WEST VIRGINIA FILM OFFICE

West Virginia Film Office

Email Blast

February 4, 2004

CONTENTS

A. Acknowledgements

B. West Virginia Film Office Updates & News

C. West Virginia Indigenous Production Activity

D. Websites of Interest and Other Useful Resources

E. Educational & Seminar/Workshop Opportunities

F. Articles of Interest

G. Film Festivals and/or Script Submissions

H. Calendar of Events

I. Contact Info, Disclaimer, Subscribe/Unsubscribe

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A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

1. The Film Office congratulates Morgan Spurlock, a native of Beckley currently residing in Manhattan, on receiving a high distinction at the recent Sundance Film Festival. Morgan's documentary Super Size Me brought him the Best Director Award in the documentary category, which helped catapult the documentary -- and him -- to national and international recognition. I spoke with Morgan recently and congratulated him on his success. He advised that A&E has picked up television rights (likely to air in November); that he's working with a French company for European distribution; and that the film has been invited to the prestigious South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin in March, U.S. Comedy Arts Film Festival in Aspen in March, and the San Francisco International Film Festival. My office is working as a liaison to ensure that the film receives a West Virginia screening. Kudos to Morgan and his production team! The film's official -- and entertaining -- website is www.supersizeme.com.

2. JD Productions (Jim Damron's audio production studio) has added Kathy Garver to his talent roster of voice-over artists. Kathy is best known for her co-starring role as Cissy on the CBS prime-time TV hit "Family Affair." She will be available to sell clients' products or services from her studio in California via an ISDN line, which provides a broadcast quality studio-to-studio link using sophisticated digital interface equipment. For more information, contact Jim Damron at jdprods26@cs.com.

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B. WEST VIRGINIA FILM OFFICE UPDATES & NEWS:

1. WCHS & FOX TV 3-part segment on filming in the Mountain State: Kennie Bass of WCHS and FOX television has produced a 3-part segment on filmmaking in West Virginia and related topics, which will air February 3, 4, 5 and 6. His live interviews include WV filmmaker Daniel Boyd, film librarian Steve Fesenmaier, and me -- and may include others. The schedule is as follows: Part One airs at 6:00 pm (WCHS) and 10:00 pm (FOX) on Tuesday, Feb 3, and 6:00 am (WCHS, Good Morning WV) on Wednesday, Feb 4. Part Two airs at 6:00 pm (WCHS) and 10:00 pm (FOX) on Wednesday, Feb 4, and 6:00 am (WCHS, Good Morning WV) on Thursday, Feb 5. Part Three airs at 6:00 pm (WCHS) and 10:00 pm (FOX) on Thursday, Feb 5, and 6:00 am (WCHS, Good Morning WV) on Friday, Feb 6. (My apologies for not getting this notice out before Part One aired. You are more than welcome to visit my office and view the recording when it arrives in my office next week -- of course, call first!)

2. Production Services Directory: The publication of the PSD has experienced about a 2-week delay. The original publication date of January 31 has been moved to around February 13-14. If you are listed in the PSD, you will automatically receive a copy by mail. Some time this month, the entire PSD will also be available on the Film Office website.

3. Marketing/Advertising Efforts: The West Virginia Film Office placed a half-page ad in the January 23 edition of the trade mag Variety congratulating DreamWorks on the opening of Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! and thanking DreamWorks for choosing West Virginia as a shooting location. The West Virginia Film Office placed an ad in the January 2004 issue of Production Update Magazine touting the film-friendly nature between West Virginia and the motion picture and television industries. Participated in an interview with Production Update Magazine about filming in West Virginia for publication in the April 2004 Appalachian States issue. Participated in an interview with The State Journal about Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! for publication either this Friday or next Friday.

4. Production Activity by External Companies: (a) A Maryland production team arrived during the week of January 12 to shoot a 35mm commercial at the Toyota plant in Buffalo (Putnam County). The Film Office provided assistance with finding local crew for the shoot. It is a regional spot promoting why consumers should buy Toyota and help support the hiring of American workers.

(b) MTV was in Morgantown (Monongalia County) for a couple of weeks in October to begin shooting footage for a pilot called "Crowned." The crew shot a week-in-the-life of the WVU Homecoming Court for a week prior and up to the crowning moment and also wanted to capture student life at WVU. Because MTV's crew did not get all of the footage that was needed in October, this past week, MTV contacted Blackwater Video of Morgantown who referred MTV to Morgantown producer Jason Good. Jason and shooter Danny Cameron will be gathering additional footage this week as directed by the MTV producer; the pilot is being shot on mini-DV. Pilots do not always receive airtime, and it is unclear at this time when, or if, MTV will air this pilot. Of course, the Film Office will provide updates when known.

(c) A Pennsylvania ad agency arrived in Charleston (Kanawha County) January 6 to conduct a photo shoot for a wheelchair manufacturer. A local talent agent in Fayetteville (Fayette County), Marcie Cruz, was hired for casting locals.

(d) Topspin Creative, a Japanese TV syndicate situate in New York City has been in the Mountain State twice in the past two months. The first visit (for which local crew was hired) was in December to do a story on Jessica Lynch as part of Japan's Top Ten Stories of 2003. The crew shot in Wirt County. The second visit (for which Charleston production company Image Associates was hired) was to shoot a segment on Point Pleasant's (Mason County) Mothman for a show on Flying Humanoids. The Film Office assisted in providing crew information and other local contact information for the visiting production company on both shoots.

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C. WEST VIRGINIA INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION ACTIVITY (This section will include information about WV production activity from our indigenous filmmakers and videographers. The Film Office cannot possibly follow all indigenous production activity across the state; this is where you can assist in passing along information. The Film Office will only consider information which can be confirmed by a producer or director of a film/video project, so if you are passing on second-hand info, please include an appropriate contact for the project. NOTE: This section will not cover the activity from outside production companies shooting in WV. With regard to external activity, the Film Office will provide separate notices/press releases when deemed necessary.):

1. Terry Lively & Division of Highways: Filmmaker and Division of Highways employee Terry Lively has received a TEA-21 grant to produce an hour-long documentary on the history of bridge building in West Virginia. Production should be completed by Spring 2005. For more information, you can contact Terry at livelyheart@aol.com.

2. Razor Sharp Productions: Razor Sharp Productions recently completed and released Escape from the Dead which is available on DVD and may be purchased through its website. The premiere was held at the Empty Glass in Charleston on December 8. Razor Sharp is currently preparing and casting for Pet Dracula, which is a 15-minute short about a boy and his pet vampire. Filming is set to begin mid-February and will star local musician Lance Steele, drummer for The Pistol Whippers. Razor Sharp representatives have been asked to appear at two horror conventions this year: Cinema Wasteland and Twisted Nightmare Weekend, where they will join other genre celebrities such as Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica) and Bill Mosely and Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses). Escape from the Dead as well as several other Razor Sharp short films will be screening in Australia by a youth arts organization in North Queensland, which hosts a monthly short film screening at a pub called Filmania.

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D. WEBSITES OF INTEREST and OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES:

1. Project Greenlight: The third installment of Project Greenlight is getting underway. For those not familiar, Project Greenlight was created by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to help budding filmmakers get a foot in Hollywood's ever-revolving door. Project Greenlight, which used to air on HBO, has been picked up by the Bravo Channel. The third contest, which is two segments, includes a Screenplay Contest and a Director Contest. Both contests begin on February 9 at noon (PST) and run through February 28 at 4:59:59 (PST). Persons who have achieved the status of a "professional" are ineligible to participate in the contest (the definition of "professional" is found in the rules). There are extensive rules to follow for these contests, so be sure to read them in detail if you decide to participate. The rules of the contest, and other valuable information, can be found at http://projectgreenlight.liveplanet.com/pgl3/official_rules.jsp.

2. Writers Guide to Hollywood Producers: The 2004 Writers Guide to Hollywood Producers includes contact infromation and credits for practically every production entity and also includes what kind of material (genre, budget, etc.) each company is looking to produce and submission requirements. The Guide is updated quarterly. To order the Guide, call 1-800-646-3896 or subscribe at www.fadeinonline.com.

3. Guerilla Filmmakers Movie Blueprint (author Chris Jones): In this massive, 600+ page follow-up to her earlier Guerilla Film Makers Handbook, Jones shows the way to realize a cinematic vision with step-by-step breakdowns of the filmmaking process, from writing to production scheduling -- all done with simplicity and wit. On www.amazon.com, the book sells for $24.50.

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E. EDUCATIONAL & SEMINAR/WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES:

1. UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies: Keep your career on the cutting edge with UCLA's Extension Entertainment Studies -- open to everyone and available in daytime, evening, weekend, and online courses as well as one-day seminars, lecture series, and hands-on workshops. Offers approved training in Avid Media Composer, Avid Film Composer, Cubase, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Shake, Logic Platinum, Premier Pro, After Effects, Pro Tools. Additional courses include 3ds max, Maya, Digital Performer. For more information, visit www.uclaextension.edu/entertainmentstudies.

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F. ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

1. How to Tell A Story Without Words: Kodak's "On Filmmaking" Winter edition offers a look into the dialogue-less short film "Tap Heat," where the characters express ideas and emotions through tap dancing. To read the article, visit: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/onFilm/winter2004/tap.shtml.

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G. FILM FESTIVAL AND/OR SCRIPT SUBMISSIONS:

1. Maui Film Festival: The Maui Film Festival is currently accepting entries for its June 16-20 event. Genres and lengths of films submitted vary and can be found on the fest website. Entries are due February 15. For details, visit www.mauifilmfestival.com.

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H. CALENDAR OF EVENTS (generally, WV activities) [please send in events from around the state for consideration]:

1. Naturally7 at The Clay Center: On February 10, the a cappella, soul, R&B, and gospel group Naturally7 appears at The Clay Center at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20 and $28. Student tickets are $10 with proper identification. Naturally7's website is www.naturallyseven.de/eng.html. For details of the event, visit www.theclaycenter.org.

2. Annual Fidelio Fundraising Event: Fidelio was conceived four years ago as a fundraising event for Sunrise, now the Avampato Discovery Museum. This year's event kicks off at 8:00 pm, Saturday, February 7 at Davis Square on Washington and Capitol Streets. The shindig features live music by the Voodoo Katz, dancing, desserts, wine, champagne, beer, psychic readings, magicians, and a professional stilt walker. Admission at the door is $50. For more information, call 561-3575 or visit http://www.avampatodiscoverymuseum.org/newsdocs/Fidelio%2004%20Release.pdf.

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I. CONTACT INFO, DISCLAIMER, SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE

1. Questions, comments, ideas for Email Blasts? Send email to phaynes@callwva.com if you have ideas on topics you would like to see covered or if you have "news" you would like the West Virginia Film Office to consider publishing in a future Email Blast. Please note, however, that the West Virginia Film Office is the sole authority on which topics may appear in an Email Blast, and it is the sole right of the West Virginia Film Office to decline to publish a suggested topic, idea, or other news item. Questions and comments should be directed to Pamela Haynes, Director, West Virginia Film Office, 90 MacCorkle Avenue SW, South Charleston, WV 25303; 304-558-2200, ext. 382; phaynes@callwva.com; www.wvfilm.com.

2. The Email Blasts are compiled by the West Virginia Film Office for purposes of providing information and topics of interest to those who choose to subscribe. Information contained in the Email Blasts is sometimes predicated upon information gathered from a variety of sources; website links offered in the Email Blasts are not maintained by the West Virginia Film Office and it is not responsible for a website's content. The West Virginia Film Office, the West Virginia Bureau of Commerce, the West Virginia Division of Tourism, and the State of West Virginia expressly disclaim all responsibility and liability relating to the accuracy of certain information contained in the Email Blasts. The Email Blasts are provided as a complimentary service of the West Virginia Film Office and sent via Email usually every 3-4 weeks. Based on information available at the time of each Email Blast, category headings may change periodically.

3. To subscribe to the Email Blasts, send an email to phaynes@callwva.com with "add to email alerts" in the subject line. To unsubscribe to the Email Blasts, send an email to phaynes@callwva.com with "remove from email alerts" in the subject line. To obtain back issues of Email Blasts, send an email to phaynes@callwva.com.

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