Via Flickr:
In 2012 I will document my year via Project 365! (technically 366 since it's a leap year). I will be taking one photo a day and will do my best to upload the same day as well. All photos can be found on my Flickr page and it will be organized! Mo goal is for these photos to be about my life, my work, and the people around me.
The tools i will probably be using are my iPhone 4, my Canon 40D and my Canon PowerShot.
Events to look forward to in 2012, My trips to LA - NYC - Texas, my new apartment (if I move), and the craziness of the political season. (If there are any special request of what you would like to see, please let me know. I'm sure I'll run out of ideas.)
"But perhaps the mother of all Girl Talk tributes is debuting this week, a 71-minute-long music video created as a visual accompaniment to the mashup album called Girl Walk // All Day. It features a ballerina who has a bit of a freak out and a blonde guy in skeleton leisure wear who dances like he’s made of rubber." -- thecreatorsproject.com
Here is a behind-the-scenes recap of my latest music video "Damn Your Eyes", which was unofficially produced for Alex Clare.
Back in September, I got the production itch since I was tired of working on videos that were not my own. It had been two years since I've actually produced a video and I needed to get back on the horse. Recently I had been directing and editing a few short films and music videos, so it seemed like the right direction to continue in.
So I messaged my DJ friend Oscar, and told him to send me new music that I would like. One of his suggestions ended up being Alex Clare, who a couple of weeks earlier had uploaded a new song to his SoundCloud page. It was "Damn Your Eyes" and it was captivating. From the low hum to haunting lyrics a story unfolded in my head that I not only connected to, but revealed an inner struggle that's a reality for some people. With the song on repeat I began writing an outline around the idea of a guy trapped in a relationship where he's basically a slave.
With this golden ticket, I started putting together a production book and kept notes about how I wanted to shoot it. I spoke to coworkers and friends about helping out with the production. A director I knew even told me that I could borrow her equipment. Over a couple of weeks I set a production date, picked a crew, collected equipment and settled on shooting in the studio and in my apartment.
As for actors, I had posted a casting notice on ModelMayhem.com, but the response was not great. I originally wanted an interracial couple, but couldn't find the right set, so I abandoned the idea. Soon after, I got a message from Kessler Phoenix. We met in person and he had the look, so I picked him to play the male lead. I will state that being excited about an opportunity is always a good thing. I feed off of that energy and it makes me want to work with you.
Finding a female lead was a little more difficult. It was random and awkward and a lot of people couldn't meet me in person. I hate casting blindly and I've been burned by it before, but when Brittany Warrington sent me her portfolio she had enough online work that I felt comfortable casting her.
With the last stone in place, I ran a few errands with my brother (the assistant director) and felt pretty good about the overall production.
Day 1, we shot in the studio at my office. We started an hour late which made me nervous, but once we got rolling things began to gel. Alex did a great job with make-up bringing a sexy evil look to Brittany. Using the dolly we started with the opening shot. One of the things I think I need to work on is warming up my actors. Getting them comfortable before the cameras even starts rolling. Maybe a pre dinner or a shot of jack would help, but after a few takes things felt better. One of the tricks I picked up from shooting models is that I often act out what I want them to do. It gives them an example and it makes me look goofy, which lightens the mood.
Day 2, was on a Saturday and things went better than expected. We shot in a couple of different rooms in my apartment and tried to switch up the angles. My camerawoman is short, so she's able to get into tight spaces with the Canon 5D and get great shots. My actors did an excellent job and sold the relationship. Kessler looked depressed as hell and Brittany had a great time playing dress up. I think she ended up switching outfits six times. The shoot wrapped up early and I was very grateful for everyone who helped out. Brandon and Anna took excellent notes on which shots were the best. William kept the dolly rolling smoothly. Nick was the man and got the studio set up in no time. Jenni kept the mood light. Katherine and Shauna did a great job capturing the action with the still camera. Jillian and Ishu's support helped make all of this possible. LA was able to get the lighting I was asking for. Alex brought an extra level of magic to the characters. Melanie's composition made each shot interesting. Joshua's input was the gold to my silver. Kessler and Brittany's eagerness and patience was truly appreciated as we did our best to keep things moving. It was a team effort.
As for post production, it took us a couple of weeks. Rob was my editor and I explained my vision and gave him my notes. Being an editor myself, I felt it was best to step back and let his creativity guide the train. Rob's coloring skills and sense of motion tied the storyline together in a smooth visual way. We had our differences, but I think we came up with a solid end product that we could be proud of.
I definitely learned a lot this round and I'm totally counting this one was a win, even if I don't ever hear from Alex Clare. Nearly 2000 views in one month. Hell yeah, that's winning! Plus, I'm already looking forward to my next production in 2012. Cause even if the horse kicks you in the face, you gotta get back on it at some point.
"The Heavy are an indie rock band who claim to be from Noid, England, allegedly a small hamlet near Bath. However, no such place appears to exist." -- Wikipedia
CREDITS
Director: Isaiah Headen
Assistant Director: Joshua Headen
Director of Photography: Melanie Escano
Editor: Rob Reinders
Make Up: Alex Miller
Gaffer: Lawrence Andre
Starring: Kessler Phoenix and Brittany Warrington
Shot on the Canon 5D.
Thank you Ishu Krishna, Anna Headen, Katherine Vences, Will Express, Nick Mueller, Jenni Marsh, Jillian Laffrey, Brandon Sorensen and Shauna Butler.
I'm posting this because of the sound at the end when the titles come flashing in. Turn it up. Amazing. BUT I will say this, the Swedish versions will always be better in my book.
"Liam Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child. He is the son of pop musician Neil Finn (of Split Enz and Crowded House)." -- Wikipedia
"Faded Paper Figures is an American Indie Pop Electronica band from Los Angeles, California. FPF is known for their electro-organic sound often compared to bands like Weevil, The Postal Service, Belle and Sebastian, and Morrissey... Their second album New Medium, was released on May 25, 2010." -- Wikipedia
"Los Campesinos! are a seven piece indie pop band that met at Cardiff, Wales that formed in early 2006 at Cardiff University. Despite the band forming in Wales, none of its members are actually Welsh. Their fourth full-length release, Hello Sadness will be released on 14 November 2011." -- Wikipedia
"Bulkr is a complete solution to backup, browse and download photos on Flickr. I needed to download all my photos from Flickr but could not find a tool to do that on Mac. So here is one that works on Mac, Windows and Linux!." -- Flickr
I hate watching war movies, but this looks decent. I know the negro soldiers genre is very repetitive, but something about Lucasfilm just sold it to me.
The Rapture is a really fun band. It's impossible to listen to their music without at least tapping your toe.
"The Rapture is a dance-punk band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre." -- Wikipedia
The Sea and Cake are so smooth. What a great sound. Their song "Weekend" reminds me of being a teenager and all the good times I had. Mad props to my homies Adam and Leif.
"The Sea and Cake is an indie rock band with a pronounced jazz influence, which formed in the mid-1990s in Chicago out of the ashes of local bands The Coctails and Shrimp Boat. The group's name came from a willful reinterpretation (in the wake of an accidental miscomprehension) of "The C in Cake", a song by Gastr del Sol." -- Wikipedia
"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." -- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
"Lars Von Trier is back with his new film, officially premiered in Cannes 2011. Described as 'A beautiful movie about the end of the world", MELANCHOLIA tells the story pf two sisters (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg), who find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.'"
Something about this video stuck with me (especially the 2:04 mark). A few guys I know would say all women do this with the things they believe you like more than them: friends, sports, video games... etc. Thoughts?
Here's a photo blog worth checking out if you like women, tattoos and the beauty of youth. The Death of Youth captures the intimate fantasy of a photographer troubled with growing older.
"This project stems from the idea that when a man turns thirty, he reaches a threshold where the possibility of fulfilling youthful fantasies ceases to exist. I have aspired to create a project that not only exemplifies the desires I had as a young man, but also illustrates the desires of a man transitioning into a new life period. In this sense, this series documents a lifestyle that I yearned for as a younger man, and one that I possibly still crave." -- thedeathofyouth.com
MeInMyPlace.com is having a dance off. So far there have been 13 submissions and most of them are quite entertaining. The best part is that Hattie Watson, one of my favorite gingers in the world, even submitted a video.
"Combining his passion for music with a degree in Music Technology from Berklee College of Music, Spencer Putnam (aka Vapor Maché) delivers a healthy mix of hip hop, dubstep, downtempo, tech house, IDM, and cinematic textures... Originally hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Vapor Maché now calls Los Angeles home." -- SoundCloud