Monday, October 27, 2014

Special Effects Plug Ins Now Available

We've got some exciting news for our film makers and story tellers!  If you've seen the opening scenes to Scott Whitaker's 'A Road Alone' (link to A Road Alone) winner of Best Film at last year's Open Frame, you're aware of the moody 'dutch tilt' he employed to hint that the world of this runner coming toward us was about to be turned on it's head.

Scott adds to the texture of his shot with a dreary rainy soundscape and a depressing drizzle.  You may have wondered how Scott's team patiently waited for the perfect storm to film that opening shot. Surprise ... it wasn't raining at all ... Scott added the rain and colored the shot digitally with some special effects plugins available in Final Cut Pro.

So you can make it rain, make it snow, cloud up with fog or even fill the scene with grit and debris.  All possible with a suite of Final Cut Pro plugins that we've purchased for use in your movies and video story telling.  We've added Snow generators, Smoke, Fog, Grit and Grime, Color Texture and of course realistic rain effects software to our special effects arsenal available to you.  For a look at what you can accomplish with these effects check out the Pro Rain plugin here: http://store.pixelfilmstudios.com/plugin/effect-prorainvolume2.  While you're there, you can also check out ProGrit, ProFog, ProSmoke, ProSnow and ProToner, all of which we have made available for use in your projects.

For more information or a tutorial on how to use them email Steve Pustay: spustay@malone.edu.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Scriptwriting Contest Now Open

Open Frame Scriptwriting Contest / Challenge Opens!

The 2014-15 edition of the Open Frame Scriptwriting contest opened on Thursday, October 3rd.

The contest is open to any currently enrolled Malone University student.  It's your opportunity to sharpen your pencils and put that story that you've been dying to tell to paper.  You'll not only be stretching your writing 'chops' but the feedback on your scripts may prove valuable in framing and telling your unique story.

Each year talented Malone Alumni jury the scripts that are turned in -- which means that each script gets feedback from at least three judges including both numerical ratings and some narrative feedback.   You'll find, as an emerging writer, that getting serious feedback from good writers and readers is a rarity and a real privilege.  What better reason to start knocking out that script today.Scripts may be in any genre. Fresh innovative stories told in a cinematic way are best. Scripts mayrange from one minute to sixteen minutes (one minute = one page in screenplay format). Scripts must be submitted in standard screenplay format. Scripts MUST include a title page, but may NOT include the authors name. (we recommend celtx.com)

You should submit your script by email to Steven Pustay at his Malone email address (pustays@malone.edu).  All scripts must be delivered in PDF format. Again, with a title, but NO authorial name. Your submission email should include: Your name, phone number and script title.

Deadlines are good things! Nothing like the pressure of a deadline to provide that lift to the discipline of banging on those keys and getting it done!  All scripts must be emailed on or before Tuesday, November 11th to be considered for the award.

Malone Alumni Featured Guests at Canton Film Festival

2007 Malone University Graduates and Open Film filmmakers Jake and Erin Brown Thomas are returning to Canton as guests of the 2014Canton Film Festival.  The Canton Film festival is hosting  

a Q&A session with Erin and Jake on Friday, Oct. 3rd at 3:30 at the Palace Theater.

The couple will share their thoughts on directing, producing, scriptwriting and the creative and competitive business of filmmaking.  Their most recent collaboration, Hotwire the Movie (https://www.facebook.com/HotwireMovie/info?ref=page_internal), directed by Erin written by Jake is doing well on the festival circuit.

Both Jake and Erin are listed on IMDB and your can find their complete filmography here.  Erin (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3367798/) and Jake (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3737381/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2).

Jake and Erin have also served as jury members for the Open Frame Film Festival, most recently in 2014.  Both describe their involvement with the Open Frame Film Festival while students at Malone as influencing their desire to work in the industry and as helping them build their filmmaking skill sets.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Pictures From the 2014 Open Frame

Enjoy some of the pictures from the 2014 Open Frame.




Best Actor Alec Roshek

Best ScreenPlay Emily Morgan - Rebound

Dave Carmany - Best Director, Best Film - Rebound

Best Contribution Non-Malone Student - Ed Meunier - Rocket Man


Elizabeth Finley - Best Actress - Rebound

The Crew - The Lonely Road - Best Film

Phillip Palmer - Best Editor

The Crew - Rebound - Best Film & Audience Award

Vivo Memoria - Director Jon Delker and Lead Actor Alec Roshek

Trish Landis & Hannah Morgan  - Best Supporting Actresses - Rebound

Akash Negi & Brandon Magers - When Tomorrow is Behind Us

Congratulations to Open Frame 2014 Winners!

Here's the list of award winners for the 2014 Open Frame film festival.  Congratulations to these individuals and their teams.  More than 300 people attended the event and watched the 13 student films.  Thanks to everyone who contributed, participated, volunteered and attended this year's Open Frame.

Best Sound Design
* Brandon Magers - When Tomorrow is Behind Us *

Best Screen Play
* Emily Morgan - Rebound *

Best Cinematography
* Kyle Bartzsch - Addiction *

Best Editing
* Phillip Palmer - Perfection : 60 People 60 Seconds *

Best Contribution Non-Malone Student
* Ed Meunier - Rocket Man *

Best Supporting Actor
* Nate Netti - Rebound *

Best Supporting Actress
* Hannah Morgan, Trisha Landis - Rebound *

Best Actor
* Alec Roshek - Vivo Memoria *

Best Actress
* Elizabeth Finley - Rebound *

Best Director
* David Carmany - Rebound *

Best Film - Tie!
* The Lonely Road & Rebound *

Audience Award
* Rebound *

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Submission Guidelines Open Frame 2014

For all of who have been busy writing, shooting, editing, scoring, publishing ... good news it's almost over ... It wouldn't hurt to take one final look at some of the guidelines (submission information).

Here's the details for film submission to the Open Frame 2014.

Submission Deadline : On or Before Tuesday, March 25th 6pm.

Submission Format : On cd, memory stick, hard drive, optical media or any other delivery device an H264 or ProRes version of your film.  All media will be transferred to BluRay for projection at the theater so we would like the highest quality/resolution film that you can submit.

To include with your Submission : A word document that includes : The Title of Your Film, Your Name, Your email, A contact phone number, A Complete List of all Crew and Actors eligible for Jury Awards (Director, Cinematographer, Writer, Editor, Composers or Musical Artists (for any original music) Lead Actors/Actresses , Supporting Actors/Actresses and any other position or person that you would like the jury to consider).

Artist Statement : On or Before Friday, March 28th 12:00 noon. A word document that includes your artist statement and a screen capture or still image that is representative of your film.  You can look at sample artist statements from last year's Open Frame here : 2013 Artist Statement Samples

If you have questions or need help with delivery of your film please contact me at your earliest convenience (330 904-2552 or spustay@malone.edu).  My schedule for Tuesday the 25th appears below.  Looking forward to seeing your films and sharing them with our guests.

Steve Pustay

Schedule for Tuesday, March 15th.

9:30 am - 12:30 pm   In My Office Founder's Hall (FH-108)
1:00 pm - 2:20 pm   Convergence Media Class (CL 46)
2:30 pm - 3:20 pm  Editing Class (CL46)
3:30 pm - 6:00 pm   In My Office Founder's Hall (FH-108)

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Film Grants Now Available

If you are looking for some assistance in getting your film produced we want you to be aware that you can now apply for a grant of up to $150.

The details are listed in the link to Open Frame Film Grants on the right sidebar of the Open Frame Blog.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Here's the skinny on our 6th and final panelist for our upcoming (right around the corner) Cinematographer / DP Workshop - Wed. Feb. 19 9am-12pm (room to be announced soon!).

Please get to know Matt Wagar.  Matt works for Mosher Media in Cleveland and has had a lot of valuable experience that I know you'll want to learn about.

His Bio and links to his work appear below.

I started volunteering at my local public access station at the age of 11. I learned the basics of camera operation and editing from this experience. Everything from football and basketball games, to talk shows to concerts. It was the beginning of my passion. I continued to volunteer until I was able to be employed at 16 with the tv station. I worked with them until I went to Akron University and eventually the Ohio Center for Broadcasting. During my education at OCB, I landed an
internship with the current company I work for, Mosher Media. I was hired on as an editor/shooter and quickly excelled. From there I have shot many different things. Interviews, Product Video, Promotion videos, documentaries, aerial footage and many other things. My work has been on NBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel and many local broadcasts. This profession has allowed me to travel all over the place, such as Seville, Spain, British Columbia. Canada, and many of the major US cities. My top three most memorable experiences were Shooting aerial footage of the Goodyear Blimp, flying to a truck driving across a glacier to get footage of it, and shooting cards through the hills of Spain. I have been able to experience a lot in my short career and look to many adventures ahead.




Links to some of Matt's work:

http://moshermedia.com/demo.php

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Time to introduce you to our fifth workshop panelist for the upcoming Cinematographer workshop scheduled for Wednesday, February 19th (9am-12pm).  Derrick Schweizer is a GlenOak H.S. graduate and a student at Kent State.  He's been developing his own video production business since finishing high school.  His bio and some links featuring his work appear below.

Derrick Schweizer is the founder of 32nd Bellwood, a quiet but ambitious independent film, music video and commercial group. He created the company shortly out of high school as a way to create his
own portfolio and experience, while still being able to work toward independent film goals. Derrick's artistic approach to video along with his collaboration with other unique and ambitious artists is slowly but surely setting 32nd Bellwood apart.










Check out his work here:

Two more of the guys that will be joining our Cinematographer/DP Workshop panel on Wednesday, February 19th (9am-12pm) have just delivered their bios and work samples.  Rich Sibert and Josh Branch have both graciously offered to be part of our workshop.

Their bios, pictures and links to their work appear below.  Please get to know these guys a little bit before you come to the workshop.

Josh Branch has a wide amount of experience in the video production industry including over 10 years of freelance work for clients throughout the North East Ohio area and 7 years of full-time work for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Josh's video work has been seen on over 500 TV stations across the country including History, Speed, ESPN, A&E, Discovery,
Fox, Fox New & Telemundo.  Mr. Branch has 100+ TV commercials to his credit and  thousands of other video projects. Josh has an Associates Degree in Communications and a Bachelors in Organizational Management.  He is also working on a Masters in Education at Kent State University.
In 2013 Josh started his teaching career at GlenOak High School, instructing a variety of classes that are MultiMedia/Video Production oriented. Josh enjoys teaching because it is tangible and exciting to watch the next generation of America’s workforce discover their creativity and communication skills.



Some links to his work appear below.

www.youtube.com/joshbranch85 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQGn7jM4Ck 

You'll also want to get to know Rich Sibert a graduate of Full Sail in Florida.  Don't be fooled by his short (and I thin understated) bio that appears below.  This is a talented film maker with tons of experience to share with you.

I fell in love with the idea of being a filmmaker when I was 19. I just want to make films and tell stories

 
Links to Rich's Work


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Don't forget that our Cinematographer/DP workshop will be held on Wednesday, February 19th 9am-12pm. When you attend the workshop you'll get to know Michael Cameneti who will be a member of our panel.  Michael is a cinematographer and film maker from North Canton.  He sent us some pics and his bio and the links to his work that appear below.

You won't want to miss the workshop as I know that you'll want to pick Michael's brain about handling a camera and getting great film!

Michael Cameneti is a filmmaker from North Canton, Ohio. He is a cinematographer, director, editor and also a music composer. But at his core, Michael's true passion is telling stories, and he loves sharing those stories through film and music. Michael has worked with brands such as Quilted Northern, Hormel, Anheuser Busch, Edleman Chicago, Abbott, Clairol, SodaStream, and Perfetti Van Melle. 


Here's a link to Michael's vimeo page that features some of his recent work.  https://vimeo.com/cameneti 





We are looking forward to our Cinematographer/DP workshop on the Malone campus, Wednesday, February 19th from 9am-12pm.

We are excited that Adam Godfrey will be joining us ... his bio, some shots of him at work and links to some of his projects appear below.

Like many people who end up in production Adam was drawn to it at an early age. Story telling, picture making, whatever you want to call it he wanted to do it. He has had the opportunity to work with a lot of talented people but the most influential occurred while enrolled in Kent State University pursuing a degree in TV/Film Production where Adam met the
Campbell Brothers. Together they collaborated on a number of feature and short film projects (The Red Skulls, Cordoba Nights, Poison Sweethearts, T82 Supersonic Tonemaker) . These projects will always Adam's favorites because he was able to work without constraints. 

Adam has also had the opportunity to work with a number of great production companies like Reversal Films/KNR Productions (Echotone), Freeman Films (Skateland), Deep Water Productions (The World Without US).  He has also had the opportunity to work in a lot of filming formats and while he still prefers film he is starting to come around to this "Digital" craze.

While film projects have increasingly taken a backseat in Adam's production agenda, replaced with TV spots and promo videos, they are never from from his mind or his heart. Today Adam splits his time working on regional TV commercials and product videos in Columbus, OH for Jumpstart Video Productions and national projects with Mosher Media.


You can see some of Adam's work here:
Trailer (T82 Supersonic Tonemaker)

Trailer (Cordoba Nights)

Trailer (Poison Sweethearts)

Music Video (I Believe in You)

TV Commercial (Save the Dream Ohio)

TV Commercial (Mr.Chicken)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Open Frame Teaser

You can check out the Open Frame Promo / Teaser here: http://vimeo.com/84320736

Thanks to Dave Carmany and his crew of actors for shooting and helping to edit.  Don't forget to send an email (spustay@malone.edu) to put us in the loop for any films you're working on so that we can
help post crew calls, get equipment and any other help we can provide.

So ... take a risk ... time to 'go all in' and start filming!  

Monday, January 13, 2014

Crew Needed!

David Carmany has a great script and is looking for crew to help.  You can contact him (djcarmany1.@malone.edu) if you'd like to work with him.

First Call - 2014 Open Frame

First Call!

The 2014 Open Frame Film Festival will be held once again at the Historic Canton Palace Theater on Saturday, April 5th.  We are looking forward to the lights going down and the thrill of your film being seen on the Palace screen.

So ... Directors, Screenwriters, Actors, Cinematographers, Editors we know you've got a story to tell. It's time to assemble your crew.  If we can assist in any way, please let us know (spustay@malone.edu).  We'd be more than happy to help you connect with editors, actors, assist in finding talented musicians for that perfect score, and even help you find a DP.  Stay in touch so that we can provide the help you need to get your masterpiece to screen.

Good idea to review the Festival Mission statement as you begin to craft your script and make a habit of checking back to this blog for all the latest updates and news items.

We'd like to make a list of all the crews and directors who intend to submit a film, posting them here on the blog so that you can easily connect with people who'd like to contribute to their project, so as you decide on a script to tackle, let us know (spustay@malone.edu) so that we can post a blog about your project.

Best of Luck, Happy Filming!

Steve Pustay