Category Archives: Movies

Penny’s Big 21

Art, Filmmaking, Movies, Music, Performance

 

This cries out for some context, doesn’t it? A friend of mine, Aaron Richmond-Havel, was heading back to college after a summer break at home in San Antonio. He wanted to make a film with me to commemorate his upcoming 21st birthday. But he also wanted this short film to be used in a multi-venue evening-long performance art collaboration planned for his return to his Hampshire College campus. He wanted something in drag, along the San Antonio River Walk, and all very messy with cake and poorly-applied makeup. I decided to shoot both slow motion and regular speed. I like how this turned out. I did go a bit heavy-handed on the Magic Bullet color and vignette effects, but really, who’s looking at the post-production work? (For more Aaron, here’s a YouTube link to his commencement at Hampshire 2013 doing a dance number at the podium–I do hope that the wonderful Amy Goodman, who was the Keynote Speaker, was not only still in attendance, but seated on stage.)

Save the Hays Street Bridge

Art, Cycling, Filmmaking, Movies, Performance, San Antonio

 

I forgot how I was pulled into the project. I think it was through my friend Amanda Silva. She knew of my interest in the Hays Street Bridge. She had been doing some volunteer work with the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in issues of the gentrification of the downtown neighborhoods, and inquired if I might want to help out for this cause. I decided to make a short film. I should point out that this was a personal project, and other than receiving some documents from the Esperanza as well as the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group, this was a film produced independently of any organization. I thought it best to create and eventually present this film as the work of a concerned citizen. I was lucky to have many friends help me on this. Most obviously (because they were on camera) Amanda Silva, and Marisela Barrera. The best thing about this little project was that I got to screen it to the San Antonio City Council in the City Council Chambers during a citizens-to-be-heard portion of their monthly meeting. Who knew they let people show videos? Well, now you do. I can add it to my slowly growing list of local venues in which my work has been presented.

So Now That You Know

Art, Filmmaking, Movies, Performance, Projection, San Antonio

 

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I was thrilled when George Cisneros asked me to work with him on a project. His work crosses most all disciplines, and I find everything he does rewarding. For this project he’d been asked by the San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs to create an opening performance for the annual Americans for the Arts conference which was, this year, located in San Antonio. I was just a small part of this twelve minute piece which included the poetry of Carmen Tafolla, Native American drumming by Isaac Cardenas, singing by Bett Butler, keyboards by Ricky Hernandez, trombone by Ron Wilkins, drums and dancing by URBAN-15 ensemble members, live performance by actor Eduardo Garza … and film work by Erik Bosse.

It was an intense couple of weeks putting those twelve minutes together. For me one of the challenges was to create a piece to be projected as a four-channel presentation. And these were powerful, massive projectors. The piece was amazing. And, if I do say so myself, the video was stunning (thanks, in no small part, to the incredible A/V crew who pulled the technological bits together so effortlessly (or so it seemed to me)).

The piece was titled “So Now That You Know.” Above are two screen-grabs.

The Cucuy Club

Filmmaking, Movies

 

THE CUCUY CLUB (2012).

Writer, director, DP, editor:

Erik Bosse

Additional production assistance from:

Carlos Piña, and Noi Mahoney.

Cast:

Carlos Piña, Gabriel Carmona, Marisela Barrera, Victo Payan, Noi Mahoney, Hector Machado, and TJ Gonzales.

Music by:

Roberto Livar (Bombasta: Big Barrio Band), and Carlos Piña.

Special thanks:

URBAN-15, G2E Creative, Ron Garcia, the San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, and the San Antonio Film Commission.

The Cucuy Club was produced for the 2012 San Antonio Neighborhood Film Project. I’m quite fond of this one. Sadly it didn’t make the cut. Not only did it not win any prizes, but it wasn’t even screened at the city-sponsored event. What a bunch of creeps! So I created an evening of free screenings for some of those who also didn’t make the grade. Slab Cinema helped out and we had our screening party in the backyard of G2E, which was, at that time, housed on S. St. Mary’s  Street.

Why this didn’t win is beyond me. I mean I brought out the big guns. If I couldn’t win with Marisela Barrera making passionate love to an accordion, and Victor Payan in a mask, what chance do any of us have?

The script is actually a vignette from a longer, and as yet unfinished piece of the same title.

Here’s a little teaser I created in hopes of getting people to come to the screening which never happened…. “You must be the vatos from the internet.”

Leith’s Candle Dance at Noche de Recuerdos

Art, Dance, Filmmaking, Movies, Performance

 

Noche de Recuerdos was an annual event created by Proyectos Locos—Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez, Deborah Keller-Rihn, and myself. We presented this evening of floating, illuminated altars in the latter portion of October 2010, 2011, and 2012. The location was the small casting pond adjacent to Woodlawn Lake. There was also music, dance, and story-telling. Here is Leith Askins performing her candle dance. I had a moment to shoot a bit with my camera during some downtime, and I’m glad I was able to capture this beautiful moment.

Flower of Darkness

Movies, Music Videos

Flower of Darkness (Slab Cinema edit), by Los Mescaleros.

Angela Martinez, with Slab Cinema, asked me to do a promotional video for her family’s business. She left the concept pretty much up to me. I wanted to highlight the portability of their services. They can set up their inflatable screen, projector, and sound system anywhere. I had wanted to do this in a field somewhere on the far southside. But before I could track down a good location, we settled on the Pearl. (This was back before the Pearl became completely cauldroned off by the horrid condo buildings which now obscures any vestige of aesthetics the older builds might imbue to the scene.)

It’s very much in a warm home movie style (I probably went overboard on the vignetting and color settings in Magic Bullet). I like that the Alvarado brothers (fellow residents of the Southtown region) showed up on their bicycles.

The slow motion works well with the Los Mescaleros song which the band were so kind to allow us to use.