Wojahn props KAT for Fast Twitch

Above is a spot I propped last fall for Fast Twitch energy drink. It was great doing another commercial with the basketball great Karl Anthony Towns. Early in his career, I had done a handful of Jack Links Jerky ads with him. So it was cool to reminisce with KAT about that work. You may be wondering, Yes, I had to run for a lot of Fast Twitch bottles that KAT was throwing in the air! Rob Walstead art directed an A-team dept, with Brian Simpson building whatever sets the production designer Itaru De La Vega needed. MN producer Sammy Halabi somehow made it all happen. The spots continue to play on Instagram,Tiktok and other social media.

This March, I want to invite you all to my MN micro-cinema, Casket Cinema we break spring ground with the short films of MN Filmmaker Cy Dodson. Cy is an McKnight film fellow and award winning director living and working locally & nationally. His work on tattooists covering up white supremacist ink, Beneath the Ink, earned him a national Emmy nomination and qualified him for an Oscar nom. He followed that with his next film on George Floyd, Say His Name. Dodson was living in South Mpls at the time and was a local eyewitness to riots and the destruction of our city. This short opened the Big Sky Documentary Film Fest in 2021 and reveals the community's reaction to the systematic racial injustice that was witnessed world-wide. These films and others will play on March 7th at 8pm. Special guests will be the director himself, Cy Dodson, he will converse with me after the screening. This will be a very special and not to be missed screening for anyone who loves documentary film.

What: the film “Short films of Cy Dodson” (2017-2021)

The Cinema will open its doors at 7:30pm and the film will begin at 8pm. 

When: March 7th at 8pm, doors at 7:30pm. Film at 8pm. 

Where: Casket Cinema is located in the art studio of Mark Wojahn. The cinema is in the old Northwestern Casket Building, 681 17th Ave NE #145, Minneapolis, MN 55413, (612)568-3178. 

Cost: Donation of $10-15 will go to pay the filmmaker. 

Special guests: Director Cy Dodson, he will converse with Casket Cinema co-founder Mark Wojahn after the screening.

THROWBACK WORK

14 years ago I was the local lead man when Jason Reitman brought Young Adult to MN to do two weeks of shooting for his feature.While it was pretty cool to meet Charlize on set but even cooler to team up with art director Deb Jensen who I had worked on the Coen brother's A Serious Man with. Would'nt it be great if Jason or Diablo could bring another film to Minnesota? Let's manifest that happening!

It's 2024! and that's a wrap on 2023!

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

 Happy New Year! I hope you have had a great holiday. I want to thank all the producers and directors that were able to hire me last year. It was super cool to see the spots and films we did come to fruition. Thank you for entrusting me with your art dept.  I really appreciate all of you! I have new reel to debut in this newsletter. It's filled with lots of new sets and of course some of the greatest hits. It's been my pleasure to create your illusions.

I have some availability this January and February. I hope we can work together.

Above is my new reel. I want to thank all the great producers, directors and crew that were part of these films, tv spots or music videos. As we ll know our medium is a collaborative effort. I look at the new reel and think of all the teams we built to make these scenes happen.

Next month, my Casket Cinema combines forces with MCAD to bring you the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival tour on Feb 15th, 2024 at 7pm. The screening will be in MCAD’s auditorium, we will have some the world’s best short and experimental films of 2023. Voted the best Film Festival in 2019 by the readers of USA today, festival director Leslie Raymond will be in attendance and will introduce the program and take your questions after. This exciting 75 minute program will be showcase many of its’ award winning films. This program will be free for students, donations taken for all others. I hope y'all can attend.

A Tragic Loss

Dear fans and patrons for the films about Patrick Scully,

Our hearts go out to Robert Skafte, his family and friends. He was a wonderful dancer and human being who was killed last week working his job in Loring Park. I am so lucky to have gotten to know him while filming him as one of Patrick Scully's dancers in "Leaves of Grass-Illuminated". Robert brought so much beauty and wonder to this world through his life and performance. The world feels very sad and upside down.
🥲🥲🥲
I was recently watching a rough cut of the film and I cannot un-see how much Robert is in the film. Even though he is no longer is with us, I pledge to you all, his work and life energy will live in the documentaries of Patrick Scully.

Above, you can see some film stills from Robert's dancing in
"Leaves of Grass-Illuminated".
 
Below is a Kare 11 story about him featuring Patrick Scully and Kevin Kortan. If you don't see the pasted video, here is the URL-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJjTwLq9eKk

We have found one intern for this project since out our last update. Please Welcome Skylar Mihajlov! Skylar is working with our editor Dan as his assistant. I am open to one more intern, this additional intern would be assisting me in rights and clearances for supporting images in the film. if you are interested in documentary film or know someone who is, pls contact me.

As you know well, our goal is to finish raising $51,650 to ensure that Patrick’s story – which in many ways is all our stories – gets told.
All donations will be designated for the completion of this work.

Funders giving $20,000 will be credited as Executive Producers
$10,000 will be credited as Producers
$5,000 will be credited as Associate Producers
Any amount will also be listed in the credits of the film

Donations Link:
Tax deductible: https://filmnorth.org/fiscally-sponsored-projects/patrick-scully-the-dance-is-not-over/
Non-tax deductible: https://www.gofundme.com/f/patrick-scully-moviethe-dance-is-not-over

Sept 23' Art Dept Newsletter

Dear Friends & Colleagues,
 
Doesn't summer always go too fast? How did we find ourselves at Labor Day already? I hope each of you have made it to the Fair, or had a nice vacation, maybe watched Barbenheimer? and even did some good projects. I've been busy enough, but could have been busier. How much is it the time we are in? and speaking of Labor Day, while I am in solidarity with the WGA & SAG as they strike for updated contract terms, its caused many in the industry, a lot of stress and uncertainty. Nice to see actor Adam Driver speak to this, here's a link. I believe we can  all do what we can for these strikes to end soon. Happy Labor Day.

I want to thank all the producers and directors that have been able to hire me so far this summer, I appreciate you! Below, I have work l I did for Delta to show you.

Above is a project I art directed for DELTA airlines in 2022. I was told it played on all outboard flights during last years holiday season. My team and I got to create Asia in Minnesota! It was bit intense but pretty awesome. While the production company used some stock footage, all the footage with talent was shot locally. The director was New Yorker Joshua Seftel. He was great and it was produced well by Philinese Kirkwood, Minnesota producer was Sammy Halabi. My father retired from Delta, my mother still gets their pension, so it was pretty neat I got to do this spot.

My team and I on the MSP tarmac.

I know you. may have seen this already but below is trailer for the thriller Abroad. I was the production designer on it. The film had its' world premiere in June at the Bucheon Film Fest in Korea! The film won the fests' Audience Award and Best Actor for Jang Sung-bum. It was produced by Maximillian Selim, and director Giovanni Fumu. Plus it was shot by one of my favorite DPs Bo Hakala.  I have yet to hear of a North American Premiere, Max says he will tell me ASAP.

ABROAD_Trailer from 37TH DEGREE on Vimeo.

Quote of the Month
"I'm really interested in trying to tell stories about women that don't involve romantic components. That's so much a part of the way we feel about female characters and their needs that it feels like it's built in - but I'd like to find a way that it's not. There are so many more stories than that."
Greta Gerwig

Sept 23' update & Happy Labor Day!

Dear fans and patrons for the films about Patrick Scully, 

I hope y'all enjoyed summer and are going to rock the Labor Day weekend. I hear the heat will be coming on strong. We continue to dial in the edit of second film about Patrick Scully.  The editor Dan of Jagged Edge and I are getting closer and closer. I have spent a lot of time at the Tretter Archive doing research.  Dan is doing his best keeping up with the hundreds of photos and dozens of gigs of video that I am bringing back.

Your donations to Gofundme and our fiscal sponsor last Summer and from the Fall fundraiser continue to fund this work. Thank you to Wendy for your recent  $100 donation! Everyone's generosity has been validating and vital to keep this project going!

Above, you can see a screenshot of the editing window. Here we are looking at Ron Athey and John Killacky discussing the Culture wars.  It was an absolute joy to interview both of these facinating and wonderful artists. If you haven't yet, make sure you pick up a copy of John's new book, Because Art.

I am offering a paid internship for this project, if you are interested in documentary film or know someone who is, pls contact me.

My partner and I at Chicago Pride fest  2023.

I wish you all well!  

As you know well, our goal is to finish raising $51,650 to ensure that Patrick’s story – which in many ways is all our stories – gets told.All donations will be designated for the completion of this work. Funders giving $20,000 will be credited as Executive Producers

$10,000 will be credited as Producers $5,000 will be credited as Associate Producers

Any amount will also be listed in the credits of the film

Donations Link:

Tax deductible: https://filmnorth.org/fiscally-sponsored-projects/patrick-scully-the-dance-is-not-over/

Non-tax deductible: https://www.gofundme.com/f/patrick-scully-moviethe-dance-is-not-over