bjtallfeeds

2012-2013…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:37:00 +0000

2012-2013 Showreel

My 2012-2013 showreel is online. Finally I was able to get rid of the dreaded "coming soon" banner that all to often indicates a very long wait. At any rate that wait is now over. Head over to the "Reel" section of my site or click the image below to check it out.

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Home for…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Home for Christmas

Last year at about this time I met up with local musician Blake Havard to shoot "Home for Christmas"
It was a quick job taking an hour to shoot and the evening to edit, grade and output as Blake was flying out for the holidays the next morning.
Blake's a really nice guy and was great fun to work with. His enthusiasm and relaxed nature made the process a lot of fun.
You can also watch it in High Definition on my Vimeo page -->HERE<--

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"Si Si"…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:50:00 +0000

"Si Si" Trailer

Below you can check out the trailer for my short film "Si Si"
You can also watch it in High Definition on my Vimeo page -->HERE<--

The "Si Si" Microsite is -->HERE<--

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Reach For The…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Reach For The Top

This is another project I worked on for the Vancouver School Board.
In January of 2012 the Aboriginal Education Department of the VSB created a program for it's students to learn how to snowboard. This film follows one particular class through the program.

While this was a challenging project to work on and there is aspects of it that I would like to change, I think ultimately it successfully communicates the benefits of the program for the students involved.

Check it out below;

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"Si Si"
noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:54:00 +0000
"Si Si"

The last few months have been hectic and as a result I have neglected to post as frequently as I would have liked.
However, on the flip side I have a lot to write about and some cool work to show. What I am most excited about is the completion of my short film "Si Si" Originally shot for the Vancouver 24 hour Film Race, "Si Si" was written, shot and edited in 24 hours.

The entire process was both exhilarating and exhausting with many high and low points that come with such an ambitious undertaking.
The day after the race I flew to Australia and was delirious by the time I landed. It took several days of rest and relaxation before I was able to reflect on the project and I realised what a fantastic process it had been.
I was so lucky to work with a great cast and crew who not only volunteered their time and talents but who really gave their all and rallied together in pursuit of my vision.

However, I did keep having one recurring negative thought, I wish I'd had more time for editing and post production.
Then it dawned on me, I no longer had any time restrictions, the race was over and there was no studio, producer or client hounding me to finish. On top of that, all the source files were just sitting on a hard drive back in Vancouver so why not take the time now to do the film its justice.
So, when I returned home refreshed and motivated, I set about re-editing, grading and mixing "Si Si".
The process was challenging given the limited coverage we had time to shoot and the mixed quality of audio that we were able to capture. Ultimately however the process was a tremendous amount of fun and resulted in film much closer to my original vision.

The film is currently being sent out to various festivals and I will be sure to post any updates on its progress.

In the mean time, you can read more about the film and view the trailer at the "SiSi' micro-site below;

www.benjaminjamesturner.com/sisi

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The First People's…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:31:00 +0000

The First People's Festival

At long last I have completed one of three short documentaries that began shooting way back in May of this year. All three deal in some way with education and First Nations people here in Vancouver, Canada which has been an extremely informative and enlightening process.

Shot at the impressive Museum of Anthropology which lies on the grounds of UBC.
The First People's festival took place over two days and showcased a wide variety of traditional singing and dancing as well as games, crafts and storytelling.

The First People's Festival from Benjamin James Turner on Vimeo.

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Vladimir Nabokov,…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:39:00 +0000

Vladimir Nabokov, The Art of Fiction

Continuing with my unintentional theme of deceased persons, I just read a fantastic interview with Vladimir Nabokov from the 1967 Summer/Fall issue of The Paris Review.

Predictably, I discovered his work after having first seen an adaptation of his novel "Lolita" for the screen. The first being the 1997 version directed by Adrian Lyne followed by the 1962 version directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Of particular interest, to me at least, is where Vladimir talks about his writing process which consists of writing scenes on a series of index cards and then shuffling them around to form the structure of the novel.

There are many great quotes to be found throughout this informative interview. Here is one I particularly liked;

INTERVIEWER
"Clarence Brown of Princeton has pointed out striking similarities in your work. He refers to you as “extremely repetitious” and that in wildly different ways you are in essence saying the same thing. He speaks of fate being the “muse of Nabokov.” Are you consciously aware of “repeating yourself,” or to put it another way, that you strive for a conscious unity to your shelf of books?"

NABOKOV
"I do not think I have seen Clarence Brown's essay, but he may have something there. Derivative writers seem versatile because they imitate many others, past and present. Artistic originality has only its own self to copy."

The full interview can be found -->HERE<--

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HK artist seeks to…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:34:00 +0000

HK artist seeks to redraw image of tattoos

I read an interesting article about Joey Pang, a Hong Kong based tattoo artist who is professionally trained in Chinese calligraphy.
She's so popular that she has a two year waiting list.
I also recommend checking out her site for a more comprehensive look at her work and the other artists from Tattoo Temple, really great stuff.

Tattoo Temple -->HERE<--

News article -->HERE<--
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Chris Marker dies…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 02:13:00 +0000

Chris Marker dies at age 91

It feels a little morbid to follow up my last post with another dealing with the death of someone, however I wanted to make mention that Chris Marker passed away.

From the Vancouver Sun

"PARIS - Chris Marker, the influential French film maker whose career spanned six decades, has died, France's Culture Ministry confirmed Monday. He was 91."

I posted a while back about seeing his most well know work "La Jetee" at the Vancouver art gallery. What I love about this film is its simplicity of execution and how this simplicity serves to enhance the story.

Below is a re-posted excerpt of the film. I would encourage anyone who reads this who has never seen the film in its entirety before to do so.

Chris Marker "La Jetée" (7.5 minute excerpt of the 26 Min short)

What a film like this serves to remind me is that a clever idea told simply is all that is required to create an engaging film. A lesson that I need to remind myself of from time to time.
This reminder seems especially important in today's climate where access to cameras, computers and software is more accessible than ever before (to the middle class at least). A lot of film making sites are saturated with articles about emerging technology which is exciting but often distracting and I have to remind myself that its not what tools you have but what you have to say with them.
Innumerable are the films I will never watch more than once despite there once time technical prowess yet a film like "La Jetee" I can always watch again because it is well told, thoughtful and engaging.

A link to the Vancouver Sun article can be found-->HERE<--

A nice tribute to Chris Marker and his work can be found at the Huffington Post-->HERE<--

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Gore Vidal passes…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Gore Vidal passes away at age 86

From CBC News,

"Gore Vidal, the author, playwright, politician and commentator whose novels, essays, plays and opinions were stamped by his immodest wit and unconventional wisdom, died Tuesday at the age of 86, his nephew said.

Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday of complications from pneumonia, Burr Steers said. Vidal had been living alone in the home and had been sick for "quite a while," he said.

Along with such contemporaries as Norman Mailer and Truman Capote, Vidal was among the last generation of literary writers who were also genuine celebrities — fixtures on talk shows and in gossip columns, personalities of such size and appeal that even those who hadn't read their books knew who they were."

"Vidal also worked in Hollywood, writing the script for Suddenly Last Summer and adding a subtle homoerotic context to Ben-Hur. The author himself later appeared in a documentary about gays in Hollywood, The Celluloid Closet. His acting credits included Gattaca, With Honors and Tim Robbins' political satire, Bob Roberts."

Full article can be found -->HERE<--

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2012 Emmy…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:49:00 +0000

2012 Emmy Nominations for Main Title Design

Art of the Title is one of my favorite sites for creative inspiration. Besides the wealth of fantastic video content it is also full of informative interviews with the creative forces behind these projects.
Take a look at the following titles currently nominated for a 2012 Emmy.
Also make sure to head on over to Art of the Title for some creative inspiration as well as some informative insights into the creative process.

www.artofthetitle.com

American Horror Story from dean gvozdic on Vimeo.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS from MOMOCO Film Titles on Vimeo.

Imaginary Forces - Magic City from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.

New Girl - Opening Title Sequence from Framework Studio on Vimeo.

STRIKE BACK from MOMOCO Film Titles on Vimeo.

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Appliance…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Appliance Murders

Here's a work in progress from a series of photographs I took a while back in which I went about my apartment and murdered various appliances.
In this one I disemboweled my Dryer.
These have sat on the shelf far too long so I am dusting them off and seeing what I can do with them.

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Salar de Uyuni…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Salar de Uyuni panoramic

I was rummaging through some old photographs and came across this panoramic I took in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.
The Salar is a spectacular and vast expanse of salt flats located in the south west of Bolivia.
When I was there the flats were under water due to heavy rainfall which made for a unique visual of perfectly still lakes that stretched all the way to the horizon like a seamless mirror.
Walking on water a la Jesus was suddenly possible.

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Hollywood…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Hollywood screenwriter Nora Ephron dies

"Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nora Ephron, known for romantic comedies "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle", has died in New York after battling leukemia. She was 71."

Full article-->HERE<--

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"Si Si" production…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:02:00 +0000

"Si Si" production pics

Some production shots from a short film made for the Vancouver 24 hour film race.

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Updated…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:38:00 +0000

Updated site

I finally got around to streamlining the site a little bit, something I've wanted to do for sometime now yet predictably have always pushed it repeatedly to the back of my list of priorities.

One such priority was the 24 hour film race that took place on the 18th and 19th of May.
I directed a short film entitled "si si" with a very talented and dedicated cast and crew. It was a great experience albeit exhausting. We did an amazing job on the production (if I do say so myself) yet fell short on the post production not having enough capable computers to meet our demands. This created a bottle neck that ate into extremely precious time. The end result was a little disappointing but we did manage to complete and upload a cut by the 24hr mark.....on the buzzer. Which in and of itself is an achievement.

we are screening in competition which is great despite my disappointment in the state of the edit and mix at the time of submission. I have just begun another edit for release once the competition is over that will do justice to the outstanding efforts of all involved.

I can't say enough good things about my cast and crew who all did an amazing job under ridiculous time constraints and I look forward to working with them again in the future.
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Walking +…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 06:34:00 +0000

Walking + Falling

I have been really busy of late which has been great but tiring and has inevitably led to me neglecting a few things, such as posting regularly to my site.
I have been shooting a documentary on the open mic scene here in Vancouver several nights a week which has been really interesting.
I have seen some really talented musicians and entertainers and also some very.....enthusiastic musicians and entertainers.

It's a strange notion for me that people feel compelled to preform in front of others and it has been interesting seeing the varying types of personalities that take to stage and I have a lot of respect for the courage it takes to share a passion with an audience.

I have also been out filming a few other events, I designed some new business cards, finished a third draft script and animatic for a short film and am very close to going into production of another short film.

In between all of this I took a trip to the Vancouver Art Gallery. I did so without much expectation as I find that the larger galleries can seem a little like a high school art history class, wheeling out works from the Renaissance that I know are significant not because I reached that conclusion but because I was told as much by a teacher who taught as much because they were told as much when they went to school.

Anyway, let's cut to chase here. I saw some great works at the Vancouver Art Gallery in an exhibit entitled "Walking and Falling" which featured works by Jim Campbell, Chris Marker and Eadweard Muybridge.
The work of Muybridge was already well known to me from having worked as an animator however the work of Jim Campbell was altogether new to me.

The works I saw were a series of light based installations depicting people in motion.
The Visuals were displayed over an array of lights that essentially functioned as a kind of low resolution display sometimes with a sheet of perspex in front placed at varing angles.
The perspex screens diffused the light and accentuated the form of the figure in motion. It was interesting how the brain was still quite easily able to interpret the motion despite the abstract nature of the display.

This study of motion reminded me of an important aspect of character animation I had learned about the importance of creating clear silhouettes. A characters intent and purpose should be readable by the shape of each pose. That is, to pose your characters in a way that most clearly communicates their, emotion and intent to the viewer through clearly sculpted and readable forms.

I also saw was a short film by Chris Marker called "La Jetée" It is very well known and I am almost certain I have seen it before which is funny given the nature of the film.

I enjoyed this film very much(for the second time perhaps?) and felt very inspired after the screening.

I don't want to say too much about the film and spoil it for anyone who hasn't already seen it however I will say that it sits somewhere between a photo narrative and a film and that it's a well told cyclical narrative which communicates complex notions of time and love through a deceptively simple vehicle.

I have found myself reflecting on various aspects of the film many times after the screening which to me is a trait of a successful work of art.

Jim Campbell "Running and Falling"

Chris Marker "La Jetée" (7.5 minute excerpt of the 26 Min short)

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Skating
noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:29:00 +0000
Skating

When I was a teenager I used to skate alot, when I say I used to skate I mean I used to live and breathe it, any free moment I had I was pushing around somewhere, driving my mum insane playing the same video parts over and over again (Herbie Hancocks awsome rendition of "Watermelon Man" from Guy Mariano's section in “Mouse”-->HERE<-- almost led to the VCR being destroyed)And when I had to go to school I spent all my classes dreaming about it. After a couple of years I even got sponsored by a bunch of companies but that's more or less when things went down hill and I lost interest for skating and became more interested in drinking and partying, I started selling all my gear so I could party and eventually got kicked off all my sponsors and stopped skating all together.
That was the end of high school.
After arriving in Vancouver nearly a year ago I got a job with a bunch of guys who all happened to be interested in skating, little by little I regained some of my old interest and through the generosity of my colleagues got a new set up put together.
Its a cool, laid back scene in Vancouver, perhaps the Canadian friendliness has something to do with it or perhaps being a little older means I'm a little more laid back than I used to be.
At any rate I haven’t felt as much like and idiot as I thought I might (how I look doing it probably differs significantly). And has also given me the occasional opportunity to take some photo's.
Here is a few I took at the Hastings bowl a couple of blocks down from my house.

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It's…

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:48:00 +0000

It's alive...ish!

After a long couple of weeks near bleeding from the eyes, I have finally finished building my website.
It was a rather steep learning curve but I never cease to be amazed by what you can achieve through online resources.
I set out with the clear vision of creating a site that was clean, minimal and simple. Armed with a two page Photoshop mock up I was sure it would be a snap to cobble together.
Predictably, I was quickly e-slapped and reminded of an age old fact, good functionality though simple to use does not mean simple to build. On the contrary it generally means the exact opposite.
Seems obvious right?
So my “simple site” suddenly wasn't so simple and I quickly became overwhelmed and disheartened.
Did I really want to spend all the time and effort that would be required to build my simple website when I could have a blog up and running within minutes?
I thought about this for a while, blogs are the norm these days, perfectly acceptable as a “professional” platform, they are functional, easy to use and with more and more great themes becoming available you can customise the look of your blog to your liking.
After all I am not a web designer/developer and have no desire to be one. Why put myself through the headache?
I thought about it for a while and looked over my little design and it hit me just how irritated I would be if I just gave up and decided it was too difficult, that I couldn't actually make something I had designed.
Besides, I had always touted the capacity of the internet to offer up solutions to just about any problem if you knew how to go about looking for the solution, so I couldn't just settle for the plug and play option of a blog.
I wanted to make something personal, that was an expression of my taste, that I had crafted from the ground up in the manner that I chose, short comings and all.

So was it worth it in the end? Yes and no. I spent so much time working on this site ironing out problems that would have been simple to anyone with more than rudimentary knowledge of web programming while I should have been working on my true creative passions. But, on the other hand, I learned a great deal and got far more enjoyment out of tweaking lines of code and seeing the result than I ever would have imagined.
I also developed a much greater appreciation for the talents and work ethic of web programmers and designers.
Most importantly I gained a sense of accomplishment in having stuck it out and seen my project through from concept to completion.

When I said that I wanted something “I had crafted from the ground up” it occurred to me that it all depends on where you think the “ground” begins.
I never could have gotten this site to function without the wealth of tools, code, tutorials and knowledge that many generous people share freely online.
So when I say that “I built this site” that's not really true. This site was built off of the backs of people who generously shared their knowledge, skills and hard work that enabled me to stagger about with my virtual hammer and build this li'l ol shack.

I'd like to mention and give thanks to some of the sites, scripts and tools that enabled me to build this site. Hopefully this post comes in of some use to somebody else out there who might be undertaking a similar venture.

http://jonraasch.com/
I followed a nice and simple jquery slideshow tutorial that I used for my featured content section at the top of this page.
http://css-tricks.com/
Here I found a nice and simple contact form that is very easy to style with CSS
http://www.w3schools.com
Basically any time I wanted to look up a question in relation to code I went here.
http://jquery.com/
This shit is amazing! most of the interactivity on my site runs off of it. As I understand its a JavaScript library that lets you write more simple more simple javascript to build interactivity into your site.
http://www.no-margin-for-errors.com
Excellent site with amazing tools and tutorials. I used “prettyPhoto” for the light box gallery functionality found on my site. (Uses jquery)
http://www.aakashweb.com/
I implemented the “collapser plugin” from this site. (Uses jquery)
http://jasalguero.com
I used this great sliding menu plugin for the “Blog” and “work” button navigation at the top of this page. (Uses jquery)

Some other noteworthy sites and tools I used:
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/
http://www.feedburner.com
For burning and combining multiple RSS feeds
http://fireftp.mozdev.org/
Fire FTP for uploading and downloading content to my server from within Firefox

On a somewhat related note, a while back I watched a very entertaining TED video about a guy who attempted to build a toaster....I mean really build it from the ground up.

So on that note, welcome to my new site, please take your shoes off at the door, don't lean on the walls and I wouldn't touch the light switches either...I BUILT THIS!
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