A behind the scenes look at the ClickKay.com photo shoot at 13twentythree Photography. I was the Director, Cinematographer, and Editor for this project. More to come from Livin' Life Like a Video series and other Fresh ENT projects.
I'd like to thank Kay Hussein, Mohamed Sufi, Ciise Cali, Gus Roble, Dadir A.O., and Rich Peterson.
I'm about to turn twenty-five years old! Now I know I said I was going to do my top nine of '09, but I've got a new and bigger plan...
2009, was another year of major growth for me! I learned a boat load. About myself and the process of film and video production. I could not have done this alone, and thus would like to thank some of folks who helped guide and flow with me over the last 365 days of this first decade of the new millenium. Here it goes.
First I'd like to thank the team of A Thank You From The Heart Kassandra Langum, Joseph Young, Daniel Steinberg, Clayton Ebeling, and Maryann Bauer.
Justin Staggs, Randy Smith, Andrew Melby, TJ Schwingle, Kristina Harris, Alex Bowes, Ben Thompson, and Strike Anywhere. By shadowing them I learned how all parts come together to create a solid and engaging music video.
Kay Hussein, Gus Roble, Ciise Cali, Mohamed Sufi, Lil' Lee, and everybody at Fresh Entertainment for the opportunities they've given me.
Matt Osterman, Christopher Grap, Jennifer Kramer, Matt Ehling, Charles Abel, and Jillian Yerks for speaking with our portfolio class. Your insight and advice has and will continue to be noted and remembered.
Nicki Andert, James Norgard, Chris Bakke, Benjamin Brady, Carol Vnuk, Bre Füss, Vashti Knazze, Justin Tholl, Mccrae Olson, Laura Goldknopf, Sam Hanus, Frank Gores, and Dan Past. Their efforts in the endurance tests that our Film Races this year taught me a ton about the collaborative process of film creation. From pre to post production the entire picture is becoming all to clear, or in the case of the 48 Hour Film Project it was the sound... *sigh
As always, lessons learned.
Jennifer Staggs for the warm coffee on the cold shoots. Rich Peterson for the awesome profile picture. Jake Young for the dvd slip prints and friendly help. Matthew Feeney for his open casting workshop for the 48 Hour Film Project. Corey Schmidt for the national gig to grind 'n' shine on. Bigfoot with the hand off, and [pause] touchdown! Dmitry Futoryan and Patrick Schaefer for helping make a long and grinding day enjoyable. Laughter and grub is key to smiles on set. That and a detailed layout or blueprint of the crafts services table...
Lastly, John McCaffrey and Richard Oxley for giving me the space and freedom to pursue my dreams. As crazy as they may be. Thank you, everybody.God bless, and may the New Year bring you all fortune, liberty, and happiness.
Twenty-Ten here we come! Big things are coming. I promise you all that.
I'm planning on watching a slew of flicks these next few weeks...
• Adventureland • Assembly • Avatar • Citizen Kane • Day of the Dead • District 9 • The Hangover • I Am Legend • Inglourious Basterds • John Q • K-20 • Omega Man • Public Enemies • Road to Perdition • Robocop • Sherlock Holmes • Snakes on a Plane • Speed • Toy Soldiers • Toxic Avenger • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen • The Zombie Diaries • Zombie Hunter Rika • 300 • 500 Days of Summer
Not looking to just be a passive participant in my entertainment outside of creating some of my own... I plan to play a few video games this season on top of it all. Pandemic's swan song The Saboteur, Assassins Creed II, and maybe a little Modern Warfare 2 to boot! Thanks, Mr. Kotick!
Really, during this break I'll be wrapping up this set of videos for Fresh Entertainment artist Kay. A behind the scenes trilogy for his song Put Some Sauce On It as well as a music video for his new mixtape track Better Believe It. They'll all show up some time in early 2010.
Speaking of which as I'm on a list kick I'm also going to be throwing up my top nine of 2009 in the next few days. Lastly I've got a few more things to get off my chest before this decade wraps up so expect a few more blogs. Stay tuned.
I'd like to first thank the Director and amazingly talented dame who set this all up Kassandra Langum! Clayton Ebeling and Joesph Young who did another mint job on lights! As well as Daniel Steinberg who did mixing other other such QA on the project to perfection. Last but not least Mary Ann who was the backbone and subject of our film. Thanks a million. WE are the BEST.
The film should be posted on the Filmanthropist Project website shortly and when it does I'll let you all know.
Saw a lot of things this weekend not the least of which was the Reckless Ones playing to the hometown crowd at the Sauce after being over on the other side on the pond in the UK. Small world story. Justin Staggs showed our class his latest music video Dead and Gone with the Reckless Ones. I've since done some work with him as I've already told ya'. The crazy part you ask? The buddy I went with knew the lead singer of the band! Small World.
Working on wrapping up classes and that means my portfolio and website! The home stretch. Just got my domain and my site should be up by the end of the week.
Just saw the The Road on the big screen. I must say it is for sure a must buy. It's however not better than the book. Speaking of which I also recommend Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower. I wish to play with these palettes...
Fresh to Blu-Ray Fight Club, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch! Also, got to mention Up, Dead Presidents, Killing Machine, Azumi, and The Inglorious Bastards from way back in 1978.
Lastly, White Heat with James Cagney. It was playing when I woke up on AMC and it almost made me late to the KayPut Some Sauce On It shoot! Yeah, I'm a sucker for the oldies. They goodies.
'I once was lost, but now am found' Okay, not so much the last part.
Things have been crazy! With the new camera have come some new projects.
The first is A Thank You from the Heart a short documentary film about Mary Ann Bauer who is a volunteer at Saint Therese. We entered it to the Filmanthropist Project which will be showing the top ten entries at the Oak Street Cinema on December 13th at 3pm. Also thinking about sending it to FOX News Channel's College Challenge as well. It's at a current TRT of 4:15 without credits and for the contest it's got to be no longer than 3:30. Have no fear my friends! I'll be posting it for you all to see soon after it's world premier at the Oak Street Cinema I hope to see you all there.
Working on a stretching video for CenterPoint Energy. This would be the second video I've done for them. The kicker you ask? It's a national video to be seen all over the country and it's also in high definition unlike the CSAFE video I did for them back in corporate video production. What else more can I say it's corporate and you'll never see it.
I've also been doing music videos with Justin Staggs and at the most recent one with Minnesota Rapper Kay I was offered a chance to shoot and put together a behind the scenes video to hype Put Some Sauce On It. I'll be sure to let you all know where and and when it is posted for the world to see sometime in January. Speaking of which I'm just out the door to shoot Kay in the studio to recording some tracks for his new album unfinished business. So, I'll see you all later unlikely the same time, but the same BAT-URL!
With the decision to go with the HVR-Z5U rather than the GY HM100U also came more time to get the extra bread together to fund this little endeavour. It was about an extra seven hundred dollars altogether to go with HDV basically S-miniDV based Z5U. S-Video and even more so S-VHS bring a big smile to my face. It's was the first professional format I learned.
From VHS-C and editing on two VCR's to S-VHS editing deck to deck. I also went from action figure actors to classmate and crew actors. Those where some great times, I just pray that footage never sees the light of day again. Sorry, back from the flashback. This means I'll still for some time shoot to tape and then digitize the footage. Somethings have changed like now I edit NLE and thus I can tool around and mold things like clay because ⌘Z is a life savor. Yippee-ki-yay!
Besides the extra Benjamins lost was the time to shoot the end fight scene of Red Reflection with it's colorful leaves and amber dusk sun. Those beautiful leaves now lay on the ground dead and soon gone. However, Red Reflection is anything but dead and gone. In the mean time till next fall I've got some other plans.
Bellum 2012 is that first plan. I began to cook up the idea for the film back in 2007 and finally banged out a script earlier this year. Right now I'm doing some final revisions and getting ready to set this bad boy in motion. Should be an adventure.
Also, I've been watching a lot of flicks as well. What else is new right? Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Drag Me To Hell, Observe and Report, Dead Presidents, Gojira, El Mariachi Trilogy, and yes the Spy Kids Trilogy as well. Been taking Robert Rodriguez's 10 minute film schools...
