Fire In Cairo – YYZ Living (print)
Garden City Movement – Move On
Israeli direction! Mmmm.
Directed by well-known Israeli actor and rapper/musician Michael Moshonov and Lael Utnik, the video’s stunning cinematography captures a beautifully directed love story between two emotionally drawn, young females. Romantic scenes of the girls on the beach at dusk fit perfectly against the song’s warm electronic and trip-hop melodies and “hushed, intertwined vocals” as Pitchfork describes.
Moshonov expresses, “The video was made with love. In today’s progressive world, it’s still hard for people to accept love between the same sex. This clip goes to show exactly that. It also shows that even if a heart is broken it was still worth feeling love even if it was too short.”
‘Move On’ is from GCM’s debut EP ‘Entertainment’, which was released on BLDG5 (download for free via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GardenCityMovement/app_220150904689418) . This Spring, Garden City Movement will be opening for Cults (April 6th in Tel-Aviv, Israel) and will be releasing a new EP.
Monster Truck – The Lion
I’m featured in the new Monster Truck music video “The Lion”. The video had an exclusive release on BILLBOARD MAG! Hell yeah!!! Thanks so much to the crew at Collider Films for a great time on set.
Rising hard rockers Monster Truck roll on with a string of North American tour dates and a crunching new track, “The Lion.”
The Canadian newcomers are coming off a thundering start in their homeland, where they won breakthrough group of the year at the 2013 Juno Awards. They’ve since toured with the likes of Kid Rock, Slash, Guns ‘n Roses, Sevendust, and won the respect of many more. Alice In Chains’ Mike Inez is one confirmed fan, describing the outfit as “the real deal.”
Another U.S. live push is coming. But first, the group has pounced with the video for “The Lion,” a light-hearted look at a down-on-his-luck guitarist.
The band mates arrived at the idea of shooting a narrative video for “The Lion” while on tour. Marc Riccardelli, the director, came up with the story, which is full of guitar worship and has its odd, kinky moment.
“The redeeming moment is his getting a call to play a solo on the new Monster Truck song as featured in the clip,” bass player and lead vocalist Jon Harvey tells Billboard. “We liked the idea and suggested our good friend Paul Spence (FUBAR) to play the lead. We are all pleased with the end results.”
The song is the follow-up to “Sweet Mountain River,” lifted from the band’s Dine Alone Records release “Furiosity.” The album is in the hunt for rock album of the year at the Juno Awards, to be held March 30 in Winnipeg.
Monster Truck will support Alter Bridge for an 11-date tour run beginning April 14 in Dallas, followed by an arena trek with Alice In Chains starting May 6.
Monster Truck was formed in Ontario by Harvey, Jeremy Widerman (guitar, vocals), Brandon Bliss (organ, vocals) and Steve Kiely (drums, vocals). The group has also released two EPs, “Monster Truck” and “The Brown EP”.
The City of Toronto Forced the Foundry Festival to Relocate – THUMP
News dropped last night that Mansion Productions’ much-hyped Foundry music festival (which THUMP has already called “Canada’s Most Interesting Underground Dance Series”) would not be held at the abandoned Tower Automotive building at 158 Sterling Road. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the 416/647, Sterling is a largely industrial strip of Toronto that’s long been contested as a potential spot for new condos—which has generated a collective groan from many people in the surrounding community. Currently, Sterling is full of independent art galleries and recording studios, and as an added bonus, the air smells like chocolate, thanks to the Nestle factory.
Anyway, in what came as unfortunate news for Mansion and electronic music fans alike, City of Toronto officials denied Mansion’s permit at the last minute, due to a zoning bylaw issue, despite months of talks with Building and Fire departments, along with thousands of dollars sank in for engineering consulting costs, and construction efforts (like the addition of new fire escape doors), to accommodate Mansion’s crowds.
It’s important to note that Foundry isn’t a last minute affair thrown together by inexperienced promoters. According to City Councilor Ana Bailao: “It’s really disappointing, the applicants worked really hard. I had a lot of meetings. I tried to help as much as possible. Nothing happens at the Tower Automotive, it would have been great to reuse the space for at least three weekends. They worked hard and spent a lot of energy to make sure that they had a plan.”
While the Sapporo sponsored series featuring talent like Four Tet, Carl Craig, DJ Harvey, Shigeto, Blue Hawaii, and many others, has been saved and relocated to the familiar space of 99 Sudbury. Plainly stated, it’s a huge bummer that the City stepped in to shut down Mansion’s plan to party in the abandoned venue, which would have made the party atmosphere even more exciting.
In light of Toronto’s new Music City: 4479 partnership with Austin, TX—which was supposedly forged to make throwing unique music events much more accessible, among other initiatives—one would think that the City would be more supportive of a three week long music series. Clearly, they have a lot more work to do when it comes to partnering with the promoters who make Toronto’s music scene so awesome.
In an official statement by Nancy Chen, Mansion’s co-founder, the promoters carefully expressed their disappointment regarding the City’s decision: “We, more than anyone, understand how incredibly excited everyone was to be able to experience the incredible line-up of forward-thinking artists at such a unique venue… We hope that one day in the near future, we will be allowed to take greater creative risks in a city that we love so much. For now, we hope that everyone will still support our cause by making this year’s Foundry one of the best dance series yet, and in the meantime move the city one step forward in the right direction for music lovers.”
Jeff Cohen, Chair of Toronto Music Advisory Council, and owner of Collective Concerts, wants to see more action from the city as well. “I’d like to see the city get a proper music office created with a working staff that could fast track music event applications. And tell event organizers perhaps before they ticket an event, if a space is likely to be suitable, not a week before an event is due to take place.” While Jeff’s comments do inspire some sort of confidence, in reality, Mansion found out about their cancelation two days before the festival was set to begin.
THUMP also spoke to Randy McLean, the Commissioner of Film, TV and Digital Media who is taking on an official leadership role with the music program, Music City. He’s currently in SXSW as the only official City delegate pushing Toronto’s music scene in Austin. He provided us with this general statement: “One of the first things they will be tasked is to look at various rules, regulations and permits, and the ways we conduct business to make the city more ‘music and musician friendly.’ Not everything changes that quickly with zoning rules and regulations, but Toronto city council is always behind a good initiative.”
With files from Slava Pastuk.
Jesse Ship is a freelance writer in Toronto and former Junos Juror. You can find him at @Jesse_Ship
Mar 13 2014
A Look at the Doi Chaang Coffee Company – ViewTheVibe
What started with modest beginnings in the mid-80s has become a champion in the global coffee market thanks to unique mountain growing conditions and a lucky high grade Arabica bean. And then there was the help from the recently departed Wicha Promyong, a wealthy Thai philanthropist with monkish leanings. Promyong got to know the remote hill tribe, which was living in poverty, through his antique trading expeditions. He noticed that despite the excellent coffee beans they were growing, they were getting low-balled by local buyers who knew that they weren’t going to make the six-hour trek back to their village with their goods. Promyong encouraged them to form a co-op so they could have better bargaining power, and gave them other business tips.
Not surprisingly, he eventually became president of the organization in Thailand and partnered with John Darch of Vancouver, a former business exec looking for his next venture. John helped fund the company and together they helped create what has become a wildly successful chain of Thai coffee houses with over 200 shops in Thailand alone and plans for expansion across Asia. It also helps that the prestigious Coffee Review has ranked Doi Chaang Coffee over 91%; that’s a few percentile above some Starbucks roasts.
The coolest part is that unlike many so called ‘fair trade’ coffee deals, the Akha tribe keeps 50% of their earnings which are re-invested into their once destitute village – which now even accommodates eco-tours so you can see the whole coffee plantation process, stay at a bed and breakfast, and have your motorcycle fixed, just in case that’s how you roll through the jungle.
Doi Chaang has recently expanded their serious coffee drinker Single Origin line (found in upmarket shops like Harrods UK and on Winners shelves if you’re lucky!), with a new series of colourful blends with fun names like Chillin’ and Espress-Yoself that have just launched at Ontario locations of FreshCo. Hopefully more fair trade coffee companies are willing to take the lead and give more to the growers who dedicate their lives to their crops.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for your last trip to Thailand, or just like a great story to go with your morning brew, then this is a great coffee for you!
Brand + Emotions = Infographic
Click to expand this big baby. It’s been said and done before, but I really like the way all these factoids were prepared.
IN FEAR – Review
Last night, I was invited to a special pre-screening of “In Fear” as part of the Sinister Cinema movie series curated by Raven Banner Entertainment and Cineplex Front Row Centre Events.
As the title implies, it’s a dark and minimalist indie horror/thriller that plays on the all too common fear of getting lost in the forest on the way to a party, campsite, or in the case of the two new lovers, a remote romantic getaway at the slice of Irish paradise known as the “Kilaidney House Hotel”. Directed by Jeremy Lovering, the plot is carried out almost exclusively by the considerable talents of Iain De Caestecker (Leo Fitz of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Alice Englert (Rosa of Ginger & Rosa) as the nubile youngsters, and Allen Leech, (Tom Branson from Downtown Abbey) as the creeping darkness.
What makes the flick unique is that 90% of it takes place in the car with the couple getting progressively more and more freaked out by the maze of signs leading them in an infinite loop. Destination: insanity.
In Fear will is not quite a horror film, more so in the creepy outdoorsy stalker genre, but it will make you feel genuinely uncomfortable and ooky inside (credit Brian Nelson Hard Candy’s screenwriter for that descriptor). Partly because there are parts where it feels like you’re being bludgeoned to death by the premise, “oh shit, we’re lost, why do we keep going on in circles when we follow the signs that are obviously leading us in an infinite loop?” Or silly Mcguffin moments like “WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PUB TOM???” But you can argue that it’s exactly the type of maniacal insanity that is required to create a specific kind of lasting revulsion that follows you home after you’ve left the theatre. You can also argue that the real takeaway of the movie is to always check Trip Advisor before making hotel reservations.
In Fear has been brought to Canada thanks to Raven Banner Entertainment and screens in Toronto at Cineplex Yonge & Dundas at 9:45 PM March 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19. And, in case you’re wondering, Raven Banner Entertainment a sales, distribution and production company, based in Toronto, specializing in genre films for the worldwide market. Their recent releases include: Stephen Sommers’ Odd Thomas, Don Coscarelli’s John Dies At The End, Nothing Left To Fear by rock legend Slash, and Adam Green’s Hatchet II.
ARE THE JUNOS OUT OF TOUCH? – Vice Noisey
ARE THE JUNOS OUT OF TOUCH?
By Jesse Ship
After a talk with Juno Awards Chair of Voting and Nominating, Kim Cooke, the 44 year old awards show is starting to sound a bit like a slightly out of touch, but sensible and well-meaning dad who is trying to play fair among all his musically-inclined children. They can recite the murky differences between Alternative and Adult Alternative, or Traditional Jazz and Contemporary Jazz categories but when it comes to new trending categories that speak to some of the emerging ‘underground’, things get a bit hazy.
Like in the case of the electronic and hip-hop rooted A Tribe Called Red. The three First Nations DJ/producers (one of them a DMC turntable champ) have become a global buzz group thanks to their talent, media attention, world tours, remixes and their sheer originality. However, the Junos can’t understand why they wouldn’t want to be listed in the Aboriginal section.
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While the Junos take a lot of flack for being a sales-based reward system, only eight of the 42 categories are sales based, and only two of those (International Album of the Year, Album of the Year) are purely sales based. Bands wanting to win a category like say, Artist of the Year are judged by album sales. But at the end of the day, along with 32 other categories, they’re still voted based on merit by a private jury of industry members. Any artist that’s a member of CARAS can nominate themselves for the first round of judging for the price of a decent meal.
It’s true that a lot of people feel that the classification system could be revamped, more accurate, more inclusive or more authentic, but if you really want to make a change and not be left hating, there are some steps you can take to join the game. I spoke to Kim Cooke, co-chair of voting and nominating for the Junos, to find out his thoughts on the matter:
Noisey: Tell us a bit about how are the categories created.
Kim Cooke: There are currently 42 categories and a handful have been added in the past decades. There have been a few original categories added, even after the Grammys reduced their number of categories a few years ago. Most recently we added the Metal and Electronic category, the Adult Contemporary category and also Adult Alternative ten years ago.
How do you make a case for a new genre?
You don’t have to project sales. You can make a musical reason for a new category. It was pretty easy in the case for the recent additions of Electronic or Metal. Using those categories as an example, there were super-enthusiastic people in the Canadian industry who believed that both of those genres were deserving.
Does it take long for new categories to come into effect?
It took about a year or two after the formal application built some steam within the business. There came a point where it reached a fever pitch and the application went in. After that went in, it was not a great length of time before it was green lit. It’s not like it sat in committee for years where it was deliberated. I can’t give you the year when Hip-hop was added but I’m sure it was early 90s. We evolve as the music evolves.
Does censorship ever come into play with the Juno Awards?
Well, if you look at Drake, his record is littered with F bombs [editors note: she means “floral”]. We don’t say that because there’s a parental advisory sticker on the record that you can’t stand for a Juno. The live broadcast is a different thing for obvious reasons, but not the content of the record. That said, I can’t think of an example, but if there was something absolutely objectionable it could possibly come up but it never happened in my time.
What’s the distinction between Adult Alternative and regular Alternative?
10 years ago there were a bunch of ‘sister categories’ like Rock, Pop, and Alternative. What we found was there were very credible artists that were too left leaning to fit into Pop, or weren’t Rock enough in a RAWK sense to fit into that category but also not left leaning enough to fit into the Alternative category. We felt we needed a companion category to properly catch those artists in the can. We still don’t love the name and as much as we call it that, it’s intended to send a message to artists who are not way over to the left in the Alternative but are not either mainstream Pop or Rock artists.
How would an artist know which category to fit into?
There’s a music advisory committee chair and a committee that review all the submissions. A hypothetical situation would be like, the Alternative chair just listened to a record by the Beauties and doesn’t think it fits in Alternative so they recommend it for another category. If they accept it, we go back to the submitter and tell them they’ve been reviewed and have a better chance in the other category. Usually the submitters accept the. If a record could sit in one of two categories and the artist absolutely wants to be in the one, the artist holds the trump card.
So the reasoning is that you feel they would have a better chance in that category?
Yeah, the artist might have a perspective on where it fits and full respect to them but the committee chair and the committee arguably has a better perspective from the wider market place and the overall Juno categories. It’s a benevolent discussion and we try to find a solution that’s right for everybody.
Are some categories based on sales?
Yes, there are 42 categories over all. Three of them have nomination based on sales; five are partly based on sales, and partly based on jury voting. That’s eight out of 42. The other 34 categories are all craft categories.
How important are sales to the Junos?
During my time, I’ve seen certain category that had a sales component changed. We try to do the best thing for the music. There came a point where in the off season, we had discussions and we decided sales wasn’t the right way to determine nominees so we made that change. The one point I’d make is that it’s irritating from time to time to read in the media that the Juno Awards are sales based. That’s just not a true statement since 32 out of 34 categories have absolutely no sales component. The other eight are just partial sales component. If there is one perspective that I’d like to change, it’s that.
Jesse Ship is a writer living in Toronto. Is he a Juno judge? You can ask him on Twitter
Screenwriting 101 from Sugith Varughese – ACTRA Winter 2014 Conference
Sugith Varughese is an actor, teacher and winning screenwriter and a working member of the Canadian film/ tv industry. He first cut his teeth working on Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock (!!!) which he claims was never intended as a children’s show. This sounds weird but I guess makes sense since I remember it being aired evenings during TV primetime on CBC, in a time when the station still produced shows in-house. Sugith’s also had a number of fun and interesting parts over the decades, having made a slow of appearances on mid-90s classics like the Robocop tv show (boss!), Earth: Final Conflict (Rodddenberry whaaat!) Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (Can this guy can get any cooler?). He also had a recurring role as Faisal on Little Mosque On The Prairie, and has made appearances on Degrassi: The Next Generation as Dr. Moragoda.
Sugith Varughese (left) as Faisal on Little Mosque On The Prairie
His writing credits also include the IMAX documentary “Lost Worlds: Life in the balance” narrated by Harrison Ford, episodes of the kids show “Blobheads”, and the play “Entitlement” which showed at Summerworks in 2013 and was named one of the Top Shows of the year. He currently holds the position of Governor with ACTRA Fratneral Benefit Society, representing the Writers Guild of Canada.
I had the true pleasure of hearing him talk at the 2014 ACTRA Winter conference where he gave us a crash course in Screenwriting 101. You can read his quips and thoughts on popular films at his blog, Building The Iceberg.
Key point
Actors, writers, directors all have the same job. That is, STORYTELLING. Writing is storytelling before the camera rolls, directing is storytelling behind the camera, acting is storytelling in front of the camera, (and editing is storytelling after the camera stops).
The Four Essential Elements of Story Template, extrapolated via Aristotle’s Poetics
NB: Changes to template change entire story.
1. Character
Motivated by
- circumstances and,
- or, personality
2. Action
- difficult struggle
3. Actual Goal
- life/death or equivalent, e.g., love
4. Adversary with worthy qualities
- Should be worthy, in that they are at least stronger, if not apparently invincible compared to character. E.g., David vs. Goliath.
- Avoid one dimensional character. They must have at least *something* for the audience to relate to.
Specific and Unique Story Elements
At this point, Sugith played us his short film Tongue Tied, which he says he wrote based on the silly idea of two men professing their love for one another.
Some of my favourite lines, for field use, of course.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have freckled eyes?
I bet you say that to everyone.
No, just the ones I want to kiss.”
“I went cold turkey vegan one time for five months but I stopped because I liked honey too much.”
Lesson: The two headed character nature must
- 1) drive plot
- 2) change
Story Template in Tongue Tied
- Characters: Howard and Cathy
- Action: Matchmaker
- Goal: Control
- Adversary: Gerry and Emma
- Characters: Gerry and Emma
- Action: Resist
- Goal: Safety
- Adversary: Howard and Cathy
Can also do this analysis for EACH character, depending on how you plan on writing the story. Or as actors, you can do the same analysis for your character to flesh out their story for yourself.
Screenwriting basics
Series TV vs. Movie/Short Film
The series requires a FRANCHISE. Something that the viewer will recognize when watching any episode.
The Series’ Franchise
Franchising entails:
- 1) characters
- 2) situation/circumstances
- 3) tone eg, gritty realism, black comedy, sweet laidback fantasy
- 4) defined by structure
Structure:
Teaser/Hook
- Usually precedes opening credits
- “Viewer: I’m in the world of the show that I love and I wont change channel”
Acts
- Beginning, middle and end, but not necessarily in chronological order.
- Beginning=setup – 1/4
- Middle=complication – 1/2
- End=resolution – 1/4
- The story MUST build in intensity
- tv/film are temporal media, seen over time, unlike a painting, for example, which can be seen immediately or at the pace set by the viewer. Viewer has no choice how the story unfolds beyond stopping or starting it or changing the channel.
- Writer must must increase interest in the story as time passes to keep the viewer engaged by making things get worse for the character
- clear set up for audience so you can complicate events for audiences interest
- complications intensify
Tags
- Last scene, comes in after commercial
- resolves early set up
- doesnt have to be climax
Pitch Process
Phase 1 – Template
- 3-5 pages for 1 hr long show
- ¾-1 page for 30 min
- But if you sell the pitch, you receive 10% on signing contract. Then you have to deliver:
Phase 2 – Outline (Contractual)
- A scene by scene description of the story written in screenplay format without dialogue (inferred/implied)
- Paid on delivery, but can be fired or green lit to deliver:
Phase 3 – Script
- sitcom format vs drama format
- single camera comedy uses screenplay format, multi-cam comedy uses sitcom format
- Two drafts in contract – first draft & final draft (plus possible unpaid extra drafts)
- Production bonus, pending production actually gets shot
- TOTAL amount received by writer for script and production is roughly 4% of budget
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS, THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOUR VERY OWN TELEVISION SCREENPLAY!
Ok, just kidding, you also need imagination, passion, perseverance, professionalism and follow through, generally things that nobody can teach you but yourself.
For more information specfically on Sugith’s screenwriting techniques, you can read blog posts from the time he held a position as a Screenwriter In Residence at the Toronto Public Library. Keep your ear to the ground for Sugith’s next appearance!
A Primer on the Electronic Junos Nominees – Vice/Noisey
It’s Juno season and this year, the Electronic category will turn four years young. It’s kind of hard to believe since the section speaks to one of the top performing musical categories in Canada, especially when it comes to the artists’ successes abroad. With past victories from Montreal’s beloved Grimes, the outlandish and ambient techno of Tim Hecker and infectious rhythms of Dan Snaith, aka, Caribou, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to where the jury’s weight might fall.
This year, it seems like taking up a residency in Berlin or appearing on a Boiler Room showcase was almost a mandatory requirement for making it on the short list. Let’s break things down and discover this year’s range of artists.
Graze is what happens when two unrelated Torontonian producers independently take off for the Berlin experience, meet at a club, and realize they both harbor secret crushes on each other’s music. Adam Marshall was a regular in Toronto’s techno community, while Christian Anderson, aka XI, carved a name out for himself in the dubstep, drum n bass playing fields. Their powers combined lead to an atmospheric, cinematic, and groovy experience that’s making big waves under the New Kanada label.
This Montreal duo skirts the border of traditional dream pop band and experimental techno act, powered by the ethereal vocals of Raph Standell-Preston and abstract currents of her lover, Agor Cowan. The shivery instrumentation seems to bask in the afterglow of a complex electro-shock therapy session that may, or may not, have driven out the demons.
Noah’s name was familiar in Toronto’s rave scene from the late 90s and onwards as the founder of the legendary Fukhouse parties. Hell, he deserves an award just for that name alone. The album also features a couple deep and sultry house tunes featuring Toronto tenor, Rosina Kazi of Lal, and other guests moaning, oohing and aahhing seductively over fluid beats. Released under his own label, Thoughtless, like the bawse that he is.
A Tribe Called Red – Nation II Nation
Possibly sick and tired of the rest of hipsterdom appropriating headdresses and tribal battle cries, Canadian DMC champ, DJ Shub, with DJ NDN and Bear Witness (that’s a double entendre for y’all) emerged. They’ve not only risen as one of the only electronic acts to heavily sample their heritage and do it well, but they’ve even penned their own genre called moombahwow, or powwow-step, derived from First Nations pow-wow parties.
Unofficially born in Canada and officially born on the Internet, Ryan Hemsworth aka Bad Gyal Ry Ry, is Canada’s unofficial MASTER Pokémon Trainer, having successfully ensnared 99.67% of all roaming beasts. When he’s not busy training, he’s tearing up dance floors with clever hip-hop, trap and Internet culture mash ups. This debut album was however a surprising curveball, featuring all new original content. Aside from a couple rap bangers, the album is mostly made of introspective ballads and floaty oddities, copyright
