I’ve been to the Rose Parade a few times and frankly it’s a much better experience on an HD TV in the comfort of your own home. No cold night sitting on the curb, no sleeping whatsoever, no hunger, nobody throwing things at you from their cars, and no trying to drive home after all of those things, and no sleeping the rest of the day. So I stopped going.
Then there’s the Doo Dah parade which is the exact opposite. It would be lousy on TV and you can sleep in and still get a good spot. Like we did! The parade starts at 11:30 and we parked right next to the parade route. We had to sit in the sun for a short time but the last half of the parade the sun swung around and put us in the shade.
I did shoot some HD video so as soon as I get around to bothering buying a hard drive, capturing the tape, and editing the footage, I’ll post it… Don’t wait up.
Liza got back in town Monday night! She’ll be here for a few months and off we went tonight to the Jim Henson Studios, formerly A&M Records, formerly formerly Charlie Chaplin’s studios.
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was doing a demo of their technology and also held an open house. They did some motion capture demos along side of puppeteering facial animation. Fun stuff. After that we walked around the studio lot and saw some puppets from The Dark Crystal, the Muppet Show, and various creatures who all looked slightly familiar. We went into the workshop in back and they had a rack of muppets that was hilarious looking. All colorful but not animated at all. No spark of life in them at all. Also we saw one of the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal. After a bit of research Liza found out he was SkekOk the Scroll-Keeper.
We even saw Charlie Chaplin’s footprints and signature that he put in some cement outside one the the studios. The cool thing is that there aren’t really public tours of the studio so it was nice to have a look behind the gates.
Then there was that little ditty back in 1985 called “We are the World” that was filmed and recorded at the studios when it was A&M Records. Fun stuff!
Each lighting team on Monsters Vs. Aliens is named something monstery. So far I’ve been on three teams on this show. Team Freak, Team Thing, and Team Gort. Team Freak leader Robert took us out to lunch as we wrapped up our sequences. We ate at Picanha in beautiful downtown Burbank. Russell on the left is looking pretty beat up. He had to do all the heavy technical heavy lifting for the team. Udai the lighting lead gave us a thumbs up. Robert the Supervisor on the right is smiling because we made him look good.
For no reason other than Meat Loaf shot that video there I thought I’d check out the Greystone Mansion. Turns out a lot more than that has been shot there over the years. Most recently that crazy ending in “There Will Be Blood“. Apparently they got a cut in the rate to film there for restoring the bowling alley. The mansion was closed but I walked around the gardens and peaked in the windows. Not much to see but it’d probably be a nice stop to have lunch. I give it an 8 on the boring scale. Hard to get excited about some place called greystone. blah.
The holidays were mellow. I had to work New Years week so I didn’t really get to go out and do much. Like a lot of people this year we cut down on the gifts so it was nice not to have to worry about it too much. This year I made all the gifts anyway, so that was fun.
Earlier in the year I got about 625 slides and negatives from my parents and started laying out a book. They were from 1961 to 1971 as close as I could figure. It was pretty fun to try and date the actual slides by the little clues that they give away. After a few months I sent the book off to Blurb and had two 300 page books made. One for my parents and one for my sister. They came out amazing and are really fun to look at. You can see a preview here. I also printed and framed up a photo I shot back in the 80’s from a trip to Michigan for my mom. It’s hanging above the fireplace now so that’s nice. That can be seen here.
So that was the holidays. And that is a photo of The Americana on a quiet night before the holiday storm. Also Floyd the dog hates sleeping on anything cold or hard so he would crawl under my parents Christmas tree to take advantage of the skirt.
Mary Ellen Mark was in L.A. tonight to present and talk about her new book. Seen Behind the Scene. It’s a compilation of images she has taken as a Unit Stills Photographer over the last 40 years. There’s a list of maybe 50 photographers with real name recognition. Top of the heap is probably Ansel Adams and then maybe Annie Leibovitz, but somewhere in there lies Mary Ellen Mark.
I tried to take my best Mary Ellen Mark type photo above. It was the least blurry photo I shot so I failed on technique, but she did write in my book… “Film Forever”. Which is exactly what I used, so I got an “A” for effort.
I’ve been working on Monsters vs. Aliens the last few months and the posters have now replaced Madagascar 2 around the campus. Also this week I did some “walla” for the movie. Walla groups are used to create crowd noises for the background of movies. A group of us gathered outside and yelled at invisible monsters, ran screaming from invisible monsters, hurrayed for invisible monsters, gasped at robots, and acted like road rage drivers that are stuck in a traffic jam. Oh, and whispered. walla, walla, walla, walla….
I found Tiki Bar TV via an iTunes podcast several years ago. It was one of the first video podcasts so I subscribed. I like the show but know it’s not to everyone’s taste. It’s kinda looooww budget. But come on! It’s a tiki bar! They prescribe drinks to solve problems! It’s made in someone’s apartment! They’re canadian!
There’s usually one episode a month or so. Well, this week I was sitting at new work and stopped by the website and noticed they were having a DVD release party just a few miles from work. I thought I’d just go have a visit and also get to check out a long time Tiki Bar in North Hollywood. I rsvp’d through Upcoming.com and went about my business. On Wednesday, the new camera flash and wireless transmitter I ordered arrived and I set it up that night. I thought, oh, tomorrow’s the Tiki thing I should take my new flash set up and shoot some photos! Perfect opportunity!
I did a drive-by of the Tonga Hut but was hungry first so I grabbed a little Pollo Loco beforehand. I found a spot to park right outside the bar. I slung my camera around my shoulder and carried my flash in my hand. Nobody was outside but the bar was plenty full. I walked through until I ended up near the back and a slightly frantic woman spots me with my camera gear and ask me if I’m the press!! I kinda laugh and say no. She goes, “oh, you’re a fan? You have a big camera I thought you might be press. Can you take photos tonight???” Um… yeah… was kinda just going to hang out briefly then… I dunno… kinda tired really… Just then, Rachel hands me her card and starts giving me sheets of paper of what’s going on tonight, who’ll be there, arrivals and such. She was a publicist that was helping out a publicist friend of hers who wasn’t able to make it. I realized I wasn’t really prepared for shooting all night. The camera battery was only half charged and I’d been firing the flash off all day just messing around with it. I had also shot a bunch of pictures on the smallest card I have and only had 30 shots left!
Soo… I ran down the street to the gas station and bought some AA batteries for the flash and fortunately had my camera charger in the car WITH an extra battery. I found a plug along the wall and started charging and hoping my other battery would hold out. Then I started looking through the photos on the card a deleted anything that wasn’t essential. Which was a lot, because some I could actually reshoot the next day. Just things around work. I ended up with room for about 150 photos. But at least now I’m ready!
Dr. Tiki and some of the cast shows up so we run outside and I start firing away and the flash works beautifully! My camera battery never runs down and by the end of the night I shot all 150 of those photos. I got home packaged them up and sent them off to the publicist that night! Who knows, right? Just being professional about it all.
I picked up a t-shirt and had the cast sign my DVD before I headed out very pleased with myself. And to think, earlier as I was sitting there enjoying my El Pollo Loco chicken breast, salad, and veggies I was so tired I almost went home.
It was Blaine’s turn to turn this week. They had the party catered by Santa Maria BBQ in Culver City, so of course I went. I stopped by Whole Foods on the way there to pick up some of my friend JD’s hot sauce. He was doing an in store tasting at the Santa Monica Wilshire store. Did you know you can buy some of his delicious sauces at select Whole Foods? Hint hint. Or you know, All Spice Cafe.com is kinda convenient too. Hint hint.
Got to the party and Blaine got lots of Tri Tip, personalized Jones Soda, an Iron man, a new guitar hero guitar, Beard Papa’s, pies, hugs, and lots of old geezer jokes. Meanwhile on the other side of the yard I dropped my cream puff on my shoe. But… it landed on my foot like a Hacky Sack and everyone yelled “5 second rule! 5 second rule!” So I kicked into the air and bent over backwards like an extreme limbo move and it caught it in my mouth. You should have been there, it really was the stuff of legend. Besides the leathery taste of my shoe it was very good.
After the party I went home and had all sorts of plans for the evening but instead found the comfort of my couch too much to ignore. A nice sugar crash and meat coma put me out for a couple hours. Then I went and saw Slumdog Millionaire and was sad, then I was happy, then sad, then sadder, then kinda happy, then really really sad, then really really really sad, then I was happy again, then really happy, then super happy! What a tiring movie.
Oh yeah, there might have been a little lie in one of the paragraphs above.
Hello! Let’s fire this thing back up shall we?! Lots has happened in the last 6 months but you wouldn’t know that would you? No you wouldn’t. I have a new job. Liza was here all summer. And for a bit in May. We have a new president, which you know. Yea! So there’s lots to catch up on but I’m going to just fill that in as I go forward. So you might have to have a look back to see some new stuff. But I’ll point it out too.
Anyway, here’s a clue into the new job. It’s actually a new old job as I went back to DreamWorks after 7 years and spent a few summer months working on the film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. It was originally called Madagascar 2: The Crate Escape up until the spring. Good thing they changed it huh? The thing is, they’re never really in crates in the second one. Doh.
It’s been a flurry of activity around the studio this week with screenings, press interviews, parties, etc. Yesterday we had a toast, and today a big lunch event for opening day. Alex the lion was there and the 4 penguins Skipper, Rico, Private and Kowalski. They’re just dying for a theme park to roam around in. Dreamland anyone?
Today they also handed out crew gifts and we all got a Skipper and Hula Girl maquettes which are really nice. I was fortunate enough to get one even though I wasn;t on the show that long. Last photo in the slide show. Goodnight and welcome back.
Did a quick visit to the Santa Fe Studios today. I went over there hungry so I didn’t stay long. Mostly the same people, so didn’t see much that was new. Popped in to see Jett and she’s been really busy with a few Alice in Wonderland pieces. Fun painting to look at. She’s gotten way too expensive for me, so I just take pictures now. OK, gotta go, hungry.
There was a wrap party for the movie Speed Racer that I wasn’t invited too because I didn’t actually work on the movie. But I went anyway courtesy of Winston who didn’t want to go! What?! I’ll go. A bunch of fellow employees will be there so why not. Met up with Blaine on the way there and then crashed the party. Tons of people I didn’t know along with tons of people I did know. I took pictures of all of them except my camera was being an obnoxious drunk. Camera thought it was being funny by focusing on nothing all night. Then it drew stupid faces on people.
My prediction: SPEED RACER WILL BE HUUUGE!!
What I meant to say: SPEED RACER WILL DIE!!
So, what have we learned? Don’t let me green light a film.
Urban Light incorporates 202 antique cast-iron lampposts from various cities in and around the Los Angeles area. In the 1920s, each city designed its own streetlamps as a form of public art and civic identity. Over the past seven years, Burden recovered and restored many of these vintage one-and-a-half ton lampposts. When they arrived at the artist?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s compound in Topanga Canyon in pieces, they were sandblasted and missing parts, including the hand-blown glass lanterns and globes, were fabricated or salvaged from other lamps. They were then painted a medium grey and electrified. The artist catalogued each streetlamp by individual type according to the year of its manufacture, its original location, its height, and the number of lamps it contains. The artist describes the streetlamps as, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìa statement about what constitutes a civilized and sophisticated society: safe after dark and beautiful to behold.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
My two word review: “It’s cool”. I hereby announce this the first official chasethelight.com approved photo spot. Quicktime VR pano alert! Click on the image!
Had a little Spring cleaning session today. The kitchen wasn’t looking to good so I went at it. A few hours later it was polished up and I pretty much shut the doors on it. I went out to eat tonight just so I didn’t have to go in there and ruin my fine work. Click on the image and you can scroll through the pano to see if you approve.
We’re this big. Well, we used to be. I shot a photo of the Imageworks crew today. Of course when you do that you don’t get to be in the picture. When I showed someone at work the picture the first thing they said was, “Wow, look how bald I am.” Oops… sorry.
It’s that time a year again when the desert blooms. I was telling Blaine at work about the poppy park my grandmother was involved with and he was interested in going out there to shoot. So as soon as it seemed the flowers were peaking we went out there. I don’t think it ever got better than this weekend. I think it was a slightly above average year so it was nice. All along the road huge blankets of yellows and oranges and in between them purple flowers.
The desert wildflowers must be known in Japan as a must see place when visiting California because there are always busloads of Japanese tourists out there. More than any other group. Even the couple I met out there a few years ago were from Japan.
That’s Blaine in the bottom photo tapping into his inner Ansel Adams. Some of his photos here.
Sometimes you sign up for things really far in advance thinking ‘oh that might be fun’. Then the day arrives and you’re not particularly in the mood or even interested in going anymore.
Well, that was this trip. I’d completely lost interest in going, and besides the Nintendo Wii was sitting home all by itself. I hardly drink wine anymore and that’s pretty much what this whole trip was about. Since I’d paid for it I just went along for the ride and thought I would enjoy the day. Yeah, not so much. It was hot. The winery above was really nice, but the town of Los Olivos is only two blocks long and we spent 3 hours there. I hadn’t made lunch reservations because I missed that memo or something. So I had to eat at a small market grocery store and it was lousy. Then on the bus ride home it ended spectacularly with a woman (who shall remain nameless) throwing up on herself. Her formerly white shirt now had a purple Rorschach test all over it. Gross. She is not in the photos below.
Since Imageworks had “Surf’s Up” in the running for an Academy Award for Animated Feature they put together a party for us to watch (us lose) the Awards. I really think Surf’s Up should have won this year as I thought Ratatouille was Pixar being mediocre at best. Persepolis was the pat on the back nominee this year. Ya know, just so the Oscars can show a bit of variety in the nominees. Anyway, I got there and I was the first one there! People finally started showing up AFTER the show started. Weird. After about 1/2 an hour I walked down the street to the Kodak Theater to have a look at the event and while I was gone they announced the winner! So I completely missed Surf’s Up losing. When I got back the party was a bit quiet and people were no longer interested in watching the show so I headed home. Why? Because I have a bigger TV than the restaurant had! In glorious HD too! Ha! Brag brag brag. So yes, now that HDDVD (Toshiba) is pushing up daisies go buy yourself a big ‘ol Wega TV (Sony), a Blu-Ray Player (Sony), buy Surf’s Up (Sony) on Blu-Ray disc (Sony) and invite me (Sony) over. I’ll bring my Aibo (Sony).
We had a nice thing at work this week. The Oscar nominees for the animated short film were screened and all the filmmakers were there to talk about each one and answer questions. Then we had lunch after and got to chat with them more personally. The one I really loved, Madame Tutli-Putli, didn’t win the award but Peter & the Wolf was very nice. Director Suzie Templeton and Producer Hugh Welchman of Peter & the Wolf were there and picked up their Oscars just 5 days later. I Met the Walrus was a funny story of 14 year old Jerry Levitan who snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room and interviewed him. Years later Josh Rakin edited down the interview and made a fascinating animated film with it. All good entries this year.
The American Cinematheque had a screening of Ray Harryhausen’s The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. Across the street Ray did a book signing of his book “The Art of…” It was nice to meet him and I picked up two books, one for me and one for Liza. He signed them both and I got a few photographs before heading across the street to get in line for the movie.
As I was waiting in line I saw Ken Ralston and said hello. He’s good friends with Ray and was there just to watch his favorite film. Or so he thought. I went in and found a seat and Ken walked up to the front and joined the rest of the group! Dennis Muren had gotten sick so Ken stepped up and did some of the commentary.
The live commentary was by Ray Harryhausen, Ken Ralston, Randy Cook (3 times Oscar winner for visual effects, LORD OF THE RINGS), Phil Tippett (Oscar winning effects designer, STAR WARS, STARSHIP TROOPERS, SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES), Steven C. Smith (Bernard Herrmann biographer), Kathryn Crosby (Actress in 7th Voyage), and moderator/film historian Arnold Kunert during the screening. It was pretty fun as they turned down the sound a bit and just talked over the film as it played. If you had a question you just yelled it out. The audience had a lot of good questions except for one person who asked if they could turn the sound up on the film because she couldn’t hear it. Um, hello!
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The holidays were mellow. I had to work New Years week so I didn’t really get to go out and do much. Like a lot of people this year we cut down on the gifts so it was nice not to have to worry about it too much. This year I made all the gifts anyway, so that was fun.
