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Wednesday,
MAY 30, 2007
Springing into action …
Tara Veneruso’s in town
full-time now as “RISK:
At-Risk Girls Behind the Camera”
is in pre-production hyper mode preparing for
our June 9 production start. It promises to be a
very exciting and fulfilling June as we begin
the program teaching at-risk 11-14-year-olds all
about making movies – and then document the
experience. Some of the girls’ stories are truly
heart-breaking, but the girls themselves are
determined and smart with personality plus.
The great part about this
program is that you, yes YOU, can play a part.
Go to
http://riskthemovie.com/?page_id=46 to make
a tax-deductible donation to the program, which
is completely free to the girls. We’re even
picking them up and driving them home each day.
And the curriculum Tara designed, and well as
the guest teachers she’s bringing in, will
introduce the girls to a world that we hope will
change their lives forever for the better. Among
those who’ll visit KC and St. Joe to teach the
girls:
John
Serpentelli
and
Jacques Thelemaque.
I’m so proud to be a part
of this project and especially proud to be
working with Tara and my fellow producers who’ve
done so much to make the program a real deal in
KC and St. Joe: Eric Keith of
Red Echo Group and Deny Staggs
of
Missouri Western State
University. Cheers to all!
Check out more on RISK at
www.girlsbehindthecamera.org and
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/story/121587.html
for KC Star article.
LINDA
Tuesday, APRIL 17, 2007
1-2-3, easy as A-B-C and a lotta other letters …
1 personal note: Sharon is all settled in
Austin with Mr. Pink*. She finally has her
furniture and is going great guns as editor of
the
American-Statesman’s XL
section.
2 things prompting me to write a new blog entry
today:
-
During the KC Jubilee Film Festival, which
ended yesterday, 3 separate folks I’d just
met said friends o’ mine had previously
directed them to the Babes site to read all
about us. How wonderful! So thought I’d
better provide an update.
-
I’m putting off finishing my taxes.
3 updates I must provide:
-
“RISK: At-Risk Girls
Behind the Camera”
– Tara Veneruso and co-producers Eric Keith
and Deny Staggs have been makin’ lots o’
things happen since I dropped out of sight
in mid-March. I’ll be back in action this
week, but please, please check out more on
“RISK” at
filmsforyouth.org. We’re relying on
community support for this exciting project.
-
“LAST
BREATH” – WOW! We
finished principal photography at the spooky
warehouse, which served as home to a most
talented cast and crew for a little over 3
weeks. Robert Hubbard got some
fab footage for his
"Joys
of Lo-Budget Filmmaking"
series on his blog. (Yes, those are real
rats – 500 of ‘em – and real baseballs
pummeling Ty!) The first weekend in warm,
sunny place went off w/o a hitch, even
though I was otherwise engaged at …
-
CROSSCUT: Women Making
Movies – I was proud to
chair the 2007 Crosscut, which featured
another inspiring, enlightening panel with
the 4 amazing women I mentioned in March 8
entry – Elizabeth Stanley, Sarah Jo Marks,
Joyce Hart and Ariella Ben-Dov – plus KCK’s
own Dee Wallace, the iconic mother of “E.T.”
who appeared courtesy KCWIFT. Again, see
more at
myspace.com/crosscutkc and check out our
new Crosscut tote at
cafepress.com/crosscutkc.
As always, Crosscut motivated me to delve
into my own work … after I finish my @#$%#
taxes!
LINDA
*The cat, not Steve Buscemi, whom Sharon loves
but really can’t live with since he’s married
w/child.
Thursday, MARCH 8, 2007
Creepy film,
Crosscut females …
In less than 2 weeks, I’ll be trapped for 3
weeks in a spooky warehouse with a creepily
sadistic torturer and 500 rats – and I couldn’t
be happier. Production for “Last Breath” begins
March 20 – check it out at
www.lastbreaththemovie.com.
Immediately following those 3 weeks, I’ll emerge
into the spring sunshine only to find myself in
as one of those people in the dark during the
KC Jubilee
Film Festival. As always,
it promises to be a fun and inspiring week. I’m
particularly honored this year to be chair of
the 6th annual
Crosscut: Women Making
Movies symposium. We have a
kick-ass panel of women filmmakers this year:
-
Elizabeth Stanley
- Producer - The Doctor, The Tornado and
the Kentucky Kid - Joe Dante producing
partner, writer/director manager with Next
Stop Management, and former DGA associate
director
-
Ariella Ben-Dov - MadCat
International Women's Film Festival
founder/director/curator and filmmaker;
www.madcatfilmfestival.org
-
Jayasri Hart
- Documentary producer/director/editor -
Sisters of Selma and Roots in the
Sand;
www.home.earthlink.net/~jayasrihart
-
Sarah Jo Marks
- Founder of At Risk Films - a distribution
company for documentaries - producer's rep
and producer, formerly senior VP of
acquisitions and development for Seventh Art
Releasing;
www.atriskfilms.com
Come to the Crosscut cabaret this year at 10:30
am Saturday, April 14 – more to come on venue.
And lookie what Lisa Marie Evans (fab filmmaker)
Nita Norris (graphic design goddess) put up this
year -
http://myspace.com/crosscutkc. More
info and Crosscut items to buy as soon as I get
my act together – which I gotta do before being
locked up with Aaron, the friendly neighborhood
sadist. Ciao for now!
LINDA
Monday, FEBRUARY
26, 2007
Found
weekend …
FRIDAY:
Went up to
Joetown to visit family for my Dad's birthday.
Love you, Daddy!SATURDAY:
With close friends, said good-bye to Sharon the
Babe, who's headin' to the Austin city limits
this Wednesday.
SUNDAY:
Went to see "Love,
Janis"
at the KC Rep in new Copaken Theatre - recommend
it highly to all movie folks as well as theater
and music lovers. Has many inspiring things to
say about truly goin' all out for it for the the
sake of art, love of your art, and how your art
keeps you sane.
Also,
watched the 2007 Oscars (of course, dahling!)
and now note ...
3 biggest disappointments ...
- Boring opening doc w/nominees -
I wanna be entertained, dammit!
- Ellen's lame opening monologue
- though she was very funny with her short bits
throughout, esp w/Marty and Clint
3 best moments ...
- Will, Jack and John: Talented
comedians (esp ones who sing) should just open
the show dammit!
- Beyonce acting all sisterly and
supportive of Jennifer (now that's acting) and
the trio of 3 "Dreamgirls" nominated songs with
those glorious voices
- Francis, Steven and George
giving Marty his Oscar
Final comment on final
presenters ...
Diane Keaton's still delightful 30 years (!!!)
after winning her Oscar for "Annie Hall." Jack -
who used to have hold on me (Oh, man, I still
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to watch him circa 1969-1999) -
is becoming such a caricature. Besides, I've
finally realized he's old enough to be my Daddy.
LINDA
Monday, FEBRUARY
12, 2007
Dream Crew and
Cast …
Must give a shout out to the fabulous crew and cast
Ty Jones and Aaron Laue have assembled for their
production of "Last Breath," the feature I'm working
on as pre-production manager and unit production
manager. Sharon - before she leaves us for Austin -
is sharing pre-production assistant duties with
Jennifer Davis, who's helping make my job a joy.
Most all have worked on feature films in KC,
Lawrence and Columbia. A few have worked on many top
movies and TV shows in Los Angeles ("Superman."
"Deadwood") or have written/directed/produced their
own feature ("Air"). Check out the links for their
credits below.
In addition to Ty and Aaron doing double duty ...
Ty Jones
(Director/Actor)
www.imdb.com/name/nm1726852 and
www.ministrymachine.com/index.asp?body=completed_projects
Jen Stone
(Makeup and
Hair Artist)
graduate
of Delamar Academy of Makeup at Ealing Studios in
London,
with focus on special effects makeup
Isaac Alongi
(Aerial/Crane
Camera)
www.iastudios.com - click on Portfolio and then
on Aerial
CAST:
Ty and Aaron, plus:
LINDA
Friday, FEBRUARY 2, 2007
Babes Southwest …
Don’t know if many in KC know this, but
Sharon Chapman
and I have been friends for nearly 17 years (!!!). We met
and bonded (and partied) while at St. Joe News-Press. We
kept up our friendship through her moves to Salem, OR, and
Austin, TX, and my move to Missoula, MT. We reconnected in
KC when she moved back here in ’00 to be with her brother
Greg during his last months of life. And together we began
our marvelous journey into the indie film scene when we –
with Babe emeritus Terie Clement – attended the KC Jubilee
in April 2001.
Without Sharon, all the great things going on with me and
film (see Jan. 17 entry below) definitely would not be
happening. Through the past 6 Babes in Boyland years, she’s
been my movie partner, supporter and confidant. Knowing that
she’s got my back has given me the confidence to take on new
challenges and strive to go further into the film/video
world. More concisely, I’d be nothin’ without her!
So it’s with a mixture of pride of her, happiness for her,
and sadness for me, I say good-bye to Sharon as she begins a
new chapter back in Austin as entertainment editor of the
Austin American-Statesman. As an entertainment town
supreme, Austin is the perfect place for Sharon,
music/film/TV/video maven supreme who also loves theater,
art and festivals. Austin is lucky to have someone with her
smarts, skills and savvy. (All I ask is that she get a comfy
couch so I can bunk at her place when I go down to SXSW in
coming years.)
What’s this mean for Babes in Boyland? Only that we’ll now
have 2 “offices” – Babes Midwest and Babes Southwest. We’re
still planning to wrap up/shoot the 3 short films in the
works. (Sharon’s parents are up here so she won’t be a
stranger to this area.) And we each have 2 full-length
screenplays to complete.
So I wish Sharon well on her new life in Austin, and take
comfort in knowing she still has my back emotionally AND
may be able to score Kyle Chandler or some other
Austin-based actor for Babes’ future movies
J
LINDA
Wednesday, JANUARY 17, 2007
What’s goin’ on in
this Bond Year …
OK, so the time between blog entries has gotten considerably
longer, but that doesn’t mean the Babes are snoozin’ on the
film front. In fact, two of our favorite people are keeping
us busy on feature projects in 2007.
Ty
Jones – our fab “Agent Jim” d.p. and
“Bra” key grip – has written and is directing “Last
Breath,” a cross between “Saw,” “Hard
Candy” and “A Christmas Carol.” Yes, a story of horror,
suspense and redemption. Ty’s written and directed many
great shorts over the past decade (who can forget “Man's
Best Friend,” versions 1 and 2), but this
is his first feature, and Sharon and I are delighted to help
out. (I still relish the moment when I attended my first
Independent Filmmakers Coalition meeting – a life-changing
evening – to round up crew for “Bra” and met Ty, who said
he’d be glad to help and handed me his business card stating
“Ty Jones, Filmmaker.”) And I’m particularly pleased Ty and
his super duper producer
Aaron Laue have asked me to be their
unit production manager.
So here’s how you can make my life easier: If you’re
available any day from March 20-April 7 to be a grip or
production assistant on the shoot, please
contact me. If you
can help out in pre-production on the set and to track down
props, please
contact me. And if
you know of folks in the Lee’s Summit area who’d be more
than happy to donate some vittles during the production,
please, by all means,
contact me.
Ty and Aaron have assembled a most talented cast and crew,
including the gang at
Through a Glass Productions.
See who else is on board for
cast and
crew. (PS - There's a Superman in the
cast - do you know who?)
And I’ve just spent two days with
Tara
Veneruso and her assistant at
Flaming Angel Films, Sara Ivicevich,
taking meetings with folks in KC and St. Joe regarding
Tara’s “RISK: Girls Behind the Camera” education
program/feature documentary.
Tara, an amazing L.A. filmmaker who has an affinity for our
neck o’ the woods, has also played a part in changing my
life. Our friendship – which began at the Jubilee's
Crossscut a couple years ago – and her trust in my abilities
are invaluable, and I’m honored she asked me to be a
co-producer on the “RISK” shoot. (The dynamic duo of
Deny Staggs
and
Eric Keith are fellow co-producers who
are doing much of the terrific pre-production work setting
up the program. Sharon hopes to help out when not at her
KC Star day job.)
The recipe for “RISK”: Take 30 at-risk adolescent girls in
KC and St. Joe, teach them video production skills as they
make their own movies during a 4-week summer program, show
their movies at big splashy premieres in the two cities, and
document the entire experience. Throw in teamwork,
self-worth and creative expression “lessons” and you’ve got
a deliciously successful project.
Though I have much work to do before the actual productions
begin, I’m enjoying every minute. The adage “If you do what
you love, it doesn’t seem like work” is very true.
LINDA
Saturday, SEPTEMBER 23, 2006
Catchin' up with y'all …
First of all, many talented KC-area actors auditioned for
"Trio"
in June. However, we are postponing production until
spring/summer 2007 'cause we've just been dang busy with day
jobs and other activities. More to come on the production.
Beyond the day jobs, Sharon is taking off for 2-week Italy
excursion. Arrivederci, Sharona!
I
spent much time this summer marketing the Kansas
International Film Festival - with the payoff being that
I got to meet many of the talented indie filmmakers who
attended the festival Sept. 15-21. My goal this year was to
see more films (anyone who's worked a festival knows that
can be impossible sometimes) and meet all the filmmakers
with whom I'd been in contact. Think I met all but 2 guys.
It was a treat to spend time with many of the wonderfully
talented and inspiring filmmakers over lunch, dinner and
drinks.
I'm
now gearing up to take over the reins - from Sharon, no less
- of Crosscut: Women Making Movies, a premier event of the
KC
Filmmakers Jubilee Film Festival
in April. This year's festival should attract the creme de
la creme of short film filmmakers since there's a $5,000
(yes, 3 zeros) award for best short film. I'm better
finish post on "The
Lost Kid" asap!
LINDA
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AGENT
JIM
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BRA-a lingerie tale
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BABES' KC NEWS
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Mark your calendars:
Enter the Kansas International Film Festival
- visit
www.kansasfilm.com for details.
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