Projects on Hold as Contracts End
Posted on July 1, 2008
It looks like the Actors won’t budge and their contacts run out tonight. After a devastating strike from the Writer’s Union that lasted from November to February, the industry is terrified that Alan Rosenberg will lead his union to a strike. This is still unlikely, but Hollywood is taking no chances and halted projects such as Transformers II until an agreement is made.
For those of you who think this is just an interruption in your programming, think again. We are talking about 120,000 jobs that are not receiving adequate changes to their contracts to cover the future of the tv and film markets. These aren’t amateurs, these are professionals who deserve the dignity of financial security.
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Filed Under film, strike, SAG, Actors | Leave a Comment
Mission Accomplished
Posted on June 30, 2008
If you’ve been keeping with us on the 2008 GI Bill of Rights issue, I’m very happy to say that after passing the house and senate with bipartisan heft, our fearless president has signed it into law. Terrific. I’d like to think that this is the beginning of some much needed bi-partisan legislation, and it’s up to us film makers to do what we can to keep the ball rolling. The Internet Archive is filled with public domain footage just waiting to be turned into multimedia with political ends. Choose your battles wisely, remain un-biased, and go fix the country.
I’d like to give a shout out to Senator Jim Webb from Virginia and Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska for writing the bill and getting it through.
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2008 GI Bill of Rights
Posted on June 21, 2008
Talkie21 along with a coalition of concerned artists have released a series of promotional pieces supporting the new GI Bill of Rights. With any luck it will pass this week, but please continue to write your representation and tell them this is an issue that means a lot to you. Tell them you cannot vote for a man or woman who does not support a veteran’s right to a free education.
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Filed Under film, 2008 GI Bill, Steve Ruonna, Jim Webb, Chuck Hagel, Obama | 1 Comment
The Truth Lies Within Conflicting Voices
Posted on June 20, 2008
So Talkie21 along with a coalition of concerned artists have released a series of promotional pieces supporting the new GI Bill of Rights. With any luck it will pass this week, but please continue to write your representation and tell them this is an issue that means a lot to you. Tell them you cannot vote for a man or woman who does not support a veteran’s right to a free education.
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Filed Under film, 2008 GI Bill, Brian Sloan, talkie21 | Leave a Comment
Still No Deal For SAG
Posted on June 19, 2008
With less than two weeks to go before the SAG contracts are up and no deal in sight, everyone is wondering what the Hell is next. After the Directors, Writers, and AFTRA made major concessions to move forward, there is little evidence that SAG too will bow to pressures on DVD sales. The whole industry is changing drastically, and a wrong move in these negotiations can make the difference between middle class artists and street corner artists.
If a deal isn’t reached by the end of the month, the union could either vote to extend the previously existing contracts, or vote to authorize a strike. Is the American television viewing audience patient enough for another hiatus? I doubt it.
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Astounding the Human Audience
Posted on June 19, 2008
Until now, the first recorded piece of computer music was thought to have emerged from Bell Labs on an IBM computer in 1957. 6 years earlier and across the Atlantic, the University of Manchester managed to claim the historical event. Maybe even more interesting than the recorded music, is the reaction of the human audience as they hear a computer sing for the very first time. Skip over to the BBC and have yourself a listen.
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Filed Under film, computer music, sound, history, Bell Labs | Leave a Comment
Stan Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008)
Posted on June 18, 2008
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Filed Under film, Stan WInston, puppets, speacial effects | Leave a Comment
Up and Coming
Posted on June 15, 2008
Well hello there Doctors. The heat wave has finally broke in New York and most of us feel like our brains are working properly again. For a few days there I was very concerned that the occupants of my aquarium would boil (sadly the shrimp are just too small to eat). In fact, it was so hot that the cranes were melting before they hit the street.
But that didn’t stop us from shooting the first two spots supporting the 2008 GI Bill of rights. Some terrific actors contributed their time including Steve Ruonna, and Brian Sloan. I’ll praise the crew as soon as I have a video to show you. I’m expecting that to be finished the middle of next week.
Right now I’m half way through ADR and hammering away in Color. After syncing everything up I think it came out great.
Aside from that, my friend Aaron Howard gave a slick performance with David Francis and Alex Colwell over at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn. As soon as he has the recordings up I’ll be submitting that for your approval, along with the dynamite performance from the Sullivan Hall last evening. I was fortunate enough to get the call from Robert O’Haire and we shot Dub is a Weapon celebrating the birthday week of Larry McDonald with none other than Brian Jackson (from Gil Scott Heron) tapping keys.
The have a new album out which you should invest in, as I don’t know a single other Live Dub Band. For my friends in Portland, keep your eyes peeled because these folks stomp in your woods from time to time.
Here’s their Myspace page:
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Filed Under film, 2008 GI Bill, Edgar Oliver, Brian Sloan, George Demas | Leave a Comment
What’s Doctor Bob up to?
Posted on June 10, 2008
Checking out the Steve Swell Trio.
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Filed Under jazz, film, music, straw2gold | Leave a Comment
Still Mashing
Posted on June 10, 2008
So I find myself with another mashup after tuning into the Joytime Radio. For those of you not familiar with the New York music scene, The Pimps of Joytime are a fascinating Brooklyn group founded by one of my previous loft-mates Brian J. He has released two albums and an ep that are definitely worth checking out. Here is his latest effort High Steppin. A very good friend of mine, Andrew Lachance, provided the design for the release and you can find more of his work on Flickr. I’ll submit that for your approval later in the week.
Since I moved to Brooklyn in 2002 I have been surrounded by it’s music. The Salsa behind Dominoes games, the Afro Beat pounding lofts over head, and the fast footed pace of Zydeco from the subway platform. The shear range of it all stretches from Mali to Memphis, but it congregates here in my favorite borough. I have been fortunate to witness it, and even more privileged listening to Brian mix it all together in his studio.
For my latest mashup, I have chosen an old favorite off of the EP: Joytime Radio. I sourced public domain footage focusing on the science of sound and the inner workings of the human ear.
I hope you enjoy it.
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Filed Under mashup, film, music, music video, Pimps of Joytime, Brooklyn, public domain | Leave a Comment
AFTRA Reaches Agreement
Posted on June 3, 2008
The pressure returns to SAG as AFTRA falls in line with the basic model created by the Directors and Writers Unions. Along with a noticeable raise in minimum pay, the deal increases the unions jurisdiction over web based programming as long as production exceeds fifteen thousand a minute.
On the other side of things they were unable to revise a decade old payment system for DVD sales that has always bordered on sharecropping. That’ll be a sticking point as SAG returns to the table, and I would be surprised if it isn’t a deal breaker.
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What Have I Mashed Up?
Posted on June 2, 2008
My friend Brian J and his Pimps of Joytime have been a soundtrack in my life for a few years now. Like a bolt from the blue, I scowered the public domain and came up with this mashup over the last few days.
I hope you enjoy it.
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Filed Under mashup, film, fair use, music, music video, Pimps of Joytime | Leave a Comment
