I had an Idea
Slow motion exploding beer commercial spec spot I did illustrating "How stout is Stout !"
Shout out to 4:4:4 Camera and Electric Light & Power for help with this piece.
Help support my crazy endevors and …
So I made a bookcase, you know, for books....
I wanted to replace my two old , cheap, saggy, bookshelves with something that one, I built, and two, would accommodate the books that used to fit in these two old , saggy bookshelves, and three, would fit nicely on a specific wall in my office, and four, would not sag. I went round and round on designs ranging from Greene&Greene style design, especially as I had seen a trick they used to span a long distance shelf with no sagging, and then on to some more contemporary efforts but ultimately my wife was the deciding factor, after having shown her some of the sketches she gravitated towards an open style set of shelves I had drawn up. This was what I needed to move forward on this project. Sometimes it’s just another pair of eyes, or some small validation that will nudge you into action. This short piece highlights the build.
Smirl Chapel Relocation Project
I was hired to shoot a promotional piece to help fund the teardown, the moving and relocation, and restoration of a 120 year old chapel in Heath, Texas. This is an Update to the earlier piece, the project moved ahead and the chapel has been relocated, this video adds to the previous one showcasing the hard work and dedication of those involved, additionally it showcases the moving of the structure itself, and becomes a document to the entire project.
Art Supplies
Making some ART ! I got a new “Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K”, name is too long, wow. I decided to test it out while doing a new art project and see what it could do, and how easy it is in practical use. Also to test out the Raw capability of the new BRAW codec / file format etc. I have to say I’m really happy with the options and capabilities of this camera, while it might not be a RED or an ARRI camera it is exceedingly capable. It does put those kinds of pro features in the hands of many more filmmakers. It is a super affordable camera that hits well above its price point.
Philo's Pholly Short Version
The one you write, the one you shoot, and the one you edit.
When I first wrote and shot Philo’s Pholly it was just for fun, and comedic in nature, just a project I wanted to do. “ how funny if the guy who invented television, upon the first real test of the tech, he gets interrupted by an ad? “ This shorter version is that vision. However like the subtitle, and many pontifications before it state, there is the film you write, the film you shoot, and the film you edit. This was very much the case with this film. It went through the production cycle as one would expect, and for the most part it got through the writing and shooting mostly in tact, I discovered during researching this that Philo Farnsworth was very disappointed with how it all went down. So that little tidbit of information hung around inside my silly little brain while prepping and shooting this piece. Then during editing this I found another film inside of this original idea. In The longer version I discovered that I wanted to add exposition to what Philo was expecting, and what he wanted for the technology. I felt like it was missing an important point so I added these extra shots that exemplified exact opposites of what he hoped and expected the technology to accomplish, which to his bitter disappointment, is what actually became of television, rather than the grand unification of information, knowledge, and a better understanding of the human condition.
I finished and released that version almost a year ago, and it did pretty well at the festivals it was in, won an award of merit, which is great, but in a way I think I never really finished the idea, so this ( shorter version ) is that. Enjoy.
Help support my crazy endeavors and…
Latest Short film " We're not old, just antiquated..."
Here is my latest short film, released just in time for “National Live Creative Day” written by Judy Caudle, shot and directed by me, audio voices and finished with the help of ATKPLN. Aging cameras find themselves confronted with new technology that may just hold their own fate in its hands, but can they resist it? Teaser is here from ATKPLN twitter feed.
Another small update, we are an…
Sacramento International Film Festival is happening April 27th - May 5th 2019
Update this film is now an Official Selection & Semi-finalist in the Austin Spotlight Film Festival! Happening November 14, 2018. at the Alamo Draft-house in Austin.
HooYay! Whoop! Whoop! We just won an online bronze award from the International Independent Film Awards festival. Hope we can garner some more wins from the other festivals its in.
The Smirl chapel relocation project
I just finished a new video project. I was approached from a friend who got involved as a photographer on a special project, he was to photograph, document and archive, the teardown, the moving and relocation, and restoration of a 120 year old chapel in Heath, Texas. Most of you will recognize Rockwall, Texas. Heath is just south of there. He was to be the still Photographer of note as it were. The people who he was working for however were on the very beginning of this whole project, which was going to be a bit expensive to undertake. So they hired me, at his recommendation, to produce a short film to promote the project and help to get the word out and raise money to accomplish this task. I interviewed, shot, edited and finished two cuts for them, a six minute piece with the backstory and history of this chapel, and what it meant to the people who had called it theirs for so long. I also did a one minute cutdown piece for social media. So....
So if you so inclined, go to The Smirl Chapel Relocation Project and find out more about this project.
Philos Pholly
In 1927 Philo Farnsworth invented and realized the worlds first electronic television. This was a device that would go on change the world. It permeates society today. "Tele-vision" the ability to see at a distance, as it is sometime described, or more etymologically (Tele) far (visio) sight.
Far Sight, it's anything but that, in the fullness of time, sure it technically fulfills that definition, but on just about every other level it is not farsighted. It is also possibly the most misused, underutilized, piece of technology we have. This was an issue for which Philo had not planned or forseen. Many times we see a need and then fill that need but without considering or understanding the full implications of what we have created, or how it will be used.
It was this kind of thinking that got me on to the subject, and I thought would it be funny if the guy who invented television, while he was first testing it, got interrupted by an ad! Something we get entirely too much of now. What would that look like and how would that play out? So I decided to do a short "spec spot" or commercial that illustrated this. It started out as a spec spot but during production it became something else. It became more of a short film, and while I did do an edit that was a commercial I abandoned that idea and just went with the short film. The reason for this was that during research and production, I discovered that Philo had great expectations for his new invention. He expected this technology to be used for the betterment of humanity, however, reality intervened. If you read the wiki page linked above you can see how this played out. This piece now plays out like a microcosm of his experience with the invention of the television. So here is my short film "Philo's Pholly"
This film just won an Award of Recognition from the IndieFest film festival in La Jolla ! Whoop !
Crew photo - unfortunately we are missing Justin Issac, our Camera Op and lenser extraordinaire. :-(
