"A Brighter Tomorrow"

Sometimes all you need is the sun, a camera, and a small group of dedicated nature lovers all in one beautiful place.

A couple of Sundays ago, by 3 am we were all up, and by 4 am we were carpooling together to the badlands just outside of Los Angeles, California. Why? Because the wildflowers were in full spring bloom, and we wanted to catch the sunrise. With a camera. And 2 wonderful actors.

It was the chance to do something special for SunChips by making an ad for Current TV. Oh, and Al Gore would see it. In other words, it was an opportunity we couldn't resist.

We wanted to film a story about a young couple taking...well, never mind. It's all backstory anyway. Come check out the spot and see what a small group of dedicated film and nature lovers came up with.

And here's a pic of us. We were surrounded by wildflowers in every direction. Mother Nature was definitely in full effect.



If Al Gore calls, we're ready.

:: bogna ::

4 More! "Sparkly Count"

Speaking of sparklies, here's some more fun news:

Beauty World, the commercial for Almay Pure Blends directed by Arlene Bogna & produced by Vista Point Pictures, has won an Aurora Award, a Davey Award, an Accolade Award, and a Remi Award.

A Big Congrats to Cast & Crew!


For more information & credits click here, or you can watch the winning spot here.

:: bogna ::

"Sex Change: The Rise of the Female-Driven Blockbuster"

I love that title. And it's the title of a new article in The Wrap. I didn't realize that since November "every number-one movie not called "Avatar" has been a chick flick." But I think what's also happening here is that the "chick flick" is being redefined. For example, the upcoming action thriller SALT starring Angelina Jolie in the lead, which looks like a cross between The Fugitive and The Bourne Identity but starring a chick (finally!), that's the new chick flick.

Here is an excerpt:

Indeed, the lightly regarded chick flick seems to have given way to a new box-office force: the female-driven tentpole.
...
And it's not that there is some big new trend of more women going to the movies. Rather, said Vinny Bruzzese, executive vice president of the motion-picture group for research firm OTX, the over-performance among women for certain films shows that “studios are catching on that you have to make the movie for someone. Movies that are for a specific audience tend to overperform.”

Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, concurred. “Women are just as likely to go to the movies as men,” she told CNN, right after the huge premiere of “The Blind Side.” Instead, she noted, studios are making more movies now that accurately reflect women’s experiences and interests.

Ever since I saw Thelma and Louise, I had hoped to be part of something in Hollywood where more quality films with complex female roles, roles I could relate to, would exist. Is it finally happening before my very eyes?

:: bogna ::

"Stunned, Honored and Proud"

According to Variety, the DGA just honored Director Kathryn Bigelow. Here is an excerpt:

"Adding another wrinkle to awards season, Kathryn Bigelow has won the Directors Guild of America trophy for helming the gritty drama, "The Hurt Locker" -- the first woman to take the DGA kudo in the 62 years of the awards.

Bigelow said she was "stunned, honored and proud" in her acceptance speech at the end of the awards show on Saturday night at the Century Plaza."

Like I said, 2010 is going to be a great year. Or wait, maybe it already is?

:: bogna ::

"If female viewers decided the fate of movies, who better to make movies than females? "

Believe it or not, that is a quote from the recent article "Alice's Wonderlands" in The Nation about the women in the early years of filmmaking. Apparently, women had a prominent role in the early 1900's in the nascent film industry.

Today, organizations like the Alliance of Women Directors and Women In Film compile statistics to see how many women filmmakers are actively working in the film industry each year.

This is always an interesting discussion with tons and tons of viewpoints. But the reason I'm posting it is to remind us how many lady filmmakers rock! Right now Kathryn Bigelow's 'Hurt Locker' is taking the critical world by storm, while female audiences for the 'Twilight' franchise and "The Blind Side" are making a permanent place in Box Office history.

All I'm saying is that 2010 seems like it will be a very good year.

:: bogna ::