Rejuvenation :: Blom & Blom

January 23, 2015April 4, 2016Leave a comment

I love finding new uses for old items laying around the house. I can’t say that I’m overly skilled at making things look seamlessly renewed (usually they have a “handmade look”) but I like to know that I’m not giving up on something that has plenty of life still in it. For instance, my old doll house now houses books and my grandpa’s old army trunk is acts as my coffee table. Family relics repurposed that house old memories of times gone by.

One thing I don’t dabble in reusing (usually) is anything that needs electrical repairs. Not knowing how to repair lamps etc. is a little off putting. However, the gentlemen at Blom&Blom have found just the way to do it:

iGNANT

I love the history of each part that the gentlemen at Blom&Blom use in their creations. The history of Eastern Germany always seems a little bleak, or at least during the years of communist rule, but the fact that these lights can be made into something original yet practical just proves that anything, however old or seemingly mundane can be made into something beautiful.

Rejuvenation :: Controlled Chaos

January 16, 2015April 4, 2016Leave a comment

It’s been ten days since I got back to work, and I’m finally getting back into the swing of things. And… I’m ready for vacation again. It’s not that I don’t like what I’m doing right now, but it’s that the routine hasn’t changed much and I’m ready for a new one.

These last ten days have felt a bit chaotic, even if it was only a mental chaos, but now I feel like I’m back in control again. In other words, controlled chaos – like in this video:

MP Cunningham

I feel like this video is the perfect metaphor for what most of us go through while working in a creative industry. I often feel like I’m drowning or that I’m never going to make it, but every once in a while something happens, like when the photographer makes $25 for one photo and feels like he has finally made it. I have that feeling every once in a while. Now I’m waiting for that next fleeting moment when I can tell myself that I’m actually doing ok and that this decision to work in this industry is not a huge mistake. Those little moments make it all worth it and I’m sure another one will come when I least expect it. Those moments are rejuvenating enough to make me work for the next one.

So even if I’m not feeling completely sure of what I’m doing, it’s reassuring to know that everyone seems to go through this in life. I seem to be right on schedule.

Rejuvenation :: Ballet & Robots

January 9, 2015April 4, 2016Leave a comment

I’ve been working more on the editing side of things that last few months and so I tend to notice the camera work more than ever lately. Some can seem kind of… well, still. I like the kind of camera work that includes motion and unfortunately, includes using a dolly and or a jib arm or if the director is really lucky, some sort of drone with a camera attached. Let’s be honest, all of this equipment does’t come cheap and therefore, it’s not unusual for smaller productions to forego the extras. At least I know I’ve had to several times.

So as I was perusing new videos on my feed a while ago, I came across this one:

Da Rimini Film

One I like going to the ballet, even if that happens only once every few years and two, this had an interesting aspect of the camera moving with the dancers to add a whole new element for those in the audience. What would it be like if we did this more often on our shoots? Of course, this is all possible with the help of CGI and other special effects, but I mean for those of us without the millions of dollars poured into our productions. I’m not expecting this to be used in any of my upcoming projects, but it’s an interesting thought. It’s a completely new take on how we use the camera as a part of the story telling process.

And so that you can see what happens when the camera moves with the dancers… et voila!

Ohana :: On Ice

December 12, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

It always amazes me where we find our families, biological or otherwise, even if it’s only for a few hours a week, a week here and there, or everyday. One such place for me has been with my teammates.

Teammates is a very broad term as I’ve found “family” with teams of people that I have worked with (even if the project is a short one), on a sports team or with people at school. I don’t always keep in touch with all of them, usually those that are most important to me, but the memories of those times with them have a special place in my heart.

Tony Franklin

I love this film because of the ebb and flow of the family unit. They accept new members and lose others but for one day a week, they are a family even if they don’t know each other’s names. That’s the cool thing about family – there are some things that just don’t matter.

Ohana :: Roots

December 5, 2014November 20, 2014Leave a comment

Our roots are sometimes buried so deep that we don’t always realize that they are there even if they are an integral part of who we are. The little clues that we get from remnant notes and family heirlooms can help us discover those unknown roots and sometimes reveal something about our family’s past that we would have never known. Sometimes, it sharing a special place or a special relic. And sometimes it brings us closer to knowing ourselves a little bit better.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/107815949 w=640&h=360]

Free People

I love this video, even if it’s for a clothing company, because it reminds me that there is so much to our pasts that we may never know, but there are always little clues that guide us through life.

The holidays always seem to bring out some family memories (the good and the bad) but I hope that this year brings only the good ones.

Goodwill :: Feed the World

November 28, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

If you live in the U.S. or are an American expatriate, or just happen to like celebrating the American holiday Thanksgiving, you are probably recovering from your turkey coma and now gearing up for the December holidays. Then there are those of you who have been up since all night to sit in line for all the Black Friday sales. All I can say is that: You. Are. Brave.

Me? Well I’m recovering from making dinner for 15 people and will probably catch a movie or some other activity with the family members who are still in town. To put it lightly, I’m rather exhausted. I am feeling grateful for all that has happened this year- the good and the bad and not just because this is the time of year when we are supposed to remember to

But mostly because it really has been a good year, even with the lulls in my work schedule. Now it seems like I’m going to end the year with plenty to do and I’m trying to psych myself up for it. December, here I come!

One last thought on this month’s theme of “goodwill”: It’s so easy to forget about the less fortunate at this time of year. We get caught up in the hubbub of buying gifts and magnificent feasts – all with the people we love, or don’t love in some cases. But we don’t always remember the people in the rest of the world that are stuck in terrible circumstances and that have no way out of it unless we help them from wherever we are.

The New York Times – Video

So thank you to people like Bob and other celebrities who yield their fame for the greater good and not just to make themselves wealthier.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone – wherever you are, and may we always be grateful for what we have.

Goodwill :: Making Charity Beautiful

November 21, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

If you went to the kind of schools that I went to, giving your time back to the community was always a big deal . We had to log a number of hours each semester just to graduate from my high school and in college, many of my PR class projects were for non-profits. Usually this was in the form of creating promotional pieces in print or video form and the most we got out of it was a grade and the simple satisfaction that we helped someone else.

After years of volunteering at soup kitchens and fundraising for cancer research, the hard truth of charity can come through and make things look a little drab at times. Because lets face it – charity makes you take a hard look at what is not quite right with the world and trying to change that is often messy. I know that it’s worth it in the end to help those less fortunate than yourself, but just for once it would be nice for it to look nice too.

And that’s what Michael does – he makes charity beautiful:

Cory J Pop

I realize that this is my admiration for designers coming out again, but this is something rare that as someone in the creative industry, it’s nice to see beauty and charity coming together. I only wish that my work space looked as nice as Michael’s! Something to aspire to, right?

And with that, I’m off to start prepping for Thanksgiving as I’ve been put in charge of cooking this year. How did that happen? Stories of dried out turkey and a messy kitchen most like due for next week. Wish me luck!

Goodwill :: Eco Print

November 7, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

So many of us sit at computers day after day- for work and for play and here and there we print various documents. We’re told constantly about the amount of paper that we waste by printing and by using our various devices we can reduce the amount of paper used and read off our our phones, our tablets etc. But what no one mentions is the ink part of the printing process.

We take for granted (or at least I did) that ink is just a part of the printing process and other than being and expensive office expense, we don’t really think about the other impacts that it makes. But thanks to designers like Dan, a more eco-friendly font could change the impact that we make with our printed pages.

grey london

I love the color contrast between the black and white in this video and it includes typography- something that I have a great fondness for. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone into graphic design instead of video production. I also love the intricacy of the font and the thought that has gone into the development of this font, just so that we can save 33% more ink per page. And what does it mean for the rest of us (other than saving us money)? It means that we can contribute towards reducing the amount of waste that we create. How cool is it that we can help the environment AND use a beautiful new font? Pretty cool.

Escapade :: Advantage

October 31, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

Getting the “birds eye view” can be very advantageous in certain situations. When photographing a panoramic view for instance, or mapping out an area. Being chased, or trying to ensure that you stay ahead in some sort of distance race, this rule certainly applies. Or in this film, all these circumstances collide and prove the point perfectly:

Advantage the movie

What I love most about this film comes in three parts:

I love the color contrast. Everything is a shade of orange, grey and dark grey and it all seems to meld together, yet contrast so beautifully that you have to wonder how much of it is planned and how much of it is natural surroundings.
I love the movement of the camera. Something like this could be very stagnant even though the car is moving but the movement of both the camera and the car gives the audience the feel of being part of the chase.
I love the graphics. They move as vividly as the rest of the film and tie in with the story well, taking it further than the final shot of the driver looking down over the cliff. Very “James Bond”.

Makes me want to go out and see a action film. A classy action film.

Escapade :: Firecracker Artwork

October 24, 2014April 4, 2016Leave a comment

When it comes to certain projects, I could say that I tend to stay with more traditional methods and don’t always venture out to try more “adventurous” things. I’m trying to expand my horizons but I wouldn’t say that it’s because I’m afraid to try new things, it’s because I haven’t thought of trying them in that context – obviously I need to think more outside the box.

For instance, using firecrackers to create artwork:

Cool Hunting

I tend to associate smaller explosives with fireworks at celebrations or demolition of larger buildings. I would never have thought to use them in creating large pieces of fine art. Who’d have thought? I guess you can say that David Sena is one of the few (if not the only) as I have never seen art quite like this before. I love it!

I don’t know if there is anything particularly spectacular about the filmmaking here, although it is well made. I think it’s more the topic that really stands out to me. I makes me want to try something like it myself, but for now I’ll stick with what I know as I don’t have a place to safely try out this method of artwork. Perhaps someday…

emfirno

documentary production

Category: Inspiration