Thank you to all those who came to the premiere of 1:47 on Friday evening, and thank you to the literally hundreds of people who came out this weekend to see the film.  Each of the three screenings this weekend was sold out; we are humbled by the response to this film, and grateful to all who came out to see it.  If you did not get a chance to see the film this weekend, here are the additional screenings which will occur this month:

On April 11, 12, 17, 19 and 26 at 7 p.m., the film will be shown at the Richmond Art Museum
350 Hub Echison Parkway, Richmond.
Tickets are $5 at the door.
Info: (765) 966-0256

Also, do come out to see the companion exhibit of photographs and artifacts related to the explosions.  This is on display at The Gallery in Whitewater Hall, Indiana University East, 2325 Chester Blvd., Richmond. Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Info: (765) 973-8605.

For all who have asked about a DVD — yes, there will be one available for purchase later this year.  We will work on creating this over the summer; the DVD will also include extra material and special features.

And, for all those who have asked, yes I am at work on the book.  (Thanks for asking, Joe!)  I anticipate it will take about two years before we see a book. I have started work on this, and will continue work this summer, then find a publisher.  Keep checking back here and I’ll post updates as anything interesting happens.  

Finally, check back here soon for our photographs of the premiere, and other stories from that event.   Thank you again to all who came out this weekend.  We were so very pleased to see so many people at Indiana University East.

Jean

Friday, April 4, 2008 marks the premiere of the film 1:47. This event, a black tie optional affair, will kick off a weekend of showings of the film. If you still would like to come to the premiere event on Friday, you can call for tickets at I.U. East: 765-973-8419. Tickets for this event are $100 each and support a special summer program at I.U. East. The showings of the film on Saturday (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) are $5 at the door. Doors will open an hour before each screening. Due to fire code restrictions, there will be a limit of 312 seats at each showing. Following this weekend, the film will also be shown at the Richmond Art Museum throughout April. Please check back here for dates and times.

The Pal-Item posted a nice story about the film. Have a look: LINK

Thank you to all who have expressed interest in and appreciation of the film. We are very pleased to be able to bring this story to the screen to honor and remember all who were affected by this event, now forty years in the past.

Jean

Indiana University East will host the premiere of the documentary film, 1:47, on Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m. in Vivian Auditorium. The black tie optional event will start with a reception at 6:30 p.m. in Whitewater Lobby. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased by contacting the IU East Office of External Affairs at (765) 973-8419.

1:47 tells the story of the 1968 explosion in Richmond and the city’s ordinary – and extraordinary residents – who responded to the disaster. The film makes use of black and white photographs, color slides, archival news film footage, and interviews from eyewitnesses, survivors, and those who worked to rebuild the city. 1:47 reveals the cause of the explosion and its effects on the city and people of Richmond and untangles the web of responsibility and blame that followed.

“It is our hope that those who come to see this film will leave with a better appreciation of the courage and sacrifice our community made in response to this tragic event,” said executive producer Rob Quigg. “We hope that by telling this remarkable story in film, we have preserved this event for future generations.”

Additional screenings will take place at IU East during the 40th anniversary weekend. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the Vivian Auditorium door for screenings on Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, at 2 p.m.

Throughout the weekend, a companion exhibit in The Gallery at IU East will display photographs and artifacts related to the explosion.

1:47 was written and directed by Jean Harper, assistant professor of English at Indiana University East. The film was produced and edited by Zack Parker whose most recent film, Quench, was the recipient of the best director award from the New York International Independent Film Festival. Videographer for 1:47 was Jim Krause.

Proceeds from the premiere weekend will support a special annual summer intensive course at IU East titled “On the Line: Creating Art from Life.” Working with award-winning faculty from IU East with expertise in nonfiction writing, poetry, fiction, and photography, students will write about and photograph places and people in east central Indiana and west central Ohio. The final product of the course will be an annual public gallery exhibit in historic downtown Richmond, showcasing the work of IU East students.

“The greatest artists and writers find inspiration in the world around them,” Harper said. “Our goal with this summer program is to inspire students to create works of art and literature in and about their own community. I also see this as a way to honor the memory of those who were lost in the downtown explosion. So many talented and gifted people were taken; we can never get them back, but we can remember their spirit, and honor that with our work of teaching and learning and making art out of the life around us.”

1:47 premiere at Indiana University East is sponsored by West End Bank, Creative Street Media Group, First Merchants Trust Company, First Bank Richmond, Monarch Beverage Company, US Bank, the City of Richmond, J.M. Hutton & Co., the Indiana University Foundation, and Wayne Bank and Trust. Additional supporters include CS Kern, Kessler’s Team Sports, Meijer, the Allan and Miriam Rosar Donor Advised Fund of the Wayne County Foundation, and Porter Advertising.

On Friday, April 4, 2008, there will be a special premiere of the documentary film 1:47 at Indiana University East.  This premiere will launch a weekend of screenings of the film; additional screenings will be held at Indiana University East on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., as well as 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, the 40^th anniversary of the explosion. 

The Friday night premiere is an extraordinary event, the proceeds of which will support a special annual summer intensive course at Indiana University East, beginning summer 2009.  In this course, which we are calling “On the Line: Creating Art from Life,” students will write about and photograph places and people in our community: East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio.  Within this rich and varied part of the country, stories abound in small towns, the countryside, places of work, and the fascinating people who call this place home.  These people and this place will be the subject matter; the choices which students can focus on are limitless: institutions such as churches or schools; the details of small town life or that of a particular neighborhood; places of work – a beauty shop, pet store, automobile repair shop, corner variety store, farm co-op, and more; special events such as weddings, births, funerals; unique individuals such as athletes, artists, teachers, clergy. 

Students will work on the subject matter of their choice with award-winning faculty from Indiana University East with expertise in nonfiction writing, poetry, fiction, and photography.  The month-long intensive will feature workshops in writing techniques in the three genres, and workshops in photographic technique.  Students will also have opportunities to meet one on one with instructors, present their written work at public readings, and connect with local and established professionals in the art world.  The course will cover how to find subject matter, how to capture it in writing and in images, and how to make the creative choices to shape what we encounter in the world into art.  The final product of the annual course will be a public gallery exhibit in historic downtown Richmond, Indiana, showcasing the work of students.

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To obtain tickets for the Friday night premiere, please contact the office of External Affairs at Indiana University East: 765-973-8419.  Premiere tickets are $100, and the event includes a reception (6:30 p.m.) before the film premiere (8:00 p.m.). 

Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday screenings will be available at the door of Vivian Auditorium in Whitewater Hall for $5.

On April 4th, 2008, our documentary film — 1:47 — will premiere. The premiere weekend is scheduled to have four showings of the film, Friday through Sunday. We are very excited to be able to offer that many showings of the film. At each showing one or more of the production team will be on hand to discuss the making of the film and answer questions following the screening. I personally will be at all four showings.

Here is an overview of the schedule that weekend (exact times to come in a future post):

On Friday evening, there will be a gala premiere of the film at Indiana University East. Information about tickets to this event can be obtained by calling the Office of External Affairs at Indiana University East. Their number is: 765-973-8444.

On Saturday, the film will be shown twice: an afternoon matinee, and an evening screening.

On Sunday afternoon, there will be a second matinee showing of the film.

Following the premiere weekend, 1:47 will be shown at other venues in the Richmond area, including Earlham College and the Richmond Art Museum. As dates and times for those showings are confirmed, I will post those here as well.

Then, in the summer, a DVD will be available for purchase of the film. We will continue working on that portion of the project after the premiere weekend, making extra material available on the DVD, as well as interviews with Rob Quigg, and some other members of the production team.

Thank you to all who have been sending us emails wishing us well on the project! We are very proud as well as humbled to have been able to put this together. I look forward to meeting many of you in person on the premiere weekend.

Jean Harper

Monday this week I met with one of the graphic artists who is creating animation for the film.  It’s a fascinating process, one I’ll admit I understand little of, however what I saw Monday was impressive: a digital recreation of downtown Richmond, Indiana, in 1968.  Once this “set” is completed, the next step is creating animations which will help explain visually some of the more technical aspects of how the gas and amunition exploded on April 6, 1968.  I don’t want to explain it too much here; words won’t do these images justice.  I will say, however, that what we are building will provide a very clear cinematic narrative of what happened.  That, I must say, is impressive.

Coming soon: Information on seeing 1:47 this spring

Last night, as I was working on the credits for 1:47, it came home to me that we are very close to having a completed film.  There is much to be done still, in the next two months before the premiere on April 4th, but the bulk of the work is done.  Interviews, research, finding photographs and archival materials, filming the interviews themselves. 

So what’s left?  The composition of the soundtrack, sound effects and sound work on the entire film, animation, some final filming of “B-roll” footage, final fine-tuning in the editing room.  Well.  That is still a lot of work, but I can say that what we have right now feels very much like a “real” film.  It has been an exciting process, to say the least.

A note on the premiere: this event, to be held on April 4th, 2008, is being planned by a committee, some from Indiana University East, and some in the Richmond community.  This group will be responsible for sending out information, invitations, and other materials related to the premiere.  If you have any questions about the premiere, or need more information, you can call the Office of External Affairs at Indiana University East: 765-973-8444.

Recently, Rob and I gave a presentation at Earlham College on the film 1:47.  Rob talked about his inspiration to make this film, and I talked about the work we have been doing so far, including showing a lot of behind the scenes still photographs of our production work.  Our presentation will be airing on WCTV in the near future.  Check their website for day and time listings: WCTV. 

In other news, the preparations for the premiere of the film on April 4, 2008 are underway, and Zack Parker and I continue to do post-production work.  1:47 is starting to look, as I keep saying to Zack, like “a real film.”  We’ll have more updates on how things are going with the film, the premiere, and other related events in the near future. 

JH

Below is a press release with news about the post-production phase of the film, 1:47. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information: www.147film.com
       
Richmond, Indiana, November 20, 2007– Executive Producer Rob Quigg announced today that Emmy award winning Creative Street Media Group division Edit Pointe, located in Indianapolis, will produce animation for the documentary film 1:47.
“We’re really excited to have the folks at Edit Pointe as part of the 1:47 team,” said Quigg. “They have a lot of experience in the digital arts and can bring a great perspective to our production.  Their technical capability is tremendous and this will only help to richen the experience of the filmgoer.”

Producer Zack Parker and Writer/Director Jean Harper recently finished the first rough cut of the film. 

“It’s been a pleasure to watch the film grow and deepen as Zack and I have been working on the post-production phase.  I believe the story will be told in a new and insightful level of detail and empathy,” Harper said.

In April, Quigg announced the production of the film which tells the story of a huge double explosion which rocked downtown Richmond, Indiana, in 1968, killing 41 people and injuring hundreds.  1:47 reveals how this devastating explosion came to happen and how the city’s ordinary – and extraordinary – residents responded to the disaster. 

The production team launched a Web site for 1:47 last spring: www.147film.com.  Since that time there has been an outpouring of interest and support from across the country.  Quigg described his reaction: “Immediately following the press conference we spoke on the Dan Mills’ radio show, and callers had one account after another they wanted to share.  Then, within two weeks we received a few hundred responses on the Web site from people who were gracious enough to share how the experience changed their lives,” said Quigg.  “This has been a humbling experience.”

The production team has been careful with the sensitive nature of the explosion at every step of the way.  “We’re not making anything up.  The film is a collective effort shared by numerous friends and family from the Richmond community,” said Brent Pieper, Executive in Charge of Production.  “Rob’s (Quigg) vision is to give people a voice in ways they may have never experienced before so that future generations fully appreciate their roots.”

The film 1:47 is on schedule to premiere Friday, April 4, 2008, on the Indiana University East campus.  The premiere event will showcase the film, as well as honor those who lost their lives and those who lost loved ones.  Funds raised by the premiere will go toward inspiring students to explore their artistic talents in creative writing and digital media in ways that benefit our community.  A companion exhibit in the new IU East gallery will also display photographs and artifacts related to the explosion.

* For details on the April premiere evening contact Joe Brandenberg, Executive Director of Advancement, IU East at 765.973.8419 or joebrand@indiana.edu. 

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On November 15th, if you are in the Richmond area you might be interested in this event about the film, upcoming at Earlham College.  Here’s information from Earlham’s website:

“1:47: The Making of a Documentary Film, on Richmond’s 1968 Downtown Explosion”

Presenter: Rob Quigg, Executive Producer, and Jean Harper, Writer and Director.
Each month during the Fall Semester professionals in various fields present issues important to the Richmond-Wayne County community, locally, nationally and internationally. Optional breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. at the cost of $5. For breakfast reservations, call 765/983-1393. Presentations begin at 8:00 a.m. in the Richmond Room, Landrum Bolling Center.