Tampa Bay Film updates - Site updates and newsAbout Tampa Bay Film - History of Tampa Bay Film, staff, mission statement, legal disclaimer, terms of use, and more!Tampa Bay Film features, articles, tutorials, interactive tutorials, anecdotes, stories, tools, paperwork, and more.Tampa Bay Film 2009 Tampa Film Scam Analysis Database - Tampa Film Scams -Tampa Film Networking Scams, Tampa Film Workshop Scams, Tampa Film Collaboration Scams, Tampa Film School Scams, Tampa Film Festival Scams, Tampa Casting Scams, Tampa Film Credibility Scams, Tampa Film Competition Scams, Tampa Film Clique Scams, Tampa Film Association Scams, Tampa Talent Scams, Tampa Production Exploitation Scams, Tampa Talent Exploitation Scams, Tampa Casting Couch Scams, Tampa Film Misrepresentation Scams, Crimes Against Tampa Talent, Unprofessional Behavior, Public Relations Scams, Tampa Film Scam Enablers, Risk Analysis For Tampa Film ScamsJobs, auditions, and castings in Tampa Bay, Florida, for production professionals, talent, actors, and indy filmmakers. This Tampa Bay Film section links to the job and audition boards of Independent Modeling, Independent Acting, Independent Performer, and the TALON Talent Online industry database for production professionals, talent, and business.Tampa Services - Photography, design, event planning, advertising, marketing, web site design, and more.Tampa indie film resourcesTampa Bay Film contact information in the Tampa Bay, Florida area and the Tampa Bay Film Mail Bag!  
Tampa Bay Film - The Voice Of Tampa Indie Film.
   Tampa Bay Film - The voice of Tampa indie filmTampa Film Blog - News. Opinions. Knowledge. Power.Films - The Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival - Always open, with an endless library of indie films and Tampa film reviews!Tampa Film Showcase monthly Tampa film festival and professional networking series by Eventi Stage and Tampa Bay Film. Tampa Film FestivalsTampa Film Review - Reviews of Tampa indie films, Tampa film festivals, Tampa filmmakers, and more.Tampa Film ConferenceTampa Film Community  
Tampa Bay model Lisa Marie Lowrey photographed by Tampa Bay photographer C. A. Passinault during a photography session for Tampa Bay modeling resource site Independent Modeling in 2003. Photography by Aurora PhotoArts photography and design Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay Film Festival PictureTampa actress and model Sarah Bray photographed poolside in Tampa Palms (New Tampa) by Tampa Bay photographer C. A. Passinault in 2002. Photography by Aurora PhotoArts photography and design Tampa Bay A Dancer in a Tampa Bay event photographed by Tampa Bay photographer C. A. Passinault. Photography by Aurora PhotoArts photography and design Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay Film Festival PictureTampa filmmaker Chris Woods headshot by Tampa headshot photographer C. A. Passinault, Aurora PhotoArts Tampa Photography and Design.Tampa Bay model, dancer, and choreographer Melissa Maxim photographed with Lance, a nightclub dancer, in a Ybor City nightclub by Tampa Bay photographer C. A. Passinault in 2002. Photography by Aurora PhotoArts photography and design Tampa Bay Tampa model and actress Roxanne Kowalska (right) and singer Michelle pose for a pre-production shoot of the short indie film “The Pledge”, in a preproduction photography session with the original cast by C. A. Passinault. Both Roxanne Kowalska and “Lowie” Laura Narvaez (not pictured) were scouted for the film at a Passinault audition. Casting crew for Passinault Entertainment Group conducting auditions for the Reverence feature film.Tampa audition photograph of actresses reading roles from the Reverence feature indie film project by Dream Nine Studios.Two actresses read during an audition for the Reverence feature film, a Passinault indie film.Tampa actress and model Harmony Layne poses for pictures to be used in the Tampa indie film, The Quiet Place. Photograph by Tampa photographer C. A. Passinault, Aurora PhotoArts Tampa photography and design.Tampa singer, model, actress, television host, pageant title holder, and entertainer Ann Poonkasem serenades an audience near Brandon, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area. Photograph taken by Tampa photographer C. A. Passinault, who was sitting in the front row judging the beauty pageant with a camera and a long, 300 MM lense.Tampa actor Rob Mussell headshot by Tampa headshot photographer C. A. Passinault. Tampa model and actress Sarah Bray during a modeling shoot with Tampa modeling portfolio photographer C. A. Passinault in Riverview, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area.Scream At The Wall Cameraman at the Horror and Hotties film festival in Tampa, Florida.
TALENT - MODELING - ACTING - PHOTOGRAPHERS - FILM - SCAMS - AGENCY

THE UNAUTHORIZED REVIEW OF

THE TAMPA FILM REVIEW

The unauthorized review of the Tampa Film Review monthly film festival By C. A. Passinault

INTRODUCTION - PART 1 - PART 2 - FILM FESTIVAL SCORECARD

The Tampa Film Review Film Festival Event Scorecard
2006-2007

Please note that a score of 5 is average.

Concept (1-10): 6
Good concept, but not as professional as it needs to be due to the casual theme and the fact that the organizers only seem to be motivated to do it for “fun”. With professional competition on the way, the concept is now, more than ever, in need of a serious overhaul, as the participants only seem to tolerate it because it is the only game in town.

Venue (1-10): 6
Mismatched venue. A busy retail store in a party city, with noisy, often intoxicated customers, is not at all appropriate for a film festival. Tampa Film Review participants can expect lots of rude distractions as the store activity clashes with the film festival. This was much better two years ago in a coffeehouse café!

Vendors (1-10): 1
There are no vendors or sponsors outside of the sponsoring retail venue. This is part of the problem, as vendors would give the Tampa Film Review the capital that it needs for professional improvement. The lack of vendors is also a missed opportunity, and proof that the organizers do not see this as a business. With the lack of business-mindset, how far can this go, and how long can the Tampa Film Review last? Film Festivals are not charities, and those who operate as such don’t go far.

Organization (1-10): 3
The Tampa Film Review is plagued with poor organization and a casual, unprofessional execution which, perhaps, is an offshoot of the concept behind it. The production standards are amateur, the same technical problems occur with each event and solutions are not even attempted, and it is too difficult to meet and network with the few professionals in the sea of fanboys. Again, a professional business mindset would do wonders. This is supposed to be a film festival, and not a fanboy club for a self-important, self-serving clique with shades of false modesty.

Entertainment (1-10): 4
You get what you pay for, and in this case, it really is true. The Tampa Film Review may be free, but count the costs of wasted time, parking, and gas, and you may not be too happy. Sometimes the Tampa Film Review is entertaining for unintended reasons. You can go there to laugh at what are supposed to be indie films or the organizers cursing at the technical problems, which aren’t the only repeats with every event. As a film festival, however, it falls way short. The organizers intend to show every indie film submitted to them regardless of the quality, and don’t bother screening them. Some Tampa Film Reviews don’t have a single good film to show. Others may, but prepare to endure the onslaught of bad films before you can see anything even approaching mediocre. The Tampa Film Review shouldn’t even be considered a film festival because of the lack of quality control and the pathetic programming.

Attendance (1-10): 6
Usually moderate, the attendance is only as good as it is because this is the only monthly film festival event in Tampa, for now. While it does demonstrate that people are interested in film festivals and indie films, you can’t help but wonder if the attendance would be much higher if the film festival was professionally organized and executed, which it is not. The participants largely tolerate the shortcomings of the Tampa Film Review because it is presently the only game in town. When professional competition arrives, it will be interesting to see what happens to the attendance numbers if the Tampa Film Review refuses to get serious and improve.

Features (1-10): 4
The only features would be what are being passed off as indie films. The only purpose of the event is to sit and watch indie films, often of laughable quality. There are reviews of said films, which could be considered to be a feature, and the reviews can be seen on the Crazedfanboy web site every month. Some of the reviews are actually quite good, and add to the entertainment value if you had to sit through the films with the review writers.

Admission Value (1-10): 3
The Tampa Film Review is free, and be glad that it is. There is no direct admission cost. When you add gas and parking, however, expect to shell out around $10.00 for the privilege of attending. When you factor in the high crime of Ybor City, the fact that you will have to walk several city blocks at night in a crime Mecca to get to and from the venue, and the fact that you could be spending time doing something constructive, it just isn’t worth it. You are better off renting a DVD somewhere and watching it at home. If you must watch indie films, Tampa Bay Film does have an online film festival, which is free and can also be viewed from home.

Overall Event Score (1-10): 4
An overrated monthly film festival, marginally successful in spite of itself because it is currently one of the few events of its kind. The Tampa Film Review seems to always be organized at the last minute, is held in a venue which is ill-suited for a film festival, always has serious technical issues, has no accommodations or support for serious professional networking, and is often hard to participate with. At this time, we cannot recommend this film festival to anyone but someone with too much time on their hands, a fondness of paying for their parking, and a love for the dangers of Ybor City as they walk blocks to reach the film festival. Perhaps competition will be good for the Tampa Film Review. They will either be forced to become a professional venue for quality indie films or will finally be put out of their misery, as little has changed in the two years that this reviewer has wasted in attending this sorry excuse for a film festival. As it now stands, the poor quality of this event and the unprofessional attitude by the organizers is an insult to the people who attend. There are a few who state that Pete and Paul should be given a medal for the "work" that they have done for the "indie film community" and this travesty of a film festival, but given what we have experienced with the Tampa Film Review and the questionable motivation of the organizers, we would have to say that those who praise this are deluded, and their statements speak volumes about their professional judgment.

Tampa Film Review Introduction

For the past four years, there has been a monthly film festival in Ybor City, a film festival which has featured many short indie films, and which has served as a gathering for people interested in Tampa independent film. This film festival, known as the Tampa Film Review, or simply TFR for short, started as a free, grassroots-sort of event, and it has remained largely the same. Little has changed for the Tampa Film Review except for a change in venue within a two block area of Ybor City. Like an actor with limited acting range, little has changed but the name and the location; it is a case of same face, different place. The format, and the issues which have haunted it, remain.
My very first Tampa Film Review was in October of 2005, just over two years ago, when it was then known as the Coffeehouse Film Review. I had been aware of the film festival since it began, but it took me a while to research the participants, and I always seemed to have something going on, so it took me over a year to finally attend. The film festival was then held on Thursday nights, and I set out on a pleasantly warm October evening to finally check out what I had been reading about for so long. I was hoping to see some creative indie films and meet talented filmmakers.
Perhaps I set my expectations a bit too high, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
As a place, Ybor City has a lot of history going for it. It also seems to attract some of the oddest people in the Tampa Bay area. I seldom go there, and when I do it is something modeling related. As a professional photographer, I have done a lot of modeling photography shoots in Ybor during weekend days, and I even recall doing one with another photographer and six models at night on 7th avenue as far back as 1999. Although Ybor does have a high crime rate, I've never had a problem walking around with models and expensive cameras (at least a few years ago when I last used it as a location). The reason for this, however, was literally day and night. I always spent my time there during the relatively docile days and early on weekend mornings. The night was when Ybor came alive, and night is when the dark side of the area became prominent. As a professional in the entertainment industry and as a working artist, I, too, had been at odds with the Ybor City scene as a productive and a professional artistic community. I was fresh from the end of a long modeling industry war in the region, where my modeling web sites Independent Modeling and Tampa Bay Modeling slammed local operations and addressed some issues, and my feelings about the area for professional art were subdued, to say the least. For the record, I have had bad experiences with the Ybor “art” and “entertainment” scene, and this trend shows no signs of ever changing.
Arriving in Ybor for my first Tampa Film Review, I was annoyed to learn that parking was not free. I parked in the parking garage, and quickly made my way down to the street level and onto the busy 7th avenue.
It took me a while to find the location, which was a small coffeehouse café. The neon signs of the tattoo parlors and loud music blaring from the storefronts proved to be most distracting, and after a time of wandering and asking around, I finally found where I was going. The coffeehouse, Walter Romero’s Studio 1515 Coffeehouse, was a small place which proved to be very difficult to find.
Upon locating the storefront, some people exited, complaining about an inconvenience. I asked them if this was the Coffeehouse Film Review, and an attractive, young woman told me that it was, and that they were having all kinds of technical problems inside. She told me that this was nothing new, and that they simply took the bad with the good because this was the only monthly film venue in the Tampa Bay area. I exhaled and pushed forward, not at all optimistic about what I would find on the other side of the door. The unhappy couple walked off, telling me that they wished me luck and that they were sick and tired of all of the problems that the event had. They were going home for that night.
I entered the café, and was pleased with what I saw. Brick walls contained genuine charm and style. I later found out that this would be the last Coffeehouse Film Review, as the place was half-gutted and in the process of going out of business, but I must say that, in retrospective and looking back, that this venue was the high point in the Tampa Film Review’s cyclic history. Although the smell of coffee makes me ill, I absolutely loved this place, and was sad that it was closing. I was also sad that, due to the pending closure, that it was difficult to get any food service in the café, and most of what they had available were the aforementioned coffee and some pastries, which held little appeal for me.
I looked further in the back of the store, and witnessed event “organizers” Paul and Pete Guzzo working on some audio problems, an ongoing and regular feature of the Tampa Film Review. I introduced myself and offered to help, but was told that they had things under control. With that, I took a seat and waited. I waited some more. Hungry, and with little hope of progress, I left for another restaurant to get a bite to eat, and returned a while later.
Upon my return, the Guzzo brothers had relocated the screen to the front of the café, and were using some band equipment for the sound, which hardly was an improvement (as an event planner with far more experience with sound, I rolled my eyes at the fiasco, but out of politeness decided to keep my mouth shut). They had set up some chairs for the new configuration, and were just starting their late debut. Several other people had shown up, among them Crazedfanboy’s Nolan Canova and Icon Film Studios legendary Chris Woods. Although I knew a good amount about everyone there from research and from visiting their web sites, no one knew anything about me or what I looked like, so I decided to formerly introduce myself.
Nolan knew who I was only because our mutual friend Steve Beasley (who I had trained at Bank Of America when I was a banker and was helping with the training of new hires) had told him about me years before, and also because I had contacted Nolan a few days before. He had been depressed about the cancellation of his Nolancon event, and I broke my self-imposed communications blackout to let him know that it wasn’t as bad as he thought it was.
Why did I study up on the Tampa indie film scene and why didn’t I introduce myself sooner? I wasn’t ready. I had other things going on, and I already had a strong disagreement with one of the main Tampa indie filmmakers years before, back in 2002, over some actresses, auditions, productions, and other issues. I was sure that I had been “blacklisted” by his friends, after he complained about me, and the comments about the Tampa indie film community from my Independent Acting web site became known. This, of course, did not prove to be the case, and I later patched things up with the filmmaker. Indeed, no one really knew much about me or my entertainment projects, and I also discovered that the Tampa indie film community was not as organized, as large, or as supportive as I had believed. I also discovered that the points made and the opinions shared by Independent Acting regarding the Tampa indie film community during the Saints and Sinners film festivals were right on the money. Sometimes you make a professional observation and later wish, and convince yourself, that it wasn’t true, only to discover later that the initial assessment was the correct one. More on that, however, later.
After making my introductions, freaking out Chris Woods (he later told me that he thought that I was a stalker because of my good amount of knowledge about him, but was glad that this did not turn out to be the case after he took the time to get to know me - That’s how it works, I suppose. Some conceptions turn out to be true. Others are simply misconceptions, and you can never know the difference between the two until you make an effort to learn the facts), I sat down with Nolan, Chris Woods, and some other person who I don’t recall, since it has been over two years. The first film I remember seeing was the Guzzo’s Life Is A Circus, which I remember was competently put together, but one which I absolutely hated as a film.
Two months, and one Halloween Horror Picture Show indie film festival later, the Coffeehouse Film Review relocated at the International Bazaar, a block away in Ybor, and was renamed the Tampa Film Review. With that, my review of the Tampa Film Review begins.

NEXT: PART 1

Opinions expressed on the Tampa Bay Film web site may not be shared by the professionals shown or represented in our photographs. There may be no photographs of our staff on this web site, and our writers reserve the right to publish under Pseudonyms for their safety. Professionals featured on this web site may not be affiliated with this web site and may not be contributors. Photographs are the property of our contributing photographers from the Tampa Bay and other Florida markets.

Opinions published on Tampa Bay Film may not be shared by our contributors and advertisers. Opinions expressed may not be shared by the Tampa Bay Film web site, and are solely those of the writer or contributor behind them. We reserve the right to withhold the identities of our writers, and may not provide such information if we cannot positively identify the source of the request or their intentions.

Films shown on our online film festival remain the property of the copyright owners, and exist on profiles which were set up by them. No film or intellectual property which belong to others exists on our web site server. Films and externally hosted content may be removed at any time simply by the owner deleting the profile where it is hosted or by writing us so we can remove it at our convenience. We are not a hosting or networking site and do not maintain servers capable of hosting large amounts of content. We are a resource, business, and marketing site for the professional Tampa Bay Film community for the use of production professionals and talent.

All use of the Tampa Bay Film site is covered under our terms of use, and you must read and understand our terms of use and our disclaimer before you can legally use this web site in any way. Usage, which includes viewing our content on any web browser or computer, waives us from any and all claims of slander, libel, cyberstalking, misrepresentation, and invasion of privacy. Please read our DISCLAIMER and TERMS OF USE for more information.

UPDATED 04/13/08

 
   

UPDATES AND NEWS - ABOUT TAMPA BAY FILM - TAMPA BAY FILM FEATURES - TAMPA FILM SCAMS - TAMPA FILM JOBS - TAMPA AUDITIONS - TAMPA CASTING - TAMPA FILM SERVICES - TAMPA FILM RESOURCES - CONTACT TAMPA BAY FILM - TAMPA FILM FESTIVAL

TERMS OF USE - DISCLAIMER

© Copyright 2006 - 2010 Tampa Bay Film. All rights reserved. Presented as-is, with no guarantees expressed or implied. Informational use only. Tampa Bay Film is not legally liable for the content on this web site, and use of any content waives us from liability. Anyone using the content on this site or attempting anything described on this site assumes all legal and civil liability. Please be familiar with with your local laws before using this site. Information on Tampa Bay Film is not to be taken as legal advice or advice which may be covered under any licensed or regulated profession. Opinions expressed on this web site are those of the individual contributor and may not be shared by other contributors, models, photographers, or businesses who may be involved with this web site or our online community. Tampa Bay Film is a free, no-obligation professional independent film and talent resource web site operated from Tampa, Florida, by a team of professional freelance and agency-represented talent. For more, please read our Disclaimer.

Super Raptor Class Web Site by Eos MediaArts, a Passinault.Com company. Super Raptor Class 0003, commissioned 100709.1100 hrs.

Raptor Class Web Site by Eos MediaArts, a Passinault.Com company. Raptor Class 0002, commissioned 011107.2100 hrs. Decommissioned 100709.1100 hrs.

Web Site Design by Tampa Advertising Agency Eos MediaArts. Main Tampa photography by Aurora PhotoArts. Tampa Bay events by Eventi Events. Our Tampa Film Showcase monthly Tampa film festival and networking event series by Eventi Events, a Passinault.Com company.

Hosted on the Tampa advertising agency Eos MediaArts Tampa Hub server account as of 01/11/07.

Tampa Bay Film moved to new Eos MediaArts Tampa Hub server on 12/17/07.

Raptor 3.0 Upgrade applied 12/17/07

Super Raptor Upgrade applied 10/07/09

Tampa Bay Film moved to new, permanent TampaBayFilm.Com server on 03/23/08.

TAMPA BAY FILM UPDATES

08/07/10 - Tampa Bay Film site index refreshed. Design layout centered, and supporting code upgraded.

Tampa Bay Film site template and site directories refreshed on 03/12/10 - Outdated meta tags adjusted.... special thanks and the associated names of people removed.

Tampa Bay Film site template and site directories refreshed on 02/23/10.

Tampa Bay Film site template and site directories refreshed on 11/09/09. Chris Woods power!

This Tampa indie film resource web site is dedicated to Tampa filmmaker Chris Woods, who is, in our opinion, the most talented and skilled Tampa filmmaker. His short indie film, Spaventare, filmed in Tampa Bay in early 2009, is a new benchmark for Tampa filmmaking; expect a lot of Tampa indie films in the future to follow the example set by this groundbreaking film. Not only is Spaventare, in our opinion, the best short Tampa indie film ever made, it proves that great films can be made on small budgets. Spaventare was done for less than $30.00, with a crew of three and a cast of two. Check it out on our online film festival by clicking on the link in this paragraph!

© Copyright 2006-2010 Tampa Bay Film. All rights reserved

 

    
   

A1-M

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

    
   
Features and Indie Film Information