C-U Blogfidential

Leaving downstate Illinois behind to weather Chicago, Alaric Rocha possibly never imagined migrating back south after making his first suburban short, THE RECIPE, a year ago. Yet, the former Champaign filmmaker has done just that to shoot a follow-up called WINTER IN LOUISIANA starting tomorrow, February 5, in and near the backwoods property of his parents, Gil and Sherry Rocha of Oreana. Production will continue through Sunday on the project, which involves a prisoner’s escape from a chain gang and pursuit by guards and bloodhounds. We won’t spill who exactly comes to the man’s aid in the climax, but luckily a skinny chimney fails to appear as an obstacle on the escape route.

Not surprisingly, Rocha turned an ear towards music to find inspiration for the current Blue Bassoon Pictures film, in this case a late Eighties recording combining the seasonal standard “Jingle Bells” with an African American spiritual, “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” played in an acoustic “New England” style. “My family and I always think [the song] sounds like a prisoner from the old South running from hound dogs and then getting scooped up [unexpectedly],” he explains to C-U Blogfidential, although we’ll skim certain details to preserve the surprise. “I took the story and made it a bit more serious, kind of a BRAZIL idea where imagination saves a person from the pressure and darkness of reality.”

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Nicole Pion of the Independent Media Center has announced the following selections and artists that will engage, inform, and entertain during the second annual IMC Film Festival later this week. You can find detailed information posted on their Web site separately for Friday, February 5, Saturday, February 6, and Sunday, February 7, while the basic schedule can be found after the jump below. Both Friday and Sunday begin at 6 p.m. while Saturday commences at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Approximately 30 examples of features, shorts, music videos, and raw/found footage will be presented across the three days along with an installation performance designed by Matt HarsH and featuring DJ Belly, live accompaniment to the German Expressionist classic THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI by composer and filmmaker Vin Calianno, and an MC battle simulcast by the popular WRFU 104.5 FM program, “The Show.” Sponsors this outing include That’s Rentertainment, Sleepy Creek Vineyards, and the City of Urbana’s Public Arts Program, along with support from the Illinois Arts Council.

As a participating programmer of this year’s event with Nicole, Katy Vizdal, Brian Dolinar, and Laura Fuhrman, I personally thank everyone from Champaign, Urbana, the cities beyond, and other places in this great big world for submitting work. Now, make sure to come out to the IMC Film Festival and see what your friendly neighborhood filmmakers can do!

~ Jason Pankoke

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Another subject we inadvertently dropped a little while back is THE INFORMANT! After its quick slide down the domestic box-office charts and relative non-performance in the international market, Warner Bros. announced after the New Year that the otherwise well-received Matt Damon drama would debut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on Tuesday, February 23. It’s no secret the studio has been hoping Damon will nab a Best Actor nod or win from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which announces all the Oscar nominees at 7:30 a.m. CST tomorrow, Tuesday, February 2, so they’re surely banking on prestige begetting extra INFORMANT! revenue between now and the Academy Awards ceremony on March 7.

According to the key box artwork floating in cyberspace – we’ve been unable to locate a formal press release, for whatever reason – the DVD will feature THE INFORMANT! in all its widescreen glory but the only extras will be a trailer and a selection of deleted scenes. The Blu-ray will also offer a commentary track featuring director Steven Soderbergh and scriptwriter Scott Z. Burns, along with the trailer, deletions, and a 16×9 enhanced 1080p transfer. Apparently, that’s all, folks. Our cynical side smells a double-dip in the near future, but if it comes in the form of a Criterion Collection edition to stick on the shelf alongside Soderbergh’s CHE, TRAFFIC, and SCHIZOPOLIS, we’ll politely wait it out.

For now, once you’re done marveling at C-U Blogfidential’s favorite orange sherbet artwork design of 2009, surf over to this “For Your Consideration” Web site set up by the WB to pitch its Oscar contenders. After your snickering at the inclusion of THE BLIND SIDE subsides, take a look at the primary INFORMANT! item unique to this page – a PDF download of the script, although this version is a transcription of the final release version of the movie and not what Soderbergh used on set. It might still be valuable for students of film to see how this particular story looks on paper in the proper format.

We plan to inform you a few more times about THE INFORMANT! before moving on to less corn-fed pastures, so all you budding CUBlog agents should keep your spying eyes right here!

~ Jason Pankoke

In our typically finite wisdom, we’ve decided to wrap up some unfinished business on C-U Blogfidential before it becomes lost in the dusty trail left by 2009 A.D. “Finite,” as in this effort will run concurrent with our continuing work on the C-U Confidential twofer as well as our advisory role in next week’s IMC Film Festival in Urbana. As long-time readers know, once past the Ides of March we tend to slow down with on-line activity as we heap last-minute love on the print opus right before press time, so please bear with our backtracking quest if it seems to fall off the proverbial cliff.

That said, we keep finding good reason to mention the following music video to help illustrate how busy Matt HarsH and Sam Ambler have been with cranking out local-pop promos. However, we also keep forgetting to give dedicated props – such as, embedding it here for your viewing pleasure. A prior attempt to file a report fizzled due to bad timing, so we apologize to Megan Johns & the Greytones and present the train-bound accompaniment to their sinewy track, “The Beat was Burnt,” right now:

Taped early last summer at the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, IL, THE BEAT WAS BURNT finds a pouty Johns following the lady friend of a lovesick beau (Remy Tipei) on board the next train out of town. Considering the deliciously sharp key of the song and the dominance of shadows, it’s a foregone conclusion that friendly small talk will not take place once Johns makes her way back to the sleeping car where her target has retired. Look quickly for familiar faces behind the Forties fatigues, including Morgan Orion as a passenger and Mark Rubel as a clerk in the train station.

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The Illini Film & Video club at the University of Illinois will meet tonight, Monday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 104 of the English Building, 608 S. Wright St., Champaign, for the first time this semester. (Yes, they moved back to English from Gregory Hall.) These weekly meetings allow interested members of the student body to learn about and get involved in film-making projects, fund-raising events, and volunteer or paid job opportunities outside of IFV.

Further information and networking tools can be found at the Illini Film & Video Web site.

~ Jason Pankoke

In a reversal of fortune from what befell the local entrants in Nikon’s recent contest, area video makers Joe Taylor, Bill Kephart, and Thomas Nicol found their golden ticket metaphorically wrapped around a Snickers last week when manufacturer M&M Mars selected their spec spot, “Share the Love,” as one of three $5,000 winners through a PopTent.net competition. In the scenario, Nicol attends a support group led by Kephart, who dutifully clarifies for the new arrival that the meeting is intended to help sexual (not Snickers) addicts. Nicol elects to stay, given the primarily female make-up of the group, and the spot ends with some round-robin Snickers savoring:

“I thought [the contest] would be a good one to enter for a few reasons,” C-U Blogfidential learns from Taylor, who discovered PopTent’s “Tell the Snickers Story” assignment listed on a video contest clearinghouse called VidOpp.com. “They seemed open to any creative concept, the $5,000 prize amount was higher than most [other “assignments” offered to members], they guaranteed at least three winners, and we could submit more than one [video]. And, I do like me a good Snickers.” Having cut his teeth on previous comedic shorts and one long-form drama, CONNOR’S WOODS, Taylor decided to trade ideas with creative confidant Kephart.

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Well, in our humble opinion, all of Champaign-Urbana should be tweaked over CHEMICALS, the brand-new music video for the same-named Elsinore song appearing on The Chemicals EP, which bows at the end of this month. Lo-fi go-to team Matt HarsH and Sam Ambler assembled the visuals, reaching back farther in time for their cue than with the duo’s noir flavored treatment of “The Beat Was Burnt” by Megan Johns. Looks like the gang had more than a little fun emulating the one-reel comedies of the Teens and Twenties:

Ryan Groff, he of Elsinore’s soaring lead vocals, is barely recognizable as the sophisticate-about-town who is cursed by the Villainesse (Mindy Manolakes) after he refuses to spare a sister some change. She spends the rest of the running time attempting to poison our good fellow with laboratory concoctions entrusted to her three bumbling Henchmen (Chris Eitel, Cole Rabenort, Mark Woolwine) who manage to screw up the special delivery every time. At the climactic pie-eatin’ contest held in leafy environs looking suspiciously like the Mike ‘n Molly’s beer garden, the Villainesse herself shows up to off our unwitting hero – or will his best gal (Lindsey Markel) save the day?

CHEMICALS also features Josh Nee, Mike Prosise, and Brittany Pyle (who created the scenario with HarsH and Groff) as the good citizens bearing the humorous brunt of the misplaced trickery, along with pit stops at the Virginia Theater and the Blind Pig. Feel free to pat everyone on the back during the EP release show Saturday, January 30, 8:45 p.m., at The Highdive, 51 E. Main St., downtown Champaign, although pies to the face will probably not rate very well that night. (We can always hope for a viral video proving the contrary, however.) Zach May, We Landed On the Moon!, and Brighton MA will also play.

~ Jason Pankoke

[Updated 1/30/10, 1:15 p.m. CST]

Champaign Movie Makers meets at least once a month to afford area filmmakers and talent an opportunity to discuss and join forces on the making of independent cinema in the area. If you are interested in being more “in the loop” if not directly involved with CMM-related productions, please visit and join their Yahoo! Group.

The next meeting will take place  Tuesday, January 19, 7 p.m., in the 4th floor conference room of the M2 Building, 301 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL. This month’s presentation will be by Robin Christian Peters of local studio Dreamscape Cinema; additional topics TBD.

Contact Johnny Robinson at johnny [at] johnnyrobinson [dot] com or Bill Kephart at billkephart [at] juno [dot] com for further information about Champaign Movie Makers.

~ Jason Pankoke

Earlier this week on Tuesday, January 12, upstart distributor Summit Entertainment released to DVD and Blu-ray their critically acclaimed war drama, THE HURT LOCKER, simultaneously with home-video acquisition BROTHERS AT WAR, a documentary by Decatur, IL, native Jake Rademacher briefly released to theaters last March by Samuel Goldwyn Films. While the former, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty as American soldiers trained to defuse homemade bombs in Iraq, has received plenty of notice, possibly not enough has been said about the latter. Brave soul Rademacher willingly followed his brothers, Captain Isaac Rademacher and Sergeant Joseph Rademacher, into the line of duty in Iraq, hoping to better understand through his lens the life choices made by these men in the name of their country.

We’ll allow the official Web site to detail the history of Rademacher’s project and the story of his family for the time being; those who want to cut to the chase can find Summit’s press release right here. As far as impressions, politics, and implications, I’ll refrain from throwing down my two cents until I’ve seen BROTHERS AT WAR in its entirety. Leading up to the original theatrical run, it seemed that early coverage came primarily from pro-military and right-wing news outlets, along with whoever happened to interview executive producer Gary Sinise at the time and the expected hometown press from the Decatur Herald-Review and elsewhere. It will be interesting to hear and read what all quarters of America have to say now that it’s more accessible. You can take your first peek below if you have yet to watch the film.

~ Jason Pankoke

Just a quick note from your friendly neighborhood C-U Blogfidential that the deadline for entering work into this year’s IMC Film Festival has been extended to next Wednesday, January 20, 5 p.m. You can find all the basic information in this prior post and at this link.

Otherwise, mark off Friday, February 5, through Sunday, February 7, for attending the event at the Independent Media Center in downtown Urbana; a promotional flyer about to hit the streets lists the prime time viewing schedule from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday (most likely to be followed by after-hours activities) and 6 to 10 p.m. on Sunday (incorporating the monthly People’s Potluck). Entries have been trickling in, so make sure your independent film project is up for consideration by sending it along!

~ Jason Pankoke

Our humble editor had been wondering whatever happened to Laura Bynum, a local writer who came out of nowhere a few short years ago to found Ugly Girl Productions, a shingle that would create narrative material focusing on women and/or contemporary issues. According to an April 4, 2006 interview with Chuck Koplinski in The Hub weekly, Bynum completed shooting a black comedy short called UGLY GIRLS and also began pre-production on a sci-fi dystopia parable called VERACITY. Her descriptions implied the latter would be a feature-length project also made in Champaign-Urbana, saying:

“It’s extremely timely and relevant and it’s just a killer story. We have such a brilliant cast and crew available. I have faith it’s going to find a strong market … We want C-U residents to know what a hotbed of talent there is here [by screening the completed UGLY GIRLS for the public] and, of course, we’d like them to know they can be a part of helping this community ‘fund’ a small but growing film industry with tickets, with permissions to shoot on locations they might have available, with talents they might be able to bring to the table, and equipment. You’d be surprised the kinds of things we have on our wish list – it’s not just equipment.” [p.9]

To the best of our knowledge, UGLY GIRLS never wowed the C-U. (In fact, a Google search turns up only one result for “Laura Bynum” and “UGLY GIRLS” – one of the very first CUBlog entries, which linked to the article cited above.) VERACITY obviously failed to follow suit. Given Melissa Merli’s update which ran in The News-Gazette over the weekend, we can probably strike this VERACITY from CUBlog’s watchful eye as Bynum has since been occupied with a move to Virginia, the passing of her beloved grandmother, a bout with breast cancer (which she beat, thank goodness) and success attained through different avenues with her original story.

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“A Knife in a Gun Fight”: Independent Film Money
Finance It, Fund It, or “Fam” It?

by Michelle Kaffko

~~~~~

“A Knife in a Gun Fight” chronicles filmmaker Michelle Kaffko’s journey as she probes the Chicago-area independent scene for indie movie news, releases, and other relevant dirt.

“Production Assistants and other crew needed for 7-day shoot, 8-hour days, NO PAY, but credit and meals provided.”

Commonplace in the trades and on Craigslist, advertisements like the above have become a kind of hazing ritual for newbies wanting to break into “the biz,” including the Chicago independent film scene. Should you pursue the opportunity and your dreams, how many sets do you work on for free until you realize you need to get a real job that pays you in actual minted currency?

Most independent film producers, directors, and other key players spend their days taking important phone calls to book locations and rent equipment in between pouring lattes at their prominent Starbucks day jobs. On-screen credit and food is what most participants receive as reimbursement in this town – the food usually being pizza and not the good deep-dish Chicago pizza – so everyone wants to be “above the line” in the imaginary budgets, clamoring for producer or director titles.

I once had a guy call me while I was in post-production for a short film I directed to demand producer credit … just for loaning me a camera.

But even with a small army of actors and crew willing to put their hard work and hours in for cold pizza, making a film still costs money. Filmmakers know that currency is no myth because they’ve seen it sprout from the billfolds of friends and strangers, so the inevitable question becomes, “Where do I find that money to make my film?”

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We’re sad to report that the spec commercial created by local videographer Alexander Mejia and friends for entry in the Nikon contest (see item: 12/10/09) did not make the Top 50 cut. However, Mejia has since uploaded the result on YouTube.com for all to see:

Mejia directed, scripted, storyboarded, photographed, and did post-production on the piece while Jennifer Mejia served as first assistant director and Jake Kaufmann (PRESS START) composed and mastered the music track. C-U Blogfidential agent Eric “The Voice” Sizemore spoke the narration and appears in bookend segments as a shutterbug whose exploration of the Champaign-Urbana countryside launches a collage of dramatic “one second” moments. These include a director (Steve Christopher) barking orders to crew members (including James Roberts) in a television studio, a midwife (Jenna Cramer) helping a mother (Melissa Watson) give birth, and an older couple (including Janice Rothbaum) sitting on a park bench reminiscing while children gaze wide-eyed upon the stars.

Write alex [at] tavproductions [dot] com if you have further questions or comments about ONE SECOND.

~ Jason Pankoke

It seems like only yesterday when an apparent falling out led landlord David Kraft to part ways with Tom Angelica, the lone survivor of a three-man partnership that resurrected downtown Champaign’s Art Theatre in the mid-Eighties. Now, percolating murmurs have anticipated the concrete fact that Kraft will part ways with current Art operator Greg Boardman, whose lease runs out after next Wednesday, December 30. While this turn of events has been handled in a more civil manner publicly than what happened in 2002, neither sat well with Art fans and cultural purists who could see no other use for the building at 126 W. Church St. than as a single-screen movie house. It’s certainly a daunting livelihood to pursue in the 2009 economic climate unless one has P.T. Barnum chutzpah running through one’s blood.

Since we already know the happy ending, this post will not attempt to read code and determine conspiracy in what killed the Angelica and Boardman eras. We’ll sparingly note what the general public could already sense, in that conflict of personality and business acumen were the most likely factors leading to the turnovers. In that respect, C-U Blogfidential refrained from crying wolf with the knowledge that a suitor, now revealed as local software professional Sanford Hess, had been assessing the Boardman-Kraft situation and banking on them accepting offers based on market realities.

The Art will close on New Year’s Eve due to legal reasons, according to Hess’ recent post on the Champaign Movie Makers on-line forum, after which he will reopen on Friday, January 1, with a one-week run of ME AND ORSON WELLES, directed by Richard Linklater (BEFORE SUNRISE) and starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes, to be followed by THE MESSENGER starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. Until then, Boardman offers his final presentation, a 60th anniversary re-release print of the classic Vittorio De Sica picture, THE BICYCLE THIEF (1948), which will show daily through Wednesday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, December 27, all at a reduced ticket price of $5.00.

In his final e-newsletter, Boardman pointed towards this vintage trailer from a 1972 reissue, which will give you an idea of the film’s famed Neorealist aesthetic. THE BICYCLE THIEF received a special Academy Award in 1950 for the most “outstanding foreign language film” released in the United States the prior year. The current theatrical distributor is revival specialist Corinth Films, with the ubiquitous Criterion Collection edition available for home viewers.

Look for more posts soon on CUBlog about the transition.

~ Jason Pankoke