Well, no, I am not a DJ. I can firmly attached published magazine writer to my resume along side Photographer, Director, and Film Maker, though.
During the planning of my second of what was becoming an annual trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover UT for Speedweek, I had gotten a response from Grassroots Magazine after I sent a email blast to every car magazine saying I'd be there. "I'll have photos, I'm shooting this one car, If you have anything specific I'll shoot that let me know if you're interested, you can have first dibs on the shots", that type of thing. They were and picked up a whole story worth of images for a article they were doing about my friends Alfa Romeo Spyder. The following year I emailed my contact at GRM and asked if they could hook a brother up with a legal press pass and then same deal, they get dibs on anything I shoot that they like...not a problem...then I got an email from them..."hey we have a friend who's doing the ignition on this bananas crazy old Dodge, want to shoot it while you're there?"...yes!...4 days later "hey...how do you feel about writing a story about the car"...Yes...(note...never really written anything published before), but what the hell, how bad could I do, I can tell a story, just have to write it down.
The car was nuts, just a beautiful collection of horsepower, turbos, orange paint, perfect welds and aluminum. The team were all a bunch of full on characters. I showed up, started interviewing everyone, like a good journalist...I was very serious...as I felt more comfortable with my task, everything got more friendly and I was inducted into the group and I felt like one of the team as I observed, chatted, took notes, snapped photos. There was other press there, it was interesting to see how they worked compared to how I was operating. Not bad, not good, just me watching cocking my head and thinking..."hunh...ok"...A little weirdness was shooting the car out of the pits. Myself and a couple other people had asked to shoot the car with the blank flats in the background...the team decided to do one session and let everyone have at it. I got more access, better shots, but felt a bit like I was hijacking someone else's shoot.
The car's first post shakedown run the car ran 275mph average and a peak of 280mph. They're trying to bust past 300mph this year.
So, that was last September when I turned in the article. About 1700 words. 14 photos. I just got the magazine in the mail...They gave me the cover and 6 pages. I couldn't be happier...thrilled actually. They took a chance, I asked, win, win. The experience was really fun and I'd love to do more. So...ya know...photographer, film maker, writer...let me make magic for you!
After filling the beloved and embattled Portage Theater in Chicago for it's premier, a really nice double header at the Julien Film Festival in Dubuque Iowa and some nudging by a couple Route 66 community members, I finally uploaded the complete Route 66 - Ten Years Later movie. It's free for you to watch, you'd be a peach if you shared it. I'd love your comments. I hope you enjoy it, keep some Kleenex close for the laughs and tears. About a year and a half of work went into this.
A pre Kickstarter, completely self funded project, I'm really happy with the outcome. Especially since I used it as a way to learn directing, digital film making, camera operation, audio recording, non linear editing and color correction. Enjoy the show.
I had the distinct pleasure of having my film “Route 66 –Ten Years Later” be a featured movie in the Julien Film Fest this past weekend
2012-04-21/22 in lovely Dubuque IA. Two screenings, two amazing Q/A’s and lots
of smiley mouths and teary eyes.
The two screenings were at the Holiday Inn and a bar called "The Hug". And yes, I get the implications of playing the Holiday Inn
in Dubuque IA…where can I go now that I’ve done it all…sleepless nights since,
is all I can say. The Hub was Sunday at 11:30am…and they were serving…and
everyone had a glass…and this is now my solution to any and all technical
issues the film may or may not have.
The premier of the movie was at the Portage Theater in
Chicago…That event was a success for me, more because of the PR campaign that
got 250+ people in the door over than the fact my movie was on the screen. I
was spent, tired, and ready for it to be over by the time everyone saw it that
night. The trip, the editing, the expectations, the let downs, and the
scratching away to finally find the stories voice was a rough experience. Even
now I find it hard to watch this movie and not get a little choked up. I’ve
never looked for validation for my work beyond repeat clients and
paid invoices…having a gallery show or entering contests to fish for praise has never been
anything that interested me. The premier of 66 was different. I did the premier as a way to have closure to the
project, an experiment in PR, a lesson in film making, and this was a universally worthwhile story, not an art piece, no interpretation needed. For the Film Fest I went back and fixed every
technical issue I didn’t have the skills to fix before, added a few scenes to
smooth the story and prove to my self that I have actually learned a lot about
film making in the last 3 years and that I have so very much more to learn. Now it's finally time to burn a master Blu-Ray or two, take the hard drives, put them in a lead box and bury them in the back yard so I'm not tempted to "tweak" it. Time to let it be. But, it's also as good as it's ever going to be. Finally.
A few HS classmates came out and one even sent his folks in
his place, everyone who hadn’t seen it really enjoyed the story, the visuals,
the music and the emotional aspect of the movie. So far the movie has made over
300 people feel something significant. I’ll call that a success.
Hanging out with the other “real” film makers was inspiring.
This was my first movie…period, I’m really motivated to do more and take what
I’ve learned from that and the bunch of other motion projects over the last few
years and do another movie. Keep watching.
A year ago today…September 9 2010 a project that was ten years in the making hit a big screen at the Portage Theater in Chicago. “Route 66 - Ten Years Later” was an idea that was slightly ill planned, overly ambitious and basically a way to get out of town and do another road trip down a famous road with a friend who there was never a dull moment. My other motivation was to get my hands on some motion equipment and see if I could make a moving image look like my still frames. That seamless continuity between the two visuals, maintaining the same feeling, color pallet, and point of view with two wildly different ways of telling the story was a big part of the project for me.
What happened during the filming is something that comes out in the film. But what I will tell you is that I came back with a “what the fuck am I going to do with this?!” $12,000.00 and 5000 miles later I had driven across the us on a famous road, seen what addiction can do to someone you care about, driven for a straight 36hrs at mostly over 100mph to get home to see another dear friend. In the weeks that followed I started to sift and look and search for a direction to all the footage I had.
The next year and a half was a vertical learning curve of the editing software, story telling, self realization, weight gain (you become a hermit and spend 14hrs in front of a computer for a year) and mental struggle to find a path down this movies road.
There’s several events that made the film come together. 1. I said fuck it….really, I said fuck it, I don’t care if I look like an ass or Tim looks like a drunk. It’s what happened out there. It’s the story I have, It’s not what I went out to get, but it’s the hand I’m playing. 2. Webster Wine Bar rough cut screening. Feedback from friends who don’t sugar coat….gold standard. 3. Chris Bathgate graciously offered up his music catalog for the sound track….GAME CHANGER
What I learned…well, there’s a lot of technical bits that are in my head now. Camera moves, audio recording in the field or in studio, working with the editing software. All of that is the tech and I’m glad to have it. The story telling aspect was the one I’m happiest to have gotten. Telling a story in one frame @ 1/125 of a second is very different than 24 frames every second. Mixing sound, motion and imagery to convey a feeling and tell the story. It’s magical when it all happens.
The screening at the Portage was a wonderful surprise. A little over 250 came out to see the film. I think I knew 60. The staff at Portage had done a wonderful job of making sure it looked good on the screen and that the film was properly promoted.
The two best things about that night were, the entire crowd clapping after an emotional interview with Angel Delgadillo, and the response Tim Steil got from everyone after the show, in the lobby. Tim had not seen any of the film prior to the screening. How he and I are pictured is as we were in that car, on that road, those days in June 2009. The crowd was asking for Tim’s autograph on the book and dvd’s, asking him about the trip, revering him as the star of a film. I think he got more accolades and positive energy that night than he had in the previous 10 years. I think Tim needed that as much as I needed to have the project come to a close. We were the last two to leave the theater, the marquee of the Portage had the name of my film up in lights, it was a beautiful September night and I said “I’ll never do this again with you”…which, is exactly what I’ve said 3 previous times.
This past year has been filled with wonderlust. I can’t wait to get out on the road, any road or plane and go someplace. So far so good.
Labor day weekend...you have choices...take a spin on your favorite motored vehicle, see how fast you can be face down in a pile of burgers and Budweiser, or hit the beach with your trusty plastic camera. If you're choosing the later, I've got a tip that will keep your memories from getting soggy and you can enjoy running amok in the surf with that flask of Patron.
Enter "The Holga". The cheap piece of plastic stamped out someplace in Russia, some movable parts and a plastic lens, it takes medium format FILM and leaks light...costs about $17 bucks. BUT! This is the perfect camera to get your Art-Z on and be creative at the beach, you can't really break it...with my tip you can submerge it, and hell....the effect it makes is iphone app worthy.
Take your Holga, load it up with a roll of film, then tape the crap out of every seam...I mean EVERY SEAM...next...you know that tape that comes with window plastic...use that, or some other fairly narrow but super strong double sided tape. Next...Ziploc Freezer bag...don't be a dork and go for the cheap on this, get the thick, branded, with zipper lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in the lower middle of the bag...wrap the lens barrel with the double stick tape. Shove lens through...press bag to tape...making sure there are not bunching or air holes. Next, take some gaff or duct tape and wrap the outside of the lens and bag. This is double protection. Close the bag...is should hold air without leaking...if it does, you've done it right.
Last step...go outside to the lake, river, stream or whatever....toss in camera, dive in after. Take POV photos when your treading water, find love and live happy ever after.
Welp...it's coming up. The big screen debut of this lil' film I've been hacking at for the last year. I am really excited about the way it's all coming together in the final stretch. As a still photographer for the last 10 years, every frame told a thousand words, taking on a project where I had to tell a story with 24 frames a second, 1440 frames a minute and 76320 frames all together, posed several...challenges. How the ef does that work? It's not a miracle, it takes time, thought, planning and trial and error, and error, and error, and start over, more error, finally, shazzam!. Shooting the footage is one thing. Telling the story with all of the scenes, variables, sound...hoy! I made a sequence change the other day...switched two clips around and placed a different piece of music under it...simple changes, but completely changed the mood and nailed the message I wanted to convey and ended the "there's just something not right" issue I was having. Every step along the way has been a new lesson. I can't wait to show it off and share what I learned with anyone interested.
Everyone is invited...September 9th, Portage Theater the film will go on about 8pm, they sell booze, easy parking, the film is about 53minutes, Q/A after. More info on the F-Book.
In the mean time...check out the new trailer below, and I hope to see you there.
Creative challenges usually come in the form of something f’ed up on a shoot or rolling with a direction change from the client or you’re just not “feeling it”.
Putting yourself into a creative challenge contest is a whole new ball of wax.
And, it’s one I would do again in an instant.
As the time drew closer to the 10pm email of our mystery theme and prop that was to be the basis for the following 24hrs of movie making magic, we had our resources all in the ready. We had cast actors that could handle a wide range, even one that was a brilliant “that guy”. We had gear, we worked out the technical bugs, we had crew, we had several locations, batteries were charged, the cooler was filled, we were ready.
The Andy’s and I got the email…Theme – Courage, mandatory prop – Milk. Ok….um…go!
This is where the beauty of collaboration, experience, communication, points of view, and being prepared come into play. I’ve known Andy Spyrison for a looooong time. Been pals, been Client/Photographer, given each other enough shit and ball busting over the years that there isn’t going to be any issue saying an idea doesn’t work. At the same time, each of us can say exactly why something isn’t working or why it does work for either of us. Andy T and Andy S have a similar relationship...no punches pulled as we threw out ideas.
The Brainstorming session was quick, decisive, and we narrowed about 30 ideas into our 1 concept – An Agoraphobic, OCD, character who has run out of milk, but can’t go outside to get more, meanwhile his friends are coming by or calling to check on him. They are all enjoying milk in some subtle way while our hero has non.
Scripting – Mostly Andy Tillman. We’d all add to the story, “hey how about this, this would be cool, ooh, ooh, what if he did this” was how ideas were tossed about.
Once we were a little into the scripting, we had the basic direction and story line the film was going to take. At about 1am we called everyone who had expressed interest and was applicable to the project. The actors, the crew next, I called Tom from Bluebird…”Sooooo, I know you wanted to help out, I love that, what do you say to opening your bar at 8am”?
At about 3am we had the script, a plan, and we were off to catch a wink or two and then the film making assault begins. 7am call time at my loft.
I am very fortunate to have worked with two seasoned broadcast veterans on this project. Spyrison has been a part of global TV spots, same with Tillman, who has directed and written several spots himself. Drawing from their 30 or so years of experience was such an asset and I learned a ton, just in this one project.
The shoot went smooth, the actors were a pleasure to work with. Basically working with a quick pre take read and cue cards, they nailed lines over and over. We wrapped about 4pm at my place, the editor was working with the files, the clock was ticking, now we had to put all the parts into a story.
In collaborations everyone has to come to the table with something of value. Point of view, a skill, money, vision, whatever it is. You need each other to reach a goal. Every person that worked on this project, the actors, the crew, myself and the Andy’s (which I’m just going to call them that from now on) all brought something and displayed our abilities and our work ethics transparently and under a common situation...the time crunch.
In doing projects like this, where new people are involved with a core group, when there is pressure put on yourself and the team, rather than client, when you HAVE to own every part, not just your specific role, what you learn and the overall take away is almost more important than the final product. We're doing this for ourselves, we're doing this to challenge creativity, our abilities, and hone skills that paying clients will seek out. No excuses, only solutions.
The ending of our evening was proving to be just as dramatic as the excitement of 22hrs ago. Render Render…double checking, burning the discs…tick tock. I ran to my garage to retrieve my pony for the inevitable express. My instructions….”when I get back, I want a disc, in an envelope, and the address, in my hand!”. I came back, ran up stairs, helmet still on, grabbed the discs and moved out. The sound of a Ducati 900SS under full throttle on surface streets is one that will either have pedestrians and children crying and running for cover, set off every car alarm within sonic vicinity, or plant a semi permanent ear to ear smile on the rider....but, is highly illegal (full throttle in second gear = 93mph) so, don't do it!!….with 30 seconds to spare, I bound through the doors of the film race drop location, envelope stamped, and the next words are "close it, we're done". We had made it. I no longer cared about the contest, we achieved the goal of making a pretty cool little film in 24hrs, I had learned a ton, and I was tired...the good kind of tired, the kind you only get when you've gone all out for a long time.
A the following week all the entries were screened at the Portage Theater, we didn't hide our heads, there were some really wonderful submissions, cool people, the cast and crew showed up for the screening and after party. Really a fun, rewarding experience.
Collaboration is the name of the game in the creative industry. You just can’t go it alone. Andy Spyrison and I have known and worked with each other for well over 10 years. Andy has always been one to utilize and challenge any one person's creative talents. Our most recent adventure in advertising was an award winning series of billboards and ads for the Kansas City Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. This is also where we cemented our “probably a felony in Ohio” love of the smoked pork things. Fast forward.
Again, collaboration is the key. Mr. Spyrison forwarded me a link to the Chicago Film Race 2010 with the simple message “we must do this”. I checked the link…”Upon given a secret theme at 10pm on Friday 16 you will have 24hrs to write, shoot, edit, and deliver a 4min film based on that theme and a wild card element.” The last time I stayed up for over 24hrs I was scooting my turbo charged station wagon across the western states at 120+mph coming home from filming my Route 66 movie this past June. So…hells yes I was in.
Enter Andy Tillman. The two Andy’s have worked as AD/Writer in several top agencies around Chicago and are veterans of TV production on a global scale. Over the next couple weeks we established our roles as myself being Director, Andy S. as Producer, and Andy T. as Writer. The crew grew to include eager young talented production people, we cast for actors, we secured locations, we borrowed gear, we even stole a few things just for good measure and street cred. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are making a movie…about what…who knows…but we’re gonna make it. So, that’s this Friday/Saturday. We’ll be posting things on F-Book, Twitter and probably texting you as well for good measure. I’m excited, the whole team is excited, the actors are excited. Worst case, we crack open the magnums of Svedka and have a rip roaring wrap party.
When the Canon 5D MKII came out I was curious...I had blown through 3 5D bodies in about 2 years, and basically hated the camera with the power of ten thousand white hot suns. So, when I got to be the first person in Chicago to rent the new camera from Helix, and give it's new video features a whirl I was mildly excited, but apprehensive at the same time. AT THAT TIME the camera's video functions were fully automatic except for the focus. The way the exposure system worked was you could set the f/stop but that was it, the camera ramped iso to compensate. Basically your light kit would be a pocked full of zippo lighters and you'd it would still look over lit. I had a model I've worked with before, she was up for anything. So, having picked the camera up in the morning, her showing up at 1pm, we shot until 4 and then I slapped everything together in FCP. Uploaded the footage and the hits have been coming strong ever since...when it hit 20k, I was blown away. 50k, completely surprised. 80k...well, in it to win it. I want 100k hits on this thing. Cute girl, popular camera. Please forward the link, watch it yourself, let's see how long it takes to reach the goal, and thank you for the help!
Thank you to the 50+ people who showed up to take a look at my fairly rough cut of "Route 66 - Ten Years Later". Tom and the staff at Webster Wine Bar did a fabulous job of making sure every glass was filled, and everyone had a seat. I can't thank you guys enough. Sandstorm Rosencrans has my eternal thanks for the loooong hours she put in getting the last minute PDF behind the scenes book together for the DVD/Book combos being sold. Also, a thanks to everyone who came up and gave an honest opinion to the piece. It's been an interesting journey putting together a movie with minimal planning and a story that changed once we got into it. Right now all the technical issues have been worked out, the final edit is in place and I'm getting together with a musician to do the sound track, be looking for a proper release mid spring and another party.
Be careful of what you wish for, you might just get it.
When Tim Steil, writer and my book partner, called me to find out when a mutual friends play was running, I had no idea that call would turn into us making a movie. During the conversation, and I hadn't talked to Tim on the phone in a year and a half, he reminded me that June 13, 1999 was the 10 year anniversary of us hopping into his crappy Ford Windstar and spending 17 days meandering down one of the nations most famous roads. "AH HA! We must do this again", was my response, to Tim's response of "pish, whatever man".
Several months of begging, pleading, outlining, threats and finally bribery Tim committed. My photo buddy and brilliant documentary photographer Miriam was my backup co-pilot, but having the original writer, original me, and us seeking out what "WE" had fond memories of was really the story I wanted to film. It was supposed to be a story about what's changed along this road, and there's plenty. Ten years is a long time. The exterior story is what I was shooting for, it was a story I was interested in, it was what my frickin shot list had scribbled on the top.
This was really the first time I had directed/filmed anything that wasn't a scripted short very commercial/corporate vibe. Also, the first time I was going to handle everything start to finish with my own hands. The camera, the audio, the production, the post work. It was going to be "film school". I also wanted to figure out how to make my moving pictures look like my still photos. I think I did. As the miles blew past, the story was morphing, the road had changed, people had changed, Tim had changed a lot.
After Santa Monica we drove to a motel by LAX, I dropped Tim off, I headed to Hollywood to hang out with some old friends and not be in a car for the weekend. It was about two months after that I started hacking through all the footage. My original story was there, but there is the story of my co-pilot that floats to the surface and is as compelling. If you can make it out to the screening on Feb 4 at Webster Wine Bar, come out. Otherwise postings on distribution will follow.
I'm proud to have my work on display at Webster Wine Bar in Chicago. Come by and check out the 19 images which are a collection of ten years of Route 66 imagery. And, the gallery is a prelude to the early January screening of my documentary "Route 66 - Ten Years Later". The documentary is a video journey down the same road, with the same two guys who did a book together 10 years ago.
So, what to do with an old Ninja Suit left over from a project, a new assistant who fancies herself as a "covert assassin",
and several hours to kill on a sunny fall afternoon?
Make a Ninja Movie, of course!!!
The recipe:
1 Complete Ninja Suit
1 Set of wooden ninja weapons
1 Willing person with no shame
1 Canon Digital 1ds MKII
2 Video Lights
1 Panasonic HVX200
1 Wireless mic
2 Hrs in Final Cut Pro and Sound Track Pro
Shake, render, upload, enjoy.
