Thursday, April 28, 2011

Our comedy short "The Oblique Sector" an Official Selection in the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival

Albion Park Productions (a new production company that I started last year with some very talented and creative collaborators) is pleased to announce that our very first project, a short romantic comedy by way of the Twilight Zone called, "The Oblique Sector," is now an Official Selection at the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival!

"Those dating sites never worked for me."
"Those dating sites never worked out for me."

We've set up a website for the short and you can check out the credits, trailer, and other news as it makes the festival circuit:


Check the updates as there are several local screenings to be announced shortly.

Preview: Here's a peak inside the world we like to call, The Oblique Sector!
The Trailer

I had a great time creating this along with some very talented folks, including Director Jason Reulet, who pulled double duty as the Oblique Narrator, himself!

Amanda Hennessey not only co-wrote and produced, she turned in a great performance as our heroine.

My thanks as well to video-maven Sam Sacks, who broke in his new Canon HDSLR so we could shoot two camera coverage to get the restaurant scene finished in the limited time we had before the real diners came pouring in to Chianti in Beverly, MA.

We've got many good things brewing and I'm looking forward to our continuing collaboration!
"The Oblique Sector" by Albion Park Productions
Chemistry is filled with complicated equations, and romantic chemistry is no different.


Or follow us on twitter, if your prefer: http://twitter.com/#!/obliquesector

P.S.-Nantucket Film Festival...that's a great logo you have there.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"Thumbosis" Wins Best of Boston, Screens at NAB Show.

Over the last several years I've participated in a good number of 48 Hour Film competitions, usually with team Playomatic (and my frequent collaborator Steve Stuart) here in Boston (and in Providence, RI) and while we've won our share of awards, we've never won the the Big Kahuna--the "Best of Boston" designation awarded by the panel of film critic judges to the overall top film...Until now!

Video Drone
Video Drone

Our short mockumentary, "Thumbosis," was declared "Best of Boston" following the 48 Go Green Premier Screening on February 24th, 2011 at Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA.

"Thumbosis"
A mockumentary with the assigned theme of "Save the Next Generation."
Required character: Morgana Johnson, Ph.D.
Assigned prop: keychain.
Required line of dialogue: "When does she arrive?"

The Heartbreak of Thumbosis
The Heartbreak of Thumbosis

Taking a cue from Nature Deficit Disorder, a somewhat real, if controversial behavioral disorder postulated by Richard Louv in his 2005 book, "Last Child in the Woods:"

Nature Deficit Disorder Victim
The young are the most vulnerable.

Our film spins a mockumentary around our own made-up disorder, Thumbosis Extremis.

Thumbosis Extremis

Thumbosis Extremis is what happens to young people who, perhaps already debilitated by NDD, overindulge in typing, texting and endless video game playing, rendering the digits of their fingers nearly useless from overuse.

Morgana Johnson, Ph.D., S.M.U.G., H.A.C.K.

We trot out our expert (and required character) Morgana Johnson, Ph.D. to explain and illuminate the condition, as well as present treatment options, some more effective than others.

As with all our past films, I was cinematographer (as well as co-producer, co-writer and Box-O'-Joe schlepper) for Thumbosis. Filmed entirely on Cape Cod, I'm pretty proud of what we accomplished in only 48 hours with a tiny crew, from concept to finished film.

Silhouette Skies
Is there hope on the horizon for Thumbosis sufferers?

Thumbosis was shot entirely with a Panasonic HVX200, usually utilizing a Brevis 35mm adapter and a selection of SLR lenses. My 24mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4 and 105mm 2.8 Nikon primes were the most useful on this shoot and account for 90% of all shots.

Only the "nature" shots were done without the Brevis and I took advantage of the 60fps capabilities of the HVX (which, on a 24fps timeline, makes for some very pleasant slow-mo) and it's excellent standard 13x Leica lens. The HVX has been around a good five years, but it's still a highly competent workhorse capable of very cinematic HD video.

Compared to the HDSLR's all the rage today, this baby still rocks on a professional level, particularly with the form factor and high quality audio acquisition (balanced XLR's and phantom power, etc.).

Panasonic's own AF100 and Sony's F3 are starting to merge the best of both worlds; the gorgeous depth of field and interchangeable lenses of the DSLRs along with the high quality audio/video connections and rock solid build and workflow that professionals crave. I'm looking forward to maybe retiring the Brevis adapter with my next camera.

Pondering a fingerless future
Devastated about the RED Scarlet. Pondering her next HD camera purchase. Should she go 4K?

The 2011 48 Go Green Film Competition is an offshoot of the 48 Hour Film Project. As "Best of Boston" winner, Thumbosis went on to compete against other winning films from around the globe and was a Top 16 Finalist.

As one of the Top 16, "Thumbosis" also screens today, April 13th, 2011, at NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters Show) in Las Vegas as part of the "Best of the 48 Go Green" session.

A Thumbosis slideshow:

I'd love to be at NAB this year, but I can't fly for a while due to recent surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon (Ugh!). Ironically, fear of deep vein thrombosis prevents me from seeing "Thumbosis." You can't make this stuff up...

All stills are frames from Thumbosis. Cinematography by Brad Kelly. ©2011