The Idiot's Genius

2012

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:05:00 +0000

While still hoping to finish a video originally slated for the end of 2011, I've already got the next 7 weeks or so of my life figured out:

Looks like I'll be Art Directing the latest Stephen Cone feature (his 3rd or 4th feature, depending on who you ask). I'll be working with Caity Birmingham, who's the biggest rock star I know in the art world. I've been good friends with Stephen for years, but this will be the first time my schedule and his schedule have allowed for us to work full time on the same project. I'm definitely, incredibly excited.

The project is called "Black Box," and the script is great.

The crew thus far is an insanely high concentration of some of my favorite people from Columbia College, as well as a few folks I've met along the way in the freelance world. If I'm scarce around here, you'll know why.

Also: I can't post my pictures from Light Years just yet, as that'd risk spoilers and marketing problems down the line, but they'll go up as soon as I'm able.

Found Object: "Side By Side"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

This, well, actually looks like a really interesting documentary. Thanks, Keanu.

I've had the fortune to learn filmmaking on film, and had the fortune to work on both digital and 35mm features. Abstaining from favoritism towards one format or the other has been a tricky fence to sit for awhile, though with the rate of progression in the last 10 years I suspect it'll be a non-factor in another decade. My career would be drastically (perhaps even miserably) different if not for the advent of robust digital technologies, but as Christopher Nolan curmudgeonly states in the below trailer, it's far too soon to just throw film to the garbage heap.

Writing Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Of all the different aspects of filmmaking, I find writing to be the hardest. Since 2012 is the year I've decided to take writing more seriously (hard to tell from this blog, but it's true!), I thought this little service was a nice surprise discovery (via BoingBoing).

Figment, a writing blog, is offering daily writing prompts. They show up in your inbox each day, and with any luck give you something to think about, experiment with, or even blow off in favor of something else you'd rather do. This week they have five prompts from none other than Lev Grossman.

Lev Grossman is the author of The Magicians and The Magician King, and is one of my favorite writers. I follow him on twitter, even (@leverus). His first prompt from Monday is below:

Jonathan Franzen used to write his novels wearing earmuffs, or earplugs, in a darkened room with no windows, so that he could completely immerse himself in his fictional world and forget about the real one. See if that works for you.

Now, back to work...

Tribeca Talks "Light Years"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:39:00 +0000

Below is a nice article, written by "Light Years" director Maggie Kiley, about the process of translating her short into a feature film. For those just tuning in, this is the feature that hired me to Production Design in New York a few months ago.

Tribeca Takes: Maggie Kiley on Light Years

It's always a gamble when you sign onto a project, no matter what the budget or the people involved. The odds are even worse when you jump into things with a crew you've never met, and a production that can't afford to solve issues with money. It was definitely the most difficult project I've worked on to date, but it was so worth the risk. Also, Maggie's enthusiasm in the article isn't just a matter of hindsight, nor is it some calculated, marketing nonsense. We all felt proud and happy to have accomplished what (on paper, anyway) should have been impossible. I'm quite sure the film will get to where it deserves to go, and it's only the beginning for Maggie.

(Here's Light Years on IMDB)

New Work: Windy City Rollers - Travel Season Promo

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Despite clocking in at 67 seconds, this has been about 5 months in the making. It's also one of the last things I had wanted to crank out before 2011 came to a close, and I couldn't have done it without the under-the-wire assistance from my composer/friend Nathaniel Smith (nathanielmusic.com).

Hope you like it, and go see some Derby!

Photojournal Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:08:00 +0000

Photojournal, a set on Flickr.

I've just updated my Photojournal with stuff from the last few months. Working on "Light Years" and a few other projects made it impossible to stay up to date, so I'm making sure I close out 2011 with a clean slate.
You can browse my Photojournal in this site's Photography section, or view in higher res via Flickr.

Wisdom, Words, etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Charlie Kaufman, on time:

‘That’s two hours I’ll never get back,’ is a favorite thing for an angry person to say about a movie he hates. But the thing is, every two hours are two hours he’ll never get back. You cannot hoard your two hours.

Consequence of Sound: Top Photos of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Long story, long: I took the below photo of James Vincent McMorrow's awesome performance at The Hideout in Chicago this year. Earlier that day I had helped Consequence of Sound writer Nick Freed videotape a studio performance and interview with James, and he turned out to be one hell of a dude. I ended up with an invite to the show because Nick's regular photographer pal couldn't attend.

Lo and behold, Consequence of Sound put one of my pictures as #70 in their top 100 photos of 2011 (I don't think I can link directly, you'll have to scroll through 69 other photos to see in on their site...). Considering the rest of the list is full of crazy-famous musicians at crazy-huge musical events, I'm quite proud. It doesn't hurt that James is absurdly and ruggedly handsome.

And now we're one step closer towards the Irish to taking over the world...

Found Object: "How To Lose $2400 In 24 Seconds"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:08:00 +0000

This is a very short, painfully clever little film. It's a fleeting moment that never would've been seen by the world at large if not for technology. I love when film and the internet can intersect gracefully, because as a commercial venture film would probably never yield something so random and hilarious.

Maybe for a sequel he can shoot with a RED, or on 35mm?!

NY, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:48:00 +0000

I'm back in Chicago, after a 5 week stint in New York. I'm left with the mixed impression I'd normally associate with a failed relationship: I'm better for it, but tired and sore. The project and the people I worked with were incredible, but working out of that city....

Did you know that millions of people actually live and work there on purpose?

I had lots to gain from Light Years, but even more to lose, and I think I managed a healthy balance. To be blunt, from a Production Designer's standpoint it was a Herculean task to deliver at all, much less in any meaningful, creative way. On top of the time, budget, and personnel shortages, I lived in a "charming" apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, which had hot water and heat only as often as it didn't. We filmed 27 locations over 20 days in nearly every corner of the city (plus Westchester and Connecticut). Ambitious is an appropriate word here, but only because we actually pulled it off.

Something that kept me going: The Director, aside from being a pleasure to work for, was nursing a 2 month old infant the entire project. Can you imagine complaining about sleep or fatigue in light of that? In the end, I'm really proud of this one. Proud and grateful.

I have thousands of pictures, but I may have to hold off on the bulk of them so as not to spoil the film's market exposure. For now I need to get rested, unpacked, and caught up on a mountain of other projects.

New York, New York

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:18:00 +0000

I'm here, quite suddenly, working as production designer on a feature film called "Light Years." Would add more, but we shoot in 11 days! Time to get to work...

Quilts of Valor - Day One (Perham, Minnesota)

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:15:00 +0000

Over the next few days I'm traveling by bus with a group of 30 quilters, all of whom participate in a network called Quilts of Valor. They deliver (in this case by hand) hand-made, heirloom quality quilts to wounded soldiers returning from combat as a symbol of their gratitude for the soldier's service.

The idea is: soldiers comes home from active duty, and despite all the hoopla associated with a war or conflict, very little is done for them when they're spit back out of the machinery of the modern military and back into civilian life. There's certainly no big parade, and sometimes not even a thank you. These quilters feel that soldiers shouldn't go their whole lives wondering if anyone else cared one way or the other.

With that in mind, I'll be traveling with a group of QoV quilters to film and document their journey on behalf of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting (a very popular program out of Iowa Public Television, and big sister to the internet sensation known as Quilty). We'll be escorted by an honor guard of motorcyclists, and headed for military hospitals at Fort Hood and Fort Sam in Texas to deliver 1,000 quilts.

Earlier today I flew into Fargo, and am staying the night in Perham, Minnesota before heading out tomorrow morning. I'm in the home of the Caugheys, who are helping organize the trip, and are longtime Perham residents. The town's lifeblood these days is fed in large part by tourists attracted to the ridiculous number of lakes (pictured above), and a company called KLN Family Brands, who transitioned a few generations ago from farmers to makers of potato chips, licorice, and dog food (fortunately not all in the same factory).

KLN, as I've come to find out, is a surprisingly progressive, and family owned, company. For instance, they've let residents use company vehicles to shuttle little league players to faraway baseball games, they have profit sharing benefits with their employees, and have even helped cover shortfalls in the local school's budget so their workforce wouldn't have to contend with closing elementary schools. It's rare to find a company so readily invested in the livelihoods and communities of their workers, and that attitude has certainly helped Perham withstand the downward cycle plaguing the other agricultural communities in this part of the country. The vibe here is nice.

Tomorrow: hitting the road...

New(ish) Work: "Forget Me Not"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:58:00 +0000

This little movie premiered August 30th, 2010, at Chicago's Landmark Century Cinema with an hour-long program of shorts (hand selected from my friends and peers). This was also the day we started principal photography on Munger Road. So It's not really new, but after a year in the festival circuit it'll finally see the light of day.

You can watch it below, or find it posted in the film section. There are also behind-the-scenes photos over in the photography section, where you can see early sketches, Mitch the PA just after a bookcase fell on his head, and other fun things.

I started work on the film in 2007, and finished it in stages over the next 3 years while I finished my film degree at Columbia. It was built, staged, and shot entirely inside my first Chicago apartment (with the exception of the obvious exteriors and vignettes), much to the chagrin of the people I lived with. Through master sneakery, flim-flam, and elaborate ruses I got my hands on nearly every piece of equipment Columbia had available, despite not having permission to use any of it.

I hope you like it.

Additional music by Andrew Bird, and poster by Matt Bors, both of whom you should know and love.

Found Object: "PressPausePlay"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:37:00 +0000

I've been waiting for this movie for years. Not in the sense that I heard about it on a website, tracked it's release, and finally saw it for myself. More like, It expresses ideas I've been grappling with, and espousing, and sharing with my peers for years. You can watch it in its entirety for free here.

PressPausePlay is a documentary about new media. Music, Film, Visual Art, computing, technology, industry, and all that good stuff. It assembles a host of artists, professionals, and experts and discusses the elephant in the room:

Namely, things feel different now compared to when they used to, and not merely due to nostalgia.

While the above statement is probably accurate for any period in human history, something about this time is different. Maybe it's just that I was alive during the "used to" period, and am a struggling artist in the "now" period, and will hopefully be alive (and successful) for whatever is to come next. Maybe I'd be expressing the same idea if I were born in 1941 instead of 1981. But still. I played Nintendo when I was 6, and I used a personal computer with internet access at 13, and now that I'm just shy of 30 I can do more things on my phone than anyone would have imagined 10 years ago, much less 30 years ago. We still have war, and poverty, and all the problems we've had as a species since the day we were a species. But still, something now is different. Right?

I've been alive for, and cognizant of, some of the most sweeping changes in popular culture in several hundred years, and as a person (consumer, artist, whatever) it's incredibly invigorating and vexing at the same time. In contrast, my little brother is 9 years younger than me. He and his friends share a common language with me, they like many of the same bands, and have seen many of the same films, and lived through many of the same economic, political, and industrial hiccups. Yet, they awoke to this culture well after the institutions that grew up with had already died. All that, in 9 measly years. They never even had a chance to use Napster, for crying out loud, and yet they live in a culture that was changed by it. Things will always change, but PressPausePlay helped me put a finger on why this time around it seems different (even if it isn't (though I think it is)).

Change has been so rapid that nearly every institution created to support art and popular culture (or exploit/capitalize on it) has been dismantled or reborn from scratch several times over. Yet, there are still wealthy, working, privileged hacks and artists working side by side, just as there have been for centuries... So what's a guy like me to do?

It's difficult to understand the contradiction of a sophisticated digital age, and the child-like playfulness that these new tools give us the ability to run with. The idea of expressing an idea to "everyone" via the internet is incredible, but first, how can I afford the computer or camera or electricity or education I need to express that idea? Like I said, invigorating and vexing at the same time.

I don't think technology is the key to Utopia, nor is it the harbinger of doom. But it sure is something.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:23:00 +0000

This isn't much of a prediction, but much ink will be spilled over the death of Steve Jobs. Knowing my friends, I'm sure there'll be a mixture of reverence and "what's the big deal?" and crass humor, as befits such an incredibly ubiquitous public figure.

Jobs was my favorite kind of genius. In a cultural, economic, and political landscape fettered with recycled bullshit, Steve Jobs invented things. Not just ideas, either, but actual, physical creations. He was a guy who moved currents.

In today's corporate world, which has such little regard for human welfare and dignity, I hesitate to put too much on the shoulders of a businessman. It's artists and thinkers and writers that typically earn the respect I think Jobs deserves. Still, despite whatever Apple's laundry list of questionable deeds will amount to over the years, I believe Jobs was much more than just a successful capitalist.

To borrow the closing quote from the above WIRED article:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” Jobs said. “Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

R.I.P. Steve.

Munger Road: Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:45:00 +0000

I finally get to see Munger Road tonight at midnight, which is (I think) the public premiere. For all the hard work that goes into making a film, it's still not very easy to get one released in theatres (sometimes even famous actors or crew aren't enough). Seeing one's own work on the big screen with an eager crowd is therefore kinda rare, even for some industry veterans. The few times I've had the experience with my short films have been absolutely unforgettable.

Also, Roger Ebert gave Munger Road 3 out of 4 stars. That's a bit surreal.

Top Chef Season 9: Meet Heather Terhune

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:06:00 +0000

I directed, shot, and edited the above video in early 2011 for Heather. It was literally the first project shot on my 7D, and had to be finished in the span of a day or two. I also had a major memory card error, which caused a full day's worth of food prep and interview footage to be lost. That meant we had to re-shoot a different dish in the midst of her simultaneously running her own restaurant.

It was a tense week, for one big reason: the video was her audition for Top Chef.

Lo and behold, she made the cut! If you go to Bravo's website, you can even watch chunks of my footage edited into their "Meet Heather Terhune" video. How nuts is that?

Almost two years ago I started working for her at the Atwood Cafe (my first restaurant job ever, back when she was the Executive Chef, and prior to Sable opening). She's now a friend, a client, and someone I'll be watching every week on a hugely popular TV show. What a strange convergence! In the mean time, anyone in Chicago can stop by Sable to check out her food for themselves.

James Vincent McMorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:22:00 +0000

I woke up on Thursday with a plan for the day, and by the time the day was over almost none of it matched what actually happened. This was a good thing, because it meant meeting, taping a tiny solo performance, and eating burritos with James Vincent McMorrow.

My pal Nick, on assignment from Consequence of Sound, needed a hand with the afternoon, and I'm glad I pitched in. Based on what I saw and heard I think James deserves to be Ireland's Next Big Thing. It's like, Mumford and who?

After bonding over Canon's quality line of digital SLR cameras with Emma, his tour documentariain/Media guru extraordinaire, they hooked me up with a ticket to his (sold out!) show at The Hideout, which was a much more exciting way to spend the evening than another marathon session of editing. I also made sure to take a few photos during the show.

Found Object: "TUB"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 01:02:00 +0000

This one is a bit...disturbing? Unusual? I don't quite know what adjective to apply here that works as both a warning and a compliment. In some ways it's not safe for work, but not in a way you would generally apply that phrase...?

This film (Written & Directed by Bobby Miller) premiered at Sundance, went on to play a number of prestigious festivals, and garnered awards and representation. Not bad for 12 minutes! It bears close resemblance to a film by my pal Jon Steinhort ("Leftovers,"), and since I love both movies I probably have some kind of unhealthy fascination with ego-centric workaholics undergoing an identity crisis.

So far none of my projects have much in common with "TUB" or "Leftovers," but I'm definitely drawn to this kind of material. Maybe that means I'm overdue to make something that is equal parts unpleasant and fascinating? Here's to the future!

Found Object: "Quintetto"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:29:00 +0000

This installation uses video cameras and software to track the vertical movement of five goldfish. The result is a series of musical faders, each corresponding to a different portion of a musical track that is "written" by the random and natural movement of the fish. Besides being a really fascinating idea, it sounds great!

This was created in 2009 by the Italian art collective Quiet Ensemble.

The UPS Customer Service and Twitter Saga of 2011.

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:25:00 +0000

It all started last Wednesday (a far more innocent time for me), when I placed a routine order at B&H for a few items needed for an upcoming job.

Since then, I've been consumed by a bureaucratic nightmare that feels like a deleted scene from "Brazil." The only consolation is that UPS hasn't imprisoned or tortured me (yet), they've simply wasted a boatload of my time and money, and possibly driven me insane.

LONG STORY SHORT: Bad UPS driver fails to deliver where his forebears at UPS have never had an issue, I spend 24+ hours attempting to solve the problem (as the items are needed for a job today), and only manage to get told 12 different things by 12 different UPS employees, all ranging from Chicago to Bangladesh to who-knows-where. When I finally realize my only recourse is to show up at the UPS Will Call center this morning to retrieve the thing in person, I'm told the package is "pretty much lost" in the box line (whatever that is), and that there's no way for anyone to get it prior to it's newly scheduled Tuesday delivery. GREAT.

While I'm still empty handed, my ranting on twitter caught the attention of UPS's twitter admins, and with any luck they'll be able to step in and help.

Please?

Found Object: "Going To The Store"

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:23:00 +0000

Words are meaningless here.

All I can say is that I'm so very happy this video exists, and that I was alive to see it.

Low Rider Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Low Rider Festival 2011, a set on Flickr.

I had no idea such a festival existed, but it apparently happens in Pilsen (of course). I've added a few of these to my 2011 photo set as well.

And of course, thanks to Nancy and Oona for the invite, otherwise I would have spent this afternoon staring at my computer.

Munger Road Trailer.

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:59:00 +0000

It's hard to tell exactly how the story breaks down from this first trailer, but I'm happy as hell that it looks as eerie as I had hoped.

Munger Road isn't nearly as "art heavy" as most thrillers tend to be, though there were definitely some tricky special effects and logistical nightmares to pull off. I could tell even during production that Wes (the Cinematographer) and Nick (the Director) were taking the film's visuals very, very seriously, and that helped my end of things quite a bit.

Our areas of inspiration were more the likes of "Halloween" than "Saw." The goal was to see how far we could push real-life locations and real-life characters (from a story based on real events, no less), rather than adopt the modern trend of gothic/stylistic nonsense. I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

2011

noreply@blogger.com (Clockwork) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:40:00 +0000

Almost But Not Quite, a photo by oneonetwothree on Flickr.