Attending the Arizona International Film Festival

Last weekend I attended the showing of "Artist in the Margin" in Tucson.  The film was very well received and there was a lot of positive feedback from the audience.  That evening I attended a very nice reception at an art gallery showing women artists.

Thanks to the festival for putting on a terrific show.

Park City Film Music Festival!

I just learned that the Park City, Utah film music festival has selected "Artist in the Margin."  This is a festival that chooses films with the best music soundtracks.  Cyril Caumont composed the music for "Artist" and did an amazing soundtrack which truly enhanced the entire film.

Attending the MSP Film Festival

I had a fantastic time at the film festival last Tuesday night.  "Artist" was shown with a great lineup of Minnesota Shorts and a nearly sold out theater.  Thanks to the Festival for putting on an amazing show -- as usual!

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival

I'm very proud and happy to announce that "Artist in the Margin" has been selected to play in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.  Thanks so much to the festival for choosing the film.

American Documentary Film Festival -- Palm Springs

I attended the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs on Monday April 2nd.  "Artist in the Margin" played on a very large screen.  It was fun to watch and the audience really enjoyed the film.  Afterwards we did a short question and answer show.

Thanks to the Film Festival for showing the film and making it a wonderful event.

Arizona International Film Festival

I'm very pleased that "Artist in the Margin" has just been selected by the Arizona International Film Festival.  The  festival will run the last two weeks of April in Tucson and I will be attending.  Thanks to the festival for including "Artist."

American Documentary Film Festival, Palm Springs, CA

Very excited to announce that "Artist in the Margin is an official selection of the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, California.  The festival takes place during the last week of March and first week of April, 2012 and I plan on attending.

Thanks to the festival for honoring our film.

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

I've just received notification that "Artist in the Margin" is an official selection in this February's Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.  The film was one of 100 selected from over a 1000 entries.  Thanks to Big Sky...I am very honored to have my film played in this great festival!

"Artist in the Margin": ready to submit to film festivals

I haven't written for many months, but wonderful things have been happening on the film.  Cyril Caumont sent me a magnificent soundtrack for the film.  His music perfectly interprets the magic and mystery of Pierre's world and his creatures.  I am so happy that Cyril and I connected in France, not too far from where Pierre lives.

I have designed the packaging and am having copies of the film made.  I will be submitting to many film festivals during the next year.  I will be producing a short trailer within the next few weeks.  Watch for it on this website.

Below is a copy of the DVD wrap.

The visual cut is in the can!!

I have finished the visual edit of "Artist in the Margin" and have sent it to Cyril Caumont in France who will now compose the soundtrack for the film.

The final edit has gone extremely well.  I've added some voiceover by Pierre and used subtitles to translate the French to English.  I really like what Pierre has to say about his art and his comments help to explain and expand on the visual images.  But there's not too much dialogue and that was my plan from the start.

Now I can't wait for Cyril to do his magic with music and sound effects.

Back at home after a wonderful stay in Combarel!

I'm back in Stillwater.  I had a wonderful stay in Pierre and Francoise's home at Combarel.  I met a fantastic musician, Cyril, who had composed some wonderful music for "Artist in the Margin."  I asked him to continue to work on a full soundtrack for the film and he accepted.

Pierre and I shot several more sequences for the film.  The light was beautiful on the last two days of my stay and I captured many beautiful images.

Shooting a sequence

Editing at Combarel

I edited while I was in Combarel and I have continued editing since I returned home two weeks ago.  The film is coming together very nicely and I plan to have a final visual edit done by year end.  Then I will be sending it to Cyril for him to perform his music magic on the soundtrack!

While I was in southern France I also visited the Pech Merle Cave and met the cultural representative of the prehistoric site.  He gave me permission to use certain images from the cave in my film.  I am very thankful to him and to the Village of Cabrerets for graciously allowing me to use the images.

It was a perfect trip.  Thanks to Pierre and Francoise for their fantastic hospitality.  Thanks especially to Francoise who is an amazing chef!

Shooting the horse drawing segment

Me and the horse watching Pierre build a sculpture

Lunch on the Terrace

"Les Insectes and Le Vendange"

Today I finished the rough cut of the "The Insects and the Wine Harvest" exhibit.  It's a more humorous sequence in the film and it was fun to put it together.  Here are several photos.

"Les Insectes"

Je me cache

In Paris, working on "Artist in the Margin"

I am staying in an apartment in Paris before I head down to southern France.  Paris is a great inspiration to me and I have made great progress editing "Artist in the Margin."

In my apartment

The view from my window

Progress in Oracle

I have finished a rough cut of the "Oiseaux" sequence of "Artist in the Margin."  I also met with a sound designer who will experiment with sound for the film.  I have decided that I will use some voiceover and narration in the film; but also have sections and sequences that rely only on sounds and music for interpretation.

When I return from Italy, I will begin to plan a trip to Paris/southern France to research and do more filming for "Artist in the Margin."

"Two Films - Two Artists" Event in Stillwater

Last night we had a very successful event in downtown Stillwater at the Mary Jo Van Dell studio. We showed the films, "Rising" and "Artist in the Margin" and we showed art of each of the artists who were subjects of the two documentaries.  A lot of fun and we had tremendous, positive feedback from the event.  Here are some photos:

Stillwater Event: "Two Films, Two Artists"

Here's a poster for the event to take place in Stillwater:

Les Oiseaux at Papillon's Farm

I spent this weekend up at my cabin editing a new sequence for the film.  It evokes the art exhibit that Pierre staged with his oiseaux, or bird sculptures.  One afternoon, late during my stay in France, Pierre and I drove about 20 miles southwest from Combarel. As we rode in the blue truck, the forests and meandering rock walls gradually evolved into rolling green hills of lush farm fields. We arrived at a small farm encampment.  Across the road from the farm house and scattering of buildings was a round watering hole for cattle, fenced in with barb wire which stretched between the wooden posts.

On each fence post Pierre attached one of his bird sculptures.  And slowly, as the sun went low in the sky, children and adults from the area arrived to walk around the pond and laugh and marvel at Pierre's birds.

An Event featuring Pierre Prevost's Drawings and "Artist in the Margin"

On the evening of Thursday, February 4, there will be a special event called "Two Artists, Two Films."  The event will take place at Mary Jo Van Dell's studio in downtown Stillwater.

During the evening, two films will be shown:  "Rising - Portrait of an Artist" which documents the life and art of Mary Jo Van Dell; and "Artist in the Margin."  Mary Jo's paintings will be on display in the gallery and we will also be showing Pierre Prevost's drawings and some of his metal horse sculptures.

It will be a very fun, interesting evening and one which will allow participants to understand the vision and work of two amazing artists.

Stay tuned for more details!!

My First Visit to Combarel (2000)

In June, 2000 I took a ten-day art trip to an area of southern France just east of Toulouse. Our group of artists stayed at a bed and breakfast and each day travelled into the surrounding countryside to paint the landscapes of the area. Below are two of the paintings I did during the trip. One is the village of Ambialet built on the cliffs of the River Tarn. The other is a valley near the bed and breakfast where we stayed.

One day during the trip I received a call from Anne, a friend of mine from Minneapolis. Anne is originally French but has lived in the United States for nearly 40 years. She happened to be in France at that same time, and she asked if I wanted to meet her sister and brother-in-law. She told me I would be very interested in Pierre, her sister's husband, and that I would love the home that he had created in the French countryside.

Two days later I sat next to Anne as she drove a tiny car -- fast -- around curves and up and down hills and valleys in the land of Aveyron, two hours north of Toulouse. The day was dark and rainy, low clouds hung over the landscape.

Although not that far from Provence and the Mediterranean coast, Aveyron is nearly opposite from the dry, barren brightness of that land along the sea. It is hilly, densely forested with humid stands of hardwood and pine. Purple-gray rock erupts in steep cliffs along the Lot and Aveyron rivers. The same rock builds the walls of the houses and forms the fences running everywhere about the countryside.

In 2000 the fields were growing wheat, large swaths of ochre yellow which complemented the violet colors of the cliffs and stone walls.

We meandered the medieval streets of Villefranche de Rouergue and then were back out in the country. We came to a tiny village, Leonard, drove through a farmyard, three dogs yipping at our heels. Finally we passed a small metal arrow which pointed to a narrow cart road leading into a dense forest. Beneath the arrow was the name "Combarel" ("little hollow"). This was Pierre's home. The car squeezed between the looming walls on either side of us, the purple rocks nearly covered by green moss. Tall trees shadowed the road from the dim sky. The walls closed us in, drew us along the path to an unknown place.









Suddenly there was a face staring at me! A blue face as surprised as I, with its round eyes, long white line of a nose, pursed red lips. The blue face had a tree trunk for body, one branch of the tree protruded from the trunk - a one-armed creature of the forest.










A few moments later we rounded a curve and came upon more of the forest creatures.










Another curve in the road brought us to a dense stand of hardwood forest. I looked into the dark shadows and saw another pair of eyes staring at me.

On the other side of the road, the rock wall widened to take the form of a jagged igloo.  These ancient structures can be seen all over this landscape -- shelters for the shepherds of old to spend the night during the cold winters and the rainy summers. They're called "bories."

The rock wall opened up and Anne drove the car into a large clearing. There before me was a house from a Grimm Brothers fairy tale.

Across the clearing from the house was another large structure built from tall slender tree trunks stripped of their bark.  This was Pierre's studio. In front of the studio several tall poles held barrel rounds. Suspended within the metal circles were colorful found objects strung together in Calderesque designs.

Pierre came out to greet Anne and me.  He's a small, wiry man with prankish eyes and I instantly recognized him as the creator of this magical, mystical land.

I would only stay at Combarel for 24 hours during this first visit. But as I left I knew that I would return again and again.

Later I will tell the story of my second visit to Combarel in 2004.

Showing of Pierre's Drawings at YA Architects

On November 18th there was a showing of Pierre's whimsical drawings on butcher paper. It was a fun event and I played a 15 minute segment of "Artist in the Margin" during the show. I received much positive feedback on the film. Pierre was not able to attend, but he sold 30 of his drawings.

I will be organizing another event to show the drawings in Stillwater at the Mary Jo Van Dell studio, probably in mid-January 2010.