Mutiny Universe News

Elan Vital is Complete!

2008-09-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

The film is in the can, see? It has been a long road but we feel that if you are going to do something, do it well. We like to think we did the best we possibly could do on Élan Vital and are thus, thrilled with its outcome! Finishing only days before the deadline, Élan is also in the hands of the Sundance Film Festival judges. We will cross our fingers now, send it out to a lot more festivals, and prepare a screening for the cast and crew. It is a wonderful feeling to see such a beautiful collaborative project all polished and complete. Mutiny Universe would like to thank everyone who had a hand in making all the pieces come together. Now we look forward to getting it out to be seen. You can view the trailer and add us as a friend at www.myspace.com/elanvitalmovie. We will also update that page with any new information such as festival acceptance or screenings. This film proves that anything is possible when the right people come together with dreams and ambition - and hold themselves to the highest standards, not compromising creative vision no matter what challenges present themselves. Congratulations to team Élan Vital!

Film Festivals

2008-05-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Three films + Five festivals = Great News!

Mutiny Universe production OUTCASTS was recently announced as an official selection of the Hamburg International Film Festival, beating out 1,100 other films in its category. The festival will be held in Hamburg, Germany from June 6-11, 2008. More information about the festival can be found at www.shortfilm.com

Another film PINATAS REVENGE, produced by Katy while working for mun2 television, has been accepted in three national and international festivals. The Los Angeles Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and the Jackson Hole Film Festival all thought the two minute film was worthy fare. More info below:

www.lafilmfest.com

www.siff.net

www.jacksonholefilmfestival.org

And finally, EL ZOMBIE DE LA MUERTE, also produced by Katy and starring Jason, will be screening at the Zompire Horror Fest in Portland, Oregon this weekend. In case anyone will be in the area, here's a link.

www.zompire.com

All of these films were a blast to work on, and it's great to see them getting seen out there!

MU News Now at mutuni.com

2008-03-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

There are at least two new ways to catch up on Mutiny Universe company news:

Route #1
1. Go to mutuni.com;
2. Click on News.

Route #2
1. Go to mutinyuniverse.com/news.

No News is Good News

2008-02-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

Well, no news is good news in this case! We've been working hard on getting Outcasts out to festivals and securing the vitally important post-production technical talent needed to complete a great film (Elan Vital, of course). Our most publicly active arena right now would be our new and improved blog, featuring full length TV shows from Hulu, and our new and improved podcast, featuring Ryan DeRamos and some badass bands. Check it out and stay tuned for more good stuff to come!

Outcasts...Again?

2007-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

That's right - Outcasts has been revitalized with an original song to replace the very unusable Staind song that once closed the film. The song, "Time (Lose Your Hold)" is written by Ryan DeRamos and performed by his band, The Society of Gloves along with Elan Vital star, Katrina Lenk as moxy phinx. "Time" is beautifully performed and perfectly appropriate in mood for the film, directed by teenage filmmakers, Sarah Loya and Kathryn Jackson. It also allows us the freedom to share the film with festival attendees around the world without being snubbed by Atlantic Records, owners of the Staind song that was once in its place. This will be Mutiny Universe's first festival run as a company and will pave the way for the upcoming and long awaited release of Elan Vital.

Autumn's Revenge CD Release Party

2007-10-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

All the members of MU recently came out to support singer/songwriter Peter Chavez at his long awaited CD release party for the album, Autumn's Revenge. It was a great time for all and a great show by Peter. Though his album is a fully electric mix of moody rock songs, he aptly chose to go acoustic for the cozy but wall-to-wall packed venue at Paul's Kitchen in Monterey Park. Peter did a full set with passion and variety, including many songs that you won't find on his album and some cool covers. You can hear most of the show in Ryan's most recent podcast, a special extra long show exclusively dedicated to Peter's unveiling of Autumn's Revenge. We will be sure to keep you posted on the album's availability as well. Congratulations Peter Chavez! We hope to hear a lot more where this came from in the future!

Lowered Prices in the MU Design Store

2007-09-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

We recently lowered the prices across the board on all the Mutiny worthy designs in our design store. We did this for a couple reasons. One is that I think anyone shopping for something unique and expressive should be able to pay the same price that I would want to pay. Nothing is more frustrating than the shopping experience in which I find something that is just right but have to pay through the nose for it simply because it's different that the one they sell at Old Navy (and everywhere else for that matter). The other reason we dropped the prices is that cafepress.com - the revolutionary .com that powers our store - has increased the cost of two sided printing. This may sound odd at first - why would we drop the prices if they have raised the prices? Is it because we're idiots? Well...the jury's still out on that one but the answer to the price question is simple. Cafepress does not charge us more for double sided printing - they charge you more for the extra logo. I didn't think it was fair for all the loyal fans of MU Designs to have to pay even more on top of the modest markup just to sport some hot designs. So I lowered out modest markup to an even more modest level. We make a little less per purchase but we don't lose your business which we greatly appreciate - and you get the same high quality counter culture that you're used to. Ok - now get shopping!

Widgets, Feeds, and Queen Mab

2007-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

Please welcome back the news to our homepage! Hold for applause. Keep holding. Hold. Good.

We have all sorts of fantastic widgets and plugins and whatnots and whosits on our homepage. All of these things serve a singular purpose, that is, to showcase the content produced by Mutiny Universe. And we aren't just content with the content we have already produced, as we are a production company that perpetually produces content. Say that three times fast.

Speaking of content and the English language, check out our Associate V.P. of Production's Bard Blog: Matt Ritchey's Shakespeare, or Matt's Pentamenter, if you like.

Please subscribe to any or more (or all!) of our blogs/newsfeeds/podcasts with Feedburner:

MU News
MU Blog
Elan Vital Blog
Matt Ritchey's Shakespeare
Radio@MU Blog
Radio@MU Podcast, which will subscribe you to the actual MP3 downloads. Fresh. Weekly. In your inbox or podcast catcher, like iTunes.

And, we're back...

2007-08-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, I know. We got rid of our News section on the home page because, well, it was just ugly... This is much nicer, and easy to use, so hopefully you'll be hearing from us (and John) a bit more frequently.

Elan Vital is going well, you can read about it here.

And you may have noticed that we've added quite a few new features to our website. First, we've partnered with Amazon.com... we promote them, and they give us a small commission from any sales made through our site. This allows people to support us and independent film without actually (gasp!) donating anything! You just shop as unual, but by doing it through our store or any of the links on our site, bammo! you've done us a great service and we'll love you forever! Second of course is our new home page - where you can actually find our podcast, blog, and everything else on our site without reading cryptic runes... It's also, I think, much more attractive. On that note, if you do notice anything unattractive about it, we probably didn't intend it to look that way and we'd love to hear about it - because building a website is a lot of trial and error, and the web varies so much there's a lot of room for error.

We've also officially launched a campaign to produce music videos for career-minded bands (where else can we put all of our creative ideas into effect and help some people out in the meantime?). I happen to love music videos... they allow for such imagination, and being the people person I am, I can't think of anything cooler than throwing ideas around with bands and then making our ideas happen. We've started advertising, and telling people we know about it, so if you know of a band that needs a music video, send them our way! info@mutinyuniverse.com Attn: Katy.

If you'd like to be included in our monthly(ish) newsletter, please send an email to katy@mutinyuniverse.com and I'd be happy to add you to the list.

Cheers!

More New Pics!

2007-08-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have a new photo album in our Elan Vital collection with 130 pics taken straight from the source. If you missed the wrap party - or are not part of the cast or crew, these pics were part of the official wrap party slide show. Just click HERE and enjoy!

End of July Update

2007-07-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Elan Vital wrap party on the 21st was a success! Thanks to everyone who made it a success, especially Al and Cindy Medina for graciously providing the venue for our wrap party! If you have any photos of the party - and if you'd like to share some with us - please send whatever you're willing to share to info@mutinyuniverse.com - THANKS!

And now we continue with postproduction for Elan Vital. You might find some insight at the Elan Vital blog: www.mutinyuniverse.com/elanvital.

Be sure to be on the lookout for our "weekly" (about every 4-10 days, that is) podcast at www.mutinyuniverse.com/radio.

Wrap Party

2007-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 6th of July!!!!!! We have yet another fantastic podcast and to commemorate days of independence, Ryan has gathered song of yore from days of olde. It's a fun show!

In other news, Elan Vital is beginning to take shape wonderfully in post production. We look forward to seeing everyone who worked so hard on the film on the 21st for the wrap party!

Extra special thanks to Al Medina for his role in making that happen!

Katrina Lenk

2007-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's a night past the first day of summer and what better time to update the news than on the shortest night of the year? We have a fresh new podcast from Radio@MutinyUniverse.com with late night record man Ryan DeRamos - someone needs to get that man a drink!

We have a ton of random new stuff on our blog including the hysterical Don Hertzfeldt animated film, Rejected and a fascinating Creep collection.

Also, don't miss the one and only - and quite lovely - Katrina Lenk at The Cavern Club Celebrity Theater at Casita Del Campo Restaurant in Silverlake this Sunday for a musical revue full of singing, dancing, and all around good cheer! Go here for more information: Musical Theatre of Los Angeles Otherwise, drop us a line if you want with our handy contact button at the top of the page or request a song or a rant topic for Ryan on the radio show by emailing radio@mutinyuniverse.com.

Cheers to a magnificent summer from Mutiny Universe to you!

Podcast

2007-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Do not miss Ryan DeRamos as he rocks Radio@MutinyUniverse with episode 3 - Now with MORE RYAN RANT + 7000 vitamins and minerals! Check the links below to either download the show through itunes or stream it through our blog. Got a comment or request? Hit us up at radio@mutinyuniverse.com Peace!

Podcast

2007-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Episode II of Radio@MutinyUniverse is up and ready to be heard! Check out our blog or download it from itunes with the button below. Rock on!!

Podcast

2007-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a great week for Mutiny Universe. Ryan finished the first installment of the new Radio Mutiny program, which you can download in iTunes or hear directly on our Mutiny Blog. His velvety voice plays deejay to the selection of independent musical acts pulsing vibrant, sultry sounds through the air during the half-hour show. His ecclectic range of performers feature the seductive vocals of Moxy Phinx, whose dangerously rich voice pierces the eardrums with tempestuous urgency. Also on the playlist is Starlight Cinema, an up-and-coming Sacramento band with the talent and ferocity to really make some noise in the music industry. Standout singer/musician Chelsea Williams also delights listeners with her catchy performance of "Run," a song with universal appeal.

You can catch the rest of Ryan's show here, and hear alternative bands Negatrude, Lythium, and Oliver Charles.

Elan Vital

2007-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

We have officially wrapped principal photography for Elan Vital! Extra special thanks to Katrina Lenk for being brilliant and beautiful as always - and to Robyn Gorgos and Phillip Smith for building a truly fantastic set in record time with all the trimmings. Our special effects crew rocked as well. With advisement from special effects expert, Chad Vonbaalbergen, the guys from Elan Vital created some awesome physical effects - and had fun doing it. The only item left to check off for production on this film is the building and shooting of a tunnel. The plans are all laid out and Jason and Robyn are ready to go. After that, Jason will take off his directing hat, put on his editing gloves, and take us into phase three of the wonderous high speed journey that is Elan Vital.

Fashion Show

2007-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, 4/15, we wrapped our first location! After five fantastic days, we are all through shooting at the beautiful Monsoon Cafe on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. A HUGE THANK YOU to Maria, our location manager for showing up early every day and to Orion, Monsoon's General Manager. Thank you also to the entire staff at Monsoon who made our production there pleasant and smooth. With the lounge scene behind us, the final two locations should be a breeze *wink wink* We will be working primarily with the talented Katrina Lenk, Rod Ives, and Jay Wallace -- a pleasure to be sure!

Saturday, April 21, we will be shooting the Paul Mitchell School's Fashion Show at the Cao Institute of Aesthetics in Alhambra, CA. It is the brilliant talent from Cao who make our actors too beautiful to be real on the set of Elan Vital. We are excited to be a part of their fashion show that will raise money for three different charitable organizations. Hope to see you there!

Commercials

2007-03-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

We've had two fantastic days of production so far on Elan Vital. The actors have delivered wonderful performances and the footage looks gorgeous. Next week we add three more actors to the shoot for our biggest day yet - but with cast and crew like this, who can be worried?

In other news, Mutiny Universe is currently reviewing a plan to begin offering commercial video services to businesses aiming to reach larger market shares and increase visibility. Really? From a company who specializes in thought-provoking fiction? You bet. We can't get into too many details just yet but keep your eyes open - when you're on the lookout to get your business noticed, it starts with the goods and we've got 'em. "We're bulit on the idea of people with vision uniting for a creative purpose. People don't usually think of commercials as a creative purpose but perhaps that's something we can change. It's just one more thing we can add to our pallet," says MU president, Jason Loya. So, music videos, short films, features, and commercials within reach - nothing is too big or too small around here.

Elan Vital

2007-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Elan Vital is coming along fantastically! The actors are really beginning to embody their roles in rehearsal. Our first round of auditions was a huge success as several brilliantly talented and experienced actors tried out for key roles in the film. A warm WELCOME to Sarah Springer, Elan Vital's costume designer. Her talent and ideas are adding a very special element to the film that is a rare gem in this industry. Art Director, Robyn Gorgos and Set Builder, Schuu Santos are providing excellent creative insight and craftsmanship to the production. We are also working very closely with the Cao Institute of Aesthetics, a Paul Mitchell affiliate. Their team of artful and innovative stylists and makeup artists is an invaluable asset to this film and essential to the realization of Jason's vision for the characters. At Mutiny Universe, we are all thrilled to be working with such a wonderful group of people and look forward to production!

Birthday

2007-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Mutiny Universe, Inc. turns 1 year old today!! Happy Birthday to us! Great work everyone! Here's to many more to come!

Elan Vital

2007-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Elan Vital - our first major short film production is now well into pre-production! Written and directed by Jason Loya, Produced by Katy Savage, the psychological thriller will star Matt Ritchey, Mike Onofri, and Beki Lane. Lisa Rudin has been fantastic as Elan's casting director, sorting through hundreds of submissions, helping Jason to find "just the right person for the job," while Ryan DeRamos is hard at work creating original music ideas for the movie, where he and long time collaborator, Jason are able to work closely on a story that they both developed. John Tan has been incredibly busy as line producer and will act as A.D. when we get into production. We are all very excited to move forward with what we feel is "just the right film." Elan Vital goes into production in early March and there is A LOT of work to do before then - but this is the kind of work that makes work look bad. Stay tuned for more from Mutiny Universe and Elan Vital!

"I Know You Live" Music Video

2006-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Short films, music videos, and everything in between have been keeping us too busy to even update our own news...

These past few weeks have been dedicated to shooting a video for I Know You Live off Peter Chavez' new album Autumn's Revenge. Production has gone very smoothly mostly because of the band's highly professional dedication and working with the beautiful and talented actress Roshelle Pattison as the lead. She was a joy to work with and added a lighthearted spirit to the set.

Just two more half-days of shooting and the video will be sent off for post-production - where Ryan will turn it into a lightbox extravaganza of complex design and asymmetry.

And on the Short End of things... Outcasts has been officially locked down for picture! This is huge since Katy and Jason have worked around the clock to get every frame color corrected and timed just right. Now we've turned it over to our composers to write a beautiful score for us to record.

Halloween

2006-10-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday (yesterday) to Matt Ritchey! From three crazy people and a writer.

...and Happy Halloween to everyone else! From three crazy pirates and Knight Rider.

Store

2006-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated (by about a week) Birthday to Jason! [Insert old joke here. Hahaha!]

The MUTINY UNIVERSE STORE is now open for business! You'll find plenty of loot to purchase, from MU logo shirts to strangely clever (and cleverly strange) designs from our resident Mutineers.