"Kiss Me, I'm English" & Other Updates

It's been a while since I've updated this, so I'll just let you know what's been going on lately:

Tisch is about to reopen for the fall semester, which means I'll finally be able to finish work on my latest student short film: Kiss Me, I'm English, which was shot last spring for my Color Sync Workshop. The edit is picture locked and most of the sound is already done and awaiting the final mix. All that really needs to be completed is the color correction, credits, and the music for the soundtrack. I've composed some tracks myself, but I hope to utilize more from other composers I know.

I only had a few weeks to prep, assemble the cast and crew, scout locations, and rehearse, which was not a whole lot of time. But given the circumstances, I think it turned out very well, with some fantastic performances from my cast and crew. Next time, guys, I promise to devote a whole lot more time to pre-production planning!

And in the meantime, you can check out some of my videos now on YouTube, including The Buzz, Bittersweet, and a preview of Time Keeps on Skippin'!

"Bittersweet" on IMDb!

Thanks to my latest film, Time Keeps On Skippin', I now have a page on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)! And thanks to that, I was able to create a page for Bittersweet! Check it out here!

"Bittersweet" Coming to a TV Near You!

The Seattle Channel and the Northwest Film Forum have been running a program called Reel Short Movies, which is designed to present the best in local short films.  And one entire episode will exclusively feature shorts from Ballard High School, including Bittersweet!

The episode will be cablecast on the Seattle Channel (channel 21) on Thursday November 27th at 9pm, Friday the 28th at 8pm, and Saturday the 29th at 11pm. The episode is also featured online at the Seattle Channel's website.

Enjoy!

"Bittersweet" and "Love is the Elle Word" at NFFTY!

Nearly two years later, Bittersweet is still going strong, screening at the National Film Festival For Talented Youth on Sunday March 30th as part of the festival's Family Cinema program. Bittersweet is one of two of my films screening at NFFTY this year, the other being my first independent short Love Is the Elle-Word, which premiered Saturday March 29th.

This is likely going to be Bittersweet's final film festival, marking the end of a long and fruitful run through the festival circuit. My thanks goes out to my friend, fellow classmate, and producer Coburn Erskine, who tirelessly championed this film (and since he was still a high school student, he was able to submit to more student festivals long after I had graduated!)

"Bittersweet" Wins at the Northwest Regional Emmys!

At the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards, Bittersweet received an Award For Excellence in Writing from the National Student Television Awards.

It was an amazing night as I got the chance to see Devan, Becca, and Coburn for the first time in a year as we got our pictures taken on the red carpet and rubbed elbows with members of Seattle's news media. And nothing quite beats that engraved logo that reads "The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences".  Very cool!

"Bittersweet" and "Soccer Dads" at Westport Youth Film Festival!

Bittersweet, thanks to the hard work of co-producer Coburn, was an Official Selection at the Westport Youth Film Festival, along with another one of our films, the lighthearted documentary Soccer Dads. Our two shorts were among six films by Ballard High School students that were made Official Selections.

"Bittersweet" and BHS Win at Northwest High School Film Festival

A year after its completion, Bittersweet finally screened at the Northwest High School Film Festival, where it received one of three Awards of Excellence in the Dramatic Narrative category. Ballard High School videos, all in all, walked away with 11 Awards of Excellence (a third of all the awards!) and nine honorable mentions, marking yet another consecutive year of Ballard domination.

Featured Article in Horizon Air Magazine

It's finally happened!  I've been featured in Horizon Air's in-flight magazine as part of an article of young filmmakers in the Pacific Northwest called "Fledgling Flimmakers."  If you're flying during the holidays, be sure to turn to page 10!

"Bittersweet" World Premiere!

Bittersweet made its world premiere at the 30th Annual Young People's Film and Video Awards on July 16th in Portland, Oregon, along with two other Ballard High School student films.