New Academia Tab & Content

It's becoming more popular for academics to expose their (usually private) musings to the outside world.

While this predominantly remains my website for my film work (especially the film I've been working on for the last three years, "The Theory of Happiness") I realized that for an occasional visitor, it may be interesting to glance at what I'm doing as part of my PhD program at the University of British Columbia.

Thus, you will see a new tab under the header, titled "academia," where I will occasionally post papers I'm working on, various "fun" graphs, or other content relevant to my academic work. I also hope to resuscitate several old publications, making them accessible online for you to view, to comment on, and possibly, to be amused by.

To begin, allow me to post a graph I created using  gephi,  an open graph visualization software,  made interactive with thinglink. It was inspired by this blog, which has created a Wikipedia-based graph on the history of philosophy. To learn about my graph, please visit the new "academia" tab!

Sea of Changes 1/2

Please forgive the long silence: Here are the formal acknowledgments of all the amazing people who supported this film as part of the INDIEGOGO campaign held last summer, which allowed us to record the soundtrack to the film.

 Thank you!

“Producers”

Dan & Melissa Galway

 

“Campaign Director”

Elena Tverskoy
Alon
Kathy & Nick Morrissey
Alla Buzina

“Campaign Cinematographer”

Aylon C.
Olga Gan
Hana Balaban-Pommier
Deborah Rehner
Lenardo Lucarella

“Campaign Sound Recordist”

Peter Smith
Kristyna Balaban

“Campaign Production Assistant”

Nick Hilton

Special Thank You!

 Christine Peddle

Samuel Vriezen

And 7 Anonymous Contributors who did not wish to have their names revealed  

(This list is always evolving, so please contact me if I have misspelled, 
miscategorized, or omitted your name. I apologize in advance.)

Sea of Changes 2/2

So What Happened?

Have no fear, I have been vigorously working on the film "The Theory of Happiness." Of course, the North American model of film production is just slightly different from the European model, so in order to stay afloat and compensate, at least symbolically, those who are helping me with the project, I had to work wage jobs that ranged from barista work, to English tutoring and bike couriering. I have also started a Ph.D. program at the University of British Columbia, which has kept me busy for the last eight months.

Nevertheless, my editor and I have been getting together religiously every Monday (or Tuesday), and working away on the edit. Our sound engineers are getting restless, as are our colour correctors, etc, etc. But we are getting closer and closer, and come spring time, we will hopefully reach that elusive goal of a picture lock!

I was fortuitous enough to find an editor who is also an animator! Over the past three months, we have been designing animation for certain parts of the film, such as the opening titles. You will not be disappointed by the wait.  

UBC Seminar and Preview of "The Theory of Happiness"

I will be giving a seminar and showing a 25-minute preview of the film-in-progress, "The Theory of Happiness," at the University of British Columbia this Friday, April 27. 

I will be presenting as part of a seminar series of the Eurasia Research Group at UBC.
It will be free and if you live in the Vancouver area, and wish to come out, here is the info:

3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (sharp) Room: AnSo 2107UBC | Department of Anthropology

2104-6303 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver

Hope to see you there, and hope you ask me some tough questions!

Please Support My Fundraising Campaign

Today, I have started a fundraising campaign in order to raise funds to record a quartet composed by an internationally-renowned composer, Marc Sabat, who has agreed to record original music for the film.

Please consider supporting by sharing, commenting, or donating, if you can. A new trailer is available on the campaign website, Indiegogo.com. You can also check out Marc Sabat's music and website, plainsound.org

Thank you for your support.

Composer!

I am currently talking about the possibilities of an original score for the film with a distinguished Canadian composer of contemporary music working and living in Berlin.

When I first heard his music, I immediately knew the match was perfect. His intonations are in perfect synchronicity with the mood that I want to convey in this film, and we are currently trying to figure out which compositions will be best-suited for different scenes, and how we would go about recording them.

There is a chance that I will go to Berlin this summer, to record a quartet play his music in a church. Until then, you'll have to wait for the reveal.

Salt Spring Arts Council

I am happy to announce that The Salt Spring Arts Council has awarded "The Theory of Happiness" a generous professional development grant.

This grant will facilitate work with an editor, and assure the completion of a rough cut of the film. I am also pledging a personal donation to match the award, in order to continue my work on the "Theory of Happiness."

On the move and in progress

Since the last update, my partner and I have left St. John's and have relocated to British Columbia! We have settled to live on a beautiful island, in a forest, with deer visiting our backyard, and a hammock on our deck. In other words, a perfect place to edit a film!

Our sendoff and the DVD release were a wonderful way to leave the province-our guests were very warm and supportive. We took the train across Canada over a period of a month, staying with friends and relatives along the way, and doing some filming from the window of the train.

During our travels, many people have contributed to my fundraising efforts, and if you have not received a complimentary copy of my last film, please hang on for a little while still - it's in the mail.

Thank you for your donations, they are very much needed, and appreciated!

Release of DVD "Turning Back the Waves"

Today, is the long awaited release of the DVD "Turning Back the Waves," a film produced in 2009-10! If you're in the St. John's area, please don't hesitate to contact me regarding the release at theoryofhappiness@yahoo.com.

Starting today, I will be accepting donations for continuing my work on "The Theory of Happiness." If you wish to pledge over $25 via the Donate button on the left of your screen, you will get a complimentary copy of "Turning Back the Waves" shipped to your address. 

Updates: Summer 2011

Turning Back the Waves

After a series of lucky (and not so lucky) coincidences, I made a decision to independently distribute the DVD, Turning Back the Waves. I am currently getting the DVDs printed, and will have them available at the beginning of September. As soon as they become available, I'll be able to ship them to anywhere in the world! I will also be asking for a minimum donation in order to support my work on "Theory of Happiness." 


Bringing me to my next update:

Theory of Happiness

As a result of a week-long collaboration with an accomplished editor, Chris Darlington, working in St. John's, the project is now at the stage of a rough assembly. This, of course, is just scratching the surface. (Don't forget about making it to a picture lock, a final cut, working with graphics, getting a composer for the soundtrack, doing sound mix and design, colour correction, submitting to festival and getting distribution). Currently, I'm also writing narration for the film. 

Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Grant

Thanks to a generous grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, work on "The Theory of Happiness" will now be assisted by a professional editor. Also, an excellent producer has stepped on board to see this film through. In the last few months, several applications have been submitted asking for support from various cultural agencies in the province. As soon as I hear back from them, updates will follow.

Theory of Happiness: Extended Preview

The film is picking up momentum with people coming on board to help me finance, produce and edit the final picture. Finally, here is the extended preview that I have put together while working on this project in Belgium.


Theory of Happiness (Preview) from Gregory Gan on Vimeo.


Feel free to comment on the post, or send me an e-mail. 

Seminar and Film Preview

Thank you everyone who came to my seminar this Tuesday.

At the beginning of the presentation, I gave a questionnaire to determine how the audience rates on the Pyramid of Happiness. Everyone failed.

I am including the questionnaire here, along with the text of the seminar. In my next post, you will be able to see the trailer to the film.

Where Do You Place on the Pyramid of Happiness?

Notes of a Filmmaker/Participant-Observer in a Radical Ukrainian Sect

Gregory Gan

            On the palm of the earth, stands the city of the sun.

            No bad weather or bandits, the city is immersed in the world of kindness

            A world of love; the kingdom of wisdom, in the city of the sun

            Look closer friend, who is your friend and who is your foe?

            Who obscures the sun by clouds, creating darkness,

            Wake up!

            If you want to live there, creating sunny days of life,

            Look for your neighbours in the city of the sun.

            Only a real person will be your friend forever,

            Happiness will spark for all friends, in the city of the Sun.

This is a translated quote from the song, City of the Sun, composed by Yura Davidov, the founder of the sect, “PORTOS,” The Poetical Altruists for the Development of the Theory of Universal Happiness. 

Film Preview & Seminar: February 15th

I will be giving a seminar on my last film, entitled "Where do you place on the pyramid of happiness? Notes of a filmmaker/participant-observer in a radical Ukrainian sect."

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, 15th February from 4:30-6p.m. in Queen's College Room 4028. All are welcome - please invite others who may be interested.

View Queen's College in a larger map

Gregory Gan Films

This is a website dedicated to my ethnographic film work, featuring two feature-length films that I wrote, produced and directed. You can use the tabs, or the links on the left, to navigate to various pages describing these projects.