Sine Fine Films

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:09:04 GMT

Filming on saturday, dec 22 is canceled due to an impending snow storm. Sorry, y'all. Let me know if anyone is still interested in filming something short and sweet in the next week or two and we'll set something up. Thanks!

--yibble

New movie starring...you?

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:46:30 GMT

Quatrain, the current movie in production at SIne Fine Films, has been postponed for various reasons and filming for it will comemnce at a date that's TBA.

However, I still want to film something this year, so I will be filming a short, frolicking fun thing on Saturday, Dec 22: 9am-8pm (or whenever). If you would like to participate in some way as either an actor, extra, crew, cameraperson, etc., please let me know ASAP. You can choose to film part of the day or the whole day depending on your schedule, just let me know. I haven't written anything yet and I'll wait until I hear more from people to do so, so now's your chance to be a star! Request a part! Request a plot! Request a costume! Just make sure your requests are in by 5pm on Dec. 14. Feel free to send requests, sugestions, entire scripts, etc.

--Yibble

Quatrain Postponed

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:34:22 GMT

I apologize for taking so long to get beck to everyone about Quatrain filming. For various reasons, among them personal health, and not having all the positions filled (ie not a full crew), I've decided to postpone filming Quatrain until the next time Annamarie is in town (hopefully sometime over the summer, but possibly not until next xmas).

Sorry about that. we ARE going to film Quatrain, I just have to beat the bushes for more designers and crew, and save up more money. Also there was a lot of confusion as my time got sucked into the WILL vortex and I stopped communicating with people about this project. We have wonderful scripts that I will send comments out on tomorrow (I swear I will this time!), it just not going to be possible to film it right now. Again, I am very sorry to have to postpone it.

I will be filming a short, one day, frockingly fun thing (not sure what yet) all day on Saturday, December 22. Anyone who wants to join in please let me know, and let me knwo what you want to do. Open casting call. You can direct, edit, film, whatever. Feel free to send requests, sugestions, entire scripts, etc.

Thanks for your time and patience,
--Yibble

ACTOR OF THE WEEK

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:57:04 GMT

Hopefully I'll actually stick to this and have it be once a week, other then twice a year!

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--July 23 - July 29--

Congratulations to Christi Gerrish -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Christi joined the company in 2002 during Dream Chasers when she accepted the role of Athena -- a part I wanted to write for her since I met her.
Though she seemed a little camera shy, Christi did a great job and I would dearly love to work with her again. Mostly I'd just like to see her again.
Anyone know where she is? Christi was a blast to be around: wacky and witty. She loved to fence, is very photogenic, and looked awesome in the Balthazar costume.
Wherever you are Christi I hope things are working well for you!

(this is from a costume photoshoot, but she looks so damn awesome I had to include it!)

Quatrain is a GO!

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:25:49 GMT

There's been plenty of interest so I now know it can be done. Thanks for all the volunteering!

The writers have been chosen (well, they volunteered -- well, most of them did, I sort of begged a few of them...possibly most of them now that I think about it. Didn't take much though. Right, anyway...), and they are confirmed. I'll send out instructions today or tomorrow to them and the writing workshop is confirmed for Sat. Sept. 22. So, we're getting this puppy off and running (did I just mix my metaphors? puppies do run...). The actor slots are full, though they are not all confirmed. However, I still need more directors, producers, designers, videographers, editors, and crew -- so sign up now and let me know what you want to do! Be daring! Try your hand at something you've always wanted to!

FYI: The writers are Kate Weber, Jacob MacLeod, Edward Stasheff, and Diana Neatrour.

Production for 2007/2008

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 23:40:43 GMT

At long last I can annouce a new project in the works. It's a narrative experimental film ( a collection of 16 short films actually) and should be very challenging and very cool to do. I'm hoping to film it during the last week of December or first week of January -- weather, time, and schedules permitting. If you want more info write a comment and I'll send you a copy of the proposal for it. Most current Sine Fine members have already recieved one, but if I forget to send it you somehow and you want to see it let me know.

Working Title: Quatrain
Tagline: Four writers, Four Actors, Four Directors equals 16 films and four awesome days of filming.

Sine Fine Films article on www.micro-film-magazine.com

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:08:46 GMT

To see the origional article go here:

http://www.micro-film-magazine.com/cublog/?p=125

It has all the pictures and such (to see the captions on the pictures, hold your cursor over it).

And of course I'm putting the article up here as well, but I suggest going to the link to read it.

Q&A du C-U: Eleanore Stasheff
“Muffins and Penguins and Lizards, Oh My!”
An interview with Eleanore Stasheff of EIDOLON and Sine Fine Films

by Jason Pankoke

I don’t watch television. Period. Well, except for peeking glances at the fare flickering on-and-off in the bars like schizophrenic, subtitled ghosts from beyond. And exercising my late-night right to speed-dial through the proverbial 57 channels with nothing on when I visit relatives. I did recently sit through my first complete football game in several years, actually, the one where the Cowboys stumped the Colts … Maybe I’m just fooling myself. Let’s revise the claim. We all watch the Boob Tube to some degree, whether deliberately or not.

However, I’ve been weaned off the daily need for such electronic boobery since college, when I closed out my formal education during the same weeks that CHEERS and NIGHT COURT finished their runs and student cliques gathered ‘round for weekly first-run helpings of THE X-FILES, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, and quality-era SIMPSONS. Pretty much anything that lights up my set these days comes straight from a cassette or a shiny silver disc, given the not-ready-for-prime-time mayhem that trickles in for advance review via MICRO-FILM, and I have yet to transform my computer into an unofficial teevee. I know that every day, every hour, I probably miss out on something worthwhile, and I don’t really mind at all.

In the case of Eleanore Stasheff’s work, I mind. Cable access and community college airwaves are the provinces for her shows, appearing with meager fanfare in half-hour fits of eager-to-please fantasy that make the neon-lit professional serials seem rote in comparison. I found out about this Urbana tale-spinner and her multi-part opus PANDORA’ S BOX (2001) while slaving for The Octopus a few years ago and, given my keen awareness that interesting things often start incognito – witness the basement “talk show” from upstate Aurora that inspired “Wayne’s World” on SNL – you would think I’d know better than to ignore the local listings. Eleanore’s heroines always seem one step ahead of me regardless, traversing space and time to rescue a handsome squire or crazy artifact with amusing quips at the ready, fading to black before I can materialize on the other side of the screen.

Maybe I’m being too hard on myself. Let’s reverse the curse, shall we?

Read on, MahDeer…

Jason Pankoke: Thanks a bunch for chatting with us for the third-ever original interview on C-U Blogfidential! Let’s talk first about the current status of Erion Entertainment, which has recently been rechristened Sine Fine Films for its 10th anniversary. What inspired the name change?

Eleanore Stasheff: Well, the company was originally called Starlight Productions, but then I found out that name was taken by about a billion other companies – or maybe 26 – so I changed the name to Erion Entertainment after a character in the first three movies, played by Jen Weber. The only problem is that the way I wanted the logo to look always made [Erion] seem like Tinkerbell, since she was a fairy who happened to wear sea-foam green.

I tried a bunch of different names but none of them seemed to work or feel right. So in the end, at the suggestion of Diana Neatrour, I created the logo first and then [settled on] Sine Fine Films which, in Latin, translates to “Without End” Films … and television shows are films without end. Also, I am notorious for never-ending filming days and projects, so you could also think of it as “filming without end.” Any of the actors who’ve been in my projects will tell you that it’s pretty much true.

JP: “Film Without End” actually sounds like a great concept for a future Sine Fine series! It would also be a good title for an Irwin Allen-style disaster epic, which have seemingly become in vogue on network television – a depressing development, really, given the real-life natural disasters that have occurred in recent years.

ES: I don’t think the rash of natural-disaster movies and television specials is unusual. Story telling themes go in cycles in the entertainment industry because they reflect the themes cycling through the audience [and their] human consciousness. Sometimes there is a rash of ghost movies, because the spiritualist and supernatural theme [in regards to the afterlife] is being desired and expressed. Or, there may be a rash of war movies, often dealing with a specific war, because the universal war theme is pervasive in the culture.

JP: In contrast, Sine Fine Films productions take their overt cues from another arena of storytelling that is usually more light-hearted – the fantasy-mystery filled with high adventure, clear-cut good and bad guys, stylish period garb, and magic spells aplenty. What is your inspiration for creating serials that emphasize thrills and escapism over, say, the “realism” that marks much of today’s television dramas?

ES: Unlike most filmmakers, my college degree is not in film. It’s a BA in University Studies – I’m qualified to study a university and say, “Yup! It’s a university!” – with an emphasis in Cinema and Anthropology and a minor in Classical Civilizations. (I can also say “Luke, I am your father” in Latin!) I have no high aspirations of creating great works of art or gritty hard-core dramas that will crush your spirit and win me an Emmy. I just want to tell a story. If you think about it, that’s all most filmmakers and television producers are – storytellers. If we lose sight of telling a good story, then what’s the point? I hate sitting through a two-hour movie that tells a story badly or doesn’t tell one at all.

So, why do I choose to tell stories the way I do? Several reasons: I love fantasy. I love magic and the supernatural. I love mythology. (I eat universal archetypes for breakfast … and lunch … and dinner, because they taste so yummy!) I love costumes. I grew up in the theater. (The first play I was ever in was Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.) My father is a science-fiction/fantasy author.

As for escapism, I ask you – what’s wrong with that? So many fancy critics and artsy filmmakers look down on escapism. They don’t want to use film to show people an illusion; they want reality. I don’t. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to pay 10 bucks to be depressed. I get enough of that for free.

I want to step outside my own world for an hour or two and live someone else’s life and have adventures and romance and live happily ever after even if it’s just for one night. I want that movie ticket to be a plane ticket to fly me off into another reality. I want to suspend my disbelief that the pyramids were not built by aliens, that there wasn’t anything in that windmill to make it blow up, and that the princess’ boobs were so not her own.

So, naturally, if that’s what I want to see, then that’s what I want to make.

JP: Yet, behind formulating the engaging story and embodying it in a satisfying dollop of escapism, there’s the real-life ethics of hard work and dedication that must go into the behind-the-scenes for the filmed story to take shape as intended. Most people are sure to take notice that you have produced several movies and numerous episodes since you began.

ES: I will admit to being unusually prolific for an amateur with a budget that strongly resembles the cost of a large pizza. I’ve produced, directed, edited, and costumed 10 movies and six television shows, and written all but two of the movies, resulting in more than 60 hours of edited programming – all in the last 10 years.

I have to say that I owe a huge thanks and a large amount of the success of my projects to the very hard-working, dedicated, and talented actors who also and often served as crew – many of whom did not know what they were getting into until it was too late. (I lock the doors at ten.) (No, that’s not true.) They’ve put up with a lot of very long, grueling days [involving] late hours, blistering hot, freezing cold, pouring rain, ravenous mosquitoes, and practically anything else you can imagine. Some of them have even been with me for all 10 years, which makes me wonder if they’re gluttons for punishment or just as crazy as I am…

JP: It’s extremely cool – and gratifying to you, I’m sure – that you have a mutual loyalty with the folks that you work with. Which Sine Fine players have been the consistent “regulars” over the years, and what qualities make the typical Sine Fine crew click, regardless of the scope of one’s contributions?

ES: The quintessential regular is by far Annamarie MacLeod. She’s been in more movies and TV shows than anyone else – 14 out of 16, in fact – and is one of the most talented and amazing actors I know. Jen Weber is another awesome actor who’s been in tons of projects – 12 out of 16. Another person I have to mention is Diana Neatrour who has not only acted in several, but is the script editor and my personal muse.

Also, every member of the MacLeod family has participated more than once, and their farm has been used as a shooting location almost as many times as Annamarie has appeared in a project. Mark, Michelle, Jacob, Chris, and Annamarie all are amazing performers and people; I couldn’t have done half of what I have without them. Every member of my own family has “volunteered” to participate, of course, but my brother Edward has been in [the most] – nine out of 16 – and he actually seems to enjoy it. Bonus!

Other people I’ll list according to who is most likely to be reading this article. I’d like to give a shout-out to the stunningly gorgeous and fabulously talented Margaret Olson, Rachel Anderson, Kate Weber, Nina Samii, Christopher Hutchens, Morgan Thomas, Brittany Whalen, James McKinley, Bryan Kieft, Syndi Eller, Russell Martin, Ryan Homberg, Michael Bunnel, Christine Komiskey-Kastorff, and Aaron Thomas.

What was the second part of the question? Oh, right, what qualities make the SFF crew click.

A sense of humor, I think, is the biggest thing. There are a lot of situations where we should be (and probably are) miserable, but still find ourselves laughing. There’s also a big sense of community on the set. For many of the actors, this is the only time they get to see each other because we’re not all from the same place, physically or otherwise. When you go through some of the things that happen on the set – such as [weathering] a 16-hour day covered in ripped clothing and fake blood, freezing in a dark, dank cellar or the middle of the woods – you tend to form a close bond. Moments like that can make you friends forever. God, I’m such a nice director!

JP: It’s probably a good thing that these folks are indeed friends, because given the demands of making movies or serials on a scrappy budget, it definitely takes something a bit extra to also remain friends of The Cause.

Maybe to get a perspective on what your works (and working conditions) are like, we should discuss your most recent long-form adventure, EIDOLON. If I remember correctly, the last time we talked in-depth, you were in the middle of hightailing it all over the great state of Illinois to shoot the project. I believe that you were intending this production to be the capper of “Stage 1” of what was called Erion Entertainment…

ES: I’m famous for saying, “I swear, this movie is going to be the last one I do – I’m not filming any more!” And I always make another one, so even though I intended not to make something after EIDOLON, I – of course – did. I have decided not to say that any more because I want to make something at least once a year, some small movie or something just for fun. I’m addicted to filming and editing.

EIDOLON thus far is the last of the large-scale TV shows because it’s expensive to film that much with that many people. Like a lot of my TV shows, however, it didn’t start out that big. It was supposed to be only eight half-hour episodes and ended up being 13 episodes. And, it was only supposed to be filmed over the course of three months during the summer, but in the end took almost a year to film.

It’s probably the biggest project I’ve undertaken to date because it involved actors and locations from all around the state. We filmed by Lake Michigan and by Goreville in southern Illinois as well as here in Champaign-Urbana, and many places in between. Of the six principal actors, two were from the Chicago area, two were from Champaign, one was from Pekin, and the other was from the Springfield area or Carbondale, depending on the time of year. Getting everyone together was challenging enough; add in the longer-than-planned shooting schedule, and weather also had to be factored in.

So, in many ways, it was a nightmare production-wise, but overall everyone had a blast and it’s a lot of fun. And, it looked great – that’s the important thing, right?

JP: Absolutely! One wonders if you might have set a record for the most locations ever used in Illinois for a single production. Or, at the least, the most miles logged.

ES: We filmed in more than 25 locations, so yeah, that’s a lot I guess. For a TV show, though, it doesn’t seem like it’s too many, but they were all over the place and that did make it challenging.

JP: I was hoping that we could recount what happens in EIDOLON, for those who have not seen the series, because I’m guessing that its mix of elements is pretty representative of your work to date – an obvious assumption, given that EIDOLON is a sequel to another one that also has a prequel.

ES: EIDOLON is about a teenager named Zelda who hates ghosts and hunts them down, trapping them in magic lockets. One day, she hunts the wrong ghost and ends up getting cursed to be a ghost. So, she becomes what she hates most and has to turn to the only person who cares about her for help, her legal guardian Maria. Beyond that, it starts to get confusing.

However, EIDOLON is more representative of my later work at SIU-Carbondale, but not my early stuff. The movie that really is a perfect summation of the “Yibbleverse,” as I like to call it, is the most recent movie, THE CURSED DESTINY OF PANDORA’S GIFT BOX, which takes the most common characters, plot devices, etc., in all of my movies and makes fun of them in a good way.

It’s about three sisters – a bitch, a nut, and a ditz – who all get cursed, then get a magic box which allows them to travel through time. They meet a prince whose throne was usurped by his evil uncle and an evil, power-mad villainess with a sidekick that is the suave and debonair “cursed ghost of a pirate sorcerer.” He promptly falls in love with the bitch, the prince and the ditz fall in love, and the nut carries on conversations about muffins and penguins with giant purple lizards. There are a lot of jokes, music montages, and costumes. It’s rather fabulous if I do say so myself, mostly because it plays off of cliché [found in] general adventure/fantasy movies, not just mine.

JP: Curiously, I just had framed a Ray Harryhausen exhibit poster, so you know what jumps out at me from your description, right? “Giant purple lizards.” [Laughs] I’d have to presume that we’re talking less Harryhausen animated majesty and more “Rats of Unusual Size” from THE PRINCESS BRIDE, but I digress heinously…

This is actually the first I’ve heard of CURSED DESTINY. Is this another series or a singular show, and would you consider it the legitimate “finale” to all your prior productions as Erion? I’m guessing that, maybe, this particular show was made less for public consumption and more for you and the Sine Fine faithful…

ES: The “giant purple lizard” is a very bizarre in-joke, actually. So is most of CURSED DESTINY, and yes, it was made mostly with members in mind. However, people who have never stepped on set and have never seen a single Sine Fine production have found it very funny as well. It features mostly Sine Fine regulars including Annamarie MacLeod, Margaret Olson, Kate Weber, Brittany Whalen, Bryan Kieft, Syndi Eller, Jen Weber, and newcomer Michael Steen.

It’s a very entertaining 32 minutes [and it] would make a fine “finale” to the Sine Fine Films productions, but I had too much fun making it (in one weekend), so I’ve decided to do something once a year – nothing as big as EIDOLON until I have actual crew and a large budget not provided by me. I won’t stop making movies until I die, I suspect. In fact, there may be one or two posthumous ones if someone else decides to edit them for me. But, that’s hopefully a long, long way off. Right. Anyway. Next question, please.

JP: Okay, next question – how does one get to watch your shows? Your main outlets since you began have been local PBS and cable access…

ES: Unfortunately, I can’t sell copies of my movies or shows because the music is not original and although the TV stations that have aired it have ASCAP and/or BMI licenses, I don’t and can’t profit from using other artists’ work – nor would I want to. I really need to become good friends with a composer. And an orchestra. Or, a band. That would help a lot. I can write, direct, produce, edit, costume, run camera, even do a little lighting and basic audio, but I can’t write music.

So, where can you view my past shows? Hopefully soon, on Urbana Public Television. All future projects will hopefully have original music and be shown on YouTube.com. Look for that sometime in the spring.

JP: Considering this area’s rich talent base in music, I’d think you would have no problem finding willing groups to score or provide tunes for your films. (Besides, could you imagine “An Eleanore Stasheff Movie” with music by Elsinore or The Eleanors? The alliteration boggles the mind!) Do you prefer “classic”/symphonic music a la John Williams, or a more pop/rock sound as in LADYHAWKE or LABYRINTH or, in a stylistic clash that has raised many a critic’s eyebrow recently, MARIE ANTOINETTE?

ES: I like all kinds of music, so my only preference is that the music adds to the story and helps emphasize the meaning of it. I can see why people didn’t like some of the music choices of MARIE ANTOINETTE, but I actually thought it worked well most of the time. The songs, like “I Want Candy” [by Bow Wow Wow], helped modern audiences connect to the vibrant and outrageous historical person and her legend. As long as the music helps tell a great story, that’s what I care about.

JP: If you eventually might have to re-edit the older shows in order to accommodate music that you can use outside of public television airings, would you consider condensing them in the spirit of the classic adventure serials, which studios re-released in the Forties and Fifties as feature-length stories? Many television series, such as THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., also received this treatment when going theatrical. I’d think that you could possibly grow an audience for your work if you had shortened programs to show publicly that wouldn’t necessarily leave an audience hanging too much.

ES: That’s a very interesting idea, actually – and one that I hadn’t thought about. I did the opposite with the DESTINY movies by turning them into a TV serial. However, a lot of the TV shows I’ve made would not be so easy to condense. For example, PANDORA’S BOX and THE GIFT BEARER could never be shortened to 120 minutes, they’re just too expansive and it would leave too much out that’s too important. And in the case of THE GIFT BEARER, it would probably make your brain explode if you tried. However, with both DREAM CHASERS and EIDOLON it could be possible, and in the case of DREAM CHASERS it might actually help [the show] make more sense!

JP: Begging the question, then – why have all of your “big” productions been full-on, multi-part serials to this point? I’m sure that one could wonder what path you might have taken had you concentrated your resources and stamina, of which you seem to have much more than the average no-budget filmmaker, on short subjects or feature-length projects. Several of your earlier works do clock in at less than an hour.

ES: It’s amazing how many times I’ve been asked this question. Even more amazing is the fact that I don’t really have a good answer for it. From what I understand, from other people’s stories, most filmmakers start off with home movies or recording short films in their backyard with their friends when they’re 10 or 12 or something like that. The first thing they make that’s got any editing or music added is usually 10 to 15 minutes, and it’s not usually the first thing they’ve ever done. I didn’t start out that way. My friends said, “Hey, let’s make a movie! Eleanore, you can write it.” So, I did.

DESTINY is the first movie I made [myself]. I had never even picked up a camera before that. Filming as a hobby or a career had never occurred to me; I was a theater person, though, so I knew the basics of putting a show together. DESTINY was fully scripted [and] fully edited (albeit on the two-VCR premise) with music montages, period costumes, 17 locations, and 25 actors. It was 61 minutes long, and I was 17. Never let it be said that I live life in moderation.

I fell in love with making movies and made a second, DESTINY II, which was similar to the first in length and scale. The third movie I made, DESTINY III, was a much larger project and ended up running three hours and 12 minutes. I made movies until I was in college and then edited the DESTINY TRILOGY as a mini-series for Parkland Television [at Parkland College in Champaign]. Next was PANDORA’S BOX and it was originally supposed to be four episodes. It ended up [running for] 24. With episodic television, the story could go so much further, develop and change and grow [and since] what I love most of all is being able to tell a good story, I became addicted to making TV shows.

Now I’m working with Brian Paris on a short film (10-15 minutes) to focus my creative energy on quality more so than quantity – not to say that my other stuff wasn’t quality, of course, it just lacked a lot on the technical end.

JP: Will this be separate from the Yibbleverse?

ES: I’m hoping to co-brand it with the Sine Fine Films logo since it’s a joint project. However, it will be very different from most of my previous endeavors because it will be much shorter and actually have a crew, nice equipment, lighting, etc. In other words, it will have technical standards, not just, “Shoot the darn thing, I don’t care if it is dark and raining!”

JP: You mean dark and stormy nights weren’t a pre-planned running motif in your shows?

ES: It’s Illinois, Jason. It’s very rare that the weather cooperates for more than five minutes. Thunderstorms never pay attention to the shooting schedule anyway.

JP: True. Moving on … Will the new short be independently produced like all your other work? Also, how do you balance the demands of your own projects and the proverbial day job, which in your case happens to be as an editor for our local PBS television station and, therefore, in the same relative ballpark?

ES: Yes, the new short will be independently produced. As for how I balance the demands of my own projects with the demands of my oh-so-wonderful editing job at WILL-TV, that’s easy. Work comes first. After all, without work to provide a paycheck, there would be no money to make projects. And I find my work very rewarding. I have learned far more from working at WILL than I could learn on my own.

Primarily, I edit promotional spots, but I also get to produce and edit segments for the local show PRAIRIE FIRE. I find the latter particularly challenging and have learned an immense amount about location production, as well as new and innovative ways to tell a story. My favorite projects for PRAIRIE FIRE include segments about Cave-In-Rock State Park, George Rogers Clark, Fort Des Chartres in Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana. Currently I’m working on a segment about Edgar Lee Masters and the Spoon River Valley that is promising to be quite excellent, if I do say so myself.

However, since I have a creative outlet at work, I don’t push to be constantly filming TV shows and movies on my own any more. Now I’m concentrating on quality over quantity in my independent work. Oh, and having lots of fun, of course.

JP: It’s interesting that you single out the segment about a regional author. Have you ever considered adapting any of your father’s writings?

ES: Yes, I have, and his influence is everywhere in my work. However, most of his books would require a budget in order to make them as good as I would want to make them. I could adapt one of his short stories…

JP: … and there is one particular place where the implied budget of large proportions could be obtained for adapting your father’s science fiction stories properly if you make the right connections and deals – Hollywood. What became of the Big Move that you were considering a couple of years ago while making EIDOLON?

ES: The Big Move is still planned as an eventuality, but there is no set date. There are a number of reasons for this. Mostly, I don’t want to be one of those people who go flying out there with $10, big dreams, and no back-up plan, only to come crawling back home a year later completely broken. I have no doubt that I am an intelligent, talented, and creative writer/director/producer/editor who could excel in any one of those jobs. But, in many ways, I am not as much of a risk-taker as I would like to be. When I get into a comfort zone, it takes a lot to push myself out of it. And since I loathe “plastic” people, big cities, no changing seasons, and a seemingly endless amount of warm, sunny days, you can understand my reluctance to move there.

Seriously, dude, I could be a vampire if it wasn’t for the whole blood thing. I refer to my small, dark edit bay as my “bat cave,” and if I could take a nap by hanging upside down from the ceiling, I’d be set!

F I V E & O U T
Tell us, Miss Yibbleverse:

• What you’ve made:

10 movies, six TV shows, 22 segments for PRAIRIE FIRE, more than 100 DVDs and VHS tapes, several dozen costumes, 54 new friends, and a hole in my personal finances that you could drive a truck through.

DESTINY (1996)
Fantasy adventure

DESTINY II (1996-7)
A prequel with an oh-so-original name

DESTINY III (1997)
The first two worked, so let’s try a third!

FRUMPY GETS IT (1997)
Horrible murder mystery, enough said…

THE DRAGON & THE UNICORN (1997-8)
Gothic tale about reincarnation

THE KING OF ELFLIN’S DAUGHTER (1998)
Celtic-based fairytale

THE PERFECT COMBINATION (1998)
Modern romantic, slapstick comedy

THE VIGIL (1998)
Dramatic tale dealing with death and the afterlife, written by Joel Peirson

MIND GAMES (1998-9)
Psychological sci-fi about Death roaming a spaceship, written and co-directed by Edward Stasheff

DESTINY THE MINI-SERIES (1999)
Gosh, I loved the trilogy so much I did some extra filming, revamped it, and edited it all into a TV show – 12 half-hour episodes

PANDORA’S BOX (1999-2000)
Post-apocalyptic dark ages in central Illinois – 24 half-hour episodes

THE CURSE (2001)
Ghosts and curses and archaeology, oh my! – 8 half-hour episodes

THE GIFT BEARER (2001-2)
Three sisters travel through time – 21 half-hour episodes

DREAM CHASERS (2002)
I’m not really sure what this one’s about, other than it’s a dark and weird prequel to THE CURSE – 8 half-hour episodes

EIDOLON (2003-5)
Sequel to THE CURSE … I just can’t get enough of them curses! – 13 half-hour episodes

THE CURSED DESTINY OF PANDORA’S GIFT BOX (2006)
A spoof of all my other movies and TV shows

• Which do you like best – film, video, or digital:

Digital video transferred onto film. Mostly, I just use video, though.

• Where is your geographical preference – Champaign, Urbana, the UIUC campus, or beyond city limits:

Wherever there’s a nice-looking location that pleads with me to film in it, usually beyond city limits. I’m highly partial to southern Illinois.

• What is the one movie project that you would like to do someday that nobody will ever see coming:

Ooh, that’s hard to say because I’ve worked in so many different genres over the years, including documentary, that I don’t think I could surprise anyone with anything I did. Except possibly to stop filming altogether … and actually follow through with it. No one would see that coming!

• Apart from your own movies, the one underappreciated gem that you think people should bend over backwards to check out is:

There are so many movies that are under-appreciated, but three of my favorites are LOVE ACTUALLY, EVER AFTER, and DUDLEY DO-RIGHT. Yes, you heard that right – DUDLEY DO-RIGHT.

LOVE ACTUALLY is one of the best movies that I have ever seen. It’s sweet, poignant, meaningful, and its overall message is portrayed beautifully through the (mostly) separate stories of several individuals. It’s the only movie that I have ever seen that attempts to make a single story out of several little stories that actually flowed into a true narrative.

EVER AFTER is a wonderful example of re-telling a fairy tale with modern ideas and influences without making the modern bits seem too out-of-place. And, it has Leonardo da Vinci and great costumes. What more could you ask for?

I have yet to meet anyone who agrees with me that DUDLEY DO-RIGHT is actually a good movie, but that’s because most people don’t understand the concept of melodrama. Yes, it’s over the top. It’s supposed to be over the top. If you like good, old-fashioned melodrama with all the standard characters, the nods to the audience that break the fourth wall, and general random silliness, then you will love DUDLEY DO-RIGHT.

Interview conducted September-November 2006 via e-mail.

All photos courtesy of Eleanore Stasheff/Sine Fine Films
except * taken by JaPan.

Web Source: Eleanore Stasheff [sinefinefilms@yahoo.com]

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:25:15 GMT

I sent this out in an email but figured I should post it too.

Hey all,

I'm finishing up the 10 year anniversary DVD (I'm WAY behind on making DVDs by the way) and I'm doing a special feature of "Things you've always wanted to know but were afraid to ask". So if you have any questions (like why do you always use costumes? Why do you never spell check, etc.) please send them along. I'll be taking questions through the end of the week.

Also, if anyone would like to submit a short paragraph of things they've learned from filming, please do. There's a special Feature called "All I Need to Know I learned on Yibble's Set." If you want to send something in but want it to be posted anonymusly in the DVD let me know and I can do that.

Thanks!

--yibble

Order Form

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 14:53:23 GMT

Below is an order form (more order and less form) for DVDs and expected release dates on them. When in doubt assume the end of the month.

Destiny, the Miniseries (4 Disc set) -- Expected release date: September, 2006
Destiny, the Miniseries REMASTERED (ie re-edited and not from crappy VHS tapes) (4 Disc set) -- Expected release date: June, 2008

Frumpy Gets It -- will never see the light of day again! (unless you were in it and ask really nicely)

The Dragon and the Unicorn (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: January, 2007

The King of Elflin's Daughter (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: November, 2006

The Perfect Combination "Remastered" (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: November, 2006

The Vigil "Remastered" (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: December, 2006

Mind Games "Remastered" (2 Disc set) -- Expected release date: June, 2007

Pandora's Box (8 Disc set) -- Expected release date: October, 2006

The Curse (2 Disc set) -- Expected release date: Already available!

The Gift Bearer (6 Disc set) -- Expected release date: July, 2006

Dream Chasers (2 Disc set) -- Expected release date: August, 2006

Eidolon (4 Disc set) -- Expected release date: Unknown (I have to talk to Brit about this one)

The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: June, 2006

The 10 Year Anniversary Video (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: June, 2006

The Final Frank Awards (from 1999) -- Expected release date: August, 2007

The Gypsy Wanderers (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: Unknown (I still have to track down a few performances)

Sine Fine Shorts (1 Disc) -- Expected release date: Unknown (I still have to track down a few films)

Available Now -- The Curse (2 Disc set)
June, 2006 -- The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box (1 Disc), The 10 Year Anniversary Video (1 Disc)
July, 2006 -- The Gift Bearer (6 Disc set)
August, 2006 -- Dream Chasers (2 Disc set)
September, 2006 --Destiny, the Miniseries (4 Disc set)
October, 2006 -- Pandora's Box (8 Disc set)
November, 2006 -- The King of Elflin's Daughter (1 Disc), The Perfect Combination "Remastered" (1 Disc)
January, 2007 -- The Vigil "Remastered" (1 Disc)
February, 2007 -- The Dragon and the Unicorn (1 Disc)
June, 2007 -- Mind Games "Remastered" (2 Disc set)
August, 2007 -- The Final Frank Awards (from 1999)
June, 2008 -- Destiny, the Miniseries "Remastered" (4 Disc set)
Unknown -- Eidolon (4 Disc set)
Unknown -- The Gypsy Wanderers (1 Disc)
Unknown -- Sine Fine Shorts (1 Disc)

Please specifiy if you want the following:

-->Just the DVDs (free) -- Write PLAIN at the top of your order

-->DVDs with (colored) box and cover ($1.50 for the box and cover per Disc) -- Write EXTRAS at the top of your order

-->DVDs with black box and covers ($3 for the box and cover per Disc) -- Write DELUXE at the top of your order

If you live far away I ask that you pay for shipping unless otherwise specified by me (ie Danny and Christine don't have to pay for shipping cause I owe them one). In most cases (but not all) I ask that payment be sent AFTER the item has been shipped (Danny paid me seven years ago for tapes he has yet to recieve, that's why he's getting deluxe with free shipping -- sorry Danny!) Let me know if you want to wait until they're all done and ship them all to you (for multiple movies/shows) or if you want them shipped as they are finished.

***Please note: Currently Sine Fine Films is a non-profit organization, the cost mentioned above is only to cover the cost of producing the fancy extras. The DVDs themselves (and the video on them obviously) are not for sale. These videos are mostly being offered to the people who were in them. If you were not in them and are interested in a copy please send me a private message expressing your interest with the movie you are interested in. Thanks for your understanding.***

edit:

Questions:

These are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (ie asked once, which is once more then they had been):

EXTRAS VS DELUXE:

The EXTRAS edition DVDs come with a movie size DVD cover, it's a colored (red, green, yellowy orange, blue, or purple depending on the show) slim case. The DVD will have nice writing on it sharpie, but no fancy picture like most movie DVDs.

The DELUXE edition DVDs come with a regular movie size and style black box (which are more expensive then the slim cases) and will have the fancy picture label on the DVD itself.

There is no difference between the two in terms of the covers, except that the writing on the side will be nicer on the Deluxe version (ie typed, not sharpied). The front and back cover will actually be printed out photos (5x7) that will be afixed in place via a sturdy gluey substance. The reason for this is Kinkos print out system is being a punk. And trust me -- the photos look nicer.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Every DVD comes with special features if there are any to add with one exception (the Final Frank Awards has no special features). All of the special features include bloopers from that movie/show. For the movie that's mostly all it is, but for the TV shows there are things like Still Galleries, Making Of and other Featurettes, Promos/commericals/trailers, basically anything I have lying around that relates to the movie or show. Possibly Director's commentary as well, but I haven't decided yet. Each case will state what it has.

MULTIPLE DISC SETS:

Obviously all of the TV shows have to be slipt across multiple DVDs. I can fit basically a little more then two hours on a DVD with the way I know how to format it, so each disc will contain 4 episodes. In some cases (mainly GB and PB) there is so much extra stuff and a lot of bloopers that the special features disc will basically have a disc of its own. The only movie to require 2 DVDs is Mind Games, because it is just over 2 hours and there are a lot of funny bloopers, plus a making of featurette and some other stuff I'll be putting on there so it will require a seperate disc for the special features. If you do not want the Mind Games special features disc and only want the movie, please specify.

edit #2:
The following DVDs have been added to the list above:

The Gypsy Wanderers
A collection of as many performances from both the first and second groups as I can track down. Special Features will include a still gallery, How to Dress Like a Gypsy Wanderer Featurette, How to Dance Like a Gypsy Wanderer Featurette, and a Brief History of the Gypsy Wanderers (by Stick Figure Theatre)

Sine Fine Shorts (and other mini-films)
A collection of all the short films and class projects I've produced over the years. Includes Trojan Women, Nightmares, Rick Orr Florist (Short bio-doc), Allerton Conference Center (commerical/doc), Homework, Day Dreams, The Long Take, and the shorts I produced for the SPC-TV show Tape and a Stick including The Walking Stick, The Adventures of Lucifer Jones, The MEDEA School of Melodrama, and Attack of the Cookie People.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINE FINE FILMS!

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:05:55 GMT

Yes, today is the official birthday of Sine Fine Films. Ten years ago on this very day Tanino Minneci and Chris Hutchens stepped in front of the camera and goofed off:

And that was the beginning of a new era, or the begining of the end of free time depending on how you like to look at it.

Also, happy birthday to Sine Fine member Andrew Thomas (he'll be the actor of the week next week in honor of it).

One more thing...

Thu, 25 May 2006 15:36:54 GMT

One more thing: people are asking if they can bring significant others and family members to the movie and video at the savoy (and other events).

Go for it. No problem at all. Just give me a heads up of how many you're bringing to what so I can let the appropriate people know how many to expect.

Also, the movie theater is not charging admission to see this (just so you know). It's a private rental so don't worry about that.

Okay, I think that's everything.

Reunion Reminder and One Last Change

Mon, 22 May 2006 14:59:51 GMT

I emailed this to everyone that I have addresses for, but if you didn't get it let me know. I figured I'd post it too, just in case:

If you have not yet RSVPed please do so! Thanks!

IMPORTANT!!! If you are planning on crashing at my place PLEASE let me know. In fact you have to let me know. If you do not let me know ahead of time you will not be able to. I can only fit so many people on my floor, just so you know. So reserve your bit of carpet right now!

--yibble

THE STARLIGHT PRODUCTIONS/SINE FINE FILMS 10 YEAR REUNION

When: Memorial Day Weekend, 2006 (Mostly on Sunday, May 28)

SATURDAY, May 27 -- CHANGE!!!!!

7pm -- I realized I have no way to actually show the movie to more then six people at a time (if they're friendly) so we're going to show the movie at the movie theater on sunday morning. So once again saturday night is just a general get together (at my place: 206 S. Grove St., Apt 14 in Urbana).

SUNDAY, May 28:

9am -- 10:30am -- "world" premiere of the latest Sine Fine Films Production: The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box and Reunion Video Viewing at The Savoy 16 Movie Theater. --CHANGE!!!!

***CAUTION: due to limited time reserved at the theater the movie will start promptly at 9am so you might want to get to the theater around 8:50 or so. and there will be no intermission between the movie and the reunion video. Just so you know.***

12pm-? -- Potluck Lunch and Bonfire at the MacLeods. This will be the premium smooshing time for all with good frolicking fun at the farm.

MONDAY, May 29

10:00am - 12pm -- Picnic at Allerton Park (hopefully
in the Fu Dog Garden). For those of you who have monday off and are semi-concious after sunday's partying. FYI: I'm no longer buying food for this one, just so you know. ;)

If you need directions let me know.

*whew* okay, so that's everything. RSVP me people!

REUNION UPDATES!!!

Mon, 08 May 2006 18:22:09 GMT

I finally have a location for the 10 year video presentation, but it means drastic rescheduling of pretty much all the events, so here goes:

THE STARLIGHT PRODUCTIONS/SINE FINE FILMS 10 YEAR REUNION

REVISED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS!!!!!

When: Memorial Day Weekend, 2006 (Mostly on Sunday, May 28)

SATURDAY, May 27

7pm -- "world" premiere of the latest Sine Fine Films Production: The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box
followed by general get together (at my place: 206 S. Grove St., Apt 14 in Urbana). I'm buying the pizza, so I'll need RSVPs on this one.

SUNDAY, May 28:

9am -- 10am -- Video Viewing at The Savoy 16 Movie Theater.
Yup, we'll finally be on the big screen. One movie theater auditorium thingy is being rented out just for us! The video is a collection of touching montages (not that many I promise) recaping the last 10 years and a whole lot of bloopers (The Best of The Bloopers actually).

***CAUTION: Yes, I know it's rather early, but it's in keeping with filming tradition of getting up earlier then you'd like to on a sunday -- and it's the only time I could get the theater for.***

12pm-? -- Potluck Lunch and Bonfire at the MacLeods
This will be the premium smooshing time for all with good frolicking fun at the farm. Feel free to bring a sleeping bag and crash on the lawn, though we may be partying until dawn (who knows).

MONDAY, May 29

10:00am - 12pm -- Picnic at Allerton Park (hopefully in the Fu Dog Garden). For those of you who have monday off and are semi-concious after sunday's partying. FYI: I'm no longer buying food for this one, just so you know. ;)

The 10 year Reunion -- Please RSVP

Tue, 02 May 2006 15:57:32 GMT

I sent this out in an email, but just in case some of you didn't get it here it is again:

Remember that amatuer movie/tv show you participated in years back? Yup, 10 years later we're still going!

It's the Starlight Productions/Sine Fine Films 10 Year Anniversary Reunion!

Although many things have changed over the years, the name of the company included, there's one thing that hasn't changed -- the Sine Fine Commitment to coming up with an excuse to get together and have a lot of fun goofing off. And this time we won't be filming! Much. Maybe 1 camera in the back, but no costumes I promise!

THE STARLIGHT PRODUCTIONS/SINE FINE FILMS 10 YEAR REUNION

When: Memorial Day Weekend, 2006 (Mostly on Sunday, May 28)

Saturday, May 27 at 7pm -- for anyone already in town on saturday night we'll have a get together (at my place: 206 S. Grove St., Apt 14 in Urbana). Order pizza, watch some old movies or episodes and just hang out (and maybe play some starlight board games or something). I'm buying the pizza, so I'll need RSVPs on this one.

Sunday, May 28:

10:30am - 12pm -- Picnic Brunch at Allerton Park (hopefully in the Fu Dog Garden). I'm buying the brunch, so I'll need RSVPs on this one too.

1pm-1:45pm -- "world" premiere of the latest Sine Fine Films Production: The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box (location TBA until I get a head count)

2pm -- 4pm -- Video Viewing at (location is still TBA, but it may be the boathouse at Crystal Lake Park). The video is a collection of touching montages (not that many I promise) recaping the last 10 years and a whole lot of bloopers (The Best of The Bloopers actually).

5pm-? -- Potluck Dinner and Bonfire at the MacLeods
This will be the premium smooshing time for all with good frolicking fun at the farm. Feel free to bring a sleeping bag and crash on the lawn, though we may be partying until dawn (who knows).

I don't have everyone's email address or phone number anymore (if I ever did), so if you know someone who participated that isn't listed in the "to" or "cc" list please pass the message on to them. I want to make it clear that EVERYONE is invited to this-- the only requirement is that you participated in a Starlight/Sine Fine Project (and yes, you can bring a buddy)***

This is only a month away, so I really would appriciate a general RSVP if you are planning to come to the video or farm part, but definately need to know if you'll be coming to either of the other two events (so PLEASE RSVP!!). Even if you already RSVPd in January, please do so again. Thanks!

THANKS EVERYONE and I hope to see you on May 28!

--Yibble

***(This is meant to be a fun get together for people that may not have seen each other in 8 or 10 years, so if you are coming only to laugh at, make fun of, and ridicule people and the reunion you may be asked to leave)

Army of Annamarie

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:38:00 GMT

All thigns considered, I thought the shot turned out really well. And even though you can't really tell it's all Annamarie in the still shot you can definately tell it in the moving video.

Fun fact: This is the most elaborate shot I have ever done -- both in filming and in editing. The final version took 11 video tracks and 18 audio tracks to put 9 versions of Annamarie on the screen at the same time.

The Cursed Destiny of Pandora's Gift Box -- Pictures!

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:31:28 GMT

There will be more of these later on as well as a recap of shooting.

Annamarie Dopplegangers

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:25:24 GMT

Annamarie, these are the costumes you would be needing. As you can see most of them are stuff I'll be providing.

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:52:51 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--April 2 - April 8--

Congratulations to Tyson Thorp -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Tyson joined the company in the summer of 2000 when he guest starred in the three-part episode Chosen Darkness in Pandora's Box as Mordecai, an evil magical-energy vampire (no relation to the character in the Curseiverse). He suffered greatly playing this role -- mostly because he was dressed in layers of black doing action scenes in ninety-degree weather. Sorry Tyson, my bad. But despite the physical difficulties of playing the role, he did a great job and I would love to work with him again (although I think he swore off acting after doing that show. sorry about that too). He was also the cameraman and co-producer of a great show on SPC-TV called B minus TV (or B- TV). I'm not sure what he's doing now, but hopefully he's having fun. Go Tyson!!

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 22:41:34 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--February 13 - February 19--

Congratulations to Morgan Dietkus -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Morgan joined the company way back during Destiny in 1996 when I convinced her to join in the movie while backstage at the Youth Theater production of Music Man. In Destiny she played Maggie, the leader of the OOPS bandits. During the next several years she played several extras, bit parts, and side characters -- always ready and willing to jump into the any role whenever she could. After playing Captain Jeri in several episodes of Pandora's Box, she stepped out of Sine Fine Productions for awhile (mostly cause I moved to Carbondale and started producing down there). I have recently gotten back in contact with her and discovered that she is still persuing her acting endevors in college and community theater (and in the WILL-TV produced documentary Ten Sisters), and her acting which was always pretty good is FRICKIN AMAZING NOW! Morgan is a powerhouse of talent and I am longing to finally (FINALLY!) work with her in a lead/principal part and watch her dominate the screen with her awesomeness. Morgan, you rock!

Order Form

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:35:24 GMT

Here's the order form I emailed to people. There will be some changes to it by march possibly, but here it is:

I will (I WILL DAMNIT!) have copies of all the shows and movies, many if not all of them on DVD available for people at the reunion on May 28, 2006. I will need orders ahead of time so I can have them done in time. I will have DVD burning capablities by then, but I'm not sure how high tech they will be I'll know more by March, so I may send out another order form in march. So...I guess just be thinking about what you want. All of these will be available in VHS or DVD form. I only ask for the cost of the tape/DVD in
return ($1) and if you want a fancy box with a fancy cover then it's $1 for the box and $1 for the cover (unless people know a cheaper place, if so let me know). Some of you (at least one) have paid in the past and not neccesarily received the items so, you'll get everything in deluxe. (sorry about that).

So here's a list of what you can get:

VIDEOS:
Destiny, The mini-series
The Dragon and The Unicorn
The King of Elflin's Daughter
The Perfect Combination
The Vigil
Mind Games
Pandora's Box (will require multiple tapes or DVDs)
The Gift Bearer (will require multiple tapes or DVDs)
The Curse
Dream Chasers
Eidolon (will require multiple tapes or DVDs)
The Cursed Destiny of Time Travels Box
The Starlight Productions Final Frank Awards (from
1998, please don't laugh)
The Best of the Bloopers (from everything)
Shooting Stars: 10 Years of Starlight Productions/SineFine Films (includes montages, promos, and interviews with some of the actors who were in multiple productions)

SOUNDTRACKS:
Destiny
Pandora's Box
The Gift Bearer
The Curse
Dream Chasers
Eidolon (2 CD set or 1 CD of mp3s)
The Sound of Starlight (compilation of the movie and tv show theme songs)

Warning, the quality on Destiny, Pandora's Box, The Gift Bearer, and all the movies (except Perfect Combination) is not great because it's a VHS dub onto a DVD. I may re-edit some of the movies before Memorial day, but don't count on it. Just letting you know. Mind you a VHS dub to DVD will still be better then a VHS to VHS dub.

Just write back and let me know what you want!
Thanks!
--Yibble

Okay, so it's not really a form. Whatever. And I decided that for the "Shooting Stars: 10 Years of Starlight Productions/Sine Fine Films" interviews I will interview whoever participates in the Cursed Destiny movie who has participated in two or more productions (including that one). And I'll grab one from Diana too, if she's okay with that.

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:06:46 GMT

I sent this in an email to everyone, but if you didn't get it here it is (and if you didn't get it let me know):

Guess what's turning 10?!? Remember that amatuer movie/tv show you participated in years back? Yup, 10 years later we're still going!

It's the Starlight Productions/Sine Fine Films 10 Year Anniversary Reunion!

Although many things have changed over the years, the name of the company included, there's one thing that hasn't changed -- the Sine Fine Commitment to coming up with an excuse to get together and have a lot of fun goofing off. And this time we won't be filming! Much. Maybe 1 camera in the back, but no costumes I promise!

I don't know about anyone else but this group of people and the filmings I've done with everyone over the years have completely changed my life. For most of you I'm sure it's not that dramatic, but hopefully there is some fondless for the people you met on the set. If you are one of the dozens of people who miss the old gang and the good times, now is the chance to see those people again! (assuming they come. Which is you. So you should come. Right, anyway...). So before I babble any further let me give you the important info:

THE STARLIGHT PRODUCTIONS/SINE FINE FILMS 10 YEAR REUNION

When: Memorial Day Weekend, 2006 (Mostly on Sunday, May 28)

Saturday, May 29 at 7pm -- for anyone already in town on saturday night we'll have a get together (location TBA, probably my place). Order pizza, watch some old movies or episodes and just hang out (and maybe play some starlight board games or something). I'm buying the pizza, so I'll need an RSVPs on this one.

Sunday, May 28:

10:30am -- Picnic Brunch at Allerton Park (hopefully in the Fu Dog Garden). I'm buying the brunch, so I'll need an RSVPs on this one too.

1pm-3:30pm -- Video Viewing at (location is still TBA, but it may be the boathouse at Crystal Lake Park). The video is a collection of touching montages (not that many I promise) recaping the last 10 years and a whole lot of bloopers (The Best of the Best of The Bloopers actually). It won't be two and a half hours but that's how long I'll have the space for.

5pm-? -- Potluck Dinner and Bonfire at the MacLeods (and yes, I have asked them and they have agreed though I do need to go over the details with them at some point. I need to figure out the details at some point...). This will be the premium smooshing time for all with good frolicking fun at the farm. More then likely sleeping over (ie crashing on the lawn) will be acceptable if not encouraged, but I have to check on that with them first.

Some of you may wonder why I'm sending this out in January when it's not until May. Two reasons:

1. That's cause I know a lot of you are no longer in Champaign (or even in Illinois) anymore and if you really want to come may need to plan ahead. I really would appriciate a general RSVP if you are planning to come to the video or farm part, but definately need to know if you'll be coming to either of the other two events (so PLEASE RSVP!!).

2. I don't have everyone's email address or phone number anymore (if I ever did), so I need people to help me out by either letting other Starlight/Sine Fine people know about it or getting me their email addresses (cause I can't track everyone down) and I want to make it clear that EVERYONE is invited to this -- the only requirement is that you participated in a Starlight/Sine Fine Project. (if however you intend to come just to mock other people and make fun of everyone, please reconsider).

So please spread the word and RSVP! And for those of you who have received the general notice of this reunion before but there was a different date for it (in June) it has been moved back to Memorial day weekend to accomodate out of town people. Sorry about the confusion.

Oh, and I will (I WILL DAMNIT!) have copies of all the shows and movies, many if not all of them on DVD available for people. I'll send out order forms in another email. I will need orders ahead of time so I can have them done in time.

THANKS EVERYONE and I hope to see you on May 28!

--Yibble

PS: I really hope I'm not the only one looking forward to this, and if I am, that's okay cause I know I'm a huge dork.

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:31:00 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--January 30 - February 5--

Congratulations to Logan Akers -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Logan Akers joined the company in early 2001 during the shooting of The Curse. He was a fellow film student who agreed to take on the guest appearence role of Martin Brown, Madam Maggie's potato-chip loving spirit guide, in Episode 2. Although his hectic schedule did not allow him much time on the set, he did a great job as the laid back Martin having to fix the problems Maggie and the others create. I know he was persuing a career in director rather then acting and wherever he is now I wish him the best of luck!

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 19:17:12 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--January 23 - January 29--

Congratulations to Bryan Kieft -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Ah Bryan, what can I say about this fabulous fabulous guy (besides the fact that he's fabulous)? Bryan joined the company during the tv show "Eidolon" and tackled the challenging part of both Morpheus and Namtaru -- the fatherly protective type and the villian of the show, respectively. Neither character seemed to be on screen long enough, but lit up the screen when he did appear in either form and was perfect in the scene he got to act with himself. Appearing to be two completely different characters is never an easy task for an actor and Bryan excelled at it. His natural energy and personal charisma carried beyond real life and the camera was as enchanted with him as everyone else. I only wish I'd drafted him several projects ago, and I confess that one of the reasons I long to do another (VERY SHORT) project is so that I can work with him again. (and so he'll give me neck rubs to get out a shooting day) ;) Above all Bryan taught me that magic is real and allowed me to throw out most of the special effects, since he was able to naturally shoot fireballs out of his fingers and sit sideways on walls. Bryan, you're awesome.

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:50:56 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--January 16 - January 22--

Congratulations to Ryan Davis -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Ryan first joined Sine Fine Films when he was drafted last minute as one of the Council of Sorcerers in Dream Chasers. He had to stand in the cold and snowing in a poofy robe freezing and glancing at a script that I don't think he'd seen before. But I really like the way he delivered the lines and how he played the part he'd been thrown in and so when the operunity arose to have him appear in Eidolon I jumped at the chance. He exceeded all expectations and battled hectic scheduling and stomach flu to deliver a fabulous performance guest starring as Todd Macnemara in Episode 2. My only regret is that he was only in the one episode. Ryan is a great actor with natural talent and wonderful comic timing and I wish him all the best in his future endevors.

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 19:19:37 GMT

ACTOR OF THE WEEK
--January 8 - January 15--

Congratulations to Melina Trejo -- this week's Actor of the Week!

Melina first joined Sine Fine Films back in the days when it was still Starlight Productions (which really wasn't that long ago I guess) during Destiny III. She appeared as an extra in numerous scenes and as a merchant with a few lines, but she also enjoyed helping out behind the scenes and by the end of the summer she had become the Assisstant Director for the movie. She went on to be the Assisstant Director for The Dragon and the Unicorn (as well as an extra) and was such a huge help on both films that I decided to write a movie for her to star in. She did a great job as the title lead in the movie The King of Elflin's Daughter. After that movie she disappeared from Sine Fine Films and (I think) moved to California. Melina has been a dedicated assisstant director and an eager actress and I wish her all the best wherever she is.