Two Sceenings of Mad City Chickens Tonight!

 Mad City Chickens screens in two cities tonight:

~ Cambridge, New York, Public Screening sponsored by Hubbard Hall Projects - 7:00pm Hubbard Hall, Beacon Feed Studio, 25 East Main Street (about an hour NE of Albany).

~ Lockport, Illinois - Public Screening sponsored by Lockport CLUCK - 7:00pm Central Square Building, 222 E. 9th Street, 3rd Floor (about 40 minutes SW of downtown Chicago).

Saki No Saint

Saki (pseudonym for Hector Hugh Munro, 1870-1916) is well known for his macabre short stories with eccentric characters. His dark biting humor most assuredly stems from his childhood years where he was brought up in England by stern aunts who "frequently used the birch and whip."

V.S. Pritchett is quoted as saying, "Saki writes like an enemy. Society has bored him to the point of murder. Out laughter is only a note or two short of a scream of fear." Saki said himself said that his stories are "true enough to be interesting and not true enough to be tiresome."

In regard to material suitable for filmic storytelling, there is a wealth. Perusing the catalog of his writings, we found a few gems where the balance between wit and edge is such a perfect synergism and where cynicism is kept in check. It is from these jewels that we are creating the story for our next feature.

The Multi-Plane Camera

The Multiplane Camera enabled the early Disney studio to create the realism needed for feature-length animations.

The Forgotten Journal of H.H. Munro

After Tashai and Robert emerged from an early morning story meeting recently...

Once again, we have a new working title for our project. After analyzing the story as well as the importance of the title to create buzz, we realized that Saki's Journal just wasn't quite right.

It's now The Forgotten Journal of H.H. Munro.

MCC Returns to Vancouver Tonight

Mad City Chickens has done well in the Pacific Northwest. For the third time, it will be screening at Langara College in Vancouver, BC.  Sponsored by the college and Village Vancouver, the screening is set for 7:00pm tonight at the Department of Continuing Studies, 100 West 49 Avenue.

"Chickens" Screens Again in NSW Australia

The second screening this week of Mad City Chickens in New South Wales, Australia takes place tomorrow June 17th in Sawtell. The public screening is being sponsored by Bellingen Local Food Network and Community Gardens Association - 7:00pm at the Sawtell First Avenue Cinema, 25 First Avenue.

Mad City Chickens Screens in Australia Tomorrow!

Mad City Chickens returns to Australia tomorrow for the first of two public screenings:

~June 13th, Bellingen, New South Wales - Public Screenings presented by Bellingen Local Food Network and Community Gardens Association - 7:00 pm Bellingen Memorial Hall, Hyde Street.

~June 17th, 2010 Sawtell, New South Wales - Public Screenings again  presented by Bellingen Local Food Network and Community Gardens Association - 7:00 pm Sawtell First Avenue Cinema, First Avenue.

MCC "Cult Favorite" in 77 Square Newpaper

In a recent article by Rob Thomas in Madison's 77 Square, he highlighted the growth of the summer outdoor film series to be found around the city. One of the venues referred to was the Willy Street Natural Foods Co-op and their sustainable food series.  Mad City Chickens kicked off that series last year.  Here's what Rob had to say...

Download the entire article.

Mad City Chickens Returns to Dallas Today!

Mad City Chickens will be screening in Dallas today as part of the World Environment Day festivities at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. The film will kick of the event, created by the United Nations Environment Programme to help stimulate positive action for the environment.

Saturday, June 5th, 1:00 pm
Central Downtown Branch Library
1515 Young St., Dallas, TX

Saki Country: Images From Devonshire, UK - Part III

Roughly 3 miles from the town of Barnstable is Heanton Punchardon. It is here that a young H.H. Munro moved to with his aunts. The house is said to still be standing and is haunted to boot! However local inquiries about Saki revealed little. Apparently, the well-known writer is not so known in his own childhood stomping grounds. It is over a 110 years ago.

North Devon landscape en route to Heanton. 

Colin Cameron's quest to learn more about the early landscape and living quarters of H.H. Munro led to what could quite possibly be the estate once owned by the Munros. Now an old folks home in Heanton, the architecture of this building appeared to fit the time period and upper crust class standards of the family. Certainly the ancient church and cemetery which lie next door are from a very early age.

 Old folks home in Heanton.

Home in view of historic church (above) and cemetery (below).

Saki Country: Images From Devonshire, UK - Part II

H.H. Munro was born in Burma, but lost his mother when he was just 2 years of age. His father, an inspector-general for the then British-controlled Burmese police, sent his three children back to England to be raised by Munro's elderly grandmother and his two strict, straitlaced aunts.

The house they lived in during this period still stands--and is currently for sale! It's about 9 or 10 blocks, a 40 minute casual walk, from central Barnstable to the rural community of Pilton.

Video and stills shot by Colin Cameron on his recent travels to Devon County, England.

Front gate with a contemporary house name displayed.

Front of house looking rather overgrown.

Stone wall running along side of front yard.

From around the backside of the property.

More to come...

Saki Country: Images From Devonshire, UK - Part I

Colin Cameron, co-producer on our new Saki project, recently returned from a reconnaissance trip to southwestern England. The thrust of the trip was to get a feel for the landscape that H.H. Munro wrote about. Also we wanted a look at the actual homes and villages in which he was raised during those formative years under the strict Victorian rule of his two aunts.

Munro lived in several different locales near the town of Barnstable in the county of Devon (occasionally referred to as Devonshire when used in a historical context). This is where Colin set up base camp.

[CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE]

Barnstable town square

Barnstable architecture from the Munro era

Rolling landscape with hedgerow divided fields 

More to come...

Fashion Show For All Abilities: More Pics

Student Dennis Shaffer on main center stage camera

WFS Director Jim Carrier and wife Trish

Fashion Show in progress (above and below)

Post show pic: film crew team (L-R) Erika Pelishek, Kevin Fosler, Sally Young, Dennis Shaffer, Anthony Williams II, and Jess Haven with model Mike (center)

Post show pic:  film crew team Matthew Morrow, Nicholas Wooton, Mike Haven, Jim Carrier (holding model Lexi) and Barbi Hilleshiem

Post show pic:  film crew team (front) Peter Wooton, Carla Griffin, Robert Lughai (rear) Jennifer Fetterly, Kevin Fosler; model Wendy (not pictured)

Post show pic: WFS students and instructors

Wrap party: (L-R) Nicholas Wooton, Peter Wooton, Barbi Hilleshiem

Wrap party: (L-R) Jim Carrier, Kelley Baker, Vince Colombo

Wrap party: (L-R) Mike Haven, Jess Haven, Tashai Lovington

Fashion Show For All Abilities: Final Shoot

Kelley Baker flew in yesterday from Portland to prepare to direct the final shoot of the latest Wisconsin Film School workshop: The Fashion Show for All Abilities. Tonight was the actual show and the culmination of the month-long documentary project.

Kelley Baker with students Matthew Morrow and Nicholas Wootton

WFS Director Jim Carrier with students Dennis Shaffer and Mike Haven

Pre-show set ups

Behind the curtain: pre-show makeup and interviews (above and below)

Kelley Baker going over last minute details with student Sally Young; Mike, Robert and Barbi taping in background

Back Stage during show: (L-R) Carla Griffin, Peter Wooton, Jennifer Fetterly

Back Stage during show (L-R) Mike Haven, Anthony Williams II (above and below), and Erika Pelishek (below)

Sound designer Vince Colombo (above) and student Mike Haven (below)

More pics to come...