Scott Howe Films

Indie Film About Louise Brooks In Pre-production Phase

2013-01-28T15:22:00.001-08:00

Silent film actress's tormented life to be Subject of upcoming independent short film.

Louise Brooks is the subject of a new, independently-produced short film currently in pre-production and set for completion in late 2013.

Louise Brooks made her film debut in 1925, soon appearing in such Hollywood films as A Girl in Every Port and Beggars of Life. Her most memorable role was that of the amoral, self-destructive temptress Lulu in Pandora's Box. Her innocent eroticism, along with her pale, beautiful features and bobbed jet-black hair made her both a film icon and a symbol of the definitive 1920s flapper. Her stardom flamed out early, however, and by the age of 23 she was all but forgotten until the 1960s when film historians and younger fans rediscovered her and catapulted her to cult status.

Independent filmmaker, Scott Howe, hopes to shed light on the events that lead up to Brook's "disappearance" from Hollywood. Moreover, he intends to reveal what may have lead the iconic silent actress to play, so convincingly, the character of Lulu, a self-destructive sexual temptress, conceived by German playwright Franklin Wedekind.

Howe's screenplay is a work of fiction, based on historical facts. His story traces the story of Louise Brooks through the writings of a life-long friend and one-time lover, from her humble beginnings as a young girl in Kansas, to her meteoric rise as a dancer in the Ziegfeld follies, as the silent film temptress, Lulu, in the silent film, Pandora's Box, and finally her later years as a recluse.

Additional information about this film can be found at: www.ScottHoweFilms.com/LULU/

Set Extensions: What Are They, and Why Don't More Indie Filmmakers Take Advantage of Them?

2011-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Enter the search term "green screen" into YouTube and you'll be inundated with hundreds upon hundreds of goofy, 45-second "test" clips created by what seems like every twelve-year-old, ever. To look at the number of green screen examples on YouTube, one would think everyone was using green screen in their productions. They're not. And it's a shame. The use of green screen doesn't have to be the sole purview of twelve-year-olds and Sci Fi nerds. Used subtly, techniques such as green screen composting, motion tracking, or just a simple matte/plate used as a set extension can open up a new world of possibilities for creative visual storytellers. Below, is a quick example of a set extension technique, completed in After Effects.

Of course techniques such as these may be used to place characters in fantasy worlds with castles, warlocks, and other realms full of "beings" who have never dated actual girls before. For the purposes of this blog, however, I'm talking about using simple techniques, like static mattes, used by Hollywood filmmakers throughout film history, to place characters into cityscapes, desolate vistas, or even to reproduce other historical time periods. If used sparingly, good effects done right can pass completely unnoticed, yet plunge an audience completely into the story without even a trace of disbelief. Oddly enough, recent television shows such as Ugly Betty, or CHUCK have made stunning use of special effects to create east coast locations and other, more foreign and exotic, locals on sound stages in Los Angeles.

As one can see in the above effects demo reels, film effects don't always have to be used for bringing to life worlds like that of Harry Potter. They can be used instead to make your actors appear, for example, to be inside an airplane hanger when, in reality, they're simply standing in a two-car garage. And although these types of effects, done on a Hollywood scale, can be quite expensive, its inspiring to think of the vast array of other visual storytelling possibilities that can be achieved on a smaller scale for next to nothing.

The above clip is a great example of a simple set extension technique. With some creativity, a technique like this could be used very effectively in your next, non-Sci Fi, non-fantasy indie film.

Sacramento Area Hot Spots for Filming Movies

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Why Sacramento-based filmmakers need look no farther than their own hometown to find one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets

PART FOUR: Sacramento has also supplied the Hollywood industry with some marvelous locations in more recent films. From the 1980s, The Stunt Man, starring Peter O'Toole, Steven railsback and Barbara Hershey, made use of the Sunset Bridge in Fair Oaks. The 1984 film The River's Edge, starring Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper was shot along the river in Goeth Park. The 1996 film Wisdom, starring Emilio Estevez, used several downtown locations. In 1998, Clint Eastwood used downtown Sacramento's 24th and L streets to represent New York of the 1950s for his film, Bird. Two years later, he would return to use Sacramento locations again for the film, Pink Cadillac. Eastwood was even able to use the Crest theater to watch dailies, saving on time and logistics.

More recently, News10's Jonathan Mumm presented an interesting visual retrospective of many other films that have used Sacramento and surrounding areas to represent a variety of other geographic locals, as well as a number of different time periods.

Courtesy News10, Sacramento

Herein lies the beauty of our town. Filmmakers see Sacramento as a place of visual and financial possibilities. This is primarily because this town and surrounding locations provides so many different landscapes.

As Sacramento continues to grow, perhaps it will make history again, break new ground, and become a place unique among other industry cities. But it need not change for the worse. After all, filmmakers have sought out Sacramento for its pleasing blend of old and new. If the town maintains that bled, it will always have the appeal of the riverboat town captured on film over 80 years ago in Steamboat Bill, Jr. To live in Sacramento is to live in any number of different environments—New York, Los Angeles, or Everytown U.S.A.

Only in Sacramento can one work or live in one environment and then effortlessly pop, almost as magically as a film's edit, down the block to a deli inside and old Victorian or down to the river for a relaxing afternoon playing hooky on the banks of our own "Mississippi."

And to those who continue to deride Sacramento because they feel it should have a grand continuity, a sameness, a plainness; to those who fee that this town is too eclectic...

...what is the harm in that?

The Gold Rush: Part of Sacramento's History... and its Film History

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Why Sacramento-based filmmakers need look no farther than their own hometown to find one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets

PART THREE: Charlie Chaplin's 1925 Masterpiece, The Gold Rush, was inspired, he later recalled, by the horrific events that took place within the Donner Party. The film was eventually completely re-shot at his studios in Los Angeles, but it began on location in Truckee. Though Chaplin and crew remained there for six months, literally until the winter snows had melt away, Chaplin's relationship with his co-star, the Tramps on-screen love interest, took a turn for the worse. Having fallen out of love with her, he fired her and started the entire film over again—from scratch.

Chaplin hired a new actress, reconstructed the entire mining town on his own backlot in Los Angeles and literally remade the whole movie. But one piece of his original Truckee footage remains in the final version of the film—the opening shots of the film. As far as the eye can see, men are hiking down an icy overpass, supposedly in the Klondike but actually on a mountain near Truckee.

To pull off the shot, Chaplin hired 200 extras from Sacramento equipped with tools and supplies purchased at Sacramento stores. And so in the end, after six months of on-location shooting—having eaten up countless canisters of film—the only Truckee footage used in his final version of The Gold Rush is of 200 Sacramento residents hiking in the snow.

[While promoting the New York premiere of The Gold Rush, Chaplin had yet another summer-long dalliance with an as yet unknown Ziegfeld follies girl, soon-to-be silent film icon, Louise Brooks. Their short-lived romance is to be featured in Scott Howe's upcoming independent feature film, LULU: The Untold Story of Louise Brooks.]

...to be continued.

Sacramento's Role In The Birth of Filmmaking

2011-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Why Sacramento-based filmmakers need look no farther than their own hometown to find one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets

PART TWO: In the 1870s, Leland Stanford was one of a small group of Sacramento Businessmen—including Mark Hopkins, Collis Huntington and Charles Crocker—who built the Central Pacific Railroad. The Central Pacific, later to become the Southern Pacific, began at the Sacramento Embarcadero, snaked over the Sierra and linked up to the Union Pacific at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869.

Sacramento's Leland Stanford scored another coup besides participating in the development of California: He played a key part in the birth of film's history as the man behind what is now considered the first movie.

In 1872, Stanford decided to settle a bet once and for all about his contention that all four hooves of a trotting horse leave the ground at the same time.

He enlisted the help of San Francisco photographer, Eadweard Muybridge. They met at Stanford's ranch and rigged up a series of cameras attached to trip wires that, when struck by a horse, would each shoot one image. They hoped that this would produce a series of pictures depicting proof, for Stanford's bet, that the horse's hooves did leave the ground simultaneously for at least a fraction of a second.

When viewed in rapid succession, however, these images reproduced the event not as a series of pictures, but as a fluid motion. Initially intended to stop the motion of the horse, Stanford's experiment actually could be used to reproduce that same motion. Today, those Stanford/Muybridge images are collectively considered to be the first motion picture. However, the the first motion picture to be copyrighted as such would not come for another 22 years: the "short" was an Edison film documenting The Birth of a Sneeze, 7-January-1894; Its running time: a whopping five seconds.

...to be continued.

Why Sacramento-based filmmakers need look no farther than their own hometown to find one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets

2011-10-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

PART ONE: For many, Sacramento represents little more than a cow town; for others, the river city is the political hub for California; but for a select few in Hollywood and beyond, Sacramento has been a treasure trove of locations to use as backdrops for practically any place... or any time.

Just a simple trip through my local video store, some twenty years ago, began what was to become a profound change in the way I now see my hometown. Upon returning a video, Steamboat Bill, Jr., the clerk gave me one of those ominous statements of film trivia: "Did you know that some of this film was shot here in Sacramento?" I did not. But it intrigued me enough to rent the film again, watching this time with closer scrutiny.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) is a silent Buster Keaton feature-length classic. Its many sight gags are some of the most widely known and talked about by film buffs and historians alike. The stunts are so complex that most filmmakers of the day wouldn't even attempt them, and certainly not without the use of stuntmen. Keaton was different. He insisted on doing his own stunts, feats that would keep even today's sophisticated audiences on the edge of their seats.

To tell his river boat story, Keaton built a Southern Mississippi town in Sacramento on the banks of the Sacramento River. In his biography, Keaton said, "We went up there and built that street front, three blocks of it, and built the piers and so on. We found the riverboats right there in Sacramento; one was brand new, and we were able to age the other one up to make it look as though it was falling apart." Could one of these boats been our own Delta King? Closer examination will reveal the answer to those interested enough to stream this video for themselves.

When I got home, I immediately popped the tape into my VCR and watched it with new fervor. Steamboat Bill Jr. begins simply enough, with a slow pan across a majestic river. This time, though, I watch with knowing amusement and saw Sacramento's river banks as they looked almost sixty years earlier, over 40 years before I was born. It was a panoramic view of a place perhaps three miles from where I live. These scenes gave me a new appreciation of my town's history as I transported myself back the the '20s, the era not only of Keaton, but of Charlie Chaplin, Mak Sennett, Fatty Arbuckle and Harold Lloyd.

But Sacramento's film history reaches back even farther than Buster Keaton to a Sacramento businessman who played a key part in film history as the man behind what is now considered the first movie ever made.

... to be continued.

Scott Howe Films Currently Seeking Talented Actors, Actresses for Romantic Comedy

2011-07-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Scott Howe Films is currently seeking bright and talented individuals for an upcoming proof-of-concept trailer for the feature film, Made In China, a romantic comedy.

The story follows an average Joe who falls in love with a woman he meets online. Before their relationship can progress, he must finally leave his comfort zone and convince family and friends he's not crazy in wanting to marry the girl of his dreams: a woman he's never met, who can't speak English, and who lives on the other side of the world with her eight-year old daughter.

Interested parties should contact Scott Howe Films through its website: www.ScottHoweFilms.com

LULU: The Untold Story of Louise Brooks

2010-10-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Louise Brooks was called the most seductive, sensual image of Woman ever committed to celluloid. Her acting style, criticized at the time, is now credited as having given birth to modern film acting. In 1931, at the age of 23, she all but disappeared…

“LULU: The Untold Story of Louise Brooks” is a psychological drama about silent film actress Louise Brooks, who portrayed the sexual temptress Lulu in the German film Pandora’s Box. Rather than chronicling her life story, however, this story focuses primarily on the forces that lead to her playing the part of Lulu and ultimately sheds light on the comparisons between the real woman and the seductive character she is best known for playing.

Although there have been at least three attempts by Hollywood to produce a film about the legendary silent film actress Louise Brooks, no one has ever managed to see a project through to the end. By helping to fund this project, you will be ensuring that a LOUISE BROOKS film finally gets made.

Other Ways You Can Help

Spread the word about this project. Tell your friends everything you've learned about Louise Brooks! Go online and find out more about her life and her contributions to film history.

Music Video, Directed by Scott Howe Wins BEST of PROGRAM

2010-08-04T02:08:00.000-07:00

Watch the ZHP's music video here.

The Zoo Human Project's first music video won top honors at the 11th Annual Sacramento International Film & Music Festival, held at the Crest Theater. The video, directed by Scott Howe, premiered as part of the "Sac Music Seen" program on the second night of the festival and beat out 11 other music videos to take home the honor of "Best of Program."

With their third album set for a December release, The Zoo Human Project teamed up with Silverlined Entertainment's Scott Howe and Angela Ortner, back in May, 2010 to produce this first-time music video for their hit single "NWT."

THE ZOO HUMAN PROJECT (ZHP) is comprised of three friends: Derek Martinez, Jen Cordero, and Kevin Sakamoto. Formed in Los Angeles, they decided to quit their full-time jobs and tour nationally to promote their first album, "Innominata" (released 2006). Much to their delight, they made it back to California with enough cash to fund their second album, "Naissance" (released 2007).

The "Sac Music Seen" program, for local filmmakers, is in its seventh year, and encourages and supports community engagement.

"Sac Music Seen" is a program that matches local filmmakers to local musicians to make original music videos, with almost 150 completed projects to date.

Casting Call: July 17 (2:15 - 5:45 pm) Sierra II Center, Room 9

2010-07-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Auditions will be held in Room 9 of the Sierra II Center on 24th Street in Curtis Park.

ALL ACTORS will want to save the date for Saturday, July 17 (2:15 pm.) for a major casting call.

"We are looking to cast several parts in each of five films," said writer-director Scott Howe, who added, "we hope to attract as many new faces as possible as we have several other projects that we're looking to produce in the very near future."

Writer-director Angela Ortner has four new projects in the works and hopes to get started with production immediately. Ortner added, "I have a lot of roles to fill, but several require a duality that is challenging, so I'm excited to see what kind of talent is out there."

In addition, we ask that all actors prepare a short scene or monologue of their own choosing.

Please RSVP through our Silverlined Buzz page on Facebook.

If you CANNOT make it to the casting call, please send us a headshot and resume and tell us what role(s) you would like to be considered for.

You may RSVP through our Silverlined Buzz page on Facebook.

See the ZHP video shoot, from The Zoo Human Project's POV

2010-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Upcoming show date to see The Zoo Human Project, LIVE, in Sacramento

2010-05-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Come see The Zoo Human Project perform at Naked Lounge on Friday, May 14. This is a fantastic band and they are a must-see to watch LIVE! In the meantime, you can watch this great performance of one of their songs, "Naissance" via their YouTube site.

A sneak peek of the new music video from The Zoo Human Project

2010-05-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Zoo Human Project Sets Out To Promote Third Album, First Music Video

2010-03-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

With their third album set for December release, The Zoo Human Project is teaming up with Silverlined Entertainment to produce a music video for inclusion in this year's Sacramento Film & Music Fest in July

THE ZOO HUMAN PROJECT (ZHP) is comprised of three friends: Derek Martinez, Jen Cordero, and Kevin Sakamoto. Formed in Los Angeles, they decided to quit their full-time jobs and tour nationally to promote their first album, "Innominata" (released 2006). Much to their delight, they made it back to California with enough cash to fund their second album, "Naissance" (released 2007).

ZHP’s tunes are a frenetic blend of dueling guitars, funky world percussion, and tight three-part harmonies. Sacramento Bee's music critic, Chris Macias, awarded them with SINGLE OF THE WEEK (song "NWT") - while Press Tribune's writer, Nathan Donato-Weinstein, published The Zoo Human Project as one of the CITY’S BEST MUSIC BETS.

While working on their third album, the band is also taking time out to team up with Silverlined Entertainment's Scott Howe to produce their first "official" music video for their single "NWT." Howe has chosen this song for its upbeat celebration of lasting love and hopes to capture the trio's humorous and eclectic style in the process. Click here for more information on The Zoo Human Project.

[Photos of The Zoo Human Project Courtesy of Air B Photography]

Ana Feliciano: Widow's "It" Girl

2010-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

If you don't know her name yet, just wait until you see her performance in Scott Howe's sexy new indie thriller, "Widow."

"It," coined by screenwriter Elinor Glyn to describe silent film actress Clara Bow, is that quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force. In Scott Howe's film Widow, Ana Feliciano is the embodiment of the It-Girl.

Asked how she landed the part in Widow, Feliciano says that the director shared the treatment with her and she thought "it was genius." Director Scott Howe confessed that he'd been sitting on the Widow treatment for ten years. After he had met Feliciano just once, he was compelled to escalate his treatment of Widow into a full-blown script, convinced that he'd finally found the woman who could portray the story's pivotal seductress.

So is Feliciano at all apprehensive about playing a vixen? She pauses for a moment, "That's funny, I guess people perceive me that way because I'm just comfortable with who I am which I feel helps people be themselves around me. Really, I'm just an ordinary and even clumsy individual in real life."

Though her character, Alex, speaks very little thoughout the film, Feliciano makes the most of her screen time. "It'll be a challenge to find ways to communicate my character's feelings," she says, "but I'm excited." Feliciano credits some of her comfort in playing such a character with the director. "The support and faith that Scott has in all of us fuels our performances. He's definitely an actor's director."

Asked if Widow is her most challenging part to date, Feliciano says there have been challenges to every role she has ever played. "Not once have I worked on a project where I wasn't at some point physically and emotionally exhausted, almost to the point of tears. I think what is most important is the relationship with the cast and crew... They make me feel like I can move mountains with their faith in my ability but they are also quick to laugh at me which helps keep everything real."

When asked where she's getting the inspiration for the part of Alex, Feliciano jokes, "From Will Farrell's character in Wedding Crashers." For anyone who knows her, this answer is par for the course. In practice, however, Ana Feliciano is serious about her acting, which shows through in everything she's done.

Angela Ortner: Renaissance Woman

2009-09-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Angela Ortner is a busy woman. By day, she's a high school psychology teacher. At night and on weekends, she becomes another person, a superhero of sorts, who becomes the embodiment of everything film related. To date, she's worked on an average of one film project every other month for the last seven years and doesn't intend to stop any time soon.

Filmmaking is often thought to be a male-dominated pastime; no doubt that's probably true most of the time, but Ortner has always been able to hold her own. In fact, on set she becomes "just one of the guys." Ortner confides this is deliberate on her part. "When I'm working on a set, it's t-shirts and jeans all the way," she says. "A lot of guys treat me differently otherwise, either by dismissing me because I'm female and they think I must not know what I'm doing, or they just act weird around me." She jokingly adds "Plus, skirts don't really jive with this sort of work."

The other obvious reason Ortner is able to hold her own is because she's great at what she does. She is a Renaissance Woman when it comes to filmmaking, which has served her well, both behind the camera and in front of it: "Being an editor has made me a better director because I know how much coverage to get. You find that out when you sit down and realize you have nothing to cut to. Watching actors perform on the computer screen over and over and having to act myself has definitely made me more empathic as a director and a writer."

Her current project, Under The Bed, is a thriller that takes place between a psychopathic killer and two sisters. Ortner has written the story, and is producing and directing it. Asked how she could have conceived of such a dark and twisted concept, Ortner smiles, "I've just got to be me. I tend toward that sort of thing -- for what reason, I don't know. I like to watch action and horror, so I like to make action and horror, but I don't think that's the end of the road for me."

One thing is certain: Angela Ortner is just getting started.

"Trade" Remake finaly finished, Premiering October

2009-08-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since shooting wrapped on the the remake of Scott Howe's short film thriller, "The Trade." Unfortunately, most of the major editing for the film could not be undertaken until this summer. I am delighted to finally be able to announce that final editing for the short independant film is now complete. Watch here for official news of its October premiere.

"Film Friend Finder" Offers Safe Creative Haven

2009-08-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Long-time friend and and Silver-Lined "muse," Giovannie Espiritu has created a fantastic new web site, filmfriendfinder.com, that promises to give filmmakers of all shapes and sizes a place to meet, collaborate, and create. As Giovannie puts it, "this is a Guerrilla filmmaking network for people that are uber cool with a low budget and creative ways to make it happen." There's no doubt Giovannie Espiritu has the drive and the empathy to make such a venture succesful. She's a self-proclaimed dork. "I do crazy stupid things and make a fool out of myself without ever wanting too," says Giovannie. "...it just happens." Make no mistake, however, underneath her sometimes self-depricating sensability lies a limitless talent, not only for acting, but for befriending people and bringing them together to form something really big and exciting.

In a sense, "Film Friend Finder.com" is an online personification of Giovannie's spirit: friendly, fun, exciting, hopeful and at all times inspiring.

Shooting Begins on "Trade" Remake

2009-08-30T16:43:00.001-07:00

Shooting began this last weekend for the remake of Scott Howe's short film, The Trade. Originally produced as a ten-minute short for the 2006 10x10 film festival, this new version of The Trade is being lengthened to at least twenty minutes and features a new ending. Scott's daughter, Jodi Mao and Jodi's friend Isabella Nuestadt are reprising their roles as the two young friends who trek deep into the heart of Ricket's Wood to find out whether or not the stories are true about the wood's supernatural powers. What a difference two years makes; Jodi and Isabella were great in their rolls the first time around, but they have definitely matured as actors. The night before they were to shoot their scenes, they both met with me to discuss their parts. Their ideas for some of their characters' motivations and some dialog changes were incredibly insightful and I was excited to implement their ideas throughout Saturday's shoot. Also new to this remake of the film are two very talented actors, Sierra Hersek and John Crosthwaite. Their performances Saturday evening were nothing less than amazing.

An additional shoot date is being planned for August in order to finish the last two scenes of this film. Until then editing has commenced on the footage so far and everything looks great!

Local Filmmaker Wins National Award for "Kindred"

2009-08-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

Announced today, the 2007 film "Kindred", won in the Cultural Perspectives - Professional Category awarded by the Alliance for Community Media Hometown Awards. The film, written and produced by Scott Howe, was honored at the 2007 "Place Called Sacramento" Film Festival and can be seen at www.AccessSacramento.org

The award ceremony will be help July 10, 2008 in Washington D.C.

The ACM "Hometown" Awards honor programs created by public, educational, and government access organizations throughout North America.

"Kindred" is a fictional account based upon the cholera epidemic of the 1850's in old Sacramento. A modern day doctor is disturbed by "dreams" she is having. Dismissing the visions as stress related, Dr. Chen realizes the dreams are originating from her Chinese ancestors and explain her drive to become a physician.

Details about the ACM Hometown Awards can be obtained at: www.acmhometown.org

Thank you to all who came out to our audition!

2009-08-30T16:41:00.001-07:00

All of us at Silverlined entertainment would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you who took the time out on a busy (and very hot) Saturday to come and introduce yourself to us. As you are all aware, this process is not an exact science. We were looking for any number of things in our attempt to find the person who would best fit a particular role. As such, we each had certain ideas in mind when we spoke to each of you. If it seemed as though we gave some people more or less time than yourself, don't take this as any indication of how your audition went; as far as we're concerned, you were all great! Our primary focus in meeting with you was to consider those qualities in each of you that will best work within the framework of each story. If you felt at all nervous, you can relax; this was an open audition and we were hoping to find a variety of looks and talent. Moreover, we were not concerned at all about your level of experience. We heartily believe that talent can come in all shapes, sizes -- and experience.

I also realize that some of you who had hoped and planned on attending, had to decline for one reason or other. Rest assured, this has no bearing on whether or not we cast you for any upcoming or future films. You are all included in our ever-growing talent database, and we will continue to let you know about other casting opportunities as they arise.

Chris Terry Film Wins 48 Hour Filmmaker Challenge

2009-08-30T16:40:00.002-07:00

"The Last Suspect," Chris Terry's entry into this year's 48 hour Filmmaker Challenge has been awarded the honor of 1st Place. Out of eleven finished films, the judges honored "The Last Suspect," as their pick for the best 48 hour film of 2008. For the second year in a row, Chris Terry headed up a talented team to take on the 48 hour filmmaker challenge. The concept was simple enough: teams were given 48 hours inwhich to brainstorm, write, shoot and finally edit an entire story idea. To ensure that all teams worked within the 48 hour time limit, each team was given a phrase to be used somewhere in each film. Additionally, an umbrella also had to appear in the completed film. If that wasn't enough, each team was given a character name which had to appear in the story.

This project was a perfect opportunity for Chris to bring together several of his other friends and coworkers to create a sort of dream team, devoted to making a great film. In the end, the project melded into a joint venture of Chris's own "Revolv Films," and "Silver-Lined Entertainment."

On Sunday evening, April 6, filmmakers and friends gathered together to celebrate on the Delta King. The highlight of the evening, at least for Chris and Silver-Lined however, was announcing the winner. Congratulations to everyone for making this project a critical success!

"Kindred" Praised in SN&R

2009-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sacramento News & Review Associate Arts Editor, Josh Fernandez gave praise to "KINDRED," in the March 6th, 2008 issue. Fernandez's article, informing Sacramentans of this year's "A Place Called Sacramento" film festival, included a photo still from the film, and also gave credit to each of the principal actors from KINDRED. In an email to Scott Howe, Fernandez described KINDRED as frightening, but also added that he was totally impressed. He further added that he would like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming projects since he'd like to give "Silver-Lined" the credit it deserves. Thanks Josh!

48 Hour Film Challenge Highlights by Ana Feliciano

2009-08-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Friday I rushed over as fast as I could to our HQ (Scott's house) to witness the scheming process. Friday night was to be used for planning, Saturday was designated for filming and then Sunday was reserved for the editing wizards to work their magic. The movie needed to be submitted by 6:30pm on Sunday. [more]

John Crosthwaite: He's what you get when you cross the class clown with Shakespeare

2009-08-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

John Crosthwaite didn't always know how best to describe himself; there was a time, in fact, he wasn't even sure he'd ever get beyond high school. In college, he finally found his calling.

"I was in a play for a final," Crosthwaite explains. "The lead got sick and had to leave during the show. I went backstage and asked the teacher what I should do. She told me to go out there and fix it, do improv." Crosthwaite smiles as he recalls the rest of the story. "She must have seen the look on my face because she just smiled and told me to go have fun. It was like I was given the green light to destroy the world. I went out and just started making stuff up, playing around, and we fixed the show and did every scene, and it was funnier, scarier and more interesting then anything we'd ever done. I've never forgotten that. That's when I realized the power of theatre ...."

In the last six years, Crosthwaite has beeen in over 100 improv shows, 25 plays, and at least 9 films. Asked what he'd most like doing that he hasn't yet done, he exclaims excitedly, "Hamlet or a Disney bad guy. Every actor wants to play Hamlet, 'cause he's so dark, deadly, dangerous, depressed... and any other related "D" words. I'd love to also pay homage to Shakespeare and the countless other actors who've done it before. On the other hand, Disney has the best bad guy characters in the world, and I grew up a Disney cartoon kid, so that would be my career coming full circle."

When, asked what interested him about working on The Trade, Crosthwaite says, "by the time I had gotten to the audition, there were already about 20 people waiting in line, so I was a little intimidated, but I like challenging and new things, The Trade looked like both, and I followed my instincts. Nobody in Sacramento seemed to be doing anything at the time and the project really stood out."

Although Crosthwaite always had something funny to say on set, he took to his tormented part in The Trade like a second skin, no doubt inspired by those that have most influenced him. "I've always been a sucker for the witty and dangerous comedic actors; Robin Williams is my king, but Jim Carrey and Jonathan Winters have always inpired me on stage."

The old addage still seems true, that if you can do comedy, you can succeed in any other type of part. John Crosthwaite certainly proved that he could handle playing the serious and even chilling part of Tom, in this darker remake of The Trade.