Change to Reinvent

It was hard to believe so much had changed in such a short period, yet it was refreshing and new.

Regardless.

He knew he was home once again.

Pleasures

The wind whipped up and howled through the trees, carrying with it a think blanket of mist and smoke. As his chants grew louder, the wind blew harder, tugging at his shaggy hair, chilling his exposed skin.

The time was near. It wouldn't be long before the ritual was complete.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen, who would appear, or what would be brought upon this world. All he knew was that he was close.

With each word that left his mouth, the ground shook more and more.

Brick

It was getting really hard to concentrate. Her back had been resting on the bottom for quiet some time. She dare not open her eyes because she couldn't stand the thought of no one looking at her as she lay on the bottom of the pool, swaying ever so slightly in the tiny current created by the swimming children above her.

What she really wanted was for him to notice her. They had bumped into one another in the store, at school, walking down main street, but no experience ever yielded more than a simply "hello" or an empty "how are you." She knew he was kind an genuine, but he hadn't noticed her yet. Yes, he knew she existed, but he hadn't seen the fire within her.

Her lungs were beginning to burn, the muscles were constricting, she heard little pops in her ears. The shaking of her body let her know she was at her limit. The body could only last so long with recycled air - it eventually needed new breath. It wasn't going to get it. At least until he noticed her.

He was up there, with his friends. She had felt his eyes upon her as she entered the pool, walking as she sauntered into the water.

He'd better hurry up. It wouldn't be long before she passed out, allowing her body to go into autopilot, taking a breath instinctively, underneath the surface.

At which point, her fire would be extinguished.

Tilt Shift

I love tilt shift photography. It's amazing. Mind-numbing beautiful and utterly unreal.

Do I know understand it? Yes, I do. I can explain it to you, to anyone, and you'd believe me. The problem? I don't get why or how it works.

Yes, I know it's altering the focal plane of the camera/lens by vertically, horizontally, and diagonally shifting the glass pieces, but what about doing that makes the footage look so damn strangely beautiful!?

I've looked into purchasing lenses for my still photo camera, and apparently there are a bunch that will fit/are compatible to my pentax. The issue is, they cost anywhere from $500-3,000. Money that I unfortunately do not have in my wallet, pocket, or bank at the moment.

Shucks.

Welp, I'm sure I've lost a few of you or probably got everyone wondering what is this wonderful tilt-shift look like if I keep "oodling and oddling" over it. Sorry if I'm drooling too - this is a damn exciting technique, and I've been known to drool is extreme moments of euphoria.

If you've seen "The Social Network" you'll know what I'm talking about, more specifically if you can remember the crew race scene.

To put it bluntly, it makes everything look like its a miniature set. Everything looks like toys.

Here is the racing scene from "The Social Network."





Isn't David Fincher just damn amazing? I sure think so!

And another example, which I think better portrays the look of everything as miniatures, enjoy the following video.



Maybe you all don't appreciate it as much as I do.

But, I swear, the moment I have the opportunity to use tilt-shift in a video? I will.

Look out Foo Fighters...

Double Whammy

She rolled with her own crew. Stuck to a style that suited her. She wasn't a loner, but she wasn't in a click. She was her own entity and she was happy with it, proud that she wasn't part of the "norm" of high school.

She'd often get teased for her off-kilter antics - wearing a hoodie all the time, hiding her face with her bangs, speaking as perfectly and articulate as possible.

She was was super "green." She rode her bike everywhere. She was old enough to drive, but, she figured she'd save the planet one pedal at a time. She'd bike for miles. Out of her way to reach where she wanted to go, to prove a point, that she was strong, determined, dependent on no one but herself. The lights were her own touch. She set them up to be powered by the peddles on the bike.

Ok...you know what? Fuck this photo. It totally duped the shit out of me. Take a minute and look at it for me. Like, seriously, stop, and look at it.

It's an awesome photo. It's a little past dusk - a little after magic hour in the film world (between 5 and 6 pm) when the light is just perfect for film exposure and creating soft skin tones and shadows. The neighborhood behind her looks amazing. Clean, pleasant, warm and inviting.

So whats wrong with it you ask? Well, it's sure not the lights. Since, well, they were what drew me into the photo to begin with. They look so bright. Glowing and happy.

Sucked me right in, like a moth to a flame, a mosquito to a bug zapper 2000, whatever smartass metaphor you want to use to feel smart - go ahead, come up with one better, cause I can't.

I feel like a moron. An idiot. I don't deserve to have a blog for a while.

I've been defeated.

I. Feel. Dirty.

Why?

I posted a picture on my blog, and described it, because I fell in love with it.

Whats wrong with that you ask?

That stupid girl, yeah, the one up there ^^^

has fucking uggz and leggings on.


God I need to go take a hot shower.



I'm disgusted with myself.

I Literally Just Pooped My Pants

Yes. I kid you not, I think I just shit my pants.

No, I'm not sick and I didn't shart (for those of you who are unaware of that, its a combo of a fart and shit, when you cautiously let some gas out some something comes out with it).

I am super duper excited. Like beyond belief.

Remember before when I said that I had tried to go to the Foo Fighter's secret show? Well, I never really followed up on it. I didn't win tickets, and I didn't go. I was kind of talked out of going to where I "thought" the show was by a friend who had said they'd go with me, since they thought it seemed exclusive, and that we needed tickets to go.

I didn't want to go alone, so I went home.

What do I read the next day? About 20 die hard fans showed up and didn't have tickets...and GOT IN.

GOD DAMMIT!

It happens I supposed. I'm a die hard fan, karma and the Foo will treat me right sometime down the road.

Oh wait, what is that you say? It just may be on the road in front of me right now?

I just logged onto their website to see a new contest being held by the Foo. They have a new album coming out, and they are promoting it. They want to use their fans in the whole promotion side of the album. So what exactly am I getting at here?

They are selecting 11 (I'm assuming 1 per song on the album) fans to DIRECT A MUSIC VIDEO for them. How exactly are they selecting these fans?

By looking at our work. Well hot damn! I have a cinematography reel already - all I have to do is edit in some footage of my thesis and BAM! Count me in baby!

Will I enter this contest?

You better fucking believe it.

Good thing I went to film school.

****But I need help. Go to my youtube site...
http://www.youtube.com/user/SkidMark88?feature=mhum#p/u/3/KxCgC4nzL4A



Watch my DP reel, then my other stuff, and tell me what you think should go in the reel and what, if anything should be taken out. I'm certainly chunks of my thesis...I have up to 10 minutes to show.****

Here's Dave Grohl and the Foo being goofy to promote the contest...



I've been a good fan. Gone to tons of shows. Bought all their albums, clothing, supported them, even all their side projects. I've never won anything from them.

Now I feel I have a legit chance to make a name for myself, showcasing my talents.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I should win or in anyway "deserve" this, but this is the perfect contest for me.

If I don't win this, God, Buddha, Tom Cruise, or whatever higher power is seriously flippin' me the bird.

Just Awesome.

I know it's long.

What...something like 27 minutes? If you have the time watch this. Other than being absolutely beautiful - its amazing, scary, and intriguing.

The man behind this is nuts.


UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.


I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Two Words. Las Vegas.

Las Vegas was, well, honestly, perfect.

I got to go with my roommates to celebrate the new year. That alone makes it something special, but when you get to throw into the mix that my two best friends from college were there also, you have a scenario that simply cannot be contained.

I worked until the Thursday we left and as I'm sure you can tell, I was ready to bust the hell out of the office and begin the journey to the high desert. The drive was fun, but awful at the same time. The time passed quickly driving with Rob and Jordan, but I was behind the wheel expecting the typical Vegas 4 and 1/2 hour drive, when because of traffic, it took 8.

The desert was cold. Not nippy cold. Below freezing cold. I left LA in a t-shirt and shorts and I may have lost some of my body parts while refilling the car with gas - that cold.

We pulled into Circus Circus around 11 and I felt like the head of the family. I had booked the hotel, so I had to check in, sign the papers, get the room keys, hand them out, etc. We quickly got to the room and got ready for the night ahead of us. Rob had flown from Boston to LA, then was picked up by me and driven to Vegas, so, naturally, he hoped in the shower.

Jordan and I immediately made drinks. Rob was sipping on his in the shower, before he even had time to shampoo his hair.

Hell yeah, we were in Vegas.

I hadn't eaten since 5:30 in the car - a simple turkey and bologna sandwich - and my drink was hitting me hard, quickly. I knew it would. I enjoy spiced rum. I enjoy Sailor Jerry spiced rum, but when it tastes like shit, I know I made it strong, and I had to gulp it down not to gag.

Rob vacated the shower, dried off, changed, we huddled, said some prayers, some words of how awesome the two nights would be, and off to the cab we went.

We met my friends at Jet @ the Mirage. It was an 8 dollar cab ride (thanks GOD everything is so close in Vegas).

Josh had worked his magic and got us VIP bottle service - yup, we were ballers, with 2 bottles of goose and 2 bottle of belvedere. It was awesome seeing my friends. Pure joy. They immediately wanted me to meet Ashley, who was a very attractive lady at our table and I wondered why, in my buzzed state, why in the hell she wouldn't accepted my handshake. Oh. My bad. she was our personal bartender. She didn't care who I was. She just kept handing me drinks. Shot, after shot, after shot, followed by Vodka Cranberries and Vodka Redbulls. Mix this with the music pumping and the lasers firing through the haze - my head was going to explode, and I loved every second of it.

We danced, we tried to talk (way too loud), we laughed. We stood in our VIP section above ours - Les hit my and spilled my drink on some poor girl below us - she wasn't happy to say the least.

Rob and I tried to dance on the raised platforms where the women were dancing. Sadly, within two seconds, we were yanked down by some of the largest, scariest looking black men in the world. I asked, probably slurred, "but the women can?'

"Damn straight they can son."

Foiled!

I don't remember coming home really. I remember waking up at 11:30 and checking my phone, my last text message was at 8am. How was I awake? My mind was racing, I was wide awake. I was ready to go.

I was speaking 1000 miles a minute. If I had to guess, this is what people feel like after snorting some powder.

I woke Rob and he was in the same mood I was. Jordan...not so much.

We ate @ Dennys - it was glorious. $4 Dollar sausage and biscuit omelet covered in gravy fixed me right up. Les had a grilled cheese that had mozzarella sticks grilled into it...

Yes. That exists. Gross and totally awesome. I love cheese. What makes it better? More cheese. I ate a bite and I felt my arteries shrivel in fear even before I swallowed.

The best part about the trip? We did the same thing for NYE, but at the Luxor - at a 5 hour open bar.

Oh my god.

Vegas is the adult Disney World.

You had your tourists doing the touristy shit - buying the yard long drinks. You had your people spending a ridiculous amount of money on dumb shit - aka gambling. And you had your over eager kids,  looking for the time of their lives - us, eyes wide with amazement for the women, alcohol, and venues.

Leaving was one of the hardest moments of my life. I wasn't only leaving my friends from school, who I had only seen for a meager two days, I was leaving the city where I had the most fun as a legally aged adult.

I felt like I had lost a family member as we drove away...until we stopped at Carl's Jr. and I got 12 dollars worth of fast food. Judge me. Go ahead. It's not my fault I know how to cheer myself up.

It's already been set in stone. This will be the annual trip for my friends and I to catch up.

Oh, it will happen again.

And not on the budget we had this year. It'll be better. Grander.

The only part that blows, is that its another 12 months away.