Cleveland International Fim Festival opens this week!

As many of you know, at A Blog Converged, we love all things media, which is why we're excited about this week's opening of the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival. Short films, docs ...we're all about them!

CIFF38 runs from March 19th-March 30th. Check out the schedule online!

And the winner is...

JDM, in association with the Ashland Film Group held it's first annual 48-Hour Film Contest in April for majors and non-majors alike. 48-Hour film contests have grown in popularity with independent and student filmmakers because they offer high intensity environments to show off film-making skills.

In a 48-hr film contest, filmmakers receive a set of instructions that include various aesthetic "ingrediants" they must include in their films; things like specific lines of dialogue, props, locations even specific characters. Filmmakers then have 48-hours to develop an idea, write a script, shoot, edit and deliver a film in the correct digital format.This year's contest began March 30th at 7pm and ended April 1st at 7pm.

For JDM Assistant Professor Dr. David McCoy, a 48-hour film contest is the ultimate learning tool for our digital media department, "The 48-hour film contest requires our students to synthesize all that they've learned about story, aesthetics in lighting, framing and composition in class and in labs, and then apply that by producing something in a mediated environment under a deadline." McCoy said.

This year's joint JDM/AFG project drew four teams of three students. The winning film entitled, 5-2-12 was produced by JDM juniors Dan Griffin, Tim Hawk and Sophomore Hilary Neal. Winning team members each received a $25 gift card from the AU Bookstore.

Check out the contest winner and runner-up below. (Note the creative way the two teams connected their two films!)






Films were judged by a committee of JDM faculty that included Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, Dr. David McCoy, Interim Chair Tim McCarty, Operations Manager John Skrada and JDM major freshman Chris Beisel. Judges viewed and scored the films using a rubric that included use of contest ingredients, aesthetics and technical merit.

JDM/AFG plans to conduct another 48-Hour Film Contest in the fall!

JDM major accepted in summer film program in LA

Congratulations to JDM junior and Broadcast Communication major, Dan Griffin, for being accepted into the Elon in LA summer film program this summer.

"Given Dan's talents and passion for filmmaking, he was the natural first choice to represent JDM at Elon's new film program in LA." said Journalism and Digital Media's Interim Chair Tim McCarty.

For an aspiring filmmaker like Dan, Elon in LA should prove to be quite an adventure.



"The Elon in LA program is such an amazing opportunity for me. I've spent a lot of time at AU collaborating with other students who also love film-making. With this program, I'll work on my internship, take a film class, live with other film students and eventually make a short film with them. I'm so excited. I get to spend my summer living with other passionate filmmakers my age...in Los Angeles. It's like a dream." Griffin said.

"This all came about as a result of my faculty seminar with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences last November." McCarty said. "The Professor, Jay McMerty, starting the Elon in LA program was also a faculty fellow and tipped me off to this year's launch; I immediately thought of Dan."

Dan's film dreams begin this July.

JDM and Ashland Film Group sponsor 48 Hour Film contest

Light...block...shoot! JDM students in the Ashland Film Group will take a 48-hour film contest challenge at the end of the month. Filmmaking teams are handed a set of requirements that must be incorporated into their films and a film length. The AFG contest starts Friday, March 30th at 7pm and teams must deliver finished 3-5 minute films by Sunday, April 1st at 7pm.

Matt Tullis, Gretchen Dworznik and Dave McCoy will judge finished films along with student judge Freshman Chris Beisel.

NATAS Faculty Seminar: Day 3

Today we meet the creative team from HBO Films behind their new film, Too Big To Fail, from the bestseller by Andrew Sorkin. We heard a panel from the producers, screenwriter and cinematographer about how they brought contemporary history to life.

Here's the trailer:


Here's the behind the scenes:






In the afternoon we headed out for another studio tour, this time at the historic Warner Bros. lot. WB studio is home to the Conan O'Brien Show and Two and a Half Men.

All in all, another great day in LA!

9/11 Remembered Documentary to Premiere Sept. 8th

JDM is proud and honored to premiere a documentary entitled, 9/11 Remembered, Thursday Sept.8th at 7p.m. in the Hugo Young Theatre on the Ashland University campus.

The 30-minute documentary produced by students and staff of Ashland University's Journalism & Digital Media department, features reflections of faculty members and the story of Jess Baker an '02 AU R/TV graduate who drove to Shanksville, PA and NYC to cover the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

See the extended trailer:



The 9/11 Remembered premiere is free and open to the public.

New Adjusting Focus episode out today!

It's Friday AF fans, and you know what that means? A new episode is here! A new episode is here!

OK, here: http://adjustingfocus.blip.tv/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adjusting-Focus/102836696442138
Blog: http://auadjustingfocus.blogspot.com/

Adjusting Focus is a production of the Ashland Film Group, in association with JDM.

Adjusting Focus Premieres Online!

JDM is proud to announce that the student produced sitcom, Adjusting Focus, is now streaming online! Visit http://adjustingfocus.blip.tv/ to watch the first episode now! Then, check back every Friday during the month of April for a new episode.

About the show: Nick is a freshman at Greshell University and he joins the film club with a deep and dark past. After the popular and infamous release of CBG, the group struggles to make it back to the top. Nick must now adjust to college life and also deal with the different people of the film club that have entered into his life.

JDM faculty and students would like to congratulate our talented filmmakers who made Adjusting Focus a reality! We can't wait to see the next episode!

Cleveland Film Festival a Storyteller's Delight

Film artisans from around the world will descend on Cleveland, Ohio beginning Thursday, March 24th for the 35th Cleveland International Film Festival.

The CIFF has become one of the premiere festivals and this year's crop of 150 features and 130 short subjects from 60 countries is no exception.

At A Blog Converged we'll be scouting the aspiring filmmaker talent in the FilmSlam, a mini-fesitval of films produced by high school students. (Hey, we're always looking for a few good storytellers!) Calling all college filmmakers! College Day at the CIFF is March 29th!

Check out the schedule, buy tickets, see the lineup, sidebars and a program guide.

Sundance Multi-Award Winning Doc shot on DSLR!

A Blog Converged notes technology is indeed changing the way we consume media, AND the way media is being created. Case in point:

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in Documentary, as well as the World Cinema Cinematography Award for Documentary Filmmaking prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival were won by filmmaker Danfung Dennis for his harrowing documentry, To Hell and Back Again.

It's noteworthy because his film, about a Marine's journey to Afghanistan and struggles returning home was shot using a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR! A full sensored camera that shoot 21 megapixel stills, and full 1980x1020 HD 24p "film-look" video. Now that's convergence!!

On The Documentary Blog, you can see Dennis' special camera rig, hear about his workflow (he carried 5 16GB Sandisk Extreme IV CF cards) and other challenges during shooting.

We know one thing, after seeing this incredible work. Filmmaking will never be the same...

For more information on the film check out the website here and to see some of Danfung’s photography, his official site is here.

Sundance Film Festival Opens Today!

Film fans and filmmakers alike have trekked to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival today.

Founded in 1978 by Sterling Van Wagenen (then head of Wildwood, Robert Redford's company), Sundance Film Festival has become a premiere festival for American and International Indie films. Sundance is conducted by the Sundance Institute.

A Blog Converged especially likes the Students at the Festival program for aspiring filmmakers, and the Documentary category. We like Andrew Rossi’s Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times.

“Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us.”  
—Robert Redford, President and Founder

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