The Edge of Reality - Warren Ellis

Foundation 19 - Om Malik

Jim Jarmusch Stealing Quote

I have always loved this quote:

Found at Cinephilia & Beyond.

Neutral Grounds - Episode 3 - Humbruh

Graphic Panels vs Avengers vs X-Men

This was the worst thing I read this year.

Just an awful, awful series from Marvel. And some of my favorite writers worked on it.

We have catharsis discussing it.

Some of The Monkey's Comics

Cleaning the monkey's room yesterday and these are some of the comics I organized.

Foundation 18 - Sahil Lavingia

Foundation 17 - Scott Harrison founder of Charity Water

Outer Space

Video created using footage from NASA's Cassini and Voyager missions:

Outer Space from Sander van den Berg on Vimeo.

Essential Film Books - Walter Murch Edition

I figured since it has become Walter Murch day, I would list these three books which are essential reads for any filmmaker:

In The Blink Of An Eye
- This is the book on film editing both practical and philosophically. It is also a nice look into the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls generation from someone who was there.

Behind The Scene
- This book chronicles how Walter Murch and his team used Apple's Final Cut Pro to edit the feature film Cold Mountain. Revolutionary at the time for using an off the shelf software program to edit a major feature film. It gives a nice insight into the nuts and bolts of film editing as well as an interesting look into Apple.

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Film Editing
- Author Michael Ondaatje talks with Murch about film editing. Fascinating discussions and you get a lot more of Murch's philosophy and intelligence on film editing.

Walter Murch: The "Rule of Six" in Film Editing

Via Cinephile Archive:

Walter Murch: The 'Rule of Six' in Film Editing from Imaginox on Vimeo.

James Caan on First Time Directors

"People wonder why first time directors can make a brilliant picture, then suck on the second one. It's because they're a little terrified the first time. So they listen to all the experts around them."

- James Caan

Some thoughts on production workers

If you just chase jobs from city to city, you aren't a filmmaker, you are a film worker. And you aren't helping to create a film culture anywhere.

Also, if you complain on Facebook that there is no film/tv production work, but you refuse to work on indie films or shorts orno budget shows, then I have to say I am tired of you.

Film workers need to work on no budget indies and shorts. Those filmmakers are our future.

Foundation 16 - Kevin Systrom, Founder of Instagram

Walter Murch - Three Fathers of Cinema

Walter Murch: "Three Fathers of Cinema" from Old School Cinema on Vimeo.

Zat You, Santa Claus? - Louis Armstrong

Foundation 24 - Melody McCloskey

Jack Reacher - Thoughts

The more I think on Jack Reacher, the more it seems like a film that really wants to be a cool throw back film, but it winds up throwing back to just the 90's and some of the 80's. This would have been a great film if it was made in the 60's with Steve McQueen. I love Way of the Gun, and this film shows McQuarrie still has some action chops. But there are some bad flaws there.

But the editing and shot framing of Rosamund Pike is just uncomfortable. A lot of the film she is framed from cleavage up. And she wears a shocked expression most of the movie that gives her the appearance of a blow up sex doll.

I also just don't buy the stares Cruise as Reacher gets a lot of the movie from women.This works if Reacher is cast like he is written in the books: 6' 5" and 250 lbs. But somehow Tom Cruise at 5 ft and with a bad hair dye job doesn't seem like the guy every woman would be in awe for.

The more I think on Jack Reacher the less I like the movie.The car chase is solid and the bathroom fight  is great. The other action beats are solid too (but the last fight shouldn't have happened).

This is a disappointing film that should have been cast with The Rock.

O Holy Night - Studio 60

"Ladies and gentlemen, the City of New Orleans."

12 Yats of Christmas

Foundation 25 - Tony Hsieh of Zappo's

Dinner for Five - Martin Scorsese

2012 THR Producers' Roundtable

2012 Hollywood Reporter Producers' Roundtable.

Bit better balance to this one.

Tour of the Orbital Laboratory - ISS

Sexism Pushes Its Way Into The Oscar Campaign

Article from Indiewire about Kathryn Bigelow and Zero Dark Thirty and the sexism in the Oscar Campaign.

This is pretty disgusting, but something I can see happening. There are few too many female directors let alone minority directors. In my seven years doing this business solid, I think I have had one female director and that was on a TV show. Yet personally, I know two female directors who are just as good as any of the male directors I have worked for or with.

My Resume/Credits - December 2012

A list of my major credits. Doesn't include some stuff that was only a few days or a couple of weeks such as Wolverine, On the Road, Psychic Investigators, or Best Damn Sports Show:

Boulevard - H 2012

Production Coordinator

Independent Feature Film

White Rabbit - 2012

Production Coordinator

Independent Feature Film

Nothing to Fear - 2012

Assistant Production Coordinator

Independent Feature Film

Common Law - 2011-2012

Production Secretary

USA TV Series

Hide - 2011

Production Secretary

TNT MOW

Ricochet - 2011

Production Secretary

TNT MOW

Memphis Beat Season 2 - 2011

Production Secretary

TNT TV Series

Worst. Prom. Ever. - 2010

Office PA

MTV MOW

Memphis Beat Season 1 - 2010

Production Secretary

TNT TV Series

If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don't Rise - 2010

Key Office PA

HBO Documentary

The Mechanic - 2009

Production Secretary

Millennium/Nu Image Feature Film

The Expendables - 2009

Production Secretary

Millennium/Nu Image Feature Film

Alabama Moon - 2008

Production Assistant

Independent Feature Filme

The Final Destination - 2008

Production Secretary

New Line Feature Film

Welcome To Academia - 2007

Assistant Production Coordinator

Independent Feature Film

Racing For Time - 2007

Production Assistant

Lifetime MOW

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 2006 - 2007

Accounting Assistant

Studio Feature Film

Life is Not A Fairytale - 2006

Production Assistant

Lifetime MOW

The Riches - 2006

Production Assistant

FX TV Series Pilot

Labou - 2005 - 2006

Production Coordinator

Independent Feature Film

You can also see more on my IMDB page.

The Social Web: End of the First Cycle - Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis' thoughts on social media/networks at this time. An important read for those who care about these sites we use to keep in touch and share our thoughts:

This may be the end of the cycle that began with Friendster and Livejournal. Not the end of social media, by any means, obviously. But it feels like this is the point at where the current systems seize up for a bit. Perhaps not even in ways that most people will notice. But social media seems now to be clearly calcifying into Big Media, with Big Media problems like cable-style carriage disputes. Frame the Twitter-Instagram spat in terms of Virginmedia not being able to carry Sky Atlantic in the UK, say (I know there are many more US examples). 

Google+, of course, is not, strictly speaking, a social network. Most people can’t see what other people are doing there. Google, of course, sees it all. But everyone knows that going in. 

It feels like the social web is going to get somewhat less interesting for a while. Less connected, less engaged.

Further Up Yonder - A Message From the ISS

Further Up Yonder from Giacomo Sardelli on Vimeo.

Rose In Our Garden

The solitary rose in our garden:

Gypsyphonic Dreidel Song ft Katey Red

I love New Orleans:

Unofficial NASA TV Spot

NASA needs some awesome recruitment videos:



I would love to hire artists to do NASA recruitment posters and start posting them around cities and online.

Night Time Earth, World At Night - NASA Video

The Future is Our's

The Future is Ours from Michael Marantz on Vimeo.

Apollo's Final Foot Steps

Overview - Astronauts' Perspective on Earth

OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

On the 40th anniversary of the famous ‘Blue Marble’ photograph taken of Earth from space, Planetary Collective presents a short film documenting astronauts’ life-changing stories of seeing the Earth from the outside – a perspective-altering experience often described as the Overview Effect.

 The Overview Effect, first described by author Frank White in 1987, is an experience that transforms astronauts’ perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it. Common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

‘Overview’ is a short film that explores this phenomenon through interviews with five astronauts who have experienced the Overview Effect. The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for society, and our relationship to the environment.

Animated Pale Blue Dot Video

Pale Blue Dot from ORDER on Vimeo.

Ignatius Reilly Tonight

Work

Pics from the CBD in New Orleans Today

The Pearl - New Orleans

Stories, Roundtables, White Males

So I just got done watching the Directors' Roundtable from The Hollywood Reporter. And i absolutely love that THR does these. But something I have notice about this one and the Writers' Roundtable is that they are very white male centric. I really wish the Directors one had had Katheryn Bigelow.

So my question is are we, meaning filmmakers and film workers and film/tv production people, telling the stories that need to be told? Are we telling relevant stories? Are we allowing and helping others to tell their stories?

Black & White Photos From Last Night

This just looks alien to me:

This is a building across from 800 Common St. It looks so ominous at night:

This was a happy accident. I took the phone and placed it up to the window and took the pic. I think it came out looking beautiful:

Baronne St - New Orleans

Baronne St tonight as the sum was going down.

Code of the City

Cities are covered in code. Sometimes you should look down.

New Orleans This Morning

Pics I took with Hipstamatic while walking to get coffee this morning:

New Orleans in the CBD Last Night

Common St:

Immaculate Conception, the Jesuit Church on Baronne St:

The Roosevelt lit up for Christmas:

One of my views at night:

The Roosevelt At Christmas

The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans at Christmas:

My Birthday Present - Maker's 46

My birthday present from my wife, a bottle of Maker's 46:

It has been that kind of show.

Downtown New Orleans

Just a pic from Saturday of downtown New Orleans:

Sazerac

My birthday Sazerac at The Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans:

Foster Bear Films: Brighton Beach - Marce Reazon ft Ro Ransom

Carondelet St - New Orleans

Carondelet Street in the CBD in New Orleans, LA. Looking down towards Canal St. Taken from the corner of Common and Carondelet:

beta New Orleans

The office space I am working in on this movie:

My Day: Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Maritime building in the back where I am working:

The Jesuit Church on Baronne St:

The Roosevelt Hotel:

The Orpheum Theater (still not open):

My Day: Monday, December 3, 2012