David Poulshock’s Red Door Films produces corporate films, web videos, documentaries and features, including Wee Sing, the groundbreaking pubic television series. Nancy Froeschle is a Nicholl Fellowships Winner who has written produced thrillers, dramatic shorts and serialized pilots including Riders and Lake Crescent.
The Confluence
Bringing together the creative streams of film, television, and media in Oregon.
1 Week To SourceOregon Directory Deadline!
SourceOregon is a statewide directory of industry professionals. It’s a great way to get found for your services, but it’s also OMPA’s best promotional tool to advocate for the industry. Show policymakers how many jobs are at stake!
Create a listing at sourceoregon.com/getlisted. Deadline November 15.
If you have any questions, I can be reached at [email protected].
Official Trailer Out For #OregonMade LAIKA Movie, “Missing Link”
A new trailer has been released for LAIKA’s latest project, “Missing Link.” Starring Hugh Jackman, written and directed by Chris Butler, music composed by Carter Burwell, producers are, Travis Knight, Arianne Sutner and will be released April 12,2019.
“The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost considers himself to be the world’s foremost investigator of myths and monsters. Trouble is, none of his small-minded, high-society peers seems to recognize this. Hoping to finally gain acceptance from these fellow adventurers, Sir Lionel travels to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature known as the missing link.”
Portland Dark: The Writer’s Speak!
The #OregonMade Creative Foundation and Comcast are proud to be supporters of Lower Boom’s Diversity and Inclusion Writing Initiative. This project is focused on giving diverse and historically disenfranchised writers an opportunity to write for TV. Currently, six writers are gathering on a weekly basis to work on the pilot and series script for an original, home grown prestige drama, Portland Dark.
On October 20th, Lower Boom held a gathering looking to raise both awareness and funding in support of Lower Boom’s Diversity and Inclusive Initiative. Despite a good time had by all, Lower Boom and this initiative are still shy of their goal.
Fortunately, some of the writers were there, and spoke about the project and what it means to them.
See them speak here.
Lower Boom is trying one more time to see if they can garner support in Portland for Portland Dark.
They are asking for your help to raise $5000 by this Friday, November 9th.
Your tax-deductible donation will go to help pay for stipends to the writers, as well as kick off Phase 2 of the project: A short film set in the world of Portland Dark, which will premiere February 10th at the Hollywood Theatre. In addition to that, a % of your donation goes directly to the Hollywood Theatre, so you are supporting that Portland icon as well.
Donate here.
There is no minimum, and every donation helps – and remember it’s tax deductible.
Spotlight On Location Scout/AC – Rocky Garrotto
Rocky Garrotto on location
Spotlight on Rocky Garrotto
Location Scout and 1st AC
“I love location scouting – it’s like a treasure hunt.”
In a smaller market like Southern Oregon, you have to wear multiple production hats to work year-round, and so in addition to still photography I also shoot video, edit, and often work as a 1st AC. But I really love location scouting – it’s like a treasure hunt. Being versatile and tech-savvy comes in handy when using various software and logistical GPS app tools, such as “Where Am I” for longitude, latitude, altitude and address information. Being able to stitch together panoramas and uploading them to professional sites for producers in near real-time is also important. When scouting sites having the right professional equipment and the right skills are essential. For instance, there was a producer of a major motion picture who wanted video to see exactly what a sunrise and a sunset looked like over Wizard Island in Crater Lake. A trip memorable for both its beauty and the cold!
Not every scouting trip is for a big-budget production. Oregon sees a range of productions from local car commercials to micro-budget Indie films to features like “Wild”. The important thing to a Producer or Director, especially one from out of state, is that the local scout knows his area, and understands details like crew access and proximity (or not) to electricity or bathroom facilities. And over time, a good scout builds up a useful library of sites providing timely answers to inquiries.
The beauty of shooting in Southern Oregon is its diversity. A production can find any landscape in any season: high desert to the ocean; sand dunes or caves to rivers; mountains to lush farmlands and vineyards; small rural towns to urban landscapes. We even have a 9,000 acre ranch that is perfect for historical pieces away from traffic or power lines. Whatever ‘look’ you have in mind, I can find it in Oregon.
Locations, AC, Camera Operator
541-441-0842
http://imdb.com/name/nm1710422/
WORKSHOP: Make a Documentary In Virtual Reality!
Create your own Virtual Reality / 360 Documentary!
Starts October 30!
NW Documentary is excited to be launching our DIY VR/360 Documentary program. This is the only program of its kind in Oregon.
Use the code “PDXFF” to get $50 off the workshop!
Guided by experts in the field, this 5-week program will give you a solid foundation of immersive storytelling, shooting, and editing 360 documentaries. You will finish the course with an understanding of fundamental camera techniques, the stitching workflow, editing, and choreography between scenes in a 360 space.
October 26 Is The Last Chance To Register For The National Arts Marketing Project Conference
2018 National Arts Marketing Project Conference
November 9-12
Seattle, WA
This November 9-12, the National Arts Marketing Project Conference is coming back to Pacific Northwest for the first time in 5 years! More than 600 arts marketers from across the country will meet in Seattle to explore the latest in storytelling, cultural equity, immersive technology, revenue generation and more.
30 inspiring and challenging sessions, 3 must-attend keynotes, leading marketing experts and the best arts marketers from across country – the only thing missing is you! Don’t miss out on the arts marketing conference of 2018. Register Now>>
Help OMPA Become 1,000 Voices Strong
Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA) is holding a fall membership drive leading up to the deadline for the 2019 SourceOregon production directory on November 15. The goal is to reach 1,000 members! Will you be one of them?
The media production industry is thriving now and we want it to stay that way. Keep the work coming by supporting a nonprofit that works day in and day out to strengthen your industry.
A strong collective voice matters. Your membership matters. Sign up now at bitly.com/OMPA1000.
More About OMPA
The majority of our funding comes from membership. Without your support, we truly could not do the work we do day in and day out, advocating for, connecting, and promoting Oregon’s world-class media production industry.
Our strongest promotional tool is SourceOregon, our fully-vetted, statewide directory of industry professionals. Check out our Top 5 Reasons to List.
Make the smart move and become a part of OMPA today! Or, if you’re not big on benefits, you can still list in the directory without being a member. Sign up now at bitly.com/OMPA1000.
Portland Native Screenwriter Wins 2018 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship
On September 18, 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Allison (Solberg) Buckmelter, a Portland native, and her husband Nicolas Buckmelter, won the prestigious 2018 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship award.
Three individuals and one writing team have been named winners of the 2018 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. The fellows will each receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards Presentation & Live Read at Beverly Hills’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Thursday, November 8.
Allison and Nicholas’ winning screenplay, “American Refugee,” was 1 of only 4 selected out of 6,895 scripts submitted worldwide. Next to receiving an Oscar, winning the Nicholl Fellowship is the highest honor a screenwriter can receive from the Academy. Allison graduated from Jesuit H.S. in 2001 and the University of Oregon Clark Honors College in 2005, where she majored in English, and minored in film studies. She currently lives in Ventura CA with her husband and 2 children
The 2018 winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
Allison Buckmelter and Nicolas Buckmelter, American Refugee
Joey Clarke, Jr., Miles
Grace Sherman, Numbers and Words
Wenonah Wilms, Horsehead Girls
A total of 6,895 scripts were submitted for this year’s competition. Nine individual screenwriters and one writing team were selected as finalists. Their scripts were then read and judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, who ultimately voted the winners.
For the sixth consecutive year, an ensemble of actors will read selected scenes from the winning scripts.
Read more at Hollywood Reporter here.
Workshop: Sound Design—Creating Acoustic Worlds For The Screen
October 20, 2018. 10AM to 4PM. Northwest Film Center. $45.
Visit https://nwfilm.org/classes/sound-design-creating-acoustic-worlds-for-the-screen/ for more information and to register.
Sound design is not about software, catchy music or cool sounding effects. It’s about emotional response: how a combination of dialogue, music, sound effects, designed sounds and backgrounds supports character development and the dramatic elements of the story. This workshop will explore how powerful sound can be by looking deeply at different artistic choices and their influences the meaning of a scene. The different stages and workflow of sound design will be discussed in detail, from reading the script, to reviewing the rough cut and the final mix. The goal is to help you see the potential of sound in a new light and for you to gain a framework for creating a sound design plan for your own film. Remember: audiences will forgive bad lighting and camerawork. They won’t forgive bad sound.
Instructor KELLEY BAKER was the Sound Designer on Gus Van Sant’s early films (including My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, and Finding Forester) and Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven, as well as independent features, animated films, network television specials and his own three features, (Birddog, The Gas Café & Kicking Bird). He holds a BA and MFA in film from USC and is the author of Road Dog and The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide: Part One & Part Two. His many independent shorts and documentaries have aired on PBS, Canadian and Australian television, and have been shown at Film Festivals including London, Sydney, Annecy, Sao Paulo, Sundance, Chicago, Aspen, Mill Valley and Edinburgh. Based in Portland his entire career, he presents this popular workshop at colleges, universities and conferences across the country.
Workshop: A Tale In Two Minutes—How To Pitch Your Film Idea
November 2, 2018. 10AM to 3PM. Northwest Film Center. $20-$60.
Visit https://nwfilm.org/classes/a-tale-in-two-minutes-how-to-pitch-your-film-idea/
Pitching is part writing, part strategy, part performance … but above all, it’s storytelling. So your pitch simply boils down to telling a good tale, right? If only it were so easy. Whether you’re proposing a feature, documentary, commercial or other creative project, you need an engaging, suspenseful and tight pitch of 60-120 seconds at the ready. Like filmmaking, pitching involves knowing your audience (prospective buyer), but it also involves a whole lot more. How the heck can you describe a feature length film in ninety seconds? What do you reveal and what do you not? How do you avoid getting mired in detail or lost along the way? How do you get your audience excited enough to actually buy your story? We’ll explore all this and more in a high energy, informal, safe and welcoming environment. The material is helpful not just for in-person pitching, but for proposal writing and other forms of marketing.
Topics include:
- The art & science of storytelling (where Aristotle meets neuroscience)
- Finding the essential elements of your story
- Creating an effective log line
- Writing and structuring your pitch
- Memorizing vs. telling
- Engaging your audience
- Prepping for the unexpected
- Tools for overcoming performance anxiety
- And much more
Register one of two ways. Pitching Participants ($60, limited to 12) will be actively guided in working on one or two of their film ideas, receive expert feedback from instructors and may compete for prizes during PITCH FOR THE PRIZE. Observers ($20, limited to 15) will attend the lectures and watch the in-class pitching practices and critiques.
No previous experience is required. All levels of filmmaking experience are welcome.
Instructors: DAVID POULSHOCK & NANCY FROESCHLE
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