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Dec 2007: The website for my film "Happy & Gay" is now up. I'll be posting news on the film from there, primarily.

Please check it out! happyngay.com

Nov 2007: Yay! Two grants have come through! The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, and a Rhode Island School of Design Faculty Development Grant. Thanks super thanks hallelujiah!

July 2007: Okay, so this thing costs money. Not many grants out there, and animation in the US is rarely funded. I found this, however: the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation. It is for arts projects of gay/lesbian focus that are either scripts, writing, or media, focused on depictions of the gay and lesbian lifestyle in a positive manner and be based on, or inspired by, a historic person, culture, event, or work of art.

June 2007: Went to the Platform Animation Film Festival in Portland, OR. It was fabulous, and I highly recommend heading out there in 2009, its next schedule appearance. They did a WONDERFUL job. The most exciting part for me was the appearance of the Animation Installations. My friends Gregory Barsamian (animation installation) and Ian Gouldstone (film) both took home the top prizes for their work in the festival. Hooray!!

I showed H & G in process to many folks, and received great feedback. It helped tremendously in picking up my spirits. Its been a "creating in a vacuum" experience lately, so some outside p.o.v was much appreciated.

June 2007: Brian Carpenter, my film's composer/score has re-invented his band's name. It is now: Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Vaudeville Orchestra. The original Beat Circus Vaudeville site can still be found here.

March 2007: Well, the money from the LEF Grant is now gone. : ( I hired an animator and a clean-up person to help me along, and that's pretty much where it went.

May 2006: "Happy & Gay" has received an LEF Foundation's Moving Image Grant ! ! ! ! Hooray ! ! ! Now it's time to hire a couple of people to help out in production. I've targeted some talented grads from Harvard just for that purpose. The goal is to finish this film in its entirety by next October.

The Filmmakers Collaborative is my fiscal sponsor, which means that they particpate as my accounts manager while I use this grant funding.

May 1 : "Dem Bones Wiggle " and "Grace" will be screening at the Big Balagan Screening at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline Village. The show is focused on "new work by Boston filmmakers."

February 2006: "Happy & Gay" has made it to the next stage of grant application for the LEF Foundation's Moving Image Grant.

January 2006: "Happy & Gay" has received non-profit fiscal support from the Filmmakers Collaborative. This will allow me to apply for grants that require a fiscal manager, which is a tax-exempt entity (501c) that receives the grant money and passes it on to me. The FC looks to be a great group of local professionals that are active and engaged in supporting film production.

July 2005: We've recorded the final overdub music for H & G! We had brilliant musicians come in to the sound room in Harvard's Carpenter Center, and help us clean up the performance and add some pizzazz. Musicians included classical violinist Harumi Rhodes, bassonist Erica Schattle, and percussionist Matt McLaren. Our recording engineer was John Koczera.

June 2005: H + G Animation is underway! I'm drawing directly into Flash, and then the "decaying" process will be done thru After Effects and Final Cut. The click that you will hear is a timing device that we use during the production- it won't be in the final soundtrack.You can see a short Flash clip with audio that's in the "pre-decay" look! watch!

May 2005: "Happy & Gay" has received a production grant from the Film Study Center at Harvard University, where I am currently teaching. It is providing financial backing as well as equipment support. Hooray!!!

April 2005: Vocals were recorded at Harvard's carpenter Center for the Arts. We had recording engineer John Koczera at the helm for technical deeds. Vocal artistry came from the lovely and talented chanteuse Leah Callahan, fresh and exotic balladeer Brian King (What Time Is It, Mr. Fox,) my composer Brian Carpenter (Beat Vaudeville,) and even one of my Harvard students, Charlie Miller even pitched in. Myself, I did a fat butch hippo, a Holy Roller, and Fido the dog. Here are a few pix.

April 2005: We recorded the amazing music score this month! Members of the Beat Circus Vaudeville Orchestra performed it at Brian Carpenter's (composer & director of Beat Vaudeville) favorite recording studio in Brooklyn, NY: GoodandEvil. Danny Blume, recording engineer and co-owner, was our master magician for the day's frolics. The musicians that came to heat up the room (literally) were: Brian Carpenter, trumpet Jim Hobbs, alto saxophone; Matt Darriau, Bb clarinet; Josh Roseman, trombone; Brandon Seabrook, banjo; Katt Hernandez, violin; Ron Caswell, tuba; and Matt McLaren, drums. They recorded 24 short pieces composed for the film. See a slide show of our music and vocal recording sessions. Hear a sample of a track from the score (wav.) (The click is a timing technique only and will not be in the final track.)