About a Frame

These aren’t our parent’s SLR’s anymore.

The game is changing with the introduction of these Single lens reflector camera’s that can shoot video. Even if it is just a software manipulation on the camera, which means you aren’t ‘really’ shooting film or video, the fact of the matter is that as everything moves on to the web, these cameras will hold up and make the average joe shoot beautiful looking stuff.

They’ll never be able to handle feature length films, proper broadcasts, or a variety of other platforms, but for now, they are the hot item in the video world.The single reason for this is the fact that you can throw an actual piece of glass on these cameras, not like the video workhorse, the HVX, or even a super expensive P2 varicam.

How will scarlet from RED change this even more? We’ll have to wait and see…

If this isn’t inspiring enough for anyone to want to direct a music video, I don’t know what is.

Amazing.

Isabella Rossellini rocks!

Alright, at times it makes me uncomfortable, but I’m still into getting through a whole piece for that same reason. Because it makes me look at nature in a whole other light.

This is Green Porno. A series of videos made by Rossellini that shows us the incredible and complex ways in which the natural world around us mates, self reproduces, and passes it’s genes on.

This is why the woman is who she is. Thinks outside the box, performs flawlessly in all she does, and always remains passionate.

What I was up to in Haiti.

So here is one of many vignettes to come from the short documentary I was working on. It tackles the human rights of prisoners in Haiti’s overcrowded jails. 80% of the people in haitian prisons are there on pre-trial, have never really been commited of a crime and a huge majority of them are innocents. Furthermore, their conditions breed drug resistant strains of TB, Malaria, and Dengue.

So you can see why I would be so upset when my employers curbed my enthusiasm of building a much bigger documentary.

In any case, on to other topics. Directing and launching my first solo, feature, doc (yikes) on top of my directorial debut on the music video/advertising scene.

Stand by for that entry.

To learn more about the problems in Haitian prisons visit http://www.haitijustice.org, http://www.pih.org/ or get super inspired by picking up a copy of the best seller ‘Mountains beyond Mountains’. Changing the world might be a lofty goal, but changing a country is within reach, and this story is proof of that.

Journalism-

Ahh, I’m once again in that bad mood where I remember that Journalism nowadays not only stinks but sides with too many people/governments and institutions who don’t have the general public in their interest.

Check this piece out about Swine Flu from sixty minutes…. from 1976! We’ve been down this road already and, just like this ridiculous whoopla feels, this swine flu vaccine is a load of shit that can do more harm than good.

Don’t get me wrong, it is brutal, and my mom had it just two weeks ago, but she survived.

Don’t believe the hype, don’t be forced to take the vaccine. Wash your hands, watch what you eat, and keep your defenses up… oh and don’t listen to these poorly thought out news reports on the tube, these TV journalists are hacks. Want a good news report? Check out Russia Today (www.rt.com) or Dan Rather reports.

Thanks Be. @ The Legends League for bringing this up on his blog.

Have been hustling like crazy, currently on a 26 hour stint from editing a piece. But in my delirium, as I uploaded a rough of the cut for the overlords, I came accross this this kids show ‘Yo Gabba Gabba!’

Holy chewbacca, what a cool show. It’s like a hip, less creepy, smarter version of teletubbies. It works almost like a sketch comedy show with the host, a DJ, throwing to all these little stories. The coolest thing by far is that they have Biz Markey teaching kids to beat box!

Man, I’d be so much cooler if I’d have grown up on this show.

FYI: My update on directing so far is that I’m writing on spec treatments for directors of music videos and commercials for an ad production house. But, crazier then anything else, I got a green light on this documentary subject who’s door I’ve been knocking on for a couple of years now. Very exciting stuff.

off to bed now

…zzzzz…. there’s a party in my tummy….zzz

Karma Police- Radiohead.

Classic video.

The grand transition. Day 1

Last week I returned from filming in Haiti and I was ready to give everything up in my life and move there for some time to shoot. Since my employer only hired me to do a short doc (really short, at this point it’s looking like it’ll be a solid ten, if that) I felt that to tell the story I wanted to tell I needed to develop things a little more. Also, the terms I had cut when I got the job were that I owned rights to the footage… but I would soon learn there was a clause. I couldn’t tell the story I wanted because, like in so many other things I’ve produced, my employer did not want me to push the envelope. In this occasion I can honestly say the envelope NEEDS to be pushed. My heart, was officially broken.

I wanted to push because what I was capturing was a human rights violation of monstrous proportions and I felt like I could have delivered a solid hour that would have ignited a fire inside anyone who watched it. I fought, kicked and screamed but was turned away and in the end I asked the powers that be to do everything in their means to help those I wanted to try and help with my camera. I stated that if by January I did not see some action that I would come back and film on my own, without their permission or access. For legal reasons I cannot tell you what this was but as soon as I get a thumbs up on releasing a teaser I cut about the topic at hand I will make it public and share with you all.

My return after such an emotional event was less than grand. I was in New York and I missed home. It was cloudy, rainy, and cold, just the way I like it, and seeing my friends and several colleagues made me want to return even more. I had a phenomenal conversation with my good friend and director Tim Hotchner where I came to the conclusion that I needed to branch out and execute on my scripted ideas as well. I needed to be able to control the narrative if I were to deliver the message I wanted. But, this takes time and experience… and time, and more experience. At least to do it well. I was in a shitty mood and in need of change.

I have been listening to the new Monsters Of Folk album religiously and, like many albums and songs, my mind can’t help but wonder and create little stories to certain songs. Some songs really ignite little stories in my head, and the more I listen to the song the more refined the ‘cut’ in my mind becomes. It’s great, it’s like a creative palate that has no limit.

Ruben Blades has this song called Pedro Navaja that since I was a little boy I’ve wanted to make a music video for. It’s a story about a Puerto Rican immigrant in the Bronx who becomes a thug and gets killed by a prostitute he tries to mug. Both the prostitute and Pedro die in the scuffle and a drunk homeless man finds their dead bodies and takes their money and walks away singing ‘La vida te da sorpresas, sorpresas te da la vida’ (Life will surprise you).

So with this passion for music and the visuals that some songs arouse in me, why not give music videos a shot? This is the type of change I need! Besides, those who read the blog know my obsession with music videos and basically it was music videos that got me into Film/Tv in the first place. Yes, music videos are a struggling medium, yes, I’ll starve to death trying to make any money doing it (most likely) but the feeling created in a music video, the length of a song, and the collaboration with musicians to create individual pieces of art, individual stories seems like such a great place to grow creatively. I don’t want to just shoot bands jamming, I want to (someday) do some Jamie Thraves, john Landis type of epic music videos. Stories that make the viewer feel like they’re the guy on the Maxell ads.

The trick is, how do I get my foot in the door? I need to network and learn what in the world I’m getting my self into. Once I figure that out find someone who will mentor me… hmm…

I started today by helping a lighting director friend of mine do a pretty big PSA with a ton of celebrities for the NAACP. It was great but it made me realize one thing: I need to get my tech chops back. I am fucking LAME when it comes to lighting, it took me about ten minutes to build/patch two kinos…Lord help me! And, if the Gods ever grace me with their love and A) hook me up with a director willing to mentor me B) give me a shot to direct C)get me a big enough budget to do a proper video… I better be able to translate to my crew what it is that I need from a technical standpoint to execute on a vision.

Baby steps. And today was a humbling one. Luckily the vibe on set was super mellow and the tech director took the time to help me and give me some refreshers.

But this was not enough, I got some tricks up my sleeve that I hope will expedite my climbing up the ladder to use very soon, and I’ll share that in the next entry.

Call me a crazy fool, but here goes nothing. Less money, for sure, more creative flex, you bet!

Enjoy one of my all time favorite directors and photographers, the incredible talented Mr. Chris Milk for Audioslaves ‘Doesn’t Remind Me.’ The man is good and apparently a super nice down to earth cat too. Maybe I can tag along with you for sometime Mr. Milk? Please!