For Dana

Dana this post is 100% for you. I wish I had a good video to post for you. But I don't.

Still - this one is for you!

Fes

Internet is shotty at best. Paige and I are taking turns hijacking the wifi. Right now is my turn - but I have to make it quick.

Morocco is an utterly amazing place. It's beautifully breathtaking but heartbreaking and depressing at the same time. It really is nothing short of magical. The people are open and friendly and walking through the old city, I feel like I'm in Aladdin. I can't wait to spend the next two days here and see even more of what Fes has to offer.

This certainly won't be the last time I come back.

Updates to come soon!

Leather tanning!

Back to Espania

Lisbon was fantastic. Beyond what I could have ever imagined. Whenever I was younger and thought of Europe, I always wanted to see Portugal. I never had rhyme or reason but I now know my gut was right.

Lisbon is just like a European San Fran. Hilly. Twisty roads. Beautiful buildings. Even a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge that crosses their bay. This certainly won't be last time there. That's a promise.

Next, after a quick pit stop in Seville- Morocco!

Lisbon

Sorry I haven't bee posting pictures much. Been out and about exploring.

We made it here safe - although the car took the brunt of the drive. Couple popped clutches, loud, stuttering starts, and me pleading for it to stop acting like a bitch - but we're in Lisbon.

AMAZING place. I've only been out during the night thus far, but I can tell already this is on par with Paris - which all of you know I adore.

I'll get you up to snuff later this evening...maybe.

Portugal We Cometh

Welp - off to Portugal we go! Look out Lisbon.

After the 4+ hour drive I'm either going to be amazing driving manual or I'm going to run that transmission into the ground.

Lets hope it isn't the later.

I'm Alive in Barcelona

For all of those who haven't heard from me - don't worry. I'm alive in Barcelona. Flights got screwed up because of an emergency landing in AZ on the way to London for a sick baby so I spent the night in jolly ol' London. So I got pushed back a day but I'm on schedule now. I wish I could have been in touch sooner but free wifi apparently doesn't exist in Europe.

Fun fact(s):
1. Time lapses in Heathrow airport are fun.

2. Blogging from a phone sucks.

3. Barcelona is very pretty from the plane.

And Away We Go

So it's here. The trip. I leave tomorrow. To say I'm excited is a little bit of an understatement. I'll be in four new countries, two continents. There is no possible way for this trip to suck (knock on wood).

But with it being the eve of when I depart, I thought I'd play around a little bit. Have a little fun. Test something out. So I did.

All for your enjoyment.

So I took 796 photos. Strung em' together. Did some editing in Final Cut. Found a good song. Combined everything. Threw it up online.

Boom.

Express Packing Time Lapse from Andrew Kalicki on Vimeo.


                                                                                                                    Adios!

Song of the Day (Many Shades Of Black) 12.14.12

Welp, we made it to another one! It couldn't have made it any sooner.

I'll apologize for this last week - posts were sporadic at best and stories were lacking (is substance and occurrence). I've just been burnt out. Blah.

Anywho - who cares, it's Friday right!? Let's kick it off right - with some lovely music.

Song one is just shows how wonderful Jack White really is. It's not enough that he formed The White Stripes and is one of the best living guitarists - no - he has to have 1000 side projects going on at once. This just happens to be one of them, The Raconteurs, "Many Shades of Black." Something about it just sounds older - like The Stones or Clapton could have sang it during their prime.




The next song just continues on my recent addiction to folk rock. I'll always think of senior year in college when I hear this - its just one of those songs that was always playing in my house. This is The Felice Brother's "Frankie's Gun."




This last song just feels appropriate. The weather is getting colder (don't worry - it's actually in the 40's here tonight in LA) and the Christmas Tree is up in all its glory in the lobby at work (real might I add, and smellin' mighty fine). It's just time to celebrate a bit early - right? Growing up, this was one of my all time favorite holiday tunes. No it isn't a classic, but I still love it. I swear it was always on Christmas Eve, when the fire was roarin' and everyone was just relaxing before bed. Bruce and the guys just sound like they're having so much damn fun.




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Keep Those Vids Comin'

Alright - this week is already turning into a long one. Thankfully its the last one for a while. Score!

I'm not writing tonight. I just don't have it and rather than put something down that doesn't have my heart and soul in it, I'll give you some more videos.

This first one is again, one of pure magic. I was lucky enough to spend an extended period in Northern Cali this summer, in and around San Francisco and completely fell in love with the area. I've said it before and I'll say it again - when I'm older, there is no doubt that I'll end up there. Everything about it is wonderful. The city, the burbs, the weather - hell, it's even green. And I'm not just talking little pockets here or there like in Los Angeles, but actual, lush green areas. Oh right and it rains. For living in LA for almost three years (holy cow) - I never expected I'd miss rain as much as I do. Thankfully, it is actually drumming against my roof at the moment. But anywho - I spent time up there and loved it. Unfortunately, due to scheduling, I wasn't able to explore the Redwood forests that are famously known. But the following filmmaker was. Can you guess what style this piece is going to be? Time lapse perhaps? Oh - you're so good! The nice aspect of this video is that it has a lot of movement to it, so you don't feel restricted. You get a better sense of the forest, as if you were really there. Also, the lushness of the vegetation is breathtaking. I don't think other than a rain forest in Puerto Rico have I ever witness such vibrant hues of green.




This second video is just pure fun. Pure nerd, pure geek fun. I won't lie - I totally consider this a guy movie. Two years ago I read a script for a film called Pacific Rim and for the lack of a better term - I completely lost my shit. It was amazing. Everything I wanted to see in a film. Giant monsters fighting giant robots. Yes, I know what that sounds like - cheesy. Well I promise you it isn't (ok, yes, there is plenty of cheese in there), but give it a chance. Growing up I was addicted to monster movies, to the point that before I was 12, I think I had seen every Godzilla movie. Back then the effects were pretty awful by todays standards, so to see a movie that has the same giant monsters, fighting humans in giant machines, with the amazing effects of today, how could I not get excited?

Oh, did I also mention it is directed by Guillermo Del Toro - who made arguably (in my mind) one of the best ten films of last decade, Pan's Labyrinth? Throw that into the mix and you're in for something special. But wait! It gets better. Someone I work with busted his ass for weeks cutting a trailer for it and that is what you're going to see below. So congrats to Adam and congrats to Trailer Park. Just do yourself a favor and watch it full screen and in glorious 1920x1080 HD.

And no - I'm not using this as inspiration for my trip...I don't have the budget.




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Lose Yourself In Colors

Alright, so as you all know, my trip is coming up. It really snuck up on me. I swear a couple days ago it felt as if there was still two whole months stretched out before me - taunting me. But alas, here we are. Under a week. Am I excited? Yup. Anxious? Yup. Nervous? Yup. But it is all good. Every single piece of it. I honestly can't wait.

Combine my excitement with some frisbee playing and you're going to have an end result that is pure cinematic bliss. Believe it or not, I've been studying since I first made this trip official. No, not my spanish - which I have been doing every night - but my cinematography. My filmmaking. My art. I don't mean to sound pretentious at all, but this is really important to me. Ever since I first started shooting, I've loved film and photography because it captures a moment - makes it yours (less so now that we are headed toward digital). Yes, we all have our memories. People say they last a life time - which they do, but they break down after a while. Get hazy. Pieces are lost. With film - you actually have something in your hands. Physical, chemical proof it happened. Unfortunately, I'm not rich, so I can't shoot my trip on film - although if I could - believe me, I would. So digital is my next choice. I already know I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life, but I want to make something that I can pop in, if I want to relieve it. Turn on my computer or TV and just be in the moment. No one will be able to relate to it as much as I can, but I want it to move others if they watch it. Get as much of an experience out of it as I did.

I want my work to be beautiful all the way to the core.

So I've been watching techniques. Plowing through films. Time lapses. Photo exhibits. Watching music videos for inspiration. I've shot test footage around my neighborhood - getting strange looks from people because I have a camera strapped to my chest. 100% it's all been worth it.

And tonight I'd like to share two with you:

The first piece is just gorgeous. A man set out to film a time lapse of the leaves changing color in New York. How is that possible? Since it takes almost two months and no camera battery lasts that long, no memory stick is that large, or no way some random person would walk off with the camera? Well he went out, about every two weeks, and shot footage, in the same spots, during the same hours of the day and combined them on his computer, with the help of some programs. Yes - this wasn't done all in camera, but it is ok. The filmmaker never claims that it was, so it can't be called cheating. For now, lets just label it as "creative" (ways you can tell some CGI was used: leaves on the ground never move or disappear and the sky is always clear....in New York? Yeah right). Still a ridiculous amount of work which culminates in an utterly beautiful piece.

Fall from jamie scott on Vimeo.


Next is another film by North Face (the same company that did the mountain climbing/skiing video I posted last week). Buckle yourself in, because this is another long one - almost twenty minutes, but you'll know what direction it is headed in early on. There are plenty of moments your mouth will hang open - wondering how the men in the video have the courage to do what they do. I love how they throw in a little family life and mix between color and black and white. The color palettes juxtapose each other marvelously and add weight to the shots each time it changes. It really grabs yours attention. Throw in a couple amazing close up and you have a pretty complete package. Even if you don't watch the whole thing - it is worth skimming through just for the images.




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Painful Reign

The ground was rumbling beneath her feet. She could feel the soles of her sandals vibrating against her skin. There was shouting. Lots of it. Rising up from below her. Hundreds if not thousands of mouths all competing for attention. Raised to the air, bellowing out commands, cheers, and questions.

All her life she had lived with her aunt and uncle, along the outskirts of the city. Her neighborhood was built upon rows and rows of sodden homes. Raised from the same dirt that covered the streets. Lost among the beggars and pleaders. It was always a normal life. She didn't know anything else. Those around her were just normal people, like herself. Born into the world without much. But it didn't matter. They survived on what they were fortunate enough to have - roofs over their heads, food, and loved ones to carry them through each day. There wasn't anything else they needed. At the time, she didn't know she was special.

Before she could remember, she had been sent away. Her mother and father were nothing but a memory in her head built from stories she had heard from others, put together from words. There were no pictures. No images in her mind. But whenever she thought of them, they were stunning. Her mother was extravagant - radiating beauty. Her father was as chivalrous as the knights of lore. She missed them, but was never ashamed - because she loved them as they were in her mind. And nothing would keep them from coming back for her.

But now here she stood, not sure as to why she was there, tucked below the railing of some building, standing between her aunt's legs. The crowd below her was louder than before. She could feel their unease slowly building. They wanted answers as much as she did. Looking up, she made eye contact with her aunt, pleading for an explanation through her stare. Her aunt squeezed her shoulder and mouthed "it's time."

And before she could do anything, she was in the air, cradled in her aunt's hands, raised high enough for all those standing below her to see. There were many more than she had ever imaged. Thousands upon thousands spread out before her. Looking up at her. Cheering and smiling. The tension in the air had all but gone, replaced with joy. To her left, she could see her uncle, silencing the crowd with gestures - finally beginning to speak when the last few people below calmed. She could hear his voice bellowing out above them all, reaching all ears.

The girl before them was the princess - now their queen. She had been in hiding since birth - her parents fearing for her life from an unknown enemy that had been drawing nearer everyday. She was next in line for the throne, to fill the space her parents left. There was no need to worry - her parents had led the city through its golden age and she would lead the same - to glory. It was her time was now. As she hung there in the air, she couldn't comprehend it all. The people. The power. The wealth. The responsibility.

But more importantly, she couldn't comprehend that her parents would never come for her.

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Billy Boy

I just love everything about this man.

Song of the Day (Adrift) 12.07.12

Happy Friday everybody!

Hope your week has gone by swimmingly. Let's just say I'm glad mine is over.

Today's songs are on the mellower side. It was a long week. A tiring week. Drained all my energy. Its nice knowing I only have one more to go before I get to shut my brain off and relax.

1.) "Adrift" by Jack Johnson. Perfect song to glide into Friday listening to. Sorry for the video. It's rather um - not good. It was either this version or a live video, which didn't sound as good.




2.) "February Stars" by The Foo Fighters. Mind you - this is the live, acoustic arrangement. I think it is amazing how pure and clean they sound and I much prefer this version over what they recorded in the studio.





Happy listening!


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Man With A Plan

Oy - what a day! Better yet, what a week.

Is it over yet? Thankfully its Friday. And with this Friday, I bring you some great videos - three to be exact. But don't worry, none of them are 27 minutes long like last week. Strangely enough though, all of these pieces deal nature in one way or another. Seems fitting I suppose since I have a love of the outdoors and try to live pretty green.

The first piece is just a little beauty. I saw it earlier, maybe on Tuesday, and just became enamored with the concept, shot composition, and tone. I'll find it hard to believe if you can watch this and not agree with how gorgeous it is - the colors, balance, and perspectives. Back when I was in school, I shot a piece that focused on the little things in life, man-made and of nature. While I didn't juxtapose the images directly, like below, they did stand out from one another - dictated by the pacing of the piece. When I first saw "Neighborhood" I smiled. It immediately brought me back to my piece - shooting in the rain upstate in Ithaca. I feel connected to this because I've shot something so similar to it. Hopefully you find the little things in life, that we often times gloss over as beautiful as I do.




This next piece, "Damnation" is a film that is all grant funded - how cool is that? Sure, they also had some assistance from Patagonia (one of the most Earth-concious companies around), but the crew went out and earned this money, by proving their cause and purpose of the film. To be honest, I've never heard of Dam Busting before, but now that I think about it - it makes perfect sense. Do I think we need to go out and strike down all the dams in the country? Absolutely not - we certainly need some of the power they provide for us. That much can't be ignored. I was concerned they were going on a witch hunt, with too broad of a view, but I'm glad they briefly dialed in on that they are only going after the older dams, that aren't in use. Enough politics though. I won't go on a long spiel - but come on, this trailer is gorgeous. I need to find a group like this, go out, and shoot. In the woods, in the water. Climb some hills. God - look at all that green. I really need to get my ass up to Washington.

DamNation | Trailer from FELT SOUL MEDIA on Vimeo.


Shit man. This guy has it together. I'm not going to elaborate on the piece. But it gets my gears spinnin'. Maybe I should just pack up my things, gather all my photo, video, and film equipment and just get the hell out of dodge for a year. Travel. See the world. And just shoot, shoot, shoot. Of course - this won't come for a little while (have to save up funds for something so extreme). But I've got time, I'm still young. I absolutely love the blurb about the video, "short films about people who do what they love."

Dammit Scott. Why must you be so awesome.

Scott Soens, Photographer from Patagonia on Vimeo.


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A Place To Call Home

The last couple of nights had been the hardest. It always was when winter was right knocking on the front door.

When the sun went down, everything completely changed. The forest no longer looked inviting and full of life. Winds blew against the sides of the cabin, testing its foundation. Trees scraped the walls, dragging their gnarled fingers along the surface - echoing throughout the empty rooms. Creatures came out of their burrows - searching for food, shelter from the elements, somewhere warmer to sleep than a hole in the Earth. They often came knocking, trying to find a way in, hoping to take residence. When it rained, moisture would seep into the pores of the cabin, causing it to bloat - trying to make it crack.

It knew it wouldn't be long until they'd come back. That if it kept fighting on, staying strong, it would make it.

There had never been a year that didn't include a weekend getaway. When the cabin was at its proudest - filled with the smells of steaming coffee, lingering smoke from the wood stove, and freshly cut pine. It tickled the senses. A perfect combination of the season. They'd make themselves at home again, even if for such a short period, dancing upon the wood floors - hanging decorations, gingerly placing ornaments upon the tree, wrapping presents when the other wasn't looking. Mornings were filled with laughter and breakfasts in bed. Hot cocoa overflowed with marshmallows. Their company added a warmth to the walls of the cabin. A glow that couldn't be matched by anything else - except maybe a perfectly stoked fire.

It loved when they were there. The smiles on their faces always gave away how excited they were to see it. Never disappointed. There wasn't a moment that it didn't feel appreciated.

Until they returned, it missed them. Missed their touch. Socks gliding across the floor, hands on the doors of the kitchen cabinets, rooting for the perfect cup for tea, the pressure of them lying in bed together, holding each other close. It never intruded, never peeked, respecting its guests, but it was always present, making sure they were secure and warm, never needing an extra blanket - protected from the world outside.

Waiting for them always seemed like an eternity. At times it just wanted to give up. Let the elements get the better of it. Fighting everything was exhausting. The stress way always mounting. Snow always came before they did - piling up on the roof, trying to push it down. Testing its endurance.

But it was all worth it when it saw headlight beams dancing over the crest at the end of the driveway. The moment the car doors opened and it heard their voices, the excitement started to kick in. They always ran towards the door - excited to get inside, lost in the dark. The crunching of the snow beneath their feet teased it, signifying how close they actually were. The moment the front door opened, all was right.

For it's family had returned.

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God Particles

It had first begun on the news. Reports had come into the local stations saying that the government had recently moved out into the desert, setting up temporary camps. They were testing something. Most assumed it must be a new kind of weapon. Biological, thermonuclear, napalm. No one knew the dates of the experiment, but all assumed it was the night the sky caught on fire. Late one evening, without warning, the sky exploded - blotting out the moon and all the stars. The haze lingered for a few minutes, before fading away. Plunging the town back into darkness.

The event left people wondering what it could have been. Trees on the edge of town were scorched. Their leaves burned around the edges. Windows in some homes had burst in - windshields on car cracked. But no one had felt an aftershock. There was no loud explosion. It was if a massive bolt of lightning had come down from the heavens, muted from the world.

People begun to get scared when military personal started showing up a few days later - poking through yards, underneath vehicles, routing through garbage bins. They wore thick goggles and face masks, guns strapped to their hips. None of them said a word. No one acknowledged the residents of the town. If anyone approached, they'd continue to stare ahead. Not to be bothered. At night, a different group came out of the vehicles, dressed in white jumpsuits. They could be seen collecting samples off of different surfaces from around the town, placing them in thick, double-sealed bags before retreating back to their mobile bases.

There was no warning. No signs. One day, they were gone. Packed up without leaving a trace.

The people of the town didn't know what to do. Should they assume the worst and leave, following the example for the military, or were they reading too much into things? Some people left - fearing something sinister was headed for the town. Unfortunately for everyone else who stayed - the people who left were right.

It was only a day or two before the news stations began reporting something was forming in the desert. Meteorologists refused to call it a storm. Pulsing as it grew on the radar, swirling back and forth. There was no predictable pattern. It moved like a living organism with a purpose - searching for something. Soon the normal news stopped. Replaced by government talking heads that swore everything was going to be fine. It was just a rogue sand storm that would soon break apart.

But the suits had lied.

As they stood there, looking out at the swirling wall that was moving closer, there really wasn't much they could do. It was imposing. Stretching further than they could see.

Higher than they dared to imagine.

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Swept Away

It had been so long since fresh water had touched his lips. He was beginning to see things. Hear things. Feel things. The sun had been relentless, beating down on him every minute of everyday. His skin was raw. Cracked and peeling. Hair that was once brown was now a light shade of blonde - doing its best not to combust in the heat. He had done all he could to protect his face - using his shirt as a mask. At first, he would wet it in the sea water and drape it over his head, but he soon learned that technique was worse than just sitting in the sun. As the water evaporated, it left behind a thick layer of salt - coating his skin, leaving him stiff and uncomfortable. Sucking all the moisture out of his pores.

Everything had happened so fast. No one was really sure what really happened. He was jarred from his sleep, to find people running from their cabins to the top deck. In passing, he thought he heard someone say that the reef wasn't properly marked or a murmur that the captain had drank a bit too much rum. As he strained to listen, all he heard was the wood below his feet continue to creak and moan under some unknown stress. At times he swore he could feel it splintering deeper below, closer to the heart of the ship.

By the time he had made it to the deck, chaos had broken loose. People were screaming. Scrambling back and forth, trying to launch the life boats as quickly as possible. To his right, someone was pleading for help. A large container had tipped over, pinning one of the stewards beneath it, who just kept yelling, for anyone to pay attention. But no one did. Their own lives were more important. As he stood there watching what was going on around him, he began to slide along the deck and realized the ship was begin to pitch. Water had started bubbling up through the grates that led to the cargo hold.

They were sinking. The sea was trying to swallow them whole.

Before he could even react to what he was seeing, the entire boat shuddered - testing his balance. As he turned around to try and find the cause the tremor - he had no time to react as the mast crashed into him.

When he woke up, it was because his lungs were on fire. His body was begging for air - clawing at his insides - pleading for him to inhale. Throwing his head back and gulping, he was relieved to feel air dive into his throat, down into his core. He tried to look around, but his eyes stung too much. The salt of the ocean had seeped in and taken its toll. When his vision finally came back, all that floated nearby was a large piece of wood and a couple loose pieces of the ship. Off in the distance he could see a few bodies bobbing up and down - now only buoys to mark their ship's final resting place.

Of course he screamed. Until his throat could take no more. Until he could taste blood. There was no one else out there. Just him and the waves.

He hadn't slept much. Hunger kept him up. Thirst drove him crazy. His skin prayed for protection - the tiniest bit of shade. He had lost all track of time - how many days had come and gone. Direction was something of the past. He just floated along aimlessly, wherever the debris decided to take him. When he opened his eyes in the morning, he was relieved to see land off in the ditance. A beach littered with spots to escape the sun. Coconuts hung from the tops of palm trees - teasing his stomach.

As he drifted closer, he swore he was seeing things. Outlines of men on the beach, looking out at him. Their skin was painted with dyes and they held spears above their heads - thrusting them up into the air. It looked like they were dancing, waiting for him to wash up on shore.

Was this just the sun playing tricks on him?

                                                                                                                           15