Errant Boarder?

So yesterday around 10am I'm skating my longboard into school when I come off a curb, I step off my board and can't seem to get back on it. A couple tries and I just lose my footing and have to step off it again. After about the third try it gets away from me and rolls into some gravel. As I rode in fine the rest of the way, I couldn't believe how much trouble I had just had. I thought maybe it was my board, but I checked and all the trucks and wheels looked normal. So I just assumed I was just having a bad skate moment or something. Later that day I heard about the earthquake that happened just about the same time. Coincidence? I may never know.

In other news:

I saw these great Superman cartoons from the forties that my good friend Nich let me borrow. They are so fun! So much energy, hyped period drama and very amusing dated humor. Neat! It is clear that the Sky Captain creators totally pulled their NYC invading robots right out of "Mechanical Monsters." Right down to showing only the shadow of the flying robots, wing-arms outstretched, on the street. The most bizarre and probably most entertaining one was this one called "The Bulleteers". In it three guys get in this what appears to be a bullet-shaped rocket car, but then it can fly! Then it swoops down and crashes right through these various buildings. Such a strange concept! I'm interested to find out if these Max Fleischer versions ever touched on the "Kryptonite" lore. Supe seems pretty invincible most of the time in these ones. A whole bag of tear gas bombs thrown at him while hauling a train uphill did seem to give him a challenge, however.

A Review of Sorts

"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow!" (Spoilers ahead!)

I saw Sky Captain at a last! It was pretty good. It was a fun movie, but not as fun as I hoped it could be. Even the special effects seemed about average. (The end really reminded me of the live-action Thunderbirds trailer.) It did look dark and semi-Film Noiry, but I had just seen "Citizen Kane" a few days before and had been really impressed with the compositions and lighting. Unfortunately, Sky Captain seemed to use the dark lighting and de-saturated colors as a way to hide the fact that the background was computer generated. It's interesting, because CK used many matte paintings and other cheats on the sets, and yet gave a real weight and depth to each scene. So much so that many scenes were long takes and had to hold the viewer's attention for long periods of time. I liked the fact that the director Kerry Conran was going for an old style and look, keeping an old style title, giving the main character the generic-sounding moniker of "Sky Captain," etc. But I would have liked him either to update certain elements of the film, maybe making a more complicated plot that kept us on our toes, or either pushed the themes way back into the era completely, making Jude Law's SC way more swashbuckling. It turned out as kind of a mish-mash. I like those old serials because of the energy and thrill that comes across, even though the concepts and special effects seem hokey now.

Since this is a "personal" blog :), I will add that seeing Sky Captain was a good lesson for me. In the film I'm working on, I'm doing a good deal of blue screen work and have set the film in the black and white past, too. I also have a bunch of gadgets, like everybody did, it seems, in "World of Tomorrow." So I've got to be careful not to fall into the similar traps I saw happen in Sky Captain. I have to ask questions like, "when do the gadgets go from cool to silly?" Then I think of Batman and how cool things like the armor on the Batmobile was. Hmm.... Well, it's interesting stuff.

Back!

Yeah! Reporting from the sound stage, I am back to shooting! It's great to be back. I had been making little objects and clothes for the past month, now it's great to get back to seeing everything come together again! I'm almost done (I can't believe it!) with a whole scene, the most complicated one in the picture. Sort of a Sky Captain-like deal where there are at least two passes for every shot. One for the background, one for the foreground, all put together with the help of green screen. Fun stuff. To add to the complexity, I'm sick this week! But I think it's been a good thing. Because I'm so energy-less and sluggish, I really haven't been able to think of all the extra directions I could go, or do of all the extra things I think I need to do. It's really been a good object lesson in leaning on the Lord. Very much that, "When I am weak, then I am strong." thing. Because I can't be Mr. Energy, I've had to relax and take things one step at a time, and rely on God that it will all come out awesome. And it is! Especially without my effort. (!) Thankfully, I am feeling better today. I'm going to have to remember that I don't have to be super-production guy, and just stay in this weak state. I think it's called "meekness," choosing to be weak, when you can be strong in your own power.

Continuity note: At least in Indiana Jones, which I'm trying to use as a style guide for composition and cutting, whenever one makes several quick cuts between close-ups on the same character (i.e. Indiana's whip crack, c-u bringing it back behind his head, cut, c-u bringing it forward in front...) it seems that it's good to keep the same camera position. Don't go gettin' crazy with movin' the camera to the front or top of the character during these quick cuts! It just gets confusing. This is most of the time, there are of course, as with any artistic "rules", variations. I just had to learn this with the Robot jumping.

Lip-Reading Software Not Included

From the always informative Slashdot.org:

You, too, can own HAL9000's eye.

You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned

There are now more changes to the Star Wars: Special Editions. DVD versions released tomorrow (Tuesday)! See what's different:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarschanges.html

Five-Triscuit Respite!

Oh man, I am tired. It's a long story, but I am home again after a great time at the Monterey Jazz Festival! I got back last night at around one, and had to work at seven, so I haven't had too much sleep, and it's catching up with me now, I think! Ah, yes, but the festival was great! One person there everyone should know that was Bobby McFerrin. Wow. That guy is still goin' strong! He did not do "Don't Worry, Be Happy", but he did a pretty good jazz set with Jack DeJohnette all with just his voice (and a little chest percussion). The highlight of the set was when his son, Taylor McFerrin came onstage and did some first-rate human beatboxing. That guy is amazing. Definitely fun stuff! There were many legends of jazz, as well as awesome fresh faces.

The best part of being down in Monterey was really visiting my relatives that were there for the occasion. NPR DJ and West Yellowstone official, Uncle Fred Rice was there with his daughter Meg Adair (usually pronounced "Megadair") Rice. Greg and Lo Cootsona of Chico, Ca. of earlier blog fame were also in attendance. And of course Grandma-ma Rice was there digging the whole jazz scene that she loves. I think everybody had a good time! A tad raucous at times, but fun!

Some highlights:

--Vodka Gimlets at Il Fornio (fast becoming a tradition!)
--Picture taken at the summer vacation home of one "L.J. Chazen," the unknown person that started a small (but now much larger) in-joke at last year's MJF. "Mmm yes, that was a five-triscuit solo!"
--Beautiful sunset at the beach just before the Saturday night show.
--Swimming in a very frigid ocean!
--Seeing a Leslie speaker :)

I'm sure there are more! But alas, the sleepiness is getting the better of me I'm afraid! Until next time, blog-o-teers!

Electronic Labyrinth

Yeah! I just saw the "Special Edition" of George Lucas' first feature "THX-1138" (or "Thex" to his close friends) on Sunday. Nich and I made the trek to the City to see it. It was great! I thought it was the best George Lucas Special Edition job yet. (Yes, better than the SW trilogy or the Amer. Graffiti SE, of which I would probably prefer the originals.) The added stuff really made most things a lot clearer, and at times even more suspenseful and better for the story. There was much usage of the widescreen format (big faces and big spaces!) so it was great to see on the big screen. Very 70's arty art film. Nice. It came out on DVD today apparently, so that might be the last we see of Thex in theaters. :/ George has an interesting interview about Thex and his career here.

Dave Menestrina (or "Meno" to some) has introduced me to "Site Feeding" which is basically (and correct me if I'm wrong) a way to use a program or plugin, sometimes called an Aggregator, to scan many blogs or newssites for updates so you don't have to. I think you can set how often it checks the sites. (I personally am not Aggregating, yet!) So if you are an Aggregator or Site-Feeder, refer to the link to the right!

Golfland, USA

One destination, lots of fun!

I am amazed at how detailed this site for the Golfland down the street is! I remember going to this place as a kid! It's good to see that it's still goin' strong with a very flattering web page from the parent company. Pictures and everything! I do wish they had more pictures of the dungeon-like arcade room, though. It's a window-less place with carpeted ceilings. Truly a sight to behold. They even sell hot dogs and nachos there!

Lassi and Anise

Wow! My friend Sean has a blog now! And he just saw the new version of THX-1138! One of the perks of livin' in the City! Very cool. Looks like it will be a good read! (More pics from Teenagers From Outer Space there, too!)

So I got to hang out with my friend Avery yesterday. I hadn't seen him in a long time! We went to the Chaat House, which is an Indian restaurant near Golfland. (Everyone knows where Golfland is!) It wasn't too bad. Had the obligatory Mango Lassi and after-dinner anise, of course. He's busy with his band these days, Corpus Callosum, (He recently sung of my own mortality at a show! Neat!) and working at the very band-friendly, Barefoot Coffee Roasters. He's a very clever and funny guy. We joked about "psychological superheroes," he mentioned one called, "The Noticer!" With the special power of noticing! ("Hey look everybody, that man's being robbed!" or "Did anyone get the license off that truck??" "Thanks, Noticer!" and so forth) Another one was a guy who's omnipotent, but too polite to meddle in others' affairs. What if that guy is supposed to be robbed? Sort of a superhero that follows a Prime Directive. Hee hee.

Last Sunday my friend Nich came by and we both finally got to see Lost Skeleton of Cadavra! It's a current movie made to look like a cheesy old 50's sci-fi movie in the spirit of Teenagers and Robot Monster. It was funny in parts, with some quotable lines. ("I sleep now!") I actually quite enjoyed the opening credits. It had that semi-animated cut-out thing goin' on. Reminded me of UPA's "The Tell-Tale Heart." (Now available on the Hellboy DVD.) Keen.

I'm starting to get excited about resuming production at De Anza soon! I've been building away these last few weeks, makin' guns and teeth and hair n' stuff. (New pics hopefully up soon at the other blog!) But it'll be fun to get back to seeing all that stuff in action!

15 Years

To note the 15th anniversary of the GameBoy, Nintendo's handheld gaming system, (I was a big fan, I still have my giant b/w brick system from when it first came out! Dot Matrix with Stereo Sound!) here are some olde timey Nintendo links that are quite interesting!

Phat beats made from the GameBoy, a San Jose-based dj:
http://www.opaquechannel.com/cbrown/audio.htm

Musically inclined NES fans, (Yes, NES! The old one!):

Super Mario Bros on an electric guitar. This guy is amazing, he can even replicate the mushroom and coin sound effects.
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/marioguitar.wmv

Super Mario on the Piano! (With sheet music!)
http://minutillo.com/steve/weblog/2003/8/20/super-mario-brothers-piano-version

Super Mario on the Piano, blindfolded! Plus some other game themes. Not bad!
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mariopiano.wmv

The Collection Expands

Yesterday, my good friend Sean came all the way down from the City and we made a trip to the Silicon Valley Mecca that is Fry's Electronics, the Museum Fry's to be exact! Always a treat. If you've never been to Fry's, it might be the only place you can get a motherboard, porkrinds, a cappuccino AND learn about Silicon Valley history all in one spot. Truly an amazing place!

Ah, so while we browsed, we found the essential cheesy 50's sci-fi B-movie "Robot Monster" on DVD! A great find! We felt a little bad buying both copies of this treasure and depriving Fry's shoppers the joy of a movie that very well might be worse than Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer Space."

And I finally got my hands on another classic, "Teenagers From Outer Space," AKA "The Gargon Terror." Giant Lobster Action!

Explore the Studio Space

If you've got a certain type of fever, or you don't know this cow bell in-joke, my wonderful Aunt Lo (or Aunt Laura, or L'Ospite Extraordinaire de Chico) has found the great Saturday Night Live cow bell skit online:

http://www.ojai.net/swanson/snlshows.htm

Click on "Watch Cowbell Skit"

(Ps. How bad is my Italian?)