SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Todd Hervey takes us on a flight
BLACKBIRD: LEGACY OF INNOVATION is a documentary about the famed SR-71 jet (there’s one hanging at the Science Museum of Virginia). It played nationally on PBS stations from 2018 to 2021 and is now streaming. Producer Todd Hervey talks about his “flight” to finish the doc:
– Who is Fuel & 19Red?
– How this project come about
– The use of an auto pen for graphics
– Shooting at the CIA
– Going from PBS to streaming
– The dedication to Cole and Camryn
LINK
Blackbird Website (with links to Amazon, Apple and Google Play)
19RED
Fuel Creative
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear March 28th, 2025
What Wakes Me Up/Moccasin Tracks presents:
What Wakes Me Up 10 Evrim Dogu, Baker of Sub Rosa
Enjoy Episode 10 of What Wakes Me Up, where Evrim Dogu, cofounder of Sub Rosa Bakery,
shares the story of his longer than lifetime affinity for bread.
The fertile crescent is his homeland and it’s deep in his soul.
As you listen, you’ll hear mention of a number of other businesses and projects in our community.
W
e are not advertising these entities; they are just part of the story.
Sunny Gardener What Wakes Me Up/Moccasin Tracks March 24th, 2025
Posted In: Fund Raising, Local, Music, Music Shows, News
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Behind the camera of an on-set photographer
Kent Eanes spent years working as a grip for movies and TV before he started his career as an on-set photographer, where he had some great experiences, including:
– Transitioning from Style Weekly to gripping
– Special equipment for on-set photography
– Staying out of the actors’ eyelines
– Hiding on sets under a couch, in a fireplace and more
– Paul Giamatti never missing a line (see below)
– Rob Lowe in a JFK classic pose (see below)
– His surprise on-set wedding (see below)
– Playing dead in a movie
– Taking a photo of the “30 Rock” cast for Alec Baldwin
LINKS
Kent Eanes website
In Thrive Film Festival
In Thrive VCU event (April 2)
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear March 21st, 2025
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
A History of Animated TV Commercials
Janet Scagnelli, who made her career as an animator for dozens of commercials and TV shows, has created A HISTORY OF ANIMTATED TV COMMERCIALS. This one time only event features a variety of hand-drawn and puppet-animated techniques. It screens at this year’s James River Film Festival on 3/23, 3:30 at the VMFA. We’ll talk about:
– Getting paid to animate at age 13
– Creating numerous commercials at her Chelsea Animation
– Her other business restoring animation cels
– Working on spots for Sesame Street, Nickelodeon & MTV
– Some examples of the vintage commercials (including one with music by Frank Zappa)
LINKS
James River Film Festival
Janet’s Website
Georgia O’Keefe: The Brightness of Light podcast (also showing at this year’s JRFF)
RVA Faith & Film Forum (3/21, 8-10am)
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear March 14th, 2025
What Wakes Me Up/Moccasin Tracks presents:
What Wakes Me Up 2 Ana Edwards History of America
Our guest is the storied Ana Edwards. This was recorded at Richmond Friends Meeting in May, 2024 when Peace & Social Concerns invited her to tell the history of racism in Richmond and in Virginia.
Ana Edwards founded and led the Friends of Mali, a project of the Richmond Sister Cities Commission formed to promote education and cultural engagement between the cities of Richmond, Virginia and Segou, Mali, which continues today.
She founded and led the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project whose mission is to draw the connections of past to present into a stronger web of knowledge and planning for the future. This Reclamation Project began with the Defenders of Freedom, Justice and Equality and is still engaged in the community struggle to preserve and memorialize historic Shockoe Bottom through the establishment of a nine-acre memorial park and educational campus.
From 2005-2013, Edwards produced and hosted DefendersLIVE, a local news/talk radio program on WRIR 97.3 LP FM, and since 2005 has served om the editorial board of The Virginia Defender, a quarterly community newspaper, along with her husband, founding editor and publisher Phil Wilayto.
Ana managed a weekly farmers market as a nutrition education program an early childhood education center with its origins in neighborhood-centered social services. This was the first farmers market to work through the process of making SNAP bendfits, Food Stamps currency for fresh local foods. Before that, she was communications director for Homeward, Richmond’s coordinating agency for homeless services.
Ana Edwards also sat on the Future of Richmond’s Past Planning Committee (2011-2015) which produced and coordinated programming to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and Emancipation. (more…)
Sunny Gardener What Wakes Me Up/Moccasin Tracks February 25th, 2025
Posted In: Local, Music Shows, News
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
More fun stories from this funny man
Adam “Tex” has had a successful career writing comedy for movies and TV shows. In the previous podcast we covered numerous great stories. This show covers more:
– Punching up or rewriting a script
– Fixing a car wash when a pimp endangered his life
– Adam’s wife unknowingly shoving Martin Scorsese at a premiere
– Oscar-nominated director Sean Baker was his classmate
– Working with Neil deGrasse Tyson
– His new Oscars podcast with Bruce Vilanch
LINKS:
The Oscars: What Were They Thinking? podcast
Who Smarted podcast
Slaycation podcast
The first podcast with Adam
“Finding Edna Lewis” screening
Podcast with the host of “Finding Edna Lewis”
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear February 21st, 2025
Wednesday Breakfast Blend presents:
The Breakfast Blend 2/19/2025
DonteOnTheMic Wednesday Breakfast Blend February 19th, 2025
Posted In: Music, Music Shows, News, Website
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
What is a Best Boy Grip?
Tom Barrett has spent the majority of his career working on movies and TV shows as a Best Boy Grip. He’ll explain what that means plus:
– His first big gig on “Dirty Dancing”
– Getting chigger bites on “The WalkingDead”
– Working on Dolly Parton’s shows
– Advantages of commercials vs. feature films
– Differences between shooting on film vs. digital
– Finding gear in the snow with bike flags
– Avoiding get struck by lightening
LINKS
Tom’s IMDB page
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear February 14th, 2025
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Two shows that feature film & BOOKS
This week features two shows about film and books.
NOVEL FILM has 2 writers, Bridé Baker & her partner in Copenhagen, Moyna Soderstrand, who discuss a movie and the book that inspired it.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, AUTHOR! ia a long-running podcast that features the authors of books about movies. Creator Jim Junot will talk about interviews that include Olivia Newton-John, Billy Dee Williams and Burt Ward.
Both of these shows had their start on WRIR-FM (Richmond’s Independent Radio Station at 97.3FM) and we’ll have a special visit from the station’s president Melissa Vaughn to give us a preview of their new building.
LINKS
Jim Janot’s YouTube channel
Jim’s Spotify page
Novel Film website
Novel Film on WRIR
WRIR’s home page
WRIR Capital Campaign website
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear February 7th, 2025
SIFTER for the Ear presents:
His first feature is on AMC
Alan Scott Neal is a Virginia native, who’s worked for many years in casting. His first directorial feature “Last Straw” is now on AMC and Shudder. Our discussion includes:
– How has work in casting affected his work as a director
– Consulting experts on the opening crime scene
– Shooting in the diner, which was floated up the river to New York
– The lighting challenges with so much glass
– Why all of the characters are surly
– Working with a neurodivergent actor
– Using vintage masks
– Making a dead possum
– How the movie got on Shudder
– A cool casting story
LINKS
Last Straw on AMC
Interview with Shoniqua Shandai (star of Harlem)
Jerry Williams SIFTER for the Ear January 24th, 2025