Coffee + Brain= Courier 12

General Update and tooting my horn.

2010-12-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Since my last post I have been hired on at Twopenguins.com which is a boutique content producer in Portland, Oregon that fucking rocks actually. There are many reasons why but one thing that stands out is I get paid to do what I love to and so does everyone else that works there.

What do I do there exactly? Well everyday is different but I would say I spend about 60% of my time editing video content for a few different exhibition formats starting with web as the majority. We do internals, film and smart phone / iPad content too. I've had my hands on shooting celebrity interviews in NYC, modeling and animating 3D assets, stop-motion animation, LOTS of After Effects, image manipulation, design, writing, technical direction, set and stage design, producing and even voice acting.
However, the way we delegate we work is: whoever is the most excited to do the work gets the work. MOST of the time the point person is the most experienced in what ever challenge / task there is. If something comes up you just say "I would love to do that" and your in. I like to get my hands on as much as possible but there is a lot of video to edit so I have to take care in what I choose. Now I'm not saying everyone walks into the office and just says "I'm going to do whatever I want." Everyone has several assigned daily, weekly, monthly etc tasks and we are expected to put our all into it.

The first month felt like bootcamp. Taking on an emergency edit while learning the workflow and just jumping in. It was a ton of hours - but don't be a pussy right? Part of it was the general excitement and the feeling of relief. I was out of work for a long time and never expected to get in with such a tight nit group. I did a 36 day run - staying the night at the office once waiting for color correction to render (Final Cut Studio 4 needs to be 64 bit NOW!!!!) and going solo on a promotional shoot at venues all over Portland many cool bands (driving my post supers truck).

As we stand now there are a lot of new jobs and challenges on the horizon - one being a pretty serious short - that I hope I get to work on. We just picked up a cool client that wants a ton of content some being regular everyday stuff and some being very cinematic.

All-in-all I couldn't be happier with the situation. I'm learning everyday - software, workflow, the biz and names. The coolest part is I got my dream - living and breathing creativity. There's nothing worse then waiting for the alarm to go off with that gut wrenching job hating feeling. No more, bye bye to all those shitty retailers I applied to. No more warehouse bullshit. No more job hate. I can't say it enough - dream job.

I owe a lot of people my gratitude for giving me the time of day. Giving me knowledge and helping me find out what I love and hate. The list is pretty damn long but the one person that directly recommended me for the job is Courtney Hermann. Thanks Courtney.

The Beerman Show

2010-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

White Hot Robot presents Season 1 Episode 1 of The Beerman Show: Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. Enjoy!

3D Logo for WHR

2010-06-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to an agency near you!

2010-05-24T22:25:00.001-07:00

2010-03-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a screen-o that I just took because Robi is in the shot, but I like that. It reminds you who your crew was and what happened that day. On the Hop Tour in Independence, Oregon Abe, Jaime, Jesse Larson and myself filmed for BEERMAN!

Beerman Graphics

2010-03-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Looky looky! The most reasonable
start on a title screen I have for the Beerman show yet. The idea is to have all the bottles slide in and clink together. Once a second draft is complete I will load it up.

Ones and Zeros

2009-10-24T23:21:00.000-07:00

On a personal note things are challenging as ever.

I have found that during times of duress I function better than if things are fine. Just to make it clear: I feel that a majority of my history things have been negative in some way. Now nothing seems to be wrong. Suddenly, my mental reactions to the usual situations are unusable and seem to be overcoming the consent pessimism. The negativity has been replaced with a small, super-white, square at the end of a dimly lit sewer pipe.

Why is this challenging? Because it is difficult to get used to. I have been using the time that normally would be used for senselessly searching for purpose, reason and acceptance for working towards many goals.

Somewhere in my dairy 4 years ago it says "One day I will be goal orientated." Probably regurgitation from some shitty "buy your new body in this cheap ass paperback from borders" fitness manual. Seriously, have you already forgotten to be positive?

... Whipping yourself for being positive does not work.

Just for the record: I do not consider the people around the world that make up the society of "the internet" as people of this earth. We have been searching for UFOs and sightings and every other horrible show on discovery or travel network that could easily be a better advertising vehicle and show "Beerman." The UFOs are all online.

Anyway, "Lets get going on Beerman", has been a common phrase I hear. "It's easy. I will get it there... It's not easy... I will get it. Ok- Dream big baby..."

"...Hail Mary Pass."

Beerman

Still Going Strong

2009-10-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

Been taking the script to bed at night. Sleeping with it. After all it is about sleeping and dreams.

Since I have been working from an outline for the first time it has worked well. However, I don't write from it very strictly. I simply use it as a guide for what I was thinking originally. Unrelated Story Example: When I outline its very short hand- Sam goes to missile silo and disables the launch system. Sam is captured. Sam is tortured. Etc. The general context for this example is that Sam did something that has consequences. Then when its time to write the scenes you use this short hand as a launching point. Sam is tortured could be a suspenseful moment, it could be a comedic moment or it is up to you and how you want your wall of story to look when your done.

I don't find myself using the outline all that often actually. Usually it is if I hit a short wall. A moment where I could be writing but I lose focus because of a phone call or something else.

I edit as I go. Many writers strongly advise against this but I find that every time I think about the story I have changes. I just write notes in the margins then solidify them in Final Draft. When I work on the script I read it all the way through first every time and do the notes. From that point I can work on the story and continue it. Sometimes major things come up during this process. I find things out about each character. I found out that the father to the lead character is a hard nosed baby boomer that does things the old fashioned way, change comes rarely but when it does it shocks him.

Everyone writes differently, has a different process. I am still in the stages of finding out some crucial things. It is only after I wrote in script form over and over again that I can start to pick up on things like how I come about structure. For instance, the elements in "traditional structure" may exist in every great script and every great movie. But that doesn't mean that all of those writers formed a pact and handed out a standard outline saying this is how you do it.

The Coen Brothers use no outline. They just write and take a nap then maybe write some more later. Apparently they sometimes put a script down for a long time and come back years later. I guess this was the case with Millers Crossing and Fargo. I don't think an outline is necessary for them- they are adapting. However do they have incredible memories or do they refer to the book. Well niether. If you listen to the Creative Screenwriting Magazine Interview with Joel and Ethan and the host Jeff Goldsmith they seem really free flow about the entire process. In fact they give research credit to production departments. The success of the Coen's has always been an inspiration for me so I did a little research on them - know your influences right? - I would have to say that it was a good thing for me to do because 1) I was shocked by the way they write. 2) I realized that I didn't know my on style because I am inexperienced. and 3) They are much more than just great writers, they are excellent film makers in many aspects.

Final note- This Friday I am teaming up with a couple of Anthony's and we are going to work on a short that Anthony and I will co-direct.

Should be nice.

Brain vomit

2009-07-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Been writing from an outline for Sleep. It works really well keeps me on track. Every time I come to an incident I remember "Oh yeah, I remember that idea."

I listened to a podcast with the Coen Brothers and they claim to have never used an outline in any of their scripts. I just don't have that kind of time to poke around. That is cool they are brilliant like that. Everyone has a different method.

Mundane tasks and naps really help my imagination. When my mind is idle it really has time to wander and that is where the story comes from. Coffee is what drives the actual script however.

Back to work.

Twitter

2009-06-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Because I have just started the twitter thing I need to update. Just linked this blog to twitter so if anyone clicks they will not see the January update now.

Have been interning for Leverage. Very interesting. It is my first TV show crew experience. The crew and cast are pro, which is nice because you learn a ton of great stuff. However, I get sometimes only 8-10 hours of warning before I am needed on set. This is very inconvenient especially under the circumstances of money being tight. Do not get me wrong, the show has inspired me to be more active in the creative world- especially in my thought read below:

I have, for the last few weeks, been writing a feature. It is my best bet for a debut piece and I am very excited to share it with the world, cast and crew. Once I have it in production I will share more about the story- but for now, since other stories like it are being produced, I will keep my cards close to the chest.

That is it.
~J

Gordon Ramsay

2009-01-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

No one seems to spell his name right on a search for Gordon Ramsay. He is an odd duck, an anomaly if you will. When something deviates from what you normally understand as "good ole everyday Roman empirical bullshit" you tend to lean towards "vaging out". If you don't know what that means you have not entered the unique opportunity to become a negative Nancy for being buried in student loan debt. Oh well, who cares, this ecomony has turned me into a pirate.

Time to watch a film.

Maybe you still want someone to control you.

The secret to financial success is the same secret for getting rock hard abs.

2008-12-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Mechanization best serves mediocrity.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Today has been nice. It's the gap between Christmas and NYE, and for me it is a personal holiday. A weekend of silence, or maybe, a weekend where thoughts may float by: whimsically without having hitting some kind of analytical bulls-eye.

Of course the press is the exact opposite, always. As the diversity of what is being reported dwindles and we all wish that the severity of what seems like an international meltdown was something less. Maybe a lie? You wish.

If there is another holiday invented in America that engineers sales so good that it crushes an actual human being we may all run towards the light. We all winced the first time we saw a death by trampling because a soccer game. However, when it is a Wal-Mart employee it tends make you question financial motives.

Embedded in the haystack of articles to choose from online I stumbled upon this one, someone else questioning the nature of Western Economics. Next, I was saddened: there was nowhere to comment- usually my gut reaction is write comment but the blog will do.

Peter Applebome suggests Americans are financially uneducated, we don’t understand compound interest; we don’t understand the concept of debt to income ratio.

Very early in the article he mentions this guy: Bernard Madoff. If you know anything about Bernard you know that he was responsible for the largest display Americas economic motto: “Yarrrr”.

How could you not see the consequences?

Explaining subprime is really funny. The corporate structure is loosening up like Mary’s blouse, that is the best explanation we are getting. The most humiliating part of it all: the media’s portrayal of the American people- thus perpetuating ignorance and mediocrity.

People are already saying “What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?”

Sorry about your 401k, your portfolio and you house, better luck next time, next year, next wife, next country.

Meanwhile, there is no hope for floating cars. Sorry Robert Zemeckis, it appears that our imagination cannot get past its net value.

So, are we going to make our days of mediocrity an International Holiday? Why not just celebrate all of the time?

How about a “Gordon Ramsay Day” as a holiday.” He could unite with the leaders of the world and tell them that they need to use fresh ingredients rather than the frozen ones, which seem to repeat history over and over again.

More images

2008-06-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is a self portrait in the style of Warhol. The image of Mario was scanned off of an actual Super Marios Brothers Nintendo cartridge.
Here we have a Rauschenberg self portrait. All of the imagery except for the wrinkled paper texture are from google image search. The woman came up when I typed in 1981 -my birth year. The man is Giacomo Puccini, and I just typed his name in. There is a nice canvas texture in there too.
This is my first assigment for image manipulation spring term of 08'. I've grown a lot in photoshop. For that I credit Lee White, cool guy, amazing innovator of imagery.
This is a print I did for fun of Ak47s for fun. I used it as a spray in Counter Strike Source for awhile.
This is another vector print I made in Illustrator. It combines iconic stuff I enjor like the Jolly Roger style avatar and music.

Some stuff from last term:

2008-06-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

I did this one last night. Everything is composed from photoshop using reference images for inspiration. I was listening to the Postal Service- not really a favorite but I wanted to convey the feeling of someone that has lots of friends but is alone indefinitely.
This one was for class, my first attempt at Russian Constructivism. It is close, but I didn't do my research. Stuff that's round is bad, usually the color pallet is red/yellow/white/black (those colors were cheaper back then-1919). And the font in the image in the b/g is a little off. Also Your supposed to work mainly in 90/45 degree angles. It's more modern expressionistic. All of the images are from google image search.
This is an interpretation of a song called "D.A.N.C.E." By Justice. This one and the next one were for class and we had to make cd covers. The black strip down the middle is just a cut out of a Neve levels dashboard on a mixing console over gray with a huge "j".
This one is more complex, it supposed to represent the whole album.

This is my re-do of the Russian Constructivism from above.