This has been a busy month. I had two big back-to-back projects that have both come to completion. Last night brought the conclusion of a video for the Guardian Project that will air Sunday at the NHL All Star game and during the television broadcast. I was responsible for some of the compositing for that enormous project. Above are a few videos we at Butcher Bird Studios produced for Nexon in December and January.
Every so often we have to shake up our lives, take some chances, move on, take risks. The other option is complacency—stagnation. Four years ago, my life went through a drastic change. I underwent a huge break-up and accepted it as an opportunity to look at my life and aim it in the directions I most wanted to head. It was a rough time and the changes to my life were drastic. It has made all the difference. The life I am leading now is a proactive one and I am doing things I’ve always wanted to do. That being said, it is time for another big change (although a smaller one than four years ago—and no, Erika and I are not splitting up). After five and a half years at TOKYOPOP, I am leaving. I gave my notice last week. I have learned a lot, developed as an artist, and grown immensely during that time. Yet, it is time for that relationship to end. It has been time for a long time. There is little left for me to give there and little for me to gain there. It has been time for change for quite a while and I am openly embracing it now.
What are my plans? Many signs are pointing me towards that frightening path of self-employment. The skills I have been developing are generally most useful on short-term projects and the industries I’ve been pursuing are largely project-based. Being a full-time employee has actually cost me some opportunities in the last two years. I have often said that my hope was that TOKYOPOP would be my last full-time job. Now is the time to try to make that a reality.
Now for some requisite updates:
Things have been going well so far this year. I hope they continue this way. I’ve taken rock climbing lessons and finally invested in my own gear. Right now, I am trying to sport climb regularly in hopes of moving into trad climbing in the next few years. I’ll be off to British Columbia soon and I’m planning to hike the West Coast Trail I’ve been pining after. I’ve been busy on various video projects and entered a few festivals: Delivery is a short I co-directed with two friends, Third Degree is a piece I helped my buddy Shlain shoot, and I’m trying to forge ahead on Marty Mitchell. Some of you may remember the Duncan yo-yo spec commercial I put together with some friends. I am still waiting to hear if it places in the festival I entered it in. In the meantime, I have added it to my Vimeo page. The great news I’ve been keeping quiet about that spec spot is that it landed me a gig with Duncan for their 2010 television commercials. I finished up 15 and 30 second spots for them last week. Hopefully, they’ll be airing on TV this summer or fall.
I guess I better get to showering now.
I want to smell good for the encroaching future.
Back in October, I got together with three friends for what we called the Spec Weekend. Essentially we each directed four Spec Commercial spots. We helped out on each others shoots and shared the costs. Well, I finally cut my spot together and entered it in an online contest. Feel free to vote for it if you like it. Special thanks to Daniel Colmenares for the great photography and Rui Kyo for the badass performance.
I’m still kicking. One of the things keeping me busy lately is toying around with DSLR cameras for photos and video. Expect to see a short soon called "Delivery" shot on a Canon 7D. I’ve also helped some friends with a couple of other 7D shoots and motion graphics. The big news: Thanks to my tax return I was able to buy a lower end digital camera with interchangeable lens options and full HD video capabilities. I have been spending some of my free time lately testing out my new Panasonic GH1. Some of the photos can be seen in an album on my Facebook page. I have also ordered a little camera I am very excited about, the Go Pro HD Helmet Cam. Weather and USPS permitting, I’ll get to try it out this weekend rock climbing in Chatsworth. I look forward to taking that little thing down waterfalls, diving, trapeze-ing, and anywhere else I can.
I’m done with the VFX for "Silver Moon." Travis is wrapping up its loose ends and it will be online very soon. Fan it on Facebook if you use that site. I’ve finally started editing my first "I Am Yo-yo" Duncan spec spot. That should be completed soon. "Marty Mitchell" is still sitting in the wings, but I plan to start working on its open right after. If you have ever been curious what some of the videos I put together at work look like, you can check out a YouTube playlist I’ve compiled with some of that work. I’ve embedded the Book Trailer I put together for the "Shutter Island" Graphic Novel below.
I’ll be going to small claims court in April to attempt to bring justice down upon the chick that lied about our car accident last year. Calcote was kind enough to serve her at her office last week for me. Blood work from my allergist claims I am only allergic to dogs, cats, and cockroaches. My lifelong sinus problems and itchiness tell me otherwise. I’ve been on a few hikes recently and I am really looking forward to an exciting March filled with canyoneering, trapeze, Death Valley, and whatever else I can fit in. The West Coast Trail in British Columbia is looking like a definite possibility this summer. I will need to start planning soon if that is going to be a reality.
Well, that takes the two of you interested up to speed. See ya.
2010 starts tomorrow and I haven’t finished posting about 2009. The last few months have been a blur of activity and compositing so Live Journal updates have suffered. Fear not, my three readers, a flurry of updates has arrived!
At work, for the last two years, we have been struggling to finish a low-budget feature called Van Von Hunter. Late this year, we succeeded. The movie is complete and numerous people all over the world deserve thanks. In November, I attended the “Friends and Family” screening where those people involved in the process and their buddies were allowed to see it projected in a theater. This was the first time I have ever had the opportunity to see any of my work on a large screen in front of an audience. It was also the first time in two years that many of the participants were able to see what all of our hard work had culminated in creating.
2010 starts tomorrow and I haven’t finished posting about 2009. The last few months have been a blur of activity and compositing so Live Journal updates have suffered. Fear not, my three readers, a flurry of updates has arrived!
Earlier this year, Steven had an idea that none of us truly appreciated: Get four of us together, pool resources, and help each other shoot four spec commercial spots over one weekend. If you aren’t familiar with the term, a spec spot is a fake commercial for a real product. It’s something you do for practice and to add to a reel to show clients. We got together, rented necessary equipment and set out to each direct one spot. Steven directed a Zombie Skittles commercial. I took on Duncan yo-yo. Travis tackled Monster Energy Drink and Shlain composed a Doritos spot for the Annual Superbowl contest.
It was a valuable experience. When not directing our own project, we worked with the crew in various capacities on the other spots. Everything from setting up lights, operating fog machines, building a jib arm, pushing dolly, holding monitors, lugging equipment, to providing food. In the end, we collectively had several dozen high-quality clips to build our spots and we got to work with a great group of people. And Rui did some bad-ass yo-yo tricks.
We are planning similar projects for the future.
Working on the Van Von Hunter project at my job for the last two years has introduced me to a number of people. One of those people is a guy named Travis Stevens who has been playing a major character in the project and contributing a lot of assistance in other ways. He has worked in television and film production for a number of years and is much more friendly and cordial than you may expect from a person mired in an industry known for brewing cynicism and distrust. Much like all of us involved, he has his own aspirations and passions. He has a devout interest in Westerns and Horror and penned a screenplay combining the two. I read it. I liked it. I was absolutely interested when he said he wanted to shoot a scene from the script as a test piece.
There were a number of factors that made me interested. I have recently become intrigued with the Western genre myself (I think I have hit that age where Western story elements suddenly seem relevant as a male). It would be shot on the RED camera, a camera I have been interested in working with. It would be an opportunity to try out a variety of effects and keying techniques on very high quality footage. Travis is a standup guy and has helped me in the past with my Marty Mitchell project. It would be fun. And the clincher, Daisuke. Dais is an editor I work with. He exudes a stoicism and dry wit that makes him a perfect candidate for playing a cowboy. He would be part of the cast. Deal.
Travis wanted his actors to feel comfortable with a six-shooter so he took them and some of us on the crew to a firing range. Despite growing up in “Sportsman’s Paradise” (that’s Louisiana for those who don’t know) surrounded by an extensive hunting culture, I had never managed to fire a real firearm in my life. It was an interesting experience. Holding a real handgun, feeling its weight, experiencing its explosive force, and hearing its deafening roar is intimidating. Especially when you are standing in a firing range where various weapons are being fired every few seconds. There is a great power there and a necessity to treat it with respect. It was a valuable learning experience.
The video shoot encompassed the first three weekends in June. We started in a green screen studio and moved to a ranch for the last day of shooting. Travis compiled a relatively small, but exceptionally efficient crew. Everything was pre-planned, each position was filled, everyone knew what they were doing, and the days ran smoothly. We often wrapped early. The nice thing about the crew is they were all friends and associates of Travis’. Thus, everyone got along very well and most of the time everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It didn’t feel like work. This was the first shoot I have ever been on that used a crane. It was spectacular to see it in action. I look forward to using a crane on a personal production someday. It allows the camera to get places it can’t normally and move in ways a person can’t. It also makes finding shots and preparing setups much faster. I really enjoyed the location shoot also. Having the actors on horseback trotting across ranch property added a beauty and believability we wouldn’t be able to mimic in a studio.
Now the project is in editing and soon it will be coming my way. I was on each shoot and helped as much as I could, but my real work on this project is yet to come. Soon I’ll receive an edit with all 60-70 shots and the compositing and visual effects process will begin. I have lots of keying, comping, and grading ahead of me. I look forward to seeing this short when we finish it and I hope to work with this crew again in the future.
I have been putting together a short children’s program for a few months now called “The Many Maladies of Marty Mitchell.” It’s an educational show about a young boy who lives in a land of illustrations and animated creatures. He constantly causes problems and has to remedy them, learning along the way. I’m creating a short (~15 min.) test/pilot I intend to shop around. The last few months have included writing, boarding, scheduling, and all of the other aspects of preproduction for a tiny no-budget short.
Last weekend, we finally shot it. With help from a few friends, we converted my living room and loft into a greenscreen studio. Erika’s nephew played the main role and we spent Saturday shooting. Luckily I was able to borrow a quality camera and a few P2 cards. The crew donated their time, as did the actors.
Steps left:
voice acting, illustrating, animating, editing, keying, compositing, scoring, outputting
I’m hoping to have it ready some time this summer.
Here’s to many more low-budget productions throughout the year.
Many thanks to all who have helped and will help.
I hope I am a tolerable director/producer.
Earlier this year I worked on a music video for a band called Winds of Plague. The song is called The Impaler. It was directed by Jacob Avignone and Tony Ushino. I composited the last half of the video. I think you’ll be able to tell where the stuff I worked on starts without me specifying the exact time-code. Watch The Impaler Video Here.
