Last weekend we shot a music clip for khancoban, it was an inspired couple of days unlike any shoot I'd done before and a perfect template for how to make content. We ate fresh organic produce, ran to schedule and got everything we needed with just a handful of people. it was simple and rewarding, here's some screen grabs.
For me Spike Jonze makes his best work when he joyously bashes through the wall between process and product or when the product is the process. Here’s his latest clip for LCD Soundsystem. Go to Tiny Vices to see a bunch of photo’s of the making of the Clip. It makes me want to tear shit up.
Danilo Parra makes films & takes photo’s. I don’t know much else about him. I must have come across his blog awhile ago but haven’t really checked back in until now. He’s got a film that’s just started screening called Closeness and after seeing the preview I’d like to watch it. What got me is a glimpse into his process, the simplicity of discovery and what can lead to a film. Here’s what he said back in December last year.
“I have been wanting to work on a personal project lately but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I have always wanted to do a documentary on this Mariachi Band that plays in the subway systems of New York City, so I decided to go hunting for them. After a whole day of searching every subway system I could, I gave up. While getting off the 4-5-6 at 14th Street Union Square, I heard the beautiful sound of a saxophone. I walked over to the opposite platform and saw this man playing for tips. There was something about him that interested me so I talked to him a little bit and asked him if he would like to work on a project. Meanwhile I had a digital recorder in my pocket recording his music. I got his number and took off. When I got home, I listened to his music over and over and let it haunt my thoughts as I thought about a project I could do with him and how it would be put together. I called him the next day and arranged to meet him at Nut Roaster Studios. My friend Kevin Hayden and Dan Witrock filmed as I did the interview. All of a sudden I began to realize that this wasn’t your average street musician. This guy played with Miles Davis and had numerous albums. I even found a Wikipedia on him when I got home. Wikipedia: Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre is an American free jazz tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. After his 1981 live album, McIntyre recorded very little, playing on the streets and in the subways of New York.”
Here's a short film I made recently on Jess Kimura and her Peepshow pals in Quebec City. It's one of three films produced by Exit Films for Mojo. Glendyn Ivin & Garth Davis are making the other two and I'll post links to them when they are done. It was a surreal job but an exciting one to be involved in. We had 1 month to do it which included having to find the characters and locations and then shoot and edit it. I wish there were more jobs like this one.
I managed to steal a weekend away from the three jobs I currently have for a surf trip with the boys. It was one of those things that none of us really believed would happen but each of us said yes and in the end that's all it took, sometimes that's all it takes for things that you never thought would happen to happen.
The problem with documenting a surf trip for me is always the same, I want to surf and though very little apart from surfing and searching for surf actually happens there seems so little time to document. Looking for surf is a full time job, it's an addiction that is all consuming. In three days we drove 1200 kms looking for spots to surf, following the swell, watching the wind and searching for breaks. Once waves are found then everything happens very quickly, wetsuits pulled on, cars locked up and then you're in the water, theres no delay and so very few shots, it's an obsession.
I pulled out my iphone and took some snaps on the last day, Anzac day. You get a sense of the time waiting & watching the waters.
Ted Hope has produced an incredible amount of films, over 60 in fact, everything from Hal Hartly to Michel Gondry. We should listen to everything this guy says because he is not only inspirational but also fundamentally involved in creating new ways to develop community and good work. Follow him, Twitter, Facebook, website/blog.
Rhys and Tash from Daybreak Films shot this clip for Kempsey a couple of months ago. I would have loved to have gone a long to help out but I was away and in the end they didn't need any extra hands. Made with a crew of two, this is how you do a film clip!
I've been watching VBS TV online since it's first weeks in BETA. Back then with my crappy internet it would pause and re-load every 5 seconds which was insanely annoying and yet I couldn't stop watching it, that's how good some of this stuff is. Spike Jonze is the creative director but it was set up by the guys at Vice Magazine. It's hard to know where to start now there is so much up. I love the surf show Hi-Shredability but all the doco's are great and crazy! Check out Epicly-Later'd if you like to skate or head straight to Liberia for an eye opener.
There is something about California at the moment that makes me wish I could do a quick visit. Projections is organised by Aaron Rose and is going to be held at the very cool Roberts & Tilton gallery on Washington Boulavard. 31 incrediable filmmakers, this is definitely my kind of festival! Check out what Mr Rose has to say about it here.
Posts
Much of the inspiration for The Celebrated comes from this one place. Full of extremes and always beautiful.
