PBDG Trailer playing at CAX this weekend

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Anna Newman

It’s all come full circle! A year ago this month I shot our first footage for PBDG at California Extreme 2011 with Brian J. Patterson.

And now thanks to your generous support, this weekend we are screening the PBDG trailer at the very same show. I’ll be talking about some of the techniques we used to film inside the AFM playfield to capture the amazing stunt play of Jeri Ellsworth (we got your bang back right here on camera, baby!) and how we worked with the games on set, including blowing up some backglass.

Does a year seem like a long time to make a short film? Maybe so, but I’ve also been working on pinball documentaries about the Visible Pin project at the Pacific Pinball Museum and a second film about Wade Krause, who worked on that game and many others — I’ll be showing excerpts from Wade’s film as well.

Come by and say hi!

PBDG hangs out with Wade Krause

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Anna Newman

Pinball artist Wade Krause was in the Bay Area last weekend to meet with customers and do some research at the Pacific Pinball warehouse. Wade was kind enough to let me, PBDG Director Don Starnes, and Cinematographer Charlie Kuttner tag along.

photo by Charlie Kuttner

While Wade worked at the PPM warehouse and we filmed him, I snuck in some photos of games.

Time 2000 backglass

Bally Hot Rods playfield detail

In addition to the wonderful games waiting their turn to be exhibited at the museum or PPE, I’m always fascinated by the machines under repair and the store of components and parts.

Beehive detail on EM game

EM game under repair

Wood legs for games

Woodrails waiting room

I was happy to visit a Pinbot we used in Pinball Donut Girl.

Pinbot Playfield detail

More Pinbot

Pinbot playfield detail

Wade and Charlie and I also made a quick trip to the De Young Museum and hit the Gaultier exhibit.

photo by Charlie Kuttner

Even if you aren’t into fashion, the projection technology of the exhibition itself and the over the top construction and materials of the garments never get old. I think this was my fourth visit. It runs through August 19, 2012 and is totally worth a trip.

Gaultier exhibit, San Francisco

While you are in Golden Gate park, you can go across the way and also visit the Academy of Sciences — that museum has been redone in the last few years and is amazing too.

PBDG visits Pin-a-Go-Go

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Anna Newman

Associate Producer Lily Achatz and I attended our first Pin-a-Go-Go in Dixon, CA. We got to meet up with lots of Pinball Donut Girl supporters, play great games (there were around 200 pins, I heard), and enjoy some perfect central valley weather. I will definitely go back next year; I had a really good time.

It’s always the first Sunday after Mother’s Day — mark your calendar now 😉

Lily plays Bowling Queen in the back room.

Bowling Queen backglass detail.

I was totally taken with Star-Jet’s art.

Star-Jet playfield detail.

Star-Jet backglass detail.

More Star-Jet playfield.

I also got to see a Palooka Dan Kramer had restored. Very cool.

Palooka backglass.

Palooka playfield detail.

I love the speed bag with a face!

The turnout was strong with people enjoying both EM and SS games.

Lily and Eight Ball Deluxe.

Bounty Hunter backglass art.

This young lady was part of the fun tournament.

And this little guy was making the rounds with his dad and a step stool.

I was happy to see Wade Krause and meet Dirty Donny Gillies, the artist behind Hellacopters and other custom art games Wade has worked on. Donny, Wade, and Tanio Klyce were so generous to let us use Hellacopters in the Pinball Donut Girl tournament scene.