Quick Focus

Filmerica Challenge 2005

You wake up Friday morning, July 15th, and you have an email: "Your mission, if you wish to accept it, is to make a film in 72 hours. You must write, rehearse, shoot, edit and postmark the film by July 18th". You are given a genre, a line of dialog, a prop and a character that must appear in your 5-9 minute work. Fire up the espresso maker and load the DV tape. www.filmerica.com

Bedroom Production Studio

You've had the dream: make a short film that wins many awards, is seen across the country, inspires fan Web sites, is reviewed all over Europe and even has one of those official-looking movie posters. Timothy Albee made that dream come true with Kaze: Ghost Warrior. Albee made the twenty-two minute animation in six months using two ordinary computers in his one-room cabin (without running water), on the edge of the Alaskan bush. See the trailer, production stills (including the cabin) and more. www.kazeghostwarrior.com

Shiny Shiny is Not Just for Girls

Go ahead, call us girlies, but even the male editors enjoyed checking out the latest gadgets, many of them video related, on the "girl's guide to gadgets" www.wirelessdigest.typepad.com/shinyshiny.

The items cycle quickly, but when we were cruising the site we found a Chewbacca iPod Case and LED underwear (do a search to find these). Be the first on your block with these unusual electronic devices.

Find Video Work (and a Date) with One Click

If you're looking for an online networking asset that not only finds you production work but also a date, www.strongeyecontact.com is the place. Keep an online profile, search other profiles, post a casting call for your next video, start your own blog or read others, look for production jobs and more. (Note: this site can only be accessed by Microsoft Internet Explorer at the moment.)