The Edward R. Murrow Collection
An excellent collection of Murrow's best work as a founding father of broadcast journalism, particularly with a rich compendium from See It Now, particularly his confrontation with Joseph McCarthy. If you're a student of media and journalism, this is a must-see.
Julian Schnabel: Before Night Falls
The story of Reinaldo Arenas, the late Cuban writer, who was oppressed by the Cuban government as they banned his books and imprisoned him for a crime he did not commit. Javier Bardem is masterful as Arenas.
Ron Fricke: Baraka (Special Collector's Edition)
Short description: It has no narrative plot, but rather it's a stunning panoply of images, sounds, and music. I recommend it to everyone I know (and bought a copy for friends here and there). It's a film I've watched at least 4 times each of the past 6 years.
Wim Wenders: Wings of Desire
The story of an angel who falls from grace to live as a man on earth and reach out to the woman he loves. The basis for "City of Angels." Personally, I like Wenders' version for Bruno Ganz - perfect casting.
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Well, another year - this time a round of Cut&Pastes... can't wait and hear's the skinny:
Cut&Paste NYC 2006
Saturday, October 21st
Where: Brooklyn Sugar - 289 Kent in Williamsburg
Doors open: 7PM; Tournament start: 8PM
Free Beer - 7PM-8PM by Crumpler
More info? http://www.cutandpaste.cc
Dear
Friends and Family of Cut&Paste!
We are happy to announce that
the Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament 2006
is going national this autumn season
- we're taking it to four major cities across the nation: Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, and of course, New York. We would be forever grateful
if you could help us spread the word to all your creative visual artist /
designer friends by passing on this email. It would be a huge favor for us and
them too.
Please also make a note of the tournament dates as we'd love
for you to join us at the events on the following
dates!!!
New York City: 10/21
Chicago: 11/04
Los Angeles:
11/11
San Francisco: 11/18
Thank you in
advance,
John
For more information: www.cutandpaste.cc
Saw this flick... couldn't help it... it was my birthday....
"Kinda depressing, yeah?" some said. "Okay... if that's what you want to do on your birthday...?" (accompanied by grimaces) from others. But how could I not see it, when my dear friend, Lucia Brawley made her big-time big screen debut working under the careful direction of Ollie Stone. It opened on my birthday... the nicest gift she could give to a mope like me.
In comforting Maggie Gyllenhaal's character, Lucia plays the loving sister of Will Jimeno (played superbly by Michael Pena of "Crash"), a firefighter trapped in the rubble of the WTC. Whether or not you check it out, be sure to keep on the lookout for this stunning talent... find more about her here: Looch
Okay... so this guy Bran had a crazy idea... why not get some other talented animators like himself together and create some cool, digitally animated short films for shits and giggles. And voila, we have "Psst! Pass It On." Cut&Paste and Stash worked with him to put together a release party on Tuesday - many contributors came, free beer flowed, shock and awe ensued over the killer shorts. Check 'em out here at: Psst!!!
Well, it's been nearly six months since my last post. So much for Home Away from Home... It has been a relentlessly challenging and exhilarating six months and while there's so much to share, instead of trying to catch up on everything past, I think it's best to post regularly on what's happening now. And so I begin...
So, it's been a while since my last posting and it's been a busy time. On February 4th, we hosted another CUT&PASTE event, our first Live Art Jam held at the Supper Club. It was a solid success as Tristan Eaton, Travis Millard, and Patrick Rocha tag-teamed to create a masterpiece. The finished work will be auctioned soon - for more details, check out our site - www.cutandpastecontest.com.
... on a much needed vacation to Guatemala tomorrow morning. My friend, Steve Everist has a sailboat in Antigua so we'll be hanging out together for a couple weeks with maybe a couple days in Belize. It's safe to say, I will look a bit different when I come back. :)
'Went to see Antonioni's film, The Passenger at the Sunshine this weekend and I was blown away. Among his other work, I really enjoyed La Notte and L'Avventura for their dreaminess and escapism and this film has those same qualities, but The Passenger has some of the mystery/intrigue that Blow-Up did and you can feel an uneasiness caused by some unknown person or force.
I think I enjoy his films because nothing feels fully described. There's always something lurking in the back of my mind, but I'm willing to leave it alone and let him show me the story instead of trying to figure it out - ultimately, because there's nothing to really figure out and I trust him. His stories are not complex from a plot perspective and I don't feel manipulated - they work because they let your emotions feel out the characters. You never feel clued in to what the character is thinking or feeling - like you're there in the room with them and you want to keep following them. Also, Antonioni is very good at keeping you a step behind them emotionally. His camera moves slowly and will drift away from the subject, making you want to "look around the corner" and see what's going on. Brilliant camerawork in everything I've seen of his.
P.S. Coincidentally, Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson were sitting right in front of me and they were equally engaged... Ms. Clarkson was sitting forward in her chair during half the film.
Really impressed. The screenplay is excellent and it displays some of Murrow's best "essays" in a thoughtful way, allowing the audience to piece together each of the main points of Murrow's argument with McCarthy during the 50's. 'Haven't heard this kind of quality in broadcast writing these days and never has the message been more relevant.
After 3 rounds of steep competition, the winner of the 2005 CUT&PASTE Design Competition is Anisa Suthayalai. After overcoming Andrew Sturgess and John Siers, Anisa was able to top Dan Weise in the final with a clever Police Badge design (soon to be found at CUT&PASTE ). Congratulations, Anisa!!
We're adding this to the website shortly (likely today), but the CUT&PASTE Final 8 Contestants are:
They were amazing during the callbacks, each employing different styles and techniques. I'm really proud of this group of competitors and I can't wait to see them on stage next weekend!
Funny story about Keith and his penchant for working out with our clients. :D
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/fashion/thursdaystyles/10FITNESS.html
Over 25 different contestants in five days... a wide swath of diverse skills, styles, and energies. I'm beat. It's gonna be tough to find 8, because it means we can't take the other 17. This is a great problem to have and one we'll solve tomorrow.
Each day was strong... we could not believe how excited everyone was... the tension was palpable as each designer sat down and and at the word, "Go," went at it with a fury. Some brought in paper and paints to make profound abstract images to be imported into Illustrator. Others started sketching away on the Wacom tablet like it was a painting canvas. Some played with inventive typographies. Others lit scented candles to set the ambience. All of the brilliant creations that came of their methods of madness were personal interpretations of the given theme, HEAVEN, drawing from experience and particular tastes.
Like I said, It's going to be tough making the choices, but we're making the announcement tomorrow. 'Looking forward to making the calls to our Final 8 Contestants - we've got an incredible event on our hands.
Having joined our team a few weeks back, Jeremy Greenfield has been managing the Public Relations effort for CUT&PASTE and the guy's done a magnificient job. With his hard work, we've been able to attract new media sponsors and press coverage from outlets like Vapors Magazine, Theme Magazine, and numerous blogs in the designer landscape. Moreover, we're talking with MTV-Chi about doing a broadcast piece and with luck will get more post-event coverage as a launching point for C&P Spring, 2006.
Ultimately, this would not happen without Jeremy's hard work and killer instincts. 'Looking forward to working with him further.
So we had callbacks for our CUT&PASTE submission finalists this past Saturday. (For more context on C&P, see www.cutandpastecontest.com) We brought in 17 people this weekend and we were amazed at how strong everyone was. We set it up so you could not bring in any stock images, objects, photos, or anything in order to build the image based on the theme of HEAVEN. For a while we worried it was too restrictive.
But everyone came in with fresh ideas on how to get over the obstacles in the 15-min round - some brought in tubes of paint and made Rohrschach-like images on paper. Some took photos of different parts of their bodies and incorporated them into the image. Others were able to make fresh images from simple vector graphics and shapes... everyone had a different style and method of expressing themselves within the constraints. It was really inspiring and encouraging to know we are going to have some great contestants.
It was a good night's sleep on Saturday. :D
Gladly, we finished the sound mix for "Sweet Home" last week and it sounds fantastic. Thanks to Mike Frank, we're on a path to do our HD-online on November 9th and soon after have completed DVDs for everyone in the Sweet Home family. Very exciting to have everything completely finished. Ah, the bills to pay... almost finished.
It's been a few days since my last post, but it's been an amazing 11 days. CUT&PASTE has garnered amazing new support in the likes of Wacom, Crumpler, Karmaloop, Flavorpill, Cool Hunting, among others. Check out our State of the Union at www.cutandpastecontest.com. Along with Bobbito MCing we've enlisted The Rub and SugarCuts to provide 12-4AM party music. As we've made this event even bigger, our budget for insurance, promotions, and logistics has grown a bit... where to find the extra cash... *gulp*
I'm really proud of the team - Justin, James, Otto, Henry and now a very smart PR genius in Jeremy. So psyched to make this a big event and do something bigger moving forward. Stay tuned. -J
It's been a great two weeks for CUT&PASTE... Some amazing partners have joined the CUT&PASTE family offering their financial resources, equipment, products, and promotional efforts to make this event a huge success!! Some names you might be familiar with:
All of these sponsors have been enthusiastic in helping us share the spirit of the event with their networks and we're working hard to spread the word-of-mouth. Pass it on!
After looking for an ideal space to write and work over the last 3 years, and having spent countless hours and dollars over lemonade and teas at various places like Tea Lounge in Park Slope and Doma in the West Village, I came across this article on writer's work spaces in today's Sunday Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/09/fashion/sundaystyles/09writers.html
Now, writer's spaces are not new to New York. There's been the Writer's Room, the Village Quill, and even the Brooklyn Writer's Space here in the Slope. But each of those sport's a lengthy multi-year waiting list and I'm not that patient. So I kept going to Doma, but they're a bit overpriced and in spite of the kind baristas, I feel slightly unwelcome by the ownership (justifiably, they dislike people who buy one tea and sit for eight hours, which is why I always get food if I stay for more than 3). Which leads me to my 3PM appointment today for a tour of Paragraph, a fairly new space opened by some recent graduates of the New School. I hope this will feel like a place where I can work, because if it is, I'll gladly put down for the discounted six month membership.
(If you haven't seen this, then please avert your eyes).
Coming out of the theater after watching A History of Violence, I can't help but think I was watching The Incredible Hulk. Centered around a man whose past has come to haunt his quiet Indiana life, we discover that under dangerous circumstances, he becomes another man, able to respond to danger instinctively. It's a compelling story with the first half of the film built around whether he is or is not from a violent past. Once we discover the truth, we learn about how he will deal with his family's discovery and whether who he was will now endanger what he has struggled to become.
But for my money, the most intriguing arc lies in his wife, Edie, a woman who seems completely from her peaceful, rural environment. While she responds with shock at the discovery of her husband's true nature, her accommodation of who he "is/was" presents the film's greatest intrigue.
At first, she is confused and disgusted; then she instinctively defends their family by covering for him with Sam, the policeman. But what made the story fulfilling was their confrontation on the staircase. After getting rid of Sam, she tries to leave the room and Tom goes after her, nearly choking her. This was startling by itself, but it unfolds into a fit of seeming passion as they grab and slap each other on the stairs. It's a melee that morphs into a pool of lust and punishment (to each other and to themselves), a stark contrast to their earlier sexual roleplay of unrequited adolescence and innocent love. On the staircase, with every cut and camera move, we observe a man and woman whose identities we're unsure of - is it Tom, the husband, or Joey, the murderer choking her; is it Edie as the sickened wife or as a woman who is drawn to his animal qualities.
By film's end, it's not clear if she will ultimately accept him (thank you, Mr. Cronenberg!), but we get the sense of where her heart is moving - after all, where she comes from, loyalty is the ultimate virtue, and they take care of their own.
To enter the Cut & Paste competition, please e-mail cutandpastecontest@gmail.com with the subject "ENTER CONTEST" with the following information:
1) Name, address, phone number
2) Work info - position, employer, brief job description
3) Link to website, portfolio, or other online proof-of-work
4) Brief bio (3 sentences max)
*** NO ATTACHMENTS PLEASE ***
* 8 contestants will be selected from the submissions and will be contact by phone.
For more information, see: CUT&PASTE
Some of you may be aware of this, but I've been working with a group called Audio Visual Disorder (AVD) and we're organizing the inaugural CUT&PASTE Competition for Graphic Designers. Think the "Iron Chef of Graphic Design" meets a magazine launch party in a nightclub setting. Designers will perform the construction of graphic still images based on a theme medium ("Design a shoe based on the theme of food. Now go!!!) :D
We've enlisted some amazing judges:
Tristan Eaton - Thunderdog
Kendrick Reid - VP Comedy Central
Doug Jaeger - Creative Dir. thehappycorp
Jeff Staple - Staple
We've also brought together some great sponsors in thehappycorp, KidRobot, Psyop, among other great creative and product brands.
Set your calendars for the late evening of November 19th at M1-5 in Tribeca. To learn more see:
CUT & PASTE
Since completing photography of my new film, Sweet Home, I've been tinkering and playing with how music could work in aiding the story. With virtually no dialogue (what little of it, in Arabic), it's been a tremendous challenge in weaving the music through the quiet moments, allowing it to follow the action of the protagonist, Khalil.
I realize now the music was meant to follow Khalil, or rather, to let Khalil's action on the screen pull the music. It was also crucial to let the music play neutrally, not to influence the audience to think one way or the other, but allow anticipation rather than tension. I'm thankful for this process.
On August 26th, 2005, we held a private screening for cast, crew, family, and friends of "Sweet Home," at the Anthology Film Archive. It was my best opportunity to thank each of you who worked so hard on the project, and for those who came including my loving family, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the film - we'll be making some slight changes before we finalize and submit to festivals. Stay tuned for more news on that front.
Brian Andreas: Still Mostly True: Collected Stories & Drawings
A really cool girl gave me this book, a collection of short, funny stories somewhat reminiscent of Jack Handy's Deep Thoughts, except these have actually made me think deeply over the last couple weeks (not to mention, make me laugh). Check out the adjacent list of my favorite poems.
Keith Ferrazzi: Never Eat Alone : And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
For full disclosure, I work with Keith Ferrazzi. That said, I have no shame in saying what a stellar book this is. It is based on the need to develop deep human relationships for personal and professional success. It provides a difference in perspective with innovative techniques in making new and deeper connections. It's not about networking, it's about relationships.
Edited by Stephen Lowenstein: My First Movie: Twenty Celebrated Directors Talk About Their First Film
A solid collection of interviews and stories from gifted directors on their experiences in making their first films. A great source of inspiration and perspective for aspiring filmmakers.
Truman Capote: In Cold Blood
Having seen Richard Brooks' 1967 adaptation of In Cold Blood and with Capote coming out in the next couple weeks, I wanted to read the book before the film came out. 30 pages in and I'm impressed so far.
Robert Pape: Dying to Win : The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism
One of the more comprehensive data-based studies focusing on the nature of suicide terrorism as a tactical method of war. 'Still reading it, but it seeks to correct common misconceptions and provide a clearer lens to the subject. So far, it's pretty compelling.
