Wasatch Wrap

48 Hour Film Project SLC

2010-05-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

Filmmakers and Film Fans,

Just a reminder about our first get together this coming Wednesday.

CREW MEET AND GREET
May 5th, 7pm- 9pm, Noodles & Co, 5207 South State Street, Murray.
Lonely editor without a team? Team missing a DP? Well come along to Noodles and ease your hunger while mixing, matching and filling the empty spots on your team as well as those empty spots in your belly!

SLC 48HFP screening groups are nearly complete. To reserve your space, register your team now at: http://www.48hourfilm.com/saltlakecity

Brian Higgins
Salt Lake City Producer
48 Hour Film Project, Inc.
http://www.48hourfilm.com/saltlakecity
saltlakecity@48hourfilm.com

Look Alikes

2010-04-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

When I saw this poster for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I thought it was Elijah Wood playing the Mad Hatter, not Johnny Depp.

Can you see why I was confused?

As expected, I loved the film.

PBS opens national stage for West High students

2010-03-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Reprinted from the Salt Lake Tribune website today:

PBS opens national stage for West High students
SLC school is among 6 in nation chosen to participate in Student Reporting Lab.
By Rosemary Winters
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/22/2010 07:05:42 AM MDT

Students in West High School's TV West class dash around a low-budget television studio with shag carpet and turquoise couches. Three kids huddle around a microphone after the second-period bell rings to deliver morning announcements to classroom speakers.
The class, split into two periods of 25 or so students each, produces a weekly TV news show that airs Fridays in first period. But thanks to a new partnership with PBS NewsHour Extra, these student reporters are now tackling national news stories that reach beyond the day-to-day talk of baseball games and junior prom.
They're producing videos about the U.S. Supreme Court and global climate change for national viewers.
NewsHour Extra, an online educational branch of the Washington, D.C.-based NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, has launched a Student Reporting Lab with a $200,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Salt Lake City's West High is one of six high schools across the country chosen to participate this year. The other schools are in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Texas, Louisiana and Washington, D.C.
"I see [reporting] as a form of learning," says Leah Clapman, managing editor of education at NewsHour Extra. "Making connections to what's going on in the world to your curriculum is a very important motivating factor for young people."
For their first assignment, students in the TV West class produced two videos about the U.S. Supreme Court. One group examined the tension between parental rights and children's individual rights. A second looked at rulings that upheld students' First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.
"It was a lot more interesting" than routine school news, said West High senior Clara Purk. "It was interesting to learn how Utah is so parental-rights focused."
Now, Purk and other students are reporting on global warming, including scientific findings and the fiery political debate the topic generates in Utah's conservative Legislature.
As part of the reporting lab, the TV West class has teamed up with Utah Education Network, a public media station. UEN, in turn, offers mentors and assistance tracking down experts to interview. KUER reporter Dan Bammes coached the fledgling journalists on story telling and script writing for their Supreme Court pieces.
"It's been awesome for my kids," said West High teacher Jared Wright, who noted the students already do four in-depth features a year to air on the school news program. "When they got this assignment from PBS, it was really quite natural for them."
NewsHour Extra also provided TV West with file footage to use in student reports and a $1,000 grant to spend on

equipment -- a "boon," Wright said, in a year when he's been told he does not have any money to buy new video gear. The students' videos are posted on the NewsHour Extra Web site and could be plugged during a NewsHour broadcast.
PBS NewsHour, Clapman said, is interested in gathering student perspectives on national stories, cultivating more savvy consumers of news and mentoring the next generation of journalists.
"I want to do this in real life," Purk said. "It is something that I'm very passionate about."
Purk leans toward documentary or dramatic filmmaking, but she's also open to broadcast journalism. She has been offered a debate scholarship to the University of Southern California, and she's crossing her fingers that she gets accepted into the film program. She hopes her work producing videos for TV West and an advanced film class will give her an edge.
"If I get into the film school it's definitely because of this," says Purk, 17. "I could not have done anything I've accomplished [in film] without this class and without the equipment."
rwinters@sltrib.com

Environmental Film Series

2010-03-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Swanner Eco-Center in Park City is doing its Environmental Film Series again in 2010. Yah!

FUEL
Wednesday, March 17, Evening
FUEL is an entertaining and comprehensive look at energy in America: a history of where we have been, our present predicament and a solution to our dependence on foreign oil.

Josh Tickell's stirring, radical and multi-award winning FUEL may be known by some as the "little energy documentary," but in truth, it's a powerful portrait of America's overwhelming addiction to, and reliance on, oil. Rousing and reactionary, this film will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired.

In addition to the film, Johnny O'hara, the film's screenwriter, will be speaking before the film. Time and ticket price TBA.

Reservations for the film are required. Please RSVP to Nell@SwanerEcoCenter.org or 435-649-1767 ext. 103.

Coen Brother's Grit Shooting in Utah?

2010-03-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

In January at the Sundance festival it was announced that the Coen brothers were scouting locations in Utah for at least one scene in their upcoming remake of True Grit, the 1969 western starring John Wayne. This month Ethan and Joel Coen begin filming in Santa Fe. This year's Academy Award winner for best actor, Jeff Bridges, dons another cowboy hat to take on the Wayne role. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin serve in the other leading roles. Still hoping the big shoot out finale will take place here in the beehive state.

For You Filmmakers

2010-03-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

Money, talent keep Hollywood coming back to Utah

2010-03-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Money, talent keep Hollywood coming back to Utah

Posted using ShareThis

Utah Oscar Connection

2010-03-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

Any Utah connections to the Oscars this year? I only know of one. Utah local, Geralyn White Dreyfous co-founded Impact Partners who brought the filmmakers of The Cove (Best Documentary) together with their investors. The film showed at last year's Sundance Film Festival and picked up the Audience Award and also picked up distribution with Roadside Attractions. Congratulations to everyone involved along The Cove's road to success!

Large-Budget Movie Filming in Utah

2010-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

(Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter in upcoming film to be shot mostly in Utah)

Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010 @12:07pm CST
The state of Utah is again seeing stars.

Walt Disney Studios is filming “A Princess of Mars” in different locations around the state. The movie is based on the first novel in the “John Carter of Mars” series by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Disney is expected to spend as much as $60 million in Utah, including $10 million in Grand County alone.

The studio plans to hire hundreds of people for the shoot. If you are interested, send a resume to jcomoffice@gmail.com . Officials ask that you don’t call. The resumes will then be forwarded to Disney for consideration.

From: http://connect2utah.com

MEISNER: BY THE BOOK

2010-02-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Event Description:
What we are calling the class: "MEISNER: BY THE BOOK"

Time: March 2, 2010 from 7pm to 9:30pm
Location: Jeff Johnson Casting Studio
Organized By: Tye

When is the class: Currently we will start March 2nd, and will continue Tuesday nights. Class will start promptly at 7 pm and will go for approximately 2 1/2 hours.

Where will the class be held: The class will be held at (Jeff Johnson Casting: 2150 S. Main st. Suite 102, SLC UT 84115)

Who will be running the class: There is no coach/instructor for the class, there is a group of guides who have all had Meisner training, some have had more experience than others, the real coach will be "the books", hence the name of the class. ( I would advise picking up THE SANFORD MEISNER APPROACH WORKBOOK 1 and reading the first couple chapters before March 2nd just to get ahead of the game)

How much will the class cost: Again, since there is no coach, the only concerns we have are rental space and upkeep, so for the majority of the participants the class will only be $5 a week. (yes thats right, five... not a typo)

SUPPLIES

The Sanford Meisner Approach Workbooks 1-4

You'll also need a journal. something to write in for the class.

thank you, we are all really excited to see where this class goes.

Tye

Another Job Posting

2010-02-22T09:15:00.001-08:00

Football Video Coordinator
If you run a camera well, know all about NCAA football (and love it, especially the cougars), and have a bachelor's degree, I may have just found you your ideal job:
https://yjobs.byu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=126685877727

New Moon

2010-02-19T10:44:00.000-08:00

I went and saw this movie on Tuesday night for a dollar. The plot was good, good enough that I still plan to read the book, but the movie was bad. SO. BAD.

Worst Kisser in Hollywood

2010-02-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

Now, despite being a rather attractive man who is incredibly talented and has a great set of lips, I practically gag whenever I see him in a kissing scene. Seriously, do you watch Scrubs or anything else with him kissing in it? It's gross.

SLC Producer Wanted

2010-02-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

Dear 48 hour filmmakers and fans:

After two great years of the 48 Hour Film Project in Salt Lake City, Lance Youngberg is moving on. We at the 48HFP thank him for his work on the Project.

The 48HFP is now looking for a new Salt Lake City Producer. He or she will be responsible for getting the word out about the 48HFP; reserving theaters; running the kickoff, dropoff, and screenings; and making sure the filmmakers have a good time. Good organizational, communication, writing, Word, Excel, and email skills are essential.

This is a paid position. The Salt Lake City Producer cannot participate in the 48 Hour Film Project.

If you're interested, or know someone who is, please send a resume and a cover email to ben@48hourfilm.com -- and be sure to include a phone number.

Please don't email questions without attaching a resume.

Thanks!

Best,

Ben Guaraldi
Director of Outreach
48 Hour Film Project
http://www.48hourfilm.com/

SAG Awards

2010-02-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

I didn't watch the live televised broadcast of the SAG Awards on Jan. 23rd, but I did watch some of the acceptance speeches on their official website via YouTube. You can find a list of all the winners at:
http://www.sagawards.org/PR_100123

The cast of Glee won the award for Outstanding Performance my an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Sundancing Part II

2010-02-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

I profusely apologize for the two-week delay in posts. My sister Sarah was supposed to join me for the final weekend of Sundance but instead went into the hospital for emergency brain surgery. If you are a person of faith, please keep her in your prayers. If you are a believer in healing, please send her your positive energies.

But, on a lighter note, back to Sundance. The second film Lacey and I saw was called The Company Men. It was set in Boston and had an all-star cast of Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, and Ben Affleck, amongst others. It was about massive lay-offs at a transportation company and the way some of the individual employees dealt with it. I really loved seeing how Affleck's character was so defined by his work and without it he really had to redefine himself. But overall the film was a bit long and just too depressing. The best acting may have come from a lesser-known artist named Rosemary DeWitt. She is beautiful and talented and I look forward to seeing her in more films.

The incomparable Tommy Lee Jones.

Ron Livingston and Rosemary DeWitt

Does anyone know this actress' name? She was uncredited in the film but I know I've seen her in something before.

Chris Cooper shook my hand but didn't stop for a photo so I had to snap one of him later.

Michael Moore was sitting not far behind us.

John Wells, experienced writer and producer, had his directorial debut in film with The Company Men. He is the one at the mic shown here at the Q&A session after the film.

Lacey and I with Tom Arnold.

With Ben Affleck.

Sundancing

2010-01-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

I don't mind saying that I know how to Sundance. It's a simple fact. I do it and I do it well:)
Friday morning I checked out the same-day ticket releases at the Sundance Main Box Office. For the first two dozen people in line they are fantastic. I wasn't early enough to be one of those so I didn't bother waiting in line. I sold the tickets I had to a Friday morning show and a Monday evening show. I still have tickets to a premier on Tuesday night that I just realized I can't go to, so leave a comment or email me if you're interested in seeing It's a Wonderful Afterlife at 6:15 on the 26th.
Lacey and I got to Eccles Theater around 5:15pm on Friday. We saw John Carroll Lynch leaving the premier of Hesher.

We wandered about looking for tickets to Please Give and snagged some fairly quickly but not before getting blanketed in thick snow. Watched America Ferrera taking press shots before heading in to screen the film with us (She is incredibly short (!) and beautiful).
Stars Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, and Amanda Peet were in attendance along with the rest of the cast and writer/director Nicole Holofcener . It was a well-written, well-acted film. It had a good plot but more than anything it featured the complexities of the human heart, mind, and soul.
Holofcener and the cast took questions from the audience after the film, which was really fun.

Dumbest audience question: "Oliver, your character seemed to be in a good marriage, why did he cheat?"

Got these shots with cast members after the film:

Thomas Ian Nicholas

Rebecca Hall

(More Sundance reports to come)

LDSFF 24 Hour Marathon Screenings

2010-01-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

It was a relief to find out that I hadn't gone mad and in fact several of the films that were screened tonight at the LDS Film Festival's 24 Hour Marathon session were longer than the allotted 3 minutes. Marathon session indeed, as it took the better part of 3 hours to screen all 49 completed entries. Overall, the competition was a smashing success, not due to an abundance of highly polished, Hollywood-ready films, but for the effort and creativity shown by the competitors.

I should mention that I'm a bean counter by training and that all of the hundreds (seemingly) of hours of videotape that I have shot are of my family. Through my association with Provo Creative I have been exposed to some of the elements of filmmaking and it's with that eye that I can appreciate that each of these films were created start to finish in less than 24 hours. Someone had to write the scripts, act out the parts, and produce and edit the film. Those "someones" have a lot more talent than I do at making films and tonight's screening was a fun celebration of said talent.

I had the good fortune of bumping and sitting next into a friend from Southern California, Alma Mills, an LDS filmmaker and producer, who was in town for the festival. He, along with well-known actor-producer Jeff Chamberlain (who just happens to be my brother-in-law), both saw the 24 hour marathon for what it is: a chance to practice one's skills as a filmmaker or actor. They were both kind in their reviews of the screenings, likely due to having been there and done it (or something similar) themselves.

There were some films that stood out and will likely win one of the awards, which will be presented on Saturday night. I haven't yet seen Avatar, but it was easy to see that entry #18, "Ratava" was spoofing it. Entry #10, "Blind Date" was one of my early favorites based on a nice use of split screen editing and funny story line. The audience seemed to really like the Zombie tutorial (#13 Boo?), although to me it was representative of the many entries that virtually ignored the theme of the competition(Charity) and the theme of film festival (LDS).

No, I wasn't expecting to see 50 seminary-worthy films, but for my taste there were too many that essentially ignored the specified or implied themes, cashing in on cheap humor, violence, or stale story lines. Sound issues got the better of many of the entries, and the acting was generally ok, with a few excellent standouts, like #44 "A Favor for Edgar."

I was happy to be associated with the 5 Provo Creative teams (#26, #27, #28, #38, #) whose entries can be seen on our YouTube Channel. Our films ranged from fairytale-ish (I cried) to spoofs (I laughed) to sexy ninjas on a green screen (I'm still confucius-ed). Yes, I am biased due to knowing the participants. No, my votes for favorite didn't just go to the Provo Creative group...but the film I liked the best was #26 The Princess and The Stone. Was it because Pete Hansen, my Provo Creative partner, was the DP? Maybe, maybe not. What I do know is that the film moved me, stayed on theme, and could be shown to family members of all ages. Good stuff Pete, Susan Phelan, Kami Coleman, Marlys Fladeland, and Kjirstin Youngberg.

Below is the official list of completed entries. I'll link them as the info becomes available. Please feel free to comment with a link that I don't have yet so I can update the list.

#1 Absolam
#2 The Guitarist
#3 The Rock of Charity
#4 Eternity Star
#5 For the Children
#6 The Day
#7 The Imposing Rose
#8 The Cave of the Chupacabra
#9 Father Dearest
#10 Blind Date
#11 Secret Santa
#12 Wednesday in Replay
#13 Boo
#14 I Want a Rock
#15 To Be Seen of Men
#16 Crank It Back Up
#17 Might Mind Strength
#18 Ratava
#19 Stone's Throwaway
#20 Rug Rocks
#21 The Jumper
#22 Sensible + Polite
#23 Special Delivery
#24 Decent Proposal
#25 A Bad Case of Virtues
#26 The Princess and the Stone
#27 Button
#28 Reginald
#29 The Friendless Monkey
#30 (Did not finish the competition)
#31 Big Trouble in Little Comic Shop
#32 Rock Wow!
#33 Brothers
#34 Reflections of Teenage Philosophy
#35 Citizen of the Week
#36 Love Thy Self as Thy Self
#37 Let Not Your Left Hand Know
#38 The Ninjas, the Green Screen, and the Pebble of Wisdom
#39 All Rocked Out
#40 On the Rocks
#41 Art Gallery Ettiquette
#42 Stone's Throw
#43 Plan B
#44 A Favor for Edgar
#45 Helping Happy
#46 La Leyenda De La Tortilla
#47 The Cupcake Helper
#48 What Makes a Great Man
#49 Prairie Dawn
#50 I'm the One Who...

Thoughts on the Golden Globes

2010-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Well, of course I was thrilled that Avatar won best drama and James Cameron took home the globe for best director, but here are a few other thoughts on the big event on Sunday night.
I couldn't have been happier that Glee won for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical. Why has nobody ever done a musical tv show before?! It is fantastic!
I thought Meryl Streep's win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical in Julie & Julia was well deserved. Her portrayal of Julia Child was spot on.
Martin Scorsese's being honored with the Cecil B. DeMille award was great.
I was delighted that Up won for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score.

Though I've never watched The United States of Tara, I love Toni Colette and think she is incredibly talented (though she looked too thin). I was glad to see her win Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
And if you knew how much I love 30 Rock, you wouldn't have been surprised to see me smile when Alec Baldwin won for his performance there. That guy knows how to do comedy.
Adding to my Netflix list at least partly because of the show:
The Young Victoria
An Education
Invictus
Duplicity (looks like it's already in my queue actually)
Grey Gardens
United States of Tara Season 1
Into the Storm

I'll try to see Nine and Sherlock Holmes while they are still in the theater.

And I know this blog is supposed to be about film, but I'm a woman, so I can't very well talk about the Golden Globes without mentioning fashion.
My best dressed picks are:

Jeff Bridges

I thought he looked dapper in all black.

Halle Berry

I know, I know, she always wears something low-cut and backless, but if you had a skin and a body like that, wouldn't you?

Felicity Huffman

I love this dress! And damn, Felicity, you're buff!

Honorable mentions go to:
Jane Krakowski
Kate Hudson (whose everyday braless look is such a turnoff)
Fergie
Christina Aguilera (who managed to look classy for once)
Jennifer Aniston (sexiest of the night)
January Jones
Chloe Sevigny would have gotten an honorable mention if she weren't so unlikeable.

Best golden globes:
Mariah Carey

Nicole Kidman wins for Most Prominent Nipples and Christina Hendricks wins for Looks Most Like a Porn-star.

Though Tom Hanks was incredibly funny and I had mixed feelings on Ricky Gervais, Ricky had the best line of the night, "I like a drink as much as the next man, -- unless the next man is Mel Gibson", when introducing Gibson!

LDS Film Festival 24 Hour Filmmaking Marathon

2010-01-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

The 2010 installment of the LDS Film Festival begins Wednesday January 20th (at the SCERA Center in Orem) and runs through Saturday January 23rd. One of the most popular activities of the annual festival is the 24-Hour Filmmaking Marathon. From the festival's website:

51 groups signed up on Friday morning, January 15, to participate in the 8th 24-Hour Filmmaking Marathon. All finished films must be turned in 24 hours later on Saturday, January 16 to be eligible for an award.

Prizes totalling more than $1,000 will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of this exciting competition.

All films will be screened during the Festival on Thursday, January 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

This year's theme is Charity, the object to use in the film is a rock, and the dialogue line is "I'm the one who..."

Provo Creative (of which the author is a principal) sponsored 5 teams in this year's competition, drawing from members of our Meetup Group of media arts professionals. Each 5 person team had the task of writing, producing and editing a short film of up to 3 minutes in length and delivering the finished product within 24 hours from the 10am-ish start time Friday morning. It's become quite the tradition to see teams running full speed with disks in hand trying to beat the Saturday morning deadline!

I wasn't on a team, opting to hold down the fort at Provo Creative should any of the teams desire to use our studio or equipment during the competition. All 5 Provo Creative teams finished their films and turned them in, and I, along with hundreds of others, am looking forward to the screenings and awards this coming Thursday night.

The LDS Film Festival has a full complement of movies, including several premieres, and has grown in popularity and attendance over the past 9 years with some 7000+ enjoying last year's event.

Emily's Year in Movies 2009

2010-01-15T05:02:00.000-08:00

I went on Wikipedia and found a list of every movie released in 2009. Here are some brief thoughts on my movie-viewing experience with each of them that I saw.

Coraline - didn't see this one until it was released on dvd. Watched it with my husband, Brandon. I fully expected this to be my new favorite movie since I love Nightmare Before Christmas so much and the previews looked fantastic. I was disappointed. It wasn't bad, but overall too creepy, definitely not for young kids, and certainly not on my list of favorites.

He's Just Not That Into You - saw this one in Park City with my friend Raquel. Great acting. Loved Justin Long's character. Good show but ultimately forgettable.

Confessions of a Shopaholic - rented this one from Red Box with my best friend, Jen. I can't say I wasn't entertained, but this was incredibly dumb.

The Soloist - I rented this one and watched it at home. Great acting performances and good story but not as good as I was expecting.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The friends I saw this with (Andrew, Jennifer, and Donovan) in California hated it. I was totally engrossed and entertained as was Brandon. The writers aren't going to win any awards, but it was fun. It paled in comparisson to the first X-Men movie which is probably in my Top 10 Favorites of All Time.

Star Trek - Fantastic! Saw it in CA with the same as the above. More on that trip here.

Up - watched this in a home theater with family over the holidays. Excellent movie for young and old alike.

Food Inc. - watched this one last night at home. I've been trying to get everyone in the country to read The Omnivore's Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. This is easier, DO IT. It will change the way you shop and eat. After reading those books I have changed some habits, after seeing this documentary it has forever changed which meat I will buy and consume and feed to my family. Powerful and eye-opening.

Moon - saw this last year at Sundance. It only served to confirm that Sam Rockwell is an incredibly talented actor. Great sci-fi flick. A bit too much swearing for my taste.

The Proposal - saw this one in Park City with Raquel on another spontaneous girl's night out. Fun chick flick.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - I have no recollection of where or with whom I saw this movie but I know I liked it (because I like all things Harry Potter).

500 Days of Summer - Redstone with Jen. Great movie. Unexpected, fun, unusual. Got it on dvd as a Christmas gift from Lauren. The cover claims it is "seriously funny" and a "feel-good movie". I disagree with both assertions, but it was great. It premiered last year at Sundance and I had tickets but had to sell them because of a scheduling conflict.

Adam - saw it at Sundance with Janette. Great performances by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. About a man with Aspergers. Good show.

Julie & Julia - saw it with my mother-in-law and her three daughters. Highly enjoyable and not just because I love to cook.

No Impact Man - borrowed this one from SLC Film Center. Excellent documentary about a man and his family trying to make no negative impact on the earth for a year (producting no trash, not riding in vehicles, etc.). I highly recommend it.

Avatar - saw it with my hubby, father-in-law, and one of my brothers-in-law at the Thanksgiving Point theater in 3-D. You already know it was the best movie of the year.

Eco-Friendly Event Tonight

2010-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

While listening to NPR driving around today I heard about this:

Park City Film Series is screening Tapped, a documentary about water that promises to be incredibly revealing.

Official Trailer

The screening at 7pm tonight after a one hour discussion is at the Park City Library's Jim Santy Auditorium and costs $5. The $5 goes directly to Recycle Utah. If there is any way I can get there, I will.

Move Over Sundance

2010-01-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know there are (at least) three film festivals going on in Utah at the end of January?
Let's see what their websites have to say for themselves:

Sundance - Jan. 21-31 - "Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work."
Attendance = over 45,000 annually
Over 9,800 films submitted for 2010 festival (almost 200 being screened)
Founded in 1984.

Slamdance - Jan. 21-28 -"As the preeminent festival whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets. Slamdance’s goal is to strengthen its year-round efforts in support of these artists and to leverage its name and reputation for the further development of other Slamdance media components." (italics and bold fonts added by me).
Attendance = ?
Established in 1995.

LDS Film Festival - Jan. 20-23 - "The LDS Film Festival strives to annually present a diverse spectrum of films that represent the status quo of current LDS filmmaking. At the same time, the LDS Film Festival seeks to discuss what LDS filmmaking should be or could be. The festival's LDS Film Forum presents papers by LDS scholars and academics that deal with different theoretical aspects of Mormon filmmaking. Discourses, discussions and exposure to different ideas and thoughts are all encouraged."
Attendance in 2009 = 7000.
Founded in 2001.

Epic Fail

2010-01-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

So, as I'd said, I was going to try to see all my Sundance films this year during the days my friend Lacey is in town, essentially opening weekend. We wanted to see a few premiers and get photos with a couple celebrities. I went during my scheduled half-hour of locals-weekend for individual ticket sales, same time I got awesome tickets last year, and NOTHING. No tickets for anything we wanted to see in those first four days! I still managed to get tickets to three premier films, but nothing for while Lacey is in town. I am now working a final avenue in hopes of getting tickets to the three showings I had my heart set on. If that doesn't work out it's down to playing our luck at same-day ticket releases and the wait-lists.

Me and Lacey during her last visit to Utah (Aug. '07).

Excuses

2010-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I've fallen off the bandwagon again with posting.
I've been busy wrapping presents, unwrapping presents, hanging out with family, seeing friends who were in from out-of-town, being vocalist on Beatles Rock Band, playing games, snowmobiling, etc.
The only movie I've seen lately is Up, which was a GREAT family film.
What's going on in the film and production scenes in Utah? I have no idea.

Avatar

2009-12-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

For the love of Pete, go see Avatar, in 3D, as soon as possible. It literally had me gasping aloud. The most visually stunning movie since What Dreams May Come. Add to that a masterpiece of a story, an solid script, an incredible cast, great acting, and rich, full characters and you have a movie that lives up to its hype. And since I essentially live under a rock and had never even seen a preview for it, it didn't even have to do that for me. But despite my lack of expectations, I couldn't have been much more impressed. The best word for it (as cliche as it may sound) is epic. Just GO.
For a great review go to: http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/Avatar

Is Anyone As Excited About THIS As I Am?

2009-12-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

Sundance Excitement

2009-12-19T15:01:00.001-08:00

Billy Bob Thornton and me at the 2009 Sundance Festival.

I have a time-slot to purchase individual local tickets to the Sundance Film Festival on January 9th. I'm excited! My good friend, Lacey, will be coming in from Denver to "do" the festival its first weekend. She will be here for four days and we plan to see at least three films. We also aim to get our pictures taken with Orlando Bloom (yum!) and Ryan Gosling (Lacey's pick). The next weekend my sister, Sarah, and her 15 year old son, Gabe, will be in town from Arizona. I'll probably hit another film with them.
Which films, you ask. Well, I intend to see a worldwide premier on both Friday the 23rd and the day after. I won't tell you which, just in case you're a stalker, but I will tell you what films look intruiguing.

Those starring celebrities:
The Company Men (Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner)
Cyrus (John C. Rilley, Marissa Tomei)
Blue Valentine (Ryan Gosling)
Burried (Ryan Reynolds)
Hesher (Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, Natalie Portman)
Sympathy for Delicious (Orlando Bloom:)
Get Low (Bill Murray)
Jack Goes Boating (Phillip Seymore Hoffman, etc.)
The Extra Man (Kevin Kline, etc.)
Howl (James Franco:), etc.)
The Runaways (Kristin Stewart, Dakota Fanning)
Bran Nue Dae (Geoffrey Rush)
3 Backyards
Please Give

Those without any big-names:
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Boy
Abel
Obselidia
Armless
Cane Toads
The Shock Doctrine
Bilal's Stand
Douchebag
Peepli Live
Son of Babylon
Southern District
Vegetarian
Animation Showcase

Documentaries:
Lucky
Bhutto
A Film Unfinished
His & Hers
My Perestoika
Smash His Camera
Waiting for Superman
Wasteland
Secrets of the Tribes
Russian Lessons
The Red Chapel
Last Train Home

Find your picks in the film guide.

Motion Picture Association

2009-11-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Motion Picture Association of Utah Forum will take place
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Redman Movies and Stories
1075 S. 700 W
Salt Lake City
(801) 978-9292.

Light refreshments will be served. I encourage each and every member of the MPAU to attend, and I ask that each of you bring a friend who is an industry member but has not yet joined the MPAU.

The entire Board of the MPAU will be present, as well as members of the Utah Film Commission, including Marshall Moore. I expect to discuss the current state of our industry including upcoming productions which have received the Utah Motion Picture Incentive. I want to report on our recent meeting with Governor Herbert, as well as our recent meeting with Spencer Eccles, the new Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. I also want to detail our plans to you for the upcoming Legislative Session. As with all Forums, however, the main goal is to give you a chance to express your thoughts and concerns on an in person face-to-face basis. These have been difficult times for all of us, and one of the results has been a considerable amount of misinformation being disseminated. I think it is important to clear the air.

Sincerely,
Don Schlain, President

Environmental Film Series - Wednesday

2009-11-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Swanner EcoCenter's Environmental Film Series is featuring WE SHALL REMAIN: THE PAIUTE this week. The film will screen this Wednesday, November 11th at about 6:30pm.

From Swanner:
"This KUED production is one piece of a powerful five-part series on the American Indian Tribes of the Great Basin Region we now know as Utah. The provocative project establishes Native history as an essential part of U.S. history.

The thirty minute film will be followed by a discussion led by Forrest Cuch, Director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, as well as Southern Paiute representative Carmen Martineau, and the film's producer Sally Shaum.

Arrive at 6:30 pm to enjoy light appetizers and talk with our guests. The film will start shortly after 6:30pm with discussion immediately following.

Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members, and half price for children. RSVP to nell@swanerecocenter.org."

The Swanner EcoCenter is located in Park City at Kimball Junction in the Redstone shopping district.

Here's Your Chance

2009-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night at 7:00 is your chance to see the award-winning documentary, The Cove. It will be screening at the Park City Library, followed by a discussion with the Oceanic Preservation Society. If you'll recall, I briefly mentioned this film in my article about Impact Partner's Geralyn White Dreyfous.

The Sundance Institute's website gives the following description of the film:

The largest supplier of dolphins in the world is located in the picturesque town of Taiji, Japan but the town has a dark, horrifying secret hidden from the rest of the world. The only way to stop the evil acts of one company, and the town's protection of it, is to expose them. Armed with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, a band of activists, led by the most famous dolphin trainer in the world, devise a plan to infiltrate the cove to document the events that happen there.

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's prestigious Audience Award, this is one documentary you will certainly not want to miss!

Hopefully some of my readers are at the SLC Film Center's showing of Shouting Fire at this very moment. If so, please leave me a comment telling me your thoughts about it.

This Weekend in Park City

2009-10-02T07:41:00.001-07:00

Sundance's Park City Film Series is showing Woody Allen's 2009 Whatever Works. It stars Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood, plus an incredible supporting cast.

PG-13
92 mins.

Fri. & Sat. 8pm
Sun. 6pm
Park City Library
Jim Santy Auditorium
1255 Park Ave.

More details here.

Locals Sundance Tickets

2009-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

You only have until Friday to register for Locals Passes. Get on it!
http://festival.sundance.org/2010/boxoffice/utah_locals/

Reel Rock Tour

2009-09-30T06:30:00.002-07:00

Tonight.
7:30.
Tower Theatre in Salt Lake.
$12.
Best new climbing adventure films from around the world.
More details at:
http://www.reelrocktour.com/#/films/

Still Going?

2009-09-30T06:30:00.001-07:00

I'd realized I hadn't blogged on here in a long time. It's been just over a month. I'm sorry.
It's been about 10 weeks since I've written anything on here with any substance. Again, I apologize.
I can't decide whether I have the time or gumption to keep this blog going. Any thoughts?

Tonight: Desert Secrets Film Series

2009-08-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

From the website:
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts presents the Fine Arts Film Series designed to provide additional insight into current UMFA exhibitions. Films are shown in the UMFA Katherine W. and Ezekiel R. Dumke Jr. Auditorium at various times throughout the year. The films are all free to the public.

Punishment Park
Wednesday, August 26 • 6 pm • Rated R for violence and language
Post-film discussion with Rocky Anderson
In this cinéma vérité-style pseudo-documentary, a group of draft dodgers and counterculture youth are banished to the desert, where they are detained and made to play a bizarre game resembling capture the flag. Almost forty years later, Punishment Park resonates eerily with our contemporary political climate. Directed by Peter Watkins (1971), this film is rated “R” for violence and language. Rocky Anderson, former mayor of SLC and executive director of High Road for Human Rights, will conduct a post-film discussion.

Next Week's Outdoor S.I. Screenings

2009-07-30T08:23:00.001-07:00

Outdoor Screening: Riding Giants
Directed by Stacy Peralta
2004 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection

Mon | August 3, 2009 | 8:30 PM or dusk
Gallivan Center
239 South Main
Salt Lake City

Concessions provided by Red Rock Brewery

Riding Giants, Stacy Peralta's surfing sequel to his Sundance debut and award winner, Dogtown and Z-Boys, is a multi-generational insider's look at the origins of surfing, the colorful and subversive birth of surf culture, and the mythology and lure of the "big wave." This passionately fluid film is the first authentic history of surfing from its humble Hawaiian beginnings to the big business it became to the still-rebellious waves it breaks today.

Interested in volunteering at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival? A Festival representative will be on site with volunteer information for you!

Songcatcher
Wed | August 5, 2009 | 8:30 PM or dusk
City Park
1354 Park Ave.
Park City

Concessions provided by Red Rock Brewery and Coach's Grill

The year is 1907 when musicologist Doctor Lily Penleric journeys to the Appalachian mountains to visit her sister. She soon discovers the emotional folk songs of Scotland and Ireland that have been preserved and passed down through generations of this secluded community. Determined to document this history, she immerses herself in mountain life, falls in love with a local musician, and is profoundly changed by the unsung world of the mountain people.

MountainFilm Festival Zero Emissions Tour

2009-07-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow evening in Park City there will be a FREE screening of 90 minutes of films (PG ratings) from the Telluride-based festival. An M.C. will arrive via bicycle to introduce the films and lead the conversation. This in an incredibly unique event and a chance to support meaningful, socially-engaging films.

Sat., July 18, 2009
8:00 pm
Park City Library - Jim Santy Auditorium

MountainFilm festival bills itself as the country's leading independent documentary film festival. The Zero Emissions Tour is bringing the 2009 films to Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado on the backs of bicyclists. The Park City Film Series is hosting the event.

After the Oscar

2009-07-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Utah resident, Geralyn White Dreyfous, is perhaps best known as the Executive Producer of 2004's Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, Born Into Brothels. She continues her work as an Executive Producer and also works as Executive/Artistic Director (not to mention Founder) of the Salt Lake City Film Center. Dreyfous is also the co-founder and Director of Impact Partners, an organization that brings together investors and filmmakers to create films addressing pressing social issues. To say the least, she is an incredibly busy lady who is highly involved in her community and the local film industry.
After attending last night's celebrity and press premier of the documentary, The Cove, hosted by Ben Stiller and Bobby Kennedy, in New York City, Dreyfous took an early morning flight back to Salt Lake. She squeezed in a scheduled (and rescheduled) phone interview with me today between speaking at a luncheon and her other responsibilities. Dreyfous not only has her fingers on the pulse of Utah's independent film scene, she's creating it.
With the SLC Film Center, Dreyfous provides free community screenings and discussions of independent films, documentaries, and dramas emphasising social content and artistic excellent. They bring filmmakers and the general public together to create a dialogue about issues and the craft of film making. The Film Center takes the momentum of January's Sundance mindset and keeps it running in Utah throughout the entire year.
Their upcoming film series include themes such as: Stranger than Fiction (bizarre documentaries), Constitutional Issues (hopefully featuring Article VI), Local Filmmakers (yeah!), and a series for children/families. Each series usually features four films which are shown once a month for four months or once a week for a month. July 31st the center begins their Made in Utah series. Five films filmed in Utah shown at Pioneer Park following a Made in Utah food and craft fair supporting local entrepreneurs.
Of her many current projects, Dreyfous seemed most excited (or maybe I was most interested) about a film called Connected. It delves into the interconnectedness of everything from botox to bees. It is currently in post-production and will hopefully be finished in time to be submitted for Sundance consideration. Impact Partners have at least four other films readying for Sundance submission deadlines.
Just because this woman's got an Academy Award under her belt certainly doesn't mean she's now sitting idle. Geralyn Dreyfous is an activist. Thanks to my introduction to the SLC Film Center, I've now got a few more film events on my calendar. And thanks to my conversation with Ms. Dreyfous, I've got a few more movies on my "to-see" list. A final thanks to the Film Center's library that will be providing me with dvds of these yet undiscovered film gems, that you, my dear readers, will be seeing reviews of in the near future:)

The Proposal

2009-07-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

A Romantic Comedy?
Comedy, certainly.
Romantic, not so much.

Is it going to win any awards?
No.

Did I enjoy it?
Immensely. I was totally in the mood for a light comedy.

Predictable and Cheesy?
Yes.

Any stand-out moments?
I'm a big fan of singing scenes in movies generally, so I'll just leave it at that and give nothing away.

A total chick flick?
Not totally.

Best Acting?
I'm not a huge fan of anyone who was in it but Ryan Reynolds is certainly growing on me and Sandra Bullock just gets better with age. I hadn't seen Craig T. Nelson in anything in a long while and he was actually quite good. Oscar Nuñez, from The Office played a quite funny character part, who was totally the opposite of his Oscar character on the television series.

Junebug July 1st

2009-06-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sundance Institute Film Series: free independent film screenings every month.
Meet filmmakers and discuss their films after the showings.

From the 2005 Sundance Film Festival is a film called Junebug. It features Amy Adams before she was a big name in Hollywood.

Wed., July 1st
Park City Library, 7pm

Live "Radio"

2009-06-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when families used to sit around their radios instead of their tvs? Neither do I, but I have seen A Christmas Story an innumerable amount of times so sometimes I think I do. Thursday evening I attended the opening night of American Radio Cafe in Provo to get a feel for those "good ol' days".

If you've seen the movie, Prairie Home Companion, you've got a good idea of what this was like. The old-timey skits were light and fun. And they did live commercials for their sponsors, Comcast and Seven Peaks, which was really different and totally great. This is a lost form of entertainment and it was nice to see it revived. I only wish it had actually aired live to a radio station.

The show was emceed by Daniel Beck, a handsome actor/singer with an incredible voice, fantastic facial expressions, and a suave demeanor. He was joined by three other talented actors; Cathleen Mason, Alex DeBirk, and Melinda Lockwood DeBirk. They performed with the American Radio Cafe band, who also played songs on their own. The other musical guest, Jarett Burns, performed catchy music with a soulful voice. It is no surprise that he made it to the Hollywood round on American Idol's eighth season and was featured as an up and coming artist on the Cafe.

My favorite part of the production was watching a 1941 episode of a Superman cartoon on a big screen while the actors performed its original dialogue. A 22-piece orchestra performed its score while two men provided sound effects. I was enraptured. Overall, it was a refreshingly unique way to spend an evening.

Kirby Heyborne, Utah's most popular local actor and also a gifted musician, takes over as host for next week's shows. It would be interesting to compare and contrast how the performers interact with two different frontliners and also to see if they adjust the show any after gauging this week's audiences. Talk of shows at East Bay Studios are in the works and another run at Covey Center in the fall is planned. Can't make it to one of the live performances? Daniel and Kirby's performances with American Radio Cafe will soon be available for purchase on DVD and a 30 minute "highlights" version should soon be airing on local cable stations.

Recent Movies

2009-06-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Writing about film for film people is intimidating, but because I have written nothing this week I feel I owe you all at least a short post.
I haven't seen a movie in the theaters in several weeks. I mentioned on here how much I liked the Star Trek movie. I'd give it an A if I were grading it. The only other recent film I've seen was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And although I give the original X-Men film an A, this most recent incarnation of the series deserves a mere C+.
I'm ready to see some new stuff. Year One looked like it could be funny but one of my favorite critics, James Berardinelli, gave it a D+ and described it as "inexplicably unfunny" and the other critics I like ranked it no higher than a B-. So it looks like I'll pass on spending money on that one.
No critic reviews on Yahoo Movies yet for The Proposal. I'm not a huge Sandra Bullock fan and I am wary of the whole romantic comedy genre, but this one looks completely amusing. I'll let you know if I manage to see anything this week. Be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments section. But don't bother trying to convince me to see The Hangover.

48 Hour Project Follow Up

2009-06-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

May 15th a group of 48 filmmaking teams, three judges, and one producer gathered to kick-off Salt Lake's 3rd annual 48 hour filmmaking project. Teams were divided into four groups of 12. Each team in a group drew one of 14 genres out of a hat. After that, each team was given the following elements to use in their film:

Character: Dan or Danielle Bridges, Roommate
Prop: a certificate
Line of Dialogue: "Whoa, I didn't see that coming.”

And they were off! 48 hours later 33 films ranging from 4-7 minutes in duration were presented to judges. The late films still made it for screenings and had the opportunity to be voted "audience favorites". Screenings took place a few days after wrapping production at Jordan Commons' Megaplex 17. The theater seats 325 and tickets were sold for nearly every seat.

More details including award winners can be found at:
http://www.48hourfilm.com/saltlakecity/
You can also watch the films online there.

Top filmmakers will present their film at the 48 Hour Film Project's Filmapalooza, which will coincide with the NAB annual session next year in Las Vegas. These winning teams will also be invited to participate in the making of a documentary and some will be included in other film festivals.

I was sad to miss all the festivities while I was out of town this year. Next year I will be certain to join a team and participate in the madness and excitement of it all. Hope to see some of you there!

U of U Alumnus

2009-06-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

I found a great article today at Filmmaker Magazine about a filmmaker named Lee Issac Chung who graduated from the U's MFA film program in 2004. He is currently working on a feature called Lucky Life. You can read the article here.

Sundance Changing of the Guard

2009-05-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Major changes arrive to the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. Beginning in February when Festival Director, Geoffrey Gilmore, leaves Sundance after 19 years and moves over to Tribeca Enterprises and Film Festival. In March, John Cooper, the festival's former Director of Film Programming, takes Gilmore's place as Director. And finally, this month Trevor Groth steps into Cooper's vacant position.
Cooper, with 20 years experience at Sundance and previous experience as a playwright, is no amateur and will surely sail the Sundance ship like he's been captain all along. Known for his easy demeanor and championing of the underdog, he is sure to bring a slightly new flavor to the festival.
Groth, a Salt Lake City native, and a part of the festival for more than 16 years says it has been "an exhilirating journey." He began as a volunteer for the festival when he was in high school. Cooper sites Groth as having a taste for the "offbeat and experimental."
The changes in leadership will bring immediate though subtle changes to 2010's festival and beyond. Already there is talk of new film categories for next year's festival. Cooper's keen awareness of changing technologies in film and the challenges of independent filmmakers will also certainly come into play along with Groth's experiences working at CineVegas Film Festival.
In addition to all of the changes with the festival, the Sundance Institute lost its Executive Director, Ken Brecher, in April. Brecher also had been with Robert Redford's Sundance for 19 years and will stay on as a strategic advisor for the next two years. In the meantime, a search for his replacement is ongoing.

Next Wednesday

2009-05-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

"The Times of Harvey Milk
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
7 p.m. Park City Library
1255 Park Ave.
Park City, UT

Shown at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival, and timelier than ever, The Times of Harvey Milk is a film about American values in conflict. Set in San Francisco in the 1970's, it tells of the extraordinary rise to power of Harvey Milk, a long-haired gay camera store owner from the Castro District who became one of the city's most colorful and influential elected officials and one of the decade's most prominent leaders of the lesbian and gay rights movement.

Director Robert Epstein will be in attendance and will participate in a Q&A following the screening. " - Sundance Institute

Hollywood

2009-05-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I'm back from hiatus. Part of my trip including five days in Los Angeles. I had a great time talking with people working in the heart of show business.

My friend Jennifer and I outside of the Kodak Theater where the Academy Awards are held each year. It is also the home of American Idol.

I also got to go see a couple movies at some historical theatres like Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Cinerama Dome at Archlight Theatre. These are both venues for Hollywood premiers.

Grauman's was incredibly beautiful outside and in and features an Academy Award winning sound system that was fantastic.

Why don't they make theatres like this anymore?

Craftsmen from China were brought in to build this theatre. The detail work was stunning.

I wish I were born in the era where going to the movies was an event. I want to dress up to see a film sometime. I loved seeing movies in locations were the destination was part of the experience.

From the Hollywood display going on in the Los Angeles library.

P.S. - If you haven't seen Star Trek yet, please go see it on a big screen. You will not be disappointed.

Utah Projects

2009-05-16T06:51:00.001-07:00

Current Motion Picture Association of Utah Projects:
http://www.mpau.org/projects.htm

Film in Utah is alive and thriving:)

Meeting Up with Others in The Industry

2009-05-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

We're compiling a list of Groups (online and offline) and Resources for the Film and Video Production Industries in Utah and could use your help!

Utah Actors - "A Site for Utah Actors and people in the movie industry" hosted on the ning.com platform and created by Jeff Johnson.

Salt Aire Films Meetup Group - "Our ultimate mission is to develop, produce, promote and reward films, media and entertainment that promotes integrity, creative drive, bridge to artistic networking, and help achieve the potential of the human spirits in the arts."

East Bay Studios Meetup Group - "East Bay Studios is Utah Valley's hub for the Film and Video Production Industries, Actors, Local Bands, Photographers, and Models."

Utah Filmmakers Meet and Greet Facebook Page - "Utah Filmmakers Meet and Greet is an event held once a month to help unite, connect, network, and encourage filmmakers/actors to stay informed about what's going on in our state in the film industry."

Utah Filmmakers and Actors Facebook Group - "A place for people in Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, or any place in Utah, who are interested in Film making, acting, directing, producing, or any other film production aspect, to gather and make connections."

Utah Screen Writers Association Facebook Group - "For professional and aspiring screenwriters looking for feedback, support, collaboration, material, ideas, directors, funding, etc."

Utah Video and Film Production Facebook Group - "A place for video and film professionals in Utah to network. Links to Photographers, Producers, Audio, Grip, Craft Service, etc. This group is for crew members or those seeking crew in Utah. Tell us all about your specialties!"

Utah Talent Facebook Group - "This is for those interested NETWORKING and COLLABORATING in Utah in the fields of acting, modeling, film-making, photography and the like!"

Utah Film Entertainment and Media Facebook Group - "All things film in Utah. Quite a bit of movement is being made on the political side of the Utah Film Industry, so this group will be a nice way to keep us all informed."

Utah Film Writers Facebook Group - "A place to bring scriptwriters together. Need people to bounce ideas off of? Having writers block? Want to do a read through? Want to get your script into production? Need a co-writer? Let's make it happen!"

Motion Picture Association of Utah
Utah Film Commission
Production Hub

Rasing Kayn

2009-05-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

Seasoned actress, Taunya Gren, is heading up a new internet series debuting late this summer. Inspired by Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog and it's unique comedy, style, and popularity, Gren has completed the scripts for 15 episodes of a new urban fantasy (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer) show. Gren is joined by cinematographer, George Koblasa (Harry & the Hendersons, Columbo), choreographer James Woodson, director Colton Tran, and her two daughters, Seanna and Kayla for a team bursting with so much talent they are certain to be successful.
Though a big fan of urban fantasy, Taunya felt that this genre could use an infusion of family values. Rasing Kayn, the series' working title, will be not only an action-packed comedy, but also a family-friendly show with a message of the strength found in loved ones. Using monsters and mad scientists as a metaphor for the real struggles in our lives, the series' website will also host two charities where viewers can help fight disease and kidnapping.
Currently casting quirky characters such as Andy the Werebunny and Wilbur the Ninja. Filming will take place in multiple locations across the state in June and July and the show should release online by early September. This is an exciting new venture for so many people in this industry in Utah and I, for one, can't wait to watch it all unfold.

Utah Filmmakers Meet and Greet - May 8th

2009-05-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

Utah Filmmakers Meet and Greet is an event held once a month to help unite, connect, network, and to help encourage filmmakers/actors to stay informed about what going on in our state the film industry.

Next meet and greet is going to be Friday the 8th of May, 7 to 11pm, and all filmmakers and actors in Utah are invited! For younger talent you and your parents are invited! No age limit on this one. It will be at:

2065 W Parkway Blvd.
West Valley, Utah 84119
(Map Quest for directions)
They are offering one session of seminars on film making or acting classes free to attendees of the filmmakers event!!!! saltairefilms.com

$2 bucks to get in, Dress to impress (NOT formal gown or anything, at least not yet...just look your best!)
appetizers, music, etc...

Sundance Institute Film Series

2009-04-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Free. Every Month.

Sundance Institute invites you to step inside the world of independent filmmaking each month with the new Sundance Institute Film Series. Part screening, part discussion, we'll showcase work supported by Sundance Institute and give you
an opportunity to meet the filmmakers and discuss the films.

Film Music Showcase
An evening with Peter Golub

Wed | May 6, 2009 | 7:00 p.m.
Park City Library
1255 Park Avenue
Park City

Some films have music so integral to their story that you cannot imagine certain scenes without hearing those memorable hooks. Join Peter Golub, film composer and director of Sundance Institute's Film Music Program, as he gives an insider's look at the challenges of composing music for film, and shares excerpts from films he has composed -- including Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters and Courtney Hunt's Frozen River, winner of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize.

This Weekend

2009-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Park City Film Series is screening 2008's Academy Award nominated film, The Wrestler, tonight and tomorrow (Sat. the 25th) at 7:00 pm and Sunday at 6:00 pm.
Park City Library
1255 Park Ave.
$7

48 Hour Film Project

2009-04-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Las Vegas not only hosted the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention, it also was this year's kick off point for the ninth annual 48 Hour Film Project.

From the website:
"The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.

On Friday night, you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your movie. 48 hours later, the movie must be complete. Then it will show at a local theater, usually in the next week.

In 2008, some 30,000 filmmakers made films in 70 cities. This year, we're even bigger, with filmmakers around the world taking the challenge to make a film in just 48 hours."

48 Hour Film Project hits Salt Lake City May 15th to the 17th and screenings of the films will be the following weekend. Teams are forming, get yours together now! Registration is $155 for teams of any size. Finished films are four to seven minutes in length.

Article VI

2009-04-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is a clip from a Utah-produced documentary that showed at the D.C. Independent Film Festival in March. It has screened in major cities across the entire U.S. and has received overwhelmingly positive responses from audiences. Having viewed the entire 90+ minutes of it myself, I can see why. This is one of the most facinating documentaries I've seen. It focuses on two of the hottest topics around: religion and politics. It handles these issues with finesse and respect.

Article VI of the United State's Constitution states: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." And yet, a huge amount of the questions in the debates for the 2008 Presidential Candidacy were extremely personal and dealt directly with candidates' spirituality and religion.

Filmmakers, Bryan Hall and Jack Donaldson (both LDS Democrats), of Living Biography Media created an incredibly captivating and powerful documentary. When I interviewed Hall he talked about how he likes documentaries that show both sides of a story while still revealing their own bias. His film clearly met up with his own criterion. Somerset Films' Dean Hale is working on finding distributors. I eagerly await directing my friends and family (and all of you) on where and when or how they can view the film.

Props to New Zion

2009-04-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City graphic designer, Joshua Humphreys, was recently contacted by a filmmaker to make signs for a video production. Josh then realized he knew a lot of people who would be useful in the physical aspect of making a set. First to mind was Paul, an incredibly talented metal-worker, who can also get his hands on cars from any era. But Josh also knew people in plastics, aviation, sound, and various other craftsmen who could build, customize, or aquire just about anything you can imagine.
Josh decided to fill a niche in the Utah film market and create New Zion Film Properties, a conglomerate of several companies fullfilling the needs of visionary film makers. If you need a prop or scenery, they will quickly find or make it for you. Hopefully this new venture will knock down another barrier keeping film makers out of Utah.

Got Stock Footage?

2009-04-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Orem's Creative Media Group has birthed a new venture, StockShotsNow.com. This is good news for videographers, editors, camera men/women, and producers. They have enabled you to put your stock clips up on their site, which is also searchable by five other companies. If they sell your clip, you receive a 40-50% commission on the sale. This is using footage you've already shot!
You also have the option of becoming one of their Stock Footage Artists, where you are put on an email list where they forward you their clients footage requests. They are currently receiving approximately three to five requests a week. Maybe you have the footage they need right in your archives.
When I spoke with C.M.G.'s John Farr a couple weeks ago about Stock Shots Now, he had just returned from shooting in the Great Britain with one of their coveted Red cameras, which produces video at four times the quality of a Hi Def camera. If he's really lucky instead of selling that footage for the usual one or two hundred dollars per clip, he'll sell it to a major motion picture company for thousands like he did recently with his shots of Paris. He sold a few clips to Sony Pictures which were used in their film, The Pink Panther 2.

The Hollywood of the Rocky Mountains

2009-03-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Governor Huntsman signed Senate Bill 14. This should start attracting more film makers to Utah.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5946914

Also, a major motion picture and television studio is slated to begin construction in Park City as early as late summer. It will take approximately 18 months to complete and will include eight to 10 large soundstages, a back lot and a post production facility.

Hopefully, the thousands of jobs created in our industry by these two occurrences will go to locals and not just attract a bunch more people to crowd into the state.

The Actors Workshop

2009-03-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Michael Flynn's the Actors Workshop

Tuesdays beginning March 24th for 6 weeks
East Bay Studios 85 East Bay Blvd., Provo
$295

Small class sizes.
Work on auditioning, improv, scene work, and monologues. The goal is to help you become a better actor and get work. Period.

www.theactorsworkshop.biz
801.362.9811

PK Takes Vegas

2009-03-09T22:21:00.001-07:00

Perhaps, like me, you were completely riveted by the opening action sequence in Casino Royale where Bond chases a man through the streets, onto construction sites and into a building. The speed, agility, and moves of this unknown actor were incredible, reminiscent of Jackie Chan, only with more lateral movement. The man's name is Sebastien Foucan and he is not an actor, but more of an athlete, the co-founder of a discipline called Parkour (French for The Art of Movement).
Parkour is often miscategorized as an extreme sport, but to traceurs and traceuses, its practitioners, it is something closer to a martial art. The activity's aim is to move from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. When Parkour becomes more artsy it is called free running, but for most people the two terms are interchangeable. One could say that if martial arts focus on the fight of "fight or flight", Parkour is the flight aspect. Escaping over, under, or through whatever obstacle may come into your path, Parkour is what allows Foucan to lead Daniel Craig on such a spectacular chase and leaves the audience nearly out of breath.
PK Takes Vegas is a documentary following seven traceurs through Las Vegas on location at exciting destinations around Vegas, such as; Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon. I sat down with the directors and producers of PK Takes Vegas last week to talk to them about this Utah production.
Director/Producer Eric Bennett of The Barefoot Group, couldn't contain his enthusiasm about the project. Almost immediately he told me they would "likely be doing a sequel." He said he could hardly call himself a director on this shoot because essentially he was more there to observe. Fortunately, some great hi-def footage and skillful editing lets us observe as well.
Producer Gilbert Howe of First Vision Entertainment bragged that one of the traceurs, Devon Bardole, a local, is "probably the best in the U.S." The other six athletes come from various cities around the country. Their skills are impressive and Vegas makes for quite the backdrop to their stunts.
The documentary is currently showing on Video on Demand on a number of international airlines. It will soon be airing on both broadcast and cable networks. For many viewers, the highlight of the show will be seeing former traceurs-turned-artists performing sequences in Cirque du Soliel's Ka production.
The traceurs practice their philosophy of connecting to one's environment in a number of eye-catching locales, including a local park and the campus of University of Northern Las Vegas. Learning to train with athlete's they'd only just met, makes for a highly interesting dynamic in the film. For such young, sport's-minded guys, the philosophizing on free running and their observations on everything involved in it are surprisingly deep and well-spoken.
So if you've watched every Jackie Chan dvd available on Netflix, or you loved the early scenes in Casino Royale, this documentary may be just your cup of tea (if you kids even know what that phrase means). For those interested in extreme sports, martial arts, or documentaries in general, this is certain to be of interest. Get your own copy here. DVD copies contain nine extra minutes of footage along with special features containing some of the best footage of the entire shoot.

March 4th Sundance Event

2009-02-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 4th
7:00pm
Park City Library
FREE

"PROJECT KASHMIR is a feature-length documentary that follows two Americans, a Hindu and a Muslim, as they sneak into the war zone of Kashmir to uncover the truth about what is happening in what is considered to be one of the most dangerous places on earth. These two friends confront their personal identities and explore key issues of religious and cultural conflict, human rights and freedom of expression, revealing the roots of a divided South Asian immigrant community in the United States. A project of the 2006 Sundance Institute’s Documentary Editing and Storytelling Lab, PROJECT KASHMIR was recently chosen as the closing night film of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.

Following the film, join directors Senain Kheshgi and Geeta Patel for a discussion with Hiram E. Chodosh (Dean and Professor of Law, University of Utah) and Amos N. Guiora (Professor of Law, University of Utah) regarding the Hindu-Muslim divide in India and Pakistan." - Sundance Institute

Band Night

2009-02-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it may not be exactly "industry related", but it did happen at East Bay Studios, Utah's second largest production studios.
Last Thursday there was a party held at East Bay featuring six different musical groups. The audience was well over 200 people and we all enjoyed a night of great music.
Check out some of our local talent:

Chris McDowell (of Speaking in Metaphors)

Side Dish

Truman

Throwing Randy

Bubba and the Blue-Eyed Bears

Prince Early

We have a lot of great talent in this little happy valley! You can find all of these artists on www.myspace.com

(photos courtesty of: Pete Hansen & Emily Jensen)

First Shots

2009-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

This is the first entry for the Wasatch Wrap, an industry blog for film and video production in Utah. I'm Emily Jensen, Marketing Director for East Bay Studios and Editor of the Wasatch Wrap.

The goal of the Wasatch Wrap is to provide news tidbits and updates of interest to filmmakers, producers, directors, photographers, videographers, grips, creative services departments, and others involved in the industry in Utah Valley and beyond. Over time we hope to include information about job openings, new hire announcements, production needs, premieres, and who's doing what with whom.