Well, it’s almost go time for this year’s 48 Hour Film Project! I wish I could say that I’m rested and ready, but the reality is that I’ve barely slept all week. So this weekend will be... interesting.
That said, just like last year, I’m going to try to tweet our progress via my (personal) Twitter feed, twitter.com/coughlan (or @coughlan, for you Twitter regulars). I’m not going to even pretend that I’ll be blogging or sending emails out across the next several days, so if you want more than just the eventual recap (and no promises as to when I’ll get around to posting that), the Twitter feed is the place to find it.
Okay, call to action time: We do have our screening night set — Wednesday, May 5, at 7:00 pm, at the AFI Silver Theatre. Tickets are now on sale — so go to the AFI site and place your order. We’d really like to have some friendly faces in the crowd! (And since ours is officially designated a “PG-13” screening, you can bring the younger viewers as well.)
Well, that’s about all I have time for now — I’ve still got paperwork to fill out, gear to load up, a cooler to clear out, messages to send, phone calls to make, potential locations to sift through, actor lists to assemble, and more than a little last-minute shopping to do (so glad I decided to take today off from the day job). So I’ll sign off for now, and look forward to seeing (many of) you at the screening.
Off to make a movie!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Three Weeks Until 48!
Just taking a moment to remind everyone that there are just three weeks until we once again jump into the 48 Hour Film Project: April 30th through May 2nd. We do have the core of our creative group set, but if you’d like to join in on the fun (well, the chaos, anyway) and haven’t already let us know, now would be a good time. As is routinely the case, we’re supremely interested in any locations you may have at your disposal — the more unusual the better, of course, but frankly even the mundane (but available) is a big help. And, of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask (rest assured, there is a human being at the other end of this message).
On another note, we recently received word that “Uncertainty Principle” will not receive commercial distribution (in fact, the distributor opted to pass on the International Shootout films entirely). The bad news, of course, is that you won’t be seeing our little film (or any of the other competitors’) on DVD any time soon — but the good news is that you can watch it online right now! That’s right, we have put the movie on our site for the world to enjoy. So go to the site, watch — and be sure to tell your friends!
That’s it for today — just a short update, in light of all the work we’re doing (or trying to do) in advance of our next creative outing. (Please, hold your applause.)
On another note, we recently received word that “Uncertainty Principle” will not receive commercial distribution (in fact, the distributor opted to pass on the International Shootout films entirely). The bad news, of course, is that you won’t be seeing our little film (or any of the other competitors’) on DVD any time soon — but the good news is that you can watch it online right now! That’s right, we have put the movie on our site for the world to enjoy. So go to the site, watch — and be sure to tell your friends!
That’s it for today — just a short update, in light of all the work we’re doing (or trying to do) in advance of our next creative outing. (Please, hold your applause.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
We’re Back...
Long time, no speak. I had hoped to have news on the distribution prospects for “Uncertainty Principle” (which will, in turn, affect our ability to post the film online), but alas, we are at the mercy of distributors’ schedules. So no word on that front just yet.
But as the time for our next filmmaking outing approaches, I couldn’t wait any longer to send out the call — yes, we are participating in this year’s 48 Hour Film Project! The event will take place from Friday, April 30, through Sunday, May 2 (and unlike the recent International Shootout, for which we technically had an extra day, this event will run just 48 hours). For the most part, our shooting will take place on Saturday the 1st — though given last year’s down-to-the-wire scramble to get in under deadline, I would really appreciate some additional postproduction support on Sunday (not to mention that having help there will allow us to clean things up some more, or experiment a bit).
Space on the team is naturally limited (which is my CYA way of saying I can’t promise anything), so please let me know as soon as possible if you’d like to join in. Hope to see you there!
(On a minor housekeeping note, because of some administrative changes at Blogger, we’ve had to migrate our news blog to a new address: tohubohunews.blogspot.com. You can still navigate there from the main Tohubohu site — and the old address should redirect to the new. Same great news archive, less intuitive URL.)
But as the time for our next filmmaking outing approaches, I couldn’t wait any longer to send out the call — yes, we are participating in this year’s 48 Hour Film Project! The event will take place from Friday, April 30, through Sunday, May 2 (and unlike the recent International Shootout, for which we technically had an extra day, this event will run just 48 hours). For the most part, our shooting will take place on Saturday the 1st — though given last year’s down-to-the-wire scramble to get in under deadline, I would really appreciate some additional postproduction support on Sunday (not to mention that having help there will allow us to clean things up some more, or experiment a bit).
Space on the team is naturally limited (which is my CYA way of saying I can’t promise anything), so please let me know as soon as possible if you’d like to join in. Hope to see you there!
(On a minor housekeeping note, because of some administrative changes at Blogger, we’ve had to migrate our news blog to a new address: tohubohunews.blogspot.com. You can still navigate there from the main Tohubohu site — and the old address should redirect to the new. Same great news archive, less intuitive URL.)
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
“Uncertainty Principle”
Thought I’d send out a quick (and long overdue) note about our latest short film, “Uncertainty Principle,” produced as part of the 48 Hour Film Project International Shootout, and let you know about a special local screening this Saturday evening. (Nothing like giving you plenty of advance notice, eh?)
The competition itself — open to the top 100 48 Hour Film Project teams worldwide — saw 55 teams turning in finished films over the weekend of December 4–7 (we get an extra day in there to account for the need to mail the films in to the “central office”). Five local teams were in the mix — us, Integral Arts, WIT Films, DC Dogs, and Red Hat Memory.
The competition itself proved a bit unusual, as we found out Friday evening when we received our “required elements”... or, rather, when we didn’t receive them. That’s right — no required character, prop, and line, and no randomly assigned genre. All we had was a theme: The End of the World.
I’d say that we agonized for hours about what to do, but in reality we hit upon a basic idea early on (well, Robin did), and we were off and running. We were pretty limited in terms of available locations this time around, so that helped define the scope of what we were able to tackle. But thanks to a great script, a stellar cast (including John C. Bailey, Anna Coughlan, Erin Rose Coughlan, Linda Gabriel Deutsch, Belén Pifel, and Stuart Scotten), and a dedicated crew (both Saturday and Sunday were pretty exhausting shooting days), we were able to deliver a really solid entry, and one I’m personally really proud of.
Here’s the official “summary”: Dire warnings of immminent disaster have proven justified, as global destruction begins raining down from purple-hued skies. A Washington family struggles to cope with the advancing armageddon until a lone physicist proposes an unorthodox course of action.
Unfortunately, because the judging is still under way (the plan is to distribute the top 10 films commercially), we can’t post the film online, or even show you a trailer. (At the earliest, we won’t be able to show you anything until March.) But you will have one chance to see the film this weekend, along with entries from the other local teams.
There will be a special screening — a free screening, no less — of all five DC-area films at CDIA in Georgetown (where the old Foundry Theater used to be) on Saturday, January 16. The screening starts at 7:00 PM and is expected to run about an hour; the films will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A afterward (and having worked with several of these filmmakers before, let me say that they can be an entertaining bunch). This promises to be a fairly packed event — remember, these are entries from the top teams in DC — so be sure to get there early. (Directions are available at the CDIA site, and feel free to get back to me with any questions.)
Hope to see you there!
The competition itself — open to the top 100 48 Hour Film Project teams worldwide — saw 55 teams turning in finished films over the weekend of December 4–7 (we get an extra day in there to account for the need to mail the films in to the “central office”). Five local teams were in the mix — us, Integral Arts, WIT Films, DC Dogs, and Red Hat Memory.
The competition itself proved a bit unusual, as we found out Friday evening when we received our “required elements”... or, rather, when we didn’t receive them. That’s right — no required character, prop, and line, and no randomly assigned genre. All we had was a theme: The End of the World.
I’d say that we agonized for hours about what to do, but in reality we hit upon a basic idea early on (well, Robin did), and we were off and running. We were pretty limited in terms of available locations this time around, so that helped define the scope of what we were able to tackle. But thanks to a great script, a stellar cast (including John C. Bailey, Anna Coughlan, Erin Rose Coughlan, Linda Gabriel Deutsch, Belén Pifel, and Stuart Scotten), and a dedicated crew (both Saturday and Sunday were pretty exhausting shooting days), we were able to deliver a really solid entry, and one I’m personally really proud of.
Here’s the official “summary”: Dire warnings of immminent disaster have proven justified, as global destruction begins raining down from purple-hued skies. A Washington family struggles to cope with the advancing armageddon until a lone physicist proposes an unorthodox course of action.
Unfortunately, because the judging is still under way (the plan is to distribute the top 10 films commercially), we can’t post the film online, or even show you a trailer. (At the earliest, we won’t be able to show you anything until March.) But you will have one chance to see the film this weekend, along with entries from the other local teams.
There will be a special screening — a free screening, no less — of all five DC-area films at CDIA in Georgetown (where the old Foundry Theater used to be) on Saturday, January 16. The screening starts at 7:00 PM and is expected to run about an hour; the films will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A afterward (and having worked with several of these filmmakers before, let me say that they can be an entertaining bunch). This promises to be a fairly packed event — remember, these are entries from the top teams in DC — so be sure to get there early. (Directions are available at the CDIA site, and feel free to get back to me with any questions.)
Hope to see you there!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Shawn Felty
It is with a heavy heart that I pass along the news that Shawn Felty — or “Felt” as we were wont to call him on set — passed away this afternoon, after a long struggle with colon cancer. While it seems all too clichéd to describe someone’s battle as “courageous,” in Shawn’s case it certainly seemed apt, as he never stopped remaining positive, never fell into self-pity or victimhood, even when his illness was at its worst (the title of his blog — “All It Takes Is Guts” — speaks volumes).
From our first meeting — on the night before we were to shoot “Schlimmer,” Tohubohu’s inaugural entry in the 48 Hour Film Project — Shawn showed himself to be not only talented, but creative and extraordinarily dedicated to his work. Following quickly with his starring turn in “Screening Process,” he cemented his position as a regular in front of the camera, appearing in nine of the thirteen short films we’ve produced. But his contribution never stopped there: We rapidly came to depend on his assistance in the postproduction arena, where he would jump in on everything from researching to organizing to editing (earning him the official title “Switch Hitter” on the Tohubohu board). When his health wouldn’t permit him to take a more active role, he would help in any way he could — on “Number One With a Bullet,” he took a turn helping coordinate the auditioning process, a task that he leapt into without a moment’s hesitation. And then, when his health improved, he was right back in the thick of things with “All Roads Lead Away” and “Please Forward.”
But more than all of that, Shawn was a good and valued friend. He never ceased to make the often arduous process of filmmaking a fun experience for everyone involved. His upbeat attitude, positive outlook and unbridled enthusiasm were truly unparalleled, and he routinely made friends everywhere he went; seventy people came by to see him in the hospital yesterday. And while I consider myself fortunate that I was able to be one of those visitors (where despite his weakness, his infectious smile was as wide as ever), that small feeling is overshadowed by the larger recognition of the tremendous impact he has had — and will continue to have — on my life. The world is measurably poorer for his passing.
Thanks, Shawn, for leaving the world a little brighter than it was before you entered.
Bill
Service arrangements are still being made, but Shawn’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Cancer Society — Colorectal Cancer.
From our first meeting — on the night before we were to shoot “Schlimmer,” Tohubohu’s inaugural entry in the 48 Hour Film Project — Shawn showed himself to be not only talented, but creative and extraordinarily dedicated to his work. Following quickly with his starring turn in “Screening Process,” he cemented his position as a regular in front of the camera, appearing in nine of the thirteen short films we’ve produced. But his contribution never stopped there: We rapidly came to depend on his assistance in the postproduction arena, where he would jump in on everything from researching to organizing to editing (earning him the official title “Switch Hitter” on the Tohubohu board). When his health wouldn’t permit him to take a more active role, he would help in any way he could — on “Number One With a Bullet,” he took a turn helping coordinate the auditioning process, a task that he leapt into without a moment’s hesitation. And then, when his health improved, he was right back in the thick of things with “All Roads Lead Away” and “Please Forward.”
But more than all of that, Shawn was a good and valued friend. He never ceased to make the often arduous process of filmmaking a fun experience for everyone involved. His upbeat attitude, positive outlook and unbridled enthusiasm were truly unparalleled, and he routinely made friends everywhere he went; seventy people came by to see him in the hospital yesterday. And while I consider myself fortunate that I was able to be one of those visitors (where despite his weakness, his infectious smile was as wide as ever), that small feeling is overshadowed by the larger recognition of the tremendous impact he has had — and will continue to have — on my life. The world is measurably poorer for his passing.
Thanks, Shawn, for leaving the world a little brighter than it was before you entered.
Bill
Service arrangements are still being made, but Shawn’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Cancer Society — Colorectal Cancer.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Counting Down... Again
Less than a week to go before we jump in on the 48 Hour Film Project International Shootout, but we still have some final details to get ironed out. Most significantly, just where to shoot. Turns out we don’t have a lot of our regular haunts available this time around, so if you’ve got any suggestions to offer up, please pass them along ASAP. The more interesting the better, of course (I have a fantasy of shooting in an abandoned steel mill), but even an ordinary apartment, office, bar, restaurant, school, or park will be helpful. We’ve got a couple of intriguing options out of the city (in some cases way out of the city), but I figure if we can shoot closer in there’s a greater chance that we’ll be able to keep everyone on board. (Yes, as a confirmed suburbanite, I’m used to driving, but not all of our city-dwelling brethren share my comfort level with distance travel.) Our main shooting day will be Saturday, but (since we’ve got the extra day for editing) we may do some additional scenes Sunday morning.
(And remember, if you’re going to be watching from the sidelines this time around, be sure to follow the weekend’s progress on my Twitter feed.)
On another note, I wanted to congratulate Erik Synnestvedt on winning a Silver Award for Acting on Camera – Dramatic, Male at the 2009 TIVA Awards for his work in “Please Forward.” So... congratulations!
Okay, that’s it for now — hope to see a lot of you in just a few days!
(And remember, if you’re going to be watching from the sidelines this time around, be sure to follow the weekend’s progress on my Twitter feed.)
On another note, I wanted to congratulate Erik Synnestvedt on winning a Silver Award for Acting on Camera – Dramatic, Male at the 2009 TIVA Awards for his work in “Please Forward.” So... congratulations!
Okay, that’s it for now — hope to see a lot of you in just a few days!
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