make mine a robbery, straight up, with a twist

Two days before Christmas, the postman delivered a surprise gift to me: the finished product from the hands of the Reichard brothers. Hallelujah!!!
Totally unexpected.
After all, the last message they had written to their kickstarter backers (including me in those ranks) was in March of this year, alluding to the shipment soon of the rewards of our investments.
Originally, the forecast had called for rewards to be mailed in December 2012.
However, this isn't my first rodeo.
I know things take longer than one thinks they will, so I bided my time.
Then the thought of waiting for the postman slipped to the back of my mind and got lost in the shuffle.
And now? Now the time - and the film! - is here!!!
A Christmas gift to brighten my holidays!
I couldn't be any prouder of these fine young men and their crew.

This evening, I was finally able to carve out a hunk of time to again watch the film.
Again? I had already had the privilege of seeing it?
Yes, I had. On a much larger screen than the 15" of my television screen, too.
It had been shown at "16 x 9 Revealed", a competitive student showcase of films, at the Trustees Theatre. That was in late spring of 2012, May 30 and 31; right in time for my 54th birthday.
This film was not the only one of the kickstarter projects that I've backed which screened on that occasion. The other contenders with my support: "Chalk Talk", "12:15 Sunday", "Crucifaxe 2", "The Flight", and "Gypped".
This film, "The Restaurant Job", walked away with the 2012 Best Editing for an Undergraduate Film Award.
Nicely done!
The film is so tightly constructed, with miles of high energy, no wasted moments - and an ending that will leave you both thrilled and completely satisfied.
Tommy Pietch, Louis Vanaria, and John McGlothlin masterfully draw us into their heist, from the initial planning to the actual performance of the robbery. Nothing is given away about the ending. No foreshadowing, no knowing glances.
Perfect surprise.
I do so enjoy a good surprise, too.
I see many films, as well as many movies, and, yes, there is definitely a difference. It isn't that often anymore that a plot manages to pull a fast one on me.
This one did.
My kudos, and thanks, to all.

I do hope you will some day be able to enjoy these twelve minutes of footage.
And I do hope I will soon see more works from these two brothers.

Hint, hint, Nicholas and Brandon.
And many thanks for making my Christmas brighter.

hello, hellyfish?

Well, one thing I am learning with these kickstarter projects: when the people in charge of making them move away from each other or graduate from SCAD, the project goes into slow-motion status.
Pat Longsteth moved to California in late May of 2012, after filming was totally complete, as he states in the "comments" portion of my posting.
Since then, it's all but stopped, at least as far as I can tell.
The Savannah Magazine's July 2012 issue, titled "Life on the Water", sported a very nice interview with Pat and Rob McLean. The story was titled, aptly enough, "Creature Feature" and is quite entertaining.
Also in July of 2012, their blog was updated to let all know that the trailer for the film was complete and available on youTube. I have it posted above, for your one-stop viewing pleasure! Pretty exciting!
It also tends to whet one's movie-viewing appetite.
So far, that is still unsated.
Near the end of February, their blog reassured all that they had been "chiseling away all winter on the post-production of Hellyfish, and I must admit that this monster is a tough one to REEL in. When tackling any large problem, it’s important to take a break, have a little fun, and learn about what else is happening in the world. So here goes."
The rest of that post, while interesting, was not helpful.
When would the film be completed?
As it has not been completed, that must mean they were unable to enter it in the 2012 SXSW Film Festival.
Will they try again this year? If so, the deadline for submissions is in October.
Stay tuned...
I will!

the flight continues!

Taking to the air once more, this steampunk film is working mightily to soar - and I'm on board again!
Previously presented on kickstarter, the film failed to attain its funding goal... so it received nothing. Those are the rules: attain goal, receive all funds pledged; fall short of goal, receive nothing. The backers have rules, too: if goal is reached, the backers receive the rewards for their pledge levels. However, if the project fails to hit goal, the backers do not receive rewards - and their monies pledged are not collected.
Jennifer Marie Bird, the writer and director of photography of "The Flight", did not get discouraged. In fact, I believe she became even more determined that this "kickass steampunk film" see the light of day. Festival exposure is critical to the growth of this short into a feature-length story.
At this point, the film is finished, edited, locked - all of that. So now to get the backing to take it on the road, show it to the world, let the LGBTQ community have another pathfinder, especially for youth.
So, she brought it to indiegogo.
The rules are different here. The project creator receives all monies pledged, whether the funding goal is attained or not. And, the backers are guaranteed to receive the rewards they have chosen, as the pledged funds are collected instantly when pledged.
I guess this manner of crowdsourcing relies upon better preparation than does kickstarter.
At any rate, I know I will receive the dvd of the film, this time.
Thanks, Jenn, for reminding me a few days ago about this new aim for the skies!

12:15 sunday safely landed

Woohoo!
I had received the above still back in March,
along with these others.
Filming had wrapped and
the creator of this kickstarter project wanted to share the good news.
Lookin' good, Taylor!

And here's the link to the trailer.
Then I was fortunate enough to actually watch the film on the silver screen. The Savannah College of Art And Design held the "16 x 9 Revealed" student showcase at the Trustees Theatre, on the two final days in May. Woohoo! Happy birthday to me!!!

The film was done beautifully. The transitions between the elderly veteran's narrative and the dramatic reenactments of the events on Sunday, January 20, 1945, were executed very well - bravo!
Apparently, I was not the only one impressed. When the 2012 SCADemy Awards were given, "12:15 Sunday" walked away with two of them! Best Documentary Film Undergraduate! Best Sound Design For An Undergraduate Film! Taylor, himself, was awarded as Best Director For An Undergraduate Film - making history at the school for being the first documentary director to win. Congratulations!
I am so very proud of the work done here. I am so grateful to have been able to contribute to something I believed in, a project which I could back in memory of my stepdad, Francis Ignacius Barry.
Thank you, Taylor Jenkins.

Speaking of such, here is the thank-you email I received from him:

June 3, 2012
Taylor Jenkins says:

Hello all!

This is the official Thank You email to all 12:15 Sunday Kickstarter supporters! We've finally seen this documentary through to the end! It's been a long journey with numerous challenges along the way, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

The film was completed just this last week, and screened at our local Senior Showcase as well as the SCAD Film and Television award ceremony. We were nominated for Best Sound Design, Best Documentary, and Best Director,...and 12:15 Sunday ended up winning each nomination! I'm humbled by how positively people are reacting to the film, so I can't wait to share it with everyone!

But it is only because of the support and contributions of everyone here that brought this film to life. So I now extend my thanks, and wish I could fully express how deeply grateful I truly am. I've loved people checking in with the project to see its progress and anticipating the film's completion. Well the wait is now over.

I will be uploading the film to a private online viewing website very soon! I'll notify everyone once the film is uploaded online for viewing!

The next step in the film's journey is sending it around to festivals for potential screenings! I feel confident for its future!

Again, thank you everyone so very much for making this film possible! And thank you for bringing John's story to life.

Sincerely,

Taylor Jenkins

Nice!
Tonight, he sent the link for the full-length film to me!
Sadly, I cannot share it here.
It's only for me and twelve other supporters of the project!
But, if you ask, I will gladly let you watch it with me. Gladly!

owen's hobby - a narrative short

This is not Zachary Burke's first project posted on kickstarter. Actually, this is not the first time this SCAD senior has posted to raise funds for "Owen's Hobby". In fall of 2011, he was trying to finish the film and had a pretty high financial goal - which fell short. So, that meant he received no funds for that campaign.
This time around, he's done with filming and has it in post-production status. So, the funding needs are less and the goal is more within reach.
I like the premise: a stalker has to choose between outing himself as a pervert or allowing harm to come to the object of his attraction. It reminds me of the plot in one of my favorite Melanie Griffith's movies, "Body Double". (Aside: Excellent Brian de Palma movie and a soundtrack that includes "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - magnifique!)
I'm hoping others will join me in the funding - I would love to own the hard copy of this film!

hellyfish

Lost bombs at Tybee Beach have been the topics of quite a few discussions over the years, especially here in Savannah, Georgia, just thirty minutes away. Now, we are asked to consider this: the bomb has radioactive material inside, which, thanks to the corrosive properties of salt water, has now leached into the nearby ocean and tainted the sealife. Jellyfish have mutated into gigantic creatures, able to feed at will on whatever goes into the water - including snooty young triplet blondes.
Really makes you want to stand up and cheer for the Hellyfish!
(smile!)
So, I'm backing it with one dollar for every year of my life.
I think Pat Longstreth and Rob McLean have a top-notch, fun, horror film on their hands and I want to see it!
I want to hold it in my hands!!
I want to watch it over and over!!!
Pardon me while I go stand by my mailbox...

12:15 sunday

Like an earlier kickstarter project I backed last year, this one has a focus on one man's life during the dark days of World War II. Also, like that earlier project, this one is a senior-year film for a student at SCAD.
Unlike the project last year, this one by Taylor Jenkins is based on facts from his grandfather's lips of his experiences after his plane was shot down in 1944.
I can so relate to that. My stepdad has very similar tales.
In fact, my stepdad was in a plane written about in "The Diary of Anne Frank". When he read the book, he was startled to find the description of his very flight on March 22, 1944. He talked of his crew being forced by the German captors to walk through the streets, parachute in hand, with people calling him a "baby killer" because their plane had crashed into a school - an empty school, as it turns out.
My stepdad and his crew-mates spent the rest of the war in various prison camps. He was only 22 years old when captured. His time in the prison camps is documented and on record at The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.
John Stone Jenkins, the bomber navigator who is the subject of the film, was more fortunate. After parachuting just seconds before the damaged B-17 blew up, he found a place to hide overnight, then made it back to safety. This film combines narration by the man himself with dramatic reenactments of the events.
Wow.
I know my stepdad would be most pleased that I am again thinking of him.
How did I find this project, you ask?
Sheer luck.
I was searching for projects in Georgia. I had already picked one up in Athens, a whimsical bus stop reinvention. Then I spotted this one, right here in my fair city.
Maybe I'll even get to see it on the big screen, if it makes its funding goal next month.
Here's hoping it will succeed!

chalk talk

When I saw this project on kickstarter, I immediately thought of my stepdad.
So, I have backed this, a local Georgia film, in memory of him.
I only wish I could share a screening of it in his den when I receive my award.
Yes, I believe it is worth every bit of a Benjamin to own this piece of history, to be created by SCAD student Chris Durenberger, in honor of aging veterans.
Nicely done.
No dialogue. Morse code, as interpreted through contacts of chalk on a board, transmitted from one classroom to another through the wall.
You never know what time travel machine will be used to transport memories.