It was a biz-ay summer! (Yes, that is the way talk, so shove it if ya’ll don’t like it – did I mention I’m from Ohio?) The summer was filled with chance little rainbows and unicorns, and as a Producer – that makes my job just a bit more magical. I am thrilled that a piece of this utterly enchanting summer was being a part of the team for FiLMLaB. With all this pixie dust still lingering in the air, I think a well organized list may be just the ticket to sharing my summer packed with Tinkerbellish tidbits.

Glitter, Sparkles, and Other Such Highlights from the Summer of 2014

1. Unwelcome Guests was not so unwelcome! Working with Ruth, Jenny, Stefan, Alina and Jon was truly an unexpected highlight. There is something energizing when passion meets talent, and the team for FiLMLaB certainly had that synergistic spirit. Ruth Witteried (can I say Producer extraordinaire?), Martin Vavra (Director), and I were able to wrangle in a fabulous production roster including Jason Ball (Production Designer), Phil Anderson (Director of Photography), Paige McKenzie (Star of the Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network), and many, many more. After just wrapping production on DOTT (Department of Time Travel), Martin and I were jumping for joy at the chance to continue working together on FiLMLaB. If you didn’t get to see the final product, Jon Dragt’s witty little film – check it out on YouTube. Then, start writing your short film to enter into next year’s FiLMLaB screenwriting competition.

2. Willamette Writers are winners. We had a fabulous time sharing Unwelcome Guests at the Willamette Writer’s Conference and participating in what I consider one of the most successful Q&A’s I’ve ever experienced as a filmmaker. Not only did we get to share the film at the conference; but I got the chance to meet and network with some amazing writers. Little known fact; producing indy films doesn’t bring in the big bucks. Writing doesn’t either. But, together, I’ve made my income by managing a slew of blogs and social media accounts for businesses big and small, copywriting for books, ebooks, presentations, and more in addition to producing film projects. Yep, one of my passions is continue travel writing, and I even got to sit in on a session with editor Kim Cooper Findling from Central Oregon Magazine about how to do more of it. For me, the Willamette Writer’s Conference was a win, win, win!
3. Portland Film Festival shares the magic with the masses. We’d found out earlier in the summer that another short film I Co-Produced this spring, Gage, was going to have one of its’ first screenings at the Portland Film Festival. Our director, Keith Kopp, was even flying over from London (where he lives) for the event. We were then delighted to find out that Portland Film Festival was also going to screen Unwelcome Guests, low and behold, in the same screening! A little bit of magic for me was having the powerhouse team that filmed Gage collide with the passion-filled team that made Unwelcome Guests. #producer #rainbows #unicorns
4. Gage meets Harry Potter. Errr – goes to Oxford. While there won’t be any flying involved, this is truly spectacular! Gage is screening this week (October 9th) at Oxford University. Although I am sad not to be there, I know my two partners in unicorn hunting, Keith Kopp and Mike Marchlewski will be there make some magic happen. A big part of the project is the ties the story of Phineas Gage has to neuroscience and traumatic brain injury. On Thursday, Keith, Mike, and I (in spirit) will share the stage with some of the top neuroscientists in the U.K., discussing the story of Phineas Gage and how it changed the world of medicine. From here, we hope to find funding to use the film’s footage to expand the piece into an hour long docu-drama about neuroscience and traumatic brain injury. The newest member of our team, a spectacular 3D modeler, is even mocking up a complete 3D composite of Phineas’ head to be inserted into the docu-drama. I can’t wait to see what happens with this project!

 

 

Okay, so that was only four rainbows and unicorns, but there is still more magic in the works. But now, the likely last weekend of beautiful Portland weather is behind us and fall beckons. Look for fall updates in my next post coming November 17th. A hint? Check out Mad House.