The Last Roll of Kodachrome...

Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park

Despite Paul Simon's objections, "they're taking my Kodachrome away." Kodachrome was the granddaddy of all color film stocks, having been used for over 70 years. It used a dye process, which made it notoriously difficult to process. So difficult, in fact, that only one lab in the world was able to process it by 2010: Dwayne's Photo is Parsons, KS.

Really, it's amazing that the film stayed around as long as it did. It was only available in one speed, and had to be special ordered. Then, once you shot the roll, you had to ship it to Kansas, then have them process and ship it back to you. Kodachrome is a reversal film, meaning once the film is processed, you have a positive instead of a negative. You can then view the film through a projector or a loupe. Prints could also be made from the film, as well as digital scans. Still, I've found they don't usually do justice to the film itself.

Mirror Lake in Kodachrome

Kodachrome yielded exceptionally accurate colors and creamy skin tones. I have yet to find a stock that had these unique characteristics, even digital doesn't come close in my opinion. It tends to give pictures that old-time America look, and Kodachrome was also used on the famous "Afghan Girl" photograph which appeared on the cover of National Geographic years ago.

Anyway, once Kodak announced the discontinuance of all Kodachrome film and chemicals, there was a mad rush to buy the last of it. Luckily, I had a roll in my freezer that I was holding on to, but all processing orders had to be received at Dwayne's Photo no later than December of this year. I was running out of time, but I wanted something special to shoot my last roll on.

When I decided to go to Yosemite, I knew this was going to be the right time to say goodbye. After finishing up the roll I already had in the camera, I loaded up the Kodachrome. The first part of the roll was taken at Mirror Lake, and it yielded superior results compared to the Kodak 160 Neutral Contrast stock I shot with earlier (printed in B/W on a previous blog post).

A Dear in Yosemite Valley

Hiking back to Yosemite Valley, Jen and I spotted a dear in a meadow. I used up way too many pictures on this, which I somewhat regret. I knew the light wasn't good enough, and the subject was too far away. But the moment was there, and I couldn't help that I had a rare film stock in the camera. Again, this is why digital has pretty much taken over.

Jen in Yosemite Valley - On the Way to Tunnel View

After that, we headed up to Tunnel View for the money shot. We started to get worried that we weren't going to get up there before the sun set, so we decided to snap a few pictures in a scenic area just in case. The picture of Jen came out a lot better than the one of me, so I posted it above.

When we got to Tunnel View, we were blessed with several things: we hadn't lost the sun, we had parking, and it wasn't crowded with tourists. I decided to lug out my large format camera, but even my wide-angle lens on that behemoth was too zoomed-in for the picture I wanted. I returned to the 35mm and took what I think was by-far the best picture of the roll. I'm probably going to take it to a lab and see if they can print it on an 8x10.

Tunnel View

The next day, we hiked up to the footbridge of Vernal Falls. I only had a few exposures left, so I took some pictures of the waterfall before I got to the inevitable final shot. I told Jen it was the last one, pulled her in frame, set the timer, and hoped for the best.

I am so glad the picture came out. Once again, the original camera positive is far superior to the print you see below, but it's still a terrific picture of us. I especially like how we contrast with the stones and how the greenery (being dark) guides your attention to us.

Farewell, Kodachrome. I will miss you.

The Last Kodachrome Picture....EVER!!

Nooooooooo!!!!

FILM REVIEWS: Inception and Lebanon

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see some movies in the theatre. Even better, they were both excellent in an otherwise bad year for movies. The first was Inception, which I have been trying to see for weeks.

I won't give away anything from the story, in part because I can't explain it easily. Inception is one of those rare movies that creates a unique world, and lets you get lost in it. For the first 45 minutes, you will want to scream out, "Where the hell is the place?! Who the hell is that?! What the hell is going on here?!" Rest assured, you will get the answers and it will explain itself.

Movies like this tend to cause hours of discussion afterwords, and that's part of the fun. Like Dark City and 12 Monkeys, this is a film that demands repeat viewings. I thought it was brilliant.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

------------------------------------------------

The next film I saw was Lebanon, an Israeli film that is playing in limited markets. This was may go down as one of the best war films I've ever seen.

The picture takes place entirely inside of a tank during the First Lebanense War. Think of it as Das Tank. The only view of the outside world is through the gunman's periscope; images that gradually become more and more horrifying as the film goes on. By the film's climax, the tension is almost unbearable.

The ending of the film is ambiguous, but you will be thinking of Lebanon long after the final credits have rolled.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

Shoots, Shoots, Shoots!

Finding Grace Director Max Myers
Porterville, CA

Last Rites Films has really picked up. I am doing post sound for a name actor on his short film, but at the same time I am still working on set AND full-time at Columbia. One of my most interesting jobs has been doing pick-ups for a feature that was shot a number of years ago.

Originally titled Don't Let Go, it starred Katherine Ross (The Graduate) and Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood) in a story about the relationship between an alcoholic father and his son; both musicians. It was directed by Max Myers, one of my instructors when I was a student at Columbia.

This time we had to shoot in Porterville, which is located in the Central Valley of California. We previously did re-shoots in Hollywood, and we did some voice-over at Ms. Ross' house in Malibu.

From the Penthouse of Evo
Downtown Los Angeles

Almost all of my other sound jobs have come from PlayNetwork. Journey's hired us to cover a MotorCross even in Riverside, a Go-Cart Champion in Palmdale, and this past weekend, the band Gorgeous Got A Gun at Evo in Downtown LA.

Evo is a skyscraper Downtown and we were shooting in the penthouse. We carpooled from the network headquarters, and had plenty of time to set up. The view from the penthouse was absolutely stunning, and I'm guessing the price tag was in the 5-10 million dollar range.

I am doing another gig this Friday in Culver City. Beyond that, I have jobs lined up September and October as well. It may be too early to tell, but production seems to finally be kicking up.

The same view at night.

Do You Dream in Color in Napa...

One of the documentary subjects, and me
in a funny hat.

I had a very special job a few weeks ago in Napa. I was hired to do sound in Napa (Wine Country) for a documentary about blind children. I had mixed before for this project in Palm Springs, and I was happy to work with these folks again.

The drive up there was rough. There were four of us packed into a car with a ton of gear. Once there, we had to drive some more to pick up one of the subjects from Santa Rosa. The shoot itself went well, but it was exhausting. Woke up early, went to bed late, and long, extended interviews. That meant a lot of time with my hands above my head holding the boom, but that's the job.

Nick.

What made this job special is that it really opened my eyes to another world. The problems facing the blind are extreme. Unemployment is almost 80%, and education is not doing much to accommodate them. Still, these kids had good heads on their shoulders, and I have a feeling they will rise above.

I have never really spent much time with the blind, but at this camp I was one of the few people who could see. One thing I noticed immediately is that they seem to have much more patience then most people I've met. Perhaps this is because they can't judge you on appearances, and in turn make their impressions based on what you say or do. Basically, they have the gift to do the rarest of all human qualities: listen.

At the Dance Hall

I was also glad to see Napa. Besides San Francisco, I haven't seen a lot of Northern California. Wine Country is absolutely gorgeous; filled with mountains of endless green and imposing Redwoods. The air was clean and the quiet was very nice.

The way back was pure hell. We had to drop kids off in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and San Jose. Then we still had the drive back to Los Angeles. I got in after midnight, and a few hours later I lurched into work like a zombie.

This kid wanted to be one the cowboys.

BIRTHDAY #27 AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK!

Mirror Lake
Yosemite National Park

I had been trying to get to Yosemite ever since I moved to California, but always made one excuse or another not to go. I decided going would be my birthday present to myself. And boy did it deliver.

Yosemite is quite possibly the most beautiful place on Earth. Granted, I haven't seen a lot of it, but this place was loaded with endless meadows, granite cliff walls, waterfalls, trees, and wildlife. Jen and I stayed at the Marriott in Madera (discount courtesy of Randy), so we actually had to drive quite a ways to get to it. But once we were there, we lived it up.

Half Dome
Seen from Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park

Our first trip in was difficult. I took the Western entrance in because I heard there was construction on the Southern roue. This required going through the vast Sierra National Forest before entering Yosemite. However, once you're in the park, you're right in Yosemite Valley which is the main launching pad for almost everywhere. We parked, ate, and started our first hike to Mirror Lake, so named because when the light hits the lake just right, it makes a mirror of the breathtaking scenery above. I brought my camera.

Yosemite wasted no time pointing out how out of shape we had become. It took quite a while to get there, and we hardly noticed it because the lake was dry! They didn't mention it was seasonal at the trail head. Still, there was an impressive view once we got there.

The photos I took were on a variety of color film stocks. I'm still waiting on the Kodachrome roll to get back, which I had to send to Kansas to get processed (my last roll ever!), but I was very unhappy with what I took. This trip convinced me once and for all that I am meant to shoot black and white. Color just doesn't look good in my hands, with rare exceptions. Most of the photos on this entry were taken in color and changed to black and white.

On day 2, which was the last day we had, we decided to hike to Vernal Falls. We didn't even make it that far. The trail was listed as "moderate to strenous," but I found it life-threatening. By the end, we were stopping every 100 feet or so. It was just kicking our butts! We did manage to make it to the lower bridge, which afforded a spectacular view of the falls. Those are among the Kodachrome pictures I'm waiting for, so I'll post those when they come in.

We headed back, but I really wanted to see Glacier Point before I left. This is by far the most famous view from the park, but the sun was setting rapidly at it was a long way away on curvey, mountain roads. Had we left 10 mintues earlier, I would have had some stunning pictures, but we just didn't make it in time. The picture above of half-dome was taken there, and it's amazing it turned out at all. Although it looks like daytime, it was almost night when I shot it!

Bear!

Oh, and we saw a bear! We were on the shuttle bus when an Asian guy next to us yelled, "Behr!" I didn't have my camera assmbled, so I quickly threw on the longest lens I had and snapped it through a green window. Again, I'm truly amazed that the picture above came out at all, and it's really good considering the circumstances: almost no light, lots of movement, no prep time. Jen has a video of it somewhere as well.

And just like that... it was over. We drove back to LA and I've been in the grind ever since. The picture below is one of the few color pictures I'm really proud of.

"Screaming Trees"

The Big Trip to AZ

David James McDermand... in all his glory!

I got word that David James, Carol, and Sarah Jane would all be coming to Phoenix to see Nana. Without hesitation, I told Ma I would be there. I hadn't seen any of them in almost four years, so there was nooooo way I was going to let this one pass me by.

I bailed from work as soon as I could and got stuck in serious traffic because LA experiencing very strange weather. It was a heat wave, but somehow it was raining with the sun out. I never saw a rainbow and lightning at the same time, but there's a first for everything.

I stopped by my Uncle Dave Carmona's house for a quick dinner, then hit the desert again. I arrived at about 2:00am, some eight hours after I started. I promptly passed out.

Sarah Jane at the Barton House

The next morning, Mom called me and told me to get to Denny's on the double. And there they were. There were hugs all around, and we took a moment to size each other up since we last met. Carol was more mobile, and she looked good on account of that. David James had lost some weight, but none of the attitude. And Sarah Jane was absolutely gorgeous. I was the one who had gotten fatter for once.

We wrapped up breakfast, then gave Carol her surprise. We would NOT be staying at Moms, but in a fat Marriott suite that Randy had hooked up for us. Sarah Jane and my Mom went grocery shopping, and the rest of us basked in the A/C.

Uncle Dave entertains Vera

Later, David James, Sarah, and I headed down to the pool to catch what was left of the sun. We retreated to the hot tub and soaked the aches and pains away. We all retired after that, and I finished the book I was reading (Columbine by Dave Cullen; excellent).

The next morning we decided to see Nana. We're never sure what to expect, especially since there were going to be a lot of us. I'm very grateful that she was in a good mood, though she did sour toward the end and we had to make a mad dash for the exit.

David James and Nana shared a long, emotional hug. I'm pretty sure she thought he was Wampa, and that was both beautiful and tough to watch. I have to admit the resemblance is pretty shocking, which you can see from the pictures.

David James and Nana at the Barton House

We ended up having a ball. Uncle Douvie dragged out the piano and entertained the residents. He took requests within reason, but was not above inserting the odd note or belch when appropriate. We ate it up, all right.

I did get pretty teary-eyed when Mom suggested the Lake Denoon song. Grandfather, I believe, had written it. I hadn't heard it since I was a little kid, back when Wampa and The Champions were still alive.

Mom and David James play Heart and Soul.

Well... David did.

After that, my Mom jumped in for Heart and Soul. Mom was more than a bit rusty, which was punctuated every instance with a "wrong" by David James. As the song went on, it became, "Wrong," then "WRONG," then, "WRONG!!!!"

"Wrong!"

After our escape, we were all ready for more Marriott. This time it was Mom, Sarah, and Me. We got some really good sun, but it still did little to eliminate my seemingly permanent jaundice complexion. A weekend of sun is no match for months in the office.

Randy once again was our savior, when he brought Chizzona's Pizza over for dinner. Up until that point, David James was doing pretty well with diet and exercising. But that got him off the wagon.

Mom and Sarah Jane

After dinner, Paul, Brenda, Matthew, and Daniel all stopped by. The volume got exponentially louder from that point on, as did the laughs. Around 11:00pm, we called it quits.

The next morning, I had to go. The weekend had ended far too quickly, and I had to get back to Los Angeles. I left about three hours late, since I misplaced everything I brought with me, including a pair of sunglasses I had purchased not even 24 hours earlier.

Sarah Jane McDermand

The drive back was even more unmerciful when it came to heat. Even with the A/C on I was pretty warm. I pushed fluids hard, but I had no illusions that if my crappy Ford broke down I would probably die.

I stopped in Quartzsite for lunch and fill up, then straight through back home. Even though I was exhausted, I did go to a party at my friend Veronica's house w/ Jen, and I feasted on BBQ. The next morning, I dragged myself in to Columbia, and my life has been pretty dull by comparison.

It's tough being so far apart. I can count the times I see Ma in a year on one hand, and it's even more so with extended family. They're good people, we all get along, and we all love each other. A lot of families aren't like that, so it's truly a blessing. Hopefully it won't be so long next time. We'll see...

David James & Carol

MMMbop Reloaded

Taylor, Zac, Isaac, and me.
I don't know which brother is which.

There are some things you will experience in life that you wouldn't believe if someone told you years before it happened. For example, I never in a million years thought I would be hired to sound mix an interview for the boy band Hanson. But that's exactly what happened last month.

PlayNetwork hired me to help with an interview that will be playing through Chuck-E-Cheese. The gig was at the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills.

The first problem I had was finding the place. MapQuest straight up gave me bad directions; telling me to turn right on a street that didn't exist. The good news was that the whole crew had the same problem, so I was spared from a situation were I could have easily been fired. I was really irked with myself when I found out the joint was only a few blocks away from Maverick Films, where I had interned some years ago. Oh well, I guess I really wanted to forget that place.

Zebra Piano

Even with my tardiness, I was still set up well before picture, so I checked out the showroom. Gibson is a legendary company, having made highly regarded musical instruments for over a century. Their flagship product are guitars, especially the Les Paul model.

Needless to say, I was in heaven. Some of the equipment was very old and very rare. There was a whole wall of vintage amps, guitars, pianos, you name it. That kept me plenty busy until the band arrived.

The Mackie Onyx Mixer.
We have a similar model at Columbia.

Now, I'm not really a fan of Hanson... at all. When their breakthrough single, "MMMbop" came out, it was in 1997. I looked up music from that year, and concluded that I was much more likely to be listening to "A.D.I.D.A.S." by Korn or "Ænema" by Tool. Regardless, that single blew both of them away in terms of popularity; hitting #1 in 27 countries.

Anyhoo, the three of them filed in and introduced themselves. The last time I had seen them they were kids, and I could not tell which one was which. They did make my job a little more interesting, though. As musicians, they were intimately familiar with all of the problems that our location was causing sound, and voiced said concerns. I got a look from the director like, "why didn't YOU bring that up before?"

Luckily, I had scoped the whole building, and we were in the quietest part. However, it didn't help that the Gibson showroom had booked a rehearsal right next door, and they weren't happy that they had to stop for over 3o minutes for the interview. But they played along, thank God.

The interview went briskly. They genuinely surprised me with their taste in music, citing Led Zeppelin and numerous Blues musicians as influences. It made me wonder why I didn't hear more of that type of sound in their music; I might have actually listened to them. After the discussion, they played in the showroom, and I had to record the music (and make it sound good) with only one microphone. We'll see how that turned out.

Can I say that I'm going to rush out and get Hanson tickets now? No. That will probably never happen. But they couldn't have been more polite, and I wish them all the luck in the future.

Liberace's Piano.
I'm not kidding, that's the REAL one.

Books, Books, Books!

I have been traveling quite a bit, first to Chicago for a wedding, then Phoenix to see Mom and Nana. While on the plane, I have finally had a chance to read, and I'm pleased to say that I sucked up three books like a sponge.

The first novel was A Time Gone By, a mystery by William Heffernan. I have been reading his work since I was in high school, and this one was one of his best. A judge is murdered in New York in 1945, and it's Jake Downing's first big case. Fast-forward thirty years later, and Jake has just buried his wife. The widowed Downing decides to re-open the case, knowing with all certainty that the man they convicted (and who was ultimately executed) was innocent of the crime.

Heffernan's novels are unique mysteries in that they are more concerned with how the crime affects the characters emotionally than providing action. This one was no exception, and also includes the author's trademark taste for well-realized locales and plenty of steamy sexuality.

MY REVIEW: ***1/2

Now that I had finished A Time Gone By, I needed another book for the train ride to Quincy (where the wedding was). I stopped at a Borders in Chicago and picked up Black Sunday. This is the first novel by Thomas Harris, who received worldwide fame for writing The Silence of the Lambs. This is also the only novel not to feature Hannibal Lecter.

This one was a real page-turner. A domestic terrorist plans to fly a blimp loaded with 1,500 lbs of plastic explosives into the Superbowl; killing an estimated 80,000 people (including the President). His opposition: a veteran Israeli intelligence operative who's convinced the threat is real. The result: a book read in weekend. I simply could not put this one down.

Thomas Harris writes books far too rarely; having only published five novels in over thirty years. But his books, when they do come out, are unusually well-realized visions and a major event in the literary world. He has not given an interview since the late 70's, so no word on when the next one will come out or what it will be about.

It was made into a movie by John Frankenheimer, but it is not shown on television out of sensitivity to the 9/11 victims.

MY REVIEW: ****

The last book I picked up was Blue Heaven by C.J. Box. I needed it for the flight home since I finished Black Sunday much sooner than I thought I would. I was drawn to this one because I saw it won an Edgar Award for best novel (2009). The Edgar is the Oscar-equivalent for mystery novels, so if you see it on a book, it's usually going to be a good one.

In this one, two kids witness four men commit a murder in the rural Idaho woods. Although spotted, they manage to escape. Unfortunately, the killers are ex-cops from Los Angeles, and when the kids go missing, they easily convince the local Sheriff to let them lead the search.

The kids are eventually found by Jess Rawlings, an aging rancher whose property is about to be foreclosed. He takes them in, believes their claims about witnessing a murder (despite no body being found), and decides not to report them until he can figure out what to do.

This one didn't work for me. Although it was certainly plausible that he wouldn't go into town because of the Sheriff being compromised; I could not figure out why Jess wouldn't just pile the kids into the car and drive 100 miles away to another police force. Or why not go directly to the press and turn the kids in live on TV?

It was also 50 pages too long. And it wasn't much of a mystery. It had a good premise, and it could have been great, but it wasn't. Certainly not worthy of the Edgar Award.

MY REVIEW: **

I am currently reading Columbine by Dave Cullen. I think this one is going to be a great one. And on a side note, I think I took a great roll of film in Phoenix, and am hoping to post it soon.

MOVIE REVIEWS: IRON MAN 2 & OCEANS

Today, Jen and I took got together with some friends and saw Iron Man 2 at the old Vista Theatre in Los Feliz; sold out show. On the way in, my brother Alex called me and said that he had heard it was a "buck full of sucks." I would disagree with that critique.

Was it as good as the first one? No. Why not, you may ask? For starters, it didn't have enough Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). The film got a little too carried away with the side characters, namely whoever the hell Scarlett Johannson is supposed to be and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Now I enjoy comic books, but apparently not enough to know who these characters are, what their back story is, and how they're relative to the plot. They ate up a lot of screen time where there could be more character development for Mr. Stark; played quite well again by Robert Downey, Jr.

And this one did seem a little bit more absurd than the first one. Specifically, Mickey Rourke's scream of anguish over what will become the driving force of his villainous tendencies seemed especially funny. But for the most part it was only a quick moment or two. The original Iron Man had a great story about a narcissistic corporate weapons manufacturer having to look at himself in the mirror, and the metamorphosis that follows. Tony Starks' struggle in this film is much more physical, but I will not give away details.

But I DID like all the spectacle. Big action sequences, a first rate cast, and a fun premise make this film a quality summer film. "A buck full of sucks." Come on; that insult deserves to be thrown at the likes of Volcano and Godzilla (the one from the 90's).

My rating: Just under *** (putting it at good, but not great)

-----------------------------------

Now Disney's OCEANS, on the other hand, was a great movie. Over five years in the making, it provides a level of intimacy with oceans and their inhabitants that makes it much more than just "a nature documentary." It is an experience.

Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, it goes all over the globe showcasing marine life that simply must be viewed on the big screen for full appreciation. One stunning sequence, near the beginning, shows an iguana scavenging for food. After it's catch is complete, it rests on a rock on shore. In the distance a massive rocket blasts off into space, and the picture captures the reflection in the iguana's eye. The camera holds on the iguana's face of awe, and you can almost sense it's feeling that it is facing a force it can not possibly comprehend: us.

This is the sophomore effort of the company's newly launched imprint, DisneyNature. The first, Earth, was criticized for simply containing a lot of footage from Planet Earth. Not here. This is almost entirely new footage, and it without question the most comprehensive study of life under the sea. Catch it on the big screen!

My rating: **** (Greatness)

Oceans is the second film from DisneyNature.

It was unclear if additional productions would

be released, but their next film, African Cats,

has been announced for a 2011 release.

Waterfalls...

A few weeks ago, Jen and I decided to go to Eaton Canyon in Alta Dena (near Pasadena) and seek out the waterfalls that is hidden deep within. This was supposedly one of the bigger falls in L.A. county, but the website made it sound like it wasn't too difficult to get to.

They lied. It was way more than the 1.5 mile hike they outlined. The trail had plenty of climbing, and never ending river crossings. Not knowing that, we lacked the proper footwear and we're setting ourselves up for disaster.

And that's exactly what happened. We were sooo close. The waterfalls was IN VIEW, when Jen slipped on a rock in the river and sprained her ankle pretty severely. She trooped it through to the waterfall for a picture, but after than she had no choice but to walk on it all the way back to the car. Go figure, the one time we try to unglue ourselves from the couch, and this is what happens.


Still, it was a gorgeous waterfall. Enjoy the video (though I don't know why we turned the camera sideways).

Lights Interview at Club Nokia

I have been VERY bad about keeping current here, but I have been very busy. A while back, I was hired by Channel M to provide sound for an interview. The gig was at Club Nokia in downtown LA, where Pee-Wee Hermann had recently done a month of shows for his comeback.

Traffic was remarkably light, so I was the first person to arrive. The concert that evening was for OWL CITY, a rising synth teen bop musician. His back-up artist, our subject, was named Lights. I'm not kidding, she legally changed her name to Lights.

The interview was in the VIP room, but we were unfortunately scheduled right in the middle of the sound check. Not good for audio, but then again, it never is, because no one EVER thinks of sound when making "pictures."

Our director was Alec, who was unceremoniously removed from our last production (see the Milk Studios post). Today would be something of a repeat of last production's problems, but the source would be from the P.A. It turns out, that while looking for Lights' tour manager, the P.A. accidentally spoke to the talent themselves. This is a big no-no in Hollywood, and the tour manager was pretty pissy about it.

So pissy, in fact, that she took calls during the interview and walked loudly in high heels; further dirtying up the soundtrack. The director and I looked at each other with a "nevermind, play-it-cool" look. We had both been here before, and we knew the plan without speaking. We would wait for the tour manager to leave, then simply ask the question again. The talent was young, and definitely had the energy to do it twice.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The P.A. motioned the tour manager for quiet, which further angered her and she left the room. We knew we had a serious problem now. She wanted to rush her talent out, and the P.A. was once again sent to fix the problem. Normally, we would send a different one since the manager was already pissed off, but this was a small crew and he was our only P.A. I was really starting to feel for him.

The DJ equipment from the Club Nokia VIP room.

The two modules with the circles are for digitally

"scratching" a CD or digital music file; taking the place

of a traditional turntable. The vertical faders

in the middle adjust the volume of the

respective instrument, and the horizontal fader

switches between the two.

The tour manager pretty much ripped him to shreds. He came back to the location, and told the director, "we have a serious problem" in front of the talent. This is the second big no-no of film production: never discuss ANYTHING in front of the talent. Now the talent perks up and wants to know what's going on, and the tour manager is looking for any break she can to whisk her talent out of the interview. Luckily, we were able to finish the interview without any of that happening.

The P.A. then got a "light spanking" from the director, but we had to move on to our next set-ups. We were still slated to shoot the sound test, her concert set, and if time permitted, Owl City's set. This meant that I had to haul ass down to the stage and get tapped in to the sound board where the roadie's were.

Or not. The tour manager went to Club Nokia's office and asked about our permits. It turns out Channel M only had clearances to shoot in the VIP room, for the interview only. At this point, security notified us that we would have to wrap our gear and leave immediately. This was good for the crew, since we get paid a flat rate, and our day was now going to be a whole lot shorter, but it's bad for the production.

Again, this probably would not have happened if the tour manager wasn't such a bitch. Concert halls are super busy before a show, so chances are we would have gone through undetected if it weren't for someone making an issue over it. Permits can be very expensive, and small productions often don't secure them and take the risk. If you pull it off, you save thousands of dollars. But if you don't, you will not get the footage you need, which can cost you jobs, and even lead to arrest or having your equipment confiscated.

Still, it was an interesting shoot. The piece was shot on a Canon 7D Digital Camera, which is a normal photographic camera set to video mode. It is rapidly replacing the Sony HVX-200 as the camera for new media content, such as this one. As an added benefit, production must use the sound off of my dedicated recorder, because the camera does not have the proper hardware to send a feed directly into camera.

Since then, I have been hired by Channel M to cover the B-Boys from STEP UP 2 THE STREETS (Riverside, CA) and for an interview with Free Runners (UCLA). Free Runners are acrobatic stuntmen, the most famous being the guy from the opening chase sequence of Casino Royale. I absolutely love working for them, and I wish I could share more stories, but I have been very bad about bringing a camera to set! Until next time...

Renato Moore shoots the interview with the Canon 7D.

The camera is set to video mode, and uses it's own

lens to create stunning H-D footage.

Mom's Visit...

Let's take a break from film and talk about more important things: family. My Mother flew in for the weekend and had a wonderful time. If memory serves me correctly, she has not visited LA since my graduation in 2007, so after much pressure and pointing out how many times I have gone to Phoenix, I got her to come out.

Mom at the Korean Friendship Bell in Ft. MacArthur in

San Pedro.

She arrived earlier than I thought in Burbank, so I got to leave work early (darn!). We came back home and she finally got to see where I call home. I cooked pork chops with spuds n' carrots, and served 'em up with cottage cheese, bread, and apple sauce. Delicious dinner.

After, on a whim, she decided she wanted to see just a little of LA on her first night. Apparently her nausea from her vomitous flight in had subsided. I did her one better and showed her the whole city.

We drove up to the Griffith Observatory, which is up there right by the Hollywood sign. You may know this place as where James Dean has the class field trip in Rebel Without a Cause. It was an unusually clear night and we could see all the way to Long Beach, including Catalina Island. Unfortunately, it was too dark to take a picture, so the memory will have to do.

Mom and I at the Pacific in San Pedro.

On day 2, we rose early and I took Mom to get the Dairy way out in Montebello. It's farmer fresh and much cheaper than the grocery store; despite the distance. We got back home within an hour and made a huge breakfast.

Mom was starting to get a little freaked out by the city and wanted to see "beautiful California." So I took her North to Lake Elizabeth. I had been on a shoot there some time ago and had been meaning to go back. What was truly shocking was that I remembered how to get there by memory.

When we arrived, I took some pictures on my large format camera and enjoyed the scenery for a while. Then we went to the Rock Inn and had a very greasy lunch. Before leaving, I noticed they had an Addams Family pinball machine in the corner, so I hit that up and finally got my pinball fix. We drove back and I developed the negatives while my Mom read. We turned in relatively early.

On Sunday, Mom's last day in town, she was starting to get kind of tired and wanted to vegetate. But she hadn't seen the Ocean yet so I said, "no way." I drove her down to San Pedro, which is just next to Long Beach, to Fort MacArthur. The view is truly stunning, and I took some more pictures on 35mm; this time with a near-infrared film stock called Ilford SFX. It gives you that somewhat dreamy quality you're seeing with the pictures on this post. Unfortunately, they don't scan very well so this really isn't doing them justice.

The Vincent Thomas Bridge.

There was also an NA meeting happening at the park, and Mom stopped to listen in for a minute. So no matter where she's at, if it's Sunday, she will find a meeting. That's all there is to it. After that, we headed to the Port of Los Angeles, right under the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

The main point was for me to photograph the bridge, but we also stopped to admire the trolley that services the port (though we did not ride it) and look at the enormous cruise ships that were docked there.

Me in front of the Sea Princess at the Port of Los Angeles

We were about to pack it in when Mom noticed the SS Lane Victory, a navy vessel that was docked literally right under the bridge. We realized it was a museum, so we paid the admission and hopped aboard.

Needless to say, memories of Wampa immediately took hold, especially when we found the companies' piano near the radio room. It was quite something to see how these sailors must have lived. The quarters were quite cramped, and the boat could be a bit difficult to get your bearings on. But there was also an incredible freedom to it as well. Just you, the boat, and the Ocean.

I snapped a bunch of pictures before joining Mom starboard. It was about Mid-afternoon and we had to get back to my place in North Hollywood. On the way back, we saw a near-fatal car accident, and judging by the look on Mom's face, I think she had enough of the Los Angeles freeway.

Mom on the S.S. Lane Victory.

Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro.

On the way back, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant called El Torito in Burbank. It was right across the street from NBC studios where the Tonight Show with Jay Leno is taped. We stuffed ourselves silly, then headed back to my place.

Mom finished up the book she was reading and then I took her back to the airport. We said our good-byes and discreetly gave ourselves the family "shalom." The weekend really flew by, but I was glad she got to see a lot more of LA then just concrete. In fact, we didn't watch a single movie, didn't go to Hollywood, and watched all of maybe 60 minutes of TV. There's a lot more to life than all the distractions that seem to dominate our daily existence. It's definitely hard to live so far from family, but we definitely made the most out of it while we were together.

Captain's Quarters

S.S. Lane Victory

Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, CA