Looks like the good people over at News Channel 5 have taken an interest in Cheyenne's community media. Let's hope we see more of this coverage in the future as our creative culture grows.
By: Kyle Markley KGWN News Channel 5
Using video to tell a story can be done in a variety of ways. It can be used to make a commercial, a movie, or possibly a TV show.
Alan O’Hashi started doing community based media training back in 2004, and loves sharing his passion with others. 'I live vicariously through other people,' said O’Hashi. 'There are folks I know who have been doing this business for quite a number of years, and have shot on film and worked in the business for a long time.'
Saturday’s class was the first of it’s kind that has been taught in Cheyenne. 'It was really kind of fun to work with people I would consider non-traditional students. I’ve taught this class before in Laramie and just got back from doing it up in Casper..."
The Location Guide just posted this interview with the new Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) interim manager, Martin Cuff. The AFCI is the parent organization for most of the world's film commissions, including your own Wyoming Film Office. Give it a look:
"After the unexpected departure of CEO Larry Brownell, the Association of Film Commissioners has a new caretaker manager. Martin Cuff is an economics expert based in Cape Town, South Africa.
So the most American of institutions has hired someone outside Hollywood? Who is this guy, and what is he doing? And is he interested in the job on a permanent basis?
A beautifully polite voice answers the phone and explains that she will fetch Mr Cuff immediately. Martin’s secretary this evening is his 12-year-old daughter, as I have inadvertently phoned him at home. However, he is delighted to give me a few minutes to set the record straight about what happens next with the AFCI.
Martin is a film sector specialist: “I have a small business that specialises in establishing and mentoring film commissions around the world. I’ve run film commissions and film permit offices on two continents. I was the first African representative to be voted onto the AFCI board. I’m the only foreigner to ever have been hired in to run a US state film commission.
I’ve worked on the establishment of film commissions in places like Serbia, Turkey and Georgia, so I’m also the only person to have set up film commissions on three continents. I have film association management experience here in South Africa – I’ve run the South African Association of Stills Producers for the best part of a decade – and I was also the Chief Operations Officer of the Southern African International Film and Television Market, so I even have film event experience. Joining the AFCI at this point in its life-cycle seemed a good fit.”
In 2006 Martin was the Executive Director of the Colorado Film Commission (the oldest in the world, which he restructured as a public-private partnership) and as such was a fully paid up member of the AFCI. Just five years later, Martin has been seen as the man with the right skill-set to helm the organisation until a permanent Executive Director can be found..."
As you may know, the AFCI has come into some vocal criticism from Locations Managers regarding the access fees to be charged for the Locations Show this year. After fielding many phone calls and emails, it was decided to take the bull by the horns, and address the issue honestly and openly, through a letter addressed to Robin Citrin of the Location Managers Guild. This letter was distributed to members and posted on the LocoList, resulting in a considerable calming of temperatures. We believe the crisis has been averted.
If you receive calls or emails from your contacts, please feel free to send them this letter. We would also appreciate your help in addressing any social media sites where the issue comes up, simply by notifying posters that a $25 Exhibition Only pass is indeed available for the show here, using the Invited Guest Code AFCI2011.
The Wyoming Film Office will be in attendance on Sunday night, honoring the work of Wyoming Short Film Contest winners past and present. But that's hardly the only time worth going. Check out the Saturday Night festivities below, then head on over to the CIFF site to buy your tickets.
Actor Wilford Brimley and his wife Beverly will appear at the Cheyenne International Film Festival, Saturday night, May 21. The evening will be co-presented by the Plains Hotel, the CFD Old West Museum and Hands Across the Saddle. The ticket price is $30.00
Doors open at 6 pm at the Atlas Theatre and appetizers by the Plains Hotel and wine by the Table Mountain Vineyards.
Wilford Brimley most recently appeared in “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. He is known for his roles in Seinfeld, The Firm, The China Syndrome, The Natural, Cocoon and Absence of Malice. He and his wife Beverly founders of Hands Across the Saddle based in Greybull, Wyoming.
The audience will also be treated to a demonstration of traditional Northern Arapaho dancing and singing by members of the Wind River Dancers and the Wind River Tribal College language classes. The Plains Hotel has a long history with the Northern Arapaho, as Chief Little Shield hangs prominently in the lobby of the hotel. The feature film on Saturday is a never-been-seen-before black and white silent film found in the archives of the Oregon State Historical Office. The silent film will have an original and spontaneous live piano score performed by Rattlesnake Jake Martin.
Visit our blog to learn more about each Program over the three days of the festival.
Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) will screen 17 programs consisting of 47 films at the Historic Atlas Theatre on May 19 - 22, 2011. There was something for every taste. CIFF is a platform for communities to tell their stories and relate to one another through the art of motion pictures.
“Highway 22 Revisited,” a short film produced by Jennifer Tennican and filmed near Wilson, Wyoming is the winner of this year’s Wyoming Short Film Contest. Now in its fourth year, the Wyoming Short Film Contest awarded $25,000 to Tennican who will now have the opportunity to produce another film in Wyoming with the proceeds.
A documentary filmmaker, Jennifer Tennican was working on a project that featured iconic western watering hole, the Stagecoach Bar, as a lens to view seventy years of history and societal change in Wilson, Wyoming. However, the only thing people wanted to talk about is the night that Bob Dylan supposedly played at the bar. Repeatedly sidetracked by this story, she goes in search of the truth - did he or didn't he? Is the story real or an urban legend? And a prize winning documentary emerged from the mystery:
Jennifer has been working in film and video since the late 1990s. While living in Massachusetts, she took film and video productions classes at Emerson College and The International Film and Television Workshops. Her early career featured a producer / director credit for an independent documentary about a Boston-area rock climber. The film, “Benedictus,” was an official selection of the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2007 and People’s Choice Runner-Up at the Alpinist Film Festival in Jackson, Wyoming. In 2009, she co-produced and directed a short documentary, “The Grand Yodeler,” for the Wyoming Short Film Contest. The film was Runner-Up People’s Choice. In addition to her documentary work, she has written, directed, produced and edited promotional and educational videos for non-profits and government agencies.
The Wyoming Short film Contest was created to generate interest in Wyoming as a film location. Film Office Manager, Michell Howard explains, “The Wyoming Short Film Contest was conceived as a tool to support lower budget projects. Many indie filmmakers can’t hit the $200K minimum to qualify for our financial incentive program, but we still want to support the local filmmaking community.”
Forty-three entries were judged using online video contest software. Colin Stricklin with the Wyoming Film Office shares, “The judges had a tough job this year. Even with the public vote cutting the field down to a top 10, it couldn’t have been easy to pick a winner.” Stricklin went on to explain that the top ten vote getters from the public round then went before a panel of film professionals and industry representatives.
First runner-up awarded from the judges went to filmmakers Alan O’Hashi and Pamela Cuming for their narrative short, “Running Horses – Freedom Lives in the Surrendering Heart.” This film was a coming of age story about a young brother and sister overcoming personal tragedy.
The Cheyenne International Film Festival will be screening, “Highway 22 Revisited” during the Wyoming Showcase program section of the festival on Sunday evening. For more information about the festival: http://cheyenneinternationalfilmfestival.com/blog/
The winning film along with the other entries is available for viewing at www.wyomingshortfilmcontest.com under the entries tab.
So you’re at THE RECEPTION. Your office just paid top dollar for a Platinum Star Level Festival Sponsorship, and all the potentials are streaming in. There’s producers and distributers and directors (oh my!), and for some reason they all seem more interested in the open bar than your brochure table. The nerve of some people, amiright?
Marketing is hard, there’s no doubt about that. And for the investment it takes to hit up one film festival or trade show or cocktail party, it can be more than a little daunting.
What if I don’t land a big project? What if no one comes?
The fact is that it’s easy to psyche yourself out about face-to-face marketing. It seems much safer to sit back, throw some traditional print ads into the DGA Quarterly, and hope that the phone rings. And while that’s certainly part of your job as a film commissioner, it’s equally important to invest a little time and money – silly as it sometimes seems – in the cocktail receptions. There are a few reasons why:
You might land THE BIG PROJECT, it’s true, but that's not always realistic for this type of event. If those high dollar producers were really interested they would more than likely call direct. So while it's always a possibility that you'll score a big feature, what’s really interesting at these events are the smaller projects. The short filmmakers and documentarians who never thought about your jurisdiction might just take the time to give you a look – especially since you took the time to invite them to the party. It may not be a multimillion dollar blockbuster, but all film is good film.
You never know who might become the next big thing. Remember that short filmmaker? Well now it’s a few years later, his latest indie flick caught some studio attention, and he remembers a good shooting experience in your backyard.
The unexpected benefits alone can be worth the price of admission. You might meet a guy that runs a film tourism blog. You might run across an angel investor interested in your region’s arts industry. You may even have a chance to catch up with old film commission buddies and cross-pollinate a few marketing ideas.
Besides, this is and always will be a relationship business. Even in an era where Incentive is king, you’ve got to get out there and meet the movers and shakers. After all, you won’t be able to make that all-important “just-thought-I’d-call-to-catch-up” phone call if you don’t make contact in the first place.
So don’t let the cost throw you. Don’t let yourself think “I’m just a small commission. No one cares about us out in New York / LA / Cannes / etc.” These events are every bit as necessary for our work as a locations database. So grab a cocktail and get to mingling. There’s marketing to be done!
"SANTA FE, N.M. — Film crews are shooting a pilot for a new television drama based on a Wyoming author's series of books in northern New Mexico this week.
The show called Longmire is based on the Walt Longmire Mystery series of novels by Craig Johnson about a widowed sheriff in Wyoming.
Economic Development Secretary-designate Jon Barela announced Monday that the pilot will shoot through May 12 in Los Alamos, Taos, Madrid, Las Vegas, and Santa Fe.
Robert Taylor of Matrix fame plays Longmire. Other cast members include Lou Diamond Phillips, Katee Sackhoff, Bailey Chase, Cassidy Freeman and Adam Bartley." To see the original article, visit trib.com.
A few things about this project. First and foremost, it provides great publicity for Wyoming. Yes, it is being shot in New Mexico, but the tourism bump that comes with such exposure still goes to the Cowboy State. Secondly, keep in mind that this is only the pilot. If the series gets picked up, there's a very real possibility that Wyoming will see some filming. At the very least we can anticipate a little B-unit for the sake of authenticity. And who knows? That could very easily turn into full episodes. We'll keep you posted from the Film Office as more "Longmire" news develops.
The Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) will screen 17 programs consisting of 47 films at the Historic Atlas Theatre on May 19 - 22, 2011. There was something for every taste. CIFF is a platform for communities to tell their stories and relate to one another through the art of motion pictures. Tickets are now available!
Saratoga, WY -- The Wyoming Film Festival announces its call for entries for the 2011 Wyoming Film Festival in short and feature length films that feature stories about the American Rocky Mountain West. Professional and amateur filmmakers working in all genres including narrative, documentary, and animation are welcome. Please view the festival’s website for complete information on submission guidelines and the 2011 downloadable submission form at www.wyomingfilmfestival.org.
All submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2010 and no works in progress will be accepted. Submission period begins May 5, 2011 and is open until the deadline of July 1, 2011.
Mark S. Ducker Creative Director, Wyoming Film Festival 307-321-7690
Lance Madzey, the filmmaking teacher at Natrona County High School, has been at the top of our Friends list since we first learned about his program this February. And this Tuesday in Casper, that Facebook contact became a great networking opportunity. The 13th Annual Wyoming High School Film Festival enjoyed its first day-long seminar, and we were there to be a part of it.
Held in the Iris Theater in downtown Casper, the seminar gave local students a chance to find out about film in their state and beyond. Presenters at the seminar included a pair of Disney / Lucas Film animators, as well as representatives from NBC, Wyoming Community Meida, and Central Wyoming College's new film program.
It was a great event. The kids got a chance to learn. We got a chance to make some great contacts (and host a lunch). And the 14th Annual festival can't come soon enough.
Looks like the good people over at News Channel 5 have taken an interest in Cheyenne's community media. Let's hope we see more of this coverage in the future as our creative culture grows. 
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