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by nathan oster
Zack Keisel became the latest Greybull High School student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent Thursday when he put pen to paper finalizing his commitment to play college football at Dickinson (N.D.) State University.
A senior at GHS, Zack was a four-year starter for the Buffs who capped his prep career by earning all-conference, all-state and Super 25 honors last fall. He is the son of Chad and Jamie Keisel and the nephew of longtime Pittsburgh Steeler defensive lineman Brett Keisel.
Zack said even though he was "pretty good" at football as a kid and enjoyed playing with his family and seeing his uncle's success, he didn't make playing at the collegiate level a goal until his freshman year.
"It kind of hit me when I was a freshman: 'Hey, this is serious and I love this sport,' Playing with all the dudes and being on the team, it was just an amazing feeling. I want to keep playing, keep building relationships and keep winning."
Zack had to overcome some adversity along the way. A sophomore at the time, he was on the field in Laramie with his Greybull teammates, facing Big Horn for the 2A title in November of 2016, when he suffered a devastating knee injury in the early moments of that contest.
Big Horn went on to win, 28-20. A month later, Zack underwent surgery. He'd completely torn his ACL and his medial meniscus and partially torn his lateral meniscus. It took almost 10 months of intense rehab for him to be cleared to return to football activities.
"To be honest, there were points where I was like, 'I don't know if it's worth it.' That's how low I got," Zack recalled. "It was awful, going to Cody three to four times a week, each time for like an hour-long session, and doing it for six months."
He got cleared to return just after football started his junior year, but it took awhile for him to feel like his former self. "Just learning to trust the knee was the big thing," he said. "There were times in games when I'd go to cut and I'd cut with both legs, so I wouldn't have to put all my weight on the one leg." He was wearing a knee brace, too, which didn't help.
But the brace was missing when he took the field this past fall to begin his senior season. So, too, were the doubts about his knee. "It was incredible … I felt so much better," he said.
On the field, he was a monster. "Anything that we needed, he did," said Coach Eli Moody. "Running back, tight end, punter, kicker … we used him all over the place."
College coaches took note. Zack said he received offers from five different schools — the University of Wyoming wasn't among them — and that in the end, it came down to Dickinson State and Chadron State, which in recent years has landed commitments from Calder Forcella and Riley Hill.
Zack said he chose Dickinson because of its coaching staff and the impression they and the Blue Hawk players made on him during his visit to the campus. "All the players were all in, there was no messing around. It was football, but it was fun. I felt at home there."
Michael McGuire led the recruiting charge for DSU. A Greybull native, McGuire spent many years at Big Horn and was on the other sideline in the 2016 title game when Keisel went down with the knee injury. He left Big Horn last spring to become DSU's offensive coordinator.
"He was a very important part of that team and I know how special that day was to him and the community," said McGuire. "He's had a great attitude through it all and built himself into a great leader and player."
McGuire said landing Zack was a priority of his since last summer, when Zack attended a football camp at DSU. "It was there that we got to see all the intangibles that he possesses," said McGuire. "You can see on film how good a player he is, but at camp, we were able to see how he competed, how he related to his teammates and how he took instruction."
McGuire said Zack was recruited as a linebacker and "has great potential there because of his size, speed and physicality." DSU prefers its freshmen to redshirt, but McGuire said, "We won't know for sure until fall camp."
Moody, who played college football at UW, is confident that Zack has what it takes.
"As soon as he gets the plays down, he's getting in games," he predicted.
Zack credited his father, his uncle and a number of current and former football coaches at GHS — including Kent Dempsey and Jeff Hunt, to name just a couple — for his success on the football field.
Hunt, who coordinated the defense for the Buffs, called Zack "the most naturally talented kid I've ever coached in football.
"He sees things so naturally at that linebacker spot because of his instincts. If we blitzed him, nobody touched him. He has such a good feel for the game itself. He can set the tone. He can set the flow of the game. He was an awesome leader for us."


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"Nunu" Print
Regular price $30.00
"Nunu" is a print of the original gouache painting by Los Angeles artist Nina Klein.
Printed on archival quality 300gsm paper that is 100% cotton.
Print Sizes:
8in. x 8in. or
11in. x 14in.
No border
Does not come framed.
Please allow this item between 2-4 weeks to be shipped.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Italy - Ferrari looks set to join Mercedes in knocking on the door of 1000 horse power (745kW) from its 2018-spec 'power unit'.Earlier this month, we reported that Mercedes is now just 50hp shy of the landmark four-digit power value.A correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claimed: "If the world champions maintain their approximate development speed, 1000hp will be reached."However, GPS measurements showed late last year that Ferrari only trailed Mercedes by 15hp with its own 2017 power unit.And now Leo Turrini, a journalist known for being close to Ferrari, says the Maranello team is also knocking on the door of 1000hp for 2018.Weight trimming battlesTurrini wrote in his Quotidiano blog: "A huge effort has been made to put the power unit on a diet."One of Mercedes' advantages was the lower weight of the overall package, but Ferrari has been successful in its mission.Turrini claimed: "On the test bench, 1000hp has already been seen at maximum peak power."Even if Mercedes has already been there."Turrini thinks Ferrari will have a good chance of taking on Mercedes on equal terms in 2018."On the aerodynamic side, tunnel data shows an important step, although it will only be possible to understand more at the first Barcelona tests," he said."But it's good to dream."Last waltz with this Red Lady. #ScuderiaFerrari #Kimi7 #SF70H #F1 #Ferrari #PrancingHorseA post shared by Scuderia Ferrari (@scuderiaferrari) on Dec 10, 2017 at 9:11am PST


text: On December 5, 2019, Energy Transfer LP (ET) and SemGroup Corporation (SEMG) completed their previously announced merger, in which ET acquired SEMG. Effective with the opening of the market on December 5, 2019, SEMG ceased to be a publicly-traded company and its common stock, previously listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "SEMG," discontinued trading. For more information on the merger, please click here.


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5 Ways To Make Your Garage Conversion Feel Like A Room
have you ever thought about getting a garage conversion?. But you haven't really thought about going through with it. Or it could be that you do not think a garage conversion will feel like the rest of the home. If you are thinking about these types of things, you may want to reconsider.
Here are our top 5 ways in which you can make your garage conversion feel like the rest of your home.
Electrics and Lighting
One thing that will liven up any room is electricity. Plug sockets and lighting included in your garage conversion will be making living much easier. Furthermore providing you with a place to use a TV, computers, laptops, mobile devices and much more.
If you are looking to have a new kitchen installed, bathroom or even a walk-in shower. You will need plumbing installed into your garage conversion. Installing professional plumbing in your garage conversion will give you the options for kitchens, bathrooms, showers, or even a toilet.
If your current garage has any type of windows. They will more likely be very small and not very nice to look at. Having a garage converted into an extra space for a living can allow the homeowner to have brand new windows installed. Furthermore, ensuring that you get more natural light into your new garage conversion.
You don't want to have a garage conversion carried out and be as cold as it use to be before the garage conversion was done. Furthermore, adding a new room to your home will be somewhere that you would want to be comfortable spending time. As a result, it is always best to get your new garage conversion installed with insulation in the ceiling and the walls. Installing a small radiator into the garage conversion will also help make the room warm and cozy.
Install New Flooring
To make the garage feel more like home and not just an old garage. Installing suitable flooring into your converted garage will help with complete the garage conversion. Furthermore, try installing a flooring that matches the rest of your property. This will make the new room feel as if its apart of the property.
For more information on garage conversions. Contact one of our home improvement advisors on 01744 611203


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Sausalito Wedding, Bar Bocce
Late Winter, 2016. At the studio, we look ahead, with our coordinations and readiness to zoom South through Marin with a van load of flowers, to this year's wedding days in the seaside town of Sausalito. Flowers and botanicals, vines, … Continue reading
Christ Episcopal Church-Campbell Hall, Sausalito, California
Translated, our bride's name means "Laurel," and the groom's, "Oak." As such, these two botanicals were featured in each and every floral design at the wedding of D and J. In addition, the couple's interest, and a particular vocation, focused … Continue reading
Ralston White Retreat, Mill Valley, California
Surrounded by giant redwood trees and shadowed by magical Mount Tamalpais, this beautiful property was a wedding gift from Ralston White to his bride, Ruth Boericke. Completed in 1915, and home to the White family for many years, this estate … Continue reading
Passionately Pink Peonies, at the Marin Art & Garden Center
When it comes to the magic, beauty, and pure allure of spring peonies, from the fields of Napa, Calistoga, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Washington, I always chuckle to myself as I design these robust, remarkable, and reverent stems into centerpieces … Continue reading
The Wild Roses of West Marin
On any given day, no matter how lively the tasks ebb and flow, there comes a moment where I step back and I smell the roses, as the quote reads, figuratively, and literally, because of what I do for my … Continue reading
Nessy Rose and Michael, Marin Art and Garden Center
Once in a time, a wedding will happen along where I can't muster the true, full, and proper words to share the story of the wedding day. I wouldn't do the wedding's loveliness and purity its full due — with … Continue reading
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Simi Winery, Soft October Pinks and Greens
October is one of the loveliest months for a wedding in wine country. Large, rumbling trucks filled with flats of sweet, late harvest grapes keep you company on the roads during wedding-day deliveries, pumpkins and gourds greet you at every … Continue reading


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Here in our restaurant supplies section we have sourced a stunning and practical selection of kitchenware and barware, including a wonderful catalogue of wholesale servingware. Our high-quality servingware comes from the most reputable manufacturers and designers in a wide range of sizes and styles. Shop for hard wearing yet attractive servingware, such as fashionable serving pails, wire food hanging frames, large serving plates, bowls and trays, cake stands, fruit display plates, buffet stands, cereal bars, serving trolleys and more.
Ocean Tumbler Glass
Rectangular Fast Food Serving Tray's
Round Serving Tray
Standard Jug
Natural Slate Tray
Porcelite New York Diamond Plate
Porcelite Oval Dish
Ceramic Round Slate Board-32cm
Oval Bistro Platter
Kitchway pride ourselves on sourcing the perfect wholesale servingware for every kind of eatery you can imagine. We have servingware that is especially for elite restaurants, buffets, hotels, breakfast bars and pubs. We also stock a rage of specialist servingware created for fast food chains, including fish and chip shops. You can explore an assortment of servingware that includes French fry boxes, chip cones, greaseproof serving newspaper, noodle boxes and burger boxes. We also stock plenty of plastic trays and mutli compartment trays, which are ideal for cafeterias in schools, department stores, cafes and care homes. The best part is you will be able to source all your required servingware at highly affordable wholesale prices at Kitchway. We are constantly working to bring our customers the best deals and save money on stocking their commercial kitchen.
Don't forget to complement your new wholesale servingware with matching tableware and drinkware.


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Win a Blue Beauty of an FR-S in Beck/Arnley 100th Year Celebration Car Sweepstakes
Beck/Arnley is celebrating a century as the world's foremost import auto parts supplier, and they've decided to give a little something back to the masses who have kept them running for 100 years. By entering the 100th Year Celebration Car Sweepstakes, you could wind up being the lucky winner of a one-of-a-kind 2014 Scion FR-S Beck/Arnley 100th Year Edition and a trip for two to Sin City.
The maximum amount of entries that one could amass between now and the August 30 is 57, provided that they take advantage of the opportunity for three entries a day between now and the deadline. Entries are obtained by (1) visiting www.beck100.com and registering, (2) registering once again on Beck/Arnley's Facebook page, and (3) sharing the contest link on your timeline.
The winner of a random drawing, held around September 8, will be the recipient of a VIP trip for two to Las Vegas, including airfare, a three-day/two-night stay at the Mirage, $500 in spending money, and three-day passes to the 2014 AAPEX/SEMA Shows from November 3-6. Here's a little disclaimer for you: if you want to win, plan to go. Not taking the trip to AAPEX/SEMA means forfeiting the entire package.
You'll definitely want to make sure that's not the case, as the other part of the grand prize is a customized 2014 Scion FR-S that Beck/Arnley has dubbed The Blue Beauty. It's decked out in a satin pearl blue coat and features Katzkin leather seating, a 13-speaker sound system, and undercar multicolor kit.
You can read more about The Blue Beauty and the process through which Beck/Arnley created her at its 100 Year Sweepstakes page.


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About Go Vita Tenterfield
Go Vita Tenterfield is a small family-owned health food store in Tenterfield.
We're Tim and Rebecca and we've owned Go Vita Tenterfield since the beginning of 2014. Our store is forever evolving and product lines growing.
We aim to be the best place for health and wellness products and advice in the Tenterfield area and pride ourselves on providing evidence-based information on current health issues, and healthy lifestyles.
We aim to provide products that are good value for money at competitive prices and do our best to source locally where possible.
Professional Advice. Call today.
02 6736 5242
13 Years Experience
Rebecca is a university trained Dietitian/Nutritionist with over 13 years experience working as a community and clinical Dietitian with people at all stages of life, from young kids right through to the elderly. Rebecca loves food, and is passionate about helping people make the best choices for their health!
Rebecca is in-store most days and is happy to chat and help you find solutions for any health issues you or your family are facing – whether it's food and ingredient ideas for alternative diets, supplements for specific health issues or clarifying information provided from other sources, or just finding you the perfect tea for a cold day.
We're here to help and want you to enjoy your shopping experience with us.
We work with other businesses, local producers, and health practitioners within Tenterfield such as Naturopaths, Dietitians, Chiropractors and Doctors, and community organisations like Landcare.
Live outside the Tenterfield area? We're very happy to do mail orders, so please call us on 02 6736 5242.


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May is National Bike Month
Join Move Utah and the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) in celebrating and encouraging folks to bike or walk more during the month of May during Bike Month in 2019.
The benefits of riding a bike are far-reaching. They include improved health, better environment, stronger economy and an increased overall quality of life.
National Bike Month is a time to celebrate the numerous reasons and benefits for riding a bike. From St. George to Logan, bikers across the state will celebrate National Bike Month.
Join the fun by participating in any of the national and local events happening this month with Bike Month events and Bike Month activities.
Congratulations on completing the Move Utah Bike Month STRAVA Challenge — Now enter to win the coveted Bike Utah Swag Bag, full of awesome gear!
Fill out your information to be entered to win. We will notify the winner by email, so remember to check your email!
*Must be a Utah resident to win.


text: On Fri, 2010-11-12 at 00:08 +0000, Michael Kay wrote: > I thought there was another more technical reason for avoiding text/... > - some theory that if it's text, the carrier is allowed to change its > encoding, whereas if it's application/..., then it isn't. Yes. A proxy can rewrite text/*, e.g. to change line endings, or, more insidiously, changing the encoding (and the corresponding MIME header). Once the encoding is changed, the XML declaration in the file becomes incorrect... I don't know how common rewriting proxies are in practice. Liam -- Liam Quin - XML Activity Lead, W3C, http://www.w3.org/People/Quin/ Pictures from old books: http://fromoldbooks.org/ Ankh: irc.sorcery.net irc.gnome.org www.advogato.org


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Chunky style necklace in beautiful glass and plastic beads. Includes large icy blue translucent beads, sky blue and gold spherical translucent beads, clear crackle glass beads, and 2 shades of gold rough finished beads.
*Necklace measures 21 1/2 in / 54.8 cm
*Ice blue beads measure 1 in / 2.54 cm wide
*Spherical beads measure 3/4 in / 1.9 cm wide
*Clear and gold beads both measure 7/16 in / 1.11 cm
*Handcrafted by Pensacola Emporium in USA
All purchases will be paid at time of ordering. Payment may be made using PayPal, Etsy Gift Certificates, or Credit Card. Cancellations will be accepted up until item has been shipped. Contact me for shipping status. Once item has shipped return policies will then be implemented. Taxes will not be added to sales price.
Unless otherwise specified all items will ship within 2 business days of receiving order.
Just contact me within: 3 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 7 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 1 hours of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Relax and shop with happy confidence. I want you to love my shop and products. All items have a no hassle return policy. There is no return postage charge for returns due to faulty workmanship (I hope this will never happen), or damage incurred during shipping. In the event of damage or loss during shipping please save packing materials (if available). Contact me for return/refund instructions.
I will not be responsible for packages lost due to buyer providing incorrect addresses or moves to a new address during shipping period.
Sometimes it looks good online but when you receive it you just aren't as happy. I get it. So you are welcome to send it back. You will be responsible for return shipping in the event you change your mind and want to return your purchase. I cannot make exchanges but you will receive a full refund.


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Yum I love paneer in curry!!! If this region is known for spicy dishes, then it would probably be too spicy for me because I'm a bit of a wimp. Haha. This looks great, though! I'll reduce the spicy.
Sana Thongba|Manipuri Paneer curry
Last Updated on
Back to the monthly challenge post for our secret group Shhhhh Cooking Secretly group and this month we are heading to the lush green area of North East India, Manipur. Manipur is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west; Burma (Myanmar) lies to its east. Its economy is primarily agriculture, forestry, cottage and trade driven. Manipur has the highest number of handicrafts units and the highest number of crafts persons in the northeastern region of India.
Manipuri cuisine is the traditional cuisine of Manipur, and dishes are typically spicy food that uses chili pepper rather than garam masala. The staple diet of Manipur consists of rice, fish, large varieties of leafy vegetables. Generally the vegetables are grown in their kitchen garden and rear fishes in small ponds around their house. Since the vegetables are either grown at home or obtained from local market, the cuisines are very seasonal, each season having its own special vegetables and preparations.
This challenge was a bit difficult as many of their dishes include fish and meat. I had to search for a veg dish which would also be a bit traditional. Also I did not wanted to cook sweet, so my options were limited. I initially thought of stew, but traditionally their stew consist of a fish and I did not just wanted to substitute something. So While discussing the secret ingredients with my partner, Pavani Gunikuntala from Pavani's Kitchen, she suggested me Sana Thongba, which is made using Paneer & Peas. I immediately decided shortlisted the recipe from here.
Pavani has a wonderful collection of different types of recipes . Do have a look at her blog, and I am sure you will be bookmarking a few. So Pavani gave me the secret Ingredients, Paneer & Nigella Seeds and I gave her Rice and Milk. She prepared this delicious Sangom Kheer.
So coming to today's recipe of Sana Thongba (Manipuri Paneer). Sana means Paneer and Thongba means curry in Manipur and this is a pure manipuri dish served in the traditional Metei vegetarian feast called Ushop. This is very similar to Matar paneer, but with very little or no spices. Also, here milk is added to make the gravy instead of tomatoes or onion garlic. At first I was doubtful of the taste as just using milk for the gravy, I was not sure If I am enjoying this. But we all enjoyed it. My 2 year old and my son too. So here goes an easy and fuss free no Onion No Garlic Sana Thongba (Manipuri Paneer) recipe:
- 250-300 gms Paneer cubed (Indian cottage cheese)
- 1/2 Cup Green Peas
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Nigella Seed /Kalonji
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee (Clarified Butter) for shallow frying paneer
- Cut the Paneer into cubes.
- In a pan add oil or ghee and shallow fry the paneer lightly until golden brown.
- In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Add in the bay leaves, and nigella seeds and cook for 30-40 seconds.
- Add ginger and fry them on low for 30-40 seconds.
- Add green peas and saute for 2-3 minutes on low.
- Add turmeric and chili powder and cook for another minute or so.
- Now add milk, water and salt.
- Increase the heat and bring the mix to boil.
- Reduce, add the paneer and simmer until the gravy thickens. 10-15 mins approximately.
- Enjoy with Rice or some phulkas.
- 250-300 gms Paneer cubed (Indian cottage cheese)
- 1/2 Cup Green Peas
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Nigella Seed /Kalonji
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee (Clarified Butter for shallow frying paneer)
Cut the Paneer into cubes.
In a pan add oil or ghee and shallow fry the paneer lightly until golden brown.
In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Add in the bay leaves, and nigella seeds and cook for 30-40 seconds.
Add ginger and fry them on low for 30-40 seconds.
Add green peas and saute for 2-3 minutes on low.
Add turmeric and chili powder and cook for another minute or so.
Now add milk, water and salt.
Increase the heat and bring the mix to boil.
Reduce, add the paneer and simmer until the gravy thickens. 10-15 mins approximately.
Enjoy with Rice or some phulkas.
Love to read your comments and feedback. Do drop a line in the comment section if you like and do not forget to rate the Recipe. If you try this recipe, would love to see your creations, take a picture and do tag me at @cookwithrenu using the hashtag #Cookwithrenu on Facebook, Twitter and @Renunad on Instagram. Subscribe to my email list so that you get the recipe straight in your mailbox.
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28 thoughts on "Sana Thongba|Manipuri Paneer curry"
OMG… Paneer curry looks super tempting. Inviting click and feel like having with hot roti now..
Oh, wow! The Sana Thongba looks so good! I'm glad to have discovered this flavourful way of making paneer gravy, the Manipuri style, thanks to you. 🙂
This post is so interesting. Love cooking Indian food, so I'm glad that I found your blog.
Paneer curry looks so inviting Renu. Kalonji definitely gives a nice flavour. Bookmaking it to try soon.
The paneer curry looks lovely…your no onion and no garlic version looks interesting…makes a perfect pair with some hot rotis
I wanted to make this curry but for the challenge. This looks very inviting. Love the colour of the curry.
At first when I saw the images on FB and on this post, I thought the curry would be really hot and spicy. After reading the recipe, I was really surprised. Just 1 tsp of chilli powder! And there is milk in the gravy! Interesting recipe and I must try it out for myself.
Panner curry looks absolutely creamy and delicious Renu.I loved the colour of the gravy and you made perfectly.
Renu, I had actually stumbled upon this recipe while researching and loved it. There is no overload of spices and it has that subtle sweetness from the milk gravy. Would be absolutely delicious with some steamed rice.
I had initially planned to make this dish but then changed the recipe. What a different to make the paneer curry that is a favorite with most. Love the colour of the dish.
I love paneer in all forms and am always looking for new inspirations 🙂 This is perfect and looks so delicious! Love the consistency of the gravy 🙂
This paneer looks so delicious. Just loved the orange color of the gravy and I'm sure it pairs well with a bowl of hot rice.
Love the gorgeous color of the curry Renu. The fact that it uses vetyblittlecsice and is cooked in milk, it is perfect for kids as well.
As I have also prepared this one so i knw that it has a subtle sweetness from the milk factor and there is no overload of spices particularly . Along with some steamed rice it will make a lovely combo.
Paneer is such a favourite at home that I am always looking for new recipes to try. This one is certainly on the anvil.


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Local Elections FAQs
Show All
Elections BC's role in local elections
What is Elections BC's role in local elections and assent voting in B.C.?
Elections BC does not administer nominations or voting for local elections or assent voting.
Elections BC administers campaign financing and advertising rules for local elections and assent voting in B.C., including registering advertising sponsors.
See below for more information about who does what in local elections.
Who administers local elections in B.C.?
Several authorities administer local general elections, by-elections and assent voting.
|Area of administration
|Who is responsible
|Voting and ballots
|Local Chief Election Officers
|Nomination process
|Local Chief Election Officers
|Advertising rules
|Elections BC
|Campaign financing and disclosure rules
|Elections BC
|School trustees/school board elections
|The Ministry of Education
|Legislation for local elections
|The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
What do local Chief Election Officers do?
Each jurisdiction in B.C. appoints a local Chief Election Officer to run local elections and assent voting in that jurisdiction. To find contact information for your local Chief Election Officer, search for the name of your local government (city, regional district, municipality, etc.) on the Organizations page at CivicInfo BC.
If you have questions outside of an election, contact your local Chief Administrative Officer.
For Boards of Education elections, contact the secretary treasurer's office in your local school district.
What legislation governs local elections in B.C.?
- Local Elections Campaign Financing Act
- Local Government Act
- School Act
- Vancouver Charter
- Community Charter
The provincial Election Act does not apply to local elections in B.C.
Contribution and expense limits
Are there campaign contribution limits in local elections in B.C.?
Yes, there are campaign contribution limits for local elections. The contribution limits generally apply as follows:
- An eligible individual may contribute up to $1,224.60 per year per campaign to an unendorsed candidate. As an exception, an unendorsed candidate may contribute an additional $1,200 to their own campaign in the calendar year of an election.
- An eligible individual may contribute up to $1,224.60 per year per campaign to an elector organization and its endorsed candidates. As an exception, a group of endorsed candidates may collectively contribute an additional $1,200 in total for use in the campaign of the elector organization in the calendar year of an election.
Contribution limits did not apply to local by-elections and assent voting held before the 2018 General Local Elections.
Are there restrictions on who can make a campaign or sponsorship contribution in local elections and assent voting in B.C.?
Yes, contributor restrictions apply in local elections. Campaign contributions are prohibited from any corporation, organization or union, or from an individual who is not a resident of B.C. and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Contributor restrictions did not apply to local by-elections and assent votes held before the 2018 General Local Elections.
Is there an expense limit for local election candidates and elector organizations?
Yes, expense limits apply to local elections. Expense limits apply generally as follows:
- In communities with a population of fewer than 10,000 people, the expense limit is $10,000 for mayoral candidates and $5,000 for all other candidates.
- In communities with a population of 10,000 or more, the expense limits are determined using a per-capita formula.
- There is no separate expense limit for elector organizations. An elector organization is required to attribute campaign period expenses to each of its endorsed candidates.
Is there an expense limit for third party advertising sponsors?
Yes, expense limits apply to local elections third party sponsors in relation to an election.
Limits to directed advertising and issue advertising apply to third party advertising sponsors as follows:
- In a community that has a population of fewer than 15,000 people, the directed advertising limit is $750.
- In a community that has a population of 15,000 people or more, the directed advertising limit is 5% of the candidate expense limit in the corresponding election area.
- Issue advertising is not in relation to a specific candidate or elector organization and is limited to $150,000 overall.
- A third party advertising sponsor must not spend more than $150,000 in total in directed and issue advertising.
Who calculates expense limits?
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Education are responsible for determining expense limits.
They are provided to Elections BC once they are calculated and published on the Elections BC website.
The expense limits established for the 2018 General Local Elections apply to local by-elections until the next general local elections scheduled for 2022.
Advertising requirements, sponsorship information and signs
What election advertising must include sponsorship information?
- election signs
- newspaper, radio and television ads
- pamphlets, posters and brochures
- automated dialer calls (e.g., robo-calls)
- internet ads (e.g., pop-ups, pay-per-click, pre-roll videos and banner ads)
Note: If clicking on an internet ad takes the viewer to a page with the sponsorship information, the statement does not need to be included in the ad itself.
What election advertising does NOT require sponsorship information?
- clothing (e.g., shirts, vests)
- novelty items (e.g., pens, mugs, buttons)
- small items of nominal value intended for personal use (e.g., business cards)
What information must be included in sponsorship information?
For candidates and elector organizations:
- the name of the financial agent
- a B.C. telephone number or B.C. mailing address or an email address
- the words "authorized by"
e.g., Authorized by John Doe, 555-555-5555
For advertising sponsors:
- the name of the sponsor
- a B.C. telephone number or B.C. mailing address or an email address
- the words "authorized by"
- the words "registered sponsor under LECFA"
e.g., Authorized by XYZ Group, registered sponsor under LECFA, firstname.lastname@example.com
e.g., Authorized by Jane Smith, registered sponsor under LECFA, PO Box 123 Victoria, BC V1A 1A2
Where can election signs be placed and where are they prohibited?
Election signs cannot be placed within 100 metres of a voting place during voting.
Elections BC does not regulate where signs can be placed. However, local governments may have by-laws that apply. Contact your local city/municipal hall for more information.
The Ministry of Transportation also has an election signs policy. Contact your local district transportation manager for more information.
Election advertising on the internet
Are election messages transmitted over the internet without a placement cost election advertising?
No. Election messages transmitted over the internet are election advertising only if they meet the applicable definition of election advertising and have, or would normally have, a placement cost.
A placement cost is the cost of purchasing election advertising space on a social media site or other website. For example, the costs of placing banner ads, pre-roll videos or ads on Facebook or other social media sites are placement costs. The costs related to creating, maintaining and posting messages on a website are not placement costs. Ad space received for free that normally has a placement cost is election advertising.
Messages without placement costs like posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social media, emails and websites are not election advertising.
See this bulletin for more information.
Social media rules
Can candidates, elector organizations, advertising sponsors and members of the public use social media on General Voting Day?
Yes. They can use free social media to post messages to their friends and followers. However, they are not allowed to conduct any internet advertising that has a placement cost, such as sponsored Facebook or Twitter posts, pop-up, pay-per-click and banner ads.
General Voting Day rules
What are candidates, elector organizations and advertising sponsors allowed to do on General Voting Day?
- live person-to-person telephone calls
- door-to-door canvassing
- handing out brochures
- placing election or advertising signs or posters
- "mainstreeting" and "sign-and-wave"
- advertising with placement costs on the internet for the sole purpose of encouraging voters to vote in the election
However, these activities must not take place within 100 metres of a voting place.
What are candidates, elector organizations and advertising sponsors NOT allowed to do on General Voting Day?
- sponsor newspaper, television, radio advertising, or internet ads that will run on General Voting Day
- use automated dialers (e.g., robo-calls) to promote candidates and/or elector organizations
What are media NOT allowed to do on General Voting Day?
Media cannot publish any election advertising via newspaper, radio or television, and cannot publish new election advertising on the internet. Advertising on the internet before General Voting Day can remain but must not be changed in any way.
What can media print or air on General Voting Day? Can they interview candidates or run stories about candidates?
Media may publish, without charge, news, editorials, interviews, columns, letters, debates, speeches or commentaries within their bona fide publications, television programs and radio shows. This includes interviews and stories about candidates.
Can media take video or pictures in voting places on General Voting Day?
Elections BC does not administer voting for local elections. Contact your local city/municipal hall or the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing at 250-387-4020.
Voting and election results
When do polls open, and where can I go to vote?
Elections BC does not administer voting for local elections.
Contact your local city/municipal hall for information specific to your community. Visit CivicInfo BC to find your municipality's contact information.
Visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website for general information about voting.
Am I eligible to vote, and what ID do I have to bring to voting?
Elections BC does not administer voting for local elections.
Contact your local city/municipal hall for information specific to your community. Visit CivicInfo BC to find your municipality's contact information.
Visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website for general information about voting.
Where can I find election results?
Elections BC does not administer voting for local elections and does not post local elections results.
Many local governments post election results on their websites.
Visit CivicInfo BC for province-wide unofficial results for general local elections.


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|Awards Judging Information
Judging Information
Judging for the GCLS Literary Awards
While every judging process has elements of subjectivity, the process used by the GCLS Literary Awards has been reviewed and revised annually for the past 14 years and has progressed to a process that greatly reduces the prospect of favoritism, influence, or other undesirable effects. We continue to strive to improve this process annually.
The decision of the Golden Crown Literary Society as to eligibility of any book shall be final, and no correspondence shall be entered into in relation to eligibility, selection of winners or any other aspect of the judging or awards process.
The scoring of the judges, who will remain anonymous until after the awards are announced, and any decisions by the awards administrators shall be final, and no correspondence will be entered into or responded to concerning the actual judging or the judging process at any time.
Questions about any aspect of the judging process, rules & regulations may be directed to the Awards Administrator at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Judging Resources
What does it take to be a judge for the GCLS Awards process? We need readers! You don't have to be a reviewer or editor.
Judging Process
What, exactly, is involved in being a judge once selected? How do I get books? How do I evaluate books? Is there training?
Determining Winners
The judges have read books in the genre categories. Members have voted in the popular choice categories. Now, how are the winners determined?
Rules & Regulations
What are the hard-and-fast rules? Are there rules that can be bent or broken? Who enforces the rules? Who makes the decisions? Who's in charge?
Judged Categories
This year, judges will evaluate books in nineteen (19) different genre categories covering Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry.
Evaluation Forms
Approximately 60 volunteers - readers, authors, editors, etc. - spent a year developing a robust evaluation tool for the judges to utilize.
Judging FAQs
You have questions. Hopefully, we have the answers. If you cannot find an answer, CONTACT the Awards Administrators..
3-5 judges are assigned to each category. We prefer 5 judges per category. That means we need at least 85 judges!
A Message from the Awards Administrators
As Awards Administrators, we are committed to upholding the integrity of the Golden Crown Literary Society and the awards process. We are not authors. We are not publishers. We are not affiliated with authors or publishers. We are readers who enjoy lesbian-themed literature and feel strongly about recognizing excellence.
Hello All! It has been my pleasure being one of the 2019 Award Administrators. Mary and I are responsible for all things regarding the judges and the nominated books. Before being an Award Administrator, I was a judge for two years and I understand the work and dedication by everyone involved. As a reader, it's been fun meeting writers and other readers. My favorite hobby is reading and I'm so glad to be part of this organization..
Hi, I am Mary Buchanan. I have the privilege of being one of the Awards Administrators for the "Goldies". It is my job, with the other administrator, to make sure that the submissions are properly posted, the judges are able to access the books, & the awards are ready for the ceremony. I am really honored to be able to serve the GCLS in this capacity.
We work independently of the GCLS Board of Directors. From the Call for Judges to the Call for Nominations to the ballots for Popular Choice Awards to the posting of finalists to the presentation of the winners - it's all in our hands. And we take that responsibility very seriously. If you ever have questions about the Awards Process, please don't hesitate to CONTACT US.


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Bottle Release on May 19th
The Fur Trader is the meeting point between Saison, Biere de Garde and Helles Bock.
Gathering Place Brewing Company will release The Fur Trader Saturday, May 19th on draft and a limited number of bottles.
The Fur Trader is the meeting point between Saison, Biere de Garde and Helles Bock, and is as unique and colorful as its namesake, Milwaukee founder Solomon Juneau. Biscuity and honey maltiness are bridged at odd angles by a moderate bitterness with peppery and citrus hop notes. 7.3% ABV 33 IBU.
"Let me just say, I love Biere de Garde! It is a highly underrated beer style," said Head Brewer Corey Blodgett. "My take on this classic style is a mixed fermentation with half the batch fermented in Sauv Blanc barrels and uses 3 different yeast strains. To finish off we dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Crystal Hops. à votre santé!"
The Fur Trader is the third bottle release from Gathering Place. Two hundred 750 mL bottles will be available for sale for in the tap room beginning at 12 pm on the 19th. The bottles will be $12 each with a limit of three per person.
"Our latest bottle release honors one of Milwaukee's founding fathers and its first mayor, Solomon Juneau," said Gathering Place founder Joe Yeado. "He came to Milwaukee as a fur trader and left an indelible mark on our city."
Gathering Place Brewing Company is an independent brewery in the Riverwest neighborhood dedicated to crafting vibrant and unique beers that reflect the vibrant and unique community it calls home.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Gathering Place Brewing Company
$1 For Milwaukee Program Gives BackJan 28th, 2019 by Gathering Place Brewing Company
The brewery will partner with different non-profit groups each Thursday and donate $1 for every pint of beer sold throughout the day.
Two Beer Releases on Oct 6th; Food Truck Event Oct 3rdSep 28th, 2018 by Gathering Place Brewing Company
Gathering Place Brewing Company will release The Limb Shaker and Priere on Saturday, October 6th at noon.
Riverwest Food Truck Rally on July 13thJul 5th, 2018 by Gathering Place Brewing Company
The Rally will be held at The Goat Palace


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School Policy
An outline of the school policy:
- A policy based on integrating the systems of the top international and languages schools.
- Laying a foundation for the schools policy for each school year.
- The school policy lasts for 20 years; which is the duration of school years begining from Kindergarten (K.G.) to the end of the secondary stage.
- We predict the problem before it occurs and find the solutions; so problems rarely occur.
The bases foundation of the school policy:
- The careful selection of teachers through conducting ( Interviews – tests ) ; and according to their qualification and linguistic level.
- The on-going training and continuous follow-up.
- The noble and refined way of dealing with the children.
- From the very beginning, children's love for the school and their teachers.
- Creating a joyful, calm and clear atmosphere in the school through which a strong link between the child and the school can easily be established.
- Promoting the religious and moral aspects and spreading the value of the loyalty to the school and the country.
- Paying great attention to the educational aspects and to justice in treatment and scoring.
- Developing the child's personality and encouraging him/her to participate in the activities.
- Presenting good models and examples by making sure that all the team work in the school behave in an ideal way.
- Every child feels his own importance and has a great self-esteem.
- Keeping and maintaining a high standard of learning and developing the ethical values.
- The prefect punctuality of all the team work.
- The complete punctuality of students from the first day and up to the examinations; from baby class (pre-kindergarten) up to the upper grades.
- Paying great attention to activities and attempting to get all the children involved as much as every child can.
- The full accuracy in the evaluation, process and scoring.
- Applying the educational technology (The computer lab / the Internet connection / high technology room).
- For the use of mobile technology such as mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs etc. The development of mobile phones and other mobile digital technology into multi-function mobile devices which can be both useful and essential to young people requires a policy that both enables their appropriate use but also protects staff and pupils from inappropriate use, or use which hinders teaching and learning.
- The school operates under the Ministry of Education and as such it adheres to all the rules and regulations laid down by the ministry. Therefore smoking; the use of alcohol and illegal drugs is strictly forbidden and pupils found in breach of these regulations will be dealt with in the severest manner.


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Yaroomba Landscapes
Yaroomba Landscapes
Yaroomba Landscapes is a fresh Sunshine Coast based landscaping business, specialising in the horticultural and structural aspects of the industry.
With over 16 years combined experience, we aim to exceed our clients' expectations with our exuberant approach and attention to detail. We gain an understanding of all your requirements and ensure communication is kept throughout the project.
Let's REVITALISE your outdoor space! Call or email us now to discuss.
Servicing all of the Sunshine Coast


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Zero-G get inspired by classic 80s Sci-Fi for latest sample release – Legacy
Recall the sounds of retro game and soundtracks such as Alien, Blade Runner and Predator, and you'll paint a perfect picture of the electronic sounds, textures and FX found within Zero-G's latest sample library – Legacy.
A vast array of atmospheres, cinematic FX, drones, impacts, rises and suspense-filled ambiences, the sounds might be retro but the design techniques and recording quality are most definitely state of the art.
Ideal for soundtrack and gaming genres such as horror, sci-fi, thrillers and mystery as well as adding interest to any contemporary music production, Legacy includes multiple formats including Acidized Wav and AIFF Apple Loops plus instruments in Kontakt, EXS24, HALion and NN-XT formats.
Available to download now with an introductory 20% off until 25th September 2015


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J.D. Martinez interested in long-term deal with Diamondbacks
J.D. Martinez, fresh off a historic night at the plate, says he's definitely open to a long-term deal with the Diamondbacks.
"I've thought about it a lot," Martinez told azcentral.com. "It's definitely something I'd love, I'd be interested in. I've loved my time here. The guys are great. The team is young. They're definitely going to be good for a while."
Acquired in July from the Tigers, Martinez is a free agent after the season. His numbers this season — 34 homers, 79 RBIs, 1.015 OPS — means he won't come cheap.
"I think one of the most important things in my free agency is I want to be on a team that's relevant — a team that's good, a team that's in it," said Martinez, who on Monday became the 18th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game. "I don't want to be on a team just because (they offer the most money). I want to be on a team that's got a chance. That's what's fun. That's what you play the game for."
Since coming to the Diamondbacks, Martinez has 18 homers with 40 RBIs in 144 at-bats.


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Additional Dialog Recording
One of the many mistakes I made in drafting contracts was a deletion rather than an omission. Angel told me, "We will never have the money to do ADR [additional dialog recording], so take that out of the actors' contracts."
I understood that ADR was done when the voices recorded lacked necessary clarity, but I didn't have a solid appreciation of what caused the problem. Well, it turned out to be any number of things, including a hum of a refrigerator in the background, mistakes by the sound man, an inoperable boom, or a problematic microphone. But I learned all of that in retrospect, after the film was shot. Not knowing it in advance, I listened to Angel and took it out of the contract that actors would have to do ADR.
As it turned out, we had very substantial problems with sound. There was an entire sequence shot in a car that took the better part of a day to film. The camera work wasn't very good, but it was useable. The audio was so awful it was unusable. I really wanted to use the scene because the dialog was important, but not integral, to the plot and the banter between the characters helped develop their relationship. To boot, the imagery out the windows revealed Dallas and had good production value.
There were other sound issues as well, including a humming refrigerator that couldn't be turned off in a bar where we shot an essential scene, a dysfunctional microphone in a murder scene, voices drowned by passing vehicles, and absence of key human noises in a host of scenes such as the victim praying, a dying man choking, a woman pleading, and a voice over the telephone. These turned out to be so crucial that they required ADR.
I tried to do as much of the ADR as I could myself. I made the choking noises for the dying, the whispers of prayer, and recorded the telephone voice. My masterful sound engineer, Johnny Marshall, was able to manipulate these recordings to make them fit the circumstance. For example, he lowered the tone of my voice so that it sounds like a male speaking on the phone.
The way it works is that the relevant scene is played on a screen and the speaker stands in front of a microphone with a headset on. You hear three clicks and then the film rolls. You watch the lips of the person onscreen to synch your speech with their movement. For some people, this is as easy as bouncing a ball; for others, it takes many repetitions.
I toyed with the idea of getting some friends to come in and ADR some of the isolated voices that we needed. But then it occurred to me that the extras who played the roles might enjoy the ADR process and learn from it as well. I decided to forthrightly ask them if they'd like to do it for free, with the understanding that there was no obligation or pressure. They all jumped at the chance. After all, having not only your visage, but your voice, in a movie is great fun.
A rather humorous thing happened in regard to the extras. A very tall, hefty man played the medical examiner. The trouble was that there were two extras' names by the role in the log. So I called the first guy and asked him if he played the medical examiner and he replied yes.
When we opened the studio door to let him in, it was not the big man who played the medical examiner at all; it was a small, slim fellow with a decidedly "wrong" voice for the role. Not wanting to offend him since he'd shown up, I let him do the ADR. But I resolved to call in the person who'd really played the role. The second name was the right one and he came gladly to do the ADR as well.
In cases where a known voice was needed, we had to bring in the relevant actors. But I was willing to do this for only a short amount of time, not the lengthy sessions that would be required to re-do the entire in-auto scene.
Making A Body Dead
A dead body is not just a still body, it has a certain color. Not colorlessness, color. If you have seen one, depending on the length of time since death, it has a progression of losing (in the case of a Caucasian) pink and taking on grey. And there is almost an artificiality about it, as if the body never really lived. You can almost imagine that someone took away the carcass that used to be living and replaced it with a less-than-adequate substitute that is somehow not quite right. Without the life of the person that once inhabited it, the body loses more than the life it held; it loses its realism.
So often movies do not capture the appearance of death, particularly in the case of murders. The film may portray a body that is bloody, but that blood appears applied rather than shed; the body may be still, but not obviously absent spirit; it may be laid out, but lacks the seeming obscenity that accompanies one who is splayed ignominiously after having been felled.
I wanted the death of the young girl in the movie to be portrayed in a way that would capture the horror, sadness, and unfairness of murder. So many things had to come together just right to make that happen. The actress had to be willing to act, purely act. In other words, she had to abandon any attempt to "look good" and allow herself to be what she was to be….murdered. Director Roger Lindley had to arrange for her to be laid out on the bed in a convincing manner. The male on-looking actors had to be totally professional, because one simple jocular remark could have marred the seriousness with which the scene was laid out and played, and thus how it would appear on screen. And the camera work had to be exceptional, with the angle capturing the scene without being prurient or grotesque.
When I first viewed the takes of the death scene, I was silent and sad. It was that good. I stared for a long time, considering how much time should be on the body, and then on the action around the body. The balance needed to be struck with enough time on her to show that the scene was ever so serious, yet also sufficiently on the investigators to keep the action moving and the dialog relevant. It took a lot of thought and time, but in the end, it felt right.
But it had to wait until coloring to make the scene whole. By that I mean that the "dead" body was still pink, still alive.
When Colorist Justin Warren and I got to the death scene, we spent a lot of time analyzing it. I was the one who knew what hue of grey we were after for the body, so we worked until we got that. But we also needed to subdue the other colors in the room as well as the lighting. It had to inter-mesh.
In the end, we achieved a color correction for the scene that I think goes very well with the somberness of murder, with the loss of a young life. The effect on the viewer is subtle, but that is the way it should be. No one should know that the mood is being set; it should just happen.
But all of that effort at making sure that death is properly conveyed almost went for naught. It was during the final sound design review, after the coloring had been completed, when Johnny Marshall, our Sound Designer, said, "Hey, are you going to fix the heart throb?"
"What heart throb?" I asked. I felt that odd mix of adrenaline you get when you are at fault, coupled with a high level of anxiety over whether a serious mess can be righted. I guess the best description is that I was overcome with dread. Here we were, finished with editing, special effects, coloring, and in the final run-through of sound and there was a big problem.
"You know, Maria De La Cruz. When she is lying there dead, you can see the blood pulsing in her neck."
Shit. My editor hadn't seen it. My colorist hadn't seen it. But most importantly, I hadn't seen it. I am well aware of where the buck stops.
I went back to Justin even though we'd finished coloring. "Hey, let's fix the heart throb." And he did.
But the event really unnerved me. If I had missed that, what other obvious things had I missed? It is okay if I saw something and chose not to fix it, or couldn't fix it. But the throb was in a scene for which I had pulled out all of the stops on the amount of time and level of attention I'd been willing to devote to getting it right.
But, thanks to all those who put so much into making that scene, I think it came off very well. And, thanks to Johnny, it wasn't blown by having one stupid mistake, a heart throb.
The Drone Crash
To his credit, Angel said soon after production ended that we didn't have either enough B roll or the right shots. He said it would be best if we could hire Sparky Sorenson and his drone for one more day. Specifically, we knew we needed: more daytime shots of the exterior of the police building and of the Mesquite Arts Center (aka our "college"); the boathouse on the lake; and nighttime overhead shots of traffic.
We spent more time than anticipated getting the college, so we were in a bit of a hurry when we got to the police department. I already had permission to shoot the exterior of the building, although I hadn't specified any shots being taken from a drone. Since I didn't think we would be very close to the building, I decided not to bother anyone inside with a notice that we'd be doing drone shots that day.
In the parking lot, we discussed with Sparky that we'd like to have film going from one end of the curved building to the other, filming in an arc, at about the level of the top of the building looking down. We didn't want to get any directly overhead shots or to get close at all. So, Sparky programmed the drone to go from point A, to point B, to point C, then back again to achieve the rounded shot of the Department.
It was the first shot of the police building from the drone that day. And the last.
Sparky programmed A, B, C, A instead of A, B, C, B, A. That meant that the drone would cut across the building rather than following the same arc on the return. And, because the drone was not too high up, it clipped the edge of the roof, which was flat in that section, and crashed onto it.
Part of the police department roof was flat, where the drone crashed. But part of the building was actually higher than the flat portion and had office windows overlooking that part of the roof. As you can imagine, there was a flurry of response as police officials inside witnessed a drone crashing onto their roof.
Those who know what true dread feels like will understand when I say that my adrenaline kicked in and my heart raced as I realized what happened. It was a mixture of concern about the poor drone, a bit of "oh no, we won't get the shots now", but mostly a fear of what the police would say and do. Would there be a fine? Would they give us the drone back? What on earth will I say to them?
I told Sparky we had to go in right away and try to claim the drone. Angel said he didn't want to be any part of it all and walked away. So into the building I went and talked to the Sergeant on duty. "Yes," he said, "we already know about the drone. Stay right here. Someone will be down shortly."
I thought to myself how quickly he'd been notified, as it had been only a matter of a couple of minutes since the disaster. And the scowl that accompanied that "stay right here" made me very apprehensive.
Sparky and I were put into a small room to wait, where I began to rehearse what I would say to try to get the drone back. We stewed for about 20 minutes before a plain-clothes officer came. He said, "Well, you certainly caused some excitement." I explained how the mishap occurred and he told us that they were not yet sure how to retrieve the drone because the roof was sealed and they hadn't yet found anyone who had the ability to access it. He told us to wait while they tried to locate someone.
At last we were taken to go onto the roof. We had to climb a very narrow set of stairs that were unlit and whose risers were so high that I struggled in absence of a handrail. At the top of the stairs was a very heavy hatch that had to be pushed upward.
While the policeman waited, Sparky and I went across the roof to retrieve the crippled drone. It was sad to see Sparky examine it. But I was very, very grateful that they allowed us to have it back.
It took some time before Sparky could get replacement parts and we could go back out. Although I wished we could get more shots of the police department, I decided not to try. Instead, we concentrated on getting some shots of the boathouse at White Rock Lake and traffic at night.
B Roll Issues
Truthfully, I didn't appreciate the importance of relevant B roll (film that is not the actual scenes of the movie, but is used to transition between or add to scenes) until I got well into the process of editing. To help you understand what B roll would have been helpful, let me give you some examples.
In some cases, a daytime scene is followed by a nighttime scene. Going between the two would be confusing unless there were some visual clue to help the audience make the leap. For example, the transition might be traffic at dusk filmed at one place followed by traffic at night filmed at the same spot. It would be best if the two shots were at the same spot because evening traffic in one place followed by night traffic at another place might set up the audience to focus on locations switching rather than the lighting change.
Although almost all of the B roll for RIK is traffic, it was mostly either day or night, not evening or transitional taken from one spot. So it had to be used for transitions of scenes that were day-day, or night-night. We had only two really good day-night transitions, neither of them shot by the "red" camera as straight B roll. One was a drone shot that was done of the skyline. Our drone pilot, Sparky Sorenson, shot the scene both in the evening and at night, which makes for a beautiful passage in time. Another transition was shot by Angel from the balcony of my apartment. He did a time lapse with my SLR camera on a tripod from afternoon to after dusk. It is the only other spot-on day-to-night transition.
Had I appreciated the importance of B roll more, I would have assured that a number of shots of scenes without actors were filmed. I already mentioned in Part One that it would have been wonderful to have footage of the two professional kilns at the artist's studio. Similarly, it would have been helpful to have film of the length of the bar in the bar scene (where we had extras that are not in the movie as a result of not shooting it), several close ups of the marionettes in the villain's apartment, footage of the outsides of buildings that were used for interior filming, and so on.
One case in which there was an excellent example of B roll that we did have was the outside of the "college". It shows the exterior of the building and several of the crew members are milling about as extras. You can see this film used as the lead in to the scene where there is a lecture at the college. We needed more footage of the building, however. So one day well after production had ended, Angel and I got Sparky the drone operator to do a few shot of the same building from above. I chose not to use much of this, however, because the season had already begun to change the trees' leaves' color. This limited how far we could photograph from the building and how widely, so as not to show the trees being different from the way they were when production was shot. This is why it is so important to get B roll at the same time as you film production.
Another way I got B roll is by cribbing some bits from scenes I decided not to use in the movie. For example, one unused scene was filmed at the villain's house. I used a very eerie view of the house at night as the lead in for a short scene with the villain, and another of a marionette from the same unused scene when the villain is lying on his bed.
My advice to anyone contemplating making a film is that they go through the script in advance and mark where it is likely to require B roll and to specify what type of shots and lighting would be ideal. This is certainly what I'd do if I could do it all over again.
Source Music
One of my early discussions with Kays was about source music. Although it was clear to me that certain types of music fit some scenes, there was also a lot of leeway in what to choose. Kays helped narrow the selection criteria. For example, we agreed that there be country music playing in the gun shop scene. When I told him I preferred a female singer there, he said, "Look for a female Hank Williams," so I did.
I scoured the Internet looking for Texan female country singers with a perfect, polished voice and style. I finally found her—Kayla Ray. I loved her from the start. I sent a sample to Kays and he was equally impressed. But how to find her? I sent an email to her website contact form, to which there was no response.
As I waited to hear from Kayla, I tried to figure out how could I narrow the huge number of musicians down to those who'd be interested in trading inclusion in the movie for use of their music. In a huge stroke of good fortune, the answer was provided by our drone pilot.
Sparky Sorenson, drone pilot extraordinaire (about whom more later), used to be a country music artist. As a result, he was familiar with a wide range of Texas bands and solo artists. He offered to send out an email to his contacts asking for interested people to send me some of their audio files. The response was amazing. I had dozens and dozens of wonderful musicians to choose from, all of whom were interested in the trade I'd offered.
But Kayla Ray was not among them. I asked Sparky to try to locate her, so he did. And she said, "Yes." I was overjoyed! I decided to push my luck and ask if I could use two of her songs, not knowing where the other would fit, but knowing I would find a place because I liked her so much. She agreed.
Then I began my review of the musicians who'd emailed me per Sparky's request. I tried to match songs and instrumentals to individual scenes in my mind, and then would email Kays my suggestions. In some cases it was easy. The opening notes of Shaun Outen's Señoritas and Tequila were an instant match to the bar scene with one of the villains. In other cases, I agonized and took weeks to decide which song would fit where. And, ultimately, there were some source-music needs for which I had no musicians yet.
One example was the scene in the apartment of the detective who was from Hawai'i. From the 13 years I'd lived on Kaua'i, I knew there were some fabulous ukulele players and I really wanted to showcase ukulele music, which can be so much more complex than the simple chords most people associate with it. So I returned to the Internet to look for just the right instrumental.
The first one I found was ideal, but the musician had the lackadaisical attitude of "I'll do it tomorrow" that used to drive me crazy when I lived in Hawai'i. It would take him days to answer an email. I decided to keep looking.
The second musician I found was a young man who was willing for me to use his music, but told me that I had to go through his dad, who would handle everything. That turned out to be great because his father was business-minded and we soon had agreement to use two of Andrew Molina's instrumentals.
One of the most unusual pieces we used as source music was by Fredrick Chopin. Kays came up with the idea for it in the art gallery scene. He arranged it and it suits the scene very well.
The final example of source music that required more time than I'd expected was the song for the taco shop. Kays suggested we get an upbeat, Mariachi sort of song. When I kept running into obstacles finding someone local and who could speak English, I finally asked one of our Spanish-speaking cast members for help. He sent me some songs from a couple of his friends and one was perfect.
Selecting the source music took many, many hours of work that was mostly fun. The parts that were not so enjoyable was preparing a template for the License Agreement, sending it to my attorney for comment, getting it signed by everyone, and obtaining information about royalties. Through it all, I was lucky to have an interested and helpful partner, Kays.
Choosing a Composer
I've already told you a bit about my preoccupation with the music for RIK. I had listened to a huge amount of music and had made some selections of pieces I'd like in the movie. And I wanted to write the lyrics for the theme song, for which I would need a composer.
In August, I emailed a few composers whose music I'd found on the Internet and liked, to ask what their prices would be to use their work. The composer I'd tentatively chosen as my favorite wanted $800 per minute of music, which was out the realm of my budget, so I began to look at less expensive licensed music. But I kept running into the problem of congruity. I didn't want the music to be choppy; there needed to be a thread of similarity throughout, with dramatic differences restricted to source music—the music that would be coming from radios or over speakers in bars and restaurants. I decided to take a closer look at composers who'd sent in emails asking to do RIK's score.
I focused on two composers whose music I liked and asked if they'd read the script and send me a sample of what they envisioned. Also, I asked a very talented musician friend of mine to help me evaluate the music they sent in. Even though either of them would have been acceptable, I was not truly happy and put off the decision repeatedly. Then a new option presented itself.
Zubi had a friend who is a composer in LA, Kays Al-Atrakchi. He sent me some samples that I liked. Unbeknownst to me, Zubi also shared them with Roger and Angel, who took the initiative to call Kays before I was ready for such a step. I called Zubi and told him that, as music supervisor, I was still in the process of evaluating Kays' work and that no one else was to become engaged in the decision.
I then got a call from Angel, who was shocked that I had taken on the role of music supervisor. Admittedly, I'd never conveyed my intent to him. He and Zubi had apparently thought that they would select a composer, who would then be responsible for all music—composed as well as source. I told him two things: I alone would select the composer and I would select all source music. This was not only something I wanted to do, but also we couldn't afford to pay someone else to find free source music, as it would be very time-consuming.
When I finally called Kays, I was delighted with his take on the script and his proposed direction for music. I liked his professionalism, his experience, and his attitude. Although his price was higher than I'd intended to spend—well above the other front-runner—I chose him. Never once was I sorry and repeatedly I was glad.
Choosing an Editor
The choice of an editor ideally should be made prior to filming so that they can be involved from the start of production. In our case, I didn't choose anyone until after production was completed. The reason boiled down to two issues: money and the degree of control I'd have over the process.
Angel held out hope that somehow we would have enough money left over after production to afford an editor experienced in feature films produced by studios. The nearest of those that we knew about was in Austin and they cost more than five times the money we had allocated for the editor. Also, Angel wanted to turn over the film to someone with fresh eyes, whereas I wanted to edit the film to the vision of it that I had in my head.
We were in the final week of production when I had a sort of meltdown—a conniption fit with tears and gnashing of teeth. By phone one night, I told Angel I could no longer bear the indecision and I planned to move forward with choosing an editor myself and that I had decided upon Charles Willis. Charles was keen to fulfill my vision of the film, was local so that he could meet with me, and was willing to meet my price. If Charles could handle the editing software professionally, that was all I needed to know.
Angel agreed that he and Zubi would interview Charles in a conference call to make sure that he was up to the job technically. That was followed by an in-person interview which resulted in an "okay, but with reservations" verdict by Angel.
As it turned out, Charles had many good attributes, one of which was patience. I had a very slow, unsure start to the editing process. A key problem was my hesitation in cutting people's roles and air time, and in deciding to omit scenes. Charles was always ready to try a different approach and never complained when I changed my mind, which was fairly frequently at the beginning.
Although we started the editing in late October, I didn't feel that we hit our stride until December. By then, we had a routine down in which I would provide notes and Charles would upload edited scenes with which we'd work.
Cutting the Police Gym Scene
I want to share with you some of my considerations in editing. First let me tell you why I axed a couple of scenes even though there was very high production value to the location.
It is hard to exaggerate how hard I worked to obtain permission to film in the Mesquite Police Department gym, which is a fabulous place. It is ultra-modern and has a sort of blue aura to the lighting. The first scene we would film there was designed to be when the lead detective and the police psychologist have their first interaction—let's call it encounter 1. Encounter 2 was to be when they were more advanced in their relationship, getting more personal.
Encounter 1 had been rewritten and, although I agreed to it, I was dubious. Originally, it was to be a scene in which the detective admired the psychologist as she worked on karate, but it had become one in which he was irritable toward her, even disdainful. I was bothered by this because it seemed out-of-character for him to be rude and I couldn't see the point of having antipathy injected when it was to be reversed only a few scenes later. So, to be honest, I was unhappy with the content, but was ready to let it happen and see if it worked.
During the rehearsal, the lead actor was exercising and doing pull-ups. I asked to have him stopped to save his energy, but was told, "Don't' worry, he won't get tired." I knew better, but didn't want to make an issue of disagreeing in front of personnel.
Then began a series of takes in which the actor bench pressed. With each take, his effort was more and more strained. Later, when I watched the best takes, it looked ridiculous, like he was trying to work on weights that were way beyond his physical capacity. So I axed the scene on two counts: its incongruity with the character of the person and of the film, and the silly looking iron pumping.
Encounter 2 was when the psychologist and detective are working out together, talking face to face. I had left the set during its filming to go do managerial work when it was shot, so didn't know until later that it had a very serious flaw: the lead actor had injured his wrist in the exercise filming encounter 1. Now it was wrapped in white tape around the wrist and hand. It was glaring, distracting, and begged the question of what was wrong with him.
The bandage was not only white, it was bulky. To remove it with special effects would be too much of a challenge and would cost more than our entire effects budget.
I considered having the entire scene be a conversation with his voice in the background, but only showing her. But that raised a different problem. She was working on a machine in which her arms were bent beside her head, pressing forward against weights. But there was no weight on the machine. So it looked totally effortless (and was), like she was playing, not exercising. Again, it looked silly.
There are important lessons I should have already known. Don't allow actors to exercise on-set and use minimal physical effort prior to actual filming so as to guarantee fresh energy. Don't allow bandages or other distracting elements to costumes. Also, if there is supposed to be physical resistance, make sure it looks real. And the best was to do that is to have it be real.
The Gift of Solace
In looking back, one of the most difficult and lonely times I had was after production had been completed and post-production began, specifically when the editing process started. All of the support I'd had during the previous months was instantly gone. I knew I could turn to others for help, but that doing so would be at the expense of the independence I required in order to make the film fit the vision I had. To ask others to weigh in would have made the decision-making a shared effort, something that would require compromises I was not willing to make. So, I began the journey alone, with the help of Charles Willis, the editor I had chosen. And, true to his promise, Charles was committed to going where I wanted to go with the film.
Our first effort at a cut was very, very long. I had trouble omitting any scene from the film and wanted to use pieces of way too many of the takes. As a result, when Angel saw the first cut, he lambasted the "assembly", saying that I was taking on a role for which I was neither trained nor experienced. He argued that for the sake of the film I should not undertake "supervised editing" and should spend the money (that I didn't have) to get a new editor to whom I should turn over the film.
In a way, this criticism set me free. The next cut, I didn't share with him or anyone else. But I was still having trouble with moving forward on a sure path. I realized that the problem was that I didn't want to cut actors' air time. I didn't want to take out parts that were good, but which did not fit the overall emerging form of the movie. And I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I was stuck. It was like having writer's block in the middle of drafting a novel.
At this point, I had a very crucial unplanned conversation with my composer, Kays. I told him about the hesitations I felt about cutting, the fear of hurting people. He graciously spent about an hour talking with me to get across a single notion: I needed to do what was for the good of the film, not what was good for any single actor or set of actors. Actors, he said, ultimately wanted to be in a great film, regardless of how much they appeared in it. Yes, they would like to be maximally seen, but it was more important to them that the film be a success. If the film weren't good, and not a success, the amount they appeared on-screen wouldn't matter much. And then he said something else very important. He told me that I could do it and that it was obvious that I could. I just needed to knuckle down and make decisions wisely.
That pep talk was seminal. I went back to the drawing board and re-outlined how I wanted the film to proceed, how each character was supposed to play, and where I wanted fast versus slower pace. This allowed me to cut any scene, take, or sequence where someone was out-of-character. It made me ruthless in cutting parts that were not in focus, poorly conceived, or inconsistent with my vision of the film.
I continued to rely on Kays for the remainder of the editing process. He was always positive and I could count on him to share his vast experience in a constructive way.
I am a professional photographer who takes color extremely seriously. This is perhaps why one requirement for RIK was crystal clear for me from the outset: I didn't want a dark or unnaturally hued film. The film would not be de-saturated, heavily contrasted, or look as if shot through a colored lens. I conveyed this to everyone relevant. Anyone who did not fulfill these objectives would at some point be overruled.
I had selected Justin Paul Warren as my colorist for several reasons. His reputation and credentials were superb, I liked him the moment I met him, his wife (our DIT) was a fabulous person, Angel recommended him highly, and he lived in Ft. Worth. This meant that I could go and personally work with him on the film. I can honestly say that my coloring experience with Justin was nothing short of exceptional. He is not only a true professional, he is a creative and knowledgeable person to work with.
One of the first questions Justin asked me was whether I understood that there was a disconnect between my preferences for color and those that had been developed during filming. I explained that I was paying for the entire movie and that I intended to supervise the coloring the way I wanted it. Justin understood my position as was glad that I had clear ideas about the way I wanted the film to look. So we dove right in.
I went to Justin's studio every workday and some weekends for a couple of months for 6 or 7 hours a day. We would watch each scene and discuss what, if anything, needed changing. The usual problem was skin color, which was fairly easy to adjust. And there were a host of situations where the coloring needed changing due to imbalance. For example, an actor's shirt would rivet the eye, but de-saturating it made it innocuous.
Then there were what I think of as "middle" problems, ones that took some time to fix, but which were not as challenging as the "bad" issues. Many of these resulted from odd lighting. For example, one of the first scenes in the movie is in a bedroom. The light from one lamp was warm and from the other, cool. And one was brighter than the other. The adjustments had to be made not only to the lamps, but the areas onto which they cast light. If I had the movie to over again, I would make sure that every lamp have the same type of warmth and that each be put on a rheostat.
But there were two sets of problems that were very time-consuming to fix. The first involved some scenes with back-lighting and which were badly underexposed. These required that Justin go through and "tint" the background frame-by-frame because actors were moving and continually exposing the brightness behind them. It became so complicated and such a time-sink that at one point I said that we should just forget it and let it be what it was. To his credit, Justin said, "You don't want that kind of low quality in your film. We need to take the time to fix these problems." Thanks goodness he had extra patience when mine wore thin.
The second problem was over-lighting. The worst case was a house in one of the final scenes. It was like it had a set of searchlights on it—so unnatural and unreal. It was difficult to fix because it entailed greying the light, which risked looking artificial. It still bothers me when I look at it, but it is a ton better than it would be if we'd left it alone.
In addition to the problem-fixing, there were the creative aspects of coloring. Justin made sure, for example, that a gunshot flash cast just the right amount of light on the face of the shooter; that the movie being watched on an iPad reflected just right on the face of the viewer; that a flashlight shone down a hall appeared at the correct moment and intensity.
One of Justin's suggestions that I liked very much and which we incorporated was a tonal shift in tint when the lead actor comes to understand the magnitude of the problems he faces. The hue we used from this point forward is slightly yellowed and a bit de-saturated. I think it adds tremendously to the emotional shift of the viewer of the film, yet it is subtle enough not be obvious.