Nailed It

"All of humankind has one thing in common... the sandwich.
I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich."

Liz Lemon explains her worldview to Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock S04E03

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Alright. I'm attempting to breathe some new life into the blog.

Hi.

Hands down the second year working and living in Syracuse trumps the first year experience. I'm into the first semester much more assured of where I want to go with my ideas and my morale has boosted because of that confidence.

Lately I've been directing actors from the drama department. For this class we toil with one particular film scene every three weeks then switch to a new scene. We film, edit, and critique each week. I really enjoy it. It's an empowering feeling, but also incredibly demanding not only to guide the performance, but to devise a strong visual strategy as well. It helps me communicate my thoughts a lot more specifically and so it's good for me to reinforce those skills. I only wish we had more classes like this.

Outside of school I've decided to welcome the fall season with open arms. The weather has shifted quite a bit to all sorts of heavy and light rains. I like that it's gray out more consistently now. People are already moaning and complaining about it, but it's my jam.

Before I touch base again here are some really encouraging words that I read a few weeks ago from Ira Glass on the frustrating early stages of a creative career. It's been on my mind ever since because I think it is absolutely true:

Via Alex of ISO50

Ira Glass on the creative process:

The first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good — it’s not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, your taste is still killer and your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you. A lot of people never get past that phase and a lot of people at that point quit.

And the thing I would just like to say to you with all my heart is that most everybody I know who does interesting creative work, they went through a phase of years where they had really good taste and they could tell what they were making wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be. We knew that it didn’t have the special thing that we wanted it to have and the thing to do is — everybody goes through that. And for you to go through it, if you’re going through it right now, if you’re just getting out of that phase or if you’re just starting off and you’re entering into that phase, you’ve got to know it’s totally normal and the most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work.

But Before I Go

I am leaving Washington again to continue school at Syracuse. This was a solid summer and I managed to document small parts of it through the lens of a super 8 camera. The video embedded in this post is mostly raw and unedited with a little music accompaniment. There's no real structure here. Just loosely shot to test the type of film and functions of the camera and also to create somewhat of a time capsule for my friends.

Here is a glimpse of my 4th of July at Daniel's as well as my day at Larabee Beach with Nick. Shot on two rolls of Ektachrome 64T:

Cleo In The Universe

Back on August 2nd a number of people including myself banded together for an arduous one day film shoot for our friend Jimmy Marble. Cleo In The Universe is a project Jimmy wrote and directed about exploring love in the vastness of the galaxy. The script contains a unique blend of multimedia. The process involved using a projector, stop-motion techniques, and archival footage. The bulk of the film was shot on Super 8 with Ektachrome 64T film. It was one hell of a demanding day and everyone did fantastic work. Members of the crew snapped pictures along the way:

photo by Ben Sellon

photo by Ben Sellon

photo by Abiel Hoff

photo by Abiel Hoff

Preparation for the project:
Cleo: The Making of

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Details about Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox have been scarce until a trailer recently surfaced showcasing a lot of impressive stop motion animation and design in the film. The animals and set pieces look wonderful and the cast a pretty classic line up of great actors. The approach to the material seems classy and sober without pandering to a particular kind of audience. I think this is highlighted by a lot of the deadpan humor in the trailer. Count me in. Should be a rewarding experience to sit through.

When you have great children's books being picked up by guys like Spike Jonze and Wes Anderson you are in a special time and place.

1930s-40s in Color

Kitchen utensils hanging below a spice rack with mint, caraway, tyme, and sage jars

between 1941 and 1945.

Marine lieutenant, glider pilot in training, ready for take-off at Page Field,
Parris Island, S.C. 1942 May.

"Backstage" at the "girlie" show at the Vermont state fair,
Rutland, 1941 Sept.

Women workers employed as wipers in the roundhouse having lunch in their rest room,
C. & N.W. R.R., Clinton, Iowa 1943 April.

Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif.
Shown checking electrical assemblies 1942 June.

Mind boggling images from The Library of Congress' photostream on Flickr. The original images are color transparencies ranging in size from 35 mm. to 4x5 inches. The Library of Congress also has a huge and free assortment of some of the earliest films ever shot in the iTunes U Store. Check out the Edison Companies section. Thanks to Karl for renewing my interest in these remarkable photographs.

Lamb Shawarma

Posts have been scarce these days. I've been enjoying this summer so much that it has left me unmotivated to blog. However, I would like to take this time to point out that Hallava Falafel in Seattle is one of the break out hits of the season for me. Get the lamb shawarma. I'm telling you.

Being unemployed for most of the summer has not worked in favor of some of my artistic pursuits. It has in fact thrown a large wrench into the plans I had made. Thankfully I managed to test shoot with my Super 8 camera; the footage should hopefully become available to capture soon. As of a few days ago I've been fortunate enough to catch a break and find some temporary employment. The contact which I've made via craigslist could be more valuable then the actual brief amount of work I'm required to do. Mark Tribe is an artist and curator whose interests include art, technology, and politics. He has tasked me to assist him in retrieving some video footage of police surveillance from another contact here in Bellingham. From the project description:

The Utopia Files is an experimental video project that examines contemporary forms of political activism through the lens of police surveillance. The project will premiere as a multi-channel installation at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA as part of their New England Biennial in January 2010. The project will also be presented as a single channel video.

From "Democracy in America" video installation. Mark Tribe, 2008.

I'm pretty interested to see how this project forms and to hopefully continue working with Mark.

In other news, some of my good friends from Syracuse made their way to the Pacific Northwest. Jeff, Shimpei, and Caleb have embarked on a journey across the continental United States and I had the pleasure of co-hosting them in Seattle for a couple days with the great Mike Wilson. We hopefully captivated them with the sights of Ballard, Gasworks Park, and Dick's, both in Wallingford and Capitol Hill. They are attempting to produce a larger portrait of their travel experiences through various photography projects. Both Jeff and Shimpei are MFA candidates in photography at Syracuse University while Caleb is an MFA candidate for film at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. You can follow their activities over at The Epic Buffet.

Jeff's Portrait at the base of the Freemont Troll.

Terri Timely "Synesthesia"

Via Design You Trust

Synesthesia is “a condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.” A short film by Terri Timely. Thanks to Karl for the heads up.

One Year of Sandwiches

Here we are. 

Shining on a year later after launching this blog. It's the summer season now and I'm in Bellingham basking in the comfort of taco truck burritos and the company of close friends. This was a breakout year and a lot of experiences poured in. We here at open face sandwiches are excited to continue on posting and eventually move the blog officially to a new, sexy web portfolio. In the meantime, I'd like to commemorate a year of documenting various activity with this short video anniversary card. Metaphor and space exploration fully intact:

thanks for reading.

Join Or Die

Justine Lai - Artist Statement:

In Join Or Die, I paint myself having sex with the Presidents of the United States in chronological order. I am interested in humanizing and demythologizing the Presidents by addressing their public legacies and private lives. The presidency itself is a seemingly immortal and impenetrable institution; by inserting myself in its timeline, I attempt to locate something intimate and mortal. I use this intimacy to subvert authority, but it demands that I make myself vulnerable along with the Presidents. A power lies in rendering these patriarchal figures the possible object of shame, ridicule and desire, but it is a power that is constantly negotiated.

I approach the spectacle of sex and politics with a certain playfulness. It would be easy to let the images slide into territory that's strictly pornographic—the lurid and hardcore, the predictably "controversial." One could also imagine a series preoccupied with wearing its "Fuck the Man" symbolism on its sleeve. But I wish to move beyond these things and make something playful and tender and maybe a little ambiguous, but exuberantly so. This, I feel, is the most humanizing act I can do.

March 2009

Via justinelaie

Super 8

I plan to explore the world of super 8 filmmaking this summer with a few projects in mind. The camera pictured above is what I have purchased recently. It's part of a solid line of Braun Nizo cameras  that are compact and light offering a lot of freedom to move and film. There is something foundational to the super 8 format that I think will be a tremendous help in the overall composition of my shots in later film or video projects. Here are some technical specs of the camera in case you're interested:

• Film speeds: 9,8,24,36 fps, single frame
• ASA daylight: 25 - 100
• ASA artificial: 40 - 60
• Lens: Schneider Keuznach 7 - 56mm (8x zoom) - f/1.8

Aside from some planned ideas I think documenting things in general will be a pretty entertaining experience. I plan to shoot mostly with Ektachrome 64T. From what I've gathered it produces some rich colors and the grain is pretty fine. I found a couple of videos that test out the filmstock with two different cameras:

Called are Many

Here are two sample pieces from Yasser Aggour, an assistant professor in the art photography program. I've been viewing his online portfolio recently and the diversity of his subjects has piqued my interests quite a bit. His body of work contains multiple series that are distinct in their cultural observations, but they almost all appear to be linked by some sort of subversive performance element. Each series in his portfolio contain some nice supportive commentary that shed light on his work process. Dude seems pretty funny from some of the written statements, too.

Putting it to Bed

Poster design by Sidearm Design

Tension mounts as the last bits of preparation swirl together to form the annual MFA Film showcase on Thursday. This is it. My film is done and I'm debuting it for the first time to the general public. It's called How We Left It, narrative, 16 mm, color, 10 min. I began writing one film in October and came out with a different one in April. Am I happy with the results? Somewhat. However, I will invariably stand by the labor and effort I put into this project which has been like nothing else I've experienced. I created something, and for better or worse, it is a piece of work that has taught me some irreplaceable lessons on production and responsibility and above all, composure. Ryan encouraged me to continue to pursue work that appeals to my interests. We sat down together following his thesis defense and ate pineapple bites with assorted cheeses and crackers. His advice was simple, if not stock, but contained a potency to it that appropriately marked a good way to end the year and start the summer. And it was nearly a year ago I met him for the first time in the basement halls of the Shaffer Art Buidling. Now he's moving on and I am slowly emerging into his position.

Two weeks left to go until school wraps and I'm playing clip shows in my mind over dinners and hangouts. It does not feel like it was just yesterday that I boarded a plane to New York. That sentiment is lost to me. It most certainly feels like a 10-month endurance test is winding down and I can for the first time in a while anticipate the joy of being surrounded by my friends. I'm approaching this summer break with a wholehearted outlook, some new scars and victories. 

See you shortly.

+25 Experience

The semester is in its final stretch and I've got a plane ticket home. I also leveled up today by making it to twenty-five.

Turn this one up for me.

Reduce Reuse YouTube

Via Gizmodo

Josh Poehlein's Modern History is a series of collages assembled exclusively from screen grabs of YouTube videos. The result is a bit staggering after considering that YouTube has accumulated such a tremendously high volume of content. It is refreshing to see an artist's interpretation of so many forgotten images and what they can amount to when collected and reused. Click on the photos to enlarge.

 

WTWTA

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

Charmed by the art direction for the new teaser advert from Spike Jonze and the folks working on Where The Wild Things Are. Looks like a theatrical trailer is on its way soon. Hopes are up.

Update: Trailer looks great. Hopes elevated higher.

Prelinger Archives

A few people have asked me where I got the footage used for the K9000 "Dynamo" video. Everything came from Prelinger Archives, a public domain archival film site that hosts over 2,000 films. The collection of content is unthinkable. Browsing keywords and subjects will provide for an untold amount of entertainment. 

Most of what I used came from Computer Chronicles episodes from the 80s.  

Ever wanted to see a side by side comparison of the Commodore Amiga and the Atari 520ST? What's the hottest business application software for my company in 1984? A software pirate? Normally they cut between examples of computer programs and gadgets with a pretty colorful panel of nerds experts and bigger nerds programmers. Nerds Guests usually discuss the business climate of the time period in the wake of evolving computer technology. 

The space footage was from a 1977 Encyclopaedia Britannica special on the Solar System. It is a gold mine.

K9000 "Dynamo" Video

Spring break has opened up some free time on my end. A little over a week ago I discovered some fantastic public domain videos and began sorting through a lot of content between classes. It only took a few images to inspire me enough to piece something together for fun. Fortunately, Karl had already posted some new music earlier this month to help with the creative process. Pretty quickly on into editing I noticed an appropriate marriage between the archival images and his music. Needless to say, this was a fun treat for me. 

Hope you guys enjoy it:

Family Album

Doug DuBois is an associate professor of art photography at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. Lately I've been admiring the distinctly narrative aspect to his photographs. The quality of the work I've seen is more constructed and less invested in capturing a moment or gesture as it unfolds. It lends to a strong cinematic appeal. A great deal of his career which spans nearly twenty-five years features the transformations which have shaped his family. Doug involves more collaboration than manipulation with the members of his family, too, a process that he elaborates on further in a interview found here: Alec Soth in conversation with Doug DuBois

Here are a some selected examples of his technique:

The Eyeborg Project

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Canadian filmmaker plans to have a mini camera installed in his prosthetic eye to make documentaries and raise awareness about surveillance in society...

About:

Take a one eyed filmmaker, an unemployed engineer, and a vision for something that's never been done before and you have yourself the EyeBorg Project. Rob Spence and Kosta Grammatis are trying to make history by embedding a video camera and a transmitter in a prosthetic eye. That eye is going in Rob's eye socket, and will record the world from a perspective that's never been seen before. Via The Eyeborg Project

Earlier in the school year a lot of discussion focused on forms of surveillance and measures visual artists, designers, and architects have gone through to subvert practices of discipline technology. We have a long fascinating history of observing personal and public rituals from controlled spaces. I'm interested to see how Rob handles this technological breakthrough. As an artist it's a pretty solid gimmick that's already earning him an audience. Whether or not he can fashion an important statement on surveillance has yet to be discovered.

The Art of the Title Sequence

Via ISO50 blog contributor Alex:

"Started in December 2007, Art of the Title is a blog dedicated to the film title sequence, and is a great resource for film buffs and designer alike. They post high quality videos of each sequence they chronicle, and usually have an interview with the creators as well. It's amazing to see what can be done with little to no footage from the actual movie."

This is such an entertaining and educational blog. I highly recommend browsing the archives when you have a chance: Art of the Title

Post

Editing has been a slower process than I expected for this semester. That is changing now. I've cleared a few other linger issues pertaining to my other courses and now some extra time has opened up to devote into piecing this film together. All of the footage is uploaded and the sound synced up. Now I'm in the process of sequencing all of the scenes together - attempting to make something work, noting what shots to pick up or possibly reshoot in the weeks to come.

Editing can affect me in two distinct ways:
A.) Develop insecurity
B.) Reinforce the need to produce more projects

As expected, this is where I and most others typically go through a lot of self-doubt over the lack of footage or other technical problems, et cetera. It's a nagging ordeal, but that's the creative process, right? Constantly retooling ideas and working with what you don't have - that's where I got my start and will continue on. Despite my failures and the shitty circumstances back some months ago, this first project here in Syracuse has been somewhat of a landmark occasion. I realized I've yet to discuss the ideas of the film and what I'm attempting to do with it here on the blog. When I have a finished product I will post it along with my thoughts. The big first year defense is right around the corner so it would be wise to get outside feedback.

Speaking of video work:

I'm really enjoying the artistic direction of Andy Bruntel. His new(ish) video for the band Bodies Of Water is a cross between Little House On The Prairie, 70s horror, and dramatization clips from Unsolved Mysteries.

Drunk Goldblum Meme

Jeff Goldblum is without question one of the funniest humans of all time.

It was to my great surprise to run into this collection of viral video memes that circulated this past year featuring "drunk" Goldblum Apple ads and television appearances. How did I not discover this sooner?

The idea is simple:

• Record a Goldblum ad and/or television spot
• Slow down the speed

You will get the same entertaining effect each time. Here's an example, the one believed to have started it all:



Check out videogum for more.

We Are Wizards

Josh Koury's We Are Wizards is not simply Trekkies for the Hogwarts set. It is not so much about the obsessed as it is about the inspired; spotlighting Harry Potter enthusiasts who have turned fandom into a source of creativity. A bulk of the documentary focuses on "wizard rock", a genre of music influenced by the books and movies in which interviews alternate between the popular Harry and the Potters to the lesser known "Wizard Rock Partridge Family", The Hungarian Horntails. Somewhere in between we get testimonies from members of groups Draco and the Malfoys, Grop, The Whomping Willows, and mention of a band called The Wands, who sing exclusively from the perspective of being a wand. Roughly 300+ bands are touring or playing shows under the guise of a specific theme from the franchise.

With the exception of cartoonist/demigod Brad Neely (who i'll get to in a minute) the non-musical subjects are not quite as interesting. Koury showcases the copyright and legal battles that continue to plague Pottermania and the religious sector, represented by one Conservative christian woman who (yawn) believes the HP franchise is the downfall of society. These angles are a bit informative, opening the debate on intellectual property and fan devotion spread across the Internet, but act mostly as a slight attempt to balance the rest of the content in the film. The lack of authority figures on the subject - Warner execs, or even Rowling herself could have introduced something more substantial and are noticeably missing.

Luckily the filmmakers concentrate most of their energy on wizard rock geeks and Brad Neely who offers up his own take on legal setbacks in creating Wizard People, Dear Reader, his narrative soundtrack to be played over the first HP film. Neely confesses that a lot of his success is a direct result of people liking this project. For the bigger fan, there's a surprising amount of backstory to Neely embedded in the documentary and it is almost always the source of the film's biggest laughs. Note the short animated segment.

You can check out information on how to get the film and watch the trailer here. It's not up for DVD distrubtion quite yet, but Amazon is currently running it in their Videos On Demand section for a $2.99 rental.