January 2010
Upstate Independents February 2010 Meeting Agenda - January 30, 2010
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A: Actors’ Demo Reels – Film, Television & Voice-over Take advantage of this opportunity to exhibit your Demo Reel to the Upstate Indie Industry – and check out the work of your fellow artists!
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Film Screenplay Readings Upstate Independents continues to kick off 2010 by featuring the work of regional artists and professionals. This month, join us as we watch local actors read make screenplays by local writers come to life on stage. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com For last-minute changes in the schedule, please visit www.upstateindependents.com on the day of the meeting. Thanks and see you there!
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A: Actors’ Demo Reels – Film, Television & Voice-over Take advantage of this opportunity to exhibit your Demo Reel to the Upstate Indie Industry – and check out the work of your fellow artists!
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Film Screenplay Readings Upstate Independents continues to kick off 2010 by featuring the work of regional artists and professionals. This month, join us as we watch local actors read make screenplays by local writers come to life on stage. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com For last-minute changes in the schedule, please visit www.upstateindependents.com on the day of the meeting. Thanks and see you there!
February 2010
UI March 2010 Meeting Agenda - February 28, 2010
I. Announcements - Guest Host, Upstate Actor and UI Member, Rich Lundy!
II. Actors’ Demo Reels – Film, Television & Voice-over We continue with the second session of our Actor Demo Film/Television/Internet/Voice-over Reel two-part series. If interested in sharing your reel with the audience, please arrive NO LATER than 6:10 p.m. with a DVD reel in hand to be delivered to The Linda/WAMC’s Performing Studio Associate Manager, Graeme McKenna. Unfortunately, if you are late delivering your reel, it won’t be shown – so get there on time! Take advantage of this opportunity to exhibit your Demo Reel to the Upstate Indie Industry – and check out the work of your fellow artists!
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Due to a cancellation, we will be having “OPEN NETWORKING NIGHT.” Come and share your business card, actor’s postcard, and enjoy the opportunity to meet, greet and connect with your fellow UI members/peers.
I. Announcements - Guest Host, Upstate Actor and UI Member, Rich Lundy!
II. Actors’ Demo Reels – Film, Television & Voice-over We continue with the second session of our Actor Demo Film/Television/Internet/Voice-over Reel two-part series. If interested in sharing your reel with the audience, please arrive NO LATER than 6:10 p.m. with a DVD reel in hand to be delivered to The Linda/WAMC’s Performing Studio Associate Manager, Graeme McKenna. Unfortunately, if you are late delivering your reel, it won’t be shown – so get there on time! Take advantage of this opportunity to exhibit your Demo Reel to the Upstate Indie Industry – and check out the work of your fellow artists!
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Due to a cancellation, we will be having “OPEN NETWORKING NIGHT.” Come and share your business card, actor’s postcard, and enjoy the opportunity to meet, greet and connect with your fellow UI members/peers.
April 2010
UI April 2010 Meeting Agenda - April 1, 2010
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A: A. Rich Lounello will be screening his short, "The Loop." (13 minutes) Destiny has a way of following you." Rich has been a professional actor for over 15 years. He is a member in good standing with all 3 unions, SAG, AFTRA, & Equity. This marks his directorial debut. He also has 2 completed screenplays, one with partial funding. B. Susie Griswald will be screening an excerpt from her screenplay short, "A Killer Game" (6.5 minutes). This thriller short, written by UI Member Susie Griswold, is based upon an excerpt from her screenplay – read most recently at Upstate Independent’s January Meeting Program. It was shot entirely with a pocket camera.
III. A 15-minute Networking Break IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Heidi Philipsen will be discussing committees forming under her Programming Chair and ways to get involved with UI’s Program Outreach and bring more to UI’s Program. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Think Spring! - April 9, 2010
It is finally Spring!
Image from non-member Chris Carey
Image from UI member Debbie Tuttle
Image from UI member Debbie Tuttle
Upstate Independents May 2010 Meeting Agenda - April 28, 2010
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A:
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Kathleen Carroll, Artistic Director & Co-Founder of the Lake Placid Film Forum Kathleen Carroll was a film critic for the New York Daily News for nearly three decades. Variety described her at one point as “the critic who picks pix people like.” While at the News, she interviewed almost all of the leading directors and actors of the late ‘60’s,‘70’s, ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, including Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Natalie Wood, Federico Fellini, Jane Fonda and even Gloria Swanson. She regularly covered the Cannes Film Festival, co-producing as well as appearing in a documentary called “Diary of the Cannes Film Festival” (which featured the very last interview with actor Peter Sellers). She presented film programs at the Toronto Film Festival and the Sarasota Film Festival. She also attended film festivals in Tehran, Hong Kong and Karlovy Vary. She served on the juries of the Berlin, Montreal and Santa Barbara film festivals. She was a featured programmer, along with Roger Ebert and Richard Corliss, on the Floating Film Festival. A three-time chairperson of the New York Film Critics Circle, she has written for numerous publications. She was an adjunct Associate Professor at St. John’s University and an advisor to the university’s Communication Arts division (1972-1983). In addition she taught film courses at New York University and Marymount Manhattan. A native of Lake Placid, she is both the co-founder (along with novelist Russell Banks) and the artistic director of the Lake Placid Film Forum. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
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I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A: A. Rich Lounello will be screening his short, "The Loop." (13 minutes) Destiny has a way of following you." Rich has been a professional actor for over 15 years. He is a member in good standing with all 3 unions, SAG, AFTRA, & Equity. This marks his directorial debut. He also has 2 completed screenplays, one with partial funding. B. Susie Griswald will be screening an excerpt from her screenplay short, "A Killer Game" (6.5 minutes). This thriller short, written by UI Member Susie Griswold, is based upon an excerpt from her screenplay – read most recently at Upstate Independent’s January Meeting Program. It was shot entirely with a pocket camera.
III. A 15-minute Networking Break IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Heidi Philipsen will be discussing committees forming under her Programming Chair and ways to get involved with UI’s Program Outreach and bring more to UI’s Program. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Think Spring! - April 9, 2010
It is finally Spring!
Image from non-member Chris Carey
Image from UI member Debbie Tuttle
Image from UI member Debbie Tuttle
Upstate Independents May 2010 Meeting Agenda - April 28, 2010
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A:
- “Confinement”: 30 minutes Written, directed, and edited by upstate NY filmmaker John McCarty Confinement is a modern re-telling of the classic macabre, feminist short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935). It is about a woman whose physician husband has determined she is suffering from depression following the birth of their only child and has installed her in the upstairs bedroom of their rental house to recuperate. There, she becomes fixated on the color and design of the paper that surrounds the room. The film, which is currently making the festival rounds, portrays the impact of this confinement on her mental state and feelings about marriage and motherhood. www.confinementmovie.com
- UI Member John Holser will be screening his demo reel.
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Kathleen Carroll, Artistic Director & Co-Founder of the Lake Placid Film Forum Kathleen Carroll was a film critic for the New York Daily News for nearly three decades. Variety described her at one point as “the critic who picks pix people like.” While at the News, she interviewed almost all of the leading directors and actors of the late ‘60’s,‘70’s, ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, including Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Natalie Wood, Federico Fellini, Jane Fonda and even Gloria Swanson. She regularly covered the Cannes Film Festival, co-producing as well as appearing in a documentary called “Diary of the Cannes Film Festival” (which featured the very last interview with actor Peter Sellers). She presented film programs at the Toronto Film Festival and the Sarasota Film Festival. She also attended film festivals in Tehran, Hong Kong and Karlovy Vary. She served on the juries of the Berlin, Montreal and Santa Barbara film festivals. She was a featured programmer, along with Roger Ebert and Richard Corliss, on the Floating Film Festival. A three-time chairperson of the New York Film Critics Circle, she has written for numerous publications. She was an adjunct Associate Professor at St. John’s University and an advisor to the university’s Communication Arts division (1972-1983). In addition she taught film courses at New York University and Marymount Manhattan. A native of Lake Placid, she is both the co-founder (along with novelist Russell Banks) and the artistic director of the Lake Placid Film Forum. Q & A session to be held thereafter.
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May 2010
Upstate Independents June 2010 Meeting Agenda - May 17, 2010
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A:
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Anne Nelson
Anne Nelson’s career spans the fields of writing, human rights, and international affairs. Nelson, a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, graduated from Yale University. As a young journalist she covered the wars in El Salvador and Guatemala. Her work appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and Maclean’s magazine, and on PBS, NPR, and the BBC. Her 1986 book, “Murder Under Two Flags,” was adapted as a feature film starring Robert Duvall and Kevin Spacey. In 1989 Nelson won the Livingston Award for best foreign correspondence for her reporting on the Philippines. As of September 11, 2001, Nelson was the director of the International Program at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She based her first play, “The Guys,” on her experiences following in the attack. It opened at The Flea Theater off-off-Broadway on December 4, 2001 (only twelve weeks later) starring Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray, and ran there for over a year. Tim Robbins produced and starred in “The Guys” with Helen Hunt at the Actors Gang in Los Angeles, and with Susan Sarandon at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. “The Guys” was published by Dramatists Play Service and Random House, and has been produced in 48 states and fourteen foreign countries. The audio version, featuring Swoosie Kurtz and Bill Irwin, won the Audie Award for best recorded play of 2002. Variety stated: "The Guys will likely forever be the primary theatrical artifact of the immediate post-September 11th moment." Nelson wrote the screenplay for the feature film version, starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia, which premiered at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. “The Guys” was featured at the Lincoln Center New Directors/New Films series, and won a 2002 National Board of Review Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. Nelson’s 2006 play, “Savages,” was based on the true story of a Marine officer tried for war crimes during the U.S. occupation of the Philippines in 1902. It was a finalist for the Human Festival and was produced off-Broadway and at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. The New Yorker magazine wrote, “Anne Nelson's historical drama has a lacerating beauty.” It was published by Dramatists Play Service. Nelson’s series of short plays deal with themes of globalization. “Petra,” set in Jordan, was a Humana finalist and was included in the Cherry Lane Theater’s 2006 program, “Middle East in Pieces.” “Delinquent” was presented at the Epic Theater’s 2008 “First Vote” program. “Global Melt” is currently a finalist for the Humana Festival. Nelson’s newest book is “Red Orchestra: the Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler” (Random House April 2009; Germany, C. Bertelsmann, 2010). It is the true story of a group of German theater artists and intellectuals who infiltrated the Nazi regime in the effort to defeat it. The New York Times Book Review praised the “deep sympathy and unsentimental compassion of ’Red Orchestra,’ with its story of a tiny band that somehow managed to summon the wild courage to take a stand against a barbarous status quo.” Nelson has completed a screenplay based on the book, in conjunction with Salty Features. She is working on the first English translation of “The Illegals” (1946), a play by Günther Weisenborn, a Brecht associate who belonged to the resistance group in Berlin. Nelson was a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow for her research on “Red Orchestra.” She is an adjunct professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, teaching international media studies, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She and her husband, author and environmentalist George Black, have two college-aged children and live in New York. Q & A session and special book-signing to be held thereafter.
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Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click the About Us tab to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com
I. Announcements
II. Film Screening with Q & A:
III. A 15-minute Networking Break
IV. Guest Speaker-of-the-Month: Anne Nelson
Anne Nelson’s career spans the fields of writing, human rights, and international affairs. Nelson, a native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, graduated from Yale University. As a young journalist she covered the wars in El Salvador and Guatemala. Her work appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and Maclean’s magazine, and on PBS, NPR, and the BBC. Her 1986 book, “Murder Under Two Flags,” was adapted as a feature film starring Robert Duvall and Kevin Spacey. In 1989 Nelson won the Livingston Award for best foreign correspondence for her reporting on the Philippines. As of September 11, 2001, Nelson was the director of the International Program at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She based her first play, “The Guys,” on her experiences following in the attack. It opened at The Flea Theater off-off-Broadway on December 4, 2001 (only twelve weeks later) starring Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray, and ran there for over a year. Tim Robbins produced and starred in “The Guys” with Helen Hunt at the Actors Gang in Los Angeles, and with Susan Sarandon at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. “The Guys” was published by Dramatists Play Service and Random House, and has been produced in 48 states and fourteen foreign countries. The audio version, featuring Swoosie Kurtz and Bill Irwin, won the Audie Award for best recorded play of 2002. Variety stated: "The Guys will likely forever be the primary theatrical artifact of the immediate post-September 11th moment." Nelson wrote the screenplay for the feature film version, starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia, which premiered at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. “The Guys” was featured at the Lincoln Center New Directors/New Films series, and won a 2002 National Board of Review Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. Nelson’s 2006 play, “Savages,” was based on the true story of a Marine officer tried for war crimes during the U.S. occupation of the Philippines in 1902. It was a finalist for the Human Festival and was produced off-Broadway and at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. The New Yorker magazine wrote, “Anne Nelson's historical drama has a lacerating beauty.” It was published by Dramatists Play Service. Nelson’s series of short plays deal with themes of globalization. “Petra,” set in Jordan, was a Humana finalist and was included in the Cherry Lane Theater’s 2006 program, “Middle East in Pieces.” “Delinquent” was presented at the Epic Theater’s 2008 “First Vote” program. “Global Melt” is currently a finalist for the Humana Festival. Nelson’s newest book is “Red Orchestra: the Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler” (Random House April 2009; Germany, C. Bertelsmann, 2010). It is the true story of a group of German theater artists and intellectuals who infiltrated the Nazi regime in the effort to defeat it. The New York Times Book Review praised the “deep sympathy and unsentimental compassion of ’Red Orchestra,’ with its story of a tiny band that somehow managed to summon the wild courage to take a stand against a barbarous status quo.” Nelson has completed a screenplay based on the book, in conjunction with Salty Features. She is working on the first English translation of “The Illegals” (1946), a play by Günther Weisenborn, a Brecht associate who belonged to the resistance group in Berlin. Nelson was a 2005 Guggenheim Fellow for her research on “Red Orchestra.” She is an adjunct professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, teaching international media studies, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She and her husband, author and environmentalist George Black, have two college-aged children and live in New York. Q & A session and special book-signing to be held thereafter.
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Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click the About Us tab to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com
June 2010
Upstate Independents July 2010 Meeting Agenda - June 28, 2010
Upstate Independents July 6, 2010
Guest Speaker: Senior Entertainment & Music Executive, Carl Griffin Upstate Independents (UI), the resource for filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, and other media artists based in the Capital Region, welcomes three-time Grammy winner Carl Griffin 6:30 p.m. on July 6 at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio.
Having accumulated over 38 years of experience in the music and entertainment industry, Carl Griffin is a force with which to be reckoned. Having accumulated over 38 years of experience in the music and entertainment business, Carl will offer some perspective about the artists and stories that shaped his career and American jazz and R&B. He has worked with a “who’s who” of musicians that include BB King, Diane Krall, Jane Monheit, Arturo Sandoval, Ramsey Lewis, Ronnie Dunn, Evelyn Champagne King and Jonathon Butler. Carl’s Grammies include recognition for his work as Producer for BB King, Live at the Apollo and Arturo Sandoval’s Hot House. Recently, he produced six shows at the Carnival Performing Arts Center, Miami, Florida, featuring Dave Brubeck, the Count Basie Orchestra, A Tribute to Tito and Machito, Patti Austin, Sonny Rollins, and Chick Corea. Like many artists who recognize the value of music and pictures, Carl has a hand in TV and film production as well. Last year, Carl contributed as Artist Coordinator the L.R.P. Media production, History of Recorded Music, which covers over 300 interviews with a diverse range of artists such as Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Simon.
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Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Member Film Screenings: Chriss Vincelette, Director/Editor -V Productions - Film Title: "Books for Change" Synopsis: A grassroots group of humanitarians team up with an indie filmmaker. Their mission: To bring books and literacy to developing countries while promoting understanding and acceptance of the cultural diversity in their own local communities. Run time: 4 minutes 30 seconds.
Alexander Uhlmann, Writer/Director - Film Title: "Across the River" Synopsis: A true story about the young George Washington. Run time: 16 minutes.
Richa KhandelwalBhat, Director - Film Title: Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) Synopsis: Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) is a woman who has discovered God through the Bhagwadgita. Like all lovers of God, she too lives in a different world. To her, living is God, non-living is God. Philosophy, science, history, art, romance, past, present, future is God. This film is her attempt to understand why the world is the way it is: far from what God describes as truth in the Bhagwadgita. Run time: 3 minutes. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
Upstate Independents July 6, 2010
Guest Speaker: Senior Entertainment & Music Executive, Carl Griffin Upstate Independents (UI), the resource for filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, and other media artists based in the Capital Region, welcomes three-time Grammy winner Carl Griffin 6:30 p.m. on July 6 at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio.
Having accumulated over 38 years of experience in the music and entertainment industry, Carl Griffin is a force with which to be reckoned. Having accumulated over 38 years of experience in the music and entertainment business, Carl will offer some perspective about the artists and stories that shaped his career and American jazz and R&B. He has worked with a “who’s who” of musicians that include BB King, Diane Krall, Jane Monheit, Arturo Sandoval, Ramsey Lewis, Ronnie Dunn, Evelyn Champagne King and Jonathon Butler. Carl’s Grammies include recognition for his work as Producer for BB King, Live at the Apollo and Arturo Sandoval’s Hot House. Recently, he produced six shows at the Carnival Performing Arts Center, Miami, Florida, featuring Dave Brubeck, the Count Basie Orchestra, A Tribute to Tito and Machito, Patti Austin, Sonny Rollins, and Chick Corea. Like many artists who recognize the value of music and pictures, Carl has a hand in TV and film production as well. Last year, Carl contributed as Artist Coordinator the L.R.P. Media production, History of Recorded Music, which covers over 300 interviews with a diverse range of artists such as Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Simon.
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Q & A session to be held thereafter.
Member Film Screenings: Chriss Vincelette, Director/Editor -V Productions - Film Title: "Books for Change" Synopsis: A grassroots group of humanitarians team up with an indie filmmaker. Their mission: To bring books and literacy to developing countries while promoting understanding and acceptance of the cultural diversity in their own local communities. Run time: 4 minutes 30 seconds.
Alexander Uhlmann, Writer/Director - Film Title: "Across the River" Synopsis: A true story about the young George Washington. Run time: 16 minutes.
Richa KhandelwalBhat, Director - Film Title: Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) Synopsis: Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) is a woman who has discovered God through the Bhagwadgita. Like all lovers of God, she too lives in a different world. To her, living is God, non-living is God. Philosophy, science, history, art, romance, past, present, future is God. This film is her attempt to understand why the world is the way it is: far from what God describes as truth in the Bhagwadgita. Run time: 3 minutes. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
July 2010
Upstate Independents August 2010 Meeting Agenda - July 28, 2010
UPSTATE INDEPENDENTS is pleased to announce: Upstate Independents' August 3rd, 2010 Guest Speaker: Ballston Spa Film Festival Founder & Director Daniel DeFabio
Daniel DeFabio got his first job in "Hollywood" in Troy, N.Y. working as a production assistant on Martin Scorsesse’s "The Age of Innocence." Not long thereafter, he moved to Los Angeles and worked on a few other films including True Lies before turning his skills to the then new internet. Thereafter, he became a pioneer in online movie marketing and was the co-writer and -producer of the first animated entertainment series on the web, Madeleine’s Mind. In 2006 he moved back to live in Ballston Spa, N.Y., where he discovered the BSBPA was doing Concerts in the Park and was inspired: Why not Movies in the Park, too? In 2007, he screened a free Movie in the Park each First Friday throughout summer and in 2008, The Ballston Spa Film Festival (BSFF) was created. In addition to the other monthly movies, DeFabio continues to work in entertainment marketing, creating TV commercials and motion graphics. His work was seen last summer on TNT’s "The Closer." Most recently, two of his short films aired on WMHT (PBS) TV.
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Q & A session to be held thereafter. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
UPSTATE INDEPENDENTS is pleased to announce: Upstate Independents' August 3rd, 2010 Guest Speaker: Ballston Spa Film Festival Founder & Director Daniel DeFabio
Daniel DeFabio got his first job in "Hollywood" in Troy, N.Y. working as a production assistant on Martin Scorsesse’s "The Age of Innocence." Not long thereafter, he moved to Los Angeles and worked on a few other films including True Lies before turning his skills to the then new internet. Thereafter, he became a pioneer in online movie marketing and was the co-writer and -producer of the first animated entertainment series on the web, Madeleine’s Mind. In 2006 he moved back to live in Ballston Spa, N.Y., where he discovered the BSBPA was doing Concerts in the Park and was inspired: Why not Movies in the Park, too? In 2007, he screened a free Movie in the Park each First Friday throughout summer and in 2008, The Ballston Spa Film Festival (BSFF) was created. In addition to the other monthly movies, DeFabio continues to work in entertainment marketing, creating TV commercials and motion graphics. His work was seen last summer on TNT’s "The Closer." Most recently, two of his short films aired on WMHT (PBS) TV.
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[flashvideo file=http://www.upstateindependents.com/imgz/vidz/UIGuests/DanDe/DanD.flv /]
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Q & A session to be held thereafter. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
September 2010
UI September 2010 Meeting Agenda - September 6, 2010
Upstate Independents' September 7th, 2010 Meeting Line-Up
I. Announcements Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - Line Producer, Production Manager & Asbury Shorts NYC Founder Doug LeClaire.
Doug LeClaire is a Clio Award-winning television commercial and cable network promo Line Producer and Production Manager. He has worked in the NYC film/video industry since 1980. Doug was the Production Supervisor on a series of "I Love NYC" spots produced immediately after the 9/11 attacks featuring Woody Allen, Ben Stiller, Henry Kissenger, Al Roker, Yogi Berra and Kevin Bacon. Shot over a year long period on various NYC locations and sound stages. He's produced over 200 national commercials and promos for networks such as: Comedy Central, Spike, Lifetime Networks, WE, Oxygen, NBC, ABC and PBS. Additionally, Doug's also line produced two independent feature films over the past 5 years including "Greetings from the Shore" which received world-wide distribution. Doug is the Founder and Director of Asbury Shorts New York : NYC's longest running annual short film exhibition, which is also a touring event called: "The Short Film Concert." The show is celebrating it's 30th year of screening classic, award-winning short films in venues around the world -- AND is coming to Albany at the Linda on September 11th (MARK YOUR CALENDARS!) Last August over 1900 people attended Asbury Shorts "Short Film Concert" at Summer Stage in Central Park.
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Check out Doug's recent interview on WAMC's Roundtable with Sara LaDuke: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1696551
III. Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings for - UI/Asbury Shorts Film Contest Selections Don't Miss It!
Upstate Independents' September 7th, 2010 Meeting Line-Up
I. Announcements Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - Line Producer, Production Manager & Asbury Shorts NYC Founder Doug LeClaire.
Doug LeClaire is a Clio Award-winning television commercial and cable network promo Line Producer and Production Manager. He has worked in the NYC film/video industry since 1980. Doug was the Production Supervisor on a series of "I Love NYC" spots produced immediately after the 9/11 attacks featuring Woody Allen, Ben Stiller, Henry Kissenger, Al Roker, Yogi Berra and Kevin Bacon. Shot over a year long period on various NYC locations and sound stages. He's produced over 200 national commercials and promos for networks such as: Comedy Central, Spike, Lifetime Networks, WE, Oxygen, NBC, ABC and PBS. Additionally, Doug's also line produced two independent feature films over the past 5 years including "Greetings from the Shore" which received world-wide distribution. Doug is the Founder and Director of Asbury Shorts New York : NYC's longest running annual short film exhibition, which is also a touring event called: "The Short Film Concert." The show is celebrating it's 30th year of screening classic, award-winning short films in venues around the world -- AND is coming to Albany at the Linda on September 11th (MARK YOUR CALENDARS!) Last August over 1900 people attended Asbury Shorts "Short Film Concert" at Summer Stage in Central Park.
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Check out Doug's recent interview on WAMC's Roundtable with Sara LaDuke: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1696551
III. Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings for - UI/Asbury Shorts Film Contest Selections Don't Miss It!
October 2010
UI October 2010 Meeting Agenda - October 3, 2010
I. Announcements - Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - UI Board Member to speak about November election.
This November, Upstate Independents will be holding it's annual election for open Board Member positions. Announcements will be made at the meeting with further information about how to run for an open Board Member position. The election will take place at the November UI meeting. III. Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings
THERAPUTIC - a new graphic horror film that is based on the escapades of relationship therapist Dr. Lina, whose treatment methods are unconventional at best. The film is the second short of writer/director/producer Evelyn S. Oliver, who previously created "Testimony of a Devotee," and the first project on which UI Member Erin Deighan has received assistant director credit. Director/Writer/Producer Evelyn S. Oliver, 1st Assistant Director Erin Deighan, and Lead Actress Misty Easler will all be present. Run time: approximately 11 minutes FRONTIERS - feature film: a mystery/fantasy, period piece set in the year 1839. A local fur trapper is followed by a mysterious force, leading to an uncharted journey of survival, in which the boundaries of reality become blurred.
HOME SWEET HOME - short film: science fiction, set in 9642, a space pilot encounters severe weather, forcing an emergency landing back on earth, with all communications cut off, the space pilot soon learns that he is on a planet that appears unfamiliar, desolate, and seemingly ancient. Trailers from both films, directed by Utica-based filmmaker Daniel Calhoun, will screen. Run time: 3 minute, each trailer
ATMA - Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) is a woman who has discovered God through the Bhagwadgita. Like all lovers of God, she too lives in a different world. To her, living is God, non-living is God. Philosophy, science, history, art, romance, past, present, future is God. This film is her attempt to understand why the world is the way it is: far from what God describes as truth in the Bhagwadgita. Running time: 3 minutes
HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND KILL MY MOM - A young man, David, works in a bar with his abusive mother. After a particularly nasty night David sees an opportunity to kill his mother. Later he tries to get his friends, Mustard and Carmal, to help dispose of the body. They refuse and David is left alone to deal with the body, only to find out that his mother is not dead but very upset. Running time: 17 minutes Q & A Session is to each set of film screenings. Don't Miss It!
UI November 2010 Meeting Agenda - October 24, 2010
I. Announcements - Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - Live via skype from the American Film Market in L.A. - Kurt Eli Mayry Producer / Production Manager / Director of Education, The Motion Picture Institute of Michigan Kurt Mayry produced the 1992 feature film Hellmaster, starring John Saxon, which aired nationally on HBO/Cinemax. His subsequent producing effortDark Heaven was released in July of 2004. His extensive business background has built MPI (The Motion Picture Institute of Michigan) into a premiere film-making program and paved the way for Michigan film professionals to seize much of the incoming Hollywood film production opportunities created by Michigan's 2007 42% tax-incentive program, by incorporating his film industry knowledge and experience into the classroom where he instructs students on how to organize and manage their films. Mayry's extensive film background spans from working on such notable films as Beverly Hills Cop to working as a camera tech for one of the largest Panavision Equipment houses in the Midwest. He holds a Bachelors degree in business from the University of Michigan, is currently the Director of Education at MPI and recently produced and co-wrote the horror thriller The Rain. Upstate Independents is pleased to have Mr. Kurt Mayry as November's Guest Speaker - he will be speaking to us LIVE from the American Film Market in Los Angeles, C.A. about his career, his film "The Rain," Michigan's tax incentive program and about the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. A Q & A Session will be held thereafter.
III. Networking Break
IV. Upstate Independent November Board Member Elections - November's UI Meeting marks our annual elections for open Board Member positions. Positions and details about how to prepare for the elections as a running candidate will be announced within the week.
I. Announcements - Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - UI Board Member to speak about November election.
This November, Upstate Independents will be holding it's annual election for open Board Member positions. Announcements will be made at the meeting with further information about how to run for an open Board Member position. The election will take place at the November UI meeting. III. Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings
THERAPUTIC - a new graphic horror film that is based on the escapades of relationship therapist Dr. Lina, whose treatment methods are unconventional at best. The film is the second short of writer/director/producer Evelyn S. Oliver, who previously created "Testimony of a Devotee," and the first project on which UI Member Erin Deighan has received assistant director credit. Director/Writer/Producer Evelyn S. Oliver, 1st Assistant Director Erin Deighan, and Lead Actress Misty Easler will all be present. Run time: approximately 11 minutes FRONTIERS - feature film: a mystery/fantasy, period piece set in the year 1839. A local fur trapper is followed by a mysterious force, leading to an uncharted journey of survival, in which the boundaries of reality become blurred.
HOME SWEET HOME - short film: science fiction, set in 9642, a space pilot encounters severe weather, forcing an emergency landing back on earth, with all communications cut off, the space pilot soon learns that he is on a planet that appears unfamiliar, desolate, and seemingly ancient. Trailers from both films, directed by Utica-based filmmaker Daniel Calhoun, will screen. Run time: 3 minute, each trailer
ATMA - Atma (in Sanskrit, ‘soul’) is a woman who has discovered God through the Bhagwadgita. Like all lovers of God, she too lives in a different world. To her, living is God, non-living is God. Philosophy, science, history, art, romance, past, present, future is God. This film is her attempt to understand why the world is the way it is: far from what God describes as truth in the Bhagwadgita. Running time: 3 minutes
HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND KILL MY MOM - A young man, David, works in a bar with his abusive mother. After a particularly nasty night David sees an opportunity to kill his mother. Later he tries to get his friends, Mustard and Carmal, to help dispose of the body. They refuse and David is left alone to deal with the body, only to find out that his mother is not dead but very upset. Running time: 17 minutes Q & A Session is to each set of film screenings. Don't Miss It!
UI November 2010 Meeting Agenda - October 24, 2010
I. Announcements - Presented by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker - Live via skype from the American Film Market in L.A. - Kurt Eli Mayry Producer / Production Manager / Director of Education, The Motion Picture Institute of Michigan Kurt Mayry produced the 1992 feature film Hellmaster, starring John Saxon, which aired nationally on HBO/Cinemax. His subsequent producing effortDark Heaven was released in July of 2004. His extensive business background has built MPI (The Motion Picture Institute of Michigan) into a premiere film-making program and paved the way for Michigan film professionals to seize much of the incoming Hollywood film production opportunities created by Michigan's 2007 42% tax-incentive program, by incorporating his film industry knowledge and experience into the classroom where he instructs students on how to organize and manage their films. Mayry's extensive film background spans from working on such notable films as Beverly Hills Cop to working as a camera tech for one of the largest Panavision Equipment houses in the Midwest. He holds a Bachelors degree in business from the University of Michigan, is currently the Director of Education at MPI and recently produced and co-wrote the horror thriller The Rain. Upstate Independents is pleased to have Mr. Kurt Mayry as November's Guest Speaker - he will be speaking to us LIVE from the American Film Market in Los Angeles, C.A. about his career, his film "The Rain," Michigan's tax incentive program and about the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. A Q & A Session will be held thereafter.
III. Networking Break
IV. Upstate Independent November Board Member Elections - November's UI Meeting marks our annual elections for open Board Member positions. Positions and details about how to prepare for the elections as a running candidate will be announced within the week.
December 2010
UI December 2010 Meeting Agenda - December 6, 2010
I. Announcements – Made by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker – Stephen William Tenner Stephen Tenner has been active in the New York City area appearing in many current films and television programs. He also made quite an impression as a Producer in the independent film "Spin Slowly." Stephen decided to pursue acting and producing in film and television in addition to his career as a professional musician. Stephen was the former lead vocalist for the bands "Later Than Never" and "Me, Him and a guy named Tim". Currently, he is The Lead Vocalist for his new project, "Acoustic Souls". Stephen is always a powerful front man with strong vocals and the ability to raise the energy of the crowd. After contributing vocals in music that has been submitted and accepted for film, Stephen continues to pursue vocal opportunities as well as build his resume and strengthen his skills as a producer and actor. As co-producer on the “Spin Slowly” project, Stephen had many responsibilities and his work was considered exceptional. As an actor, he is quickly becoming more and more skilled and experienced through both on set experiences and in class training. Stephen Tenner and T. George McArdle together own the production company "StellaJayne Films" ( www.stellajaynefilms.com) which is responsible for producing the independent film “Spin Slowly”. Stephen is continuing to pursue acting, music and production opportunities. A 15-minute Q & A session is to follow
III. 15-Minute Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings:
Mike Feurstein: S.T.E.M. - 3min - Mike Feurstein's MovieQuest Productions and Activision|Blizzard teamed up to produce a short video aimed at promoting the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, in the modern day workplace: in this instance, a video game company!
LAYBABB - 16min - Without good communication we are the architects of our own misfortunes in love, business, friendship, pizza and crepes. (Presented in complete gibberish with equally nonsensical subtitles). Starring several UI members and crewed entirely by teens of MovieQuest. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
Happy Holidays from Upstate Independents!- December 23, 2010
UI New Year Meeting Agenda (January 4th, 2011) - December 31, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I. Announcements – Made by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker – Graeme McKenna, Associate Manager, THE LINDA, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio
Graeme has worked as a professional freelance actor, producer, director and voice-over talent in film, television, radio and stage for 35 years. He has also worked on every kind of film set from student projects to Hollywood block busters and in numerous positions including extra, PA, grip, director, actor , AD , stand-in and production coordinator. Graeme was the Managing Director of The Saratoga Film Forum for five years and was the freelance film programmer/booker for The Palace Theater.
Graeme has helped produce, promote, manage and program several local film festivals and numerous smaller day festivals including Cinema of the Spirit, Hati Moving Images and the Zombie Film Feast. He currently holds the position of Associate Manager and film programmer for The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. He produces, hosts, and edits interviews with film directors for broadcast on WAMC northeast public radio and has written for the Times Union film blog including daily coverage of the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival. He has worked professionally in both Canada and the United States including 16 years in Los Angeles.
Graeme studied theater and acting at the George Brown College School of Theater and studied film at the York University Film School both in Toronto, Canada.
A 15-minute Q & A session is to follow.
III. 15-Minute Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings:
Heather L. Martin: LITERACY CONNECTIONS - a short documentary (approximately 13 minutes), about a local, non-profit organization that is helping adults learn to read and write. This project marks her first documentary and professional piece.
Heidi Philipsen: HER TELLING HEART trailer – a 30 second trailer for the upcoming short adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic thriller, “The Tell-tale Heart,” shot this past fall in Upstate, New York on the RED one camera and directed by Eli Meissner and starring Heidi Philipsen, Grant R. Krause, Rich Lundy, and Sophie Meissner, and featuring Steven O’Connor, Michael Sargalis and Matthew Mann. The short, currently in post-production, and engaging mainly local professionals in its cast and crew, is to be finished in the spring and will be screened in a sneak preview. For more information, check out the film’s web-site: www.hertellingheart.com.
Kevin Craig West: THE BEAUTY INSIDE – A short film, written by Wendy Okoi-Obuli, directed by Kevin Craig West, and starring Brenny Rabine and Kevin Craig West. The film’s story is about coping with traumatic brain injury. Check out it’s Facebook page for further details.
Don't Miss It!
Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production.
I. Announcements – Made by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker – Stephen William Tenner Stephen Tenner has been active in the New York City area appearing in many current films and television programs. He also made quite an impression as a Producer in the independent film "Spin Slowly." Stephen decided to pursue acting and producing in film and television in addition to his career as a professional musician. Stephen was the former lead vocalist for the bands "Later Than Never" and "Me, Him and a guy named Tim". Currently, he is The Lead Vocalist for his new project, "Acoustic Souls". Stephen is always a powerful front man with strong vocals and the ability to raise the energy of the crowd. After contributing vocals in music that has been submitted and accepted for film, Stephen continues to pursue vocal opportunities as well as build his resume and strengthen his skills as a producer and actor. As co-producer on the “Spin Slowly” project, Stephen had many responsibilities and his work was considered exceptional. As an actor, he is quickly becoming more and more skilled and experienced through both on set experiences and in class training. Stephen Tenner and T. George McArdle together own the production company "StellaJayne Films" ( www.stellajaynefilms.com) which is responsible for producing the independent film “Spin Slowly”. Stephen is continuing to pursue acting, music and production opportunities. A 15-minute Q & A session is to follow
III. 15-Minute Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings:
Mike Feurstein: S.T.E.M. - 3min - Mike Feurstein's MovieQuest Productions and Activision|Blizzard teamed up to produce a short video aimed at promoting the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, in the modern day workplace: in this instance, a video game company!
LAYBABB - 16min - Without good communication we are the architects of our own misfortunes in love, business, friendship, pizza and crepes. (Presented in complete gibberish with equally nonsensical subtitles). Starring several UI members and crewed entirely by teens of MovieQuest. Don't Miss It!
Where we’re located: Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production. Check out the best independent film and media resource in Upstate New York. For more information, e-mail us at info@upstateindependents.com See you there!
Happy Holidays from Upstate Independents!- December 23, 2010
UI New Year Meeting Agenda (January 4th, 2011) - December 31, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I. Announcements – Made by UI Secretary, Rosemary Thomas
II. Guest Speaker – Graeme McKenna, Associate Manager, THE LINDA, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio
Graeme has worked as a professional freelance actor, producer, director and voice-over talent in film, television, radio and stage for 35 years. He has also worked on every kind of film set from student projects to Hollywood block busters and in numerous positions including extra, PA, grip, director, actor , AD , stand-in and production coordinator. Graeme was the Managing Director of The Saratoga Film Forum for five years and was the freelance film programmer/booker for The Palace Theater.
Graeme has helped produce, promote, manage and program several local film festivals and numerous smaller day festivals including Cinema of the Spirit, Hati Moving Images and the Zombie Film Feast. He currently holds the position of Associate Manager and film programmer for The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. He produces, hosts, and edits interviews with film directors for broadcast on WAMC northeast public radio and has written for the Times Union film blog including daily coverage of the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival. He has worked professionally in both Canada and the United States including 16 years in Los Angeles.
Graeme studied theater and acting at the George Brown College School of Theater and studied film at the York University Film School both in Toronto, Canada.
A 15-minute Q & A session is to follow.
III. 15-Minute Networking Break
IV. Film Screenings:
Heather L. Martin: LITERACY CONNECTIONS - a short documentary (approximately 13 minutes), about a local, non-profit organization that is helping adults learn to read and write. This project marks her first documentary and professional piece.
Heidi Philipsen: HER TELLING HEART trailer – a 30 second trailer for the upcoming short adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic thriller, “The Tell-tale Heart,” shot this past fall in Upstate, New York on the RED one camera and directed by Eli Meissner and starring Heidi Philipsen, Grant R. Krause, Rich Lundy, and Sophie Meissner, and featuring Steven O’Connor, Michael Sargalis and Matthew Mann. The short, currently in post-production, and engaging mainly local professionals in its cast and crew, is to be finished in the spring and will be screened in a sneak preview. For more information, check out the film’s web-site: www.hertellingheart.com.
Kevin Craig West: THE BEAUTY INSIDE – A short film, written by Wendy Okoi-Obuli, directed by Kevin Craig West, and starring Brenny Rabine and Kevin Craig West. The film’s story is about coping with traumatic brain injury. Check out it’s Facebook page for further details.
Don't Miss It!
Upstate Independents meets the first Tuesday of every month at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Avenue, Albany, NY from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Click here to view the Google map and get directions. It is a great opportunity to network with others who are interested in all aspects of film and television production.
