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KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, OCT. 31, 2016
Aries
Aries (March 21-April 19)
(Circled 12-14 April)
Celebrate without spending a fortune. You can do a lot with glitter and paint.
Collaborate to get the effect you're looking for. Contribute to a good cause
Taurus (April 20-May 20
transforms.
Gemini
(April 20-May 20)
You and a partner incite
some fun, inspired by last
night's New Moon. Craft the
perfect situation. Glamorize
the proceedings with special
flair. Your relationship
(May 21-June 20)
Discover a New Moon breakthrough in health, vitality and your work over the next few weeks. Determine your goals. The pace quickens. Practice and grow
Cancer
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
(June 21-July 22)
Fall in love all over again.
A romantic relationship transforms under the New Moon. Imagine perfection,
and devote yourself to another's happiness. Share art
Contributed photo
creativity and laughter
Leo
(July 23-Aug. 22)
[July 23-Aug. 22]
Enjoy a new domestic phase. Decorate your place and fill it with delicious flavors and fragrances.
Family fun grows your heart stronger. Share a sense of wonder.
Virgo
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Launch a new phase in creative expression with last night's New Moon. Share what you're up to and invite others to participate. Include music, sparkle and ritual.
Libra
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Consider possibilities.
Constuel possibilities.
A profitable new phase,
begins with the New Moon
Expand your operation, as
you strengthen and build
support. Keep a spiritual
view. Give thanks.
Scorpio
Sagittarius
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Realize a personal dream over the next two weeks, with the New Moon in your sign. You can make it happen. Hone to what's most authentic. Keep the faith.
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Past, future and present mingle in your thoughts.
This New Moon provides fertile ground for imagination and spiritual discovery.
Enjoy meditation and ritual Contemplation illuminates previously unseen possibilities.
Capricorn
Dec. 22-Jan. 19
Ben (left) and Jacob (right) Burghart, two University alumni, are seeking funding for their first feature-length film.
[Dec. 22-Jan. 19]
Together, you're an unstoppable force. Community efforts grow stronger with this New Moon. Compassion feeds your movement.
Organize and support each other. Display your colors
Aquarius Jan. 20-Feb. 18
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Launch a new professional venture with this New Moon. An enticing possibility is worth going for. Practice your moves, prepare your lines and dress the part.
Pisces
(Feb.19-March 20)
An adventure tantalizes. Embark on an educational journey over this New Moon phase in Scorpio. Collaborate with long-distance partners and teachers. Develop new capacities and talents.
KU alumni developing feature-length film
GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake
The limitations of living in small-town Kansas jumpstarted Ben and Jacob Burghart's interest in filmmaking. That, and a little nudge from their mother.
"It was mostly boredom," Ben said. "Plus our mom would lock us outside to get us away from video games."
This drove the Burghart brothers, both University alumni, to create their own short action films, and will culminate with the production of "Follow the Leader," the duo's first feature-length film.
Even at the ages of eight and ten, the Burgharts had to figure out how to think on their feet. When friends couldn't show up to film or didn't want to play that day, Ben and Jacob would use action figures, or themselves, as stand-ins. Doing this opened up their understanding of decision-making, not just from behind the camera, but from the actor's side as well, they said.
Originally conceived in 2009, "Follow the Leader” was a project that the Burgharts shelved, knowing there was some potential in the idea.
When they came to the University, Ben and Jacob began entering short films in the Wild West Film Fest, a local biannual short film contest. They especially enjoyed the horror-themed competition in the fall. This is where they met Josh Doke, now a collaborator on "Follow the Leader."
Instead of continuing to compete against the brothers, Doke and his partner began to talk with Ben about collaborating on a future project. This led the brothers to eventually pitch their idea from 2009 as a feature-length film to be produced by Doke's production company, Rockhaven films.
"Follow the Leader" takes place in the 1990s and tells the story of three people who are dropped in an abandoned mall. One has lost their sight, the second has lost their hearing and the third is now mute. When they discover that they are not alone in this mall, they must work together.
er to survive and hope that trusting one another can get them through this unimaginable tight spot.
Ben said the film takes place in the 1990s because they wanted to hearken back to a nostalgic time. Doke said it's also useful to be able to remember the year.
"It also makes for better source material,"Doke said. "It gives us more ideas to draw from since we grew up in that time."
Ben added, "We also wanted to use the '90s in a sort of satirical sense. We kind of want to ask the question, 'What if the good old
days weren't actually all that great?"
"What if the good old days weren't actually all that great?"
Ben Burghart Filmmaker
Recently, the Burgharts started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000. With just under two weeks left, and nearly halfway to their goal, they hope to use the funds for almost every aspect of the
production process, from the set, to the camera package, to their actors' wages.
Both Doke and Ben expressed their hope that this film resonates throughout Kansas and beyond its borders. Production is set to begin in February.
"We don't just want to make a film that's good for being from Kansas," Doke said. "We just want to make a good film. Period."
- Edited by Chandler Boese
A still from the film "Follow the Leader."
Contributed photo
Could you write a novel in only a month?
▶ JOSH MCQUADE
@L0neW0lfMcQuade
November is known for Thanksgiving, Movember and the beginning of the holiday season. However, for aspiring writers, it is also National Novel Writing Month.
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an international nonprofit that invites anyone in the world to write a novel in just a month's time. Those who participate in NaNoWriMo begin their journey to a 50,000-word novel Nov.1, writing until Nov.30.
"When you are doing [NaNoWriMo] in groups, you have other people to hold you accountable for your writing." Siemers said. "Writers can also test ideas on one another to see the
Lawrence hosts around 10-20 active participants, including Neil Siemers, the municipal liaison for Lawrence. Siemers gathers the active writers for multiple events during the 30-day span. These events bring writers together to motivate each other.
reactions of others."
NaNoWriMo prioritizes quantity over quality, the ultimate goal being a 50,000word novel. Although the quality of the novel may not be the best, Siemers said it's a great accomplishment to balance your time wisely to reach the goal.
"The point of NaNo is not to write perfectly, but to get out your first draft," Siemers said. "It's about getting rid of your excuses."
The point of NaNo is not to write perfectly, but to get out your first draft,it's about getting rid of your excuses."
Neil Siemers Municipal liaison for Lawrence
However, some University students are willing to take the challenge while balancing their classes. One of these students is Wil Kenney. Kenney said he thinks that November is
File photo/KANSAN
an inconvenient month for students to write novels, as the classes are beginning to focus on finals, but he has still been able to do it.
Kenney said he first heard of NaNoWriMo as a freshman or sophomore in high school from an upperclassman who had been participating in the event. It wasn't until three years ago that he finally took on the challenge and was able to complete his first
"Any craft, any skill, if you do it long enough, you will get better," Kenney said.
novel during the allotted time. Now he's done two more, and he said his first novel was his worst.
NaNoWriMo is a free event and has sponsors that offer prizes in the form of gift certificates or other goodies. But Kenney said the real reward isn't so tangible.
"The reward, honestly,
is the work you end with," Kenney said.
National Novel Writing Month is free to participate in but does collect donations in order to keep up the website and run other programs through the nonprofit. For more information, visit nanowrimo.org.
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