CHEVRON is lame

This is a video produced by Trouble and Maker New Media Group that I was brought on to help with Production Assistance and Audio work. It spoofs the highly controversial investment practices of Chevron, who claimed to have invested millions in renewable energy resources, but conveniently concealed the fact that they are investing billions more in oil, and especially that the renewable energy will actually be used to support its oil investment strategies.

It was a great experience and tons of fun working with my childhood friend Peter Brusik, who founded Trouble and Maker and its affiliated brand Smart Bubble Society. Using the latest in tech and staying prevalent to the most current of social issues and pop culture, they are among the best in North America at producing consciously aware advertainment and webmercials for the thinking and actively engaged society.

The video was initially produced as an entry into a film contest for creative approaches to creating awareness on controversial new world topics. Since then, it has gained popularity through numerous views on Youtube, Facebook, and also featured on Funny or Die! Check it out here as well: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0241306030/chevron-is-lame?rel=player

Amazing work, Trouble and Maker! Check out all of their projects at their website here: http://www.troubleandmaker.com/

Tights and Fights: The Superhero Channel

Catch all the super hilarity of Season 2, "Ashes" here!
Stay tuned for ongoing episodes to follow the villainy of Evil Trojan Borscht, Leopard Woman, Major Faultline, The Plumber and Fantabulous Gal!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TightsandFights&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_518893#p/c/3D81EBC582A1A4D1/2/0SQVEO8Ox94

Teaser Trailer for Tights and Fights: Ashes

It's great to see the fruits of our labours, even from a lowly PA like myself. Prepare yourself for Season 2!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSDh2-grnc&feature=player_embedded

Getting Schooled

I wouldn't call this the kind of blog that is often updated, because it is the furthest thing from that. My ability to sit down at my computer and have something insightful to say is cut to a minimal due to the busy activity I call living my life. Turn off the Xbox360 and get out there, shut-ins! It's not that scary out.
But actually getting out there and meeting new people, and in my specific case, through working for a production company on their web series, definitely demystifies things we always used to wonder about.

I always wondered what it takes to make films/media, in any form. And as broad a scope as that description of product is (film/media), it generally boils down to TCB....just Takin Care of Business. After working on-set for a few long 14 hour days, I can tell you that, as much as you definitely and without question absolutely need the technical proficiency background in whatever you claim your role on the team is (whether it be Director of Photography, Producer, Production Manager, Art Director, Performance or Director), the rest is just making it all up as you go, and having a dedicated team that are all thinking on the same wavelength.

I've watched countless documentaries, how-to's, cinema secret shows, and read my fair share of material on the same subject matter. In each project, when someone on the crew is asked of their profession and how they made things work in their particular contribution to the project, it was described with a machismo notion that only their personal technical know-how could have accomplished certain feats; glorifying that they were the only one qualified to have made possible what you as the audience saw on screen (or on your smartphone while on the bus). And for good reason! They are being interviewed because we are fans of the end product, and are mystified about how it was all pulled off. And that professional is, well, just that: a professional. And so they should very well put their craft high up on a pedestal because they are just as proud of it and work their entire lives on this craft.
But it is not rocket science (unless it was a scene involving the help of NASA when filming Apollo 13, in which case it is definitely rocket science). I see now that film-makers (as broad of a term that is, as well; in my case I use it to refer to the crew as a whole on any film/media project) just kind of improvise and make it all up as they go along. It isn't a mystery of how to create the vision of the project. You need a prop tail end of a bus? You probably just get some wood, steel, screws and paint, head to your friend's workshop basement and make a miniature, or if budgeting allows it, Google prop makers in the city and hire them to do it for you.
You need smoke to come out of that bus? Get a CO2 can with a hose and spray the hell out of it when camera is rolling.

It's up to you to make your creativity come to fruition. Just make it all up (but with incredible level of safety). There's no formula out there in the film world saying how to do it. Listen to the advice of those professionals, but not the parts where they say that only they could have done that and they are on a professional level you can't reach. BS. They just used the same products at Dollarama and No Frills to simulate the special effects that you have in your house right now.

The best film-makers out there will be the ones who treat you as part of the team, and show you that they are just as improvisational as everyone else. They just wanna git'r done.

Alright, nuff said for today.

Kman

OK GO

My buddy Ian Kim (who is a craaaaaazzzy artist by the way; check out his stuff at http://www.iankim.net/love.html) just posted this new video from OK GO on Facebook, so I figured I pass the message along. I love music videos from OK GO, and didnt realize they had a new one out. Had to watch it, cuz they have the sickest, most creative music videos ever, full of WTF moments and how-the-hell-did-they-pull-that-off choreography. Those dogs are too awesome!!

OK GO - White Knuckles:
http://www.youtube.com/user/okgo?blend=1&ob=4&ref=nf#p/a/u/0/nHlJODYBLKs

And another amazing music video from OK GO - This Too Shall Pass:
http://www.youtube.com/user/okgo?blend=1&ob=4&ref=nf#p/u/14/qybUFnY7Y8w

On Set starting this Friday! Tights and Fights

This one is completely outta left field, but I was referred to do some on-set work with a production company called Gopher X! They specialize in shooting short film and short form media, focusing on the online audience. Some work they have produced include a comedy web series called Team Leader, which was signed by an international distributor, and also aired on Movieola: The Short Film Channel back in 2008.

They contacted me to do Production Assistance on a few days of shooting for their web-series, Tights and Fights, which is beginning shooting of their second season this Saturday Sept 25th, 2010. So yeah, it will be a bit of grunt work including transporting film equipment like cameras and lighting, and helping with set preparation. But hey, everyones gotta start somewhere, and having actual on-set experience came way faster than I was expecting ( I thought it took a couple years or something)....looks like film makers always need a helping hand wherever they can get it :)

As per their site description, Tights and Fights is a video diary comedy series that peeks into lives of super heroes.
Time to get my fuckin game face on! (spoken a la Matt Damon in The Green Zone)



Check out their website here!
http://www.gopherx.net/

Remember Canadian Talent: Jeff Healey

From time to time my blog will stray from Hollywood topics and just get into things I dig totally. One of my inspirations is Rock and Roll/Blues.

Jeff Healey (March 25, 1966 - March 2, 2008) is one of my fave artists. For all who don't know him, he is a jazz-blues-rock guitarist born and raised in Toronto, who gained fame in the 80s and 90s, and he became completely blind at 8 months of age due to a condition called retinoblastoma. Truly inspirational talent, and solid proof that true talent comes straight from the heart. RIP brother.

Nuff said, here's my fave song from him called See the Light...very "blues-y" tune (DO YOURSELF A HUGE FAVOUR AND WATCH THIS TO THE END TO WITNESS SOME OF THE BEST SHREDDING THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN/HEARD!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95YFdubGrU

Videographers ARE filmmakers, 11/09/2010

http://vimeo.com/12472000
Recorded using Panasonic Lumix GH1
Amazing low light results, impressively framed IMO :)

TIFF 2010 Tastes: More tasting...

There's a sequel! NO FUNKING WAY!! FUBAR rocks!! Terry and Deaner are back!
I'm all BUNGED up! Tron FUNKIN BLOWS!!
The original Fubar is all around hilarity if you are a true Canuck who knows anything about Prairie-land or Western-land Canadian hosers; Terry and Deaner are two head-bangin' hosers who fit that bill with distinction. Just GIVE'R!!




FUBAR 2:
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/fubarii

Videographers ARE filmmakers

Some impressive work I came across...this is a MUST SEE! View it full screen for true HD:
http://vimeo.com/12014034
This guy uses a Canon 7D with a few different Carl Zeiss lenses

Also, here's a very clever little video about wedding videographers. Watch entire clip:
http://www.vimeo.com/14492227

Decisions, Decisions!

Shown Above: the Nikon D90

Full Specifications: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d90.asp

Shown Above: Canon EOS 7D

Definitely a higher-end tier DSLR from the Nikon D90, and at double the cost it better be!

Full Specifications (with comparison chart to other comparable DSLRs on the market):
http://captainkimo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Canon-7D-Nikon-D300s-Pentax-K-7-Sony-a550-Digital-SLR-Camera-Comparison-490x620.jpg

I got into the market for these particular DSLRs particularly since I am amateur at it's highest definition, so I wanted something at consumer-level price and capabilities, but with the potential for some professional results if and when my skills reach there. 

The real big thing about these two beauties is the ability to capture some impressive-as-f*ck HD video, at cinematic quality no less. This is my main interest as I aim to be a videographer/filmmaker specifically, and have a few short film projects in mind where a handy little DSLR and appropriate lenses would do the trick, and especially allow me to do some principle photography with the same camera!

Now to just decide which one to friggin choose!!

Brain food: September 2010

Spent a day in Chapters Indigo today, and naturally gravitated towards some insightful reading on films. Came across "The Filmmaker's Handbook" and had to buy it. It's basically a how-to on seemingly every aspect of the film making process, from start to finish...well, in terms of making the film itself, and not the production aspects. Which brings me to this other book I picked up:



This book seems to give an indy filmmaker all the inside info into the business aspect of filmmaking, getting funding, how to raise funds, creative decision process, casting, making pitches, trailers, yaddayaddayadda. This can be my saving grace down the line :)

TIFF 2010 Tastes

Aftershock
Labeled on the TIFF website as the most successful Chinese film of all time


Check the trailer and playing times on TIFF site...simply amazing.
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/aftershock

Welcome to Karl's REEL Thoughts!

I am welcoming everyone, INCLUDING myself too. I'm just as new here as everyone else.
Hmmm, what's new on this blog page anyway? Bah, this sucks there ain't any content on this blog! BORED! I wonder what's new on Youtube today...