Latest
JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE: Film Director Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH” – Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1245.mp3
Film Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH“ features a uniquely Canadian perspective on the career and canon of renowned filmmakers. Released through DVDVerdict.com and available on iTunes, the podcast is hosted by the diabolical Steve Power (Newfoundland), Jon Mercer (Newfoundland), Andrew Forbes (Ontario), and Gabriel Girard (Montreal).
Each week, these Canucks offer up a hearty discussion regarding the “Good,” the “Bad,” and the “Ugly” from each filmmaker’s body of work:
The “Good” selection is often a film held in the highest esteem, for quality and enjoyment.
The “Bad” selection is more middle of the road, though NOT NECESSARILY bad! It can be a good film, but has some flaws that keep it from greatness. It can also be a film that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the canon.
The “Ugly” selection is the true bad selection. It is considered the lesser or least of the director’s films, and can be skewered Mystery Science Theater 3000 style (although in our opinion, Melville has NO “ugly” films).
For episode #28 of THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH (Podcast #1212 on DVD Verdict) the crew invited me as a special guest, and we had a grand time looking back on Jean-Pierre Melville’s oeuvre. You can download the podcast here, but BEWARE!—this 2 hour discussion is for movie geeks only:
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1245.mp3
Join Gabriel, Andrew, and guest Michael McVey as they celebrate and denigrate the life’s work of director/writer Jean-Pierre Melville. Le cercle rouge, Army of Shadows, Le Samouraï, Le Deuxieme Souffle, Magnet of Doom, Le Doulos, Léon Morin – Priest, Two Men in Manhattan, Bob le Flambeur, Les Enfants Terribles, Le silence de la mer … what’s not to love?
You can play along at home with IMDB and Youtube pages open, looking up the facts and clips as we go. Here is the trailer to the cool, influential French noir classic LE SAMOURAI:
48HFP Awards and “THE MAKING OF MANNA” Documentary by Skiffleboom [Best Film Winner - 2012 Boston 48 Hour Film Project]
“Good news everyone!” Skiffleboom Productions’ entry into the 48 Hour Film Project, Boston 2012 made it all the way to the “Best of Boston” screening. On June 20th, 2012, a selection of the “best” competing 48HFP films were screened at the Kendall Square Theatre, where the judge’s awards were announced. Skiffleboom was awarded the following:

Audience Award, Screening “D”
Best Use of Genre
Best Cinematography – Seth Wood
Best Actor – Elise Manning
Best Directing – Michael McVey
Best Film
Our team is very humbled—we thank everyone who helped make “Manna” possible. Special thanks to 48HFP’s Boston Producer Ben Guaraldi and his team, the judges, and the 84 teams who successfully submitted films this year. We greatly encourage you to explore the 2012 entries and discover for yourself the variety of filmmaking talent and taste of the greater Boston area.
Here is a documentary I put together on the making of “Manna”
… This is a comprehensive look into our team’s approach to filmmaking under the 48-hour deadline, and provides some first-hand information and techniques for aspiring 48HFP participants.
“Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.”
― C.S. Lewis
Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
Listen to Michael McVey speak about the 48 Hour Film Project on WGBH, with Edgar B. Herwick III and Mark Green on BOSTON PUBLIC RADIO:
http://www.wgbh.org/programs/Boston-Public-Radio-1936/episodes/Thurs-71212Quick-Flicks-40165
and watch some of Mike’s favorites from Boston’s 2012 48HFP: http://wgbhnews.org/post/six-winning-48-hour-films
“Manna” by Skiffleboom, “Best Film” Winner of 2012 Boston 48 Hour Film Project, 48hfp
Here is Skiffleboom Productions‘ entry into the 48 Hour Film Project, Boston 2012.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which teams make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours. We started Friday, 7pm on May 18, 2012, and finished Sunday at 7pm, May 20th. The competition is screened at the Kendall Cinema in Cambridge and the films are judged by both panel and audience. Winners progress to regionals.
It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ll be making movies for the rest of my life.
Requirements:
Genre – Science Fiction
Line – You’re making a big mistake.
Character: Ivana Wright, interior decorator
Prop – Chocolate
“Manna”
Directed by Michael McVey
Written by Kristen Hamill & Michael McVey
Director of Photography – Seth Wood
Composer – Robby Candido
Editors – Kristen Hamill & Michael McVey
Production Sound Mixer – Kellen Sutherland

Q & A: Manna Premiere at Kendall Theater, Cambridge MA, Skiffleboom. Left to right: Michael McVey (director, writer, editor), Kristen Hamill (writer, editor), Robby Candido (composer), and Seth Wood (cinematographer). Photo by Stefan Malner.
Starring – Elise Manning
with
Valerie Roberts
Neal Cutler
Jason Dornhoffer
Terry Murtaugh
Characters:
Denise McIsaac
Katie Haynes
Joseph Vinueza
Uriah Barker
Steven Heim
Stephen Fischetti
Whitney Owens
Bronwyn Cooke
Nate Betts
Special Thanks to
Evelyn Schwager
Margalit Rosenblatt
Emily Lipscomb
Karen Hamill & Dave Hope
Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
BNI Commonwealth Video Referrals by Michael McVey
I belong to a business networking group called BNI Commonwealth chapter in Massachusetts. Occasionally, I get together with friendlies and make fun commercials (members only). They’ve become quite a hit, and have netted my sign company some terrific business, well worth the time and effort. Here are some of my favorites from the past year…
UNITED WORLDWIDE, Private Car Service
Jason Dornhoffer & Terry Murtaugh
BOOKKEEPING PLUS MORE
Carole Bellew
SANTINI SISTERS, Mortgage Lending
Lindsay & Lesley Santini
You can see more at the BNI Commonwealth Youtube.
Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
Stop Motion Word Animation [Skiffleboom.com]
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
I find these refrigerator word magnets incredibly addicting:
I thought this up one early April evening, after playing with the magnets for hours. I enlisted HARDCORE AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHER Seth Wood to shoot the magnet animation, using a trusty Canon 5D Mark II. We used individual photographs shot over three separate nights — over 2,880 photos in total. I edited in Final Cut Pro at 24 frames per second.
We wanted to keep the lighting consistent during the shoot, to get the smoothest motion. Since my kitchen has many windows, a daytime kitchen takeover to set up cameras and lighting would have been too much effort. It was easier for us to shoot at night, from 10PM to 4:30AM (followed by 3 hours sleep… and then our day jobs!).
Music by Chris Thomas King and Colin Linden - ”John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto’.”
Michael McVey
Skiffleboom.com
Mike McVey’s Sign-A-Rama Commercials PART I [Skiffleboom.com]
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
The Sign-A-Rama Cambridge Video Collection, Sept 2010 – April 2011 (Michelle Weitzel’s photography exhibit can be found in a previous post).
Buzz Lightyear: How to Make a Sign
That’s right, Space Rangers. Buzz shows you how to make the Greatest Sign of All Time. Filmed on location at Sign-A-Rama Cambridge in front of a live studio audience. www.Signarama-Cambridge.com (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Miss Massachusetts 2010: Loren Galler Rabinowitz
The beautiful and brilliant Loren Rabinowitz gives her TOTALLY UNBIASED OPINION of Sign-A-Rama Cambridge’s signs and banners before heading off to the 2011 Miss America Pagent. www.Signarama-Cambridge.com (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Neal “Lightning” Cutler Installs a Wall Sign
Sign expert Neal “Lightning” Cutler installs a wall sign. Neal Cutler is the owner of Sign-A-Rama Cambridge. www.Signarama-Cambridge.com (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Deluxe Pop-Up Banners
Deluxe Pop-Up Banners are handy little things, great for travel, showrooms, tradeshows. www.Signarama-Cambridge.com (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
(Face)ets: Pakistan and Yemen – Photography by Michelle Weitzel
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
I would say that one of the most interesting jobs I got at my sign shop, Sign-A-Rama Cambridge, was from Harvard University student Michelle Wietzel. She and her husband Billy traveled extensively throughout Pakistan and Yemen, and Michelle brought her camera. Throughout their journeys, Michelle took some fantastic pictures. In 2010, the Harvard Neighbors Gallery (Loeb House) exhibited a selection of Michelle’s photography, which I was asked to print.
It was a very fun job, and a welcome break from the monotony of corporate branding. At the show, Michelle and Billy gave me a running commentary on the images, sharing stories from their travels. Since I always carry my trusty camera with me, I got quite a bit of it on video. Flash forward to late February 2011, when I had a spare weekend for a quick edit and… voilà! A brief little video scraped together (more like salvaged) from the ever growing backlog!
Hopefully this diverts/informs a few dozen internet viewers, Harvard Neighbors Gallery gets some free PR, Michelle and Billy Weitzel get a video keepsake, and Sign-A-Rama Cambridge gets to show off their printing capabilities. Everybody wins! Except for my carpal tunnel. Maybe some Qat will help.
Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), from the Album “The Suburbs”
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
This is a video edit I made of the Arcade Fire’s Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), from their album “The Suburbs.”
I came home from work late last night, caught a new episode of Mad Men at midnight, then stayed up til morning making this. I don’t know what it is about that show that gets me going. The whole things took about nine hours from start to upload, plus a little nap.
A youtube user named StocktoSong loves this album too – StocktoSong also made an Arcade Fire video from the original 1957 Suburba Prelinger footage. It’s interesting to compare and contrast how we both used the footage. We are reworking digitally something edited by hand half a century ago.
The original ephemeral film:
1957′s “In the Suburbs” is a thoughtfully made advertising sales promo film extolling 1950s suburbanites as citizens and consumers. It was produced by On Film, Inc., and sponsored by Redbook Magazine. It can be viewed at http://www.archive.org/details/IntheSub1957
Visit Arcade Fire
Secrets of the Harvard Map Revealed!!! from Skiffleboom.com
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
I draw and maintain illustrated walking maps throughout New York and Massachusetts.
This Harvard Map was completed in 2009. Most of the tourists don’t pick up on it, but there are some hidden secrets scattered all over the map!
You can pick up your own copy at Harvard Square, watch tour videos here, and take the Hahvahd Tour at www.UnofficialTours.com
Secrets of the Boston Map Revealed!!! from Skiffleboom.com
By Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
I draw and maintain illustrated walking maps throughout New York and Massachusetts.
This Boston Map was completed in 2010. Most of the tourists don’t pick up on it, but there are some hidden secrets scattered all over the map! You can pick up your own copy on the Boston Common, and take the Tour of the Freedom Trail at www.UnofficialTours.com
Film Director WES CRAVEN Podcast on “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH,” with Special Guest Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1212.mp3
Film Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH“ features a uniquely Canadian perspective on the career and canon of renowned filmmakers. Released through DVDVerdict.com and available on iTunes, the podcast is hosted by the diabolical Steve Power (Newfoundland), Jon Mercer (Newfoundland), Andrew Forbes (Ontario), and Gabriel Girard (Montreal).
Each week, these Canucks offer up a hearty discussion regarding the “Good,” the “Bad,” and the “Ugly” from each filmmaker’s body of work:
The “Good” selection is often a film held in the highest esteem, for quality and enjoyment.
The “Bad” selection is more middle of the road, though NOT NECESSARILY bad! It can be a good film, but has some flaws that keep it from greatness. It can also be a film that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the canon.
The “Ugly” selection is the true bad selection. It is considered the lesser or least of the director’s films, and can be skewered Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.
For episode #26 of THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH (Podcast #1212 on DVD Verdict) the crew invited me as a special guest, and we had a grand time looking back on Wes Craven’s oeuvre. You can download the podcast here, but BEWARE!—this 2 hour discussion is for movie geeks only:
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1212.mp3
Join Jon, Steve, Andrew, and special guest Michael McVey as they celebrate and denigrate the life’s work of director/writer Wes Craven. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Shocker, The Scream series, Red Eye, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left… what’s not to love?
You can play along at home with IMDB and Youtube pages open, looking up the facts and clips as we go. Here is the infamous “Basketball Scene” from the 1986 cult classic “DEADLY FRIEND”—watch The Goonies‘ Anne Ramsey explode like a watermellon as Kristy Swanson does her Terminator impression:
Film Director GEORGE A. ROMERO Podcast on “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH,” with Special Guest Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1203.mp3
Film Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH“ features a uniquely Canadian perspective on the career and canon of renowned filmmakers. Released through DVDVerdict.com and available on iTunes, the podcast is hosted by the diabolical Steve Power (Newfoundland), Jon Mercer (Newfoundland), Andrew Forbes (Ontario), and Gabriel Girard (Montreal).
Each week, these Canucks offer up a hearty discussion regarding the “Good,” the “Bad,” and the “Ugly” from each filmmaker’s body of work:
The “Good” selection is often a film held in the highest esteem, for quality and enjoyment.
The “Bad” selection is more middle of the road, though NOT NECESSARILY bad! It can be a good film, but has some flaws that keep it from greatness. It can also be a film that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the canon.
The “Ugly” selection is the true bad selection. It is considered the lesser or least of the director’s films, and can be skewered Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.
For episode #24 of THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH (Podcast #1203 on DVD Verdict) the crew invited me as a special guest, and we had a grand time looking back on Romero’s oeuvre. You can download the podcast here, but BEWARE!—this 2 hour discussion is for movie geeks only:
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1203.mp3
Join Jon, Steve, Andrew, and special guest Michael McVey as they celebrate and denigrate the life’s work of director/writer George A. Romero. The Night of the Living Dead series, Monkey Shines, Knightriders, Creepshow, Season of the Witch… what’s not to love? (According to the Canadians, not a whole lot.)
You can play along at home with IMDB and Youtube pages open, looking up the facts and clips as we go. Here is the trailer from the 1982 horror anthology classic “CREEPSHOW”—watch Ted Danson drown while Leslie Nielsen shrugs:
Film Director PETER HYAMS Podcast on “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH,” with Special Guest Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
http://traffic.libsyn.com/dvdverdict/1189.mp3
Film Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH“ features a uniquely Canadian perspective on the career and canon of renowned filmmakers. Released through DVDVerdict.com and available on iTunes, the podcast is hosted by the diabolical Steve Power (Newfoundland), Jon Mercer (Newfoundland), Andrew Forbes (Ontario), and Gabriel Girard (Montreal).
Each week, these Canucks offer up a hearty discussion regarding the “Good,” the “Bad,” and the “Ugly” from each filmmaker’s body of work:
The “Good” selection is often a film held in the highest esteem, for quality and enjoyment.

The “Bad” selection is more middle of the road, though NOT NECESSARILY bad! It can be a good film, but has some flaws that keep it from greatness. It can also be a film that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the canon.
The “Ugly” selection is the true bad selection. It is considered the lesser or least of the director’s films, and can be skewered Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.
For episode #22 of THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH (Podcast #1189 on DVD Verdict) the crew invited me as a special guest, and we had a grand time looking back on Hyams’ oeuvre. You can download the podcast here, but BEWARE!—this 2 hour discussion is for movie geeks only:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/dvdverdict/1189.mp3
Join Jon, Steve, Andrew, and special guest Michael McVey as they celebrate and denigrate the life’s work of director/cinematographer Peter Hyams. End of Days, Timecop, Sudden Death, Capricorn One, Outland, 2010, what’s not to love?
You can play along at home with IMDB and Youtube pages open, looking up the facts and clips as we go. Here is the trailer from the 1983 sci-fi classic “OUTLAND”—watch heads violently explode in the wake of Sean Connery’s machismo:
Film Director MICHAEL MANN Podcast by “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH,” with Special Guest Michael McVey, Skiffleboom.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1169.mp3
Movie podcasts can be a lot of fun. Film Podcast “THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH“ features a uniquely Canadian perspective on the career and canon of renowned filmmakers. Released through DVDVerdict.com and available on iTunes, the podcast is hosted by the diabolical Steve Power (Newfoundland), Jon Mercer (Newfoundland), Andrew Forbes (Ontario), and Gabriel Girard (Montreal).
Each week, these Canucks offer up a hearty discussion regarding the “Good,” the “Bad,” and the “Ugly” from each filmmaker’s body of work:
The “Good” selection is often a film held in the highest esteem, for quality and enjoyment.
The “Bad” selection is more middle of the road, though NOT NECESSARILY bad! It can be a good film, but has some flaws that keep it from greatness. It can also be a film that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the canon.
The “Ugly” selection is the true bad selection. It is considered the lesser or least of the director’s films, and can be skewered Mystery Science Theater 3000 style.
For episode #19 of THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH (Podcast #1169 on DVD Verdict) the crew invited me as a special guest, and we had a grand time looking back on Mann’s oeuvre. You can download the podcast here, but BEWARE!—this 2 hour discussion is for movie geeks only:
http://www.dvdverdict.com/mp3s/podcast1169.mp3
You can play along at home with IMDB and Youtube pages open, looking up the facts and clips as we go. For starters, here is the “Leave Nothing” Nike commercial directed by Mann using the Trevor Jones music from “The Last of the Mohicans.”













































![Little Rock: “La Petite Mort” by BrickHut [canwestartagain]](http://skiffleboom.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/little-rock-la-petite-mort-by-brickhut.jpg?w=300&h=170)







































































SKIFFLEBOOM on YOUTUBE
SKIFFLEBOOM on VIMEO
BNI Commonwealth Youtube
Signarama Cambridge Facebook
Signarama Cambridge Youtube