Get Your Film Scored For Free

Here's an interesting offer, passed this way via Debby Wolfe...

Dear Student Film makers and Film School Instructors -

The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program is in need of student made films that need original scores. We currently have 4 films for this coming cycle of "FS4" which is the section in the program where students who have spent a year studying the art of film composition actually get to score a student made film - yours!!

There is NO cost to the film maker!! Once we accept your film for the program, you will be matched up with a team of student composers who have chosen your film to work on. They will be in touch with you to discuss spotting (where the music goes), style and all other aspects of what you are looking for for your film. They will deliver to you synthesized "mock ups" of the themes and cues for your film for your approval. Once you have approved the music, it will be orchestrated, copied and recorded in a professional recording studio in Seattle using student and community musicians from the Seattle area. All we ask is that you stay involved in the process - the students need your input and feedback to ensure that you are satisfied with the results of their work.

If you have a version of your film with a "temp track", we ask that you send us a copy of that as well as a copy with all the music stripped out of it so that the student composers are able to get some ideas from what you have already done. WE WILL NOT just rip off the temp score, so if what you are looking for is the temp score "written sideways", please do not submit your film. Also, we do not provide scores to any film not associated to an educational program. This offer is only extended to films made as part of an educational program or course of study. The score that we deliver to you is licensed to you in perpetuity for use in your film in any medium - ownership of the score, recordings, copyright and publishing remain property of the student composers.

Examples of work by students of the program can be found on our website (http://www.pnwfilmmusic.com) as well as additional information about submitting your film. To date we have scored 53 students films and have won awards for the films and scores we have produced.

The time line is the only potential bugaboo. We need your locked pictures (without any music attached, unless there is some music in the film - maybe a song - that you are planning to keep in the film and have the rights for) by the end of August or sooner. We request that your films be sent to us on mini DV - call if you have some other format (DVDs are not accepted due to speed fluctuations). The students will begin working on the films as soon as they arrive! Our plan is to record the final scores sometime in February/March (we need to coordinate our schedule with the student musicians and not conflict with mid-terms, etc.)

If your film needs to be completed earlier than that date in order to meet a class requirement, we recommend using the "temp score" to submit your completed film. Also, we have recently worked out an agreement with a local community college - where there is a program in post production sound - to do final sound posting on the films submitted through our program. So once the score is completed we can deliver your film and our score to the college and they will work with you to get the final sound mixes done - including any ADR, foley and sound effects/sound design necessary. You are under no obligation to take advantage of this, but in the past student filmmakers have had a hard time to get their final mixes completed and so we researched how we could help make this happen.

Finally the City of Seattle has recently asked us to hold free public screenings of the films scored through the program, and so we will invite you to add your films to the upcoming screenings that will be held in the new Seattle City Hall and promoted by the city!!

If you would like more information about the program - please visit http://www.pnwfilmmusic.com If you have any questions that the website does not answer, please feel free to contact me directly.

Hummie Mann
206/230-0222
800/546-8611

http://www.pnwfilmmusic.com
http://www.hummiemann.com

Storyboard Artist Available To Work On Your Project - For Free

I was hanging out at DMAC a few nights ago and had a chat with Ellen, the lady behind the coffeebar. She told me she's an artist and wants to draw storyboards. I pitched the idea of working with UCF FILM students and she was quite interested. So do you need free storyboards for your upcoming film? If so, contact her quick. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets booked up fast and then starts charging.

If you want storyboards done for free, contact:

Ellen McMahill
emcmahill@yahoo.com
850-212-9096

I live in downtown Orlando and can meet with you if you call to set up a time first. I'm new to storyboarding, but have a degree in art from Florida State University and really enjoy drawing and developing ideas.

Fest Update: AUTOMATED ASSETS To Screen @ Oxford & Independents Film Fests

The Dastoli Brothers '07 have sent word that their short film AUTOMATED ASSETS - which, BTW won Third Place - University Level at the 2005 West Palm Beach Film Festival - has been accepted to the Oxford Film Festival (Oxford, MS) and Independents Film Festival (Tampa), both happening in September.

Fest Update: Big Bear Lake Film Fest To Screen CAT'S BAD HAIR DAY

Debby Wolfe '04, director of CAT'S BAD HAIR DAY, emailed us to report that her short was accepted into the Big Bear Lake Film Festival!! (Big Bear Lake, CA), happening Sept 16, 17, 18.

Debby adds, Jeez! Someone get me an agent!

You go girl.

Fest Update: Orinda Film Fest Picks IVAN GORSKY, PERFECT & Two Dastoli Shorts

The West Coast keeps coming on strong! Just minutes ago, we got word that the Orinda Film Festival (of lovely Orinda, California, near San Francisco) has invited four UCF shorts to their next shindig - AN EVENING WITH IVAN GORSKY, directing by Joe Mauceri '04, WHEN THE PERFECT COMES, directed by Adam Showen '04 and two from the Dastoli Brothers '06, AUTOMATED ASSETS and COMPLETE BREAKFAST.

IVAN GORSKY will be playing in the Bizarre (Kooky) Shorts Program, Friday, September 23, 9:00PM, while WHEN THE PERFECT COMES plays in College Shorts #1, Saturday, September 24. AUTOMATED ASSETS and COMPLETE BREAKFAST are both part of the College Shorts # 2 on Sunday September 25th

We're loving it!

Fest Update: KATIE & KASEY To Screen @ Breckenridge Festival of Film

The hits just keep on coming...Kyla Tomlin '05 informs us that her coming out in the bookstore short, KATIE & KASEY has been invited to make it's world debut at the Breckenridge Festival of Film , a lovely event set high in the mountains of Colorado. We hear rumors that some UCF faculty will be screening there also, but more on that later. Congrats to Kyla!

Orlando Film Office Now Offers Digital Location Library

Just got this email from our friend Dale Gordon, in the Orlando Film Office...

Exciting News! This is a notification that the Orlando Film Office has converted our 35mm location library to a new enhanced digital location library. The library was dated and no longer a useful tool to our clients. Moving upward and onward, we have bought into a new digital location system called Reel-Scout. This digital location library allows us to effectively send images in a matter of minutes with location specific information attached.

Please notify your students that if they are in need of locations, they can submit all requests via email to info@filmorlando.com

Thanks, Dale

Fest Update: ON BEING YOUR AVERAGE JOE To Debut At Sacramento Film & Music Festival

We're pleased to announce that ON BEING YOUR AVERAGE JOE, a provocative little transvestite saga directed by Ryan Pomeranz '06, will screen next month at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival. If Ryan's attends, please, somebody record the Q&A.

Miss American Outstanding Teen Pageant Needs Runners/Stage Hands

Want to see how a big fancy live show works? Want to meet and mingle with outstanding American teenages? The Miss American Outstanding Teen Pageant is seeking 3 or 4 runners/stage hands for pre-production and the taping of the pageant. From the email I received, they need these people between August 1st-31st. The position are non-paying, although they will take care of parking and meals.

Those interested can contact Kim Dawson - skydogproductions@mac.com

Fest Update: BendFilm Picks 4 UCF Shorts For September Festival

The BendFilm Festival (of Bend, Oregon) has selected four UCF shorts to be screened as part of it's Student Competition, during the festival slated for September 22-25. UCF films to be screened include: CAT'S BAD HAIR DAY, directed by Debby Wolfe (UCF FILM 2004), GOODNIGHT CHARLIE, directed by Danny Daneau (UCF FILM 2005), NAKED, directed by Andrew Gay (UCF FILM 2006) and - making it's World Premier on the festival circuit - LOSING TOBY, directed by Drew Lindo (UCF FILM 2006).

For all reading, take note -- this festival seems like a real up and coming event in the Telluride model. I hear great buzz - a beautiful location, good support and a solid organization making everyone happy. BendFilm's founder and executive director Katie Merrit was kind enough to review ten UCF films and her team chose four (which is a fantastic ratio, let me tell ya').

Oh...an did we forget to mention that there's a $3,000 cash award for Best Student Film? Ouch!

Finally, big props to Professor Kristin Congdon, who put Katie in touch with us.

Film Threat Gives 3 Stars To RANDOLPH GENTLY AND THE MYSTERIOUS ANIMALS

Film Threat.com has just posted a nice three-star review of Randolph Gently and the Mysterious Animals. Our friend and author Michael Ferraro wrote, "This most admirable trait here is that this short is successful in the creative department. The actors playing Randolph's friends are wearing simple rubber Halloween masks to portray animals, and it fits in perfectly with this odd world."

Fest Update: All FIVE STORIES Films Invited To Seoul Intl Youth Film Festival

Well, this is a really weird one. But it proves my point that the success of one student can be a success for all - or at least for more than that first student.

It seems our FIVE STORIES DVD got in the hands of the Seoul International Youth Film Festival for them to check out CAT's BAD HAIR DAY, directed by Debby Wolfe (UCF FILM 2004). Debby met the programmer of the Seoul Festival at Tribeca and handed her a FIVE STORIES DVD. The programmer loved Cat's Bad Hair Day and also took the opportunity to check out the other films on the disc. Here's the email Deb received, which she forwarded to me:

Dear Debby Wolfe
I'm pleased to inform you that your film 'Cat's Dad Hair Day' is selected in 7th Seoul International Youth Film Festival... And our staff and I saw your collegues' films, they were also great. We want to invite 'Randolph Gently and the Mysterious Animals' and 'Good Night Charlie'. Can you let me know their contact information? I really appreciate your help.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yoonhee Cho
Seoul International Youth Film Festival
www.siyff.com

The next day, Yoonee wrote back and asked for Ivan Gorsky and When The Perfect Comes too. That makes five for five.

Okay, let's review. One student - Debby, who's had a great run with her film thus far - gets our FIVE STORIES DVD in the hands of a programmer from a festival in Seoul, South Korea. Fast Forward - suddenly five UCF films are being invited to make their Asian debuts and now there's another festival out there looking for great films from UCF, thus opening a door to every UCF FILM student preparing for a festival run.

Isn't that amazing? Take a lesson from this - don't be solo artists. Be an active part of the community in which you're training and make the most of it. Help others when you can and - Surprise! - others will help you. Sometimes it's a matter of talking up fellow student films with a person of importance when hanging at the bar. Sometime's it's handing out a compilation DVD instead of a DVD with just your film on it. In every case, you'll look better for being part of scene that's on the move. And your peers will thank you, which comes in handy when you're sending them your resumes in hopes of getting a job.

The WayBack Machine - A 1984 Review of The Original Mac

Some of you readers were not even born when this article was originally published. It's a 1984 review from Byte magazine of the original 128K Macintosh computer. What's most interesting is that if you update the technical details, this article could be from last month. The subjective view of the Mac experience was already locked in place 21 years ago and it has barely changed since. My fave sentence: "Time and again, I've seen individuals with little or no computer experience sit down in front of a Mac and accomplish useful tasks with it in a matter of minutes. Invariably, they use the same words to describe it: "amazing" and "fun."

They say the same thing about the iMac G5.

Check out a bit o' history here.