Three short films from the Advanced Studio in Video class at Niskayuna High School were selected (out of a total of 17) as finalists in the 1^st annual “Peoples Pixel Project” sponsored by the Lake George Arts Project.

Last fall, a call for video entries 3 to 5 minutes long was placed to anyone living within 75 miles of Lake George, NY. From these entries three awards were selected for each of 6 categories. Awards will be screened on Saturday, February 6, 2010, 7 pm at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe, 19 Exchange Street, Glens Falls.

The three finalists from Niskayuna High School that were selected from the dozens of short films submitted from around the region are: A Work in Progress, Roberry, and Talk to the Hand.

A Work in Progress, directed by Mark Stenson, Peter Koehler, and Ryan Nerney tells the tale of two teenage boys trying to come up with an idea for their next film.  The problem is they just can’t seem to get the character “right”.  The film evolves in a creative manner all while developing a story that’s “a work in progress”.  This film opened up Niskayuna High School’s “SHORT CUTS 8” film festival last June.

The production team that created the multi-award-winning stop-action short, Tom Lamanna’s Breakfast, now gives the northern region of the state to enjoy their latest project entitled, Roberry.  Roberry tells the story of a young man robbing his neighbor’s house for ingredients for a blueberry pie and the obstacles he encounters on his quest.  The film was directed and produced by James Belcastro and Matt Cioffi.  This film won the “Best Animation” prize at the Westport Youth Film Festival last spring as well as being screened at the CineYouth Festival in Chicago.

Chris Murphy’s film – Talk to the Hand – is the third entry from the NHS Advanced Video class to be selected as a finalist in this new festival.  Talk to the Hand is a still-frame animated short which features two friends and their unusual encounter with a new kid at school.  This film received the “Best Animation” award at the prestigious CineYouth Festival that is part of the Chicago International Film Festival.  Mr. Murphy’s film also received accolades for “Best Editing” and an “Honorable Mention” in the Narrative Comedy category at last spring’s Capital Region Media Arts Festival and was included in the juried Westport Youth Film Festival.

Tickets are $10. Seating is very limited, so buy tickets early – they are going fast!  To purchase tickets call LGAP: (518) 668-2616, or Rock Hill Bakehouse: (518) 615-0777.  All entries for P3 can be viewed at the Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst St, Lake George, NY, where a continuous loop will be on view during gallery hours throughout the month of February.  The award finalists will also be on view in the lobby of Aimee’s Dinner Theater from February 2^nd – 12^th.

For more information about the festival contact:

LAKE GEORGE ARTS PROJECT
1 Amherst Street
Lake George, NY 12845
(518) 668-2616
mail@lakegeorgearts.org

Still from Chris Perrella's Checkers

YOUNG COMPUTER ANIMATOR CONTINUES TO SHINE!

Niskayuna High School student animator selected to be part of international television program.

One of Niskayuna High School’s outstanding student computer animators, Chris Perrella, has had two of his short films selected to be showcased on Season 5 of the Poughkeepsie based program – DROP TV.

DROP TV is a magazine-style series of half hour episodes packed with high energy segments made for youth, by youth.  The series is produced in conjunction with the Children’s Media Project’s Media Guild program.

CMP’s youth producers, on all levels of Media Guild, contribute to the creation of DROP TV. During the summer months and after school, Media Guild apprentices, under professional and peer mentorship, engage in all aspects of pre-productions, production, and post- productions for DROP TV: research, writing, scheduling, camera, sound, lighting, acting, graphic design, animation, editing, composition, and sound mixing.

DROP TV highlights short youth-produced videos made by DROP TV producers as well as work from other young videomakers from around the world. DROP TV producers receive hundreds of videos made by youth every year. From these submissions they choose the best short works to share with DROP TV audiences. Some organizations that frequently highlight the show include: Reel Grrls, Perpich Center For Art Education, Bay Area Video Coalition, Say Si, SAF Cakovec, and Camera Etc.

For Season 5, the DROP TV staff chose two of Niskayuna High School computer animator, Chris Perrella’s short films, Didget and the WooNads and Checkers.

Didget and the WooNads tells the story of a robot with a unique vision who struggles in an environment that demands conformity.  This short 3-D animated film has been showcased in numerous film festivals throughout the country including: The Capital Region Media Arts Festival 2008 (Best Animation – Computer Based), Reel Teens USA Film Festival (Official Selection), Rod Serling Video Festival 2007 (Best Animation), Woodstock International Film Festival 2008 (Official Selection), and the Electric City Film Festival 2008 (Finalist).

Mr. Perrella’s other film, Checkers, tells the story of Earth checker champion, Johnny Fischer who is challenged to an out of this world match with some unexpected results.  This film has received accolades and awards in the Ballston Spa Film Festival 2009 (Best High School Film), Rod Serling Video Festival 2008 (Best Animation), Reel Teens USA Film Festival 2008 (Best Computer Animation), Fulton Montgomery Community College High School Regional (Best Digital Media).

Chris plans on attending Savannah College of Art and Design in the Fall to pursue his education in the field of Interactive design and game development.

DROP TV can be seen locally on Schenectady Public Access TV-16: Saturdays at 8:00am.

For more information on DROP TV and the work of Chris Perrella check out the following websites:

• http://www.chrisperrella.com/site/Home.html
• http://www.childrensmediaproject.org
• http://youthmedia.blip.tv/

Best Fiction – Better Days – Corinne Bradley, Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA

Best Short Fiction – Dan and the Red Sea – Max Collins, Guilderland HS, Guilderland, NY

Best Documentary – In a Place Like This – Mobile Film School, Austin, TX

Best Short Documentary – Game Addiction – Crysta Machado, Jasmine Velez,
Academy for Careers in Television and Film, New York, NY

Best Video Diary – My Story – Tianny Marmolejos, Clinton Williams,
Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA

Best News Magazine – Sleepy Hollow Digital News – Sleepy Hollow High School,
Tarrytown, NY

Best News Magazine – Hearsay! – Calling the Shots, Bristol, England

Best Animation – Dog and Flea – SAF, Cakovec, Croatia

Best Animation – Bellies – Cameron Locks, Episcopal HS, Bellaire, TX

Best Stop-Motion Animation – By My Side – Samuel Ekren, Perpich Center for Arts
Education, Golden Valley, MN

Best Visual Arts – Start Motion – Nick Ljubicich, Byram Hills HS, Armonk, NY

Best Music Video – Freshman Love – Hayden Goldman, Episcopal High School,
Bellaire, TX

Best PSA – Never Again – Jessica Lee, Harvard Westlake School, N. Hollywood, CA

Best PSA – The Line – Coralee Trigger, Westlake HS, Austin, TX

Long PSA – Where I Come From – Tasana Hardy, Community TV Network, Chicago, IL

The Judges Award – Our Boat Is Our Address – Shiropa Puma, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Audience Awards:

Dan and the Red Sea – Max Collins, Guilderland High School, Guilderland Center, NY
Four Red Shoes – Melissa Wilpers, Emma Willard School, Troy, NY
The Butter Battle Book – Juliana Barbera, The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY
An Easy Day – John Robb, Alex Wilson, New Paltz High School, New Paltz, NY

The tenth annual Reel Teens Festival will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Columbus Day Weekend October 8 -10, 2010. Applications for submission to the 2010 Reel Teens Festival can be found on our web site www.reelteens.org

Deadline for submission is June 30, 2010
For more information e-mail reelteens@webjogger.net
or call 845-246-1598.

Public school districts and BOCES, or consortiums thereof are eligible to apply. Applicants must give nonpublic schools of all denominations within their boundaries the opportunity to participate. Applicants must also include at least one SURR or SINI school building in the application to be considered for funding. Completed application must be postmarked by August 21, 2009.

Questions about this RFP must be sent to emscltg@mail.nysed.gov no later than June 26, 2009. Answers to these questions will be posted by July 10, 2009 at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm. No questions received after June 26, 2009 will be answered. For additional information, please visit NYSED EMSC website at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm.

Leslie Yolen
Visual Arts Associate
Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology Team
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234
(518) 474-5922
lyolen@mail.nysed.gov
www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai

Short Cuts 8

Niskayuna High School’s annual student film festival returns to the G.E. Theater at Proctors in Downtown Schenectady.

The Niskayuna High School Art Department presents SHORT CUTS 8: a video celebration showcasing outstanding student productions from the 2008-2009 school year on WEDNESDAY JUNE 3rd at 7 PM at the G.E. Theater at Proctors.

Over 25 short films from students in Mr. Honicki’s Studio in Video program will be screened as part of this 8th annual event – including award-winning entries from the Reel Teens USA Festival. Rod Serling Film Festival, Capital Region Media Arts Festival, and Westport Youth Film Festival.

This year’s festival features the award-winning short film, Talk to the Hand, created by Christopher Murphy using stiff frame animation.  Murphy’s comedy short just received the prestigious “Best in Show” award at this year’s Rod Serling Video Festival. The film also received accolades for “Best Editing” and an “Honorable Mention” in the Narrative Comedy category at this year’s Capital Region Media Arts Festival.  Talk to the Hand tells the story of two friends and their unusual encounter with a new kid at school.

Also included in this year’s line-up is the follow-up to the one of the most highly acclaimed films of last year – Tom Lamanna’s Breakfast.  Directed and produced by Electrical Banana Productions (James Belcastro and Matthew Cioffi), Roberry tells the story of a pie maker who resorts to stealing ingredients from his neighbor’s home in order make his tasty treat.  This film was awarded “Best Animation” at this year’s Westport Youth Film Festival.

Another highlight of this year’s festival is the short, An Orange In The Orchard.  When a young man’s in-class drawing is discovered by his teacher, he is forced to face the repetitive and dehumanizing nature of the environment.  Directed and written by senior Daniel Claridge, An Orange In The Orchard reminds us of the importance of individuality.

In addition to the film viewing, the event will also include the SHORTY AWARDS – recognizing outstanding achievement in student short films by the students themselves.

SHORT CUTS 8 is FREE and open to the public.  The G.E. Theater at Proctor’s is located at 432 State Street in Schenectady, NY.

This event is made possible by the Niskayuna High School PTO, Time Warner Cable’s “How Cool Is Your School” video competition and the generosity of Proctor’s Theater.

CONTACT: STEPHEN HONICKI

If you would like to help restore the NYSSSA schools, please tell our leaders. A sample letter for leaders in the State Legislators and the Office of the Governor is included below, as well as a link to find your local legislators.

Dear :

I am writing to ask you to help restore full funding authority for the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA).  For 39 years NYSSSA has served students from every area of the State who represent New York’s economic, cultural and racial diversity, identifying tomorrow’s leaders in the arts and providing them with intensive pre-professional training and career development opportunities.  Over 19,000 students have participated in this legislative initiative. The program’s success has been demonstrated by former students’ achievements with top professional companies all over the world and individual testimonials documented in yearly alumni surveys.

The State Division of Budget has advised the NYSSSA office that funding has been reduced by 50% and that the program office must begin planning immediately for retrenchment for the coming year. This means that the NYSSSA will have to close at least 4 of the 8 schools this coming summer. The NYSSSA program office has requested approval of a spending plan of $1,745,000 – representing a 0% increase from the 2008-09 plan. In the past 39 years, there have been very few increases in funding from the State. The cost of operating the eight NYSSSA schools is shared by State revenue funding and student tuition. The unique partnership between the State, New York’s most prominent artists, artistic companies and cultural institutions, and parents has kept program costs to a minimum. NYSSSA continues to ensure that the programs are still accessible to all New York State students, as per the original legislative intent.

I urge you to restore funding authority to NYSSSA to ensure the operation of all eight schools. The program’s funding needs are modest compared to other State initiatives and the return on our tax dollar is great, developing tomorrow’s leaders in the arts and entertainment industry.

Sincerely,

New York State Legislative Leaders:
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith masmith@senate.state.ny.us
Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari   CanestR@ assembly.state.ny.us
Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver  Speaker@assembly.state.ny.us
Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos  skelos@senate.state.ny.us
Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco TediscJ@assembly.state.ny.us
Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair – Herman D. Farrell, Jr.  FarrelH@assembly.state.ny.us
Senate Finance Chair Carl Kruger  kruger@senate.state.ny.us
Assembly Education Committee Chair Catherine Nolan NolanC@ assembly.state.ny.us
Senate Education Committee Chair Suzi Oppenheimer  oppenhei@senate.state.ny.us

Search for your area legislators  http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/

Governor Paterson:  http://161.11.121.121/govemail