Hello Friends and Family!

All my life I have been waiting to shoot a feature film.  This week, I took the first major step in making all my dreams come true!  I am thrilled to announce that the American Dairy Goat Association has granted me permission to shoot a feature documentary at the 2012 National Goat Show in Loveland, Colorado.

Raising and showing goats was once a huge part of my life, but after graduating from high school and moving to Boston for college, I found that the goat-showing, goat-raising community is very unknown to the masses.  Since this revelation, I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to produce a feature documentary on ADGA and the goat showing community.  Now that I work in the professional film world, I have the experience, equipment, connections and know-how to do it.

I have already spoken with dozens of ADGA members about what they would like to see in a documentary about the goat world, and from those interviews I have come up with three goals for the production: 1) Promote the goat, America’s most misunderstood farm animal, 2) Educate about ADGA and goat showing, 3) Share goat showing with America in a fun and enlightening way.  In addition to editing the footage into a feature, we will also create several short, online 2-5 minute videos for ADGA members, friends, family and donors to watch and enjoy during production and post-production.

Naturally, I brought on Trevor and Julian to help me and for the last month we have been hard at work in preproduction— planning, scheduling and budgeting.

Just yesterday we launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign (www.kickstarter.com/projects/792010307/the-goat-show-documentary).  Within 6 hours we were at the top of the Staff Pick’s page!  Please check it out!  We’re trying to raise at least $30,000 to pay for our travel, equipment, post-production and distribution / publicity.

For those of you who have never heard of Kickstarter before, it is the leading “crowdfunding” website for creative projects.  “Crowdfunding” is a financing concept that has recently proven its success in the film world.  Instead of having to rely on big investors and studios, Indie producers have started using the Internet and websites like Kickstarter or Indie Go Go to collect huge numbers of small donations to fund a film, mostly from family, friends and fans.

This brings me to my next request:  please consider donating to my film!  I think our best chance at success is putting the right foot forward in preproduction.  There are lots of great incentives (see Kickstarter) and I promise that we will keep you updated on our progress. Thank you so much for your help!  Please spread the word to your friends and anyone else who you think would be interested in the project.

WEBSITE: www.goatshowdoc.com

KICKSTARTER: www.kickstarter.com/projects/792010307/the-goat-show-documentary

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/GoatShowDoc

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goat-Show-Documentary/401719719843865

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

Carnage

The Descendants

Drive

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Ides of March

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

We Need to Talk About Kevin

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Ryan Gosling – Drive

Ryan Gosling – The Ides of March

Michael Fassbender – Shame

George Clooney – The Descendants

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (tie)

Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin (tie)

Bérénice Bejo – The Artist

Elizabeth Olsen- Martha Marcy May Marlene

(I can’t think of a 5th one… this proves how few and far between good leading female roles are…)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christoph Waltz – Carnage

John C. Reilly – Carnage

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Bryan Cranston – Drive

Paul Giamatti – The Ides of March

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jodie Foster – Carnage

Kate Winslet – Carnage

Carey Mulligan – Shame

Carey Mulligan – Drive

(again… can’t think of a 5th one)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Artist

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

Drive

We Need to Talk About Kevin

BEST DIRECTING

The Artist

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Drive

Carnage

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Source: frugaldad.com

Tagged: Batman, Bill & Melinda Gates, Bill Gates, Charity, Microsoft, Philanthropy ]]> http://helenasblog.com/2012/01/20/bill-gates-is-amazing/feed/ 1 dpgirl microsoft infographic http://helenasblog.com/2012/01/02/10-favorite-reads-of-2011/ http://helenasblog.com/2012/01/02/10-favorite-reads-of-2011/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:44:48 +0000 Helena Bowen http://helenasblog.com/?p=2154 ]]> Hello Everyone!

Yes, I know it is not the best literature in the world (why I used the word “favorite” and not “best”), but here are my top ten reads of 2011… Well, I read them in 2011.  I have no idea if most of them were published in 2011.  They are in alphabetical order because they are SO different that I can’t possibly rank and compare them.

The Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Row

See my full review here.  The Autobiography of an Execution is the definitive case AGAINST the death penalty in the U.S.  I already strongly opposed the death penalty, but this book completely reaffirmed my beliefs and gave me even more reasons to disagree with it.  If you are for or against the death penalty you should read this book– it gives a gripping view of the legal and human side of death row in Texas.  Legal death penalty stuff may sound boring, but it was actually a total page-turner.  (If you like this book, check out Into the Abyss, a new Herzog documentary on the death penalty).

Bossypants by Tina Fey

If you watch NBC’s hit show 30 Rock you know that Tina Fey is hands-down one of the funniest comedians of our time.  Bossypants is no exception.  This memoir covers many topics including her awkward childhood, her years on SNL and the conception of 30 Rock.  If you love Tina Fey, I highly recommend buying the Audiobook, read by Fey herself.  Her jokes are a lot funnier when you hear her deliver them and she does some pretty awesome voices.

The Camera Assistant’s Manual by David E. Elkins

Yes, this is a very nerdy pic to include on my top 10 list, but this book has been my bible since moving to LA.  If you need to know any information about motion picture cameras, go here first.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lot of information on digital cameras, but it gives you a very detailed account of what is required of each job in the camera department, as well as huge amounts of camera information in general.  I read this book in college, but now I keep it in my car in case I have to look up anything on set.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Columbine is one of the most thorough non-fiction books I have ever read in my life.  Dave Cullen spent 10 years researching and writing this complete account of the tragic Columbine High School shooting in April 1999 and he pieced it together in hundreds of pages that attempt to uncover every Columbine truth and every media-made Columbine fiction.  The book is fascinating, horrifying, and impeccably written.  If you love non-fiction this book will rivet you.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton

When I first read Fahrenheit 451 at the end of 6th grade, I hated it.  I read it later in high school and I loved it.  Now I consider it one of my favorite books, and have reread it multiple times since.  I was thus pleased to see that Ray Bradbury has authorized the graphic novel adaptations of several of his books.  Let me tell you, Fahrenheit 451 is AMAZING in graphic novel form.  It is one of the most beautifully illustrated graphic novels I have ever read.  The color palette is so beautiful, the style and cinematic way of telling the story is just so perfect.  If you love graphic novels or Fahrenheit 451, or both, check it out!

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Ever since the rise of Twilight I’ve been skeptical of the INSANELY popular teen series…es. My dear friend Julian, however, told me I should read The Hunger Games and he was totally right.  Numero Uno (The Hunger Games) is AWESOME, Numero dos (Catching Fire) is not that great but you have to get through it because Numbero Tres (Mockingjay) is great.  They are pretty sappy at times (keep in mind that they were originally meant for teen girls, i.e. they have a little too much mushy love stuff– especially in #2, which is probably why I didn’t like it) but it’s definitely a fun read with great characters.  Read it before the movie comes out in 2012.

Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is another great memoir by a popular TV comedienne.  Mindy writes for, produces and stars in NBC’s hit TV show The Office, which I have also been a fan of for years.  Like Tina Fey’s memoir, Mindy spends half of the book telling awkward childhood stories and then moves onto her rise in the TV world with Conan and The Office.  I enjoyed Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling’s books so much that I bought copies of them for several friends this Christmas.  That being said, I think you have to be a girl (or a gay guy?) to appreciate half of Mindy Kaling’s book, whereas Tina Fey’s is more universally funny.  Either way, it was a quick, hilarious read.

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Read my full review here.  A Stolen Life is the incredible memoir of Jaycee Dugard, who was abducted by two strangers on her way to school in 1991 at age 11.  For the next eighteen years, she was held in captivity by Phillip and Nancy Garrido until her rescue in 2009.  She endured years of sexual and psychological abuse and gave birth to two daughters with her captor, the first when she was only 14 years old.  If you love non-fiction you will love this book, unless you have small children, in which case wait a few years to read this or you will become paranoid by this insane survival story.

The Walking Dead Compendium One

I read a few issues of The Walking Dead sometime during college, but the rise in popularity of AMC’s TV series The Walking Dead (based on the graphic novels) inspired me to read the entire Compendium One (literally thousands of pages of Walking Dead).  There’s not doubt in my mind that Volume 1: Days Gone By is the best, so if you want to dip your toe in the water before going balls to the wall with Walking Dead I suggest purchasing just that one and seeing what you think.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Truth be told, I still haven’t finished 11/22/63… but it is totally awesome.  Totally awesome, but INSANELY long.  I started the book a week ago and am probably halfway through it.  The jacket description doesn’t really give you a good idea of the book– basically, it’s about a professor in 2011 who finds a portal back to 1958 and is convinced by a dying man that he should spend 5 years in the past in a radical attempt to stop JFK’s assassination, change history and solve all of 2011′s problems.  Based in fact (not the time traveling, everything else) and TOTALLY riveting, I highly recommend this book, if you have the time.  I’m listening to a great version from Audible, which makes it a lot easier for me to find the time.  Still, it’s over 32 hours long.

Piece of the Boston skyline as seen from the Boston Commons.

Trevor and Peter comparing camera settings.

The Public Gardens

So many geese!

A glowing tree at sunset

George Washington and the Boston skyline

Curly rope lights on Newbury Street

Cute yogurt logo… Don’t remember what the store was called.

More soon…

Vistaprint, when you screw up you make ME look bad too.  Never again.

Click for a larger version:

2012 PHOTO CALENDAR

I recently finished reading The Autobiography of an Execution by Texas death penalty lawyer David R. Dow and I would highly recommend it, despite it’s deeply depressing nature.  David Dow has worked for years defending death row inmates in the state that has the greatest affinity for killing them, with an execution rate 4 times that any other state.  I’m sure this fact was recently brought to your attention by the Republican presidential debates.  Unfortunately for Dow (and as it seems, all death penalty lawyers in Texas), he has worked on hundreds of cases and hardly ever saves his clients lives.  The book briefly covers many cases, but focuses on one: that of Henry Quaker (a pseudonym to retain lawyer-client confidentiality), a man convicted of the murder of his wife and children who everyone knows to be innocent.  Unfortunately, Quaker had an incompetent trial lawyer who did absolutely nothing to defend him and he was effortlessly sent to death row.  As Quaker’s execution date approaches, Dow and his team of lawyers works tirelessly to exploit every possible legal avenue to save Quaker and prove his innocence.  However, they run into countless roadblocks in the American legal system that make it nearly impossible to do their job.  This book is not only a sobering account of the death penalty in the U.S., but also a testimony to how messed up the American legal system can be.  One of the most interesting passages of Dow’s book speaks of how the American legal system was founded upon a lack of accountability and responsibility.  A juror can hide among the jury, a judge can hide behind the jury, a supreme court judge can hide behind the other six, etc.  He argues that sentencing a man to death is much easier when each person can pass the blame to another.

The book is fascinating and hard to put down because Quaker’s case reads like a legal thriller.  Dow also includes many endearing stories of his personal life, his wife and his son.  Be prepared for a healthy dose of lawyer hero-complex, though, but what can you expect from someone who tirelessly and hopelessly fights for what seems to be a lost cause?  In spite of his ego, I give Dow a lot of credit– I could never work in a profession where I constantly lost and watched my clients die.

I am still adamantly opposed to the death penalty, but the number one thing I took away from this book is that I do not want Rick Perry as president in 2012.  If you’re on the fence about either issue, I strongly suggest reading this book.

Worth the drive to NY on its own:

I also took a trip out to Astoria (in Queens) to the Museum of the Moving Image.  I’d been there once before, but they had a really cool Jim Hensen (Muppets) exhibit and a few new items from Black Swan.  For any cinephile, the museum is AWESOME, because it has tons of old props, costumes, etc. from classic movies BUT for the technically-inclined, it also has a phenomenal selection of old movie cameras, sound gear, editing equipment, projectors, dollies, cranes, lights, etc. that are displayed chronologically to show the progression of technology.  Even if you aren’t a die-hard movie enthusiast, there are tons of hands-on exhibits, such as one where you get to create your own stop-motion animation and one where you get to try ADR (automated dialogue replacement, aka “dubbing”) on The Wizard of Oz.  If you’re ever in NYC, I highly recommend it.  Here are some of the cooler things at the museum (Muppets excluded, because that exhibit is “no photo”):

One of the original Chewbacca masks (made out of yak hair) and Jim Carrey’s head cast and mask for The Mask.

A mouthpiece that Marlon Brando wore for The Godfather to make his cheeks puff out the way they do in the movie.  No wonder it’s hard to hear what he’s saying!

The hair piece and glue Robert DeNiro wore in Taxi Driver.  I always assumed it was his own hair, but apparently not…

Mrs. Doubtfire mask

All the make-up used in Sex and the City.  Upper left is Charlotte, upper right is Samantha, lower left is Carrie and lower right is Miranda.

Masks from the Elephant Man.  Bummer about the reflections :\ but you can more or less see them.

Blue prints for Hannibals cage in Silence of the Lambs.

A model of Buffalo Bill’s creepy basement in Silence of the Lambs, complete with well.  “Put the lotion in the basket!”

Dresses from (L to R): Samson & Delilah (1949), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)

Dress from Mildred Pierce (2011)

A model of the Roxy Theater (1988) in New York which seated 5,800 people.

A long line of vintage cameras, sigh

The three-strip Technicolor camera was the 1st commercial full-color motion picture camera and it used 3 separate strips of black and white film (rolling at the same time).  Each film only recorded part of the color spectrum and combined, they could reproduce the entire spectrum.  This camera was used to shoot famous movies such as The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939).  In the 1950s, Kodak came up with its own color process that required only 1 strip of film which made this camera obsolete.

Close-up of the inside.  I do NOT envy the AC’s having to load the camera essentially three times!

The Mitchell VistaVision camera (1954) shot film horizontally to produce a larger negative.  White Christmas (1954) and Vertigo (1958) were shot on this camera.

A big old Mole Richardson light from the 1930s.  Amazing how they still look pretty much the same.

One of the original animatronic Yoda’s

A neck-stretching mechanism used in Black Swan (2010) as shown in use below:

The Tyrell Skyscraper from Blade Runner (1982).  Because sets were so expensive to construct, they just shot this miniature and made it look like the full-sized thing.

An 1897 Edison Projecting Kinetoscope — one of the first projecting options for theaters.  It sold for $100 back in the day– a lot of money at its time, I’m sure.

That’s all for the Museum of Moving Images!

Two blog-related announcements for you today:

1)  I finally have a real domain name for this blog (instead of having .wordpress at the end of everything – lame).  My primary domain is now helenasblog.com.  If you type in dpgirl.wordpress.com, it will redirect to the new address.

2)  Trevor and I will begin our epic cross-country road trip in 3 days.  We’ve started this blog: http://throadtrip.com  Please follow us for updates and pictures!  (P.S. I did NOT choose the name T-H-Road Trip.com.  Regardless of the fact that it stands for Trevor and Helena’s road trip, “throad” is not a pleasant word…)

More blogs soon