Intense Entertainment

Don't Break the Chain

2012-04-23T01:43:00.003-07:00

I stole this title from CharlieisSoCoolLike. It was from a vlog he did about how he has calendars with goals on them.
One was for exercise, one for editing/working on videos, and the other was for screenwriting. The chain was the little marked “X’s” he put in each box marking off which days he completed his goal.
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Speed Editing

2012-02-20T22:04:00.002-08:00

I am the great Houdini. Capable of disappearing at a moments notice. Not posting for weeks. You thought I quit, didn’t you?

I did not. What I did was change strategies. My goal was to have at least one paid gig every month. So, I’ve been working to line those up. That’s going well. And it, a long with actually doing the work I’ve found has required a bit more of my attention and allowed for less time to work on here.

And I’ve also been trying to get the gaming portion of the site working again. James, Josh and I have been putting a lot of time and energy into that along with the help of Tim Lundy and Marielitai (you can also find her on her gaming channel).

That’s actually what leads me into this blog post: Speed Editing. It was something I practiced a lot when I was younger. It was more about producing quality content in the fastest turn around time you can manage. It’s what journalists do every day on TV. They write, shoot and edit all in a day.

But my desire for perfection has become a problem, hampering my turn over rate. I still have unfinished projects that wait for more time, or an improvement in my skill. A high standard and extra stress definitely comes with it.

But there’s something invigorating about speed editing. Not touching it long enough to get frustrated or tired of it. There’s a lot of steps that I definitely skip. But it’s a trade off. I’m happy with the quality. The response is positive. And the stress level is considerably less, and something I can definitely handle.

If I can bring this practice to all of my work, my ability to enjoy it will continue to stay strong. I already love editing. But this would definitely keep my spirits high.

If you would like to check out some of these videos, you can find them at IEGames1 on YouTube. We also have produced several podcasts and placed them on iTunes, under IE Gaming. Make sure to like, subscribe and comment, letting us know what you think. You can also check out the website at www.IEGaming.com, it’s not currently connected to the Intense Entertainment page, but hopefully soon we’ll fully integrate the two websites.

Thanks for being faithful. Just because you can’t see us, doesn’t mean we aren’t working hard. It means we’re ninjas.

James Race Carr

Partnership

2012-01-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Thanks for being awesome and sticking it out during these slow months. We really do appreciate the support.

So, what would I say my goal here at IE is? Not just for 2012, but for the far distant future… would I say it’s to make lots of blockbuster films? Earn a ton of money? No, actually. That’s not what I had in mind. In fact, I’m more interested in making short form content for YouTube.

Portlandia

2011-12-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! A real brief update… first off, let me just say, I messed up the vlogs I shot. All three of them. I’d thought I’d save myself some time and knock them all out in evening and then edit them the next and have three vlogs ready to rock. Sadly… I tried something, thought it would work and didn’t check it after the first. Anyways… I was scrubbing the footage and noticed just how BAD it looked. It was awful. Let me tell you… it’s very difficult to use such a picky camera from the far side of a room and only have a small LCD screen telling you it looks ok. Basically, what I’m saying is, I wish I’d had a more automatic camera to do some of the work for me and remove the guessing. :/ lesson learned, moving forward.Read more »

Slow Going for the Holidays

2011-11-22T02:43:00.001-08:00

Howdy. Sorry there’s not a lot to report. Stupid work… I have been given permission to shoot photos of the Portland Boulder Rally finals on December 3^rd (I’ll be competing in the morning session). But other than that… nothing.

I have my goals set for the new year. Thanksgiving is coming. I’m vlogging. Well… I have notes for the next vlog. Just need to be home long enough to knock it out. I still have those reviews… and what else?

Assassins Creed. Oi. Could that game do anything other than be awesome? Did you know that I tried Parkour because of this game series? Yep. True story, bro. well, I’ll have a vlog and some other stuff to share soon. Stupid NDA’s… >:[

Have a goodnight. And Happy Thanksgiving.

James :)

First Vlog!

2011-11-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, Here's something new I want to try. Vlogging. I know this is me at my most upbeat and excited... I promise I'll be more interesting in the future. Anyways, take care. :)

James

I Want to Make Climbing Movies!

2011-11-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

Howdy. Welcome back. :) I’ve got another video that I put together. Just a little practice video of some climbers at The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Portland Oregon.

I seem to have two loves. Filmmaking and climbing. It would make sense to somehow combine these two in order to completely and thoroughly enjoy a synergistic life (you know… 1+1=4 kind of thing?). I have done some shooting at the Circuit before. One of which was a failed attempt at time lapse (NEVER leave a camera to just run on it’s own… oi) and also a Dyno Competition (a dyno is short for a dynamic lunge. Basically a big jump from one set of holds to the next).

Pacific Ride Home is FINISHED!

2011-11-10T01:20:00.000-08:00

I’m behind on this post. I released the music video I’ve been working on 2… 3 weeks ago? I had every intention of having this out immediately after. It didn’t happen.

So I guess, how do I recap a project that I watched over and over and spent so much time wanting to make perfect? Wanting a piece that I felt pushed me?

Ugh… just watch it. Like it. Leave comments. Share it. Please… I beg you.

Ok. Phew… I’m happy with this. I spent a lot of time getting the colors the way I wanted. however my workflow revealed some issues. Despite everything I did, there was some degradation to the quality. It might be time to start learning Adobe Premiere. It might be that time.

I’ll start practicing on my next project… a little something I shot at The Circuit.

I’ve mentioned it in a few previous blog posts. But I’ll remind you, in case you forgot. Tim Lundy has been playing guitar and writing his own music for a decade or so… Give or take some years. He’s been at it a while. He also does my sound effects and music for all of my projects.

I also had every intention of doing a behind the scenes video to show the joy and fun we have on set. But, for the life of me, I can’t find the footage. Or even the pictures that we took. Sadly… I think maybe in my disdain for anything having to do with this project, I may have “accidentally” deleted all of it.

Which isn’t true. I loved it. I had a blast drawing up this idea with Tim. And then planning it down to the tiniest details. And then seeing it all come together. I just can’t stand hearing the song anymore. I listen to it muted. Tim did a great job on the song. I just don’t want to ever hear it again. :)

So there’s that. This is definitely one of my more explicit blogs. I will be posting my reviews of the new Steadicam and slider we used for the making of the music video. Check the (soon to be links) labels below… they’ll take you to the reviews. And those WILL have videos demonstrating the equipment, along with footage from the actual shoot.

Flycam 5000

ProAim 4' Slider

It’s a Video Camera

2011-10-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you getting into the DSLR game, you’re going to run into a very common thing; The frozen subject. 98% (give or take a percent). Of the people you encounter will know that what you’re pointing at them is in fact a camera. They’re used to seeing it in the hands of photographers… not videographers. In most cases, the fact that you’re shooting video will be lost on them.

You’ll notice subjects putting on a smile and holding still. After a moment, wondering why there’s no flash, you’ll have to inform them you’re shooting video. I have a lot of footage strewn throughout my hard drives… I’ve often thought about putting together a highlights reel. I haven’t had time to sort through all that… but I’m getting away from my point.

I think I should wear a t-shirt that says “it’s a VIDEO camera.” I’m not sure it will help. But if nothing else, the uneducated will continue to give us all awkward pauses to add to our highlight reels.

Review: Canon 24-70mm 2.8L

2011-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

What to say about this lens? It’s on that list that’s floating around the Internet somewhere. The one that has the essentials for DSLR filmmaking on it. The end all be all list. I can’t tell you the countless hours I spent lusting over this magical piece of kit. I dreamt of how it would make my pictures worthy of a magazine.
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Overcranking

2011-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Odds are you’ve seen it in films. 300, Gladiator, Mission Impossible 2… actually all John Woo Films I’ve seen, Hero and a lot of Chinese Cinema. Technically it’s called Ramping. The Slowing down, speeding up of the film either to draw attention to specific details, add emotion, or just be awesome. Read more »

2011-09-05T02:23:00.001-07:00

Here’s a quick review that’s a bit different from the reviews I usually do. I typically focus on the techy gadgets that save you money, and the things that make your camera perform better. So why not talk about something that makes ME perform better? An article of clothing that over the last six months has become an essential piece of my kit.
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Behind the Camera: It’s not about Beauty, it’s about what get’s the job done.

2011-08-30T04:49:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, real quick… I just wanted to point out that if the audience doesn’t see it… who cares what it looks like? Just get the job done and do it well (and safely… ie: don’t hang lights using gaffe tape.).

We’ve had to do some pretty weird looking things that were still quite effective. Like these:

Review of TheCineCity.com

2011-08-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

If you’re like me, you’ve spent hours perusing through websites looking for the best deals on the best gear. And as you may have noticed I enjoy getting that piece of gear that does what I need it to at a fraction of the cost of the big name brands.
When I heard about TheCineCity.com I began doing my homework. An Indian company building cheaper versions of branded products like Steadicam. Reviews of the site were usually “I was nervous to try the more expensive stuff… so I bought a matte box. It does the job.” there wasn’t much word on the other products.
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Pacific Ride Home, Music Video shoot Recap

2011-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Holy wow… Hi blog. It’s been a while. And we have much to catch up on. How’re you doing? Sweet… I’ve been busy. We filmed a music video for Tim Lundy. Drove down to Cape Kiwandis in Oregon and had an early morning wake up call of 3am. Hit the beach at 6am and hiked up the cape with our gear.

Medford and Sons

2011-08-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

I’m tired. August seemed to have snuck up on me like… Something very sneaky. I’m sitting in a car in Medford Oregon about to head home. It’s a five hour drive. I know this because we made the drive this morning.

I feel like I’m behind in blogs. Always behind. Not because I’m slacking but because I’m working. Finally! After all this time, I’m getting somewhere. Thank you for your support. Or if you’re new, thanks for checking me out (new peoples someone’s talking about me ;p ).
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The Uncertain Art of Creating Sound Effects

2011-08-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Directors are good at having a vision…but they're not always good at explaining them. So when I get a list of sound effects to work on for an upcoming video, there is often a lot of room for interpretation. Sometimes I have no idea what he actually wants. Typically they read something like this:

"SFX List:
-thump
-generator activating
-camera start-up noise thing
-something that sounds like an energetic teleportation…thing. ?
-atmospheric sounds,"
etc.

To which I must ask multiple questions to figure out the scene or what he actually means (Where is the sound relative to the viewer? What kind of environment is it in? WTF are you talking about?!?!?). Sometimes it just has to be something that sounds cool and works with the action. Other times there is a more specific vision of his that I am after.

Dragon Ball Z: James vs the Computer

2011-08-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

What child product of the 90’s didn’t grow up watching Dragon Ball Z? such an incredibly cheesy show, but so good.

The inspiration from this video came while I was still in Australia. My old laptop (the first MacBook Pro with an Intel dual core processor) was at the end of its life. I spent a lot of time aggravated, trying to get it working. I wanted to just blow it up.

Given some time, this concept grew and it was that simple.

The Milky Way Shoot

2011-07-31T02:28:00.000-07:00

Alright guys, back from vacation and ready for some blogging action… you’ll notice the website continues to grow, the home page actually is working, and we have a new section in development that will focus on videogames… but more on that later.

I just wanted to do a brief blog on the photo portion of my camping trip. Now, I love photography. Not quite as much as videography… but I still love shooting stills. However, when I’m on vacation, I’m often the only member of my family without a camera (not an exaggeration). I feel I document so much of my life, this one-week can fall on someone else’s shoulders. That sounds worse than it is.

As I was packing, still practicing minimalism, I found myself hesitating to bring my camera. In the end I couldn’t handle the thought of going without it. That sucker is apart of me… I did compromise by deciding to leave the tripod at home thinking, “I won’t need this.” Famous last words.

Cartooned!

2011-07-18T00:56:00.001-07:00

Jordan Dalton, a local illustrator that I went to high school with, was kind enough to come up with this caricature of me the other night.

I felt it might be kind of taboo to ask an artist to draw me (I tried to find the “draw me” scene from Titanic…). But I think his work is incredible and secretly… I really was hoping he might be willing to work some magic. So, I asked in the nicest, most sincere way I could manage in a facebook message.

30 minutes or so later (at about 4am I think it was…) I get a response; “You’re lucky I can’t sleep.” And this picture was posted.

I had fallen asleep at that point. So, I didn’t see it until the next morning. But I was ecstatic. I love the detail Jordan put into it. The cocky smirk, the freckles, the cowlick people think is an intentional faux hawk. He even got my Merrell’s and Prana’s in there. And the company logo. And the RED one… which was from a picture of me holding a real RED. It was really a flattering moment to see that version of me on my news feed.

I kind of felt like a superhero. I don’t know what my power would be. Or what my name would be. But I feel like a little kid when I look at that.

So thanks again to Jordan Dalton. You can follow the links to his:

Golden Hour is Happy Hour.

2011-07-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

Shooting during that last hour of sunlight almost seems like cheating. You can take most subjects, bathe it in that heavenly light and with very little effort you have incredibly dynamic and eye catching photos.

Tim Lundy, a name that returning readers have heard before, was in dire need of some photos for his webpage. I asked if he had time to run out and shoot some before the sun set. Danielle, a mutual friend, played grip (although I prefer the term “Reflectorist”).

She held a reflector and bounced light onto the subject. She helped kick around location ideas and pestered the talent to the point of him saying, “This is so unprofessional…”

We tried for the gazebo at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, but we just barely missed the light. We sped down to the waterfront and had about ten minutes before the light moved to low again. Ran to the train tracks… and decided not to play there as we could have died from the fast trains speeding by. We chose a pedestrian bridge by Fort Vancouver as the place to end our shoot.

There was this constant pressure to chase the light. I had no idea what the client (Tim) wanted. I just knew where I wanted my light. And that pressure to stay ahead of the setting sun was exhilarating. A part of me was on autopilot, getting the exposures I wanted with little conscious thought. Allowing me to call out changes to Danielle and get new angles quickly. The pace was fast and fun and I love it.

This is exactly what I mean about "cheating." I didn't give him warning. I just lifted the camera and took the picture. That's it. And the picture isn't stellar, but the angle of the light and the warmth from it really create an interesting image.

Finally, I had to admit defeat. The sun was gone, and the reflector was of no use. Not willing to waste the time, though, I popped out the onboard flash (a very heinous act in most cases) and took some couples shots with Tim and Danielle.

The flash wasn’t too awful. The images seemed washed out just enough to work. Some of the pictures didn’t however, for other reasons…

All in all, the shoot was pretty good. Especially considering the lack of planning… we just hopped in the car, camera in hand and hoping for the best.

I know reviewing a reflector seems kind of lame, but I’ll try to get a brief review up for all of you. And also a review of my new lens. :)

Keep it intense,

James

These aren't all of the pictures. Feel free to check out the facebook page for the full album as we edit them and post them. :)

Route Setting

2011-07-13T14:34:00.001-07:00

It seems like I’m struggling to get these blogs out. Joel’s been on my case and I’ve got a few projects that need to simply be typed up and finished.

If you’re keeping an eye on the webpage, you’ll notice there’s a new banner up, and some of the pages are getting closer to done. Like the photography portfolio page, for instance… As we finish more projects, that too will get updated.

Ok. On to what this blog is supposed to be about. I recently posted a blog about the Circuit Bouldering Gym’s annual member party, and through the same contacts I got to hang out with their route setting crew.

I’d often wondered about the process. It seems like a kind of art. They start with a blank canvas and their pieces of plastic. I talked to the setters and they seemed to have their separate approaches. One set tape a long the path they want the climber to go. Another set large features, or the “crux” and found the pieces to connect them.

Colored tape designates the route a climber follows. The start has two pieces of tape with the difficulty rating and usually the date the route was set and initials of the route setter are places on there as well.

I had my gopro shooting the whole time and I planned on making a time-lapse video of the process. The idea wasn’t mine though. Chelsea, my friend and an employee of the gym, came to me with this idea. The video has had some serious technical issues… I’m still trying to fix it.

If you’re in or around the Portland, OR. Area, check it out at either of the Circuit Bouldering Gym Locations. :)

Intense Entertainment Is Growing Up!

2011-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed some changes to the website these past few days... We're working on giving www.IEFilms.net the makeover it deserves to provide you guys with more content and consolidate our online presence! Whoo!

*Starts but fails a slow clap because people don't read blog posts live and even if they did I don't have a microphone recording my slow clap attempt and even if that all wasn't true nothing guarantees that you have your speakers turned on.*

Wow... That was a long sentence to say in one breath. Good thing I was typing. Now let's get back to business.

We're currently working on putting together photo and video portfolios to display some of IE's finest work. As usual, you're input and opinions on what should be considered as IE's finest work up till now is welcome! (Don't go being a funny man and say the helium singing video...).

On the project side of things, we are working on a few things right now... The project I'm personally most excited for is a Dragon Ball Z video effects spoof! Hopefully, we'll have this available for you in the very near future!

If you haven't done so yet, you can follow us on Youtube, Twitter & Facebook so you get access to the latest content when it's still hot from the printing press!

(Youtube)

(Twitter)

(Facebook)

Keep it intense folks. It's the only way to go about things.

- The IE Team
UA-24430399-1

Circuit Bouldering Gym Annual Member Party

2011-06-28T17:04:00.001-07:00

I've had these pictures on the back burner for a while. It's not that I haven't had time to post them... I just am not happy with them. And so they've sat, idly, on my hard drive while I waited for a miracle.

Well... That miracle isn't coming. And sometimes, i'll just be disappointed with the photos I produce. I actually deleted A LOT of them already... you can find them on the IE Facebook page.

This shoot really woke me up to the necessity of strobes. I traded clean shots that would be blurry for a crisp (kind of) image with a lot of noise. I cringe when I look at these, and I'm disappointed that I deleted the terrible, but interesting photos. Haha, sometimes I might be too critical... Those shots would have made for good examples of failing. :)

Anyways, I'm hoping to get a real blog up tomorrow.

Take care,

James

And let me know what you think... be brutal, be honest. I've got some thick skin, so feel free to check out the pictures and leave comments either below the blog post, or on the facebook page. I'll respond to any questions or comments as quickly as possible.

Sand Lundy and Helium

2011-06-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

The sun has arrived. It took forever and with it comes the hardest part of my job: sitting at a desk in a basement for hours at a time. Productivity is rapidly hitting an all time low. A list of work sits untouched while I play outside…

But how I’ve missed it. The warmth, the smell of sun-kissed skin, freshly cut grass. REI.com has a special on hammocks and I want one really bad. My birthday is coming… J

This blog is normally about projects that either push me, or are lessons for readers. This particular entry might not fit in those categories. In fact, this post is about bad ideas. A lot of people tend to scrap bad ideas. But I wonder how you learn from them if you don’t let them see the light of day.

First up is the Sand Lundy. The original footage of Tim wiping out while running down a sand dune wasn’t planned… the Sand Lundy video that footage spawned however, was. Now, I’m not saying there was any alcohol impairing our judgment when we came up with the concept of a father threatening his child with the mythical Sand Lundy… But I’m not saying there wasn’t, either.

My old coach played the father and the lines were just thrown at him. I said go. 10 minutes later, I packed up and left. This video is funny to me. But I say it’s a failure or “bad idea” because at no point was this video challenging. It just is, and I’m very hesitant to show it. The camera work on the staged part was very basic and the VFX work was a joke (took me a whole five minutes… I didn’t even color grade.) but we at IE found it hilarious. And I guess part of why we do this is to make things we want to see.

Which brings me to bad idea #2. I’m not even sure what got this creative masterpiece going, other than us talking about YouTube videos and songs and somehow singing with helium came in to the equation.

I think the video speaks for itself. I’ve been coughing up latex powder since.

Moral of this story: bad ideas happen to good people. Don’t be afraid to laugh at your moments of impaired judgment. You might be the only one who does.

Keep an eye out for upcoming blogs from our sound guru, Tim Lundy (the guy who eats it in Sand Lundy, and the guy playing guitar in the helium video.) and there will also be some changes coming to the layout of IEfilms.net.

:) James