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.

Listen to Tara's Live VO Demo

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

....as well as here!



Powered by Voice123 - Message On Hold

Shameless self promotion - YEAH!

Let me know what you think!

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"!