THEM DAMNED YOUNG LIVERS - ALL HELL [Music Video]

Well here it is everybody! Them Damed Young Livers' All Hell music video from their all new LP Psalms of Ill-Repute. We shot it a few months ago in Saint Paul before one of the bands' shows. Hit it!



The premier of All Hell at Dusty Pixels was a hell of a time even with the crazy storm that came trough as we were wrapping things up. Cats and dogs. The house party on the opposite side of Powederhorn park near my place later that night was a great time as well even with the gut rotting chinese food that made my tummy an unhappy camper. The beer hit the spot however. If you want you can also peep the video on Youtube if you're a square.



I was a Gaffer and Grip on the shoot. I would like to thank everyone with the Twin Cities Rockabilly Crew, Black Hulk Hogan, Director - Alex Bowes, Director of Photography - Brandon Boulay, Assistant Camera - Andre Durand, Grip/Gaffer - Ben Katz, and DJ Grip/Editor - Ben Thompson. We tore down the joint, and by the end of it all the house smelled of sweat, cigarettes, urine, and beer. I got say it was a hell of a party that we somehow managed to shoot a music video among all the madness and mayhem, all be it controlled much like a professional wrestling match. Truly it was the best way to capture the essence of the band's life on the road. Same URL, some other time, stay tuned.

Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam

All Hell @ Dusty Pixeles

WHO: Them Damned Young Livers, Director Alex Bowes, Director of Photography Brandon Boulay, Ben Thompson, myself, and tons of Twin Cities Rockabilly fanatics. That's who.

WHAT: We'll be viewing the band's newest music video All Hell from their all new LP Psalms of Ill-Repute. I helped make it, and destroy a house in the process to clear space for the Schroeder Restaurant's parking lot. What a dream, come watch the mayhem.

WHERE: Dusty Pixels record store [2443 Hennepin Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55405]

WHY: Professional Wrestler Black Hulk Hogan who also stars in the video will be at the premier as well. Now, you're sold I'm sure.

WHEN: Saturday, July 17, 2010 @ 7:30pm




Had my nose in Motion Picture and Video Lighting and Street Fighter: The Complete History as of late. Saw the winner of Best Director and Best Picture at the 1941 Academy Awards beating out Orson Wells' Citizen Kane the John Ford opus How Green Was My Valley. A masterpiece of perfection. Timeless due to it's ability to express the human condition, and what it means to live and die. Before the All Hell premier I'm stoked to see Christopher Nolan's Inception, looks like an epic shift in things. Even here, stay tuned.

Cave Nil Vino

"When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water."

Don't Go Catchin' Feelin's ('Cause It's Only A Game) is now on YouTube at 1080p worldwide thanks to our tech guru Daniel Steinberg. He's got a brand spanking new blog where he rants and gives his thoughts on technical aspects of Film and Video production. Tell the kids, the secret(s) are out. Enjoy and tell a friend, and don't give me that I would but business. We all know it's a reel confidence builder.



I've been taking a lot of pictures of the city of Minneapolis in monochrome, planning a couple summer productions, and working on a script I've had on my brain for a while now, the secret is out. I'll also let this one out as well. I cried when I watched the Angry Video Game Nerd's short film The Dragon in My Dreams. In it James Rolfe AKA Angry Video Game Nerd tries to explain why it is he makes motion pictures. He comes damn close to explaining why it is us filmmakers do what we do. Honestly, it really stirred something in me. Peep it, I hope it does the same for you.



Been reading Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, and Grant Morrison's Batman The Black Glove. Listening to Drake's Thank Me Later LP as well as Die Antwoord's $o$ LP. The Music Video for Enter the Ninja by Rob Malpage, SASC is the best I've seen in some time. In the world of major motion pictures I've made time for John Q, Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest, Planet Terror, in ShawScope I witnessed the elemental powers do battle in the timeless Chinese Super Ninjas, and yet another John Ford masterpiece The Quite Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Same URL, some other time, stay tuned.

Adaequatio Intellectus Et Rei

"Well, there are some things a man just can't run away from."

With the end of June came another Music Video shoot. This time it was for the all female rock band Vanity Theft The song and video should hit along side their new EP this Fall. I was hired on by Director of Photography TJ Schwingle for this Omni-Fusion Media Production.



The shoot began Monday morning at the Northrup King Building, and went on 'till about 4am in the morning Tuesday, and that was only round one. Round two, started around 11am Tuesday and went on 'till a little after 4pm Tuesday, and sadly she was a wrap yet again. Shane Nelson, the Director of the production likes himself a small and tight crüe much like yours truly on shoots such as this. Someday, when the funds provide for a larger willing and talented crew, and yes cast as well, perhaps. Monday was setup as well as the day to get the bands performance shot. We began with the master shot of the band rockin' out all together, and then we walked the lens in and got close-ups of each member doing their thing using the amazing Red One camera with some buttery prime lenses.



We then did individual setups for each member to perform the song in their own way. The final setup of these was struck at about 3am on Tuesday. The awesome news was the shoot was returning here to tomorrow for the rest of the shoot, so we only had to get everything onto the taco carts and lock them in safe rooms, for the night along with the security detail at the NKB. After getting a bit of much needed shut eye, everyone returned Tuesday morning and by 11am production was in a full roll forward. We began getting all the pickups for the video. I don't want to spoil things so take what you want from the picture above. Enjoy, some little ones sure did, yummy in the tummy. All in all this was yet another awesome music video shoot, I must say it really helps when you're learning and working with some of the best. Thanks to everyone I met and got to know on the shoot.



Recently I've been reading, All Star Batman and Robin, Wolverine Old Man Logan, All Star Batman and Robin, In The Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, and yes I'm still rereading the American Cinematographer Manual. On the old Kinetoscope I've recently been rehooked on the theatrical shorts of Tom and Jerry by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1940 to 1958 a total of hundred plus shorts in all over three volumes, comic gold. Also, Flags of our Fathers, Foxy Brown, and Meet Me in St. Louis. Lastly, I just picked up the Criterion Edition Blu-ray of John Ford's Stagecoach in it's original aspect ratio of 1:37:1, also in the special features was an early Ford silent picture from 1917 Bucking Broadway staring his early muse Harry Carey. I'm one happy, boy to say the least. Big things on the way. Stay tuned, with a camera. Happy 234th Birthday America!


Nemo Saltat Sobrius

DON'T GO CATCHIN' FEELIN'S ('CAUSE IT'S ONLY A GAME) [FILM]

A down and out rapper finds a reason to run the game.

This past weekend went as smooth as butter, no egos, no gossip, no bologna. Simply the creation of a Film we all firmly believe in, and each having faith in the process in the way(s) that they needed to craft movie magic. So started my third round of the 48 Hour Film Project.



The bell rung Friday when we picked up the equipment from Cinequipt including the Red One. From there we went to Aquilo Studios and met up with John and 'G' to sign the location release, discuss the rules of the house, as well as the layout out of distro for the joint. Form, Northeast Minneapolis we made our way down 35W to Bloomington our pre and post production house. We got things together, and waited to head over to Walden Entertainment about a mile away.



As I stood in line to pick our genre with Hoskins I felt a bad moon rising with my hands, so I had Hoskins reach in after I rubbed his head for luck. Good thing, we drew Buddy Film! I knew instantly the story and characters for the film. The one Justin Johnson and I had talked about the night before for mockumentary. The story of a down on his luck rapper. Even the title song was already in my head. So, I made some calls and got things in place with my lead actor Jon Krivo and Taylor Trygstad who created the main title track we used in the film. The character of Paul Williams a Chef, the prop of a pair of pliers, and the line of dialogue "What do you want to know?" round out our elements for our film.



We grabbed some seats out front of the house and brainstormed out our main plot points for the film. I called the actors to set things up with them for the next shooting day. Meanwhile, Daniel and Joseph worked on the Red One 4K HD workflow and things looking stunning under tungsten bulbs. As the sun went down and after some breaks and rethinks we began to write our script, and by about 2am it was done for the most part.



I woke up at 5am Saturday, and went over the script and changed a few things as well as cleaned up a few things. I was a happy boy with this blue print in my hand. We got our equipment together and headed back over to Aquilo Studios arriving around 8am to shoot the studio and rapping scenes. We were wrapped and struck at Aquilo by around 3pm and head back to the house to shoot the scenes of the Rapper at home. After some ten hours we wrapped principal photography on the film at around 1am. We cooked the footage, and got it on the timeline. I went to bed and once again got some three hours of shut eye.



With Sunday morning I woke up at 5am and began the rough edit of the film which was done by about 8am in the morning. Hoskins and Joseph went to pickup our opening title shot, and soon returned with awesome footage which wrapped the production side of the film. Another great feeling was to give Steinberg hours to color correct and to his beautiful and subtle tweaks to the film. By about 5:30pm we were getting her ready for submission which we did the first time around 6:20pm and again with a better compression around 7:15pm. We headed back home and got some rest. We returned things to Cinequipt come Monday morning. I scored us some Arri swag from Jeff, and now just like I promised him, Daniel has his own Arri hat to wear on set. We all then went home to get even more rest and recoup. Nothing could have felt better.



Then came Wednesday, and the World Premiere of the film at the Riverview Theater. The film went over great, and I've got some good feelings about this one. Check it out for yourselves and let us know what you think of the film.

Shoutouts to everyone who's help, support, and skills made this all happen. John Edel, 'G', John Hensen, Brian Hoskins, Justin Johnson, Jon Krivo, Michael Latterll, James Norgard, Mccrea Olson, Jon Sadeh, Daniel Steinberg, Taylor Trygstad, Teddy Berg, Joseph Young, and last but not least Richard Oxley. My eternal thanks to you all. Stay tuned, much more on the way.

Corrigenda

Don't Go Catchin' Feelin's @ Riverview Theater

I love it when a plan comes together, and that's just what happened this past weekend when we crafted yet another 48 Hour Film Project Film. Everyone, and everything just came together to nail this one. I can't thank you all enough for you time and efforts we made magic, and yet I'll try once again. Thank you. Come one, come all and show your love and support as well at the World Premiere of Don't Go Catchin' Feelin's ('Cause It's Only A Game) at the Riverview Theater, full info below.

WHO: Media Storm / Old Abbot

WHAT: The 48 Hour Film Project Screenings

WHERE: Riverview Theater, [3800 42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406]

WHY: We made a Film and submitted it on time

WHEN: Wednesday, June 23rd at 7pm

HOW: Eight bucks gets you in to the show

Crescit Eundo

"Don't be afraid, my Son. No one is more powerful than God."

With the warm weather and bonus time I've been biking around the lakes of Minneapolis. Also, takin' some pictures, makin' some pictures, and watchin' some pictures on the side. Most recently I've watched Rain Johnson's Brick, the classic Step Brothers, and Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi.



This past weekend I was hired on by Moving Walkway Productions to help out on the Fireworks Music Video for the band Standard Thompson. Friday night was loading and lighting time at Aquillo Studios. It went buttery smooth and we got done a bit early which is always nice with a shoot the next morning. With Saturday came time for the band's performance in front of a green screen. The guys we're great. An, indy band with a billboard band's energy and unity.



Once, Justin Staggs the Director called wrap the real fun of roadying all of the stingers used on the studio side of the shoot began. Another surgical job, and as Beth Van Dam one of the Producers for the Music Video noted we may just have left the soundstage cleaner then we found it. Wax on, wax off.



Then came, Sunday and the twenty hour day that fallowed. All-in-all the shoot again was like ice, mostly. The day side of the shoot was the classic country love story, and even with the clouds coming in and out as well as a little spell of rain. We got ourselves some glowing shots in that tall grass. The only real SNAFU was on my head, when I was refueling the generator gas spilled out off the gas can and got itself in the air intake. Dead, at least for a few minutes. Thank, the film Gods she started up after a little tinkering. The saga continued, and the Horror Film side of the Music Video was shot through the night. I even got my hands bloody in the picture, as I was the hand/arm double for the actor . I don't wanna spoil much, but I'll say this when you see the bloody hand print, that's my first hand model credit. A bit after four in the morning we had shot our final shots with the lycanthrope, and by five in the morning everything was struck and I was driving down 212 back towards the heart of the city. Minneapolis, home sweet home.



Back on the topic of the Aquillo Studios. I spoke with John who runs the joint and asked him if Media Storm/Old Abbot's entry in this years 48 Hour Film Project could use the versatile space as the principal shooting location for our film, and he said, "Yes". When I asked him for a quote on the place he told me "nothing" due to the fact it's a student project! Fella's I'd say we're golden.

Lastly, Peep a peek at Them Damned Young Livers' All Hell Music Video from their Sophomore album PSALMS OF ILL-REPUTE. Release Show(s) are at KCMO Riot Room on July 10th, and then July 16th at Minneapolis Club Underground. See ya' then, perhaps before. Stay Tuned


A Bene Placito