In equal measure, I both admire and fear the exacting, withering wit of comedian Genevieve Rice. Thus, my first in a series of stand up "trading cards," to celebrate both hers, and the voices of other comedians I admire.
red_meow
"Ghost Tape #10" figurine by Jedadiah Cracco
After clearing its final sound mix at Chapman University last week, I'm excited to begin sharing more images and sounds from my upcoming film, Ghost Tape #10, with you all. A visualization of the effects of audio propaganda during the Vietnam War, this figurine of a North Vietnamese solider (designed & sculpted by Jedadiah Cracco), represents one of the central conceits of the film: unearthing the past. Through dreamlike visuals, I hope the film can explore this connection between the living & the dead that I experienced in Northern Vietnam, and what stories still lie underground, waiting to be pulled up into the light.
(Tiny) Taco Tuesday
I'd like to develop the habit of drawing or creating something quick immediately after waking up and having my morning tea. Today (Tuesday) was my first attempt at this: a tiny paper taco. I crafted this tasty snack, all the while completely forgetting about my cup of Earl Gray, which was cold to the touch when I went to pick it up soon after. A small price to pay for getting lost in one's work.
ALGORITHM
Self portrait
"Here's Lookin' At You;" (Spider Eyes)
"Penny Girl" by Cola Boyy; Directed by David Luraschi
It was a joy to help out my good friend David Luraschi film his music video for "Penny Girl," the debut single from Cola Boyy's debut EP, Black Boogie Neon. I spent a whirlwind weekend driving around Oxnard helping gather bits and pieces of sunshine that Luraschi spun into gold. As Matthew (Cola Boyy) himself said best: "This is not just my world, but a part of me that's so vulnerable. All my differences are on the table, and my song plays in the background. Oxnard has so many bright colors and faces, it shows in the video. Isn't it nice?" More than just nice, it was truly inspiring to see his community come together to support this gifted young man and our heartfelt romp through their neighborhood. I can't wait to see what funky magic Matthew conjures for us next, as well as myself, his newest fan.
CREDITS
Director: David Luraschi / Production company: SlowDance / Executive producer: Valentine Suc / Director of Photography: David Luraschi / Line Producer: Mike Medoway / 1st Assistant Camera: Riley Keeton / Set Designer: Sean David Christensen / Production Coordinator: Jocelyn Rummler / Production Assistant: Jocelyn Cortez / Editor: Kenza Meunier & Wyatt Earp Color Grading: Marjolaine Mispelaere / Post Production Company: Motion Partners
Special thanks to: Oxnard, CA, Adrian Pillado, Nic Hessler, Corentin Kerdraon, Marc Teissier du Cros, Cesar Wogue, Record Makers, Juniper Carrasco, Luis Franco, Jun Porte, E-scan, Fotokem, Motions Partners, Panavision, Reel Good Films & Daniela Garcia
READ ABOUT THE VIDEO via The FADER
Same
Back in the studio
What a joy to create this bright new color combination for my latest miniature, a recording studio from the mid-1960s. Partly historical, partly fantastical, this set was designed for my latest film, a documentary which utilizes archival recordings from the same era. I've always gravitated towards bending the rules of visually representing the past, and hope all of these pieces I've gathered come together as neatly as craft wood; Albeit, with some of their most endearing human imperfections imprinted upon the final product.
AmirSaysNothing
I had the good fortune to catch AmirSaysNothing at a concert showcase organized by the prolific Charlie Scovill, held at the Bootleg Theatre in Los Angeles earlier last month. Amir's blistering set featured selections from his most recent collaboration with Scovill, Love Always, Mr. Right, which promptly made me an instant fan; Hence, this fan art. For more music from this electric pair and many more artists produced under Scovill's unique vision, please visit www.charliescovill.com to catch just a glimpse of this wunderkind's prodigious output.
Erin
Hand lettering cinematic titles & an appreciation for Pablo Ferro
One of my all-time favorite movie openings that elegantly incorporates hand lettered cinematic titles belongs to Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia. Masterfully pairing the film's theme (performed by Bruce Springsteen) with warm, cursive script, this sequence beautifully captures the shifting harmonies and subtle cruelties of an American city, one which claims brotherhood as its namesake (or brand), rather than an embodied ideal to strive for.
Even as a young child, I appreciated the feeling that came over me as I recognized titles on screen that weren't rigid and streamlined. Like in Philadelphia, these were deliberate, yet imperfect artistic choices. Handmade, preserving all their flaws. Their inclusion almost seemed like a clever trick, as if each card was an intruder, too sloppy for the big screen. Yet every time I'd come across this artist's work, whether I knew it or not, he evoked notes that I still can't describe. Going back through his resume, it's illuminating to realize his craft framed some of my favorite films as a child, my most formative to how I approach titles today: Dr. Strangelove, Harold and Maude, Men in Black & The Addams Family.
I'm speaking of the great Pablo Ferro, whose unmistakable style is still as bold and fresh as it was right off the page in the mid-60s. As I've learned, in creating my own handmade titles for my upcoming film, this approach takes time and a great deal of patience, much like re-fueling a B-52 in midair. Starting with a ruler, paper and some technical pens, I've reconnected with that childlike fascination of the bond between the hand and the page, an artistic choice that is imprinted with as much care as setting up a shot or smoothing out a piece of audio. Every bit counts.
Miniature-in-progress: Recording studio
My latest film incorporates a new miniature set, a recording studio, which I'm realizing seems to borrow (in spirit) from the color palette of Stanley Kubrick's creepy red bathroom in The Shining. Eagle-eyed fans of The Duel may notice the grey file cabinet from its hospital scene, which will be repurposed for this new work with a coat of flamingo paint. Stay tuned for more mini updates as this room comes together!
Empty Skies // official poster
What a stimulating challenge to design a film poster for another filmmaker's vision! Many thanks to directors Wenting Deng Fisher & Luke Fisher for their guidance and faith in my abilities. The sumptuously shot and heartbreaking short, Empty Skies, coming soon!
Feathers
Not falling asleep by your usual bedtime is a bit like missing your bus home when it's really late at night. All you can do is wait until you're tired again. By that time, opportunities for sleep (much like the buses) only come about an hour or so apart. That is, if they're still running at all. So you just have to lie there and wait until the feeling takes you again. Perhaps you try to busy your mind, tricking it into thinking it's more tired than it really is: "Draw some feathers," you command. "Now open Photoshop." And you do. And still, you wait. Because you already missed your bus.
"Mommie Dearest" Criterion Collection concept art
SACRED SHIT by Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat
One of microcinema's treasures is the joy of discovering nuance just beneath its surface on repeat viewings. Much like the delight you experience upon discovering a new instrumental flourish buried within your favorite song after revisiting it, the comparable brevity of a short film sharpens its audience's senses, refocusing them to engage with, and pick up, new details. A short film's runtime tacitly demands a heightened level of awareness from its viewers, knowing there's only so much time to tell its story. You can always hit “repeat,” though.
On such repeat viewings, the impishly clever hide of Sacred Shit wears away, its clever skin belying its truer nature: a meditation on friendship, dependency & loss. Filmmakers Machete Bang Bang & Erin Granat (dear friends of mine for transparency’s sake), weave their individual talents together to express their own unique artistic stake in the process, while never sacrificing the volume of either voice to placate the other. Without spoiling the film’s revelatory ending, it’s clear that this sense of mutual collaboration speaks to more than simply the mechanics of making art, but a deeper need for each friend to support the other in the face of mortality and its humorless smile. Life, after all, has a runtime too, though we never know how long we’ve got until it’s too late to demand a repeat button. Now that’s some “sacred shit.”
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Credits:
Starring: Erin Granat, Machete Bang Bang & John Weselcouch as "Friend on Phone"
Created by Machete Bang Bang and Erin Granat
Edited by Machete Bang Bang
Sound Design & Mix by Tim McKeown
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Best of NFMLA Award nomination: "The Duel," Best Short Film - Documentary
I'm thrilled to be counted among the year's best at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles's "Best of NFMLA Awards." The Duel has been nominated for Best Short Film - Documentary, an honor I couldn't be more proud to share with my friends at the RISK! podcast and my unbelievable cast & crew. Now...what to wear on the red carpet?
Learn to love yourself / Before loving someone else
Last year, I began compiling a sticky note on my desktop - a list of ideas for drawings that I've been meaning to complete. The above, "Learn to love yourself before loving someone else," is my first crack at the list. More to come, as I keep chipping away.