Nolan's Pop Culture ReviewEstablished A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our seventh calendar year!
Number 322 (Vol. 7, No. 21). This edition is for the week of May 22--28, 2006.
By Nolan B. Canova
This meeting of the Tampa Film Network is the first one I've been able to personally attend since it began last March. Additionally, my ride and cohort for this excursion was none other than long-time great friend and professional make-up effects artist Corey Castellano. Corey and I used to atted the FMPTA (Florida Motion Picture and Television Association) meetings in the '90s, but we haven't done anything like that in a long time.
We arrived at the Chili's Restaurant on S. Dale Mabry right about 8:00pm and got inside to find the meeting room fully packed with people. I apologized for our running a little late (almost always my fault, that), and the meeting got underway. Founders and presidents Chris Woods and Joe Davison welcomed us all and called the meeting to order.
It was announced that Tampa Film Commissioner Krista Soroka was unable to attend due to involvement with a major, but secret film production in town. (That turned out to be the John Cusack movie, Grace is Gone.)
We were asked to stand and introduce ourselves, which we did, one by one. I was impressed to see some pretty heavy-hitters in the group, including Joel and Cathy Wynkoop, Jereme Badger, FX man Marcus Koch (pronounced "cook"), FMPTA member Dale Johnson and his wife, and many, many others. I playfully introduced myself as Corey's make-up assistant, then later added I was publisher of the PCR and I was at the meeting in a journalistic capacity.
It was announced that future meetings may include guest speakers.
Some paricipants brought samples of their work on DVDs. These were exhibited via a small, wall-mounted plasma digital TV screen present in the meeting room at Chili's. While that's good to have around, it's hard to get much attention focused on it when everyone's socializing and networking. Still, like I said, it's good to at least have it there.
The meeting was adjourned around 9:45pm, but we continued to mingle until well after that. Marcus Koch brought an impressive portfolio of his special-effects make-up work. Corey remarked on the way home that had he known Marcus earlier he might've been able to get him hired on bigger productions. I replied that the networking is working already!
TFN MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/tampafilmnetwork
Joe Davison email: spitballfrenzy@gmail.com
Chris Woods email: cwoods4@tampabay.rr.com
All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2006 by Nolan B. Canova.
The Tampa Film Network Meeting for May
The agenda of the meetings was once again outlined for new participants, that is, to network, pure and simple. That to succeed in indie film we must all work together as a group rather than as disparate entities. Corey and I were impressed to see much networking happening right away as business cards and phone numbers were exchanged all evening.