JUMP Society

Eeek eek ook! Calling all poster monkeys! We’re looking for some able-limbed primates interested in helping hang posters on every bulletin board and bathroom stall in town. The winter film festival is this weekend and it’s time to get the word out. If you want to lend a hand or you own a global media corporation, call 586-3440 and we’ll talk about how you can help. We’ve already got some air time lined up with a couple local radio stations and there will be an article coming up in the Juneau Empire. Aside from that, we’re relying heavily on word of mouth and the devastating charm of our film festival supporters. Yes you. You’re charming. So swagger on up to the next person you see and tell them to be at the Silverbow this weekend. Shows will be Friday and Saturday night, 7:00 and 9:30 in the Silverbow backroom. We’ll be packing folks in until we can pack no more so come over early and get a good seat. So I hope to see you February 6th or 7th, but don’t worry, there won’t be any dates on the final.

University of AK

We’ll be presenting a short show at the University Campus on March 26. The title, “Jump Society: Behind the Scenes”, pretty much says it all. We’ll be showing several of our favorite shorts along with some comments by various filmmakers. We also hope to leave some time at the end for discussion in case anyone has more specific questions or just wants to gush praise for our under budgeted masterpieces. Everyone is welcome to attend and we’re also looking for filmmakers interested in participating. It doesn’t have to involve a great deal of public speaking so let me know if you’re up for it.

Best of Four

We’ve got four of these film festivals under our belts now… well technically three but I can feel this egg hatching as we speak. What I want to do is try to organize a “best of” showing. I think our choices for venues are one of the gross theatres or the JDHS auditorium. This would be a one shot deal and we’d try to snaz it up a bit. Got any left over tinsel, maybe some silly string? If anyone wants to get on the planning committee or the selection committee let me know. We’ll be meeting in a few weeks.

Lights

A new UAS special topics course is being offered, it will be an introduction to lighting and camera work and could be useful in developing your eye… or mine for that matter. The instructor, Marilyn Holms, is a studio still life specialist from San Francisco currently living and photographing in Juneau.
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/humanities/expand/Art-Special_Topics.htm

Laters

A massive thanks goes out to everyone who submitted films and I hope you’re already thinking about what to do for the summer festival… outdoor third of July show anyone? Could be fun if it’s dry. Could be more fun if it rains :)

Ok, I’m outta here.. I’ve got an intermission to film, a sound track to lay down, and Gilder to frame for it. I’m swamped!

I’ve heard lots of talk….

“I want to make a movie about a turtle named tortie.”
“Turtles are so cool, I’m going to make a turtle-umentary.”
“My turtle could make a better movie than that.”
“I’m thinking of doing a film next time. Perhaps involving (dramatic pause) a turtle.”

Newsflash kiddies, this is “next time” so start it up! Turn the cranks, pump the pedals, push the buttons and throw the creative beast in gear. That’s right, we’re back with a feverish vengeance and we’re gearing up for our Winter show at the end of January. We’ll be accepting submissions through January 12th of all shapes and sizes so get those wheels turning.

You may have noticed the new JUMP Society posters popping up around town. If not, then please come by and grab a few to put in all those places you haven’t seen them. I could also use help coloring in the Ninjas.

Compilation Show

Just as a heads up… Hot on the heels of our next show we’ll be having a big compilation show featuring a selection of some of the best films we’ve received over the past two years… Yep, that’s right we’ve been at this for two years already and this winter will be our fourth show. Four. The Greeks used to say that the number four meant good fortune. Actually, I have no idea what the Greeks used to say, I didn’t pay much attention in history class. I guess I could look it up on Google but I’m plowing through this newsletter and I’d no doubt end up getting distracted by the prospect of true love only a click away.

Other Upcoming Hotness

The Panhandle Picture Show in Haines is accepting submissions. There’s a sign on the door of the Gold Town Nickelodeon with all the info but I’m too lazy to walk down the hall, let me check for a website… looks like submissions are due by January 5th. If you need to know more visit: http://www.panhandlepictureshow.com/

Also, the Anchorage film festival kicks off pretty quick. I talked to Tony Sheppard and I might try to carve out a niche for a JUMP showing up there next year. We’ll see how it goes.

Tapes

I’ve had several people come to me wanting to get a tape of our past shows. I usually try to explain that I’d rather be making movies than tapes but it started me thinking… what if I made a few copies of each show and gave them to the library. Then anyone could check them out and bootleg them at home. Of course, part of the fun is the community get together aspect and seeing people react to your work so I’d purposefully wait about four months after each show to put out the tapes.

Equipment

We’re very close to purchasing an editing machine for general use. We’re thinking of charging about $5/hr to edit on it and then kicking all the money back into the JUMP coffers for upgrades and blackjack.

Laters

I strongly suspect that if you’re receiving this e-mail you don’t need to be added to the mailing list but just let me know if you’ve got a friend who’s interested… it also makes a good birthday present (Happy late birthday Dad, see, I told you I loved you).

Ok, I’ve got to go plan my film. It’s going to be about art… and Ninjas. I bow respectfully to you. Sayonara.

Greetings to those here and there. I’ve been contacted… and not by little green men like last time. I’ve been contacted by T h o m a s P h i l l i p s o n. He apparently spells his name with a lot of extra spaces but don’t judge him, his parents were probably just hippies or something, that’s how I got the middle name Moonbeam. Anyhow, Mr. P h i l l i p s o n is the Regional Services Coordinator for the Northwest Film Center and he wants more Alaskan submissions for the prestigious Northwest Film Festival.

The Northwest Film Festival is a festival for independent Northwest film and video makers. It’s been judged in the past by such noteworthy folks as Gus Van Sant (Director of “Good Will Hunting”) and Matt Groening (Creator of “The Simpsons”). The festival usually accepts 30-45 shorts, features and documentaries and of those 10-15 shorts are selected for the Best of the Northwest Tour program which travels throughout the Northwest to media arts centers, museums, arts councils and universities. The total audience will likely exceed six thousand and if that’s not enough to get your motor running… entry is FREE. I’m going to say it a few more times so I catch the skimmers.. FREE FREE FREE.

Entry forms and more information-
http://www.nwfilm.org/festivals/festival_nwfv.html

More information on the Northwest Film Center

Summer Film Fest

As for our own little corner of the world, the JUMP Society Summer Film Festival was yet another wild success. We had three full shows at the Silverbow with the late show Friday packed tighter than a tube of Pillsbury biscuits. If you left an entry tape with us and want it back just drop by the office and pick it up.

Ninjas in our Midst

Several of the films underway for the Winter film festival are going to be Ninja themed and the festival posters will feature the jump logo in some kind of throwing star design. This is not going to be a required theme but I was thinking it would be fun to have some recurring element for our next festival so we’ll try it out and see how it goes.

Music and Mayhem

Mukhya Khalsa and a few other folks have suggested some experimental film projects to get people interested and editing over short periods of time. One idea is a music video project where you select a piece of music and have 24 hours to edit a music video for it. Another idea is a 24 hour movie scramble where participants have 24 hours to make a film, they get together at a kick off event and everyone gets a list of words and places that must be included in the movie and then are set to work. At the end of either of these events the tired and worn down filmmakers get together and watch their films. Maybe it would make more sense to have a two day event than a 24 hour event so people can sleep. Sounds like fun to me.. what do you think? Something you’d participate in?

Equipment

According to Aaron, our equipment fund czar, we have quite a bit of spare change socked away for a sunny day. Thanks to some helpful folks at the door taking donations we actually made more from our two Friday shows this summer than all of our previous festivals combined. Long story short, with the help of Lucid Reverie, and possibly some arts money, we’re planning on purchasing a new computer for the office that can be used as an editing machine for those who need it. This means we can still provide an area for people to edit and not have to lose time and money from the business by tying up our machines. The computer will have Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, and some sort of capture card for digital video. The cost of renting the machine will be $5/hr with all proceeds going back to the Jump Society. If you really don’t have the money we’ll work out something fair, maybe working the door or hanging posters for upcoming festivals. Tutorials and manuals will be available as well. Other items on our list are a tripod, a cheap digital camera, and some sound gear.

501(c)(3)
All this talk of money makes me realize we need to get our 501(c)(3) non-profit status. I’ve heard it isn’t to hard but the paperwork is tedious. If anyone wants to lend a hand by filling out some paper work just let me know. It would be greatly appreciated.

Laters
Sorry for the long e-mail, if you made it this far you’re home free.