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Tuesday
Jul232013

Playmaker to Shoot Movie Near Gladstone, MB 

Playmaker Motion Pictures is pleased to announce their latest production, Mockingbird will be filmed August 9-11th in the vicinity of Gladstone, MB. Mockingbird is a psychological horror short film concept to be pitched as a feature film.

”We are thrilled to film in such a scenic part of Manitoba,” says Warren Nightingale, director of the film. “The moment we had a tour of some potential locations, I knew this was going to be the place for us.” Tanis Clayton, who is assisting with the production, connected Nightingale to Rita Geisel. Geisel and Clayton presented some possibilities, to which he immediately decided it was the perfect location for Mockingbird.  

About Mockingbird

Mockingbird is a story about Catherine, an elderly woman who has found life difficult since her husband passed away. She misses her George, but she occupies her time by taking care of the house they shared for over 40 years. Catherine's daughter, Sarah, wishes that her mom would move to the city. Catherine is not ready to leave her home just yet, especially now that George is talking to her. Can that really be him or is it her imagination...or is something else calling her to the forest. 

Neale Bastianns wrote the script following a conversation with Nightingale. After the two discussed the impact sound can make to create mood and tension in the horror genre, they challenged each other to take it one step further by focusing on the subjective sound of the main character—a voice of a deceased loved one, calling her to danger. “I see the film as an allegory for dementia,” says Nightingale, “how can you trust your ‘senses’ when they don’t make ‘sense’.”

Also on Nightingale’s production teams is long-time collaborator Brian Tesiay and Mick Paulusma. Nightingale helped to produce Paulusma’s feature film, Clear Lake (2012), starring Roddy Piper.

 Visit the Mockingbird campaign for more information on the short film. 

 

Sunday
May262013

Free HDSLR Video Workshop in Winnipeg

On Tuesday May 28th, Raymond Friesen of Handcraft Creative will be presenting a free workshop on DSLR Filmmaking. I am looking forward to the presentation, as we are planning to shoot Mockingbird with the Canon 5D Mark II. The night is sponsored by New Media Manitoba (NMM) – a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion and support of economic opportunities for new media companies and artists. NMM is an awesome group to belong to, as they are strong advocates for new media, and provide lots of opportunities, training and support.

Here is a link to the NMM Web site to learn more about the HDSLR Workshop.

Sunday
Jan272013

Fun App for Filmmakers of All Ages - NFB PixStop

NFB PixStop
By National Film Board of Canada

The NFB PixStop app for the iPad2 is a very easy way for filmmaker or film students to shoot, score and create their own stop-motion short film. In just a few quick clicks within the apps’ simple interface, users can snap up to 10,000 images per film. Audio or music can be added from the iTunes library. Users can place simple titles and add the film to the iPad’s camera roll, where they can share their creation either by email or upload to YouTube. Within minutes of downloading this app, I was able to create a very brief animation with music. By propping up the iPad, I essentially had a stop-motion camera on a tripod. I made a quick animation of an iPad charger moving through the frame without any kind of camera shake–very nice.

The animation creation software can be used in schools for students to tell simple stories in English class, create original works in Art class or explore the world of stop-motion in a Tech class. The app comes with three tutorials created by the National Film Board—[1] Three Principals of Animation; [2] Creating a Flipbook; and [3]Storyboard Your Idea. The tutorials are very basic and detailed for the novice user. NFB PixStop is a free app and a great addition for any media arts teacher interested in exploring digital creation with his or her students.

 

Quick Notes  —  Name: NFB PixStop     Version: 1.0.3     Cost: Free     Device: iPad 2     Level: Grades 5-12     Subject: English, Art, Tech, and more