News
February 22, 2024
2023 represented another record-breaking year, vis-a-vis the number of productions for which Mick provided technical services: 15.
The year closed out with the usual clients' Holiday-themed productions -- Coaster Theatre's Miracle on 34th Street and Little Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker.
Mick immediately hit the ground running in January with rehearsals for Proof, which he directed at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse. That show closed mid-February, and he is currently constructing the set for the next Coaster show, Death by Design, in which will also be performing a role.
October 23, 2023
As of this installment, Mick's latest directorial effort, Sleuth, is about to wind up its three-week run at the Coaster Theatre. The show has been the culmination of a non-stop summer schedule of overlapping productions with which he's been involved, a schedule that also included grip and sound recording services for the short horror film Under Liberty, lighting design for the Ten Fifteen Theater production of Macbeth, and technical direction for two Cascadia Chamber Opera productions, including an unabridged performance of Don Giovanni.
Prior to Sleuth, Mick constructed sets and designed lighting for the Coaster Theatre productions of Sherwood and Sylvia, as well as lit their spring concert featuring internationally renowned musical group Pink Martini.
Other recent projects include lighting design and videography for the Ten Fifteen Theater productions Dirty Blonde and Tiny Beautiful Things, and, most recently, recording their world premiere production of Bartow. This past spring, Mick recorded Little Ballet Theatre's annual Young Choreographer's Showcase and Festival of Tap at the Liberty Theatre, the annual Tenor Guitar Gathering and the inaugural Cascadia Mandolin-Guitar Festival at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts, and provided lighting and videography services for Maddox Dance Studio's annual recitals. In July we recorded the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists' production of The Sound of Music.
March 20, 2023
In 2022 Mick achieved a new personal record for number of shows for which he's designed lighting in a single year - namely 13 - a welcome return to form following the pandemic-induced hiatus!
2023 began in earnest with the replacement of Coaster Theatre Playhouse's aging stage lighting system with LED instruments. Consisting of 97 new fixtures - along with the requisite power and DMX cabling for each and a brand new, state-of-the-art dimming system - the undertaking proved enormously challenging. Mick managed to get the last of the instruments up and running just in the nick of time before the season opener - Guilty Conscience - was scheduled to premiere.
At the same time, Mick was constructing the set and designing lighting for that show, as well as setting lights for the second annual production of Ten Fifteen's Simple Salmon series, which also featured one of his original comedy sketches.
As if all that weren't enough, Mick also resurrected his role from last year's Ten Fifteen production of David Mamet's An Interview in order to participate in the 2023 American Association of Community Theatre's annual competition. After an adjudicated performance in early February, the show moved on to the regional festival - hosted by the Gallery Theater in McMinnville, Oregon in mid-March - where Mick and fellow performer Gigi Chadwick each received Outstanding Performance awards.
Also in March, Mick recorded and edited interviews for the Astoria Scandinavian Heritage Association, and provided lighting consultation and videography services for the Astoria High School Performing Arts production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.
Two new shows will open this coming Friday for which Mick designed lighting: Ten Fifteen's The Waverly Gallery and Coaster Theatre's Suite Surrender, for which he also constructed the set. He's also been cast in the upcoming Ten Fifteen production of Enchanted April - the second time he's appeared in that particular play - which performs, not surprisingly, in April.
December 14, 2022
This holiday season has been one of the busiest in recent memory, the pandemic hiatus notwithstanding.
We began in mid-November with set construction and lighting design for the Coaster Theatre Playhouse production of Scrooge! The Musical, immediately followed by a multi-camera video shoot for classic rock band The Out-Patientz.
We then began work on Little Ballet Theatre's production of The Nutcracker - for which we have provided lighting and video services for more than 30 years - as well as recording Encore Dance Studio's annual Holiday Spectacular. Mick also designed lights and recorded Ten Fifteen Productions' one-woman holiday show, The Twelve Dates of Christmas.
Still to come: recording yet another Nutcracker production for Beach Ballet on the Long Beach, Washington peninsula.
October 7, 2022
2022 continues to offer an uninterrupted schedule of projects. Between working on shows for Cannon Beach's Coaster Theatre Playhouse and Astoria's Ten Fifteen Theater, Mick has been busy nearly nonstop.
The Coaster productions continued with back-to-back summer shows Murder on the Orient Express and Clue: The Musical. Their fall production Gramercy Ghost is currently playing. Mick worked on set construction and lighting for all three.
Meanwhile, at Ten Fifteen, Mick designed the set and lighting for their summer production of Birds of a Feather, then began rehearsals for David Mamet's An Interview and Christopher Durang's The Actor's Nightmare, a pair of one-act plays in which he performed central roles, as well as worked on the set and lighting.
In early June, Mick recorded several concerts and workshops for the 12th Annual Tenor Guitar Gathering. Edited versions of those events may be viewed on their web site. And in late July he worked as technical director for Cascadia Chamber Opera's production of The Banshee.
May 6, 2022
As the pandemic continues to wind down, our business has increased accordingly.
2022 has brought a constant stream of often overlapping projects, commencing in January with auditions for The 39 Steps at the Coaster Theatre, which opened it's 5-week run in mid-March. Mick designed and directed the satirical production, which featured a variety of technical effects and stagecraft, including rotating sets, projected video imagery, a complex sound effects mix, puppetry, practical visual effects, and an original music score.
Immediately following that opening, Mick joined the cast of Stupid Fucking Bird - a modern, comedic, English-language re-imagining of Anton Chekov's The Seagull - a staged reading performed at Astoria's Ten Fifteen Theater.
No sooner had that show closed than Mick began set construction and lighting for the Coaster's production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, which opens this very night.
Other notable projects included a revival of the long-dormant River Theater sketch comedy series, Simple Salmon, in which 3 of Mick's original scripts were included, one of which had not been performed since the very first incarnation of the show back in 1999.
June will see the return of a number of live performance events that have been on hiatus during the 2 years of the pandemic, including the annual Tenor Guitar Gathering and the Maddox Dance Studio Spring Recitals, both of which Mick will be recording.
Other upcoming projects include design, construction, and videography work for Ten Fifteen's production of Birds of a Feather - opening mid-June - followed by Coaster Theatre's production of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, which opens in early July.
October 19, 2021
We're back.
There's simply no good excuse for not having updated this page in (gulp) three and a half years, so I won't even try to come up with one.
To list all of the projects we've worked on in the interim would bog down this entry. The larger ones may be found on my credits list.
Mick is currently performing in a production of The Weir by Conor McPherson at the Ten-Fifteen Theater, newly-opened in Astoria as of 2019. He also built the set and designed lighting for the show, which had originally been scheduled for an early 2020 run but was postponed due to the pandemic.
The Picture of Dorian Gray opened at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse earlier this month, for which Mick did set construction, lighting design, and video recording.
Back in February of this year, Mick was profiled in the Coast Weekend publication.
Upcoming projects include the Little Ballet Theatre's annual Nutcracker production, which we will record without a live audience and stream online. We also will be recording the annual holiday showcase performances for Encore Dance Studio.
May 3, 2018
Finishing up a busy Spring season, preparing for the madness that is June...
Noises Off - the manic farce Mick directed for the Coaster Theatre - closed out its hugely successful 6-week run in late April, with audiences and performers wishing it could continue for another 6 weeks. In an unusually brief 2-week turnaround, the split-level set was struck to make way for Oscar Madison's apartment, setting of the classic Neil Simon comedy The Odd Couple, for which Mick just completed construction and lighting.
See How They Run closed a week later at the Astor Street Opry Company, for which Mick designed lights.
Also in April, Mick worked on the upcoming feature film anthology The Mortuary Collection during that production's 3-week shoot in Astoria. He assisted the Art Department with set decoration, helping transform the Flavel House Museum into the titular mortuary, presided over by a ghoulish mortician played by renowned character actor Clancy Brown. A library set was constructed and filmed inside the Astoria Armory.
We recorded Little Ballet Theatre's annual Young Choreographers Showcase on Friday, April 13th at the Liberty Theatre. DVDs are now available.
January 3, 2018
Happy New Year!
We just learned today that the first foreign language translation of "Three Weeks With The Goonies" has been published by frame/page in South Korea.
Mick will be designing lighting for a production of Fit To Kill at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse, Peter Pan and See How They Run for the Astor Street Opry Company, and is gearing up to direct Noises Off, which opens mid-March at the Coaster. We will also be recording the Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Pageant in early February.
The latter part of 2017 was spent lighting and recording A Christmas Carol for the Coaster, and The Nutcracker for Little Ballet Theatre. We also recorded Encore Dance Company's annual Holiday Showcase. Around Halloween, Mick and Rhonda performed together in a 2-player production of Turn of the Screw at the Liberty Theatre. Later this month, Rhonda will perform in a production of the stage play Frozen (no relation to the animated Disney film).
September 25, 2017
Closing out another busy summer.
Since our last update, we've designed lighting for and recorded the Coaster Theatre productions of Barefoot In the Park, Steel Magnolias, Clue: The Musical, and Blithe Spirit. Mick also provided lighting for the Coaster's Storm Large concert in March.
Also in March, we recorded the annual Miss Clatsop County Scholarship Pageant, produced a short music/dance video for Encore Dance Studio, and Mick provided lighting and sound services for OperaBend's Astoria performance of La Boheme.
In April, we produced a music video for vocalist Avery Hartzler.
In May, Mick provided grip/electrical services for Ganglebot Films' satirical political short Unpresidented: A Trump Grade School Play from the Future. We also recorded the Riverbend Players' production of You Never Know.
June found us typically busy recording Encore Dance Studio's Spring Showcase, as well as lighting and recording Maddox Dance Studio's Spring Recitals. Mick also provided technical support for Clatsop Community College's Nursing Department Pinning Ceremony.
In August, we recorded the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists' production of She Loves Me, and the Clatsop Children's Theatre Company production of Alice In Wonderland (And Back Again).
In September, Mick provided technical services for Partners for the PAC events featuring Espacio Flamenco and Cascadia Concert Opera.
Later this week, Mick begins lighting design work for the Astor Street Opry Company's upcoming production of The Birds.
February 18, 2017
After a busy Christmas season lighting and shooting It's a Wonderful Life at the Coaster Theatre and The Nutcracker for Little Ballet Theatre, as well as recording Encore Dance Studio's "Holiday Showcase", the new year found us lighting and shooting the January production of All In the Timing for the Partners for the PAC. In early February, Mick worked on set construction for the upcoming Coaster Theatre production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, for which he will begin lighting design work next week.
Haunted Shore continues to stream on Amazon Prime, with over a million minutes viewed, worldwide.
October 8, 2016
Don't Dress for Dinner, which Mick directed and in which Rhonda is performing, is in the middle of a successful run at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach. Astor Street Opry Company's production of Barefoot in the Park, for which Mick designed lighting, opened this weekend. Earlier this evening, Mick provided lighting and video services for author Tim Hurd's release party for his short story collection, Of Dust and the River. As of this writing, Haunted Shore has streamed a total of nearly 870,000 minutes on Amazon Prime.
July 28, 2016
Once again, we've fallen way behind on these updates. The big news of late is that, thanks to the new Amazon Video Direct service, Haunted Shore (nee Crimps) is now available to stream in HD. It's been a long wait, but people who have wanted to see the film will finally have the opportunity.
Since the last update, Mick has designed lighting and recorded several shows, including Once Upon a Mattress, Dead Guilty, The Apple Tree, The Fourposter, 9-to-5, and Let's Murder Marsha for the Coaster Theatre Playhouse; Waiting for Godot and Twelve Angry Men for Partners for the PAC; the annual Nutcracker holiday ballet for Little Ballet Theater; and the annual Spring Recitals for Maddox Dance Studio. We also recorded and edited a two-camera shoot for a different production of Once Upon a Mattress for the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists. Mick also projected images for the North Coast Chorale performances of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man symphony.
For the second year in a row Mick is teaching a week-long summer videography workshop for local teens, offered by Clatsop Community College. And, for the third year in a row, we recorded the annual Tenor Guitar Gathering weekend of workshops and concerts.
Rehearsals begin next week for Don't Dress for Dinner at the Coaster Theatre, which Mick is directing and in which Rhonda is performing a role.
November 1, 2015
We hit the ground running as Fall settled in, beginning with a video showcasing a $1.5M beachfront property for a realty company, followed by a recording of the annual Peninsula Players performance of original one-act plays. Mick then lit a concert for internationally renowned musical group Pink Martini, followed immediately by lighting and recording the Coaster Theatre production of Bell, Book and Candle. We then recorded a concert performance by local band Acústica, as well as designed lighting for Astor Street Opry Company's production of Sam Shepard's Pulitzer-finalist play True West. A :30-second spot we produced for the 2015 Nutcracker will begin running on cable TV later this month. Most recently, we shot and edited a pair of wedding ceremonies, the latter of which took place on Hallowe'en.
August 11, 2015
Another super busy summer!
Theater projects have included lighting and video recording the Coaster Theatre shows Mixed Emotions, It Could Be Any One of Us and Little Shop of Horrors, as well as Maddox Dance Studio's annual spring recitals. We also designed and engineered projected background images for a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the Friends of the PAC, rigged lighting at the Liberty Theater for a Dance Theatre of Harlem performance, and shot and edited a two-camera recording of the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Other projects included three days of recording the annual Tenor Guitar Gathering in Astoria, shooting several events at the Seaside Fourth of July celebration - including the parade and fireworks display - and gathering more footage for Precision Heating's solar panel installation promo. Amongst all of that, we also sneaked in a wedding shoot at picturesque Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach.
In early June, Mick was a special guest at The Goonies 30th Anniversary celebration, giving six live presentations over three days for hundreds of the movie's fans, alongside retired stunt performer Randell Widner, Mark Marshall - assistant to Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner - and retired Astoria policeman and film liaison Paul Gillum. Mick sold and autographed more than 80 copies of his book at the event.
March 23, 2015
Latest projects for the Coaster Theatre include lighting and recording the plays 'Night Mother and Murder On the Nile. Mick is also acting a role in the latter production, which performs through mid-April. In addition, we are recording the March production of Little Shop of Horrors for the Peninsula Players.
We have shot additional footage for Precision Heating and Indoor Air Quality, emphasizing their solar power systems installation. In February, we recorded the annual Romancing the PAC concert featuring violinist Kim Angelis.
December 15, 2014
We've been going nearly nonstop since our last update, but I'll try to keep this succinct.
We recorded and designed lighting for the Coaster Theatre productions of Twelfth Night and Disney's Beauty and the Beast and, most recently, the 40th annual production of Little Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker. The Astor Street Opry Company also hired us to light their production of the classic stage comedy The Foreigner.
In November, Mick worked on Dread Drunk, the latest in a series of comedy shorts by We'll Fix It In Post Productions.
The Quarry screenplay has been making the rounds in Hollywood.
August 13, 2014
Egad! We just keep falling further and further behind on these updates! Where to begin...
Shows we've lit and recorded at the Coaster Theatre so far this year include Ibsen's A Doll's House, Coward's Present Laughter, Sondheim's Into the Woods, and a comedic adaptation of Hitchcock's classic film The 39 Steps. Mick performed a role in the Coaster production of The Boys Next Door, in addition to recording the performance - which proved a bit tricky. He also designed lighting for the Astoria High School production of All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. Most recently, we shot and edited a 2-camera production of Fiddler On the Roof for PAPA.
Mick worked as a grip/electrician on the short film Margaret and Joe, as well as on a TV commercial for Sumner College in Portland, in which he also made a brief appearance as a doctor. He recently acted in the pilot episode for the upcoming independent TV series The Last Kind. This summer, we produced 2 TV commercials for the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. We also shot additional promo footage for local company, Precision Heating & Indoor Air Quality.
Other projects have included lighting and recording the annual Maddox Dance Studio Spring recitals, recording the annual Encore Dance Studio recitals and the Warrenton High School Class of 2014 graduation ceremony, then producing more than 200 DVDs of these events. In early June we recorded two nights of the annual Tenor Guitar Gathering, CDs of which are available for purchase.
To date, Mick's book "Three Weeks With The Goonies" has sold more than 1,200 copies! It's getting 5-star reviews on Amazon, and even inspired a fan video. Wish I could understand what he's saying...
Mick's original spec screenplay, Quarry, is currently undergoing final revisions in preparation for its submission to producers and actors.
December 23, 2013
Happy Holidays! Once again we've fallen behind in updating this page, but it's good to be busy.
Recent projects have included lighting and videotaping the Coaster Theatre Playhouse production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas and the annual Little Ballet Theatre production of The Nutcracker.
Mick also worked as key grip and electrician on We'll Fix It In Post Productions' short film Dead Drunk. More about that when the film is released.
The DVD we produced last March for the SumoFit exercise program has been released.
The Quarry, Mick's latest original screenplay, is currently making the rounds in Hollywood.
In October, Mick and Rhonda acted together in a production of the play Sight Unseen for the Liberty Theater.
September 10, 2013
A very busy summer schedule delayed updating of this page, but has given us a great deal to report.
The month of May included recording of the Coaster Theatre Playhouse production of 84 Charing Cross Road.
June began with our annual video production of the Warrenton High School graduation night DVD, then continued with the annual lighting and recording of the Maddox Dance Studio Spring recitals.
Mick also gave a live presentation about the filming of The Goonies during Astoria's annual Goonies Day celebration.
We then embarked on the shooting of Columbia Memorial Hospital's PlaneTree competition video. After last years' entry won First Place, we were asked to once again provide production services for the project. This year's theme was Back To the Future. Post-production was completed in July, and we just learned today that it too received First Place honors at the competition.
July continued with the recording of the Coaster Theatre Playhouse Summerstock productions A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum and The Importance of Being Earnest. We also recorded the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists' annual Summer musical production, The Wizard of Oz.
Also in July, Mick appeared as a TV News cameraman in Polluted Pictures' upcoming horror/comedy feature, Deep Dark.
In August, we recorded the Peninsula Players premiere of an original one-act play, The Happy Seed Soap Factory, for author Joe Paliani. We also shot footage for a new web-based promotional campaign for Precision Heating and Indoor Air Quality, Inc.
Currently, Mick is designing the lighting for the Coaster Theatre Playhouse production of Gramercy Ghost, the opening night performance of which we will also be recording.
We are still anxiously awaiting news from HAUNTED SHORE's distributor. The company, DiGi Distribution, has been hard at work expanding their network during the past several months and assures us that exciting news is forthcoming.
The Hot Rod, a short-subject drama for which Mick recorded location sound last year, won the Best of Oregon award at the Oregon Independent Film Festival. Congratulations to everyone involved!
May 20, 2013
At the request of the distributor, CRIMPS has been retitled HAUNTED SHORE. It has been included among their offerings at this years' Cannes international marketplace. Hoping for some love from foreign exhibitors! More soon...
April 3, 2013
Time flies when you're having fun! CRIMPS will soon be available for VOD streaming on online platforms and a DVD release. Details to come.
Recent projects include a training DVD for Helga O'Donovan's SumoFit exercise program, currently finishing post-production.
We've also recorded productions of Scrooge! The Musical, Veronica's Room, and Around the World in 80 Days for the Coaster Theatre Playhouse, in addition to producing a DVD for Ned Heavenrich's original folk musical, Hitchin'.
Back in December, we once again designed the lighting and produced the DVD for the Little Ballet Theatre's annual production of The Nutcracker. The recording of LBT's annual Young Choreographers Showcase is upcoming.
Mick also engineered lighting for the Astor Street Opry Company's production of Scrooged in Astoria.
Mick and Rhonda both acted in a production of the classic play A Wind Between the Houses - a fundraiser for the American Association of University Women - and Mick directed a brand new work by award-winning playwright Ernest Thompson (author of On Golden Pond) called Political Suicide, performed in conjunction with the 2012 elections.
October 18, 2012
Coast Weekend magazine ran an article about the Astor Street Opry Company's current production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, including a section on Mick's lighting design for the play. We will also be recording the show.
Mick's latest maritime-themed action thriller screenplay, Break Deep, is currently making the rounds in Hollywood. Hoping for an option on this one!
September 6, 2012
The video we shot and edited in June for Columbia Memorial Hospital won the 2012 national PlaneTree video contest. The 3-minute short was intended to emphasize the hospital's commitment to the PlaneTree philosophy of patient care.
We've also been recording the Coaster Theatre Summerstock productions, including You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Arsenic and Old Lace, and A Week of Augusts. In addition, we've recorded on-camera interviews for 2 separate documentaries, currently in production by out-of-state filmmakers.
July 31, 2012
July has flown by! Mick worked on a shoot for the film Bad Signs, the new comedy feature from We'll Fix It In Post Productions. We also recorded the production of the musical Into the Woods for the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists.
Mick was also interviewed regarding the CRIMPS soundtrack for a crowdfunding article in the Coast River Business Journal.
June 23, 2012
Usual busy June, shooting video for the Warrenton High School graduation, Maddox Dance Studio recitals, and the Astoria Music Festival. We've also been working on a promotional video for Columbia Memorial Hospital, and The Hot Rod, a narrative short for Wheatgrinder Productions. In May, we shot the Coaster Theatre's production of Butterflies Are Free.
April 10, 2012
The HuMn Wallet KickStarter campaign - for which we produced the video introduction - was funded with more than $295,000 from a $66,000 goal. Congratulations to entrepreneurs Scott and Ken on their success!
In March, Mick was involved in two projects by Vancouver, Washington company We'll Fix It In Post Productions. The first was a comedic short titled Pillow Fight. The second was a fundraising teaser for their upcoming feature-length comedy, Bad Signs.
So far this month, we have mixed the soundtrack for the Maddox Dance Studio Spring ballet, The Wizard of Oz, and recorded the Coaster Theatre Playhouse production of How the Other Half Loves. Mick also shot a 30-second promo for the National Parks Service at the Fort Clatsop National Memorial (camera and sound work only; not editing).
February 27, 2012
Latest project was a video introduction for a KickStarter project called the HuMn Wallet. The campaign took off like a rocket, and their funding goal was achieved in less than four days, with another month still to go.
We also recorded a presentation at Clatsop Community College of author Gabriel Thompson discussing his book "Working in the Shadows". The video may be viewed online for free via the college library web site.
Mick directed an original stage play, Spellbinders, by author Brad Bolchunos. It was performed as part of Portland, Oregon's annual Fertile Ground Festival of New Works.
December 5, 2011
Just completed lighting and videography for Little Ballet Theatre's annual production of The Nutcracker.
Our 1993 collaboration with author LaRee Johnson titled Herstory: Women's Diaries from the Oregon Trail has been digitally re-mastered from the original footage. It is available for streaming or on DVD.
Circus Road Films has agreed to represent CRIMPS for purposes of securing distribution. More on that as the situation develops...
October 26, 2011
CRIMPS screened at the Eugene International Film Festival on October 22nd, and was awarded Best Narrative Feature by a Pacific Northwest Filmmaker.
The public screening on September 30 - a fundraiser for the Liberty Theater in Astoria - attracted approximately 180 viewers.
Preview copies of the film are currently being shipped out for consideration by potential distributors.
September 26, 2011
A preview screening of CRIMPS was held for cast, crew and investors, along with family and friends. An estimated 200 people attended, and the film was very well received. The true test will be this coming Friday, when the audience will not have a personal stake in the movie. An article appeared in the most recent Coast Weekend about the upcoming screening.
September 21, 2011
Much happening that is new and exciting. Recording of the CRIMPS music score was a great success. The movie is now finished and the search for distribution begins, arguably the most difficult phase of movie making. CRIMPS will screen for the general public at the Liberty Theater in Astoria on Friday, September 30, where portions of the movie were filmed.
Mick has also performed as an extra in the NBC series Grimm, currently shooting in the Portland area. Many Oregon film professionals are working on that show, including Christina Kortum, who created the special effects makeup for CRIMPS.
June 20, 2011
CRIMPS' music score is complete and will be recorded in mid-July. Mixing and mastering of the music tracks will occur in early August, and the movie's final sound mix will take place shortly thereafter. The end is in sight. Or maybe it's the beginning that is in sight...depends how one looks at it. The work-in-progress has been submitted to 15 festivals so far.
Mick was interviewed recently for an independent filmmaking blog. You can find it here.
It's June again, so video production has been booming. To date, we've recorded the annual recital for Astoria School of Ballet, Peninsula Association of Performing Artists' production of The Sound of Music, the Warrenton High School graduation ceremony and celebration, three recitals for Maddox Dance Studio and a performance of Alice in Wonderland for Little Ballet Theatre.
April 28, 2011
Release of CRIMPS is still on hold pending completion of the music score. Composer Tylor Neist will be recording professional musicians playing real instruments, which will truly be the icing on the cake of this production. Can't wait! The work-in-progress has been entered into, to date, nine film festivals, with plans for several more. A number of DVD extras have been compiled in the meantime, including a behind-the-scenes segment, a documentary on shanghaiing in Astoria, and a gag reel.
Earlier this month we recorded the annual Little Ballet Theatre Young Choreographers Showcase in Astoria - DVDs are available now - and a concert featuring soprano Susie Godsey and pianist David Carlson in Nehalem, Oregon. Upcoming video gigs include a performance of The Seafarer at Pier Pressure Productions in Astoria.
February 16, 2011
A new CRIMPS trailer is now available for viewing.
Mick & Rhonda performed in a production of Almost, Maine at Pier Pressure Productions, which featured a stellar cast of actors.
We recorded the annual Romancing the PAC concert, featuring Kim Angelis & Josef Gault, along with several other talented performers.
January 10, 2011
Screen shots from CRIMPS have been posted here. Counting down until the final release date, TBA. Stay tuned!
December 1, 2010
CRIMPS is in the final stages of post production, primarily foley tracks and music. Planning for an early 2011 release, finally!
Three Weeks With The Goonies is slowly growing in popularity. Several Oregon coast bookstores are selling copies, and it is also available in the Oregon Film Museum gift shop. Online sales are expected to grow during the holidays. A second book signing was held on November 27th at the Lunar Boy gallery in Astoria.
Once again, we are lighting and recording Little Ballet Theatre's annual Nutcracker production, which opens this weekend.
October 8, 2010
Three Weeks With The Goonies: On Location in Astoria Oregon is now available for purchase. This book ended up taking longer to finish than anticipated (what else is new?), but the wonderful photos were well worth the time spent! A reading and book signing is scheduled for October 22nd - 26 years to the day since The Goonies began filming. 7:30pm at the Pier Pressure Productions theater in Astoria.
September 10, 2010
Sound effects tracks are being compiled for CRIMPS, and Tylor Neist is composing music. This thing may actually be finished some day...
The Goonies book is almost ready for the printer. The past couple of months have been spent adding some amazing images from local photographers. Goonies fans should be thrilled.
Speaking of The Goonies, Oxygen Productions finally released their documentary, The Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of The Goonies, in which Mick is interviewed alongside Richard Donner, Corey Feldman, Joe Pantoliano and several other cast members.
Mick assisted with installing the stage lighting system at Pier Pressure Productions, the new live theatre venue in Astoria begun by Susi Brown, who was the costume designer for CRIMPS. He is also performing in a production of Glengarry Glen Ross, which opens there in a week.
June 14, 2010
Effects and color grading for CRIMPS are FINISHED! Finally! Now moving into sound mixing.
Mick has finished writing a new book, THREE WEEKS WITH THE GOONIES, about the time he spent on the set of that movie when it shot on location in Astoria in 1984. Currently pulling together photos for the book, hoping for a release very soon. Stay tuned!
Since it's June, video production is insane once again. Annual events include Astoria School of Ballet spring show, Warrenton High School graduation, Maddox Dance Studio recitals, and the Astoria Music Festival.
Mick and Rhonda recently performed in a staged reading of Vesta, directed by and starring professional actor Megan Cole.
April 21, 2010
Effects and color grading continues on CRIMPS (aaargh, whose idea was it to do a feature???).
Recently recorded events include the 2010 Young Choreographers Showcase, a concert for Kim Angelis, and footage for a Clatsop Community Action Team low-income weatherization program promo.
January 12, 2010
Effects and color grading continues on CRIMPS.
Recent events include lighting and sound engineering for the annual American Association of University Women scholarship fundraiser dessert theatre production. In December, we once again designed lighting and produced the official DVD for Little Ballet Theatre's annual Nutcracker performance.
November 25, 2009
Visual effects work has begun on CRIMPS. Meanwhile, we're thrilled to be working with Tylor Neist who is composing and recording the music for the film. We are also seeking submissions of original music to be used in the background of several scenes.
Recent video clients include Precision Heating, for whom we produced several cable TV spots.
November 9, 2009
Picture cut on CRIMPS has been completed. The movie now advances into the next phases of post production: sound effects, music, visual effects and image grading. After the final sound mixdown, it'll be time for the cast & crew screening. Stay tuned.
June 25, 2009
Principal photography on CRIMPS is nearly completed; we're just picking up odds and ends and a couple of re-shoots to correct some technical concerns. Editing of the footage is proceeding smoothly using the Final Cut Pro Studio software. Once a rough cut has been completed, work will begin on the music and soundtrack. Some good looking stuff in this movie; terrific FX makeup work by Portland artist Christina Kortum, some of which may be seen here (WARNING: SPOILERS!!!).
As usual, video work in May/June has been nonstop, including regular clients Little Ballet Theatre (Young Choreographers Showcase & Festival of Tap), Astoria School of Ballet (Spring performances), Maddox Dance Studio (recitals), Warrenton High School (graduation), Clatsop Community College (graduation), and the Astoria Music Festival (concerts). In addition, we took on a wedding and Mick worked as a PA on a Toyota commercial shooting in Astoria. These days, both our editing systems - SD (ScreenPlay) and HD (Mac G5) - as well as the DVD duplication station often operate simultaneously to keep up with the workload!
April 6, 2009
CRIMPS has been shooting tavern scenes since mid-March in Chinook, Washington. We will continue throughout April, after which principal photography will be about 95% complete.
Recent video clients have included promotional material for Roaring Camp Music artists and the upcoming Young Choreographers Showcase.
March 10, 2009
A tavern location has finally been secured. Principal photography for CRIMPS is scheduled to resume this month and continue throughout April and into May. Due to an injury and scheduling conflicts, the role of Ida had to be recast.
Recent video production clients have included promotional concert recordings for the bands Boundary Road, Carl Wirkkala and the Ghost Town Boys, and Kim Angelis and the Bohemians.
Mick was featured in the Take 5 column in a recent Coast Weekend publication, listing his 5 most influential American movie directors.
December 18, 2008
Location photography for CRIMPS is nearly complete. The production is currently on hiatus for the holidays, as well as awaiting finalization of a location for the many tavern scenes. A number of possibilities are under consideration, but we are awaiting word on whether our first choice will pan out.
Recent video clients have included an anti-drunk driving PSA for Clatsop Community College, as well as lighting and video work on Little Ballet Theatre's annual Nutcracker production.
September 2, 2008
CRIMPS resumed principal photography on August 25th. Scenes were shot at the "Chandler House" location on Irving Street in Astoria, as well as the Skipanon Mooring Basin in nearby Warrenton. We were blessed with overall agreeable weather in what has turned out to be an unseasonably wet summer so far. Hopefully precipitation will remain at a minimum as we attempt to complete exterior shooting over the next month or so.
In late July, we taped the annual production of Shanghaied in Astoria, which we've recorded nearly every year since 1989.
We also recently edited a short promo for ZZTop cover band Texas Tribute, as well as shot and edited couple of real estate video tours.
June 17, 2008
June is typically one of our busiest months. We began with the Warrenton High School graduation ceremony and all-night senior celebration; the edited DVD is distributed each year to the graduates as a gift from the school and parents. The annual recitals for Maddox Dance Studio and Astoria School of Ballet are also in June. In addition, we are working on video projects with clients Playful Spirit Productions and Dark Destinations. And, beginning this weekend, we will be recording concerts for the Astoria Music Festival and conductor Keith Clark.
As the weather (presumably) improves, we are hoping to resume shooting CRIMPS by July or August.
May 20, 2008
Last week Mick was hired to assist with audio for the EPK (electronic press kit) on the feature film THE ROAD, which was shooting for a week in the Astoria and Warrenton areas. The film is adapted from Cormac McCarthy's (No Country for Old Men) Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. After several days of waiting for an opportunity, we were able to record interviews with executive producer Rudd Simmons (Across the Universe, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) and a nearly hour-long interview with star Viggo Mortensen.
April 17, 2008
Production on CRIMPS is on hold pending additional funding.
A 2-minute teaser for CRIMPS premiered at "The Show", Late Bloomer Productions' annual short film festival in Portland.
Oregon Film Magazine printed an article Mick wrote about filming in Astoria.
January 24, 2008
The weekend of January 19 & 20 found the CRIMPS production team at Astoria businesses Coffee Girl, Rusty Cup, and Fulio's Italian Bistro.
January 14, 2008
Principal photography on CRIMPS resumed this past weekend, January 12 & 13. Two scenes were shot at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. While we did not quite have a full crew, most of the primary positions were filled and the shoot progressed with relatively few problems. Fund raising is still in full swing, as the production has yet to secure full financing.
Shooting is expected to continue throughout the coming months.
December 19, 2007
Just completed lighting and videography for Little Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker production, the final performance of which was delayed for 2 weeks following the hurricane that hit at the beginning of the month. DVDs of the show are now available.
We also recorded the River Theater's production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
CRIMPS is still in fundraising mode; commencement of full production has been pushed back until January.
September 6, 2007
This past weekend saw the commencement of production on CRIMPS. Though a number of crew positions remain unfilled and funding is still pending, we wanted to take advantage of the late summer weather and grab a quick couple of scenes. It also gave those members of the crew less familiar with film shoots an opportunity to gain some experience in a relatively relaxed atmosphere before plunging into the high-stress environment of full production. Sadly, my trustly little Sony 8" video monitor met its demise on day 2. It's served me faithfully on hundreds of shoots since I bought it in 1991. RIP
August 21, 2007
A read-through of the screenplay for CRIMPS was presented to an invited audience at the Performing Arts Center in Astoria. Most of the cast was in attendance. We're very excited about the creative team that's coming together for this project.
We've just acquired a new Canon XH-A1 high-definition video camera, upgrading us to HD capability.
Coming up this week, we're recording the 23rd annual production of the Astor Street Opry Company's melodrama, Shanghaied in Astoria, as well as the River Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.