OKFilm Indie Series Reviews:
Archive of Guest Speakers & Indie Competitors
June 4, 2000: Oklahoma IndieFest Winner Matt McUsic (L) displays his trophy, accompanied by finalist Mario Avila. McUsic won two registrations to funding and screenwriting pro workshops; Avila won one registration.
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Click on a pink dot for details.
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Previous Finalists
Indie filmmakers who have qualified as OKFilm IndieFest Finalists:
vMidwest City resident Brett Bower, writer/director/producer of Star-Crossed, a fun romantic comedy hinging on one young man's quest for freedom--freedom from bad dates! Sharing his woes with his two best friends, he is encouraged to break the dry spell of his love life by going on a few blind dates, all the while wondering whether his soul mate is really the girl he sees stargazing from an apartment window near his own. Throw in the lead character's running commentary, liberal doses of Shakespearean thematics, lots of witty repartee, philosophical musings, a heartburn-inducing boss, a stalker date, and a case of mistaken identity (true to Shakespeare!), and you can't help enjoying the ride. Despite a plot hole or two that required great suspension of disbelief, our panelists generally found the movie was intelligent and well-paced with relatable characters. Of technical note is the pic's impressive "leading" editing that provides a natural flow throughout most onscreen conversations. Shot in multiple locations in and around OKC............[finalist from 2002-2003 Honorable Mention bracket]
vDavis resident James Bridges, director of The Mouth of the Lion, a character-driven morality play modeled after the biblical story of Daniel. In this case, however, Dan is an aide to the United States president and is a man of strong religious conviction brought on board to serve as a moral compass. But when it becomes obvious that Dan really has the president's ear on most issues, other more power-hungry aides conspire to put Dan to the test, hoping he will be disgraced and jettisoned for good. Though pic lacks establishing shots (e.g., a Washington, D.C., skyline would have been nice) and depends solely on dialogue in order to establish history and define relationships, our panel found the story itself to be strong and well-written. It certainly helps that the two leads have such strong screen presence. Strong script with good visual edits. Presumably shot in Davis............[finalist 5/31/03 round]
vOklahoma City resident Jonathan Payne, director/producer of Jazzman, a dark and moody potboiler effort that reminds us of the Mike Hammer TV show's spin on the classic gumshoe genre. It's a story of a loner detective on a missing person case who uncovers an evil side to the city's art world--though he doesn't solve the case soon enough to save himself. Despite non-grainy feel of digital video, Payne achieves sufficient mood through lots of nighttime neon light footage and jazz soundtrack. Eerie story generally well-told. Shot on location in OKC............[finalist 3/15/03 round]
vYukon resident Jon Shryock, producer of Come Together, a musical tribute to The Beatles consisting of four back-to-back music videos edited by various OCCC film/video students. Featuring well-known Beatles tribute band Come Together--for which this production is named--this video montage comes complete with excellent costumes, fun location shooting, Hard Day's Night re-enactments, and wild, screaming fans. Shot on location at the canal in downtown OKC and at OCCC...........[finalist 1/18/03 round]
vNorman resident Mark Oliver Richman with Behind the Rain, a fascinating documentary about University of Oklahoma's Museum of Natural History. Well-paced mix of interviews and footage. Covers the museum's birth as a rotting repository in little more than a barn, all the way through recent construction of the massive and high-tech building that houses the collection today. Shot on location at University of Oklahoma...........[finalist 10/17/02 round]
vFormer Owasso resident (now in CA) Manny Marquez with The Dancer, a magical tale of a composer who designs a dancing mannequin, but does either one of them know what is in store for them? Shot in California with classical soundtrack...........[finalist from 2001-2002 Honorable Mention bracket]
vBroken Arrow resident Sean Lorton with Ghost of the Red Rose, a brooding tale of a struggling college co-ed haunted by financial worry and a shadowy cloaked figure. Not to mention there are unexplained deaths occuring on this campus that used to be owned by an English nobleman, whose own disappearance 200 years ago also remains unexplained. Shot on location at University of Tulsa with original musical score...........[finalist 5/12/02 round]
vOU graduate Matt Payne with Your Lucky Day, a charming vignette of scenes tied together by a seemingly magical dollar bill that brings good fortune to all who find it. Shot in OKC and set to various musical tracks...........[finalist 3/10/02 round]
vTulsa resident Jonathan Pinkey with Chess Theory, a mix of live action and animation depicting a chessboard battle that mirrors the rivalry between modern and classic chess theory. Smooth animation set to Rimsky-Korsakov soundtrack...........[finalist 1/20/02 round]
vMeeker resident Suzanne Markwell with The Alcoholic, an extremely short B/W student film shot MOS with guitar funk musical overlay. Not a deep work, but reflects a sense of humor in its in-camera editing technique and gritty stop-motion "wolfman" growth..........[finalist 11/04/01 round]
vTulsa resident Bryan Osborne with Harbored Thoughts, a dramatic compilation of vignettes about a group of friends struggling with alcohol dependency, centered upon the suicide of one of their own. Project was shot in Tulsa with exteriors in Chicago.........[finalist 4/22/01 round]
vMannford resident Jim Conlon with Scout, a science fiction about an aborted planetary reconnaissance mission, based on Conlon's own short story series. Project was shot in various locations around the state.........[finalist 3/4/01 round]
vOKC resident Kara Hearn with Saturation, an artsy crescendo of sight and sound that is open to interpretation but leaves the viewer strangely on edge. Project was shot in Oklahoma City.........[finalist 1/14/01 round]
vMaryland resident Michael Paskowsky with It Took Brave Men, a short documentary about U.S. Marshals who used to patrol Indian Territory. Project was shot in and around Dewey, OK, and featured members of Oklahoma's Ghostriders organization........[finalist 11/19/00 round]
vTulsa resident Kristen Maxwell with Crapisode I: A Boy and His Light Saber, a parody lacing Tulsa University campus life with elements of George Lucas' Star Wars franchise, shot during spring 2000.......[finalist 9/24/00 round]
vNorman resident Mark Richman with The Shiver Shack, a story-laden documentary about Oklahoma outhouses, shot during summer 1999........[finalist 4/2/00 round]
vOKC resident Gary Rhodes with Chair, a tongue-in-cheek look at Gary's love/hate relationship with former screen great Bela Lugosi's living room chair..............[finalist 3/5/00 round]
vTulsan Matt McUsic with The Eulogist, a short and moody morality film shot on 16mm in Tulsa during summer 1999........[finalist 1/30/00 round]
vTulsan Mario Avila with GTA2, a compilation of footage he produced in August '98 in NYC for use in Sony Playstation's "Grand Theft Auto 2" computer game.............[finalist 11/14/99 round]
vTulsan Sean Lorton with Rattlesnake Gold, a feature length action-thriller he produced/directed in OKC in 1997..............[finalist 9/19/99 round]
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Producer Sean Lorton (L) with actors Jeremy Scott, Seth Stevenson, and Alex Tosspon at the public world premiere of Lorton's action feature "Rattlesnake Gold." Lorton qualified as a finalist for Oklahoma IndieFest 2000 on June 4, 2000. |
Previous OKFilm Series Guest Artists
Guest Artist Oklahomans who have shown & discussed their works at our OKFilm Indie gigs:
Visiting one-on-one with Dry Gulch producer/director Tom Doerner (green sweater) at an exclusive members-only reception following our Jan. 2000 "OKFilm Series" gig.
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v: Gray Frederickson, Academy Award-winning Hollywood producer (Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, The Outsiders), member of Oklahoma Film Commission Advisory Board and professor at Oklahoma City Community College who is still active in big-budget productions
v: Fritz Kiersch, Hollywood director (Children Of The Corn, Gor, Into The Sun, and The Stranger) and professor of a two-year film technology program at Oklahoma City Community College
v: Cottrell Dawson, owner/operator of Tulsa-based Planet Earth Filmworks, sharing and discussing his long and varied demo reel of edit work, teaser & film production, etc. for corporate and studio clients worldwide
v: Dennis King, entertainment writer and reviewer for The Tulsa World daily newspaper, discussing (among other things) his experiences with various resident and non-resident filmmakers and actors over the years
v: Sean Lorton and Darla Enlow, two of OTFC's active producers, sharing production tips and techniques employed in their latest projects, Ghost of the Red Rose and Toe Tags, respectively
v: Victor Marquez, award-winning creator of special makeup F/X for stage and screen productions, including prosthetics, animatronics, massive wounds. Owner of The FX Man, based in Owasso
v: Peter Langs, executive producer for 'art house' movies commissioned by Universal Studios and president of California-based Intellectual Properties Management Association (IPMA)
v: Claude and Rhonda Donica of Donica Advertising Agency, creators of multiple Addy Award-winning TV commercials and videos
v: Timothy Cushing, Director of Production/Operations for TV Services at Oklahoma State University
v: Gary D. Rhodes of University of Oklahoma, producer of nationally distributed and broadcast non-fiction documentaries, including Lugosi (2000)
v: Andrea Jobe and Chris Wall of Tulsa's IMpact Productions, directors of cutting edge 3-D animation of Max Lucado's You Are Special (2000)
v: Bud Elder of the Oklahoma Film Office, fielding questions about indie projects and support for in-state producers
v: Sandy Rhoades and Scott Swearingen of Full Circle Communications; documentarians of Native Americans in Oklahoma
v: Leo Evans, director of Cafe Purgatory (1999) and segments of Living Nightmare (2000)
v: Mr. Tom Doerner, director/producer of multiple works with Dry Gulch Productions, including Zion 7 TV series and Bill Gunter: U.S. Marshal video series
v: Dr. Andrew Horton, award-winning active screenwriter and OU's Director of Film & Video Studies, with clips of his popular Yugoslavian films, accompanied by New Zealand film maker Gayelene Preston
v: Charles "Ned" Hockman, world-renowned former OU film educator and producer of Oklahoma's very first feature film Stark Fear (1961)
v: Truman Smith, award-winning producer of The Ball
v: Shawnee Brittan, award-winning producer of Sleep My Sons: The Story of the Arisan Maru
v: Leo Evans, director of Cafe Purgatory (1999)
v: Chuck Price, set director for Nowata Possums (1998)
v: Carl Bartholomew, producer/director of Cole Justice, (1987?) the first movie ever distributed (not rented, but DISTRIBUTED) nationwide by Blockbuster
OKFilm Review: May 31, 2003
Details coming. But here are the specs....
Finalist entry for Round #4 was political drama The Mouth of the Lion (75 min.) by producer James Bridges of Davis.
Finalist entry from the season's Honorable Mention bracket was Round #4 entry Star-Crossed (105 min.) by writer/director/producer Brett Bower of Midwest City.
Also selected for Round #4 honorable mention were:
How to Master Secret Work (25 min.) by Devon Brewster of Haskell.
The Bachelor and the Baby (12 min.) by Doug Solter of Tulsa.
Guest speaker was Gray Frederickson, Academy Award-winning Hollywood producer (Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, The Outsiders, among others.) Frederickson is a member of Oklahoma Film Commission Advisory Board and professor at Oklahoma City Community College who is still active in big-budget productions.
Casual and cordial, Frederickson opened his remarks with some background of his start in films. He and a buddy had bought a camera and film, figuring the rest would work itself out. In fact, he was unaware that movie scenes are rarely shot in sequence; which is to say he was unaware of the need for editing. He had no knowledge of the process or the lingo. So, on the last of day of shooting that first film, when his director called, "It's a wrap," Frederickson--after looking for some kind of wrapping paper trash on the floor and not finding any--figured the movie was ready for viewing right then and there.
Frederickson's point, of course, was that if he and his buddy, in all their ignorance at the time, could make a go of filmmaking---then anyone can do it.
Obviously, he's come a loooong way since then. His movie career spans 40+ years and 30+ films. Tonight, Frederickson shared stories as if he was sitting at our dining room table after a good meal. There was a somewhat mesmerizing dynamic as he discussed the multiple takes of bridge explosions in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--especially the fantastic explosion that 8 cameras failed to capture but which did succeed in destroying actor Lee Van Cleef's nearby Mercedes.
Frederickson, who is an OKC native, delighted the audience with his recollection of how he and his co-producer developed a failed mobster movie but garnered enough attention to get selected as producers of what eventually became The Godfather.
And about how one of Francis Ford Coppolla's stipulations to direct The Godfather: Part II was that Frederickson serve as his producer again.
And how naming a movie with "Part II" in the title was unheard of in the 1970's, so that studio heads were more partial to potential titles like "Son of the Godfather" or "The Godfather Returns." So Coppolla told Frederickson to generate all manner of marketing materials--letterheads, business cards, etc.--to feature the "Part II" title in order to make it stick. Which it did.
Many anecdotes later, Frederickson described his current work at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) and his efforts to establish a "conduit to Hollywood" that would include a permanent Oklahoma office in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Frederickson is instrumental in developing a consortium of educational opportunities between University of Oklahoma, OCCC, and Oklahoma City University that would allow film students at any participating school to receive credit for classes taught at the other schools. This saves a huge amount of capital by allowing schools to specialize without hampering their combined abilities to produce well-rounded and competent film/video graduates.
OKFilm Review: March 15, 2003
Details coming soon. But here's the specs....
Finalist entry for Round #3 was suspense flick Jazzman (__ min.) by director Jonathan Payne of Oklahoma City.
Also selected for Round #3 honorable mention, in no particular order, were:
Empty Stockings (_ min.) by Brian Waibel of ______.
Wannabe a Mobsta (_ min.) by Dustin Haynes of _____.
Long Shot (3 min.) by Justin Jones and Matthew Edwards of Tulsa.
Guest speaker was Fritz Kiersch, former Hollywood director and current professor of a two-year film technology program at Oklahoma City Community College.
OKFilm Review: January 18, 2003
Details coming soon. But here's the specs....
Finalist entry for Round #2 was Beatles tribute Come Together (__ min.) by producer Jon Shryock of Yukon and director Shaun Earley of OKC.
Also selected for Round #2 honorable mention, in no particular order, were:
The Role (_ min.) by Crystal Campbell of ______.
Plague of the Mind (12 min.) by Tommy Wallace of Tulsa.
4 Short Animations (5 min.) by Charles Maupin of Tulsa.
Stationery Games (__ min.) by Stephen Perkins of Dallas (formerly of Oklahoma.)
Guest speaker was Cottrell Dawson of Tulsa-based Planet Earth Filmworks, longtime editor and producer of commercial and film projects with many varied clients around the world.
OKFilm Review: October 17, 2002
4th Competitive Season Begins!...
Details coming soon. But here's the specs....
Due to schedule conflicts, our evening was reversed so that our guest speaker Dennis King actually addressed the audience for awhile before the screenings.
Finalist entry for Round #1 was Behind the Rain (__ min.) by Mark Oliver Richman of Norman.
Also selected for honorable mention in Round #1 were:
Turtle, the Spacegirl Bot, and Her Rocketships of Secret Agent Superhero Love (_ min.) by Laura Durler of ______.
The Rescue (_ min.) by Steve Latham of Norman.
OKFilm Review: May 12, 2002
Yes, Mother's Day! Fourth & Final Round of OKFilm IndieFest Series 2002...
More people than expected came out (without their mothers, we might add), to the May round of OKFilm, which was again hosted at Aaronson Auditorium at downtown Tulsa Central Library. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and several honorable mentions. Also announced was one finalist selected from the season's Honorable Mention bracket.
Finalist entry for Round #4 was Ghost of the Red Rose (35 min.) by Sean Lorton of Broken Arrow. Shot entirely on digital, this project was borne from Lorton's fertile imagination several years ago when he dreamed up a dashing, cloaked ghost haunting a college campus. Over time, Lorton gradually developed a backstory for this character, and the result is this 35-minute short film. Ghost of the Red Rose is a brooding tale of a struggling college co-ed haunted by financial worry and a shadowy cloaked figure. Meanwhile, there are unexplained deaths occuring on this campus that used to be owned by an English nobleman, whose own disappearance 200 years ago also remains unexplained. Deftly combining tension and terror within a dramatic story of eternal love, Lorton thankfully avoids some easy ghost-story pitfalls and maintains the sense of mystery and magic that are reflected in moody cinematography and original musical score. Shot on location at University of Tulsa, Ghost of the Red Rose now qualifies Sean to advance to Oklahoma IndieFest in July 2002.
Finalist entry from the season's Honorable Mention bracket was Round #4 entry The Dancer (10 min.) by Manny Marquez, formerly of Owasso, OK. Marquez attended OU film school briefly before striking out for California, where he directed this student film. With a classical musical score standing in for dialogue, The Dancer offers a twist on the age-old magical tale of a doll brought to life by its creator. In this case, a musician has designed a life-sized ballet dancer to personify his music; but the dancer takes on a life of her own and happily embarks on a pointe-laden but ultimately doomed voyage of discovery. Nice use of stark lighting on a proscenium stage. Selected from the season's Honorable Mention recipients based on high score, The Dancer now qualifies Marquez to advance to Oklahoma IndieFest in July 2002.
Also selected for honorable mention in Round #4 were:
Harry P. Nutt in 'Water Worries' (3 min.) by Suzanne Markwell of Meeker. A student of computer animation, Markwell spent several weeks rendering her cartoon hero Harry, a peanut with facial features, arms, legs, eyeglasses, and a green mohawk 'do! What the panel liked here was her mix of live-action footage of a fountain, combined with computer-generated footage of Harry. Not to mention her story structure is hilarious in its explanation of why Harry is underwater to begin with, and why does he run from the Big Hand that reaches for him through the murky depths? A fun short piece with groovy original soundtrack.
Guns Along the Bravo (85 min.) by Rick Simpson of Enid. A simple story of three good-guy ranchers who stand up to a murderous gang of horse-theives and rabble-rousers terrorizing their neck of the woods. Shot in Oklahoma and surrounding states, Guns Along the Bravo is a throwback to the "singing cowboy" genre, sans the singing! With a feature-length running time, our panel liked the use of locations, cranework, gunpowder, and orchestral score--not to mention we were impressed with the overall effort expended on such a project. Despite what the panel saw as some technical, talent, and story flaws, Guns Along the Bravo is a fine example of how getting out there and making your movie is much better than sitting around talking about getting out there and making your movie.
Cutthroat: The Ira Einhorn Story (5 min.) by Matt McUsic of Tulsa. Former OKIndieFest2000 finalist and current USC student McUsic (The Eulogist) offers up this short about a middle-aged business man who wakes up one morning with a slit throat. By all rights, he should be dead, but he proceeds through his day oblivious to his situation even as he gets bloodier and bloodier. Hilariously, we see his coworkers and others point out minor visual faults that need correcting--crumb on the lip, unzipped fly--but no one ever sees the obvious. Until the end, of course! Shot on digital with a cinematic eye in various LA settings, with good and messy blood f/x.
Following the screenings, the audience was treated to the trailer and first 8 minutes of Toe Tags, a slasher/horror feature-in-the-works being directed by OTFC'er Darla Enlow. Darla and Sean Lorton (Ghost of the Red Rose) served as our guest speakers, fielding questions about their projects, which were both shot on digital video in the Tulsa area.
Post-reception with Lorton and Enlow was handled by Peggy Char, who (as always!) provided a delectable selection of cookies, cakes, and veggies and COFFEE (integral to proper networking.)
Next stop is the
OKFilm Review: March 10, 2002
Klingon Heads, Bloody Spines, Talking Skulls--Oh My! Third Round of the 4th Season of OKFilm IndieFest Series...
March round of OKFilm was again hosted at Aaronson Auditorium at downtown Tulsa Central Library. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and one honorable mention.
Finalist entry was Your Lucky Day (10 min.) by Matt Payne of Norman, now residing in California. With a single dollar bill tying together small vignettes, Payne's story shows how luck touches the lives of various people who face challenges--everything from homelessness to impressing girls! With no dialogue, we get to see the dollar bill emblazoned with handwritten "Your Lucky Day" pass hands (ala Slacker) from a lovelorn young man to his undertipped waitress, to her daughter, to a homeless man, to a business man, and back to the lovelorn guy as he tries to scrounge up money to buy an ice cream cone for an attractive young woman. Each scene is set to different music, and we thought we could barely make out some ambient sounds (restaurant clatter, chirping birds, etc.) Actually, this tale could have gone on much longer and more in-depth, but it's a good example of clean work. Shot on location in downtown Oklahoma City, Your Lucky Day now qualifies Matt to advance to OKIndieFest in July 2002.
Selected for honorable mention was:
Reflections (3 min.) by Stephen Latham of Norman. Steve's pic is really intended as a music video, showcasing creative photography during a midtown rainshower and featuring lots of rain drops and reflections of shadowy figures and open umbrellas as the audio track delivers a heartfelt song about "reflecting" on one's life. Nice mix there; very professional-looking effort.
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
OKIndieFest Director Paul Hiller also showed off OTFCer Jason Floyd's fun-loving commercial The Matador, shot in Oklahoma City to promote this year's deadCENTER Film Festival. See our OPEN CALL page for more on this event.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host Victor Marquez, special makeup f/x guru from Owasso. Marquez has studied the art of special F/X for almost 25 years, graduating from John Robert Powers School of Make-Up and Modeling in 1978. Since then he has become an award-winning make-up artist experienced in animatronics, teeth, sculpting, facial & head hair, molds, life-size casting, cable-control articulated masks, radio control, etc.
In the mid-90s Marquez won 1st Place twice for character makeup at DefCon science fiction conventions, judged by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine script supervisor Faona Fajone. More recent studies include foam rubber and silicon use with Tom McLaughlin in Cleveland, OH, and ongoing advanced makeup effects with legendary Dick Smith of The Exorcist and Amadeus fame. Two years ago, he developed his own home-brewed foam gelatin process for prosthetics.
Currently, Marquez keeps busy working for California film students. He also regularly conducts seminars at Owasso High School, showing students how to use realistic stage make-up and prosthetics in live performance.
Victor came prepared with:
- dozens of photographs of his masks & costumes & props
- some actual (grotesque-looking!) set pieces from prior projects
- animatronic skull that moved its jaw to pre-recorded signals embedded in music audio track
- lots and lots of makeup!
After discussing his experiences with the pros and cons of various media used for Klingon heads, bloody spines, and burned flesh for Halloween gigs and movie projects, Victor placed IndieFest Director Paul Hiller in The Chair to convert him from mild-mannered citizen into a freak of nature. With able assistance from Daryl Sykes, Victor spent 45 minutes explaining the step-by-step decisions involved with:
- application of facial prosthetics
- highlighting features and stippling with different brushes/wedges
- blending mask to skin
- blood application for a realistic gore effect
- and more!
Naturally, with all that expertise, Paul became unrecognizable fairly quickly.
Members-only post-reception with Mr. Marquez was handled by Rhonda and Claude Donica, who provided a scrumptious selection of cakes, sausage, and cheeses.
OKFilm Review: January 20, 2002
Second Round of the 4th Season of OKFilm IndieFest Series!
January's round of OKFilm was hosted at Aaronson Auditorium at downtown Tulsa Central Library, with submissions mostly from Tulsa this time. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and three honorable mentions.
Before the library gig, however, a few OTFC'ers got a chance to lunch with our guest speaker from California, Peter Langs, courtesy of OTFC member Andy Horton, at Atlanta Bread Company in Tulsa. THAT was COOL. Read more about Langs below.
Anyway, Finalist entry was Chess Theory (5 min.), produced by Jonathan Pinkey of Tulsa. This pic was well-received by the critique panel for its smooth technique that results in flawless animation of chess pieces cavorting about a chess board in a battle that, according to Jonathan's notes, represents a combat between classic and nouveau game theory. Featuring great close-ups and a rousing Russian musical track, the project nonetheless ends quite abruptly but is otherwise well-executed. Features cameo by Jonathan's dad as the chessmaster! Chess Theory now qualifies Jonathan to advance to OKIndieFest in July 2002.
Selected for honorable mention were:
Transit (7 min.), produced by Zach Litwack of Tulsa. Transit depicts a young man's short journey to entrapment, enticed by the siren song of a mysterious beauty who, of course, turns out be a demon! A hypnotic dream-like presentation that features several dozen push-lights and eerie music underscoring the B/W video footage, pic was a student project for Litwack, recent graduate of Tulsa University's film program. Featuring urban Tulsa location shooting and, sadly, no ambient dialogue.
Breakfast (4 min.), produced by Susannah Compton of Tulsa, uses flashback to reveal a young woman's relationship with her father and his smoking habit. Now a smoker herself, she is on her way to meet her father for breakfast; while waiting at a railroad crossing, she recalls how in her younger years at home she used to write anti-smoking messages on her dad's cigarettes. As she reminisces, we see that her own cigarettes bear the same kinds of phrases; apparently she is attempting to break her own habit by employing the same technique on herself. Strangely, the story left the panelists in limbo, as we remained uncertain whether her father ever quit smoking; his cameo near the end wasn't clear in that regard. Story ends abruptly as Dad arrives for breakfast, though we never actually see the two meeting; odd, considering the title of this piece. We liked the locations shooting and interesting lighting and good utilization of flashback; Ms. Compton successfully told her story with no dialogue, employing facial expressions and cigarette closeups to do the talking.
Steppin' Out (2 min.), produced by Geoffrey Smith of Norman, struck us as Chaplin-esque in that it was shot on B/W film with a solo piano score in place of dialogue. A pretty lady passes up a bum (played by Smith) as she window shops along Main Street. But when her purse is snatched by a thief who had been watching her, the bum comes to the rescue merely by extending his leg into the theif's path. Huge pratfall is followed by the bum's reclaiming the purse and returning it to its rightful owner. As the thief runs away, the bum--our HERO!--and young lady stroll in the opposite direction arm-in-arm. Grainy in a good way, jerky in a bad way, we nonetheless liked the quick morality tale and good vibes.
And, although the panelists did not award it an honorable mention, OKIndieFest Coordinator Paul Hiller opted to break with the norm by screening Robert Kurtz' Butt, particularly because all the panelists were impressed with Robert's digital editing. Furthermore, Robert is an OTFC member--and we like to support our members!
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host Peter Langs, executive producer for 'art house' movies commissioned by Universal Studios and president of California-based Intellectual Properties Management Association (IPMA.) In state for some engagements with Oklahoma University Film & Video Studies program, Peter was very entertaining describing how to work with the Hollywood studio system as something of an outsider. And, of course, his knowledge of theatrical distribution was of keen interest to our audience. Suffice to say I won't go into detail here; if you missed it, you missed it!
IPMA, a California-based corporation, is one of several companies on contract to Universal Studios to produce and distribute specialized films to the "art house theater" circuit, television, and other ancillary markets. Langs handled audience Q&A re: his experiences, challenges, and solutions to movie production and distribution.
Mr. Langs in the final stages of directing and photographing a new un-named film, utilizing techniques pioneered by Orson Welles and Terry Gilliam.
In addition to daily management of IPMA, Langs serves as executive producer. Universal Horror (1998), his twelfth film, received rave reviews in "Hollywood Reporter" and other publications, receiving a nomination for the Bram Stoker Award. It premiered in the United States on Turner Classic Movies and in Canada on the national CBC network.
IPMA also provides consultation services and manages intellectual property rights for film trusts and other private rights owners.
And, as always, we had a great members-only reception afterward with LOTS of networking and collaborating!
OKFilm Review: November 4, 2001
First Round of the 4th Season of OKFilm IndieFest Series!
We got a late start this season, so there will only be four rounds, not five as in previous years.
Anyway, the November edition of OKFilm was hosted back at Aaronson Auditorium at downtown Tulsa Central Library, with submissions from various towns. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and two honorable mentions.
Finalist entry was The Alcoholic (1.5 min.), a very short student work edited in camera by Suzanne Markwell of Meeker, OK. Produced during Suzanne's college days in 1994, this little morality tale opens with a flaming beer bottle that explodes a la special f/x (i.e., an in-camera edit.) The humorous tone continues as we see the lip-smacking hero (anti-hero?) drool over a nearby bottle of beer as he watches TV and, uh, plays with the cat.
Suffice to say in-camera editing is not the easiest or most effective way to handle a time-lapse sequence as our clean-shaven hero imbibes beer after beer after beer and turns into a Wolfman contender before passing out. Lighting and focus problems are evident; and, as mentioned, post-editing would have proven much more effective for storytelling. But our panelists liked the raw indie feel and sense of humor as Suzanne was able to tell a story without dialogue. Shot in B/W with funky musical overlay and featuring her husband in a drunken stupor (HEY, he was only acting!), The Alcoholic now qualifies Suzanne to advance to OKIndieFest in July 2002.
Selected for honorable mention were:
Lessons of Life (15 min.), a narrative designed to educate viewers--particularly Native American women--about the dangers of breast cancer and the value of self-examination. This project was produced by American Indian Resource Center in Tahlequah, where it is employed regularly.
Shot on video, pic opens with a social worker arriving at her doctor's office for a biopsy report. Fearing the worst, she sits in her car for a moment and recalls events of the last few days. Naturally, this provides for a flashback sequence that covers much of her social work, which happens to include an educational semionar about breast cancer. We meet several of her co-workers and students; we watch a sample self-exam; and we hear common objections and responses. A very educational video. Eventually, returning to present time, our heroine receives here biopsy report and learns she is cancer-free.
While the narrative/flashback structure makes for interesting presentation possibilities, panelists found that weak acting provided such a distraction as to make the pic more humorous than intended. Cinematography occasionally leaned toward the creative, but the flashback structure itself was underutilized.
The Doll (2 min.), also student-produced by Markwell, is another in-camera edit job that depicts the surreal resurrection of a little girl's broken GI Joe and Barbie dolls. As the girl (depicted by a full-grown woman, oddly enough) retrieves doll parts from a box, she is called away by her mother. Upon her departure the two dolls magically fix themselves and become human, sharing a momentary wistful caress before the girl's return immediately prompts their rapid collapse to doll-dom. Shot B/W MOS with music overlay, this project could be a stunner with use of post animation rather than in-camera edits.
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host Claude and Rhonda Donica of Tulsa's Donica Advertising. For several decades the Donicas produced many award-winning TV commercials for a variety of corporate clients. At this gig they discussed the ins and outs of commercial shoots, properly likening them to the production of small movies. And they showcased quite a number of their works, including a slew of those humorous old Git-n-Go spots featuring native Tulsan Gailard Sartain.
OKFilm Review: April 22, 2001
Fifth & Final Round of the 3rd Season of OKFilm Indie Series!
The April edition of OKFilm Series saw the highest submission volume to date! This gig represents the 2nd time we have ever hosted OKFilm outside Tulsa, selecting OSU-Stillwater as our screening site in what represents our initial efforts to ensure that OKFilm Series is recognized as a statewide competitive venue for Oklahoma film and video makers.
OTFC member and OSU Adjunct Professor of Film History Dr. Peter Rollins arranged the gig at OSU's Telecommunications Services Center smack in the middle of Campus at Monroe and Parker Lane. Our audience included a mix of OTFC members, OSU film students, and longtime filmmaker Truman Smith and director Bob Westmoreland, both of Ponca City.
OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and three honorable mentions.
Finalist entry was Harbored Thoughts (80 min.), a dramatic compilation of vignettes loosely threaded by the tale of an alcoholic young woman's suicide and its impact on her circle of friends who all struggle with their own alcohol dependencies (some more successfully than others.) Picture was co-executive produced by OTFC member Bryan Osborne of Tulsa. Panelists were impressed with some of the technical artistry of pic (camera cranework, cinematography, primo editing) as well as key moments of solid storytelling backed by supportive soundtrack.
Story opens with home movie footage beneath title credits, and we soon learn the children in those films are siblings Merrill and Garland. But grown-up Merrill is a drunken, doped-up mess now, staying with her brother in Chicago until she can get her life back together. But within film's first 15 graphic and emotion-packed minutes, Garland comes home from office to find that Merrill has given up all hope and sliced her own wrists, and now he--a recovering alcoholic himself--must deal with the loss.
Without much understanding or expression from his parents (they have their own problems, too), Garland's emotional support comes from his new girlfriend Shiela--herself a recovering alcoholic.
Story turns occasionally to several other acquaintances discussing their alcohol demons and sharing stories at AA meetings. Among them is Donovan, who has been "on the wagon" for six years but has now fallen hard. In fact, he apparently has had an affair with Merrill in a recent drunken stupor, and his "Dear Jane" phone call to her was the event that tipped her over the edge. This relationship is not explored at all in the story.
In fact, outside of that one phone call, the story of Garland/Merrill/Shiela strangely never intersects with whatever story can be gleened from the scenes of Donovan and friends. Accordingly, film's narrative meanders back and forth, but the cumulative onscreen emotion overrides all, exposing us to hurt and pain and courage of all the characters. Definitely not a Hollywood ending!
Based on a stage play by Tulsan Juan Pablo Reinoso, dialogue-rich pic features great Chicago footage and jazz segue beats, and it tugs nostalgically with sober piano score and flashbacks to happier times. Shouldn't be a dry eye in the house! Harbored Thoughts now qualifies Bryan to advance to OK IndieFest 2001 in June.
Selected for honorable mention were:
Bride of the Morning Star (20 min.), a TV documentary produced by Ponca City resident Truman Smith that neatly covers the history of Native Americans in general before it specifically addresses a Pawnee sacrificial ritual's meaning to the future we all face as Americans. Directed by Bob Westmoreland of Ponca City and re-shot on film by Norman resident Charles 'Ned' Hockman for the 1976 Bicentennial, Bride opens and closes with a feather-dressed chief signing to voiceover narration. In between, the story is told with beautiful original painting montages created specifically for this production. Low-cost but very effective and educational.
Dancin' Geoffrey (14 min.), a little light-hearted tale of dancer envy, produced by Geoffrey Smith of Norman. Wacky Geoffrey explains to an interviewer that he is a free spirit blessed with a dancing style that is uniquely 'Geoffrey.' His biggest critic is jealous dancer "Crazy John," so-named because "I'm such a good dancer." (Of course, footage of John proves otherwise.) Interviews are interspersed with slo-mo b/w footage of Geoffrey doin' his thing on the steps of the President's Building at OU-Norman, nicely juxtaposed with classical excerpts such as Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." Critique panel noticed these slo-mo segments were actually videotaped film projections, causing artsy shuttered look. Overall, panel felt pic could use fuller treatment to be a stand-alone mockumentary.
A Little Film About a Big Film: 'Red, White, and Black' (15 min.), another submission by Truman Smith. The title says it all: pic is a promotional version of a feature comedy Truman has been working on for years. It's a story about a Red Man, White Man, and Black Man, three good ol' boy rural buddies. Or maybe it's a story about two bank robbers who get tangled up with these guys. Or maybe it's a story about the White Man's love for a local waitress. Or a story of Farmer vs. Foreclosure! In this brief promo set mostly to suitable music with little original dialogue, Truman's voiceover sets the comedic tone and highlights all the elements treated in the as-yet-unfinished feature. Critique panel anticipates the day Truman submits the completed feature! Meanwhile, we figure anyone who can direct a moving highway chase with four cement trucks AND edit it effectively to Wagner's "Die Valkyrie" deserves an honorable mention!
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these four contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host Timothy Cushing, manager of production/operations at OSU's massive Educational TV Services (ETS) Center. In addition to showing off some of the Center's projects and whiz-bang f/x and sets, Mr. Cushing conducted a facility tour of all studio space and editing bays, both linear and non-linear. The Center doesn't take bids, but they might be worth contacting for your next TV shoot.
ETS is a versatile, self-contained concept-to-completion facility. It houses state-of-the-art telecommunications systems with three independent on-line broadcast studios, including a fully equipped master control room integrated with computer-based design and production capabilities.
Even as an OSU student in the late 1970's, Cushing supervised ETS studio operations. Since that time he has put his Radio-Television-Film degree to good use for over 20 years. Moving to KAUZ-TV after graduation, he worked first as a newscast director and then as special projects coordinator and was eventually promoted to production manager--all within 3 short years.
Turning to start-up station KJTL-TV in 1985, Cushing served as production manager and director of operations. He held the latter position for several years before returning to his alma mater in 1989, where he supervised all aspects of ETS' productions and coordinated daily operation of two full broadcast studios.
As ETS production manager, Cushing was also responsible for training 11 full-time professionals in operation of equipment, production of programs, and preparation of program budgets. He also saw to the training and development of 15-20 students per semester through an internship program. He was promoted to Manager of Operations/Production in July 1994.
During his tenure, ETS has become renowned as an international pacesetter in educational telecommunications technology. OSU's Telecommunications Center is the largest production house of its kind, transmitting video, voice, and data via satellite, microwave, fiber optics, and conventional cable to audiences nationwide, both commercially and in support of public and private distance education.
ETS currently handles over 1700 broadcast events each year. Besides OSU, clients include all the major TV networks, Turner Broadcasting, NASA, United States Army (TRADOC), and many other educational and corporate entities.
Even now Cushing maintains practical hands-on knowledge of all current broadcast equipment. He possesses strong studio and remote production skills and offers his services on a freelance basis to broadcast and production entities such as Fox Sports, ESPN, ABC Sports, National Mobile Television, Jones Mobile Television, NCAA Productions, and a host of others.
Sadly, Cushing couldn't show us their mobile units, as those were all in Los Angeles for National Association of Broadcaster's convention.
After Gary's presentation, all attendees convened in the studio kitchen for some casual finger foods and a little one-on-one. Many, many thanks to OTFCers Dr. Peter Rollins and wife Susan Rollins who provided the meat and cheese and chips to tide us through! What a great time!
Our next OKFilm gig is the grand finale between all five finalists at OKIndieFest June 16 at OSU-Tulsa Campus. See our EVENTS page for more.
OKFilm Review: March 4, 2001
Round #4 of the 3rd Season of OKFilm!
The March edition of OKFilm Series represents the 1st time we have ever hosted OKFilm outside Tulsa, selecting OU-Norman as our screening site in what represents our initial efforts to ensure that OKFilm Series is recognized as a statewide competitive venue for Oklahoma film and video makers.
OTFC member and OU Director of Film/Video Studies Dr. Andrew Horton arranged to host the gig at George Lynn Cross Hall, just a few minutes' walk from the campus film offices. We had a sizeable audience that included Charles "Ned" Hockmann, who was instrumental in the founding of OU's filmschool decades ago and is still an active voice in Oklahoma's film industry.
Also present was Oklahoma City MCA-I Chapter President Craig Wood, as well as the usual good mix of producers and actors and tecchies. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and one honorable mention, both of which were screened in their entirety at this gig.
Winning entry was Scout (20 min.), a science fiction tale produced and directed by Jim Conlon of Mannford. Panelists were impressed with the tight story and keen computer graphics that upped this project's production value. Shot primarily at Oklahoma's north-central Great Salt Flats and at Chandler Park outside Tulsa, Scout tells the story of Tef, a member of planet Kalor's long-term 'Scout' program established to search for intelligent life throughout the galaxy. Tef flies a one-man ship run by Driver, the very HAL9000-like onboard computer that keeps Tef comany.
Damaged in an ionic storm while Tef transports to a strange planet, Driver becomes incapable of communication for 16 hours, during which time Tef must fend for himself on the desolate surface. Tef finally discovers more than water when he sees a large humanoid hand-print in the muddy bank of a rushing stream. Friend or foe? Tef takes no chances and must fight to stay alive until contact is re-established with Driver.
With heavy recognizable influence from such sci-fi staples like Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Scout nonetheless features great location shooting, original score, and very credible computer graphics. Of note is the mock skyline tower we see in a flashback of Kalor's capital city, ably blended with live-action footage of actors on location at Tulsa's dowtown City Hall Plaza with spaceships flying overhead.
Crisp and clean, Scout now qualifies Jim to advance to OK IndieFest 2001 in May.
Selected for honorable mention was:
Yelling Man (28 min.), a quasi-documentary produced by Tulsa resident John Galusha that literally follows the random daily existence of one man in downtown Tulsa who is known only as the Yelling Man. He roams the sidewalks, he talks to people very loudly, he offers succinctly lucid commentary punctuated with off-the-wall statements and words. No acting involved! Mr. Galusha received permission from YM to document his meanderings for awhile, and the result was combined with brief interviews of some downtown employees who are frequent witnesses to YM's loud presence. The critique panel found the rawness of the subject and footage to be compelling, while several believed a more coherent documentary approach would result in a good insightful project of festival quality.
Congratulations to both! Certificates will be mailed to these two contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host Gary D. Rhodes, an accomplished producer of non-fiction documentaries that have been successfully aired and distributed for most of the last 10 years. Mr. Rhodes is a Visiting Instructor in OU's College of Business, as well as an Associate Faculty in OU's Film/Video Studies (headed by OTFC member
Mr. Rhodes discussed his very FIRST documentary which--according to him--was mercifully exempted from the clips he opted to share at this gig. Instead, he shared excerpts from his most recent work, Lugosi.
Gary noted that his initial foray into documentaries taught him that niche market subjects allow for greater audience potential and more lucrative distribution possibilities. He has found it best to identify subjects that address multiple layers of potential audience interest. In fact, he informed us sales of his Bob Wills documentary--addressing country swing fans, history buffs, and guitar afficionados--supported him through several years of college!
Rhodes' film production has centered on documentary for the past decade, with his work including Solo Flight (VIEW Video, 1992), Fiddlin' Man: The Life and Times of Bob Wills (VIEW Video, 1993), Texas Swing (Greenhaw Video, 1995), Detour Ahead (Vestapol Video, 1996), and several others. Lugosi was a finalist at the Hollywood Film Festival, and was just invited to the New York Independent Film Festival (April 2001).
Gary explained that, during the 90's, documentary outlets expanded beyond PBS and A&E (and magazine mail-order) thanks to niche cable television stations such as The History Channel and The Garden Channel. Suddenly, almost any documented subject could enjoy exposure to a target market on cable TV. But more recently, the availability of less expensive digital technology has allowed a glut of documentary works to be submitted even to these specialized cable outlets.
The result? Cable TV networks are paying less for distribution rights now than they were 5 years ago. Meanwhile, most cable outlets have come to expect documentaries will follow the format template exemplified in such programs as A&E's Biography and popularized by Ken Burns' Civil War miniseries on PBS. So Gary urges documentary filmmakers, therefore, to pick their subjects carefully and to edit according to template if cable TV distribution is desired.
However, he noted that 'mockumentary' projects--fictionalized stories told in traditional documentary style--are enjoying popularity in a generally under-served market.
Gary has found success hiring a firm that handles the legal end of things, too, when it comes to copyrighted archival footage or photography he employs in his projects. Hiring out the legal/technical necessities leaves him free to focus on research and creative.
Rhodes has also worked on other award-winning films, as well as TV documentary series like BIOGRAPHY (A&E), RIVALS (Discovery Channel) and MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS (E! Entertainment). His tongue-in-cheek short Chair was a finalist at , sponsored by Oklahoma Territory Film Council.
Rhodes is currently working on a documentary film about the Tin Drum controversy in Oklahoma, as well as SCREAMIN LIKE LIGHTNING (a documentary about the birth of the electric guitar.)
After Gary's presentation, OTFC members met with him at a private reception hosted in the cozy confines of Andy Horton's office. A very dynamic gathering! Business cards were exchanged and conversation was lively for about three hours as guests dined on finger foods centered around a cheese-and-meat tray OTFC President Robert Brewer lugged in. What a great time!
Our next OKFilm gig is tentatively scheduled April 22, 2001, at OSU-Stillwater Campus in Stillwater OK. See our EVENTS page for more.
OKFilm Review: January 14, 2001
Round #3 of the 3rd Season of OKFilm!
The January edition of OKFilm Series represents the 3rd (and final) time this season we've hosted our competitive screenings & guest speakers at the nice Aaronson Auditorium at Tulsa Central Library in dowtown Tulsa. Next gig will be at OU in Norman!
Anyway, we had a sizeable audience that included enthusiastic IMpact Productions director Andrea Jobe and her co-director Chris Wall, as well as the usual mix of producers and actors and tecchies. OTFC's critique panel had already narrowed submissions down to a finalist and two honorable mentions, all of which were screened in their entirety at this gig.
Winning entry was Saturation, a short montage produced and directed by Kara Hearn of Oklahoma City. Panelists were impressed with the way Kara shot and edited this non-narrative short with no dialogue except for overlapping voiceovers, each of which sounds like one-half of a protracted phone conversation. Shot in Oklahoma City during 2000, video is more an excercise in communicating a state of mind than in relaying a sequence of events. It offers an onslaught of sights and sounds that clutter up what appears to be a typical day-in-the-life, although viewer is left wondering just whose day is it? We are treated to unglamourous imagery of street traffic, phone lines, tea kettles, messy fridge, difficult door, lazy bodies, shuffling cards, and much more down-to-earth stuff that, well, everyone of us can look at and think, "Wow--Does my place look like that?"
Edgy and artistic, Saturation now qualifies Kara to advance to OK IndieFest 2001 in May.
Selected for honorable mention were:
1) It's Almost Like You're Here (3 min.), a short country music video produced by Darla Enlow of Tulsa. By far the best music video critiqued in this competition, pic was shot in digital and synched to a studio recording of title track duet. The singers, of course, star in the video which was shot MOS on location in and around an apartment clubhouse and at Tulsa Fairgrounds. Here our heroine imagines her lover has been in her home and poured her a glass of wine, and as she sips she reminisces of their time together, focusing on the carousel at the state fair. Is he dead or just an ex? We'll never know! But Darla exhibits a great eye for dramatic visuals and did a fine job handling some mood-setting low-light situations. And it's a catchy song, too!
2) Tulsa (10 min.) is an ambitious effort by Oklahoma native
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these three contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host IMpact Productions director Andrea Jobe and her co-director Chris Wall, who shared footage and much discussion regarding the work of IMpact's newly formed animation department. With excerpts from their new 3D animation video You Are Special, based on Max Lucado's #1 best-selling children’s book, Andrea and Chris discussed IMpact's introduction into animation, and they explained that all their combined backgrounds in live production were turned on end as they attempted to employ cutting-edge techniques for this new genre. IMpact, of course, is involved with many types of productions nationwide and has established a solid reputation for quality with work with such projects as the Pahappahooey Island series and a variety of soul-searching films such as Left Behind and Telly-winner Resurrection under its belt. Their website is www.impactentertainment.com.
Afterwards, OTFC members met with Andrea and Chris at an exclusive reception. Our guests were very involved in conversation and had a keen interest in the various projects in which our members are involved. What a great time! Especially with excellent finger foods and coffee again provided by our resident craft services expert Peggy Char!
Our next OKFilm gig is scheduled March 4, 2001, at OU Campus in Norman OK. See our EVENTS page for more.
OKFilm Review: November 19, 2000
Round #2 of the 3rd Season of OKFilm!
The November edition of OKFilm Series represents the 2nd time we've hosted our competitive screenings & guest speakers at the nice Aaronson Auditorium at Tulsa Central Library in dowtown Tulsa. Aside from some fat-fingering on the remote control, THIS time we were able to return to the BIG screen!
Our audience included OK Film Office Asst. Director Bud Elder, OKC Art Museum Film Curator Brian Hearn, University of Tulsa Director of Film Studies Dr. Joseph Kestner, and OSU Adjunct Professor of Film History Dr. Peter Rollins, as well as a mix of producers and actors and tecchies. (Notably, Hearn and Kestner and Rollins are all Film Council members.)
OTFC's critique panel again had multiple selections to preview for this event, and once again we narrowed it down to a finalist and two honorable mentions, all of which were screened in their entirety at this gig.
Winning entry was It Took Brave Men, a short documentary produced and directed by East-Coaster Michael Paskowsky. Detailing the lives of U.S. Marshals assigned to Indian Territory a hundred+ years ago, this short was shot around Dewey, OK, utilizing the historic expertise of the Ghostriders re-enactment group. Simple acoustic music underscores first-person accounts that serve as voiceover to archival photos and re-enactments. With a cinematic eye, director Paskowsky shares anecdotes of specific marshals that exemplify the loneliness and danger of upholding Indian Territory law. This law, of course, was based in 'Hanging Judge' Isaac Parker's court in Fort Smith, AR.
Not to mention Paskowsky shares the wily nature of the marshals, too! We get to see how black Marshal Bass Reeves went undercover as a vagabond to gain access to two law-breaking brothers. And after a captive criminal complains of a "festering" gunshot wound in the arm, we get to see and hear Marshal Willima Beck's dry response: "I'll get you to a doctor in Fort Smith...with or without that arm."
FYI, this film was sponsored by the National Park Service and shows regularly for visitors at the Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas.
With a tightly directed yet touching look back at the wild days of Oklahoma history, Mr. Paskowsky now advances to OKIndieFest 2001 in the spring with It Took Brave Men.
Selected for honorable mention were:
1) Superhero (3 min.), a short B/W film produced by Carl Flood of Oklahoma City area. In this dialogue-free tale, a young man discovers a small cape peeking from a public trash can in a park. One look and one whiff later, our (super)hero discovers a British phone booth in which to don the cape, thus embarking on exploits that consist mainly of his ever more ambitious efforts to--shall we say?--leap into notoriety. Does the cape really impart super powers, or is it all in his head? Shot in 16mm as far as we can tell, with interesting Hitchcockian angles at times, and set entirely to well-known portions of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries."
2) S.P.I. Tower (52 min.) represents an ambitious effort by Bartlesville resident Shaun Earley that tells the story of a young man's "bad day." Upon spying a mysterious drop-off of a suitcase at a neighbor's rural mailbox, eighteen-year-old Drew steals it in hopes of discovering money or jewels or anything useful. The content of documents and diagrams merely frustrates him until an enclosed cell phone rings and, answering the call, he pretends to be the suitcase's intended recipient, agreeing to conduct an "exchange" at the zoo. Naturally, he figures there's money it for him if he can pull off this scam, so he enlists the help of a friend and away they go! But the zoo exchange is not the end of the line--he winds up with a bomb on his hands, a panicky friend, and a requirement to make yet another exchange somewhere else. How long will Drew keep the charade going before he tries to pull out of what he discovers is a deadly game of corporate espionage? Taught acoustic guitar helps build momentum in this short rural thriller shot on digital video with sepia tone throughout.
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to these three contributors above, and written critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host OK Film Office Assistant Director Bud Elder. Originally Bud planned to bring one of two well-known producers with him, but circumstances prevented this and so Bud had to hold his own for an hour discussing various projects of the Film Office and fielding questions from the audience.
Mr. Elder noted that the state is pursuing expanded incentives for filmmakers beyond the current 7-8% tax rebate already available for film/video shoots in Oklahoma. The Film Office has approached the state legislature with various options intended to communicate that Oklahoma considers filmmaking a priority--options like a whopping 20% tax rebate on certain projects! Still unapproved at this time...
Mr. Elder, who also serves as an adjunct film tech professor at Oklahoma Community College (OCC), reported that Gray Frederickson of Godfather fame is still on track to build a studio facility in the Oklahoma City area. Groundbreaking should occur in January 2001. This facility--under the company name of Oklahoma Entertainment Partners--will be used for training and actual production, possibly in cooperation with the yearly Oklahoma Film Institute sponsored by the Film Office and OCC. Mr. Elder contends such a facility will contribute to an improved perception of Oklahoma as a worthy film state, helping not only to attract outside producers but also to retain film students already living here.
Finally, Mr. Elder did note his office is happy to take calls on behalf of in-state filmmakers who need assistance dealing with municipal governments or other organizations. His contact info is at the Oklahoma Film Office website, which is listed on our LINKS page.
Afterwards, as usual, OTFC members met with Bud at an exclusive reception. What an enthusiastic gathering that was! With excellent finger foods and coffee provided by Peggy Char, Allena Brackin, and VP Joe Turner, there were food and ideas and business cards flying all over the place.
Our next OKFilm gig is scheduled January 14, 2001. See our EVENTS page for more.
OKFilm Review: September 24, 2000
...kicking of the 3rd Season of OKFilm!
The September
edition of OKFilm Series marks its 3rd year bringing industry experts to
network with indie film & video personnel...
...as well as the 2nd year of Indie2001 competition...
...and the 1st time we've held it at the nice Aaronson Auditorium at Tulsa Central Library in dowtown Tulsa. Aside from some technical difficulties that prevented us from projecting onto the BIG screen, all went well!
OTFC's critique panel had several selections to preview for this event. It was tight for a couple of the fine works we received, but the committee finally settled on a finalist and two honorable mentions, all of which were screened at this gig (Round #1 of 5 Indie2001 rounds.)
Winning entry was Crapisode I: A Boy and His Light Saber, a digital 18-minute Star Wars parody directed by Mr. Kristen Maxwell of Tulsa. Very little escaped Maxwell's attention as he penned this witty copyright-infringement-laden tale combining George Lucas' pop sci-fi franchise with Tulsa University campus life. Our hero is Cole, a TU student and ardent SW fan, who spends his time discussing SW with his buddies and playing archaic SW video games. Then one day he receives a mysterious package from his father that takes his SW activity to a whole new level. But how long until a Lucasfilm Marketing lawyer (aka the "Dark Lawyer of the Sith") orders him to cease and desist?
From the movie's own trailer, to the "20th Century Sux" logo, to the annoying stand-in who will "be replaced by CGI in post-production,", to the trouble-making frat boys "on academic probation for three years," to a self-deprecation about how "fan films suck," Maxwell pretty much covers everything. Maxwell says he wrote and shot this peice with his friends during finals week at TU, apparently because filmmaking is much more enjoyable than cramming for exams. Go figure! With great laser effects and hilarious throw-away lines (such as "Even I need a week to watch 'Meet Joe Black.' What, do you think I have no life?") Crapisode I now advances to OK IndieFest 2001 in the spring.
Selected for honorable mention were:
1) Dead End, a short film work produced by Critical
Mass Productions of Oklahoma City and directed by Brett
Hart. In this story, a young father questions
his life choices as he speeds his sports car along a wooded highway, eventually
veering off onto a gravel country road where his vehicle becomes entangled
in barbed wire near a long-abandoned home that seems to call to him. With
excellent cinematography and soundtrack, we were impressed. Hart even supplied
footage of how he and his crew BUILT the gravel road for this shoot!
2) Wrestless Hearts and Harleys, a short video created
by OTFC member Bryan Pilkington that essentially boils down to a 10-minute joke about a tongue-tied Romeo
falling hard for a beautiful blond. She reciprocates his feelings during
a romantic dinner only to reveal that her roommate will be picking her
up afterwards--and her roommate is a cigarette-smoking, Harley-riding
bad boy named Bubba! We liked the story (e.g., the two lovebirds met at
his sister's funeral!) and the music, concluding this work exemplifies
some good, clear storytelling.
Congratulations to all! Certificates will be mailed to the three contributors above, and critiques will be mailed out to ALL our participants.
Following the screenings, we were honored to host documentarians Sandy Rhoades and Scott Swearingen of Tulsa's Full Circle Communications. They discussed their successful 10+ years taping and marketing videos that document a variety of aspects of Native American life in Oklahoma, covering everything from how-to craft videos and interviews to history and fancy-dance demonstrations. Swearingen and his wife own and operate Full Circle, providing creative and technical expertise. Rhoades provides the Native American expertise and contacts that enable access to people and subjects and events not readily available to just any documentarian. Showing clips from their popular Into the Circle and other projects, the two men discussed their respective roles that have enabled their partnership to remain productive and successful since the 1980's.
Afterwards, as usual, OTFC members met with Rhoades and Swearingen at an exclusive reception.
Our next OKFilm gig is scheduled November 19, 2000. See our EVENTS page for more.
OK IndieFest Review: June 4, 2000
Young Tulsan Wins Statewide Indie Competition...and he's just a high school senior headed for USC!
Click here for PHOTOS from our 5 Indie 2000 FINALISTS 6/4/00!
At Oklahoma IndieFest 2000, the five finalist movies were screened to a public audience and all OTFC members present completed scoring on critique sheets. Matt McUsic was proclaimed the winner. He won an engraved ONE-FOOT-TALL trophy (wow) and two comps to professional funding and screenwriting workshops in July. All other finalists received frameable certificates and one comp each to either workshop.
Matt McUsic of Tulsa just graduated Holland Hall High School in 2000, but his 1999 summertime movie garnered top honors. He shot The Eulogist with some friends for the love of movies, and now he's headed off to University of Southern California this fall. His ambition? Film, of course! We're certain Oklahoma hasn't heard the last of this young man.
OKFilm Review: April 2, 2000
...and now 5 winners will go head-to-head at Grand Finale in June 2000!
The April edition of the OKFilm Series saw a tight contest. We received several good indie submissions from around the state, but it was a tight decision on our two finalists, to be sure. Overall, we are seeing improved quality in submissions, and that's what we like to see! The 'Indie2000' critique committee presented the winning entry for this round (Round #5 of 5) plus one honorable mention.
Winning entry was The Shiver Shack a 47-minute documentary produced by Mark Richman of Norman, OK. Yes, Mr. Richman's works is all about outhouses in Oklahoma. Through interviews, archival photos, event coverage, and a smattering of re-enactments, this work thoroughly covers a slice of Americana that, despite its widespread fall into disuse, still garners an enthusiastic hobbyist following. (Much like lighthouses, but more Oklahoman.) Sure, it's "more information than you ever wanted to know" about a potentially crass subject, but Richman thankfully keeps the detail level to a minimum, entertaining us instead with informative old stories and eyebrow-raising modern events. An Oklahoma University film student, Richman receives $50 for winning the round with this work-in-progess and now advances to the grand prize round June 4.
Selected for honorable mention was:
The Path Less Traveled a short digital video
work created by Norman resident Devin Williams. In this story, a young businessman is stranded near a city park at a very
inopportune time--a huge potential client (read "BIG $$") is awaiting him
at the office to sign a contract. Unable to get ahold of anyone to
come pick him up, he grabs discs from his car and invites the park's only
occupant, a calm barefooted man, to join him in a round of Frisbee golf.
Or is the executive joining the barefooted man on a journey to the soul?
Smart juxtaposition of color with black-and-white highlights the differing
worldviews of these two men, even as the executive eventually is retrieved
from the park to meet his fate. Utilizing serene edits and an electric
guitar undercurrent, Williams directed this introspective piece with a
fairly large crew on a surprisingly short budget.
Congratulations to all!
Following the screenings, we were honored to host digital director Leo Evans (of Evans Video) back as our OKFilm guest speaker. He shared some behind-the-scenes footage from Cafe Purgatory, uncovering multiple takes and special f/x that went into one of that surreal flick's most dramatic scenes. He also shared some of his music video work as well as his rough-edit trailer for Hollywood Entertainment's Living Nightmare, which is currently shooting in Tulsa. In fact, the OKFilm audience was treated to Evans' first draft edit for additional "LN" footage shot just two days earlier at Tulsa's old Camelot Hotel (51st and S. Peoria.) This is the footage that KTUL Channel 8 was covering, while multiple takes of a gun-laden siege on the hotel were being shot from several ground cams and one helicopter cam. We saw Evans' edit with no music, and then we saw the experimental version set to....a Tony Bennet soundtrack. Director's prerogative, right? Afterwards, non-members were treated to an unscheduled showing of OTFC member Bryan Pilkington's Out of Bohemia while members retired to a members-only reception with Evans.
While the OKFilm Series' third season won't start up until September, the Indie 2000 Freelance Film & Video Competition finale is coming up on June 4. Plan now to see the 5 winning movies back to back that evening! Time TBA. And if you want to submit a project of yours for the next season of competition, please do so! Anything from a first-time student effort to a slick professional production is welcome, although only the best will be selected for public screening! Check out the OKFILM page. Our September 2000 OKFilm guest speaker will be documentary filmmaker (and magician) Sandy Rhoades. See the EVENTS page for more.
OKFilm Review: March 5, 2000
The March edition of the OKFilm Series again saw several good indie submissions, plus a great crowd, PLUS an unanticipated forum on low-budget filming techniques in the absence of our scheduled guest speakers. The 'Indie2000' critique committee presented the winning entry for this round (Round #4 of 5) plus one honorable mention. (It's getting more and more difficult to determine honorable mentions, as the submissions keep getting better overall. Accordingly, the critique committee has got its work cut out for itself.)
Winning entry was Chair a 30-minute video co-produced by Gary Rhodes and Bob Stovall of Oklahoma City. Mr. Rhodes wrote, directed, and starred in this documentary-style narrative regarding his real-life relationship with a well-worn chair previously owned by famous screen actor Bela Lugosi. Through interview footage and creative flashback sequences set to breezy '50s and '60s instrumentals, we journey with Gary as he attempts to acquire the chair, repair the chair, live with the chair, fumigate it, ignore it, destroy it. Mr. Stovall shot and edited this tongue-in-cheek epilogue to Lugosi's life. Rhodes & Stovall won $50 for winning this round and now advance to the final grand prize round in June.
Selected for honorable mention was:
A Short Film by Jodain a short video work created
as an application piece for the New York University film program by Tulsa
high school senior Jodain Massad. In this story, accountant John is called into his boss' office to get laid
off. But we sidetrack with John's subconscious and get introduced to an
alternate reality of what's really going on. Heavily edited and imaginative
metaphoric visuals abound here as John's mind considers the many possible
hurdles and scenarios that could develop from this meeting with his boss,
all set to music Mr. Massad scored himself. In fact, with a small cast
and crew, Massad lists himself as producer/director/scriptwriter/storyboard/editor/music
mixer/animator/camera/locations setup. Can't get much more 'indie' than
that!
Congratulations to all!
Then the day's events got a twist when our guest speakers (Nancy Wilkinson and Charlotte Rhea, executive producers of Where the Dreamers Go) were determined to be absent--yes, absent. So, without missing a beat, all attendees were invited to the post-reception normally reserved exclusively for OTFC members and guest speakers. Here OTFC board member and movie producer Harvey Shell (of Brigantine Productions) emceed a casual panel discussion of low-budget filmmaking, assisted by fellow producers Scott McClung of Tulsa (producer of City Voices: A Triptych) and the aforementioned Jodain Massad. They shared thoughts on their projects and took some Q&A from the audience, while networking and card exchanges took place all the way around.
The next and final edition of the OKFilm Series' second season is on the very near horizon (April 2) and will include the fifth installment of OKFilm 'Indie 2000' Freelance Film & Video Competition. Want to submit a project of yours?--anything from a first-time student effort to a slick professional production! Check out the OKFILM page. Our April guest artists will be Cafe Purgatory Producer John Wooley and Director Leo Evans, showing and discussing their digital movie in detail. See the EVENTS page for more on them.
OKFilm Review: January 31, 2000
The January edition of the OKFilm Series saw several good indie submissions, as well as some fascinating presentations from Dry Gulch Productions. The 'Indie2000' critique committee presented the winning entry for this round (Round #3 of 5) plus two honorable mentions.
Winning entry was The Eulogist a short 16mm film written/directed by Holland Hall high-school senior Matt McUsic and shot by classmate Adam Sober. An unusually literate and thought-provoking story, The Eulogist shows us the moral dilemma faced by one of the country's best professional eulogists when he is hired to prepare some words for an influential figure from his past. It combines well-placed organ music and some 'underground' techniques in a fairly tight flashback format shot at a variety of Tulsa locations, including various downtown churches and the ORU campus. Mr. McUsic won $50 and now advances to the final grand prize round in June.
Selected for honorable mention were:
1) Last Raid at Cabin Creek, a very thoroughly
researched and professionally produced documentary recounting the most
successful Confederate raid in Indian Territory during the final months
of the Civil War. Narrated by local personality Sam Jones, this 90-minute
documentary has received commendations for its historic merit and was produced
by Warren Entertainment of Owasso.
2) Out of Bohemia is a campy foray into the
fictional country of Bohemia, where a group of heroic scientists seeks
to take down a madman who holds the country hostage with his brainwashing
rays and not-so-subliminal loudspeaker announcements. With coffeehouse
music and some cool B/W visuals, this Strangelove-esque short was shot
on 16mm in Fairbanks, Alaska, and was submitted by OTFC member Bryan Pilkington, who handled much of the cinematography.
Congratulations to all!
Then Tom Doerner discussed the amazingly astute work that is produced by Dry Gulch Productions based at Dry Gulch in NE Oklahoma. A subsidiary of Willie George Ministries, Dry Gulch is a very prolific production house, and producer/director Doerner showed and discussed clips of some impressive (and witty) videos, including Zion 7 television show that airs on PAX-TV and the Bill Gunter: U.S. Marshal video series. He also shared and discussed footage of a pensive Western starring Kenneth Copeland (of TV ministry fame) as a Native American struggling with his memories of the Trail of Tears. OTFC members got to visit exclusively with Mr. Doerner at a post-reception, and they kept him tied up with in-depth discussions and business card exchanges pretty much 'til we had to lock up!
See the EVENTS page for more on the next round of OKFilm April 2.
As always, Thanks again for visiting us.