It’s not hard to get inspired by Montana’s one-of-a-kind locations—towering peaks, rolling plains and authentic Western communities; $20,000 might just be the boost a project needs to go from vision to reality. Montana Film Office’s recently launched contest, “Pitch the 406,” is giving away $20,000 worth of production equipment, lighting and crew services to a filmmaker to get his or her movie made in Montana.nn”This is an exciting opportunity for filmmakers, who have the inspiration they need to shoot a movie in Montana,” said Montana Film Commissioner Sten Iversen. “All they need is the extra funding to make it happen.”nnIn Montana, $20,000 worth of production equipment and labor can go a long way. The rent-free equipment and services package offered through Filmlites Montana in Bozeman will be customized to the needs of the winner’s film—from grip trucks, cranes and lighting to experienced crew, who have worked on the sets of “My Sister’s Keeper” and “A River Runs Through It,” among many others.nn
nnEntering is easy. Contestants simply submit a three-minute video pitch at http://scout406.com, explaining why Montana is the ideal location for their movies. It can be a trailer, scene test or a person pitching from his or her couch. Entries may be for any style or genre of film, i.e. documentary, narrative fiction, TV pilot, music video.nnVideo pitches will be posted to the Montana Film Office’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/montanafilm, and Montana’s Studio 406 Hollywood panel of judges will select the winner.nn”The contest also offers young and aspiring filmmakers great exposure to some of Hollywood’s very talented veterans, who are sitting on our judging panel,” said Iversen, who is also on the panel.nnThe “Pitch the 406” Hollywood panel includes film producer Marty Katz, who has more than 30 years of motion picture and television experience. Katz owns Marty Katz Productions located in Malibu, Calif., and has served as executive vice president in charge of Motion Pictures and Television for Walt Disney Studios. It was during his time at Disney that he first visited Montana while filming “Disorganized Crime.”nnOther panelists include top industry professionals Erik Brown and Mike Fantasia. Brown is a Montana native, who is a first assistant camera operator and has worked on more than 60 films, including “The Proposal” and “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Fantasia entered the film industry with his first location scout in Montana for Steven Spielberg’s “Always.” He is now a supervising location manager and production manager; his credits include features “Munich” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”nnFilmmakers have until November 30, 2011, to submit their video pitches for the “Pitch the 406” contest. The winner will be announced the week of January 1, 2012. Watch the contest trailer, “Pitch the 406,” and visit http://scout406.com to find more information on submitting entries, the judges and the prize package.nnFor more information on the Montana film industry, locations, resources, crews and support services, and the Studio 406 Incentive Package, visit the Montana Film Office at www.montanafilm.com.Montana Film Office Sten Iversen, Manager Maribeth Goodrich, Office Coordinator/Crew Liaison John Ansotegui, Location Coordinator Sage DuBois, Multimedia & Project Coordinator Toll free: (800) 553-4563 or (406) 841-2876 Contact MFO via email
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hall’s “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hall’s ‘Tiny Door’ is a playful and profound exploration of the song’s intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimes psychedelic scenes. “I am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,” says Hall. “That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Tiny Door.’ It’s about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isn’t always straightforward — I think that’s something we all attempt to come to terms with in our lives. I thought it was a unique yet universal detail about love and therefore an intriguing subject matter for a song. Even though the song is a ballad at its core, it still has a lighthearted sense of humor to it — that’s really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.” Charky explains, “When I first listened to the song, I felt it was a love song full of longing with a kind of wishful melancholy. As I spoke with Henry about his intention behind the lyrics and sound, I was assured that I'd need to explore heartbreak in a nuanced way – with a degree of levity and playfulness. For me, falling in and out of love runs the full course of human expression. Love and heartbreak can be so emotionally intense and sometimes lonely, other times quite goofy or liberating. In developing the concept, I focused on both the literal and figurative ways that falling in and out of love might look like. So, you see Henry and co-star Franny Arnautou falling, flying, dancing, raging, winking, smiling, and... Read More