Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving, among others
Here's some images I found Googling "Crazy pictures" and "sunsets"... I just feel like I haven't poster anything visual in a while. I think the muppet is my favorite one and in some unsettling way portrays how I've felt over the Thanksgiving weekend. We went to the mountains in West Virginia to see the family and visit the family farm. Shot guns and ate deer jerky. I love seeing my cousins. In a way, I think I'm closer with them than I am with my extended family in Dayton. The Dayton family does whatever it can to avoid itself; I haven't seen some of them in several years, and I know it's a two-way boat, but we've drifted so far apart on these waters. What can you do? What I've come to: Family is most important. And when I have kids, they will know it.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Dreams.
Strange dreams lately... The first, an esoteric nightmare with anthropic beings trying to genetically alter me and those around, one by one. They spoke in a babbling language that Hunter S. Thompson himself might have invented, and lulled people into seclusion, where they would inject them with chemicals... once done, it was over. You were theirs. No understanding, no logic following. Done. It was terrifying. A lot of the people who were affected went into this trance-like coma.
The second: More fun, but also scary. Holed up in a large house defending human refugees against zombies (always on my mind, right?). At one point the severed upper torso of a little boy grabbed onto the back of my shirt, screaming and flailing wildly with blood-stained mouth and hands. I woke up so startled that I whipped around and almost punched my then-sleeping girlfriend in the face.
"How'd you get that black eye Rachel?"
"Uhhh..."
I don't know why I'm having these dreams consistently. I haven't had "nightmares" since I was a kid... but I'm trying to look to them for inspiration and actually look forward to having them. It's in our dreams where we truly and absolutely create... and these dreams have been completely lucid.
Maybe I should put them on hold until I finish the semester... I have so many projects and papers due. This has been one of the most intellectually and academically challenging semesters of my college career. I'm thankful for it, but at the same time I'm screaming my head off. Oh, research paper due tomorrow! It will be a long night.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Google Announces an OS
Google announced today a new operating system: Google Chrome OS
Looks to me like another ambitious attempt to monopolize our digital lives. Google is taking a hold and could very well the way of the future.
I don't know how practical the OS looks though. There's a video on the link above, tell me what you think. I'm just imagining the slow grind of third parties to develop their software for a new OS. I'm trying to imagine a whole new NLE programmed by Google that could rival Avid, Final Cut, and Premiere. It's going to be an interesting year!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Voice Over Work
I'm think I'm slowly becoming the voice of UD (just kidding)... here's a voice over I did for the Faith, Vocation & Leadership House at UD
Monday, November 16, 2009
UD Commercial
Hey!
Here's a commercial for my university that I was in for a brief two seconds! I was the production assistant for two days, and they needed some fill-ins on the second!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Roman pic of the day
Another installment in my tourist series, this statue is a genuine Michaelangelo housed in some Cathedral on some road somewhere in Rome. Wish I could remember, but we were on a walking tour at the time and they crammed so much information into us in a series of three days that it was impossible to retain all of it. Luckily, there are photos! It's funny: I started a travel journal while I was there which lasted all of three days until I realized "I'm in Rome!" Stop writing and experience, right? Now I'm realizing the value of travel journals... oh well. Next time.
Drying Up
Sorry for the delay in posts (this apology is mostly to myself). I've been bogged with a lot of projects lately. The big one: Xavier Rudd interview. I'm putting together a short interview video from a Xavier Rudd concert in D.C this summer. You may be thinking, "Well if it was filmed this summer, why isn't it done yet?" First: It's a free promotion. Second: I'm trying to do a good job. Good and free, when they do go together, take a long time. Monetary priorities come up, you know?
This week I've been looking for apartments to move in with two repatriated ex-patriots and mi novia. I might be heading off to grad school in Indiana next year, so I want to live my last few months of my childhood in Ohio to the fullest. Rachel will still be in school and then the work force, so who knows when we will be reunited for more than a weekend? A lot of heavy stuff in the air, actually. BUT, I did get past the graduate admissions at Ball State and now I just have to prove to the department that I'm worth it. I think my portfolio will speak for itself... but you never know, it's a competitive market.
Walk
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Artist of the Month
The Flyer News Article
So for some reason, and I'm not really sure what, my school newspaper has declared me artist of the month. It's interesting because I haven't been on the stage all year, and am playing catch-up with old video projects. In fact, I don't really think I've been involved in anything deserving of this in recent... but hey, it's still cool, right?
It's making me think, though... I really need to step up on getting my own camera. I need to start shooting in HD and kicking up my work. I need I need I need.
I'm trying to put together different ideas for web content which explore random footage/segments, small web shows, etc. I really like what Blame Society Productions is doing with their content. I think they have fun, they do what they want, and they have a pretty good market. It seems like anyone can do this stuff with a good enough idea... or in the case of Shane Dawson and a few others on YouTube, with enough persistence. You build a fan base, generate a consistent stream of web content and market the hell out of yourself and you should be gold, right? I guess that's why there's a lot of research being done on this stuff. But that's what I love about the internet – It's the poor man's Hollywood. Anyone can make it, it's a new era of the American Dream! Remember that? Work hard and be rewarded? You, too, can do it!
Roman Pic of the Day
I'm not really sure where this was taken. We got lost one day after visiting Keats' grave and wandered into a park. This building was down an alley near that park. I think it's amazing how well preserved these buildings are. It's such a different concept: They renovate when things get old, we just knock 'em down and rebuild.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Roman Pic of the Day
Another installment designed to force me to upload all of my pictures from Rome. This one is the view from the window of my classroom at the University of Washington Rome Center right off Campo Di Fiori.
I'm a nerd...
I built a green screen in my room while my roommate's out of town. We shot some "viral" videos and other things. Thinking of launching a new channel on YouTube. The idea's a little controversial... so I won't get into it right now, but I think it has a lot of potential. Will post the vids soon!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
For a friend
This is for @prassacut on Twitter. Struck up a philosophical conversation, and somehow got onto the topic of fountains in Rome
Roman Pic of the Day
You can find graffiti almost anywhere in Europe. Spain's my favorite place to see it, but there's some cool stuff on the walls in Rome as well. Graffiti was often used to write political messages or pose social attitudes... in some places it was even used to ask questions. Sounds a lot like the Ancient Roman version of Twitter.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Quote of the Day
“They treated me like a child molester, so I just got the f*** out of there" (Booth,http://tinyurl.com/yg3f845).
This story is just too nuts. I've been trying to recreate the events in my head like a cheesy A&E/Lifetime special dramatic reenactment, and I can't imagine how bizarre it must have been in real life. Wow.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
First attempt at using loops in Garage Band
I've been taking an audio technology class and, as an introduction to different audio programs and basic looping systems, we learned GarageBand... so here's something I cranked out. The text I'm reading is from 1984, Brave New World, and a random lecture on physics I found through a Google search.
Roman pic of the day
I walked by the Pantheon almost every day before class. It was typically a forty-minute sojourn, except for the one day I took a taxi – very convenient, but afterward I was ashamed of myself. This is one of my favorite sites in Rome... I really don't know what it is about it, but I was in awe every time I saw it or stepped inside. The oculus in the top of the building is open to the sky, so when it rains outside, it rains inside. There was only one day when the rain was significant enough, making it worth it to run all the way to the Pantheon, but unfortunately I was doing my laundry. Some day.
Thanksgiving!
So, I Googled Thanksgiving imagery in anticipation of one of my favorite holidays... and Ann Curry from NBC came up among a slew of cornucopia. Why?
Monday, November 2, 2009
I lied, one more
One more photo of some people that make me really happy. Taken in Assisi... so I guess it's not the Roman pic of the day.
Daily Rome Pic
Tourism:
A Roman pic of the day from my study abroad this past Summer. I think you can guess where we're at.
Zombies!
I want to make a zombie film from anywhere to 3 minutes to 5 hours. I like zombies and, after seeing movies like 28 Days Later, am convinced they can be done artfully without adding to the Ameritrash following (no offense to Romero at all).
Why? My girlfriend and I went up to Ohio University this weekend, which hosts one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Halloween parties in the United States. The costumes, for the most part, were fantastic – my favorite being the person dressed as the old man from Up!, carrying a train of some 100+ helium-filled balloons.
My least favorite: slutty bumblebees, slutty strawberries, slutty cops, slutty naval officers, and the slutty list goes on. I can't believe some of the girls of my generation. Rachel pointed out to me a girl whose skirt was so short that you could see her labia, granted she wasn't wearing any underwear. I won't go into it, but there are a lot of people out there who really disappoint my perspective of humanity... Nietzsche would tell me to chill out. I should chill out.
Anyway, ZOMBIES! After our costuming plans fell through, Rachel and I went to a costume shop and grabbed some effects makeup to pay homage to our favorite horror heros – zombies!
You can check the photo out at my posterous account. I wish the photo was better, but I think we did a decent job. Doing the makeup inspired me to do a no-budget zombie film. It was easy, it was fun. I have cameras. And actors. Let's do it! So now in some of my down time, I'll be researching DIY disemboweling effects from the folks at Indy Mogul. The Magic Bullet Suite should really help me out too!
Zombies!
Zombies at Halloween. When our costumes fell through, Rachel and I decided to rely on my experience with special FX makeup. I think it turned out pretty well! The fake blood we bought was called "Bloody Scab" and it came in this coagulated-gel-type form; we were literally able to "scab" it on and it looked great. If only we got a better picture...
We went up to OU for the festivities and to say farewell to one of my best friends leaving for basic training. It was fun, though neither of us are much for big crowds. Saw some amazing costumes, including the old man from Up! He was carrying a train of 100+ helium filled balloons. Wish I had a picture.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Magic Bullet Suite 2009!
So, I don't have much time to get into this, but I just bought the Magic Bullet Suite for my Mac from a third party seller, Creation Engine. Not only did I get a 600 dollar discount for being a student (it only cost me $200!), but I was able to download the product within 24 hours and have it up and running on my computer almost instantly. It seamlessly integrated with my Final Cut Pro and After Effects programs and the applications make grading and cleanup work a snap.
To the left is a "Before" photo of a pic I took with Photo Booth.
Here's the after. Yeah, I know... the tone is completely changed. Looks is amazingly easy to use and understand and, with the help of my trusty Filmmaker's Handbook 2008 Ed., I'm able to follow along and understand the practical applications of each of its effects.
And speaking of The Filmmaker's Handbook, it's a great reference for beginners and pros, packed with tons of useful info that's helped me make decisions on lighting, video format, compression, storage, etc. I recommend it for anyone to have on hand at their NLE or even in the field. It taught me a lot of things about being in the field and camera set up that two years of classes didn't. I definitely recommend it.
Here's the link: http://preview.tinyurl.com/y998p88
Next purchase, I think, will be a secondary hard drive and an upgrade to FCS 7. From there on out: HD Glidecam, Camera and I'm a happy man. Well... until I can get a small sound system and a Hi-Def secondary coloring monitor! From there on out, the stars!
That's all for now,
Walk
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