Live it : DC Beer Week 2011 (starts Sunday)

Everyone who is anyone should check out DC Beer Week this week (starting Sunday Aug 14th).  There are TONS are specials around the city.  Click the link below  for a map and calendar of events. Note: MIDWESTERNERS check out the specials on Wed (below).

DC Beer Week 2011 | DC Beer – Washington DC, Beers in DC, Beer, Bars, Craft beer, homebrewing, happy hours, beer tastings.

Here are a few highlights…

MONDAY AUG 15th : Ladies’ Night – Ladies Drink Beer for Free – 4pm
Belga Cafe – 514 8th Street SE, http://www.belgacafe.com

TUESDAY: AUG 16th:  All About Brews Trivia Night – 7pm

Bread & Brew – 1247 20th Street NW, http://www.breadandbrew.com
Think you know about beer? Put it to the test during Bread & Brew’s special all-beer trivia. Great prizes and beer specials all night long.

WED AUG 17th : Midwest Brewery Night at Smith Commons – 5pm
Smith Commons – 1245 H Street NE, http://www.smithcommonsdc.com
Smith Commons will be featuring breweries from a different region of the country for four different nights during DC Beer Week. Wednesday will feature breweries from the midwest. $5 pints, $15 bombers, and $5 regional themed small food pairings. The tentative brewery list for Wednesday includes:

Colorado

Avery Brewing Co.

Boulder Beer

Oskar Blues Brewery

Ohio

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Michigan

Bells Brewery Inc.

Founders Brewing Co.

New Holland Brewing Co.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Missouri

Schlafly Beer

Utah

Epic Brewing Co.

Silverdocs: Free

I’m all about experiencing Silverdocs.  It’s simply a great community event.  Sometimes I feel like jumping into the sold out screenings and sometimes I like to go to the less popular events.  One of those events is the FREE lunch screenings.

What are you doing for lunch?  You could be multi-tasking.  These shorts are lovely.  Most of them are well done and under appreciated by the masses.

Shorts Programs at AFI Silver during Lunchtime (noon): FREE

WED / June 22 @ Noon

THUR / June 23 @ Noon

FRI / June 24 @ Noon

*It’s a different group of shorts everyday!

(just walk in and ask for a ticket – I walked in 10 minutes early without a problem.)

For more information:  http://silverdocs.com/

 

TIVA Event: Workflow for the AF-100 and 7D Cameras

This was my first TIVA event.   I didn’t even know they existed.  I’m a WIFV member but, this event was also promoted to “us” in addition to the TIVA members.  It cost $20.00 for non-members.  And I will note that it’s $100.00 to join the group, for a year,  at the basic level.  Overall – I was extremely impressed.  The food and mingle session was fantastic.  They had a good beer selection and variety of munchies.  Everyone was very friendly and approached me as a new face.  And above all these factors – the presentation was spot on.

For more about TIVA : http://www.tivadc.org/

On to the main event….

Summary:

DSLR and AF100 WORKFLOW
Presented by Matt Gottshalk & Matt Nagy
With the DSLR look appealing to more and more filmmakers, and with the
introduction of Panasonic’s AF100, dealing with these cameras’
sometimes unwieldy video formats and sound issues is often more
difficult than it seems at first glance. This seminar will hit on
pre-production considerations, field techniques, and finally how to
deal with this in the edit room, whether you’re editing on Final Cut,
Avid, or Premier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took many good notes comparing the AF-100 to the 7D cameras.  The presenters pointed out differences that I never even considered.  They actually had so much information for us on the work flow – we didn’t get to the post production presentation.  Maybe they will have a part 2?!

If you are into this topic I would approach the presenters.  They are reachable in many ways twitter, facebook, websites….

Bios:

Matt Gottshalk is the owner of McGee Digital Media, a visual
communications firm based in Alexandria, VA. As an award winning
DP/Editor, Matt was one of the first in the DC area to embrace
shooting video with DSLRs in both corporate and broadcast
environments. Matt co-authored the best selling book; “From Still to
Motion, a Photographers Guide to Shooting Video on Your DSLR”, and has
taught classes on Digital Cinematography at NAB for Future Media
Concepts.  You can learn more about Matt at www.mcgeedigitalmedia.com

Matt Nagy wears many hats as a Senior Specialist, Video Production at
the American College of Cardiology. He produces, shoots, edits, and
designs motion graphics for member-focused content. Most people know
Matt as a motion designer and one of the co-coordinators of WIFV’s
Animator’s Roundtable, but he has shot numerous projects on the RED,
Varicam, and DSLRs on both greenscreen and in the field. You can find
samples of Matt’s work on his website, www.matthewsnagy.com

5 out of 5 Cheers

— REVIEWER: Becky Beamer

Interview with the Filmmakers : Community Harvest

Katy and I had the chance to interview the two brothers who were the masterminds behind the Community Harvest film (9 min 30 sec).  It’s a local film about a community that started a garden in Columbia Heights.

Trailer Found Here: http://wn.com/Lance_Kramer

Lance & Brandon Kramer

I had to start with Doc & a Drink’s most notable question…

Q: If you had to match your film with a “drink” what would it be?

A: Stone Soup. They weren’t sure if that would be an acceptable answer but, it was… It was the meal served at the opening of the local garden highlighted in the film.  For those who don’t know – stone soup is made in a giant “cauldron”.  You throw in all kinds of vegetables like carrots and onions with broth and simmer.  In this case the vegetables were all locally grown.

Since they DID serve the soup in mugs – I think it counts as a “drink”.

Q: So – how did you break up the “work”?

A: Both brothers looked at each other and made it clear that they split up the work – sometimes Lance filmed and sometimes it was Brandon.  They both directed the film but, neither edited.  That credit goes to Cameron King.  He actually had 2 films in the “Our City Film Festival”.

Can’t get enough of the brothers?

Find out more on their website: http://meridianhillpictures.com/index.php/about

Or check out the local art center where they both volunteer: http://www.sitarartscenter.org/faculty-list-digital-arts

5 out of 5 Cheers

—- Becky Beamer

What are you doing this weekend?

Doc & a Drink is going to the “Our City Film Festival”.  Our first stop is the opening night party tomorrow (Saturday). It’s open to the public — Join us!

It’s at RFD’s (810 7th St, NW) and everyone knows RFD’s has an excellent beer selection.  Katy and I will be interviewing some of the local documentary filmmakers.  It’s going to be a blast.  It’s only 12.00 and all the money from the festival goes back into the organization.  Buy your tickets online – they will sell out! See you there (8-11pm).

**** Celebrate the opening of the film festival with filmmakers and VIPs.

Enjoy beer specials, great raffle give-aways, and performances by

Grammy nominee, Arts and Humanities Council of Washington grantee

and subject of past OCFF film, Blue Line…

Then – this Sunday – is the main event.  The films are all about D.C. The festival is only on Sunday, at The Goethe Institute (812 7th St, NW).  For ticket information and a full schedule check the website:  http://www.yachad-dc.org/Home.shtml

AND – just added — is the closing event with the D.C Cupcake Girls…

Georgetown Cupcakes’ Sophie and Katherine will be special guests,

screening TLC’s Second Season of DC Cupcakes,Our City

hosting a Q&A, and cupcake decorating contest at the finale.

ONLY 10.00 to attend.  Buy tickets here.

 

5 out of 5 Cheers.

-becky beamer

Silverdocs is NEXT WEEK ….. hollllllla

The D.C area’s best documentary Film Festival and arguably one of the most anticipated events of the year invades Silver Spring next week.

Everyone should take advantage of the access to the hippest – hottest and hard to find docs.  Check out the long – the short and the conferences.

And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, Doc & a Drink will be giving the weekly play by play as official bloggers of the festival.

Bookmark these blogs for the inside scoop:

http://silverdocs.wordpress.com/

http://www.docandadrink.com/

Inside Scoop of the Week: Many of the evening shows are selling out. Buy your tickets today online!

Highlighted Doc of the Week: MEN WHO SWIM

I’m really looking forward to a doc that features Men Synchronize Swimming.  To learn more check out my blog for SilverDocs.

Cheers and Beers — becky

Event of the Month – Environmental Film Festival – Living Downstream

FILM:  Living Downstream

FILMMAKER: Chanda Chevannes

REVIEWER: Becky Beamer

Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary.  This poetic and character-driven film follows Sandra during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links.

I am so glad that I took the time to attend D.C’s Environmental Film Festival’s Bonus Day on April 25th.   I saw a film that was very special.  My glowing review starts with the first scene –  The opening scene visuals are thoughtful and the narration is extremely well written.  The open also happens to be part of the trailer so I don’t feel like disclosing the narration (below) will be any kind of spoiler …

There was once a village overlooking a river.
The people who lived there were very kind.
These residents, according to parable, began noticing increasing numbers of drowning people caught in the river’s swift current. And so they went to work devising ever more elaborate technologies to resuscitate them.

So preoccupied were these heroic villagers with rescue and treatment that they never thought to look upstream to see who was pushing the victims in.
This film is a walk up that river.  The river of human cancer.

Finally, Doc&aDrink has experienced an intelligent Host-Main Character.  The documentary was filled with beautifully – well composed landscapes and solid science.  Simplicity & Style of the visuals just works.  The B Roll was clean and deliberate.  My favorite scene was the beluga whales.  The scene included beluga dissection in the name of science.  It was raw and interesting.  I’ve never seen anything like it – effective.

For all those who were wondering – the screening was free  and the location was wonderful.  Please keep an eye out for the festival next year.

It was well attended and the audience included Senator John Kerry.

Final Thought :  STAY TUNED FOR KATY’S INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER!

5 out of 5 Cheers.

-b.b

Field Trip for FEB …. SOLD (the film)

On February 24th Doc&aDrink “took it to the streets” and attended a screening of SOLD:Fighting the New Global Slave Trade.

WIFV hosted the screening at the Jack Morton Auditorium, The Documentary Center, The George Washington University.  What a fantastic venue!  The auditorium has extra screens for those positioned on the outside of the theater, lots of leg room, and excellent space for a speaker.

From the filmmakers:

Our hope is that SOLD: Fighting the New Global Slave Trade will do more than just expose the darkness of slavery today. There are already so many films that document what is wrong with the world, exposing us to image after tragic image, adding to our collective compassion fatigue.

The challenge has been to balance the bleakness with hope. We want people to be outraged by the problem but also to be inspired by these three extraordinary abolitionists. Each of them battles a different virulent variety of slavery, with humor, grace, righteous anger and unflagging determination.

The film was just well done.  Not too long and not too short – just the right time.  This doc boast good videography –  mixed with interesting interviews – and stock footage.  But – the most impressive thing about this documentary is the characters involved.  I was drawn to the stories of the victims and lifted-up by the volunteers who are risking their own life for child victims of the slave trade. Yes, the topic was serious but I wasn’t sad when I left my seat in the auditorium.  Instead – I was uplifted and moved towards actions.  AND that’s the point.

For more information about the film and how you can help :  http://soldthefilm.com/

4 out of 5 Cheers.

Becky

FREE Viewing of OSCAR DOCS!

Now is your chance to catch up on all the Oscar Nominated Documentaries for FREE!  Did I mention the shows are free?  The National Archives is going to show 82nd Academy Award Nominated Films from March 3-7, 2010.

Highlight ? THE SHORTS: Documentary Short Subject Nominees, Sunday, March 7, noon

China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit à la Berlin

Total Running Time: 199 minutes (with a brief intermission).

Details: Seating for all screenings will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations will be accepted. Free tickets will be distributed at the National Archives Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue beginning 60 minutes prior to the start time. You must be present to receive a ticket. Theater doors will open 30 minutes prior to start time. The saving of seats is strictly prohibited.

The William G. McGowan Theater is located in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Metro accessible on Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial station. The public should use the Special Event entrance on Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. To verify the date and times of the programs, call the National Archives Public Programs Line at: (202) 357-5000.

For more information:  http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2010/nr10-58.html

5 out of 5 Cheers!

Becky

APM + Realscreen + Us

Doc and a Drink was present at the 2010 Realscreen Summit in Dec Feb. 1-3rd.  I have proof!  We made it onto some APM promotional material…….. (4th photo down)

Cheers and Beers!

bb