Academy Awards Recap: The Good, The Bad and The Offensive?

Author:  Yolanda R. Arrington, WIFV Board

Yolanda R. Arrington is the Co-Chair of Women of Vision 2012 and a WIFV Board Member.

Sunday night, millions were locked in for the 85^th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by irreverent comedian and writer Seth MacFarlane. If you watch any of his work then you know what you’re getting: a guy who pokes fun at everyone. A guy who can amuse and offend everyone in the room, then sing a Sinatra standard with ease. But, Sunday night, viewers were treated to a series of jokes and an unfortunate tweet that lit up the blogosphere and the “Twitterverse.”

I’ve compiled a few Oscar commentaries to put things into context.

The Quvenzhané Wallis Tweet

The Onion fired off what was supposed to be a satirical tweet about young Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis. That tweet contained a highly derogatory term for women and was quickly pulled. The Onion apologized the next morning but it was too late. Bloggers and women’s groups were already on the move, supporting young Quvenzhané. The Crunk Feminist Collective compiled a love letter to the young actress, Black Girl Dangerous penned a blog about being a black girl in the world and a Huffington Post blogger noted how the tweet and MacFarlane’s joke that Wallis has “sixteen years before she’s too old” for George Clooney signaled a loss of innocence for the young actress and our culture, in general.

Visual Effects Artists Snubbed

While the Oscar party was happening inside the theatre, visual effects artists were gathering outside on Hollywood Boulevard to protest recent events that have put a strain on their industry. The Hollywood Reporter notes the recent bankruptcy filing and subsequent layoffs at Rhythm & Hues Studios –the same studio that’s responsible for the effects in the Oscar-winning “Life of Pi” – was behind the protest. During his acceptance speech for “Life of Pi’s” visual effects, Bill Westenhofer was drowned out by the band and his microphone cut off just as he was about to address the current situation in the industry. We plan to have more coverage and a deeper look at the visual effects industry in an upcoming blog.

Sexism & Racism At The Oscars

BuzzFeed pointed out nine sexist things that happened during the telecast, including MacFarlane’s song about breasts and a joke about domestic violence Taking a page from BuzzFeed, the Media Action Grassroots Network found at least five instances of racism during the show and listed them on the Organizing Upgrade website.

MacFarlane has said he will not host the Oscars next year. The show pulled in 40.3 million viewers, a million more than last year, so perhaps MacFarlane’s arm can be twisted.

What Can You Do?

Huffington Post blogger Jan Lisa Huttner suggests simple steps you can take to put a positive spin on the negative feedback by supporting women filmmakers, including participating in SWAN Day/Support Women Artists Now Day.

Did you watch the Oscars? Were you amused, entertained or offended? Tell us.

About the Writer:  Yolanda R. Arrington, WIFV Board

Yolanda R. Arrington is a digital media producer and full-time social media manager.  In her “other” life, she is one of four co-founders of the Witches’ Brew entertainment blog, a 2012 Black Weblog Awards winner.  More info available at yolandaarrington.com.  To learn more about WIFV DC, go to wifv.org.

Using the Short Format to Build Your Portfolio

WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC
University of California Washington Center in Washington DC
Sunday, December 3, 2012

Writer: Christina Helm, Women in Film & Video Member

Ms. Davidson is a founding member of New Mexico Women in Film and served as its President for almost four years. She is currently Vice Chair of Women in Film and Television International. WIFTI Short Film Showcase, an annual March 8th event, was produced in 2011 and again in 2012 by Ms. Davidson.

Launching a film project is exciting, how do you make the most of a short film?
Story can be the easy part but once you’ve come up with an idea, what else do you need to think about?  Petrina D’Rozario, Janet Davidson, and Sheila Dennin brought first-hand experience to the Sunday WIFTI Summit and ScriptDC panel on Using the Short Format to Build Your Portfolio. A passion for the project you’re working on can make your short film great, but it can be easy to get lost in the details.  It can be hard to see beyond your own ideas for a project, so bringing in an outsider who’s not personally invested can be a good idea.   Their vision can help you move beyond the minute details that keep the film from being interesting, especially since short films need to grab the viewer’s attention in the first two minutes.  An audience member suggested using YouTube analytics, as it will tell you when viewers stopped watching.Holding a screening for feedback can be beneficial.  Panelists recommend creating a survey that viewers can fill out.  Tangible feedback can be extremely useful in the edit suite.  Make sure your screening isn’t only with friends; you need people who can be brutally critical if necessary.  The audience needs to leave with two or three take-away moments, after all we want our films to be memorable.

One point the panelists address, is the need to plan for your film to be successful and include that in your budgeting and strategy.  If your film is making the festival circuit or bought for distribution, you need to have budgeted for that in pre-production.  You have to travel with your film if a festival picks it up; you need to be there at the screenings and Q & A’s.   In assuming your film will be successful, you also need to consider what costs appear after your film is bought, i.e. SAG actors that had a deferred payment agreement now need to be compensated.

About the Writer: Christina Helm, Women in Film & Video Member

An active member of WIFV DC, Christina Helm is also a media designer at Mediatronics, and has been at American University for three years.  She is skilled in Final Cut Pro, video, film, and digital media, and was a freelance violinist for 13 years.

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WIFVDC
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WIFV_DC
Follow our Blog:  https://wiftisummit.wordpress.com

Commanding Your Voice: Using Blogs, Events, etc., to Promote Women’s Work and Better Representation

WIFTI Summit 2012 and ScriptDC
Location: University of California  Washington Center in Washington, DC
Saturday, November 30, 10:00 a.m.

Writer:  Elizabeth McGraw-Austin, Women in Film & Video Member

Four unique voices who blog on various aspects of the role of women in the film industry discussed promotion and marketing strategies for women’s films at the “Commanding Your Voice” panel.

This group of bloggers, a who’s-who of pro-female energy focusing on the Hollywood movie industry, talked about their experiences using blogs to promote the work of women in film.  They discussed different ways to help women break the “celluloid ceiling”  and get hired as directors and writers of seriously funded films.

The panel was moderated by Paula Silver, a marketing strategist who revitalized the grassroots approach to outreach with Mr. Hollands’ Opus, (1995) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, (2002).

Melissa Silverstein is a writer, blogger and marketing consultant with an expertise in the area of social media regarding women and Hollywood. She is the founder and editor of Women and Hollywood, one of the most respected sites for issues related to women and film as well as other areas of pop culture.

The panel included Melissa Silverstein, the founder and editor of the Women and Hollywood blog, and Artistic Director and co-founder of the Athena Film Festival,  Jan Lisa Huttner, an award-winning author/activist and the creative force behind WITASWAN: Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now, http://www.films42.com/witaswan.asphttp, and Hannah Buchdahl, “Mainstream Chick” at the  blog “ChickFlix.”

Silverstein’s Women and Hollywood blog is a top site for coverage of women and film as well as other areas of pop culture.  Her work on this site inspired her to create the Athena Film Festival, which offers a view of women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world.

As the discussion commenced, Silverstein (Women and Hollywood) commented that it took her at least two years to feel comfortable using her voice, and advises that a blogger has to develop a tough skin to avoid being hurt when someone criticizes what they say.  She also stressed the importance of content:

“work it everyday, all day long… If you want people to take you seriously, you have to deliver… have the mindset that this is what you do!”

She tries to provide her content to as many places she can without “dying or burning out.”

Silver commented that there are different kinds of audiences for films, but that audiences should know how to vote with their dollars.  It is important to be prompt in supporting a film you like.

“Opening weekend is the only one that matters in this industry,” Silver said.

The proceeds from that important three-day stretch can determine the length of a film’s theatrical run.

Jan Huttner’s WITASWAN ( Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now) initiative is an internet alliance of women who use the power of the purse to increase opportunities for women artists.  She believes that through our support for women filmmakers, we can redefine what consumers everywhere get to see on their movie screens.

Huttner was spurred to advocacy by a 2002 article in the Sunday New York Times asking why there were not more female film directors. She wrote a letter to the Times suggesting that it turn the mirror on itself and its’ own film reviewers- who, at the time, were all male.  She feels that the dearth of female critics can make it hard for films with broad themes to find their audience.

As a reviewer, Huttner can spend weeks researching a film’s subject before writing a review.  Comments made by male critics can be “knives in my gut,” says Huttner, “but they are also what’s making me work at 2:00 in the morning.”

Huttner’s book, “Penny’s Picks: 50 Films by Women Filmmakers,” can help you decide which women-directed films to you’ll want put in your Netflix queue.

“Don’t give up if you don’t get traction immediately- it can take years.”
Hannah Buchdahl

Hannah Buchdahl is one of three ChickFlix bloggers who are on a mission to offer fun, informative and easy-to-digest movie reviews from a uniquely female perspective. Originally “hatched” from a lively discussion about what makes a good “chick flick,” the ChickFlix site now supports a broad exploration of what makes a good movie.

Buchdahl noted that the film industry has been known to try to influence bloggers and reviewers to give positive notes on a film. Expense-paid screening junkets are designed to incentivise good reviews, but a blogger will lose credibility with their audience if they stray from their real values.

She also commented that mention on a well-followed site can really increase a blogs exposure, noting how traffic on her blog “Inherit the Hoard,” spiked into the tens of thousands when it was mentioned on a blog with a large following. Additionally, a mention in Oprah’s O magazine brought many new readers to the ChickFlix blog.

Paula Silver added that visual information architecture can be very important in a blog– statistics, charts, and numbers carry a lot of impact.

Silver rounded out the comments by emphasizing the importance of keeping women’s voices in the discussion about Hollywood content:

“Teaching young males that the solutions to problems are violence… is a catastrophe for this culture.   For your children, your grandchildren, your sons and daughters in this culture, we have got to keep (women’s films) alive at the cineplex.”

Although few blogs will pay the bills for their writers, when combined with savvy use of Twitter and Facebook, blogs can help a filmmaker or writer create a following.  No matter what subject they address, blogs are a communication tool with the potential to deliver a huge audience.

About the Writer:  Elizabeth McGraw-Austin, Women in Film & Video Member

Elizabeth McGraw-Austin is a hands-on video producer, writer and editor who uses words, images and sounds to inform and entertain. The blog for her documentary in progress, “An Inconvenient Car,”  tracks thoughts about how the day-to-day choices we make can impact climate change.

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WIFVDC
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WIFV_DC
Follow our Blog:  https://wiftisummit.wordpress.com

Character Development and Script Formatting

WIFIT Summit 2012
University of California at Washington Center in Washington, DC
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 – 10:00 AM

Writer: Sonya Dunn, Women in Film & Video DC, Member

Whether you are a beginner screenwriter or a seasoned pro, the session on Character Development and Script Formatting was beneficial to all.  Top screenwriters and script consultants in television, film and web were present to give insight.

Allison Abner has worked as a worked as story editor, producer, co-producer and writer.

Allison Abner worked as a story editor and writer on one of the most the critically acclaimed political drama created by Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing. Abner then worked as story editor, producer, co-producer and writer on the detective series, Without a Trace. Currently, she is developing a web series.

Timothy Cooper is a New York City-based screenwriter and director.

Timothy Cooper is a screenwriter and director in New York. He has been nominated for a WGA Award for his web series Concierge: The Series.  He teaches screenwriting and filmmaking.  His first feature-writing credit is set to be released in 2013 – Away From Here. Currently, he is in development for a short film and several screenplays.

Monica Bellais is a WIFV DC Board Member and WIFTI Summit 2012 Committee Member.

Monica Lee Bellias has worked for several high profile companies in Los Angeles: Dreamworks, Warner Bros., Discovery Communications and James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. She has written treatments and screenplays.  Currently, she is working on a screenplay for Executive Producer of The Dark Knight Rises, Micheal Uslan. Below are some highlights from the discussion with these three industry professionals.

Character Development

• Even if you have a very interesting story concept, character development is important above anything else.
• Understand the difference between complex characters versus stereotypes.
• Main character must experience some type of confliction.
• Main character must fundamentally change towards the end of script in regards to the conflict.
• Understand your characters backstory backwards and forwards.
• Determine the Main character’s personal problems that will be resolved by the end of the script.
• The support cast must help to create conflict and propel the story forward.
• You must challenge the lead to keep the story compelling.

Script Formatting

• A “Slug line” appears before each scene. It gives the crew three pieces of vital information: is the scene outside or inside (INT. v EXT.)?, what is the location of the scene (i.e. Jerry’s Apartment)?, and what time of day does the scene take place?
• Understand the proper format of your slug lines.
• An example of a slug line: “INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT”
• Most scripts are not shot in order.  Slug lines allow you to organize your scenes so that you can, for example–shoot all scenes from the same location at the same time.  This will help you stay within budget.
• Action lines must be descriptive and vivid, but short.
• Pick films from the genre of your film.  Read their screenplays.  This will help you format your script better.

Character development and script formatting can make or break a writer to acquire an agent and get work in the media industry. These industry professionals gave the attendees solid sound advice to help take their screenplay, teleplay and web scripts to the next level in visual storytelling.

About the Writer:  Sonya Dunn, Women in Film & Video DC, Member

Sonya Dunn is an award-winning director and writer. She is a national columnist on Diversity on Screen. Currently, she is working on an action/sci fi transmedia project – Byker Chyckz.

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WIFVDC
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WIFV_DC
Follow our Blog: https://wiftisummit.wordpress.com

Heart and Soul and a Touch of Rock and Roll

The WIFV Women of Vision Awards Gala 2012
Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC
Thursday, November 29, 6:30 p.m.                  

Writer:  Vicki Warren, Women in Film & Video DC Member, Producer/Journalist

Ginny Durrin, former WIFV president, holds up the first ever WIFV tee-shirt–printed when WIFV was founded in 1979. Durable AND fashionable apparel? Just one of the many wonderful things WIFV has to offer.

It was a shared love of filmmaking and an opportunity to celebrate four remarkable women that brought guests to the 19th Annual Women of Vision Awards Gala.   The honorees included Shirin Ghareeb,  Deputy Director of Filmfest DC  and founder of the Arabian Sights Film Festival; Agnieszka Holland, acclaimed writer and director;  Peggy Parsons, Curator of the Department of Film Programs at the National Gallery of Art and Chris Weber, Vice President of Production for Specials at the Discovery Channel.    The four women visionaries were recognized for creating their own body of work and for serving as trailblazers and mentors to others.     And those whose lives they touched were there at the Gala in full force sharing stories and laughter and a great deal of joy at just being together. Many had worked on the video vignettes celebrating the honorees.  Tony Gittens, director of Filmfest DC,  had a starring role in two of the video tributes–one celebrating Shirin Ghareeb and one portraying the work of Peggy Parsons.  In that vignette, Gittens got a chance to serenade Parsons with his rendition of Peggy Sue.   “In spite of the fact,” he said, “Her middle name isn’t Sue and I’m not Buddy Holly.”    Each of the video tributes captured the essence of the person being celebrated.  The one honoring Parsons, produced by Sandy Cannon-Brown, Immediate Past President of WIFV DC, was in black and white with subtitles exhibiting a great deal of humor.  Part of Parsons’ job is bringing visitors to the National Gallery of Art to see newly restored films and in her speech she voiced her appreciation that the video about her was in black and white.  It was fitting that the video vignette honoring Chris Weber, whose able hand has guided so many filmmakers, was produced by an almost brand-new producer, Elizabeth Ventura.   Weber said in her remarks that when she started out as a filmmaker she lacked a clear vision, but that now she has one.   That vision, she said, “Is that the film community can make films that change the world. “  And to her, the vision is clearer and the product better when everyone involved with the project treats each other with respect.  Her words brought cheers from the audience, many of whom had worked with Weber over the years.  The video tribute to Shirin Ghareeb, produced by Randi Cohen Coblenz and Catherine Wyler, showed the diversity Ghareeb has brought to the film landscape in Washington over the years, both as the Director of the Arabian Sights Film Festival and Deputy Director of Filmfest DC.  Ghareeb told the crowd she came to work at Filmfest DC in 1990 for a job she was told would last three months and 23 years later she is still there and still finding a way to bring new work to the city.  Oscar-nominated director, Agnieszka Holland, has had work featured on both the big screen and network television.  She credited her success to being named Agnes.  Her hero growing up was the French director Agnes Varda.  “So,” she said, “The best thing to do to be a great director is to have the first name Agnes.”  Not having the name Agnes has not stopped WIFV member Aviva Kempner, who produced the tribute to Holland.  The video brought to life the scope and the variety of projects Holland has worked on.  Among those featured in the vignette was the creator of The Wire, David Simon who said about Holland, “I know she has a vision because she sees right through me.”  While most of the evening was devoted to honoring Ghareeb, Parsons, Weber and Holland, WIFV founder Ginny Durrin was also celebrated and received the WIFV President’s Award for her outstanding service to the organization.  Regina Reese’s passion for creating art and her moving way of describing her own vision as a young filmmaker earned her a scholarship from Carolyn’s First Decade Fund in honor of WIFV member and filmmaker Carolyn Projansky.   WIFV presented Kimberly Merritt with a scholarship from the Randy Goldman Fund.  The evening was emceed by WTTG FOX 5 Emmy-award-winning broadcaster, Gwen Tolbart, and brought home for the 19th year in a row how vital WIFV is to the Washington DC area film community.  WIFV Advisory Committee member, Michal Carr, said it best when she remarked, “WIFV has defined the film industry in Washington.”  Defined it, supported it, embraced it and provided an opportunity for all who have a passion for creativity and filmmaking to share that passion.

About the Writer:  Vicki Warren, Women in Film & Video DC Member 

Vicki Warren is an award-winning Producer and Journalist.  She is most proud of her work as a part of the Here is New York: Voices of 911 project,  an audiovisual archive of the stories of 9/11.

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WIFVDC
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/WIFV_DC
Follow our Blog: https://wiftisummit.wordpress.com