Tag Archives: On Story

New On Story Episodes!

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On Story

KLRU Q features new episodes Austin Film Festival’s On Story as part of Q Night at the Movies each Saturday night. Q Night at the Movies starts at 7 pm and On Story airs at 7:30 pm.

On Story gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of the country’s most beloved movies and TV shows. The show is a mash-up of footage of screenwriter and film-makers discussing their craft and films. Each episode is thematically paired with one or two short films, with an introduction from the film’s writer or director. LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan says: “On Story” is film school in a box, a lifetime’s worth of film-making knowledge squeezed into half-hour packages.”

4/19
Breaking Bad: A Conversation With Vince Gilligan at 7:30
Vince Gilligan, creator of the AMC hit series Breaking Bad, reflects upon the show’s hyper-serialized storytelling, along with his inspirations and influences. Accompanied by Victor Nores’ short film, Euthanas Inc., about an old lady whose family wishes to no longer be burdened by her presence, and her plans to grant them an unexpected change of scene.

4/26
Frank Darabont: Filmmaker’s Journey at 7:30
Frank Darabont, writer and director of such classics as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist, discusses adapting works by Stephen King and keeping his characters at the core of the story. Followed by Jeffrey DeChausse’s short film, Anniversario, trailing a woman’s visit to her two favorite hairdressers on the day of her 45th wedding anniversary for what becomes the most important makeover of their lives.

5/3
Alien: Deconstructing A Sci-Fi Classic at 7:30
An iconic example of its genre, Alien’s tension, pacing, and craftsmanship are deconstructed by veteran screenwriters John August and Ashley Miller. Accompanied by Jason Mann and Frieda Luk’s mystical short film, Delicacy, following a culinary connoisseur and his loyal chef as they dangerously navigate into the unknown with hopes to obtain a rare treat.

5/10
House Of Cards: A Conversation With Beau Willimon at 7:30
House of Cards creator, Beau Willimon, discusses writing for Netflix, working with David Fincher, and delving into the psychology of narrative power struggles. Artiz Moreno’s short film, Colera, follows with an ominous glimpse of a town that decides to take the law into their own hands, without considering the consequences.

5/17
A Conversation about Cheating with my Time Traveling Future Self
Rian Johnson (Looper), Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko), and Roberto Orci (Star Trek), masters of weaving time travel into the fabric of film, dissect the elements that make for a believable “operating system” when writing a comprehensible timeline for a screenplay. A Conversation About Cheating with my Time Traveling Future Self accompanies this episode, trailing one man’s attempt to better his life by traveling back in time to offer himself weathered advice, written and directed by Pornsak Pichetshote.

5/24
Thelma & Louise: A Conversation with Callie Khouri
Callie Khouri reflects upon her experience working with Ridley Scott and writing the classic female-driven-buddy film, Thelma and Louise. Followed by a comedic, yet honest glimpse into a recent immigrant’s first time visiting an American shopping “mecca”, Reza Hassani Goes to the Mall, a short film by Sara Zandieh.

More episodes of the 4th season of On Story coming soon.

 

New Season of On Story

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Celebrate the new season of On Story with KLRU and the Austin Film Festival, airing Saturdays at 7:30 pm starting April 20th.

Austin Film Festival’s On Story is a half-hour series that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of the country’s most beloved movies and TV shows. The show is a mash-up of footage of screenwriter and film-makers discussing their craft and films. Each episode is thematically paired with one or two short films, with an introduction from the film’s writer or director.

New episodes include:
4/20 – A Conversation With Chris Carter, Creator Of The X-Files
Legendary television writer Chris Carter reveals the secret behind the creation and success of The X-Files and how he stirred audiences using the power of mythology. Lost and Prometheus writer, Damon Lindelof, speaks with Carter on how his use of the paranormal and search for the truth have become staples of popular culture. Followed by Todd Somodevilla and Marysia Makowska’s surreal short film, Sea Pavilion, about a picnic outing by an abandoned seaside dwelling, that ends up encompassing more than just sand dunes and forgotten memories.

4/27 – Explosive Action!
The writers behind Wanted, The Bourne Ultimatum, Con Air, and Snitch discuss how they use action scenes to further the plot, convey tension, and build toward a satisfying climax. Followed by Lucas Martell’s animated short film, Pigeon: Impossible, about a trained CIA agent faced with an unexpected sudden threat to national security.

5/4 – Re-imagining the Classics
The writers of re-imagined classics and popular franchises such as Ghost, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Twins and Snow White And The Huntsman deliberate how to keep stories fresh while remaining faithful to the original version. Accompanied by Spencer and Lloyd Harvey’s short film Jack & Jill, a fresh take on the classic nursery rhyme that follows a young Australian girl who finds an inventive way to contact her father, a soldier stationed in New Guinea during WWII.

 

Special Q Night at the Movies 6/2

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This week’s Q Night at the Movies features a new episode of On Story Presented by the Austin Film Festival, the premiere of Energy at the Movies and encores of several KLRU movie related programs.

Overheard with Evan Smith featuring Wyatt Cenac at 7 pm
Wyatt Cenac’s reports for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart have introduced his work to a wide audience. But his work reaches far beyond his role as a fake news writer and correspondent. His performance in the 2008 indie film Medicine for Melancholy, a drama, was well-reviewed. And fans can also find him doing standup on tour and in a soon-to-be released hour-long special.

On Story: Comedy that Resonates at 7:30
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld writer/producer Alec Berg and BRIDESMAIDS director and Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig pull back the curtain to show how they create comedy that resonates with us all. Followed by the hilarious short film SPIT by writer/director Benjamin Hayes. Paul will never have his first kiss until he overcomes his fear of saliva.

Energy at the Movies at 8
From the gushing geysers of Giant, to the plutonium-powered time machine of Back to the Future, Energy at the Movies illustrates how Hollywood has captured the history of energy. Join energy expert and University of Texas at Austin professor Dr. Michael E. Webber as he explores 70 years of energy on the big screen.

2012 Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards at 9
Angie Dickinson, Meat Loaf, Barry Corbin, Danny Trejo and Douglas McGrath are honored at the 2012 Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards presented by the Austin Film Society. The awards honor Texans who’ve made a significant contribution to film or filmmaking, as well as non-Texans who’ve made significant strides in the advancement of the Texas film industry.

Overheard with Evan Smith featuring Meat Loaf at 10
Singer and actor Meat Loaf enjoys successful careers and icon status in both fields. His 1977 record Bat Out of Hell is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with more than 43 million copies sold worldwide. His acting career, which includes time at the Public Theater in New York, includes roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fight Club. He’s back in the spotlight this month with a brand-new album, Hell in a Handbasket.

Overheard with Evan Smith featuring Chris Isaak at 10:30
Chris Isaak has built successful careers as both a musician and an actor, performing for more than 25 years. His most recent album, Beyond the Sun, pays tribute to a lifelong obsession: the artists and music of Sun Studios in Memphis. In this conversation with Evan, Isaak talks – and sings – about acting, music and more.

On Story season 2 begins 5/26

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On Story  gives viewers anecdotal backstories into the making of some of the most popular and beloved films and television shows ever made.  The second season will premiere on KLRU-Q on Saturday, May 26th at 7:30 pm.

The season will bring you 12 all new episodes featuring interviews and discussions from the 2011 Austin Film Festival & Conference. Audiences will have the chance to hear from 2011 AFF Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Awardee John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), 2011 AFF Distinguished Screenwriter Awardee Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family), 2011 AFF Outstanding Television Awardee Hart Hanson (Bones), and many more.

“Accessibility has always been one of the touchstones of our mission. I’m thrilled we can now bring the gems of wisdom  from the writers and filmmakers who speak at the Festival to an even greater audience,” says Austin Film Festival’s Executive Director, Barbara Morgan. The show now airs on 98 stations in 58 markets, including New York,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Tampa, Denver, and more.

Season one is available to watch online and season two episodes will be added each week.

Review: Austin Film Festival 2011

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After months of trading ten-dollar bills to sit in a theater for two hours, while disappointing films like Transformers III, The Hangover 2, and Rise of the Apes flashed in front of me, I was quickly losing faith in the film industry the way the Autobots lost faith in their fearless leader Optimus Prime when a Decepticon cuts off Optimus’ arm in battle.

Enter: the Austin Film Festival.

For those feeling like they’ve been wandering through a barren desert of movies that deliver a message shallower than a gutter puddle, the Austin Film Festival provided an oasis for weary blockbuster-filmgoers to take shelter and feast.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the Austin Film Festival, tune into KLRU’s series, On Story. Showcasing exclusive footage from past festival panels, as well as interviews with the screenwriters and filmmakers behind the films, On Story gives viewers a chance to experience the Austin Film Festival in a unique way. Every episode of On Story pairs interviews and panel discussions with a short film from a Texas filmmaker who was featured at the Austin Film Festival.

As a first-time festivalgoer, I had no idea what to expect, so I decided my only objective would be to see and do as much as possible on Saturday and Sunday. Below is a tasting of some of the films I saw, including ones that made me think “what on earth?”, films I appreciated, but did not necessarily love, and films that made me want to be a better person:
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