What is reasonable give-and-take when a city is attempting to improve its central hub? The student project MAKING A MURAL illustrates the issue with an artistic conundrum in Normal, Illinois.
Posted in Bittersweet Places, Business Matters, Documentary, Education/Classes, Media Coverage, Preservation, Student Film, Videos du C-U | 
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Nationwide consensus is that small businesses and organizations will get raked over the coals before the pandemic is over. We look at how a first-run, mixed-use, and former movie theater are doing.
Posted in Business Matters, Education/Classes, How You Can Help, Media Coverage, Ones That Got Away?, Preservation, Public Events, Sad Places, The Old School, Theatres & Venues | Comments Off on Virus fells Orpheum, shorts Avon
Once upon a time, next to no one in our society knew how to make movies. Traveling impresarios of a century ago made sure to tease the average citizen with the possibilities in programs like ‘Making Movies.’
Posted in Advertising du C-U, Education/Classes, Gone Hollywood, Images du C-U, Ones That Got Away?, Print Matter du C-U, Public Events, The Old School, Theatres & Venues, VHS is Best | Comments Off on Let’s all go to the ‘Movies,’ C-U
The Central Illinois Film Commission wants to tell you about how filmmakers make it happen in downstate Illinois. Interested in inside knowledge? There’s a Zoom event on Saturday afternoon for that!
Posted in Broadcast Dates, Central Ill. Commission, Cinema Discourse, Education/Classes, Zoom du C-U | Comments Off on Online panel will talk indie filming
Our limited series on filmmaking books from the Michael Wiese Productions library continues with ‘Making it Big in Shorts: The Ultimate Filmmaker’s Guide to Short Films’ by Kim Adelman, reviewed by Jason Pankoke.
Posted in Alums Done Good, Critique du C-U, Education/Classes, Print Matter | Comments Off on MWP home to ‘Shorts’ whisperer
A pair of documentaries with downstate Illinois ties, WHITE HEAT/BLACK ASHES and WHERE ARE YOU, JAY BENNETT?, are close to completion. If interested and able, why not nudge them along?
Posted in Bittersweet Places, Business Matters, Crowdsourcing du C-U, Documentary, Education/Classes, How You Can Help, Music Video, Sad Places | Comments Off on Help fundraise for riot, rock docs
Our limited series on filmmaking books from the Michael Wiese Productions library continues with ‘Stock Footage + Everything under the Sun’ by James Forsher, reviewed by Jason Pankoke.
Posted in Alums Done Good, Critique du C-U, Education/Classes, Print Matter, The Old School | Comments Off on MWP volume sifts ‘Footage’ gold
The scenes from a film culture that we have been watching mostly from afar fill us with mild disenchantment instead of wonder. And then we were ordered to self-shelter and keep personal spaces to ourselves. Joy.
Posted in Area Festivals, Article du C-U, Business Matters, Education/Classes, JP Confidential, Local Meetings, Media Coverage, Ones That Got Away?, Public Events, Roger Ebert, Sad Places, Theatres & Venues | Comments Off on C-U cinema hits a slippery slope
We relaunch our limited series on filmmaking books from the Michael Wiese Productions library begins with a complete posting on ‘Writing for the Cut’ by Greg Loftin, reviewed by Daniel Tice.
Posted in Alums Done Good, Critique du C-U, Education/Classes, Print Matter | Comments Off on MWP begins again with ‘Writing’
It has been a long while since a feature-length project has emerged from the WILL-TV studios in Urbana, so we welcome ILLINOIS COUNTRY with open arms. It airs tonight, March 6, 2020, at 7:30 p.m.
Posted in Alums Done Good, Broadcast Dates, Documentary, Education/Classes, Music Video, The Old School, YouTube du C-U | Comments Off on COUNTRY to encore on WILL-TV
The Workshop Films Collective, a newer group devoted to developing technical skills and honing storytelling concepts, is led by John Isberg and gathers weekly at Shatterglass Studios in Champaign, IL.
Posted in Business Matters, Education/Classes, Job Opportunities, Local Meetings, Music Video, Production Updates, Videos du C-U | Comments Off on Collective hones film skills weekly
Our limited series on filmmaking books from the Michael Wiese Productions library begins with ‘Writing for the Cut’ by Greg Loftin, reviewed by Daniel Tice.
Posted in Alums Done Good, Critique du C-U, Education/Classes, Print Matter | Comments Off on MWP reviews begin with ‘Writing’
Students at the University of Illinois have more options to breathe in and produce the cinema then they know. We update today on the UI Golden Corn Student Film Festival and the Illinois Film Office’s Shortcuts contest.
Posted in Area Festivals, Competition du C-U, Education/Classes, Local Meetings, Public Events, Student Film | Comments Off on Options bloom for UI film students
Currently-enrolled students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign know what’s going down on campus more than we do, but we can always toss up a little friendly advice on their behalf.
Posted in Area Festivals, Education/Classes, Local Meetings, Public Events, Student Film | Comments Off on Students bring life to film at UIUC
‘Tis the season for learning as the school year rushes in, but any time is golden for inspiring our youth. Students living in the Champaign-Urbana area have options aplenty to do just that, even with filmmaking.
Posted in Competition du C-U, CU Film Society, Education/Classes, For the Children, Media Coverage, Public Events, Student Film | Comments Off on Youth expressed positively in films