Below is my final overhead from the shoot. It strayed a little bit from my original plan, but I think for the better:

 I ran into problems trying to get the sunlight cast I wanted on the back wall. Part of my problem was the physical limitations of the space. I had a shadow from a cabinet on the back wall, when in an ideal world I would have taken time to sculpt a much more pleasing streak of sunlight across the lower cabinets and countertop.

I also wish I had a real background/translight out the window. I almost considered throwing a green screen up outside the window. But then I would have had to mount the “sunlight” separately and we didn’t have time.

We filled with Kino’s, although I wish it had been a larger source and softer, again a limitation of time and crew.  I really wanted a sharp edge to her hair on this commercial, motivated by the window. I don’t think I went bright enough with the backlight here, but it still looks pretty good. My original thought was to use a Leko for the sunlight, and next time I’m really going to try it.

Here is the final spot:

In the context of a film shoot, this is pretty much always the case. The exception for me happened while shooting John Miserendino’s alternate remake of Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games.”  For more info on that story, check out Recess Art or the recent write-up in The New Yorker. We filmed John’s version in his beautiful pavilion based on architectural plans found in Dan Graham’s trash.

It was such an interesting study in reappropriating discarded ideas, as well as recreating preexisting scenes. We used the original film as our inspiration, but we lit our scenes based on the confines of the pavilion. If you think lighting a film is difficult, try matching someone else’s photography in a small art studio with a basic Arri kit.

This shoot happened really fast, we basically spent nothing, and I think it turned out pretty “good.” But you be the judge. You can watch it here.

The show ends today, March 9th, so go to Recess and check it out! It is an incredible achievement by John Miserendino and I feel lucky to have been a small part of it. Keep your eye on this artist, you could see a show at the MOMA someday soon. Here are some behind the scenes pics I found on the internetz!

Even The Times is writing about it:

“The coalition is accepting entries through Jan. 21, 2012, on the Web siteArchitizer. The winning design will be announced on Feb. 1, 2012; the winner will receive $5,000, the runner-up $2,000. It is expected that the winning entry, if it is accepted by the City Planning Commission and the City Council, will be completed in time for an unveiling on World AIDS Day in 2014.

‘The redesign of the grounds of the old St. Vincent’s Hospital has afforded a unique opportunity to create a meaningful public space,’ Mr. Arad said. ‘My fellow jurors and I are looking forward to reviewing proposals that imagine both a neighborhood park that will serve the surrounding community, and a significant memorial that can serve as a symbolic touchstone as we commemorate 30 years of the AIDS epidemic.’”

To read more about the competition, visit: www.architizer.com

It was a fast turnaround for this shoot, about 48 hours! A little more rushed than we’re used to, but sometimes pressure is good. The videos screened at a summit for the Municipal Art Society of New York. Having two cameras on this really saved me. We had less than an hour with each architect, so coverage was paramount. We did what we could with available light since we were pressed for setup time, and then we augmented with my homemade “covered wagon” light, a softbank of high-powered daylight fluorescent floods, which Rockwell liked a lot. I was expecting to see green in these fluorescents, but never did. Really useful little light.

I’ve already started looking at buildings in a different way: trying to imagine what the initial sketch model looked like, and what design elements make each building unique and beautiful (or ugly). Check out the videos below:

This was a pretty barebones shoot, but the final video really came together nicely. I’ll post it here shortly. Looking forward to many more shoots with Christian and his team.

In July I was asked to be part of a group headed to Raleigh, North Carolina, and Sofia, Bulgaria – a video and photo series for IBM. I was already pretty slammed with shoots, but I knew I had to experience Bulgaria, a place I never imagined going. I’m really glad I did.

It was a small crew and we each wore many hats. As a D.I.T. I helped establish a data wrangling system. At certain times we had four or five cameras shooting stills and video – Teddy Symes and I had to keep track of it all. There were more than a few late and/or sleepless nights, but we managed somehow. I also had the opportunity to assist our awesome still photographer, Theo Rigby, who was tasked with taking portraits and candids of nearly every face in both offices. He kept his cool like a total pro in every situation. It was inspiring.

Last, but not least, I was put to work getting some motion control time-lapse of the offices. We used the Kessler Oracle system, which took some getting used to. Using it in conjunction with an intervalometer I could program it to do a slow move down a slider, making the time-lapse shots a little more dynamic. I also used it as a motorized slider to create some video portraits of our subjects, which ended up looking really nice in the final cut.

This shoot was brilliantly produced/shot by Nick Bruckman and Yoni Brook. Part of the reason I enjoy working in film is that I’m in a different “office” each day. It’s so far removed from the big corporate engine that makes our country go. It was a very strange experience to be in a sea of cubicles in some office park for two weeks with limited access to daylight (I’m exaggerating… slightly). But Nick and Yoni kept it fun and I met some of the happiest Bulgarians ever (including my cab driver to the airport who wore a hot pink Nike track suit and loved AC/DC).

It was a great team and satisfying to see it all come together so seamlessly. Here we are pictured with Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov.

The location was a public school in the Bronx. The date was the 18th of July. There was a heatwave and when we arrived we learned there was no elevator. That meant hauling all our lights and cameras up to the 4th floor in a stuffy library with no AC! We were sweating just thinking about it. When the rental company (who shall remain nameless) didn’t show up with some of the camera gear, we had to improvise. Luckily my lens package covered our two cameras perfectly.

The piece follows a school nurse who teaches a class to elementary school kids about how to control their Asthma. With more and more children diagnosed with Asthma, it’s a good cause. The American Lung Association also plays a big role in educating teachers and schools on how to eliminate Asthma triggers such as old carpets and chalk dust. The more you know…

I will try to post the spot when it’s done.

Architizer is a new online community of architects sharing their work (videos included!) Check them out here: http://www.architizer.com

Here’s the video:

Dairy farmers don’t have it easy to begin with, let alone organic dairy farmers in Maine running their own company and asking people to spend more for milk at the grocery store. The reason it costs more is because the farmers have to spend more. The reason it’s worth it is because the milk tastes better and is healthier for you. The farmers are accumulating debt and struggling to survive. They have milk on the shelves in Whole Foods and Hannafords, but they still need sales to pick up or they are in trouble. I was finally able to spend some time with the farmers on my trip up to Maine, and seeing their desperation – but also their perseverance – first hand makes me really want to fight for their cause. These guys work so hard, but they aren’t currently earning what they deserve.

Anyway, I don’t want to give away too much of the film (which will be really great!) If you are in New England, try MOO Milk. It’s really very good. Go visit the farms where your food comes from. Checkout the film “Betting The Farm,” and support MOO Milk if you can.

New York Times Video
Betting The Farm
MOO Milk Website
MOO Milk on Facebook