membership

RAVA Merges with RMM to form RAFAS 2016

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The Rochester AudioVisual Association has formally merged with Rochester Movie Makers under the new name of Rochester Association for Film Arts & Sciences, Inc. as of Dec 1st 2016.

Looking forward into the new 2017 year comes exciting times. After successful award of a Dryden Theater named seat ceremony for Tom Hope and his late spouse, RAVA has had a successful 60 year run as an independent non-profit group of working professionals and industry leaders. Founded on the passion of Tom Hopes drive for mentorship and industry opportunity for all individuals interested in production and media, we hope to continue that legacy forward in an exciting new organization focused on the very same goals. Together with our friends from the leadership of RMM, we hope to further expand our scope, reach, and build a stronger community around production and media.

Each of the RAVA leadership positions has accepted a new seat on the RAFAS board, and you can reach out to us with any questions via our new emails in the leadership section on the www.rafasny.org main page. There is also a generic contact form there for any general questions as well.

We are very excited about the coming together of these two great organizations, and we hope you consider membership under the new structure.

RAFAS Now on Meetup.com!

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We are now leveraging meetup.com to manage our memberships. No long will you have to wonder when your annual membership needs to be renewed, whether you are paid in full, and who/when to pay!

In addition we will be using Meetup to schedule more social focused events to increase the amount of networking opportunities we offer throughout the year. Meetup is free to create an account and easy to use and manage. We will also be integrating our offical calendar to reflect all the meetup events so we can have one place to check for all the various happenings throughout the year.

We hope you are as excited as we are! Check out our new meetup page yourself at the link below:

https://www.meetup.com/RAFASNY/

New Website Launch

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Welcome to the new RAFAS website!

We are very excited to share our new look and feel with you. We’ve spent most of 2016 dealing with re-branding ourselves as RAFAS along with a new logo and color scheme. Bare with us over the next few months as we continue to build and improve our web portfolio.

Some of the more promising things to look for are:

  • Full integration with our social media portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Meetup
  • Comprehensive membership management
  • Integrated calendar and events – providing one stop for all the info!
  • Online shopping for Cast and Crew specialized logo gear
  • A new members only area for individual member projects and bios
  • Better management of our paid events and workshops
  • and more!

Stay tuned and check back often as we continue to expand our offerings to the Rochester Film Community.

Our new site has been experiencing some stability issues, please forgive us as we work through them!

RMM General Meeting Minutes – June, 2016

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June 23, 2016
Start Time: 6:07 pm End Time: 8:05 pm
Location: RCTV 21 Gorham St., Rochester, NY
Organization Announcements:

  • The WNY Film, Art & Music Event will be at Genesee Community
    College August 12-14.
  • Wilhelmina Rochester is going to have a “Director’s Night,”
    showcasing their acting talent.
  • We will be using Meetup.com for membership management and
    events.
  • RAFAS is actively seeking new board members and volunteers.

derrick-jason-1024x527
Derrick Petrush & Jason Berardi

Topic Presentation: Production – Cinematography
RMM Chairman Zachary Welch conducted the Round Table Discussion.
The table gave an introduction to camerawork, giving the ins and outs on the various positions, and what to expect your first day on set.
The panel included cinematographers Derrick Petrush and Jason
Berardi.
The discussion was video recorded and will be archived on the
RMM Web site.
June 23 General Meeting Minutes PDF

RAVA’s Annual Dinner

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RAVA 2015 June dinner invitation

(links to PDF poster)

 

It’s time for RAVA’s Annual Dinner on Tuesday, June 23, 2015!

Guest Speaker: NORA BROWN Film Commissioner & Executive Director of the Rochester/Finger Lakes Film Commission.

Seating is limited to 30; RSVP to rsvp@myrava.com by June 20th.
2015 RAVA members get FIRST PRIORITY if responding by June 13th.

Check membership status at www.myrava.com/2015-members.

Arrive at 5:30 for drinks, dinner orders taken at 6:00, speaker at 6:15, dinner at 6:40.

Phillips European Restaurant
26 Corporate Woods
Rochester NY 14623

Menu available for your perusal at www.phillipseuropean.com.

Dinner cost is per person a la carte.

Winners have been chosen !

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The 2015 Media Scholars have been chosen!

 

The panel of judges for the 2015 RAVA Scholar Awards:

Nora Brown, Executive Director, Rochester/Fingerlakes Film & Video Office
Don Casper, EPIC 10 Films
Tom Cummings, Cummings Creative, Inc.
Nancy Gertner, Nancy Gertner Productions
Matt White, 4th Coast Productions

 

39th Annual RAVA Scholarship Awards Ceremony
(Guests welcome!)
 
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
High Tech Rochester (Media Room)
150 Lucius Gordon Way, West Henrietta, NY 14586
Light food and refreshments sponsored by World Leaders Sales will be served.
 
Program
5:30 Networking
6:15 Opening Remarks
6:30 Awards and film screenings
7:00 Closing
7:30 Meet for drinks
Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Drive Suite #101, Rochester, New York
 
 (RSVP as soon as possible to: rsvp@myrava.com)
 
Thank you to our sponsors!
 
 
Please donate to the scholarship fund by visiting http://myrava.com/scholarships
Remember to renew your membership at http://myrava.com/membership
 

RMM General Meeting Minutes – December 4, 2014

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RMM General Meeting Minutes – December 4, 2014 (November 2014 Meeting)
Start Time: 6:38pm
Total in Attendance: 15
Location: RCTV
Agenda:
Introductions

  • Made individually around the room

New Business:

  • Membership of RMM/RCTV combo is available for $65/year or $25/yr for RMM.
  • RCTV has 3 new classes beginning in January:
  • Basics of Videography
  • Digital Editing
  • TV Studio Production

Completion of classes allows individual use of studio and equipment.
M2M 2015

  • Dates are January 22-25th
  • This year we care partnering with Fast Forward Film Festival (FFFF) to incorporate an Environmental element into the competition. Teams have their choice to spin and gets props, character, situation or can use “The Environment” for a character.
  • If teams choose this option, they will be entered into the FFFF with an additional chance to win up to $3000 in prize money.

Writers Group

  • Meets every other Weds. from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
  • Next meeting will be 12/17/14 at Crossroad’s Café (behind Cinema Theater).
  • Currently working on logline exercises and a new assignment of 10 first ten pages in preparation for March’s “Scriptapolooza.”
  • All skill levels welcome.
  • Sign up to receive updates on RMM Writers Group’s Facebook page.

Our next general meeting will be the Holiday/White Elephant Party on Jan 8, 2015.

  • There will be free food and drinks.
  • Come with your best “worst” present to participate in the White Elephant.
  • Our next Executive Board meeting will be held on Thursday, 12/11/14 at the Little Theater Cafe at 6pm.

Projects:
Justin Curtis has a 30 page dark comedy project that he is directing. He is looking to shoot beginning in January – mostly on Weekends.
He is seeking:

  • 1 Cinematographer (Canon 60D camera provided)
  • 1 Gaffer
  • 1 AD
  • 1 Sound person
  • Actors — 1 female, 20-25
  • 1 female, 40
  • 1 male, 15-20
  • 1 male, 20 – main character
  • 2 -3 extras
  • For further info Contact Justin at: majorelvisfan424 AT gmail DOT com or 585-953-3728

Curt Markham’s “Silverspear”

  • Curt is looking for Female VO talent for his animated film. Contact: silverspearfilm AT gmail DOT com

Pacho Lane – is in post on “Columbia One,” a documentary about the first Peace Corp group in 1961. It Involves the history, training footage, and follow up fifty years later, ending with reunion party in 2011.

  • He needs Assistant Editor.
  • Wants to have it done by the end of the year.
  • E-mail Pancho at ethnoscope AT yahoo DOT com for more information or visit his website
  • www.docfilm.com

Speaker: Mike Boas – Intro to Celtx.

  • Mike showed the features and uses of Celtx including: post-it notes/location database/scratch
  • pad/project library notes.
  • Also demonstrated the ease of use in beginning to type a script and the auto format that the
  • program allows.
  • In the end, Mike showed how to save in proper format and how to convert to PDF.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
All of us at Empire Film want to wish you a happy new year and good tidings during the holiday season. If your looking for things to do we will be hosting a screening of Once in a Good Many Million Times in Rochester, NY on January 2 and 3. It will take place at the Swiftwater Brewing Company located at 378 Mt. Hope Ave. The taps open at 4pm and the film will play at 8pm.
Admission is free but, there will be a suggested donation and Limited Edition DVD Pre-sales. So come on out to Rochester and enjoy good friends, good beer, and a great film with us. You will be able to stay updated by joining the event on Facebook at one of the following links.
January 2: https://www.facebook.com/events/556775837791056/
January 3: https://www.facebook.com/events/836233469767347/
We look forward to seeing you!
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RMM General Meeting Minutes – July 2014

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July 31, 2014
Start Time: 6:34PM
Total in Attendance: 39
Location: RCTV
Agenda:
 
Introductions:

  • Made individually around the room
  • Stan Main announced Ric Hooker will be stepping down as RMM Treasurer, and Chris Hazenbush will be taking over as Interim Treasurer
    • Board presented Ric with Award of Recognition for his service as RMM’s Treasurer, Greeter, and Membership Coordinator

 
Upcoming Events:
RMM Writers Group

  • Meetings now on alternate Thursdays at RCTV
  • 6:00pm to 8:00pm
  • Next meeting is August 7, 2014 and August 21, 2014

 
Upcoming Projects:
Stan Main – RMM Director’s Forum

  • Television program on RCTV
  • Looking for Directors
  • Shootings on Mondays, airs on Wednesdays or Thursdays
  • Contact stan AT rochestermoviemakers DOT org for more information

Adrian Esposito – Disability Hollywood

  • Documentary about disabilities in Hollywood
  • May need cameraman to shoot an Advocacy Group Meeting at Arc of Monroe County (http://www.arcmonroe.org/)
    • Will be screening Freaks and wants to get participants’ reactions on film
  • Doesn’t know date nor time yet
  • Has camera to use
  • Contact adrianesposito AT rochester.rr DOT com for more information

Brian Page – Once in A Good Many Million Times

  • Shooting a film in Angelica, NY
  • Set in the 1800s
  • Looking for crew and actors
  • Looking for props, a horse-drawn carriage, and horses
  • Shooting during the last two weekends in September and the first weekend in October
  • Will have an Indiegogo campaign in late August
  • Contact empirefilmny AT gmail DOT com for more information

Hayden Freedman – short film

  • Having sound problems with mic (hissing noises)
  • Needs help recording clean sound

Neeti Fidurko – Who Would Jesus Date

  • Comedic short film, 20 minutes
  • Current in pre-production and will be shooting in a few weeks
  • Needs the following crew:
    • On-Location Sound Recorder
    • Gaffer (lighting)
    • Make-up Artist
    • Location Scout

Curt Markham – “The Search for Silverspear”

  • Restored film that Curt made in high school
  • Needs
    • Voice Over actors for some characters
    • Sound Effects crewmember
  • Hopes to have it done by the end of the year (2014)

Rebecca (Becca) Delaney and Brandonne Rankin – Fast Forward Film Festival Call for Entries

  • A new film festival/event in connection with Andy Stern and his Lost Bird Project (http://www.lostbirdproject.org/about)
  • WXXI, The Little Theater, and RIT/Pollution Prevention Institute are premiere sponsors
  • Goal: to connect the viewers in some way with the environment – must inspire people to do something about climate change
  • The Festival will be local (Rochester) films only, but the festival will then move to other cities
  • Will be held on Earth Day 2015 and will span three days
  • Submission window – October 8, 2014 (8:00am) through February 27, 2015 (11:59pm)
    • Can submit multiple files
    • Each film must be five minutes or less in length
    • No entry fee
    • Submit on website www.fastforwardroc.org
  • Cash awards will be given in three categories:
    • “Most Inspiring, Compelling, and Engaging”
    • “Most Unique Perspective”
    • “Strongest Call to Action”
  • Jury Panel includes:
    • Enid Cardinal
    • Deborah Dickson
    • Jack Garner
    • Todd McGrain
  • Films may be aired on PBS at a later date
  • Website www.fastforwardroc.org will be live October 1, 2014
  • Contact Rebecca AT fastforwardroc DOT org for more information

 
Networking:
 
Speaker:
Johannes Bockwoldt – “Reading Phillip Seymour Hoffman”

  • Gave short excerpt from his upcoming class at Writers & Books
  • Screened Love Liza
    • Hoffman brings life into awkward characters
  • Screened Ray
    • Works from  the inside, out
    • Studies the characters and finds the truth behind them
    • “Representational actor” vs. “Presentational Actor”
      • Foxx vs. Hoffman
        • Foxx is more of a representation of Ray Charles, whereas Hoffman does more analysis of his character at every single moment
  • Played sound clip of Doubt with the screenplay displayed
    • Good writing mixes with good acting
    • Drama and tension builds in the excerpted scene
    • “Good writing creates a great acting opportunity”
    • Drama is Conflict
  • Played sound clip of Savages with the screenplay displayed
    • Another example of drama as conflict
    • Hoffman gets to the truth of a character and the truth of the script
  • Also explored excerpts from Uta Hagen’s works on acting
  • Hoffman – actors explore themselves and others, which can be burdensome

 
End of Meeting: 8:15PM
RMM General Meeting Minutes – July 2014 WORD DOC