Here's the brand new video I completed with my friend Christian Arial. The song is 'Mountains of Molehills' by Isle of Skye. Isle of Skye is Christian and Terrell Brady.
Teresa Flowers is the star of the video.
Isle of Sky
Teresa Flowers
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Badasssss....
I got the Woodstock DVD from my lovely lady for my birthday. I've never seen it before, but after skipping through and watching most of the 4 hour film, this bit struck me as one of the best moments. If you don't like the Who, that's too bad. I thought they were kinda lame once. In the mid-90's, I got a freebie promo CD sampler, gave it a listen and came to the conclusion that they weren't very good. Then a few years later, I checked out a "best of" cassette from the library and gave it a good listen on my Walkman while wandering all over the city. That's when I decided that the Who were a pretty kick-ass band. You never know when something will come back around and surprise you after you've written it off. Maybe it was 'Boris the Spider' that sealed the deal.
By the way, the whole film is great and worth checking out. I even liked CSN's performances, and I'm usually not too fond of 'em. They might become my new favorite old band...
By the way, the whole film is great and worth checking out. I even liked CSN's performances, and I'm usually not too fond of 'em. They might become my new favorite old band...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Movie Marketing Overhaul
Book covers only say so much, then you have to look over on the other side. Sometimes there are quotes, sometimes a little synopsis. Sometimes nothing - just a little price and ISBN number. On the inside sleeve there might be some jargon, but you're ultimately left with the mass of pages in between. That requires reading. In my case, that requires reading over several weeks or months before a book is finished. The mystery lingers. I'm not complaining about reading, but making a case in favor of the lack of exposition in the marketing of books. Especially when compared with the marketing of films.
It's interesting that film posters these days - like many book covers - say very little about the movie advertised, but the trailer usually gives away the entire story and plot twists in 2 minutes. Whatever happened to the tease? If 'Psycho' were released today, we'd all know that Janet Leigh doesn't make it past the first act, because we'd see all that in the trailer, along with some obnoxious "banging oil drum/garage door slamming" sound effects that accelerate with the intensity of the lickity-split scary clips. Of course there would be a last minute pop-em-out scare and scream, after the title appears. Here's an example of a modern-day horror film trailer with all the elements mentioned above. This one's about a killer cell phone:
I haven't seen it, but I don't need to. It's all there. Good job marketing team, I'm not seeing your crappy Japanese horror film remake.
Some suggestions for marketing a horror movie, or any movie for that matter:
-Don't lay out the entire synopsis/story/character arcs, etc. in the trailer.
-Let a shot linger for longer than 10 frames.
-Enough with the loud noises (banging can, whooshes, etc.)
-A little goes a long way.
-Try something new
Here's a classic film trailer from long ago. This is a great example of a trailer invoking the tone of the film advertised without giving much away about the plot or story. Notice all the quick edits in this trailer, much like our modern advertising, though this is nearly 40 years old, therefore way ahead of its time. Marketing is an art form. So get with it people, move it forward!
It's interesting that film posters these days - like many book covers - say very little about the movie advertised, but the trailer usually gives away the entire story and plot twists in 2 minutes. Whatever happened to the tease? If 'Psycho' were released today, we'd all know that Janet Leigh doesn't make it past the first act, because we'd see all that in the trailer, along with some obnoxious "banging oil drum/garage door slamming" sound effects that accelerate with the intensity of the lickity-split scary clips. Of course there would be a last minute pop-em-out scare and scream, after the title appears. Here's an example of a modern-day horror film trailer with all the elements mentioned above. This one's about a killer cell phone:
I haven't seen it, but I don't need to. It's all there. Good job marketing team, I'm not seeing your crappy Japanese horror film remake.
Some suggestions for marketing a horror movie, or any movie for that matter:
-Don't lay out the entire synopsis/story/character arcs, etc. in the trailer.
-Let a shot linger for longer than 10 frames.
-Enough with the loud noises (banging can, whooshes, etc.)
-A little goes a long way.
-Try something new
Here's a classic film trailer from long ago. This is a great example of a trailer invoking the tone of the film advertised without giving much away about the plot or story. Notice all the quick edits in this trailer, much like our modern advertising, though this is nearly 40 years old, therefore way ahead of its time. Marketing is an art form. So get with it people, move it forward!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Keepin' Up With Fashion pt. 2
Extra room for the junk. The new pant-fashions are getting to me. They're seeping into my dreams. Last night I dreamt I was watching my dad's band from backstage. My mom was pointing at them from behind, whispering and mocking their fashions. They all had short t-shirts and low-rise butt-crack jeans. I wondered why these guys - all in their 60's - were wearing 'em. Maybe because popular teen culture is king, and that dictates what the geezers are wearing. I felt sorry for them. I was relieved to find it was just a dream, and as far as I know, there were still many varieties of pants in the real world. Just a flash in the pan this is, one that has been going on for over a decade, and god only knows how much longer it will last. Remember how long the Limp Bizkit bowl-cut kids stuck around? Oh, they're still here?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
M i s t e r r r r A n d e r r r s s s o o o o n.......
A brand new video I made for the Mr. Anderson (aka Eric Anderson) track 'Inside My Head'. Created for the most part with some footage of tv/video feedback and a bulbous eyeball.
Check out Mr. Anderson's new album, No Words To Say, available on Amazon or ITunes.
Check out Mr. Anderson's new album, No Words To Say, available on Amazon or ITunes.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sundance 2009
I made it to 2 whole Sundance screenings this year. As part of my SLFC membership, I was able to see a Palestinian film called Pomegranates and Myrrh. I saw a bit of it with my eyes half closed. I was tired. I made the best effort to not snore or kick my head back with my mouth wide open since the director was present and that would have been somewhat disrespectful. I still managed to do a slightly startled jump in my seat, awaking from a brief dream.
A few days later, I made it to the New Frontier Shorts program. I showed up 2+ hours before to get a waiting line number. I was number 3 out of 3. I spent the next 2 hours wandering around downtown, having tea with myself....spending quality time with myself. Made it to the theater. A small turnout - the smallest I've ever seen at Sundance. The Shorts program consisted of 3 experimental shorts ranging from 23 minutes to 40-something minutes. The first was my favorite, Pat O'Neill's Horizontal Boundaries. It's a 23 minute piece that utilizes traditional optical film compositing and transitions, creating a rhythmic collage of moving images. It's fascinating how the pulsing nature of the film makes it hard to distinguish where one shot ends and another begins. Check out some of the older films O'Neill has made Here.
My friend JP made it about 10 minutes into the first film. I was a little annoyed by the fact that he showed up late and still made it in, after I wasted the previous 2 hours waiting around and standing in lines to ensure I get a ticket.
Anyway, the second film was a short experimental documentary by Richard Robinson about the disappearance of honey bees. Not bad. He was there for a Q&A after the presentation.
The third film tested the patience of many of the viewers. It was a drone sound collage matched with the image of a white square. The square occupied the screen for 40+ minutes. For the first several minutes, it just sat on the screen. I said to JP "I think we're gonna be spending quite some time with this square." But then it changed a bit, pulsated, blurred and eventually erupted in an orgasmic explosion of flickering, overlapping shadows and light. The trouble with this piece was the length and the context. It would have worked better as a gallery installation rather than a movie theatre. Several people walked out, and I thought of doing the same, except I didn't want to spend 15 dollars and miss half the presentation. I'm glad I stayed. A week later, I can still remember it - which can't be said for many of the mainstream movies I see.
When I close my eyes, I can still see the white square:
Sandra Gibson & Luis Recoder's Untitled
A few days later, I made it to the New Frontier Shorts program. I showed up 2+ hours before to get a waiting line number. I was number 3 out of 3. I spent the next 2 hours wandering around downtown, having tea with myself....spending quality time with myself. Made it to the theater. A small turnout - the smallest I've ever seen at Sundance. The Shorts program consisted of 3 experimental shorts ranging from 23 minutes to 40-something minutes. The first was my favorite, Pat O'Neill's Horizontal Boundaries. It's a 23 minute piece that utilizes traditional optical film compositing and transitions, creating a rhythmic collage of moving images. It's fascinating how the pulsing nature of the film makes it hard to distinguish where one shot ends and another begins. Check out some of the older films O'Neill has made Here.
My friend JP made it about 10 minutes into the first film. I was a little annoyed by the fact that he showed up late and still made it in, after I wasted the previous 2 hours waiting around and standing in lines to ensure I get a ticket.
Anyway, the second film was a short experimental documentary by Richard Robinson about the disappearance of honey bees. Not bad. He was there for a Q&A after the presentation.
The third film tested the patience of many of the viewers. It was a drone sound collage matched with the image of a white square. The square occupied the screen for 40+ minutes. For the first several minutes, it just sat on the screen. I said to JP "I think we're gonna be spending quite some time with this square." But then it changed a bit, pulsated, blurred and eventually erupted in an orgasmic explosion of flickering, overlapping shadows and light. The trouble with this piece was the length and the context. It would have worked better as a gallery installation rather than a movie theatre. Several people walked out, and I thought of doing the same, except I didn't want to spend 15 dollars and miss half the presentation. I'm glad I stayed. A week later, I can still remember it - which can't be said for many of the mainstream movies I see.
When I close my eyes, I can still see the white square:
Sandra Gibson & Luis Recoder's Untitled
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Age of Miracles, The Age of Sound....
Happy New Year y'all! Here is a little something that will fill you with sense of optimism about the coming year. Or maybe you'll just cringe. It's a pair of over-the-top, cheese and effects filled music videos.
I've been digging the latest ultra-groovy TV on the Radio release, Dear Science. It's about the closest thing they've made to a Prince record, although there's an evident strain in the attempt to be completely funky, similar to the Talking Heads early releases. This video for the tune 'Golden Age' reminded me of the elaborate sets my brother and I made for our Masters of the Universe toys in the 80's. It also brought back memories of the Jacksons early 80's promo for 'Can You Feel It'. I won't elaborate any further, just see for yourself. Maybe you will agree that 'Golden Age' is the 'Can You Feel It' for 2008/2009.
I've been digging the latest ultra-groovy TV on the Radio release, Dear Science. It's about the closest thing they've made to a Prince record, although there's an evident strain in the attempt to be completely funky, similar to the Talking Heads early releases. This video for the tune 'Golden Age' reminded me of the elaborate sets my brother and I made for our Masters of the Universe toys in the 80's. It also brought back memories of the Jacksons early 80's promo for 'Can You Feel It'. I won't elaborate any further, just see for yourself. Maybe you will agree that 'Golden Age' is the 'Can You Feel It' for 2008/2009.
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