Wednesday, December 31, 2008
End of Days
Back from Haiti. Started a new Blog. www.nousove.blogspot.com Last blog post of the year. More posts next year. Best of coming soon. HPYNY09!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sove Nou >Nou Sove
So it look s like we're headed to Haiti for the second in our "Sove Nou" Trilogy "Nou Sove". Originally it was to be with Jimmy Jean Louis from the TV show "Heroes" to go to where he was born and many of the places that have been affected by disasters both natural and man made over the past couple of years, such as the hurricanes that devastated the country last and this year. And more recently the schools that collapsed, but now it looks as if many from Hollywood will be there in a movement called Hollywood for Haiti. This is not to be confused with Jimmy's non profit Hollywood Unites for Haiti which KijiK will be partnering with for many projects. We're creating a separate blog and website to show what we're doing on the ground while in Haiti and the progression of the documentary. The new website info will be coming soon but for now here's the new blog:
http://nousove.blogspot.com/
And here's some info on the Hollywood for Haiti movement:
HOLLYWOOD IN HAITI TO HELP CHILDREN IN NEED
Paul & Deborah Haggis, James Franco, Madeline Stowe, Josh Brolin & Diane Lane, Maria Bello & Bryn Mooser, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Michael Stahl David and others, in Haiti with N.P.H. – Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) for the inauguration of the first Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children in the country, and the launch of “Francisville – New Work City.”
Two-time Academy Award winner Paul Haggis went to the slums of Haiti last February to meet Father Richard Frechette, priest and doctor, who has been working with the children of Port Au Prince for over twenty years.
Haiti is one of the two poorest countries in the world. “Father Rick,” as he is known to the people of its massive slums, is the Head of N.P.H. – Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters, Nos Petit Freres and Soeurs), a humanitarian organization founded in 1954.
In Haiti today, two hundred and fifty children die every week, most from easily preventable diseases. One child out of three dies before reaching the age of five. Of those who survive, one child out of two does not go to school. Seventy percent of its people are unemployed.
While in Haiti, Haggis visited several N.P.H. projects, including the orphanage that Father Rick founded twenty years ago, home to six hundred abandoned children, and the beautiful new pediatric hospital he built -- the largest in the Caribbean. He also spent time at Father Rick’s street schools in the slums, which provide an education and a hot meal a day to over 3.000 children, and NPH’s water distribution centre, which provides the only clean water available to thousands of people. Father Rick also built the only free mortuary and cemetery. As terrible as it sounds, until he did so, most poor parents were unable to bury their dead children, and their bodies were simply left on a hill, and as a result suffered terrible indignities.
Paul was also there to witness the beginning of construction of NPH’s rehabilitation centre for disabled children.
This December 3rd, a date internationally celebrated as World Day for Disability, Paul and a group of friends will return to Haiti for the inauguration of “Kay Saint Germaine – House of Little Angels,” the first rehab centre in the country for disabled children. The life of these children is especially difficult in Haiti. According to voodoo worship, the disabled are considered cursed. They are therefore shunned, often abandoned, or worse.
Those visiting on this occasion are doing so to support N.P.H. and Father Rick in spreading information and awareness about the plight of the handicapped children in Haiti. They will also attend the kick-off of a new project, Francisville, a site where small factories and a professional school will be built to produce basic goods such as bread, soap and shoes in order to provide training and jobs for the poor, as well as to create resources to at least partially sustain N.P.H. humanitarian projects in the country.
Joining the group of Americans will be a delegation of Italian donors and volunteers from Fondazione Francesca Rava – N.P.H. Italia, the organization that lead to the realization of Kay Saint Germaine and is now promoting Francisville.
http://nousove.blogspot.com/
And here's some info on the Hollywood for Haiti movement:
HOLLYWOOD IN HAITI TO HELP CHILDREN IN NEED
Paul & Deborah Haggis, James Franco, Madeline Stowe, Josh Brolin & Diane Lane, Maria Bello & Bryn Mooser, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Michael Stahl David and others, in Haiti with N.P.H. – Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) for the inauguration of the first Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children in the country, and the launch of “Francisville – New Work City.”
Two-time Academy Award winner Paul Haggis went to the slums of Haiti last February to meet Father Richard Frechette, priest and doctor, who has been working with the children of Port Au Prince for over twenty years.
Haiti is one of the two poorest countries in the world. “Father Rick,” as he is known to the people of its massive slums, is the Head of N.P.H. – Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters, Nos Petit Freres and Soeurs), a humanitarian organization founded in 1954.
In Haiti today, two hundred and fifty children die every week, most from easily preventable diseases. One child out of three dies before reaching the age of five. Of those who survive, one child out of two does not go to school. Seventy percent of its people are unemployed.
While in Haiti, Haggis visited several N.P.H. projects, including the orphanage that Father Rick founded twenty years ago, home to six hundred abandoned children, and the beautiful new pediatric hospital he built -- the largest in the Caribbean. He also spent time at Father Rick’s street schools in the slums, which provide an education and a hot meal a day to over 3.000 children, and NPH’s water distribution centre, which provides the only clean water available to thousands of people. Father Rick also built the only free mortuary and cemetery. As terrible as it sounds, until he did so, most poor parents were unable to bury their dead children, and their bodies were simply left on a hill, and as a result suffered terrible indignities.
Paul was also there to witness the beginning of construction of NPH’s rehabilitation centre for disabled children.
This December 3rd, a date internationally celebrated as World Day for Disability, Paul and a group of friends will return to Haiti for the inauguration of “Kay Saint Germaine – House of Little Angels,” the first rehab centre in the country for disabled children. The life of these children is especially difficult in Haiti. According to voodoo worship, the disabled are considered cursed. They are therefore shunned, often abandoned, or worse.
Those visiting on this occasion are doing so to support N.P.H. and Father Rick in spreading information and awareness about the plight of the handicapped children in Haiti. They will also attend the kick-off of a new project, Francisville, a site where small factories and a professional school will be built to produce basic goods such as bread, soap and shoes in order to provide training and jobs for the poor, as well as to create resources to at least partially sustain N.P.H. humanitarian projects in the country.
Joining the group of Americans will be a delegation of Italian donors and volunteers from Fondazione Francesca Rava – N.P.H. Italia, the organization that lead to the realization of Kay Saint Germaine and is now promoting Francisville.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The state of the Film Industry: The rise and fall, fall will rise again.
The industry is changing...dramatically. Indies are not making the making the same impact as they're being swallowed whole by the huge marketing budgets of studio films. The internet has opened up a tremendous marketing channel, but technology has opened the door for so much product the market can barely stand the strain. Those pushing to make their mark in the industry are finding themselves between a rock and a rock. How to break into big budget. Or how to get your name out there in a seemingly endless galaxy of product.
Well I tend to think that (and this is not such a poplar theme in other markets) that the market will correct itself. The music industry went through a free for all (or free fall depending on how you look at it) a few years ago. Did everyone become a hit music artist or producer overnight just because they had access to the equipment and the means to get product out. No. The cream rose to the top. And in some cases sunk very fast. Some of it was of course whipped cream and you know how long that lasts. So I tend to think the same way. Good content will rise, bad will fall and there will be a middle ground in between.
As far as marketing budgets that have ballooned out of control. We need the engine that drives the industry, but the machinery will change over time too. Less money from wall street= less money to compete. The cycle will repeat and indies will rise again. Not that there haven't been great ones that have happened despite the change. A list of fav's will be posted soon.
Well I tend to think that (and this is not such a poplar theme in other markets) that the market will correct itself. The music industry went through a free for all (or free fall depending on how you look at it) a few years ago. Did everyone become a hit music artist or producer overnight just because they had access to the equipment and the means to get product out. No. The cream rose to the top. And in some cases sunk very fast. Some of it was of course whipped cream and you know how long that lasts. So I tend to think the same way. Good content will rise, bad will fall and there will be a middle ground in between.
As far as marketing budgets that have ballooned out of control. We need the engine that drives the industry, but the machinery will change over time too. Less money from wall street= less money to compete. The cycle will repeat and indies will rise again. Not that there haven't been great ones that have happened despite the change. A list of fav's will be posted soon.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Law of Reciprocity or Social Responsibility
Haven't posted in a while as our resources have been spread thiiiiinnnnn. This had to be posted though. It exhibits a view that could change the world. I don't know what this law is called, as it is interpretative, but it is incredible nonetheless. I read it on a Starbucks cup:
If you've got a dollar and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've got seventy-one cents left. But if you've got seventeen grand and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've still got seventeen grand. There's a math lesson for you.
Steve Martin
If you've got a dollar and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've got seventy-one cents left. But if you've got seventeen grand and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've still got seventeen grand. There's a math lesson for you.
Steve Martin
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Terminator vs Rambo Can it be true?
O.K. Believe it or not the two biggest action heroes of the 80's have never done a movie together, but one is in the works. Check it:
Terminator and Rambo
Guess Ahnoold has been too busy politikin' and Sly has been too busy doin'...
Anyway, We've been busy here in SoFlo putting together a non-profit organization to promote film and filmmakers and fell off the radar...again. We feel it was well worth it considering the looming Screen Actors Guild strike check it out here:
SAG strike
So we're back and will post more regularly now. Till then...
Terminator and Rambo
Guess Ahnoold has been too busy politikin' and Sly has been too busy doin'...
Anyway, We've been busy here in SoFlo putting together a non-profit organization to promote film and filmmakers and fell off the radar...again. We feel it was well worth it considering the looming Screen Actors Guild strike check it out here:
SAG strike
So we're back and will post more regularly now. Till then...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Been slacking, but here's INDY...
Once again we've been slacking on posts. Blame it on the incredible Iron Man, which has been viewed multiple times. Here's a holistic review on the the new Indiana Jones. Could you not expect them to play it safe $ ?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Writer's Strike
We've received a couple of comments on the writer's strike, so although we're not in an official capacity to comment we would like to give our take and on a more personal note my take on it. The writer's strike is officially over, but the ramifications I feel will be long lasting. I sat in on a panel when I started film school and one of the speakers was a huge director (won't name any names at this point). He said the most important people in filmmaking are the writers and the actors. The actors because they portray the vision and because they have the ability to have a project immediately "green lit" (the go ahead to have a project made). He went on to explain that the writers are vitally important because without them there would be no project to create. A bad script can never be a good movie no matter what director helms the project. Well that comment truly hit home when the writers went on strike and production came to a halt. TV shows finished showing what they had left in their reserve and that was it. Even now many shows have not been able to start production because the writers have to build up story lines. So what the director said was true, no writers, no projects.
That being said, since the internet has become more of a force, viewership on television has gone down quite a bit. Television is driven by advertising dollars. Advertising is driven by companies that want to address specific audiences to take notice of their products or services. If the viewers have shifted, the advertisers and more specifically companies want to shift the budget to where viewers will see their products or services. Writer's have a union that over the years have worked out deals that guarantee writers get a rate according to the whether a show gets picked up and how many times the show is broadcast. There was no specific deal set up for internet and since the internet has become a stronger force (they're broadcasting entire shows over the internet now), writer's wanted some of the revenue that comes from advertiser's that have committed or reallocated budgets according to internet viewership. Since this trend is increasing, the writers wanted to take advantage of the fact that their contracts were up for renewal and look after their future as the revenue stream shifts. The producer's countered that since the internet is not a proven revenue stream (without 3-5 years of market research) there should be a time allotment taken to study the shift before a deal is made.
Our take is that since the writers work is being broadcast, wherever it is being broadcast, they should get a slice of the pie. And since we have a company full of writers and we are also producers and directors we are fairly educated on the process of what it takes to complete a project. Thank goodness in the end they resolved the strike, because one of our favorite shows "HEROES" has been off the air for too long. (shameless plug) Please check out "HEROES" actor Jimmy Jean Louis who plays "The Haitian", in our documentary about Haiti. He was the guest of honor at an event we held in Miami:
Sove Event featuring Jimmy Jean Louis
We feel it is a very important project.
And thanks all for your great words about our blog. Please let us know what you think. Take care.
That being said, since the internet has become more of a force, viewership on television has gone down quite a bit. Television is driven by advertising dollars. Advertising is driven by companies that want to address specific audiences to take notice of their products or services. If the viewers have shifted, the advertisers and more specifically companies want to shift the budget to where viewers will see their products or services. Writer's have a union that over the years have worked out deals that guarantee writers get a rate according to the whether a show gets picked up and how many times the show is broadcast. There was no specific deal set up for internet and since the internet has become a stronger force (they're broadcasting entire shows over the internet now), writer's wanted some of the revenue that comes from advertiser's that have committed or reallocated budgets according to internet viewership. Since this trend is increasing, the writers wanted to take advantage of the fact that their contracts were up for renewal and look after their future as the revenue stream shifts. The producer's countered that since the internet is not a proven revenue stream (without 3-5 years of market research) there should be a time allotment taken to study the shift before a deal is made.
Our take is that since the writers work is being broadcast, wherever it is being broadcast, they should get a slice of the pie. And since we have a company full of writers and we are also producers and directors we are fairly educated on the process of what it takes to complete a project. Thank goodness in the end they resolved the strike, because one of our favorite shows "HEROES" has been off the air for too long. (shameless plug) Please check out "HEROES" actor Jimmy Jean Louis who plays "The Haitian", in our documentary about Haiti. He was the guest of honor at an event we held in Miami:
Sove Event featuring Jimmy Jean Louis
We feel it is a very important project.
And thanks all for your great words about our blog. Please let us know what you think. Take care.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
the water's cold at first...and IRON MAN
It took a while to get the rust out but posting once again. Speaking of minerals, can't wait IRON MAN. All the trailers look great. No cartoonish C.G. Robert is in rare form. Would like to see more of Terrance's chops in the teaser's, but all in all so far it's a winner in the books this way.
IRON MAN
IRON MAN
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
12.28.07 Daniel Day Lewis
He has power to bring tears, joy, fears, on the screen and in life. His win and tribute to Mr. Ledger is and can only be as unique from such a star as brilliant.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
gone too young....
Gone too young. Heath Ledger was one of the most promising. We'll miss you. And the others before you.
Heath Ledger
River Pheonix
James Dean
Heath Ledger
River Pheonix
James Dean
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Heroes "The Haitian"
Jimmy Jean Louis is one of our favorites. Here's an interview on the powerful Hero in French. Look out for our exclusive interview coming soon.
For now you can also check him out on our network KTV here.
For now you can also check him out on our network KTV here.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
incredible sites
Our friends at Spot Light Ideas found an incredible site dubbing it one of the best. We agree wholeheartedly. Here's HEMA.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
What are We?
O.K. one last thing that came from another i-friend by proxy. A quote from Buckminster Fuller.
"I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process – an integral function of the universe."
Thank you very much my i-friend.
Kevin KijiK
"I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process – an integral function of the universe."
Thank you very much my i-friend.
Kevin KijiK
music crosses all boundries.
The Klog and Rant is a communal effort and all posts must be approved by a majority at KijiK. It is meant to be as simple and painless as possible. To relay ideas, stories with as little influence as possible, without prejudice. But I wanted to relay a story that happened to me while I lived in Italy. One night I went out with some Italian friends, partying, playing, drinking and we ended up in the apartment of an Italian artist doing much of the same. Someone pulled out a guitar and began playing songs; old ones, new ones, The Eagles, Nirvana, even Tu Pac. And most in the room sang along, regardless if they understood the language...in perfect English. Hotel California, Smells Like Teen Spirit (we tried our best), and California Love, all in one night, cutting across genres, generations and boundaries in one evening (the drinks did help quite a bit). This experience stuck with me and I think about it from time to time and quite often in time. We were all from different countries, different backgrounds, even different continents. Africa, Asia, America(s) and more, but were unified that night. Now I don't feel music is the cure all for the worlds ill's, to the contrary there are so many issues that I would be hard pressed to even take a stab at where to start. What I do know is we were unified in that room, that night and it was magical, almost surreal. So, here is a video, an artist that was sent by a friend online to our Jango site. One man in a chair giving his soul. Jorge Ben fills the screen with less action, but more emotion and energy than the most visceral video game going today. At least in my humble opinion. He tells a compelling story and relays it with passion and conviction. It's not in my birth language, but I feel the energy translates regardless of language barriers. So thank you, my i-friend for reminding me of that night and what can happen when boundaries are cast aside and a few people from different backgrounds unify without prejudice.
Kevin KijiK
Kevin KijiK
Thursday, January 10, 2008
anonymous poem..the sequal
if im like air
let me breath
let me be
closing in with glass jars
like butterflies on parade
i for one
am not a slave
system systematic
panic and attack
way and slack
loose control
loose hold
for there are many ways to fly
to drive
at 200+
fly on a plane
ride the bus
walk a step
and live
and be free
see
the world from here
and there
then you won't stare
at open air
for you'll be free
like me
let me breath
let me be
closing in with glass jars
like butterflies on parade
i for one
am not a slave
system systematic
panic and attack
way and slack
loose control
loose hold
for there are many ways to fly
to drive
at 200+
fly on a plane
ride the bus
walk a step
and live
and be free
see
the world from here
and there
then you won't stare
at open air
for you'll be free
like me
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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