RotN Productions

Central Florida Film Festival Rejection Email is Totally Unprofessional

2010-05-19T13:08:00.001-07:00

If you're a filmmaker, you get quite used to rejection emails from film festivals. No matter how well made your piece is, if it gets accepted to everywhere you submit it, then you're either not submitting it to enough places or you're submitting to festivals that are smaller than your piece deserves.

I have never, however, received a rejection email written as unprofessionally as the one recently received from the Central Florida Film Festival. I reproduce it here, in full.

Stephen,

I am sorry to inform you that your short entry LIZ, did not make the preliminary cut to qualify into the Central Florida Film Festival.

A jury of five industry professionals voted to not advance your project. The judges were in agreement that your production was bland. "There wasn't anything major wrong with the piece but nothing really creative either." Another quote from a judges card had - "A well made mud pie still isn't appetizing." Three judges felt there were not able to fully understand some of the creative choices that drove the story and direction. Rule of thumb is "if one judge is confused it's the judge but if a majority are confused it's the filmmaker."

Sometimes we lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish as a filmmaker. What story do we want to tell and how can our cast and crew help. Take chances move the actors or move the camera. If you can't afford a dolly, use a wheelchair but you have to creatively tell your story both with performance and with visuals.

Don't take this critique personal. Film is art and art is subjective. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and as filmmakers we need to grow a thick skin. I edit and write what the judges have passed down to me and where possible hope it will help you become a better filmmaker. I am sorry the news couldn't have been better.

Bob Cook
Executive Director
Central Florida Film Festival
5029 Ledgewood Way
Orlando, Florida 32821
(407) 370-3703
www.CentralFloridaFilmFestival.com
http://bobcookfilmdirector.blogspot.com/

I'm embarrassed to admit that we submitted our film to this festival, since they obviously do not take themselves seriously. We won't be making that mistake again, and I recommend you do not either.

We Gatta Eat! @ the Boston Underground Film Festival

2010-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

"BUFF is an annual film festival held in late March.
BUFF is located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.
BUFF is a celebration of the bizarre and insane.
BUFF is uncompromising, unflinching film and video.
BUFF is hazardous to your health.

BUFF is also currently promoting events throughout the year.
BUFF is hoping you will come and check us out."

This is how the Boston Underground Film Festival describes itself.

If that isn't enough to sell you on attending, you should definitely check it out this year because the RotN film We Gatta Eat!, directed by Craig Shannon, has been selected. The festival runs from March 25th-April 1st 2010. Stay tuned to the RotN network as details are released, and be sure to get your ticket, it's going to be a RotN good time.

Revenge of the Nail, free online!

2009-12-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Great news!

The short film, Revenge of the Nail, is finally available online!

http://www.vimeo.com/8413690

The film that took Fitchburg by storm, and has played at multiple film festivals already, is finally available for you to watch online.

Enjoy! Watch it twice! Then tell all your friends!

Have a RotN day!

Revenge of the Nail @ Indieflix.com

2009-12-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

Indieflix is a great new distribution alternative. They are fast, helpful, and friendly. They promise the filmmaker at least 70% of every sale!

After Revenge of the Nail played at the Boston Film Festival, Indieflix acquired the rights to distribute it. It is totally nonexclusive and the filmmaker keeps all the rights to the film.

However, now you can finally see Revenge of the Nail! They are selling DVDs (currently going for $5.95 a piece) as well as offering a VOD option for $1.95.

You can check it out here.

Enjoy! and if you like it, spread the word!!

The last bits of Liz

2009-12-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hey RotN Readers,

"Liz" will exist soon.

At least, the film will.

We've locked picture, and now we're performing grading for it. This is a long technical process of trying to get the images to look as good as possible. Greg Nazarian, the Director of Photography, is doing all this work, using Apple's Color. Since we cut on Final Cut Pro, it makes sense to use Color for grading since it will round trip between the programs very smoothly.

We're also currently doing the sound mix. Tim Ahern is doing this work. He's using ProTools, one of the best programs in existence for general sound work. He's making good progress on the sound. ADR has been recorded for one of the scenes, and that went very well. Recording was done by Andrew Finley.

We're also working on a score. This score will be by Andrew Alden, a promising young composer. He's using Logic, Finale, and Reason to craft the sounds.

If everything goes well with these three steps, a completed cut should be in existence by the new year. Then it's off to festivals, and hopefully to your eyes!

We Gatta Eat!

2009-11-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

Hey RotN readers!

We Gatta Eat! is finally available for purchase!

Check it out, and if you use the limited time PROMO CODE: EAT then you can save 2 bucks. Tell them RotN sent you.

Also, join the new Facebook group

The film will continue to screen at various Big D & the Kid's Table shows.

Why, you ask, is this film playing at ska punk concerts?

Because it is by Dave McWane, the lead singer of the band. He wrote, produced, and starred in the film.

It was directed by Craig Shannon, who has also worked on a few of their music videos.

Many members of the band helped out in some way or were involved with the project.

Also, have you seen the weird trailers that are on various sites... Like Youtube?

Enjoy the madness.

Liz update

2009-11-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

The interesting short film Liz is nearing the end of picture editing, and the crew is working hard to make sure everything comes together nicely. We've got a working edit done, now it's just TWEAK TWEAK TWEAK until it becomes good. Then it's on the fun land of sound and color editing!

The short is still on schedule to be finished by the New Year!

Check out the recently finished teaser trailer. Leave a comment. Is your interest piqued?

Liz on Vimeo

Liz poster

2009-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Liz short is coming together nicely. A rough cut is already finished. Check out the official poster, and also check out some of the cool production photos that were taken during shooting by Craig Shannon and Nick Novotny.

A couple trailers are in the works, and they should be live within the next few weeks.

Get excited for the most RotN short yet!

Liz is wrapped

2009-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

After literally a year of development, the production of the short film "Liz" has finished shooting. Editing is proceeding at a brisk pace. The footage looks great. There are some sound issues, though hopefully we'll be able to smooth them over.

Liz is a truly RotN film. We've got high hopes for its future. It's currently slated to begin the festival submission process in January, hopefully premiering near the end of the Winter.

Watch for trailers and posters across the RotN network and elsewhere.

"NOV 5"

2009-10-11T23:07:00.001-07:00

In November 2008, the future of American politics was thrown up in the air. Would it land with the republican John McCain, pushing for a more successful future while staying on essentially the same path, or Barack Obama, the young upstart touting change?

It went to Barack Obama. The morning after the election, filmmaker Stephen Troy took to the streets in his college town to ask the question: "What did you think about the election yesterday?" He got various responses, then tucked them neatly into a 4 minute conversation, in which the people of Fitchburg, Massachusetts debate the results.

Premiering at the Fitchburg State College Juried Honors Exhibition 2009, NOV 5 became available at RotNproductions.com shortly after the site went live. However, it has now spread throughout the RotN network. Check it out all on these other video sites:

Vimeo

Youtube

Facebook

RotN Productions website

Liz!!

2009-10-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

At Fitchburg State College, there is a student run competition held every year called the 5 Day Film Festival.

In 5 days, a team must write, produce, and edit a short film.

A year ago, there was a short produced called "Liz" about a young man, his imaginary girlfriend, and his 3 wacky roommates. It was all concept. Some in the audience loved it, some didn't get it, some thought it was pointless.

The concept has been expanded, the script rewritten, and the production value has increased tenfold. Now "Liz" is being produced as an independent short film. After nearly a year of preproduction, the film will be shot in 4 days, aiming to wrap on October 10th.

With a tentative release date of early 2010, Liz is shaping up to be one of the best RotN shorts so far. Watch for trailers and posters coming soon. It'll be a RotN good time.

http://www.rotnproductions.com/Liz.html

Revenge of the Nail @ Boston Film Festival

2009-09-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

The 25th Annual Boston Film Festival.

Not a bad place to kick off the festival run of the short film "Revenge of the Nail."

Stephen Troy wrote and directed the short. In many ways, it is the ultimate representation of Stephen's student films. But it is still exactly that: a student film. There are many many student films produced around New England and the world every semester. Almost none of them get seen beyond their campus.

Originally conceived because of a school-run screening for films "about revenge," the short was written up in a couple minutes. Stephen brought it to Andrew and then they set to work. Shot in a few relaxed hours, for under 20 dollars, it proves that money and time are not necessary for success. Casting, costuming, composing, and editing all went quickly and cost nearly nothing. No corners were cut. The movie is nearly a perfect representation of exactly what Stephen envisioned when he first wrote the screenplay.

As long as you've got passion, dedication, and some level of talent, you can make that thousand dollar movie amazing. But don't get caught up in the money. Just do it.

Revenge of the Nail will be screened on Tuesday September 22nd at 5pm. The BFF takes place at the Kendall Square Landmark Theater. It will be part of a short film collection, BFF shorts III.

"Music Killed My Parents"

2009-08-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

The RotN entry to the 2009 New Hampshire 48 Hour Film Project, "Music Killed My Parents" is now available online for instant viewing. It also has an imdb page, which is slowly being filled with all the RotN information about the short.

The video can be viewed at:

the official RotN film page

Vimeo

Youtube

IMDB Video

As a concentrated attempt to break into the online game, all videos went up simultaneously and have comparable qualities. They all look really good when they're small. But when they're big... not so much. Sorry about that.

Enjoy! And show it to all your RotN friends!

Flim Fest

2009-08-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

An ever growing event in Kingston MA, Flim Fest is run by the Not A Tad Bad Flim Co.

Every year they supply great local music and short films to the public for a reasonable price.

This year, they're not only hosting a screening of RotN's namesake "Revenge of the Nail," but they're also playing the very first public screening of the new "We Gatta Eat!" a film by Craig Shannon.

Set to have its official premier with Big D and the Kid's Table at their Halloween show in a couple months, WGE will be sent to festivals and hopefully develop a life of its own in the coming year. But first people need to see it, and hopefully like it.

So come join in the final step of postproduction and speak your mind on the great new RotN short. Oh, and see lots of other good things as well.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=84872057778&ref=ts

September and October: truly RotN months

2009-08-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

We've got so much coming up. It's exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Not only are we shooting the exciting new short "Liz," but we're also continuing (and hopefully finishing) production on the Duds documentary. Also, another short called "Bellybutton," written by Ben Proulx, directed by Stephen Troy, will be filmed in October.

All this in addition to pushing "Revenge of the Nail" and "We Gatta Eat!" through to festivals and screenings all over the place.

RotN times call for RotN measures.

Equipment shortages

2009-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Duds documentary has hit another wall. Once again, we have no free equipment. Considering how much money the production is saving in order to use FSC equipment, in many ways the delays are worth it.

My biggest complaint about it is that we never know until right before the shooting. Meaning that the interviews and concerts must be scheduled, cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again.

We sincerely apologize to those of you who may be inconvenienced by this.

Production will begin again in September, simultaneously with the production of the short "Liz." Using the same equipment, director, and time, this conflict will create its own issues for both productions. However, we are hopeful that shooting will be able to wrap by the end of October, leaving plenty of time to hone the editing, without affecting the summer release.

Casting calls!

2009-08-05T12:43:00.001-07:00

We're casting for the short film "Liz."

Casting calls will be at Fitchburg State College on Wednesday August 12th,

and at the Cambridge YMCA on Saturday August 22nd. More will be coming soon!

If you're interested, check out this page here:

http://newenglandfilm.com/node/26462

The Internet is ours

2009-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Our website is up, although it's still pretty rough around the edges, and full of holes.

www.rotnproductions.com

We've also got the Twitter account and the Facebook page running, as per our previous email. Check out the Twitter feed on the right side of this blog!

RotN updates will be coming your way soon, on all these various portals, so stay posted.

RotN Productions is here!

2009-08-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

RotN Productions has hit the ground running, with Facebook, Twitter, and an upcoming website!

Stay tuned.