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RIFF 2015 MUSIC VIDEOS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2015
LOBBY & NETWORKING EVENT
MUSIC VIDEO SHOWCASE
Continuously All Three Days: Hamilton Stage Lobby*
Friday, August 28, 2015
6:30pm-7:30pm: Opening Night Gala Cocktail Hour**
Fazioli Room
Saturday, August 29, 2015
8:00-9:00pm: Lobby Networking Hour*
Hamilton Stage Lobby
Thirteen original music videos will be showcased in the Hamilton Stage Lobby & Networking Events throughout the festival and separate from Film Competition.
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Black Sheep (CA, USA)
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Dead Man's Trunk (NJ, USA)
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Guacamole (NJ, USA)
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How Could I Have Been So Wrong? (Australia)
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LastCall (CA, USA)
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Look Back Once (OR, USA)
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Only Wanna Party (MI, USA)
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Open To See (NJ, USA)
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Our People (NY, USA)
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So What (CA, USA)
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Surface Hercules (CA, USA)
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Two Week Disease (NJ, USA)
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When the Moon Collapses (NJ, USA)
*Tickets are not required to visit the Hamilton Stage Lobby. All tickets include access to the Saturday Lobby Networking Hour.
**Opening Night Gala: "28 Minute Epic" tickets includes access to the Friday Night Cocktail Hour.
"Black Sheep" by Chloe Jean
Music Video
Country of Origin: California, USA
Description: Black Sheep is the story of a woman's struggle with conformity and the challenge to understand why she stands out and is different from everyone else. She must learn to accept those traits and qualities that make her special and unique. This song follows her path of introspection, acceptance, discovery and the celebration of who she is, not what society wants her to be.
Director | Producer | Editor: Robin Parker
Robin Parker was born in San Francisco but raised in the City of Martinez. Robin has written and directed several short films and is an alumni member of Scary Cow Productions, an Indie film co-op based in San Francisco, California. She is currently at work on a feature documentary with director Amy Sakaue, which tells the story of Japanese laborers migrating from Japan to America at the end of World War II. In addition, Robin is also in pre-production for her short film titled 'Cravings After Dark', and with director Michelle Sellers’ feature length film titled 'Summer Air'.
Artist Bio: As a singer/songwriter Chloe Jean finds inspiration in everyday situations and turns them into heartfelt lyrics. A pop-R&B artist at heart, Chloe branched out and the first song she ever produced was used as the theme song for the TV pilot, Izzy Unleashed. Her writing partnership with music producer Scott Urquhart has inspired her to write some amazing Pop/R&B originals that are currently being released on Access Music Records.
Websites:
"Dead Man's Trunk" by The Battery Electric
Music Video
Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA
Description: Dead Man’s Trunk is the fantasy of Ron Santee, Brent Bergholm, and Alex Rosen (also known as Asbury Park’s very own The Battery Electric – represented by Little Dickman Records). The song was the perfect track for a cartoon video due to its visual story-telling approach. According to Bergholm in an interview on popbreak.com, “The song is about a serial killer with a dead body in his trunk entangled in a police chase in the Nevada desert. The video basically follows the story of the lyrics just with a more humorous twist.” Lead singer and character actor Ron Santee plays the protagonist while friends of the band make cameo appearances in both the real world and as cartoon avatars.
Director and Animator: Mike Richison
After calling the Detroit, Michigan area home for a number of years, Mike relocated to New Jersey in 2007. He is currently a professor at Monmouth University where he teaches motion graphics and sculpture. He is a multimedia artist who utilizes a variety of media and approaches.
Animator: Pablo Marin
Mexico City born yet raised in New Jersey, Pablo left his day job as a designer to pursue his own clients and studio at large. He launched the apparel brand Dega Threads in 2013, the predecessor of the now Dega Studios. Focusing on digital illustration, graphic art & design, motion graphics & animation, Pablo's work is influenced by a nostalgic allure of yesteryear.
Illustrator: Alex Rosen
Alex was born and raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey. He has survived through two George W. Bush presidential terms and plays in local bands The Battery Electric and Hot Blood. When not playing music, drinking, and making bad decisions he tries to do some drawing and enjoy a good old sandwich.
Websites:
"Guacamole" by Lauren & Drew
Music Video
Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA
Description: Lauren introduces Drew to Guacamole. They soon learn that this tasty snack can add some pizzazz to any food. Guacamole was written, recorded and shot in Rahway, NJ where Lauren and Drew currently live.
Director: Drew Novelli
Drew graduated from Rider University in 2005 with a degree in Radio/TV Broadcasting and a minor in writing. He is a freelance videographer who has created dozens of sketch comedy videos over the recent years.
Website:
"How Could I Have Been So Wrong?" by Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows
Music Video
Country of Origin: Australia
Description: Man versus monkey - who's the silliest?
Director: Fiona Cochrane
Fiona Cochrane has produced and/or directed several low-budget independent Australian feature films as well as numerous documentaries and short films. She began her career in music videos, and continues making them. She recently also made a feature documentary about Joe Camilleri titled “Joe Camilleri: Australia’s Maltese Falcon”.
Artist Bio: Joe Camilleri has been rocking the pubs and clubs of Australia for more than 4 decades, as well as making close to 30 CDs and producing countless more. He has fronted several different line-ups of The Black Sorrows over the last 25 years.
Websites:
"LastCall" by Harrison Sands
Music Video
Country of Origin: California, USA
Description: As the outro song on Harrison Sands’ album, PillowTalk, “LastCall” serves as a smooth exit and reflection on his latest work. The video features Harrison’s friends helping him get home safely after a night of drinking.
Director: Bianca Ray
Bianca Ray is a budding film director based in Los Angeles. She has worked on, and enjoys all types of productions but finds crafting video for music artists most rewarding as it allows for limitless creativity.
Director of Photography: Mark Banuelos
Mark Banuelos is a cinematographer who wears many hats in production. Ranging from operating a gimbal to color grading in post. He loves to be actively involved on his shoots. He believes if you want to make a story, you have to know and be a part of the beginning, middle, and end.
Artist Bio: Harrison Sands is a singer/songwriter who is looking to make his way through music. He writes what’s on his mind, puts all he has into every song and has a good time while doing so.
Website:
"Look Back Once" by Mellow Yellow
Music Video
Country of Origin: Oregon, USA
Description: A lonely sock, abandoned in a laundromat, finds himself surrounded by sock social gatherings. He desperately searches the laundromat for the sock he belongs with.
Director: Brad Burke
In 2011, Burke’s first film, Our World (2011) won a RI Award for Excellence in Storytelling on it’s way to touring several festivals in Europe. More recently, he was hired to direct the feature film he co-wrote Zompocalypse: Dead End (Post-Production) as well as festival selected short film The Number of Times the Wheel Turns (2015).
Writer/Director of Photography: Ashlee Olson
In 2011, Olson began her career in the arts as an Arts & Theatre Feature intern at the Eugene Weekly. Her passion for storytelling moved from journalism to narrative-driven and abstract cinema pieces. In 2015, Olson was the Director of Photography on the short film The Number of Times the Wheel Turns (2015).
Executive Producer: Andre Sirois
Sirois is both a Cinema Studies instructor at the University of Oregon and a local DJ that goes by the name of DJ Foodstamp.
Producer: Cassidy Garcia
New to the music video game, Garcia has experience with music performance and putting on a show. She is a member of the UO all-female a cappella group Divisi, a nationally recognized group that recently placed 2nd in the scholastic competition of the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, where Garcia won Best Soloist. She also works as a production assistant for YouTube artist Peter Hollens and runs most of Divisi’s finances.
Artist Bio: Eugene, Oregon based trio Mellow Yellow crafts a homemade electro-soul / space rock blend telling stories of nostalgia, youth, and wild abandon. The band was formed in a living room on Earth, but their sound narrates about ghost lights in space and lovers who are just as far away.
Websites:
"Only Wanna Party" by Barefoot Natives
Music Video
Country of Origin: Hawaii, USA
Description: Hilarious music short developed from Hawaii’s hit comedy, GET A JOB, the motion picture that featured the islands' top entertainers and musicians including resident superstars Mick Fleetwood, Willie Nelson, and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers.
Director: Brian Kohne - Named as a “Person Who Made a Difference” by the Maui News in 2012, Brian is producer of the award-winning music act, the “Barefoot Natives”. He wrote and directed the award-winning comedy GET A JOB, which screened throughout Hawai’i and in such places as Spain, India, and Cambodia, and won multiple festival awards. Currently, Kohne is in pre-production for the 70's thriller, KULEANA.
Artist Bio: Together, Uncle Willie K and Eric Gilliom are the award-winning Barefoot Natives, stars of Hawaii's first major motion picture comedy, GET A JOB, written/directed by Barefoot Natives Producer Brian Kohne.
"Only Wanna Party" will also be screened at the Opening Night Gala: "28 Minute Epic" on Friday, August 28, 2015. Click here for more info.
"Open to See" by Manu Saggioro
Music Video
Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA
Description: Filmed at the Jersey Shore, Open to See is a visual journey to the true self.
Director: Susan Pellegrini
Susan Pellegrini is the founder and owner of Synergy Productions, a full service video and digital media company. She is an award winning filmmaker and screenwriter. She holds Master’s degrees in Communications and Educational Leadership and is a certified Life Coach.
Artist Bio: Manu Saggioro is a Brazilian singer/songwriter. She is not attached to labels; performing various styles of music but always allowing the impulse of life to manifest.
Websites:
"Our People" by Vayizaku
Music Video
Country of Origin: New York, USA
Description: A young Jewish man must choose between tradition and true love when his rabbi father forbids further contact with his secret love interest, a young black woman. Then, years after he makes his decision, he discovers a startling truth about his father.
Director: Albert Kahn
Albert came up as an editor but has recently been working in the NYC indie film scene as a DIY filmmaker. He is currently working on his first feature.
Artist Bio: Vayizaku is a local pop-punk outfit from central New Jersey. The name "Vayizaku" means "to call out" in Hebrew, which is exactly what the band aims to do with a mixture of socially-conscious messages and hard-driving riffage.
Website:
"So What" by Raffaela Capp
Music Video
Country of Origin: California, USA
Description: A wildly colorful, beat-driven pop song about the only thing you can really say to iffy guys and mixed messages: "So what?"
Director: Jason Letkiewicz
Jason is an Emmy-nominated director, writer, and editor who is based in NYC. His work has been featured in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, and Buzzfeed. But most importantly it has been torn apart by The Onion.
Producer: Maria Capp
Maria is CEO of the multi-media production company Cappricielli, Inc., where she both produces and directs content for film, TV, web, music, and other platforms. She frequently collaborates with her daughter, Raffaela, on her creative music and video endeavors. Maria splits her time working from her hometown on Long Island and from her current home in Los Angeles.
Artist Bio: Raffaela Capp is a singer-songwriter and performer who is currently a working actress and musician in Los Angeles. Raffaela wrote the song “So What” in 2012, and was approached by the Emmy-nominated Berman Brothers to produce the music video. Raffaela was a key collaborator in conceptualizing the bright, dreamlike, fantasy aesthetic of the video.
Websites:
"Surface Hercules" by Lance Alan a.k.a. Lando Chillrissian
Music Video
Country of Origin: California, USA
Description: A surreal glimpse into the mind of Chicago born Hip Hop artist Lance Alan, AKA Lando Chillrissian. The track is off his recent mixtape 'Broken on the Wheel', which is a blend of future, flow, and funk.
Director: Ben Montemayor
Ben is a recent graduate of the BFA film production program at the University of Arizona, through which his award winning thesis music video "Surface Hercules" was produced and shot. During his 4 years at the university, he worked as a videographer for the Student Affairs Marketing department, creating and directing more than 30 videos. He also led the team to Silver and Gold Addy awards in 2014/2015 from the American Advertising Federation. Now living in Los Angeles, Ben works as a freelance editor, director, and photographer.
Artist Bio: "Born and raised in a south side neighborhood called Roseland Heights of Chicago, Illinois, Lando is flourishing his image in the small, yet artistically driven, city of Tucson, Arizona; originally in the pursuit of film. Growing up in a religious household, where his mother was a pastor, he had an array of musical influences like gospel, folk, and Motown. Hip-hop wasn't welcomed in Lando's household growing up but he felt as if it was something that bridged the gap between himself and his peers, his relatives, and the kids on the block. In the midst of establishing his sound, Lando proves to be doing just so in his second full project. A collective of bass, claps, fades and orchestral instruments, Broken on the Wheel is a promising first impression for many. He is mastering a blend of future, funk and flow." ~JRecognize Music Blog
Website:
"Two Week Disease" by Adam Melchor
Music Video
Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA
Description: An ancient forest monster is devouring the village crop supply. When a determined woman takes it on herself to fight back, she unleashes a curse upon her son.
Director: Christopher Lawrence Froehlich
Christopher Lawrence Froehlich is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he received a BFA in film and animation.
Website:
"When the Moon Collapses" by Apostrophy
Music Video
Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA
Description: A poetic portrait of a vibrant woman who loses the radiance she gets from the sun when she suddenly develops a rare and severe sun allergy, leaving her to find an alternate source of light in the darkness.
Director: KARA RADA
KARA RADA is a New Jersey based filmmaker who is constantly working to expand her film resume. She is currently in the process of writing her first fantasy-drama feature script, and is in pre-production for her next dark, suspense narrative short. Her previous films have been screened at The Montclair Film Festival (2013) and The NJTC Film Festival (2015).
Artist Bio: APOSTROPHY (ADRIAN AMADOR) is a New Jersey based musician who currently records/performs as Fire is Motion. His debut EP under that moniker is set to be released during the summer of 2015.
Websites: