| Next MCA Meeting... |
November 7
AT&T SLIFF Sneak Peek
Centene Center
6:30 pm |
| 2007
Board of Directors |
PRESIDENT
Yvonne Niemann
myniemann@sbcglobal.net
PAST PRESIDENT
Lou Stemmler
LouStem@silver-streak.com
TREASURER
Jim Trevor
JTrevor@ameren.com
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Tom Barry
Tom_Barry@ssmhc.com
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| In Sync! Editor |
| Please submit all articles, Production Notes, and Members in the Spotlight paragraphs by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month's issue. Text should be embedded in the body of your email and pictures should be emailed as J-peg attachments.
See you in the next issue!
Emilie Barta
Newsletter Editor
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| 2007 St. Louis MCA
Calendar of Events |
November 7
SLIFF Preview
6:30 pm at Centene Center
December 13
Holiday Party
Llewylens in Webster Groves
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Greetings!
The year is winding down, which means that many of us are thinking of next year's ventures and getting ready to write/rewrite our business plans. It's a great time to think about what we did during the year and decide what we want to do to improve our business practices in the future. Everywhere I've worked, we've had to write up some sort of business plan and I found it to be helpful to keep on track throughout the year. I always thought of it as a working document that could always change as the need warranted. Business plans shouldn't be long, but much thought should be taken to complete one. Some key elements that you should include are: business statement/concept, financial features/requirements, current position, major achievements, goals and how you plan on reaching those goals. Everyone's plan will be different because it should be tailored to the individual, but it really does help you succeed throughout the year while helping you build a plan of action that you can revisit as the year goes by. It takes time, but it's well worth it as it will become your blueprint and direct you towards achieving your overall professional goals.
Yvonne Niemann President; MCA-I, St. Louis Chapter |
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AT&T St. Louis International Film Festival Sneak Peek at the Next MCA Meeting  by: Mike Ketcher
It's become our annual tradition to partner with the AT&T St. Louis International Film Festival for a sneak preview -- and it's become one of our most popular meetings. We'll be screening previews and excerpts from some of the films -- and have a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers ... and it's all FREE! There will even be FREE food!
The SLIFF brings in films and filmmakers from around-the-world. This year, they've got an amazing line-up of features, shorts, documentaries, panel discussions, special events, and parties. Take a look at everyone we have speaking:
Jeff Most is the producer of "The Crow," a cult film classic starring Brandon Lee, as well as the four sequels to "The Crow," He also produced, "The Specialist" and several other films. In the last year or so, Jeff has taken a liking to St. Louis. He was one of the producers of "Ghost Image," a locally-made feature screening at the festival, and produced "Kingshighway," which was shot here earlier this year. He's currently in St. Louis working on pre-production for an Edgar Allen Poe film, "Ligeia."
Jay Kelley has been a director or cinematographer on many features and short films in the St. Louis area, including "Tapestry of Shadows," "A Gathering,"
Lazy Left Leg," and "Queen Down." His short comedy, "Raising the Bar," a hit at last July's St. Louis Filmmaker's Showcase, will be in this year's film festival. Jay is also the first St. Louis owner of the "Red Camera," perhaps the hottest new product for indie filmmakers. He'll tell us a little bit about the new camera and how it will change indie filmmaking.
Jack Snyder, director of "Ghost Image." Jack will give the latest updates on the recent screening at the American Film Market in LA and other news about the film, as well as his reflections on directing it. The film, one of biggest-budget home-grown films produced in St. Louis (the writers, director, and all the producers but one were current local residents), won several awards at the recent St. Louis Filmmaker's Showcase last July.
Bill Streeter produces LO-FI ST. LOUIS, a twice-weekly Internet show that features live music and the interesting things about living in St. Louis. Bill is an expert at ferreting out some of the quirky, offbeat, and fascinating characters in St. Louis -- and as a result, his video log (vlog) has developed a large following, including an international audience. The focus of the site is "music, art, culture, and other forms of weird or unusual entertainment." Recent shows have included the Alley Cat Revue, a burlesque troupe performing at Rue 13 on Washington, Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, and The Show-Me Blowout, a two-day, all-Missouri garage rock festival.
Roy Zurick, one of St. Louis' leading film experts. Roy has taught hundreds of film students at Webster University and other area schools. He's one of the area's biggest proponents of video art, and his short art films screen regularly at the St. Louis International Film Festival. During the festival, Roy will be hosting a Q&A session with famed filmmaker Peter Greenaway, a director of some 60 films, who will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement award at the festival. Roy has put together a collage of Mr. Greenaway's water films, which he'll screen at the Festival. At the meeting, he'll give us some insight into Greenaway's films and talk about video art in St. Louis.
Last year, our Film Festival Sneak Preview was one of our most popular meetings, and -- let me say it again, it's FREE -- and open to the public. We'll also have some FREE snacks and refreshments. Just as last year, we'll be meeting at the Centene Center for Arts and Education, an architectural gem and St. Louis's one-of-a-kind arts incubator, which is at 3547 Olive, just east of Grand.
Parking is available on Olive -- just remember to put a quarter in the meter (meters operate until 7:00). There is a show at the Fox that night, but if you come before 7:00, there will be plenty of parking on the Street near the Centene Center.
When:
Wednesday, November 7
Networking begins at 6:30 p.m. and meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
Where:
Centene Center for Arts and Education, 3547 Olive in Grand Center
Cost: FREE for everyone!
Directions:
Highway 40/64 or 44 to Grand. North on Grand to Lindell. Turn right and go one block to where Olive merges into Lindell. Turn Left (it's almost a U-turn) and drive up Olive one block to the Centene Center.
Cost:
FREE to everyone!! |
October Meeting in Review
by Mike Ketcher
The October MCA meeting covered all the bases in using music in your films and videos. We heard from three experts - Stephanie Joyce, Business Development Manager for SmartSound, a provider of the Sonicfire Pro 4 customizable music library; Tom Kavanaugh, a composer and the head of Triune Communications; and Bill Boll, a filmmaker, composer, and attorney.
Stephanie was up first. She gave us a hands-on demo of the software, highlighting some of its more popular features. The Sonicfire Pro 4 has gotten rave reviews from industry trade publications for its inexpensive, easy-to-use, and enormously flexible music software.
Perhaps it should be called "Film Scoring for Dummies," because the software allows anyone - even those with a minimal background in music -- to custom-fit the music for their productions. You can choose a piece from Sonicpro's large music library which fits the mood of a particular scene. With a few mouse clicks, you can change the timeline of a piece, so that it matches the length of your scene (but without harming the dynamics of it). You can adjust instrument levels - remove the horns, punch up the strings - to change the emotional impact of the musical selection.
This software does so much so easily that you may never need a music editor or composer -- right?
Not necessarily, said Tom Kavanaugh, who is president of Triune Communications, a graphic design and web development firm that also provides original music for productions. While Tom acknowledged the usefulness of the new software, he did point out that there are several reasons you may want to use a composer, anyway.
Some people may want something that's customized specifically for them. For example, you may want to develop a sonic logo or musical theme that fits your company or project. You may want something that's more original than a music library can provide. You may not have the time or desire to search through a music library or to work with a music software, like Sonicpro. And even though Sonicpro's software can be used by non-music professionals, you may just want to hire a composer or music editor to provide added expertise and expand your choices. Some people, he said, "may not have the ear for music," to feel comfortable using the music library approach.
Bill Boll, the third speaker, brought a different level of expertise to the discussion - not only is he and independent filmmaker and composer, he also has a law degree. Bill said that indie filmmakers can save a lot of time by hiring an experienced music supervisor. "A good one will know all kinds of music," he said. He also spoke about getting existing music from either the pubic domain (music which is no longer under copyright), or to obtain music rights from existing artists. Sometimes it takes a little work and resourcefulness to get the rights to a particular song, but it can be worth the effort. You can often get a good rate if you license a song for film festivals only - and then let the distributor take care of negotiating for rights after that. He advised getting festival rights "for the longest term possible," because it might take you two or three years to get a distribution deal. |
| September Meeting in Review
by Jim Trevor
Again this year the editing perspectives meeting did not disappoint. The concept is simple, give different editors the same vague assignment and compare and contrast the results. This year the assignment was create a 30-second PSA for Stray Rescue of St. Louis, a non-profit organization that operates a no-kill shelter for stray dogs. Stray Rescue's founder routinely roams city streets at night looking for dogs in need of home. But the editors who volunteered for this assignment didn't get any gripping footage of someone coaxing a malnourished mutt to safety. Instead all they got was footage of happy dogs enjoying an ice cream social, one of Stray Rescue's fund raisers. It was an assignment that made even those of us who organized it cringe.
This year Tom Rodgers of KMOV and Vince Ratchford of Edward Jones supplied completed PSAs. Two other editors apparently found the task too daunting to even submit a completed spot.
Interestingly, both Tom and Vince decided against using any of the supplied footage and instead used stills and graphics to tell the story. Each of the PSAs was unique, entertaining and quite interesting. It showed us once again why this meeting is always among the most popular. Well done and thanks to the two editors this year Tom Rodgers and Vince Ratchford. | |
Members in the Spotlight
Mike Ketcher reports that "Song of the Dead," the zombie-musical feature film he's in, will have its DVD and album release party and screening this month. Mike, who played a major supporting role in the film, describes it as "a hilarious musical comedy with some great songs," and a "biting antiwar satire that skewers the war on terrorism, the political establishment, and the mainstream media." The film was shot in Columbia, MO and Kansas City. "Song of the Dead" has won awards internationally, including Best Feature at Kansas City's Comedy Arts Festival, Best Musical at the Estepona Horror and Fantasy Film Festival in Spain, and a Special Jury Award: Most Original Idea at the Rojo Sangre Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It also won the Audience Choice award at Rojo Sangre, where it beat out the 2006 Academy-award-winning film, "Pan's Labyrinth." The release party and screening will be at Columbia's premier indie film venue, the Ragtag Cinemacafe', on Saturday, November 17, at 10:45 PM. The theatre is located in downtown Columbia at 23 N. 10th Street. The DVD and album (which features several songs cut from the film) are available for purchase online at www.songofthedead.com |
| LIMELIGHT STUDIO ANNOUNCES NEW WORKSHOPS FOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
St. Charles, MO-The St. Louis area's go-to photography studio for actors, entertainers, and models has announced its workshop schedule for November and December 2007. On the schedule is ACTING UP, a creative approach to acting for kids ages 8-13; MODEL GIRLZ, for preteen girls who want to have a fun modeling experience that emphasizes self-esteem and confidence-building, given by former America's Next Top Model contestant Kristi Gunther; and ON CUE, a primer for anyone who wants to be an on-camera talent.
All workshops are open to the general public and are held at Limelight Studio in St. Charles. Workshop details below are also available online at www.limelightstudio.us.
ON CUE
Know Your CQ (camera quotient)!
Thursday November 8th 7:00 - 9:00pm
How much do you know about what goes on in front of and behind the camera? On Cue is a must primer for anyone pursuing professional on-camera work: you'll learn how to prepare for a shoot, the mechanics of the shoot itself, what your rights are concerning your image usage and protection, and how you can make the best possible impression to ensure you gain a solid reputation as a true professional. This is must-have knowledge for actors, models, and spokespersons who work on camera.
Sessions open to all ages, but persons under 16 should be accompanied by 1 parent (no extra charge for parent).
Instructors: Lance Tilford and Tamara Tungate
2-hour Sessions, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Fee $50
For: All Ages (under 16 should be accompanied by 1 parent, no additional charge) who want to pursue on-camera work of any variety
ACTING UP
Creative Approaches for Young Actors
Saturday Nov 10th, Nov 17th, December 1st, Dec 8th, 9am - 12pm
All great acting--whether stage, film, television, or video--starts with building character. In Acting Up, actress/model Kristi Gunther will help kids channel their imagination to create believable characters and develop dynamic acting skills for any medium. Using popular films that kids know and love and a variety of improvisation, communication games, scene study and teamwork, she'll help both novice and experienced young actors find the best ways to spark their natural acting talents.
Instructor: Kristi Gunther
4-week course, Saturdays 9am -12pm starting November 10th (with a holiday break)
Fee $150
For: Kids ages 8 - 13 who want to explore acting for fun or professionally
MODEL GIRLZ
Exploring the Model Experience
Saturday December 1st 1:00pm - 5:00pm
At younger and younger ages, girls idolize "America's Next Top Model," supermodels, popular actresses, and beauty queens. But what is it really like to model? Why do we idolize models? What types of modeling are there? What's real and what's hype and how can girls at this impressionable age navigate the quest for true beauty? America's Next Top Model former contestant Kristi Gunther and former Miss Missouri and professional model/actress Tamara Tungate offer this fun crash course in developing healthy image and self-esteem for the camera. This one-day workshop will explore these questions and let girls develop natural skills for on-camera modeling in fashion, lifestyle, runway, and more. The workshop ends with fun makeovers and photo sessions with professional makeup artists and photographers.
Instructors: Tamara Tungate & Kristi Gunther
4-hour Workshop, 1:00pm - 5:00pm Saturday December 1st
Fee $100
For: Girls ages 8-13 who want to learn about modeling
Limelight Studio is located at 501 N. Kingshighway in St. Charles, 3 blocks north of Lindenwood University. The studio is open by appointment only. To book a photo session or makeup consultation, or to inquire about Limelight Sessions workshops, call Limelight at 636-925-1662 or go online to www.limelightstudio.us.
Promotional images and additional quote sources available upon request. |
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