Our First Oxford Film Fest

Friday, Feb 11 - Tonight we head down to Oxford for their annual Oxford Film Fest. "BLOOD THERAPY" is screening along with several other horror short films at the Malco. This will be the second time I've watched my movie on the big screen. I could get used to this.

We were put up in an inn on the square. It was a nice place with a touch of old Southern charm. We arrived with just enough time to check in and head to the theater. We met up with Christian Walker, our lead actor, and a couple of his friends before the screening. I felt good about our showing. The audience laughed at the appropriate spot and a few even jumped at the end. Yes! A man and woman were sitting to my right who I did not know that appeared to enjoy our film. That was neat to see them reacting to it.

Sunday, Feb 13 - The fest has come and gone. It went by way too fast. My only regret regarding the festival is not staying longer. Our schedules weren't jiving with the festival dates this year. But I so could have hung around all weekend making new friends, watching movies, and eating good food. I'm a southerner... we have the BEST food!

Oxford, MS is a beautiful place. Its gorgeous architecture on the square and rolling hills make for a perfect setting for a film festival. My only minor suggestion for improvement would be to hold the festival during warmer months. Oxford screams photo opportunities and with the landscapes in bloom, it's my guess that the city would be picture perfect.

"BLOOD THERAPY" played in the late night block of films along with other genre fare from all over the country. That was really cool seeing our film amongst films from all over and not just from our own city. The stand out short for me was "Night of the Punks", a fun and funny journey into the world of rock n' roll and demons. The performances were spot-on and the standout element for me was the special f/x. If this gets made into a feature (it's a possibility), horror fans like myself will be in for a fun treat. To see our little short play alongside something as polished as "Punks" was exciting! And it gives me a higher standard to strive for.

I've only been making films for a few years. And even fewer have I participated in festivals. I would wager that the Oxford Film Fest will be one of the better fests I ever experience. The directors of OFF really make us filmmakers feel like royalty. But they're the royalty. They've done a fantastic job bringing in movies from all over the country. Coupled with the beautiful setting of Oxford, it made for an inviting experience. It has been an honor to participate in such a well organized event that was clearly designed by people who love movies as much as us filmmakers. It is my hope to have the opportunity to be involved with many more OFFs.

Thank you again to Oxford Film Fest. I hope to see you again soon!

iphone shorties #2

Happy Valentine's Day from Cinegore Pictures!

Special Treat

"Special Treat" is another iPhone shortie. It was shot with my iPhone 4. I edited the picture on my iPhone with ReelDirector and imported it into Final Cut Pro to add music and titles.

I'm new to FCP. Craig is the real editor in this filmmaking group. But I appreciate learning new things. It *really* makes me appreciate his talent and the attention to detail he has for editing even more than I already did.

These iPhone shorties are fun and silly, but I'm enjoying playing around. Right now I'm using it to force myself to think more visually, to tell a story more visually. After all, movies are a visual medium. Honestly, I think it's good practice between our bigger projects.

iPhone filmmaking

Finally got around to making a movie with my iPhone. I know, I've had one for over 2 years and I'm just now doing it. Better late than never.

Everything was done using the iPhone 4. I shot it using 8mm Vintage Camera and edited it using ReelDirector. Both apps are from Nexvio.

It's a very rough first attempt. I am amazed at the possibilities this opens up for filmmakers. I've got an OWLE Bubo on the way and *will* shoot another shortie with it soon. If anything, this will force me to experiment and learn to tell stories more visually.

contemplating a web series

Lately I've been thinking of ways to branch out in filmmaking. Making shorts is fun and offers great experience, but I want more focus. Having a series of shorts sounds like a cool idea. It's not original; webisodes have been around since the dawn of Youtube, at least. But the idea to have a running serial is intriguing to me.

Having no siblings until I was 13 years old, I grew up with TV. Mainly sit-coms. To say I'm disgusted with the current state of TV is an understatement. I haven't been a regular TV viewer since the early 2000's. It's mainly only movies for me these days.

My first love has always been movies and I do not plan to abandon that. Making a web series - successful or not - is simply an excuse to get more experience making shorts before tackling the ultimate dream.... feature films.

Last year I toyed with the idea of turning our short, "Don't Look in the Fridge" into a series. That isn't out of the question, but I want to explore and develop other ideas. Nothing's concrete yet, just brainstorming!

I've got several ideas for episodes and over the next few weeks I'll be developing those with our little Cinegore Pictures family. Everyone is excited about the venture. I'm looking forward to what transpires, and of course, I'll be blabbing about it here!