GigSpotting.Net: North Carolina Archives

Law of the Land - A new film project by Edward Varnie

By Dan Thornton on June 13, 2013 11:19 AM | No Comments

Edward Varnie has a new project called Law of the Land he will be directing soon. It is a story about Ash Jones, an assassin who begins to question the morality of his profession when he falls in love.

Edward is the director of Death of a Wizard which has won much acclaim for it's cinematography by Robbie Cline, set design by Katie Bulla, and story by Edward Varnie, Alex Thompson, and Sasha Whitaker.

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Catching Up with Director/Writer Alex Thompson

By Dan Thornton on June 10, 2013 10:48 AM | No Comments

It Seems that it was just a few months ago I was reporting on Death of a Wizard that Alex Thompson had a hand in as a writer. Maybe I should have talked with him sooner because he has been very busy.

Death of a Wizard won the Gold REMI Award at the Houston International Film Festival. Three other films that Alex worked on premiered recently. Old Souls, a story about two immortal brothers who need to grow up and stop living in the past; Link, a unexpected bond between two WWII concentration camp escapees; and Death & The Robot, a stop motion animation film where two lonely souls share friendship and a legacy.

Every film I've seen that Alex has been involved in has great cinematography, attention to detail, and a solid story that touches the heart and mind.

"I feel that films need to fill three purposes - They need to entertain, they need to inspire, and they need to enlighten or inform. If you only have the former, you get a brainless turkey that will soon be forgotten. If you only have the latter, you have a philosophical propaganda film that jams its agenda down the audience's throat. You need it all, or you've wasted the audience's time and their hard earned money they spent on a ticket. If the films I make fulfill all three purposes, then I can rest easily, even if everything isn't 110% perfect. Whether or not I have succeeded on those fronts just yet is, of course, entirely up to the audience - We make movies for them, not for ourselves exclusively." - Alex Thompson -

Though still a student at UNC School of the Arts, Alex is a very talented man who is not content to sit still. I expect to see more great work to come in the future and am very pleased to have had the opportunity to ask him a few questions which can be seen below.

Continue reading Catching Up with Director/Writer Alex Thompson.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

By contributor on May 10, 2013 12:26 PM | No Comments

Southwest High School in association with Debbie's Angels Productions presents the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The show is about the highs and lows of elementary school kids trying to win the spelling bee trophy. But there is a twist! We need you to be a part of the show! That's right, we need audience volunteers for every show. Just sign up in the lobby before the performance.

Continue reading The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Auditions: Broadway After Dark - Jacksonville, NC

By Dan Thornton on May 10, 2013 11:55 AM | No Comments

Debbie's Angels Productions is holding auditions for its popular revue Broadway After Dark. This is a racy, rowdy revue of some of Broadway's biggest hits including songs from Chicago, Rent, Gypsy, Smokey Joe's Cafe, etc. They are looking for men and women. You will be performing songs, dances, scenes and monologues from various shows when you audition so please be prepared.

Checklist:

Must be 18 years or older.
32 bars (a verse and a chorus) of a Broadway song. If you don't know any Broadway songs, prepare a pop, rock, gospel or country song. Bring sheet music if you have it but also be prepared to sing acapella.
If you are NOT a singer, please prepare a 1-2 minute comedic or dramatic monologue.
Bring a headshot and resume if you have it. If you don't, no worries. Just come anyway!

Continue reading Auditions: Broadway After Dark - Jacksonville, NC.

Swimming With Dolphins

By Dan Thornton on April 3, 2013 4:15 PM | No Comments

Robert Filion, where do you find the time? Here's a teaser for Swimming With Dolphins. Written by Michael Melendez and directed by Robert Filion it's a lighthearted look at friendship with some unusual twists.

Michael Melendez also stars in the film along with Kevin Johnson, Haven Wilson, and Paul Gibson. How's that for using talent from the Carolinas?

Produced by Michael Melendez, Robert W. Filion, and Laney Sifford.

Check out the teaser below.

Continue reading Swimming With Dolphins.

Music Director for Debbie's Angels Productions

By Dan Thornton on March 23, 2013 1:34 PM | No Comments

Debbie's Angels Productions is seeking a music director for their Spring theatre classes. You must be able to read music, teach vocal parts and play the piano. There is some pay. Please email your resumes to debbiesangelsproductions@gmail.com. Looking for someone in the Onslow County or surrounding areas of North Carolina.

Continue reading Music Director for Debbie's Angels Productions.

Funding Campaign for Athena by Robert W. Filion

By Dan Thornton on March 23, 2013 12:21 PM | No Comments

Robert W. Filion, winner of the George A. Romera American Zombie Film Competition 2009, has started an indiegogo campaign to help finish up his new feature length movie Athena.

Robert is dedicated to making his films have the best production quality possible and is raising these finishing funds to make sure the sound design and color grading is done as well as possible.

Go to the indiegogo campaign by clicking on the link below, view the video about the film, and help by participating in this exciting film.

Finishing Funds for Athena

Continue reading Funding Campaign for Athena by Robert W. Filion.

My Name is Paul - The Feature

By Dan Thornton on March 12, 2013 9:15 AM | No Comments

The feature length version of My Name is Paul has completed filming and is now in post-production. Hopefully we will be able to see it sometime this year or next depending on how long the editing and scoring take. I've seen some the footage and the cinematography is excellent!

This project started with a screenplay by Vanessa Ore. A short was made and directed by her husband Trey Ore along with a sizable cast and crew. The short was very popular on the film festival circuit winning several awards including the Dove Family Appoved seal for ages 12+.

"The short was selected Globally into multiple Film Festivals on 4 continents and was the Short Film winner at Kingdomwood Film Festival, Films with Valor in Acapulco, Mexico and the Redemptive Film Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia."

After showing the potential of the story, they have expanded it with the help of Tara Lynn Marcelle into a feature length movie. Also, after having shown the potential with the short film, they have brought in a team of investors to make sure they have the resources to do everything to the best of their ability with the feature. From what I've seen they have the footage to make it even better. Now it's up to the editors.

Continue reading My Name is Paul - The Feature.

Find A Way Theatrical Debut This Weekend

By Dan Thornton on February 28, 2013 12:30 PM | No Comments

This weekend, the theatrical debut of Find A Way will be screened in Greensboro, NC. The tragic story of Harry Cohen and Alamance County football player. Harry was a person that always wanted to find a way to do the things that needed to be done. Either in his life or on the football field.

As captain of the football team he was a role model and someone his friends and the Burlington youth could look up to. He always had a smile on his face and was there if you needed him. Harry quarterbacked for the Bulldogs the last time on Friday, August 26th, 2011. He was found unresponsive in his bed the following Sunday and was rushed to the hospital and passed away the next day.

This film is not about how Harry died, it is about the way he lived. That's what inspired Cornelius Muller to write the screenplay. "Find a way" are the words his teammates clung to in order to cope with Harry's death. It involves four fictional families who discover that relationships are what matter most.

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A Raisin in the Sun - Jacksonville, NC

By Dan Thornton on January 30, 2013 8:28 AM | No Comments

Debbie's Angels Productions Presents: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.

A Raisin in the Sun debuted on Broadway in 1959. Since then it has been featured as a movie, a TV Film, a musical, and a Broadway revival.

Based on the poem Harlem (What happens to a dream deferred?) by Langston Hughes the drama is about a man, living with his family in a small Chicago apartment and barely getting by. He wants to improve his lot in life by opening a business. Unexpectedly his dream of doing so is made possible by a check that Lena receives as an insurance settlement but things don't go as planned.

Continue reading A Raisin in the Sun - Jacksonville, NC.

Darren W. Conrad - An Officer and a Gentleman

By Dan Thornton on January 21, 2013 8:10 AM | No Comments

Darren has been an officer of the law since 1990 and a participant in the performing arts since the age of five. First playing drums and piano for talent shows then progressing to theatre for church and school, and eventually the school Jazz Band and a local pop band.

As a youngster he invented film roles for his friends to re-enact with him but put away these thoughts when his father died in an auto accident in 1989. Then he turned his attention to law enforcement. Only occasionally participating in movies for a couple of decades. He has been very active in films since 2010 including acting, writing, producing, and working in various crew positions. It seems to be in his blood; the passion he has for film and performing.

Continue reading Darren W. Conrad - An Officer and a Gentleman.

To Russia With Love

By Dan Thornton on January 7, 2013 1:55 PM | No Comments

Let's send Christy Johnson and the Dreamkiller Band to Russia. You can help by liking them on the ULikeUs page now through January 31st.

ULikeUS is a competition where artists compete to bring their music to Russia. The top twenty bands that gain the most attention at this stage will compete for a panel of judges to see who gets to go to Russia and play their music. More about that here.

To vote for Dreamkiller go to the ULikeUs voting page. Find Dreamkiller and vote by clicking on the Facebook or VK.com icons.

ULikeUs voting page

Check out the Dreamkiller Watch This video below and visit their web page. Also, like this page so all your friends can vote too!

Continue reading To Russia With Love.

The Hollow Oak

By Dan Thornton on December 19, 2012 9:20 AM | No Comments

Chris Maney has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. To whom? The supporters, cast, and crew of The Hollow Oak a feature film set to be released this coming summer and they are behind him 100%.

It started as an idea he had in high school and has developed into the production that now has been underway for over a year. Along the way he met up with Samantha Katelyn and they have built a great filmmaking team that has their focus on the prize. To finish this thriller for release by the summer of next year.

"I held an audition in Jacksonville back in 2010. I wanted to make a movie for fun. Nothing fancy...
But I had met Samantha. She convinced me I could do so much more with The Hollow Oak. And we have been at it ever since." - Chris Maney

This production has come a long way since the first audition in 2010. Some roles have been re-cast and a lot of effort has been put forth in scouting locations, blocking scenes, setting up and tearing down equipment, not to mention the editing and sound design.

Continue reading The Hollow Oak.

The Strange and Unusual

By Dan Thornton on December 15, 2012 4:00 AM | No Comments

I can't wait to see this movie! The Strange and Unusual is a comedy about a reality series gone awry. Written and directed by Anil Dhokai and brought to us by VisionScape Media.

The Strange and Unusual has just begun filming. What will we see when it's complete? The cast and crew of a cancelled reality TV series with one last episode left to shoot. What goes on behind the scenes and the personalities that one might encounter in a similar television production. Anil, has worked in these situations and is bringing some of the strange and unusual things he's seen to this film.

One of the principals of Strawhouse Pictures, Anil always knows that his partners have his back and can help him put together the pieces of the puzzle for a great production just as he does for their films.

Continue reading The Strange and Unusual.

The Perfect Place

By Dan Thornton on December 4, 2012 8:50 AM | No Comments

There's a lot of talent here in the southeast. There's also some mighty big hearts in the Carolinas. A few of them are the producers, cast, and crew of The Perfect Place.

Written by Taylor-Grace Davis and Patrick Elliott the movie is inspired by Taylor-Grace's work with the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation. This organization, formed by Nettie Washington Douglass and her adult children, exists to carry on the tradition of her ancestors, Fredrick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. By creating awareness that slavery and human trafficking is still going on today, she and her family are following in their footsteps. Her son, Kenneth B. Morris, president of the foundation, travels the U.S. and abroad spreading the message about human trafficking and what can be done about it.

Continue reading The Perfect Place.

Christopher and Kayli Tolleson: A Family Affair

By Anna Wright on December 1, 2012 1:20 AM | No Comments

Kayli and Christopher Tolleson may not be old enough to drive, but they are driven! This brother and sister are prepared to take the acting world by storm! Kayli, after hitting the scene about 3 years ago, has been in one thing after another. Which of course makes Mom and Dad very happy, but also sends them into planning-mode. Taking care of the details.

With one gig here, another there, these kids are quickly making it known, we're here, we're amazing, and you're going to love us!

In this interview, the whole family opens up about what it takes to get started in the film/print/stage industry at a young age. Dave and Janna explain what it takes for parents to make their child's dream happen, and also keep that special bond that is family. It is very clear from the time I spent with them, this family means show business!

Continue reading Christopher and Kayli Tolleson: A Family Affair.

Things Are For Stealing

By Dan Thornton on November 19, 2012 10:15 AM | No Comments

Things Are For Stealing. Are they? That is the premise and title of Zachary Davenport's new movie which will be premiering this Wednesday in a private screening for the cast and crew.

"Trapped by a horrifying past, Marty struggles with day to day life. As a pastor in his community he realizes his impact on those around him but does little more than go through the motions of his position. Life has little meaning to him. He simply clings to things that seem to give him some memories of what might have been."

Zachary is a student at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington and is relatively new to filmmaking but from the looks of the footage I've seen he is well on his way to making a name for himself.

Continue reading Things Are For Stealing.

Hollywood East Mixer Photos

By Dan Thornton on November 11, 2012 1:20 PM | 1 Comment

Here are some photos from the Hollywood East Mixer that was hosted last week by Karuna Sun and Jackson Ross. The gala was a big success and left attendees hoping there will be another in the future. The event was sponsored by Hypnotized Promotions and Club Karmaa in Wilmington, NC

Karuna Sun and Jackson Ross

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Photos from Park Bench/Last Call of Duty Premiere

By Dan Thornton on November 4, 2012 10:00 AM | No Comments

Some Photos from the Park Bench/Last Call of Duty Premiere at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. Both of these films were written and produced by Darren W. Conrad.

Darren Conrad and Taylor-Grace Davis

Continue reading Photos from Park Bench/Last Call of Duty Premiere.

THE BOX

By Dan Thornton on October 29, 2012 7:15 AM | No Comments

It's all polished up and ready to go to the festivals. The Box, a new film by director Melanie Star Scot of Asheville, North Carolina will carry you back to the Civil War, where you will meet Rebekkah and Levi who are helpless in love.. Then to the present day where the question is held out "Can true love transcend war, death and eternity?" Not a story ot love lost. What you will see is the possibility of a love's endurance in this screenplay by Kimberly Blanton Davis.

"At the height of the civil war, two young lovers pledge their love and devotion as they plan their future together. Their lives are torn apart and dreams are shattered as tragedy shakes their world to the core. More than a hundred years later, high school student Madison Long is discontent with relationships and the whole idea of love. She finds comfort in the home of a new friend to whom she feels strangely connected. While visiting one day she finds something which mysteriously ties the present to a not-so-distant past... The Box."

Continue reading THE BOX.

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