Emily McLean is a talented artist and a dear friend of mine. She recently visited from New York and we linked up to shoot this video in San Francisco’s Stern Grove. This is the first video off of her latest EP, “I Get Down a Lot…”
Check out the video after the cut!
“The remembrance of distant memories that arise during one’s last hurrah.”
I received an e-mail over the weekend with some great news that my documentary short on African Americans in the Bay Area food justice movement, ’16 Seeds,’ has made it to the final round of selections for New Day Films Acquisition.
New Day Films is a filmmaker-run distribution company providing award-winning films to educators since 1971. Democratically run by more than 100 filmmaker members, New Day delivers over 150 titles that illuminate, challenge and inspire.
To have made it this far for my first documentary is a great recognition. I will hear back in April to see if I’ll be an invited for an interview with New Day members about my film. This is an exciting process and I look forward to the next round!
As some of you may know, I was one of ten finalists in SF Weekly’s Masterminds contest that recognizes 10 emerging artists in the Bay Area. A couple of weeks ago at Artopia, where they feature the artists’ work, I was awarded as the 1st place winner! I was given a $750 grant and received a lot of love from everyone there. I feel really appreciative to have been recognized for the work I have been doing, especially since I’ve only been at it for a few years.
Big thanks to everyone at SF Weekly and all of my friends and supporters that came through that evening. This is definitely a great start to this new year and I’m looking forward to taking the momentum and putting it back into my work.
2013 has been off to an amazing start so far and I’ve been frantically running and trying to keep up with the pace. One of the biggest accomplishments for myself and About Her Films was being selected as one of ten finalists in SF Weekly’s Masterminds contest which highlights 10 Bay Area artists and their work.
I was also selected as their Artist of the Day which features some of my work as well. This was my first interview in print and affirms that my hard work is starting to make some impact.
Lately, my short documentary on food justice in the Bay Area, ’16 Seeds’ (which you can check out by clicking here) has been receiving some buzz as well. I recently did an interview with TakePart.com, a subsidiary of Participant Media which produced ‘Food Inc.’ and will be featured in another interview soon. Also, I have been distributing the film to festivals and have made it into the Food and Farm Film Festival and will be featured in their shorts programming. For those of you in the Bay Area, this will be one of upcoming opportunities to see it in a local theater near you.
Things are going great and I’m taking this momentum and finding ways to build upon it. Thanks for all of your continued support! It’s been a wonderful and enlightening 3 years. I’m looking forward to decades more.
During last December, I took a trip to LA to visit friends and link with a couple of artists, one of them being Sango. I caught up with him during the first day of his LA tour at The Good Hurt and he shared a few words before his set, which was dynamic and energetic. I really enjoyed getting to share this moment with Sango and, after checking out the video, I hope you do as well.
Hey everyone,
As the year is wrapping up, I want to say thanks for all of the support that you have shown. As About Her Films develops and transitions into a bigger scale video production entity, I hope that I can continue to share exciting and moving pieces with you all.
Recently, I had my thesis film ’16 Seeds’ screened at the historic, Grand Lake Theater, in Oakland as a part of fiveTen‘s 1st annual LGBT film festival. There was a great turnout and it was both amazing and humbling to see my work on such a big screen. It’s not exactly like the elation you feel when you win the lottery or a foxybingo jackpot, but the feeling is much more special than that. I don’t think that feeling will ever get old. I look forward to seeing this film fest growing and becoming an well-attended event in the future.
Tonight, ‘Bandalore’ will be screened at the re-opening of The New Parkway as a finalist in their Shorts Contest. I’m excited and honored to have had my work selected and I look forward to seeing the work of the other finalists and how the construction of The New Parkway is coming along.
Another update will be coming soon, so stay tuned. Thanks again for all of your support!
This was the last thing that I filmed while living in Santa Cruz. You might recognize Josh from Bandalore and the new face is his friend, Chris.
My challenge for this piece was to find a way that would make this video just as equally engaging, if not more, than my last. I was focusing on how to look at a familiar subject with a new perspective and I hope I was able to execute. There’s not much else outside of that – just a few kids with strings, flying objects, and a California sunset.
Song: “Stars” by Catching Flies. (You can cop the awesome EP for free here. I promise you won’t be disappointed – catchingflies.bandcamp.com/album/the-stars-ep)
Earlier this month, The Great Wall of Oakland and Pandora teamed up showcase local musicians and artists based in Oakland. I was fortunate to have one of my pieces, ‘Bandalore,’ selected as one of 9 other videos to show on their massive 100′ x 100′ wall in the heart of downtown. It was an awesome experience to hear classic and new tunes from local musicians, as well as see the works of other filmmakers. Although, I don’t believe he was in attendance, I was excited to see Drea Cooper’s (one half of one my favorite filmmaking collective, California is a Place) ‘Scrapertown.’
I also was interviewed for an article by Oakland North that you can check out here.
Hey everyone!
I know it’s been a while since I put something out, but I’ve been adjusting to graduating and re-establishing roots in the Bay.
This is one of the last videos that I shot while living in Santa Cruz. It features Van and Tara at the Santa Cruz skate spot.
Nothing fancy – just a lovely sunset and 30 minutes on our hands.
I have more stuff on the way, so stay tuned!
Song: “Gud Day I Guess” by Sugar Cane Davis. (I have lots of love for this guy. DL this track here, sugarcanedavis.bandcamp.com/track/gud-day-i-guess, and check out the rest of his stuff.)
Since graduation, I’ve been scouring every inch of the net seeking job opportunities with the film industry. It goes without saying that there are way more folks looking for work than there are open positions, so I’ve been attending creative career orientations, networking events and re-imagining my portfolio. I’ve been immersing myself in LinkedIn and tweeting a storm (a selective one) on Twitter in an effort to stay informed and engaged with fellow creatives and trends in media/film.
I recently came across highlights from an interview with Barbara Freedman Doyle by Lee Jarvis of Media Match regarding her top 5 tips for breaking into the film industry.
1. Contacts Are a Big Deal
How many times have you heard it said that he (or she) is “connected”? Being connected is a shortcut. It makes things easier. Before you disdain or discount the concept of connections or that much repeated term “networking”, take a minute and think about how important these may be and why. Every day hundreds of people arrive in Los Angeles with the intention of making movies. But there is no qualifying certification. Anyone can say, “I’m a director / producer / screenwriter”. So relationships and referrals are important. They serve as a filter. They lend you that minimum certification. And by the way, once someone does a favor for a friend by meeting you, they will be able to ask a favor in return. That’s politics.
2. Begin Networking
Tell everyone you know your plan. Is it possible that they may know someone you can call for advice? NEVER use someone’s name without asking permission first. If they seem hesitant when you ask, don’t do it. Is there a film festival in a city near you? Festivals use volunteers. Usually in exchange for your unpaid assistance, you can attend as many panels and workshops as can fit around your work schedule. You will make the acquaintance of people who might be willing to give you advice. When a panelist at a festival mentions a film to watch or a book to read, do it! This kind of research – seeing the films and reading the interviews, not just stopping at the IMDb credits list – should quickly become a career-long habit.
3. Find a Mentor
A mentor is someone who is at least a few steps ahead of you, someone who has “been there, done that” and can help steer you along. A business mentor is not a buddy, and finding someone who wants to help you can be hard. Don’t ask someone to be your mentor. That’s too formal and official, and it’s too much of a commitment. Have more than one person whom you think of as a mentor, and from whom you can ask advice.
4. Do your Research – Learn the Names
You can go online and research people, you can read the trades (Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), and you can read Nikke Finke’s daily newsletter at Deadline. You will learn an immense amount about what is happening in the industry very quickly, including the names of people and companies, and you will begin to become aware of the rhythm of how things work.
5. Try to Learn Something About the Business at Every Interview
Whether by following up on something you overhear in the waiting room, or by researching something the interviewer says, you will get better at these meetings. Knowledge and practice is what will help you to feel more at ease.
Doyle also recently released a book titled, “Make Your Movie: What You Need to Know About the Business and Politics of Filmmaking.” If you enjoyed the tips she shared here, I suggest you take a look at her book.