Work to Do in 2006

"Zambian Forge" is close to done, really really close. A few edits to be made, sound and color to work on, but mostly the production chapter is closing on this film, and it's time to concentrate on festivals and distribution.

I need to get some stuff done, and I need some people to help me. If you are or know a person who fits one of these descriptions, let's get in touch.

1. A website designer to create a new Cloudchaser Films LLC page, and a Zambian Forge page.
2. A logo designer to create a logo and branding for Cloudchaser Films LLC.
3. A sound designer to lead the audio post on Zambian Forge.
4. An intern to help with festival mailings and that kind of thing.
5. Anyone involved with distribution that might like to get involved - connections to Landmark Theatre chains, PBS, & National Geographic would be especially interesting.

There are a few pennies for the right people.

Other interesting things to note..
I published a telecine review on CML describing some of my experiences attempting direct to disk telecine. It can be seen here:
http://www.cinematography.net/digitk/digitk.htm
I've been told this article was also published in Showreel magazine( http://www.showreel.org/index.php ), I think Issue 9, but I haven't seen it myself, so I'm not sure yet.
I am sure that I was contracted by DV magazine (DV.com) to write an article about bringing film into the digital space on Zambian Forge. This is finished and slated to be published in the April Issue. I will post more details when it comes out.

Kjerstin was able to take a look at the fine cut of Zambian Forge before heading back to Zambia last week. She gave the FORGE sign-off for the project, which is comforting. First contact with USA for UNHCR has been made, but no more info yet.

I think that's it for now.
David

Day One of a New Year

Well, it is the end of the first day of 2006. Mostly I hid inside from the massive rains we've been having here in California this week. 2005 was a good year for me, a whole year mostly devoted to working on Zambian Forge, though I worked on some other projects and moved to a new home for the first time in 9 years as well. A year ago odell came from NYC to start working on the project, and it led to him moving as well. A lot has happened with FORGE this year too..

So far I've gotten some useful feedback and mostly positive reactions to my initial screeners that went out to the 2004 FORGE team for the holidays. I also left my first messages with Angelina's people. I've gotten a lead for a title / graphics person that sounds perfect. At this point, everyone I'm showing to is confirming my suspicion that the editing is drawing to close, and it's time to head towards the distribution side of things. Unfortunately, I have yet to get a response from Kjerstin & FORGE's official endorsement. I hope that will come soon, but an unforseen tragedy hit the organization last week.

One brave student - whom I only met through email - arrived in Meheba about a month after I left to spend 6 months there on her own overseeing the sustainability of the programs in a similar fashion to Arianna staying in 2004. This young woman is Holly Hickling.
Though FORGE is not a religious organization, Holly came from a religious family and her father Thom decided to come to Zambia to spend Christmas with her. Holly came to meet her father in Lusaka, and on December 27th they got a car and began heading north to Meheba with donations for the settlement. Not far out of Lusaka, they were involved in a head-on collision passing a truck on the road. Thom was killed, and Holly was injured. She has since returned to Pittsburgh. Below is a link to a more detailed article published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05363/629384.stm

Accidents and tragedy are part of life, but I find it especially sad that in this case, the tragedy hit a family involved in a goodwill mission. As 2006 begins, a moment of silence for the Hickling Family.

David