DIA Photographs

We visited the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts) this morning and got some shots. What a cultural gem this is. We plan on visiting and photographing what we can while there’s still time.

Check the photographs out here: http://stefanstudios84.wordpress.com/the-detroit-institute-of-arts/

 

DIA Deathwatch

The next step in liquidating the Detroit Institute of Arts collection was taken last week when a group of Detroit banks, bond holders and the AFSCME union filed a motion to allow independent evaluation of the collection. They stated that Kevin Orr is not acting “aggressively enough to monetize the art”. The collection is supposedly worth billions of dollars.

Back in August I posted the following on this blog.

Recently a tri-county (Oakland, Macomb and Wayne) millage was passed to keep the DIA open. That will be invalidated if the artwork is sold, wiping out $23 million in operating funds which would probably force an immediate closure. Here are a couple of quotes. The first is from L. Brooks Patterson, the Oakland County Executive:
“If Kevin Orr (Emergency Financial Manager) moves in any way to reduce the quality of the DIA’s collection, I can absolutely guarantee we will go to court to seek suspension of that tax, which was imposed to support the museum as presently constituted. We are not going to pay once some of the finest works are sold.”

The second quote is from Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel:
“Why would we continue a millage for something that no longer exists?”

We’re witnessing cultural bankruptcy and sadly, the DIA is under a real deathwatch. Get to the DIA soon, before it inevitably closes and the art is auctioned off.  

Check out the DIA here: http://www.dia.org

The Frankenstein Theory

What makes a good low budget movie? Like any other film, story, characters and acting. I was scanning through Netflix and watched The Frankenstein Theory and even though this film received negative reviews it pulled me in from the start. Yes, it could have been about twenty minutes shorter, but all in all it’s a good independent horror film.

The story revolves around Professor Jonathan Venkenheim. One of his ancestors was the real-life Dr. Frankenstein who created the Frankenstein monster as an experiment in longevity. Venkenheim is convinced that the monster is still alive in the Arctic, so he takes a film crew with him to prove it exists. That’s all I’ll say, not to spoil it for you.

The shooting took place in LA and Alaska. According to Wikipedia, the scenes shot in Alaska involved forty five minute walks through the snow and cold to set up scenes. The film is shot in “found footage” format.

The Frankenstein Theory was released in March, 2013 to a few theaters, video on demand and  DVD. If you like well made independent films, t’s worth your time to watch it. Check out the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2646378/

 

 

The Day Detroit Went Dark Audiobook

The audiobook production for The Day Detroit Went Dark is complete and approved. We’re very happy the way The Day Detroit Went Dark turned out and it should be available on Audible.com soon.

The System – A Detroit Story – starts production tomorrow.

Winter is Coming to Detroit

Winter is coming to Detroit. I plan on producing another photo essay book entitled Broken City, Big Hearts. It will be about organizations in Detroit that help people survive, especially during the winter.
The entire essay will be shot in grainy black and white. I took these test location shots today.

 

I’ve begun shooting this month during late fall…

 

…and plan on shooting and developing the narrative throughout the winter.

Heavy shooting will take place during December, January and February where the chances for surviving in the city hits bottom.