Mark my words!

Peonies

2008-06-05T22:58:00.004-04:00

I was waiting for my phone to be checked out by my wireless provider, so I had a half an hour to kill. I took a walk around and found a lovely little town square at the Long Island Railroad Forest Hills Gardens Station. I'll post more photos. It was very nice and looked like some european village.

The flowers were lovely as well.

Metal accent

2008-06-05T22:56:00.001-04:00

I can't remember where I shot this. I think this was in Manhattan, while on a location scout/meeting, last year.

Ken Lee

2008-06-04T19:49:00.004-04:00

I fucking LOVE this!!

Here is the ORIGINAL Nilsson version:

I gotta give the girl credit, not knowing English and going for it anyway. The mother of all mondegreens?? Actually, mebbe more of a Soramimi.

Alexis, Central Park. 4/08

2008-05-07T21:03:00.004-04:00

Alexis and I met at central park a couple of weeks ago, when it first got really warm and sunny. We lay out in the sun at the Sheep Meadow. There were tons of people there and everyone was taking pictures.

I have to figure out how to be able to have larger photos for people to see. I'll get back to y'all about that.

Jess Furman's CD Release

2008-05-07T20:56:00.003-04:00

Formerly a New York, now LA, Singer/Song Writer, Jess Furman had her CD release and going away party a while ago. I've been bad about posting, but here's my favorite photo of the night. Jess had played a few tunes on guitar and then stepped over to the piano for a few as well. She and her band played a great set of new tunes.

I love my Lumix, but it doesn't have anything like an 80-200. The pix would have been much better on film, but I'm too cheap. I'd love a Nikon D3, but I'll have to save my pennies for other things, like the rent. This is cropped quite a bit, so it's noisy and the picture itself is already really noisy on top of that. Great.

The Foundry

2008-05-07T19:09:00.002-04:00

I did a job this past January at The Foundry, in Long Island City. The weather was beautiful and the sun was setting creating beautiful light. I was wishing for my 4x5 and a 75mm lens.

I used the Photoshop perspective control functions. They work pretty well. Course, nothing beats a view camera. Ah, the days when I shot 8x10 and made 20x24 prints.

Sex and the City Death Rumor

2008-05-06T01:01:00.004-04:00

New Line Cinema

Well, I'm not much of a SITC fan, but I love this article and I like that they think maybe there is a death in the film.

According to the AP:
The death rumor has led to some naughty speculation. One of the naughtiest: New York Magazine suggested that Charlotte, the pretty and perky Park Avenue socialite, could be killed in a freak tennis accident.

Ooo! I love tennis accidents! They're always soooo messy.

Like this one:

Here's the AP article.

Thanks to: Earthlink, AP and New Line Cinema.

Kewpies!

2008-04-04T22:39:00.005-04:00

My sister, Ellen, sent me a link to Strapya-World. They sell cell phone straps and little charms that you can hang off your phone. It's Japanese. We're strange. They also have toys and gadgets, etc.

Kewpie Insect cuteness...

Awwwww.

I think about posting every day...

2008-02-25T12:13:00.002-05:00

I think about posting every day.

Honest.

The actual doing is what's so bloody hard.

I was at Sundance. We had a short film there. Delta Airlines had Tis The Season as part of their short film competition within Sundance.

Been trying to learn Final Cut and re-acquainting myself with Photoshop and the whole Creative Suite. Now that I have a Mac, I'll be switching over. I've been spending way too much money on itunes, though I have issues with some things not being available, or worse, shitty re-recordings of favorite songs.

I'll get some photos and posts going soonest.

Sorry that I've neglected y'all.

-M

Screenwipe

2007-11-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

Charlie Brooker is the somewhat overblown, misanthropic host of BBC 4's Screenwipe. A show that spits much needed postmodern deconstructionist invective at the telly, with Charlie's added snark. To steal a phrase, it's fucking brilliant. David Spade's Hollywood show is pretty good, but this really takes the piss out of all the smoke, mirrors, marketing, artifice and product placement that is television.

Screenwipe guide to television. This long but totally worth it. I promise!

Screenwipe make up their own version of the Apprentice, called the Unloser.
Part I

Part II

Part III

Animal Hospital

Upcoming shows, sat. nite shows, icons on the screen, Last of the Summer Wine

First episode, first ten minutes.

My Super Sweet 16, etc

Go to Youtube and do a search for "Charlie Brooker", or "Screenwipe" and watch bits of the show.

Brooker photo courtesy, The BBC
Thanks to Alexis and Kyle for the initial heads up.

But I thought she was American

2007-11-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Minnie Driver. I thought she was American. The few things that I saw her in, Return To Me comes to mind(sorry), she did not have an English accent. Turns out, she's from London. Found out about that when she was on Fresh Air, or something. She's also a very accomplished musician, which she did before getting into acting. She and fellow Brit, Eddie Izzard both have various accents on The Riches, since they're Irish Travellers.

Which leads me to this tangent: English actors who can mimic convincing American accents. I started noticing English Actors who are able to do good American accents a long time ago. Many, over the years, have done the southern accent. I can't refer to anybody specifically, maybe Roddy McDowell, in some movie, or TV shows. For some reason, in the past, English actors gravitated to a southern accent. Not sure if it's easier for them, or they just like the sound, or what.

English actors with American accents have built up over the years and now there's a bunch of them on American TV. And they don't have southern accents.

I started watching Bionic Woman and fell in love with Michelle Ryan. I'm a sucker for brown hair and blue eyes. So, when I check out her IMDB page, I find out she's english. Huh. Her Jaimie Sommers character is accent free. She's still teh hott, English, or not. However, I'm in agreement with my friend Bill about Bionic Woman, not great, but not bad and Katie Sackhoff is a great baddie. Ryan did get to talk in her natural accent in the last episode where she plays an English exchange student.

Before that, I started watching another NBC show, Life, starring Damien Lewis. I really like Lewis, but I'm not wild about his character in Life. I first remember Lewis in HBO's Band of Brothers WWII mini series. In Life, he's an American cop in LA. The stories are pretty good. I've seen him in more films with an American accent, Dream Catcher and the afore mentioned films, than I have seen him perform in his own natural voice. It was weird to see Lewis in behind the scenes footage for Brothers, speaking with his normal English accent.

So, yeah, there's a bunch of Limeys running around, that sound like Yanks.

This post may be my most linktacular since I started the blog. Dynamic links are the only HTML I know.

Triple 30

2007-11-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

Indy rocker, Arthur Adams, of the San Francisco based band Blammos, is doing something very ambitious for the month of November: thirty songs, over thirty days and thirty music videos.

Wow!

Check out Blammos' Blog

ANNOUNCING:

BLAMMOS does November:
30 days 30 songs 30 videos

Each day Arthur will be posting a video on the blog. Each video will feature a different song. They will range from live performances to music videos to multimedia experiments to who knows what. They will be shot in various locations featuring members of BLAMMOS, friends, relatives, other bands and strangers. They will be shot the same day they are posted (unless he's REAAAAALLLY busy, in which case there will be two the following day).

Here is the video I shot for Bill and Arthur last year. Candleblog Captain and filmmaker Bill Simmon may fly on over and help Arthur make some groovy vids and maybe a song or two, too.

Watch Blammos Does November videos here. The first one is already up, so keep going back to the Blammos Youtube page through November to see and hear the fun.

Thanks to Bill & Arthur.

Hamptons International Film Festival

2007-10-14T16:26:00.000-04:00

Tis The Season, a short film that I shot last year, is an official entry at the Hamptons International Film Festival. We had a great time shooting, despite the subzero temps. Our little star, Jayden, was a real trooper and even though she wasn't feeling her best, she turned in a great performance. Bern Cohen and Jayden's mom, Ann, also did a great job. Ann is a former Rockette and Bern has been in just about everything.

Bern puts on gloves between takes

Watching the monitor during playback. From left, Hila, Bob and his brother Tom.

Of course, during that whole winter, there was no snow. We shot on a weekend where it was threatening to snow, which would have shut us down. The first day of production started out not too cold, but then the next two days were below zero and of course, we were outdoors the whole time. People ran back to cars and vans to get warm and our lunch on the second day was at a friend of the producer's, just a couple of blocks away.

Me rehearsing with our Producer, Sarah.

I parked as close as possible to set (my car's bumper is at the far left of frame)and I made sure Camera World was right next to Crafty. Adam, left, and Matt wait for the word. Mat was my AC and got things together pretty quickly. I think we got there at around six, or seven.

Tom came to set to shoot behind the scenes footage. No doubt for extra features on the DVD :~) .

Ann, Jayden and Bob answer questions at the Domani Vision Film Festival this past September.

Adam and I with my XL2, CW's camera jib, my dolly and track.

So many cameras on set! Moto shot stills for us. Tom is in the background rolling on other fun happenings.

Mac

2007-10-08T17:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a little help from my family, I am the proud owner of a brand new baby MacBook Pro. I will slowly be learning how to use FCP 6 and all the other programs in the Studio suite.

Thanks also to Rob G @ Tekserve who helped us with the sale.

Before I dig into all of that, I also have a little bit if paperwork to catch up on.

More Night Stuff

2007-10-04T21:39:00.000-04:00

Alexis made me dinner a couple of months ago, because I lent her some of my lighting gear and a wireless lavs for a shoot she had. It was very yummy pasta and very yummy wine that we had with it. Alexis works in a wine shop, Mr. Wright, so she is able to get very good wine.

We went up to the roof of her building and looked at the cars, the GW bridge and pondered on some lights up in the night sky that didn't move, but stayed in place. Don't know what they were.

Nightscapes

2007-10-03T20:24:00.000-04:00

Nightscape, Virginia, August, 2007.

I've always been interested in taking pictures at night. I'm not really sure why. Ever since I was in high school, when I began to do my own darkroom work. I enjoyed taking long exposures and then seeing what my experiments had brought. It's still fun, because I have a better idea of what things will look like, but you still don't always know exactly what you'll get and that's part of the fun.

Nightscape, Virginia, August, 2007.

I like the camera's ability to see into the darkness and the way the different colored streetlights create interesting pools of light and reflections. I also like the feeling of isolation and decay that accompanies these photos, because I'm in an urban area, or on some old bridge, or factory. Rochester was great. I did a lot of night photography and I even did some 8x10 night shots.

Here is my walk across the Queensboro Bridge last year:
http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/02/night-ii.html
http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/02/night.html

Other night shots:
http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/07/francis-b-day-in-providence.html
http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/10/random-pix.html
http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/05/after-after-party.html

http://mark-sasahara.blogspot.com/2006/02/kentucky-and-tennesee.html

Near Houston St.

2007-09-24T14:51:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was on my way to meet a friend in the East Village. While walking along W. Houston Street, I had to walk around some construction because the sidewalk was closed. There, I encountered this lovely color of magenta/red and had to take some snaps. The blob on the right is the shadow from this flag that was blowing in the wind and constantly changing shape. I think this is Thompson, or Sullivan Street, right near the corner of W. Houston

Not Sweating It, Bro.

2007-09-23T11:55:00.000-04:00

This summer, Don't Sweat It went full speed and shot two seasons back to back. The crazy schedule, coupled with the really hot and humid weather made us all take naps every now and again. Here, during lunch, Ed uses his head as Jimmy double checks lumber measurements.

McCarren Park Pool, August 2007

2007-09-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

I met my friend Lauretta at the McCarren Park Pool in 'Billburg for the weekly Sunday concert back in August. I'm now finally getting around to posting images. Here are some pix and yes, some of you sharp eyed visitors will notice that I have cropped a couple from the original.

I was sitting on the ground and couldn't see the stage, but the music was pretty good and I just enjoyed the beautiful summer day.

Midnight, this Friday, come and see my movie!

2007-09-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

This Friday, September 14th at Cinema Village, is the Midnight screening of The Junior Defenders! Yes, me in all my B-Movie DP glory.

Well, I was a doubter at first, but Writer/Director and editing whiz Keith Spiegel finally has a cut of Junior Defenders that has been released. Warner Home Video has picked up the movie formerly known as Groupies.

The Junior Defenders cast take a moment, on set for a group photo. From left to right:
Justin Henry, Fred Hazelton, Brian O'Halloran, Ally Sheedy, Jason David Frank.

Come to Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, between 5th Ave and University Place, a little before midnight, on Friday and watch the film that I shot, on film, lovely film, ten years ago. Directions to Cinema VIllage.

Keith spent a lot of time and money working on this, over the years, cutting and re-cutting the film, getting celebrity interviews and finally getting John Waters to narrate. Burlington College helped out by letting Keith use, the then, not so antiquated VHS editing system and then Steve Beattie helped out and for literally years, helped Keith with the edit. Sometimes they could only work once every three weeks. Kudos to them for their persistence and tenacity.

Please Hurry and vote!

2007-08-29T21:21:00.001-04:00

indy dreamboat Arthur Adams says...

We [read: Blammos] are in the running for a CMJ showcase contest through AmieStreet.com. We'll get a showcase slot, a hotel stay and 10,000 if we win! The first elimination round ends next weekend and relies soley on fan voting...so please go and vote for us here:
http://amiestreet.com/contest/vote/1/17

You will need to create an Amie Street account, but don't worry, it's simple and harmless...we promise...

Today (Wednesday) is the last day you can vote, so do it now! They need to make the top 20 to move into the semi finals, according to the most recent pleading email from Arthur. Send those rockers some Vermont love!

Thanks Bill! This was cut and pasted from http://www.candleboy.com/candleblog/

Mark, what's CMJ?

Jet Blows

2007-08-18T10:25:00.000-04:00

This past June, I worked on a job down in Florida with my good buddies Chris, Tom, Barry and Jeff. We flew down to Florida for a day of shooting. We left the day before the shoot, meeting at JFK to get our tix and flew happily to Orlando. After getting our room keys, we drove to a nearby diner for a late supper, before getting into our rooms at the crappy motel.

We had a very early call time, so I tried calling the front desk, but got no answer, so I set the alarm on my Palm Pilot and watched too much TV, I think I finally went to bed at around 1, or 2, oops.

The front desk clerk at the La Quinta was a mystery. None of the five of us could determine it's gender. Nothing about his/her/it's voice, habits, clothing- La Quinta Polo Shirt, baggy chinos and sneakers, or demeanor gave away any clue as to whether this was a male of female of the species. We joked and wondered all through dinner and all the next day as to whether or not it was a male, or female, since he/she/it wore no name tag. We, of course, named it Pat.

We had to wake up at about 4am in order to be in the parking lot at 5am to pack up the vehicles and eat. We were all there and started loading up the vans with all our gear, teleprompters, sound equipment, lighting equipment, light stands. Cameras? Where are the cameras? And Where's Chris? Chris is never late.

I knock on Chris' door and sure enough, a sleepy headed Chris Answers the door. He never got his wake up call. Needless to say, he was pissed. He let the hotel know it.

After we finished packing all our gear and our luggage in to the vans, we drove around to the front and Chris shot out of the van and I followed. He went to the room behind the reception desk. There was the reception clerk fast asleep in a big easy chair, it's head buried in it's armpit. Chris kicks it's foot and then it stirs, face all puckered and eyes squinting against the light as it looks up to Chris. "I never got my wake up call" Chris said and then he walked out of the room leaving a still clueless motel clerk in the lurch. I followed Chris back to the vans and we headed out for breakfast.

Jeff loves Waffle House, so we got scattered, smothered and covered for breakfast. Yummy hot greasy food. Thankfully, the service was great and it was only a five minute drive to the plant where we were shooting. We were able to enjoy our grease at a leisurely pace and wake up.

Snow White met us at the airport

After shooting all day, we got to the airport at around 4:30pm, to get seats on our 6:30pm flight home to NYC. While we were in line, I noticed that the departure time was 8:30pm. I mentioned that to Jeff and he asked about it when he went to get our tickets. Poor Chris was feeling grimy after running around the plant in the 90+ degree heat with 100% humidity all day. I was pretty nasty myself.

Chris' wearing Jeff's neck pillow.

Turns out that ALL flights to the Northeast are delayed. Great. We waited around for hours. The airport's food court eventually shut down, but I grabbed some nasty McD's before they closed. We waited more and received updates, but no real information. It wasn't until about 9, or 10 pm that they finally told us that the delay was due to heavy rains in the Northeast. So, no matter what we did we wouldn't be able to land at JFK. We had all our gear already checked into baggage, so we couldn't switch flights, or do anything other than wait.

Maybe the plane needs some of these to get off the ground.

During this time, I tried to sleep, but I was too tired, or not tired enough. It was very frustrating. Some young girl a few chairs away from me was blathering into her cell phone incessantly, which kept me awake. Then a woman came over and they were nattering away for what seemed like hours, further preventing any sleep. That and never being able to get comfortable made sleep impossible. I was laying on the floor with my raincoat as a pillow, but to no avail. Chris farted on Jeff's neck pillow which was very amusing.

So we wait.

And Wait

Tom had found a wheelchair and was rolling around a small, less populated area of the gate. I wanted to have a little fun too, so I walked around a little and found a couple of wheelchairs sitting around in a part of the airport where there were no planes and only 1 or 2 people, but they were official people, so lost my nerve and turned around. Then I thought, wtf, I have nothing to loose and I'm bored. So I went back, grabbed a wheelchair and began rolling it back to our gate, walking with purpose and my head down. One guy asked me if I needed any help, but I said I was okay and he left me alone.

As I got loser to the gate I was very pleased with myself and had to keep my self from smiling at my little victory. Once in out little gate area, I sat in the chair and wheeled myself over to Tom and we began chasing each other and then punching each other. It was a lot of fun and we played around for about ten or fifteen minutes before we decided to roam a little bit and see other areas of the airport.

This is what a picture looks like when Chris gooses you just at the moment you hit the shutter.

Finally, at about 1am, or so, seven hours later, we begin boarding. In addition to the rain delay, we were waiting for a new crew to fly the plane. The scheduled crew were going to run out of hours during the flight back to NYC, so we had to wait for the replacements.

We got to Kennedy at about four am. Thank God. But then -DISAPPOINTMENT- we had to wait another thirty minutes before we can even get off the tarmac and taxi to the terminal because the delay backed up all the traffic, so all the planes that were ahead of us, were in line to go to their gates and unload passengers.

This was the scene when we arrived at the JFK terminal around 5am. The airport looked more like a refugee camp. all over the airport people were camped out sleeping under blankets, coats, in chairs, on the floor, everywhere.

I passed this mother and daughter near the baggage claim. All over the airport, people were camped out.

We waited another half an hour for the baggage carousel to start working. It seemed to take forever for our luggage and equipment to meander to us on the conveyor belt.

We finally got our bags, eventually splitting up and going our separate ways. It was cloudy and it was daylight. It had just recently stopped raining. I had spent the previous twelve hours in the dark. It was about 6:30 am when I was stepping into a taxi heading for home.

I got home and slept for about twelve hours. Iwoke up a little bit and then went right back to sleep.

My phone is also a projector

2007-07-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

Surfing around, I came across this little entry about a prototype projector phone:

Microvision has announced their collaboration with Motorola to include the Pico projector into mobile applications. PicoP is an ultra-miniature laser based display that can fit into mobile phones and laptop computers.

Imagine being able to use your phone to shoot photos and video and then project these images onto a wall, or screen.

What's really cool is that eventually you could use your phone, or handheld device-iPod, Treo, Blackberry, iPhone, laptop, etc and use the built-in projector to show your photos, film, or video onto a small screen, or wall for clients, friends and family. That would be really cool. Now you don't have to hand around the camera, or phone, or whatever, you can just project it.

I wonder if it will get bright enough to show in daylight?

Thanks to Techgadgets.in

It was so hot...

2007-07-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

I had to make a little beadboard tent to stay out of the sun. This is from a couple of weeks ago, when it was 100 degrees F and 100% humidity. We all drank a lot of water and Pedialyte. Production passed out washcloths soaked in ice water and we passed out on the lawn, it was so bloody hot. This was one of the last episodes of Don't Sweat It. You can't really see it, but it was 10am and my shirt was completely soaked through with sweat. Yummy.

Good times, good times.

Pug Pix For My Sister

2007-07-21T13:23:00.000-04:00

Pug pix for my sister, stationed in Beautiful Baghdad. Her beloved pugs are not with her, so here are some photos I took of pugs that have crossed my path. Her little doggies are on another continent, so it's a little more difficult for me to take their photos.

Taylor Mali on what a teacher makes

2007-07-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

Slam poet Taylor Mali's hilarious and touching poem kicks ass.

Thanks Bill and youtube.

My Pimp Hand Is Large

2007-07-01T12:11:00.001-04:00

This is how I'm livin', yo.

I'm BALLIN' in my GMC! Got my bling and I'm bussin' fresh joints. What!

Workin' on ma tan. Yo?

More New York Fascism

2007-06-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Two things are really pissing me off, Congestion Pricing and this that just came up: anyone who uses a camera of any kind will need to get a permit in order to shoot in New York City. Fuck that! These are the kinds of things that make living in NYC a total pain in the ass, make it hard to get any work done, or make it more expensive to work.

If I have to pay a toll to get into Manhattan, then I should be able to have free parking and NO METER MAIDS. If I'm paying for the privilege to drive in Manhattan, then I shouldn't be harassed by the parking Nazis. I WILL NOT PAY MONEY TO GET INTO MANHATTAN!

I own a small business and this adds the many fees and taxes that I already have to pay as a business person. I have to pay income tax to the City of New York. WTF?!!? I need drive into Manhattan because I have a lot of equipment and if I'm renting a truck it costs even more. Once in Manhattan, I think that there's only one bonded lot to park my truck in. There's no overnight parking on the streets for trucks. Here's an idea: get rid of the free parking tags that the Mayor's office issues each year to city employees who don't need it and you've just eliminated 47,000 cars right there.

Flood the Mayor's office with calls and emails denouncing this prospective tax. Mike's info is below.

More Kontrol: according to this New York times article the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting wants to regulate anyone with a camera of any kind. So, now anyone is subject to police harassment.

"Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks.

New rules being considered by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance.

The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment.

Julianne Cho, assistant commissioner of the film office, said the rules were not intended to apply to families on vacation or amateur filmmakers or photographers.

Nevertheless, the New York Civil Liberties Union says the proposed rules, as strictly interpreted, could have that effect. The group also warns that the rules set the stage for selective and perhaps discriminatory enforcement by police.

“These rules will apply to a huge range of casual photography and filming, including tourists taking snapshots and people making short videos for YouTube,” said Christopher Dunn, the group’s associate legal director.

Mr. Dunn suggested that the city deliberately kept the language vague, and that as a result police would have broad discretion in enforcing the rules. In a letter sent to the film office this week, Mr. Dunn said the proposed rules would potentially apply to tourists in places like Times Square, Rockefeller Center or ground zero, “where people routinely congregate for more than half an hour and photograph or film.”

The rules define a “single site” as any area within 100 feet of where filming begins. Under the rules, the two or more people would not actually have to be filming, but could simply be holding an ordinary camera and talking to each other.

The rules are intended to set standards for professional filmmakers and photographers, said Ms. Cho, assistant commissioner of the film office, but the language of the draft makes no such distinction."

So, anyone is now subject to police harassment if they have a camera and can be prevented from taking pictures if they don't have $1million dollar insurance policy and a permit from the Mayor's office.

This whole mess stems from 2005, when an Indian filmmaker was shooting hand held footage in midtown and was detained by police who profiled him because he had dark skin. There are no rules on the books to haul in potential terrorists making research films of tourist areas, so they now need one so they can justify arresting anyone for taking pictures. While I can see the need to protect the public from potential hazards, this heavy handed attempt prevents photographers from documenting important events, including police misconduct and this abridges first amendment rights.

Support the ACLU in making sure this doesn't become law. If this law passes, the terrorists have won.

Call and, or email the Mayor's office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting and have these ridiculous laws stopped. Contact info:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/home/contact_moftb.shtml

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's contact information:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)

FAX (212) 788-8123

E-MAIL:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

I will be contacting the mayor and the MOFTB and politely letting them know that I am against these two laws and that they should not be enacted. Please let him know too. Thanks!

The ACLU:
http://www.aclu.org

Screaming for Vengeance!

2007-04-05T19:35:00.000-04:00

In a world where Republicans are breaking the law and control the government, one woman, from a small New York town, is doing something about it.

In the fall of 2008, The Republicans have a another thing comin', because Hillary Clinton is:

Screaming for Vengeance!

The world is a manacled place.

Hey listen don't you let them get your mind
Fill your brain with orders and that's not right.
They're playing at a game that draws you closer
Till you're living in a world that's ruled by fear.

Always takin' baby out that's o.k.
What they're givin' maybe it's out of phase with me.
Told you one you're never gonna win the race
Same old no tomorrow kicked in the face.

We are screaming, screaming for vengeance
The world is a manacled place.
Screaming, screaming for vengeance
The world is defiled in disgrace.

Tie a blindfold all around your head
Spin you 'round in the torture before the dread.
And then you're pushed and shoved into every corner
Then they lead you out into the final slaughter.

As the sweat is runnin' down your neck
All your praying for's to stop your body breakin' up.
Oh your heart is pumpin' gonna soon explode
Got to fight the horror of this mental load.

So you wait it out and bide your time
Rip off that straight jacket gotta break that line.
Everyone who wins in the great escape
Leaves a thousand more who suffer in their wake.

I don't talk about it but that's alright
Table's turned now there's a revenge in sight.
If it takes forever babe I tell ya I can wait
Send them screaming back through their hell's own gate.

Stop the FCC!

2007-02-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

Send a letter to prevent the FCC from Killing Public Access!

The new House Commerce & Telecommunications Subcommittee meets on Thursday, Feb. 15th, also to review the FCC.

This annual Q/A of the FCC by the House Subcommittee is an important moment for us to respond to the December 20th FCC Ruling on Video Franchising. That FCC ruling went far deeper than the failed Congressional legislation of last year in attacking Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access channels and facilities. It also threatens local municipalities ability to exercise control over their 'rights of way" and provides little protection against the red-lining of entire communities. Worse of all, the FCC hearing on the matter was rife with inaccuracies and half-truths that even the phone companies backed away from. Such behavior by a Federal agency is reprehensible and we demand full accountability now!

Personalize your letter and find your House Rep, by going here. Type in your Zip+4 to find your Congressman/woman

Click here > TAKE ACTION - SEND THIS LETTER TODAY!

Thanks Bill! Public Access rules!

At a Mexican Restaurant.

2007-01-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

We were at a Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn after spending all day at a large corporation shooting products. Chris was DP, I was Gaffer/Grip/Dolly Grip and Jessica was in the basement editing and getting footage from the client.

Chris and I do a lot of important but small gigs like this, where it's just he and I and we're running around like crazy doing all this stuff. I got to do exciting things like set and level dolly track and rig the lighting. Not hard, but busy, though. Laying dolly track is always tedious.

I forget the name of the restaurant we went to afterward, but it was nice. I forget what I had, but it was really, really, good, I think it was tacos, or something.

Superdeluxe.com is LIVE!

2007-01-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

Inhuman resources, Part I

Turner's new website, Superdeluxe.com is up and running, YAY! I blogged about the webisodes I shot earlier and the theme songs of the shoot.Inhuman Resources, can now be viewed.

Please check them out, sign up and vote for the episodes. It will take a few minutes to register, but it will be worthwhile, you can create your own profile and coolest of all, YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR OWN VIDEOS! That means you Bill, Alexis , Mat and Rob! To vote there are a row of hearts in the box to the left of the viewer box. To vote: click on the last heart and that should give it the full five hearts. Thanks!

Here's Rob Kutner's page on Super Deluxe. Rob wrote the script and was making changes as we were shooting that long crazy weekend that we shot. There are links to both episodes on his page.

Spring Roses

2007-01-17T19:09:00.000-05:00

I photographed this beautiful flower last May.

I was walking up Sixth Ave with my sister, Ellen, when I spotted all of these pinkish-white little heads stretching through the wrought iron fence. As if they were trying to escape, or perhaps they were trying to see the basketball games across the street. Tall, muscular men playing three-on-three, sweating, waiting for their chance to score, or pass the ball to an open teammate.

It was still quite warm at six O'clock and the late afternoon light was lovely. Long shadows created pools of soft blue light, countered by reflections of the sun off the windows of nearby buildings; their brown and red bricks imparting a warm sheen to the greenery.

Grandfather was a Professor First Class of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. He was summoned to the Court of Emperor Hirihito in 1985, to receive a medal for his contribution to Japanese culture. While living in the US, he taught the Ikenobo school of flower arranging. From after WWII, to the day he died, some fifty years. He became a mechanic after his eyesight failed while at Caltech, working on his engineering degree. He wasn't blind, but he always haad to wear very thick glasses. Popsey, my mother's father was an engineer at Black & Decker. I like to think that I inherited both of their engineering skills and mechanical abilities as well as Granpa's love of flowers and aesthetics. Thankfully, I inherited Dad's thick hair and Mom's artistic abilities.

So, a small breath of light and warmth from a church garden, to brighten up your winter.

Vero Beach

2007-01-17T00:31:00.000-05:00

Love is a double tap to the head. Me and the AR-15

I forgot I had these pix from a shoot I did for Court TV's Psychic Detectives, last October. We were shooting re-enactments of a double murder that happened near Vero Beach, Florida, in the late 70's. Phil Jordan, a psychic who lives in upstate NY, helped the Indian County Sheriffs Dept. solve the crime. It's pretty amazing. We were down there for five days and had a really good shoot. We also ate very well for dinner every night. I think I gained about ten pounds.

One of the Indian County Sheriffs let me play with an AR-15. Nice, light weight. Didn't get fire it though. Darn.

Producer Vanessa, prepping the lead car, before we roll tape on an exciting sequence of police cars racing out of the station with sirens wailing. I'm futzing with the tripod, or something. I'll have to teach Mat, our PA/Everything Man to photograph me looking iconic, or at least heroic, not moronic.

One of the best parts about the shoot was that I actually got to shoot real film. Woo hoo! While it was only an Arri-S, it was still fun. Steve, the owner/Producer of Superfine Films, the production company, gave me carte blance to do pretty much whatever I wanted. The film parts were when Phil, the psychic, was having his visions, so I got to get funky. Really fun. Bizarre closeups, out of focus, twisty-dutch, funky stuttering motion, all kinds of fun things. I still haven't seen any of the footage, but I'm told everyone loves the episode. Or, so they tell me.

The episode will air in a little while. I'll be sure to alert y'all.

Thanks to Mat B for shooting these and sending them to me.

The Real Thing?

2007-01-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

And there's also Wenger "Maker of the genuine Swiss Army Knife". Both Wenger and Victorinox can be called Swiss Army knives, since they both have contracts to provide knives to the Swiss Army. Actually, looking on Victorinox's History page they bought Wenger in 2005.

Wenger has the rounded square with the cross inside. Wenger also have a broad range of knives & tools, plus cologne, bags & backpacks for travel and business, watches, etc.

Victorinox has the shield with the cross. "The Original Swiss Army Knife". They have a range of knives, tools- for the hand and the household, cutlery -for the home and professionals, biking tools, flatware, etc.

Wikipedia has nice entry about the two manufacturers.

Leatherman New Wave Tool. I had v1.0, the "old" tool.

Someone stole my Leatherman Wave Tool this past summer. So, I've been using my Victorinox Cyber Tool until I get another. I'm going to B&H tomorrow to finally get a replacement, plus I'll get a groovy LED flashlight for my troubles. The 15th is the last day of the special. I hope they still have them. I got the Cybertool and Wave when I worked at Peregrine Oufitters.

Victorinox Cyber Tool 34

I also got a really sexy Ken Onion Blackout, a spring assisted knife. A legal swithblade. I've always been fascinated by them. Again, stolen. I guess I'm not meant to have nice things *Sniff, sniff* :~( .

That was an intersting time. I first started working there part time to fill in the income gaps that came between film and photo shoots, when I was in VT. I remember getting a citation on the first anniversary of loyal Peregrine serfdom. I realized that the stop-gap employment had become a full time gig and that I really needed to get out of there and get my ass down to New York City. I also had a girlfriend that worked there and that was a complete fucking mess.

I've been in NYC for almost three years and I'm doing pretty well, shooting things for the tellie, etc. Working my way up the food chain.

I always carry my trusty Wenger Pocket Tool Chest. I haven't pried my way out of a burning lift, but it comes in handy almost every day. I have to get a couple of replacement toothpicks, my second one broke a few months ago. I brush daily, so it's not a complete loss.

I've used the tweezers to hold diffusion on a practical light, while on a shoot. The knife blade serves as a letter opener, gel and tie line cutter. I've used the bottle opener and screw drivers quite a bit. The Cyber Tool has also stood me in good stead. I've used it on set quite a bit and the bit driver is quite handy. I even used it on my computer.

I may also get a Gerber Multi Tool, a 600, or some such, but I'm keen on another Wave Tool. What I like is that the Gerber's needle nose pliers can be deployed with the flick of the wrist, which is quite handy when you have to change scrims on a hotlight.

Oh, you know you have a real Swiss Army Knife if "Victorinox", or "Wenger" is stamped on the Master Blade's tang.

Photos courtesy Wenger, Victorinox and Leatherman

Swiss Bits and Beats

2007-01-14T18:35:00.000-05:00

While surfing around checking out various sites, I stopped at Victorinox and happened upon the s.beat MP3player. It's a handy knife, scissor, nail file, MP3 player (1G/2G memory), FM tuner and a voice recorder. The best thing about it is that, on the Flight model, the player/recorder can be separated from the tools and carried, hassle-free, through airport security.

Included accessories: a remote, which allows for you and a friend to listen to your s.Beat, as well as to remotely control the player and an armband that allows the player to be worn comfortably while running, or jogging.

I'm lovin' it*.

The Victorinox and Swissbit got together to make knives with memory, thereby fusing the need to slice 'n' dice with technology. Some with the option to detach the media, so the pointy parts stay in your checked bags.

The whole Swissbit line of drives is pretty cool and, as you can see: wonderfully clean and simple, yet, ohh so sexy Swiss design.

The pic on the consumer page is funny, it's two girls hugging and looking at the camera. Technology for GIRRLZ! Actually it's a link for Philm. Pocket Philm appears to be a pocket sized flash drive and software so that you can have a Powerpoint presentation of your favorite photos, using the supplied music, or you own...

There's one Swissbit Flashdrive, the UnitedCONTRAST, that can read at 32MB/sec. Yes , MegaBYTES per second, via USB 2.0. It writes at 23MB/sec and there are three models with caps of 1G, 2G and 4Gigs. It weighs 10 grams, and is 68mm L x 18mm W x 8.2mm D. 68mm is 2 - 5/8 ths inches long. The have the 32MB/s read speed.

You can also get Swiss Memory for your laptop, or desktop. shouldn't it have a knife on it too?

Finally the 8Gig SWISSMEMORY s.Valigetta, the "small data medium". A nice mini hard disk.

Think I'll be getting my UnitedCONTRAST directly from their Shop.

Photos courtesy Victorinox and Swissbit

*MCd's can go pound sand. That phrase it's part of Amreican parlance and was in use long before your copy monkies decided to copywrite the phrase.

Ivy and graffitti

2007-01-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

While taking a break on a shoot at The Foundry, last month, I went outside and shot some photos of The Foundry's exterior walls. It's a great location and Allison, the owner, is wonderful.

UHaul

2007-01-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

I found myself at UHaul last November, or October and shot this pic while in my car, getting ready to pull out. It was very windy and a little cold, especially if you were in the shadows. In the sun it was rather pleasant.

The cement factory next door was humming away, cranes lifting gravel out of a barge and dumping it into the hopper. The wheel at the top of the conveyor belt squeeking steadily as it brought the load up to the next stage of production. The flag atop the conveyor snaps when the wind gusts, seemingly dissipating the whisps of steam and dust that emit from here and there. Noisy and unsettling at first, but soon it becomes soothing and regulating.

Clouds slowly drift by.

High Wire act

2007-01-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

I've been a member of the Cinematographer's Mailing List on and off since about 1999, or 2000. I got an cool link from an interesting thread about how electricity is portrayed in movies as opposed to how it really looks and behaves in real life. Here is an interesting link about guys who service high tension lines. And, yes, there are crackling bolts of electricity, but they're relatively small.

Pretty cool and really dangerous.

Snap Crackle ZAP!

A 500Kv line opening under load.

Summer Flowers

2007-01-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

Here are some flowers I photographed at Drake's house this past summer. We were all gathered in Rhode Island for Francis' B-Day.

Wesley Autrey - Hero

2007-01-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

A Good Samaritan jumped onto the tracks at a Manhattanville subway station at 137th Street and Broadway Tuesday afternoon to save the life of a stranger who had fallen after having an apparent seizure.

The man stumbled off the platform onto the tracks, where he could have been killed if not for the heroic efforts of 50-year-old Wesley Autrey who did the unthinkable, jumping onto the tracks with a train approaching.

"He was stuck and I was like, 'Wow. Do I struggle here?' If I got him up, then I would have to go for the ground. And I didn't have that much time. So I just went for the gutter thing," said Autrey. "I just dove on top of him and held him down, cause I knew there would be enough clearance for us."

Autrey, a construction worker who lives in the neighborhood, grabbed the man and pinned him down in the gutter between the running rails while a downtown Number 1 train passed overhead, miraculously leaving both men without a scratch.

"I had to have the guy pinned down, because like I said, he was in a seizure," said Autrey. "He was incoherent. He was fighting, pushing and pushing against me. So I had to lock myself down, so he wouldn't push me back, and possibly my head get hit."

Autrey's two young daughters, ages four and six, who were with him at the time of the incident, watched in horror while the situation unfolded. When the train finally came to a stop, Autrey called out to them to let them know he was alive.

Autrey guessed there was maybe an inch or inch and a half clearance between his head and the underside of the train.

"Remember, the gutter maybe got like a 12-inch drop. So his body fitted in there perfectly. And I just laid on top of him, and had to pin him down," he said.

The man Autrey saved was taken to St. Luke's hospital as a precautionary measure, where he is listed in stable condition. He is expected to be recover.

When asked if he considers himself a hero, Autrey said absolutely not. He said he was just doing what he thinks anyone else would do.

"No, I don't consider myself a hero," he said. "I just went to someone's aid. Someone who was in need of help."

From NY1

There is hope, there are decent people in this world. I hope I'm one of them.

Happy New Ear

2007-01-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

Alexis forced me to come out New Year's Eve. I was feeling rather "Fuck it" and anti-social. I'm glad I went out. I had a good time and met some great people. We were at the Ear, with Alexis' roommate, Katie and Katie's boyfriend Alvaro.

Alexis and I. Not sure what's wrong with her tongue.

Alexis, Alvaro and Katie, greeting me at The Ear, 11:45pm New Year's Eve.

New Year's Toast at Midnight.

New years Kisses, which lead to...

Tongueage

The only part that sucked was taking a wrong turn and wandering around Lower Manhattan in the rain. I forgot that I was on Spring Street and had only to walk straight for three blocks before getting to the Spring St. C & E stop. Instead I took a right turn and was heading south. Rather than retrace my footsteps, I made a circle around the block, which only added to my confusion. It didn't help that I was a little bit drunk. Okay, More than a little bit, but not "faced".

Rachelle(?) I think that's her name and Karen.

It was raining and I didn't have an umbrella. After about half an hour of this nonsense, I hailed a cab. I hailed a couple, but none of them wanted to go to Queens. So I gave them a heartfelt "FUCK YOU, you fucking asshole" as I walked away from their cabs. A pox upon their families and may they get really bad hemorrhoids from sitting all day.

I did meet Liz, who was very nice.

Finally, I flagged down a cab. Not realizing it, I was still heading downtown. After a few blocks there were some cute girls trying to hail a cab and as the cabbie stopped at the intersection, I opened the door and invited them in, but the cabbie started to drive away while one of the girls still had one foot in the door and one foot on the street. I apologized to the girls before he sped away. "They're not going to Queens" he complained. "I wanted to pick them up" I protested. "You almost killed that girl trying to get in", I said. "They're not going to Queens", he said again. As we came to a stop at a light near Worth Street, I yelled at the cabbie that we were heading for the Brooklyn Bridge and that he was ripping me off, so I jumped out of the cab and (stupidly) made my way uptown to the Spring Street subway station. In the rain. I was miserable and pissed off. I couldn't remember where the nearest train was. I forgot that Chambers St was just a few blocks away.

The lovely and talented Bridget, our waitress.

I did finally get to the station and then headed up town to the 42nd Street station where I transferred to the 7 and made the final leg home.

Alexis tries on a feather tiara.

I was hungry and stopped at my favorite bodega. I picked up some eggs, Spam and a can of gnarly Chef Boyardee spag and meatballs. I am a junkfood junky. As a batchelor, I sometimes eat things right out of the can and I guess, sadly, Chef Boyardee is comfort food for me. Not sure how that came about.

I think this is Karen's identical twin sister. It would appear that something has her very excited.

Liz Fu. Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting.

So, I popped open the bottle of Veuve Cliquot yellow label that I bought and proceeded to make up the eggs and Spam fer breakfast. I enjoyed New Year's breakfast and was online checking email, ebay and a few other sites before a little pre bed reading. I'm reading John Hoerr's book, And The Wolf Finally Came, which is about the decline of the American steel insudtry in the 1980's. Bad management and unions that didn't realize they were putting themselves out of business. I quickly fell asleep and woke up at some point, turned off the light and went back to sleep.

What a shitty New Year's. You can bet that I will be doing my damndest to make this a kick-ass year.

Turn it up to 11 in 2007.

Liz has nice hair.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T18:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New year to all my friends, family and clients!

Christmas re-imagined

2006-12-21T23:48:00.000-05:00

Now that the re-imagined trailers have taken off, people are re-cuting and dubbing in new sound to create new videos.

Videos here

Here are a few from 10 Zen Monkeys, via Boing Boing and Candleblog

Boing Boing's videos linked to in '06

New look coming

2006-12-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

Blogger is offering a new look. I will migrate soon.

This also features multiple authors and an RSS feed, so I'll be getting a little more into the 21st Century. Looking forward to having other folks being able to publish their thoughts and photos here.

Bronx sunrise

2006-12-19T03:14:00.000-05:00

I have ben working on a short film and had to be in da BX at 7am. It was pretty nice out and the sunrise was partiularly stunning.

Kalua

2006-12-19T03:02:00.000-05:00

I was giving Charles (who's name is actually Chris), one of our PA's, a ride to the LIRR after a long day of shooting. After dropping him off at the Jamaica Station, I was looking for the way back home, when I spotted a likely place to pull over and look at the map. I looked across the street and I was in front of Club Kalua, where Sean Bell was killed. Very weird.

Hopper Exhibit at the Whitney

2006-11-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

My good friend Christopher and I went to the Whitney last month, to see the Edward Hopper exhibit. We're both fans and a good chunk of his work was given to the museum, including sketches, notebooks, ledgers, etc. Hopper is one of my favorite painters and probably one of my biggest influences.

As we left the musem, we decided to take a walk and look for somewhere to have lunch. Around the corner from the museum we found this signpost, where people leave their Whitney ticket/sticker. Like good museum goers, we added ours to the post.

Manscaping made easier?

2006-11-19T23:26:00.000-05:00

Most of the time, Earthlink has really annoying ads in their bannerspace. Really annoying ones. Just now a rather funny one is running. It's for Norelco's Bodygroom. I clicked over to the website and the intro is pretty hilarious. After it runs, Mr. Handsome model strikes a new pose, or does a humorous move.

If you're really bored, you'll have a good laugh.

Watch Don't Sweat It, Saturdays at 11:30AM, on HGTV!!

2006-11-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

That's right! Steve's Got the bull by the horns.

Mark Very unhappy now :~((

BUT...

Don't Sweat It makes Mark Happy :~))

More random pix from DSI:

Monica and I at the wrap party. Monica was always fun to have on set and she has a good sense of humor.

Not bad for a girl.

Me and Sean. I've comandeered his doo rag.

Comedy Webisodes Mark shot coming to you soon, via those internets

2006-10-31T20:14:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I shot three "Webisodes" for Turner's new broadband comedy network. Yep, I'm gettin' in on the ground floor. I'll let y'all know when the webisodes are posted. I've been ordered to change this post, so It's more generic. Keep an eye out for updates once Turner's site launches. Sorry 'bout that Turner, just trying to get the word out.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cable network owner Turner Broadcasting System on Monday said it plans to launch a broadband comedy network in January as parent company Time Warner Inc. bulks up its Internet businesses.

The company that helped popularize cable television with CNN and TNT cable networks will launch Super Deluxe, an advertising-supported Internet site that features originally-produced comedy videos aimed at young adult viewers.

The move comes as big media companies race to profit from a surge in online video viewership by making many of their television shows available for free or a small charge per episode.

Web video growth has been dominated by the viewing of quirky, viewer-created clips and pirated segments of copyrighted programs on sites such as YouTube Inc. Google agreed to purchase YouTube for $1.65 billion earlier in October.

Turner said it aims to create and distribute "television quality" short-form films and episodic shows featuring established and emerging actors.

Super Deluxe shows will also be available on cable TV video-on-demand services.

CBS Corp. also distributes originally produced video programs on the Internet.

Reuters, via Yahoo News

Rush Limbaugh is a fat stupid fuck

2006-10-31T20:08:00.000-05:00

There, I said it . But then, we all knew that, right? Spewing all that hot air and bullshit, I'm going to say that Limbaugh is the source of global warming.

Here endeth the rant.

Watch Don't Sweat it on HGTV, Nov. 4 at 11:30 am

2006-10-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

The show that I gaffed on this past summer, Don't Sweat It, with Host Steve Watson will premiere on November 4 at 11:30 am on HGTV -Home & Garden TV. Check out the schedule Here.

The Gang.

Steve Watson, Host of Don't Sweat It. He funny. He make things.

Drew our on air Carpenter, was discovered at the 23rd St. Home Depot.

Jane, Steve's Co-Host and Teh Hott Sidekick. That's Max, one of the homeowner's dogs.

We had a lot of fun, worked hard and made some pretty cool stuff. The crew was really great and we all got along, even when it was hour 14 and there was still a few more hours to go. Hopefully there will be a second set of episodes. We shot the first thirteen episodes from the beginning of August 'til the end of September.

When Ed wasn't fixing his hair, he was helping me hang lights.

Moto, my good buddy and Key Grip/Swing. Not sure what he's doing there.

Our DP, Matthew, doing what he does best.

Jimmy, the guy who made it all happen. He took everything we could throw at him and he just smiled. A true Professional.

Kim directed a few episodes. There, there, punkin. It'll be alright.

Each episode took two days to shoot. Sometimes day two was long. Really long. I got to scout the first two locations, but after that, every time we arrived on location, it was like hitting the beach at Normandy. We just looked around real quick and then I stuck lots of Kino tubes on the ceiling.
I invented a rig to help me do that. Patent pending.

Bras in the news

2006-10-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

Two stories in the weird news section that make a nice pair.

Teen Faces Litter Charge for Bra Antenna

From Associated Press

October 13, 2006 4:57 PM EDT

TOLEDO, Ohio - A teenager who put her bra on a car antenna before it flew off and led to a highway accident will be charged with littering, a prosecutor said. Emily Davis, 17, of Bowling Green, told investigators she took her bra off while her friend was driving on Interstate 75.

James Campbell, who was driving behind the girls, said he swerved to avoid the bra and his car flipped several times. Campbell, 37, broke a vertebra in his neck during the Sept. 26 accident. His passenger, Jeff Long, 40, broke several ribs.

A State Highway Patrol crash report, obtained by The Blade, said that the girls told investigators that before the accident the men were motioning to them to lift up their shirts. Both men denied making the gestures.

Davis will be charged next week with misdemeanor littering, said Tim Atkins, a juvenile prosecutor in Wood County. Atkins said he'll meet with troopers before filing the charge.

The girl's friend, Tabitha Adams, 17, of Bowling Green, said she told Davis not to hang her bra outside because she knew it would fly away, according to the report.

Atkins said no other charges were expected.

All I could think about while reading the story was: what did the bra look like? Did it look like this?

New Jail Visitor Dress Code: Bras a Must
From Associated Press
October 16, 2006 5:48 PM EDT

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Revealing tops are out and bras are now a must for women visiting prisoners at the Vanderburgh County Jail. Jail officials imposed a new dress code policy after several incidents in which women visiting the jail exposed themselves to male prisoners.

The new policy, posted at the jail's front desk, states that women cannot wear halter tops, sleeveless dresses and shirts, see-through garments, revealing dresses, and shorts cut higher than 2 inches above the knee.

Spandex and "extremely tight fitting" jeans or pants also are frowned upon.

"Adult female visitors, as well as females who would have need of a bra, shall be required to wear a bra," the draft policy also states.

Since the draft policy was posted last month, the jail has turned away a few women, said Katie Roy, a receptionist. Those include two women who tried to get in with low-cut shirts with spaghetti straps.

"When they came back, they had on hooded sweat shirts," Roy said. Unfortunately for those two, the jail also forbids hooded sweat shirts because they can conceal contraband.

The jail's commander, Maj. Dave Wedding, said some women have exposed themselves to male inmates in video visitation booths, located in plain view in the jail's main lobby.

Inmates who encourage women into acts of indecency can lose their visitation privileges for weeks, Wedding said. Inmates are permitted up to three 30-minute visits per week.

Many female visitors bring children, and Wedding said he hopes the dress code will create a more family friendly environment.

He expects to complete a final version of the policy within a month.

Wedding said he modeled his dress code after a similar one used by the Branchville Correctional Facility outside Tell City. The prison has turned away visitors, mostly for inappropriate tops, said spokesman Richard Newton.

"We've actually had people leave and drive into Tell City and buy a shirt at Wal-Mart," Newton said.

---

Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com

My apologies to the Carmelite Sisters, but it was the only image I could find. Carmelita hold me tighter...

Random pix

2006-10-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

Posting various photos that I've taken over the past few months

Virginia did the make-up for the on air talent on Don't Sweat It (DSI), the TV show I gaffed this past August and September. A fun shoot. I shot this while Virginia and Jane were straightening out Seth's very curly hair. More pix to come of THAT.

Jane and I compare tongues during the Karaoke Night we had during DSI. Lot's of alcohol and singing. We all had a great time. I'll post more pix frm that night soon.

During the van rides home, I would sometimes take pictures. It's a fun way to pass the time. Usually rides lasted about an hour, sometimes more if we were coming home during rush hour. A few times we got home pretty late. Once we got back at around 2:30 am if memory serves. Anyway, I shot a lot of pix of things I thought were interesting odten the light was doing interesting things. Most of the time I rode back in the 15 pass, but a few times I was in one of the minivans designated for talent and higer priced crew.

While visitng Chris W., he and Jessica were in the middle of a pretty intense editing session, so we ordered lunch. There were a lot of left over condiments in the bag, so I assembled them in a neat and orderly fashion. This is the resulting sculpture.

Last Weekend

2006-10-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday shooting three webisodes, probably watchable in January. We need lots of hits, so that they'll pick up the show and order a full season of episodes. That means Mark gets gainfully employed for a few months (hopefully).

The theme song that seemed to be most popular on set was Iron Maiden's Run To The hills. The link goes to Maiden's official site. Scroll down the page, and in the lower half of the page are photos and video links. Hi rez or low rez.

Later, at about hour 20 Everyone's Talkin' was sung by Dan, the lead character. which was very funny since we were all pretty punchy.

There was a scene where there's a fire in the office. To represent the company's mainframe computer, we put a red light in a closet with our Gaffer, John, flashing it on and off rapidly and Moto was in there too, operating the smoke machine. While they were in the closet, madly flashing and smoking, there was a flash and a pop as some kind of electrical short in the red light occurred, which we captured on tape. Luckily the light kept flashing and there were no ill effects. There was a duet of "Whoa" that came out of the closet when the light shorted. It was kind of funny. We did three takes in quick succession, as the office quickly filled with the fake smoke. There was only one electrical flash

Photos Courtesy of Iron Maiden

More work

2006-10-11T23:25:00.000-04:00

(Click on link below)

Good news sports fans, Mark has been hired to shoot an episode of Psychic Detectives for Court TV. I'll be going down to Florida for about a week. I'll be shooting some 16mm film as well as MiniDV. Psyched about the 16mm, because that's the "Psychic Vision" camera, so I can do all kindsa fun and funky stuff. Superfine Films is the production company and they are really cool.

Other good things are in the works for me, but I don't want to speak too soon.

Psychic Detectives

Naked Man

2006-10-06T21:58:00.000-04:00

I was taking the subway home Thursday night and while waiting on the platform I noticed the girl next to me taking a photo with her phone. She was smiling and seemed to be having a good time. I looked past her and noticed some guy with long hair in his underwear. He seemed to be changing out of some other clothes and I assumed he was feeling a bit stiffled and needed to get semi naked. Thankfully he kept his rainbow striped underwear on.

Once on the train, I saw the man wearing a maroon track suit. Very odd. I askled the girl if she would email me a pic, she said yes, but I haven't gotten anything. I hope she sends a pic.

Part of the show

2006-09-28T21:27:00.000-04:00

CSS

Last night (Wednesday) I went to see Ladytron and CSS at Webster Hall. They were both really great and I had a blast. I think the best part was when CSS's lead singer, Lovefoxxx, came off the stage and into the crowd to dance. I was right in the area that she wandered into and she sort of launched herself at me and I ended up catching her, but I almost dropped her. She did this a couple of times and I picked her up and spun her around a bit. It was really hilarious and fun. CSS stands for Cansei De Ser Sexy, Portugese for Tired of Being Sexy. A line Beyonce said once. They are a really fun party band from Brazil.

Ladytron
Ladytron was really good. I think I liked their music more, but CSS is so much fun! Ladytron reminds me a bit of Gary Numan but with a modern edge, a really propulsive sound and weight. I haven't heard their albums, but in concert they really kick ass. Oh, yeah their light show and video were pretty cool too. It was really weird because they started their show by playing the 70's Jeff Wayne War Of The Worlds album featuring the voice of Richard Burton as The Journalist and Justin Hayward, of the Moody blues, singing the lyrics of the songs. They played Sir Richard's narration and then Forever Autumn, the single from the album.

After CSS's set ended, I went out into the hall for a beer and to get their CD. I noticed Lovefoxx talking to some of her friends, so I went over and thanked her for the dance. Realzing I had an opportunity, I went back to the merch table and got a Sharpie, which Lovefoxxx used to sign my disc. She wrote: "LuvFx Thanks for the dance.

More silliness

2006-09-25T22:46:00.000-04:00

On set at Don't Sweat It, Mitch has been doing some Randy "Macho Man" Savage impressions that are funny, especially at one in the morning and you've been on set since 8am, the previous day. Here are some Macho Man links from Youtube. Enjoy, Ooh Yeeaahh.

You have only begun to discover your tower of power

Green Eggs and Ham

Those cockaroaches!

The Vader Sessions

2006-09-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

Update: The links below no longer work. So, Let's go directly to the source, akjak.com

Oh lordy, what to do when the romance been gone...

That's romantic enough, bubbles in yo bathtub.

Thinking of You

2006-09-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

These are the people I work with.

Nice, huh?

A lovely fall evening in New York

2006-09-05T21:23:00.000-04:00

It's wet and rainy tonight. The changing temperature and seasons have fog coming off the tarmac and the rivers.

I'm riding the Seven train home to Queens after a thirteen hour day. As we stop at 45Rd Courthouse Square, a young woman with long wavy hair jutting out from under her ballcap dances on the platform. Backlit from the mercury vapor lights further up the platform, she's dancing a kind of New Jack Swing/Paula Abdul style in the half light. Spinning and moving her hips, jump, hips, two fingers on the brim and a flourish. She spins again as we pull away. She's practicing her moves. Slowly, the train pulls away and she is replaced by darkness.

My mind wanders and then Manhattan is in view across the way. Blues and grays are rapidly overcome by the greens and browns of man-made light. Thin rectangles of office lights and the shapes of buildings, barely discernable. A jumble of light and fog, slowly moving past. It's a lovely fall evening in New York.

Thanks to Dylan for reminding me to write.

Kids these days

2006-08-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

So, I'm walking home and I pass these little fourteen-year-old Korean girls, who are all saying goodbye. As they are walking away from each other, one of the girls calls out in a melodic tone: "Bye, my nigga". What's funny is that these girls are all fourteen, dressed in pink and white little outfits and they're Korean. Flushing is a 'hood, but it ain't Da Hood. KnowI'msayin'?

I've heard a few Chinese and Korean kids call each other nigga and a lot of the Hispanic kids too.

So, will "nigga" replace "dude'?

Nigga please!

As White Guy says: you are all my African Americans.

Iwo Jima Photographer Rosenthal dies

2006-08-21T22:13:00.000-04:00

By JUSTIN M. NORTON (Associated Press Writer)

From Associated Press

August 21, 2006 6:19 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO - Joe Rosenthal, a photojournalist whose Pulitzer Prize-winning image of World War II servicemen raising an American flag over Iwo Jima became the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial, has died. He was 94.

Rosenthal, who took the iconic photograph on Feb. 23, 1945, while working for The Associated Press, died Sunday of natural causes at an assisted living facility in suburban Novato, said his daughter, Anne Rosenthal.

"He was a good and honest man. He had real integrity," she said.

He was also modest. Rosenthal preferred in his role as a combat photographer to chronicle the experiences of soldiers on the front lines, and liked to call himself "a guy who was up in the big leagues for a cup of coffee at one time."

A decade after the flag-raising, he recalled that he did not realize he had shot anything special until days later when the congratulations started pouring in.

"Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene," he said a decade afterward. "That is how the picture was taken, and when you take a picture like that, you don't come away saying you got a great shot. You don't know."

The photo quickly became the subject of posters, war-bond drives and a U.S. postage stamp. It kept Rosenthal busy for years as he fielded requests for reprints. He said he was flattered by the attention, but added, "I'd rather just lie down and listen to a ball game."

Located 750 miles south of Tokyo, the small Pacific island of Iwo Jima was important to both Japan and the United States during World War II.

After 30,000 Marines landed there on Feb. 19, 1945, it took four days for a contingent to scale Mount Suribachi, the highest point. More than 6,800 U.S. servicemen died in the five-week battle for the island, and the 21,000-man Japanese defense force was virtually wiped out.

Rosenthal's shutter captured the second raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi after the Marines decided the first flag was too small. Rosenthal later wrote that he almost didn't climb the summit when he learned a flag already had been raised.

"What I see behind the photo is what it took to get up to those heights - the kind of devotion to their country that those young men had, and the sacrifices they made," he said. "I take some gratification in being a little part of what the U.S. stands for."

Besides being awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1945, the photo made No. 68 on a 1999 New York University survey of the best 100 examples of journalism from the 20th century. Sculptor Felix W. de Weldon used it as the pattern for the Marine Corps memorial, dedicated in 1954 near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to commemorate Marines who have died in the line of duty.

Rosenthal nevertheless had to defend the photograph against claims that the second flag raising he shot was staged for his camera. He said that if he had posed it, "I would, of course, have ruined it" by choosing fewer men and making sure their faces could be seen.

His account was later bolstered by a frame captured by a military cameraman, Marine Sgt. Bill Genaust, who filmed the same flag-raising.

The picture later inspired Thomas E. Franklin of The Record of Bergen County, N.J., to photograph three firefighters raising a flag amid the ruins of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Franklin's photo, distributed worldwide by the AP, was a finalist in 2002 for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news photography.

Rosenthal left the AP later in 1945 to join the San Francisco Chronicle, where he worked as a photographer for 35 years before retiring.

"He was short in stature but that was about it. He had a lot of nerve," said John O'Hara, a retired photographer who worked with Rosenthal at the Chronicle.

O'Hara said Rosenthal took special pride in a certificate naming him an honorary Marine and remained spry and alert well into his 90s.

Chuck de Caro, a former combat reporter for CNN who knew Rosenthal for 30 years, noted his older friend's humility and commitment to his craft. Even after glaucoma affected his eyesight, Rosenthal never hesitated to share war stories and his contacts in both San Francisco and the Marines.

"He had gone through so much history that was sort of obscured by the Iwo Jima photo, and he was very matter-of-fact about it," de Caro said.

Born in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9, 1911, Rosenthal took up photography as a hobby. During the Depression, he moved to San Francisco, living with a brother until he found a job with the Newspaper Enterprise Association in 1930.

In 1932, Rosenthal joined the old San Francisco News as a combination reporter and photographer.

"They just told me to take this big box and point the end with the glass toward the subject and press the shutter and `We'll tell you what you did wrong,'" he said.

After a short time with ACME Newspictures in San Francisco in 1936, Rosenthal became San Francisco bureau chief of The New York Times-Wide World Photos.

Rosenthal began working for the AP in San Francisco when the news cooperative bought Wide World Photos. After a stint in the Merchant Marine, he returned to the AP and was sent to cover battle areas in 1944.

His first assignment was in New Guinea, and he also covered the invasion of Guam before taking his famous photo on Iwo Jima.

Besides his daughter, Rosenthal is survived by his ex-wife Lee Rosenthal, his son Joseph J. Rosenthal Jr. and their families.

---

Associated Press Writer Greg Risling in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

---

On the Net:

More on Rosenthal: http://www.newseum.org/warstories/interviews/mov/journalists/bio.asp?ID32

More about the photograph
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAProsenthal.htm

Photos courtesy AP (one of my former employers)

Dave Chappelle

2006-07-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

From the Man who brought you Black Bush and Black Tony blair (Jaime Foxx), Dave Chappelle. He's funny.

Found on Devil Ducky.

He's Rick James, Bitch!

Bush Inappropriately touching Chancellor Merkel

2006-07-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's one thing to give a friend a hello hug, or grip, or embrace of some kind, but world leaders don't usually give each other shoulder massages. It's just creepy and wrong if the other world leader is female. Actually it's creepy and weird if it's a male world leader too.

This is realy, really embarrassing.

I think these are frame grabs from Russian TV. I got them from taylormarsh.com

I know, I know, "inappropriately touching" is kind of a PC term, but in this case it fits. Unfortunately. What a fuckin' doofus.

Here's The Daily Show's take on this debacle.

Francis' B-Day in Providence

2006-07-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

Last week, okay two weeks ago, was my best friend Francis' birthday. He lives in FLA nad most of his friends live here in the Northeast. Wonderful man that he is he decided to come up here.

Drake made this cake. The candles were lit and everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" when she walked under the ceiling fan and it blew out all the candles.

I've never really spent much time in Providence, but I got the chance to walk around a bit and I like it.

It definitely has a Burlington feel to it, it's kind of small, but is has a vibrancy to it and a funkiness to it that I like.

Drake, our hostess, is the Director for The Steelyard and is totally hooked into the arts community. At Francis' party, we got to meet a lot of those folks, so it was neat. Very creative and interesting people. David Cole wants to make a mobile with pickup trucks, other people are sculptors, painters, graphic artists, a good mix.

Drake's livingroom.

The view out the livingroom window, 'round midnight.

The view out the front of the house, a few minutes later.

After almost a dozen years in Florida, Frank (I'm one of only about eight people allowed to call him Frank, and there were four of us there, with that priviledge, that weekend) is creating a move to Providence. Thank God. Florida was sucking the life out of him and he didn't really have many friends down there.

Looking forward to having him closer.

Here are some photos from the trip.

I'm starting a new series of Highway Photos.

Important info from Apple

2006-07-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Francis, You ladies can now have the latest technology at your disposal. Now your apple and your peach can interface.

Surprise

2006-06-30T14:17:00.000-04:00

Last week was my sister Ann's 50th Birthday. Sister Claire and I conspired with Ann's husband, Joe, to surprise Ann by showing up for her Birthday BBQ. We flew out to ABQ the day before and holed up in a cheap motel, getting ready for the next day.

In the morning we called Joe to tell him we were on the way, so he could be busy, therefore leaving Ann to answer the door.

We drove by the house and Ann, Joe and some guy (Mike) are in the front yard wrestling something into a large garbage can. Luckily, we passed by, unnoticed. Luckily it was yard waste. not someone who was wasted in the yard.

It was kind of exciting to to creep up behind them as they all went into the house. I think Joe suggested that everyone go inside for a spot of iced tea. So, Claire and I watch them all go inside from behind Ann's car. Then we wait a few moments and head for the door. We pass by the big bay window in front and I'm really worried that we'll be spotted, but the sheer curtains are drawn, so I'm hoping and praying we aren't seen.

Then, I ring the doorbell. I tell Claire to turn away, so Ann can't see our faces through the peephole. The door opens and we turn around.

Ann is completely surprised. "Happy Birthday!" We have totally blown her mind. She just stands there stunned. She had no idea that we were coming. We give her hugs and say "hi".

"But I was just blogging with you yesteday" Ann said to me. Yep, that's the magic of the internet. We were posting comments here and on her blog, Friday morning, but my plane didn't leave until the afternoon. This was sufficient to lull her into a false sense of security. Claire and I had made believable excuses and then flew out to New Mexico.

The party was a lot of fun. Joe fired up the grill and cooked up a carnivorous carnival of beef ribs, hot dogs, brats, sausage and hamburgers. Very tasty. It was a potluck, so there was yellow potato salad, chip n dip, drinks, veggies, etc.

Claire and I met a lot of Ann & Joe's friends, so it was fun to get to know them a little.

Ann opened her gifts and passed the cards around. Then we watched DVD's. First was Versus, a Japanese Yakuza/zombie/sword/martial arts flick. Most of the story and dialogue was inaudible since everyone was talking and commenting a la MST3K.

We saw something else, I think and then Ann played us Ridley Scott's The Duellists. A really great film based on Joseph Conrad's The Duel, with Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel and beautiful cinematography and lighting by DP Frank Tidy and Gaffer Al Watson. A great test of testosterone. Very under appreciated and I highly recommend it, even though I couldn't hear all of the dialogue because one lady wouldn't shut up throughout the whole evening. I kept raising the volume to try and hint at her to shut up but to no avail. Ann tells me she's notorious for that kind of thing to the point where famous authors at cons tell her, by name, to be quiet.

The rest of the trip was fun, Ann invited us to stay at her house, so Claire and I checked out early and stayed in the extra rooms. I stayed in Eric's room since he's at Fort Buckner digging foxholes and firing "cool weapons".

Joe and I went for a hike on Sandia Mountain. It was quite beautiful, but only two trails were open due to extreme fire hazard. The views were spectacular and I took a lot of photos. The light is beautiful and the terrain is very rugged and hard, because it's so dry, but it has a quality, maybe it's the red-brown color of everything, but I just love it. I spent aquite a few summers hiking around in the New Mexico wilderness, having a blast.

While we visited, there was quite a bit of rain which caused flooding in some areas. There's been a drought in NM for the last ive years, so hopeully the wet weather will help hydrate the area.

Oh, the reson there aren't any photos is because idiot me, I forgot my digicam and had to resort to cheapo Walgreen's reloadable cameras. It is supposed to be loaded with 400 ASA film, but I was going to be outdoors, so we'll see if the 100 speed I loaded in is underexposed, or about normal. I hope it's normal. The 400 looks pretty bad, lousy color rendition and high contrast, but it was also printed poorly, so we'll see. I'm curious to see how the scans look. Ann will send me the film and CD's next week. I'll repost with pix included.

Birthdays?

2006-06-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

Ann sent me a review of Eartha Kitt performing at the Cafe Carlyle. I was thinking that we share the same birthday, but a quick internet search found that her B-Day is a little before mine. I was looking for other Aquarians and I was bewlidered to find that Andrew Ridgeley, formery of Wham! has the exact same birthday as me.

I somehow feel cheap and dirty.

On the good side, Paul Newman, Lucinda Williams, Wayne Greztky, Douglas McArthur, Anita Baker, Gene Siskel, Eddie Van Halen, Scott Glenn, Nicolae Ceausescu, Stephane Grapelli, Maria Von Trapp, Bessie Coleman, plus a number of composers, cricketeers, runners and politicians. I know, I'm a bigot, I mainly identify with people from the 20th Century. Abner Doubleday, inventor of baseball was also born on my Birthday, in 1819.

Andrew Ridgeley. Shit. As I read his bio, I find disturbing coincedences. I can't write anymore, Chinese food has arived.

After the after party

2006-05-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos from after Ripfest.

Tuesday, or rather Wednesday morning, at about 2am, on my way home from Pioneer, site of the Ripfest after parties, I saw this interesting thing. I then went to see Jess over at Nice Guy Eddie's, was joined by Bengt and we stayed up 'til about 4am, when Jess shut down the bar.

After Wednesday night's screening a bunch of us went out. This is at about 4:30 Thursday morning, at a Karaoke place on 32nd St. Jen was belting out a tune, though I can't for the life of me remember what.

This is about an hour later, 5:20 Thursday morning, after we closed down the Karaoke place. We all went to Cosmos Diner for breakfast.

I have to run to a meeting, but I will update this post with full information and more photos.

Ripfest 8 Shoot

2006-05-16T21:45:00.000-04:00

A week ago, we shot our movie musical for Ripfest 8. It went pretty well. Right now Alina, our editor, is finishing up the edit at Earth2Mars post facility. They have graciously let us use their facilities and have freed up Alina to make it all happen.

Ben and Heather during a scene in the garage. Photo by Mat Mcdermott.

The day before the shoot, I did a lot of running around and was able to get a head start and dump gear at our interior location. It's an amazing warehouse filled with vintage American cars and all sorts of parts and stuff all over the place. Lenny, the owner, was a great host and used to rent out the cars and other things for film and TV. It took two trips in the Subaru to get dolly, four slices of dolly track, lights, stands, reflectors, gels, distro and other things to Lenny's in Brooklyn. Mat McD was my 1st AC and also helped me schlep gear.

Mat Mcdermott. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

I was worried that there wasn't going to be enough crew for the interiors on saturday, but friends brought (qualified) friends and it worked out pretty well. The Thursday before (2 days before the shoot), I ran into Jon at B&H. I met Jon while we were shooting a docco about a month ago. There were three of us shooting with Sony Z1U's at a tiny club in Harlem, located the basement of an American Legion hall. I invited Jon to join as a swing (grip and electric) because I was still worried that I was going to be short.

Toby, my gaffer with some of the Swing crew- Nick and Ben and me happy to be shooting and happy to have a crew. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

Chantal, wrote the script and also helped with playback, Sunday. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

For Ripfest, teams are assembled to write, choreograph, shoot, edit and score a film in 16 days. They are given 2-5 actors and 2 locations, 1 interior and 1 exterior. This year, there are four teams in NYC and three in LA.

Derek and Maria impersonating Derek. Photo courtesy Maria Mileaf.

We are in the post production phase now and things are looking good. Maria, the director, is very happy with the way things look and the palette. So, given the givens, I think we did alright. I was lucky, Maria had some prior experience and our First AD, Derek, knew his stuff and got us through the weekend on schedule. We didn't get everything that we wanted, but we got what we needed.

Me setting up camera Sunday. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

Sunday was the big day because we had to shoot the opening and the ending scenes outdoors. I was fully prepared to shoot in the rain and brought things to help in case it did, but I think we all prayed for no rain. Somehow, we lucked out. It was cloudy the whole day, but it didn't rain. Thanks God! It poured Monday.

Me shooting dancers with the jib. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

Ben and Ed wait for something to do. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

I had Toby Gaffing for me. He and I have worked on abunch of stuff together, mainly doing lights for Chris Webb, when he's shooting. Derek brought Josh, Toby brought Ben, so there were five people working G&E which made things move pretty quickly Saturday. I'm excited to bring these guys along on other shoots. Eddie was able to come in on Sunday and the rest of the crew was able to work sunday too.

Tom motions to Gabrielle, or boomer. Maria watches while I shoot. Photo by Mat Mcdermott.

Photo by Maria Mileaf.

I got to use my groovy new Seven Jib compact XL. The opening shot is going to look really great. It starts with the frame looking at green grass and some little yellow flowers dotted around the frame. Then a pair of feet run through the frame, left to right. We pick up on the feet and swing the jib right following, as the girl runs up the hill. As the we follow the girl up the pasture, we see a large mansion and hold there. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to use the jib because it's base is made for a 100mm bowl and my Ronford Baker legs have a 150mm bowl.

Derek consults with me as I set up a shot. Photo by Mat Mcdermott.

I bought a bunch of stuff at Home Depot to use as an adapter, while on my way to the the first day of shooting. I didn't get a chance to buy the proper adapter, too much running around and being distracted. Oddly, no one in town had a 150mm - Mitchell bowl adapter to rent. So, there I was on the day of the shoot, trying to rig an adapter. Which didn't work. The Jib's tie down rod was too short. Desparate, I said screw it and just put the base in the bowl. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Ronford has a stepped bowl, so the base of the Seven Jib actually fit nice and snug in the bowl. Placing the jib base inside the bowl, I lost a little travel on the descent, but I could get the jib as high as I needed it to go.

I didn't get too worked up about much of anything during the shoot. I just trusted that things that didn't get resloved would work themselves out. Most of them did. Obviously you bust ass to get everything prepped and locked, but sometimes shit happens, I got lucky.

Knowing that we wouldn't have enough time, or people, I kept things simple in terms of camera and lighting. I designed the lighting so that once it was rigged, nothing needed to be done, other than bring in a few Kinos and Inkies to sweeten the close-ups. I love the fact that I have a big package. Um, I mean my lighting and grip package.

The lighting set up for the garage interior was two medium Chimeras suspended by sash cord over two rows of antique autos and a little help from the fluoro shoplights. I had a few lights set up for fill when we needed coverage, but I just kept things as simple as possible. You can see the Inky we clipped to the top of a ladder, to separate out Ben and Heather from the background.

Maria, Chantal and Libby, our songwriter. Photo by Maria Mileaf.

Maria was great because she totally trusted me and let me do my thing. It was funny because she accidentally walked into the wide shots a couple of times. She does mostly theater, so she like to be close to the actors to watch their performance. I had to keep remininding her to come over to the monitor and watch.

We had to cut a bunch of things, but I think the piece will look good. The story is good and the performances are spot on.

I'm really looking forward to seeing it projected large at the screenings May 23 & 24
New York, NY
Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Ave. @ 2nd Street
Tuesday, May 23 7:00 & 9:00PM
Wednesday, May 24 7:00 & 9:00PM

Tickets: $15
Available for both coasts at:
Smarttix
Or call (212) 868-4444

Come and see My work and the other musicals as well. Get your tickets now.
We will sell out.

Yes, I am a Trekkie

2006-05-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

Not a full on, Starfleet uniform wearin', Con attendin' geek, but I watched a lot of Star Trek and two of my sisters loved Star Trek because they were totally into SF. I did go to a convention in Boston and had a lot of fun.

G4TV has a bunch of ads with Star Trek action figures doing the pitch. They're pretty funny. On the page with the video, there are a few other spots. I believe there are about four, or five.

This is Star Trek Cribs.

From youtube. Thanks to my sister Ann for sending a bunch of links, which made me realize, I should post this silliness at once.

Location Scouting

2006-05-07T14:51:00.000-04:00

I'm the DP on one of seven teams making a short movie musical as part of Ripfest 8. Yesterday was our launch meeting and the formation of the production teams. I'm really looking forward to this because I've never shot a musical. Three of the teams are on the West coast and we all have the same theme.

We were given two really amazing locations, the interior is a warehouse full of vintage cars and the the exterior is an amazing historical farm. I really like the exterior location. In the warehouse I didn't really shoot anything I liked. Mostly informational snaps.

Maria's decision

Twopiary

Peacocks in the garden

Derek and Jen

Path to the stables

All photos copywrite 2006 Mark Sasahara

Busy

2006-04-30T08:48:00.000-04:00

Suddenly things picked up, Thursday so I'll be busy shooting the next few days. Mostly interview type stuff, but it's good to be shooting.

I'll try and post some photos. I have some flower pix and some other stuff I'd like to put up.

Had dinner at Hello Berlin, on 10th Ave and 44th St. Very yummy german food and beer, beergarden style. I had the goulash and Pototo panckes, plus another potato dish that came with the entree. I was stufed. We both had Dortmunder Pils. Mat had a sandwich and was also stuffed.

I loaned Mat my 80-200 still lens for something he had to shoot. He was about 2000 feet across a pond from some marker ballons that show the height of some proposed buildings on the site. We were both wondering if the photos would be any good and thought perhaps being so far away was a strategic measure. I'll have to find out how it went. Mat?

Forget 4:20, 416!!

2006-04-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

Arri's new very sleek, very quiet, very sexxy new 416 S16 camera. A little bit Arri 235, a little bit A Cam and one hundred yeras of camera technolgy and design. teh hott. Wish I was at NAB.

This and the Ultra 16 primes, and Kodak Vision stocks make for some really great film production.

Here's the 416 pdf. The 416 also borrows a lot from the Aaton, like the side mounted batteries and cat on the shoulder design. The magazine also harkens back to the old BLII-IV magazines.

Photos courtesy Arriflex

Sick and bored

2006-04-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

I still have a sore throat and I'm bored here are more links some are NSFW.

So VERY WRONG

Hoth 2014 Hoth's bid for the Winter Olympics

Pimp my snack?
Easter egg pimp

Cheeta paint. Cheeta not so young now Cheeta like a pint. Ha! Tarzan no spell. Tarzan want say Cheeta like paint. True feeling of Cheeta come out. Tarzan and Cheeta make funny!

Anime maid dolls re-enact Japanese Army training manual illustrations.

Via Monkeyfilter and memepool

Foshata

2006-04-13T18:03:00.000-04:00

I wish I knew Japanese. My dad has forgotten a lot of his, my sister Ellen is learning and Moto is a native speaker, so he's cool.

If you don't know Japanese, why not make up funny subtittles?

Voila! Foshata!

I registered and made many funny foshata, you can make your own. My name Birry Idor.

Via Memepool

How I spent my Sunday

2006-04-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

Alex Called me and asked me to Gaff for her. I said yes and had a fun time. The one down side was I forgot to take my allergy meds, so between the heat and dryness and dust, I ended up coughing so much I gave myself a sore throat.

Alex shooting. We used her DVX with the P+S Technic Mini35 Adapter and Zeiss Super Speeds, on a Seven Jib.

The idea was to have three women in a sort of cage in the middle of the desert. As if you were driving and happened upon them. Angel, Rachel and Sofia were made up very beautifully to look like exotic birds.

Angel

Rachel

The lead shot of Sofia is my favorite. I shot a bunch of photos, but I didn't get anything great. I couldn't really concentrate as much as I would have liked, seeing as I was Gaffing and I didn't want to crowd Alex and interfere with the shot. These other shots of Rachel and Angel are okay, but not great.

I got to make a menace arm, which was fun. Luckily the studio had enough parts that we could do it. It wasn't as elegant as I would have liked, but you do what you can. I was originally going to use the 2x4x8 that I brought, but there was some Speedrail type metal tubing on hand and my Best, Jarrod, took a closer look at the speedrail on hand and found out that the two peices we needed were in fact the correct diameter to work with the grip hardware. It was very exciting. Thanks Alex!

Beautiful day

2006-03-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

I went to the doctor's yesterday. Nothing serious. I'll live. The Doc's office is near Central Park, so I couldn't resist taking a little stroll around before heading home. I miss trees and woods and wild aminals and der mooses, der birds and der llamas of Vermont.

I was bit by a llama once.

Still have to...

2006-03-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

I still have to make an album of pix from Greg's B-Day party. I'm workin' on it! Yeah, right.

Beatle Bob is everywhere!

2006-03-29T10:40:00.000-05:00

My good friend and DP, Mat McDermott and Producer/director Jenni Sterling have shot a documentary on Super Fan, Beatle Bob. If Beatle Bob shows up to YOUR show, you will become famous.

Here's their My Space page where you can view the teaser.

I met Jenni a couple of years ago when Mat had me Gaff for him. We spent about ten days in Ohio and West Virginia shooting Jenni's short film.

Lonesome shoes

2006-03-28T20:56:00.000-05:00

Shoes. Astor Place, New York. February 2006

2006-03-23T23:28:00.000-05:00

More from iFilm.

Pink is great. Smart will always be sexy.Stupid Girls

God loves me because after spending a bunch of time on iFilm, I thought, "y'know I would really love to see "Metallica Drummer". I clicked on a page and there he was in the Viral Video Quickplayer, my favorite air drummer. I salute you, my brother. Reaching for my Vic Firth sticks, right now...

Thanks, God.

Last week, DanZ and I were trading Apocalypse Now quotes on Candleblog and then I found Apocalypse Pooh. Pure f-ing genius. Click on the play button in the frame above.

The hunny.

The hunny.

My lovely lady lumps...

2006-03-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

Join Darth Billy Bob, the Dancing Darths and Skater Vader in their rendition of My Humps.

What you gon' do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. (Check it out)

Sorry, I'm too stupid to know how to get a frame grab from the clip. Very funny.

I like walking around set singing in my White Guy voice: My hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps.

Fergie

Deck Paint

2006-03-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

"What does DP stand for?" is a frequent question I'm asked. It stands for Director of Photography. There is the inevitable "double penetration" joke yelled by someone. I just found a whole list of definitions of the acronym DP.

So, now I can say DP stands for Deck Paint.

Other good ones:

Delhi Police
Down Pipe
Dwell Point

I can't say Drip Proof, because I work with a lot of drips.

Going to the Chapel of Love

2006-03-22T12:43:00.000-05:00

Bill and Emily sittin' in a tree W-E-D-D-I-N-G. Or something like that. Anyway. Congratulations to the happy couple, all the best. May your health meter always read 100%, may you have many weapons to choose from and plenty of ammo.

Hugs to you both.

UPDATE: Oops, I forgot to post the link to Bill's website, go here.

Birthday Boy

2006-03-18T05:33:00.000-05:00

Gets ya hot, don't it?

Ay Papi, es muy caliente.

Jesus puts the P in OS X

2006-03-18T05:07:00.000-05:00

Someone had to do it and it was Jesus.

Don't fuck with the Jesus 'cuz he can make Windows XP run on your Intel Mac.

So that makes it Mac OS XP.

Busy

2006-03-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

Biz-Ayy

Photos from Wooster St.

2006-03-16T01:28:00.000-05:00

I spent a few hours, Monday, hanging around on Wooster Street in SoHo. driving Greg and moto around town. They were stuffing a large boxing glove that was sent from France to be displayed in a storefront window.

March 10 Birthdays

2006-03-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Famous" people's birthdays. From IMDB (mostly).

Dan Giannattasio (1972)

Jasmine Guy (1964)

Neneh Cherry (1963)

Sharon Stone(I) (1958)

Osama bin Laden (1957)

Shannon Tweed (1957)

Oscar winner, Paul Haggis (1953)

Tom Scholz (1947)

Chuck Norris (1940)
Chuck Norris doesn't sleep. He waits...

David Rabe (1940)

Ok, that's it, I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

Busy

2006-03-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

Sorry, kids, been busy.

It was so hot today that everything started to bloom!

Actually, this is the flower district a couple of months ago.

Maybe I will keep Scarlett. She did promise to wear high heels whenever she comes over.

Natalie, Eva, Scarlett, they're all so yummy! I don't just have room in my house for them, I have room in my heart.

Badass Bitch

2006-03-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

I love Natalie Portman. I think I love her more 'cuz she's one baaadddaaaaass bitch!

UPDATE: The video has been removed. I'll try and find another site that has it.

I just wish she'd grow her hair long again. Hmmm, Natalie P., or Eva G. I'll take both!

I'm gonna have to cut Scarlett loose. I mean she's great an' all, but the magic is gone. I'll have to break it to her gently.

Bond. Nude bond.

2006-03-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Daniel Craig said that he's willing to pose nude in his first Bond flick (yechh). Dude! You're ugly and no one wants to see YOU nude.

We want to see the Bond GIRLS!

Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole

Diana Rigg as Tracy Di Vicenzo

Some Bond Girl links:

JB multi media

Rejected Bond Girls

Ursula, Oh Ursula. Trying to find THAT iconic shot of Andress coming out of the water, the one that Halle paid homage to in Die Another Day, but not finding it. you'll have to watch her her clips from Dr. No.

Halle as Jinx

I love that Dame Judy was "M" and John Cleese was "Q". That was actually a rather fun Bond flick, now that I think of it. Pierce Brosnan was such a great Bond, he was very handsome and could be quite filippant and foppish as well as being a killer, though Connery is still the best. He was more of a stone cold killer and his pork pie hat never came off when he was fighting.

Of course we can't forget the Bond cars. My fave is still the DB5, though the Vanquish is growing on me. Some people near me used to have a silver DB6 in their driveway and it would drive me crazy because it was just sitting there. I went up and rang the bell once and the woman there told me that the car was not for sale. It had been in an accident where the undercarriage had been ripped out. Her husband was going to have it fixed. It sat there for years. I don't know what happened to it. I think it died a sad, rusty death, under a tarp. For a long time I thought that Bond drove a DB6 in Goldfinger. I like the 6 more than the 5.

Yeah, the Vanquish totally kicks ass. Especially the rocket launchers. It goes without saying that Bond drives a fine British motorcar.

The Official James Bond site. All photos are from there and are copywrite 1962-2005 United Artists and Danjaq.LLC. Thanks!

So far, the only good thing about Casino Royale is Eva Green. Ouch! Teh Hott!

Busy

2006-03-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all, running errands today.

I'll try and post some photos later today. I'm also investigating online albums. Flickr has been suggested, but since I use Photobucket, I'll see if their albums are easy to use. I also want people to be able to see larger versions of what I post here.

Here is some poetry at Heretical.com to keep you occupied.

UPDATE: Wrong url was posted, so here is the correct address for soem nice poetry

New Sony XDCAM HD

2006-03-01T06:39:00.000-05:00

Sony's CineAlta family has two new XDCAM cameras out, the PDW-F330 and the PDW- F350. The link at the bottom of the page is busted. Are the cameras busted too?

Side view of the PDW-F330, looks cool, I like the two tone plastic.

3/4 front view of the PDW-F350 Variable frame rate camcorder.

PDF page for the F350 variable frame rate camcorder. It has a 1/2 inch SuperHAD chips with 1.5Mpixel resolution, rather than 2/3 inch chips and will do 1-60FPS. 60i/50i, 24P,25P,30P capture, 4 channels of uncompressed 16bit/48kHz audio, 60 minutes of recording time @ 35Mbps on an XDCAM Professional Disc (<$30MSRP), SD/HD switchable, time lapse, etc.

Other links: Creative News

Do searches for PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 and you'll have plenty to look at, also there are a couple of other XDCAM cameras that are std def.

It's early and I have to head out for a gig, but that's all for now. -M

tomorrow

2006-02-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

It's 9:05pm and I'm eating Golden Time flute wafers, listening to Boards of Canada and procrastinating. I'm supposed to be cleaning my apartment.
UPDATE - I've added photos this morning!

Mat

Today (Monday), I helped Joel and Erica, friends of Mat move into their new aparment in Brooklyn. A lot of lifting and walking up stairs, but nothing seriously strenuous. Then we had yummy Malaysian food for lunch. Since Mat is Isadora's Godfather, he kept her occupied, while the rest of us unloaded the UHaul truck and walked everything up to the third floor. I can't think of any Godfather jokes at the moment.

Joel

Erica

Isadora

I'm too Goddam lazy to photoshop the pix and post them. I'll do it tomorrow. Yes that sounds like a fine idea.

Monkeyface!

underexposed photo

Night II

2006-02-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more photos from the Queensboro Bridge.