Cynematik on IndieWIRE

Sometimes, I sit down to blog and I find myself lost in the blogosphere for hours. Tonight, I started looking for video FX sites and found a site with GREAT how-to's, interviews and clips. And, it's shockingly speedy on the download. I strongly recommend VFX Guide and, in particular, the making of the Guinness "Rhythm of Life" Ad. In addition to viewing the Guinness Ad you can also watch a "Making Of" Interview.

Josh Oakhurst has posted an enlightening dialogue on his site. Take a look at Steven Soderbergh and Mark Romanek on Digital Filmmaking. And, Self-Reliant Filmmaking offered Widgets for filmmakers. All in all, a successful evening.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on February 10, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Camera with built-in games. Cory Doctorow:
The Fujifilm FinePix V10 is a 5 megapixel camera that also comes with built-in games. I've often wondered why the camera in my pocket -- which has a fast processor, a big beautiful screen, and a four-way rocker-switch -- doesn't come with a couple thousand video-games, given its capacious memory. Now we're seeing the start of it. But it's pretty thin -- I want a MAME camera that'll play every game ever made.

While the value of these games -- which include a Space Wars title and a version of Breakout -- is debatable, the camera, a little over six ounces and less than an inch thick, is no slouch. The V10 has a three-inch L.C.D. screen and a 3.4-times optical zoom lens, and it can digitally zoom up to 5.7 times. It will cost $349 when it is released in March.

Link

(Thanks, Alice!)

Update: Ask and ye shall receive: here's MAME running on a big old Kodak digital camera -- (Thanks, Alex!)

Posted by Cyndi Greening on February 02, 2006 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Vintage computer gear -- 6,000 pounds of it -- for sale.. Xeni Jardin:
David Freeman, computer retailer and founder of the Freeman PC Museum, has been collecting computers since 1976. He says: "It is with great regret that we place our PC Collection up for purchase. My own unfortunate disability has forced us to find a good home for the collection. (...) This collection represents 30 years of collecting. Many of these computers are complete systems with all peripherals, software and marketing brochures." Link to the eBay auction for 6,000 (!!!) pounds of sublimely obsolete devices (thanks doug humphrey via Wayne Correia's list) [Boing Boing]

Posted by Cyndi Greening on October 10, 2005 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Photographer charged after actor's Disney party. A photographer has been charged with child endangerment and battery after allegedly pushing one child and striking another with his camera while trying to photograph the actor Reese Witherspoon. [Film Unlimited]

Posted by Cyndi Greening on October 10, 2005 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The U.S. base in Kirkuk was under attack for five hours yesterday. According to Reuters, "Shells and rockets screamed into the night sky after the attack on the U.S. base at an airport on the edge of the northern oil hub city of Kirkuk.

"You can see rockets flying and landing all over the base," a Reuters correspondent said from a vantage point some 500 yards from the base's perimeter, as thick black smoke poured over the city, some 150 miles north of Baghdad.

Loudspeaker announcements could be heard on the base warning troops to stay under cover but there was no sign of ambulances or firefighting vehicles in the city of 700,000, which was under curfew after dark because of regular guerrilla violence. Mortar and rocket attacks on U.S. bases are almost daily occurrences across Iraq."

Because of Andra, I track Kirkuk in particular. Across Iraq, food is being rationed (many bases are only providing two meals a day now) and violence is on the rise. It's very disconcerting. While we have known of the daily base attacks, this sustained 5-hour guerrilla attack is definitely a turn for the worse.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on June 03, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored."
    Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963)
    English Author

"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future."
    Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
    Science Fiction Author

"The 'teen years' are God's gift to help parents let their children leave."
    Author Unknown
    Said by an adult when I was a teen,
    I undertstand it differently now.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on May 18, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them."
    Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832)
    English Cleric and Author

Posted by Cyndi Greening on April 13, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I already hate shopping in stores and I've now found another way to avoid driving to the mall. The Disney Inkshop has a million different t-shirts with just about every imaginable character. I found a Chip 'n Dale shirt and then a Mulan shirt that I loved. They've got Winnie the Pooh and vintage Mickey. You can choose front or back, color and size quickly and easily.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on March 26, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

After much trouble with Radio Userland, slow portables and slower modems, I've been forced to blog at alastik.blogspot.com. Upon my return, I'll update in this space and add more images. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Posted by Cyndi Greening on January 21, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

You may have been wondering where I've been for the past few days. (No doubt it took awhile to notice since you had your own holiday festivities in which to partake.) Well, I made a surprise visit to the homeland (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin). I rented Snowman and Santa costumes. My sister, Sandy, and brother-in-law, Jeff, helped Alec and I surprise the rest of the family by pretending to have hired people to pass out gifts. It was great fun!

I made my Sundance selections by telephone on the 30th. I was successful in getting nearly everything I wanted. We'll be seeing five different Shorts Screenings. We also got tickets to Dogville starring Nicole Kidman with director Lars von Trier, November, distributed by IFC, and The Five Obstructions another von Trier experimental film.

My friend, Kohl, works at BYU and was excited about a BYU film being selected. The university sent me a promotional DVD of the short that spawned the selection. When I contacted the director about featuring the film on this site, I got an abrupt and not too courteous response so I was going to BOYCOTT Napoleon Dynamite but ultimately relented.

I've been working on setting up to blog remotely so I can post reviews and photos from Park City!

"Folly is often more cruel in the consequences than malice can be in the intent."

    Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963)

    English Critic

Posted by Cyndi Greening on January 01, 2004 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A complete List of Films & Directors can be found on the Sundance site along with a link to the PDF of the Film Guide. The festival guide reveals the following data regarding the Film vs. Digital production discussion.

Quirky Characters for 2004

There doesn't seem to be a TRIBUTE this year (at least I can't find it in the guide). I'm curious as to why there isn't one . There also does not seem to be a non-competition documentary section (although they are still selling the Documentary Package).

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 23, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It looks like Park City may be the site of a Cox/Arquette reunion in January. Three films feature members of the clan.

Indigent's November will star Courteney Cox as a photographer whose world crumbles when her boyfriend is shot during a robbery. (You may recall Indigent's previous films, Tadpole and Personal Velocity did very well at Sundance.)

Husband David Arquette stars in Never Die Alone with DMX. It's the story of the events leading to the gangster's death.

Sibling Patricia Arquette will star in the offbeat Tiptoes with Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey, and Kate Beckinsale. In the film, Oldman plays a dwarf(?!), the brother of McConaughey who is engaged to the pregnant Beckinsale. Deeply hidden prejudices are explored as Beckinsale confronts the fact that she may give birth to an exceptionally little person. Even more challenging, she finds herself becoming attracted to Oldman.

Festival Shoo-Ins

There are two films on the docket that were absolute shoo-ins. One stars Robert Redford and the other was executive produced by him. The Clearing is the story of a couple living the American Dream. When Wayne (Robert Redford) is kidnapped by Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) and held for ransom in a remote forest, the couple's world is turned inside out. Eileen, his wife, (Helen Mirren) finds her home full of FBI Agents and their life under scrutiny.

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on the journals of Che Guevara. It is the coming of age story of Guevara and best friend Alberto Granado as they crossed South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s. It stars the ever intriguing Gael Garc?a Bernal of Amores Perros, The Crime of Padre Amaro and last year's dot the i.

While I'd love to complain about bias, preferential treatment and prejudice, the irony is that I want to see BOTH of them!

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 22, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I haven't blogged for a few days. I made a quick trip to Edwards Air Force Base for my niece's graduation. She earned another stripe (Staff Sergeant) so Alec and I made went to the high desert of California for the ceremony. It was pretty awesome. We visited with Andra and her twin sons, Reilly and Jordan. We even got to visit the Base Museum which included a number of contemporary and vintage aircraft. Alec was particularly fond of the SR-71 Blackbird. Soon, I return to the film summaries for the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 21, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The end of semester is upon me and I am swimming in papers, projects and deadlines. I steal a few moments to read my Sundance Guide and look forward to posting suggestions. Until then, I will heed the Romans (see quotes below) and keep my comments brief.

Other things to do in Park City while you're at the festival.

• Eat at Texas Reds at the top of Main to step back in time about three decades
  
• Catch the shuttle to Ski Village and wander around the shops and slopes; settle next to one of the blazing fires to warm your toes
  
• Walk from the top of Main Street to the bottom of Park (because it's all downhill and a lot of fun to see the city)
  
• Have a cup of KickAss coffee at the Jackass Coffee House
  
• Ski cross country and look for those crazy black and white birds
  
• Walk home under the fullest moon you'll ever see ... especially if it's snowing gently
  

"Whatever advice you give, be brief."

    Horace (65 BC - 8 BC)

    Roman Poet

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 16, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It's here! The complete 2004 Sundance Film Guide is ready and you can download the PDF (5MB) at the Sundance site. I'm already making my choices! Rudolph and Santa brought an early gift! (Bumbles didn't make the publicity photo!)

And Liz Levy Made My Day!

Animation freaks are reminded of her excellent Big Bunny & Other Animation Links post. Former student Isaac Hingley sends word of another good animation site. Pocket Movies offers a number of animations you can view. Until then!

"Even pleasure itself is a toil."
    Manilius (~1 BC)
    Roman Politician

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 15, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Birthday to ME! Yes, it's my birthday, today. My nephew, Jason, the young buck, sends reminders that I am getting to be an old goat. But, as an old woman said to Richard when he was a very young man, "As I am now, you soon shall be." That old clock just keeps ticking. Unfortunately, I've been sick for so long now (since November 20, not that I'm counting) that the clock seems to be ticking agonizingly slowly. I guess time only flies when you're having fun.

Speaking of fun, a couple of fun links for today. For amusement, today check out the Animation Watch and get caught up on Rust Boy.

"Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place."

    Abigail Van Buren (1918 - )

    U.S. Advice Columnist

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 12, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I've been very verbose the last few days so I'll be briefer today. The Sundance Film Festival is held in Park City, Utah every January. That's the heart of winter and Park City is in the heart of gorgeous ski country. (It was the site of the Winter Olympics in 2002.) So, it's beautiful but chilly.

It's important to secure lodging early (you may already be too late to find anything remotely reasonable) because you don't want to be driving from 30 miles away when the weather is bad. Not to mention the fact you want to be in the heart of the action! I've had really good luck with Deer Valley Lodging. The goal is to find something on or near the shuttle routes. You want to get to the screenings quickly and find your way home easily.

Which brings me to my last bit of advice for today. DON'T rent a car unless you plan on going up to the Institute. The town is TINY and parking is virtually impossible. You will get around town FASTER on the shuttles. Plus, you meet some really interesting people on the shuttle. I met folks like Oliver Stone, Alyssa Milano and Todd Solondz on the shuttles.

"With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another."

    Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

    German Physicist

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 09, 2003 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I have been attending the festival since 1996 and I have a few insights and suggestions for choosing films. These are strictly my opinions. Sundance has several categories of films that are screen. They are:

• Premieres — Premieres screen most often in the evenings, generally have well-known cast members, can be a known actor's directorial debut, and nearly all will generally get distribution.
  
• Dramatic Competition — These 16 films (and documentary below) get the bulk of the awards (and, accordingly, press coverage) at the festival; they are dramatic narratives, may or may not have known cast and crew. About half generally get distribution.
  
• Documentary Competition — The other 16 major films, the documentary competition category receives a number of awards and most will be distributed theatrically, on PBS or cable channels.
  
• American Spectrum (non-competition drama) — Other dramatic narrative or documentary films the selection committee selected for screening although they are not in competition. Fewer of these films are distributed.
  
• American Showcase (new category last year) — Another grouping of non-competitive screenings that doesn't seem to have returned this year (but may yet).
  
• Short Films — Most short films are grouped and screened en masse but several are screened with a similar or complementary feature. There are usually four or five groups and an Animation, Native American, and Frontier grouping as well. An award is given for short films. Short films are rarely distributed except through Sundance and/or IFC premium cable film channels.
  
• World Cinema (documentary and dramatic categories) — One of my favorite categories. I have seen some of the BEST films in this category. Perhaps the thing I love most about world cinema is that the stories are fresh and different and the settings are unfamiliar. It makes for an exciting viewing experience. A few of these films get distribution.
  
• Native American Cinema — Films made by or with a Native American sensibility. This category has grown dramatically over the last ten years.
  
• Frontier — I am not very fond of this category. These are films that often have a VERY non-traditional story-telling style, graphic imagery, discordant sound, and extreme points of view. While I'm glad they make room for leading-edge exploration at the festival, I'm awfully glad I don't have to watch them.
  

If that doesn't seem like enough, there are additional events and screenings that compete for your time and attention.

• Tributes — An independent filmmaker, visionary is honored each year.
  
• Panel Discussions — I LOVE these things. Read my summary of the B. Ruby Rich panel from a few years ago to get some insight.
  
• Park City at Midnight — For people who stay up much later than I want to and enjoy being cold.
  
• Sundance Collection — Often historically relevant films. I rarely have enough time to see any of these.
  
• House of Docs — Screenwriters delight in scripts to read and writers to meet.
  
• Music Cafe — Last year Hem was there, as was Beck. Michael Stipe showed up one year. Always fun.
  
• Sundance Institute Village — For people who like to drive an hour into the wilderness and see where the workshops are held, catch a screening or dine at the (pricey) restaurant. One year, there was an avalanche that trapped folks at the institute for a day or so.
  
• Animation Spotlight — See every variety of animation!
  

Yesterday, I also spent a lot of time updating the Links for Short Films from 2003. Some have IMDB links, media links, website links and interview links.
The film festivals are an amazing experience that I think ALL film lovers should have at least once in his/her life. Start planning for it now! Next, I'll talk about packages, hotels, and transportation. If you find this information interesting or valuable, comments (below) are welcome.

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
    Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
    U.S. President

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 08, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Finally! I found the PDF (with all 92 pages) of the Sundance Film Festival Guide for 2003 (that's last year's catalog). If you are a film lover or a potential Sundance festivalgoer, I strongly recommend that you download the 2003 Film Guide PDF here and study it! Even if you don't attend the festival, I recommend that you BUY one every year. "Why?," you ask.

First, many of the films that screened at Sundance last year are just now being released. Studying the Film Guide helps you keep an eye out for great independent films that will be coming to a theater near you in the following year. The guide has detailed summaries, photos, contact information and a brief cast and crew list.

Speaking of summaries, I use the film summaries two ways. Since I try to attend the festival every year, one of the primary uses of the summaries is choosing the films I want to attend. By studying the cast and crew lists, I can find out who felt the project was valuable enough to commit creative energy and time. I can see if someone is trying out a new creative role (actors often make directorial debuts at Sundance). And, studying the shorts is an excellent way to find upcoming talent.

The secondary use of summaries is as a review tool. I have learned to watch WHO reviews the film in the guide. I have found that some of the reviewers and I simply do NOT have the same taste in film. If certain reviewers rave about a film, I can be pretty sure it's not for me. (Even if you don't attend the festival, this is useful when selecting films in your own area.) I've also learned there are certain phrases that signal caution; phrases like "lyrical tale", "told in an atypical or non-traditional fashion", "assaultive images", and "barrage of sound and images". It only took one year for me to realize that you have to watch the reviewer, too.

Tomorrow, I'll have more suggestions for choosing films at the festival.

" The reverse side also has a reverse side."

    Japanese Proverb

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 07, 2003 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, the opening came and went and it was a great success. There was a steady crowd all evening. To get a look at the scene, check out Mike Montesa's Blog. You'll see Joan, Diana, Josh, Kate, Adam, James, Mary, Mike and his family. Also in attendance were Terry & Barb, Brandi & Philip, Robin & Leslie, although we didn't get photos of them.

I finished my video art installation piece on time (almost a miracle in the penultimate week of the semester). Inspired by the odd carved dancers left hanging on the gallery wall, my video piece consisted of African and Polynesian dancers layered with an asynchronous pulse of multiplied light and a linear motion blur to focus on the art of creative self-expression using one's body and music. While the Herding Cats show consisted of a variety of visual arts (and certainly video art has a visual component), video art creates a bridge to the performing arts with its multi-sensory elements. It was satisfying to watch lots of people spend time engaging with all of the pieces.

One of my favorite video artists is Bill Viola. I became aware of him because a friend worked as his assistant for quite some time. I am constantly amazed at how a personal connection to an artist influences my desire to follow his/her work.

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."

    Martha Graham (1893 - 1991)

    Dancer & Choreographer

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 06, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I've been working on a video art project for the last few weeks. I've been inspiring myself with African, Cuban, Polynesian and Haitian music. I've really been enjoying an album I've had for a few years now by Boukman Eksperyans. Boukman first rose to popular interest after they began winning Best Song at Carnival. In the aftermath of the the September 1991 army coup against the Aristede government, Boukman struggled against censorship culminating in having their 1992 Carnival entry, Kalfou Danjere, banned by the military authorities as "too violent". They were excluded from Carnival celebrations and their songs were prohibited from being aired on the radio.

Boukman take their name from a Vodou priest who helped to unify the Haitian slaves. The slave leader led the revolution against the French colonists which ended in 1804 with the former slaves victoriously forming the first Black republic in the world.

"To fly we have to have resistance."

    Maya Lin (1959 - )

    Artist

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 04, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Marcus McLaurin (age 7) made the mistake of talking about his non-traditional family at his Lafayette, Louisiana school. He was waiting in line to go to recess on November 11 at Ernest Gallet Elementary School when a classmate asked him about his mother and father. He responded that he didn't have a mother and father; instead he has two mothers. When the other child asked why, Marcus told him that it was because his mother is gay. The other child then asked what that meant, and Marcus explained, "Gay is when a girl likes another girl."

Upon hearing this, Marcus's teacher scolded him in front of his classmates, telling him that "gay" is a bad word and he should never say it at school, then sent him to the principal's office instead of letting him go to recess. The following week the school required Marcus to attend a special behavioral clinic at 6:45 in the morning, where he was forced to repeatedly write "I will never use the word 'gay' in school again."

"To tell a 7-year-old boy that he can't talk about his family not only makes that child feel confused and hurt--it violates his Constitutional right to free speech and equal treatment," said ACLU attorney.

"I was concerned when the assistant principal called and told me my son had said a word so bad that he didn't want to repeat it over the phone," said Sharon Huff, the second-grader's mother. She added, "But that was nothing compared to the shock I felt when my little boy came home and told me that his teacher had told him his family is a dirty word. No child should ever hear that, especially not from a teacher he trusted and respected."

In addition to being reprimanded and forced to come to school at 6:45 a.m., he also had to write an essay about how he had Sed Bad Wurds (I hope that was his spelling and not his teacher's). You can read all about it on the ACLU site.

Ironically, this month's issue of Vanity Fair is all about TV's Gay Heat Wave. Mainstream television (which is, of course, produced primarily on the urban coasts) is presenting a world of greater tolerance and diversity. The backlash in the heartland seems particularly rigorous in the wake of the recent judicial rulings in Massachusetts. Hopefully, this is just that thing where the pendulum has to swing WIDE both ways to find the middle ground.

"The highest result of education is tolerance."

    Helen Keller(1880 - 1968)

    U.S. Educator

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 03, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I'm excited again today. The Sundance 2004 Program Guide has been released. The Sundance Festival website has the complete list. I save all of my program guides so I can go back and see what films were ultimately distributed, which filmmakers returned and (especially when viewing the shorts) see which filmmakers might be on the rise.

Trying to find past program guides online proved to be frustrating. I went to Archive.org to try and locate older PDFs or pages of programs. The best I could do was a link to Past Sundance Festivals but most of the links turned out to be broken. I could see some neat poster art and find some tidbits, but not much more.

I did find the Sundance 97 Film Guide but all of the images were missing. If you have any of the old guides in digital format, I'd love to know about it. Please email me the links or files.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 02, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

 

Come to a very unique art exhibition this Friday, Dec 5th from 6 to 10 pm, at the 111 W. Monroe art space (SW corner 1st Ave. and Monroe) in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. "Herding Cats" is an exhibition by 6 artists exhibiting strong, dynamic work including painting, photography, steel sculpture, and video. There will be live acoustic guitar and refreshments, and the artists will be on hand to discuss their work.

Unwilling to wait for developers to get organized--they banded together (rented the space, curated the show, produced the work, handled the marketing, secured the musician, bought the tasty beverages and refreshments) to show the fine art and creative energy that is already here in Phoenix. I am confident you will be amazed with the work, and I think you will have a good time, too!

"The defining function of the artist is to cherish consciousness."

    Max Eastman

    Inventor

Posted by Cyndi Greening on December 01, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Alec has chided me for allowing the blog to shift from the filmmaking focus. While I find the conspiracy and freedom of information sites to be great material for story ideas, Alec is more concerned wtih the nuts and bolts of feature and documentary film production. So, yesterday, a nod to a Festival selection. Today, a shift from my personal archive of photos to some of the largest historical archives of film and still footage.

British Pathe is an incredible site offering over 3,500 hours of video and 12 million images from their nearly eight decades of archives. All of the footage can be downloaded for FREE in low resolution windows media format. Storyboards of the films and detailed summaries help you avoid wasted download time.

ITN Archive is their for-profit parent. When you find the footage you want and want it in a higher, editable format, ITN can help you out.

Archive.Org is a 501(3)C organization located in the Presidio of San Francisco. With their fabulous Wayback Machine, Archive.Org offers permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format. Amazing things can be found here.

Another for-profit option is the Stock Footage section of the LA_411 Directory. All of this searching for archival footage is, of course, a result of the Robert Evans Documentary The Kid Stays in the Picture with its innovative approach to combining still images and archival film to create more drama and tension.

"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

    John W. Gardner (1912 -)

    U.S. Administrator

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 29, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

D. Kohl Glass, director of The Promethean and Der Ostwind, sends the following:   I found out some great news today. My friend and former BYU student Jared Hess got his film Napoleon Dynamite accepted to The Sundance Film festival.

The feature film is based off of a short film Jared made titled Peluca which showed at Slamdance last year. The film is a comedy about a socially inept youth growing up in rural Idaho. They shot Napoleon this last summer in Preston Idaho and shortly afterward I got to see their very first rough cut and I thought it was hilarious. If you are going to Sundance I highly recommend you see this one! (Kohl is one of my former students at MCC.)

"Only learn to seize good fortune, for good fortune is always here."

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

    German Dramatist

"Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all humans."

    Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)

    US pacifist, social worker, sociologist, & suffragist
    Speech, Honolulu (1933)

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 28, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

There are so many websites now that endeavor to reveal the secrets that people try to hide. Tops on the list is the American Civil Liberties Union, an excellent starting point for addressing the hidden challenges to our civil rights. Steven Aftergood's Project on Government Secrecy is another resource (covered in the Washington Post this week) that seeks to disclose that which some feel ought to be commonly known.

If you want to know who is buying the attention of your senators and congressional representatives, the information is on Open Secrets. I found The Memory Hole to be an invaluable source for difficult to locate documents (like the 9/11 transcripts) and images (soldiers injured in the war). And, for the last 30 years, Public Citizen has been on the front lines in the fight for freedom of information.

I've been sick all week. So, I'm going back to the couch and remind myself that Ignorance is Bliss. I'm going to go "bliss out" with a little more Robitussin and a novel. I'll finish the NY Times tomorrow.

"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."
    Dorothy Sarnoff (1914 - )
    Broadway Singer, Actress & Public Speaking Coach

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 26, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

   
Next Wave Films
Documentary Film Resources & Info

While that was interesting, even more interesting was the fact many of Next Wave's documentary films have screened at Sundance. They have participated on several award-winning films. Take a look at their filmography at Next Wave Films. I was impressed. As I explored their site more, I discovered a treasure trove of filmmaking resources.

Next Wave Film Resources include links to low-budget and no-budget filmmaking. And, if you have a documentary in progress, they even offer opportunities to get Finishing Funds for worthy films. Applications for finishing funds can be found on their site.

"The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves."

    William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 25, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was my sister Roxie's birthday. Roxie is an English instructor at Cadott High School. Most of the time, when I think about Roxie, she is about as old as the girl in this photograph which was taken while I was in college. I didn't get to call her yesterday so I thought I would blog her birthday wishes. (Roxie is pictured on the right.)

Six weeks ago, it was also my youngest brother and sister's birthday. Kim and Kevin (fraternal twins) celebrated their birthday on October 5th. Roxie and the twins were so closely placed that they are all the same age for six weeks. For Sandy and me, they were almost like triplets. Kim is a Health Aide at Chippewa Falls Middle School and also works as a stylist at A Cut Above in our hometown of Chippewa Falls. (Kim is the one in the middle; Kevin, our only brother, is to the left.) Kevin is the only one of us that didn't end up working in education. Kevin lives in Virginia with his family and is an electrician.

Sandy's birthday is in the spring and she isn't in the photo but I was on an education kick and her son's birthday was in mid-November, so I decided to toss her data in here, too. Sandy is Administrative Secretary at Chippewa Falls Senior High School. There is only ONE public high school in Chippewa Falls so nearly everyone from Chippewa Falls has the same alma mater. Once, while I was driving home for one of my high school reunions, I was thinking about how everyone in town knew everyone else who was the same age because we all came through high school together. I can look at my high school yearbook and remember something about every kid in there. Joan would NOT say that is a good thing but it IS what is SO.

"As was his language so was his life."

    Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

    Roman Stoic Philosopher

The reason for the complaining quote above is that I have been having a terrible autumn. I've had one illness after another. I spent the whole weekend in bed or on the couch with a raging chest cold. Bah humbug.

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 24, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides."

    Rita Mae Brown (1944 - )

    U.S. Author Starting From Scratch, 1988

"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."

    Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)

    Chinese Philosopher

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 22, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Today, I looked in the mirror and thought about ... mirrors. I thought of something I'd heard once about how it makes a difference which side you part your hair on and found the site that explains the theory and sells a "non-reversing mirror". The Hair Theory actually proposes that which side you part your hair on makes a difference. According to the theory, the left hair part draws unconscious attention to the activities that are controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain (activities traditionally attributed to masculinity). A right hair part draws unconscious attention to the activities that are controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain (activities traditionally attributed to femininity). I had read of politicians who changed their hair after learning about this.

Then I got to thinking about one of my favorite ART topics. The topic of artist tricks and secrecy. Artist David Hockney's   Secret Knowledge is a wonderful book that postulates (and, in my opinion, proves) that painters from the Golden Age used mirrors to assist them. Hockney claims that he has rediscovered a lost trade secret of Western art's grand masters -- not just Caravaggio but also van Eyck, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Dyck, Velazquez and perhaps even Rembrandt. Hockney has caused jaws to drop with the provocative idea that these masters used mirrors and the strong, hot light of the noonday sun. Living with an artist, I am very aware of "trade secrets".

"Sex is a bad thing because it rumples the clothes."

    Jackie Onassis (1929 - 1994)

    Former First Lady

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 19, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When Alec and I were in California, we had the good fortune to meet L. A. Opera baritone Dave Babinet. There was no opera company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and I don't recall opera on either of the two TV channels either. It was quite fascinating to explore this whole other world with Dave. I'm looking forward to a winter performance. Dave is thinking about putting up a blog of his own to share his insights on a performing career.

For film literacy and criticism be sure to take a look at B. Ruby Rich. At one of my first Sundance experiences, Ruby Rich was a panel moderator on Sex and the Cinema. Todd Verow, the director of Frisk (and several other directors) were discussing their films (all of which had strong sexual content). A fellow in the audience (sitting two seats to the right of me) stood up to confront and loudly condemn filmmakers their films and said that religious imperatives and civic obligations required that they not make such deviant films. He was particularly angry at Verow because he had just seen his film. It was an angry confrontation. What was very amazing was that, as the moderator, Ms. Rich deftly handled the gentleman's complaint and then used it as a bridge to a very meaningful discussion about moral responsibility, aesthetic commitment AND how to balance that with societally mandated self-censure. Her book, Chick Flicks is excellent.

More Film Related Links:     Resources for women filmmakers can be found at Women Make Movies. (Why do I encounter so few women filmmakers?) Another tremendous film resource is Green Cine Daily. Their posts are very "linky" and full of production information.

"Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. Lack of culture means what it has always meant: ignoble civilization and therefore imminent downfall."

    Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959)

    American Architect

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 18, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One of my very favorite sights is the site of Craig Mullins. Mullins is a professional digital and fine artist. He does concept drawings for computer games, matte paintings for film and traditional media (oil, pastel, charcoal) for fine art work. He graciously posts a lot of work at a size that allows committed students the opportunity to study. Check out the Gallery.

He also references Dhabih Eng's site, Sijun.Com. Sijun has member boards that allow aspiring artists to post their work and get feedback from professional artists. In the past, artists have been hired based on their posted work. The Tips and Tutorials section is particularly useful.

And, for the film students, a must read article on the Forty Best Directors. I spotted this on Greg.Org, a site by an independent filmmaker in New York. He also has wonderful art links. His site, along with Liz Levy's Persistence of Vision are invaluable resources.

"Nietzsche is dead."

    God ( - )

    Supreme Being

Posted by Cyndi Greening on November 17, 2003 | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

One of my former students dropped by school on Friday. Kohl Glass, the writer/director of The Promethean was in town for a family event. We got to talk about the great success of The Promethean and discuss new projects in the works.

Certainly one of the projects I am most excited about is Der Ostwind. Der Ostwind is a hand-dr