Sean Mannion

Category: Featured

  • Three Questions with Nicole Witte Solomon

    Three Questions with Nicole Witte Solomon

    Nicole on the set of Meme in January 2015
    Nicole on the set of Meme in January 2015

     

    Three questions is a new thing I decided to do because I like the people I work with and want to share more about them and what they do and what they care about. These brief interviews appear in my monthly newsletter (which you can subscribe to here) and I am republishing them to the blog. The following interview with filmmaker Nicole Witte Solomon was originally published in the December 2015 edition of the newsletter.

    Nicole served as our Art Director for Meme, helped me produce Beneath the Black Moon, I frequently work with as an instructor at the I Was There Film Workshops, and we are now business partners in 4MileCircus offering Social Media Management and Consulting Services. Here’s what she has to say about herself.

    What do you do?

    I write things–screenplays, essays, short stories, reported articles, cook books, but mostly emails–as well as direct films and videos. I’m moving more into producing more as well.

    I also freelance as an editor and consultant. My primary client right now is I WAS THERE Film Workshops, where I serve as the Communications Director. I Was There provides free, therapeutic filmmaking workshops to veterans, active duty service members and military families coping with Posttraumatic Stress. I also am also a film instructor at these workshops.

    Why do you do it?

    I work with I Was There because it’s rare to be able to get paid to do something you actually believe in. I have personally found filmmaking to be tremendously therapeutic, and I love sharing that with other people, and seeing the very real, dramatic shift that occurs within people who have been seriously wounded once they’ve been empowered with the tools to tell their own stories, on their own terms.

    I write/direct/produce things that I would like to see that don’t yet exist. I’m generally interested in amplifying less-heard perspectives and narratives, whether my own or other people’s. Also I have always just have a compulsion to create and share stories.

    What do you want to share?

    You can learn more about I Was There at http://iwastherefilms.org. My short horror film, Small Talk, is currently in festivals and should be available for home viewing in 2016–we’re on facebook, twitter and tumblr as SmallTalkMovie, and the website is smalltalkmovie.com. The “Joan of Arc” segment I directed for the anthology Bring Us Your Women will be made publicly available in the latter half of the year. You can watch it and the rest of the film on demand now, though.

    Also keep an eye out in 2016 new projects–a feature I wrote that will be produced/directed by Flavio Alves and is in preproduction, a short I co-wrote with Jeanette Sears called Happenstance that’s in post, a short I’m line producing for Christina Raia, a couple video projects for The Shondes that I’m directing, and several scripts I’m currently writing. Also a comic book that I’m writing with my friend Che Broadnax, about which I’m extremely excited but probably should bite my tongue for now. You can visit NicoleWitteSolomon.com for more.

  • Three Questions with Chris Cuffaro

    Three Questions with Chris Cuffaro

    Three questions is a new thing I decided to do because I like the people I work with and want to share more about them and what they do and what they care about. These brief interviews appear in my monthly newsletter (which you can subscribe to here) and I am republishing them to the blog. The following (oh so very brief) interview with photographer and filmmaker Chris Cuffaro was originally published in the October 2015 edition of the newsletter.

    Chris and I are currently producing a documentary about his career as a music photographer for the past 30+ years called Greatest Hits. He’s shot just about everyone including George Harrison, Iggy Pop, Willie Nelson, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, and Ice Cube (above you can see a clip of Chris talking about shooting with Ice Cube for the Greatest Hits documentary project). To see more about all of it check out the official site for the Greatest Hits project Cuffarohits.com.

    What do you do?

    I’m a photographer, director and all around creative fuck.  I love what I do and have been doing it for a very long time.  If all goes well, I will keep doing it for even longer.

    Why do you do it?

    First, cuz its fun.  Second, cuz I love doing it.  Third, I’m very good at it.  Fourth, I don’t know what else to do.  Fifth, did I say it was fun?

    What do you want to share?

    That’s a tough question, but I will start with this.  My Greatest Hits project!  Go to CuffaroHits.com to read all about it!  Its my my baby and I’m so proud of my baby.  I love photography more than anything, but music is a very close second.

  • Three Questions with Carolyn Maher

    Three Questions with Carolyn Maher

    Producer, AD, bounce holder ... Carolyn Maher does it all!
    Producer, AD, bounce holder … Carolyn Maher does it all!

    Three questions is a new thing I decided to do because I like the people I work with and want to share more about them and what they do and what they care about. These brief interviews appear in my monthly newsletter (which you can subscribe to here) and I am republishing them to the blog. This interview with Meme Producer Carolyn Maher was first published in my September 2015 Newsletter.

    Carolyn was my Assistant Director for Time Signature, she is the Producer and AD for Meme, and she’s Producing and performing AD duties again on Maybe Sunshine.

    What do you do?

    I produce things! I take steps to bring different parts of the filmmaking process together to actually shoot things like scheduling, organizing, planning and communicating what needs to get done. I also keep one eye on the “bigger picture” to make sure a project is ready for the next phase of its life and what we can do now to help that next phase.

    Why do you do it?

    Film is a powerful storytelling medium and my objective as a filmmaker and producer is to tell stories that spread empathy, promote understanding and creative expression. Stories are one of our most important ways of creating a common ground and platform for discussion, debate and understanding. There’s also a joy I get from bringing someone else’s vision to life.

    What do you want to share?

    SO MUCH! My first feature as producer Trichster just got accepted to Cucalorus (which is the best festival on the planet) and is soon entering the wonderful world of distribution! Meme just wrapped principal photography and I’m always so impressed when I think about all the amazing people who were so generous with their time and talent to make it happen. The Cape House (feature #3) is starting to come together and it’s a whole different kind of challenge than anything I’ve done before. And if you want to spend 10 seconds watching some ridiculous stop motion animation, check out my Vimeo page.