inspiration

SOFIE INSPIRES YOU TO ASPIRE: Pieces of INSPIRATION

Sun, 05 Oct 2014 20:33:43 +0100

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.” Jack London

In the spirit of this entry’s quote, SOFIE wanted to discuss how, like with many things in life, people tend to overlook the importance of starting right where they are…right at home. This is true even in the pursuit of inspiration. There are places everywhere we can go. There are people all over the world to whom we can look. However, are we deliberately and thoughtfully surrounding ourselves with inspiration in the places where we spend most of our time…especially in the places where we seek to create and innovate…???

Below is a link to a touching and thought provoking New York Times article about the Tony Award winning Broadway star of “Kinky Boots,” Billy Porter. We sincerely thank Fashion Maven and TV Host Bevy Smith @bevysmith for sharing!

“When I first moved into my current home, I needed all new furniture. This red, leather couch from Thomasville Furniture was the first piece I purchased. I knew it would be the place where a lot of my creative work would be done and from where I would conceive and birth a lot of my new ideas. Therefore, it was imperative that it would entice me to come hither every time I laid eyes upon it. It had to be comfy and stylish and yes, RED! I usually stick to muted, natural tones, materials and textures, BUT I always have to have a pop of color to inspire me and help keep my spirit soaring.”

“The next big furniture purchase I made was dining room chairs from Restoration Hardware. I imagined some of my favorite people around my table, laughing and enjoying spirited conversation…delicious, sumptuous meals…and loud, competitive and fun card games. So, I needed chairs that would be sturdy and comfortable for long periods of time. Of course, the chairs needed to be an excellent compliment to my red couch! So, I chose the Antique Whiskey leather with an intricately carved Weathered Oak Drifted wooden frame. Besides my great appreciation for the comfort provided by the thick seat cushion and cushioned back, I often sit and admire the carvings and the contrast of the squared base against the huge, rounded back. I hadn’t paid attention, until now, to the fact that my chairs are reproductions of a classic Louis XVI dining chair popular in the French colonial period, but they do make me feel like royalty every time I sit on one.”

“Cookware! I don’t know why, but I can even be inspired by cookware. While I do enjoy cooking, I don’t often have the chance to indulge in it like I want. However, I do have a fully stocked kitchen with everything the advanced chef would love or need. Now…I don’t need another piece of cookware, but…I am tempted by these gorgeous Lagostina Heritage Collection items! Lagostina is the premiere cookware brand in Italy, and it will finally make its debut in the U.S. soon. Besides superb cooking performance, the brand is known for exceptionally beautiful designs. There’s even a piece of Lagostina in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). So…if MOMA considers it art…”

“I feel inspired each time I look down during a meal and see the colorful plate featuring a sweet nature scene. I think Everyday China is one of the best ideas in Housewares! When I have guests, they usually don’t want to use my Lenox Chirp China dishes, because people have become used to waiting until a special occasion to use China. In my home, everyday is special.”

“Something else that I rely upon daily for inspiration…my photographs of loved ones placed lovingly all around my home. As I walk by a group of photos, my eyes will land on one, and I am transported back to some wonderful moment that I shared with someone who has truly enriched my life…always providing love, support, encouragement and the greatest inspiration to keep dreaming and living my dreams!”

Tweet @SOFIE1andOnly pictures of some of your own “Pieces of Inspiration” that help you to be your creative best!

SOFIE INSPIRES YOU TO ASPIRE: Hope and Strength of INSPIRATION

Sun, 05 Oct 2014 20:09:36 +0100

SOFIE INSPIRES YOU TO ASPIRE: Place, Art & Dress of INSPIRATION

Sun, 05 Oct 2014 20:09:54 +0100

Be Your Creative Best!!!

Well, submissions are closed for this year's The Short Film Awards. The review process is underway. In fact, SOFIE received so many award-worthy entries that the review process has been extended to ensure that the proper consideration is given to all and THE ABSOLUTE BEST are chosen for the final five in each category. So...while you're waiting to hear, "And the Nominees are..." take some time to be inspired to create your next Short film masterpiece. SOFIE will be looking out for it in the 2015 The Short Film Awards submissions!!!

Place of Inspiration
This summer, our Director traveled a lot! As an avid traveler, it is one of the ways she stays innovative and creative. Spending time in new surroundings, engaging with people from different places, immersing in other cultures...you're sure to find new inspiration.



"Sitting still and quiet on a tropical beach...enjoying a sea wave serenade..." (St. Kitts)

Art of Inspiration
In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the phenomenal play, "for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf," the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY is hosting a fascinating art exhibit titled, "i found God in myself." Since the play’s debut performance in 1974, Shange’s work has captivated, provoked, inspired, and transformed audiences all over the world. Twenty artists were commissioned and collaborated to create some beautiful and interesting works in all kinds of media. You can seek some inspiration through these works, on display from September 19 - January 3, 2015.



"The people, the colors, the art...the creative energy was thick in the air. At least three new ideas for short films were conceived in me that day..." (La Maison d' Art, Harlem, NY)

Dressing for Inspiration
In New York City, it's Fashion Week! Our Director had the opportunity to attend the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week "Project Runway" show...where fashion was the inspiration of the day!!!

"Fashion is important, because when you feel like you look amazing in your clothes, your whole being is positively impacted...you walk straighter, you're happier, you're confident...YOU ARE BOLD AND BRAVE...your unique light shines bright for all the world to see!!!" (Mercedes Benz Fashion Week #MBFW "Project Runway" Fashion Show, Lincoln Center, New York, NY)

See Our Ad in the Sundance Institute's Radar Magazine 2014!!!

Sat, 14 Jun 2014 12:52:19 +0100

http://issuu.com/faircountmedia/docs/sundanceradar14

Take SOFIE home!!!

Sat, 01 Mar 2014 17:46:49 +0100

CALL FOR ENTRIES

On Monday, March 3, 2014, submissions will open for the 1st Annual Short Film Awards.

Submit your Narrative, Dramatic, Comedic, Documentary or Animated short film project by April 19, 2014 for a submission fee discount.

Regular submissions end July 15, 2014.

Categories include:

Best Film in each genre
Best Director
Best Editing
Best Writing
Best Actress
Best Actor
Outstanding Technical Work
Outstanding Styling

...and more!!!

2013 OSCAR SHORT FILM WINNERS

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:13:02 +0100

Short of the Week reports on the 2013 Academy Award Short Film winners:

WINNERS

SHORTS at The Toronto International Film Festival

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:24:30 +0100

This year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) runs from September 6-16th.

"The Toronto International Film Festival is the most successful public film festival in the world. World premieres, galas, associated shmoozes and parties comprise this illustrious event where stars, directors and industry honchos make the rounds. If you are a cinephile or simply just love to experience new and innovative films, the Festival is the place to be." (www.seetorontonow.com)

Below is a link to the SHORT CUTS CANADA page, listing "the best short films from emerging and established Canadian" filmmakers showing at the festival.

Hmmmm....which ones will capture SOFIE's heart and imagination?!?

VISIT SHORT CUTS CANADA

_________________________________________________

(August 6, 2012) Lucky Post’s Sai Selvarajan has created a dynamic promo film that is a tribute to Magic Johnson and the inspirational power of basketball. Twenty years ago, basketball’s Dream Team ushered in Olympic history, exposing a global audience to the majesty of the sport and informing new generations of players and fans. Gold was the prize, but for many the inspiration came from the participation of Magic Johnson who retired a year earlier after the stunning announcement that he had contracted HIV.

Editor/designer Sai Selvarajan was a kid when these events transpired, too young to really understand their magnitude, but old enough to feel the charge derived from watching and playing basketball. Last year, press surrounding the 20th anniversary of Johnson’s shocking HIV announcement reignited Sai’s appreciation for Johnson’s courage. Listening to an archival interview with Magic Johnson, Sai discovered playing on the Dream Team provided healing for Johnson who suffered depression following his diagnosis – then considered a terminal illness. This revelation was Sai’s creative starting point for “Magic”.

“Throughout my life, I have played basketball and it has helped me tackle other challenges,” Sai explains. “While I haven’t faced anything as intense, I related to Johnson’s near spiritual connection to the sport and was awestruck by his ability to face adversity in many forms.”

Finding time in between commissioned work, Sai took audio news and interview clips and began to craft his short film. Working primarily with Photoshop, AfterEffects and Final Cut, Sai applied motion and color treatment to shots of Johnson interwoven with vintage-inspired infographics, all set to a music track by his band Warmth Through Distance. The result captures a pivotal moment in history and illuminates the power of sport just as the Olympics – and a new Dream Team – play out in London.

Sai hails from Texas by way of Sri-Lanka and Nigeria. His multicultural upbringing has helped create his unique and worldly editorial style. He’s a product of hard work with a never-say-die attitude whose interests include basketball, rock, rap, and dancing to old records with his wife and daughter. Favorite expression: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
(www.creativecow.net)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH