Mocha Pro: The Amazing Planar-Tracking Thingamajig

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Mocha Pro is billed by its developers, Imagineer Systems, as “a powerful, intuitive and innovative planar tracking-based solution…for film/video post production, creative motion graphics and 2D-3D conversion pipelines.” Yes, but…what does that all mean?

Translating into plain English, I say Mocha Pro is a really cool thingamajig that helps you do wicked fast and accurate rotoscoping, wire removal, background replacement and pinning of objects onto uneven surfaces in video. It does it by means of tracking objects in a video using surface planes.

Ask the Screenplay Doctor: Software & Submission Pointers

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Since I began writing this monthly column, the NewEnglandFilm.com editors have stated, and I am going to reiterate it here, that this is not a column where writers can post their loglines or synopses of projects. I understand how challenging it is to get your query, synopsis, and scripts read and considered, but please don’t submit them to me via email -- this is not the purpose of the column. I am here to offer advice about screenwriting, the business of screenwriting and to answer readers’ questions.

So, with this aforementioned reminder, this leads me to my…

Industry News - February 2012

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Academy Awards Celebration

The Ellie Fund hosts the 16th Annual Oscar Night Boston Gala at the Mandarin Oriental. All proceeds will benefit breast cancer patients and their families. The event includes a viewing party, live auction, and food and drink. Learn more here.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival presents Oscar Night America at The Vets in Providence. The official Academy party begins with a Red Carpet Gala at 6:30 p.m. Click

In the Casting Chair: Annie Mulhall

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Annie Mulhall is a familiar New England casting figure, especially to Rhode Island actors. But Mulhall, a woman who embraces change and the challenges it presents, took a circuitous route to her profession, passing through LA, NY, and other places before landing back on the coast. Mulhall started out on the stage, taking dance lessons and starring in community theater.

Welcome to Lee, Maine: A Small Town's Huge Loss

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Lee, Maine, population 850, a rural village nestled in the woods of central Maine. It’s the smallest town in the USA to lose two sons to the Iraq War. In 2007, both Sgt Joel House and Sgt Blair Emery were killed by roadside bombs during the U.S. military’s troop buildup in Iraq. The two boys grew up a mile apart.