Special Thanks 2009

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.

Nacht Der Untoten

25 Films of X-Mas

Well It's seems I've got some time off! Kinda.

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.

Ab Urbe Condita

We Done Did It!

We won Best Picture at the 2009 Filmanthropist Project!

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.

Ready for the next round guys and gals?

A Bene Placit

"He's all yours, Rosebud me old son."

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 Kay Put 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.

Communibus Locis

"Well, thank you for profiting on my childhood."

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!

Got a few surprises for you all... [CLIFFHANGER]

Oh, and workin' on my portfolio too!

Ex Hypothesi

"Campa... Quino... They would destroy the city..."

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...

Omnia Mea Mecum Porto

"Get your gear. Let's go."

I Went with a Sony HVR-Z5U and have gotten it from B&H Photo Video! Shipped this baby overnight from New York City. Now I know I said I was going with a JVC GY-HM100U, but it just didn't do it for me with it's 1/4 inch CCD's which I heard from several sources didn't work so well in low light. After a view of some tests on YouTube and Vimeo I knew I had to look elsewhere. I looked back and went with the updated model of the camera we used on our First 48 Hour Film Project when we shot SUB-SESSION a Sony HVR-Z1U.

This bad boy has a 29.5mm lens, a lux of 1.5, and it shoots 24p just to name a few of it's many specs. Oh yeah, and it overcranks and shoots what it calls smooth slow motion! I'll have some stuff to show you guys shortly. Sorry, for the lack of updates again I was doing research and getting funds together... UPDATE SUPER SOON!


E Pluribus Unum

"I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer."

The great news is I'm done with public speaking!
Über Epic.

Watched some more great films. Watchmen on Blu-Ray for one! Also, Barton Fink, JCVD, Starship Troopers, and oddly enough the Woody Allen flick
Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Looking forward to seeing
Inglourious Basterds and Funny People on the
sliver screen very soon. Yowza!



Been reading some buttery comics like Spider-Man Noir, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, Captain America: Red, White & Blue, and for the first time Sin City. Lastly I've given into that shouting boy inside me and I'm back on a fighting game kick. It's been a great year for 'em. The Return. King of Fighters XII is the latest to join the club along with the king Street Fighter IV and the oddball and yet very intriguing ブレイブルー better know as BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger here in America. Distortion Finish! I call it research -- enough said.



Rewrites continue on the Red Reflection script. The shoot is still on for a late September or early October date, basically as soon as the red leaves and amber sun make their presence known we're goin' in. Oh yeah, kinda need to buy my JVC: GY-HM100 shorty here as well. Thank you, renters returns! I'm on my way even more so now...

I did indeed take that excellent adventure with
Mr. Logan and Mr. Preston! So not bogus dudes and dudettes! Got myself a few weeks to relax before my return to classes, and I'm going to enjoy them! It's what summer created for chillin'.

Ad Fontes

"I will give power onto two witnesses"

I've been real busy, even after the 48 Hour Film Project. Reading up and things. Beyond comics I mind you. Watching lots of movies from my youth like Robot Jox, The Guyver, and hell yeah even the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie! I truly miss folks like Jim Henson and Sam Winston. Digital Effects are indeed a art. A fine one at that. Cost effective as well. They're just is something miraculous about doing it "for real" so to speak.



Also, working on rewrites on the Red Reflection script. Plan is to shoot it this fall. A story of revenge and crime. Oh yeah and some kick ass fights. Leading to the climax on an abandoned bridge.
That's all I'll say about that. For now.



Well, back to rewrites and reading. Maybe just maybe an excellent adventure with Bill and Ted...

Aw, a fellow chucker, eh?

The Defenestrator

For this years Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project the fallowing elements had to be in all the films. The prop of a sandwich. The character of Kevin Schnabel an Expert (of any sort). The line of dialogue was "I hope they decide soon."

Then we drew our specific genre... *drum roll* SUPERHERO!

As always guys and gals your opinions and comments are always very much welcomed and appreciated! To the cast and crew all I can say is in just 48 hours we... Nailed this bitch! Without each and everyone of you working to your fullest we could not have pulled this off! Thanks, again. I hope to see you this time next year. Same Defenestrator time, same Defenestrator channel...

Standby.

Nailed the Bitch!

I'll be posting the flick after the Premier at the
Riverview Theater this Thursday...

Oh, by the way I've got some stories to tell you all.
Another time, perhaps after a bit more recoup.

I'd like to take this time to thank everybody who made it happen. Nicki Andert, Daniel Steinberg, Justin Tholl, Clayton Ebeling, Sam Hanus, Mccrae Olson, Kassandra Langum, Joe Young, Carol Vnuk, James Norgard, Breanna Füss, Alana Bloom, and Ben Brady.
I owe all of you my greatest of gratitude.
We made magic!

Speical Thanks, also goes out to the Andert's for letting us invade their house, and claim it as both home base and lair. Frank from Excel Warehousing and Distribution for letting us use his warehouse. Jimmy John's for the sandwich platter to which I got none. Far too busy for food... Lastly, Rich Oxley for providing us with equipment, support, and guidance when we needed it... Thanks, a million to everyone.

Semper Fi

Death Race (2009)

T-minus one day and counting to the annual
48 Hour Film Project for Minneapolis!



We went and got our equipment from the Ox at HTC today. Then later, Nicki (Producer) and I headed over to CostumeRentals to check things out...

I think the Kraut helmet shot speaks for this
places' epicness! It made the two of us very
confident even if we drew Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or
even Musical/Western! Maybe we'll do a MusicalWestern
about painting you wagon, and not dying from dysentery and such...

Less now. One day.

Lewdog's Nutty Outtake

This really speaks for itself...

So many. Two days.

Battery

This was on of my final projects for last semester. It's more or less a proof of concept for an idea we've got in the pipe. It's gonna be fleshed out with a yin and yang or a good verses evil storyline.
It's going to be Brady verses Schroeder!
As soon as I get my hands on the JVC GY-HM100U
Any comments or critiques are very much welcome.

It's getting late. Four days.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Well it's only five days until the
2009 Minneapolis 48 Film Project!

I'm sure you've all been waiting... So here it goes.

THE GOOD


- James Norgard -
Is in Rob Perez's soon to be released Nobody as well as Fear of Girls III. He came to us very highly acclaimed by Matthew Feeney of Walden Entertainment. His audition just grabbed me.


- Carol Vnuk -
Is in A Young Heart which I did the behind the scenes for. She's also done several of these film races in the past. A real veteran of the game. She also came to us very highly acclaimed by Walden Entertainment. Oh yeah, and she does stand-up comedy. Good stuff.

They've both joined are team, and also once again Ben Brady and Breanna Füss are all on board for all the mayhem. We've also got a stab at Jahnna Randall. Depending on what we draw as our genre and if we got a role for her. *crosses fingers* for Detective/Cop. I only wish you all could have seen her audition. Epic.

THE BAD



Just how epic the film Tank Girl truly is in all it campy glory! She's just the girl, she's just the girl, the girl you want!

AND THE UGLY



Drawing names from a hat...

&

We still don't know our genre yet...
We can't. Five days.

End of the Year

IDVP classes are done 'till the fall. *tear*
I do however have public speaking this summer.
*yuck* Two words that should never go
together summer and school.
I'm going to take my rest and watch some flicks...

Build My Gallows High Baby

Behind the Film Race

Check out the link below to view behind the scenes photos from the fine folks at Minnewood of Standby Productions' first film race outing Casualties.
I'll be giving you the good news and the
bad news real soon ya' yokels...





Alter Ipse Amicus

Casualties Recut

A day late a dollar short I know...
Mother's Day, finals, and such.

Well here ya' go everybody it's my recut of 'Casualties'! This was Standby Productions entry into the Minneapolis Film Race for 2009. Much like the 48 Film Project. (Which is this June! So keep your eyes open ya' heard me?)

Friday, April 3rd at 10PM the Theme of a second chance and the Surprise Element of blowing a bubble were announced to all the teams. Within twenty-four hours we had to turn in a final render of our flick to Bryant Lake Bowl! It's was an adventure as these bad boys always are...

The final we video we turned in was in my opinion in need of some audio sweetening and some recuts so I made them and I present them to you all...
A day late and a dollar short.

I went with some George Lucas esque Star Wars' wipes. I'm really of a fan of the one between contestants number two and three. My only regret I never went with a lightsaber in place of the gun. Damn.

I also added some echo to death. I boosted the ambiance of purgatory with some monster/ghoul groans, fire, and water drips to name a few. I threw in the black panther fist from Mr. Brady for the kids who just have moms. Ahhh... Damn that was funny at five in the morning. Oh yeah, let's not forget the mic's gift to me... Electronic buzzing. Double Damn!

Let me know what you all think of it...

Sound Speeding

Lack of Updates... No Longer!

Sorry, for the lack of updates everyone.
I've been researching, learning, and
practicing my 'triggernometry'...
'Cause they always fuzzy dawg!

Mostly I've been helping the folks as at my second home in the Interactive Design / Video Production department at Hennepin Technical College. Troubleshooting FCP as well as equipment and in some case straight up learnin' us some new stuff...
Thanks, Daniel-San, DarkJado, and Ox...

I've also been watching some truly great films! Brick, Oldboy, Shogun Assassin, Watchmen, and Laura to name a few. Yes, that's also research! Did behind the scenes footage on the set of 'A Young Heart' now that was a story... Take 13's and unsolicited advice. Yikes!

I was the Director of Photography on Standby Productions' entry into the Minneapolis Film Race 2009. I've been working on a recut of it and will post it for you all to see tomorrow...

Yup. Lastly, I've got some good news and some bad news... That's all just a bunch a malarkey for a later time...


One last word. Workflow.