Week Twelve - Special Effects to Assist Story: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

So the big question is, of course, do the special effects assist the story? If so, why? If not, why not? Are the special effects done just for the sake of doing special effects ie: because we can, or do they really assist the story to move forward. Does the story stand alone without the special effects?

FILM FLORIDA ALONG WITH THE FLORIDA FILM COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES CREATION OF DON DAVIS FILM FINISHING FUND

FILM FLORIDA ALONG WITH THE FLORIDA FILM COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES CREATION OF DON DAVIS FILM FINISHING FUND

-FUND FOR FILMMAKERS HONORS THE LATE LEGISLATOR AND CHAMPION OF FLORIDA’S ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY-

TALLAHASSEE, FL (April 21, 2008) — Film Florida announced today the creation of the Don Davis Film Finishing Fund; which will provide completion funding to aspiring filmmakers in the state.

The state’s film community was devastated by the news that Rep. Davis – a longtime champion of the production industry – passed away earlier this month following a lengthy illness. In 2007’s session, the state revamped the entire incentive program and renamed it the Don Davis Entertainment Industry Economic Development Act increasing the incentive to $25 million.

“Representative Don Davis revived our industry by spearheading legislation that truly took our state into a more level playing field with other states also competing to bring in production business,” said Graham Winick, President of Film Florida. “He was instrumental in passing legislation that has resulted in jobs and growth for Florida’s film industry.”

Pamela Tuscany-Warren, Vice President of Universal Studios Production Group, speaking on behalf of the film industry, agreed.

“Representative Davis understood that the incentive works, and that it is vital to the state’s economy. We are saddened that our industry has lost a trailblazer, and want continue his legacy with the Don Davis Film Finishing Fund that will assist filmmakers for generations to come. We think the creation of this fund will serve as a tribute to him, and that’s why we didn’t hesitate to contribute. I am challenging my fellow film industry professionals to match our initial contribution to insure this remarkable man remains recognized in our industry for years to come.”

The Don Davis Film Finishing Fund will provide completion funding to independent producers and filmmakers. Film Florida will announce criteria and applications soon on www.filmflorida.org.

- more -

“This is a fitting memorial to Representative Don Davis whose hard work has helped grow Florida’s film, television and digital media industry incentive program from $2.45 million four years ago to the current level of $25 million. As a result of the state incentive program, we currently have 48 certified productions slated for this year compared to just 22 last year. More than $6 is spent on Florida wages, services and products for every dollar we rebate these productions. Further, the positive impact on our tourism industry is immeasurable,” said Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp.

He continued: “The Governor and I have asked the legislature to invest $30 million into the incentive so we can attract and keep this industry and its valuable workforce in Florida. I know if Don were here today he would be very proud of the industry for creating the Film Florida’s Don Davis Film Finishing Fund as another tool to help build our talent base.”

Frank Patterson, Florida State University Film School Dean, also recognized Representative Davis’ vast contribution and legacy. “As educators prepare Florida’s future filmmakers, we owe an enormous debt to the leadership of Representative Don Davis, whose bold work paved a road of real opportunity for our graduates entering the film, television and digital media industries,” he said. “His legacy will most certainly live on through the successful careers of our students.”

For more information, please visit www.filmflorida.org.

About Film Florida
Film Florida is a not-for-profit corporation that provides a leadership role in Florida's film and entertainment industries by representing a coalition of interests, including private industry, local film commissions, industry associations and labor organizations. Its purpose is to offer to businesses and individuals the benefits of a statewide trade association to promote the creation of jobs in the film and entertainment production industries and to promote economic development and tourism.

DBFF ANNOUNCES ANIMATION MASTER CLASS WITH BILL PLYMPTON

DBFF ANNOUNCES ANIMATION MASTER CLASS WITH BILL PLYMPTON

-With More Workshops to Be Held During 2008 Delray Beach Film Festival May 6-11

Current Through: April 12, 2008

FILMMAKERS AND FILM STUDENTS TO LEARN THE ART AND BUSINESS OF FILMMAKING FROM OSCAR-NOMINATED ANIMATOR, BILL PLYMPTON –AND OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

(Delray Beach, Florida) – Oscar-nominated animator, Bill Plympton returns to the Delray Beach Film Festival (DBFF) to fascinate filmmakers and film students with his illustrious workshop, titled Animation Master Class with Bill Plympton. Mr. Plympton’s workshop will be held Friday, May 9, from 2-4 pm at Dolce Amore Café, located in Downtown Delray Beach’s Historic Pineapple Grove District.

Through the use of live drawings and recent short films, Writer-Producer-Director Bill Plympton will talk about how to make a living, producing short films. He will also discuss the creative side of animated shorts. After a short Question & Answer session, Mr. Plympton will give every attendee a sketch!

The 2008 Delray Beach Film Festival invites local and visiting filmmakers and well as college and high school film students interested in the art of filmmaking, to take part in this series of free educational film workshops. Over four days of the festival, industry professionals will present valuable and cutting-edge workshops during the daytime, –from Acting to Script Writing to Film Financing, and more.

The educational film workshops will take place on Wednesday, May 7th through Saturday, May 10^th. Casting Directors/Actors Workshop, hosted by Director/Acting Coach Marc Durso, ( Wed. 5/7), Script Writing Workshop, hosted by Writer-Producer-Director Alyn Darnay, (Thurs. 5/8), Acting for Directors & Screenwriters Workshop, Marc Durso of ActTrue, Inc., (Thurs. 5/8), International Co-Productions Workshop, hosted by Producer Indira Somani and Filmmaker Leena Jayaswall, (Thurs. 5/8), New Digital Technologies for Filmmakers Workshop, sponsored by SONY, (Fri. 5/9), Animation Master Class with Bill Plympton, (Fri. 5/9), Film Financing Workshop, hosted by Jeffrey Taylor, Founder of Showbiz Management Advisors, (Sat. 5/10), and The Future of Interactive On-Demand Media Workshop, hosted by Steve Zuckerman, Founder of GEMS TV, (Sat. 5/10).

All workshop seminars will be held at the Dolce Amore Cafe, located at 241 NE 2nd Avenue, off Atlantic Avenue, in Downtown Delray Beach. For specific times and complete workshop descriptions, please visit our website: www.dbff.us or pick up our program guide from supporting Palm Beach County businesses. School groups may sign up for one or all four days. The workshop seminars are free, on a first-come-first serve basis. All workshop seminars are subject to change without notice.

About Bill Plympton

After a successful 15-year career as an illustrator and cartoonist, Bill Plympton was approached to animate and direct a film based on Jules Feiffer's song, "Boomtown." Plympton followed BOOMTOWN with his own animated film, DRAWING LESSON # 2, which garnered a 1988 Oscar nomination for best animated short. His filmography soon expanded into a succession of short and feature length animated films as well as live-action feature length films, such as YOUR FACE, J. LYLE and HAIR HIGH. Bill received his second Oscar nomination in January 2005 for his short film GUARD DOG. Two equally successful sequels, GUIDE DOG and HOT DOG, soon followed.

His latest feature film, IDIOTS AND ANGELS, will premiere at Tribeca, and close the 2008 Delray Beach Film Festival, (Saturday, May 10th at the Crest Theater at Old School Square). Featuring the music of Tom Waits, Moby and Pink Martini, IDIOTS AND ANGELS is dark comedy about a morally bankrupt man scrabbling to hide the good in himself-which manifests itself in a pair of angel wings that just won't go away.

About the Festival

The Delray Beach film Festival is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that demonstrates its commitment to the community by donating a percentage of the proceeds from the film festival to other non-profits including the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and The Children’s Coalition, Inc.

Week Eleven: 300

Sometimes amazing, sometimes just "creepy." What works, what doesn't. How does this use of computer technologies compare to its early counterpart, Tron?

Week Ten: Mirror Mask

Due to unpopular demand Volume Two of last week's short animations has gone back to the film warehouse unwatched. This week let's take a look at Live Action + CG Animation as seen in "MirrorMask". How is this film different from "Roger Rabbit" and/or "Howl's Moving Castle" how is it similar? What do you think of this combo world it creates?

Week Nine: Animation Show Volume 1

Welcome back from Spring Break. Great job posting your first four essays. Compelling thoughts and critiques. Really enjoyed reading them all.

This week (and maybe next) a compilation of shorts to review. Which were your favorites and why? What does this collection tell you about the current state of animation globally? Does this collection inspire you?

South Beach International Animation Film Festival (THU 03-06)

APRIL 2008

Festivals, Festivals, and more Festivals!

T H E M I A M I B E A C H C I N E M A T H E Q U E

The on-going film festival where you don't just watch films, you experience them!

512 Espanola Way at Plaza de Espana (305) 67-FILMS (673-4567) www.MBCINEMA.com

APRIL at a Glance:

South Beach International Animation Film Festival (THU 03-06)

South Beach InternationalAnimation Festival

03 THU 8:30pm:

International and Art House Animation

(including , but not limited to, the following short films)

Jingaroo (Beckett Entertainment/Australia/10:00)

What cartoons do the kids "Down Under" watch?

One Skin (Gudrun Cram-Drach/USA/10:16)

One women?s journey.

A-ha! Butterfly Rescuers (Paul Paik/Korea/4:21)

Insects living in a ending machine are force to find a new home.

Let Her See The World (India/5:00)

A protest against "Female Foeticide".

Anti Smoking (India/1:05)

Third World countries are addressing the issue of cigarette smoking.

YoYo (Boaz Zachary/Australia/3:10)

How one adventurous boy surfs the big ones in Australia.

04 FRI 8:30pm: Animation for Adults

(including , but not limited to, the following short films)

Father & Son (Shawn Robertson/USA/1:30)

The time honored ritual of a father teaching his son how to throw a

ball. How sweet. Or is it?

Chicken Sushi (Rich Jackson/USA/1:07)

Coming to a diner near you?

Yum Yum  Treats (Matthew Feuer/USA/:30)

Man?s best friend does his best to negotiate getting the treat of his dreams.

It Could Be Worse (Zack Horn/USA/5:32)

This film is dedicated to anyone who has lost a night?s sleep with a snoozer.

Alley Cats (Derrik Dean/USA/7:22)

Ladies, a sale and a bowling alley. What could go wrong?

Nude Nule (Soule Movie/Korea/X Rated/3:00)

On a country back road one man does his best to bridge the generation gap.

Once you see this film, you will never think of Korea the same way again.

05 SAT 2-4pm:

Saturday Afternoon with the Toons

Concept Development Workshop

Have you ever had an idea for a great cartoon? Come to this workshop and learn

how to get the idea out of your head and down on paper. Once on paper your concept

is just a pencil stroke away from becoming a short film. The two-hour workshop will

allow participants to explore the relation between story and character development.
Through enjoyable and creative exercises (principles of writing, story design and

cinematography) they will develop their own story learning how to translate an idea
into an initial storyboard?s first draft.
With Diana Arrambide of the Computer Animation Department

of Miami International University of Art & Design.

$15 or $12 MBC Members

05 SAT 8pm:

Awards Night with Awards Party

categories include grand master, international, student

(including , but not limited to, the following short films)

Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones/USA/10:00)

One of the greatest cartoons in the Warner Bros. library from its

Golden Age of Animation is, hands down, this 1953 classic.

A Mouse?s Tale (Sam Armitage/UK/3:10)

A tale of an English mouse, his mother and a curious cat.

Monster For Sale (Simon Testro/UK/3:10)

One boy?s answer to the neighborhood bullies is to hire a Monster.

Let Her See The World (India/5:00)

A political protest against "Female Foeticide"

Hope Springs Eternal (on Noble/USA/7:05)

Such a loser he can?t even commit suicide without screwing up.

Sweet Robbery (Guy Bourraine Jr/USA/12:04)

A sweet old lady is home all alone when a cat burglar enters her home.

After the films meet the animators for Q&A.

Join us afterwards for the Awards Party at CAMEO

(free admission and open bar 10pm-Midnight!)

06 SUN 8pm:

Best of Ottawa Animation Film Festival

The largest of its kind in North America

The Best of Ottawa program showcases many of the outstanding films

presented in the world famous Ottawa Internnational Animation Film

Festival?s official competition. The 2007 program includes exceptional

films from Tom Brown & Daniel Gray, Aaron Augenblick, Tibor Bancozki,

and Matthew Walker. The selected films competed in six main competitions:

Feature Film, New Media, Independent Short Films, Commissioned Films,

Student Films and Animation Made for Children.