By Barbara Rick
We at Out of The Blue Films, Inc. want to spread our appreciation around, nice and thick, for ALL those who have in some way contributed to The Out of The Blue Films ENVY Contest at red Ravine. Whether you sent in work, considered it, or even just envied the idea from afar (you know who you are), thank you!!
To you who scraped your souls and held a magnifying glass up to your hidden agendas—brava!
We received inspired works of fiction, essays, haiku, poetry, drawings, photographs—even a comic sketch script that we think would make a really funny short film—from writers and artists around the world.
We are all 21st century pioneers in the wild west of social networking, in particular, using technology to not only create a conversation about new work but to help create the work itself! This is the hot topic at the flurry of film panels I’ve been attending the past couple of weeks up at The Toronto International Film Festival, here in NYC at Independent Film Week, and at pre-launch parties and screenings at the venerable New York Film Festival.
Michael Moore was even talking about it onstage a few nights ago at Lincoln Center in a Q&A following his new film, Capitalism: A Love Story. No ENVY on my part, by the way, nosiree. (Me: lying like rug.)
∞ ∞ ∞
And, now, the winner:
Jill L. Ferguson of San Carlos, California for her poem/prose Like Paul, a painterly snapshot of the disastrous effects of ENVY on a young and talented violinist. Jill receives 1st Prize in The Out of The Blue Films, Inc. ENVY Contest at red Ravine: an Amazon Kindle.
We fell in love with this line:
He held and released each tone picturing it hover like a bird in flight, closing his eyes into the sound.
You can find out more about Jill at her website and review books she has authored and co-authored at this Amazon link.
On Thursday, October 2, red Ravine will post Like Paul in its entirety, so please come back and read this winning entry.
∞ ∞ ∞
Our judges found much to love in all the entries; it was tough to narrow it down to a single winner.
We also wanted to include excerpts from a few honorable mentions:
Charis Fleming’s searing essay on a mother’s flash of ENVY at her breast-feeding adult daughter and grandchild.
I gaze at the duo, daughter and grandson, and I want more than anything to tell them both how left out I am feeling. I want them to know if it wasn’t for me, neither of them would exist as they are.
∞
Eileen Malone’s poem Beloved Rival.
on and on we went, an abbreviation
of small black-winged envies
drunkenly sucking each other’s blood
∞
By a fourth writer, who wishes to remain Anonymous, a short story about WWEM or the Woman Who Envies Me.
The woman in question is a known screenwriter and actor, a mother, a wife, the author of two successful books, a person of financial means and connections, and enjoys excellent health. Except for her ENVY. The beauty of this story, the lesson for me, lies in its mystery. It is quite clear that she envies me desperately (the symptoms are all there; I recognize them from my own inner life). If I could find her in a moment of quiescent spirit, I could try to ask her why. There is no doubt in my mind that the answer would educate me deeply. No doubt whatsoever.
∞
Last but not least, Patricia Anders in Calabasas, California submitted an evocative drawing depicting ENVY.
This and each of the honorable mentions will be published wholly in separate posts next week.
∞ ∞ ∞
Please work with us at Out of The Blue Films, Inc. to broaden and deepen the connection seeded here on red Ravine.
Here are three things you can do to keep the conversation growing:
- “Fan” us at facebook.com/Outofthebluefilms and tinyurl.com/ENVYonfacebook and tell us how you’d like to get involved with Team ENVY.
- Follow us and bring your friends (!) to our pages on twitter: ENVYthedoc, brickdoc, OuttaTheBlu.
- Meet us at our new blog.envydoc.com.
There, and here at red Ravine, we’ll discuss some of the ways we might use some of the entries in the film, flash you glimpses of the film and our creative process, behind-the-scenes action (and procrastination), funding dramas and successes, as we march ever forward in the making of this multi-disciplinary mega-platform documentary film project which will tell the true story of ENVY. Asking you for input, ideas, and to share in the exhilaration of it, all along the way.
Thank you to ybonesy and QuoinMonkey for an amazing experiment in creative collaboration! Remember to check back later this week to see the full winning entry, and next week for the honorable mentions.
Gratitude to all!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
red Ravine is not liable for any actions by Out of The Blue Films, Inc., nor the Film. red Ravine has no legal responsibility for any outcomes from the contest.
Congratulations, Jill! 8) *applauds*
Also, I absolutely enjoyed reading all the excerpts from this contest (as posted here) and look forward to reading more of them! I can’t wait!
Barbara, wow, just wow. I do not know what to say. This post is definite proof to see how eclectic in topic and writing/art style the theme of ENVY can bring! That is amazing. I look forward to seeing a film made on excerpts of these entries!
QM and yb, thank you for hosting this fabulous contest here on red Ravine. It has helped me stretch my imagination and play around with topics that are “untouchable.”
LikeLike
A~Lotus, we truly appreciate and enjoy your creative energy and generosity… I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of the long & winding, ultimately satisfying ENVY journey for a bunch of us brave and curious enough to follow the green brick road. 🙂
LikeLike
[…] And The Winner Is… « redravine.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/and-the-winner-is – view page – cached We at Out of The Blue Films, Inc. want to spread our appreciation around, nice and thick, for ALL those who have in some way contributed to The Out of The Blue Films ENVY Contest at red Ravine…. (Read more)We at Out of The Blue Films, Inc. want to spread our appreciation around, nice and thick, for ALL those who have in some way contributed to The Out of The Blue Films ENVY Contest at red Ravine. Whether you sent in work, considered it, or even just envied the idea from afar (you know who you are), thank you!! (Read less) — From the page […]
LikeLike
Thanks so much to red Ravine and all the artists who submitted work. It was wonderful seeing ENVY through so many fascinating perspectives; from the envied to the enviers to envy itself. There’s something truly beautiful about artists recognizing and encouraging each other’s work and, in fact, this contest in and of itself seems to have been a big win in the battle against ENVY! There were so many rich ideas and images in the submissions that have really helped us in our creative process. I hope we get to keep hearing from and being inspired by our contestants and fellow artists!
-Lauren
Out of The Blue Films
LikeLike
Barbara, I so enjoy seeing the tagline of the Envy graphic at the top of this post. Oh how you must have chuckled when it came to you or whoever it came to. Brilliant!
It was fun to click on the websites of the winner, Jill Ferguson, and those Honorable Mentions who have websites. To a put a face or a body of work to the entry each one submitted and was selected for. I also have to say, How cool to win an Amazon Kindle! That was an awesome prize.
And, Barbara, you mention that the theme of social networking and filmmaking was all the buzz in these film festivals you just got back from. I imagine that these media have people’s heads spinning as to how to use them, how to get beyond just marketing (not to say that marketing is not important, but it is probably the most common usage to date) and into the creation space. Keep us posted on what you learn from others, and of course we will stay in tune with how you use the form.
I also wanted to say that I can’t wait to see Michael Moore’s new movie.
LikeLike
The tagline came out of a conversation with a dear friend and brilliant playwright, Matt Hoverman. He gets all the credit for that line!
Can’t wait to get a Kindle myself… but not sure I’ll have a moment to sit down and read from it, so I’m waiting.
LikeLike
Barbara, I’d love to have one. I find myself so often waiting and the only device I have is my iPhone. If I had an Amazon Kindle I’d be reading books instead of surfing (in too small of type, to boot) the net.
LikeLike
Barbara, what a joy to have this post up and have you announce the winners. I’m excited for the next steps in your documentary. Am especially fascinated with the way social media actually becoming a part of the film — informing the film in profound ways –will play out in the future of filmmaking.
ybonesy and I have learned a lot from this collaboration. Thank you to all who were brave enough to enter and delve into one of the darker sides of human nature. We appreciate everyone’s participation.
Barbara, we’ll keep checking in to all your social media outlets to see what develops as the film gets closer to release. BTW, I’d love to have a Kindle, too. I’m a big fan of the smell, feel, pages of a book. But I also know from having a blog as long as we’ve kept this one running that there is tremendous benefit to online media. I say bring on the Kindle!
Electronic books (pros and cons) are a topic of constant mentioning on Twitter (along with author Dan Brown who, for some reason, published writers and critics seem to love to criticize — I think there might be a little envy there!).
Thanks again, Barbara, and to all at Out of The Blue.
Oh, and A~Lotus, you have such a generous spirit and heart. I so appreciate your presence on red Ravine!
LikeLike
Lovely, QM— thanks for all that… think you may be right about Dan Brown ENVY. 🙂
ENVY comes in so many shapes and sizes and is often disguised as moral outrage. I’m calling myself out on it constantly now, and it is fascinating how many tentacles ENVY has…
One thing to remember about our film is that we are really at an early stage of production, no where near the finish line of creating it… that’s the hardest thing to get used to about the filmmaking process now in the light of these quantum leaps of technology— used to be you could create in an insulated environment. No more!
So now, sometimes people think we’re almost done when we’ve really only just begun.
LikeLike
Barbara, thank you for opening the door to include us all in your project. It is very exciting and FUN (at least for those of us on the production sidelines.)
Kudos to the winner and honorable mentions noted. Who will not recognize themselves in at least some of the “faces” of ENVY? I already have.
LikeLike
Barbara, I don’t mind riding along the journey of ENVY! It is such a fascinating complexity. I really like seeing the different layers and hues of envy. As it is with writing, human emotions like envy are neverending. I don’t think there will ever be a closing chapter. The human experience is always a neverending book–written and transformed but never rewritten or erased (although I’m sure there may be a few exceptions).
QM, thank you. Your kind words made my day. That was so heartfelt. 🙂 I too appreciate you and yb’s wonderful writing journey’s here whenever I get a chance to visit red Ravine! 8)
Blessings!
LikeLike
Great to have you aboard, breathepeace and A~Lotus!
It’s very exciting for us, too.
LikeLike
[…] L. Ferguson won the Out of The Blue Films, Inc. ENVY Contest at red Ravine for poem/prose Like Paul. As 1st Prize […]
LikeLike
[…] Fleming received honorable mention in the Out of The Blue Films, Inc. ENVY Contest at red Ravine for her untitled […]
LikeLike
[…] anonymous writer received honorable mention in the Out of The Blue Films, Inc. ENVY Contest at red Ravine for the short story […]
LikeLike
[…] Anders received honorable mention in the Out of The Blue Films, Inc. ENVY Contest at red Ravine for her drawing […]
LikeLike
Here is the sizzle reel for ENVY the documentary:
Looks like the project is coming along great. Take a taste.
LikeLike