- KEVIN KIDNEY JOINS PLASTIC PARADISE
Common Machine is thrilled to announce artist Kevin Kidney has signed on as Art Director for Plastic Paradise, our new documentary chronicling the rise, fall and resurgence of tiki culture. Kevin is not only a founding father of the tiki revival but an immensely talented, multifaceted artist who has no business slumming it with the likes of us, but don’t tell him that. We’re excited to have him. A short bio and photos … riiiiight … now:
Kevin Kidney is a Southern California-based designer, writer, product creator, puppeteer, sculptor, and illustrator. Raised in the Golden Age of the 1970s, Kevin has one foot in the present and two feet planted solidly in the past. His fanciful art style tends to be informed by his love for outdated cultural and technological artifacts.
With his partner, artist Jody Daily, Kevin designs for theater and theme park entertainment, and has produced thousands of merchandise items from toys and housewares to nostalgic clothing and collectibles. This year Kevin & Jody created a popular new Disneyland parade called “Soundsational” (and are currently working on another parade for Tokyo Disneyland). From installing holiday department store displays in New York, to building McNugget puppets for McDonald’s TV spots, to writing and editing for NPR, Kevin’s projects have taken him around the globe. He has also made “onstage” appearances as a sketch artist – and once performed at the royal home of the Sultan of Brunei.
Visit the Kevin Kidney Blog and at Dinosaurs & Robots.Created with flickr slideshow.
- HECHO A MANO SCORES EMMY NOMINATION
Hecho a Mano: Creativity in Exile has been nominated for a regional Emmy in the Historical/Cultural Program category by the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The Suncoast Chapter includes Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Puerto Rico. The winners of this year’s Emmys will be announced on December 3 in Ft. Lauderdale.
In the meantime, Hecho a Mano continues its national roll-out. In the previous month, it has aired on PBS affiliates in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Denver, Cincinnati, and Kalamazoo, Michigan — all Top 40 markets — with more air dates in more cities to come. Keep an eye on your local listings, or just check back here. We’ll keep posting air dates as we hear about them.
- PLASTIC PARADISE - LA SHOOT
Oceanic Arts has been the go-to shop for Hollywood set decorators, tiki fanatics and Polynesian themed restaurants since 1956. Owners Bob van Oosting and Leroy Schmaltz were kind enough to give us the run of the place and participate in an interview chronicaling everything from their early expeditions to Tahiti and beyond, to outfitting Polynesian palaces like Trader Vic’s and the Mai Kai, to the today’s tiki revival. We snapped a few stills …
Created with flickr slideshow.
- PLASTIC PARADISE - LA SHOOT
In September, we jetted out to LA for four days of shooting for our new PBS documentary Plastic Paradise, about the rise, fall and resurgence of Polynesian pop (also known as tiki culture). We shot interviews with original tiki revivalists Sven Kirsten (who wrote The Book of Tiki for Taschen), Otto Von Stroheim (creator of Tiki Oasis), and world-renowed artists Kevin Kidney and Shag. We snapped a few stills while we were at it …
Created with flickr slideshow.
- BEHIND THE SCENES - SYLVESTER CANCER CENTER SPOTS
We’re excited to be just about done (only sound mix remains) with a suite of seven television spots for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The spots - which highlight the center’s expertise in radiation oncology, breast cancer and lung cancer, and its cutting edge technology and patient services - will begin airing from Key West to Palm Beach this fall. We’ll post a few once they air; meanwhile, dig the behind the scenes pics.
Created with flickr slideshow.
- HECHO A MANO AIRS NATIONALLY ON PBS
Our award-winning doc, Hecho a Mano: Creativity in Exile, about old Cubans who work with their hands, can be seen on PBS stations around the country beginning September 1. Hecho, you may recall, had a nice run on the fall festival calendar, taking home “Best Documentary” and “Best Local Film” at the Miami Short Film Festival - Michael Moore even dropped by one night to tell us how much he liked it - and “Best Florida Documentary” at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, before premiering locally on Miami PBS affiliate WLRN Channel 17 this past February. Now it’s going to be seen coast-to-coast. (Good thing we have subtitles in English.) Here are the showtimes we know about now; for everybody else, as they say, check your local listings.
Arizona Public Media (KUAT): Thursday, September 15, at 7 p.m.
Denver (CPT12): Sunday, September 25, at 9:30 p.m.
San Antonio (KLRN): Saturday, October 1, at 9 p.m.
Los Angeles (KCET): Thursday, October 6, at 10:30 p.m.
Cincinnati (WCET): Friday October 7, at 9 p.m.
- “HECHO A MANO” IS FINISHED!
We are very excited to announce that “Hecho a Mano” is finished.
The film was screened at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, where it won “Best Florida Documentary,” and at the Miami Short Film Festival, where it won “Best Local Film” and “Best Documentary”. We are very pleased that our hard work has paid off and thank you all for your support. For all those who have not yet seen “Hecho a Mano,” please stay tuned to it’s broadcast premiere on PBS in February.
Left to Right: Additional Editor Jorge Rubiera, Director of Photography Richard Patterson, Producer/Writer Gaspar Gonzalez, Producer/Director Brett O’Bourke, Editor Christina Burchard, Associate Producer Christine Sylvain
- HECHO A MANO TRAILER HITS THE WEB
We’re awfully close to completion of our new film Hecho a Mano. We just have to lock down some archives, do the color correct and sound mix and the film will be off to festivals before airing on PBS in February 2011. PBS/WLRN liked the rough cut so much we’re talking about a sequel featuring all women for next fall. We’ll post here when we have festival announcements and an air date. Meanwhile, dig the trailer.
- SOUTHWEST SAYS “NO MAS” TO STAMPEDE
Unlike the famed Leonard-Duran fight - which went eight rounds before Duran uttered his infamous submission - looks like our Stampede video for AirTran has put a quick finish to the fledgling ad war with Southwest Airlines. Here’s a link to the UPI story in which Southwest says it’s throwing in the towel. We’re bummed. We’re fans of the energy and effort SW puts into its ads and we were hoping this one would go the distance.
