jdlikestodraw

Moved My Blog to Tumblr

2011-03-17T22:18:00.004-04:00

Hey Guys,

I've still been following your blogs using blogger, but now I moved mine to Tumblr. I just found it easier/cleaner to post things and track the content. Come visit my tumblr, yo!

justdreamingaway.tumblr.com

SEE YOU AROUND, BLOGGER.

Stay Bright.

DELETED: A Video Collage of J.D.'s Past Six Months

2010-11-04T04:32:00.003-04:00

This post began autoplaying all of my past work and became a nightmarish reminder of my past. It has been deleted.

Also.

Well, nothing else.

JD

DSCN: Normal Life and the Design rule for Camera File System

2010-03-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

Technology helps us explore truth. That’s a fact. It’s not always easy to discover this truth. That’s an opinion. Today I want to explain a piece of modern invention that has allowed me to find humanity in technology. This is going to start off boring, but it will help explain something beautiful.

In 2000, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association was formed from the previous Electronic Industries Association of Japan and the Japan Electronic Industries Development Association. This new group, shortened to just JEITA, dedicated themselves to defining and creating consistent specifications for technology and electronics. Their goal was to,

“…promote the healthy manufacturing, international trade and consumption of electronics products and components in order to contribute to the overall development of the electronics and information technology (IT) industries, and thereby further Japan's economic development and cultural prosperity.”

In practice, they are the ones who define specifications by which electronics companies adapt their products so that electronics can work happily together. Thus, when digital cameras became commonplace and Japan was producing tons of them, JEITA created specification CP-3461 otherwise known as “Design Rule for Camera File system” or DCF for short.

The DCF laid out guidelines that defined the directory structure, file naming method, character set, file format, and metadata format that digital cameras would use to record their images. You know when you try to grab your images off your camera and there are a bunch of bizarrely named folders and files? Yeah, that’s the DCF (CP-3461) in action.

So they create this specification for cameras and now every camera is using it. This means every related file sits in a folder called DCIM (short for Digital Camera Images). Inside this DCIM folder is a subdirectory with letters and numbers (usually having to do with the camera type) like “NIKOND40”. Contained within those subdirectories are the image files named DSC_XXXX where the Xs represent numbers based on the order in which the pictures were recorded and the DSC stands for “Digital Still Capture (or Camera)”. Over time cameras slightly altered this format to specify their brand. Thus, Nikon, for example uses DSCN where the “N” just stands for “Nikon”.

So this is a standard that is now relatively constant in all cameras and without much care the average user snaps hundreds and thousands of pictures that reference this system. That said when your mom sits down at her computer to pick her favorite photos from the day, the she has to sort through these robotically named files and pull her selects. Typically, when mom finds that perfect picture of Uncle Ted dancing at Jamie’s wedding she will move it into a new folder and change the file name to something like “unc_ted_fundance.jpg” so that when she uploads it to the family reunion website everyone will know what it is.

That said, a truly beautiful phenomenon has unfolded on the internet. Sometimes mom doesn’t move her favorite folders to a new folder and sometimes mom doesn’t just upload the best pictures to the family reunion website. Sometimes mom just uploads everything but then only posts links to the good ones.

What does this mean?

This means that the internet is populated with tons of photos and videos that aren’t necessarily meant to be seen by the public. In fact, many of the photos are probably wrongfully posted online by someone not quite internet saavy enough to know what’s going on. So the question is: how do we find these personal photos of normal people living normal lives? How to we tap into this resource of human truth?

Simple: we search for the default DCF naming conventions.

All throughout the internet, hidden in the nooks and cranies of personal webpages and uninteresting youtube profiles are the details of every day life. Photos and videos with this default naming convention most commonly provide windows into the extraordinarily banal but exceptionally private lives of the citizens of the internet.

For example, take my favorite of these photos: the photos named DSCN0001. These photos represent the first photo taken by a photographer often with a new camera. They are the test shots, the trial runs, and the in-store demonstrations of novice digital camera users. How did they get on the internet? Who knows.

Heres a few resevoirs of these great images:
http://nancyfloydhaworthfoundation.com/slides/
http://illgrahamsfleamarket.tripod.com/
http://www.durandinterstellar.com/photos/Florida_July_2002/
http://www.sircain.net/babypics.html

But the interest doesn't end at just photos. Videos have acquired the same naming conventions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8xfM9H0p9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3PIGLVQLIg

http://www.youtube.com/v/i30ciDelsFM&hl=en_US&fs=1&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9my2ibeM_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLoDUnxxCqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZAk5tnwFdw

So these have been a few examples of the wonderful truth that technology can uncover. Do yourselves a favor and take your own journey into normal life and spend some time trying to find your own favorite DSC videos and pictures. It's amazing how unamazing the world can be, and to me that's pretty awesome.

Stay Bright.

Short Film - Icarus

2010-02-11T00:00:00.003-05:00

I believe this may be the third or fourth time I have "released" this video on to the Internet. However, unlike the last three times I am finally happy with how it stands, how long it stands, and where it stands. It might be an interesting comparison to check out the three or four versions of this same short and see how my sensibilities have changed in regards to the exact same footage.
http://www.vimeo.com/9368140

It's also weird to take another look at this film because aside from just my sensibilities, the contributing parties involved with this film are also artifacts of time. This film was made back when Tim, Nora, Alex, and I were conjoined at the hip (and when Nora made live action films). Back when James and I would actually hang out and tell stories about co-workers. Back when Evan was my roommate in NYU housing. Back when color film was a big deal. Back when a ten hour shoot was a huge accomplishment (though it would still be a big accomplishment now, just for completely opposite reasons).

I guess working on this film again made me realize that I'm glad I chose film and not dancing or stage performing because at the end of the day (all of them) I will always have (save for the disastrous thought of irreversible data loss) something to look at from my past.

Maybe this is why people have children.

Stay Bright.

How I Know I've Probably Time Travelled

2010-02-02T20:43:00.010-05:00

While standing in line at the grocery store I notice an older man paying for his food ahead of me. Instead of using produce bags, the man literally just sets down an army of vegetables on the conveyor belt and gets his cash ready for delivery. Suddenly this man catches sight of me and immediately stops counting his money. He freezes with terror and a look of caution suddenly overwhelms his vegetable purchasing face. He takes a step closer to me and then quietly asks, "Tom?"

I am extremely confused. A beat of time passes that indicates to me that this man truly believes what he is about to describe. The man carefully explains that I look exactly like his childhood friend from when he grew up. He stares at me.

It's very apparent when someone is staring at your person instead of connecting with you as a sentient being.

It was clear he was staring at my skin and not at whatever that human thing is behind your eyes. Slowly tears start to well up in his eyes and he mutters,

"...like a god damn time machine"

The young Spanish speaking woman behind the broken conveyor belt smiles in an unsure but joyful manner but is clearly uncomfortable at the situation (the look you wear when your close friend runs into a close friend you don't know on the street and they start fake fighting or something... that look). She relents to her desire to finish the transaction and puts out her hand heralding the exchange of cash for vegetables.

But he is transfixed. Tears literally fall from his eyes onto the floor. I just stare back at him and try to brainstorm every possible way that this set-up could result in physical harm or personal loss (or worse, how to deal with the situation if this man is crazy). Customers behind me change aisles because things have gotten weird.

As I round the bases in my mind trying to keep my self and my belongings preserved and un-tampered with, the man snaps out of it. He excuses himself and starts counting his money again. Every couple of numbers he glances back at me just to make sure whatever assumptions he has made are still correct. She changes his cash, bags his naked vegetables, and tells him to,

"Have good, thanks."

He starts heading for the door and then stops. He stands for a moment with his back turned towards me, then swivels around so that he is again facing my direction. He takes a small breathe and then simply says:

"Those were some good times, Tommy."

He wasn't kidding or being cute. He needed to say it. I put on the same tone of voice that I use when I talk to children or unfunny adults and replied "Have a Good Night!" with a light upward inflection. His eyes zeroed in on mine, now looking into my human thing behind my eyes and then just turned around and left the grocery store.

Immediately the manager of the grocery store started laughing and talking in Spanish to the woman behind the conveyor belt. I just shrugged and they chattered away gesturing towards the places where the bizarre encounter took place.

However, walking home some questions bounced around in my head. How can I be so sure that I'm not this guy's childhood friend? What makes my opinion on this matter more valid than his? I don't know how time works just yet and based on all of the sweet movies I've seen I have a vague idea that spontaneous amnesic time travel is entirely possible.

Now, I'm not saying that I can time travel. In fact, I highly doubt it. However, given the fake rules for time travel that I've made up entirely it seems like the only palpable evidence for spontaneous forgettable time travel comes packaged in other peoples' memories.

That is to say, if this were a movie and I were a spontaneous time travel amnesiac I would only discover this fact because some strange man on the street would have a powerful emotional response to my existence in his time frame. This man, however, would not be from the past-- he would be from the future: a fellow time traveler. Thus, when he approaches me and it becomes clear that my memory has been erased, he will cover his tracks with anonymity or a false back story.

That said, in the movie I would brush it off momentarily, but then give in to my suspicion and chase him down the street and get swept up into Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey".

But I didn't. I brushed it off and then walked home. I guess I'm just writing this to admit that I missed my chance. I could have been a hero and maybe figured out a way to fix this whole time travel thing. Furthermore, I will likely spontaneously time travel again and it may be the case that I never talk to any of you ever again. So I just want to apologize for any wrongdoings I have done and in advance for anything I will do. The J.D. that you talk to tomorrow may not be the same one typing this and the one typing this will be in medieval England fighting a bartender and hiding out in a local girl's attic.

Anywho, I feel like I've spent my whole life trying to write movies but avoiding living them. I guess next time I'll chase down the guy with naked vegetables. Maybe you should too, unless you're in a horror movie. In which case get out quick and stay with the group and pray that it's just a scary moment in an action movie and not part of the new torture curiosity.

Also, in this scenario dreams would be like fan-fiction for the movie that you're living. But I don't know where that fits in to this whole thing so just take that as it is and let me know if you know where (or when) the guy from the grocery store lives because that seems like a pretty good flick.

Stay Bright.

Pointless Pranks: Self Soundboard

2010-01-27T02:11:00.013-05:00

Why do I do the things I do? It's been made abundantly clear over and over again in my life that I have poor taste in everything.

That said, one of my most egregious offenses in the realm of taste is my taste in pranks. Generally speaking the greatest and most clever pranks are the ones that require the least amount of work and have the greatest result. Unfortunately, if you are interested in pranks like those I suggest you leave this page immediately and head somewhere like here. I say that not out contempt for you, the reader, but out of shame for my brand of satisfaction.

You see, for some reason I am hard-wired to take utter joy in completing pointless extensive work to achieve goals that have little to no value. That said, I present to you my latest waste of time. Weeks in planning, months in execution, hours in coding and editing, and I give to you one of the most pointless works I have ever made:

The J.D. Amato Sound Board
(http://www.justdreamingaway.com/jd_sound_board.html)

Back in the early nineties soundboards were top-notch comedy. It was cutting edge technology meets the frontier of the classic prank. You could take on Schwarzenegger, Pesci, DeVito, Judge Judy... if they were famous and had at least a movie's worth of dialogue, you could take on their persona for your prank calls to the local McDonald's. Though hilariously fun, years went by and their novelty faded as the age of geocities crumbled beneath the meteor of modern technology. They have become as antiquated and banal as the excuse that your little brother or sister had hacked your AOL Instant Messanger and was actually the one who asked the most popular girl in the school out on a date. That is to say, they no longer work.

Keeping that in mind, four months ago I forced Zach Weintraub and Rob Malone to record audio for this project while on set during the illustrious but yet to be released film "Puppy Whistle". After months of waiting for the audio to surface in their jungle of hard-drives I received the audio, cut it up into bite sized pieces, and then spent tedious stupid hours coding my dumb soundboard (completely unaware that services existed that would have made this several month long process happen instantaneously). I then forced Nandan Rao to use his otherwise class-filled time to film me using this pointless piece of programming to call my relatively unamused friends (see video below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud4Q1ab3UtA

When all was said and done I followed through with this dumb process for one reason and one reason only: the prank was pointless. I was personally calling friends and then personally operating a soundboard of my own voice. The joy of traditional celebrity soundboards is that either the victim believes they are talking to a celebrity or that the pranker now has an otherwise un-achievable cast of characters at their disposal. For my prank, the victim had literally no reason to assume that anything was suspicious and using the soundboard only served to hinder my ability to communicate. Furthermore, there was no discernible advantage or conceit attached to the soundboard other than that it was slightly more difficult, boring, and obnoxious to talk to me. Quite simply, my intentions were stupid and I set out without even the slightest inkling that I would discover anything from the project. However, this was wrong:

1) I learned that for the most part people want to be friendly and engage in social interactions. I will never forget the moment that I convinced Blake using a repeating soundboard to come hang out. I don't think I've ever convinced anyone to come hang out after they first said "no". Furthermore, I don't actually call Oviatt that often and his absolute willingness to hold a conversation with me was incredibly nice. That said, in both instances when it became painfully clear that I was using a soundboard I got a definite sinking feeling in my stomach when the tone in both of their voices turned from jovial friendliness to saddeened disappointment. In both cases this was the sound of them realizing that I was not trying to be friendly and instead just using them for some dumb project. It was like I had just uncovered a tiny bit of friendliness and then thrown it too the wolves for a cheap laugh.

2) In retrospect I tried to figure out what I thought was funny about this project or why it was so enjoyable to use the soundboard and make the calls (or even why people seemed so upset when they realized what was going on). Then it became clear. The only sense of "deceit" that came from the project was the very basic premise of "we know something you don't know". More specifically, the only twist to these phone conversations is that one side of the conversation had a secret. The joy we experienced while making the calls was not the joy of comedy or the delight of creativity, it was the self indulgent joy of having a secret.

I'm not proud of this project, I don't even know why I went through so much effort to follow it through to the end. I watered down a clever prank to the point that it was more water than prank. The only thing I gained from this experience was a useless soundboard, a relatively mean video, and a lot of wasted hours. That said I apologize to the parties involved and promise not to use the soundboard ever again.

However, when asking myself if I regret doing this, the answer seems to be a conscious heavy "Hell no". And what's weird is when a paragraph ago I said that I wasn't proud...well...that's sort of a lie. I am proud, but I don't know why. Maybe it's because I have horrible taste?

Yeah, that's probably it.

Stay Bright.

"Ice Queen" Music Video on Pitchfork

2010-01-18T14:26:00.008-05:00

Today the music video "Ice Queen" that I directed for Hot Sugar got posted on Pitchfork! I'm excited that more people are going to see it so major thanks to Pitchfork! I also like that they refer to it on their home page as a "freak-for-all".
http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/3961-hot-sugar-icequeen-unsigned

Although the compression looks not good (despite it being the exact same file that was uploaded to Vimeo--- stupid difference in compression) so if you want to see the original on Vimeo which looks pretty sharp, check it out here:

http://www.vimeo.com/7910853

Stay Bright.

How Bad Drawings Inform My Life

2010-01-13T15:43:00.017-05:00

During the height of the previous moon cycle (unconfirmed) I made a pact of blood with myself (also unconfirmed) that were I to even slightly begin a drawing I would have to fully complete it despite any shortcomings I might observe while drafting said doodle (confirmed). I have followed this rule closely, not wanting to disobey blood pacts or upset moon cycles, and it has proven to be a relatively helpful exercise. So, having learned a couple of things over the past few months from this process, I will now mercilessly bestow my findings unto you:

First, a lot of the drawings that I would have otherwise have thrown out en route to completion actually didn't always turn out that bad. In fact, generally, if they were bad it had nothing to do with what I thought was wrong with them and whatever I thought was wrong actually worked out.

Second, this applies to more than just dumb drawings. A lot of times I find myself getting stressed when the perceived success of a process over time doesn't play out in a linear fashion and often times this means changing plan mid-process or becoming skeptical about my own success-- break for brief (read: less pretentiously opaque [sic]) anecdote to demonstrate this:

The other day I was asked to help a friend move into his Brooklyn apartment. I don't spend much time in Brooklyn and as a result I don't know my way around. That said, I prepared directions to his apartment beforehand (foolishly based on blocks traveled/turn-direction instead of street names) and then took the subway over to brooklyn. When I got off the subway I began following my directions and quickly became skeptical of my whereabouts. The street I was on didn't look like the street I thought I was supposed to be on, even though I was following my block by block directions. One part of me said I should cut my losses since things didn't look right and head back to the subway station where I could check my directions against the wall map. However another part of me (the "Must Finish" part) said I should just trust my original logic and continue following through with the plan despite perceived discrepancies. Unless you are really not on board with this story I imagine you know where this is going: I got to his apartment correctly and my instinct (supported by previous logic) was correct.

Obviously my point is that my instinct always works quicker than my logic and what I think might be logic is sometimes more flawed than instinct. That said, a lot more things in my life seem to work this way but describing them would make me sound moronic and I figure you can intuit the cliches and flowery sounding quick fixes that I could easily partner with these ramblings. Thus, I'll skip those [sic] and bring you to my final point.

Sometimes the things that make me want to abandon ship and then set the ship on fire and then personally drown everyone who saw the ship are actually the DNA of good old fashioned individuality. Don't get me wrong, if you have no discernible skill at a task or have applied no meaningful thought to an achievement you should by no means cutely smile and pronounce that your flaws are what make you distinct (I have an image in my head of a little girl with pigtails and a giant lolly-pop saying this). I guess what I'm saying is that perhaps the peaks and valleys on the road to completion don't necessarily foretell where the road ends up and sometimes those squiggles on the graph of achievement over time might make a nice little picture themselves.

Alright, I'm getting the wrap it up sign and I'm feel myself becoming whimsically grandiloquent [sic]... so I'll wrap it up:

Basically, just finish all of your drawings.

Stay Bright.

This Decade in Novelty Glasses

2009-12-31T18:53:00.003-05:00

This is either the end of a fruitful decade for these products, or the beginning of new age of glasses-based new years technology.

Stay Bright.

Nudity Required No Pay

2009-12-18T12:50:00.008-05:00

I have been called a jerk. I have been called... well mostly I've been called a jerk. Be it sending letters to tap dance instructors on behalf of someone without their knowledge, leaving someone to flounder on stage in precarious settings, or non-nonchalantly deciding to fill someones bed with tacks... I have a bizarre fixation with doing wrong.

That being said, one of my favorite ways to punish people who leave their email open in my sole presence is to post modeling calls on craigslist asking for bizarre nude photos using the victim's email address (and then in turn deleting the email that allows the victim to delete the craigslist posting). The result being a stream of anonymously sent nude photos that, from the victim's perspective, are randomly attacking their inbox.

Perhaps more dangerous than my desperation to enact these childish wrongdoings (barely even "pranks") is my burning desire to brag about the annoyingly mean things I do. However, this time it paid off. After describing this craigslist "Bodyshot-Bombing" process to a friend of mine, she quickly told me about her (amazing) blog which archives craigslist casting calls state in their description "Nudity Required, No Pay". Thus, in order to indulge the same synapses in the brain that thrive on the cruelty on seeing friends deal with annoyances, take a moment to sift through this blog that documents the potentially depressing realities of some particularly ignorant up-and-coming actors:

http://nrnp.blogspot.com/

Astoundingly, based on the posts detailed above it seems that I take more time, enact more compassion, and exercise more tact in the process of creating fake postings to lure nude pictures into my friends' inboxes than most sleazy "artists" looking for a free naked gay vampire or a voluptuous muse for their private watercolor sessions do in their own search for "talent".

I am almost compelled to create several "Nudity Required, No Pay" postings now just so I can collect the email addresses of anyone who responds and figure out what compels those willingly free/naked souls to oblige.

And how do I know people respond to "nudity required, no pay" posts? How about you leave your email open in my apartment and you'll find out.

Stay Bright.

Hot Sugar | "Ice Queen" Music Video

2009-12-02T12:57:00.007-05:00

Hey Everyone-- here is the new music video that I directed/animated. It was a pretty crazy process and involved a lot of crazy fun people. Hopefully you get something really meaningful out of it. Check below the video for an explanation of the backwards process we used to make it.
http://www.vimeo.com/7910853
Instead of making a video based on an existing song, the Ice Queen video project challenged Hot Sugar to produce an original song based on the final version of a music video after it had been made. To create the video an open call was put out to New York City actors and dancers encouraging them to come perform completely original dance moves in front of a green screen. After weeks of editing and animation the video was handed to Hot Sugar who was charged with the task of creating a song based on the compilation of dance moves and performances.

Featuring the amazing talents of: Joe Berardi, Andrew Bui, Alex Hopson, Peter Iasillo, Nolan James, Jessica Komitor, Pedro Lee, Janice LeFlam, Cooper Morton, Tym Moss, Dianna Smith, Richard Torres

Christmas Symphonies

2009-11-04T13:49:00.006-05:00

The true spirit of Christmas comes early bird gets the worm!

The user that posted this video is bigscreamtv and every other of their videos is halloween based. Will a user with the name bigscreamtv be able to branch out or will their username forever limit their content possibilities? You decide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5G6EggjhMg
Can someone explain to me the deeper significance of this video. This is clearly a metaphor (or videophor), but what is it REALLY saying?

Stay Bright.

Must Finish Rule

2009-10-07T20:11:00.007-04:00

I often neglect the title of this blog and refuse to post drawings. However, recently as a way to relax and enjoy the process of drawing I instated a new rule into my doodle-process. That is, if I begin even a small doodle, I need to finish it, color it, and ink it. I have found that a lot of times the things that would frustrate me and cause me to quit on a drawing actually don't matter when I bring it to completion (sort of). I guess sometimes it's alright to trust your first instinct-- well maybe not trust... perhaps...tolerate?

Ah, the fruits of toleration.

Stay Bright.

Forty Five Seconds of Time Travel

2009-09-04T15:39:00.005-04:00

My latest cellphone video project was about collecting moments in time that were noteworthy as experiences (as opposed to just aesthetics) and using my video of those moments as a way to time travel back and re-experience those situations and beats that made up my recent life. Below you will find the video of all of these moments in a little number I like to call Forty Five Seconds of Time Travel. Below the video is a list of each moment as I can remember it.

The following are the moments in the order they appear and their meaning as best I can remember:

1.---last view I ever took from the window of my old apartment
2.---a pigeon was watching me from inside my building as I left my apartment for the last time
3.---a brief ride on the garbage train with garbage men: a crossing of dissimilar paths
4.---police officer browsing interior design books in the middle of the night
5.---waiting for haircut at place where I have a "usual" and my barber always asks my advice on computers
6.---friend marty selling self-made portraits of sock puppets to people in union square
7.---an elderly volunteer at a tiny church tells me about heaven
8.---unknown
9.---man from azerbaijan convinces me and stephen to dance with strangers for him
10.---waiting to cue footsteps on blake's color sync set (they forgot I was outside waiting)
11.---waiting for cory arcangel to arrive for interview
12.---crowd waiting for nick to screen strawberry banana at national arts club
13.---kindergarten classroom for ky's narrative while q plays piano
14.---kid tries to unstuck candy he paid for from a candy machine while I edit at tisch
15.---anton practices break dancing on the floor of the animation department
16.---background music's only audience is a mural in tim, alex, and mike's lobby
17.---apartment hunting in the apartment that would eventually be mine
18.---max discusses the essence of life and death with me and peter in micaela's room at a party
19.---the pilot for the flight from georgia to new york checks his controls
20.---driving past a group of sight and sound students as we return the battered and beaten equipment from georgia
21.---watching as the last employee at the virgin megastore cleans up the empty floor
22.---fourth of july fireworks from a fenced in area with jared, peter, and their friends
23.---marie sits on a book of felini's dreams so she can reach her food
24.---rick litvin tosses me a pack of gum in the middle of the night
25.---hologram of michael jordan spins slowly in an empty and confused four room museum of holograms

Film is the closest facsimile we have to literal time travel and still an incredible amount is lost in translation.

Stay Bright.

Post Racial Re-Edit: Michael Jackson's Black or White; separate Black and White versions

2009-06-15T16:22:00.007-04:00

Michael Jackson- Black or White [Black Version]

Michael Jackson- Black or White [White Version]

Stay Bright.

Flower Light or The Power of Compression

2009-06-04T00:52:00.005-04:00

Stay Bright.

Dreams From My Fuhrer

2009-04-20T12:41:00.003-04:00

So I have been posting this everywhere because I absolutely love it. This is a film by friend and all around awesome guy Red Doyle. From the description:
Footage and photos of Hitler set to the song "Dreams" by The Cranberries.
By the end of this video I honestly feel nostalgic for hitler in this really twisted way, but then I remember it's hitler. I've watched this maybe a hundred times in the last few days.

Stay Bright.

Cellular Welkin

2009-04-16T00:50:00.008-04:00

This is a piece I put together for abecedarium:nyc per Lynne Sachs' organization in NYUs Media Mavericks. We all had to select one of the words in the project and then create a short web-based video that connects that word to New York.

The word I selected was "Welkin".

In trying to understand the sky and heavens above New York, I decided to take the most simple approach I could muster: observation. Everyday for two weeks I took reference footage of the sky above New York with my cellphone in the off chance that I would capture something that I haven't noticed during my day to day operations.

At the end of those two weeks of observation (after taking nearly my last video of the sky) I met a man Jonathon (with his kids) on the sidewalk outside of a small East Village congregation. After explaining to him what I was doing he proceeded to welcome me inside to the tiny house of god and talk with me about his perception of heaven. I recorded our conversation on my cellphone.

I figure, what better way to record the heavens that a device that constantly send signals back and forth beyond the overhead welkin?

The Face of Youtube

2009-04-05T00:41:00.004-04:00

Youtube has a lot of faces, here is one of them:

The Face of Youtube

stay bright.

Blades Are in a Line

2009-04-04T15:48:00.004-04:00

"...but I'm having fun and my boss likes it"

Stay Bright.

Grandfathers on Trampolines

2009-04-04T04:47:00.009-04:00

So if you couldn't tell, I have recently felt the need to aggregate videos I once used in blog posts and play them in unison for sake of achieving the full and intended experience for which they were original uncovered. That being said, I bring to you:

Grandfathers on Trampolines

These videos really make me happy.

Stay Bright.

Cellphone "My Words"

2009-04-01T18:28:00.003-04:00

My cellphone is smart enough to recognize words that I use in my texts that it doesn't know. Here is that list of words that my cellphone has categorized as "My Words" in its memory. It seems to clear itself randomly, so this probably only represents relatively current usage.

12
19
bardosh
aight
bitch
aight-ill
clubbing
couldnt
arent
arlins
2009
darius
fischer
dolly
fooding
dooo
37
dslr
fuck
fuck
fucked
fuckzilla
fuxstable
haa
haha
hahah
hahaha
havent
hows
ive
laguardia
laguardia
lastish
katie
jd
jeannie
kelsery
ketki
keyframes
kk
6,
moma
racewar
sethski
sfx
shit
photoshop
slumdog
sophie
prolly
valentine
voodoosalad
theres
tisch
title/sfx
yaffa
weds
yeh
whaddya
youve
wtf
wutanger

It clears itself every now and then, so these are the most recent I believe. I will post the new batch in a while.

Stay Bright.

Pee Wee Herman Dance

2009-04-01T00:22:00.008-04:00

A new webstallation of mine based on an old blog post you may remember. An ode to modern cultural self-replication. Another webstallation taking up tube.

PEE WEE HERMAN DANCE

Stay Bright.

New Web Thing: Rhythm Cycle

2009-03-21T00:35:00.008-04:00

This is my new web work. It originally started as an Earth spinning in a star field. Eventually the Earth had buildings. Then the buildings started growing. Then the buildings became beams and the Earth disappeared. So did the stars. Then it became interactive. I had to call upon my Math major friend, Dale, to do some simple geometry stuff for me. Below is our back and forth.
question:

answer:

Math is great. So are friends that are willing to donate Math to you.

Stay Bright.

Warriors Recut

2009-03-19T22:15:00.001-04:00

So I decided to recut the climax of the warriors.

It just seemed more natural.

Stay Bright.

Ninja Turtle Fights Alone

2009-03-12T20:01:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEVsusFw9p4

1derful Seconds

2009-03-02T00:13:00.003-05:00

Four months ago I got my first cell phone that records video. Four months ago I made a vow that I would film anything that caught my attention. Grossly under-estimating the capacity of my flash card, I also vowed that none of the videos would be over 2 seconds.

This is the resultant film of the past four months.

http://www.vimeo.com/3265383

It's funny how much more vivid your memories become when you have a way to relive them.

Stay Bright.

JustDreamingAway.com

2009-02-27T15:28:00.005-05:00

Hey y'all.

I haven't been posting lately because I have been tinkering and finishing my new website. It's finally up and running on the internets. Check it out if you got a second!

http://www.justdreamingaway.com

I spent a long time tinkering and working on this, so I'm happy it's finally up. It will definitely be the sort of thing that I continually add to and adapt via random bursts of ideas.

Everything was hand coded. No WYSIWYG or Dreamweaving... just a lot of typing and photoshopping, and a little after effectsing for the mighty animated gif. It's all CSS and XHTML compliant and uses some javascript to liven things up a bit and make things work smoothly.

It's been a lot of work, so I hope you enjoy it or something.

Stay Bright.

DanTwoTwo- Homework Sucks

2009-02-20T23:47:00.002-05:00

I love this kid's videos. I still feel like he does (in this video) to this day. Mrs. Buttocks does suck and Donkey's are ugly.
Not only does he make this, but he posts it. This kid's got confidence... and boy does he hate homework. Would we all have that kind of passion.

Stay Bright.

Monkey Trouble

2009-02-20T15:36:00.002-05:00

Stay Bright.

Tony Hawk on Japanese Television

2009-02-20T05:22:00.002-05:00

This really seems like something that would be in a movie. It's too perfect and stereotypical for it to be real. The young kid (later to be superstar) has his first bout with fame in an unfamiliar setting on a confusing Japanese TV show. He clearly seems uncomfortable.

Tony Hawk on Japanese television in 1984 (part 1) from Tony Hawk

I remember back in the day reading Tony Hawk's autobiography (which is actually pretty interesting) and hearing about how confusing and backwards this whole experience was. You know you've made it (or are about to make it) if you are invited onto Japanese television.

Stay Bright.

Pete's Car Videos

2009-02-18T00:24:00.003-05:00

A series of shots taken from inside a car on a snowy day by filmmaker Peter Azen.

Feels familiar even though I've never been there.

Stay Bright.

It's Just Exciting He Called

2009-02-17T01:37:00.003-05:00

My friend Sophie sent this to me ages ago as a submission for the youtube lowest view-count battle. I guess I never got around to actually watching this video, which I did just now. It's actually an interesting glimpse into this girl's life. From the description:

Keeka know a guy who likes her in her French class. Possibly. But she doesnt even expect anything at all, which is funny. But the fact that he called her is just exciting!
I guess it's true that sometimes happiness can be about the small things. That being said, if you are an attractive guy in a French class... why not make some calls and start making people's day.

Stay Bright.

Paul Terek Man-Handles a Japanese Gameshow

2009-02-16T03:40:00.004-05:00

Decathletes are strong, fast, agile, and coordinated mega-humans. They can hurdle, throw, run, sprint, jump, and concentrate. They are the closest thing to superheroes (in the physical sense) that exist. They are considered the greatest athletes in the world.

Japanese Gameshows are places where skinny/wacky japanese men test their physical prowess against one another in ridiculous events.

Paul Terek is an American decathlete on a Japanese Gameshow.

He starts off slow, but by the end it gets pretty cool. The guy is a monster.

Athletes. Go figure.

Stay Bright.

Back From My Travels

2009-02-13T05:28:00.005-05:00

Hello readers, writers, and people alike. I have finally returned from my trip around the internet. I apologize if I left suddenly. I should have called. I brought you back some gifts.

First, curious youtube:

Tinypic is the salvation army of the internet. Other people's things for cheap.
My Dad

Sausage

Punishment

So then I visited google and it's search term suggestions and took some screen shots:

the internet is...

I can't remember...

drawing is...

blogs are...

Anywho, I'm back and sorry for the long wait.

Stay Bright.

Sunset Feelings by Eric Fensler

2009-01-20T17:42:00.005-05:00

Many of you may know Eric Fensler's work, whether you know it was him behind it or not. He was the creator of the popular G.I. JOE PSAs that stormed the internet for some time. He is also a writer for the "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!". This was one of his children that died during birth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP_OLmQje48

I think this is a genius concept, and am hoping Eric will produce some of the episodes and release them online. It's funny how some things catch and some don't. Like "Momma's Boys"... what the fuck is that about? Anywho...

From the description for Sunset Feelings:
Back in 2006 I wanted to make a TV show; more specifically, I wanted to develop a soap opera that took the genre and its themes beyond its modern mold. Further than "Days of Our Lives" or "One Life to Live" had ever imagined. I wrote some funny and over-dramatic scripts, and made this little teaser to help show what it might look like. A daily soap opera with classic mannequins as the talent. No one got it except for me.

The last line sums up the fate of a lot of great comedy that comes and goes-- luckily the internet exists. Sometimes if they like it, real people start to think they like it to.

Stay Bright.

Jim Jarmusch is The Man

2009-01-17T04:30:00.004-05:00

Jim Jarmusch knows what's up.

I have to fully agree with both his and JLG's quote. As a result, I am stealing it and putting it on this blog.

Stay Bright.

Great Short Doc

2009-01-13T03:58:00.002-05:00

Stay Bright.

Fletch Owns

2009-01-12T17:08:00.003-05:00

I've been working on my website for a while now so that's why I haven't been posting. I am not quite done yet, but in the meantime, here is a website that someone else made.

http://fletchowns.net/

Ever seen Fletch starring Chevy Chase? yeah, it's sort of like that.

Stay Bright.

This is who I want to be when I get older...

2009-01-03T02:33:00.003-05:00

This is the kind of man I want to be in my old age...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phodkCXZnpw

an endearing, hard-nosed, outdoorsy, fun-loving, tale-telling, overall-wearing, entertainner.

Stay Bright.

First Sunset

2008-12-27T17:52:00.004-05:00

This is the first sunset of a kid named Luke's life.

When I was in boy scouts we went to the library and looked up the the newspapers from the day we were born. I'm curious what my first sunset looked like. It was in the middle of an ice storm in Dallas back in the late eighties, so maybe that informs a little of what it might look like.

It's weird to think that tonight is someone's first sunset and someone else's last sunset somewhere on Earth. Well, may it be a good first and last.

Stay Bright.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:59:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK2nOnH1MnU

Stay Bright.

Merry Christmas from Vincent Dooly

2008-12-23T15:46:00.003-05:00

I know I've posted this guy before, but Vincent Dooly is really starting to grow on my in a major way. I particularly like this one because the entire short takes place in a very private moment so I really get a good sense of who the character is deep down, and I like him. Also, Christmas is a time of the year that I really like. When I was a kid I always loved watching the christmas specials on TV. And by Christmas specials, I don't mean the shows that only existed during Christmas like all of the Rankin/Bass (see below) specials. I mean things like...

the Christmas episode of Family Matters

or the Christmas episode of Sabrina the Teenaged Witch

or the Christmas episode of Boy Meets World.

Those really made it feel like the holiday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hzo9Syp9_c
"no, but you're not sorry, you're not sorry. if you were sorry you wouldn't do that to people"

On a side note, today was the day that I finally learned that Rankin/Bass aren't two people named Rank and Bass, or one person named Rankin Bass but rather Arthur Rankin, Jr and Jules Bass. It's the little things.

I love it.

Stay Bright.

Do Want.

2008-12-21T02:56:00.000-05:00

do want.

Stay Bright.

Sagan Saget

2008-12-20T04:20:00.004-05:00

Long Day.

Stay Bright.

Series of Terrifying Videos

2008-12-12T16:05:00.006-05:00

THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. Like, really, what the hell.

I will not be able to sleep for a long long time.

Stay Bright.

Vincent Dooly

2008-12-10T01:36:00.006-05:00

LonelyGirl15, DaxFlame, Santa Clause: The world is filled with unsatisfactory fake people. However, every now and then there is an exception to the rule set by those three bastards. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Vincent Dooley, my recent love in the world on online cinema. So far I think this guy is genius. Really well realized, developed, and supported by some damn funny writing. If you haven't seen any of his videos yet, check him out.

The backstory is this: Vincent Dooley is a struggling inventor looking to make it big anyway he can. The footage posted online is from a documentary being made about him and his journey to be a great inventor.

Audition Tape for "The Mother of Invention":

The Super Suit:

In my opinion this is just some really great writing and a concept that has a lot of story and world to explore. I'm excited to see where they bring everything and how it all works out. I just hope they stay true to the concept and try not to extravaganzizeinate the basic idea. This character really seems great to me right now. Big fan.

In fact, this whole thing reinforces my love for the unreal and real mixing together in a magical/fantastic way. I love characters--- characters that make the world seem more fantastic. Passion over logic also helps. Vincent Dooley is both.

Stay Bright.

Joke Amato

2008-12-08T03:53:00.008-05:00

My therapist says I've gotta condition;

I tell her "condition, I've hardly got time to shampoo!"

Stay Bright.

"Crying in the Navy" or "Panic Mode"

2008-12-07T04:03:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure how I fell upon this video but it tells an interesting narrative. Also not sure how I feel about "Steelwell".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJuMStuhC4

I can't help but wonder how I would do in that test. It's easy to sit here and say that I could fight through it, but I would be interested to try it out. This actually sort of outs my larger budding curiosity of seeing how I would do in the military. Having played sports my whole life and having seriously dedicated high school to my running career, I would like to think that I would do well in it-- but who knows-- I've honestly always sort of wanted to try it out... minus the possibility of actually going to war (although an even further hidden part of my mind is still curious to experience war. Something about it makes me feel like I would fit. Sounds fucked up, I know) Nevertheless, here I am in my New York apartment making blog posts-- so it's no more than talk.

Stay Bright.

Professional Assassin

2008-12-07T03:34:00.001-05:00

If I were a plant I would be a professional assassin plant.

Stay Bright.

An Image That Stuck

2008-12-03T03:23:00.008-05:00

For some reason every now and then an image sticks. I don't know why but it just eats away at my skull-brain. A lot of times I end up drawing this image about a thousand times. I've decided that I will start posting each iteration of these images on this blog since a certain city (whose name I will not mention for sake of not wanting to stir anymore legal or political ruffage) says my fair blogland often doesn't live up to it's title.

This is the man in the rain. Drawn over a week in two different cities, five different locations, and four books of sketchings. (Posted Here in Chronological Order):

1. Drawn in NYC at my desk:

2. Drawn in Wilmette (aka:home) in bed:

3. Drawn in station wagon in Wilmette / 4. Drawn in O'Hare Airport

5. Drawn on my delayed flight back to NYC an hour into the tarmac:

6. Drawn in a my NYC apartment at my desk:

7. NYC Apartment at my desk again:

8. Apartment at desk, again:

And now he's unstuck.

I'm not sure which one is my favorite because they are all oddly tied to the location where I drew them. Also, I don't really think this image is unstuck. I think I'm done drawing it, though. We'll see.

Stay Bright.

Hey, I like drawing

2008-11-26T00:15:00.004-05:00

This is how this blog began and I have been getting some flak (most notably from the mayor of blakecity) that I should reinstate my drawings into the blog whose name suggests such content. So let's not kid around, I still like to draw.

I guess I just like drawing ballons. Though, ironically, I don't think I'm very good at drawing them. I always make them too skinny or something.

Stay Bright.

Box Fan Fans

2008-11-09T01:38:00.004-05:00

Stephen Neary discovered this clip online recently and I thought it was worthy of being posted. I absolutely love obscure hobbies, especially those having to do with collecting obscure things. The real beauty of this clip, however, lies in the comments (as suggested by Stephen when he sent this to me). While usually the internet is filled with hate and confusion, this seems to be a steady stream of support. It's almost as if this is such a niche video that only those searching specifically for it could ever find it. How Stephen got there, then, I have no idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVTryCGnQco

After doing some research, I came upon this group-- the Antique Fan Collectors Association. It's really an interesting hobby. I suppose there are probably fan clubs dedicated most all appliances, then.

Interesting stuff.

Stay Bright.

Lost in the Woods

2008-10-22T00:33:00.003-04:00

One title, seven different movies.
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"
"Lost in the Woods"

Stay Bright.

You're Like Jesus, Man

2008-10-19T19:50:00.004-04:00

So today I have been watching recreational water sports videos. It must be a thing people who live by the ocean in warm places do. I for one have never seen a lot of these things.

This video has so many weird visuals, and the last line is the best:

This just seems dangerous. It's weird to me that people would choose to do this...especially when the sky looks as ominous as it does.

This is just an odd video. An odd ride. Self-operated theme park? Weird.

The title of this video was "Carter Almost Dies". Now, I was let down. But maybe the title is meerly a philosophical statement alluding to the fact that for every moment we are living, we are almost dying.

And these two videos are where I started. They both demonstrate why I will never take part in this sport. There is something terrifying to me about the wind. It really has so much power when you let it.

This one is just sort of beautiful in a weird way.

This one is just reckless...it's a hurricane?

Such a weird world. This made me think of another post I will do soon. Did anyone ever play with this stuff or do these things? I don't enjoy the water so much, but I guess a lot of people really do. How come water recreation is so alluring? Is it the lessened amount of danger (although, it seems offset by the lengths people go to utilize the 'safety' of the water). Weird. Can anyone explain this fixation to me? Or at least tell me a comparable story?

Stay Bright.

Inside CERN and the LHC

2008-10-16T02:22:00.002-04:00

The following links come from VR Photographer Peter McCready. He takes amazing Virtual Reality photographs (is what I guess you would call them). This particular series is from his work with CERN inside the Large Hadron Collider. Incredible stuff. Just click on one and explore around. Try to find his bike in each picture-- this is how people get around in the LHC. Anyways, going to this site really calms me down for some reason:

This one is so still and clean.

The emptiness of this one.

This one is compact and enclosed, in a good way.

I think it has to do with the ambiance.

And it's just nice to be outside.

Big pieces of stuff I don't know.

People Working.

I think it would be interesting to build a full database of images like these from all over the world. In fact, I imagine in the future this will be what Google Street View is like.

Stay Bright.

Please Enlarge For Best Results

2008-10-16T02:15:00.002-04:00

Ms. Tioga & George

2008-10-14T00:46:00.007-04:00

So recently Glehrer, one of my favorite youtube posters posted a video about his work. The man is one of the most genuine posters I have ever seen on youtube. He defines everything I look for on the web. He is a genuine person showing his life the best way he can. No presumptions, no expectations. Just watch, and if you like it, let him know by leaving a comment on his video.

Genuine. I could certainly learn a lot from him. I know for a fact I have trouble being completely genuine in the things I do. That takes some guts, some damn genuine guts.

Stay Bright.

JD

Bill Elliot

2008-10-11T21:01:00.001-04:00

Stay Bright.

Rain and Christmas lights

2008-10-09T03:22:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine always reminds me that there is a certain magic to being inside when it rains or turning on Christmas lights at night.

When I was a kid, I learned that there is nothing much like sitting on a couch in the dark listening to the rain or lying on the couch staring at the Christmas tree.

Likewise, there is something comforting about Christmas lights. When I was a kid, they represented a time that was about friends, family, and magic. That being said, the mixture-- rain & Christmas lights is an great combo platter of emotions to me. That being said, these videos stir something up in me.

So I guess all I can say about these videos, as my friend always reminds me is that you should: always listen to the rain on a couch and always turn on Christmas lights when you go to bed--especially if it's raining.

Stay Bright.

JD Gets Hit Hard With Nostalgia: Big Time

2008-10-08T01:26:00.007-04:00

So I finally found a picture of myself on youtube that I didn't know about until now. The director of this video enters the barber shop that I had gone to since Kindergarten. I've sat in those seats for years.

To top off the nostalgia, in the end he shows a series of pictures. Among them is a picture of little league awards on the wall- those being all of the little league teams sponsored by the barbershop. I am in the two team photos with the purple jersey's on the bottom left. That was 4th and 5th grade I believe.

When I was little, my dad would take me to the barbershop and we would both get haircuts. Him with Jerry, me with Noel. Afterward we would always go to the pet store next door and look at the turtles. One day we bought one. His name is Micky. We still have him.

Those were the days. Funny how you can find almost anything on youtube- even a little personal nostalgia. To me, the odd part is that this youtube user has no idea how much the subjects of this video mean to me. Those were some great memories with my dad. But, that's youtube for you-- niche audiences. This guy made a video and even though it only has a thousand or so hits, one of those hit hard. I love it.

Anyways, this is where I got my haircuts and had some good times with my dad. Is anything from your home town on youtube? If it is, send me a link- your life seems interesting.

Stay Bright.

Driving Into the Distance

2008-09-29T00:40:00.005-04:00

Connie posted a comment on my last post saying that Stephen suggested she send me this link. Good thing she/he posted, quoted, and said. This video is incredible.

What's great about doing things off into the distance is that the image of going off into the distance only has an effect on someone watching the act take place. If you yourself are the one driving into the distance: you're just driving-- the horizon keeps moving forward. It's an effect completely predicated on viewership.

I think that's awesome.

Thanks Connie/Stephen.

Stay Bright.

Pee Wee Herman Dance

2008-09-18T02:30:00.006-04:00

This might be my favorite post ever.

and finally of course:

I can't promise that I can't be persuaded to make my own one of these days.

By the way, now that I think of it... this was my favorite post ever.

Stay Bright.

Control

2008-09-16T03:21:00.004-04:00

So I was looking around Tony Hawk's new social video site "Shred or Die" and came across this video about a kid, Tommy Carrol, from Glenview, IL (that's like the town next door to where I grew up) who "shreds" it up despite being blind. Anyways, this kid is incredible.

See more DissentTV videos at Shred or Die

To me, things in life are generally more impressive the less control you have over them.

Stay Bright.

The Muslims "Extinction"

2008-09-15T01:36:00.001-04:00

Blake of Blakecity just sent me this music video. Something about it is perfect.
It really works for me. Big time. Maybe it's Sight and Sound nostalgia, or maybe it's just a kickass video.

Stay Bright

Ninja Cat

2008-09-15T01:03:00.000-04:00

I'm tired. Meet Ninja Cat.

Stay Bright.

Icon Warrior Class Swordsman

2008-09-12T01:51:00.003-04:00

Thanks to James Herron for finding these videos and thanks to iconsword for making them.

These videos are freaking cool. While the stuff he does with the cape and sword are pretty cool, I really appreciate the banter the most. When you hear his voice it doesn't seem likely that he is going to start doing the cape/sword moves, but he does. I bet if I passed this guy on the street, I would have no idea this is the kind of thing he does. Also, his friend operating the camera is awesome.

I wish there were an easier way to see people being real than by finding it hidden on the edges of conscious "performances". Still loving this world full of people who do things, though.

Stay Bright.

Baby Rocker in the Trash

2008-09-09T14:01:00.001-04:00

"Baby Rocker in the Trash" by Douggpound

Stay Bright.

Animated Gif of the week.

2008-09-09T01:03:00.003-04:00

"Hey Guy"

Stay Bright.

Cute, Awkward, Cute

2008-08-30T02:49:00.004-04:00

0:00 - 1:05 : Cute
1:05 - 5:45: Awkward
5:45 - 6:30: Cute

Stay Bright.

Segway Kills Furry

2008-08-30T00:32:00.003-04:00

So Nora came up with two more challenges for me to find on youtube:

Segway Hits Dog:
so this one is a little lame given what I could have found. But technically at 2:58 the segway does in fact hit the dog. I'm not completely satisfied, though. Also, in looking for this I found an incredible amount of videos of dogs riding segways. Anyways, my conclusion is that it's lame that this is the best I can do.

Fursuit in Church:
Well, it helped that this one group did a performance at a church. Although it doesn't look like a church, but they have like three videos that all claim it is one.

I'm not happy with either of these, but for now they will have to suffice while I scavenge for better videos of both.

Stay Bright.

Baby Caught Shoplifting

2008-08-28T17:13:00.006-04:00

If you read my last post you will notice that I put out a challenge: If you can describe something in three words that I cannot find video of on youtube, I will personally put it up myself.

So today Nora of Norart gave me my first challenge. She challenged me to find video of: "Baby Caught Shoplifting".

Somehow there is a lot of footage of this kind of thing on youtube. I was surprised because at first I thought this was going to be a pretty tough challenge. However, I guess parents like filming their babies stealing.

here is some crime in action with musical accompaniment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_jN4hkZYPk

here the crime happens at :55

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhzpQs8U2L4

Happens right away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVjokGhiKI

The youtube promise continues.

Stay Bright.

I Love The Range of Things You Can Find on Youtube

2008-08-26T20:05:00.005-04:00

I was looking for some fun videos online and stumbled across this youtube channel.

From the user description:
"guts on guys...tryin to bloat mine as big as it can get"

http://www.youtube.com/user/MiniFlaB
(the user didn't want embedding, so I won't)

So far there hasn't been anything I couldn't find on youtube. In fact, I dare someone to tell me something that isn't on youtube and I will either find it or put it up myself. That's my deal. If you tell me something you can't find on youtube that can be summed up in three words I will either find it or put it up myself. That is a promise.

So choose your three words and I guarantee I can find it.

Stay Bright.

This video had me crying laughing...

2008-08-21T23:27:00.002-04:00

Sometimes things just hit you the right way at the right time. That being said, I have been crying laughing watching this video alone here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hElOkG-QwgE

Sorry.

Stay Bright.

Testing Camcorder

2008-08-20T03:54:00.003-04:00

At first I hated the annotations because I thought that they took away from the content of the video. But now I realize, all if it is part of the test. Let's all hope this test went well for Dee and Suzie.

I recently came across old test video footage that I had long forgotten about on my back-up back-up harddrive. It got me thinking: I wonder how much extra film and audio is floating around in the world that was really only created in the first place as a test.

Which made me think: maybe people upload this stuff to youtube? which made me check. Which made me realize there is A LOT of test footage on youtube.

Which further made me think: given that there is so much test footage floating around, doesn't it make you wonder why we make test footage at all. Hell, I still have test footage from years ago laying around my computer and harddrives, and yet somehow the "actual" video I was testing for is now completely lost. If only I had shot something worthwhile on that test footage- maybe I would have something cool to look at other than just a wide shot of my living room.

Thus, my advice: next time, use your test footage to shoot something you might want to hold onto because best bets are that those precious seconds of "testing" will stick around the longest out of all of your footage somehow.

Stay Bright.

Storytellers Telling Stories

2008-08-16T16:58:00.003-04:00

Stay Bright.

Window to the World

2008-08-15T02:07:00.002-04:00

PBS used to call itself the window to the world. For me, youtube has taken over that responsibility. Recently I have been obsessed with small videos that just capture a moment in time. There is something special about seeing videos that just capture that small moment that you weren't a part of. Most likely you were a part of that time period, just not in that place...and for some reason I think that's kind of cool. Anyways, behold what I guess I think is the magic of time, space, and moving pictures.

Stay Bright.

Old Men on Trampolines

2008-08-13T19:20:00.004-04:00

"Gramps on tramps..." -Alex Smolowe of Dead City Tales

The internet is rich with imagery.

Stay Bright.

"icarus"

2008-08-12T20:36:00.010-04:00

This is my final sight and sound film from sophomore year. It was shot on the first snow day of the year and was based entirely on personal experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKLi1yDVbc

Fun Fact: The star of this film is James Bernardinelli, front man of the famous sock puppet rock band Uncle Monsterface. Check them out if you ever get the chance.

Stay Bright.

It's All in the Titles

2008-08-03T23:18:00.003-04:00

This video stopped me while I was doing some research because of it's use of title cards. It only happened a few times, but they just caught me off guard and for some reason I really liked them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en7dO43aXVk
Christmas morning was just a good time as a kid- I think we should designate a non religious morning gift opening day for everyone sometime during this fall. There is really nothing like wearing pajamas and opening gifts.

Stay Bright.

Optical Illusion Illusions

2008-07-26T22:10:00.009-04:00

"Optical Illusion Illusions"
by JayDee

...an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object. An assumption remains an assumption until you decide to investigate and sometimes that investigation leads you to realize that not everything is as it seems.

This is the first of what I believe will be a series of optical non-illusions.

I just want to ruin one psychology project and I'll be happy.

Stay Bright.

Video Inside the Apartment Across the Street

2008-07-24T00:23:00.003-04:00

So, if you know me you know that I love watching people in their windows. That being said, I just moved into a new apartment which means a whole new set of channels that I can watch from mine. However, tonight on youtube I found something amazing: video footage of the apartment directly across the street from me. No joke. Video of inside the apartment across the street.

http://www.youtube.com/v/2KiyNLibx98&hl=en&fs=1
The internet is the best. I wonder if there is video inside my apartment somewhere on the internet? I am beginning to suspect that there isn't anything I couldn't find on the web. Eventually, will every space on the earth be documented and put on the internet? google earth and street view do a good job, but what about inside every home, nook, and hideout?

Stay Bright.

Becoming a Childhood Inventor

2008-07-22T23:59:00.002-04:00

So this is sort of like a double post, but having read the comments and having rewatched the video from yesterdays post I was inspired to continue on the subject of childhood inventions. It was Mike who suggested the world invest in a science program that completes inventions developed by kids-- and I think that could be one of the best things we could possibly do.

http://www.youtube.com/v/EEpSVlXVUzA&hl=en&fs=1
Be it Milabobobs (see yesterday's post) or milk carriers, the world needs more creative ideas--

What's the last completely new invention you can think of? I dare you, just for a second, to try to think like a kid and develop some idea or concept that is completely untouched by the rigors of reality or completely free from boundaries of basic practicality and need- hard, isn't it? I came up with an antigravity fan that has a plant on it so that as the plant grows it sinks closer to the ground and it has a string so you can turn it off and on if it's too high... but even that makes too much sense. This is hard. Anyone have anything better?

Stay Bright.

Milabobob

2008-07-22T00:00:00.005-04:00

In my opinion, every child is a genius and slowly over the years they become less and less genius and the smartest ones in adulthood are the ones whose thinking changes the least.

http://www.youtube.com/v/oi_LrpkyMUk&hl=en&fs=1
The mother never stood a chance at understanding all of the parts to this machine. Of course the glass of water is just for the washing, of course the sock is there to stop dirt, and of course it's called a milabobob.

do we necessarily need a milabobob? no. But is the world somewhat better now that someone finally invented it? of course.

What kind of stuff did you invent as a child? I once invented a flying machine-- however, the combination of construction paper wings, batteries, and my bike never fully achieved the goal of flight. Still, though, that was technically the closest i've ever gotten in my life to building a functioning manned flying machine. I'm sure you invented something as a kid- what was it? but more importantly:

why did you ever stop developing it?

Stay Bright.

Tilt Shifting Prague

2008-07-20T18:31:00.005-04:00

So for a while I have been a huge fan of tilt shifting, which is the online phenomenon of photographers digitally adjusting their pictures to appear as though they are taken of miniatures. I decided that would be the best way to wrap up my prague experience. Now, keep in mind, I don't do this technique justice at all... I think both of mine could use a lot more skill in the area of tilt shifting... regardless, you get the idea... right?

As a kid I loved miniatures. I loved slot cars, doll houses, warhammer, model building-- anything that involved intricately detailed miniature items. What is it about tiny things that is so fascinating? I certainly don't feel the same way about gigantically huge things. How about you?

(bonus question: can the internet ever surpass the amount of information that the non-internet world contains?)

Stay Bright.

Feist on Sesame Street

2008-07-17T15:21:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long. I hope this video makes up for it. Sesame Street is great. So is this Feist song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fciD_II7NI

Stay Bright.

I promise I have some new posts coming soon.

New Post Coming Soon

2008-06-25T19:54:00.003-04:00

Hey There,

I've been quite busy for the past while. First and foremost I have been waist deep in this competition which could render some funding for my upcoming narrative. It was an interview based project and I was asked to interview Sylvia Price Miller, a hospice patient and ex-opera singer about her life. Right now I am in the voting stage of the competition and could use as many votes as possible. If you want to help with that all you need is an email address-- and you can do it through this link:

http://cinema.lycos.com/details.php?video_id=1450336

I've also been waist deep in my film here in Prague. It's been a crazy shoot with lots of weird stuff. I will put up more pictures about it soon and hopefully one day it will be on the internets for viewing.

New post coming soon. A post I am quite fond of. Thanks for the votes if you had the time.

Stay Bright.

Happy June

2008-06-22T16:09:00.001-04:00

stay bright.

Free Hot Dog Fridays!!

2008-06-10T17:08:00.003-04:00

This is one of the most incredible videos I have seen on youtube. I really have to thank Evan Watkins (my roommate) for finding this. It really is incredible. There is so much about it that just hits me in the right spot. I will talk about them "after the jump". Just watch and enjoy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hf8EzvFtoec

1) This video made me realize we are in a new age of media. We have now gone so far into the borders of the internet that low budget commercials are now a part of the internet. "Viral Marketing" used be something that was hip and next gen- now it can be used for things like Free Hot Dog Fridays. I seriously think this is great. As a small business owner I would be all over it.

2) This completely uses two things that I love about youtube videos: still images and titles. Youtube has become the breeding ground for implementation of still and titles. Something about both of those things seem so uniquely fastened to the youtube aesthetic.

3) This is a video of someone showing you around a place. Also, it reminds me a lot of that mysterious shoe polish video that I found a while back. A lot of products with no real explanation. Obviously this has the connection to the office supply store, but still there is very little information given.

4) Finally, the title, narrator, and subject all seem to come together to create this little neck of the world that I hope to one day visit (hopefully on a Friday). That's what I love the most...we just got a window into free hotdog Fridays...and man does it taste good.

Stay Bright.

When All Else Fails...

2008-06-10T16:55:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/v/Uw9rRGrNyZ4&hl=e
...you can count on "Little Wonder"

Stay Bright.

We All Have Our Thing

2008-06-09T19:24:00.003-04:00

So today I found myself dancing in my Prague dorm room to the Big Fish theme by Danny Elfman, trying to figure out the choreography for the film I am shooting in a few days. After I finished my dance, I took a moment to reflect on what I was just doing. I dance a lot when I'm alone. a lot. I think I should probably post it on the internet sometime. For now, someone elses "thing" will have to do. I really enjoy this man's genuine nature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW8Cf8_jWDc
What do you do? I dance in private- howabout you?

Stay Bright.

Subtext

2008-06-07T18:59:00.005-04:00

This small dance contains so much subtext that I cannot believe it.

If anyone can tell me why this clip is so awesome, I will personally give them a high five (try not to cheat and look at the youtube title or description).

Stay Bright.

hint: emosewa is awesome spelled backwards

If you need even more of a hint, watch this video:

So good.

Stay Bright.

Deep Water is Terrifying

2008-06-06T19:58:00.002-04:00

deep water terrifies me. The fact that we know so little about the deep of the ocean is mesmerizing to me. There are very few unexplored places in the world- the bottom of the ocean being one of them.

here is the wikipedia article about the ocean. It's awesome. Just like the ocean. What are your favorite naturally occuring parts of the Earth? I also like Lakes and Continents.

Stay Bright.

Laughing is Awesome

2008-06-02T20:38:00.002-04:00

This is an old old video on the internet. However, everything about it is amazing. The context is some wacky southern comedian who hits people with foam bats. But then once Doug reveals his special characteristic, I just always smile and laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Y4keqTV6w
Something about laughter is so odd. You just cannot contain it. It is one of those few bodily reactions that you cannot control for the life of you. Also, everyone has a different laugh. I notice that my laugh changes based on the circumstances of the jokes. If I'm laughing at sarcasm my life is one way, if I'm laughing at physical comedy I laugh another way, if what i'm laughing at is something that I shouldn't be laughing at then my laugh is entirely different. Next time you laugh, try to keep a mental record of it. See if it changes later. If you can get an actual recording of your life. Put it on the internet.

Stay Bright.

Truly Human

2008-05-31T20:48:00.008-04:00

I know I often post weird or funny videos on this blog because a lot of times the things you find on the internet are silly and random. However, amongst that weird stuff there is also a lot of extremely moving and incredible footage that I may have never had seen without the internet. This particular video is one of those. Never in a video have I seen so much desperation, helplessness, agony, anger, and passion synthesized into one truly tragic moment. This is absolutely an incredible video that allows us a rare look into the sheer control that the universe has over our mortality. Two Minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mz3ZzSXyWM
One man, alone, forced by sheer helplessness to give up his fight to save his dear friend from inevitable tragedy. It's a situation, just having watched, that I can't help but relive trying again and again to devise some way it could have turned out differently. Just watching David Purley's body language from afar allows me to realize that I cannot for a second feel the same overwhelming explosion of emotions that he had to go through during these two minutes. Simply Incredible.

Stay Bright.

Christmas in Late May: "Santa and his Hot Air Balloon"

2008-05-30T18:41:00.004-04:00

In seeing the related films on youtube to my hot air balloon, I found this. This film epitomizes everything that I love about the internet. This short film captures the delicate moment by which Santa decides to get in a balloon with kids and deliver gifts. The snowman is also pretty amazing, and the ending is beautiful.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ICLEBsQki3g
I guess I just like the fact that this story needed to be told. I love that about the internet. So many stories that would never be heard. Also, maybe it's just me, but doesn't the first kid sound like youtube user gleher? Is there some wormhole in the internet? Anyhow, this is amazing and I hope you enjoyed it.

Stay Bright.

Hey Watch This

2008-05-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

it's pretty awesome, no?

Stay Bright.

Giant Construction Claw Undresses Woman

2008-05-21T18:30:00.002-04:00

Yep. Something about this just seems extremely right.

or wrong.

Stay Bright.

DSCN and Looking Into Lives

2008-05-17T19:42:00.003-04:00

I learned this trick from Penn Jilette who apparently is a big fan of this.

If you search the default camera names that pictures and movies are saved as right off the camera, you can often see pictures and movies that werent absolutely not meant to be seen by anyone. This is especially true if you search DSCN0001 which would be the first picture the person took.

What is the first picture you took on your camera? Mine was of the toilet paper in the bathroom in my house in chicago. There are a lot more interesting ones on the internet, though. Check it out.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&resnum=0&q=DSCN0001&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Stay Bright.

This Will Never Be A Travel Blog

2008-05-17T19:03:00.005-04:00

For those of you who don't know, I am currently in Prague, Czech Republic.

Fact: THIS WILL NEVER BECOME A TRAVEL BLOG.

fact: I DESPISE TRAVEL BLOGS

However, I will encumber you with some small stories that I have accrued while here. I will not, however, tell you where I ate, tell you about the weather, tell you about the banalities of my abroad life, or comment on how different the US and Czech Republic are. I surely won't recant boring historical facts that I, myself, would have just learned the day previous from your run of the mill travel book and I surely won't ever begin or end this blog with the Czech for "hello" or "goodbye".

'nuff said.

In honor of traveling and being tired-- here is a kid I can relate to:

If I were narcoleptic I would use it to get out of awkward social situations (or make them). What's the weirdest place you've slept? I've recently been trying to test the boundaries of places and circumstances under which I can sleep. The night before leaving to Prague I had already packed my bedding, so I slept on a couple of T-shirts on the floor. I'm sure someone has a better story. Anyways, this is not a travel blog, sorry.

Stay Bright.