JR (Left) & Jose (Right)

Beyond the Air Force

JR Griffen (’11) and Jose Ceballos (’10) have been hard at work developing a new production company, Beyond Blue Creations. Beyond Blue is a reference to work after JR Griffen and his friend Robert Hargreaves’ military service in the AirForce. Although their classes were months apart from each other, JR was able to meet Jose on the Faulty Tower set when their schedules collided. Jose was Camera Operator and JR was 1st AC. Through their experience in class together they subsequently collaborated on many projects. They worked so well together that in the interview they called themselves “production brothers.”

As a team, Beyond Blue has worked on numerous productions, but they told me their two most noteworthy developments are their participation with the Boyle Heights Community and Project H.”Something we’re particularly proud of is Beyond Blue’s involvement in the local community,” JR tells me. He and Jose have been working as volunteers, teaching film production to kids of all ages at Boyle Heights Technical Youth Center. The Youth Center is a pet project of Mayor Villaraigosa, whose aim is to keep youths off the streets and out of trouble. JR and Jose say they teach a wide range of skills to students, like editing, shooting video or writing.The next major project under development is Project H, dubbed “JR’s baby” by Jose. The plot revolves around a young couple who decide to get married in Mexico, only to be hit by a sudden mysterious catastrophe that brings on a zombie apocalypse. The plot thickens when they find out the government is involved. What’s really innovative about Project H’s premise is that it’s not going to be experienced solely on film. Different parts of story will be told across a comic series and a video game, with the meat of the material coming from the film.

For example, participants can research mysterious government involvement by playing the video game. Griffen says the video game is already in development and so is the comic. The biggest chunk of their time will be spent on getting the film funded and produced, but Griffen assures there is no challenge there. The strategy is to do the movie in three parts. Their goal is to complete the first part and then recruit a director and writer with more established credibility to complete the second and third parts.

http://vimeopro.com/eap/san-jose-short-film-festival

Into to Jah Drumma’s the Becoming coming soon!

Boyle Heights Music video
Directed by J.R. Griffin
Edited by Cameron Gibbs
A Beyond Blue Creations production

“Mostly One Sided” is a film depicts how differently people deal with loss, and sometimes find a way to move on with there lives and accept it.

Synopsis: Widows Gail and Dorthy visit the cemetery at the same time each week to spend time with their departed husbands, that is until today.  Dorothy was missing.  When Dorthy visits Gail that afternoon, she finds out Gail went on a date with another man.  Dorothy is upset and does her best to convince Gail of her misguided behavior. When Gail resists Dorothy’s efforts to stop her from seeing her new friend it brings their continued friendship into question. At the heart of this movie is an examination of  loss and how two different women choose to deal with it.