ufil.ms
UFIL.MS
ufil.ms on FaceBook
On July 10th 2010 we launched the world’s newest URL shortener ufil.ms.
Unknown Films may be a small company, but we’re full of big ideas. More important than just big ideas are big actions that create innovation.
With the creation of ufil.ms, and other new features to come in the near future, we hope to do just that for our industry. We intend to raise the bar of what people expect from a videographer, in person, and online.
So why have we decided to join the ranks of almost 300 other URL shorteners? Simple; tracking, bookmarking, and marketing. These three things will help change our ability to know where our content is going through out the web. Knowing that information ultimately helps us serve you better.
Every time that we save a dollar that same dollar can be reinvested in the company instead of wasted on advertising and marketing in places that our customers don’t look. When the company makes more money, we then have the ability to do things like upgrade equipment, create new features on our website, and even simply having more time to focus on creativity and customer service. All these things directly effect you, our customer. I’m not afraid to say that our little company wants more money, it’s what a company does with that money that reveals its true integrity and overall quality.
Just for fun we decided to open ufil.ms to the public so that anyone can use it. Maybe it will become popular in the film industry and be used to share links to movies and other film related material, who knows? We’re very interested to see how it gets used and look forward to watching ufil.ms short links spread across the globe. We’re open to suggestions too, so if you have a new feature idea for ufil.ms just click the feature request.
So what are you waiting for? Go shorten a link using ufil.ms
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Slacker (1991)
Richard Linklater
16mm – $23,000
• A unique look into the subculture of the 1990’s.
• Hear stories about a people that want independence from their past. In order to develop the movie’s storyline
individual stories are intermingled with community stories to create a unity of thought through face-to-face social meetings and acquaintances. People that don’t know each other very well are able to quickly and comfortably build
relationships.
• Person to person traveling. Great example of natural transitioning via characters and their movement in correlation with the camera’s movement.
• The director is the first character you see in the movie.
• A group that focuses on events, experiences, and ideas rather than money and fame. Is this film’s culture somewhat the advent of the soon to be popular rise is social media online? Full circle of life in the form of a social conversation.
( As you can see I wanted to take a new approach to the traditional way of writing a movie review, hence the title ‘movie notes’. I also wanted to try a new style of actually typing the words of the note.
My thought behind the style is that there exist, I’m sure, hundreds of reviews on this film so why would mine be any different? Why read this one? The reviews that I mark as notes will be just that, notes on what I thought while watching the film. No one else has my thoughts so hopefully you like them. Second, with the way the words are formatted you can a little more into the ‘meaning’ behind the note and even create an interpretation of your own.
Maybe if you only decide to read one line, that one line that catches your eye will lead you to watch the movie yourself and develop your own unique opinion about what you saw and experienced while watching. If you go on to read more then you’ll have a glimps into the way I was thinking when I wrote it.
I hope you enjoy these little Movie Notes now and in the future.
I apologize in advance if the formatting style doesn’t look right on your screen. I’ll try to get it figured out soon,
-Nathan
PS – Movies that people request us to watch will still have a full length review)
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As some of you know by now I recently met with Kenny Wheeler (Director) and Catherine Burgher (Producer) at the Coffee Ethic to discuss the possibility of becoming the Director of Photography for their new film ‘South of Black Drink Crier’. I was given this chance to meet them via a recommendation from Diana Botsford (Thank you Diana). After talking with them a while about the film and its goals I realized they were really serious about wanting to make this film a quality production. I learned that although they had a great ability for story and organization they felt they were lacking in the ability to visually output their idea through a lens and onto the big screen. That’s were I come in. They watched a few clips of some recent work of mine and by the end of our meeting I was officially part of the team as the DP.
For those of your who are not familiar with what exactly a DP (Director of Photography/Cinematographer) is or does here’s a little run down and of course a snipit of history too. The DP’s job is to create the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of the film. The DP works under the Director to achieve their vision. Gregg Toland is a great example of an exemplary Cinematographer for the work he did for Orson Welles in the lankmark film Citizen Cane. He was able to create that vision along with some amazing innovation for the time. A large part of the job is also staying in constant communication with many other units and heads within the production. Everything from Costume and Set Design to Make Up and Lighting all receive types of influence from the Director of Photography. The DP does not traditionally operate a camera though. I will be looking through a monitor connected to the camera to achieve my ideas and proper framing. DP is a large role in film production and I’m happy to have an opportunity to work on a Springfield, locally made film.
With that said here’s some little tidbits I can give you about the film. ‘South of Black Drink Crier’ is a Civil War time piece that takes place in Osceola, MO at the start of the war. It’s based on actual events that took place in 1861. A woman disguised as a solider for the brigade, chooses to abandon the regiment and search for her missing father. With the help of friends the group travels across southwest Missouri in the hopes of finding her father. The script is still in it’s final stages. In fact I received another revised copy of the script today with a new ending even!
The film as a whole is still in a pre-production phases of course, but shooting on location in Springfield and the surrounding areas is scheduled for next month (Oct ’10). With such a big help from a rather large amount of people, the great organizational skills I have already witnessed, and a devoted cast and crew this production is sure to be a success.
Of course I’ll be keeping you posted through my Twitter Feed and Facebook Wall as well as some additional progress report blog posts. So if you’re not following me already please do. I’ll have behind the scenes news and insider information along with plenty of photos of the cast, crew, and whatever else goes on :) (Starting with the video below made by Kenny himself).
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I’m very excited to tell you that today at 1:20pm (Sep 27th) I was notified that my film ‘This… is the Orange Line’ was chosen as an Official Selection to be screened at the coveted Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, NC November 11th-14th 2010!
This is pretty big news for our little eight and a half minute film. Cucalorus is considered to be one of the Top Ten Film Festivals in the US by the Brooks Institute and one of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals nationwide by Movie Maker Magazine. Cucalorus is known for striving to foster creativity rather than competition among filmmakers. With over 10,000 attendees each year screening about 130 films over four days the biggest award is simply having your film be accepted to the festival in the first place. Check out some of the bigger name films and filmmakers that have screened at Cucalorus here.
We’re really looking forward to traveling to Wilmington to join the fun, mingle with other filmmakers, watch tons of movies, and see the city. I can only hope that this film festival and others like it will help pave the way of opportunity for our efforts to continue making more films in this series of trains around the world. This is also just another example that the little town of Springfield, MO has the ability to impact the arts nationwide.
On the film’s agenda for these upcoming weeks and months:
1. Completing the Official Press Kit: DUE OCT 5th!!
2. Get DVD’s and DVD cases printed: DUE OCT 5th!!!
3. Creating promotional material to hand out at the festival: Postcards, T-Shirts, etc.
4. Arranging travel plans to North Carolina: Flight, Hotel, and Car.
5. Continuing efforts to raise money to fund all this!
It’s going to take about $2,000 to completely fund all the above mentioned. Please consider donating on our indiegogo.com site (which will also get you your own copy of the film!) and feel free to throw cash or checks at me when you see me around town :)
If you’re a company, organization, or individual interested in sponsoring us monetarily or by donating any of the items needed above please let me know asap so we can talk about how to get your name and/or logo on our material. 417.773.0446.
Thanks to everyone for your support and positive comments about the film. I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
-Nathan
Support the film and see the Trailer on Facebook Here
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This… is the Orange Line is going international!
After watching the film the Elgar Birthplace Museum in Worcester, England asked that it be officially inducted into their archive. What this means is that people who visit the museum for study and research will have access to my film. The archival is an extremely huge honor for me. Not only will the film forever have a home but the home will be at a museum that honors the amazing composer Edward William Elgar.
“…a beautiful and
extremely moving use of
Elgar’s music.”
-Catherine Sloan
The Elgar Birthplace Museum
Worcester, UK
If you have had a chance to watch the film or trailer you will notice that the beautiful music you hear is that of Elgar’s “Cello Concerto in E Minor”. I did evereything in my filmmaking power to sync the wonderful cityscape images of Chicago to Elgar’s emotion driving music. To me, it was a large priority to ensure that justice was done to Elgar and the sounds he created in 1919. I only wish that it was possible for me to meet Mr. Elgar in this life and thank him for what he did for my film. Having the film archived at the museum is a tribute to him and his amazing musical ability.
If you’re not familiar with Elgar I’ve included the short biography below that is included in the Orange Line’s official Press Kit, as well as some information about the Elgar Birthplace Museum.
FROM THE PRESS KIT:
Q: Why did you choose Edward Elgar’s concerto for this film?
A: I love the sound of the cello. I knew it was going to be a must for the film. I listened to many cello artists but chose Elgar because I felt it was simply the best. The ups and down of the concerto created emotion I could attribute to the train.
Edward Elgar was born in 1857. He lived in Broadheth, England where his father was a music shop owner. Elgar was self taught in all musical instruments available to him. At first not being accepted into the rigid class structure of Victorian society he was determined and persisted to advance in the world of music. With support from his wife he went on to compose numerous masterpieces. He created “Cello Concerto” in E Minor, the music used in this film, in 1919. He was laid to rest beside his wife on February 23, 1934.
ABOUT THE ELGAR MUSEUM:
“The Elgar Birthplace Museum gives a fascinating insight into the life and music, family and friends, development and inspirations of Sir Edward Elgar, one of England’s greatest composers.
One of England’s greatest composers, Sir Edward Elgar, was born on 2 June 1857, in this pretty country cottage near Worcester in the heart of England.
After his death in 1934, Elgar’s daughter Carice set up a Museum here, as her father had wished. In 2000, the new Elgar Centre was added to the Museum, to display even more treasures from this wonderful collection.
Today we welcome visitors from all over the world, to enjoy a fascinating insight into Elgar’s life and music, family and friends, musical development and inspirations.”
http://www.elgarfoundation.org/
(Photos for this post used with permission of The Elgar Foundation)
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