Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Oh the glory of the festival!

SInce last year i personally have been much more involved within the student filmmaking scene. So when The Cucalorus Film Festival came back around i got really stoked on a lot of the screenings and started to plan my day around what films i wanted to see.........however i didn't do a great job of planing the films around my already established work and school schedule. Which ended up being one of the determining factors of which films i could and couldn't however through my busy schedule i did end up seeing one feature that being "FIlm Class". The experience overall was interesting it was my first time ever screening at Jengo's playhouse. I really liked the intimate feel of a small theatre, a far cry from giant theaters such as Thalian Hall. The film i thought was a bit much with all the jarring hand held camera which did a better job of taking focus away from the film then providing any of the positive "side effects" of good hand held. Film Class was definitely one of those films that i wouldn't be interested in seeing again.
And during my busy schedule i also got a chance to see the "Ground Round Shorts". This series of short films was also screened at Jengo's Playhouse, which included "B for Beekeeper", "Dear Lemon Lima", "The Golf War", "For all the Marbles" and "The Truth about Tooth". All of films pertained to children, which was interesting to see since there were so many children in the audience. With the presence of children in the audience especially in Jengo's Playhouse (small venue). Being in the room with children and hearing them laugh about seemingly nothing made me laugh and kinda changed the tone of a few pieces, looking back if i would have seen that alone in the living room of my apartment it would been a completely different experience......i don't why that's so much fun?
Of all the short films i liked "Golf War" the best. This film was about the misunderstanding of a young boy when his father goes off to the Gulf War. The ending is what got me, when the filmmaker played himself going to "play" war in Iraq just like his father.

The film was followed by some Q and A where the filmmaker spoke about the pros and cons of working with and being around children on and off set.

"

The Carolina Fim and Video Festival AKA: CFVF

Hellooo,
boys and girls, student and professional filmmakers alike and if your from or in North Carolina here's the film festival for you! The Carolina Film and Video Festival or the CFVF is a Film festival based out of Greensboro North Carolina, specifically the University of North Carolina in Greensboro or UNCG. This film festival invites both student and independent filmmakers to submit their films or video works. They accept any length of film. Once submitted and screened if your film is accepted then it is divided into the following categories: NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTARY, EXPERIMENTAL/ANIMATION, NORTH CAROLINA AND HIGH SCHOOL. The accepted films are then categorized by genre and skill level. Films or videos must be completed no more than 18 months prior to the November 15 deadline. North Carolina and student filmmakers enjoy reduced entry fees. The Festival deadlines for 2008 run from September 15th through November 15th 2007.

The film festival's humble beginnings, started back in 1978. When the Carolina film and video festival began it was only a one day film festival. Through the 28 years (this year being the 29th year) of the CFVF's existence, each year it continues to grow and expand. The festival now a four day festival (February 22nd-25th) has attracted big names such as Josh Hartnett and Selma Blair which at the time they where in the early stages of their career, and since have gone on to work in the silver screens of Hollywood.

The Festival screens the top fifty films out of about 400 submitted films, ranging from three seconds to two hours in length. Each day of the festival the schedule consists of workshops and lectures by featured filmmakers followed by screenings of the films later that day. Though the festival accepts all film genre, in the past years most selections of films shown were most independent narratives, with student and independent Documentary as well as animation film and screenings filling the cracks in the schedule.

The entry cost of early films for independent films is $30,
for North Carolina Independent films $20,
Student (college/university) $20,
High School $5.
The standard entry fee for independent $40,
for North Carolina Independent fee $30,
Student (college/university) fee: $30,
and high school $10.

Awards
This is an example of awards given to filmmakers:
2007 Categories and Awards

Documentary Award (independent and student categories)
$250 honoring the best documentary film of any length.

Narrative Award (independent and student categories)
$250 honoring the best narrative film of any length. 

Experimental/Animation Award (independent and student categories)
$250 honoring the best experimental or animated film of any length. 

Bill Arnold North Carolina Film Award
$250 honoring the best film (of any genre) made by a North Carolinian. This
award plus travel expenses for the North Carolina Filmmakers attending the
festival is donated by Sam Froelich in honor of Bill Arnold who served as Director of the NC Film Office for 26 years.

Jacob H. Froelich Jr. Screenwriting Award
$250 honoring the best screenplay. This award plus travel expenses for the
screenwriting winner is donated by Sam Froelich in remembrance of his father Jacob H. Froelich Jr. An addtional portion this award is also donated by the Department of Broadcasting and Cinema?s Dr. Emily Edwards.

Alberta Ahler Filmmaker Award 
$250 honoring the best film (of any genre) made by a high school student. This award is donated by the Department of Broadcasting and Cinema's Dr. John Lee Jellicorse.

UNCG DownHome Entertainment Undergraduate and Graduate Student Awards
$125 honoring the best film made while enrolled as a student at UNCG
(undergraduate and graduate categories). This award is dontated by Sam
Froelich. An additional portion this award is also donated by the Department of Broadcasting and Cinema?s Dr. Emily Edwards.

Kodak Award for Cinematography
$500 worth of Kodak film stock honoring outstanding achievement in
cinematography. This award is donated by Kodak.

CineFilm Award for Direction
$500 worth of film processing services honoring outstanding achievement in
direction. This award is donated by CineFilm.

Submitted films that are accepted will be announced February 1st, 2008.
To contact the Carolina film and Video festival can be done by phone, e-mail, mail, or through withoutabox.

Staff:
Faculty Director/ Advisor, Dr. Kimberlianne Podlas
Graduate Student Director, Nicole Triche

Phone:
336 334-4197/ 4196

Email:
cfvf@uncg.edu

Mail:
Dept of Broadcasting & Cinema,
306 McIver UNCG,
Greensboro NC 27403

www.withoutabox/login/1075

Rules:
I (the entrant) have read and agree to all CFVF rules and procedures. I warrant that I am the owner of the submission; have not infringed upon or violated any copyright, privacy rights, or publicity or similar rights; have obtained all rights, licenses, or necessary permissions thereto; will indemnify CFVF against any claims related to this submission; will hold CFVF harmless for any damages, costs, liabilities, and expenses related to the submission, screening, and use of this entry; limit and liquidate all claims to no more than the cost of the entry fee; and expressly grant CFVF permission to use, broadcast, or publicly display the submission (or its film or sound components) for publicity, teaching, and other related festival purposes.
The basic rules are similar if not the same as many other festivals the only catches to the film is that they must involve or have some kind of connection with the state of North Carolina whether it be through a filmmaker, a subject, or a setting.

Dees be da shots we's need

List of Shots needed for the Tony Silvagni project


Interview with Sweet Water
Interview with Andrew Silvagni (older Brother)
Interview with Kelley Richards (surf board shaper)
Interview with Mother one on one (not necessary but would be nice)

Archive footage (photos, Videos, Articles) of Tony’s various winnings

Outline for the Silvagni Project

I. Beginning
a. Tony gets out of bed. Camera follows his morning routine. Tony packs up his car for a competition. V.O. Tony explains the competition he’s going to.
b. Tony has breakfast at the restaurant he eats at every morning. They discuss Tony and what a great guy he is.
c. V.O. Tony explains who he is while visually he arrives at competition.
d. Montage of the competition, ending with the announcement that he’s won.
e. V.O. Tony explains what surfing means to him
II. Middle
a. Interview: Tony and his mother. They explain what Tony’s surfing has meant to the family, they explain his brother, Andrew’s, condition. B- Roll, photos and footage of Tony’s various winnings and hanging out with his brother.
b. Interview: Kelley (Tony’s board shaper). Kelley explains Tony’s style of surfing, he’s reliance on a blend of classic and new age techniques. He also explains he’s enormous heart. B-Roll- Surf footage of Tony to support the explainations of his style as well as footage of Tony going through he’s boards.
c. Interview: Sweet Water Surf Shop. This interview explains what attracted one of Tony’s biggest sponsors to him. They Explain his raw talent and his determination to always out perform himself. B- Roll. Tony practices on several different training devices and works out.
d. Interview: Tony and his mother. They discuss Tony and Andrew’s formation of the Andrew Silvani Surf Fund Raiser. Its re iterated that Tony paid for all of his brother’s treatments.
e. Vox Pops- Sequence of Vox pops with various surfers
i. Two of his biggest competators. At a compettion they explain jokingly how they’d wish he’d quit so they had a chance to win.
ii. The man who started the competion explains Tony and what he means to the local community.
iii. Weston, a ten year old pro surfer, explains what Tony means to him.
iv. Tony and Weston talk about Weston’s near win over Tony in the competition laughing about it.
f. Interview: Andrew Silvani. Andrew discusses what Tony and his relationship is and what surfing has meant to his family.
III. End
a. V. O. Tony discusses where he wants to go from here. He explains how blessed he is. Visually, we see him going out to surf at either sunrise or sunset, silhouetted he runs towards the water. Fade to Black.

Monday, November 5, 2007

climbing out of a hole

After the last set of dailies i was beginning to get discouraged, I started to question my self and the film that i was making. I expected to be ahead of the game, because i shot over 5 tapes of footage mostly of Tony surfing and of his contest, even though it was not the most ideal footage (interviews) it was still footage and many man hours spent on the beach with a camera. But after the last set of dailies it really put things into perspective for me just how much my film lacked and how i still had a long long way to go before i could even come close to calling my surf film (which i didn't really want) a portrait documentary of a professional surfer. On the bright side of things, this weekend i shot my ass off and i really feel like i did a good job of making up for lost time. I got several interviews with Tony and his mother, other surfers who compete against tony on the professional level, as well as a shop owner who sponsor the local the surf contest this past weekend. I also got a lot of extra footage inside Tony's house of his dozens and dozens of trophy's that he's won over the years of competitive surfing as well as his plethora of boards he has acquired through the years. Im beginning to actually see the film now! I have some more interviews this weekend with shapers and sponsors that could beneficial to this project.......im pleased!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Treatment Time

Matt Evans
FST 495: Doc
Shannon Silva

“The Real Silver Surfer”
This film is about two brothers Tony and Andrew Silvani, Tony the younger of two brothers an up and coming competitive surfer on the east coast with several sponsors. Andrew older of the two brothers and once competitive surfer, until his surfing carrier was disrupted when Andrew with bitten by a tick infecting him with lyme dieses. The film will revolve around two things surfing and the brother’s relationship, which as it stands right now is on the rocks. As it seems to me egos and pride are all that stands in the way.
The five people that I feel are a necessity to interview that could bring cohesiveness, and clarity to the film are Andrew, Tony, their mother, a mutual friend (most likely their sister), and Andrew’s doctor. One of the hardest yet most appealing aspects about shooting a short documentary is choosing only the material that will directly have an effect on the films outcome and hopefully through these interviews needed material will evolve.
One of the most significant decisions my crew and I have to make is the choice dealing with the shot style. The shot style I think overwhelmingly shine through as a surfing documentary (if it walks like duck and acts like a duck….), but what will separate this “surf flick” from the rest is the story within the documentary of human struggle and interaction between two brothers. As of right now the majority of the film will be shot with digital mini DV cameras (using cannon XL1, XL2, and Sony handycams.) However as the film progresses we are also planning to shoot certain settings with a super 8mm, by intertwining the same shot with similar angles between the two film stocks the outcome could really be interesting visually. I want the film to be as entertaining and involving to the viewers visually as it emotionally.
The majority of the locations of the film will be at the beach for obvious reasons, however it will not be the only location. Other locations will include but be restricted to the doctor’s offices with Andrew (this location is extremely important), which could then be juxtaposed to Tony’s surf competitions. Besides the beach and the doctor’s offices other locations will most likely include the Andrew and Tony’s house, but like I stated before these are the not the only possibilities for shooting material/interviews.
The most frequently used style of interviewing we are choosing to apply is “on the move” though we are arranging for more formal “sit down” interviews we feel like
“on the move” interviews will flow better with the overall tone of the piece making it possible for the two brothers to interact with each other, in addition to their surroundings more naturally careful not to put so much emphasis on the camera.
Originally we felt the message of the piece would be about overcoming struggles and perseverance however after talking with Tony about the present relationship with his older brother, and the lack of communicating with Andrew I have this itching feeling that the films message could be about change. But what do I know I’m just a cameraman. As much as want to control the film and create this perfect outcome of brotherhood I have to be true to documentary form and allow the story to develop its self. So what started as this hope of creating a film about struggle and perseverance the same film might just end up depicting struggle and changes that those struggles create.

http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=3&hid=9&sid=72d68f52-c10b-4c3d-b2cc-24a36834cf40%40sessionmgr8



Tick Born Ecepalopathies



The title is a mouthful but it’s a really nice article. Its really scientific and I understood about half of it. The important thing to glean from this article is the cause, symptoms, and treatments for Lyme disease. Very important stuff for our project.





http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=6&hid=4&sid=2139ca21-a261-4656-abe1-fcfa84335ce8%40sessionmgr9



Duration of Anti biotic Thearopy on Lyme Disease



This article explains the reasons better than the previous one for long term treatment. It also explains some of the side effects (except the silver skin) that Andrew is going through from the drugs.



http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=9&hid=4&sid=2139ca21-a261-4656-abe1-fcfa84335ce8%40sessionmgr9



Lyme Disease Spurs Dispute over Treatment



This article is very short but explains how much different forms of treatement are for the disease. That was an aspect I didn’t think of and the article made me realize that to fight this disease at your best is expensive, this may be another reason for the drugs that turn him Silver.



http://0-web.ebscohost.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=3&sid=6e219c0b-5fbe-4308-b000-70ffacc2cce1%40SRCSM1



An Exploratory Investigation of Jealousy in Families



This article is actually a good read even if you aren’t doing a project. An aspect of the project we thought we might have to deal with and is now a serious issue is the jealousy and ego between the two brothers. This article adequately explains what the emotions are in these trying times between them. This article will definitely help.



http://nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/silver/index.htm#a



Collodial Silver



This is an entire article on the product I believe Andrew is using. It causes the skin reaction and is known to be an herbal remedy for Lyme disease. It’s a scary drug and in doing research I would be weary of taking it, which means our subjects situation must be pretty rough.

easier than it looks

Hello Boys and Girls,
Hope everyones documentaries are going well! But if you like me then you will or are quickly learning it's not quite as painless as you first thought and things don't always go as planned, but this is what documentary film making is all about. What do you do when your film about brotherhood and surfing just turns into a film about a brother. Time after time i have tried to contact one of the brothers and they are either always busy or just have no interest in making this documentary, which would be just fine with me if it wasn't about that person. And then when do you pass that line between letting that person know you have interest in the film and pestering that person. All i can do is try right now try, but the fact that the two brother aren't talking right now isn't making anything any easier on me. And to be honest i'm not as concerned about my grade as much as i am about producing a good, a really good documentary that actually means something to the viewer. However on the brightside i already have a lot of good footage and i'm shooting a surf contest this weekend so thats "money in the bank." It's still pretty early into the project and I'm convinced that things can change for the better by the time all this is over. Either-way it will all be on film so I'm good!