True Blood and Voo Doo!

Didn't Win the Contest....

2009-08-16T20:04:00.002-05:00

... but had fun that Thursday night at the Robinson Film Center. Shreveport has some amazing people in it and I'm glad I have such groovy friends and I wouldn't trade my family for the world. For a large drive through frozen daiquiri maybe...nahhh.

Dead Stuff Contest

2009-07-23T15:32:00.005-05:00

We're having a bit of fun over at Facebook. Come join us. This is what I just posted: Dead stuff? Animal cruelty? Nope it's not my latest flick. It's actually the original promo for the SBCTB "Show Us YOUR Shreveport Bossier" contest. Anyone offended enough to call anyone? I'm just reporting the news. THE FIRST PERSON WHO FINDS THE FOUR IMAGES IN THIS 32 SECOND SPOT GETS THEIR PICK OF SCENIC SHREVEPORT MAGNETS. NOW GET TA WATCHIN.' I got dog poop to clean up.

I Steal From the Best

2009-07-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

Happy to see the main title design for Alan Ball's HBO show "True Blood" was nominated for an Emmy. Alexandyr Kent reported it last week on his blog Louisiana Movies.

September 20, 2009 is the date for this year's awards show.

I Sold My Soul To The Devil

2009-07-21T16:41:00.002-05:00

You’re Invited! This Thursday! It's FREE! Free food. Get there early!

From the SBCTB website "Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau and the Robinson Film Center will recognize area filmmakers at the Show Us Your Shreveport-Bossier Red Carpet Premiere at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 23 in the Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas Street in downtown Shreveport.

Come as glamorous as you’d like to pose for the cameras and to celebrate all there is to love about Louisiana’s Other Side as the $2,500 grand prize winner is unveiled. Admission to the spectacular event is FREE and open to the public."

And all this is exciting but not as exciting as it could have been because of the fact I HAD TO SELL MY SOUL TO THE DEVIL. To be part of then event I had give up creative control. From the official email sent to me "Because this is a family event and we anticipate children being there, we do reserve the right to edit the video to portions that are suitable for the viewing audience. Here is what I will need from you:

DVDs or files need to be, at a minimum, standard resolution – i.e. they don’t have to be HD, but they’ll look better on-screen if they are. Digital file types need to be Quicktime files or .Mov files..."

I could have said no. But that $2500 has a strong magic powerful hold over me. Like I done been hoo dooed!

To watch click here True Blood and Voo Doo! my entry into the contest that started all the trouble. Watch it before you go Thursday just to compare it to what they do to it.

The Shreveport Times Editorial on the Show Us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier contest

2009-07-13T10:16:00.003-05:00

The Shreveport Times ran an editorial Saturday July 11, 2009 on the Shreveport Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau's contest "Show Us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier."

It mentions the "...the added controversy of pulling one entry for its use of dead animals and voodoo imagery..."

Page 3 The Shreveport Times

2009-07-10T19:08:00.003-05:00

'Fun' video contest attracts voter 'abuse' is the headline of Alexandyr Kent's article in Thursday's Shreveport Times.

Kent interviewed myself and several other contestants in the "Show Us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier" contest for his piece. An excerpt:
"Usher said her video presented her view of the community and drew connections to voodoo, the HBO vampire series "True Blood," which is set in northern Louisiana, and some spooky things she photographed locally at a cemetery and an art gallery.

'For me, it's just crushing,' Usher said. While she believes that (Brandy) Evans has been genuinely sorry the contest has led to hurt feelings, she's not sure she'll get a fair shake from the panel judges.'

To read the whole article click here.

True Blood and Voo Doo! A Disposable Film

2009-07-09T14:50:00.001-05:00

The inspiration for my disposable film came from the fine folks at Digital Kitchen.

What Digital Kitchen says about the process of putting together the main title to HBO's True Blood "The final edit contains over 65 shots comprised of original documentary, studio, tabletop photography and found footage. 6 separate shoots took place in Louisiana, Seattle, Chicago on 7 different still, film, and video camera."

It's About the Dead Stuff

2009-07-08T12:54:00.020-05:00

Although my video is no longer on the page of official contestants on the SBCTB website it turns out I'm still in the running. Strange things have unfolded in a contest that had the best intentions.

I finally got to talk with Brandy Evans with the SBCTB Tuesday morning. She was very nice and was genuinely sorry to hear my feelings were hurt because of the way the contest was unfolding. The bottom line of what she told me was "We received a number of complaints about it and just didn't deem it suitable for our audiences, however, you are still in the video contest. What we've decided to do to show our appreciation to each one of you who participated, we're going to give each contestant $250.00 for their video. Then we're going to allow a panel of judges to judges all of the videos and they'll decide who wins the $2500."

I honestly tried to show them my SB Land in a Steven Spielberg kind of way. I took my instructions from the rules and the promotional video of the "Show Us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier" contest.

For the record, just off the top of my head, I recall tons of creepy or dead or weird stuff in Steven Spielberg films (that he produced or directed). So many "bodies" that instead of a body count, I'll just list a few of Spielberg's movie and let the images pop up in your head: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Poltergeist, Men in Black, Jurassic Park, Gremlins, Twilight Zone: The Movie and Saving Private Ryan.

P.S. Just for the record no animals were harmed in the making of my flick, True Blood and Voo Doo!
P.P.S. Was it about the dead stuff or the word Voo Doo? Hmmm. I'm now wondering.

Re-creating what's happened so far...

2009-07-07T12:34:00.000-05:00

All of the posts prior to this one are re-creations of what's happened over the last week to my little flick True Blood and Voo Doo!

In fact, this blog was created as a place to dump all the funky stuff. I'm tired of clogging up my Facebook with it. From here on out the dates and times on the posts will be in live time. Guess I could label the re-creations with the label "Re-creation."

Thank you for your support!

Hackage?

2009-07-06T00:32:00.001-05:00

Yep, True Blood and Voo Doo! is no longer on the page of contestants for the SBCTB "Show Us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier." Luckily I have the screen up from before it was removed so I have proof. Proof of what I don't know. It's kind of like having a chunk of hair from a dead relative wedged between the pages of the family bible. What am I gonna do with it?

Has the site been hacked? What is going on? Sunday night at midnight on a holiday weekend what's a body to do?

KATHY, YOUR THING IS GONE

2009-07-05T23:29:00.003-05:00

Sunday night. 10:52pm. Snoozing in the recliner, wishing there was a new episode of HBO's True Blood .

Cell phone clatters in the hall. I assume it's Katee. I take my time to fetch it. It screams again. I panic. When I was growing up no phone calls were allowed after 10pm and family of origin stuff dies slowly...um...never. So calls after 10 mean someone has died. I see it's my mom and really panic and answer. "Kathy, your thing is gone. On the computer."

"What?"

"John and I have been taking turns voting and when I clicked that thing again yours disappeared." I think she thinks she may have voted one too many times and broken the Internet. I tell her I'll click around and call her back. I check. It's gone. I'm stunned. Stunned. The other 14 videos are there but True Blood and Voo Doo! done been hoo dooed off the site.

FaceBook Friend Abuse

2009-07-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

In an effort to drum up votes for my flick I spend the 4th of July holiday weekend emailing and Facebooking family and friends. I do post this link so folks can read Alexandyr Kent's opinion on the whole deal.

Here's one post I slapped up on my Facebook:
"Hey Peeps! Your thoughts on this? No more 5 votes per day per computer. Just burn your mouse up clicking away. If I had any scruples I'd withdraw my flick. But since I have a kid in college, two vehicles with 200,000 plus miles and over 8 prescriptions a month to scramble to pay for, I'M A BIG WHORE! But the King Cake Baby Voo Doo Doll still loves me. WWJD?"

The 8lb 6oz Baby Jesus is Crying

2009-07-03T05:57:00.000-05:00

OMG! Movie Blog Boy I don't know whether to hate on you or be glad you're pointing out the strange goings on with the "Show us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier" contest and website.

From Alexandyr Kent's July 2, 2009 post Opinion: Promotional contest doesn’t deserve your vote "If you want to determine the winner of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau's current video contest, you better click fast (and often)...The bureau is endorsing a contest, and giving away $2,500, with a minimum amount of vote monitoring. Think no voting restrictions just level the playing field for all possible abusers? By the look or those vote and view tallies, which now vary by the thousands from video to video, I'm going withhold my optimism."

Hinky is how King Cake Baby Voo Doo Doll is feeling about all of this. To quote Ozzy Osburne "This will end in tears."

End of Day One Brings Voting Problems

2009-07-02T07:37:00.001-05:00

Alexandyr Kent's posted about the problems happening on the SBCTB website. He called me "Shreve's indie media maven." I kinda like that. Does it come with some kind of crown? I'd like that even better.

Hope everything's fixed. How do I tell folks that their votes yesterday didn't amount to a hill of beans?

Remember 5 votes per day per computer. Thank you for taking the time to vote for True Blood and Voo Doo!

Click on the above picture to read the statement put up by the SBCTB.

True Blood and Voo Doo!

2009-07-01T10:19:00.001-05:00

I made a tiny flick. It's inspired by Alan Ball's show on HBO True Blood.

I really like how a mansion in downtown Shreveport and Lucky Liquor in downtown Shreveport are featured in the opening credits of the HBO show True Blood.

Movie Stills From True Blood and Voo Doo!

2009-06-30T22:47:00.001-05:00

My creative solution to incorporate the "Louisiana's Other Side" logo was to use a King Cake Baby Voo Doo Doll since she's the star of True Blood and Voo Doo!

Why did I have to have "Louisiana's Other Side" in my little flick? Because according to the rules of the "Show us YOUR Shreveport-Bossier!" contest, the logo had to be included in some way. Complete contest rules are available through the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.

I Like Telling Stories

2009-06-28T14:42:00.001-05:00

From the official blog of the Shreveport Bossier Convention and Tourism Bureau Inside the Other Side May 18 post

"This contest is a great example of how film can help build and strengthen communities, and we’re proud to be a part of it," said Chris Jay, director of marketing and programming at the film center. "One of our goals at The Robinson Film Center is to empower members of our community to tell their own stories through the medium of film, so this is a natural partnership."

I'm all about telling my own stories about SB Land. I've done it for a couple of years at Red River Blog Jam.

No Money? No Equipment? Maybe You Should Make a Disposable Film

2009-06-27T17:18:00.000-05:00

You can be a filmmaker with nothing more than your cell phone. That’s the message that Eric Slatkin and Carlton Evans want to get out with their Disposable Film Festival,

It's open to short films made on non-professional devices such as one-time use video cameras, cell phones, point and shoot cameras, webcams, computer screen capture software, and other readily available video capture devices.

What Film Festival World has to say .

Disposable Films = Folk Art of the MovieMaking World?

2009-06-26T02:33:00.001-05:00

It's difficult to make art when you have no money for supplies. That's why folk art appeals to me. And possibly explains why I'm so smitten by the Disposable Film Festival in San Francisco. Here are the DFF09 Competitive Shorts.

Maybe I should make a disposable film and enter it into the Shreveport Bossier Convention and Tourism Bureau's "Show Us YOUR Louisiana" contest. I could use the money. $2500 would help with some car repairs and paying for those pesky monthly medical bills.