Funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Manhattan Community Arts Fund supports local arts organizations and artists that have little access to other government funding sources. The program seeks to provide small grants for arts projects and local artists serving Manhattan communities. An MCAF grant is often one of the first grants an artist or group receives, and can help grant recipients to eventually leverage financial support from other sources. The program is designed to prepare applicants for the process of obtaining public funds.
The program awards grants ranging from $750 to $5,000 to Manhattan-based individual artists and nonprofit organizations such as arts organizations, social service agencies, senior centers, faith-based organizations, folk societies, and cultural centers. Applicant organizations must have operating budgets under $100,000 for two of the last three fiscal years. Individual artists must live in Manhattan. Unincorporated and collaborative groups must show a minimum of a three-year working relationship, and an artistic lead residing in Manhattan must apply on behalf of the group. Ongoing or new projects in any artistic discipline are eligible.
First-time applicants and returning applicants who have not attended an information session on the program in the past three years (prior to 2007) are required to attend an information session to be eligible.
Visit the LMCC Web site for application guidelines and information session details.
July 30, 2010
First Peoples Fund Accepting Applications for Artist in Business Leadership Program
The First Peoples Fund's Artist in Business Leadership program is designed to help Native American artists develop their marketing and business skills and establish self-sustaining arts-based businesses.
This business arts fellowship program is a one-year self-directed program providing individualized professional development training and working capital funds to strengthen participants' marketing strategies. The fellowship also provides a focus on new work to stimulate creativity and a renewal of energy in Native art expression.
Artists are selected for the program based on demonstrated artistic talent, evidence of entrepreneurial experience and potential, and adherence to the values of the First Peoples Fund. Applicants must have experience in marketing their art at Indian art markets and galleries.
Applicants must be members of a Northern Great Plains tribe located in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Western Dakota of Minnesota, Nebraska, the Eastern Plateau region of Idaho, Oregon, or Washington; a tribe from the Great Lakes Region of Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin; a tribe belonging to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard states; or an Alaskan tribe. Affiliated Canadian First Nations artist applicants are also eligible.
This business arts fellowship program is a one-year self-directed program providing individualized professional development training and working capital funds to strengthen participants' marketing strategies. The fellowship also provides a focus on new work to stimulate creativity and a renewal of energy in Native art expression.
Artists are selected for the program based on demonstrated artistic talent, evidence of entrepreneurial experience and potential, and adherence to the values of the First Peoples Fund. Applicants must have experience in marketing their art at Indian art markets and galleries.
Applicants must be members of a Northern Great Plains tribe located in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Western Dakota of Minnesota, Nebraska, the Eastern Plateau region of Idaho, Oregon, or Washington; a tribe from the Great Lakes Region of Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin; a tribe belonging to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard states; or an Alaskan tribe. Affiliated Canadian First Nations artist applicants are also eligible.
Prism Comics Seeking Submissions for Queer Press Grant
Prism Comics is accepting submissions for the 2010 Queer Press Grant, an annual grant to assist in the publication and promotion of LGBT comics.
The grant of approximately $2,000 will be awarded to an LGBT cartoonist who is self-publishing a comic book with queer characters and/or themes. The work can be in black and white or in color, and in comic strip, comic book, or Web comic format. Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation, and contribution to the LGBT community.
Visit the Prism Comics Web site for information.
The grant of approximately $2,000 will be awarded to an LGBT cartoonist who is self-publishing a comic book with queer characters and/or themes. The work can be in black and white or in color, and in comic strip, comic book, or Web comic format. Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation, and contribution to the LGBT community.
Visit the Prism Comics Web site for information.
Surdna Foundation Accepting Applications for Arts Teachers Fellowship Program
The Surdna Foundation is accepting applications for its Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, a national initiative to support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers in public arts high schools.
Through the Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, fellows will design individualized courses of study that will provide both immersion in their own creative work and the opportunity to interact with other professional artists in their fields. A fellowship program may include study in arts courses; attendance at advanced art-making workshops, festivals, or institutes; residencies at artists' colonies; formal mentor relationships with recognized professional artists; or independent study toward the completion of an artistic project (which includes interaction with other professionals).
All permanently assigned full- and part-time arts faculty in public arts high schools are eligible. Eligible schools include specialized public arts high schools and arts-focused magnet and charter high schools. Teachers of all arts disciplines are eligible — visual arts, photography, theater, music, dance, film, video, multidiscipline, and creative writing. At a minimum, applicants must be in their fifth year of teaching arts in high school and plan to continue as an arts teacher in their specialized public arts high school in 2011-12.
The program will award twenty grants of up to $5,500 each, with a complementary grant of $1,500 to the fellow's school to support post-fellowship activities.
Visit the Surdna Web site for fellowship program information.
Through the Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, fellows will design individualized courses of study that will provide both immersion in their own creative work and the opportunity to interact with other professional artists in their fields. A fellowship program may include study in arts courses; attendance at advanced art-making workshops, festivals, or institutes; residencies at artists' colonies; formal mentor relationships with recognized professional artists; or independent study toward the completion of an artistic project (which includes interaction with other professionals).
All permanently assigned full- and part-time arts faculty in public arts high schools are eligible. Eligible schools include specialized public arts high schools and arts-focused magnet and charter high schools. Teachers of all arts disciplines are eligible — visual arts, photography, theater, music, dance, film, video, multidiscipline, and creative writing. At a minimum, applicants must be in their fifth year of teaching arts in high school and plan to continue as an arts teacher in their specialized public arts high school in 2011-12.
The program will award twenty grants of up to $5,500 each, with a complementary grant of $1,500 to the fellow's school to support post-fellowship activities.
Visit the Surdna Web site for fellowship program information.
Freedom to Read Foundation Announces Competition for Banned Books Week Grants
Through its Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund, the Freedom to Read Foundation will provide two grants — one for $2,500 and one for $1,000 — to two organizations to support "Read-Outs" celebrating Banned Books Week 2010 (September 25 to October 2). A Banned Books Week Read-Out is an event during which people celebrate the freedom to read by gathering to read from books that have been banned or challenged over the years.
The grant program is the first announced project for the Judith Krug Memorial Fund, established after Krug's death in April 2009. Krug was the founding executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, which was established in 1969 as a First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association.
To apply for a grant, organizations are required to submit an event description, timeline, and budget with their application, as well as agree to provide a written report and video to FTRF following Banned Books Week.
Visit the ALA Web site for grant program guidelines as well as information on Banned Books Week.
The grant program is the first announced project for the Judith Krug Memorial Fund, established after Krug's death in April 2009. Krug was the founding executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, which was established in 1969 as a First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association.
To apply for a grant, organizations are required to submit an event description, timeline, and budget with their application, as well as agree to provide a written report and video to FTRF following Banned Books Week.
Visit the ALA Web site for grant program guidelines as well as information on Banned Books Week.
July 29, 2010
teaching the arts
A bunch of teaching jobs and higher ed opps for artists - click on the title above for more information but the most recent listings include:
Assistant/Associate Professor of Speech & Theatre
Albany State University (Georgia)
(date posted: 07/28/2010)
Head of School, School of Arts
University of New England (Australia)
(date posted: 07/28/2010)
Director
Millersville University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
(date posted: 07/26/2010)
Costume Shop Supervisor/Instructor of Theatre
Morehead State University (Kentucky)
(date posted: 07/26/2010)
Chair - Theatre Arts Program, Centre for the Arts and Communications
Grant MacEwan University (Canada)
(date posted: 07/21/2010)
Assistant/Associate Professor of Speech & Theatre
Albany State University (Georgia)
(date posted: 07/28/2010)
Head of School, School of Arts
University of New England (Australia)
(date posted: 07/28/2010)
Director
Millersville University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
(date posted: 07/26/2010)
Costume Shop Supervisor/Instructor of Theatre
Morehead State University (Kentucky)
(date posted: 07/26/2010)
Chair - Theatre Arts Program, Centre for the Arts and Communications
Grant MacEwan University (Canada)
(date posted: 07/21/2010)
Royalty Free soundtrack music
Click on the link above for Footage Firm website - giving away royalty free soundtrack discs.
July 26, 2010
Last Call for Applicants
The UnionDocs Collaborative - Last Call for Applicants for resident and non-resident spots beginning September 2010
A program for non-fiction media research and group production
The UnionDocs Collaborative is a one or two-year program for emerging media producers. It is both a rigorous platform for exploring contemporary approaches to the documentary arts and a process for developing an innovative group project. The program focuses on providing what we believe are the most effective educational resources for individuals at the beginning of their careers:
Mentorship toward the production of an original work.
Dynamic interaction among a network of talented peers.
Direct contact and structured exchange with visiting artists.
Exposure to a wide variety of practices and models.
Regular group critique sessions.
Exposure through a toured exhibition and/or publication of annual project.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: AUGUST 1
A program for non-fiction media research and group production
The UnionDocs Collaborative is a one or two-year program for emerging media producers. It is both a rigorous platform for exploring contemporary approaches to the documentary arts and a process for developing an innovative group project. The program focuses on providing what we believe are the most effective educational resources for individuals at the beginning of their careers:
Mentorship toward the production of an original work.
Dynamic interaction among a network of talented peers.
Direct contact and structured exchange with visiting artists.
Exposure to a wide variety of practices and models.
Regular group critique sessions.
Exposure through a toured exhibition and/or publication of annual project.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: AUGUST 1
July 23, 2010
South Carolina Film Commission Accepting Applications for Production Fund Grants
The South Carolina Film Commission is accepting applications from independent film makers for grants to support short-film projects.
The Production Fund, which will be offered in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Trident Technical College, will provide grant funds for one major short-film project valued at $100,000, and up to six mini-grants for smaller short films funded on an as-needed basis (from $2,000 to $10,000 for each project).
The Production Fund was created to develop collaborative projects between the film industry and institutions of higher learning. The projects help independent producers and other professionals in the motion picture industry work to build a talent pool of students and people already in the field who want to sharpen their skills. Projects that receive the mini-grants will be managed through Trident Tech for the 2010-2011 academic year and will be part of the curriculum of the Division of Film, Media, and Visual Arts. The single, major short-film project that is awarded the $100,000 grant will be managed through USC for the 2011-2012 school year and will be part of the curriculum of the USC Media Arts Area of the Art Department, collaborating with USC's Theater Department.
In addition to offering production grants, the Film Commission will host a series of seminars from August 2010 to July 2011 for media professionals and students studying film in South Carolina. Sessions will cover lighting, directing, location management, producing, and safety workshops.
For information on the grants or the workshops, visit the SC Film Commission Web site.
The Production Fund, which will be offered in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Trident Technical College, will provide grant funds for one major short-film project valued at $100,000, and up to six mini-grants for smaller short films funded on an as-needed basis (from $2,000 to $10,000 for each project).
The Production Fund was created to develop collaborative projects between the film industry and institutions of higher learning. The projects help independent producers and other professionals in the motion picture industry work to build a talent pool of students and people already in the field who want to sharpen their skills. Projects that receive the mini-grants will be managed through Trident Tech for the 2010-2011 academic year and will be part of the curriculum of the Division of Film, Media, and Visual Arts. The single, major short-film project that is awarded the $100,000 grant will be managed through USC for the 2011-2012 school year and will be part of the curriculum of the USC Media Arts Area of the Art Department, collaborating with USC's Theater Department.
In addition to offering production grants, the Film Commission will host a series of seminars from August 2010 to July 2011 for media professionals and students studying film in South Carolina. Sessions will cover lighting, directing, location management, producing, and safety workshops.
For information on the grants or the workshops, visit the SC Film Commission Web site.
San Francisco Film Society Invites Letters of Inquiry for Filmmaking Grants
The San Francisco Film Society, with support from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is accepting Letters of Inquiry for the Fall 2010 SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants.
The grant program supports independent film projects that use plot, character, theme, or setting to explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity, and other urgent social justice issues. The program supports films that will have a significant economic or professional impact on the San Francisco Bay Area filmmaking community. The grants program, scheduled to run from 2009 to 2013, awards grants in the spring and fall of each year.
Films at all levels of production are eligible for a total of $225,000 in grant money through the fall 2010 cycle. Grant recipients are required to spend some or all funds in the Bay Area. In addition to the cash grant, recipients will receive various benefits through the Film Society's comprehensive filmmaker services programs.
Independent filmmakers who have a key creative role in the film project — screenwriter, producer, or director — are eligible to apply.
Applicants who are not SFFS members are required to pay a $35 application fee. The fee is waived for SFFS members.
Information is available at the SFFS Web site. Click on title.
The grant program supports independent film projects that use plot, character, theme, or setting to explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity, and other urgent social justice issues. The program supports films that will have a significant economic or professional impact on the San Francisco Bay Area filmmaking community. The grants program, scheduled to run from 2009 to 2013, awards grants in the spring and fall of each year.
Films at all levels of production are eligible for a total of $225,000 in grant money through the fall 2010 cycle. Grant recipients are required to spend some or all funds in the Bay Area. In addition to the cash grant, recipients will receive various benefits through the Film Society's comprehensive filmmaker services programs.
Independent filmmakers who have a key creative role in the film project — screenwriter, producer, or director — are eligible to apply.
Applicants who are not SFFS members are required to pay a $35 application fee. The fee is waived for SFFS members.
Information is available at the SFFS Web site. Click on title.
Info List
Artists -
I've found a great site, new to me, for entertainment job listings and casting opps. You have to register but it's free and they have paid and unpaid positions listed. Very easy to use and organized. Click on the title above and it will take you to their home page.
Worth a look.
SJ
I've found a great site, new to me, for entertainment job listings and casting opps. You have to register but it's free and they have paid and unpaid positions listed. Very easy to use and organized. Click on the title above and it will take you to their home page.
Worth a look.
SJ
July 22, 2010
Two VLA events in NYC
Forming Your For-Profit Arts Business, New York City
When: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 4 - 6 p.m.
Where: VLA, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022 (Auditorium)
This class provides valuable information about starting an arts-related business. Covered issues also include: For vs. Non-Profit incorporation, fiscal sponsorship, selecting and protecting business names; the legal and tax characteristics of LLCs an publication requirements, partnerships, and type C and S corporations; choice of jurisdiction; financing your business; employees and independent contracts; and insurance.
This class will be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director.
To register and for more information, please visit our website at http://www.vlany.org/education/workshops.php#profit
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Career Opportunities in Art Law & Entertainment Law
When: Thursday, July 29, 2010: 1:00pm-3:00pm & 3:30pm-5:30pm
Where: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, 919 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
VLA is proud to host this panel of distinguished art and entertainment attorneys to speak about their personal career trajectories and what got them there. This panel is intended for young lawyers, law students, and individuals interested in careers in art, intellectual property, and entertainment law - fields that span the full range from copyright, trademark, licensing, and television programming, to visual art, literature, music, theater, dance, and nonprofit corporations.
This career panel allows young attorneys to take advantage of VLA's Young Associates Membership (YAM). YAM is VLA's membership category exclusively for lawyers in their 1st - 4th years of practice. VLA hosts a variety of events for YAMs designed to encourage members' understanding of the representation of artists and arts organizations as well as to foster an appreciation for contemporary art and promote members' involvement in philanthropic activities. For more information on the YAM program, please visit: http://www.vlany.org/index.php#career
When: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 4 - 6 p.m.
Where: VLA, 1 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022 (Auditorium)
This class provides valuable information about starting an arts-related business. Covered issues also include: For vs. Non-Profit incorporation, fiscal sponsorship, selecting and protecting business names; the legal and tax characteristics of LLCs an publication requirements, partnerships, and type C and S corporations; choice of jurisdiction; financing your business; employees and independent contracts; and insurance.
This class will be taught by Elena M. Paul, Esq., VLA's Executive Director.
To register and for more information, please visit our website at http://www.vlany.org/education/workshops.php#profit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Opportunities in Art Law & Entertainment Law
When: Thursday, July 29, 2010: 1:00pm-3:00pm & 3:30pm-5:30pm
Where: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, 919 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
VLA is proud to host this panel of distinguished art and entertainment attorneys to speak about their personal career trajectories and what got them there. This panel is intended for young lawyers, law students, and individuals interested in careers in art, intellectual property, and entertainment law - fields that span the full range from copyright, trademark, licensing, and television programming, to visual art, literature, music, theater, dance, and nonprofit corporations.
This career panel allows young attorneys to take advantage of VLA's Young Associates Membership (YAM). YAM is VLA's membership category exclusively for lawyers in their 1st - 4th years of practice. VLA hosts a variety of events for YAMs designed to encourage members' understanding of the representation of artists and arts organizations as well as to foster an appreciation for contemporary art and promote members' involvement in philanthropic activities. For more information on the YAM program, please visit: http://www.vlany.org/index.php#career
Completion Funds
Open Call provides completion funds for single nonfiction public television programs on any subject, and from any viewpoint. Projects must have begun production as evidenced by a work-in-progress video. Open Call funding is only available to independent producers who are citizens or legal residents of the U.S. and its external territories.
Open Call accepts:
•Single programs of standard broadcast length (half-hour or one-hour). In rare cases, when a filmmaker’s skills, subject, and story structure warrant it, ITVS will consider programs at feature lengths.
•Works-in-progress (for nonfiction submissions), i.e. projects that have already begun production
•Programs that can be completed within one year of contract
Open Call does not accept:
Proposals for completed projects seeking distribution
•Series proposals or fictional dramas
•Projects intended solely for theatrical release
There are two funding rounds per year, and the deadlines are typically in mid-January and early August. Applicants may apply with only one project per call. The entire proposal review process takes up to five months. Only one to two percent of Open Call applicants will receive funding.
Open Call is not a grant; ITVS provides a co-production investment in the program.
Open Call accepts:
•Single programs of standard broadcast length (half-hour or one-hour). In rare cases, when a filmmaker’s skills, subject, and story structure warrant it, ITVS will consider programs at feature lengths.
•Works-in-progress (for nonfiction submissions), i.e. projects that have already begun production
•Programs that can be completed within one year of contract
Open Call does not accept:
Proposals for completed projects seeking distribution
•Series proposals or fictional dramas
•Projects intended solely for theatrical release
There are two funding rounds per year, and the deadlines are typically in mid-January and early August. Applicants may apply with only one project per call. The entire proposal review process takes up to five months. Only one to two percent of Open Call applicants will receive funding.
Open Call is not a grant; ITVS provides a co-production investment in the program.
July 21, 2010
JOB -- CHORAL DIRECTOR
The Music Department at Washington University in St. Louis seeks a dynamic individual to direct the choral program and foster vocal activities on campus. A normal semester's work load would encompass administrative duties, directing two choruses, and two additional duties, such as: studio teaching, classroom instruction (e.g., choral conducting, vocal literature), conducting opera scenes, interacting with student-run a cappella groups, or collaborating with the Performing Arts Department (e.g., musical theater).
Qualifications: Teaching experience and performance profile required, administrative experience desirable. Doctorate preferred, but equivalent career experience considered.
Rank: Non-tenure-track; initial term of appointment up to 3 years, renewable
Application: Candidate should include a cover letter, CV, and a brief statement of 2-3 pages outlining 1) what s/he perceives as appropriate vocal ensembles and performance opportunities for a Department of Music within a liberal arts environment; and 2) what particular teaching and performance responsibilities s/he would be prepared to assume in addition to directing the choral program. Application should include the names and addresses of 3 individuals who have agreed to serve as references, whom we might contact directly. Consideration of applications will begin 1 September and continue until position is filled. Send to:
Professor Dolores Pesce
Chair, Search Committee
Music Department
Washington University
Campus Box 1032
One Brookings Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63130
The Washington University Music Department is encompassed within the School of Arts and Sciences. The Department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music programs and the following graduate degrees: Master of Music in Voice and Keyboard; Master of Arts in Composition, Musicology, and Theory; and Ph.D. in Musicology and in Theory. In addition to the music major, the Department also confers minors in music and provides lesson and performance opportunities for some 500 students per semester. Our applied music teaching staff includes members of the local jazz community and of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Our student body consists of highly motivated, academically-oriented young men and women who pursue music primarily as a means of personal enrichment and less commonly as a professional goal.
We especially encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups. Washington University in St. Louis is an equal opportunity employer. Employment eligibility verification required upon hire.
Qualifications: Teaching experience and performance profile required, administrative experience desirable. Doctorate preferred, but equivalent career experience considered.
Rank: Non-tenure-track; initial term of appointment up to 3 years, renewable
Application: Candidate should include a cover letter, CV, and a brief statement of 2-3 pages outlining 1) what s/he perceives as appropriate vocal ensembles and performance opportunities for a Department of Music within a liberal arts environment; and 2) what particular teaching and performance responsibilities s/he would be prepared to assume in addition to directing the choral program. Application should include the names and addresses of 3 individuals who have agreed to serve as references, whom we might contact directly. Consideration of applications will begin 1 September and continue until position is filled. Send to:
Professor Dolores Pesce
Chair, Search Committee
Music Department
Washington University
Campus Box 1032
One Brookings Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63130
The Washington University Music Department is encompassed within the School of Arts and Sciences. The Department offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music programs and the following graduate degrees: Master of Music in Voice and Keyboard; Master of Arts in Composition, Musicology, and Theory; and Ph.D. in Musicology and in Theory. In addition to the music major, the Department also confers minors in music and provides lesson and performance opportunities for some 500 students per semester. Our applied music teaching staff includes members of the local jazz community and of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Our student body consists of highly motivated, academically-oriented young men and women who pursue music primarily as a means of personal enrichment and less commonly as a professional goal.
We especially encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups. Washington University in St. Louis is an equal opportunity employer. Employment eligibility verification required upon hire.
JOB OPENING:
(1)-SR WRITER/PROD (1)-WRITER/PROD/NYC: Develop and execute film/video productions for BET Creative Services; writing/editing/producing, etc. send resumes to resumes@bet.net
casting call - reality tv
Twentieth Television said MySpace Karaoke is teaming with Don't Forget the Lyrics! as the musical game show launches in syndication on VH1 this fall. MySpace will be the official music platform and casting partner for the show. Interested contestants can audition for the show through the MySpace Don't Forget the Lyrics! community page at www.myspace.com/dontforgetthelyrics
MySpace Karaoke will also be the official music engine that selects the music for the game show.
MySpace Karaoke will also be the official music engine that selects the music for the game show.
July 20, 2010
doing nothing
There are days, like today, when being an artist and choosing to live the life of an artist completely overwhelms me. In my head, there is a swirling list of projects I want to finish, there are characters who want to talk and there are questions that need to be answered. On my desk, there are very real bills that need to be paid, there are email messages to be returned and there is a blinking red light on my answering machine that means someone somewhere needs something from me. And then, there is the clock that reminds me - I only have this day, this one day, to be.
Meditation. Yes, everyone says I must meditate and somedays, I remember to and somedays, it helps. Exercise. Yes, everyone says I must exercise and somedays, I get off my ass and somedays, it helps. Gratitude lists. Yes, yes, yes, I make lists and lists and I am grateful, truly I am and do I have to keep announcing that over and over to the Universe????
What about those days when it just feels TOO BIG TO CONQUER? When you're too pissed to meditate and too depressed to exercise and just too childishly grumpy to be grateful? Where do you stand on those days? What do you do?
It is in this moment when emotions can only create reactivity within me that I choose to do nothing. Nothing at all. I shut my mouth. I don't reply to emails. I don't pick up the phone. I don't call a friend to vent. I choose nothing because it is the only safe choice.
Why do nothing?
I have always been a super-pro-active person. I always fix and cajole and massage and try to improve the situations that arise around me. I used to believe that my emotions had to be acted upon - that I needed to be instantly responsive to life, to my career, to my work, to my business of being an artist. I functioned as any artist would within a nurturing, creative setting. I listened and I acted upon those emotions. Then I realized, I wasn't dealing with other artists. I was dealing with business people and that meant, I needed to learn an entirely different language. The first step to speaking a new language is to listen and listening, to me, feels like doing nothing. So, today, I am doing nothing.
How to do nothing?
Aye, there's the rub. Even this post is an action, isn't it? If I were Buddhist, I might have a set of tools to accomplish nothingness. I might have a mountain on which to sit or a monk to act as mentor but I am not Buddhist, I am a writer and when pushed, I turn to words to save me. I ask the blank page to act as confidante. I put pen to blue line and ask for guidance. Please, take me from line to line and show me, show me the happy ending.
Is it nothing? Writing? Somedays, it feels like it and today, is one of those days.
July 16, 2010
Project Applications Invited for French American Jazz Exchange
Jointly administered by Chamber Music America, the cultural services department of the French Embassy, and the French American Cultural Exchange, the CMA/FACE French American Jazz Exchange supports small jazz ensembles and/or individual musicians from France and the United States, or their territories, who wish to engage in a collaborative project in one or both countries. The project must feature at least one public performance and may include such activities as touring, recording, and audience development.
Eligible projects will be directed by a lead jazz partner from one country working with a collaborating jazz partner(s) from another country and performing with an ensemble of two to ten musicians from one or both countries. The lead and collaborating partners may perform other music genres but must be rooted primarily in jazz. The ensemble may be an established group or project-specific, with guest musicians from jazz and/or other musical genres.
The French American Jazz Exchange accepts applications from the lead partner, defined as a France- or U.S.-based professional jazz musician or ensemble.
A French applicant must have been a citizen or legal resident of France for the past five years and must reside in France or its territories. An American applicant must be a United States citizen or legal U.S. resident for the past five years, reside in the U.S. or its territories, be a CMA organizational-level member, and have no overdue reports or financial obligations to CMA.
Projects are eligible if they advance an adventurous musical idea using traditional, straight-ahead, and/or experimental concepts; create new music composed by one or both partners; explore new music by one or both partners that may not necessarily result in a finished composition; and/or bring partners together for the first time to play one partner's existing music or music by both partners.
The exchange provides partial or full funding up to $10,000 per project. Grants may be used for expenses including composing and arranging, concerts and touring, educational activities, recording, travel, production, equipment and space rental, marketing, booking and management, and visa and related legal services.
Grant application workshops will be offered in CMA's New York City office, and nationally via teleconference, in advance of the deadline.
This is the final year to apply to the French American Jazz Exchange program in its current configuration. Visit the CMA Web site this winter for more information on possible new grant opportunities for French/American jazz collaborations.
Guidelines and application are available at the CMA Web site.
Eligible projects will be directed by a lead jazz partner from one country working with a collaborating jazz partner(s) from another country and performing with an ensemble of two to ten musicians from one or both countries. The lead and collaborating partners may perform other music genres but must be rooted primarily in jazz. The ensemble may be an established group or project-specific, with guest musicians from jazz and/or other musical genres.
The French American Jazz Exchange accepts applications from the lead partner, defined as a France- or U.S.-based professional jazz musician or ensemble.
A French applicant must have been a citizen or legal resident of France for the past five years and must reside in France or its territories. An American applicant must be a United States citizen or legal U.S. resident for the past five years, reside in the U.S. or its territories, be a CMA organizational-level member, and have no overdue reports or financial obligations to CMA.
Projects are eligible if they advance an adventurous musical idea using traditional, straight-ahead, and/or experimental concepts; create new music composed by one or both partners; explore new music by one or both partners that may not necessarily result in a finished composition; and/or bring partners together for the first time to play one partner's existing music or music by both partners.
The exchange provides partial or full funding up to $10,000 per project. Grants may be used for expenses including composing and arranging, concerts and touring, educational activities, recording, travel, production, equipment and space rental, marketing, booking and management, and visa and related legal services.
Grant application workshops will be offered in CMA's New York City office, and nationally via teleconference, in advance of the deadline.
This is the final year to apply to the French American Jazz Exchange program in its current configuration. Visit the CMA Web site this winter for more information on possible new grant opportunities for French/American jazz collaborations.
Guidelines and application are available at the CMA Web site.
$250,000 dance grant
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Dance Advance program will provide funding for projects that demonstrate artistic excellence, imagination, and courage. Similar to other discipline-based initiatives supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the primary goal of Dance Advance is to enhance the cultural life of the greater Philadelphia community (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties).
In the 2011 funding cycle projects may address two categories of support — planning (planning, process, research, scholarship) or production (production, presentation, performance). Individuals, companies, or presenting organizations may apply in either category, but an applicant may submit only one proposal. Dance Advance will only fund applications that mark a development for the applicant in artistic or curatorial practice.
Individual choreographers and dance artists may request up to $50,000 each. Organizations with budgets under $800,000 may request up to $150,000 each. Organizations with budgets over $800,000 may request up to $250,000 each.(Any organization planning to apply for a grant larger than $100,000 must meet with the Dance Advance director to secure approval to proceed.)
Projects may take up to two years to complete. Beginning in the 2011 funding cycle, applicants will need to plan out a project's scope of work — both the larger ideas motivating the project as well as its potential means of implementation — prior to submitting a Letter of Intent.
Dance Advance scheduled two workshops (one occurred on July 12; the other will take place July 19) to discuss the guidelines and changes to the 2011 program. Attendance is required at one of these workshops for anyone intending to apply for the 2011 funding cycle. Potential applicants who were not able to attend either of these dates should contact Dance Advance to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. The LOI form will be posted on the Web site by or before August 1, 2010.
Information is available at the PCAH Web site. Click on title above.
In the 2011 funding cycle projects may address two categories of support — planning (planning, process, research, scholarship) or production (production, presentation, performance). Individuals, companies, or presenting organizations may apply in either category, but an applicant may submit only one proposal. Dance Advance will only fund applications that mark a development for the applicant in artistic or curatorial practice.
Individual choreographers and dance artists may request up to $50,000 each. Organizations with budgets under $800,000 may request up to $150,000 each. Organizations with budgets over $800,000 may request up to $250,000 each.(Any organization planning to apply for a grant larger than $100,000 must meet with the Dance Advance director to secure approval to proceed.)
Projects may take up to two years to complete. Beginning in the 2011 funding cycle, applicants will need to plan out a project's scope of work — both the larger ideas motivating the project as well as its potential means of implementation — prior to submitting a Letter of Intent.
Dance Advance scheduled two workshops (one occurred on July 12; the other will take place July 19) to discuss the guidelines and changes to the 2011 program. Attendance is required at one of these workshops for anyone intending to apply for the 2011 funding cycle. Potential applicants who were not able to attend either of these dates should contact Dance Advance to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. The LOI form will be posted on the Web site by or before August 1, 2010.
Information is available at the PCAH Web site. Click on title above.
2011 Sundance/Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant
Established in 2005, the Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant is an annual cash award for a science or technology related narrative (fiction) feature-length project that is at an early stage such as full treatment or early screenplay draft. This grant will also include a small stipend for a science advisor to provide support through consultation and feedback, as well as the possibility of inclusion in the Feature Film Program's Screenwriters Lab.
The Grant will include the following:
■A cash grant of up to $20,000 to provide support during the writing period.
■A stipend of up to $5000 for a science advisor.
■Creative support during the writing process from a select group of creative advisors.
■The possibility of a fellowship to a Screenwriters Lab.
■Strategic and practical support from the Feature Film Program staff.
ELIGIBILITY
■Projects must have science or technology as a major theme or scientists as major characters. We cannot consider science fiction or projects that stray too far from a base scientific reality.
■Screenwriters with any level of experience, including numerous produced works may apply.
■Projects must be narrative (fiction) features and not documentary in nature.
■Projects must be live action.
■Projects must be in active development and can range from treatment stage to full draft.
■Projects must be English language. However, screenwriter does not need to reside in the U.S.
■Projects currently in development within the studio system are not eligible.
■Projects based on source material must have proper permissions and rights to use that material.
TIMELINE
The selection process timeline for the 2011 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant is as follows:
July 9, 2010 Application available online
September 24, 2010 Online application deadline and hard copy of materials postmark deadline
October 29, 2010 Notification of 2nd Round selections
January 14, 2011 Notification of Final selections
APPLICATION
The application for the 2011 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant is now available until September 24, 2010. If you have any further questions, please e-mail Anne Lai at anne_lai@sundance.org
The Grant will include the following:
■A cash grant of up to $20,000 to provide support during the writing period.
■A stipend of up to $5000 for a science advisor.
■Creative support during the writing process from a select group of creative advisors.
■The possibility of a fellowship to a Screenwriters Lab.
■Strategic and practical support from the Feature Film Program staff.
ELIGIBILITY
■Projects must have science or technology as a major theme or scientists as major characters. We cannot consider science fiction or projects that stray too far from a base scientific reality.
■Screenwriters with any level of experience, including numerous produced works may apply.
■Projects must be narrative (fiction) features and not documentary in nature.
■Projects must be live action.
■Projects must be in active development and can range from treatment stage to full draft.
■Projects must be English language. However, screenwriter does not need to reside in the U.S.
■Projects currently in development within the studio system are not eligible.
■Projects based on source material must have proper permissions and rights to use that material.
TIMELINE
The selection process timeline for the 2011 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant is as follows:
July 9, 2010 Application available online
September 24, 2010 Online application deadline and hard copy of materials postmark deadline
October 29, 2010 Notification of 2nd Round selections
January 14, 2011 Notification of Final selections
APPLICATION
The application for the 2011 Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant is now available until September 24, 2010. If you have any further questions, please e-mail Anne Lai at anne_lai@sundance.org
July 15, 2010
upcoming deadlines
July 24
Zion National Park in Utah is now accepting applications for its Artist-in-Residence program. The four-week residencies will occur in October/November 2010 and February and April 2011. Residents live in the park, either in a house or on a campsite. Working within the natural beauty of the environment, artists are encouraged to create artwork that furthers the cause of conservation. Upon completion of the residency, artists must donate one work to the Zion Natural History Foundation. For more information and to apply, click on title
July 30
The Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature, awarded by The Vilcek Foundation, honors early achievement in literature by a foreign-born individual. Eligible candidates must be 38 years old or younger and current U.S. citizens or permanent residents not born in the U.S. Poets, novelists, and writers of short fiction and nonfiction are encouraged to apply. The winner receives $25,000, and four finalists will be awarded $5,000 each. Application information can be found by clicking on title.
August 1
Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, NY, offers free residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following media: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Artists may apply individually or as members of collaborative groups. Residencies last between two and eight weeks and include room, board, and a studio at Yaddo. Artists applying for the August 1, 2010 deadline will be considered for residencies starting in late October 2010 through May 2011.
August 1
The UnionDocs Collaborative is a one or two-year program for emerging nonfiction media producers. Participants take part in master classes, group critiques, and the production of a collaborative documentary project, as well as attending screenings and lectures at UnionDocs’s Documentary Bodega and elsewhere. The group is limited to twelve, six of whom reside in UnionDocs’s Williamsburg headquarters, fostering a dynamic intellectual and artistic community. Qualified applicants are post-grads with some experience in the field of non-fiction, and the program is designed to accommodate those who work full-time or freelance. To learn more and to apply, click on title.
August 1
The Amy Clampitt Residency is a six to 12 month residency available to both established and emerging poets and literary scholars. One resident at a time lives in the Amy Clampitt House in Lenox, MA, and receives a stipend of $2,500 a month. Residents are expected to live in the house and focus on their creative work for the duration of the residency, and are also asked to give a local public reading. For more information and application guidelines, click on title.
August 2
The Fulbright Scholars Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, seeks to increase international understanding by providing opportunities for educational exchange. Fulbright Scholars receive grants to pursue research and/or teaching abroad, and awards are available in a broad variety of disciplines, including the performing, literary, and visual arts. To learn more about the programs offered and to apply, click on title.
August 13
The San Francisco Film Society is accepting letters of inquiry for its SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants, which provide financial support to one or more films per round. The grants are for narrative fiction films that explore issues relating to social justice, including human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, and sexual and gender identity. Films at all levels of production are eligible for a total of $225,000 in grant money, and grant recipients are required to spend some or all funds in the Bay Area.
August 17
The PaleyDocFest Pitch Contest offers a $5,000 grant, sponsored by SnagFilms, to an unfinished or in-progress feature-length documentary by an emerging filmmaker. The five finalists will participate in the PaleyDocFest Pitch Workshop on October 16, 2010, and one filmmaker will be chosen to receive the grant. The unfinished films will be judged on their originality and the viability of the filmmaker’s concept, and finalists will also be judged on the strength of their pitch.
September 1
The Lower East Side Printshop offers year-long residencies to emerging artists through its Keyholder Residency Program. Residents gain 24-hour access to professional printmaking facilities in the shared Artists’ Studio, as well as a range of other benefits including a free class at the printshop, a $500 stipend, storage, basic supplies, exhibition opportunities, and other support services. Artists working in all media are encouraged to apply; printmaking experience is not required. Applications received by September 1 will be considered for residencies starting October 1.
September 1
The Andy Warhol Foundation provides grants to institutions that support contemporary art and artists. Grants are made on a project basis to curators affiliated with museums, artists’ organizations, and other cultural institutions to foster innovative and scholarly presentations of contemporary visual arts. Eligible proposals may include exhibitions, catalogues, and other organizational activities directly related to these areas. Click here for guidelines, or email info@warholfoundation.org for more information.
Zion National Park in Utah is now accepting applications for its Artist-in-Residence program. The four-week residencies will occur in October/November 2010 and February and April 2011. Residents live in the park, either in a house or on a campsite. Working within the natural beauty of the environment, artists are encouraged to create artwork that furthers the cause of conservation. Upon completion of the residency, artists must donate one work to the Zion Natural History Foundation. For more information and to apply, click on title
July 30
The Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature, awarded by The Vilcek Foundation, honors early achievement in literature by a foreign-born individual. Eligible candidates must be 38 years old or younger and current U.S. citizens or permanent residents not born in the U.S. Poets, novelists, and writers of short fiction and nonfiction are encouraged to apply. The winner receives $25,000, and four finalists will be awarded $5,000 each. Application information can be found by clicking on title.
August 1
Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, NY, offers free residencies to professional creative artists from all nations and backgrounds working in one or more of the following media: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Artists may apply individually or as members of collaborative groups. Residencies last between two and eight weeks and include room, board, and a studio at Yaddo. Artists applying for the August 1, 2010 deadline will be considered for residencies starting in late October 2010 through May 2011.
August 1
The UnionDocs Collaborative is a one or two-year program for emerging nonfiction media producers. Participants take part in master classes, group critiques, and the production of a collaborative documentary project, as well as attending screenings and lectures at UnionDocs’s Documentary Bodega and elsewhere. The group is limited to twelve, six of whom reside in UnionDocs’s Williamsburg headquarters, fostering a dynamic intellectual and artistic community. Qualified applicants are post-grads with some experience in the field of non-fiction, and the program is designed to accommodate those who work full-time or freelance. To learn more and to apply, click on title.
August 1
The Amy Clampitt Residency is a six to 12 month residency available to both established and emerging poets and literary scholars. One resident at a time lives in the Amy Clampitt House in Lenox, MA, and receives a stipend of $2,500 a month. Residents are expected to live in the house and focus on their creative work for the duration of the residency, and are also asked to give a local public reading. For more information and application guidelines, click on title.
August 2
The Fulbright Scholars Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, seeks to increase international understanding by providing opportunities for educational exchange. Fulbright Scholars receive grants to pursue research and/or teaching abroad, and awards are available in a broad variety of disciplines, including the performing, literary, and visual arts. To learn more about the programs offered and to apply, click on title.
August 13
The San Francisco Film Society is accepting letters of inquiry for its SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants, which provide financial support to one or more films per round. The grants are for narrative fiction films that explore issues relating to social justice, including human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, and sexual and gender identity. Films at all levels of production are eligible for a total of $225,000 in grant money, and grant recipients are required to spend some or all funds in the Bay Area.
August 17
The PaleyDocFest Pitch Contest offers a $5,000 grant, sponsored by SnagFilms, to an unfinished or in-progress feature-length documentary by an emerging filmmaker. The five finalists will participate in the PaleyDocFest Pitch Workshop on October 16, 2010, and one filmmaker will be chosen to receive the grant. The unfinished films will be judged on their originality and the viability of the filmmaker’s concept, and finalists will also be judged on the strength of their pitch.
September 1
The Lower East Side Printshop offers year-long residencies to emerging artists through its Keyholder Residency Program. Residents gain 24-hour access to professional printmaking facilities in the shared Artists’ Studio, as well as a range of other benefits including a free class at the printshop, a $500 stipend, storage, basic supplies, exhibition opportunities, and other support services. Artists working in all media are encouraged to apply; printmaking experience is not required. Applications received by September 1 will be considered for residencies starting October 1.
September 1
The Andy Warhol Foundation provides grants to institutions that support contemporary art and artists. Grants are made on a project basis to curators affiliated with museums, artists’ organizations, and other cultural institutions to foster innovative and scholarly presentations of contemporary visual arts. Eligible proposals may include exhibitions, catalogues, and other organizational activities directly related to these areas. Click here for guidelines, or email info@warholfoundation.org for more information.
July 14, 2010
reposting to facebook
For those of you who have been following this blog from the beginning, first off - thank you and secondly, I want to let you know I will be reposting some past creativity exercises to the Facebook page for The Constant Creator in case you'd like to revisit that process.
The entries and exercises are from several years ago when I first started writing this blog - the first series of exercises is based in music - using music to inspire, support and enhance our work. If you'd like to check out those postings, they are still here, in the archives. Just scroll down and click on the November link all the way at the bottom.
If you're on Facebook and you prefer to use that site, I will be posting the old entries, one per day. I will not be doubling the information here since it is all in the archives.
Here is an example of what will be reposted:
a sense of place
“I think actors sometimes don’t give their characters a sense of place.” ~ Kevin Bacon
I have no idea what Kevin Bacon means in this quote. Is it an actor’s job to develop the sense of place or is it the writer’s job? Is the viewer responsible for understanding a painter’s sense of place or is that the painter’s job? Does a composer have the responsibility to develop place within his melody? Does that burden fall to a director or a scenic designer or a costume designer? What is this “sense of place” – how does an artist establish it, use it, need it? Can music help us establish a sense of place?
Who knew that Kevin Bacon was such a philosopher?
TODAY’S CREATIVITY CHALLENGE:
Pick a specific place – such as a country, an island, a city, a house, a town, a club, a state, a region – and explore its music. Perhaps you pick Jamaica and spend the day listening to Bob Marley. Maybe you pick the Louisiana bayou and spend the day researching Zydeco. Maybe you loved Puerto Rico so download some salsa. Maybe your childhood home always had classical music playing in the kitchen. Use that as your inspiration. What is the music that defines a specific place you are writing about, singing about, composing for, painting, sculpting, shooting, designing for, inspired by?
The entries and exercises are from several years ago when I first started writing this blog - the first series of exercises is based in music - using music to inspire, support and enhance our work. If you'd like to check out those postings, they are still here, in the archives. Just scroll down and click on the November link all the way at the bottom.
If you're on Facebook and you prefer to use that site, I will be posting the old entries, one per day. I will not be doubling the information here since it is all in the archives.
Here is an example of what will be reposted:
a sense of place
“I think actors sometimes don’t give their characters a sense of place.” ~ Kevin Bacon
I have no idea what Kevin Bacon means in this quote. Is it an actor’s job to develop the sense of place or is it the writer’s job? Is the viewer responsible for understanding a painter’s sense of place or is that the painter’s job? Does a composer have the responsibility to develop place within his melody? Does that burden fall to a director or a scenic designer or a costume designer? What is this “sense of place” – how does an artist establish it, use it, need it? Can music help us establish a sense of place?
Who knew that Kevin Bacon was such a philosopher?
TODAY’S CREATIVITY CHALLENGE:
Pick a specific place – such as a country, an island, a city, a house, a town, a club, a state, a region – and explore its music. Perhaps you pick Jamaica and spend the day listening to Bob Marley. Maybe you pick the Louisiana bayou and spend the day researching Zydeco. Maybe you loved Puerto Rico so download some salsa. Maybe your childhood home always had classical music playing in the kitchen. Use that as your inspiration. What is the music that defines a specific place you are writing about, singing about, composing for, painting, sculpting, shooting, designing for, inspired by?
July 13, 2010
Feedback: Friend or Foe?
Last night I hosted a reading of a new and very funny screenplay in my living room. I love being surrounded by talent - actors, writers and comics - and it's wonderful to see a writer's growth on the page, when a draft has actually changed and has gotten better as a result of those changes. I've always believed that rewriting reveals a writer's true talent - do you have the bravery to "kill your babies" and to completely overhaul those first instinctive raw words? Are you able to retain the original intention in the process?
After the reading, a few people stayed behind to offer the writer feedback and it got me thinking about this component of creativity - the "notes sessions" that are part of the creative process. Certainly, we can lose sight of our own work while in the midst of it - we often speak about being "too close" to the material or feeling overwhelmed by the size of the task. Maybe the changes we're making seem to be unraveling every line, the paints we've chosen to "correct" have now "ruined" the original vision or an actor is "grasping" in the middle of a limited rehearsal schedule.
There is that moment, in the middle, when it seems we will never reach the end. It is often when we are feeling the most lost that we reach out and ask for help, ask for notes, ask for feedback -- I'm starting to think that is THE WORST time to ask. The work itself is fragile and the artist behind the work needs nothing but love and passion and support to keep going. If we aren't very careful as artists, we may hear words that STOP our creativity rather than SUPPORT it.
How can you keep this from happening?
HANDPICK THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
If you need to hear something read, work with actors you trust and know. If the song isn't working, schedule a meeting with your mentor. If you're just about to throw the painting through a window, take a breath and track down an old classmate to talk shop.
If you can't handpick the people, is it possible to meet with a cheerleader in advance to boost your confidence? Or perhaps, you can visualize the meeting/notes session in advance and come up with a plan about how you can handle yourself if the going gets tough - ask for a glass of water or step out for a bathroom break to stop the flow if you're feeling overwhelmed.
CONTROL THE CONVERSATION, IF YOU CAN
Limit your audience to three questions you want answered during the feedback session. Write those questions down and have them in front of you. Give each person a limited period of time in which to answer those questions. When the time is up, it's up.
In industry situations, this may not be possible but have you tried? Some wonderful ways I've heard of artists dealing with executive notes sessions is to A. request written notes in advance of the meeting, B. to take a tape recorder to the meeting or C. to request that the notes sessions be broken into "acts" so that there is more frequent feedback but the information becomes very specific.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
Don't ask what is wrong with your piece - ask what works, what moved people, what stuck out as really interesting, what they liked, what draws their eye, what makes them feel. Focus on ways in which those positive aspects can be enhanced.
As they say in the South - you catch more bears with honey...if you know what people love about your work, you'll focus on your strengths and hey, you may even be more motivated to finish!
Last night's screenplay had already been through numerous drafts and the writer was seeking very specific information from her audience. Her readers had read several drafts and were able to reference the changes and speak about the script with the full history of the project in mind. The tone was helpful and friendly and the notes were uber-specific.
But I've certainly witnessed NIGHTMARE situations with other creative projects where an artist is nearly being attacked by a well-meaning friend who actually harbors quiet jealousy or even worse, given notes by a room full of strangers who have no concept of an artists entire body of work and how this piece relates.
Maybe your piece is in an earlier state and needs more protection. Maybe it's ready to be seen and you're feeling super confident. Either way, the most important element is your own awareness of what you NEED from the feedback in order to continue the work.
Before you open yourself to feedback, listen to your gut then choose the format and venue and way that you WANT to receive your notes. We are only at the mercy of others if we allow ourselves to be.
How do you handle feedback?
After the reading, a few people stayed behind to offer the writer feedback and it got me thinking about this component of creativity - the "notes sessions" that are part of the creative process. Certainly, we can lose sight of our own work while in the midst of it - we often speak about being "too close" to the material or feeling overwhelmed by the size of the task. Maybe the changes we're making seem to be unraveling every line, the paints we've chosen to "correct" have now "ruined" the original vision or an actor is "grasping" in the middle of a limited rehearsal schedule.
There is that moment, in the middle, when it seems we will never reach the end. It is often when we are feeling the most lost that we reach out and ask for help, ask for notes, ask for feedback -- I'm starting to think that is THE WORST time to ask. The work itself is fragile and the artist behind the work needs nothing but love and passion and support to keep going. If we aren't very careful as artists, we may hear words that STOP our creativity rather than SUPPORT it.
How can you keep this from happening?
HANDPICK THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
If you need to hear something read, work with actors you trust and know. If the song isn't working, schedule a meeting with your mentor. If you're just about to throw the painting through a window, take a breath and track down an old classmate to talk shop.
If you can't handpick the people, is it possible to meet with a cheerleader in advance to boost your confidence? Or perhaps, you can visualize the meeting/notes session in advance and come up with a plan about how you can handle yourself if the going gets tough - ask for a glass of water or step out for a bathroom break to stop the flow if you're feeling overwhelmed.
CONTROL THE CONVERSATION, IF YOU CAN
Limit your audience to three questions you want answered during the feedback session. Write those questions down and have them in front of you. Give each person a limited period of time in which to answer those questions. When the time is up, it's up.
In industry situations, this may not be possible but have you tried? Some wonderful ways I've heard of artists dealing with executive notes sessions is to A. request written notes in advance of the meeting, B. to take a tape recorder to the meeting or C. to request that the notes sessions be broken into "acts" so that there is more frequent feedback but the information becomes very specific.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
Don't ask what is wrong with your piece - ask what works, what moved people, what stuck out as really interesting, what they liked, what draws their eye, what makes them feel. Focus on ways in which those positive aspects can be enhanced.
As they say in the South - you catch more bears with honey...if you know what people love about your work, you'll focus on your strengths and hey, you may even be more motivated to finish!
Last night's screenplay had already been through numerous drafts and the writer was seeking very specific information from her audience. Her readers had read several drafts and were able to reference the changes and speak about the script with the full history of the project in mind. The tone was helpful and friendly and the notes were uber-specific.
But I've certainly witnessed NIGHTMARE situations with other creative projects where an artist is nearly being attacked by a well-meaning friend who actually harbors quiet jealousy or even worse, given notes by a room full of strangers who have no concept of an artists entire body of work and how this piece relates.
Maybe your piece is in an earlier state and needs more protection. Maybe it's ready to be seen and you're feeling super confident. Either way, the most important element is your own awareness of what you NEED from the feedback in order to continue the work.
Before you open yourself to feedback, listen to your gut then choose the format and venue and way that you WANT to receive your notes. We are only at the mercy of others if we allow ourselves to be.
How do you handle feedback?
Tech Director needed in KY
Theatre: Technical Director. University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KY, seeks applicants for tenure-track Designer/Technical Director of Theatre beginning August 2010. Terminal degree preferred, master's required. Responsibilities include managing theatre facilities, technical direction of productions, teaching such courses as Lighting, Stagecraft, Makeup. Details at http://www.ucumberlands.edu/humanresources/jobs.html Send letter of application, resume, three letters of reference, and transcripts to Dr. Larry Cockrum, Vice President Academic Affairs, 6170 College Station Drive, Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769.
July 12, 2010
Casting Call: Reality for Entertainment Types
A new competition series showcasing a top Hollywood entertainment career coach is looking for skilled professionals in the entertainment industry who are interested in upping their roster of contacts and jobs. The show seeks five outgoing and ambitious candidates who are either directors or below-the-line crew members. Candidates must live in Los Angeles and be available from August 26 to 29. Interested applicants can send an email to: casting@TheGreenlightCoach.com and include name, age, contact numbers, recent photo, classification(s) and why you would be great on the show.
Casting Call: LOGO
Logo is casting for matchmakers and dating experts to appear on a new matchmaking series. The series is looking for a fun, trendy, outgoing and outspoken gay man from the New York City area who considers himself an expert in dating. Open casting calls will be held this Thursday and Friday. Requirements for the position include: must be between 25 and 40 years old; must be outgoing and fun with a witty sense of humor; have strong opinions about fashion and style, matchmaking and dating and relationship protocols; and must be local to the NYC area. Send an email right away to Wings.INC@hotmail.com and include a recent photo, email contact, phone numbers and where you currently live. Also explain why you would be perfect for the show in 50 words or less and include your top three dating "don'ts."
THE SCREENWRITING EXPO, OCT 7-10, 2010, IS.....
120+ seminars and classes...Guests of Honor...plus this year we're inviting producers and agents as our special guests just so they'll mingle with you.
FROM $300 LEFT TO HIS NAME TO $110 MILLION AT THE BOX OFFICE
Do not miss this exciting presentation: this writer gave up a comfortable movie executive job to become a screenwriter. He worked at it day and night. He used up his savings. He was down to his last $300 and desperate. And then ...
No, he did NOT use connections or get lucky. He broke in by doing something you could have thought of yourself, and that you could do from home whether you live under the shadow of a studio or off in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. And $110 million at the box office later, this multiple-major-movie writer is coming to the Expo to tell you how he made it in Hollywood. How YOU can if your work is good.
MARKETING YOURSELF AND YOUR SCREENPLAYS–THE STEP-BY-STEP COURSE
Speaking of how to break in: for the very first time, the Expo will present a three-hour course on how to market your screenplay, by legendary live-online screenwriting teacher Hal Croasmun. And always, the Screenwriting Expo is THE place to choose from 100 screenwriting classes, talk to Hollywood's top screenwriters, pitch your scripts at the Golden Pitch, and network with other writers.
FROM $300 LEFT TO HIS NAME TO $110 MILLION AT THE BOX OFFICE
Do not miss this exciting presentation: this writer gave up a comfortable movie executive job to become a screenwriter. He worked at it day and night. He used up his savings. He was down to his last $300 and desperate. And then ...
No, he did NOT use connections or get lucky. He broke in by doing something you could have thought of yourself, and that you could do from home whether you live under the shadow of a studio or off in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. And $110 million at the box office later, this multiple-major-movie writer is coming to the Expo to tell you how he made it in Hollywood. How YOU can if your work is good.
MARKETING YOURSELF AND YOUR SCREENPLAYS–THE STEP-BY-STEP COURSE
Speaking of how to break in: for the very first time, the Expo will present a three-hour course on how to market your screenplay, by legendary live-online screenwriting teacher Hal Croasmun. And always, the Screenwriting Expo is THE place to choose from 100 screenwriting classes, talk to Hollywood's top screenwriters, pitch your scripts at the Golden Pitch, and network with other writers.
July 11, 2010
ida seminar in los angeles for doc writers
The International Documentary Association Presents
THE WRITERS GUILD AND YOU: A seminar on WGA benefits, protections and programs for theatrical and television documentary writers and hyphenates.
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Dan Sturman - Writer, Director, Producer, SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION; Writer and Director, NANKING
Jim Milio - Writer, Director, Producer, DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN, HISTORY'S MYSTERIES, RESCUE 911
Glenn Kirschbaum - Writer, DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN and UNSOLVED MYSTERIES; Writer, Director, Producer, THE UNFINISHED CIVIL WAR
Elisabeth Flack - WGAW Administrator, Contracts Department
Kay Schaber Wolf - WGAW Independent Film Executive
IDA Members: FREE
WGAW Nonfiction Writers Caucus and Independent Writers Caucus: FREE
Seating Limited - Reserve your space now!
Not an IDA Member? Join now and attend this event for free!
Friday, July 16, 2010
7:30PM - 9:00PM
WGAW Building, 2nd Floor
7000 West Third St,
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Parking entrance at Blackburn, one block South of Third Street
and some street parking (please read signs)
Light desserts will be served.
Doc U is the International Documentary Association's branded, yearly seminar series produced to enlighten and enliven our documentary community.
THE WRITERS GUILD AND YOU: A seminar on WGA benefits, protections and programs for theatrical and television documentary writers and hyphenates.
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Dan Sturman - Writer, Director, Producer, SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION; Writer and Director, NANKING
Jim Milio - Writer, Director, Producer, DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN, HISTORY'S MYSTERIES, RESCUE 911
Glenn Kirschbaum - Writer, DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN and UNSOLVED MYSTERIES; Writer, Director, Producer, THE UNFINISHED CIVIL WAR
Elisabeth Flack - WGAW Administrator, Contracts Department
Kay Schaber Wolf - WGAW Independent Film Executive
IDA Members: FREE
WGAW Nonfiction Writers Caucus and Independent Writers Caucus: FREE
Seating Limited - Reserve your space now!
Not an IDA Member? Join now and attend this event for free!
Friday, July 16, 2010
7:30PM - 9:00PM
WGAW Building, 2nd Floor
7000 West Third St,
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Parking entrance at Blackburn, one block South of Third Street
and some street parking (please read signs)
Light desserts will be served.
Doc U is the International Documentary Association's branded, yearly seminar series produced to enlighten and enliven our documentary community.
AFI Fest Call for Entries
OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES
Shorts
Shorts can be narrative, documentary, or animation as long as they are under 30 min. in length.
Features
Narrative Feature Films are over 30 min. in length. Premiere status is taken into account for all sections, and films that have not yet screened in the US are given priority. Feature films (both narrative and documentary) that have previously screened for the public in Los Angeles or have been televised in the Los Angeles area are not eligible for consideration.
Documentary
Documentaries under 30 min. should be submitted as Shorts.
Documentary Feature Films are over 30 min. in length. Premiere status is taken into account for all sections, and films that have not yet screened in the US are given priority.
Feature length films (both narrative and documentary) that have previously screened for the public in Los Angeles or have been televised in the Los Angeles area are not eligible for consideration.
Experimental
Experimental films are non-narrative and non-documentary works of any runtime.
MISSION & OBJECTIVE
AFI FEST presents a survey of the year's most significant films each fall. Featuring international work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters and red-carpet gala premieres, AFI FEST brings world cinema to the heart of Hollywood.
Since 2000, the consumer audience at AFI FEST has tripled to over 65,000 attendees. In 2008, over 600 press representatives secured accreditation to the Festival, with combined media impressions in excess of 1.6 billion worldwide.
The American Film Market (AFM) in November 2010 is the market partner of AFI FEST. Since its formation in 2004, this strategic partnership has grown into the largest gathering of film professionals in North America. The association between the two events connects art and commerce, broadening the opportunities for all participants.
AFI FEST is the only film festival in the United States to hold the prestigious FIAPF accreditation (www.FIAPF.org), assuring a high standard of quality and reliability for the international film community. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Last year’s AFI FEST presented by Audi enjoyed record attendance, as audiences turned out in force to attend films and special events. Programming highlights from AFI FEST 2009 presented by Audi included 7 consecutive nights of galas and tributes, including FANTASTIC MR FOX, PRECIOUS, THE MESSENGER, A SINGLE MAN, THE ROAD and a 50th Anniversary digitally re-mastered presentation of Alfred Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST; tributes to Viggo Mortensen and Christopher Plummer, the latter featuring a screening of THE LAST STATION; red carpet appearances by Wes Anderson, Drew Barrymore, Angela Bassett, Kate Beckinsale, Nicolas Cage, Lee Daniels, Julie Delpy, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Tom Ford, Terry Gilliam, Woody Harrelson, Werner Herzog, Martin Landau, Julianne Moore, Mo’Nique, Bill Murray, Tyler Perry, Eva Marie Saint, Jason Schwartzman, Charlize Theron and Oprah Winfrey; and access to the AFI Digital Content Lab’s 2-day DigiFest conference.
ORGANIZERS
Derek Call (Festival Producer) ; John Roberts ; Lane Kneedler (Associate Director of Programming) ; Sandy Gow (Database Designer)
GENERAL RULES
Premiere status is taken into consideration for every submission with priority given to US Premieres, North American Premieres and World Premieres - a Los Angeles premiere at the very least is required. Must not have major theatrical release or broadcast airing. VHS (NTSC or PAL) videocassettes and DVD's will be accepted for preview screening. More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry and entry fee. While we do not require a US Premiere for selection to the festival in all sections, please note that premiere status is taken into consideration for the selection process. But in order for Feature films to be considered for the Competition, they need to be made by first or second time directors and we require a US or North American Premiere to be in the competition section. If your film is selected, you will be asked to provide: headshot and filmography of director; b&w and/or color stills from the film; press materials; video trailer (if available). Preview cassettes and DVD's must be labeled with the title, running time and contact information on face and spine of tape. Entry Fee is non-refundable. Screeners will not be returned. Please do not send originals. If confirmed receipt of entry is required, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. All film entries selected for the Festival grant AFI FEST the rights to use footage, stills and/or titles and information from the film for promotional purposes.
All filmmakers will be notified by October 8, 2010.
Shorts
Shorts can be narrative, documentary, or animation as long as they are under 30 min. in length.
Features
Narrative Feature Films are over 30 min. in length. Premiere status is taken into account for all sections, and films that have not yet screened in the US are given priority. Feature films (both narrative and documentary) that have previously screened for the public in Los Angeles or have been televised in the Los Angeles area are not eligible for consideration.
Documentary
Documentaries under 30 min. should be submitted as Shorts.
Documentary Feature Films are over 30 min. in length. Premiere status is taken into account for all sections, and films that have not yet screened in the US are given priority.
Feature length films (both narrative and documentary) that have previously screened for the public in Los Angeles or have been televised in the Los Angeles area are not eligible for consideration.
Experimental
Experimental films are non-narrative and non-documentary works of any runtime.
MISSION & OBJECTIVE
AFI FEST presents a survey of the year's most significant films each fall. Featuring international work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters and red-carpet gala premieres, AFI FEST brings world cinema to the heart of Hollywood.
Since 2000, the consumer audience at AFI FEST has tripled to over 65,000 attendees. In 2008, over 600 press representatives secured accreditation to the Festival, with combined media impressions in excess of 1.6 billion worldwide.
The American Film Market (AFM) in November 2010 is the market partner of AFI FEST. Since its formation in 2004, this strategic partnership has grown into the largest gathering of film professionals in North America. The association between the two events connects art and commerce, broadening the opportunities for all participants.
AFI FEST is the only film festival in the United States to hold the prestigious FIAPF accreditation (www.FIAPF.org), assuring a high standard of quality and reliability for the international film community. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Last year’s AFI FEST presented by Audi enjoyed record attendance, as audiences turned out in force to attend films and special events. Programming highlights from AFI FEST 2009 presented by Audi included 7 consecutive nights of galas and tributes, including FANTASTIC MR FOX, PRECIOUS, THE MESSENGER, A SINGLE MAN, THE ROAD and a 50th Anniversary digitally re-mastered presentation of Alfred Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST; tributes to Viggo Mortensen and Christopher Plummer, the latter featuring a screening of THE LAST STATION; red carpet appearances by Wes Anderson, Drew Barrymore, Angela Bassett, Kate Beckinsale, Nicolas Cage, Lee Daniels, Julie Delpy, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Tom Ford, Terry Gilliam, Woody Harrelson, Werner Herzog, Martin Landau, Julianne Moore, Mo’Nique, Bill Murray, Tyler Perry, Eva Marie Saint, Jason Schwartzman, Charlize Theron and Oprah Winfrey; and access to the AFI Digital Content Lab’s 2-day DigiFest conference.
ORGANIZERS
Derek Call (Festival Producer) ; John Roberts ; Lane Kneedler (Associate Director of Programming) ; Sandy Gow (Database Designer)
GENERAL RULES
Premiere status is taken into consideration for every submission with priority given to US Premieres, North American Premieres and World Premieres - a Los Angeles premiere at the very least is required. Must not have major theatrical release or broadcast airing. VHS (NTSC or PAL) videocassettes and DVD's will be accepted for preview screening. More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry and entry fee. While we do not require a US Premiere for selection to the festival in all sections, please note that premiere status is taken into consideration for the selection process. But in order for Feature films to be considered for the Competition, they need to be made by first or second time directors and we require a US or North American Premiere to be in the competition section. If your film is selected, you will be asked to provide: headshot and filmography of director; b&w and/or color stills from the film; press materials; video trailer (if available). Preview cassettes and DVD's must be labeled with the title, running time and contact information on face and spine of tape. Entry Fee is non-refundable. Screeners will not be returned. Please do not send originals. If confirmed receipt of entry is required, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. All film entries selected for the Festival grant AFI FEST the rights to use footage, stills and/or titles and information from the film for promotional purposes.
All filmmakers will be notified by October 8, 2010.
AUDITIONS FOR THE 3rd TISCH ACTORS WEST MONOLOGUE SLAM - FALL 2010
The Monologue Slam is an opportunity for Tisch Undergraduate Alumni to showcase their talents to an audience of industry professionals and fellow alumni. Participants will perform original material in front of a panel of three industry judges for the chance to win a cash prize, industry "goodies" and title of Slam Champion!
Guidelines to audition: 1) all participants must be an alumnus/a of a Tisch undergraduate program; 2) monologues must be original material (no monologues from released and distributed films, television or published plays); 3) monologues may not exceed three minutes (you will be cut off at 3 minutes); and 4) for the audition, please prepare your original monologue.
If your monologue is not ready in time for the audition, you may perform a published piece, but please have the concept and a draft ready for discussion. If selected, monologues may be fine tuned for the Monologue Slam performance. Auditions will be held late July/early August.
For more information and to schedule an audition please e-mail Tisch Actors West and provide the following information: Name, Email & Phone, and Tisch program & year of graduation (or enrollment).
Guidelines to audition: 1) all participants must be an alumnus/a of a Tisch undergraduate program; 2) monologues must be original material (no monologues from released and distributed films, television or published plays); 3) monologues may not exceed three minutes (you will be cut off at 3 minutes); and 4) for the audition, please prepare your original monologue.
If your monologue is not ready in time for the audition, you may perform a published piece, but please have the concept and a draft ready for discussion. If selected, monologues may be fine tuned for the Monologue Slam performance. Auditions will be held late July/early August.
For more information and to schedule an audition please e-mail Tisch Actors West and provide the following information: Name, Email & Phone, and Tisch program & year of graduation (or enrollment).
Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Public Broadcasting Service Announce Diversity and Innovation Fund
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service have announced the first Request for Proposals from their Diversity and Innovation Fund. The fund seeks proposals to provide the National Programming Service with a new, weekly, primetime series that will expand viewership and usage and reach an adult audience on-air and online that reflects the diversity of the 40-to-64-year-old demographic.
Specifically, the DI Fund seeks to diversify the NPS by attracting more racially and ethnically diverse viewers and Web visitors within the target demographic; expand the current NPS audience through the increased use of content created by a diverse group of producers and through the effective use of new and emerging technologies; leverage the talent and creativity of executive producers and producers from minority and underserved communities; build capacity for the public media system from within those communities; and encourage innovation in the planning, production, and distribution of public media content.
The content should be conceived and budgeted with multiple-platform use (broadcast, VOD, Internet, mobile, DVD, etc.) in mind from the outset.
The RFP encourages proposals for a variety of popular genres, including science, history, travel, natural history, and exploration. This RFP is not seeking children's, drama, or news and public affairs content, as these subject areas are being addressed via other initiatives and/or existing properties.
Applicants are invited to submit proposals for a series of ten episodes that can be produced for $375,000 per hour (or less), with attendant rights that allow for the efficient use of the content on all distribution platforms. The intent is to "pilot" several projects. One or more will then be selected for series production.
PBS will begin accepting proposals on July 26, 2010. Visit the PBS Web site for complete program information and application procedures - click on title above.
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Specifically, the DI Fund seeks to diversify the NPS by attracting more racially and ethnically diverse viewers and Web visitors within the target demographic; expand the current NPS audience through the increased use of content created by a diverse group of producers and through the effective use of new and emerging technologies; leverage the talent and creativity of executive producers and producers from minority and underserved communities; build capacity for the public media system from within those communities; and encourage innovation in the planning, production, and distribution of public media content.
The content should be conceived and budgeted with multiple-platform use (broadcast, VOD, Internet, mobile, DVD, etc.) in mind from the outset.
The RFP encourages proposals for a variety of popular genres, including science, history, travel, natural history, and exploration. This RFP is not seeking children's, drama, or news and public affairs content, as these subject areas are being addressed via other initiatives and/or existing properties.
Applicants are invited to submit proposals for a series of ten episodes that can be produced for $375,000 per hour (or less), with attendant rights that allow for the efficient use of the content on all distribution platforms. The intent is to "pilot" several projects. One or more will then be selected for series production.
PBS will begin accepting proposals on July 26, 2010. Visit the PBS Web site for complete program information and application procedures - click on title above.
.
Creative Connections Fund
The Creative Connections Fund supports the expansion of diverse, relevant arts and cultural offerings in local communities across California. The fund targets small and midsize arts organizations and offers project grants of up to $50,000, over a maximum of two years, through an open, competitive review process.
The Creative Connections Fund aims to support small and midsize arts organizations because they play an important role in the arts ecosystem. They have close ties to their communities, present aesthetics that have particular relevance to their audiences, and involve local artists. These smaller organizations support local creativity and add to the cultural vibrancy of their neighborhoods and cities and, ultimately, the state.
Most of our Arts grants are the result of invited proposals from organizations with annual budgets greater than $2 million, many of whom are long-term Irvine partners. The Creative Connections Fund is an important complement to our invitational portfolio and a way to reach smaller arts organizations of all artistic disciplines and aesthetics through an open process.
Geographically, we give preference to arts organizations outside San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The Bay Area’s arts sector has funding resources that far exceed those of other regions of the state, and as a statewide organization, Irvine has decided to focus attention on areas that are, by comparison, underserved by philanthropy.
Click on title for more information.
The Creative Connections Fund aims to support small and midsize arts organizations because they play an important role in the arts ecosystem. They have close ties to their communities, present aesthetics that have particular relevance to their audiences, and involve local artists. These smaller organizations support local creativity and add to the cultural vibrancy of their neighborhoods and cities and, ultimately, the state.
Most of our Arts grants are the result of invited proposals from organizations with annual budgets greater than $2 million, many of whom are long-term Irvine partners. The Creative Connections Fund is an important complement to our invitational portfolio and a way to reach smaller arts organizations of all artistic disciplines and aesthetics through an open process.
Geographically, we give preference to arts organizations outside San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The Bay Area’s arts sector has funding resources that far exceed those of other regions of the state, and as a statewide organization, Irvine has decided to focus attention on areas that are, by comparison, underserved by philanthropy.
Click on title for more information.
American Council of Learned Societies Announces Guidelines for Digital Innovation Fellowships
With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies is inviting applications for the sixth annual ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowships. The program supports digitally based research projects in all disciplines of the humanities and humanities-related social sciences.
ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowships are intended to support an academic year dedicated to working on a major scholarly project that takes a digital form. Projects may involve development of new digital tools that further humanistic research (such as digital research archives or innovative databases), research that depends on or is greatly enhanced by the use of such tools, the representation of such research, or some combination of these features.
ACLS will award up to six Digital Innovation Fellowships this year, including one project involving the collaboration of two scholars. Each fellowship carries a stipend of up to $60,000 toward an academic year's leave and provides for project costs of up to $25,000. ACLS does not support creative works (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translations, or purely pedagogical projects.
The program is open to scholars in all fields of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences. Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree conferred prior to the application deadline. (An established scholar who can demonstrate the equivalent of the Ph.D. in publications and professional experience may also qualify.) U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is required.
Visit the ACLS Web site for complete program guidelines. Click on title above.
ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowships are intended to support an academic year dedicated to working on a major scholarly project that takes a digital form. Projects may involve development of new digital tools that further humanistic research (such as digital research archives or innovative databases), research that depends on or is greatly enhanced by the use of such tools, the representation of such research, or some combination of these features.
ACLS will award up to six Digital Innovation Fellowships this year, including one project involving the collaboration of two scholars. Each fellowship carries a stipend of up to $60,000 toward an academic year's leave and provides for project costs of up to $25,000. ACLS does not support creative works (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translations, or purely pedagogical projects.
The program is open to scholars in all fields of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences. Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree conferred prior to the application deadline. (An established scholar who can demonstrate the equivalent of the Ph.D. in publications and professional experience may also qualify.) U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status is required.
Visit the ACLS Web site for complete program guidelines. Click on title above.
July 07, 2010
Paley DocFest Pitch Contest
Submission Deadline! August 17
The PaleyDocFest Pitch Contest offers a $5,000 grant, sponsored by SnagFilms, for an unfinished or work-in-progress documentary from an emerging filmmaker.
The Paley Center for Media is using this contest, now in its seventh year, to choose five finalists who will pitch their unfinished films to a panel of experts and producers in front of an audience. This event, the PaleyDocFest Pitch Workshop, will take place on Saturday, October 16, 2010, in New York as part of the Paley Center's eleventh annual documentary festival.
PITCH WORKSHOP PANEL
Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director, POV
Lauren Lazin, Filmmaker and Executive Producer, MTV Networks
Andrew Mer, Vice President, Content Partnerships, SnagFilms
Molly Thompson, Programming Director, A&E Indie Films
Susan Werbe, Executive Producer, History
To Enter Pitch Contest
To enter this contest, you must submit no more than ten minutes of footage from an UNFINISHED or WORK-IN-PROGRESS feature-length documentary that you hope to pitch to our panel. You must also send in a printed and filled-out entry form (below.)
We will judge entries based on the originality of your vision and the viability of the concept. At the pitch workshop, finalists will be judged by originality, viability and the persuasiveness of their pitch to our panel.
Entries must be postmarked by deadline. Deadlines and fees are as follows:
Earlybird deadline: July 20, 2010 ($20 / $15 for Withoutabox members)
Regular deadline: Aug. 17, 2010 ($25 / $20 for Withoutabox members)
Late deadline: Sept. 7, 2010 ($30 / $25 for Withoutabox members)
Withoutabox extended deadline: Sept. 14, 2010 ($45 / $30 for Withoutabox members)
There are two ways to submit:
1) We accept entries through Withoutabox.
OR
2) To submit on your own, download the PDF forms by clicking on title above.
Overview
Official Rules
Entry Form & Submission Agreement
Then print out, sign, and mail a complete and fully executed copy of the Entry Form & Submission Agreement, along with your DVD, submission materials, and a check for your entry fee made out to The Paley Center for Media to:
Pitch Workshop
c/o The Paley Center for Media
9th Floor
25 West 52 Street
New York, NY 10019
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2009: From Texas to Tehran directed by Till Schauder
2008: Circo directed by Aaron Schock
2007: The House that Herman Built directed by Angad Bhalla
2006: Whatever it Takes directed by Christopher Wong
2005: Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary) directed by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly
The PaleyDocFest Pitch Contest offers a $5,000 grant, sponsored by SnagFilms, for an unfinished or work-in-progress documentary from an emerging filmmaker.
The Paley Center for Media is using this contest, now in its seventh year, to choose five finalists who will pitch their unfinished films to a panel of experts and producers in front of an audience. This event, the PaleyDocFest Pitch Workshop, will take place on Saturday, October 16, 2010, in New York as part of the Paley Center's eleventh annual documentary festival.
PITCH WORKSHOP PANEL
Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director, POV
Lauren Lazin, Filmmaker and Executive Producer, MTV Networks
Andrew Mer, Vice President, Content Partnerships, SnagFilms
Molly Thompson, Programming Director, A&E Indie Films
Susan Werbe, Executive Producer, History
To Enter Pitch Contest
To enter this contest, you must submit no more than ten minutes of footage from an UNFINISHED or WORK-IN-PROGRESS feature-length documentary that you hope to pitch to our panel. You must also send in a printed and filled-out entry form (below.)
We will judge entries based on the originality of your vision and the viability of the concept. At the pitch workshop, finalists will be judged by originality, viability and the persuasiveness of their pitch to our panel.
Entries must be postmarked by deadline. Deadlines and fees are as follows:
Earlybird deadline: July 20, 2010 ($20 / $15 for Withoutabox members)
Regular deadline: Aug. 17, 2010 ($25 / $20 for Withoutabox members)
Late deadline: Sept. 7, 2010 ($30 / $25 for Withoutabox members)
Withoutabox extended deadline: Sept. 14, 2010 ($45 / $30 for Withoutabox members)
There are two ways to submit:
1) We accept entries through Withoutabox.
OR
2) To submit on your own, download the PDF forms by clicking on title above.
Overview
Official Rules
Entry Form & Submission Agreement
Then print out, sign, and mail a complete and fully executed copy of the Entry Form & Submission Agreement, along with your DVD, submission materials, and a check for your entry fee made out to The Paley Center for Media to:
Pitch Workshop
c/o The Paley Center for Media
9th Floor
25 West 52 Street
New York, NY 10019
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2009: From Texas to Tehran directed by Till Schauder
2008: Circo directed by Aaron Schock
2007: The House that Herman Built directed by Angad Bhalla
2006: Whatever it Takes directed by Christopher Wong
2005: Asparagus! (A Stalk-umentary) directed by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly
wga west upcoming events
WRITERS ON GENRE
Thursdays, 7/8-7/29, 7:30 p.m. - WGAW 2nd Floor.
(800) 838-3006
Writers talk about genre:
Horror (7/8)
Drama and True Stories (7/15)
Sci-Fi & Fantasy (7/22)
Comedy/Romantic Comedy (7/29)
Speakers include Mark Fergus, Scott Frank, Andrea Berloff, Scott Kosar, Adam Mazer, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Nicholas Meyer, David Hayter, Dan Petrie, Jr., Gavin Scott, Nicholas Stoller, Wesley Strick, Kurt Wimmer and more.
$20
WRITING FOR TELEVISION 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Saturday, 7/31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. - WGAW 2nd Floor.
(800) 838-3006
An all-day seminar devoted to writing for television in a changing world. Speakers will include writers, agents, and executives. Includes light breakfast, lunch, and evening wine & cheese mixer.
$150.
Info & tickets -- click on title above.
Thursdays, 7/8-7/29, 7:30 p.m. - WGAW 2nd Floor.
(800) 838-3006
Writers talk about genre:
Horror (7/8)
Drama and True Stories (7/15)
Sci-Fi & Fantasy (7/22)
Comedy/Romantic Comedy (7/29)
Speakers include Mark Fergus, Scott Frank, Andrea Berloff, Scott Kosar, Adam Mazer, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Nicholas Meyer, David Hayter, Dan Petrie, Jr., Gavin Scott, Nicholas Stoller, Wesley Strick, Kurt Wimmer and more.
$20
WRITING FOR TELEVISION 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Saturday, 7/31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. - WGAW 2nd Floor.
(800) 838-3006
An all-day seminar devoted to writing for television in a changing world. Speakers will include writers, agents, and executives. Includes light breakfast, lunch, and evening wine & cheese mixer.
$150.
Info & tickets -- click on title above.
the art of ritual
For the past two weeks, I've been a writing monster. I have churned out pages and I have worked non-stop for hours. It's been a long, long time since I've had such an uber-productive run and I was completely enjoying the flow until yesterday, suddenly, it all stopped. I got not one word on the page. Barely even opened up my laptop except to check Facebook. My agitation was palpable. I was easily irritated, grumpy and tired. I knew my emotions were a result of not being creative but I didn't know what had happened to stop the momentum.
I wanted to know why.
So this morning, I'm taking a look at my ritual. I'm asking myself, "What are the actions I take from the moment I wake up until the moment I sit down to work?"
In the past two weeks, I started my mornings with breakfast then a meditation that calmed me. I also announced out loud to the Universe or whoever else may be listening, my creative intentions for the day such as, "Today, I will write 5,000 new words." or "Today, I will revise the first 30 pages." My mornings were quiet, disconnected and completely focused on creation. There were no phone calls. There was some email checking and Facebook posting but mostly, there was the wonderful nothingness of being. I fed myself and I had a deadline: at 3:30 pm, my fiance would return from his rehearsals and my writing day would end.
So, my effective ritual had been...
Get Up Quietly
Tend the Body -- Clean & Eat
Social Stuff on Computer
Meditation -- Announcing Daily Creative Intention Aloud
Writing Until Imposed Deadline
That had worked. How did it get stopped yesterday? Yesterday, I woke up and immediately returned a phone call while I was still in bed. I didn't eat or shower first thing. My fiance had the day off so I didn't meditate or announce my intentions and there was no deadline so the day seemed entirely free for my use. How did I use it? Cleaning and piddling about and "computerizing" which is being on a computer with no results to show for it.
Then I got angry at myself for not writing and that turned into aggravation and grumpiness and snapping and the anxiety that comes when you feel like you should be doing something other than what you are doing at that exact moment in time.
Sound familiar?
TODAY'S CREATIVITY EXERCISE
What is your most effective ritual? Do you have one? Do you need one? Take a moment today to analyze the ways in which you support your creative work. On a good day, what did you do? On a bad day, what did you do? How did they differ? What aspects or actions are helpful to your creative process and which are damaging?
It can be as simple as looking at what you are eating or drinking. Is coffee necessary for your wake up? Does sugar give you a lift and then drop you like a hot potato halfway through the work? Are you hung-over and slow to start? Are you treating your body like an extension of your creativity or is your intellect/talent dragging that body around with you? Can the two learn to work together?
Just take the next few days and pay attention to the way you work. In what ways can your creative process be enhanced, further supported? Do you need noise? Do you need quiet? Do you need more light?
When you spot a problem, fix it. If something works, keep it.
And please, feel free to share your helpful suggestions through the comments section below.
July 06, 2010
teaching position at stanford
Asian and African Studies, Global Shakespeare (Open Rank)
The Department of Drama at Stanford University is seeking applicants for an open rank faculty member with expertise in Asian and African performance traditions, and/ or global Shakespeare Studies. Candidates with administrative experience or inclinations especially encouraged to apply. Ph.D or comparable experience required. Candidates must have a strong record of publishing and teaching. Applicants will be expected to teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Term of appointment would begin September 1, 2011.
Applicants should send their curriculum vitae, bibliography, and a brief statement describing the goals and achievements of their work, two brief course descriptions (course title,rationale, and the names of three to five works to be considered in each class), and names and addresses of three references to:
Professor Rush Rehm
Search Committee Chair
Department of Drama
551 Serra Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-5010
For full consideration application materials must be received by October 15th at 5PM California time. No email applications accepted. Stanford is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. It welcomes nominations of, and applications from, women and members of minority groups, as well as others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching missions.
The Department of Drama at Stanford University is seeking applicants for an open rank faculty member with expertise in Asian and African performance traditions, and/ or global Shakespeare Studies. Candidates with administrative experience or inclinations especially encouraged to apply. Ph.D or comparable experience required. Candidates must have a strong record of publishing and teaching. Applicants will be expected to teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Term of appointment would begin September 1, 2011.
Applicants should send their curriculum vitae, bibliography, and a brief statement describing the goals and achievements of their work, two brief course descriptions (course title,rationale, and the names of three to five works to be considered in each class), and names and addresses of three references to:
Professor Rush Rehm
Search Committee Chair
Department of Drama
551 Serra Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-5010
For full consideration application materials must be received by October 15th at 5PM California time. No email applications accepted. Stanford is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. It welcomes nominations of, and applications from, women and members of minority groups, as well as others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching missions.
IDA Documentary Awards 2010
CALL FOR ENTRIES
FINAL Deadline is Today!
Enter Online Now!
(Online entry closes tonight at 11:59PM.)
The IDA Documentary Awards is the foremost event dedicated to the art of documentary film. All winners will be announced at the IDA Documentary Awards in Los Angeles, December 2010. To apply for IDA Documentary Awards, please go to Withoutabox.com to submit your entry online.
IDA Distinguished Award Main Categories
FEATURE: Individual, stand-alone documentary, more than 40 minutes long. Student projects are strongly encouraged to consider entering as an IDA/David L. Wolper Award if they were matriculating students at the time the project was finished. Award recipient - Limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited Director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a Producer or Director credit.
SHORT: Individual, stand-alone documentary, less than or equal to 40 minutes long. Student short projects not eligible in this category, and should submit as an entry in the IDA/David L. Wolper Award below. Award recipients - Limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited Director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a Producer or Director credit.
LIMITED SERIES: A limited series of episodes with a specific, continuing theme, topic or subject. (Sin City Law, The Supreme Court). Student projects are not eligible in this category. Award recipients - Limited to two persons. While co-production partners may be credited, only the Series Producer(s) will be presented with the award.
CONTINUING SERIES: An ongoing series. (American Masters, Nova, This American Life). While co-production partners may be credited, only the Executive Producer(s) of the continuing series will be presented with the award. Student projects are not eligible in this category. Award recipients - Limited to two persons.
IDA/DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT: A short or feature film/video, produced by registered, degree-seeking student(s). This award recognizes exceptional achievement in non-fiction film and video production at the university level and brings greater public and industry awareness to the work of students in the documentary field. PRIZE: Cash honorarium and $1,000 toward the purchase of motion picture film, courtesy of The Eastman Kodak Company.
Special Recognition Awards
Not all main categories of awards are eligible for every special recognition award. See below for specific rules relating to which categories can be submitted for special recognition.
IDA/ABCNEWS VIDEOSOURCE AWARD for the best use of news footage as an integral component in a documentary. “News footage” is defined here as factual footage, contemporary or historical, shot for use in context such as newsreels, news specials, magazines or nightly news. “Integral component” is defined here as footage which is central to the structure, meaning and impact of the work. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: Cash Honorarium and research time at the ABCNEWS VideoSource facility in New York.
IDA/PARE LORENTZ AWARD In keeping with the nature of Pare Lorentz’s films—a successful candidate for the Pare Lorentz Award will demonstrate one or more of Lorentz's central concerns—the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems—presented as a compelling story by skillful film-making. A Pare Lorentz film will exhibit the highest production values: objective research, artistic writing, and outstanding music composition along with skillful direction, camerawork and editing. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: Cash Honorarium.
IDA/HUMANITAS AWARD is given to a documentarian whose film strives to unify the human family by exploring the stories of human beings who are different in culture, race, lifestyle, political loyalties and religious beliefs in order to break down the wall of ignorance and fear that separates us. Only entries into the Distinguished Feature main category may apply for this award. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: $2500 Honorarium.
IDA MUSIC DOCUMENTARY AWARD is given to a filmmaker for an outstanding documentary communicating the cultural importance of music and its power to enrich the human spirit. The entry must have all rights cleared. The award goes to ONE recipient: the credited individual who exercised creative control. Only stand-alone entries into the Distinguished Feature or Short main category may apply for this award. Student projects are not eligible in this category.
JUDGING is based on overall creative excellence. A committee of documentary filmmaking professionals screens all entries and selects all nominees. IDA members or a Blue Ribbon panel picks the award winners.
To apply for the 2010 IDA Documentary Awards, please use the online submission process by clicking the title above.
FINAL Deadline is Today!
Enter Online Now!
(Online entry closes tonight at 11:59PM.)
The IDA Documentary Awards is the foremost event dedicated to the art of documentary film. All winners will be announced at the IDA Documentary Awards in Los Angeles, December 2010. To apply for IDA Documentary Awards, please go to Withoutabox.com to submit your entry online.
IDA Distinguished Award Main Categories
FEATURE: Individual, stand-alone documentary, more than 40 minutes long. Student projects are strongly encouraged to consider entering as an IDA/David L. Wolper Award if they were matriculating students at the time the project was finished. Award recipient - Limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited Director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a Producer or Director credit.
SHORT: Individual, stand-alone documentary, less than or equal to 40 minutes long. Student short projects not eligible in this category, and should submit as an entry in the IDA/David L. Wolper Award below. Award recipients - Limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited Director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a Producer or Director credit.
LIMITED SERIES: A limited series of episodes with a specific, continuing theme, topic or subject. (Sin City Law, The Supreme Court). Student projects are not eligible in this category. Award recipients - Limited to two persons. While co-production partners may be credited, only the Series Producer(s) will be presented with the award.
CONTINUING SERIES: An ongoing series. (American Masters, Nova, This American Life). While co-production partners may be credited, only the Executive Producer(s) of the continuing series will be presented with the award. Student projects are not eligible in this category. Award recipients - Limited to two persons.
IDA/DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT: A short or feature film/video, produced by registered, degree-seeking student(s). This award recognizes exceptional achievement in non-fiction film and video production at the university level and brings greater public and industry awareness to the work of students in the documentary field. PRIZE: Cash honorarium and $1,000 toward the purchase of motion picture film, courtesy of The Eastman Kodak Company.
Special Recognition Awards
Not all main categories of awards are eligible for every special recognition award. See below for specific rules relating to which categories can be submitted for special recognition.
IDA/ABCNEWS VIDEOSOURCE AWARD for the best use of news footage as an integral component in a documentary. “News footage” is defined here as factual footage, contemporary or historical, shot for use in context such as newsreels, news specials, magazines or nightly news. “Integral component” is defined here as footage which is central to the structure, meaning and impact of the work. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: Cash Honorarium and research time at the ABCNEWS VideoSource facility in New York.
IDA/PARE LORENTZ AWARD In keeping with the nature of Pare Lorentz’s films—a successful candidate for the Pare Lorentz Award will demonstrate one or more of Lorentz's central concerns—the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems—presented as a compelling story by skillful film-making. A Pare Lorentz film will exhibit the highest production values: objective research, artistic writing, and outstanding music composition along with skillful direction, camerawork and editing. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: Cash Honorarium.
IDA/HUMANITAS AWARD is given to a documentarian whose film strives to unify the human family by exploring the stories of human beings who are different in culture, race, lifestyle, political loyalties and religious beliefs in order to break down the wall of ignorance and fear that separates us. Only entries into the Distinguished Feature main category may apply for this award. Student projects are not eligible in this category. PRIZE: $2500 Honorarium.
IDA MUSIC DOCUMENTARY AWARD is given to a filmmaker for an outstanding documentary communicating the cultural importance of music and its power to enrich the human spirit. The entry must have all rights cleared. The award goes to ONE recipient: the credited individual who exercised creative control. Only stand-alone entries into the Distinguished Feature or Short main category may apply for this award. Student projects are not eligible in this category.
JUDGING is based on overall creative excellence. A committee of documentary filmmaking professionals screens all entries and selects all nominees. IDA members or a Blue Ribbon panel picks the award winners.
To apply for the 2010 IDA Documentary Awards, please use the online submission process by clicking the title above.
July 05, 2010
reach out and set deadlines with another artist
Today, reach out and make a phone call to another artist and ask them to be your "Page Partner" or your "Mentor" or your "Accountability Call" -- whatever you want to call each other is fine by me! Then, schedule a once-a-week phone call or meeting to check in about your creative progress. Face to face meetings are better but phone calls are good too -- email is less demanding and you may feel you can slack off.
The most important element is to share your creative goals, set your deadlines and help each other meet those deadlines simply by "reporting in" to each other about your progress.
The most important element is to share your creative goals, set your deadlines and help each other meet those deadlines simply by "reporting in" to each other about your progress.
July 03, 2010
deadlines for grants
Driehaus Foundation Accepting Applications for 2010 Chicago Small Theater and Dance Funding Program
Operating grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to arts and culture organizations that have budgets of $150,000 or less and serve the Chicago metropolitan area....
Posted on June 29, 2010
Deadline: September 13, 2010
American Composers Forum Announces National Composition Contest
The Finale National Composition Contest will provide chamber music composers with up to $3,500 and the chance to have their original piece performed by the ensemble eighth blackbird....
Posted on June 29, 2010
Deadline: September 15, 2010
NAMM Foundation Accepting Applications for 2011 President's Innovation Award for Exemplary College Students
A cash award and opportunities to network with industry laureates and professionals will be given to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in the music products industry....
Posted on June 25, 2010
Deadline: September 30, 2010
ASCAP Foundation Accepting Letters of Intent for Music Grant Program
Grants of $2,500 will be awarded to nonprofits that have started education and talent development programs that coincide with the foundation's mission of nurturing aspiring songwriters and composers....
Posted on June 25, 2010
Deadline: August 1, 2010 (Letter of Intent)
Operating grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to arts and culture organizations that have budgets of $150,000 or less and serve the Chicago metropolitan area....
Posted on June 29, 2010
Deadline: September 13, 2010
American Composers Forum Announces National Composition Contest
The Finale National Composition Contest will provide chamber music composers with up to $3,500 and the chance to have their original piece performed by the ensemble eighth blackbird....
Posted on June 29, 2010
Deadline: September 15, 2010
NAMM Foundation Accepting Applications for 2011 President's Innovation Award for Exemplary College Students
A cash award and opportunities to network with industry laureates and professionals will be given to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in the music products industry....
Posted on June 25, 2010
Deadline: September 30, 2010
ASCAP Foundation Accepting Letters of Intent for Music Grant Program
Grants of $2,500 will be awarded to nonprofits that have started education and talent development programs that coincide with the foundation's mission of nurturing aspiring songwriters and composers....
Posted on June 25, 2010
Deadline: August 1, 2010 (Letter of Intent)
July 01, 2010
upcoming july deadlines
DEADLINES
July 10
The Rencontres Internationales, which will take place in Paris from November 25 to December 4, is calling for entries from artists and organizations working in film, video, and multimedia. The event aims to reflect the convergences of artistic practices between new cinema and contemporary art, and explore emerging media art practices and their critical purposes. Projects selected will be on view during the similar programs that will take place in Madrid in April 2011 and in Berlin in July 2011. Artists and filmmakers of all levels of experience are encouraged to apply.
July 12
Cinereach’s Reach Film Fellowship is a specialized program for early-career filmmakers who create artful, socially relevant short films of five to 15 minutes long. Four filmmakers are selected every year to receive a $5,000 grant, production support, seven months of mentorship, career advising, and industry exposure as they progress through the production and postproduction processes and prepare for festival submission and distribution. Applicants must have completed at least one short film and live in or near New York City during the course of the Fellowship cycle. More information and application forms can be found by clicking the title above.
July 15
The Experimental Television Center is now accepting applications for residencies between September 2010 and January 2011. The Residency supports contemporary electronic media art projects by offering recipients a studio workshop with access to an image processing system, intensive individualized instruction, and time for exploration and creative growth. Artists have an opportunity to study the processes and techniques of analog and digital imaging and then use the system independently to create new work. Participating artists have complete aesthetic and technical control over all aspects of production. To find out more about the Center’s equipment and to see application guidelines, click title.
July 15
The Times Square Alliance seeks letters of interest from arts organizations and artists across disciplines to present contemporary art projects and art events in public spaces in and around Times Square. In a one-page letter, applicants can propose a single project or series for anytime from September 2010 to December 2012. Artists and arts organizations are encouraged to propose projects that address the nature and history of Times Square. Projects should be able to have an impact in a space defined by dynamic activity and continuous, competing visual stimuli. Proposal letters should not exceed 500 words and applications should include organization history or artist résumé plus five images of relevant past work. Applicants with accepted proposals will be invited to enter a dialogue with the Times Square Alliance. For submission guidelines, click title above.
July 15
The Bard Fiction Prize is awarded to an emerging writer who is an American citizen, 39-years-old or younger at the time of application. In addition to a $30,000 monetary award, the winner receives an appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College for one semester, without the expectation that he or she teach traditional courses. The recipient is asked to give at least one public lecture and meet informally with students. To apply, candidates should write a cover letter explaining the project they plan to work on while at Bard and submit a CV, along with three copies of the published book they feel best represents their work. No manuscripts will be accepted. For more information, click on above title.
July 22
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) is now accepting applications for its Swing Space residency program which provides studio space at LMCC’s Arts Center on Governors Island, and rehearsal space at The Vaults at 14 Wall Street. Studio space residencies will take place in five-month sessions between March and December 2011. Rehearsal space residencies will last six months, occurring November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2011. An information session will take place July 8 at The Vaults at 14 Wall Street. LMCC staff will review the application guidelines and project categories, and answer questions about the selection and placement process. For more information on the application process or the information sessions, click on title above.
July 10
The Rencontres Internationales, which will take place in Paris from November 25 to December 4, is calling for entries from artists and organizations working in film, video, and multimedia. The event aims to reflect the convergences of artistic practices between new cinema and contemporary art, and explore emerging media art practices and their critical purposes. Projects selected will be on view during the similar programs that will take place in Madrid in April 2011 and in Berlin in July 2011. Artists and filmmakers of all levels of experience are encouraged to apply.
July 12
Cinereach’s Reach Film Fellowship is a specialized program for early-career filmmakers who create artful, socially relevant short films of five to 15 minutes long. Four filmmakers are selected every year to receive a $5,000 grant, production support, seven months of mentorship, career advising, and industry exposure as they progress through the production and postproduction processes and prepare for festival submission and distribution. Applicants must have completed at least one short film and live in or near New York City during the course of the Fellowship cycle. More information and application forms can be found by clicking the title above.
July 15
The Experimental Television Center is now accepting applications for residencies between September 2010 and January 2011. The Residency supports contemporary electronic media art projects by offering recipients a studio workshop with access to an image processing system, intensive individualized instruction, and time for exploration and creative growth. Artists have an opportunity to study the processes and techniques of analog and digital imaging and then use the system independently to create new work. Participating artists have complete aesthetic and technical control over all aspects of production. To find out more about the Center’s equipment and to see application guidelines, click title.
July 15
The Times Square Alliance seeks letters of interest from arts organizations and artists across disciplines to present contemporary art projects and art events in public spaces in and around Times Square. In a one-page letter, applicants can propose a single project or series for anytime from September 2010 to December 2012. Artists and arts organizations are encouraged to propose projects that address the nature and history of Times Square. Projects should be able to have an impact in a space defined by dynamic activity and continuous, competing visual stimuli. Proposal letters should not exceed 500 words and applications should include organization history or artist résumé plus five images of relevant past work. Applicants with accepted proposals will be invited to enter a dialogue with the Times Square Alliance. For submission guidelines, click title above.
July 15
The Bard Fiction Prize is awarded to an emerging writer who is an American citizen, 39-years-old or younger at the time of application. In addition to a $30,000 monetary award, the winner receives an appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College for one semester, without the expectation that he or she teach traditional courses. The recipient is asked to give at least one public lecture and meet informally with students. To apply, candidates should write a cover letter explaining the project they plan to work on while at Bard and submit a CV, along with three copies of the published book they feel best represents their work. No manuscripts will be accepted. For more information, click on above title.
July 22
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) is now accepting applications for its Swing Space residency program which provides studio space at LMCC’s Arts Center on Governors Island, and rehearsal space at The Vaults at 14 Wall Street. Studio space residencies will take place in five-month sessions between March and December 2011. Rehearsal space residencies will last six months, occurring November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2011. An information session will take place July 8 at The Vaults at 14 Wall Street. LMCC staff will review the application guidelines and project categories, and answer questions about the selection and placement process. For more information on the application process or the information sessions, click on title above.
two new fellowships at macdowell
MacDowell is excited to annouce two new Fellowships being offered by the Heinz Endowments in support of Pittsburgh-area artists who are selected for a MacDowell residency. Starting with the September 15, 2010, deadline for the winter/spring 2011 residency period, artists from the greater Pittsburgh area who are accepted to MacDowell through the standard application process will be eligible for these Fellowships. While not a monetary award, the Heinz Endowment Fellowships will cover all residency costs. To qualify, artists must reside in the 10-county, greater Pittsburgh area and must follow MacDowell’s standard application process. Other Fellowships recently introduced at the Colony include those offered in partnership with The ASCAP Foundation, The Concordia Foundation, and The Dedalus Foundation.
set the intention
Declare yourself! Use the comment box below to announce the creative project you intend to start and finish -- if it doesn't have a name/title, just give us a brief description. And hey, even better, set a date for when you want to finish the piece/painting/score/film/etc. Put it out there - set the intention and see what happens!
Reality Casting Calls
Casting Call: CMT is casting immediately for ordinary people to appear on the network's upcoming show Your Chance to Dance. Regular people will be trained by top choreographers to perform a tribute to a popular music video and each episode will feature five groups performing routines in front of a live audience. The audience will vote for their favorite group with the winner receiving $10,000. For more information about the show and how to become a contestant, send an email right away to FunNewShow@gmail.com
Casting Call: Non-fiction entertainment production company, Mike Mathis Productions is casting in the Los Angeles area for a new show on a major cable network about stepfamilies under the title, The Stepfamily Project. The show is looking for teens between the ages of 14 and 19 who are about to become part of a blended family living together. The show wants to document your story. Is your mom or dad about to get or just recently got married? Are you used to having things your way and won't be able to deal? Are you and your step siblings the same age and you compete over everything? Moving to a new school? Sharing a room with step siblings? The show would be told from your perspective and armed with a flip-cam you will document the fun, the annoying and dramatic events that are going on in your new life dealing with stepfamily members. To be considered, send photos of yourself and an email describing your story, your personality, your issues and your family situation to Stepfamilycasting@mikemathisprods.com Only those living in or around the L.A. area will be considered.
Casting Call: WE tv and Essence magazine are partnering for a second year in a row to present exclusive offerings around WE tv's on-air bridal programming at the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this Friday through Sunday. Also this weekend, at the WE tv hospitality lounge, the network will host on-site casting calls sponsored by Cox Communications for its original series Bridezillas and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. The Bridezillas casting call happens this Friday and Saturday from 1-4p while the My Fair Wedding casting call, with David Tutera in attendance to meet prospective show candidates, will be this Sunday from 1-4p. Any pre-registered Cox customers will receive VIP access to the auditions.
Casting Call: Non-fiction entertainment production company, Mike Mathis Productions is casting in the Los Angeles area for a new show on a major cable network about stepfamilies under the title, The Stepfamily Project. The show is looking for teens between the ages of 14 and 19 who are about to become part of a blended family living together. The show wants to document your story. Is your mom or dad about to get or just recently got married? Are you used to having things your way and won't be able to deal? Are you and your step siblings the same age and you compete over everything? Moving to a new school? Sharing a room with step siblings? The show would be told from your perspective and armed with a flip-cam you will document the fun, the annoying and dramatic events that are going on in your new life dealing with stepfamily members. To be considered, send photos of yourself and an email describing your story, your personality, your issues and your family situation to Stepfamilycasting@mikemathisprods.com Only those living in or around the L.A. area will be considered.
Casting Call: WE tv and Essence magazine are partnering for a second year in a row to present exclusive offerings around WE tv's on-air bridal programming at the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this Friday through Sunday. Also this weekend, at the WE tv hospitality lounge, the network will host on-site casting calls sponsored by Cox Communications for its original series Bridezillas and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. The Bridezillas casting call happens this Friday and Saturday from 1-4p while the My Fair Wedding casting call, with David Tutera in attendance to meet prospective show candidates, will be this Sunday from 1-4p. Any pre-registered Cox customers will receive VIP access to the auditions.
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