Festival Alert: DO OVER to screen at Aspen Shortsfest!

Just wanted to quickly announce that after Sun Valley Film Fest this March, DO OVER will makes its way to Aspen Shortfest in April. As its web site points out, Indiewire calls Aspen Shortsfest one of the "50 leading film festivals" in the world. It also happens to be an Oscar qualifying festival. Just sayin'...
Exact screening dates and time to come soon. For more info, visit: aspenfilm.org

Cinequest 22: Leisurely Saturday

The day in between our two screenings was fairly laid back and was not always spent centered around the film festival.

This morning we went to a breakfast and presentation put on by Panasonic. They showed off their newest camera, the HPX 250, which brings back the P2 workflow that's been fairly absent since the HVX 200. The difference between the 250 and the 200 is the 250's updated Intra-AVC codec which allows you to shoot 10 bit uncompressed onto P2 cards. The body is very much like a DVX or HVX, only just a wee bit larger and a wee bit heavier.

I was able to play around with one that was on display. My time with it was limited and I wasn't able to play with all the settings, but the camera does have the potential to replace the HVX for doc filmmakers and students. However, for narratives, unless you're shooting doc style, I don't know if you'd want to leave behind the interchangeable lenses of the AF-100 or the Canon 7D/5D for this particular camera. As always, depends on the nature of the project. Still, the images that were on display form this camera were very impressive and the colors were quite rich.

After breakfast, I, my fiance, and my producer Andrew Logan spent some time at the San Jose Museum of Art. While not a large museum, it was a lovely space and featured a Joan Brown exhibit. I had never seen here work prior to this visit, but I fell in love with her ever evolving and personal style. It was so striking and inspiring how much her work shifted gears over time. To be able to knock lock yourself in to a particular style is very freeing for any artist.

Also there was a fun piece of work that had magnetic costumes that any visitor could stick onto a row of political figures, including President Obama, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Arnold Schwarttzeneger. This was a fun piece to play around with for a few minutes and something you don't always get to see at an unplanned art museum visit: an art display you could actually touch and create new meaning with all on your own:

Unfortunately it's getting late, I'm running out of steam, and we have an early day with our second screening beginning at 1030 AM tomorrow. Next chance I jump on I'll try to talk about two movies that stood out to me that we saw today: the mockumentary from Canada about a children's puppet show called SUNFLOWER HOUR and an energetic, oddball, fun Fellini spoof of a short called ZOLTAN: GANGSTER OF LOVE. Until then...

Cinequest 22: San Jose, hospitality, and our first screening

Venue for "Do Over" at Cinequest 22

Over the years I have heard so many wonderful things about Cinequest as a festival, as an organization, as a place the fosters networking and puts all of its filmmakers - no matter whether they made a feature or short - feel like their on top of the world. This is my first trip to Cinequest and to the quirky little town of San Jose, CA and I feel like everything I've been told has been confirmed in just a matter of days.

We were greeted warmly at the hospitality desk at the Intel VIP Lounge. We filled out name tags that say "My neverending passion is..." and you fill in the rest with a sharpie (I wrote "spaghetti," both because I thought writing "movies" would be redundant and self-evident and... because I do really love spaghetti.) And when I contacted publicity about putting up posters at our venue at the last minute, they told me to call Dustin and he'd get us whatever we need (thanks so much Dustin!).

Cinequest greets in style

This gentleman to the right was greeting folks at our screening venue throughout the day. Any time I walk inside he'd direct me to one of the festivals patrons or long time supporters so I could tell them about DO OVER. He was jolly and caught everybody's eye. I wish he could be at every venue.

At VIP Soirees and after hours Meet Ups, Cinequest has volunteers or envoys who help connect people at those events. They have served as great facilitators for conversation and networking between filmmakers and festival programmers/organizers. For someone who can be a bit networking shy, this has been extremely helpful. Its a feature I wish every festival could employ. The volunteers here are very outgoing and energetic. They are made up of San Jose State students, aspiring free lance filmmakers, and longtime supporters of the festival.

In a way, Cinequest is like SXSW and Austin Film Festival are to Austin: Huge fests that attract an international audience but that are also supported and attended by the city their based in. I've met quite a few members of the San Jose film community. Everyone seems excited to talk about what you worked on and to tell you about films you should check out if you have time at the fest. I have no idea what the San Jose film infrastructure is like, but I get the sense that there is a loose community here of very passionate filmmakers and positive personalities.

On Friday night at 6:45 PM we had our Cinequest premiere as part of Shorts Program 7: Comedy Favorites. DO OVER played first and it seemed to play well. I wouldn't say it brought down the house as much as I'd have like, but the audience was warm and definitely in the movie's corner. A few big laughs with smaller laughs rolling throughout the film. When we hit the main title, we did audibly hear a "Bravo!" form the front row of the theater. Never heard that before at a screening of one of my movies! That felt good and was emblematic of how the San Jose audience will make you feel like your movie is the only one they came to see.

There were some technical difficulties toward the end of the screening. I feel really bad for the filmmakers of "Fuck Lance Armstrong" (great title - nothing against Lance - that's just a good title). Their movie froze midway through and there was just no getting it  back. Have no idea if it was a projection issue or a format issue. No matter what, you don't wish that upon anybody.

The technical malfunction threw the screening off quite a bit at the end. There was a point where, while festival staff was trying to fix the issue, they had us come up for a Q and A before the last film. The Q and A went fine but after the fest tried to run the last film and it didn't work, the Q and A did not continue. I don't think there was an opportunity for audience members to identify who all the filmmakers were and have a chance to continue the conversation out in the lobby. Hopefully, things will run more smoothly at the second screening.

I have to run, but to get one final subplot in: While hanging out at the Intel VIP Lounge, Elliott Gould - recipient of one of the fest's Mavericks Awards - entered and was being given a tour. The man was in MASH, LONG GOODBYE, CALIFORNIA SPLIT! It was so cool he was there and I got to shake his hand. But the real coup was made our producer, Andrew Logan:

Producer Andrew Logan with Elliott Gould

DO OVER gets a logo! Plus - it will show at the first ever Sun Valley Film Festival!

We unveiled a logo for my short film "Do Over" designed by Laura Killian on our official Facebook page this morning. It gives a movie about a character who lacks style and flair some much needed style and flair.

Also pleased to report our third festival appearance so far: "Do Over" will show at the 1st Inaugural Sun Valley Film Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho. I don't think I'll be able to make the trip this time out, but I hope we're put smiles on the faces of Idahoans everywhere.

Here's the Sun Valley Press Release.

A reminder: "Do Over" will be screening at the 22nd Annual Cinequest Film Festival this weekend - March 2nd and March 4th - as well as on March 10th. The "Do Over" team will be in full force at Defcon 1, blanketing the festival with posters, postcards and plenty of sunflower petals (well... maybe we won't have any petals. That does give me a promotional idea though...)

I'll be on a SXSW panel this year with Sandra Adair and Kyle Henry

SXSW picks its panels in an interesting way: It offers its audience a chance to submit ideas for panels online, full description and moderator options and all. Then the public vote on which panels they'd like to see at the festival.

This year, Kyle Henry - director of the anthology feature FOURPLAY, of which I edited three of the four segments - pitched an editing themed panel that aims to be of practical use to those who attend and participate. Many festivals have panels about editing that are very general and leave the forum open to talk about the entire process from any angle you want. These "general editing" panels are full of insightful wisdom and solid advice, but many times you can find yourself discussing editing too intellectually and amorphously or get bogged down in techno-babble. It's difficult to discuss and explore a craft that is as driven as much by your emotions as it is by your ability to push buttons without material in front of you for reference. I've been on a panel like that in the past where there were times I wish I could hand the microphone to Morpheus from The Matrix: "No one can be told what [editing] is. You have to see if for yourself."

The name of the panel that Kyle pitched this year is "In The Cut: Editing a Killer Feature Sample." By looking at actual samples on DVD in the room, we hope attendees will learn "what makes a sample hook viewers/funders and provide a clear, riveting example of your eventually completed work." By having samples we can actually refer to in the room, we'll be able to get very detailed and underline our discussion with something attendees will be able to see with their own eyes rather than trying to imagine what we're talking about. We'll still be able to touch on all the broader, big picture questions people have about the craft of editing, but at least we'll start with something concrete in our hands rather than asking, "Have you seen this movie I'm about to reference which I don't have a clip from?"

As much as I look forward to the content we'll be viewing and discussing, I'm also looking forward to being on a panel with two accomplished artists and masters of the craft. I have as much to learn from Kyle and Sandra as everyone else in the room will. Maybe I'll just keep my mouth shut and take notes from the best seat in the house.

"In The Cut: Editing a Killer Feature Sample"

Monday March 12th

5-6PM

Austin Convention Center - Room 13AB

DO OVER news: Cinequest 22, Official poster and Facebook page

Poster designed by Yen Tan

My short film DO OVER - which I directed, co-wrote with Taylor Allen, and is produced by Andrew Logan - will be screening at the 22nd Annual Cinequest Film Festival this year!

Cinequest is held in San Jose, CA. Our screening dates are March 2nd, 4th and 10th.

Shorts Program 7: Comedy Shorts

So that's two festivals so far for my first directorial effort since Test Day. (DO OVER has its first screening this Saturday, February 11th, at the 8th Dam Short Film Festival.)

Also launching this week: The official poster for DO OVER designed by Yen Tan. If you'd like to know more about Yen - who is just as lovely as he is talented - he is the cover story in this week's Austin Chronicle.










Finally, DO OVER's Facebook page has launched: Visit www.facebook.com/DoOverMovie and "Like" DO OVER to keep up with the latest updates, festival news, media, and future funny quips we have planned!

Michael Tully mentions FOURPLAY: TAMPA in his Sundance 2012 wrap up!

Michael Tully calls FOURPLAY: TAMPA "undeniably gleeful and sweet" and "the most out of control entry so far" in the FOURPLAY anthology. Read what else he says about TAMPA as well as other Austin, TX based filmmakers such as Kat Candler and David and Nathan Zellner.

Read Michael Tully's Sundance 2012 Wrap Up