Spring 2015 screenings archive

These posts are archived posts from Spring 2015. Older posts on the bottom.

May 16 2015: New Mexico screening report! 

We just had our screening at Teatro Paraquas Theater in Santa Fe New Mexico less than an hour ago!!! It was a SMASHING SUCESS!!!! My friend JoJo Tarnoff from Teatro Paraguas, who I met around 2007, at what was then called “Southwest Children’s Theater” (now “Teatro Paraguas Children’s Program”) first started discussing the idea of doing a screening soon after the online release of “Only Those Who Limp Allowed”. We delayed the screening when I realized I wanted to make my 3rd film Crips Not Creeps because we decided it would be better to show all 3 films at one time. 

In February 2015, immediately after Crips Not Creeps” was uploaded we went into some serious planning stages. Luckily we were able to learn from what I had done for the Kingsborough Community College screening as inspiration for marketing and presenting. We did a little dress rehearsal the day before the screening where we figured out how to get the giant projector to work. The sound quality in the theater was great, much better than the sound quality youtube can provide. Tonight I(Margot Cole) and our music composer Walei Sabry were at the screening via Skype. We had to do the introduction and Q&A via Skype because I was not able to travel to Santa Fe in person. JoJo did a fantastic job hosting the screening. I gave a little synopsis of each film. I wish I had said more about the films. I need to improve my public speaking. Walei Sabry was able to give his 2 cents and explain our composing process where we use the software Garage Band. I usually describe the film visuals to him and give him a basic idea of what I want and then he runs with it. 

Then all 3 films were played in order. First Drama Sighted. Then Only Those Who Limp Allowed. Then Crips Not Creeps. I got to watch the entire screening via my Skype connection. I got to hear a bunch of neat audience reactions like laughs and “Aww!”s that helped me see which parts of the films resonate effectively and what parts could be improved. I don’t get that kind of feedback on my website or this blog or youtube so it was highly valuable on a multitude of levels. After each film the applause got louder and louder. As soon as the films ended Walei and I did a tiny Q&A about the films. Overall Crips Not Creeps was the audience favorite. Somebody who had seen my films online previously said my films looked much better on a big screen, particularly Rich Brotman’s edits. People were really curious about what my next film projects would be. I am sorry that I cannot give any spoilers or details on future projects on this blog as of yet. The best news came at the very end when one of the audience members wanted to set up a 2nd screening of my work at another well known popular location in Santa Fe New Mexico. The offer of another screening was beyond my wildest dreams! I am beyond thrilled at the news! Therefore if anybody from the Santa Fe New Mexico area missed this screening stay tuned to this blog and our screenings page for a 2nd opportunity to see us! Super special thanks to JoJo Tarnoff, Jeff Tarnoff and Argos MacCallum  for allowing me to have this once in a lifetime opportunity! Super special thank you to Walei Sabry for joining us and making the event even more amazing! Thank you to the audience for venturing out in the snowy weather!

Please RSVP for NM screening!

If anybody is interested in our Santa Fe New Mexico screening at Teatro Paraquas on May 16th 2015 at 6:00pm http://cripvideoproductions.com/screenings.php please be aware that we are now asking for people who want to attend to make reservations/RSVP.  PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT(RSVP)!! by calling 505.424.1601 

EDIT: This screening has already happened.

May 4 2015

Crip Video Productions founder Margot Cole was interviewed by Able Pathways Media about the making of the films, our mission, and our Santa Fe New Mexico screening!

April 28 2015 screening: Kingsborough screening. 

In March of 2015 I started college. When I was taking a test in the Access-Ability office some of the people in the office took interest in the little postcards I use to advertise my films and brought up the idea of using at least 1 of the films for their “Disability Awareness Week” in April. A few weeks later I had a meeting with one of the people in the office to discuss which of my 3 films would be shown. They decided on screening “Drama Sighted” because “Drama Sighted” touches on bullying and their bullying prevention week would be happening around the same time. They also liked that “Drama Sighted” was originally filmed at Hunter College which is also a CUNY college. The plan was to have a bullying prevention group called “Enough Is Enough” at the screening for a discussion about the themes in the film. We decided that we might show 2 films if the discussion/Q&A didn’t take too long. I figured only “Drama Sighted” would be shown so I didn’t get my hopes up too high about the possibility of 2 films being shown. I was thrilled “Drama Sighted” would finally get a public screening. Up to this point only the “Drama Sighted” trailer had been shown in public in March of 2012 as part of DISLABELED Film Series. A few weeks after the meeting the college sent out the following on an email blast:

11:30-12:30pm | Location: Room V219
“Drama Sighted” a short film; to be followed by a discussion.
Student/Director Margot Cole and Enough is Enough Committee
The short film tells the story of Brandon, a teenager with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, who learns that first impressions can be deceiving when he meets a woman with juvenile macular degeneration—a rare form of blindness. Originally a one-act play that was performed at BrooklynOne Theater’s A PlaywrightGrows in Brooklyn youth playwriting contest in 2009, “Drama Sighted” is the sole property of Margot Cole (Crip Video Productions) who is currently a student at Kingsborough, and features actors who are disabled in real life.
Crip Video Productions make short independent films that increase understanding of disability through engaging characters and storytelling. The films are created by people with disabilities and are written, directed, and produced by Margot Cole in collaboration with
able-bodied people, and those with a variety of disabilities.“

When I got to the screening this morning the people I knew from the disability office we in the room setting up. I met a women in charge of “Enough Is Enough” and she said she was really excited to see “Drama Sighted”. They showed me a desk in the front of the room that looked similar to the set up I had seen on TV for panel discussions. I sat at that table as more people came in. It was quite a good turn out, especially since I didn’t know most of them and they probably had never even heard of my work before. Peter who was in charge introduced me and read my mission statement out loud. Then I was able to tell the backstory of how “Drama Sighted” came to be i.e how it used to be a play and how DISLABELEDtv helped me make it into a film. People were rather quiet as the film was being played in the projector. It was cool to see “Drama Sighted” on such a large screen. People clapped when the film ended. I’m sure I must have blushed. The women from Enough Is Enough asked the audience if any of them had ever been bullied like Brandon was. Almost every hand in the room went up. It broke my heart. I was happy that at least “Drama Sighted” was fulfilling the purpose I always hoped it would serve: To help people deal with bullying. Some people told stories of disabled friends who had been bullied. Peter picked up on my intent to show how Brandon basically bullied Lisa too. We talked about how bullying snowballs from person to person. I had the opportunity to explain what Juvenile Macular Degeneration was and the interactions that inspired Lisa’s part of the film. One guy described how some disabled people were combative towards him when he would try to help them. There was still 20 minutes left after the discussion so to my surprise we were able to show “Crips Not Creeps” as well. People loved that I inserted myself into “Crips Not Creeps” as an extra. The woman from Enough Is Enough loved that “Crips Not Creeps” depicted Brandon as advocating for myself. Enough Is Enough may add the youtube links to my films to their own website. If they do I will re blog their website here. After my screening I stayed for a Poetry and Prose reading of work written by writers with a variety of disabilities. I was thrilled that a lot of the writers had Cerebral Palsy like myself. Cerebral Palsy needs more attention in media and art. Special thanks to Kingsborough Community College for allowing me to screen my films to push the message that disabled people are just people with the same desires,hopes, and frustrations as every other human being. I am forever grateful to Kingsborough for this once in a lifetime opportunity!!  I have full permission from Kingsborough Community College to write this post! 

If anybody would like a chance to see my films screened in public check out our official screenings page

Broadway World Press

A website called “Broadway World Albuquerque” shared the information about our Santa Fe New Mexico screening. Our director/founder Margot Cole also recorded a podcast interview last night which will be released online soon. 

EDIT: This screening has already happened 

SLS 

Save Lilo & Stitch was kind enough to make us a Facebook event page for our Santa Fe New Mexico screening! Mucho Mahalo(special thanks) to Save Lilo & Stitch and Wayne Simons! Our website screenings page and the Teatro Paraguas website has been updated with all of the info for the screening. 

EDIT: This screening has already happened.

New Mexico screening press release!

For Immediate Release:
Teatro Paraquas in collaboration with Crips Video Productions, is presenting a screening of three short films on May 16th at 6:00pm at the Teatro Paraquas studio located at 3205 Calle Marie, Ste B in Santa Fe.
Crips Video Productions makes short independent films that increase understanding of disability through engaging characters and storytelling. The films are created by people with disabilities and are written, directed and produced by Margot Cole, (a former student of The Childrens Theatre and currently a student at Kingsborough College in New York).
The films being shown are: Only Those Who Limp Allowed, Crips Not Creeps, and Drama Sighted. There will be a q&a following the screening with the producer/director. Admission is by free will donation.
For more info: Teatro Paraquas http://www.teatroparaguas.org 505.424.1601 www.cripvideoproductions.com
Margot Cole cripvideoproductions@yahoo.com

PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SEAT(RSVP)!by calling 505-424-1601

EDIT: This screening has already happened

New Screenings page!

A new page has been added to the official Crip Video Productions website http://cripvideoproductions.com/screenings.php It is a page for possible public screenings of our films. 2 screening possibilities are in the works, I can’t release anything more at the moment but more announcements will come in the next few weeks. Each announcement will appear as its own tumblr post. The screenings page was built by Web Design By Wayne www.webdesignbywayne.com  a website building service by Wayne. Wayne also mentioned Crip Video Productions in his latest Save Disney Shows video blog Special thanks to Wayne!