Site to behold

Short film/demo, Dartmoor was filmed and edited by a clearly skilled UK cameraman named James Watson. Imbuing scenery with a mythic quality, his staggeringly beautiful cinematography of the Dartmoor landscape took my breath away and filled me with warm fuzzies… pleasantly reminding me of Ireland.

Dartmoor from James Watson on Vimeo.

Oooh, such pretty colors

I admit, this is eye candy. But *gasp* what stunningly tasteful candy!
Metamorphosis , by graphic artist Glenn Marshall, is a marvelous array of colors, light and shape presented as a CGI short film… depicting the diversity and versatility of life.


*image credit- Glenn Marshall*

Heroes of her own story

I love the concept of modeling someone as a fictionalized character. Which is what Tansie cleverly & imaginatively does by envisioning herself as a sci-fi persona. Through beautifully dynamic execution of photography, graphic artistry & photo manipulation, Tansie places herself within fantasy and science fictional motifs and environments… implying the existence of alternate realities.

*image credit- Tansie*

(I have a similar idea with my Arcanum fiction, wherein I imagine Rachael Leigh Cook playing the role of main protagonist Cassie O’Brien.)

She can dance (if she wants to)

Sophie Merry gained fame as a Youtube phenomenon in 2007 when her first dance vid unexpectedly went viral. It’s clear to see why: her endearing stage presence & unique dancing style is what makes her videos so enduring, and still impressive and fun to watch today--- even after numerous repeat viewings. There is an organic and vivaciously spontaneous unchoreographed flowing stream-of-consciousness to her movements.

Also known online as Groovy Dancing Girl and Bandy Toaster, Sophie’s dance videos were among the first wave that showed and made Youtube as a venue for such a depth of content and creativity.

*image credit- Sophie Merry/ Celine O’Donnell*

Drinking from the Wells of Storytelling

Even though authors may have been published by major name publishing companies, some writers choose to also publish independently. Martha Wells —most recognized for books like The Fall of Ile Rien series and Death of the Necromancer —is also author of Stargate Atlantis novels printed independently through the smaller Fandemonium Press. Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement and Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary
And like many sci-fi/ fantasy writers, she has had short stories printed in various magazines and anthologies.

*image from apollocon.org*
Since I’m not a big fan of the Dragon & Sorcery type Fantasy stories, I didn’t really "get into" those books from her. But having attempted to read them, I do acknowledge that they are very well written and conceived. She employs a great skill for world building and character creation. I do, however, often enjoy the Stargate Atlantis TV show, and Martha demonstrates an uncanny comprehension of that universe and the characters inhabiting it. Reading her Atlantis novels, one can effortlessly envision the show in their mind’s eye-- that’s how authentically she depicts them.
I’ve had the immense pleasure of hearing Martha Wells on discussion panels at the ApolloCon sci-fi convention, where she clearly reveals a passion for and a deep wisdom about story telling.

Rebecca Latham: Nature vs Miniature

Original wildlife art painted in miniature by the gifted hand of Rebecca Latham is definitely a sight to behold.
On her website, it says: Rebecca Latham's watercolors are classically painted miniature paintings. Whether large or small, it's the classical methods of painting refined detail that give miniature paintings their allure.
With her mother and sister (Karen & Bonnie), Latham Studios was established to express and combine their love and talent for the style & technique of miniature painting.
And an appreciation for nature.
She describes on her blog-- What is miniature painting?

Rebecca permitted me to use her magnificent screech owl sketch on the cover of my book-- But The Owl Knows.
Which is beautifully painted here:

Musical Milla

Milla Jovovich is widely known as an actress and model.
But she also has a beautiful singing voice... imbued with a divine effervescence, a fabulously eclectic folk-rock musical style… and writes wonderfully poetic songs. Milla isn’t too bad with a guitar, either. She exudes a delightfully charming child-like playfulness and exuberance.

*image credit- www.millaj.com*
In 1993, she released an excellent album titled The Divine Comedy
which admirably demonstrates her considerable singing ability.
And it still holds up quite well over 10 years later.
So does her voice.

Check out her awesome 2003 Fashion Rocks London performance:

John's Hand; from StrikeTV

As a reaction to the Writer’s Strike in 2008, StrikeTV was formed as a means for TV industry talent to go independent and make their own TV shows for the Internets-- without Hollywood studios.
One of the best programs to come from this project is
John’s Hand , starring one of my favorite actors Garret Dillahunt (from Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles and The 4400) as John.

Written/directed by Catherine Butterfield, John’s Hand is a
3-part mini-series drama about an introverted scientist who has difficulty relating to and communicating with his family. Seeking to connect with his son, John endeavors to express his love by sharing an interest in astronomy… showing his son something marvelous he discovered in the sky.

Steam-punkery

OH-MY-GOD!
Hard to believe these steam-punk deco items —hand crafted by Rafa Maya-- are actually constructed with cardboard, plastic, recycled parts and a nifty paint job.
I am in so much AWE.
Gaze in wide-eyed wonder at one of several functioning clocks from Diarment Creations:

Ogle at more of his mind boggling handiwork in Rafa’s gallery.

Organic Specimens Observed

UH. MAY. ZING!

3D graphics/illustrations of “synthetic organics” designed by Tim Borgmann display a dazzling array of color, form & texture… capturing motion as if time had been paused. The objects and substances portray a vivid biological imagery.

Her portraits of women

...with soft hues that transcend...
I totally adore the illustrations of Stella Im Hultberg.
Over 100 paintings & drawings of the same woman (which seem to be surrealish idealized self-portraits). And yet each one a completely unique entity, with varied settings and poses exuding subtle differences in mood of a calm, perhaps wise (with occasional hints of seductive) thoughtfulness.

*image credit- Hultberg*
See also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stellaimhultberg

Mix and Mash-up Vids

I suppose that video mash-ups could be considered a kind of art form. There is artistic vision and skill involved in recombining video footage like DNA into a distinctively new story.
Jan van den Hemel and Andrew Hussie (a project collectively named jandrewedits) have created a collection of humorously (and ingeniously)edited footage from Star Trek: The Next Generation...



*Warning: some vids contain homo-sexual content, but hilarious and non-graphic
http://www.youtube.com/user/gazorra
also inventoried here: http://www.jandrewedits.com

Invitation To Marvel

Greg Martin is an exceptional & diverse graphic artist : visual designer, illustrator, photographer, matte painter.
Many vivid & vibrant pictures have been known to mightily spill forth from his adept hand… like a fountain of awesome.
Among other projects, Greg—by no mere coincidence-- is the artist collaborating with Jessica Mae Stover on the Artemis Eternal short film, creating original conceptual illustrations for the film and website design for The Artemis Eternal web experience.

Magnificently combining their artistic genius like chocolate & peanut butter, Jessica Stover & Greg Martin made this gorgeous promotional poster for Artemis Eternal:

*image credit- Jessica Mae Stover/ Greg Martin/ Artemis Eternal*

We are gratified to have one such as he among the ranks of Wingmen.

Accessory to Art: Lisa Heathco

Being a hetero male, I’m not inclined to get excited about jewelry. But the fantastically geek-style jewelry designed and hand-crafted by (my friend) Lisa Heathco is a great deal beyond mere jewelry… it is ART .

I’ve seen & held samples of her work in person, and I’m not exaggerating to say that it is even more beautiful and amazing than the photos indicate.
I am especially fond of her “ear cuffs”

…and “ear vines”

The patterns emanating from her fertile imagination are like divine revelation… nothing less than incredible!
If I were a girl—or even a woman, I would totally be wearing jewelry-art made by Lisa—who happens to accept requests for custom made original pieces through her etsy shop-- Cantaloupe Bliss.

Chris Tan Gallery

As an illustrator of some skill, Chris Tan does marvelous things with a pencil. Behold: The Marvelous.
Happiness of me ensued when I received not just one but TWO sweet drawings donated by Chris for my But The Owl Knows project— sci-fi anthology book of short stories.
Let me show you them:

Totally doesn’t suck, right?

Sean Tay Gallery

Sean Tay is a graphic illustrator of no small talent.
Illustration, character design, storyboarding, 3D modeling and 3D animation.
If he says that he is “just another person who deluded himself into thinking he's an artist.” I say he’s either being way too modest, or his delusion is in the other direction. He’s really actually quite good. See here:

I was fortunate enough to my have my sci-fi anthology book improved a smidgen by his donating this cool image. I certainly wouldn’t have included his drawing in my book if it was lame. That book which is, by the way just so you know, titled But The Owl Knows.

But wait, there’s more …

Zack Keedy Gallery

Can Zack Keedy draw? Well, does Zack Keedy think pie is awesome? Both of those are rhetorical questions answered with “Damn Skippy!”. The real question is: which is more awesome? Zack’s drawing skills… or pie?
As you see in this example, it’s a tough call. Who is Zack?
He’s the guy who drew this:

How cool is that? So very, that’s how.
He was kind enough to donate this wonderful image for my sci-fi short story anthology called But The Owl Knows (in support of Save The Children charity). My book is just a little more awesome because of it.
And there’s much more where that came from.

Join the (R)evolution of filmmaking

Something filmmaker Jessica Mae Stover posted on twitter brings up an interesting point: so many bad movies get made partly because most people-- apparently including many writers-- don't really understand proper story telling. They don't know better, don't realize the story is bad (or at least badly executed).
Here's what she said:
If your screenplay says any of the following things (or anything remotely similar):
1. "As you all know... [insert exposition]."
2. "I'm sure you're wondering... [insert exposition]."
I hate when, in a movie, action stops artificially to accommodate a character saying a line, and then punctuate with a hit.
Most of the time (unless it's comedic or ironic) those cheesy pause-for-line moments are stronger if you delete the line.
Well there's more: all of these infractions (and more, many many more glaring ones) can be found in Harry Potter 6.
If your screenplay says any of that, do us a favor & shred it immediately. Thank you.

Jessica's keen insight into story telling and filmmaking are largely why I trust her Artemis Eternal film project (still in development)... and why I enthusiastically became a Wingman. She knows the craft of filmmaking and storytelling, and respects the movie-going experience. More than just a movie, Artemis Eternal is a movement... a mentality. Engaging an innovative approach to filmmaking that defies the Hollywood model/standard/attitude, Jessica Stover invites community participation to fund & promote a project that becomes more than only her movie.
By respecting her audience & sharing involvement with her community of supporters (dubbed-- in a knightly fashion--Wingmen), the movie also becomes partly their movie.
Her story is their story...

The WINGMEN: Distortion from JSto on Vimeo.

"The story of the film (both in synopsis and philosophy) is about questioning what society expects of you and what we accept as normal. Everything we're doing around the film fits and explores that theme."
BONUS: experimental teaser

I have the Power to be me

The I Power crew masterfully demonstrates that you don’t need a big budget and extravagant special effects to craft a story into a compelling short film.
I Power is both a philosophy and a movement promoting Self-Development Activism, which is about encouraging people to make the world a better place by making yourself a better person… taking responsibility & action for becoming who you want to be. Furthermore, they are active & informed advocates for protecting net neutrality & freedom of expression.

*image credit- IPower*

The inspired & inspiring internet activism of this team of 5 friends is a real life true story of epic proportions, as they adeptly summarize in this promotional video for their IPower Project on their Youtube channel: I Power & SDA

But they have also created some fascinating, respectable & simply produced sci-fi short films: I P
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3

Going silent into that good night

Daniele Napolitano’s short film Notte Sento is remarkable enough with its enigmatic & cinematic narrative, but is especially noteworthy for its style of cinematography.
Shot with a Canon EOS 30D camera, the film is composed of over 4500 still photographs!
The quirky-jerky flow of stop motion perfectly suits and enhances a sense of surreality and disjointedness inherent in the story.

*image credit- Napdan*

Synopsis: A woman (whom I imagine as deaf) misses a train in Rome one night, and a chance encounter with a man-- strangers to each other-- inspires a change of plans. Together, they spontaneously embark on a platonically romantic adventure of friendly fun through the city, simply enjoying each other’s company as people, thereby surpassing any clichéd sexual associations in the relationship. No expectations but a child-like innocence of trust & companionship of two individuals on a shared journey for the night.

I'm Batman!

Fortunately, Bat In The Sun is not the only crew capable of producing awesome Batman fan films. Sandy Collora and his self-named studio have managed an amazingly authentic expression of the characters involved, staying true to their source. As a fan of Batman and great cinema, I really wish there were more people capable of pulling off this kind of quality in a film—short or full length. Superhero movies done by major Hollywood studios would be vastly improved if they learned from guys like Collora (and BITS) about how to make a proper superhero movie.
Well played, sir!

Batman: Dead End
shows Batman tracking down the escaped Joker one dark and stormy night... when he gets caught in a confrontation between Aliens being hunted by Predators!

World’s Finest: Superman/Batman delightfully features the iconic Bats AND Supes, as they deal with a collaboration between Lex Luthor and Two Face.
Although this one is presented as a trailer, it does everything a trailer should: self-contained summary that doesn’t give away the whole story and leave you feeling like you just saw the movie, and leaves me wanting more…

*image credits- Collora Studios*

Interviewing multi-talented musician Kate Godfrey

A mighty thankyou to Kate for being so gracious.

(Sean)
On your myspace page, you wrote:
It all started with one 1970s acoustic Gibson Guitar and the young, blond, and anti social Kate Godfrey.
It was all an accident...
....But there is no turning back now...

I love how that so simply & elegantly implies a story. Describe the situation of that fateful accident and how/why it influenced you to become a musician.

(Kate)
Well, it actually dates back to my childhood. Some of my oldest memories are of the little toddler me watching my mother, Donna DuCrest, and my Stepfather Robin DuCrest perform on stage in their band entitled In-2-It. They played smooth blues originals, and various cover songs, of Jon Denver, The Eagles, among many others.
She is a talented singer-songwriter and a very strong woman. The two of them shared the most beautiful love together. When I watched the passion they emitted while performing on stage, a fire burned from within me. I'd bite my lip with the exciting urge to delve into the unknown; creating music.
Tragically in December 2004, soon after I picked up the guitar and began writing my own songs (around 14 years old), my adored stepfather Robin...committed suicide.
After this happened it seemed to give me an extra drive. I wanted to let the music live on, even though it seemed impossible. Happiness seemed hard to come by, though I still felt a sense of comfort through music.
I figured quitting then wouldn't of been what Robin would have wanted. Still, to this day, I aspire to make him proud.

(Sean)
One of the elements of your music that most impresses me is the unique style of your sound— both vocal and instrumental. You don’t sound like anyone else I’ve ever heard. In a music landscape flooded with clones or copycats, that’s refreshing and very appreciated. Do you deliberately tweak your music to sound a particular way, or is that how you naturally sound? Or both?

(Kate)
Hmmm. No deliberate tweaking, no. Well, I can't say I really PORTRAY anyone INTENTIONALLY while I play, though I do have many different kinds of influences. I like to listen to many different styles of music, as well do the musicians I collaborate with, so perhaps that aids in our diverse sound.

(Sean)
Your recently released self-titled debut album is all manner of awesome. I thank & applaud you for the accomplishment. The only disappointing aspect is that it only had 6 songs. Do you have an amusing anecdote or interesting observation about producing your CD and the choices you made?

(Kate)
For now it's merely considered our 2009 E.P. Album (Extended Play) Though we are in the makes of new material, as well as recording the current solidified songs. It's a timely process in that thus far, the project has been 100% independently produced. From the tracking, mastering, and mixing to the packaging and art featured within the product itself, you have David Durrant and Kate Godfrey to blame. We didn't hire anyone for their services. It isn't the easiest route, however it is the most gratifying.

(Sean)
What plans do you have for your next album? Will you be doing anything different from the first one, in style/theme/process? Any other music related projects you’re doing or would like to do?

(Kate)
We are hoping to become equipped with an 8 channel interface for our recording process. This will allow us to record several isolated tracks at once, thus making the process much faster, and easier.
As far as any DIFFERENT styles or themes...Well we aren't exactly trying for a specific one. At this point, as we always have been, we are "playing it by ear." haha.

(Sean)
Besides music, you’ve also got some skill with drawing, painting & photography. Would you like to share comments about these? Are there other creative outlets you enjoy?
What NON artistic hobbies or passions do you engage in?

(Kate)
Ah yes, the fine art! It all began with finger-painting, then after a while the images started making sense. Through the years I have taken several art classes in and out of school, as well as done it in my spare time for fun.
I also enjoy making jewelery like earrings and hemp necklaces...Anything that is crafty, I'll try.
I much enjoy hiking and camping, cooking (which I guess you could consider an art!), Running, and long intriguing conversations over coffee.

(Sean)
As a fan of eccentricity, I think one of the things that makes people interesting & distinctive are their quirks. I’d like to know what some of yours are.

(Kate)
As any artist would, I have the capability to stay up an entire night working on a song, or piece of art simply fueled by pure creative impulse alone. ha ha. Insomnia is probably not the MOST healthy, but for some reason the mind feels more free when it's slightly delirious.

(Sean)
What question do you want to be asked, and what is your reply?

Quoting Jewel: If you could tell the world just one thing, it would be…?

(Kate)
hmmmm. That's a toughy Mr. Stubblefield. What question do I want to be asked...?

Question: Do you have any regrets?
My answer: No. Not a single one.

*image credit- Kate*

Beneath the surface of reality lurks

When I heard author Lee Thomas speaking on various panels at ApolloCon science fiction convention this year, I was immediately impressed by his insightful perspectives on storytelling, and the horror genre. At day’s end, I bought a book titled Inferno (personally autographed)— a short story anthology he highly recommended, with one of his stories. And I’m not prone to impulse buying. My impression was correct.
Happily enthralled, I couldn’t put the book down, and finished in less than two days, and immediately searched the Internets for more. To my great satisfaction, he is not a one hit wonder, as I found other stories of his that totally don’t suck. While I enjoy the horror genre, I’m not a big fanatic for it. Lee Thomas clearly knows how to do it right. He has kindly put a few short stories online for our edification, so you can see for yourself… get an idea as to what his writing style is like. One entitled Lullaby was particularly exhilarating.
As I wrote in the intro for my book But The Owl Knows (available on this blog), talented writers exist outside the mainstream.
But they must be— deserve to be—sought out, supported.
Lee Thomas is one such.

Laugh, live & learn

A passionate and extensive sub-culture of Atheist activism has developed on Youtube: people who defend and explain the value of atheism, while criticizing the hazards of religion.

Cristina (in Romania), Pat Condell (in London) and Laci Green (in California) are a few shining star representatives showing that atheists can have a wonderful (and acerbic) sense of humor.
Intelligent, thoughtful and gloriously funny, these three Youtube treasures are pioneers and masters of atheist comedy. Charismatic, amusing & engaging, their poetic & anecdotal vlogs will make you think AND laugh.
Criss, Pat and Laci raise “atheist comedy” to an art form.

This is a job for Superman

Superman is sometimes referred to as The Man Of Tomorrow.
In a brilliantly written & executed short film by Jim Cliffe and Kulchera Matson, called Tomorrow’s Memoir , an amazing tale of symbolically sublime subtlety unfolds.
Deliberately vague and meta-textual, the film envisions a possible future where a super powered hero of days past is forced out of retirement at a critical moment. Told in first person narration, the protagonist is never directly identified as Superman (or even Clark, Kent or Kal-El), but several fanboy-satisfying clues or easter-eggs laced through the story indicate that he is The Man of Steel. Both an implied story of Superman and a metaphoric representation of the superhero genre, pure genius:

*image property of Jim Cliffe, Kulchera Matson, Temporal Ellipsis Productions


An elderly man reflects on his unusual past and the choices he's made, while a mysterious crisis develops within his city.
He is a man with secrets, bitterness, lies and regret. And he's being watched.

Do you wish to live amongst the stars?

The end is nigh. It’s the end of the world as we know it. And the beginning of another.
A student project made by Marlon Torres, The Last Son of Celeste is a sci-fi fantasy short film of epic grace & beauty. Composed of intermingled past and present, real and imagined, this romantic adventure-- in every sense of the word “romance”-- takes place in 2876 A.D.
Celeste-- the last human city-- has fallen and mankind is on the brink of extinction. A lone survivor (a young man) must travel through a forest of lost dreams and memories (guided and accompanied by a young woman friend) to find humanity's last home... Two worlds collide, merging, blending & blurring… filmed in two alternating color schemes like The Matrix, a mythic hero’s quest is pursued by the last son of Celeste.


*image credit-Marlon Torres*

Tales left untold

Jeffery Harrell is a gifted story teller, even if he is often unsure of this point. Jeffery used to have a blog-- called The Shape Of Days-- where he would tell amusing & informative stories based on personal experiences. One of the highlights of his blog was a narrative series titled Train Blogging, which consisted of mis-adventures on a subway train, where he regularly fell in love with beautiful women as he people-watched. It is a shame and a tragedy that artists of his caliber must experience the indignity of going unnoticed & unappreciated. I’m glad I saved a copy those wonderful stories.
Like way too many talented artists (such as myself*ahem*), he suffers from lack of the recognition he deserved. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funding & miscellaneous interfering life-crap, he had to close his blog. But Jeffery also published a collection of short stories (sci-fi/ drama/ romance) that were posted on his blog and, lucky for us, is apparently still available as a book: The Glacier With Her Name Carved In It (and other stories)

You will be doing yourself— and Jeffery— a massive disservice if you do not read these 276 pages of awesome. Worth more than you’ll pay for it, I’m very pleased to include his book in my library. If you have any doubts, just consider the other artists I blog here, & you'll see I have superb taste in story telling. ;-)

Mantel of the Bat

*image credit- BITS*

Bat In The Sun Productions is an independent self-contained film and music production company… founded by Aaron and Sean Schoenke. Creators of some of the finest, most impressive Batman short films ever made. EH-VAR!
I’m a huge Batman fan, and I demand authenticity and believability in my stories.
These Batman fan films have it aplenty-- masterfully produced, captivating stories featuring character depictions and visual & narrative tone gratifyingly true to their comic book source material. Much more so than Batman Begins and Dark Knight— both of which are excellent Bat films I love.
The Bat In The Sun guys demonstrate that amateur or indie doesn’t automatically equate to poor production values. And that "comic book" is not synonymous with "cheesy" or "for kids".

If you like your Batman as I do, you’ll definitely wanna see this.
Watch Batman Legends and Patient J online at www.batinthesun.com

Come wander with me

And She Stares Longingly At All She Has Lost ; directed by Philip Van with Method Studios, launched by Little Minx

Literally breath taking. And heart breaking. Image and sound exquisitely combine to form an art piece that is emotionally and symbolically luscious, vibrant, poignant… ethereal, haunting. What was & will be?
More than merely a short story, this melancholy parable fantasy is a powerful visual narrative illustrating-- through a silent film— the regrettable process of losing our childhood innocence & potential to disillusionment of compromise we find in adulthood. Also, how we tend to fantasize our realities & expectation.
Full of multi-level metaphor and open to interpretation, I’ll let you make your own conclusions as to what is says.


*image credit- littleminx.tv*

Life finds a way...

Steel Life —an experimental student short film produced by Mathieu Gérard-- offers an abstractly sci-fi themed extravaganza of spectacular awe-inducing visuals, accompanied by wondrous orchestral music.
Enough of my prattle...
GO. NOW.

*image credit- Mathieu Gérard*

Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice

I dig me some Star Wars and fan films, but the two combined—due to the intricate technical production facets involved—are frequently so much fail. Reign of the Fallen is an example of a Star Wars fan film so totally full of epic win. Not only is this film produced better than almost every other fan film out there (Star Wars or not), it is better even than The Prequel Travesty of Lucas.
Along with Dark Resurrection, it is among the top 3 best. Professional level quality despite being made by amateurs and volunteers (so is Artemis Eternal ).

Reign of the Fallen is an independently produced film based on the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. This movie is made solely for the love of all things filmmaking and is not for monetary gain. Everyone involved in the making of this movie worked completely for free, rewarded only by the experience… (just like Artemis Eternal -FYI)
Inspired by the work of the fan film community, writer/director David McLeavy and producer Jonathan Wang set out to make a unique film (through Ninja Leprechaun Pictures), one that paid homage to the Star Wars universe they knew and loved, but was shown through their own eyes in their own filmmaking style.

In the times since great wars laid waste to Prias, its people have learned to embrace a simple life, away from the perils of technology and war. As the mighty Sith army spreads across the galaxy, subjugating every planet in its path, all the people of Prias can do is wait, their world protected by an energy shield held in place by ancient towers. A lone warrior seeks out a weapon of legend to save his people. While the people wait in fear, one Jedi trained by Master Oram Bren will be chosen to be the future leader of Prias, a title decided by a vote of the entire population of the planet. But little do they know that one Jedi's dark secret could spell their doom.

Watch online or DVD

*image credit- NL*

The Force is strong in this one

From writer/director Angelo Licata (with Lords of Illusion studio), Dark Resurrection is an experimental Non-Profit movie inspired by Star Wars.There are many Star Wars fan films out there (most of which I've seen), but this is one of the most incredible and adeptly implemented I’ve ever had the joy & privilege to experience. Definitely in the top 3 best.

Volume 1 is available for free in streaming video directly from the home page of the website in different resolutions. Volume 2 is currently in production (and accepting donations).
Much like the in-development Artemis Eternal project, Dark Resurrection is created/crewed by “amateurs” & volunteers at a professional quality level.

A few centuries after Episode VI:
An ancient prophecy leads the powerful Jedi Master Sorran to start an obsessive quest for Eron, a legendary place able to give infinite knowledge to the one who will open its seal. Because of his obsession, many apprentices die and Sorran is repudiated and apparently killed by the leaders of his own council. After many years, he reappears as if he had learned a secret to deceive death, and he manage to find out Eron’s location with the help of a young apprentice and of the reinvigorated Imperial Forces.
Master Zui Mar and the young Hope, upon which a terrible secret waft, are dispatched on Eron to stop Sorran. The Council, however, decides to not reveal them the terrible destiny they are running into.
poster image credit-LOI

She'll only show you awesome things. HI!

Natalie Tyler Tran is the cleverly hilarious one woman sketch comedy vlog show thingy known as Community Channel on Youtube. Self deprecating & charmingly geek with a knack for sexual innuendo (with yer mum), Natalie prolifically & proficiently relates anecdotes about stuff she has experienced or observed— usually featuring re-enactments of funny or strange moments in her life, while playing nearly every role. Sturgeon’s Law says that 90% of anything is crap. Securely in the remaining 10%, she represents some of the best creativity that Youtube is capable of. She makes SNL and MadTV look like amateur hour-- and not in the good way. Most shows/movies labeled 'comedy'-- online or on TV or on film-- are dreadfully not actually funny. Not only is Nat genuinely entertaining, she’s also interesting and insightful.

Community Channel

So, let the people play

Dr. Steel is a man of many talents with one simple goal. To make the world a better place... by building a Utopian Playland with his volunteer army of Toy Soldiers.
An artistic juggernaut, those prodigious talents include eclectic music, inspirational videos, and illustrations.

*image gallery*

According to the Toy Soldiers Unite website, all of the propaganda artwork is done by Dr. Phineas Waldolf Steel himself!

Not only a visionary and a musician, Dr. Steel is responsible for all of the official propaganda artwork used in the world domination campaign. Dr. Steel is also the creator of all visual design for his website, doctorsteel.com, as well as the illustrations contained in each of his albums.

Likewise, he is the writer, composer and performer of all Dr. Steel recordings. Dr. Steel has dedicated his life to manifesting as much creativity in the world, utilizing his multi-talented mind to build a Utopian Playland.

Evolution is not optional

Classified by creator Jhon Doria as Science Non-fiction, Dopler Effect is an intriguing & exhilerating 19 episode dramatic web series exploring the implications/ applications of modern science & technology on human development.

Transhumanism: the next step in human evolution? The future is now, happening all around us.

"...[I]f a new technology extends one or more of our senses outside us into the social world, then new ratios among all of our senses will occur in that particular culture. It is comparable to what happens when a new note is added to a melody. And when the sense ratios alter in any culture then what had appeared lucid before may suddenly become opaque, and what had been vague or opaque will become translucent."-Renown communications theorist Marshall McLuhan; The Gutenberg Galaxy

"I teach you beyond Man (superman). Man is something that shall be surpassed. What have you done to surpass him?" -Friedrich Nietzsche; Thus Spake Zarathustra

http://www.doplereffecttv.com

Hooray For Hillywood!

The Hillywood Show is a remarkably unique sketch comedy series... with a twist. Hilly and Hannah Hindi will amaze you with their stunningly faithful & quirky imitations of movie characters. Almost every character is brilliantly portrayed by the 2 sisters!

The series features Pirate Jack Sparrow (from Pirates of the Caribbean), as he trundles through a loose hodge-podge re-enactment of scenes from various movies... like Terminator, Back To The Future, Star Wars and Sweeney Todd.
They have also produced phenomenal music video parodies for The Dark Knight and Twilight, with another for New Moon planned in 2010.

The writing in the series is a bit on the silly side, but the acting, directing, cinematography, FX, makeup & wardrobe are quite impressive. Especially when you consider they do virtually everything themselves.
These resourceful & talented ladies are on the cutting edge of new media entertainment. And so much fun!

Marvel at the magnificence of The Hillywood Show


photo credit to Hilly and Hannah Hindi

we are the music makers...

I enjoy seeking/discovering new great music & indie musical talent. I'm always excited to find individuals with a unique sound/style, who do not remind me of (or sound like) someone else. It isn't enough to sing or play instruments well... it matters more that you do it uncommonly.
Here are a few exemplars of the craft:
kate godfrey: experimental/ folk/ rock/ accoustic (album available)
haley dreis: folk/ rock/ pop/ accoustic (album available)
kris shred: rock/ folk/ pop/ accoustic
heather hunter: folk/ rock/ pop/ accoustic (album available)
vika: instrumental/ classical/ rock (album available)
reo rae: accoustic, pop/ folk/ rock (album available)
kaila handler: accoustic/ folk/ rock/ pop

In a roundabout way

Mentioning the Artemis Eternal site before Wingman Central would be an obvious, typical thing to do. So I'm not gonna do that. Wingman Central is an Internets-hub created by and for supporters (dubbed Wingmen) of cinematic renegade/web personality Jessica Mae Stover-- producer of sci-fi short film Artemis Eternal. Its mandate is to organize the Wingmen into a cohesive community that can more effectively increase awareness about Jessica's online/filmmaking projects. The spirit of Artemis Eternal is all about defying what is expected, to create alternative innovations for how & why things are done... like better ways of making movies.
More than just a movie, Artemis Eternal is a movement (& mindset) perpetuated by the Wingmen.

learn more... do more... be more:
http://wingmancentral.blogspot.com


*image by Jessica Stover