Interactive Journeys

Click on the image to get to the video

While on the subject of music videos, last year saw the release of this interactive video by the band Chairlift (I'd embed the actual video, but I now realize that Google makes it difficult to embed video from anywhere except YouTube now.  I'll be moving the blog to another platform, as soon as I get my new hosting all squared away.  Hey, Blogger is a free platform after all. More on that, on another day).

Anyway, the Chairlift video uses technology created by an Israeli company, Interlude .  They're selling a web-based tool which enables "the creation, design and deployment of interactive videos."  A lot of the content created so far seems to be branded and there's no discussion on their site as to the cost.  It's definitely worth watching where they take the technology.  They do say their player requires "no installation" on iOS or Androd.   I'm not sure what that means, I tried to play their content with a browser (Chrome and Safari) in iOS (iPad) with no success.  It does work well on desktop browsers, however.  There is an iOS app using their technology, Mozart Interactive, which is available in the iTunes store for free.  It's cute, and engaging, however, it doesn't seem to offer anything groundbreaking (technology-wise) for iOS.

I do hope that you watch the Chairlift video.  It is definitely worth a look.  Creatively, the question which I come back to, over and over again, is would I rather go on an unguided, interactive journey or, a well thought out journey created by a master?



Maybe what we need is an interactive video made by Spike Jonze?

Has It Really Been Nearly a Year?

Ouch.  Really, I just haven't had much to say.  I've been working hard, doing freelance camera work, camera shading, the odd colorist gig, and making my own projects.  I've finally made some small steps towards creating more interactive content.  Change can be challenging, and time-consuming but I'll talk a lot more about that soon.

I really feel especially lame for not posting my New Years music/video.  I want to fix that first.  I'll go with a music video from 2012 that really fits the bill: catchy, ridiculous, but still manages to express a truth (which, slyly has as much to do with the demographic time bomb of bored, un and underemployed young men as bad girls).   I will note that it was shot in Ouarzazate,  Morocco and not in the Middle East.   It apparently has changed quite a bit since I visited it many, many years ago, and is now the film capital of Morocco. It has a lovely Kasbah and a very old fortified city nearby, none of which were used by the artist and her talented creative partner, Romain Gavras.   

Well, belated New Years' greetings to everyone:

Lost Film Masterpiece Weekend

Eye acting heaven

Next weekend is looking to be one freaking amazing weekend for film nuts.  Saturday night, at UC Berkeley (Zellerbach Hall), Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc will be screening. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, with the UC Choral Ensembles will be performing Richard Einhorns' Voices of Light to accompany the film.  This is a beautiful, beautiful film which gives me tingles every time I see it.

Suck on this, VistaVision

On Sunday (for me anyway, the film is screening four times: 3/24-3/25 and 3/31-4/1), in sweet, sweet Oakland, at the Paramount Movie Palace, will be a once-in-a-lifetime event:  a 5 1/2 hour screening of a British Film Institute restored print of Abel Gance's Napoleon with live orchestral accompaniment performing the score by Carl Davis.  This is literally a piece that is the product of decades of effort, finding and restoring the film to Gance's original version and composing a score to accompany it.  The final act will be projected with multiple projectors in accordance with Gance's original vision.  This may be the last time this work is screened in film in the United States (a digital restoration is in the works).  People are literally flying in from all over the world for this.  Read about the films fascinating history here.

Cruelty, madness,  beauty and over-acting

If you care about fast disappearing film, these are rare opportunities to see once "lost" masterpieces projected in film with live orchestral accompaniment.  If that's not enough, it will also be the chance to see every art kid's hero, Antonin Artaud, on the big screen in each film.  I'll be there, in the dark, dreaming.

Living, with your neck placed firmly in the noose

Project Updates

 Lucky me

We have finally finished the short project that we created for Projeto Saúde & Alegria, a Brazilian NGO in the Amazon.  It is going to be used to help promote their new ecotourism project, one of their sustainable development initiatives.  It was a real privilege to go down there and actually meet the people in the communities and experience it all firsthand.  We also shot additional footage (interviews with elders, a walk in primary rainforest describing the plants and their uses, etc.) that they will hopefully be able to use in the future for documentary purposes.  This project was edited by Gustavo da Silva, who also edits a TV program Planeta Brasil and is my first producing credit.



I also just found out that the documentary short I recently color graded, The Alley Cats, will screen on April 06, 2012 at the Oakland International Film Festival.  It is small film (in the best sense) that looks at a slice of Oakland, CA, the Alley Cat piano bar (open since 1934) and its family of patrons.  This film was directed by Cary Virtue and edited by the very talented Carlo Kamin.

The Alley Cats

There are several other exciting developments in the near future, including an iOS app, about which I will be sharing details.

End of the Year

 Find The Bliss Within (The Buddha of El Cerrito)

I've been quite busy (happily) this past quarter and have been a little light on postings (one of the few rules I do have about this endeavor is that I promised myself I would not post just to post).  Most recently, I completed work as a colorist on the documentary feature, For I Know My Weakness by John Dentino.  It's an intense, personal documentary which he's been working on for 7 years.  It's always humbling to be the person who has been chosen to help finish such a long, intense journey.

As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank everyone who reads my blog.  I am constantly amazed that there are people out there who take the time to read what I write.  The past couple of months have been heavy on technology and media and less on the art form.  I am hoping to balance that a little bit more in the new year.  Ultimately, none of any of this matters unless there is ultimately something created which moves, challenges, confuses or entertains us.  Thanks to all the amazing people this year who have done that for us all.  Particularly those who will never be famous, but bring us stories because they have to do it, not in a search for fame.

Instead of a holiday video, this year I'm posting a link to a holiday song.

The Spiritual Four Quartet in 1941 at the Fort Valley College Folk Festival. Amazing. I've been unable to locate any pictures of the group.  Check out the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress recordings, I've been working my way through them the past year or so. There's so much amazing American music there, and it belongs to all of us.

Have a great New Year!

Whoa, Sony and Panasonic

Wow, I knew Sony was doing badly in its consumer division, but this article in SplatF shows just how much money they are losing in their professional division as well.  Combined with Pansonic losing $5.5 BILLION (much of it in their consumer TV division) this year, it really shows how much the landscape is changing at the top of the food chain.  Sony, however, did make a profit in their film division.  Panasonic will be closing facilities which will affect LCD and plasma production.  I still have not seen a break out of the financials for the professional products division at Panasonic.  What does all this mean for the era of professional quality gear with better and better specs at ever-cheaper prices?

For Lovers Only- $.99

This week the Polish Brothers movie I discussed previously, For Lovers Only, is available as an iTunes rental for $.99.  It's a good chance to see a good movie and to check out the iTunes Store rental experience at the same time.

The film was made with only a cast and crew of three, the two Polish brothers, one on camera  (a 5D) and the other an actor, and one actress.  It is being self-dstributed online only for now.   It's been getting a lot of press lately in the film world.  It's an interesting experiment, as cameras become ever light sensitive the whole idea of what is needed in a film crew will evolve.  It is also a lot more honest than asking a whole host of people to work for free.  Although, I did finally meet for the first time someone who worked on a "spec" project who got paid (a small amount, ten years later) when the project got picked up by a cable channel.

Here's the trailer, again:


for lovers only... from Polish Brothers on Vimeo.