Tamara Bridges Rothschild: a wonderfully creative bunch of pals, I  must say.

They are hoping to pitch this to Fresh Direct, and I think they've done a grand job - crossing my fingers for my broadcast debut! (though I think they would go with someone less incredibly pale.)

In any case, this was a ton of fun. It's sleeping around - in a good way.

A Trip to Paris, Video-fied

There are reasons I've been MIA lately...here's one of them:

Created by me as an homage to the two weeks of absolute country bandit splendor that I experienced in May....you will hear much about it, to be sure.

And for kicks, check out the Country Bandit legacy (otherwise known as my travel blog) for reasons why I'm calling myself a country bandit.

Miss Rumphius Audio/Visual Book

A few weeks ago, I recorded an audio book with Roman Chimienti for his company, The End Audio Productions. The accompanying video has finally been completed thanks to the swift editing skills of Jessica Rondash from Verbatim Studios.

The book, Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney, is a favorite of Roman's. If you're a frequent visitor of my blog interrobang‽, it's no mystery that books (especially those from my kinder days of yore) are my greatest obsession. I can still remember curling up to Cooney's Hattie and the Waves as a little girl. Obviously, I jumped at this opportunity, and I'm so glad I did.

But enough chatter - just sink into your best PJs and security blankie, and cuddle your beloved stuffed counterpart as you have a look (or a listen, depending on your mood) to a childhood favorite.

And don't forget to visit The End Audio Productions for more audio books narrated by other great voice over artists!

Support Arkansas Director's Film "Last Summer"

Friend, collaborator and fellow NYU alumn Mark Thiedeman has a new feature in the works. If you believe in filmmaking, LGBT issues, or simply supporting the dream of an artist, please help out with funding!

I had the pleasure of working with Mark on his short fillm, "Swimsuit," which played a few years ago at NewFest. "Last Summer" is already generating buzz from sites like IndieWire. Don't miss this chance to be a part of a wonderful project, from someone who still believes that small budgets can still make a great film!

Click the widget to find out more, and be sure to check out his earlier works!

The Films of 2010, and How I Got There

As featured on my blog interrobang‽:

It occurred to me a few weeks ago, upon finally realizing the end of 2010 and the beginning of a new year, that I have watched a lot of films within 12 months.

As a former film student and production-seeking career girl (I can't really say I'm in film until my paycheck says so - advertising, I'm afraid, does not count), this should not be surprising. Nevertheless, it is.

My taste (and experience) in the art of watching films has transformed exponentially over the last few years of my life. Obviously, my NYU film courses were the first major transition from watching movies purely for entertainment to analysis of the film craft. I had always admired filmmaking from afar, thanks to my mother's long-standing awe of classic films and Simpsons parodies. And there were always the TV movies, childhood movies, and summer blockbusters that one fixates on amidst boring suburban life. These were always, for the most part, from one of the following categories:

• Classics Films before 1970 
• Oscar nominees 
• Movie Premieres on network television 
• Disney 
• Excuses to go to a movie theater 
• Action Flicks 
• Childhood Favorites

I had never seen an art house film (nor were they part of my regular vocabulary), and indie flicks had not yet assumed the norm. My parents and friends didn't know of any, so neither did I. And besides - I was content with my list, entertaining no other possibility for film other than the usual plot-driven, dramatic/comedy/action/thriller I had grown to love and aspired to make. Under no circumstances did this include horror films - why, it took me years just to sit down to watch Jurassic Park without peeing my pants.

Cue the harsh slap-in-the-face that is film school. Some fellow classmates didn't think I had the knowledge for it. Maybe I didn't - but wasn't that the point of learning?

It was humbling to see that the art of film was not so black and white, as it had seemed; there were some films that never made it to the Oscars, but were admirable nonetheless. There were short films that only showed at festivals, B films and C films, films done for art-sake and films done for the hell of it. Some "stories" focused on character development only, while others seemed to be about nothing at all. I finally got to watch some of the breakout and cult films of the first 14 years of my life that I was never privy to, simply because I wasn't considered mature enough to watch them at the time: films like Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, and Clerks, which was shot less than 10 minutes from my house.

At this point, one can revel in the discovery of so many new realizations, or curse themselves for being the idiot who hadn't come about this knowledge earlier. I fell for the latter, mainly because I was 17, on my own, and full of fun emotional drama.

It's taken since that first year of college to really get the courage to dip my toes into the pool of films I dared not touch before. I have to thank my professors first, and my friends after, for introducing me to them, as I trembled, unworthy. A few of them worked at the old TLA Video on 8th Street before it closed down, and each had their own specialty of favorites within the film world. If I attempted to describe each of their tastes in three words, they would be:

MARK: Brooding, Foreign, Cannes

JAMES: Character, Epic, Journeys

JOSH: Cult, Offbeat, Horror

Though there were many instances of shock and awe throughout my education, one that stands out the most as something that stuck with me quite indefinitely was The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky.

 This is not the type of film I would have gone to on my own - I had never heard of either the director or the title, but apparently it was big enough to be shown at IFC at midnight frequently. They insisted I go, and it being my college years, why the hell not? However, I was not ready for the symbolic imagery barrage with each chanting, triangle-trilled, vibrational-pulsed moment. Quite frankly, it was the strangest film I had ever seen, but I could not look away. And I could not stop thinking about it afterward. I've seen it three times since then, and have even written an entire thesis paper on its subject of religious symbolism. That's more intellectual fodder than Forrest Gump could ever provide.

Watching "Daisies" in Prague had a similar effect; I knew it must be laden with meaning; but even aside from that it was a rhythmic poem that replayed in my mind. And so since then, many fascinating films have crossed my eyes and riddled my eardrums - even, I must admit, horror films. Ryan has done a good job of forcing me to sit through them, and I can't say that I'm not grateful (though I could do without the occasional shocking scare that streaks my hair grey and inflicts possible stomach ulcers.)

The point in all of this, of course, being that traveling, meeting others and experiencing life as a more mature (but let's not get carried away), open-minded individual has given me the chance to really appreciate a film on a deeper level.

That said, I'd still take Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles any day. You can't become too pretentious, you know.

OH, THE FILMS I HAVE WATCHED: 2010

• Labyrinth, Jim Henson (1986) 
• Made in the USA, Jean-Luc Godard (1966) 
• The Short Films of Al Jarnow, Al Jarnow (2010)
• Shutter Island, Martin Scorcese (2010) 
• Suburban Commando, Burt Kennedy (1991)
• District 9, Neil Blomkamp (2009)
• Kamikaze GirlsTetsuya Nakashima (2004) 
• Dolls, Stuart Gordon (1987)
• Day of the Dead, Steve Miner (2008)
• Mr. Booogedy, Oz Scott (1986)
• Hot Tub Time Machine, Steve Pink (2010)
• Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau (2010) 
• Metropolis, Fritz Lang (1927)
• Best Worst Movie: Troll 2, Michael Stephenson (2009)
• Possessed ["Bool-sin-ji-ok"], Lee Yong-ju (2009)
• Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, Shinya Tsukamoto (2009) 
• Brazil, Terry Gilliam (1985)
• The Tenant, Roman Polanksi (1976)
• Diva, Jean-Jacques Beineix (1981)
• Performance, Donald Cammell & Nicolas Roeg (1970)
• Daisies, Vera Chytilová (1966) 
• The Mist, Frank Darabont (2007) 
• Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General, Michael Reeves (1968) 
• A Town Called Panic, Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar (2009) 
• The Naked Kiss, Samuel Fuller (1964) 
• The Fearless Vampire Killers, Roman Polanski (1967)
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edgar Wright (2010) 
• It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine!, David Brothers & Crispin Glover (2007)
• I Sell the Dead, Glenn McQuaid (2008)
• Simon: King of the Witches, Bruce Kessler (1971)
• The Skull, Freddie Francis (1975) 
• Enter the Void, Gaspar Noé (2009) 
• The Social Network, David Fincher (2010)
• The Gate, Tibor Takács (1987)
• [REC], Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza (2007)
• The Red Shoes, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger (1948)
• Polyester, John Waters (1981)
• Solaris, Andrey Tarkovskiy (1972) 
• Nosferatu the Vampyre, Werner Herzog (1979)
• Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola (1979)
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, David Lynch (1992)
• The Kingdom ["Riget"], Lars von Trier (TV Series - 1994)
• The Road, John Hillcoat (2009)
• Paris, Texas, Wim Wenders (1984)
• Days of Heaven, Terrence Malick (1978)
• The Exploding Girl, Bradley Rust Grey (2009)
• Four Flies On Grey Velvet, Dario Argento (1971)
• Krull, Peter Yates (1983)
• Summer Wars, Mamoru Hosoda (2009)
• Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky (2010)
• Fritz the Cat, Ralph Bakshi (1972)
• Tentacles, Ovidio G. Assonitis (1977)
• Heavy Metal, Gerald Potterton (1981)
• Innerspace, Joe Dante (1987)

Post-Production News on Thesis Film

Just updated the "Cereal for Dinner" site with news on audio work:

"Let's just say, my last view of the edit with Corey's most recent sound design and mix work left me feeling on the edge of my seat - much like I hope an audience would!

I could feel all the tension and the anticipation of every scene - it is by far the best shape it's been in since the initial edit, and I am excited to get cracking on the music and final touches so that I can share it with all of you!"

 Check out the site, and also the theme music created by Ryan Haupt here!

Pillsbury Voice Over

Fancy finding this...

My voice over is on the Pillsbury cinematic featured on Launch's website and facebook page. Check it out!

Cinematics are 3D animatics used for testing commercials, which were developed by Launch. Be sure to check out all the other great work!

"Sounds" Promising!

 

An exciting news update from the official website of my short film, "Cereal for Dinner":

Before I update you on "Cereal's" status, just want to thank everyone again for their EXTREME patience - it's not easy to finish a film, let alone start one. And if you're still visiting this site and looking forward to seeing "Cereal for Dinner" reach it's completion, I am indebted to your support and understanding.

I have been trying to get an engineer to work on the film's audio design and mix for a few months now; however, due to budget constraints and lack of time, I was unable to find someone to commit. Enter fellow filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor, Corey Snyder, who flew in to save the day!

Since Friday, after a meeting to discuss the goals, Corey has been working on mixing the voices in the edit, to make sure everything sounds level, crisp and clear. The next steps will be the hardest: layering sound effects and music along with the voices to create an atmosphere that will bring "Cereal for Dinner" to life.

A big thanks to Corey; be sure to check out his other work here!
And stay tuned as we get closer to the premier of the film. I'm excited to finally bring the finished product to everyone!

Short Talk

Two great short films were recently featured on Motionographer this week; a site I don't normally peruse, but should.

One, which feeds my inner child's love of all things oceanic, was done by stop-motion whiz PES. (How do I not know about this guy??)

Dare I say, this is whimsical? At least we can all agree that the concept is imagination to the Nth power.

(Check out the full article on Motionographer.)

On the same note, the post production facility, Charlex, which was responsible for starting the company I now work for, released their newest short, ShapeShifter. I am proud to say that I know some of the creative minds behind this impressive work. They definitely did not disappoint.


(Check out the full article on Motionographer.)

However, my favorite is still their first animated film, One Rat Short, which you can watch below or on Charlex's website (If you'd prefer better quality, I would suggest going there.)


This is storytelling at it's very best; so much so, that I had to keep myself from getting too emotional in the end. Pixar, eat your heart out. Never have rats been so......lovely.

A shout-out to creative director, Todd Winter, who I now have the pleasure of working with every day!

TAXIDERMIA Gets Under Your Skin

(No pun intended)
Conversely, it also makes you want to throw up your insides.

Ryan and I had read some reviews on Netflix before renting this, and were forewarned: this is the grossest move you will ever see. It wasn't a horror film (at least, it wasn't marketed as that, but I'm sure one could argue.) The Hungarian film follows the legacy of three males: father, son, and grandson, chronologically. That's about the only part of the story that is obvious and somewhat makes sense. Not to say that the oddities this movie displays are neither entertaining nor meaningful. It's just that there aren't many films with the - pardon my french, but I feel it's a good analogy given the source material - balls to tell a dramatic story in such an utterly grotesque and revealing way.

Without going into too much detail (the details are better observed firsthand, as they are quite unbelievable), the three generations of men are portrayed within their own acts, which in turn have their own theme. This is not explicitly said, yet it is apparent once we get into the meat of the story. And yes, meat is at the heart of this tale in more ways than one.

Our first protagonist, Morosgoványi Vendel, is who we open on, in the midst of some literal playing with fire. It is clear from the uncomfortable close-ups of flame-on-skin that this is not just a game, but a sexual obsession. And so, as Morosgoványi's tale goes on, we see that much of his life on a drab, nondescript farm is spent pining over the sins of the flesh - both animate and inanimate. Quick flashes of females' wet skin, inter-cut with his lieutenant's musings on female anatomy set the tone. Poor Vengel is subservient to this family, and as a result tries to escape through his fantasies; one of which includes a pig.

The cinematography is one of the best qualities of this film, in that it really takes you up close and personal. You flinch at the sight of fire near skin, a pig is butchered too close for comfort, and at one point in the film, you literally are inside the character, mirroring the feeling of being gutted. The shots are always interesting and meticulously composed, and the director, György Pálfi, does not shy from forcing you to take in the scene fully before he allows you to look away.

Next to the lustful context of Vengel's tale, the remaining two acts are centered upon two other vices: gluttony and vanity, though one is more obvious than the other. Vengel's illegitimate child, Kálmán, raised by the family his father served, becomes a speed-eater, and we are forced to experience these gag-inducing moments of slurping and subsequent hurling right from the get-go. Pálfi wastes no time.

After a life of humiliation and unsuccessful attempts at being speed-eater champion of the world, Kálmán resorts to piling all his feelings of inadequacy onto his comparably smaller, rail-thin son, Lajoska. Instead of doting on his only child, who runs a seemingly successful yet incredibly creepy Taxidermy business, he fawns on his over-fed cats and boasts about his days of gorging glory. Lajoska, much like his long-dead grandfather, is a servant and tied inextricably to his duties of feeding and cleaning his now obese father, who seems content to be so. We know that this story cannot have a happy ending, but we wish it did. The finale is a most foul one indeed, but if you can stomach the gore and see the deeper meaning, it is both a haunting and melancholy Shakespearean end to a family legacy.