from Sita Sings the Blues

For those of you who have only seen Sita Sings the Blues on your computer or from a DVD you have missed half of the experience.  It really deserves to be seen in all its glory on a big screen with a good sound system to appreciate what a tour de force Nina Paley has accomplished almost singlehandedly.

For those who have never had the opportunity to see that Nina calls “the Greatest Break-up Story Ever Told” this is about to be rectified in some cities.

If you live in the Bay Area you are in for a double treat because you can see a great film while supporting a wonderful neighborhood theatre that still believes in screening independent films and isn’t afraid to program films that other cinema won’t touch because they are not blockbusters.

I’m not going to write about the film’s story line because I (along with many other writers) have already written so many words about it.  If you are unfamiliar with the film and Nina’s long battle to gain the rights to use some of the songs as sung by 1920’s jazz vocalist Annette Hanshaw visit her web site:

http://sitasingstheblues.com

The story behind the making of the film is almost as exciting as the animated film itself.

On a personal note, Nik and Nina have collaborated on several films and Nik contributed music for Sita Sings the Blues.  Nik and I also have a very warm spot in our hearts for the Red Vic since we performed there regularly when we lived in San Francisco.  One of the things that I really miss from the Bay Area is the Red Vic’s popcorn.  Take it from me, as a true popcorn aficionado; they have some of the best popcorn that I have even eaten in a theatre!

SITA SINGS the Blues will screen at the Red Vic for 5 days:

May 8^th through the 12

Show Times:   7:15, 9:15; also Saturday and Sunday 2:00 and 4:00

Tickets:    Advance tickets available via http://www.redvicmoviehouse.com

Regular admission $9; Tuesday evenings and 2PM Matinee $6,  Seniors (62 and older_ and children (12 and younger)  $6  at all times

RED VIC MOVIE HOUSE

1727 Haight Street (between Cole and Shrader)              San Francisco, California  94117

GETTING THERE IS EASY:  The Red Vic is served directly by Muni Routes 7, 33, 37, 43 and 71.  Muni Routes 6 and N Judah come within a few blocks

IF YOU DON’T LIVE IN THE BAY AREA YOU CAN STILL SEE Sita Sings the Blues

Columbus, Ohio – April 17 – 23 – Drexel Theater

Chicago, Illinois – May 1 – 7 – Gene Siskel Film Center

Portland, Oregon – May 8, 9, 12-15, 18, 21 and 22 – Van City Theater

Wilmington, Delaware – May 15 – 17 – Theatre N at Nemours

Lake Worth, Florida – May 15 – 21 – Lake Worth Playhouse

Boston, Massachusetts – June 12-14 – Brattle Theater

Notre Dame, Indiana – July 23-25 – DeBartolo Performing Arts Center

I am back from Xiamen, China and am still trying to process the amazing experience.  I will be writing about my trip soon but in the meantime this weekend Nik and I will travel to Berlin for the premier of the new animated film Friendly Fire.  Nik composed and performed the music for the film and we are very honored and proud to be part of this project.  I hope that you will visit the website listed at the bottom of the article to learn more about the production and that you will have the opportunity to view the film at a festival soon.
FRIENDLY FIRE PRESS RELEASE

14th October 2008

Filmmaker Andy Kaiser at work

Brand new studio The End of the Pier Films will be premiering their first production on Sunday November 16th at a private screening for crew at the Babylon Kino in Berlin.

Friendly Fire is a 7 and a half minute stopmotion film written and directed by Andy Kaiser.  It tells the story of one soldier’s temporary release from the horror and destruction of the First World War.

The film was written in 2001 while Andy was directing ‘Celebrity Deathmatch’ for MTV, but shooting didn’t start for another 4 years because the independent project repeatedly had to be shelved in favour of paying commissions.  Principle animation on Friendly Fire finally began in Berlin in March 2008, and it was a unique and challenging shooting experience for everyone involved.

Andy’s goal with Friendly Fire was to create a film without once resorting to a digital process, to make a film using technology pioneered by Ray Harryhausen and Fritz Lehmann and to see how far it can be pushed.  Every effect in Friendly Fire was achieved in-camera, without the option of touching up or rig-removal in post.  This created a myriad of challenges, not least because the age of the techniques used meant that there was a very limited resource of information and advice available.  Every shot had to be invented from scratch, using techniques such as front projection, high-speed (a floor-shattering 2000fps), multi-layered rostrum work, live action and matting.

Friendly Fire action shot

The shoot ended in June 2008 and post production started immediately, running until October 2008.  Because of the in-camera effects, there was very little visual post production to complete besides optical grading, however the audio post became a dance between several European cities - the music was written in Gent, the foley recorded in Munich, the sound design produced in Dusseldorf and Cologne and the Dolby Digital mixing finally brought the production through London and back to Berlin.

Friendly Fire is a contemporary example of a film with its roots in the golden age of cinema, and it was made partly in homage to the early pioneers of special effects, but also as an experiment to see if a film made with technology from a bygone age can stand amongst the digital productions of today.

For more Information please write to

cadi@theendofthepierfilms.com or  andy@theendofthepierfilms.com

website: www.theendofthepierfilms.com

The 2^nd ANIMART, a summer meeting about animation and related arts, will be held 13 through 20 July in Monodendri, near Ioannina, Greece. 2008 is the Year of Intercultural Dialogue and so workshops and programs will be presented by many leading professionals from around the world.

Workshops will include clay animation conducted by Rony Oren from Israel; animator and ex libris creator extraordinaire Rastko Ciric of Serbia will lead the Cartoon Animation workshop and Portugal’s Fernando Galrito will lead participants through “The Draw and the Pixilation”.

Mohamed Ghazala of Egypt will give us a glimpse into Egyptian and African animation, and Nik and I will talk about the history of music through animation. Nik and Rastko will reprise their musical act in the amphitheatre with a moonlight concert featuring what else? - Moon songs!

The 8 days will be packed with all of this and much more including a live music performance to a classic Greece Silent movie, also in the amphitheatre.

If you need an excuse to come to Greece (and who would ever really need an excuse) ANIMART is it. For more information you can visit their wed site www.animart.gr or you can contact them by e-mail at: info@animationcenter.gr

Animart 2008

Nancy and Remi dancing with a Smurf in Sint Baafsplein

Last Saturday and Sunday (March 15 and 16) the Smurfs came to my home town of Gent, Belgium to celebrate their 50^th Birthday. The tiny blue figures, who live in little mushroom homes and speak their own language, first appeared as comic strip figures in cartoonist Pierre Culliford’s cartoon “Johan and Pirlouit” which was set in the middle ages.

The Smurf’s popularity increased rapidly, and by 1960 Papa Smurf and his clan had their own comic strip. Hanna-Barbera Productions brought the characters to life as an animated cartoon in 1981, and they soon became a hit around the world.

One of the Smurf Displays

Although the Belgian born Culliford, or Peyo, as he is better know to his legion of fans, passed away 15 years ago, he lives on in he hearts of two generations of children around the world. The Smurfs are known in Spain as Pitufo, in Germany they are called Schumpf; Chinese children know them as Nam Ching Ling, and as Sumafa in Japan. Israeli children call them Dardassim. The Smurfs have teamed up with UNICEF to raise awareness of the plight of ex-child soldiers in Africa and this year they will promote children’s rights and education worldwide.

The year long birthday celebration was kicked off in Brussels, Belgium. The Smurfs will tour Belgian cities and continue the celebration in Paris and Berlin. Among the events planned for this special anniversary year is a feature 3-D animation film, new comic book collections and a remastering of the 1980’s television series.

Hey Everyone - Our Dear friend Ms P Segal is having a Bon Voyage
get-together for us on Saturday:

Dear friends,

As you probably know, Nik and Nancy Phelps have
finally given up their house in the Avenues, and are
moving to Ghent, Belgium, in a few days. They’re
tremendously excited, and have a remarkable and
well-earned future ahead in Europe.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to see them
recently, we’re having a very informal drop-by
farewell at my house this Saturday, April 8, from
about 6 until midnight or so. My academic life has
made it impossible for me to do anything like a bash
right now, and this is a totally bring-you-own food
and drink kind of thing for a last visit before they
are off to Europe. Please pass the word along to
people who should know, because my email list is
hardly complete.

My address is 1607A McAllister St., at the corner of
Divisadero, over the Transfer Market.

xoxoxoP

The Museum is now closed and Nik and Nancy are moving on to their next life.
If you have enjoyed the parties and good times here, the remains can be
viewed and PURCHASED on March 24, 25 and 26  (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  Please come by to say bye to Nik and Nancy and
BUY - BUY - BUY.

Our special thanks to everyone who has given SO generously of their time to
help us pack, move into storage and brought us FABULOUS meals — we couldn’t
have done it without you all!!!

2066  30th Avenue  (Between Pacheco and Quintara) - for the last week
24, 25 and 26 March

9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

The End is Nigh! - Nik and Nancy are well underway getting ready for the LE
GRANDE LAST BIG SALE, but we need help wrapping and packing the little
things we are taking with us (and getting a close look at what’s going for
sale). If you have even a few hours you can give us, call or email and we
will schedule you in. (415-681-3189) It’s a way to do a hang with us before
we go - not all work, not all play - just more of our strange and wonderful
existence.

Also - if any of you sell on E-Bay, we have several collectables we would
like to sell, and we would rather pay someone we know than just take them to
isolditsf.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU NIK

Dear Friends:

On Friday morning at 9:00 AM, Nik and I will open the doors of our home to
the public to buy, buy, buy. If there are things in our home that you are
interested in purchasing please give us a call at 415/681-3189 ASAP and we
will make arrangements for you to come over prior to this Friday AM.

We love you all and will miss you but it is time for us to move on. . . so
come and help us clear out!!!!

Love,

Nik and Nancy

PS We are packing with a frenzy and so as much as we would love to sit
around and drink wine and visit WE JUST CAN’T!!!!

February 4, 2006 at 8PM doors open at 7:30

TRINITY CHAMBER CONCERT SERIES

At TRINITY CHAPEL 2320 Dana Street

between Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue in Berkeley

Information and press inquiries:

Telephone: 415/ 681-3189 e-mail: nik@niksprocket.org

Visit our Web Site: niksprocket.org

$12.00 General admission

$8.00 Senior, Disabled, Students ALL Ages Welcome

Most people think of animated short films as strictly Saturday morning kiddie fare, but composer Nik Phelps and his producer wife Nancy Denney-Phelps, with their “Ideas In Animation” series, have shown the Bay Area that cartoons are not just kid’s stuff. Nik and Nancy have been planning a permanent move to Gent, Belgium and at long last plans have reached realization and they will be leaving the Bay Area in early April. This concert on February 4 at the Trinity Chapel will be an opportunity for long time Sprocket fans to come say goodbye, and if you have never had the chance to hear Nik’s unique musical scores, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

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