Cinemagic #19 (1983)

AboVI : The trophies lor I~ 1982 CINEMAGIC/SVA Shan Film Search await the winners Prior to the awards show a1 Xenon's diseotheque In New 'lbrk City last November 1st. Giant blow·ups 01 black & white photos thatllave appeared in past Issues 01 CINEMAGIC and an elght·foot-hlgh blow-up olthl cover 01 CINEMAGIC 116 (the Issue that announced the 1981 wlnllllrs) hang Just bi!Ww the viewing screen Celebrities Maureen Stapleton and Gary Sprln~r were on hand 10 present lhe awards. Tum 10 page five lor the story on the 1982 CINEMAGIC/ SVA awards show

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loft, horror film Ring wOO'IiIn's corpse that comes to life, AIMrII: Entertainment Enterprises' latest release, The 'Itl/Iow Ranger teatures a blind hobo Who Is transformed by a magIC rainboW Into a crusader lor peace. Right: Bille Films' latest production, Lord 01 rne ~re­ Jands, Is a medieval adventure. See the Producers' Bulletin Board section on page 14

CONTENTS •

Editor's Bench _ __ Awards Night

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Producers' Bulletin Board

Issue "'19

Grip Kit,,-__

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Useful accessories for filmmakers.

Electronic Special Effects

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Build your own simple lighting

gadgets. Three projects for construc· ting a dimmer, a chaser and a flasher. By Chris Stevens.

Latest news of our readers' productions.

Meet the winners of this year's CINE· MAGICISVA Short Film Search. By

High School Werewolf

16 Cinemagic Marketplace

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Classified advertising and an· nouncements.

A regular department devoted to readers' comments and correspondence about fanlllsy filmmaking.

Cobweb Spinner

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Books for filmmakers-valuable sources of information and technique for the filmmaker.

John Clayton.

Filmmakers' Forum

Books _ _ _

Front LighU Back Light _

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Go behind the scenes on the making of

this yea(s CINEMAGICISVA Super·8 First Prize winner: An American WerewoJlin High School. By Joe Carter.

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Spin your own webs with this easy to make cobweb spinner that gives pro· fessional resu lts. By Matt Greenfield.

The life and career of pioneer film· maker Georges Melles is chronicled on

a cable Tv' retrospective.

AI MagliocheUi reveals the magic lind mystery of front light/back light anima· tion.

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Editor's Issue "19

BENCH

Publishers Norman Jacobs/Kerry O'Quinn

Associate Publisher Rita Eisenstein

Circulation Director Richard Browne

But What Does it all Mean ... ?

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Editor David Hutchison

Art Director Steven J. Plunkett

Managing Editor John Clayton

Senior Designer Neal Holmes

Associate Art Director Diane Cook

Editorial Contributors Joe Carter Matt Greenfield AI Magliochetti Chris Stevens

Designer Denise Lewis

Production Assistants Joan Baetz Richard Cebek Eileen Dempsey Norma Garcia Andrea Passes Clara Urrea

Founder of CINEMAGIC Don Dohler

Financial Manager Joan Baetz

Published by O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Ave, South New York, NY 10016

t's now some months past the Fourth Annual ClNEMAGIC/SVA Film Search; the films have been returned with score cards enclosed and the lucky winners notified. Now what? Of course, the winners have gotten what they were supposed to get out of the con· test-some generously donated merchandise prizes, recognition, visibility, a public screening of their film and possible future coverage in the pages ofCINEMAGIC. It's the beginning of a track record. It's a first step towards getting up to bat with the big leagues. For most of the winners that chance at bat is still years off. It will take much more hard work. more filmmaking and good luck . Your chances at bat or getting to show your stuff to the big boys or the big break actually depends mostly on luck . Whether or not you strike out on your ·'big break·' depends mostly on you ... on how good you are ... on how good what you have to show is. But what about the vast majority who weren't "winners'· this time around. Well, of course, there is always next year. But even more important is the fact that there are dozens of other film festivals and contests held around the United States. You should enter as many of them as possible. I think you·1I find that if you are any good at all, your work will be accepted and win prizes in some contests and not in others. Why? If it'sa good film, why doesn't everybody think so. Weill have no answer for that one. I am a member of the Stereo Division of the Photographic Society of America. There are maybe a dozen competitions that I enter with my stereo slides every year. Sometimes the judges like them and sometimes they don·t. A good friend of mine had the experience of having one of his entries rejected by the judges in one competition, but the very next competition he entered the same stereo slide took first place, There is no accounting for taste, of course, but there is more to it than that. Some of the things that affect judging are: was your work shown first or last. how good was the work shown just before yours, what are the personal prejudices of the Judges, what are the phySical conditions of the judging environment. was the projector running per· fectly for your film, was your film the 25th version of the same tired plot that the judges had seen that day, .. ? And so on. All of these things can make the same film a winner one day and a loser the next. Your only defense against this sort of thing is to get your film out as many times as possible. In the long run, the averages will even out some of these variables. One thing though. Even in the worst of conditions ... even though the judges might have been bored by 7 hours of mediocre or worse films ... films of unusual talent and originality shine through. rve seen it happen time after time-the most bleary·eyed judge perks to full attention when anything of unusual quality comes across on the screen. Ifs astounding how a little bit of original creativity can transform an exhausted Judge Into an eager, excited film fan. So, Now, what does all this mean? Simply put: "If you didn·t ·make if this time, but you·re really turned on by filmmaking, .. then nothing can stop you:·

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-David Hutchison

... d.ertl.lng Inlo"T>IItion' Rite E""'nsteln (212) 689,2830

A_ thl ....: AI ~1lOCMt1I, wrlO!ItG lor IN Grand Pm, In IN 1981 CINEMAGICIS~A Short fnm s..rtn wt\II hIS 1ilnI , IJiIQ MIIC.Jlu, II., I 1Ig~ /NCI11Ig 01 ~ $101'"'1"'\1011 5k11101on

_iOn

~ lor ~ "onmgllVlwocJw, won Third Prize in Super·a.

, £ - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - ' The Winners First Prize 16mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extended Piay, David A. Cascio Palo Alto, CA Second Prize 16mm . . . . . . . . . . Zyzakis King. HughStegman, Los Angeles, CA Third Prize 16mm(Tie) . . . . . . . . . ..... Bandits, Joey Ahlbum, Brooklyn, NY Third Prize 16 mm(Tie) . . . . . . . . . . . . ... Davie, FareedAIMashat. Miami, Fl First Prize Super-B ••. AnAmencan Werewol{inHighSchooJ, Joe Carter(Director) North Hills High School, Carnegie, PA Second PrizeSuper·8 ... _ . . . . . . . . . . UndeJtow, Bill Knowland,Oakland, CA Third PrlzeSuper-B . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Subway. AngusGrahllm. Brooklyn. NY

The other film tied for Third Prize in 16mm. Joey Ahlbum's BandilS, was nellt on the program. This highly stylized animated cartoon about detectives chasing bank·robbing cowboys through the streets of New York City was highly enter· taining and gota very good audience reac· tion. Joey has already struck a deal for Bandils to appear on a New York cable TV station. Bill Knowland's Undertow. a Super·8 parody of foreign films was next on the program. Undertow won Second Prize in Super·B. Zyzak is King, a USC student film by Hugh Stegman, was next on the program. Zyzilk is a 16mm fantasy film about a

group of California "beautiful people" deeply involved in role· playing computer fantasy games. Zyzak has incredibly high production values and the sets and makeup are as professional looking as most of what Hollywood has to offer. Two former CINEMAGICJSVA winners. Ralph Miller III and Steve Koch, contributed makeup effects to-the film and helped in building the elaborate dungeon set. The superb wolfman makeup that Millercreat· ed for Zyzakcan be seen in the profile on him in CINEMAGIC "15. Zyzak won Se· cond Prize in 16mm. Another wolfman was next. The North Hills High School film class of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, lead by teacher Ralph

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CINEMAGIC pul*sher Kerry O'OUlnn greets the

audience allhe 1982 Awards Show

Kerry O·OUtnn assISts Maween Stapleton in presenting !he 16nm awards after !he SCfe8I'IIng of the WIflI'liln.

O'OUlnn IooIcs on as Maureen StapIeIon gives Joey Ahlbum a toogfaIuIaIory hug lor Bandrls

The audience applaUds alter the SCfeening ot one ot the Winning lilms alUMS year's shOw School ot Visual Arls Aim Oepanmem Chairman Charles Hirsch IS seated WIth his gorgeous date In the center Gllhe Iront row C,NEMAGIC As$oCl3te PubliSher RIta Bsensteln Is at lar right In the second row

Langer. entered a Super-S parody o f werewolf films entitled An American Werewolf In High School. directed by stu· dent Joe Carter, The film boasts some im· presive makeup effects and is very funny (see "The Making of An American Were· woI{ in High School" in this issue). The scene in which the lead character trans· f o rms into a werewolf after being "mooned" by a fellow student in the hallway brought howls of laughter from the audience. An American Werewolf in High School won First Prize in Super·B. Top honors of the evening went to David A. Casci's Extended Play, a riotous comedy about pinball and video game ar·

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cades. Exlended Play is truly a classic short film could easily gain its own cull following as It gains exposure through cable networks and other rilm festivals. Extended Play looks more professional than most professional films and is far funnier than m ost comedies being churned by Hollywood. David Casci has what it takes to go "all the way" and everyone who has seen Extended Play is rooting for him. Extended Play won First Prize in 16mm. After all the film s had been shown. the awards were presented by our guest celebrities. Gary Springer. a riSing young actor who has appeared In the feature

films Dog Day Afternoon and Jaws fI and on TV ill t:pi::.oc..lt::. of 1'1./\.5.11. Gild IltlWiJ Days, presented the Super·B awards, Mllureen Stapleton, one of America's most distlngu ished actresses who is a twatime Tony winner and who recently won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in Red5. presented the 16mm awards. For the winners who could make it to the ceremony. it was an exci t ing honor. The winners who couldn't make it to the show (three of this year's winners are from Calirornia and one is from Florida) received their CINEMAGICISVA trophies and merchandise prizes through the mail. SVA Film Department Chair·

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man Charles Hirsch made the dosing remarks lind the Ooor was cleared of the folding chairs to open the dance floor and make room for the big after-show bash. Suddenly an incredible array of colored lights i!md mirror baits were lowerd from the ceiling of the famous disco which used to be a legitimate threater and a wild party

began where only moments before a quiet

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audience had been watching movies. Loud rock-and-roll music blared from the totl:llly awesome sound system. In corners of the dance floor and at tables surroun· ding the slithering mass of dancers, peopie congregated and tossed back beer and mixed drinks while they tried to converse above the din. Filmmakers from the audience came forward to l;OI'9,dtulate tIlt: winners. mllkeup artists peddled their portfolios lind independent producers talked lIbout possible movie deals. We would like to thank the companies that supported the 1982 CINEMAG ICI SVA Short Film Search by donating mer· chandise prizes for helping to make this year's contest such a smashing success. Cinelab' of New York City donated $)00 worth of 16 mm reversal processing. Fer· co of New York City donated a Sylvania digital footcandle meter. Gepe Broadcast (. EquipmentCo. of Bluff City. Tennessee donated Gepe non-rewind reels for Suo per·B. K(.M Camera of New York City gave a Hahnel motorized Super·B splicer. Eastman Kodak contributed enough ··Ba· sic Filmmakers' Packets" to go around to every winner. Lowell·Ught Manufactur· ing, Inc, of New York donated a Lowell K-5 Kit. MlIgnestripe of Passiang shut mask. Abovt (11ft 10 light): Kent PeasIy. Man Jackson. Keith PtlhI and Jason Uttle down around on !he seI 01 An NrIt1tiwI Werew/)'f In HIgh Schod

possible. On May 20th. I sat in school in the art room editing while Keith , Beth Ann Brady and student advisor Ralph Langer put sound on o ther films for other classes using the sound mixer In the school TV studio. At 8:00 on May 20th I walked into the TV room and announced that the werewolf movie was completely edited. We were happy. but didn't have time for celegration because we had to work on the soundtrack unti l 11 :00 that night. It certainly is a strange. eerie feeling be be working in your school until 11 :00 at night pulling /II soundtrack on a werewolf movie.

We spent the 2 1st. 22nd and the morn· Ing of the 23rd putling sound on the film with a borrowed high quality Elmo 12.OOISound projector and the special Dolby sound equipment in the TV room.

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The movie was ready to be shown the first night of the art show-and it was a complete success! The art show was held fo r two even· ings. On the first night the movie was packed- the werewolf film ws the talk of the show. ··Did you see the werewolf movie?", wa s heard all over the bui lding. Keith was even asked by one of his teachers to show the movie to his classes

all day. Keith's teacher wanted to see the now famous werewolf movie that Keith had talked about all year. The film waj just submitted to the Photographic Society of America·s Teenage Film Festival. After nine hard months of work. the movie was finished and was worth every second put into it. As fa r as we know. we have do ne some things that no other Super·a movie maker has done. We pulled it off. We made An American Werewolf In High School and It won first place in the Super·8 category o f this year's CINEMAGIC/SVA Sho rt Film Search! {Jf

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MELIES TRIBUTE SEEN ON CABLE TV A recently discovered cache of films by pioneer filmmaker George Melies becomes a new series by TeleFrance U.S.A. Network.

G

eorges Melies was born in Parisoo

December 8, 1861 , and died on January 21. 1938. In the enormously ttctive yellrs of his life, he produced over 700 films end presided over II

successful international film empire, yet died Impoverished, with public: re