Saturday night was a great party. Android Jones and a host of other unbelievably talented artists provided me with inspiration that should last me another few weeks… at least! The music was varied and there was never an excuse to stop dancing. Not like I need it, but I even have sweaty proof, thanks to one of the talented artists present. I look forward to another Paradigm Shift!
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Most tests that I see reveal that the Canon’s are a better choice when doing video. Unless I see some new news, this is the direction I’m going.
A friend recently recommended that I checkout the 60D. It’s a step up from the Rebel cameras, but still keeping me in the $1000-$1200 price range.
This video shows that the rolling shutter effect isn’t too bad. Though I should bring my laptop to a store to test the results in 3D tracking software. Hah!
Canon 60D Tests – Noise, Rolling Shutter, Sample Footage, Low Light from Alex Maximov on Vimeo.
Here’s a comparison with the Nikon D7000
D7000 vs 60D Low Light Test Redux from Nathan Lee Bush on Vimeo.
And some great footage of Frankfort at night, shot w/ ISO 1600.
Going to do what I can to catch these films.
Vancouver has a seemly infinite number of woodsy mountainous places to explore. I’ve hiked in Lynn Valley and up the Grouse Grind… but that’s really about it. My largest complaint is that I’m not sure where to go, or what I can get to via public transit. Lame excuse, I know.
Recently I joined an outdoor Meetup group and through that I discovered VancouverTrails.com. On this website you can even filter search results that will show you trails that are accessible via public transit! Awesomeness that has destroyed any excuses that I might have.
Who’s wants to go mountain lion hunting with me?
Friday morning was an early morning, despite having gone to bed at 3:30am. Toy Story 3 was good. Simple & sweet… as expected. I have yet to be disappointed. Thank you Pixar.
Friday night I was determined to go out dancing. Though I’d prefer not to go dancing alone… well… it was time to use my car for some downtown exploration. I took a 90 minute nap in the evening and then head towards downtown.
I ended up on Capitol Hill (where I took a picture so I would remember where I parked).
I walked around for a little while, stopping into an art gallery that was hosting an art show opening. The hip-hop tunes and crowd standing outside were what caught my attention. Familiar artsy crowd and nice beats. I spent a little time there before continuing on.
I walked all the way up the hill before asking someone where The Baltic Room was. He told me that it was, “back down at the bottom of the hill… and one more street up.” Doh! I was on the wrong street.
On the way back down the hill I met “J”. Our conversation was priceless. We ended up walking around talking for over an hour, before being led back to The Baltic Room. I bought a round of drinks and we hit the dance floor. Later in the night some guys showed up that had some great dance moves. The floor was packed and everyone was going nuts till 2am.
My head was distracted earlier in the night, but the dancing brought me back into the moment. Even got some dance tips, which included, “I love your style… but you should slow down. Focus on every other beat.” Slow down. Such a nice coincidence that brings me around, full circle. So much time spent locked into the details, missing the bigger picture. Somewhere during the last 3 years I tripped off my path.
Simplicity, patience, positive intentions & determination. These core elements, in the right balance, are amazingly powerful. Keeping things simple has always helped me see the bigger picture, but only when I am patient. Determination has helped me work through the hardest challenges, but if I’m not patient, then I tend to lose my intension. Seems complicated… but it’s simple… SLOW DOWN (again). I did it 7 years ago when you decided to move into a creative field, but then I got pulled into the world of tech support. At least this time, I remember how… and it’s working.
“Slowing down”, is why I’m here. Only through slowing down can we see the big picture. My eyes are open… as is my heart. I’m aware of my intentions and there are no more excuses to hold me back. I have bought myself some time, so I must use it wisely. I know what I will be doing and, most importantly, I know HOW and WHY.
I have been aware that something was missing and I have been searching for what it might be. Lost in all the overlapping challenges, with no break. The funny part is that it was me that was missing. A wise man once said, “You can’t save the world till you find yourself.” How true… how very, very true.
Now I understand why so many artists take long vacations between jobs. Unfortunately, my situation never allowed for it… till now.
I remember you… you are Jeremy, right? Glad you stayed in touch, I’m looking forward to seeing what you will build out of this chaos.
This posts seems a little too emotional for a “Night Out” posting… but it was a hell of a night. It’s been a hell of a week. Shit… it’s been a hell of an hour!! However, if you’re read this far then I should reward you with something a little lighter… especially considering how AWESOMENESS the night was. The most interesting part… I present to you, the tree biting girl! One night only.
I just returned from a week trip to Vancouver. The house was being worked on (painting, etc). I bought a car ($1800 SAAB), so it was time for a Vancouver road trip. The 3 hour trip was smooth and sunny. On the way back down, I noticed a familiar shape being pulled up Interstate 5.
Checkout the video.
Thomas the Tank Engine on Interstate 5 from verbal007 on Vimeo.
I took my camera to Rodondo Beach today to watch the sun set over Puget Sound.
Walking out on the peer, there were musicians playing and others singing along. I have a suspicion that they were a church group, but the singing was relaxed and the acoustic guitar added to the atmosphere.
I spoke to a random woman named Tammy, who was married to a man who worked on oil rig components. She had some beautiful ways to describe the magic of the sunset and the clouds… and she caught me in just the right state of mind to absorb it all.
The clouds slowly crept in as the sun set, but luckily this first photo captured the setting before it became too dark. Will remember the tripod for next time.
The area that I am currently staying is a part of the Fenwick watershed, where all the water flows downhill to Lake Fenwick. Yesterday I took advantage of the incredible weather and went for a short drive. The park is larger than I expected, and I didn’t get to see all of it… but I will return!
Both the pictures were taken using my left eye (I am usually a righty), which seemed to help me frame the shots a little better than usual.
On a side note… I think I’m being stalked by a squirrel.
Travis recommended I try this drawing exercise, where you quickly sketch the light values of shots in a movie. Pick a movie (he picked Orson Well’s “Jane Eyre”). We then found shots that were interesting and paused the movie. Finally, we spend a minute or two (less time the better) and just blob down the values. This also really helps get a feel for composition.
I remember Matt telling me how to better balance my line weights and get good values in my drawings by squinting.
This was a great exercise that gives me a greater appreciation for lighting composition, especially black & white film.
Here’s the two pages that I sketched out. See if you can find the following 2 shots in my two pages of sketches.
The rain is starting to get to me. Luckily, I have a rain coat, so I can still go for walks… but it would be nice to see a little light when I’m out.
Looking at getting a cheap car so that I can get out of here and see some more of the state. Originally a VW Golf… but now I’m looking at a Jetta. Little stylish, great gas mileage and just enough style.
Leaving for Vancouver for the weekend in a few minutes… but wanted to first do a quick update and dump a quick doodle online.
Come back Sun… you’ve been missed.
Lines to Blog from verbal007 on Vimeo.
This week we were kickin butt. We start every day at around 9:30 and continue on to around 6pm, with breaks in between. Travis was teaching me some tips about drafting (draw from the elbow!) and complimentary colors. It seems I’ve missed out on a few things by not attending art school.
Our workstations are lean, mean and… clean!! The clutter has been reduced significantly, which has helped our focus (and will probably set Cecilia at ease). He have some a little furniture, but a couch will help fill everything out.
We spent most of the week building a character and R&Ding new rigging components. I have been spending a little time in Maya and Houdini, as well as drawing little doodle animations in Plastic Animation Paper.
It has been raining like mad the last week and a half. Apparently, the weather in Vancouver hasn’t been much better. I suppose this gives me plenty of time to get some stuff done, though dancing around the living room isn’t the best way to get my exercise. Though, I have to admit that I do love living in a house again.
Working at home has its advantages. There is a lot of stuff to absorb and there was a little bit of push to get this character completed, so we decided to take yesterday off to recharge.
Tomorrow I head to Vancouver for the weekend…
Now if only this weather would let up!!!
A friend dropped off all this chocolate. It’s almost sad that no one is around to help me eat all the chocolate…
…almost.
Hope your trip is going well. 😉
First week of working with Travis is complete. We met our deliveries, despite all the setbacks with all the setting up. Computers. GAH! We have full confidence that the second time around will be 1/3 the time. Learning tons from each other. I have really missed this kind of collaboration.
Speaking of computers…
Sometimes they can have light and simple tools that mimic traditional tools that we find in real life. Plastic Animation Paper is one of those tools. The free version allows you to play around and export little animations. Here’s one of the 4 doodles I’ve done in the program. I enjoyed every second of it… and you can expect to see more.
Plastic Animation Paper – Test 1 from verbal007 on Vimeo.
There is something magical about creating something for the sake of creating. No money or deadlines to steer you. Each step is spontaneous.
Hmm… needs some ninjas.
Did you notice that you could actually play some Pacman on Google’s start page? Very slick usage of Java script… and multiplayer too!
My friend James Melcher asked me,
“I wanted to send you this question that popped into my head….( yes
it’s regarding your life at the present moment)What’s the Gift in the Chaos?”
And my words came easily, though maybe not confidently…
“I feel as though I have stepped out of the illusion of stability in order to gain freedom. The freedom to do what I want to do, and the way I want to do it. Call me crazy, but I feel that as long as we are productive, we can do anything and make a living from it. Good intentions leading into useful innovations.”
Today was the first day that Travis and I worked a full productive day in our (for lack of a better word) “studio”. Focused on the short film project today.
Now that our desks are assembled, hardware is plugged in and the online forums setup, we next have to get some local file sharing going (between Linux and Windows).
I am loving the freedom. Plus, working side by side with Travis again is a blast. Slowly getting organized. Thinking things through before committing to certain processes.
Thanks to Greg & Karen for having us over their house for a few nights. Such a calming experience to be by the lake, and playing catch with their labrador “Blue”.
Karen helped us get some household necessities and Greg helped pick up a little dining table set. Travis drove me to out to purchase a TV/monitor (a Samsung 37″ LCD that buzzes) & some Ikea Jerker desks. On CraigsList I found a construction guy who came into possession of about 55 desks and was selling them off at $45 a piece. When Travis saw the desks & the price, he also grabbed one. Lucky me!
I’ll be living near Seattle and working with Travis (and a few others) on a short film. 4 bedrooms gives us space to keep our “work” areas separate enough from our common rooms. Travis took some pictures with my camera. I’m hoping to put some interior photos up soon.
We are already getting to know the neighbours. Of special note is a gentleman we met yesterday who claims to have known Howard Hughes, who taught the gentleman how to fly…
… oh… and there’s a labrador next door named “Yoda”.
Cecilia left for her cross-Canada road trip. She expects to be gone for almost a month. I’m sure the trip will be quite an adventure and I’m looking forward to seeing lots of updates in her blog. The heat is on… but I know it will a cold night. :\
After a week of couch surfing and typing from my phone, we’ve finally arrived in Seattle. A few minutes ago I was just told that we can start moving into our house (renting). Unlike Vancouver, it was a little tricky finding a place in Kent, WA that rents month to month. All of our stuff is in storage… which has made us more aware of just how much stuff we have. Luckily, boxes of books are quite stackable. 😛 The short film is moving along slowly but surely. Travis and I will be kicking it in the ass, once I am down in Washington.
Anyhow. Travis’s parents house is beautiful and we’ve woken up to this view for the past 2 mornings. Looks stressful, doesn’t it? 😉
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