2007 NYWIFT Muse Awards

My Muses and Mentors: Terry Lawler and Lamonia Brown from New York Women in Film & Television

2007 Hampton International Film Festival

President of Women's Film Network, Andriana Shaw, and I by the pool of a house at the Hampton International Film Festival in October

I drove out (by car via ferry) to the Hampton International Film Festival to meet and assist at the New York Women in Film and Television annual Hampton party and ended up enjoying several other events staged there that weekend, as well -- including the Lifetime event on Saturday afternoon.

The big thrill of the weekend soared around the Hampton Women's Short Film selection in which six films, directed by women, were exhibited. Incredible. There's nothing as inspiring as seeing your fellow peers' works. Finally, I can officially say that I felt I belonged in a room with women who adore the same thing I do: movie-making.

Hampton Film Festival

I traveled to the Hamptons for the Hampton International Film Festival last week. There are pictures to share!

Stay tuned!

New York Women in Film and Television

It's official: four months after sending in my application to the prestigious and empowering organization for women in film and television in New York City, I received a phone call and was invited to their office near Madison Avenue in the city of my dreams for an interview.

The next week, I walked in, a moved-out-of-Michigan suburban mom looking to relink my future profession to my past career, and walked out, an hour later, with a new lease on life, a fresh perspective toward my tangible goals, and a lighter hop to my step.

I started my internship a week later and ran my first errand to The Daily Show offices to deliver a special invitation package to the comedian/actress Samantha Bee.

Didn't I do this when I was 18? No. I was going to college then. How about my twenties? Yes, okay, you got me. But not in the profession of my dreams: the entertainment industry of film and television.

I'm not going to apologize for being a late bloomer. I've lived the life and had more careers in my thirty years than most have had in fifty. And that means that I've got a list of stories to tell -- oooodles of them. Not a bad thing to have when you're looking to write screenplays.

Don't write me off just yet.

Provincetown Tennessee Williams Play Festival

I'll be playing "Paulina" in an adaptation of Tennessee William's take on Checkov's "The Seagull." Katherine Mendeloff, of the University of Michigan Theatre Program at the Residential College, will be directing.

Check it out!
http://www.twptown.org/tickets.htm

Rush Tango

I just finished playing the dry, yet witty psychiatrist in Dee Darusha's short 16mm independent film "Rush Tango" and will be adding her web site link to this page in the days to come.

Next week, I'm giving it a go at acting in a western -- Michael Back, the director, wrote in more dialogue for my character after I auditioned for him. I can't wait to try this film genre on for acting size.

Needless-to-say, I'm so thrilled to be making this transition from acting on the stage to in front of the camera. There's a intimacy that you can give with cinematic acting that isn't always in the cards for the theatre... at least community theatre.

Nothing captures tears or laugh lines like an ECU.

More to come...
H

The Best Decision...

...I ever made was to go to film school at the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. I've always loved acting in front of the camera, but felt that there were certain key elements to the process that I didn't understand -- and was too embarrassed to ask about.

Now I understand the process from the inside-out as a director, writer, and cinematographer -- and this has made all the difference in the world in my acting for the camera.

My horizons are bigger than ever before and I feel empowered as an artist. I encourage you, if you're searching for more, to do the same. All it takes is the faith in your abilities and the courage to persevere.

A Fork in the Road

One day of principle photography for A FORK IN THE ROAD down, two to go. So far all of the hard work is paying off. "Fork's" stellar cast and talented crew are creating one heck of a short narrative drama. (For more info on the cast and crew, go to the links section of this Blog).

Interested in seeing your name up on the silver screen? By purchasing film ($10 a foot), you join the Executive Producers Club. A purchase of 10 feet entitles you to a premier showing seat, a DVD copy of the film, complete with the Director's Cut, and a T-Shirt. And you will have supported your local community arts.

More info on how to support coming soon.

Nightmares of a First-time Female Director on the Eve of Principle Photography for "Fork..."

I tossed and turned last night, the nightmares haunting me as I dreamed the most worst-case scenario for a film shoot imaginable:

My whole crew turned up late, bringing friends they thought would have fun "watching," and my Director of Photography spent more time flirting with the girls in the local cafe than prepping for coverage.

Running around, screaming and firing individuals right and left of me, I frantically attempted to ground myself and gain back some sort of control over the set and my sanity. But by the time, I found my cameraman, my actors were running away from me.

Ever had one of those?

This morning I opened my Email to find my first "I can't come because you don't really need me afterall, do you?" cancellation.

Ahhhhhhhh, what lies before me on this first of three principal shooting days for "A FORK IN THE ROAD?"

Read on throughout the next four weeks to find out! ;-)

Come see "Oh, Had I Wings"

Come support local filmmakers at the Lightworks Film Festival!

"Oh, Had I Wings," by Maggie Glass --(in which you'll sneak a peak of me in the role of "Mom") -- will be having its premiere at the Lightworks Film Festival this Saturday night, April 21st, at the Natural Science Auditorium on Central Campus at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

According to the schedule, the honors theses will be screened at 10:35 pm on Saturday night:
http://www.umich.edu/~fvsa/lightworks/program/
Soon the postings of each individual film will be up on the site, so you can see exactly when "Oh, Had I Wings" will be screened.

Director Maggie Glass recommends coming earlier, just in case the schedule gets shifted, and in order to see other great works in filmmaking art.

On the Slate

All those years of acting lessons are finally paying off.

I've got several film roles on the slate in the near future -- one is the role of a mother in a modern western, another is of a social worker in an incredible romantic drama, and a third is as a psychoanalyst in an incredible comedy.

More on those great new endeavors soon...

Filmmaking is Easy If You've Got Ten Arms

The other day, some one told me that filmmaking is easy. Yeah, right. If you've got ten arms and absolute no need for sleep, it's easy-peasy.

I'm a visual thinker, always have been. I remember names, ideas and concepts in relation to an image which I saw or mentally constructed at the time of introduction. And I love mixing images with narrative concepts or poetry. Thus, directing comes more naturally to me than, say, chemistry or medicine.

As the beginning filmmaker, armed with only a student budget and a determined vision, one of the first lessons you learn when embarking on your big project is that you can't do it all alone. There's too many things that could go wrong, money that could be unwisely spent, mistakes that lurk in mental darkness, waiting to happen when you least expect it.

Filmmaking -- well crafted and beautifully told -- is, as far as I'm concerned, NOT easy.
If you're trying to accomplish any form of real storytelling with a sturdy moral premise and visually aesthetic promise, you quickly find that the true filmmaker is also a master delegate and manager and has truckloads of faith and trust.

Case in point: I've been in preproduction for my thesis film for several months, now. I wrote the twenty-page screenplay within a matter of weeks and, certain that it was perfect, quickly proceeded to cast the roles, find the locations, organize the crew and reserve the equipment. And then I submitted it to my mentor for approval.

"It has flaws," he said, "it's too wordy at times and, though it has a solid moral premise, doesn't clearly reveal the protagonist."

Back to the drawing board.

(To be continued next week...)

"Maggie" -- alias Barbara Coven-Ellis

One of the best things about working and training as an actor, prior to beginning directing, is that you understand what the actor goes through, you know better how to communicate with the actor to "pull" out the performance you desire, and -- especially for film -- you have a list of friends and colleagues with whom to work

Such is the story behind my working with Barbara Coven-Ellis, a professionally trained, extremely accomplished and talented actor in the Michigan area.

I first met Barbara while understudying for the play "Honus and Me," directed by Guy Sanville, at the Purple Rose Theatre this past summer. Barbara had a major part and was on-stage six days a week, two times a day. A true professional -- with a big heart. As it was my first time working with an Equity theatre, I was quite nervous. But Barbara gave me helpful advice on acting, professionalism and life in general on numerous occassions. And, most importantly, when I told her that I was going to be going to film school in the fall, she didn't laugh at me.

Thus, I called her up when I wanted to take a crack at my first 1 minute 16mm short. She said, "yes." And, as I had hoped, was the consumate professional and supportive actor -- showing up early, completely prepared, and ready to stun the camera. She did.

So it seemed second-nature to call Barbara up when it came time to finding the lead female role for "Maggie," the dramatic and high strung, yet loving and sacrificing mother, in my 16mm 20-minute short, A FORK IN THE ROAD (which, by the way, has been officially registered at the Writers' Guild of America; I received my certificate today). Thank Heavens she accepted.

I couldn't picture a finer actress for the part.

Barbara has always treated me like a true professional. I'm stretching toward the stars to not disappoint her.

A Day in the Life of a Fledgling Filmmaker

I dream in film shots, frames and cuts right now. My head's spinning around 180 degree and 30 degree rules. And I'm trying to find the perfect pencil to draw erasable lines along a straight and noble ruler for daily script coverage calculations.

Gearing up for my first big, solo directing project, "A Fork in the Road," I'm in preproduction Haedes and can only see dangling edges to tie together.

There's the shot list and the storyboard and then, "oh no!" a script rewrite--back to the shot list and storyboard. And then the actors, they changes according to whether or not they have the passion, or the time...or the money to allow themselves the time.

And if I could only relate my nightmares about film being ruined or underexposed or--worst of all--poorly shot and poorly directed.

Whewwww, I'm glad I have Doug Schulze and Kurt Mawry from the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan (sorry about the plug, dear reader, but they disserve it!), Rob Skates in Cinematography, Tim Savage for Screenwriting and, tada!, our new "Producing" class instructor, the incredible Kathleen McDermont, who could sail a preproduction perfect storm.

I'll be posting more about this filmmaking adventure in the days and weeks to come. And, as always, I welcome your comments (although go easy on the criticism, okay? I'm green at this).

H.P.

Projects on the Slate for 2007

I've been busy working on a variety of projects with some of my favorite female artists and humanitarians.

In PREPRODUCTION: "Motherhood"
A tearful, humorous and thought-provoking ensemble piece about motherhood from different perspectives as seen through mothers around the world.

In PRODUCTION: "A Fork in the Road"
A short 16mm film about a father who's hit hard times--and the son who helps him back to his feet.

In POSTPRODUCTION: "Women in Berlin"
A documentary about five unique and passionate American women living in Berlin five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall--and where they are today.

I am looking to start my own non-profit organization in order to be able to apply for grants--if you are able to help or know of anyone who might be able to help me achieve this endeavor, please contact me. (See the contact or comment button below).

Thanks and many warm regards,
H.E. Philipsen

Welcome to My Blog Site!

Well, it's all finally coming together: I have a site leading to every endeavor and all my endeavors lead back to me.

I welcome you to check out my links -- they represent all of my affiliations, both professional and academic -- and present an overall picture of my background.

More in the days and weeks to come~

Thanks for stopping by!
Heidi