It’s down to the wire now. 10 days left to raise our film budget using Kickstarter. Help us spread the word by posting this link. Thank you to all my hometown chefs for showing your support. To learn more and watch a video about our short film visit our Kickstarter funding page:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/back2oneproject/back-2-one-project
Peace.
The CalArts Community Arts Partnership (CAP), links the Institute and the diverse communities of Los Angeles County through free, after-school and school-based arts programs for youth.
CAP provides students the opportunity to redefine their artistic abilities and to refine the role of artists, arts education, and the arts in society.
We are currently exploring ways in which we can partner with CAP to help broaden our outreach to teenage filmmakers. We will leave no rock unturned.
Six years ago, I discovered the art of Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison, the husband and wife team whose photographic work taps into the surreal imagination. I have carried their work inside of me ever since. The open, narrative quality of their work has served as a source of inspiration for our short film, THE AVIAN REVOLUTION.
Once I made the decision to proceed with this film project, I knew I would have to create a fabricated world much like the ParkHarrisons do in their photography, in order to afford to bring this story to life on screen.
Take a moment to get to know some of their work like; “Mending the Earth”, which features the artist performing the improbable act of repairing cracks in the earth’s surface with a huge needle.
You can also view the series of images that inspired me by visiting the “Architect’s Brother” section of their website.
Kirbie Platero is the recipient of the Marie C. Wilson Young Woman’s Leadership Award. Platero, a member and organizer at Young Women United, is a 19-year old activist, mother and artist working to secure reproductive justice for girls and women.
Yet another example of why I’m proud to be connected to the Ms. Foundation. There are countless numbers of teenagers helping make a difference. Invest in our future by investing in our youth.
To join the Ms. Foundation for Women and be part of an inclusive movement for change, visit: www.ms.foundation.org
Sometimes the universe works with you…like the time I met Suzanne Rodier. Our path crossing was totally random and something we laugh about today because had I left one hour earlier we probably would’ve never met.
When I discovered Suzanne was the woman responsible for the unforgettable work in the movie BOUND, starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to give Suzanne her props. How beautiful did those women look in that film? STUNNING.
I’m happy to count Suzanne as a dear friend and collaborator. The contribution made by a makeup artist can really elevate a film to iconic status. Suzanne’s work in BOUND is a perfect example of that. So you can imagine who popped into my mind when I started to think about who might be able to bring my iridescent dreams to life.
Earlier today, I met with Suzanne at LOCAL, a casual little restaurant in Silverlake, California to record a new iTunes podcast episode and discuss working together on my film project.
I’ve been chatting with Mateo (my master DP Matthew Siegel) about Canon’s 5D Mark II and 1D Mark IV. These camera’s are pretty impressive especially when optimized with a few of Panavision’s Super Speed Primes.
These cameras are so impressive that Fox Network’s “HOUSE” series shot their Season Finale exclusively with the Canon 5D MKII.
Canon’s cameras are totally worth considering when you need some extra coverage. Here’s a link to the short film Vincent LaForte shot in downtown Los Angeles using Canon’s 1D Mark IV: Nocturne
A friend of mine knew I had an interest in directing at least two commercials in this lifetime. So, you can imagine my excitement when she told me Dove launched a commercial ad contest. The problem was that I found out about the contest 10 days before the deadline. Not a lot of time to prepare or even think about executing some of my elaborate ideas (insert chuckle here)
I was fairly new to Los Angeles at the time and I didn’t have a network of people to go to for help but I thought this last minute opportunity would be a great way to experiment with a concept I had floating in my mind at the time. All I had to do was simplify my concept by about 90 percent in order to make the deadline.
I remember watching young Latina spoken-word poet Gabriela Garcia Medina perform in east LA and thought, I should find her. Maybe we can collaborate on writing a message that we can be proud to share while still achieving the product’s marketing goals.
It was the first year Dove held this contest so I took it seriously. I knew the winning commercial was scheduled to air during the Oscars that year so I thought I should deliver a polished piece that would be worthy of such a debut.
In the end, DOVE selected Lindsay Miller’s commercial, Knowing Your Beautiful as the winner. I was really quite happy for Lindsay and the three other ladies that made it to the Oscars that evening.
In retrospect, I think FEELING DIVINE looked too finished for “user generated content.” Or maybe it was just my approach?
All I can tell you is that I was focused on crafting a message to help convey the “feeling” you get from using the product–only on multiple levels but also with a bit of an urban edge. It was really important to me to weave in some of what Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty is all about—loving yourself from the inside out.
At the time, we were all really shocked that “FEELING DIVINE” didn’t make it to the final top three.
Taking on this commercial ad as a last minute project would ultimately prove to be worth the trouble when it helped give birth to a short story, “THE AVIAN REVOLUTION” . . . the same story I adapted for the screen and submitted to the 2010 AFI Directing Workshop for Women. You will soon see the what I mean.