Ryan Strandjord

48HFP – Director/Actor Workshop & Costume Rentals Facility Tour

prescriptionhappiness — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:56:01 +0000

On Thursday May 31st we’ll be hosting a two part event that will include a workshop on directing actors and a tour of the Costume Rentals facility that houses more than 30,000 costumes.

Doors will open at 6:30pm so people can arrive and get situated.

At 7:00pm we’ll begin the workshop portion with Bill Cooper. Time will be spent discussing how to work with actors on set and ways to get the most out of their performances.

Around 8:00pm we’ll wrap up the workshop and take a tour of the facility. Team producers will have the opportunity to take pictures of costumes they like in consideration for their 48HFP films.

As a sponsor of the 48HFP, Costume Rentals has generously offered each item in their warehouse at the low rate of $17.50. Typically items range from $12.50 – $200, so this is a phenomenal deal!

Step it up with your 48HFP film this year and include some authentic costumes with your piece. If you’d like to tour the facility, but skip the workshop portion, that’s fine by us! We’d just like to make sure that our teams are tapping into this fantastic resource in 2012!

48HFP – Costume Rentals Photoshoot

prescriptionhappiness — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:30:42 +0000

Today I stopped by Costume Rentals to shoot some promotional photos for the 48HFP. They are a sponsor of the project, and will be giving an incredible discount to team producers in the form of a per item fee of $17.50. Some of these items go for as much as $200, so this is an incredible deal!

In order to give teams a taste of what they have in their facility (which houses over 30,000 costumes), Jessica Bergren, Anika Reitman, and myself, had a dress up session early this morning. Here are some of the pictures we took:

Click to view slideshow.

48HFP – Panel Discussion at IFP

prescriptionhappiness — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:04:45 +0000

This is a panel for anyone who is curious about which members they absolutely need to have on their team in order to succeed. We’ll have experienced artists representing each role on the panel who will discuss what to look for when selecting crew, and why each position is vital to the production of your film. They’ll also discuss key issues regarding time based filmmaking.

There will be time for attendees to ask questions of the panelists, and afterward everyone will be encouraged to stay around to socialize with each other and the panelists (free wine provided)

If you’re interested in attending (2 people per registered team) send an email to: strandjord48@gmail.com

Not on a team but would like to attend? No problem, just let us know you’re coming and pay $5 at the door.

PANELISTS:
• Director: Shane Nelson
(2011 48HFP Winner of Best Film, Director, Special Effects, and Sound Design)
• Producer: Chris Grap
• Director of Photography: Brandon Boulay
• Assistant Director: Carrie Bush
• Sound: Tom Colvin
• Editing: Oscar Oboza

Sponsor – Directors’ Workshop
Organizer – Matt Cici
Moderator – Ryan Strandjord

What is the Directors’ Workshop:
The Directors’ Workshop goal is to help foster the independent film community in Minnesota. We’re committed to connecting local film artists, providing resources to develop their craft, and offering constructive criticism through workshops, discussions, social mixers, and movie nights. The Directors’ Workshop is a community based organization that provides the personal attention needed to develop emerging talents and the resources to push more established film artists to the next level.

Find out more about us: http://thedirectorsworkshop.com/

Registration for the 2012 Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project is now open!

prescriptionhappiness — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 05:31:19 +0000

And the early bird gets the worm – and $20 dollars! Do not miss the early bird discount – sign up now and treat yourself to a huge shopping spree at a dollar store with all the money you will save! Just think, you’ll be able to buy at least 20 items made in China! But after May 20th, the worm will be gone. (That sounds a little strange, but I’m going with it.) Here’s the link: http://48hourfilm.com/minneapolis.

We won’t bog you down with details in this email, but we will say that things are shaping up to be another spectacular year! Prizes. Casting auditions. A panel or two of expert filmmakers and rocket scientists. Social mixers. HD screenings. And a kickas . . . err . . . awesome Best Of Awards Show! Here’s a quick recap of the pertinent competition dates:

Kickoff: June 8th @ the Riverview Theater (the clock starts ticking at 7pm)
Dropoff: Deadline is June 10th @ 7:30pm. Venue TBD
Screenings: June 12-14 @ the Riverview Theater
Best Of Awards Show: June 21st @ the Riverview Theater (date is tentative but very likely)

Stay up to date. Join in the discussions. Yes, follow us at http://twitter.com/#!/MPLS48HFP and http://www.facebook.com/mpls48hfp.

If you have any questions, let us know: minneapolis@48hourfilm.com

Welcome back – and happy filmmaking!!

Ryan Strandjord and Towle Neu
Minneapolis Producers
48 Hour Film Project
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Cinema & Civics – We Want Your Shorts!

prescriptionhappiness — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 05:14:58 +0000

Local bands, local movies and cult classics in Stevens Park!

Cinema and Civics is the Stevens Square Community Organization’s music and movies in the park series, which takes place on Wednesday evenings every June and July. The series is also host to community activities, and each night includes discussions by local politicians and community organizers.

Cinema and Civics is now looking for short film submissions for its 2012 MN short film night (July 11th)! Filmmakers with films 15 minutes or less in any genre are encouraged to apply. Please send submissions to:

Cinema and Civics
c/o SSCO
1925 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Data DVD (Quicktime) files are the best format for submissions, but we will accept playable DVDs as well. Email MN Short Film Curator Ryan Strandjord at ryanstrandjord@gmail.com with any questions!

The 2012 schedule:

June 6th – Jurassic Park w/musical guest Nightosaur

June 13th – The Blues Brothers w/musical guest Me and My Arrow

June 20th – The Goonies w/musical guest Birthday Suits – bring your unwanted clothes tonight to our community clothing swap!

June 27th – Ghostbusters w/musical guest Zoo Animal

July 11th – MN short films w/musical guest Kristoff Krane

Doomtree – Beacon

prescriptionhappiness — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:59:33 +0000

A good friend of mine, Sergio Rapu, was producing a Doomtree music video this week and like all good friends should do he was working to get me involved. My day job kept me from playing a more significant role in the shoot, but I was able to drop in Friday night for a few hours to shoot some behind-the-scenes footage.

The location was the Schmidt Brewery in Saint Paul, and what a gorgeous place to shoot in! It looks like it hasn’t been used for 50 years, and has tons of rooms and industrial spaces to use. There were at least 2-3 rooms in play at all times. While they were shooting in one, another two rooms would have people littered about setting them up. They even had a second unit crew wandering around the place with an LED light and DSLR shooting footage.

It was also quite interesting to see Bo Hakala, the director/DP moving about a resetting lights all the time. It’s pretty unusual to have a director take such a hands on approach, but Bo being the perfectionist he is I guess it’s not that strange. In the background of a section with P.O.S. they had several cans of dry ice producing steam and all kinds of flames. They even blasted him with giant fans blowing freezing cold air!

The highlight of the shoot though had to be Dessa rigged up and spinning eight feet off the ground. It was quite an ordeal to get her rigged and in the air, and I was very much impressed with the professionalism of the rigging crew. They did everything they could to make sure she was comfortable during the shots, and she performed phenomenally well.

Looking forward to diving into the footage and cutting a short piece. I got to interview P.O.S and Dessa on a few occasions. Also snagged a number of shots of director/DP Bo Hakala deep in thought and running into problems, which is always nice in videos like this! People like drama, and they sure had their fair share on this shoot, but in the end the footage they got looked amazing and I’m really looking forward to seeing the final video.

A Trailer of a Different Kind

prescriptionhappiness — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:52:29 +0000

Last night I had the pleasure of video taping a performance of The 7 Shot Symphony. They were putting on a performance fundraiser at the Loring Theater before their upcoming tour of the show next month. I’ve been in touch with their Executive Director Joanna Harmon about some other projects, and when she mentioned they were looking for someone to tape this performance I jumped at the opportunity. They performed their Lord of the Rings in 9 Minutes at our Award Show for the Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project, and knowing how great that was I figured The 7 Shot Symphony would be terrific as well.

It was, and so much more. Stay tuned for the finished trailers soon.

Let’s get VEGUCATED!

prescriptionhappiness — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:33:10 +0000

I’ll be hosting the Minneapolis premiere of Vegucated at the Riverview Theater on Monday November 7th at 7pm. Vegucated is an award-winning documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This accessible, entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

Writer-director Marisa Miller Wolfson and producer Demetrius Bagley will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Edibles from the film’s sponsor So Delicious will be passed out before and after the movie, and Ryan will be encouraging everyone to observe Meatless Mondays throughout November. You can learn more at the film’s website or at the Facebook event page.

this making movies sh*t ain’t so glamorous

prescriptionhappiness — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:56:28 +0000

Some people think filmmaking is glamorous. Anyone who has made a film knows that the vast majority of the time, it’s not. Bottom line, it’s really really hard work.

I recently emailed a friend of mine about a project I’m working on. I kept my message short because I know he’s on location producing a feature film. I thought his email exemplified the insanity one has to put themselves through in order to pursue this dream:

can’t quite describe the amount of work i’m piled under at this moment/every moment.

you’re welcome to say you have my support. i never sign anything without giving serious attention to it first and i can’t give that now/don’t know when i’ll be able to.

first i need to get this shit insured/not sleep/not spend any more money/appease SAG/not sleep/find a way to get an 80,000 cam and lens package for a measly fraction of that/coordinate about 600 moving parts and people and so forth in a harmonious way/not sleep/make some tea/not sleep some more.

if there’s a single free moment i’ll read and give proper attention to this but right now i’m practicing the utmost negligence by even breaking to write this email.

apologies/well wishes/i may just nap for the first two months i’m back in mn/this making movies shit ain’t so glamorous.

Dream Big

prescriptionhappiness — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:14:33 +0000

This article (SUNDANCE: Why Paramount Paid $4 Million for ‘Like Crazy’) is nearly a year old, but the film it’s about, is still an unknown in most circles around the country. I believe that will change in most sectors once the film is released in theaters later this month. The film was made for $250,000 (financed by Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf) and premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Within 16 hours of the screening Paramount acquired the worldwide rights for $4 million. Don’t believe me? Click on the article link above.

The film was shot on a Canon 7D, which in many ways has become the new staple for independent filmmaking. While the size of the budget and relative cheapness of the equipment involved will conjure up delusions of grandeur in filmmakers around the country, I hope people remember that the screenplay is paramount (no pun intended). I saw the film at the recent Twin Cities Film Festival and it certainly delivers the goods on that end. Plus having Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence in the cast gives you a lot of street cred with savvy filmgoers. It’s the relative newcomer though that steals the show in this film, and you can expect to see a lot more from Felicity Jones in the near future.