Trip to Guatemala

I've failed to post a video I made while on vacation in Guatemala this past August.  The trip was fantastic and relaxing with lots of hiking and good food at Lake Atitlan.  I had ample time to put to use the slow motion camera I received for my birthday as well as the new time lapse attachment I got for our digital camera.  I guess I was aiming at creating my very own version of Koyaanisqatsi only this time with the fantastic music of Dan Deacon in place of Philip Glass.  I very much like how it turned out!

Slow Motion Movies

Here are my first two experiments with the Casio Exilim slow motion camera I got for my birthday.  It's a fairly cheap camera and therefore only shoots in standard definition, but it sure is fun to experiment with.

The first video I took at my old studio I shared with Nick Bertozzi.  This was in the middle of the summer while Nick was deep inside drawing, inking, and coloring a 380 page graphic novel.  I like to think I captured some of his madness.  The music is by Daft Punk from the Tron soundtrack.

As you can see the low light can look a little grainy so I was excited to take the camera up to Canada where we spent the weekend with friends out on a lake. This footage was much better. The music is from Sigur Ros's excellent track "Festival".

And last but definitely least, I filmed a super low quality experiment on my iPhone with the free Super 8 app. I downloaded the app the same day that I got a pair of new shoes and so I thought I'd capture my journey from my house to the studio. You can catch a glimpse of Mr. George O'Connor at the end.

Hypothetical Island and the F Train Sunset

These past few months I've taken over the desk of Jason Little while he's doing a brief stint on Season 2 of The Ugly Americans.  He is part of the Hypothetical Island studio which is made up of 6 artists including George O'Connor, Joe Infurnari, Kat Roberts, and Reilly Brown.  The room is next door to Deep Six located in the Gowanus part of Brooklyn.  The people are great and it's been a fun environment.

Not long ago, I shot this video on my way home from Hypothetical Island.  While the studio is only a 30 minute walk away, it's been brutally cold this winter, so I occasionally take the train.  Incidentally, the part where the train stops is directly above where the studio is.  Other highlights include, the Verrazano Bridge, a jet en route to LaGuardia airport, the Statue of Liberty, and a few of the bazillion churches in the neighborhoods between the studio and my house.  (You may have to go to Vimeo to watch it full screen to see all the details!)

The music is a mix of Lindisfarne I and II by James Blake.

Trip to Turkey

Over the holidays, I had a chance to revisit some video I took on our trip to Turkey last August. Much like my video of our trip to New Zealand, the use of the Flip camera lead to a lot of "art shots" (though I managed to bring a small tripod to help make it a bit more stable). Still, it's a meandering montage that moves at a slow pace -- you've been warned! The music is "Happiness" by Riceboy Sleeps and you can see an HD version by clicking on the Vimeo button below.

Train to Philly

Here's a little artsy-fartsy movie I made using an iPhone while on a recent trip to Philadelphia. The music is Max Richter's "Infra 5"

What it on Vimeo for HD quality.

Trip to New Zealand

Well, it's four months and I've finally found the time to throw together some video from our trip to New Zealand. Just before we left, I got a Flip MinoHD. It's small, portable, and extremely easy to use.

Unfortunately since it weighs next to nothing, every small shake of the hand is picked up by the camera. Even with Apple's iMovie video smoothing turned on, it still distracts you from the subject matter. This lead me to take a lot of "art shots" with my hand resting on an object, and thus, the music overlay...

Thanks to Christine and Janine for a fine vacation and tour of their wonderful country!