As an aside to a tangent, we vicariously saunter about Mother Murphy’s of Normal, IL, thanks to another student project born at Illinois State University, ANYTHING BUT NORMAL. Take a trip with us!
Posted in Business Matters, Documentary, Education/Classes, Happy Places, Media Coverage, Preservation, Student Film, The Old School, Videos du C-U | 
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Our limited series on filmmaking books from the Michael Wiese Productions library continues with ‘John Badham on Directing’ by John Badham, reviewed by Andrew J. Rausch.
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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 | Comments Off on Student art doc wins BEA award
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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