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Attending the "Best of the 48-Hour Film Project"

7/6/2015

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PictureArriving at the theatre
By Shay Martin

Recently, Audrey and I attended the Best of The Boston 48-Hour Film Project 2015 screening and awards at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA. It was a really great experience and we wanted to share it with you. For those of you who don't know what the 48-Hour Film Project is, you can visit their website here. It's a really cool project and worth checking out. 

The only way I can describe the Kendall Square Cinema is an alternative movie theater. In addition to standard new releases, it shows many films that you won't see at other theaters, including independent films, restored classics, and foreign films. It also hosts many local premieres, benefit screenings, and film festivals. But that's not the only way it's different. Your first clue that you are not in a standard movie theater is the menu: filled with all the theater classics like popcorn, candy, soda and water, it also goes further. Much further. It includes not only refreshments, but dinner items, and specialized food like vegan cookies and edamame. Very cool!

Once in our theater, we watched a total of sixteen short films and were blown away by the quality that these filmmakers managed to inject into their films in only 48 hours! There were some truly great moments on the screen in front of us. It was very inspiring to realize what can be done in two days—even in film. We can attest to how much goes into producing even a short film. We were impressed with ourselves because we made “Drawing Inspiration” in one week, but that didn't include editing. These filmmakers made their entire films, start to finish, idea to post-production, in 48 hours. I can barely comprehend it, let alone impress upon someone else the enormity of the achievement. Especially because they were actually pretty good! 

A couple of my favorites were DIEnamics, Holiday For Hire, Note-worthy, Human Family Unit, Rhyme And Punishment, Los Locos Dientes, DynoCorp, and Take Two. Of course they had rough spots; most films do. But I would watch any of these films again. Not to belittle the other eight films in any way. Their accomplishments are still tremendous and I think it's safe to say that every single film screened had at least two strong points. These are just my personal favorites. 
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"Dynocorp" took home the highest honor of the night
After the screening, there was an awards ceremony with some great prizes (see full winners list here). It was very fun to watch. They even added two categories that didn't previously exist because they wanted to award particular things that certain films did.  Audrey and I were of course pleased to see a category for young women in film, presented by Women in Film New England. The big winner of the night, the winner of “Best Film”, was DynoCorp. But the film that won in the most categories (by a lot), and was runner up, was BOS > LAX. I would love to include more information about the films and a quick review, but that would make this very long. Perhaps another blog post?

Some of the films are available to watch on online (though sadly not the winners or Take Two.) For your convenience, I've included the links to the those titles that I could find (see below). Which is your favorite? What were you most impressed by in these films? Have you had any experiences with the 48-Hour Film Project? Comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Links: 

DIEnamics
Human Family Unit
Holiday for Hire
Note-Worthy
Los Locos Dientes
Rhyme and Punishment
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Shay Martin
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Audrey Larson
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Attending the "Milwood" Film Premiere 

1/9/2014

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By Audrey Larson and Shay Martin

This past Saturday night (Jan. 4th) we had the pleasure of attending the Milwood independent film premiere at the Arlington Regent Theater. Milwood, Produced by Roman Media and Directed by Jimmy Scanlon and Evan Goldman, is a mystery thriller about 11-year-old Nathan Perry (Christian Goodwin); an orphan who is assigned to the Milwood facility for young adults and becomes a victim of unforeseen terror and unusual behavior. Milwood first premiered last May at the renowned Festival de Cannes in France. 

We came just in time to see the cast arriving in a limo (pretty cool) to an applauding crowd. Cameras flashed as cast and crew posed on the red carpet in their sparkly gowns and tuxedos. The theater was packed and buzzing with people excited for the show to start.

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Christian Goodwin and the rest of the cast arrives by limo. Credit: Granimo Photography
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Cast and crew pose for the cameras on the red carpet.
We expected going to the premiere would be cool, but we did not expect it to be so touching. Before the movie started, the Producer, Michelle Romano, began speaking of Sierra Preveza, a 7-year-old girl who was suffering from cancer during the time they were filming Milwood. At the time, they had heard of her wish to be a movie star, and even though they were almost done filming, they created a part just for her. Romano then called up Sierra, (now cancer-free), to the stage and presented her with a check benefitting the organization Sierra started, Childhood Cancer Kids. Sierra spoke about her organization, generating many laughs from the audience when she began saying how she started Childhood Cancer Kids because she noticed that “breast cancer was more popular” and going on to say how all the money she saved up in her piggy bank she was donating to kids with cancer. Her words, though simple, made the audience both laugh and cry. By the time she was done speaking, the audience was on their feet clapping. It was amazing to see another kid, at only 7 years old, taking action and making a difference.
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Sierra Preveza is presented a check for her organization, Childhood Cancer Kids. Credit: Granimo Photography
PictureAudrey meeting Christian Goodwin
When the film began, we were impressed with the fabulous acting, the lighting and camera work, and how they used a low-budget to create such a professional look. We were particularly impressed by the main actor, 12-year-old newcomer to the industry, Christian Goodwin, a natural talent and joy to watch. Michelle Romano, who plays the character Judy, gave a stellar performance. It was also nice to see a large number of kids in the film. At the end, the plotline left us with many questions; we were hoping for a stronger resolution and more realism at certain moments.  

PictureJimmy Scanlon and Michelle Romano.
A question and answer session followed the film. We were able to identify with a lot Jimmy Scanlon (the Writer and Director) and Michelle Romano talked about. For example, both had central roles in the film in addition to their position as Producer and Director; this was something we had also juggled when filming Countdown (FYP’s debut film). 

Overall, kudos to Roman Media for it’s superb debut film. We’re so glad we had the opportunity to be guests at the premiere! 

To find out more about Milwood and watch the film's trailer visit their website, or become a fan on Facebook. 

Here we are posing on the red carpet!
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Theater Review: WFT's The Hobbit

11/14/2013

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The Hobbit, Wheelock Family Theater Boston
--By Audrey Larson

I recently attended a school-group performance of Wheelock Family Theatre’s rendition of the age-old Tolkien classic The Hobbit. Having read The Hobbit and seen all Lord of The Rings movies and the first Hobbit movie, it was hard not having unrealistic expectations. 

I was pleasantly surprised. The actors were good. I especially liked the portrayal of Bilbo Baggins, (Andrew Barbato) and his unique mannerisms and facial expressions which prompted many laughs from the audience of school children. Most dwarves were played by children, which I think was a good choice, though in some lines the supposed “dwarf” accent was a little off. It was exciting to see that many children involved in the production. The stage combat could use some improvement-- the sword-fighting scenes seemed a little slow and unconvincing. You may be wondering, what about the iconic character of Gollum? Well, does the actor compare to a computer generated figure in the multi-million dollar Hollywood hit? Of course not. But for a human being with costume limitations he effectively conveyed the slimy, half-human character. An adorable ensemble of younger children as hobbits and spiders was a fun touch as well, though the three trolls were my personal favorite- very true to the book with good “troll voices” and just as hilarious.  

The Hobbit, Wheelock Family Theater Boston
The set was appealing-- a multi-level mountain-like scene made up of rocks with surprise doors. The staging worked for most scenes except the forest scene, where I would like to have seen more greenery. The dragon Smaug in the final scenes was a highlight for most, and definitely not a disappointment-- a huge shimmery red creature with a booming voice. Along with some nice touches of fog and lightning flashes, and background music, the lighting and set were quite well done. 

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend seeing this production if you get the chance, though I think those who have read The Hobbit will better understand the story. Overall, kudos to the director and actors for an exemplary performance.

The Hobbit plays through November 24th 2013 at Wheelock Family Theater in Boston, MA. Tickets can be purchased through their website. 

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My Filmmaking Bible

10/18/2012

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Filmmaking For Teens, Troy Lanier, Clay Nichols
--By Audrey Larson

There is one filmmaking book that I can't live without. 

Filmmaking For Teens, by Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols, got me so excited and inspired that I called up Shay right away and told her, “You have to get this book!” 

Straight-forward, humorous, and practical -- this book will take you step-by-step through the making of your first short film. From brainstorming ideas, writing the script, auditioning actors, and making story-boards, to, scheduling your filming sessions, camera techniques, editing, and organizing a premiere for your finished film. Ever dream of making your own movie? This book will definitely inspire you to take action! 

Many filmmaking or screenwriting books I have read were really meant for adults. It’s hard to find good, practical, easy-to-understand books about filmmaking for kids or teens. When I chanced on this one, I knew I had discovered something amazing.  

I strongly recommend this book for kids ages 10 and up who are interested in making a film. If you want to make movies, this is the book to get. If you’re just interested in how movies are created you won't find it as helpful. 

This book has been my coveted manual since Shay and I started brainstorming ideas for our first project. Already getting a little dog-eared, this book will continue to stay in my hand every step of the way -- hopefully from my desk to the movie set and beyond! Stay tuned... 

What books or websites about filmmaking, screenwriting or movies do you like? I would love some new suggestions!




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