Irene Duma - Writer Director » Irene as Writer

Female Filmmaking Pioneers

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:12:46 +0000

Before women were muscled out of Hollywood, they were writing, directing and producing in abundance. These films are a tribute to these daring femmes, their art and their pioneering ways.

I wrote and directed these for the St. John’s Int’l Women’s Film Festival’s 20th anniversary. Animated by Rachel Peters. Voices by me and Norman Karlik.

Female Filmmking Pioneers: Dorothy Arzner

Title: Female Filmmking Pioneers: Dorothy Arzner
Runtime: 1:01
Views: 189

Title: Female Filmmaking Pioneers - Alice Guy-Blaché
Runtime: 1:01
Views: 169

Title: Female Filmmaking Pioneers: Lois Weber
Runtime: 1:01
Views: 139

Title: Female Filmmaking Pioneers: Mary Pickford
Runtime: 1:01
Views: 47

Title: Female Filmmaking Pioneers: Frances Marion
Runtime: 1:01
Views: 41

I’m off to Atlantic Film Festival to pitch my feature film

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:13:40 +0000

Yay! Just like the title says, I’ve been invited by Telefilm to pitch my feature film at the Atlantic Film Festival. It’s happening in Halifax starting Sept 16th and I am ridiculously excited.

Telefilm is the Canadian big Kahuna – all films are funded via Telefilm. This is the first year they are inviting screenwriters who attended the PEI Screenwriters’ Bootcamp this past June to pitch to Canadian and international broadcasters.

This is also the year Telefilm is changing direction and on the lookout for more commercially viable films. And that means comedy, said Gordon Whittaker of the Atlantic Telefilm office. As you know, I like comedy.

Shout outs to colleagues Roger Maunder who will be pitching at the Inspired Scripts event, and Kelly Davis who is the producer of the short film Cardboard Junction and the director of Down to the Wood – both screening at the festival. Congrats to first time director too, Jacqueline Hynes (Cardboard Junction.)

Creative Directing Book Trailers

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:39:56 +0000

Been busy busy busy at my new job as creativ director of Book Trailers for BookShorts.com. Just the next logical progression in a long line of association with BookShorts and their book loving ways.

Book videos or video book trailers aim to do what movie trailers do for film, or music videos do for song – aim to get your message out there using video, the all powerful captivating moving image.

With the rise of the video on the web, the Internet is a natural medium for book trailers, and a great way for authors to promote their books, their art, their speaking abilities…and build relationships with their fans.

Book videos can take many forms:

Author Biographies
Video Book Trailers
Themed Book Series
Book News
BookShorts Films – fully realized short films meant for the festival and/or TV broadcast.

What do you do with your book video? You distribute it and spread it around. Put it on your author web sites, your Facebook fan pages, YouTube and MySpace pages. Use Tubemogul to distribute to up to 20 other video and social networking sites.

Ask your fans to put it on their blogs.

Put it up beside your Amazon page. Ask your local book retailer to set up a kiosk in their store and play it.

Book trailers can also help you build relationships with your readers, and grow your legion of fans.

In this era, authors are ever more responsible for their own publicity and promotion. Luckily with web tools and social networking this is becoming more and more accessible.

I’m an Intern At Ink.Canada Facebook Edition

admin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:30 +0000

Yeeha. I’m an Intern at Ink.Canada Facebook Edition – Karen Walton’s screenwriter’s group built to foster and nurture writers, community and a Canadian filmmaking industry.

Check it out. Join. Participate. Make great film.

This Hour Has Seven Decades

admin — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:18:57 +0000

Click To Play

Based on the memoir by Patrick Watson, “This Hour Has Seven Decades” packs 50 years of Patrick’s broadcasting tips and 70 years of an extraordinary life into 5 funny minutes.The film premiered at the World Wide Short Film Festival, which, by the way, is a great festival, and had its Atlantic Premiere at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, another great festival.

Dir / Writer: Irene Duma
Animation: Darryl Gold
Producer: Judith Keenan / BookShorts
Starring: Patrick Watson and Dave Healy
Music: Whitney Smith
Based on the book “This Hour Has Seven Decades” by Patrick Watson
Published by: McArthur & Company
Genre: Comedy/ Mockumentary

Release: June 2005 Worldwide Short Film Festival

Archetype #41: The Expectant Mother – Freaked Out Edition.

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:35:19 +0000

Click To Play

Archetype #41: The Expectant Mother: Freaked Out Edition.
Average age: 38. Natural habitat: State of high anxiety.
Overheard: “Kevin, you CAN NOT wear anti-perspirant — the metal in it can seep out of your armpit and into our baby’s brain!”

This film in the Archetypes trilogy, premiered at the “One Minute Film And Video Festival” in Toronto.

Narrated and scripted in the style of school propaganda films of the 1950s, Archetypes animated films, produced by BookShorts.com present minutely observed, caustic commentary with brilliant artwork, so the Archetypes happily but lovingly eviscerate the denizens of the contemporary urban world.

Dir / Writer / Animator: Irene Duma
Based on the Book Archetypes by Mireille Silcoff with illustrations by Kagan McLeod
Pub: McClelland and Stewart
Genre: Humour / Animated Comedy

[tags] funny video, animation, literacy [/tags]

Archetype Number 17: The Moodie

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:34:50 +0000

Click To Play

Average age: 40.
Natural habitat: on a trip to Bhutan to sample yak butter tea.
Overheard: “You won’t find me in the sort of joint (the Moodie will often use words like “joint”) where it’s two bites of pastel-coloured s— (the Moodie is also fond of profanity) on a plate where some kitchen ponce has made a Jackson Pollock out of coulis!”

Dir / Writer / Animator: Irene Duma
Based on the Book Archetypes by Mireille Silcoff with illustrations by Kagan McLeod
Pub: McClelland and Stewart
Genre: Humour / Animated Comedy
Release: October 2006

Archetype Number 17: Beastie Dad

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:26:02 +0000

Click To Play

Average age: 38.
Natural habitat: Back office, skateboard/snowboard shop.
Overheard: NOBODY thinks you’re too old, honey. If it makes you feel better, you can say its research for the store.You can buy the book from Chapters Indigo.ca or visit BookShorts.com for more information about adapting books to screen.

I animated these 1 minute films in Macromedia Flash.