Rosegarden Media & Entertainment

There will still be stories at the Statue of Hans Christian...

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:36:00 -0400

There will still be stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen in New York’s Central Park — the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center has posted the schedule online, and it looks like at least we will be recording some (but, because of our new camera’s limitations, not all) of the 1st June and 21 September events (the memorials for our dear friend, the late Diane Wolkstein). The 20th of July is also a strong possibility.

We have more to say on our website. And we hope to see you at the Statue sometime this Summer.

It’s the Rosegarden’s own Mr. Morgan (center,...

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:08:48 -0400

It’s the Rosegarden’s own Mr. Morgan (center, finding it hard to smile for the camera) with Atsumi Ishibashi (left) and Masashi Ishiura of Robin’s Egg Blue outside the Bowery Electric in New York, post-performance (12 May 2013).

Mr. Morgan can afford to act odd because it was his 51st birthday.

Onward!

Want some?

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:05:18 -0400

Want some?

“It’s alive!” It certainly is. Meet my Nikon...

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:27:00 -0400

“It’s alive!”

It certainly is. Meet my Nikon Coolpix P510. The capability to shoot in (most) low-light situations. A zoom that out-zooms either of my now retired Flips. A serious camera body that welcomes your hands. A lens that means business. 1080p high definition video (although restricted to less than a half-hour — gotta check the manual to understand why, but hey…). And a brand synonymous with photography.

This is no camera app, ladies and gents. This is the real thing.

Now let’s truly get busy.

A revised version of our recent e–card, with a few minor...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:30:00 -0400

A revised version of our recent e–card, with a few minor tweaks.

Because of a special client project, new episodes of Just One Story… are on hold until hopefully May.

We can’t stop playing this Prelinger mashup (see more on...

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:14:20 -0500

We can’t stop playing this Prelinger mashup (see more on Vimeo and of course at the Internet Archive), simply because it’s too nutty to resist. (Of course, when you cut–up what is clearly a sales motivation film shown apparently to the staffers at many a Chevrolet dealer, you realize how absurd a phrase like “double dividend” really can be.)

See if you can’t play it more than once. And that’s… well, impact.

Spirituality = self-inflicted violence?

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:25:03 -0500

sex-death-rebirth recently shared this observation (from Adyashanti, via lucifelle):

“Spiritual people can be some of the most violent people you will ever meet. Mostly, they are violent to themselves. They violently try to control their minds, their emotions, and their bodies. They become upset with themselves and beat themselves up for not rising up to the conditioned mind’s idea of what it believes enlightenment to be. No one ever became free through such violence. Why is it that so few people are truly free? Because they try to conform to ideas, concepts, and beliefs in their heads. They try to concentrate their way to heaven. But Freedom is about the natural state, the spontaneous and unselfconscious expression of beingness. If you want to find it, see that the very idea of a someone who is in control is a concept created by the mind. Take one step backward into the unknown.”

Would you dare? Just asking.

'Tis the season for taking long breathers

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:41:02 -0500

Good friends,

For those of you who have been wondering about Rosegarden: I am taking an indefinite break from future videomaking and other associated activities because of the sad passing away of my friend (and Just One Story… star) Diane Wolkstein back on 31 January (while she was in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for the winter months). I hope I can get Just One Story… restarted eventually, once the period of mourning fades away. (I won’t try to rush it away. You should never do such a thing.)

Meanwhie, it seems I’m not the only ones catching my breath following the devastating news. I just saw this on Illegal Art’s Tumbler page:

Illegal Art is on indefinite hiatus.

This change in status is not due to any legal issues, and we are still committed to fighting any legal battles over our 15–year catalog of releases.

All active artists will continue to release material, just through other channels.

Our site will remain online and we’re working to add older releases until the entire catalog is available.

Just take a long look at the splash page for their website to see who’s benefited from IA’s fifteen years of existence; two of my heroes, Vicki Bennett (a/k/a People Like Us) and Ergo Phizmiz, are represented (The Keystone Cut–Ups).

And I can’t tell you how often I’ve played The Bran Flakes’ album I Have Hands. See if some of your own faves are here.

Steev Hise has written a most excellent tribute to the label that merits a read.

Ever since I began Just One Story…, I’ve always viewed Wintertime not so much as a time for hibernation but as welcome down time during which I can dream, imagine, and plan for something new to do. This Winter, however, has given new meaning to the term “down time” than I would have preferred.

At least I’m not the only one feeling it.

Beloved friends, It is with a heavy heart that we share with you...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:33:01 -0500

Beloved friends,

It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the news of the death of storyteller and author extraordinaire Diane Wolkstein. You will remember her from many a Just One Story… episode, and we have planned to share many more with you.

Sadly, her life came to an end on Thursday 31 January, while she was away in Taiwan (Kaohsiung). She was there doing what she loved to do: learn more about the stories she wanted to tell (in this case, an adaptation of the Chinese classic Journey to the West), and living her life as fully as she always would.

And now she is gone. And all that is left is her story.

But what a wonderful story it is to tell.

I am proud to have played a role in the making of this featurette, released in 2007 to celebrate the 4th decade of her career.

I only wish it could have lasted one decade more.

I love you and will miss you, Diana. Farewell, good friend of mine.

Philip David Morgan.

Dear friends:

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:17:17 -0500

The gates to our Rosegarden will be closed for a short period of time, because of a deeply painful loss within our family. We cannot say more than that right now, as we will need some time and space to grieve.

Just know that this is NOT the end of the Rosegarden. Indeed, we will re-open our gates, hopefully this Spring, if all goes well.

Bless you all for your patience, understanding, and compassion.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience… Our first Rosegarden...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:13:00 -0500

Thank you, everyone, for your patience… Our first Rosegarden Storytelling Library MP3 release (see above) is yours to have NOW. Enjoy this Taoist tale about a farmer, his son, and their horse, which decides to ride off one day…

Just right–click on the link, and you’re good to go.

We’ll have another story in the collection soon.

Ah… those were the days, my friends… From the good hearts at the...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:05:53 -0500

Ah… those were the days, my friends…

From the good hearts at the Lomographic Society:

Analogue Sound: A Glimpse Inside A Vinyl Record Factory

Ever wonder how they produced vinyl records in the past? Well, here’s a visual set that will give you an idea!

Like film photography, vinyl records have experienced a comeback in recent years. Perhaps, it’s the charm of placing the needle on the record’s surface, and hearing that hum of silence before the start of every track. Perhaps, it’s the feeling of nostalgia that comes along with it.

For Mark Roberts at Stars & Letters and Evergreene Music, and anyone else who remembers when vinyl was king.

(P.S.: Make sure you check out Evergreene Music’s Balkan Arts project, which starts streeting on 29 January. Guaranteed you haven’t heard this one before. But you may want to.)

Yes, we are ready to start (post–)production on the Rosegarden...

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 23:23:00 -0500

Yes, we are ready to start (post–)production on the Rosegarden Storytelling Library, a small but determined–to–grow collection of storytelling MP3s featuring the ever engaging Diane Wolkstein (among others). Many of the stories in this collection have been previously featured in the Just One Story… video series, but there will be some new tales for your listening pleasure as well.

You’ll find out more on our new official site.

(P.S.: Please forgive the formal language. We are still finding our voice with WordPress.)

Photograph by Melissa Adams, of the Canberra Times, and courtesy of Cloudstone Productions.

Message to Doordarshan

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:43:00 -0500

Image hosted by Change.org; individual film poster artworks are the property of their Copyright holders.

This isn’t necessarily related to Rosegarden productions, but I have strong admiration for Indian cinema, so I am actively getting behind this one, with thanks to Shivam Vij at Kafila.

Specifically, this petition is addressed to the Director General of Doordarshan, as well as the President and Vice President of India — not to mention Manish Tiwari, who is India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister. Its intent is nothing less than to get actively behind India’s alternative cinema (read: non–Bollywood/Kollywood/Tollywood movies), which hardly reaps the financial rewards that go to its commercial competition.

And note that some very big names in Indian cinema have affixed their names to this one: Nandita Das, Vishal Bhardwaj (The Blue Umbrella, Kaminey), Ashutosh Gowariker (Lagaan), Onir (I AM), Kiran Rao (Dobhi Ghat — Mumbai Diaries), Anusha Rizvi (Peepli [Live]), Juhi Chawla, Kaushik Mukherjee a/k/a Q (whose Gandu is getting an uncut DVD release Stateside via Artsploitation Films)… you get the idea. People who truly understand Indian cinema because they are active in it.

So they know what they are signing on to here:

As the country celebrates 100 years of cinema we want to bring to your notice how New Wave Indie Cinema of India is under threat. Among the various challenges that we face as Indie film makers, the biggest is that of exhibition. The multiplexes which were given tax benefits to promote small budget content film have in fact been instrumental in destroying small cinema by only playing the box office game.

The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times. This movement is distinct from mainstream Bollywood cinema and began around the same time as the French New Wave and Japanese New Wave.

High ticket pricing that is inappropriate for small budget films, less [numbers] of shows and odd show timings further destroy the possibility of Indie cinema (regional and Hindi) to have any proper chance at being viewed. It makes no sense that a 150 Crores film and a 1.5 crore film are priced by the multiplexes in the same manner.

Given the current scenario we feel that that National Television channel Doordarshan can play a vital role (like it did once upon a time when it aired good Indian and world cinema every Sunday) in supporting and nurturing meaningful Cinema.

Do read the rest at Kafila, and then add your name at Change.org. There is life beyond Filmi City.

One of our greatest pleasures is watching storyteller Diane...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:15:48 -0500

One of our greatest pleasures is watching storyteller Diane Wolkstein develop her own adaptation of the famous Monkey King Epic, a/k/a Journey to the West. So, with special thanks to fuckyeahchinesemyths and mudwerks, here is one of the many delightful Shotaro Honda (Honda Shotaro) illustrations that grace Son Goku (孫梧究), an adaptation of Monkey King for children.

One of his many “transformations,” maybe?

"It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly...."

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:49:07 -0400

“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days… Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me…So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling.”

- Aldous Huxley (via friggindonovan) with special thanks to Dadalú for the share.

"I think Kickstarter is a huge game changer for independent creators, as it democratizes some rather..."

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 23:39:59 -0400

“I think Kickstarter is a huge game changer for independent creators, as it democratizes some rather large barriers to entry: funding, market viability, and marketing… It’s allowing creators to be entrepreneurs, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future of independent creators.”

- Spencer Toyama, Home of the Brave

(via kickstarter)

Amen.

In Memoriam: Mela (2011–2012)

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:59:00 -0400

(The following was originally posted on Whack–a–Flick on 22 September 2012.)

Tonight, I am lighting a memorial candle for Mela.

I don’t know how many of you adopted the Indian movies and live TV “on demand” service when it launched last October, but I for one felt a deep sorrow when the service quietly shut down last Saturday 15 September.

Several weeks ago, Mela had been forced to shut down the recently–shrunken live–streamed TV part of their business (on 30 July) after Dish Network locked up exclusive rights to as much Indian television as possible in order to put the competition out of business. At that time, we received an e–mail message announcing the end of Mela TV (and with it, the loss of programming mostly in Telugu but also some content in Tamil and Marathi).

Then came Saturday 15 September. I was staying overnight with a friend in New York City, and decided to find a movie worth streaming on my Android, using the app that Mela had created for a small selection of their library. Tap. Up came the Mela splash screen… and then a dialogue box announcing that the service had closed and thanking me for supporting Mela Movies. (I went to Google Mail to see if they had sent a message officially announcing Mela’s shutdown. Nothing.)

I streamed only five minutes of news on RT and then went to bed.

It was very hard to sleep, because of two words: “How come?”

When Mela was officially launched in late August of 2011 (the box above would ship a while later), it was celebrated as a 100% legal way to see masala movies and live TV from some of India’s regional networks (Maa, Jaya TV, Raj Television, Sun Network, and other smaller providers). Eros International, Yash Raj Films, and Shemaroo Entertainment, three of Bollywood’s big players, signed on to provide a huge part of Mela’s movie library. And Abhay Deol, fresh from appearing in the hit Zindgai Na Milegi Dobara, became the service’s first (and, as it turned out, only) celebrity endorser.

All of that should have guaranteed good times for a long while.

I was one of the early adopters of Mela, and so I got the set–top box at the top of this post. To be sure, it had its limits (one app for YouTube, but none for Vimeo), and initially I wasn’t sure if our regional cable/media gorilla Cablevision would raise a fuss (they didn’t). After two months, I was using Mela practically every day. It was fascinating to see how TV is done in India (and what habits each broadcaster has), and I became a fan of J Movie (Tamil–speaking Jaya TV’s channel for older Tamil flicks), Raj Digital Plus (again for their Tamil movie shows), and Marathi–speaking Saam TV for Limbu Timbu (thankfully, you can watch past broadcasts of the street game show on YouTube).

I never did get to stream every movie that Mela had rights to (how could anyone?), but there were some special movies I’ll remember, such as the three films they got from director Murali Nair (Ladli Laila, a/k/a Virgin Goat, especially comes to mind).

When Mela later abandoned its own set–top box and joined the line–up on Roku, it took some getting used to. The TV offerings had been cut down dramatically (lots of Telugu TV, but only two Tamil channels, including Sun TV). Mela had separate TV and movie apps in Roku’s Channel Store. But it was nice to see the widescreen offerings take full advantage of my 16 x 9 widescreen HD television, and the sight of more titles in Bengali and other regional languages was a good sign.

Then came 30 July, when a new exclusive (in more ways than one) deal with Dish Network’s streaming service, Dish World, took effect. Suddenly, Mela was out of the live TV business. (Not everything migrated to Dish World: They have yet to add the Raj networks to their offerings.)

Meanwhile, Mela still had the movies–on–demand side of the business, but it wasn’t without its issues. Roku had removed Mela Movies from their Channel Store, which left the Intel Macs and powerful Windows and Linux boxes, not to mention the iPads and Androids blessed enough to do Wi–Fi. (Those with existing Mela subscriptions could still access Mela through their Roku boxes, but only if they didn’t remove the channel.)

During this time, a few things happened that made me wonder if Mela had a future. The Walt Disney Company had practically bought out UTV, which was a stunner in itself. Then Eros International launched its own streaming service, Eros Now, and their logo was scrubbed from the Mela website (as was the one for Yash Raj Films). Shemaroo and Shree International did offer what they could in terms of big ticket titles (The Dirty Picture and Hate Story, respectively), and we did get some PVR Director’s Cut titles (such as The Forest and Good Night | Good Morning).

But apparently, it wasn’t enough.

It didn’t help that some big movies that were promised Mela subscribers (the last one being Jism 2) were suddenly yanked at the last moment — a clear sign that filmi producers clearly had their share of cold feet. (And then there was the expected Hollywood summer onslaught: Jism 2 was outgunned in the States, bookings–wise, by Sony’s useless Total Recall remake. Score one for the video pirates.)

Put simply, getting the big boys on board and committing titles to Mela was key, especially if they wanted to make good on combating video piracy in a positive way. And the truth is that, unless India’s many “woods” could do an about face and open up to the idea of making a service like Mela the destination for everything filmi… well, so much for the cause.

It didn’t happen.

Ergo, we filmi fans are stuck with the effin’ discs. (For cost reasons, I downsized to un–subtitled but legit orginal VCDs this Spring.)

To be sure, Mela itself could have done much more than just gun after big ticket movies and the occasional art house or B–movie item. Their website could have taken serious cues from Fandor and MUBI and learn how to be both social network–interactive (Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr e.g.) and a source of information and commentary on Indian cinema and television. Look at Fandor’s Keyframe and MUBI’s Garage and you’ll see how far Mela could have taken things, so they could rise above the usual filmi gossip and thus initiate a serious and ongoing conversation about how India, with its many states and languages, views visual entertainment.

It should have happened. It can still happen, depending on what Mela’s successor turns out to be.

In planning for the Service to Come After Mela, I would also look as such non–Indian services as DramaFever and MNET, which target Korean pop culture fans (DramaFever also offers Chinese–speaking content). I would also make certain that Roku, Boxee, and all sorts of mobile devices are part of the plan, all at once, for maximum impact.

And another thought: Forget about YRF, Disney–UTV, Fox Star, Eros, and the rest of the big boys. Focus on smaller films, and work to help people understand why those films matter. Encourage new filmmakers, DIYers, students, and the like to share their work, even the shorts and the documentaries. Let them and their audiences engage in discussions and shares, social network–style (MUBI’s Garage e.g.). Partner with Vimeo, which has apps for Roku and Google Android (among other things). Invite sponsors of like mind to play a role: MUBI has a deal with Lomography, which resulted in an elegant MUBI-styled version of the Lomokino.

Get the drift? Make us care about Indian cinema, including the kind we rarely see.

I should say at this point that I made the investment in a Roku XS this year, not only because Mela made the move to Roku, but also because I can finally access RT (I also enjoy RT Documentary), the English service of Al Jazeera (via Roku Newscaster and Livestation) and New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD). I’m also a paid user of Pandora, and Fandor, which is the best I could ask for since the gutting of Bravo many years ago. So there’s no question that the Roku’s gonna stay.

I only wish Mela could have done likewise. But what can you do? Time to let go, and wait to see what will hopefully be capable of taking its place.

And that’s all.

To paraphrase Ram Gopal Varma: “Topic is over.”

We’re probably going to end up geo–blocked in Mainland...

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:22:48 -0400

We’re probably going to end up geo–blocked in Mainland China for this post, but for once, they can take it.

Back in March, we posted a photo of a paper lantern–style table top lamp. It’s still a pleasure to look at, but we confess it can’t quite hold a candle, you might say, to the real thing. So here are some highlights from a 2009 episode of New Tang Dynasty Television’s Journey to the East program. The first half is devoted to the art of the paper lantern, while the balance introduces you to the ink stone.

We’re also sharing in celebration of the discovery that NTD Television — a New York City–based broadcaster well–known for its defense of human rights and the freedom of speech and worship, among other things — is yours now to stream via Roku.

Go get it!

Here’s to the brave staff of New Tang Dynasty. We’re proud to support you as neighbors in the media community.

Here is the third (and last) Just One Story… episode with Jeslyn...

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:30:00 -0400

Here is the third (and last) Just One Story… episode with Jeslyn Wheeless (solo this time) from 7 August 2010.

This one might remind you of either “Cinderella” or “Rumplestiltskin.” Except that this time it’s “The Name,” one of the many stories Diane Wolkstein brought back from Haiti in the 1970’s.

“CRIC?”

We won’t be able to record the Wheeless duo tomorrow, but do come to enjoy their performance in Central Park if you can. And do tell them that Rosegarden Television send their greetings.

“The Name” is from the book The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales (Random House–Schocken Books, New York, 1978, reprinted 1997).
©1978, 1997 Diane Wolkstein. Used with permission.