See locally made videos at benefit

ROSS RAIHALA, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, February 15, 2002

OLYMPIA -- After a quiet year in 2000, the Olympia Film Ranch burst back into action last year and will show off its latest round of work during an all-ages benefit concert tonight.

The volunteer-run Film Ranch is the production wing of the Olympia Film Society. Last year, it offered local filmmakers and bands the chance to hook up and create music videos, the results of which will be shown during the concert.

"We wanted to pull everybody together," said Denise Smith, a Film Ranch volunteer. "It's not so much that the videos are as important, it's about the access and the independent voices out there. It can be hard to get your hands on filmmaking equipment, but (the Film Ranch) makes it more accessible."

To that end, the Film Ranch provided the equipment, film stock and editing facilities to create the videos, all on a total budget of $950.

While that's a far cry from the $1 million-plus clips that have become the norm on MTV, Film Ranch volunteers are more than pleased with the results.

"The look fantastic," said Smith. "They're fresh, they're weird, they don't follow rules. They're fun, and the music's good."

Smith worked on a video for the Need, the Olympia-based duo that helped stage the punk-rock opera "The Transfused."

She described the music video as such: "It has a lot of cakes, guns and lesbians. I've been calling it a minute-and-a-half of whoop ass."

Other videos planned will feature songs from the Space Ballerinas, Sunlake, Headless Pez, the Thrones, Romantic Retard Nation and C Average.

A videotape that compiles the clips will be sold at the show, and several of the bands also will perform.

Smith said the videos range from "cut-out animation to sci-fi kind of weirdness to head-banging, circa 1986 MTV."

Between performances, audience members will be chosen by lottery to participate in Atari video-game battles on the Capitol Theater's big screen.

"We've got a bag of old Atari games that someone donated to OFS," said Justin McKaughan, who teaches workshops for the Film Ranch. "It seemed like it would be fun for people to play 'Frogger' and 'Pac Man' in the dead time between bands."

McKaughan said he hopes the evening will not only entertain but also will drum up interest in the Film Ranch.

At the show, he'll announce the 2002 community project, which will ask the public to create OFS public service announcements that will be shown before movies at the Capitol Theater.

"The Film Ranch is here to take away that brick wall of costs involved with making films," said McKaughan. "We have equipment people can rent at a low cost, and we've got workshops to train them how to use it. Filmmaking is something that is possible, even if you're poor. Hey, I'm poor and I struggle, but I do it."

Olympia Film Ranch Music Video Project Benefit Concert

- What: An all-ages show featuring screenings of locally produced music videos by the Need, Space Ballerinas, Sunlake, the Thrones, C Average, Headless Pez and Romantic Retard Nation. There also will be live performances by the latter three bands.

- When: 8 p.m. Feb. 15.

- Where: Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. E., Olympia.

- Tickets: $5 or $4 for Olympia Film Society members.

- For information: Call 360-754-4799.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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