Alumni News - August 2009

Alan Baker's Newswire

ALUMNI NEWS

New SCA Produced Video Games Being Released
The Misadventure of P.B. Winterbottom, a game that was an Interactive Media thesis project developed and designed by Matt Korba and Paul Belezza, has been announced for exclusive release by 2K Play on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 in early 2010. Winterbottom is described as "an innovative game that follows the escapes of a mischievous, time-bending pie thief." It will be available for consumers to play for the first time at the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. The game has already received several awards and nominations at various games festivals. Since graduating, the two designers have formed their own company, The Odd Gentlemen, and are working on a number of new games. For more information, visit www.winterbottomgame.com.

Richard Moore, a cinematographer, co-founder of Panavision and a SCA alum, died on August 16 at the age of 83. His cinematography credits included Winning, Sometimes A Great Notion, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Reivers and Annie, among others. He shot the underwater scenes for the James Bond film Thunderball, directed Circle of Iron and worked on numerous commercials. In 1953, he and Robert Gottschalk began Panavision, and in 1959, he shared a scientific and engineering award from the Motion Picture Academy. He received the President's Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2004.

M.F.A. alum Geer DuBois' directed thesis film, Stranger Poem, won the "Best Short Film Animation" award at the Downtown Film Festival in Los Angeles.

M.F.A. alum Mellissa Bouwman's film, What I Found in Great Aunt Nell's Closet, was selected to compete in the competitive Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Through his production company "Quote Unquote Films," writer-director John August (Stark ‘94) optioned Steve Hely's novel How I Became a Famous Novelist, with intentions to adapt it and possibly direct.

Dana Fox (Stark ‘00) will produce Annie Mumolo's untitled female roadtrip comedy for Mandate Pictures about three disillusioned girlfriends in their 30s who head to New Your City to celebrate New Year's Even only to be waylaid by a snowstorm.

Bryan Singer and Warner Brothers are in the early stages of a remake of Excalibur, which will be produced by Polly Johnsen (formerly Cohen) (Stark ‘95).

Nick Osborne (Stark ‘97) executive produced All About Steve, which opened theatrically in September.

Neal Moritz (Stark ‘85) will produce Criminal Macabre, based on the Dark Horse Entertainment comic book, for Universal Pictures. The story centers around a supernatural detective who doubles as a hitman taking out all the vampires, ghosts and other unsavory monsters who live among humans. Moritz will also produce Battle of Los Angeles through his Original Film banner with Bridget Moynahan, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena and Aaron Eckhart. Doug Belgrad and Sam Dickerman (Stark ‘94) are overseeing for Columbia.

Jennifer Levine (Stark ‘96) will produce A Little Something For Your Birthday for Anonymous Content. She manages the film's writer, Susan Walter.

Al Gough and Miles Millar (both Stark ‘94) are writing I Am Number Four, an adaptation of the James Frey and Jobie Hughes novel, for DreamWorks. The story is about nine aliens who flee to Earth disguised as teens when their planet is destroyed.

Lorenzo De Maio (Stark ‘01), VP of Production Development for Dino De Laurentiis, was quoted in Variety saying "Every young actress in town is interested in playing that ‘Barbarella' part." The article talks about De Laurenttiis at 90s company slate including an adaptation of German techno-thriller The Swarm, a feature adaptation of MacGyver and a remake of his own Barbarella.

Alumnus Dean Yamada wrote and directed in Japan the short film Jitensha (Bicycle). The film will screen in competition at the enice Biennale International Film Festival. For information, visit www.jitenshamovie.com/index.php.

Associated Person:

Alan Baker