Copy of V4 Bake Sale Blog for the Website (not a final draft, but close enough)

YEEEE-HAWWWW!!!

The 2014 V4 Bake Sale was a resounding success, so a                             “congratu-DYN-O-MITE-lations” is in order to all of those who volunteered their delicious baked goods (or their tasty time)!

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and a wonderful crisp breeze guided me swiftly across the campus to our stand in front of Randall Library. A group of slackers (not grunge kids, but slackline enthusiasts) were performing their harrowing acrobatic tricks several inches above the soft billowy grass. Groups of opportunistic students were scattered about the clock tower field recharging the hidden solar cells in their stomachs or on their backs. An assorted mix of ‘80s and ‘90s music, coming from an unseen boom-box, danced along the wind creating a blanket of comfort and nostalgia for all those in attendance.

Our fabulous V4 Bake Sale was organized by our very crafty guru, Audra Blake. She spent weeks designing flyers, setting up volunteer shifts, and coordinating the collection of scrumptious foodstuffs. Her hard work, and the ever-so-tasty creations of our other VISIONS staff members, is directly reflected by the donations we received that put us over our projected goal.

A big “shout out” to the crafty confectioneers is due:

Audra Blake – Wily white-chocolate popcorn, Bodacious Brownies, and a smorgasbord of other delicacies

Ally Godsey – Reverent Red-Velvet Cupcakes

Kyle Randolph – Gandolfian Gluten-Free Cookies

Anna Roberts – Miraculous Mini-Cheesecakes

Shannon Silva – Nutritious Nut n’ Dairy-Free Treats (for our allergy n’ lactose-challenged friends)

Maddy Tangney – Capricious Chocolate Cupcakes

And everyone else who supplied the happiness and awesome-sauce that made our V4 Bake Sale a success.

During my shift, we had a great group of outgoing and creative types who helped rope in students and faculty alike with their rambunctious spirit and entertaining desperation: Nico Desreumaux, Channing Duke, Ben Dorton, Steven Gamble, Ally Godsey, Chris Keefe, Maddy Tangney, Kyle Randolph (and other members of the VISIONS gang who stopped by to show their support when they could). From formal introductions, and fist-bumps to catcalling and musical performance, our VISIONeers went all out to promote the amazing FF&C we are working so hard to bring to UNCW (plus the offer of fantastic sugar rushes between classes didn’t hurt either).

We would like to especially thank the students and faculty whose donations made this year’s event one of the best in VISIONS’ history!

Check out our super-awesome info page to get your badge early (you don’t want to miss out on the early bird swag), so you can guarantee your place in this year’s 4th annual VISIONS Film Festival & Conference. We are also looking for motivated volunteers who want to help out with V4 this year, so keep an eye on our site for regular updates, blogs and upcoming events.

Sound off in the comments below, or on our Facebook page, if you would like Audra and her Motley Crew of Baking Bandits to bring their delectable confections back for a tasty encore.

Dallis Frie Covey

Print & Media Relations Copywriter

Visions 4 Film Festival & Conference

Week 5 - V4 Paper Submission Comments

13 Ways of Looking at Bill Murray

Pro- Very good at creating vivid imagery

Con- Needs to be re-edited. Several problems with sentence structure (e.g.- Gone with the Wind to escape so that they could escape/Not despite this fact, but because of it).

A Radical Expedition of Cinema's Birthplace

Pro- Great attempt at connecting a modern film to the "birth" of cinema.

Con- The author doesn't quite evaluate or analyze most of the quotes used, instead, they merely repeat the information in their own words, or vice versa.

Cinema du Corps and Avant Garde Cinematography

Pro- Fantastic thesis paragraph!

Con- Could be a bit more cogent. A little too specific and wordy, but a great paper overall.

Cinematic Expression of Ghosts in Japanese Film

Pro- Good film summaries, and good at comparing the films through the use of social beliefs.

Con- more of a compare and contrast paper, than a research paper.

Irreversible and Techniques of Looking

Pro- Very cogent, and engrossing writing.

Con- Less analysis of We F#$K Alone, and more rhetoric needed about the "sympathetic male," which was supposed to be part of the thesis.

Multi-Screen Film

Pro- Used a lot of sources, and reveals a great deal of information on the history of Multi-screen film.

Con- Reads more like a summary or an opinion of something, rather than a traditional research article. There seems to be no argument, other than laying out the history of multi-screen film.

Murders Unavenged

Pro- Great job at providing a brief history of the police procedural.

Con- With such an amazing plethora of films in the world, Zodiac is one of the weakest films to use.

Pied Piper vs. Faun: Storybooks and Female Empowerment in The Sweet Hereafter and Pan's Labyrinth

Pro- Good job of analyzing and linking the quotes used with her main points.

Con- Needs a stronger thesis. While the author states what their goal is, they do not set up the specific goals or subtopics used to reinforce their statement.

The Blues Brothers & Bollywood Masala Cinema

Pro- Very intriguing approach to re-evaluating/redefining a cult classic within the context of another culture's guidelines.

Con- Needs another pass in editing. Grammatical issues are present throughout paper (run on sentences,  misuse of commas, etc).

The Unfilmable Lightness of Being

Pro- Very large subject to tackle, so this author put in a great deal of work.

Con- Grammatical errors throughout (omission of words, creating words that do not exist, bad sentence structure).

Transmedia Adaptation in the Work of Orson Welles

Pro- Very well researched.

Con- Too much of a summary of individual films/musicals.

Boys will be Girls

Pro- Interesting connection between metrosexuality, and Guy's work from the early 1900s.

Con- Use more images, and research more statistics from the studios regarding women, films, employees, theaters, etc.


 

Week 4 - Winter Aftermath, and Power Free

Well, another week without going to school. Unfortunately, we do not have any power. It is one thing to miss school, and be able to watch movies or TV shows all day, and it is another to be without power, sitting in an ice covered apartment building, and trying to blow "freezing breath rings." One thing that was entertaining, however, was jumping up every five or ten minutes to the sound of gunshots (it turns out that pine trees, when covered in ice, sound EXACTLY like large caliber rifle shots when they break in half from the stress) to see where the next two tons of ice and tree limbs will fall. It was pretty darn incredible. They were falling like dominos all day! It made for some great soundscapes, as I broke out my trusty H4N and shotgun mic to record the falling titans. It caused quite a bit of property damage, as well. This, of course, led to the next five or six days without power (a fate only half of our apartment complex shared, the lucky, warm bastards). But, as is the human condition, we strove forward, adapting to all mother nature (and lazy-ass Father Wilmington Utilities) could throw at us. Luckily, I was taught to "always be prepared" during my stint in the Marines, so the trusty propane appliances came to the rescue. Of course, this also meant another week of VISION-ing and schoolwork piling up, which really sucks. It is hard enough taking 21 hours, but getting two weeks behind is a definite downer.

Copy of B.Y.O.F.F. Blog for the website

There is nothing more private and sacred to a young filmmaker than their first  film. Whether it is the single most important piece of cinematic history EVER to be discovered (according to your great aunt Ida), or it makes you change your identity and flee the country, we have all been there. VISIONS hosted a B.Y.O.F.F. party (Bring Your Own First Film) at the Goat & Compass to celebrate the first steps of the many future filmmakers in the UNCW and Wilmington community.

​Upon entering the establishment, a beautifully decorated raffle booth (curated by VISIONS own Audra Blake) drew the attention of all the patrons. Roses, candies, and assorted homemade popcorn treats were packaged in rustic brown paper cones. The building was filled with students, their friends, and alumni. After the initial frenzy of catching up, laughing, and other formal societal customs began to die down, the group was slowly herded out the door and to the back patio. Here, the VISIONS crew had decorated the fenced in area with lights and candles, with the focus shifted toward the giant projector screen in the back. The air was cold and crisp, but the giddy energy of the close-knit crowd maintained an aura of heat that blanketed all who attended (not to mention the industrial propane heater provided by Taylor Woodell). As everyone settled into their own particular areas of the patio, the awesome 90s music that had been elevating the spirits of all those attending was quickly switched off, and the announcement for the main event was greeted with hollering, laughter, and applause.

​The screenings were split into two viewing blocks with a small break, and a table read of a script (from our own Marketing Director, Steven Gamble) filled the time between. Deadly blind dates, corporate espionage, kitten reminiscing, and Siberian adventures involving the Hand-Crank-Flashlight Bandit were only a small portion of the highly entertaining evening. Each filmmaker who attended the party gave a brief intro before their respective films played. The energy throughout the evening reinforced the sense of brotherhood (and sisterhood, of course!!!) that filmmakers share. No matter where we are in our journey, we all share a sense of unity, as we all are taking the same path.

​Take a gander at our announcement page for upcoming events, so you can be a part of the incredible experiences the staff of VISIONS 4 want to bring to you.

We hope to see you soon.

Dallis Frie Covey

Print & Media Relations Copywriter

Visions 4 Film Festival & Conference

Week 3- No Business Like "Snow" Business

     I haven't been this anxious since I was 12! I would stay up late, fingers crossed, listening to Magic 107.9 (as quietly as I could without alerting anyone in the house) for the eleven o'clock announcement of the local business and school closings. Fast forward twenty years, and the exciting, knuckle clenching anxiety still overwhelms me.

     Snow.

     On the flip side of my childlike excitement, is the engrossing adult related responsibility piling up. I know that the longer we stay out of class, the more work has to be done. This week is supposed to be our preliminary round of sifting through films and UNCW abstracts. The great part about a class like this (I know it is more than a class, it is a full on Festival & Conference, but for ease of classification and word space, I am saying class) is that the work load dissipates as the semester continues, which is the opposite way a typical class runs. The only problem with that is experiencing a situation like we are currently going through. Our initial semester work schedule is very heavy, so I hope that we don't miss anymore class.

     I will finish evaluating the first round of films after I go spend some time in the icy tundra.