For the better part of the last year, I’ve been working with my friend Erna Maurer (of Wise Owl Multimedia) on some old 16mm films her husband Ken shot from the 50′s through the mid 70′s. I arranged to have them digitized, and since then I’ve been working my way through each 3-minute reel in iMovie, whittling them down to a snappy pace and more watchable length while preserving its essence – and, most critically, adding music to the completely silent footage. It’s been a series of fun challenges, and I’ve often ended up with something quite entertaining. But the one I’ve just completed is something really special. It documents a project at the Rosemont Avenue School in Los Angeles that Ken – a teacher in LA for many years – was involved in. There’s no date given but it seems to be from the very early fifties. The project was a study of the people and culture of Mexico. And it’s delightful.

The footage is vividly colourful, beautifully shot and makes a charming time capsule not only of the project, but of teaching methods of the era, and mostly of the wonderful (and quite impressive) efforts of the kids involved. Their hands-on studies included painting, pottery-making, music, and dance (a young flamenco dancer is a standout).

The finale contains a delightful surprise. Titled “The Culmination”, it’s an outdoor Mexican street bazaar and festive dance. And then one of the kids is seen daydreaming that he’s a great bulllfighter, complete with a soft-focus “dream sequence” transition to his imagined face-off with the mighty bull before a crowd of cheering fans!

When I first watched this footage, I knew I had something special on my hands – and that with careful attention I could make it into something truly wonderful. It cried out for just the right soundtrack – rich, melodic music to bring each scene to life – and some judiciously applied sound effects.

In the end, although the piece as I found it was the most polished in terms of its construction and careful sequence of shots, it took me the longest of all the 16mm reels to complete. Mostly this was due to my search for just the right music. I ended up using selections from the soundtrack to “The Milagro Beanfield War” and tracks from a 50′s album of Mexican songs by the 101 Strings (I found the latter in my thrift-store vinyl collection, but was pleased to discover scratch-free versions in iTunes!). Alas, because I used commercial music, YouTube adds a pop-up ad on top of the video. Just click the ‘X’ to get it out of the way.

There was a lot of trial and error, matching different songs or parts of songs to different parts of the film, carefully editing the music itself in many cases to make it fit. The visuals, well-executed as they were, needed fine-tuning as well, with many shots able to be trimmed quite short. And the final dance at the “fiesta” cried out for some lively cross-cutting.

The final result is something I’m extremely proud of. To have “completed” a film that lay dormant for six decades, and brought it fully to life with the music and sounds it should have had, is incredibly satisfying. And who could have imagined when the film was made that it could be shared so easily with the entire world? Being able to do that is most rewarding of all – especially if, as is my hope, some of the kids in the film are able to see their youthful selves again after all these years.

If you use the calendar on your iPhone or iPod Touch at all – and especially if, like me, you use it a lot – you soon run into the limitations of Apple’s built-in iCal app. And even if you don’t have any complaints with iCal, once you switch to Calvetica, you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

Like the rest of Apple’s built-in apps, iCal gets the job done. But then… you realize you can’t see all your daily events at once in Month view (my favourite), since the month grid fills so much of the screen. If you have more than a couple of events that day, you’re in for a lot of scrolling.

Or you start to chafe at the many steps involved in simply adding a new event. It means tapping into window after window, and spinning those dials repeatedly (the fun factor of those one-arm-bandit style selectors dims somewhat after the 100th time). As the makers of Calvetica point out, there are 12 taps required in total to add a new event.

They felt they could do better. And they did.

Calvetica is a ground-up rethink of the entire calendar interface. Everything down to the tiniest detail has been thought through deeply, and it shows. The result is a much more compact and efficient user experience.

Not a pixel of screen space is wasted, but there’s no clutter in sight – everything is clean and precise. Functions are spring-loaded into icons and clever use of gestures allows you to navigate around easily without the use of space-eating buttons. The only downside to this approach is that you do need to take a buzz through the FAQ and instructions. But once you do, getting around Calvetica is simple.

There’s no need to re-enter any of your events since the app integrates with your existing events, alarms and calendars. It’s just a better-designed front end on the same data.

For me, the ultimate testimony to the developers’ fanatical quest for perfection came in the most recent version: in a bold move, they redesigned the entire app.

In their blog, they explain that they simply felt the first version wasn’t their best work. And it must be said, while the original Calvetica was definitely an improvement, the interface still had some awkward aspects. For example, adding a new event or changing the time of an existing one required you to be on the full-day view (showing every hour of the day), and involved swiping – usually a loooong way – to the desired time.

Now, you set the day, time and details all in a single, logically compact window that’s summoned with a single tap.

That’s only one of a multitude of changes and improvements – from a rudimentary but useful To-Do list area, to a selection of custom – and much louder – alert sounds. There’s much more than I could list here.

Calvetica Screen Shots

I did find a couple of minor bugs in the current version – the inability to add location data to an event, or to add invitees to an event (or edit an event to which invitees have been added). Calvetica’s support was quick to provide a fix for the first problem, and noted the second, which will hopefully be addressed in an update. (If you use the invite feature, you can still access it via iCal.)

Bottom line, if you’re a serious i-device calendar user and you want something better than iCal, Calvetica is your answer.

Click here to buy Calvetica on the App Store.

This December, Kol Halev Performance Ensemble is mounting a revised edition of last year’s “Hanukkah in Chelm“, a zany musical holiday treat for the whole family. And they are seeking an actor to portray Fievel, a comical fishmonger who knocks the village off balance, and sets the plot in motion, with his outrageous idea. (Pictured is last year’s show in which I played this role!)

It’s a great character role. Singing ability is a bonus.

If you’re interested, please contact Sue Cohene at suecohene@shaw.ca.

I’m thrilled to report that my documentary on the men of “Friends of Rape Relief” is now online and ready to view! Just click above to watch “Men At Work: FIghting Sexism”.

I created this film to promote the work of Friends of Rape Relief, a group of (mostly) men which organizes fundraising events like monthly street fundraisers and an annual Walk for Rape Relief in Stanley Park. I’ve been a member of FRR for over 10 years, and I wanted to create a short and interesting film that would communicate why men do this work, and hopefully encourage others to join.

Most men probably know someone in their life – a relative, a friend, a co-worker – who has been the target of male violence. Each year in this country, too many women are abused, physically assaulted, raped and murdered. As a member of Friends of Rape Relief, you’ll meet interesting, progressive people, engage in some lively discussions, and most importantly, make a real difference in women’s lives.

Want to get involved? Email me or call Vancouver Rape Relief at (604) 872-8212. Thanks!

About the film

This film is the culmination of over two years, off and on, of interviewing, editing, expanding and refining. Produced in collaboration with Vancouver Rape Relief’s collective, it gives a good summary of what it looks like when men decide to support feminists. And there is even a special musical moment or two from yours truly!

Hi all! It’s almost time for an annual event I’m proud to have participated in for the last 10 years – the Walk for Vancouver Rape Relief! This Walkathon-style fundraiser is a truly fun experience – a stroll (or bike or rollerblade) around the Stanley Park seawall is followed by a tasty picnic lunch of gourmet delights, with great live music too!

And best of all, the event raises funds to support a community organization that has been supporting women and their children escaping male violence, for over 35 years. Vancouver Rape Relief operates a 24-hour crisis line and a shelter/transition house for battered women. They also help women navigate the daunting bureaucracy involved in escaping a violent man. They do some vital work and I’m very proud to support them as a member of “Friends of Rape Relief” – a group of (mostly) men who fundraise for VRRWS.

So, please consider walking and raising pledges for this great organization – or making a pledge toward my own walk.

The walk is on Sunday, May 29, starting and ending at the Ceperley Picnic Grounds in Stanley Park. For full details you can check the Walk page on the VRR site.

Remember, as the poster says, “ending violence against women could be a walk in the park!”

The Broadway Chorus takes a side trip into the supernatural with this high-spirited new production!

“The Ghost Man” is everything you’d expect from The Broadway Chorus – nutty characters, a topsy-turvy plot, hilarious dialogue, and of course great songs both familiar and obscure, done as only The Broadway Chorus can!

The show features songs from current hits like The Addams Family, flops you’ve never heard of like Bright Lights Big City, rarely-performed golden age shows like The Boys from Syracuse, and many, many more! Plus, we’ve got couches, candles, Oprah, chests, bells, boxes, chairs, and a half-eaten sandwich that may make the difference between life and death.

I’m not in a featured role this time out but listen for my resonant bass voice in the chorus – when you’re not doubled over in laughter at the antics of our talented cast, of course!

So don’t miss this silly and spooky saga – find out why “The Ghost Man Always Rings Twice!”

The Details…

Dates: May 18-21, 8pm
Location: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island (beside the Kid’s Market; there is plenty of free parking after 7:00pm)
Tickets: Save $5 by purchasing tickets early!

Prices are normally:

• $20, or $15 (students/seniors/kids) for the Wednesday preview;
• $25 (adults), $20 (students & seniors), and $15 (kids 12 and under) for the Thu/Fri/Sat shows.

But if you pre-purchase tickets from me in advance, you’ll pay:

• $15 (everyone) for the Wednesday preview
• $20 (all adults) or $15 (kids) for Thu/Fri/Sat.

Alternatively (but you will pay full price), you can simply book your seats by emailing ashley.lm@ubc.ca or calling 778-322-7182 (your e-mail or phone call will be returned with a confirmation). Then you pay at the door when you arrive for the show.

I hope you can come out and see me and the Broadway Chorus in “The Ghost Man Always Rings Twice!”