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Wisconsin
Crews & News
A clearinghouse of information for Wisconsin's
film & video industry professionals.
Here is the latest news from the Wisconsin Film Office. Of special note is MovieMaker Magazine's request for written submissions that explain your experiences of shooting on location, and the upcoming Cinefest Film Festival, featuring special guest Haskell Wexler.
Crews & News is updated regularly and distributed to over 1,500 Wisconsin film and video companies, freelancers and contacts. To submit information on a project for consideration in this email, please visit the Contact Us page.
DEADLINE February 14, 2005: MovieMaker Magazine seeks Wisconsin moviemakers for editorial content for its “On Location” column, spring issue. The questions being asked are:
How has living in your individual city informed your work and increased your knowledge as a moviemaker?
How has the city itself participated in your education as a visual artist?
Why is living in your city an education in itself?
Comments must be no more than 50 words. Please e-mail all entries directly to onlocation@moviemaker.com and use "On Location: MILWAUKEE" as the subject line. Selected entries will receive editorial, e-mail and photo publication in the Spring 2005 issue of MovieMaker Magazine, and a complimentary copy of the issue.
Multi-media Madison Productions, Inc., seeks an experienced editor/After Effects Compositor with strong graphic skills using Apple/Mac-based editing system, and essential experience with Media 100, After Effects, and Photoshop. Ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of solid editing and After Effects experience (DVD authoring skills a plus). Salary is negotiable. Email résumé to jobs@mpitime.com and send your demo reel to: Mr. Will Hunter, Madison Productions, Inc., 2987 Yarmouth Greenway Madison, WI 53711.
Mr. Kristopher Warren, a Wisconsin native, now living in California and working at Wonderland Sound and Vision (The O.C., Charlie’s Angels, features, etc) has established an internships program for UW or Wisconsin students. Although the internships are unpaid, they will provide experience in the Hollywood film industry. Opportunities may exist for school credits. Applicants should have experience working in an office setting; be a current Wisconsin college student, and can live in the Los Angeles area during an internship period. Duties will include: Providing basic administrative office support and learning about scripts, TV and feature development, and how to work with major agencies/management companies/studios/ and production companies in Hollywood. All initial inquiries must go directly to Kris via email; no office contact at this time.
Solar Winds Productions has two new Milwaukee based events slated. An internship program, designed for students age 17-22, which may allow credit. And their “NEW DIRECTORS”, program designed for individuals who have a background or experience in film and or stage direction. Select candidates may direct future Solar Winds projects. For more information or questions, contact solwin@ticon.net, Ron Schaefer C/O Solar Winds Inc., 3129 N. 87th St., Milwaukee WI 53222.
Auditions for Tyrone Mcfarlin’s, new Midwest project/tv series pilot “The New Life” (being submitted to the WB network for consideration) are scheduled for February 25, 2005 at the Kaleidiscope, 800 W. Superior St, Chicago, IL. Contact Tyrone for more information.
The 7th annual WI Film Festival, March 31-April 3, 2005, need volunteers to work various events. Application and information online.
Watch for updates and information about Witches’ Night, planning to film in the IL and Wisconsin in the summer/fall 2005.
Chicago’s Screen Magazine recently posted two letters to the editor discussing SAG/AFTRA talent issues from the IL/WI areas. Read them at “Sound Off” and in the “Sound Off” archives.
Troma Entertainment needs a restaurant location to use from 5-14 days while filming their new project “Poultrygeist!” Director Lloyd Kaufman (creator of the Toxic Avenger!) and his crew don’t need to have a working restaurant, but it must appear as such. Troma’s art department will prop out the location as "The American Chicken Bunker” restaurant (the property owners will NOT be able to operate the business during filming) then restore the restaurant to original condition. Although they have no budget to provide a location fee, Troma will compensate the property owners with a large credit and/or a part in their film. Opportunities like this provide an economic impact and community public relations. Direct inquiries to Faye@troma.com or GabeFrie@yahoo.com.
The 6th Annual Cinefest takes place in Madison February 24-27, 2005. This year’s theme is "The Landau Legacy with Special Guest Haskell Wexler: Films from the Americas and Beyond.” Key screenings will concentrate on the films of UW-alumni Saul Landau, the works of his son Greg, and their cinematographer, the internationally known Haskell Wexler, who will also be in attendance. Screenings are hosted by UW-Madison’s Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program, and will occur at local theaters and campus venues. For more information bookmark their web site or contact festival coordinator Willie Ney.
Writing The Independent Film -- An Intensive Weekend Workshop with Dan Wilson takes place February 26-27, 2005 from 1pm-5:30pm each day. $100 fee. To register, contact the Woodland Patter Book Center, 720 E. Locust St., Milwaukee, WI 53212, 414/263-5001.
Solar Winds Inc. is hosting a short film showcase screening over two weeks in May 2005. Deadline is March 21st. Primarily designed to showcase independent filmmakers in the Milwaukee area, they are also accepting works from filmmakers throughout Wisconsin, as well as IL, MN, MI, IA, and IN. All genres accepted, however works must be no longer than ten minutes. This is not an award competition. All completed entries must be submitted on VHS tapes only to: Ron Schaefer, C/O Solar Winds “Fest”, 3129 N. 87th St., Milwaukee, WI 53222. To have material returned, enclose a SASE/mailer. Email questions to solwin@ticon.net.
The 2nd annual Reel American Indian Film Festival (April 7, 2005) will screen at the UW-Milwaukee Student Union Theater, located at 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. in Milwaukee. For other film screenings of note, check their web site.
The 5th annual Wisconsin International Children's Film Festival (April 11-20, 2005) takes place at the UW-Milwaukee Student Union Theater.
Click here for additional film festival links in Wisconsin.
View Wisconsin’s celebrities reminisce about their home state in "Wisconsin Born & Bred, The Entertainers", premiering February 28th on Wisconsin Public Television (check local listings). Interviews include Al Jarreau, Jim Abrahams, Daniel J. Travanti, Tina Panas, Jackie Mason, Julie Stoffer and more. To purchase the 84-minute DVD/VHS, or to contact director Jim Muraco, visit the web site.
The Madison Symphony Orchestra presents the "Night at the Oscars" concert February 26-27, 2005. MSO will perform excerpts of the original scores while famous scenes from Oscar-winning films are projected on a giant screen above the orchestra at Overture Hall, 201 State St., Madison. Visit their web site for more details.
RECOGNIZING CREW, TALENT AND PROJECTS
Area artists Leo Sidran (Madison) and Jon Vriesacker (Reedsburg) performed on the song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" ("On the Other Side of the River") from the movie The Motorcycle Diaries. It is one of five Oscar nominees for best song from 2004. (Please note: original link may be deactivated).
PlanetFall (a MN/WI “Sci-Fi Spaghetti Western”) premiered to a sell out crowd at Stone Arch Cinema's St. Anthony Main Theaters (St. Paul) on Friday, February 4th. “Working with extremely limited resources, writer/director Michael Heagle and an army of local filmmakers, actors and special effects artists have worked for nearly three years to bring the project to completion. “(We earned five times more than) …the new Christian Slater film (which) only made an average of $411 per screen - that's something!" noted producer Troy LaFaye. For more information about their other projects visit www.carschoolfilms.com.
Wisconsin native Nick Langholff (pictured at right with Jay Mohr) met a number of current and former Wisconsinites while working on ”The Sundance Dailies” in Utah. (Click image for more photos, all courtesy of Madison photographer Peter Olsen). Nick, the 1st AD studio stage manager for the show, was also the assistant director for the film “Forty Shades of Blue”, which won the Grand Jury Prize. Read additional articles online.
UW-Alumni, comedian, and writer Steve Marmel was recently nominated for an ANNIE Award for co-writing an episode of Nickelodeon’s The Fairly OddParents. Marmel is also developing a new show for Nickelodeon titled "The Badmans" (a live-action show featuring a 14-year-old daughter of a retired superhero mom and villain dad).
Milwaukee's Steve Wetzel’s most recent film, Men's Hockey, is currently screening at festival around the country including Milwaukee. Read more.
Whitefish Bay native Niels Mueller recently returned to Milwaukee and discussed his new feature film The Assassination of Richard Nixon, starring Sean Penn.
The Big Picture, a $5 million large-format theater in Appleton will open this March and will feature large-format films on their six-story-high by 80-foot-wide movie screen. Read more online (membership/article purchase required to search archives 2/2/05 for “Desrochers”).