TRANSIENTS

Transients Fun Facts

2012-01-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

1. 95% of the film was shot in Redlands. The two major locations were Ford Park and Prospect Park.

2. The original script was written in the winter of 2007 and was five pages long.

3. The film is dedicated to Paul Longmore, a disability rights activist and scholar, who passed away in August 2010.

4. Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie inspired the character of Sal, played by Douglas Ridloff.

5. Teal Sherer, actress, producer, and activist, was director Rhianon Gutierrez's first choice to play Sandrine.

6. One major scene in the film involves a silk routine performed by aerialists Jennifer Bricker and Nathan Crawford.

7. There were nine deaf women who were involved with the production as cast or crew members.

8. The character of Sal was first written as a musician, but later became a musician and ASL poet.

9. The film was shot over a period of ten months: five days in 2010 and four days in 2011.

10. The film is open captioned by our editor, Alex Lotz. He also did the captions for the videos on My Gimpy Life's YouTube channel, created by Teal Sherer.

11. The film was shot on the Canon 7D.

12. The role of Gabe, played by musician and actor Marco Aiello, was written specifically for him. He also composed the music for the film's score.

13. The poster image includes teacups hanging from trees. Director Rhianon Gutierrez cites Alice in Wonderland as one of the inspirations for the film's design.

14. The entire film was shot in the daylight, on location. Only one scene used some artificial light.

15. Several of our crew members make cameo appearances in the film as festival goers.

16. Half of the crew are alumni of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, notably director Rhianon Gutierrez, co-producers Eric Soth and Mike Cox, editor Alex Lotz, and production designer Andrea Mgebroff. Other crew members are graduates of the film schools of USC, the American Film Institute, Southern Methodist University, and Ryerson University In Toronto.

17. The director's favorite shot occurs at the 1:45 mark in this exclusive sneak preview of the opening: http://vimeo.com/32699003.

18. The film was partially financed with money from the Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Scholarship given by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation for the director's undergraduate thesis film, "When I'm Not Alone" (2009).

19. The film features a stilt walker, played by Stina Pederson. Her character was inspired by athlete, model, and speaker Aimee Mullins.

20. The final scene in the film contains an art piece inspired by environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy.

21. Douglas Ridloff, a native of New York City, was the only actor who auditioned via Skype. The rest auditioned in person in Los Angeles.

22. A sculpture inspired by the giant spider sculpture in the National Gallery of Art's sculpture garden in Washington DC makes a brief appearance in the film.

23. Musician Collin Martin taught actor Douglas Ridloff how to play the djimbe drum for the production.

24. Yes, there's a shot we did in the water. It was scary, and it made the final cut.

25. Sound mixer Leonardo Nasca and actress Teal Sherer previously worked together on the hit web series "The Guild".

26. There were eight interpreters on set at different times throughout the production.

27. There's a documentary that's being made about the making of "Transients", titled "M.O.S.".

28. One of our crew members, Bill O'Neill, is an Emmy award-winning cinematographer. His nephew was a student of the director's mother. They discovered this connection after he had joined the production as Key Grip.

29. It was a family affair. The director's family was involved in the production, and the lead actors' partners were involved as cast or crew members.

30. The director celebrated her birthday on set in 2010.

31. The filmmakers believe in authenticity in casting. All roles that have a person with a disability are played by a person who has that actual disability. In addition, many of the featured artists and extras are Deaf even though their characters are not defined as hearing or deaf.

31 Days of Transients Fun Facts!

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's the Holiday Season, so we decided to give our fans a little present each day - a fun fact about Transients! We are posting these fun facts on our Facebook and Twitter pages. They may be about the story, our cast and crew, sources of inspiration, and who knows what else? When those 31 facts are finished, we will post them all on our blog for those who may have missed them the first time around!

Happy Holidays!

Rhianon and the Cast and Crew

Transients Opening Sneak Preview

2011-11-26T12:27:00.001-08:00

TRANSIENTS is open captioned and is currently being sent to festivals to premiere in Spring 2012.

Credits:

Starring:
Teal Sherer as Sandrine
Douglas Ridloff as Sal
Marco Aiello as Gabe

Director/Writer/Executive Producer: Rhianon Gutierrez
Executive Producer: Loreen Arbus
Executive Producers: Helen Walter, Thomas Nederostek, Michelle Christie-Adams
Producers: Catherine MacKinnon, Michael Cox, Eric Soth
Line Producer: Eli Steele
Director of Photography: Kimby Caplan
Editor: Alex Lotz
Sound Editor: Harry Cheney MPSE
Production Designer: Andrea Mgebroff
Art Director: Candace Jade Lewis
Music: Marco Aiello

Redefining disAbility Event: What Was Said

2011-10-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Rhianon Gutierrez.
Shot on an iPhone, with some help from Instagram.

Last night, I attended an event at the Creative Artists Agency called "Redefining DisAbility". I interacted with familiar and new faces. I saw people that I hadn't seen since I was a student at Chapman and others that I hadn't seen or spoken to since I buried myself in post-production for Transients. I was glad to see my friends and make new connections and discoveries.

I sat in the front row so that I could lipread and listen to all the panelists. It was wonderful. When my friend tapped my shoulder and pointed to the large white screen behind the panelists, I saw that they also had real-time captioning (CART). I was stunned. This was an event where there was no deaf or hard of hearing panelist. I did not request the captions. Someone somewhere knew that they were important at an inclusion event. Whoever that person was, I like the way that you think. I always tell people that we need people in the disability advocacy field to recognize that discussions on inclusion should include CART and not just interpreters. People should have the freedom to choose which access option they want. Thank you for giving me that freedom to use CART when I missed something a panelist said.

My favorite part of the evening was when the panelists shared their personal stories. They were funny and heartbreaking. People with disabilities are often called "inspirational". Teal Sherer of The Guild and My Gimpy Life (and Sandrine in Transients) shared how she hated being called that because it wasn't earned. Robert David Hall (CSI) spoke of how there were only two types of roles for disabled people in the 1980s: the inspirational disabled person or the angry disabled person. Hall is a series regular on CSI, where he plays a character who is three-dimensional and interesting. He's been on the show for years.

Christopher Thornton (Sympathy for Delicious) was once told that he "wasn't convincing as a disabled person" because he had occasional spasms (from his spinal cord injury) during his audition. He remarked that he wasn't sure whether he should be offended or see it as a compliment. Actor's Studio-trained Eileen Grubba (Hung) told of how she had the door slammed in her face numerous times because she "walked funny". She shared how these experiences have enriched her drive as an actress and an advocate for more inclusion of people with disabilities in the media. Her most important advice was to parents and creators to remind them to continue to be encouraging to young people with disabilities because they deserve a chance in media. She wasn't the only one offering words of encouragement.

"I want to see that percentage of people with disabilities have a shot," said Robert David Hall. "Fight fear and ignorance."

"Bullying hurts and it kills dreams," said Glee's Lauren Potter to much applause.

Danny Woodburn, famous for being on Seinfeld, said "Each of us has to have the courage to speak up." Danny was one of the wittiest and most articulate panelists.

Eileen Grubba concluded, "We need to stand up, write roles for each other, no longer accepting that 20% of our world is shut out of entertainment."

Events like this reinforce my purpose as a writer, director, and producer. I wrote Transients to give a voice to people with disabilities behind and in front of the camera. It's not going to be the last one.

-Rhianon Gutierrez
Writer/Director, Transients

Introducing...Transients' Official Poster!

2011-10-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

Silence and Stillness - A Composer's Experience on Transients

2011-09-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

Silence and Stillness
By Marco Aiello
Composer and Actor - Gabe
September 2011

Last year, a filmmaker wrote a part for me in her film, “Transients”. The film was about a deaf musician and poet and his interaction with a paraplegic sculpture artist at an arts festival. I played “Gabe”, the musician's best friend and I also wrote the music and songs for the film, one of which we perform live in one of the scenes. Two of these songs appear on my new album (“In Pictures” and “Transient”) due to be released in November 2011. The lead actor in the film is a deaf actor. The director is deaf. The DP is deaf. And about half the crew was deaf. Being on that set changed my life. The first thing I noticed being around deaf people is that they are the absolute best listeners. When deaf people communicate, they aren’t hearing - but they are receiving. On set, there were about a dozen different ASL interpreters – so those of us that didn’t know sign language could still communicate with those that were deaf. Imagine that, there I was, a musician, singer and songwriter – someone who is not only dependent on SOUND, but someone who had built much of his artistic identity around it. Musicians tune in so deeply into sound textures, harmony, scales, notes – things being in “key”. And hear I was acting in & writing MUSIC for this film – a film where most of its artists, crew, actors and audience would never hear what I was sonically creating. At first, this came with enormous challenges. How could I get the lead actor to play a drum in time? Half the time, I can’t even get hearing drummers to play in time! How would I write music that was true to the project and these beautiful people? How would I write music that honored what I was experiencing? I started by throwing traditional rhythm out the window – adding extra beats and taking some away – focusing more on the feeling. Then I realized I could do away with song structure all together; and finally, melodically, I began to feel my way around new territory – sometimes it didn’t make any musical sense at all – except that it did because all I had left was a FEELING. The space between notes became infinitely more important than the actual notes. Silence and Music are not separate at all. They are like PB&J.

On that set, I had a conversation (via interpreter) with Lauren Ridloff, a deaf woman who was the wife of Doug Ridloff, the lead actor. She began to tell of her father, a songwriter, and told me that I reminded her of him. He had passed away. My first feeling was sadness, and I thought: “How would I feel if I had a daughter who could not hear my music?” But as Lauren continued, I was flooded with unexpected emotion and clarity. She began to describe how she would sit for hours with her father while he wrote and played music, how her favorite thing in the world was to watch him perform, how she felt that she only really got to know him deeply and spiritually – through his music. She continued about her passion for music in general, her favorite artists (Paul Simon was one) and how connected she felt to music. I want to be clear. This is someone who was born profoundly deaf. She has never experienced hearing in the way that we have – in her life, she has never heard a sound. And yet, I knew absolutely, that her experience of music was just as powerful, connected, authentic and inspired as mine.

Something in my heart integrated and locked in to place in such a way in these moments. Something fundamental inside of me shifted. It was information I already understood mentally – but this moment was an accelerated enlightenment. Sound does not actually matter. What we see with our eyes does not actually matter. Nothing that is physical and tangible actually matters. There is a spirit inside of us – a force – and although it is something we cannot understand, it is something we can allow to lead us, our lives, and most importantly, our expression. When we honor this, something gets communicated that is bigger than any of our normal senses - it is the vibration of spirit.

I have spent so much of my life focusing on the wrong things – namely, concerns such as is my voice strong enough? Am I singing in pitch? Is the music original enough? Is it a “good” song? Etc. Etc… All these are distractions from what I have always known – that all of this makes up about 1% of what is actually going on during artistic expression. When we are connected to spirit, we are infinite and we transcend pitch, sound, tone, range. I am not saying that as a singer I should completely throw those out the window – only that they require a very tiny amount of my focus. When I am in the flow and inspiration comes through me – those things work themselves out without my attention. They are just mechanical processes… As such, they are useless without the creative intelligence behind them. Have you ever heard a technically perfect singer who is soul-less – and you were not moved? Conversely, have you ever heard a less technically proficient singer who nonetheless had some quality that moved you to tears?

Since then, every time I sing or play guitar, I imagine that my entire audience is deaf. It immediately snaps me back to the heart of the matter – that my job as an artist is to express from the depth of my soul – and to forget about "how I sound" – that's all ego. I pray each time that I will be carried. I surrender to the creative intelligence and constantly work to turn off my brain – that useless voice that overwhelms me with judgment or contrived problems. This is why I practice meditation – so that I may more efficiently access this better way to reach those that would humble me and witness my artistic expression. So that my heart can clear a path.

In our Silence and Stillness, there is so much power. We should honor it more – much more – and I am grateful to have learned this from my friends in the deaf community. Thanks to Rhianon Gutierrez and everyone who worked on "Transients" – this film will forever hold a place in my heart.

“When you become aware of silence, immediately there is a state of inner still alertness. You are present. You have stepped outside of thousands of years of collective human conditioning.” – Eckhart Tolle

Photo of Marco Aiello Courtesy Ray Gutierrez, Strange Beautiful Art.

Summer Poster!

2011-06-09T05:33:00.001-07:00

Meet Collin Martin - Music

2011-06-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

Collin Martin has studied music for a majority of his life. He started piano lessons at the age of 6 and still actively plays today. Collin found his love for percussion in high school and continued his percussive studies at Chapman University. It was during his undergraduate studies that he also found a love for composition, which led him to pursue a Master's degree in Music Composition from California State University, Northridge, and an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University. In addition to composing art music, Collin has a passion for musical theatre and hopes to center his career on the creation and production of new musical theatre in his community.

Meet Andrea Mgebroff - Production Designer

2011-06-09T05:24:00.001-07:00

Andrea Mgebroff is an artist and freelance explorer hailing from Portland, Oregon. Known in her youth as an aspiring musician, painter, and entomologist, Andrea continues to seek out vacant lots and fledgling meadows on most weekends. Recent purchases include a new tent, a magazine (Life - May 1963), and a small flowering succulent in a classic terra cotta pot. Andrea is proud to be blood type A - Positive. A recent graduate of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, she is currently causing trouble in a South California suburb.

Meet Melanie Reese - Zoë / Artists Coordinator

2011-06-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

Melanie Reese is a recent LA transplant from Portland, OR and is thrilled to be part of the "Transients" team. Although first and foremost a trained and working actor, her endeavors expand far beyond. She's worked as a costumer for various productions and has designed clothes for two fashion shows, including the YWCA's Dress for Success Fashion benefit she co-created and produced in Seattle. She worked as 2nd AD for the upcoming feature film "The Humdrummer" and worked in the art department and as an actor in the upcoming short "The Price of Ashes". She has been involved in various local theatrical productions, such as the original ensemble-created show "F*ck Me Love Me Leave Me". She is part of SETheatre in Santa Clarita and was recently seen in "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All" and the original production "Wacademia". She can be seen collaborating with the performance group Opera del Espacio and the rock band New Planets.

Transients Artists Shoot

2011-05-31T15:39:00.001-07:00

Transients artists shoot from May 27-29, 2011 in Ford Park and Prospect Park in Redlands. Thanks to the amazing artists who shared their talents up close for the film:

Jennifer Bricker and Nathan Crawford
Tiffany Brooks
Daphne Gabriel
Tracy Kiggen
Cindy Marie Jenkins
Jeremy Lange
Heather Leah
Paulina Logan
Larry Marino
Stina Pederson
Claudia Maria Schmidt
Kim Smith
Brendan Weinhold
Daniel Wilson

All photographs by Ray Gutierrez: www.strangebeautifulart.com.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Transients Wine Tasting and Sneak Preview

2011-03-01T21:00:00.001-08:00

We've got some exciting news. We will host a Wine Tasting and Sneak Preview on April 2, 2011, where our guests will be able to see some selected scenes from the film, enjoy live music, wine, appetizers, and a silent auction.

We'll be having it in the beautiful city of Pasadena at one of the locations where the film was shot.

We hope that you will join us for the afternoon of April 2nd, from 3:00-6:30PM. There will be ASL interpreters and CART provided, and the scenes will be captioned. Tickets are $55 a person, $100 for couple. All proceeds will go towards the completion of Transients, which is still in post-production.

Please click to download the flyer. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to transientsfilm@gmail.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

See you there!

TRANSIENTSFUNDRAISERFINAL.pdf View this on Posterous

LATEST TRAILER!

2011-02-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

Here it is...our latest trailer! The film is still a work in progress...be sure to follow us and show your support for the film. We are working towards an early July 2011 release date in Los Angeles.

Be sure to watch it in HD: 720p or 1080p.

The Department of Justice: Proposed Rulemaking on Movie Captioning

2011-01-05T03:24:00.001-08:00

Movie captions matter to us on the Transients team--not just for our cast and crew, but also for our audience. We want captions to be more visible in theatres and in other media formats. Check out director Rhianon Gutierrez's blog on the Department of Justice's proposed rulemaking on Movie Captioning--read and take action! Thanks all!

Why Captions Now?
© Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
January 5, 2011

On December 14th, I saw Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan with my two friends at a theatre in San Francisco. We were celebrating our last week of the semester together at San Francisco State. The film was not captioned, but I still went because I really wanted to see the film. For the most part, my cochlear implant assisted me as I lipread Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, but the process was equally exhausting and nauseating without the captions. I had to ask my friends to clarify some details for me when the film was over. I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve long made the choice to pay to see films in theatres with or without captions because of my passion for film and my desire to socialize. I’ve gone to the movies less as I’ve gotten older and I’ve tried to restrict myself to foreign films because I know that they will have subtitles.

As a child, I was drawn to the power of an actor’s expression and a film’s overall imagery. I’ve known that I wanted to be in film ever since I was three years old. Today, as a filmmaker, I love the collaborative process of filmmaking and I love seeing how my audience responds. I caption my films so that I can make them accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but even while my films have been accessible at film festivals, other films have not. As an advocate for captions, I speak about the benefits of captions not only for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but for those who are learning English and those who are trying to improve their reading skills. I do this so that people can see the universal benefit of captions. I want to see the films of my peers, not struggle to appreciate and critique their work because I miss the intricacies of the dialogue or because I can’t see the film at all. I should be able to watch a greater selection of quality captioned films, wherever and whenever.

I write about captioning often, but I'm writing about it again because the issue of movie captioning is coming to light with the final Department of Justice hearings on January 10th in San Francisco. The rules are proposing that 50% of theatrical films will be captioned five years from now, with 10% per year over a period of five years. Is this acceptable? Why or why not? In considering our answers to this question, we must be realistic. Captions should be universal with so many technologies and resources that are out there. We have open captions, rear window captions, real time captions, and even iPhone caption apps. On their website, the Department of Justice is asking us to respond to 26 questions; the first question is about the 10% over five years. I urge you all to read the questions carefully and to respond to them as they have affected you or a person you know with a hearing loss. At minimum, respond to the first question, but be detailed. The next questions discuss captions in large theatre chains and smaller independent theatres; the amount of screens that offer captions; and the technologies and training required for operating the necessary equipment. I encourage you to be honest but to also be realistic. Frame your argument well and show the DOJ why captions should be universal.

I spoke on December 14th at a televised meeting of the San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council, which you can access with captions and ASL interpretation here. My part begins at 57:00. I was also interviewed by Raphaella Bennin of KPFA radio in Berkeley; the interview can be found here.

I love watching films as much as I love making them, but I appreciate films and the team behind them more so when they are made accessible with captions. I’m doing my part to let the DOJ know that captions matter to me. I hope you will do the same.

Here's what you can do:

According to the DOJ, written comments must be postmarked and electronic comments must be submitted ON or BEFORE January 24, 2011. Comments must be identified by RIN 1190–AA63 (or Docket ID No. 112).

To file comments electronically:
1. Check out the Fact Sheet about the Proposed Rule on Movie Captioning.
2. Click on www.regulations.gov.
3. Enter Docket ID: DOJ–CRT–0112 and click "Search".
4. Click on "View by Docket Folder".
5. Click on the little blue "Open Docket Folder" on the right of the orange title of the proposed rulemaking.
6. Click on the blue title of the proposed rule to open the HTML version of the proposed rule with all the 26 questions lined out.
7. At the top of the page, you will see an orange bar saying "Submit a Comment".

To file written comments via Regular U.S. mail:
Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 2885
Fairfax, VA 22031–0885

Overnight, courier, or hand delivery:
Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
1425 New York Avenue, N.W. Suite 4039
Washington, DC 20005

Attend the PUBLIC HEARING on January 10th, 2011:
Location:
Marriott Marquis
55 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

2010-12-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today is the International Day of Persons With Disabilities.

It is a day where people with disabilities and their advocates can speak about the issues that affect people with disabilities and celebrate their achievements and abilities.

There are over 650 million people with disabilities all over the world (UN Enable). They are the world's largest minority.

We are each guaranteed rights as human beings. Human rights are universal – they belong to everyone. Everyone has the right not to be discriminated against because of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disability, and other factors.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities was created by the United Nations in 2006, and it is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st Century (UN Enable). It was first opened for signature on March 30, 2007.

The CRPD is a treaty (agreement) made in writing between countries. Once a country agrees with a treaty, it signs it. When it becomes international law, it is ratified. It will then be put into the laws of that country.

The CRPD says that people have the right to:
• equality before the law without discrimination
• life, liberty and security of the person
• equal recognition before the law and legal capacity
• freedom from torture
• freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
• respect physical and mental integrity
• freedom of movement and nationality
• live in the community
• freedom of expression and opinion
• respect for privacy
• respect for home and the family
• education
• health
• work
• an adequate standard of living
• participate in political and public life
• participate in cultural life

What does a country need to do once it signs the CRPD?
1. Make rules and laws to ensure equality
2. Change unfair laws
3. Oppose discrimination against people with disabilities
4. Make sure that there is accessible technology, equipment, and information

To date, there have been 147 signatories and 97 ratifications to the CRPD.

There is also Optional Protocol to the CRPD. According to UN Enable, it is an international treaty that "establishes two procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention...the first is an individual communications procedure allowing individuals to bring petitions to the Committee claiming breaches of their rights; the second is an inquiry procedure giving the Committee authority to undertake inquiries of grave or systematic violations of the Convention." There have been 90 signatories and 60 ratifications to it.

In the US, the national law that protects people with disabilities is the Americans With Disabilities Act. In July 2010, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the ADA and honored all those who made it possible. The ADA protects people with disabilities against discrimination in the workplace, transportation, school, health care, and public places. As of today's date, the US has signed the CRPD but has not ratified it.

References:
Americans With Disabilities Act. <http://www.ada.gov>
UN Enable. <http://www.un.org/disabilities>

Other resources:
Mobility International USA. <http://www.miusa.org>
Victor Pineda Foundation. <http://www.pinedafoundation.org>

"You Get Proud by Practicing" - In Memory of Laura Hershey

2010-11-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Laura Hershey was a Colorado-based writer, poet, activist, consultant, traveler, friend, partner, and mother. She passed away on November 26, 2010 after a brief illness. She is widely known for her work with people with disabilities, but she was also a passionate fighter for social justice. She wore shirts that proclaimed her pride in being a person with a disability.

Photo credit: Denver Post file photo.

Both people with disabilities and Deaf and hard of hearing people too often feel isolated or ashamed of being different because of social systems and attitudes that have made them feel that way. How can one get proud amidst all this?

You Get Proud by Practicing
© 1991 by Laura Hershey

If you are not proud
For who you are, for what you say, for how you look;
If every time you stop
To think of yourself, you do not see yourself glowing
With golden light; do not, therefore, give up on yourself.
You can get proud.

You do not need
A better body, a purer spirit, or a Ph.D.
To be proud.
You do not need
A lot of money, a handsome boyfriend, or a nice car.
You do not need
To be able to walk, or see, or hear,
Or use big, complicated words,
Or do any of those things that you just can’t do
To be proud. A caseworker
Cannot make you proud,
Or a doctor.
You only need more practice.
You get proud by practicing.

There are many many ways to get proud.
You can try riding a horse, or skiing on one leg,
Or playing guitar,
And do well or not so well,
And be glad you tried
Either way.
You can show
Something you’ve made
To someone you respect
And be happy with it no matter
What they say.
You can say
What you think, though you know
Other people do not think the same way, and you can
keep saying it, even if they tell you
You are crazy.

You can add your voice
All night to the voices
Of a hundred and fifty others
In a circle
Around a jailhouse
Where your brothers and sisters are being held
For blocking buses with no lifts,
Or you can be one of the ones
Inside the jailhouse,
Knowing of the circle outside.
You can speak your love
To a friend
Without fear.
You can find someone who will listen to you
Without judging you or doubting you or being
Afraid of you
And let you hear yourself perhaps
For the very first time.
These are all ways
Of getting proud.
None of them
Are easy, but all of them
Are possible. You can do all of these things,
Or just one of them again and again.
You get proud
By practicing.

Power makes you proud, and power
Comes in many fine forms
Supple and rich as butterfly wings.
It is music
when you practice opening your mouth
And liking what you hear
Because it is the sound of your own
True voice.

It is sunlight
Wen you practice seeing
Strength and beauty in everyone,
Including yourself.
It is dance
when you practice knowing
That what you do
And the way you do it
Is the right way for you
And cannot be called wrong.
All these hold
More power than weapons or money
Or lies.
All these practices bring power, and power
Makes you proud.
You get proud
By practicing.

Remember, you weren’t the one
Who made you ashamed,
But you are the one
Who can make you proud.
Just practice,
Practice until you get proud, and once you are proud,
Keep practicing so you won’t forget.
You get proud
By practicing.

Evelyn Glennie

2010-11-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

I first saw Dame Evelyn Glennie in Thomas Riedelsheimer's Touch the Sound. I was profoundly affected by the film's images and the words of Evelyn. Though I am not a musician, her vision resonated with me in ways that no other artists' had. The first time I saw her perform was at UCLA's Royce Hall in December 2007 with my good friend Christina. The second time was at DC's Kennedy Center during the International VSA Arts Festival in June 2010 with my actor, Douglas Ridloff. I insisted that he come with me to see her perform because she inspired the character of Sal.

After her amazing concert, Doug and I stood in line to meet her and have her autograph a CD.

Thank you, Evelyn, for challenging the world to rethink how we experience sound.

Be sure to watch her TED video; English captions are available.

Andy Goldsworthy

2010-11-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Land art by Andy Goldsworthy, one
of the artists who inspired Transients.

"Movement, change, light, growth and decay are the lifeblood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work. I need the shock of touch, the resistance of place, materials and weather, the earth as my source. Nature is in a state of change and that change is the key to understanding. I want my art to be sensitive and alert to changes in material, season and weather. Each work grows, stays, decays. Process and decay are implicit. Transience in my work reflects what I find in nature."
~Andy Goldsworthy

Creating the flower circle. Photo by Jocelyn RC.

Sandrine (Teal Sherer), the environmental artist. Photo by Jocelyn RC.

Sal (Douglas Ridloff), the musician. Photo by Jocelyn RC.

Word Art

2010-10-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

Sal and Sandrine character profiles, Word Art Style.

The Team Behind TRANSIENTS

2010-10-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

A film is just as important as those who made it possible. Our audience will have a unique and valuable glimpse into the process behind TRANSIENTS. Above is the trailer for the upcoming short feature documentary, M.O.S., directed by Josh Kun and Zara Ahmed, who followed the TRANSIENTS team during the making of the film this August. The trailer was edited by Mike Cox, who is co-producing both TRANSIENTS and M.O.S.

M.O.S. website design by Jules Dameron, ASL Master for TRANSIENTS and co-producer for M.O.S.

Wisdom from "Waking Life"

2010-08-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

"So much of our experience is intangible. So much of what we perceive cannot be expressed. It's unspeakable. And yet, you know, when we communicate with one another, and we feel that we have connected, and we think that we're understood--I think we have a feeling of almost spiritual communion. And that feeling might be transient, but I think it's what we live for."

Quoted from Linklater's "Waking Life", which he also wrote.

I watched this film just recently and thought that this quote was incredibly insightful for me as a writer and director for the themes that I'm playing with in "TRANSIENTS".

-Rhianon

Teaser Trailer Now Available!

2010-08-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

YouTube:

Vimeo:

In Memory of Paul Longmore

2010-08-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

"Transients" completed production on the evening of August 9, 2010. My friend, disability scholar and activist Paul Longmore, passed away the same evening. I found out about his passing via Facebook on August 10th. I was devastated to hear the news of his passing, as it was unexpected. I immediately felt the loss, especially since I was planning to study with him in two weeks at San Francisco State. The opportunity to study with him is one of main reasons why I wanted to go to SFSU. He wrote this amazing book called "Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability". In there are essays relating to disability and media, a topic of great interest to me. I've spent the past year and certainly the past few months talking about the impact that disability and deafness have had in my life. Few know that I seriously considered going into disability studies for graduate school...until I met Paul. I went up to visit San Francisco in January 2010 to check out SFSU and to meet Paul and another professor. Paul asked me what I wanted to do. It wasn't the first time that I had been asked that question, but how he asked it and how he responded to my answers really made me think. This conversation hit me harder than the rest, and I concluded that my place was in film. I don't like to pigeonhole myself as a type of filmmaker (I am a filmmaker first) or limit myself to specific careers, but I will say this: I knew that I had to continue being a filmmaker. The issues that I cared about could all be shown in my filmmaking--both onscreen and off. Paul and I laughed about the endless movie trivia we knew, and he knew more than me (and I'm the one who went to film school). After talking about Bunuel, Keaton, Kurosawa, and others, he said, "I don't think you should come here." He paused. "We would never get any work done!" I felt connected to him immediately--as an activist, an ally, a friend, a mentor, and an artist. I knew I wanted to study with him while I continued to be a filmmaker. He even said that we could work together on developing a dream class of his at SFSU on disability in film. I was so excited about that.

Paul also told me: "You know, it's very unusual for a deaf person to have a cross-disability perspective." Those words have stuck with me since. I don't really consider myself unique, but I know that I strive to love and respect the language and abilities of all people. He never commented on "Transients", but I hope that he would be proud. Here's a quote by him that I found from one of his friends who posted it in memory of him:

"Beyond proclamations of pride, deaf and disabled people have been uncovering or formulating sets of alternative values derived from within the deaf and disabled experience. . . . They declare that they prize not self-sufficiency but self-determination, not independence but interdependence, not functional separateness but personal connection, not physical autonomy but human community." - Paul Longmore

"Transients" will be dedicated to him.

~Rhianon Elan Gutierrez

That's a Wrap!

2010-08-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

"Transients" has just completed its principal photography. We shot the film from August 5-9, first in Pasadena, then in Redlands. The cast and crew did an amazing job in each of their roles and, overall, many found this production to be a fun, learning, and satisfying experience. We had both a documentarian and a still photographer on set to document our process that included diversity in language, gender, ethnicity, age, and abilities. I must say that we were truly diverse in the fullest sense of the word. I love each and every one in my "Transients" Family. You made it happen.

~Rhianon Gutierrez

Director and Writer

Below are selected photos from the production, taken by the lovely Jocelyn RC.

Fundraiser!

2010-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you to ALL who were there at the July 17th fundraiser event at Selby Studios in Culver City, CA! Thank you to those who donated food, drinks, money, plants, raffle prizes, time to decorate...not to mention our captionist, interpreters, emcee, ticket takers, graphic designer, photographers, drummers, performers, crew, cast, and the dude who let us use his studio. There are so many who are making this happen, and we are proud to have a growing family.

-The Production Team

Indie GoGo

2010-07-07T01:14:00.000-07:00

We have officially kicked off fund raising on Indie GoGo. Please go to check out our site - http://www.indiegogo.com/TRANSIENTS - and donate! There will soon be videos and other links up on the page. The site offers a number of great ways to connect other people to our fundraising, so if you would be so kind, link it to your facebook, myspace, and any other social networking sites. There is also a widget you can grab, so post our fundraising widget on your website or blog. We are raising a good deal of funds, but we still need your help. Indie GoGo has been a great resource for us, and we hope you will contribute through it. Keep checking in for new updates. Thanks!

Meet Alex Lotz - Editor

2010-07-01T02:15:00.000-07:00

Alex Lotz holds a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University with a minor in Germanic Studies, and has been making films on social, political, and philosophical subjects since being recognized as a semi-finalist in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Free Speech And Democracy Film Contest as a senior in high school. He recently edited “Liberation”, a narrative film integrating news footage in portraying the exile of the Shah of Iran. 7th Art Releasing distributed this short film theatrically with the feature documentary “The Queen And I”. His short film “Recompense” screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival. He also produced and edited television commercials for small businesses and the MyNetworkTV affiliate in St. Louis, as well as video on urban issues for newgeography.com.

Meet Eric Soth - Co-Producer

2010-07-01T02:14:00.001-07:00

Eric Soth is a filmmaker and artist working in Culver City, California. Eric developed his creative skills in the local community of artists and activists while growing up in the unique town of Fairfield, Iowa. After receiving his B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Eric worked on a variety of films, music videos, and documentaries. He recently completed producing the film "Vagaries of Lost Dreamers" and directed the latest music video for Canadian musician and filmmaker Peter Foldy. As a filmmaker, Eric aims to create engaging films that promote meaningful thought and dialogue about art and life.

Meet Michael Cox - Co-Producer/First AD

2010-07-01T01:59:00.000-07:00

Michael Cox grew up in Northern California. While in high school, he planned and organized three student film festivals, which raised over ten thousand dollars for local charities. His sophomore and junior years at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts were spent crafting a documentary about community and art in his hometown. After completion, he took the film on the road during the summer of 2008, screening it at parks, libraries, and college campuses across America. Michael sees film as an open discourse, a way to shape and communicate with the people and world around him.

Meet Jules Dameron - ASL Master

2010-06-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Jules Dameron is a filmmaker with a Master's degree in Film Production from the University of Southern California. Having founded Deaf Women in Film with the sole purpose for supporting, recognizing and helping all deaf women cultivate their careers, she's also an avid supporter of all who are frequent users of American Sign Language, especially associated with the film and arts industry. Hailing from Minnesota, she extends a friendly demeanor towards all she works with. In addition to Deaf Women in Film, Jules pursues her abiding love for directing films, having directed numerous short films. Jules is the CEO of her film production company, Damname Productions. She resides with her husband and three cats in North Hollywood.

Meet Eli Steele - Unit Production Manager

2010-06-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Eli has worked extensively in the entertainment business, ranging from Production Assistant to Producer. In the last five years he developed, wrote, directed, and produced “What’s Bugging Seth,” an award- winning independent feature film. He recently completed “Katrina,” an MTV Network commissioned television pilot, that tells the story of two Hurricane Katrina survivors. Outside of the entertainment world, he is active in the hearing loss community and currently sits on the board of two non-profits that assist children with hearing loss.

Meet Kimby Caplan - Cinematographer

2010-06-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Kimby Caplan is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has aired on PBS, ABC, and NBC affiliates. Her documentaries and short films have been shown in festivals across the country and internationally. Her films, as a Director and as a Director of Photography, have won awards in all genres. Caplan has just completed principal photography on a feature documentary about Cuban Exiles in America, “CUBAMERICAN”. Her first E! pilot on female wrestlers will air this fall and she is currently in production on set in Wyoming on a docu-drama about a vaudeville sharpshooter from the 1920’s.

Meet Catherine MacKinnon - Producer

2010-06-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Canadian-born Catherine MacKinnon’s award-winning film “I’m Not From Hear” (2003) was shown at 20 different film festivals. She has worked in 25 productions including short films, television, documentaries, and feature films as a Producer, Co-Producer, Production Coordinator, Consultant and Director. She is a Co-Producer of an indie feature film, “HAMILL”. As a performer, Catherine participated in The Vagina Monologues, with Vanessa Vaughan, Rachel McAdams, and Shirley Douglas in the 2006 V-Day Toronto production, as well as provided atmospheric vocals in the feature film “Silent Hill” starring Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, and Jodelle Ferland. Her recent acting gig was in a comedy-improv show “Kenny vs Spenny”. She also performed with the ensemble, “Voices of Chornobyl”, a co-production of Deaf West Theatre and Anataeus Theater. Catherine is a co-founder and a Festival Director of Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Festival. She is currently finishing up her documentary short “Unheard Voices” and produced short films, “At What Price” (2009) and “Robbed” (2010). She is currently attached to produce “Rise From the Ashes”, a feature-length documentary. Catherine graduated from Ryerson University School of Image Arts with a BFA in Film Studies.

Meet Rhianon E. Gutierrez - Director and Writer

2010-06-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

Born and raised in Southern California, Rhianon Gutierrez is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and activist. She received her BFA in Film Production from Chapman University, where she worked as a Production Designer, Producer, Director, and Writer on award-winning narrative and documentary films. Her acclaimed documentary short, “When I’m Not Alone”, has won over ten national awards, including one from the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, and has played in numerous festivals. She served as a co-director, co-cinematographer, and still photographer on the short documentary “Ritmo do Morumbi”, about a renowned percussion school in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As an activist, she has been recognized for her work within the independent living movement and with young adults with hearing loss. Rhianon has done documentary, outreach, and social networking for various non-profits, including Special Olympics, Best Buddies International, People First of California, and Alliance of Abilities. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Hearing Loss Association of California and does outreach work for It’s Our Story, a national disability media history project with the Victor Pineda Foundation. She has also been involved with campaigns with Oxfam America and Special Olympics’ Spread the Word to End the Word. She is a member of the Society for Disability Studies. Fiercely committed to fostering an inclusive society, Rhianon uses her film training to produce and direct intimate, inclusive, and character-driven narrative and documentary films to educate mainstream audiences about social issues.

Gabe - MARCO AIELLO

2010-06-18T00:07:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Marco Aiello:
Marco Aiello is the type of artist that can't be defined. Still, whether he is singing commercial jingles like the "Hello Good Buy" Beatles cover for the immensely successful Target campaign, recording, singing and touring with his own original music, portraying drug dealers or serial killers for dramatic television shows such as "Criminal Minds" or portraying hilarious characters like "Festus" for the Nickelodeon hit comedy "Victorious" - you can't help but notice the thread that connects all his work: an authentic presence and voice. He thinks of himself as a student of the arts and strives to be a great artist - like those who came before who practiced being formless and available to be moved by the mysterious creative intelligence that exists within every human being.

As Gabe:
Italian-born, charismatic, and intense, Gabe is a talented musician and the best friend of Sal. He and Sal were roommates and music majors in college, and they have performed together off and on for the past eight years. They are like brothers; Sal is an only child and Gabe is the only one in his family who lives in the United States. He is good at learning other languages, though he does not know ASL. Sal and Gabe were patient with each other in college, which helped Gabe to develop his English language skills, and Sal to have a person who was patient with him when speaking. Gabe has been learning new material but Sal is still stuck playing the same beats.

Sal - DOUGLAS RIDLOFF

2010-06-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Douglas Ridloff:
Douglas Ridloff began his life in Queens, New York. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Douglas went on to get a MA in Deaf Education. In Manhattan, Douglas began a partnership and co-produced ASL in the Raw, a successful show that capitalized on working “blue.” ASL in the Raw ran for three years and was noted in New York’s Time Out Magazine twice. His ASL work has proved award-worthy, winning national competitions such as ASL Live! and Deaf Idol. Douglas has defined himself by doing a mixture of improv, stand up comedy, stylized ASL genres, and short films. Douglas shares his expertise as a teacher of ASL and Digital Media at PS047 – The American Sign Language and English Secondary School in New York City. You can read more about him at http://douglasridloff.blogspot.com.

As Sal:
Sal is an intelligent, perceptive, charismatic, and proud musician. He was born deaf as the only child of hearing parents who were musicians. Refusing to be defeated by his hearing loss, Sal’s family raised him as oral in the mainstream and surrounded him with music. Sal’s father taught him how to play percussion and pushed him to be the best musician that he could be. It was in college that Sal discovered ASL and began to use it as his main language. For many years, Sal poured everything into his music. He struggles to have the right attitude—he expects everyone to immediately accommodate him, and if they do not, he does not bother with them. He wants to grow but does not know how because he believes that no one will help him.

Sandrine - TEAL SHERER

2010-06-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Teal Sherer:
Teal Sherer is an actress, producer, and activist for performers with disabilities. Her first Hollywood acting job was the Emmy Award winning film, WARM SPRINGS, where she also served as an advisor to the lead actor, Kenneth Branagh. Currently, Teal recurs on the hit award-winning web series, THE GUILD, playing a villain named Venom. Teal has performed onstage with Dustin Hoffman, Annette Bening, James Cromwell, Rosario Dawson, and Richard Schiff. Earlier this year, she starred in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, PROOF, in which she received rave reviews. Teal has produced four plays in Los Angeles, three of which included the talents of performers with disabilities. In addition to acting and producing, Teal teaches dance and drama classes to kids with autism. Read more about her on her website: www.tealsherer.com.

As Sandrine:
Sandrine is an artist who creates using nature as her canvas. An artist her whole life, she is creative, independent, practical, compassionate, stubborn, and self-critical. When Sandrine was 27, while returning from a road trip with friends, she was in a car accident. She was the only one who emerged with significant injuries, fracturing her spinal cord. Her sense of independence was shattered when she was in the accident. She moved back home with her parents, who treated her as if she were a delicate child in the beginning stages of her injury. Because she has been so fiercely independent most of her life, she struggles with the reality of her disability.

Director Rhianon Elan Gutierrez on Deafness and Disability

2010-06-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from:
On Deafness and Disability
The Hearing Loss Californian Summer 2010
©Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
May 2010

In the past three years that I have been a disability activist, I have constantly been reshaping my views on disability—from labels and language to social practices. I’ve analyzed how they influence each other and how they need to be transformed. Labeling becomes very complex when considering the definition of disability itself. The medical model focuses on the identification and correction of impairments, while the social model focuses on how we create things that exclude people with different abilities from having full inclusion. The medical model is not incorrect in its recognition of impairments (because it is true that some of us can’t see, hear, walk, or comprehend based on socially defined “norms”), but its fallacy is that it repeatedly attempts to categorize and normalize people to such an extent that the person and their complexities (political, emotional, and aesthetic) become secondary. The person becomes a label. When considering the social model, there’s a particular quote that I like from an issue in New Internationalist: “Disability isn’t primarily about the physical, mental, or intellectual impairments associated with it, but about society’s response to them.” Cultures construct rules and physical structures that include and exclude certain groups of people, and people with disabilities are historically and systematically excluded all over the world. Our longstanding ideologies of power and perfection have produced a cycle of labeling which has resulted in exclusion and control. As people are oppressed, minority groups form, united by their shared experiences of oppression and ability. This minority group formation has produced cultures who communicate through shared languages and ideologies. Participation in the activities of minority cultures and the use of their language can and have produced powerful paradoxes of mutual understanding and tension, progress and resistance, solidarity and struggle, and empowerment and fear. Both the dominant culture and subculture actively engage in the labeling of “us” and “them”. When a subculture gains visibility and power in the larger, dominant culture, I believe that its power lies in what its shared experiences transform in the dominant culture. The fight of Americans with mobility disabilities for accessible buses is such an example. I’ve learned that the sense of community that one feels within a culture can shape a person’s identity in ways that are painful, transformative, and beautiful. I have been transformed by my interactions with people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, oral deaf, and especially all people with disabilities. We all dance with adversity on a daily basis. When I identify as a person with a disability, I am expressing my solidarity with others who have experienced the oppression of inaccessibility in physical spaces and the redundancy of stereotypical and melodramatic representations of disability. Best of all, I am expressing the pride that comes with accepting my body in all its abilities and the empowered storytelling that results from shared life experiences.

I’ve thought about how a person views his or her body specifically as it relates to disability and the concept of wholeness. Wholeness is all about what one thinks and feels because both have everything to do with how one sees oneself and other people in the world. For those who are late-deafened and have acquired disabilities, the concept of wholeness is challenged by what existed before and what one has now, and for people with lifelong disabilities and even those without documented disabilities (the so-called “able-bodied”), wholeness is challenged by both psychological expectations and social barriers. I see myself as an important person in this world with a great deal to contribute. I see myself as a whole person. If a medicine were to be available tomorrow that cured my ears, making me completely “hearing”, I would not take it. My deafness has made me who I am. It has transformed the way that I look at the world and the compassion and loyalty that I feel towards people. It has helped me to be a better communicator and a better listener. I probably wouldn’t have said this when I struggled with my hearing aids five years ago, but I say it today with my cochlear implant, which has indeed helped me to comprehend sound on levels that I could not with my hearing aids. My one implant is by no means a permanent cure—but it gives me enough sounds that I work hard to understand, and I am still reminded every night about my deafness when I take it off. I believe that if we actually attempted to communicate our experiences with each other more often than redrawing binary lines, then perhaps there would be more shifting in thought and behavior. My work as a filmmaker and activist is influenced by my desire to challenge these lines and transform outdated, exclusionary practices and policies.

Why "Transients"?

2010-06-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm currently traveling on the east coast for conferences and meetings regarding disability and hearing loss issues, as well as meeting with friends and supporters of the film. A few times I have been asked, "Why 'Transients'?" Those asking either do not know what the word means, or they ask if it has to do with homeless people. Yes, "transient" is a word that can be used to describe homeless people, but this is not a film about homeless people. "Transient", for me, evokes imagery related to physical spaces that we occupy temporarily. The central characters in the film, Sal and Sandrine, are passing through an arts festival seeking a "space" for a short time, and what happens during the time they pass through this "space" forms the foundation of the film. They create art. They find each other. They struggle...and struggle again. They grow. The means by which they grow come down to effective communication with one another and confronting truths about their own selves.

This is not a film about "overcoming" obstacles. This is a film about learning how to dance with everything that you've got.

~Rhianon Gutierrez
Director and Writer

Promotional

2010-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Fundraising posters for TRANSIENTS soon to be in your hands and wallets.

Director's Statement

2010-06-02T03:35:00.000-07:00

"My experiences with deafness and disability permeate my work as an artist and activist, so I naturally wanted to create a story where the two central characters are artists with disabilities. I envisioned them in a space where they would inevitably collide with each other, and where the audience discovers them as they discover each other. Especially important in this discovery is seeing them portrayed as whole people, not as broken characters."

For the full statement, visit Project Notes on the Transients Official Website.

New Blog Launched

2010-06-02T02:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Official Blog for the short drama, Transients. Our amazing filmmakers have been working hard to gather everything we need so that we can promote the film before it begins production this August. Our goal is to raise $10,000. We have an Official Website and Twitter and Facebook pages, all of which will be continually updated with news about donations, fundraising, press, pictures, the "Festival of the Senses", and some words from the cast and crew.

Stay tuned!

-Rhianon Gutierrez
Director and Writer