SquiggleBooth: Recent Episodes
Ajit & Friends
Squigglebooth is a playground for videobloggers. This is where ultra-cool videobloggers come to play and test out their ideas. Please don’t pee in the pool or poke an eye out.
Marc Maximov in his review of the Carrboro film festival: The three filmmakers who won Indy Arts Awards this year, Nic Beery, Ajit Anthony Prem and Todd Tinkham, made a strong showing, with five films between them. Particularly impressive was Prem’s HELLO, SORRY, WHATEVER, a Cliffs Notes romantic tragedy built around snatches of dialogue consisting […]
Additional formats: iPhone Credits: Commissioned by the Carrboro Film Festival Director – Ajit Anthony Prem Steadicam, Cinematography – Bill Elias Additional Cinematography – Jim McQuaid Color & Effects – Ismail Abdelkhalek Music – Carmela Sinco Balloon Wrangler/Make-up/Costumes – Kelly Cook Actors: Mary Wilcher Mike Harris Jackie Helvey Jim McQuaid Selena Lauterer Alisha Agemy Alyssa Madden […]
Update: Glowing Review of Hello Sorry Whatever I have two films premiering at the 2009 Carrboro Film Festival. I’m no longer a part of the committee but I was commissioned to the do the festival intro once again. My Films: Hello Sorry Whatever is a short narrative about a love story said with three little […]
I spent a morning with photographer Kathleen Connally several years back. We talked, we walked. I came back hoping to put something together immediately but life got a little crazy and I had to put it aside. Till now. Many of things we discussed that misty morning still come back to me from time to […]
The Independent gave Todd, Nic & I the 2009 Indies Arts award for filmmaking. A couple of quotes from the fantastic article by Marc Maximov. On Hello, Sorry, Whatever: Prem is most interested in themes of romantic love and disappointment. His perceptive ear for truth in acting performances is matched by a meticulous eye for […]
Additional formats: LARGE QUICKTIME - SMALL QUICKTIME
Ajit says:
Love this confident little film by my friend Nic Beery. The film revels in being lost in its own thought, following its own impulses for what it deems fun and interesting.
I created this intro for the recently completed Carrboro Film Festival, the intro played before each block of films. Music was created by Carrboro local Jay Manley. A big thanks to my wife Kelly Cook and Jennifer Evans. It was a great festival, a packed and enthusiastic audience, talented filmmakers and a wonderful group of […]
Additional formats: LARGE QUICKTIME – SMALL QUICKTIME To learn how to submit your own favorite childhood photos, check this page for instructions and guidelines. To see other submissions, check here.
Rob Baldus reviewing the Secret City Film Festival shorts for the Tennessee local paper Metropulse says this of my short film Dear Stranger: In his quietly aching study of bereavement, Ajit Anthony Prem reminds us that it’s the invisible world that is the real one. Not only that but he proves that cinema can portray […]
Large Quicktime - Small Quicktime
To learn how to submit your own favorite childhood photos, check this page for instructions and guidelines. To see other submissions, check here.
Large Quicktime - Small Quicktime
Our first submission!
To learn how to submit your own favorite childhood photos, check this page for instructions and guidelines. To see other submissions, check here.
My podcast Banana Bus will be playing at the 10th annual Hi Mom! Film Festival. It will be part of the Matineevening block which will screen at the Arts Center in Carrboro at 6pm on Saturday, September 6th. For those who are new to the site, you can view Banana Bus here. The Hi Mom! […]
Podcast by Todd Tinkham
Flash file available here.
Ajit says:
Another entry by Todd Tinkham, this short film is one of his early works. Like many of his films, there is an undercurrent of religion which normally reveals itself in unusual and surprising ways. Like it were prehistoric relic with a dark past waiting to return to its former glory.
Todd:
It’s strange looking back at your own films. One begins to see unplanned patterns emerging on the screen. Although I am not religious, religion plays a big part in many of my films, comedy and drama.
I grew up Catholic and attended parochial schools at a time when the vast majority of the teachers were still nuns. But very few of them were under 60 years old, and many were well into their 80s - which meant they were pretty worn out and more than ready to retire to wherever it is they send aged nuns. Some of the oldest nuns would literally fall asleep at their desks during class. Needless to say, all hell would break loose – until they opened their eyes. Punishment fell fast and hard at Saint Ann’s School.
Brutality was common among the Sisters Of Mercy that I knew. I witnessed severe beatings by gangs of nuns and was given more than one nosebleed for my quick and clever remarks. One day in the 5th grade, I was beaten by three nuns and then locked in a closet for the rest of the day. When my mother found out that I’d caused trouble at school, she beat me some more and grounded me for a month. A good Catholic, bless her soul.
AND THEN THERE WERE NUN, one of my earliest films, is mostly fun, but it’s also heavy and frightening, much like Catholic schools. Surprisingly, AND THEN THERE WERE NUN did very well on the festival circuit – screening at more than 30 film festivals in 2006 and 2007, including the Vienna International Film Festival in Austria and the Rebel Planet Short Film Festival in Hollywood.
Podcast by Nic Beery
Flash file available here.
Ajit says: Hello everyone, Welcome Nic Beery!
Nic: This experimental podcast is an atmospheric piece that explores the contradictions of life, the environment that surrounds us, and human relationships. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes confusing, it’s always a journey worth taking.
Enlightenment begins when one is curious to explore, seek answers and question what they are experiencing around them.
Shot in and around the Haw river, natures natural beauty is a wonderful juxtaposition to what the filmmaker was striving for in this piece.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
Click Pic to play. Flash file available here.
The trailer for my upcoming short. Starring Amory Casto & Dan Kelly, with cinematography by Jim McQuaid. The idea is pretty simple: a love story told in only three words. The music for this trailer is "Dance, Dance, Dance" by Lykke Li.
Will update this page when I have more info about release dates and all that good stuff.
There will be an hour of my films screened at this year’s All American Film Festival. My program will be part of a local filmmakers block that starts at 3pm on Saturday, March 8th at the Marvell Center, Durham. Dear Stranger, Indian Giver and (crowd favorite) Banana Bus will be among the films I will […]
Podcast by Todd Tinkam
Click Pic to play. Flash file available here.
Okay, Ajit, here it is. This is a teaser of our film, AMERICAN ROAD. I've never made a teaser before, so I'm not sure if anyone will feel teased by it. Teased - as in they'll wonder about the film, the characters, and what happens to them beyond the few minutes shown here. Not sure if I'm doing it right, getting to the essence of what the film is about without revealing too much. Mary & I are interviewed briefly about the film, and then we hit the road, exploring America, chasing dreams, and running with the wind, rain and scorching sun of the American landscape. I hope this works for Squigglebooth.
Ajit says: Welcome Todd, it works beautifully.
Along with giving and receiving gifts, driving to see family has become a holiday tradition. In these parts, as I drive by small towns, the silent glow of holiday lights bring out the warm fuzzies within me. The song is the theme music from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, composed by Jon Brion. A […]
As part of his retrospective, local filmmaker Todd Tinkam will screen my film Banana Bus on Saturday December 8th, 7pm at Carrboro’s Century Center Cinema. I have emailed everyone in the area that I could think of but if you haven’t received an email, it doesn’t mean you aren’t invited. Come, and bring people. It […]
There will be several videos from SquiggleBooth that will be screeened at the ConvergeSouth Film Festival this October. ConvergeSouth is the annual meet-up for bloggers from the South (the biggest of its kind), so if you are one, please make sure to come because it doesn’t get better than this. Last year, they had some […]
If any of you live in North Carolina or close to, I invite you to the Ava Gardner Film Festival where there will be a retrospective of our work. The SquiggleBooth program will be held at Johnston County library in Smithfield, North Carolina. This program starts at 10am on Saturday, September 29th. There will be […]
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
(click pic to play, flash file available here)
This is a short film I completed more than a year ago but has received little love in terms of marketing. After the film premiered at the Annapolis Film Festival last fall, promoting this film fell behind other projects that were in production. It belongs on the big screen but it certainly works on the small one, so here it is.
I had been running a blog that was dedicated to the film but I am no longer posting there. However, you can find all the important information that is relevant to the film on that site.
Here are the important players from the cast & crew: * Rosie - Nikki Alikakos * Gordon - Steven Lock * Stranger - Michael Teh * Voice-Over - Kelly Cook * Rosie's Friend - Maryse Karunaratne * Still Photographer - Carl Gunhouse * Music Composer - Hunter M. McDermott
Some of you have shown in interest in buying a DVD copy of this film, I am still hoping to do this but it will most likely be part of a larger DVD set. However, you can support this and other SquiggleBooth projects by donating to us. Click here for more information on our simple donating method.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
Click Pic to play. Flash file available here.
My good friend, JaCynthia Shepherd, recalls her experiences on the Public School Bus system. It seems she received much of her education while riding to and from school. This project was originally supposed to play as part of Videoblogging week.
The beautiful song is "She Was a Girl, She Was in Love" by Matt Baldwin. You can purchase it on iTunes.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem for Videoblogging Week 2007
click pic to play, Flash file available here.
I am probably breaking some Videoblogging Week bylaw by posting a podcast that was not made this week. But the original Day 5 episode needed a little more tender love and care. The Fishtank Ferrari episode was one fragment of a bigger documentary project on tricked out cars. Sadly, the project was abandoned.
Credits:
Directed & Edited by Ajit Anthony Prem
Produced by Trevor Bayack
Shot by George Rivas
Sometimes, the best place to think is on the road. Music by Hisato Higuchi. Buy the album on iTunes. You can view or download the larger-sized photos or watch the slideshow.
Podcast by Ron Barba
click pic to play, flash version available here.
It is always intriguing to see yourself through other people's eyes. Ajit wrote this and it is loosely based on the conflict in my creative life. It was shot, acted and edited by me.
To see more of my humorous videos, please go here.
I will be on a panel on videoblogging at the PodcampAtlanta (Un)Conference talking about SquiggleBooth. If any of you live in the area or can drive up, please do come and say hello.
The videoblogging panel will take place in Atlanta on Saturday, March 17 at 1:45pm in the Governor's Hall room. I will stick around after the session, if anyone is interested.
Besides me - the other panelists are:
Kary Rogers - Inside Mr. KaryHead and Good Commitment
Erin Nealey - Mom's Brag Vlog
Chris Daniel - nTune.tv and Chris Daniel's Video Blog
Grayson Daughters - The Spacey Gracey Review
A pretty diverse group, it should be interesting.
Directions and other info can be found here: http://podcamp.pbwiki.com/PodcampAtlantaSessions
Please register here: http://podcamp.pbwiki.com/PodcampAtlantaRegistrants
click here for the pdf
podcast by Rachel Connolly
click pic to play, Flash version available here.
After filming a narrative short at Pete Wing’s castle in 1995, I returned at the break of dawn after several years to follow Pete around with the Mini DV. Hours and hours of his ramblings were whittled down to this 10 minutes documentary. I wanted to tape Pete until he finished the B&B extension but realized he was probably going to be working on the castle forever and I needed to wrap things up. Turns out, he discovered the taxes would be prohibitively expensive on the B&B so he and his wife, Toni, are trying to sell it and move to Montana. What will happen to Pete and castle is still undecided but here’s a little artifact of this character and his folly in the meantime.
Synopsis:
At the age of twenty-one Peter Wing returned from Vietnam and started building a home for himself and his family using recycled materials. For thirty years he and his wife are proud owners of a medieval castle visited by hundreds of tourists every year. Wing’s Castle Documentary shares with us what a little perseverance and resourcefulness can accomplish and how one can draw inspiration from the most challenging of life’s experiences.
click pic to play, Flash version available here.
This is the unofficial opening scene to a documentary completed last year. It is currently playing at most of PBS stations, check your local listings.
Riding In Stride (25:30 mins.) probes the age-old relationship between girls, women and horses by documenting girls on ponies and women at the racetrack, including interviews with veteran jockey PJ Cooksey, trainer Joan Scott, and bestselling author Mary Midkiff. Riding in Stride focuses on women who have carried that passion into their adult lives and reveals what it takes for women to make it in the racing industry while staying dedicated to their love for horses.
This opening scene was split up in the final cut for many logistical reasons. But I have always had a fondness for it in its original state.
Riding in Stride was directed by Rachel Connolly, edited by me (Ajit Anthony Prem) with music composed by Carmela Sinco. If you would like to buy a DVD, go to Premhart.com.
SquiggleBooth's first audio podcast.
My neighbour Scott recieved this telephone message from one of his good friends, Jonathan, right after New Years Eve 2007. It is exactly what you'd expect -- emotional, hilarious and out of control. Music by Carmela.
Note: This has strong language.
Unlike much of the other Squiggle podcasts, this podcast is purely sensory. No stories, no characters. So take a break from your day and dive into these beautiful waters. The wonderful music is by Carmela Sinco. The images were shot mostly on my little digital camera over a period of time. I’ve tried to keep […]
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
Dear Stranger will premiere at the Annapolis Film Festival. Details: Crown Theater 1 in Annapolis, Maryland at 1:30 pm on November 11th. I will be there for the screening and the Q&A afterwards. If you live in the area, do come. If you know someone in the area, tell them to come. If you make it, make sure to say hello.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
click pic to play
Voice by Scott Wallace. And I proud to say the music is by me.
Podcast by Marc Miller
My favorite memories associated with California are those simple spontaneous trips south of the border to a small campground in Mexico. Credits: Camera: Jan Vlasto Music: Carmela Sinco
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
A music video for The Tourist (a.k.a Hunter MacDermut).
Credits:
Music by The Tourist
Directed by Ajit Anthony Prem
Him: Hunter MacDermut
Her: Lindsey Glass
Produced by Kelly Cook
Special Thanks to:
Carla Cherry
Jim McQuaid
Podcast by Marc Miller
Just a small chaotic piece that reflects some of my thoughts and anxieties.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
A film that I shot in College but finished much, much later. By the time I had completed it, I had forgotten many of the full names of the cast and crew. My sincere apologies to them wherever they are. (Credits below)
This film is wonderfully and insanely abstract, I have a love/hate relationship with it. Many of the initial ideas I began with disappeared once production started. And what was already a pretty abstract plot became even more.
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
September 7th marks three exciting years since meeting my Wife. In that time, my life has changed dramatically for the best. It seems like I finally have a life!
This video should certainly remind you of being forced to sit through the family vacation videos by your parents. If it doesn't then you should watch it a couple of times.
Music: Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra
Podcast by Ajit Anthony Prem
Part one of a series of Blurring video podcasts. Everyday stuff, everyday conversations and all that drama it carries.
Credits:
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Her - Kelly Cook
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Him/Writer/Director - Ajit Anthony Prem
Podcast by Marc Miller & Marc Levine
click pic to play
Part two of our look at Extreme Skipping -- a sport that hasn't recieved the recognition it deserves -- and its biggest supporter.
Part one is here.