∞Become a WINGMAN: The WINGMEN are revolutionaries fired up about movies and confronting media consolidation via producing an original scifi/fantasy movie, ARTEMIS ETERNAL: Go! + Follow Me on Twitter ∞WATCH THE WINGMEN VID!:Featured on YouTube Film. (Not recommended for fans of Episode I.) Winter Theater February 6, 2010 East
Letters sent to me by Wingmen are funny, touching and often amaze me. Here are a few from this month:
What's a Wingman to Do? So your whole recent VA governor consternation thing has made its way to my state: The dem senate candidate for the seat held by Ted Kennedy is an inept fool, and some sweatervest Republican is about to beat her.
The worst of it is, I can't move to Australia anymore because they're all uptight about video game ratings, and I can't move to England because I'll be arrested for taking a photo of Buckingham Palace on a Tuesday. Canada
ain't looking that great either.
Have you seen Avatar yet?
From Wingman The Professor, a.k.a. @Clint47, and no: I haven't seen AVATAR yet. Shocking, right?
The Wingman is Strong With This One JESS,
What's the film about? Like i mean i watched that one video on your site that you directed with the people saying how movies and shows are controlled by six different networks. But what are you trying to change?? I mean i'm still young and all but its really cool that someone is just going after their dream and not sitting around and dreaming about it!! Those are the people that you look towards as a role model. And i know that i might not understand it fully, but i want to understand.
oh yeah, and of course i want to know everything your movie is about:)
and one more thing, Whats a wingman??
Love ya!!
From my cousin, who is currently a Freshman in high school. This is the first time she's e-mailed me. (Most of my family has little idea of what I do in the world beyond serving as a moving jungle gym for the wee little cousins at familial get-togethers.) She's since read through so much of the site that I can't help but feel proud of her curiosity.
.Net Initiative ...I dare say you should consider making it out to Colorado one of these days and shake the Coloradan Wingmen out into the limelight :) Take care and Happy 2010 to you and *Æ*!
Ah...yes... Now that I have your ear a moment, and now that the idea to tell you has sparked in the wilderness of my mind: I am the guy that owns the .net version of ArtemisEternal.com (that is, www.ArtemisEternal.net). I've had it forwarding to ArtemisEternal.com since October of 2008. I have it registered until October 19, 2010 (a year and three months before your .com expires), at which point I have it set to automatically renew in two year increments. I'm happy to keep the .net directing to whatever website *Æ* finds is its' home on the web. However, should you at any time like for me to transfer ownership to you, I will have no qualms with accommodating for the transfer. I currently have it registered through GoDaddy.
Anyhow, thank you again and Good Night :)
From Wingman Drew, a.k.a. @Zathman. I found this moving. And no that doesn't make me a wimp that makes me a Wingman.
The Story of How $3 NZD Was Priceless Hi Jessica,
Firstly, Happy New Year! On to my reason for emailing: basically I have $3 (NZD) sitting in my PayPal account about to "expire" from when I verified my debit card. So instead of withdrawing it (and losing $1 in fees) I am giving it to you (losing $0.03, much more efficient!).
I know it isn't much, and probably isn't worth worrying about, but if it buys one more sandwich I will happy. I would much rather my measly $3 is put to good use than get absorbed by PayPal.
Anyway, I feel I am starting to ramble. I will let you get back to work...
From Wingman Hayden Patel.* ...So James Cameron now has the #1 and #2 worldwide grossing films of all time - that's the big news in the film industry right now - but I honestly wouldn't trade him for the experience we're having together via ARTEMIS. And yes that still doesn't make me a Wimp: It makes me LOCO. Like, 'Insane in the Membrane' style. Check the track. Anyway Wingmen have emotions that's not what "No Wimps(!)" means, kthx!
PS: This just in, Wingman braves frozen tundra, discovers Wingman t-shirts act as +5 cloak of cold resistance http://bit.ly/scientificstudy.
PPPS: Wingman Taryn, a.k.a. @tarynoneill e-mailed me a video of genre novelist Bruce Sterling speaking about the future, but not the future you're thinking of when someone says "future": A different one. Taryn highlighted Bruce's idea of building a new infrastructure vs. not just positioning yourself in the existing narrative. Well said by Bruce, and certainly that is the idea behind our approach to ARTEMIS ETERNAL. There are more thoughts here well worth checking in with.
PPPPS: Yes Wingmen have emotions, but it is a well-known fact that they are incapable of crying ever since Episode I stole all of their tears.
Dear Wingman, I hope the letters of your brethren appeal to your imagination and sense of pride in the community as much as they do to mine.
*FYI this was prior to the disaster in Haiti. Just in case you were getting any ideas about Hayden hatin' on Haiti: No way. I mean I'm pretty sure he's got at least one voodoo doll of Michael Bay and would have totally transfered his $3 to Haiti relief if it had been Now and not Then. Donating to Haiti is so hot right now. Give it a go!
Jessica: (dancing a little dance, chanting) I'm going to have a bagel, I'm going to have a bagel--
The Grizz: You stay away from those bagels, boy.
Jessica: Why? There's five--
The Grizz: They're numbered!
Jessica: (resuming dancy-dance, chanting) I'm going to put them in some tupperware, I'm going to put them in some tupperware...
(Does. Turns to put bagel 1 of 5 on a plate--The Grizz pops the lid on--) Jessica: I was going to put the lid on--
The Grizz: You're slow, boy! Air is instantaneous.
Jessica: What?--I was--
The Grizz: The light in your room is on.
Jessica: I'm going back in there!
The Grizz: Focus, you need to focus.
Jessica: I am focused!
The Grizz: You're a freak!
Exeunt Grizz
...Yes, these are the exchanges that result when I crash at Stover Mancha. PS: Air is instantaneous.
Permanent Link | RSSThe Game of Life January 5, 2010 London, England
You could be a winner.
Comments (1)(Last Comment: 2/5/10 6:39 PM) | Permanent Link | RSSThe Golden Space Record of Infinitus Stellaradicus December 29, 2009 Washington DC
Voyager Record Cover (featuring J.Sto)
You know, just in case any aliens or future humans want to listen to Earth. Or get their Intergalatic Planetary DJ scratchin' on. (wiggity--wiggity--what?fool!)
"Engraved on it are instructions for building a phonograph to play the 'Sounds of Earth' record. A stylus and cartridge are included with the record. Also shown are the proper way to reconstruct the pictures recorded on the record and the location of our Sun in our Galaxy."*
Truth: The construction is gold-plated copper.
The committee that curated the record was headed by le hero Carl Sagan.
It should probably include a photo of me looking at it. You know, for scale. So that aliens know how big we are in relation to the record. (That's the featuring J.Sto part.)
...I mean, I'm not going to, like, sing the hook to the "Music of the Spheres" or the wind or anything. Although maybe I'm taking singing lessons right now just in case NASA needs someone.
I made the title totally longer and therefore better by adding "Space" along with "Stellaradicus" and "Infinitus". (Both humans and aliens are sooooo into Dog Latin.)
I originally found Leon Lynn's letter and John Kovalic's blog via Wingman Curt, and when I RT-ed the letter link on le Twitter, it struck a chord with the rest of the community, so off I went into the woods. In the past I/we have made a case that corporate media conglomerate bullshitting such as this is trickle down from the many issues that extreme media consolidation has created.
Here is the original posting of the letter on Dorktower.com I'm glad that Leon Lynn wrote this and that John posted it to his blog. I hope they both like this vid.
'A Charlie Brown Christmas' the soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi can be found on iTunes and Amazon, et cetera. The short film special can be gotten via Netflix or Amazon and so forth, although I warn you to be careful of what version you buy or rent as there are different edits.
The version ABC chose to upload to Hulu after their broadcast debacle was the same, exact version criticized. That might have been the place to make it up to viewers, but again Disney really has no need to go out of their way and uploaded the compromised version. Viewers have no leverage against a company that's too large to fail. And yet, there were many incensed comments on Hulu regarding Disney's raping of the work, Leon wrote this letter... the Internets were not pleased and some news blogs picked up the story via the letter... all of which led to a Hulu upload of the 42-minute version (available until 1/1).
ABC/Disney/Hulu did not go the extra mile and make Charlie commercial-free as a solid make-good for the audience (my opinion is that that would have been a mutually-rewarding move) and this hardly helps the television audience (television = the most influential medium still), but regardless of all that mess, to my knowledge this change is completely due to web feedback from viewers and that's worth noting. The web, unlike a TV, is a two-way dialogue. It saddens and alarms me that corporations will do whatever they like until they are caught and called on it (and usually not even then do they make changes or abide by laws meant to protect the public). There is a larger issue at play here and we see it reflected both in the actual stories being distributed to our culture and in the way those stories are wielded to influence viewers.
Some people think that in a free market (truly free with no regulation), these issues would not exist as they would be corrected by the market. Other people think that the market is incapable of correcting the problems with big media as these corporations are simply too large and corruption runs too deep. Still others compare our media situation to cartels. And still more people have different ideas, various combinations and nuances... my general point is that if this reasoned debate isn't happening about the role of media in our lives and what media control means to that influence, and if these news stories about the media, communications & entertainment vertical aren't responsibly examined and broadcast, then I wonder what information people will use to make decisions.
I heard (would welcome additional confirmation) that the network compressed the showing in question in order to make even more room for adverts, so Leon's instincts are correct: The audio-sync error is hardly due to ABC not having the ability to check its delivery standards, but instead was also done to accommodate excessive conglomerate advertising and mindless, zero-sum cross-promotion. The only reason Disney probably aired Charlie in the first place was to leverage a title in their library in order to promote the new franchise-less program they had up next by tethering it to something you already know and care about. Sadly this works all the time, which is why Big Media will continue to treat you like a tool. They are simply doing what we have always allowed them to do.
The Wingmen urge you to think aggressively about how you ingest media and propaganda. In fact I hope that you are thinking about this entry and not merely taking my word for it, too. You might actually prefer things as status quo, or the opposite of anything I personally consider to be "good", but I'd prefer for that to be an individuals' choice after having the opportunity and ability to understand, consider and pursue other ideas, and for individuals to be able to rationally explain that choice.
Getting back to motion picture, this to-do reminds me of when New Line licensed The Fellowship of the Ring down river by partnering with a fast food joint to make cheap-o light-up Frodo cups destined for the landfill. LOTR fans confronted New Line in droves (mostly via the 'Net) and didn't participate in purchasing the cups. For what was in reality probably multiple reasons, New Line did not revisit a similar deal afterward, and focused on better produced licensing and partners. Fans avidly supported the high-end of the actual movie (special editions), including some of the high-quality licensed products (scaled replicas by Weta, for example).
There are better ways - non-smarmy ways - to go about techniques of marketing and licensing, especially with prestigious and/or quality story. How about a commercial-free airing of Charlie tethered to the new program? If people like it they'll stick around. (I haven't watched whatever the thing was they whipped up but am assuming it wasn't worthwhile, as typical, and therefore the bad marketing attempt again reflects a lack of confidence in a low quality work.) Why not offer the audience something real in order to court interest? If viewers know about something, and its great, they tend to support. They also tend to perceive the value and confidence in the work via the way it is packaged and marketed.
In contrast, it feels good to think that there was a time when A Charlie Brown Christmas aired in full, untouched by the commercialism that makes its premise so wonderful.
Unfortunately, my understanding is that Charlie was never a pure short film. The original special apparently had multiple instances of blatant product placement and ads incorporated in-story targeted at children, which arguably undermines the point of the story. Now that those sponsors aren't paying they have been removed. There is also that the FCC later passed laws about advertising to children. The program has thus gone through quite a few different edits, always (from my understanding) to do with advertisers. Charlie was also turned into a franchise, which means it was licensed out to make all kinds of cheap junk and the characters were used in multiple adverts. Basically, when the kids grew up someone used their dear Charlie to sell them insurance. This was all before my time, so I'd be curious to see/hear anything you know about the history and have experienced yourself.
Yes, that was then. TV has been wrong, a lot, in the past. TV promoted cigarettes and censorship in ways that we now find unbelievable. And this letter should have been written about the original broadcast in 1965. In truth distribution of motion picture in all forms was quickly hijacked and thus a beloved art form has never come close to living up to its potential. And here we are, now, with our own opportunity to set the bar. Instead of looking backward to a time that never was, let us look forward. Let us be the first to air moving art in all forms in the mainstream without undermining its messaging or selling it out to special interests, without using story to manipulate, indoctrinate and sell, sell, sellll! And, when advertising is present as it is at present, let us all be media literate enough to understand the machinations involved, and make decisions accordingly.
Back then, viewers only had the one-way street that is the television. Now, we have the Internet. It is my hope that the 'Net's diversity will counter television's concentrated influence, and will create opportunities for motion picture to exist without advertisers controlling the purse strings or being involved at all, really.
So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Namaste(!) and best wishes of joy and peace to you in whatever spirit you celebrate with glowing hearts and minds alert, on whatever day, in whatever loving way, for whatever human reason--Shalom!
“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent government agency, directly responsible to Congress. The FCC is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. Their jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”
Next week I have a meeting with Commissioner Copps' office at the FCC. This punctuates a string of related meetings I've already completed on the following:
+Corporate Media Consolidation
-Media Bias
-Media Politics
-Lack of Diversity in Media
-Artists Issues/Smaller Ownerships vs. Big Media
-Monopolies of Knowledge theory applied to Media Concentration
+Network Neutrality / The Internets
+What we've learned from ARTEMIS ETERNAL (how all of this affects film production)
+Anything else related (including education/critical thinking).
+Censorship and Free Speech (as an artist & citizen of a democracy, this is always a concern of mine)
Help me/us be smarter: If there is something you would like to add and/or for me to find out or raise during the meeting, then please comment your thoughts by Monday night.
And, if you haven't watched this yet, then it's time.
[Bill Moyers/PBS Reporting on Big Media two years ago]
This debacle and the lack of coverage on said debacle happened after my cracking point, i.e. what drove me to re-imagine my approach to film and create ARTEMIS ETERNAL.
These are issues that we have been speaking publicly about for years. With your help and alongside you, I work tirelessly on challenging people to understand propaganda and media bias, and to illuminate the the negative effects of media consolidation, politics and control so that said global citizens can make better decisions in place of actively undermining their own best interests.
"We're all independent thinkers here…"
Although we do tend to agree most of the time, being a Wingman means neither conformity nor total agreement on these issues. Rather it stands for independent thought, the ability to use reason to evaluate and discuss the issues at hand and a desire for all to have those skills alongside access to viable information. The one thing we agree on is a higher ideal, and one worth striving for: Media and power should not be biased and consolidated in disservice to the public. That, and we all love movies. Particularly epic, myth and sci-fi/fantasy films. Alongside the social journey of filmmaking.
To Muggles: Wingmen include Republicans and Democrats, numerous other international party members, atheists and born-again Christians, scientists and stay-at-home moms/dads, students, journalists, actors, artists, activists... folks from all walks of life, faith, orientation and trade. Again, there is a higher ideal here that we all subscribe to. I personally value the diversity and debate amongst Wingmen a great deal: We have a good time discovering what we think that way.
Media Consolidation as we know it is anti-democracy. It is anti-independent thought. Although other verticals and issues are more important than the media vertical and movies (verticals such as war, agriculture, health care, civil rights…), the media vertical is both a democratic check and serves the distribution of information to the people. The lack of media diversity and the consolidation of media distribution is therefore paramount in the list of the troubles facing humanity. After all, people cannot make decisions with out information and reasoned discussion. Even worse than the lack of diversity, mass disinformation is spread on a day-to-day basis and validated by association with the media conglomerates' news branding.
With the NBCUniversal/Comcast merger on the table, with consolidation regulation on the table and with Net Neutrality on the table, RIGHT NOW, media issues are finally getting some play. Everywhere I go in Virginia I have asked adults about these issues and they are completely unaware. Unfortunately it is in the corporate press' best interest to not cover this story aggressively, or at all. (Although they have plenty of airtime for the Tiger Woods gossip non-story.) It is also in their best interest, and the best interest of anyone who would seek your consent, not to educate you on what is happening and how it affects your interests. For example: What passes for “journalism” nowadays is being done to - not for or with, but done to – a great lot of people. “Wake up!”, we cry. And yet, despite ingesting over four hours of media a day on average, Americans remain willfully ignorant on anything to do with media politics and bias.
Again I ask, how can the public make decisions about war, health, civil rights, global warming and so forth, if they cannot get viable information? How will they evaluate who to vote for? Right now elections are largely based on 30-second TV ads. Campaign reform relates to media consolidation, too: The better your funding, the more media influence you can buy.
Artists play safety on the football field that is the media vertical. When news fails, artists are already there, working (our process being a longer, slower one in terms of production), and exploring the questions of the day. Sometimes via documentary, sometimes via a metaphor in a sci-fi film, or perhaps even via a parody show like The Daily Show. Media consolidation has eliminated the artist, too. From the trenches I tell you we are more compromised by big media special interests than politicians are. You cannot work in media or run for office without considerable funding, and you cannot accept that funding without being held to special interests. This remains a dangerous time.
I am thankful everyday for The Internet. I shudder to think where I would be artistically without the web and the waning diversity it provides.
After all of my work in Hollywood and other media centers, after visiting three countries and 19 states, after taking every useful meeting I can line up on these matters on all sides of the equation, I have spent the last few weeks in Washington DC and the surrounding metro area meeting with local media players, including crew members and artists, hunting down as much related knowledge as possible.
Hand in hand with issues of media control come issues in education. Even if citizens were receiving viable information and media, and even if the voices and ownership were diverse and the debate robust; if the mass of people lack the critical thinking skills and basic problem solving ability needed to evaluate and act on information, then our circumstances remain equally dire.
Furthermore I contend that the tyranny of media consolidation cannot end without the understanding and support of individuals worldwide. We could remove "Media Machiavellis" like Rupert Murdoch, but another tyrant would simply take his place and the population would allow them to continue to consolidate as they do now. And Michael Bay? His receiving constant work and so wide and constant a distribution share is merely a symptom of that same disease. Again this information is not reaching the majority at all much less in meaningful ways, and individual education is also at play in understanding these concepts.
To that end I strive to not contribute to the dumbing down of my generation (something I once participated in at times while working within the AOL/TimeWarner megabeast). Last week I met with the NIH alongside my media sessions, specifically focusing on the science education department of the director's office. My goals are to fully understand the educational issues we face (check out our dreadful PISA scores), to understand how this lack of critical thinking skills relates to media consolidation, media bias and manufactured consent, and to see if there's anything I can do via my expertise (beyond my personal projects) to help improve the landscape. (As a side note, that meeting was a terrific meeting of the minds, and I was impressed by their work.) Anyway, twenty years from now I don’t want to be creating sci-fi films for people who are sadly unable to understand basic concepts. I understand that someone may choose ignorance, or even an intelligent route that differs from mine: I’d simply like for individuals to have choices.
I've also just spent three weeks in schools hands on in order to evaluate where our local youth is at in terms of critical thinking and what compulsory education in public schools is like. This isn’t the first time in my life that I’ve learned something valuable from le short people (kids). In fact half of them seem to be smarter than their parents. Or at least more reasonable. ;-)
I have sent a letter to my Senator (Webb) about media literacy. Please e-mail me if you are a Wingman and would like to forward to your own state Senator.
I realize that International Wingmen obviously do not have US Senators. Please do not consider yourselves left out or underrepresented as Wingmen. We all understand by this point the influence that American media companies have worldwide (not that we are seeking a solution in government, incidentally). Furthermore, if there is way for us to help you locally and nationally in your own country, then by all means let me know. Also, I’m always on the lookout for non-US media studies and facts.
”Those who control knowledge through the dominant media of a given society also control reality, in that they are in a position to define what knowledge is legitimate. Thus, monopolies of knowledge encourage centralization of power.”
The above is simply a line pulled from the “Monopolies of Knowledge” Wikipedia page, an idea crucial to consider.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should sign our formal letters, "No wimps!",
~JM!
Comments (9)(Last Comment: 12/29/09 1:13 PM) | Permanent Link | RSSThere's Going to Be Some Grass in This November 28, 2009 East
Most of my family lives out toward Shenandoah, Virginia (west and then farther west and south of Washington D.C.). Today I went out to my Uncles' (on The Grizz's side) to see their newish house and hang out.
My cousin Wes has a huge pitbull, and to wear her out he hops on an ATV and rips around the hills while she gallops alongside like a friggin' horse until she's gasping for air and tired enough to be brought in for the night. This is an excellent idea if you don't want, or are unable, to run miles a day with your dog. I hadn't done the ATV thing in a few years. Wind in my hair and such. Not quite as good as horseback riding, mostly because of the pollution ATVs cause, but it is freeing. Especially when you do it irresponsible-style, sans helmet.
Meanwhile I heard further news that my other Uncle, who lives farther out, has been congregating with my older male cousins over a Jeep or two he has rigged for mudding. Unsurprisingly (for Stovers) he pushes it to the rebel-edge and may or may not drink beers whilst doing. Forget whatever movie premiere is next: This is the sort of creek-side event that I need to procure an invitation to.
I hadn't seen four of my littler cousins (Have I mentioned that I have thirty-some or so cousins? I should count how many. Or ask my Grandma.) in a few years because, as exceptions to the VA rule, they now live in NC. It's rare that we are both in Virginia at the same time, especially since two are now school-aged and I'm usually in California.
I made up for lost time today by teaching them backflips, magic hour photography and videography, and, finally, destroying the Kindergartener at foosball. (Life lessons, people, life lessons.)
For example here is a video taken by the first-grader:
At one point, while we were talking when I first arrived and she was failing to recall any memory of me, the first-grader, who loves science and was explaining how excited she is to be studying different kinds of rocks in school, paused, and then said softly, "I don't know how god made flowers in eyes--but you have blue flowers in your eyes... ."
Ah geezus. That's not just cute, it's soulful! It was so sweet that I was too stunned to explain the genetics of eye color. And then the 3-year-old is equally cute as the rest. He constantly says a tiny "Hey!" because he wants your attention, but it sounds like a martial arts "hihh(!)". At the same time, when he speaks, he sounds a little like a Jawa. So he follows me around and it's like a Jawa is perpetually challenging me to a duel. Cute overload.
My Aunt told me a story about teen Grizz. I didn't realize that she went to the same high school as my Dad and his many siblings (including her husband, my Uncle). Since she was the love interest of his older brother, one day upper-classman The Grizz did his bro a favor and gave my future-aunt a lift to school. As she hopped out of his red, suped-up Camaro in her Freshman cheerleading uniform, she was all, "Well gosh, thanks!" And The Grizz was like, "Don't mention it." She smiles, and just as she's about to say goodbye, he says, "No really, don't mention it," in a straight faced (but joking), don't-tell-anyone-I-associated-with-you way as he speeds off with a "Zing! Too cool for you!" expression on his face.
Haha--OK, but really, my dad had a red Camaro that he worked on when he was a teenager?
I only hear these stories when the Aunts and Uncles are together: Especially the brothers Stover. Also my Dad had a motorcycle. I knew that, but M.Sto was telling a story about how cold it was to ride on the motorcycle in the winter and punctuated the anecdote with, "Oh yeah, he was a wildman."
And I was all, "Yeah. Grizz. with your secret teenage red Camaro and your van with a bed in the back."
He looked at me sideways, "That's right, punk." And just as I went to say something to that, he flips his hand up and says, "Silence, King o' the Freaks."
I'm certain that if he could have exited the car at that time on that line, he would have.
Apparently that is my new nickname.
Anyway, as you can see from family day it turns out the 1st-grader was the photag of the bunch. She took these:
She was thoughtful about where she stood when capturing images. In my experience, kids her age don't innately take steps to get a better angle.
Being on camera suited the Kindergartener, so she wins the performance award. And my little Jawa wins most likely to be sad when I forget him inside and go to the trampoline with the girls. (For the record I did call out to him, but he was entranced by SpongeBob.) You can't see or hear the toddler-cousin in this entry: Imagine the award she wins for best matching cap and coat on an adorable little person with a tiny, rosy nose from the chill air.
There are loads of other little Sto cousins, and more just born or on the way, so if you are thinking about breeding: Don't worry about it.
I met Carl Sagan's work for the first time a few weeks ago after accidentally running into the following video. Since that day of discovery I've been:
1. Raving about this vid.
2. Ridiculing every science teacher I ever had for not showing Cosmos in school.
3. Enjoying Dr. Sagan's beautifully written Cosmos series on Netflix streaming. Full of optimism, wonder, science and caution, please enjoy a fan-made, well-done introduction to the awesome ideas therein,
"A still more glorious dawn awaits, Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise, A morning filled with four hundred billion suns: The rising of The Milky Way!"
The rain has been steady and driving, unrelenting for days now. I was scheduled to attend a few very rad annual events this weekend (it's the fall harvest weekend here out east, amongst other things) but of course those activities have all been ruined by the excessive rain and unseasonably low temperature.
Despite the cold and the wet, I decided to brave the dreary weather to go on the hunt through the day-dark.
Yes I was forced to purchase an umbrella.
Then again, that did lead me to this place while the fog was creeping down the mountain:
*'Still Falls the Rain' is a poem by Dame Edith Sitwell
45 minutes away from where I currently lay my head each night I found a scene between two brothers that invoked something out of a magical reality/fantasy movie the likes of THE GOONIES or ET.
In my head the younger is Walter, shrugging his shoulders under the weight of his over-sized backpack as Kevin, the older, tells him exactly what he thinks about... Pirate maps? Having an extraterrestrial in his room? What do you think they're saying? What's the plot, and what does this scene mean dramatically?
I'm sure if this were my screenplay that red tree would mean something. In general the color red probably would be a theme. Take a closer look at the set for this shot, which is in front of their house. I don't need to tell you the costly lengths normally gone to in order to contrive such a composition as you understand already via following ARTEMIS and probably through production notes on other films. See the fall color palette, the prominent red tree, the red wardrobe of the kids and how they are given equal weight in leading colors, the way the mountain fills the frame and how it works with the incline of the walk, what the picket fence adds as information to the scene, how the brother making his point is positioned higher (dominant) on the threshold of the walk and what the space between our two "actors" says... . The only way it could have been better as created naturally is if Kevin were lit a little stronger in order to bring him out from tree more and at the same time to bring the green tree out from the b.g. of the mountain and add more depth. And if I had caught Kevin with his arms fully extended in the height of his shout(!)ing down at Walter.
If I had had an SLR on me, I might have been quick enough to get basic coverage on the scene (close ups, et al). And of course if I had been shooting film the shadows would have looked nicer. I'm wary of photographing other people, especially kids, however. I'm sure parents don't find it normal for people to enthusiastically photograph their kids on the side of the road. Couldn't let this one go, though.
Take a look again and realize why I've planned to shoot ARTEMIS ETERNAL not in Los Angeles, but in much more vibrant place. A place where even the front yards are more lively and epic.
I am about to tell you guys something wild but you have to promise to keep it absolutely between us and never speak about it in public not even to your mom.
Maybe I have a friend who invented a time machine for the Pentagon, maybe I don't. And maybe when this maybe friend needs to test the maybe machine I'm like hey no problem let's get all Sliders with this thing I mean no worries I'm from The Future anyway no wimps.
And my friend she's all yes but the Pentagon isn't interested in The Future.
So I'm like whoa creepy and the soundtrack picks up because next I'm like... What are they interested in, then?
SOUNDTRACK RISES TO ALARMING CRESCENDO
Then she admits that it's the past that the Pentagon is interested in and the audience's minds are blown while they evaluate the mystery and morality of this most devious governmental news.
But hey I'm just here to test the thing so I'm like ok what do we do?
To make a long story short we went all wayback to this pre-Civil War battle at Harpers Ferry you want proof that's fine check it I have to take photos for the experiment so that someone at the Pentagon can show Barack Obama what's really happening once he is on a need-to-know basis like Bill Pullman and Area 51 in Independence Day. Here is some proof straight out of my OFFICIAL REPORT:
John Brown?
No problem I know him who do you think told him to grow a beard?* GOSH.
Ho-hum these union troops do not look ready to take on Lee.
They need someone to get them pumped!**
Yes I would have wished those guys luck but I've already seen this one so I know how it ends up and I don't like war or violence and I didn't want to see John get nicked and besides they don't have Starbucks there so I had to swing by 2002 for a latte and get back to '09 to Tweet some of JB's OHs I mean that guy really can motivate.
I met JB once when we were teens too and he was very rough Mr. Darcy-ish in looks as a young man but that was then and this is now... and then. A different then. It's really weird to see him older like that and at war even before the war... like The Time Traveler's Wife but IRL and the wife travels instead of the husband except no one is married and I didn't see that movie, anyway.
The point is that JB gets caught by Lee BUT later on someone sneaky frees him. I have no idea who this subtle Ninja might be but it's probably kind of like HP3 at the end by the lake and randomly I happen to know the pre-Civil War version of a Patronus and yet am not mentioned in the Wikipedia article about John's rescue at all which clearly means something.
...And that's how the Civil War sparked and was won by the Union and slavery was abolished THE END + Copyright!: Don't even try to turn this in as your history paper. Boomshaka.
*Taken with John Brown's camera you can tell because it's Sepia
**Taken with the government's camera you can tell because it looks so Now
*Testing out making the camera see differently: Like people do.
**Greg engineered the camera used for these via altering an old point-an-shoot. (Right, G?)
Comments (5)(Last Comment: 11/20/09 7:57 PM) | Permanent Link | RSSOn-site Meeting September 15, 2009 Portland, Oregon
In Portland, working on the Artemis Eternal web experience redesign.
(We don't always work in offices.)
*Of course the photo is by Greg. That's what happens when we collaborate for a few minutes!
Comments (2)(Last Comment: 11/20/09 7:57 PM) | Permanent Link | RSSMaster of Two Worlds August 28, 2009 Los Angeles, CA
Nomadicus Jessicus: This is dog Latin for “I just put all my LA possessions in storage.”
Let’s do that obnoxious thing that audiences tolerate wherein I show you the present, and now we go back in time to show you how we got here. Subtitle: “Thirty days earlier.”
I know, I know usually it is “one day ago” or whatever but come on I am not practiced in this type of playschool script trick.
Seeking five individuals to represent role of Artemis Eternal WINGMAN. Epic imagination, loves sci-fi, fantasy and genre art/film. Is prepared to be so famous on a billboard and the Internets. Savvy. Fun on set. Team player. Non-wimp.
Crimson Level Extremely limited: Only 5 Wingman slots available. First come, first serve. (If you are new to the project, then you can become a Wingman via this tier.)
Contribution price: $6,000.00 USD
Example: Multi-character, genre billboard Hogwarts-style, foreign
You will receive:
- Crimson Aurum Wingman status on the Artemis Eternal site (Aurum on the site with link, name in online credits, insider e-mails and credit in the Artemis Eternal film).
- A role in the Wingman cast of 5, meaning we will design character, wardrobe, makeup et al around you as you become part of the final composited Wingman art and story.
- A fully produced still-photography shoot (the cast will be shooting together all in one day in a Los Angeles studio) staffed by professional artists and crew.
- A high-res version of your fully produced Wingman character art/final image (solo - just you) for personal use
- You will appear in the final composited artwork, which will be featured on an ARTEIMS ETERNAL billboard in Los Angeles, CA for at least one month. You will also receive a high-res version of this image for personal use.
Please make a reservation by inquiring via direct e-mail. Serious inquiries only. Once I have five people, we will book out with you with at least one month's lead-time. I will work to accommodate as best I can. More details:
Outdoor advert: Death Eaters on the London tube
Casting Requirements You do not need to be a model, weigh 105 pounds or look like anything cliché to Hollywood. REALLY. You will essentially be a character doing the job of a character actor and we will design around what is unique to your personality and look. It is fine if you have zero camera experience and it is just fine if you are shy. This is still photography so obviously you don't have to worry about speaking. The shoot will be a "safe space" and we will have a blast. All I require is that you are flexible and trust me. I'll have an amazing team around us, so that's all I need from you in order to create something epic and amazing around YOU.
The concept will be based on looking urgent, badass and wielding an Aurum in some way.
You may be required to interact with a horse or sit on top of horse under the supervision of a professional wrangler in a controlled setting. You do not need to have any experience in this regard. There will be a wind machine and the environment, while cheerful, will be fast-paced. Any unique requirements such as these will be on the waiver prior to payment. Lunch will be provided. If for any reason you are unable to perform something required for the artwork, then this opportunity will not be an option for you. If you're unsure, then please inquire as I don't want anyone to miss an opportunity and of course we'll do what makes sense to incorporate who you are into the character and composite of the piece if at all possible. We reserve the right to refuse this opportunity to anyone.
Emo
Slightly less emo (but still ridiculous)
Single character
Get Ye to LA! You will be responsible for getting to the shoot in Los Angeles. The price does not include your airfare, room, board or personal expenses. The shoot will be on a weekend, we will confirm the date with you prior to your sending a check. Please keep in mind that you will need to arrive a full day before the shoot and will not be able to leave until the day after as it will be a full day with possible extension.
Billboards, Art & You Celebrated Artemis artist Greg Martin will be handling the post production on the images as well as collaborating with me to design your character and the artwork prior to the shoot. Artemis lead Todd Soley and I will appear on the billboard with you and four other Wingmen. The full art will be composited, meaning we will shoot you one at a time against a green screen, then do post production on your image, composite you into the final shot against a matte painting-style background. You may bask in the glory of Greg’s work here, here, here and here.
Completely CGI, but FF does a better job than most
LOTR-style
I will use the images to promote the ARTEMIS ETERNAL project, production company and The WINGMEN community. Obviously your image will be used for the billboard and online art, and otherwise as the project enables. I will have a waiver for you to sign prior to payment.
Billboards are very much a part of the landscape in Los Angeles, and are mostly centered on movies and television.
The city is currently plastered with HP6. The advert on the left is probably the best of what I've embedded.
Examples of multi-character genre billboards are embedded in this entry above. I welcome comments to some of your favorites.
The idea is more epic in scale vs. something simpler we've done in the past such as this photo of me (seen here and here.)
Greg and I have a certain philosophy and aesthetic that is echoed by the entire crew. Many of the billboard examples I included above contain poor technique such as badly photoshopped hair for windy effect, uneven lighting or scaling: essentially these images have continuity errors. We will be working to avoid production errors and the cutting of corners that studios commit when they mass advertise. Most genre billboards are too emo for my taste: Not to mention over-produced and we won't be participating in any of that head tilted-down-hero-look-to-camera cliche. What I like about the Ginny/Ron HP6 advert (the one where they're on brooms) as opposed to the others is that it reads as an organic moment from a scene.
The Meaning of 6k After I have five cleared reservations, I will get in touch with waivers and more booking information, and then you will send a check or money order. If a bank transfer is required, fees will be your responsibility. You will be required to have a professional tailor take your measurements (USA measurements) and I will need you to send them to me for the costume designer.
The majority of your money will be put toward the production and distribution of these images and artwork, which is comprehensive, technical, original, highly-professional and, therefore, pricey. The value and return on investment here is higher than I've demonstrated so far: The artisans involved are professionals who work with me on a rolling basis and therefore the deals involved are incredible as we have a business-history together and I bring them ongoing work. Staging something like this for yourself independently would make the cost far higher, if you could book these levels of artists in the first place. This is a once in a lifetime sci-fantasy experience that we're very excited to be offering! Together we will be further crafting The WINGMEN story and character.
Profit will be put toward Artemis Eternal concept art and pre-visualization materials we have planned alongside the new website redesign, making you a hero in terms of moving our cast, crew and community one step closer to production and helping create more art and put man talented artists and technicians to work in the name of telling great stories.
Please help this information reach the ideal Wingmen by Retweeting, blogging and sharing. I appreciate your assistance in circulating this opportunity throughout our genre communities.
Taking Woodstock premiere. You know I love '60s music and movement. And Ang Lee's work. Thus was delighted to be invited (and to support Ang Lee's head via forced perspective).
At the party I unexpectedly had the opportunity to talk with Catherine Hardwicke about this article, which you may recall I get asked sometimes during interviews. Example. (Often the question doesn't make the final cut, but I am frequently asked about the lack of female directors issue. Usually this article is cited. Sometimes I cite it myself.) CH is smart and youthful. You know I have no interest in Twilight. More so, in the moment (and now that I've met her), I was/am interested in her as she's quite... well there's only one word for it: Cool.
As context I should disclose that I have only met two female directors in all of my time working in the industry (having talked to dozens and dozens of well-established film directors). The other female director was completely rom-com uninteresting. Glad it came to pass that CH & I were both in the same place at the same time. Wish I could sit down and talk with her further, really. There are next to no working female directors around, much less interesting ones. Maybe three or four. Catherine directed Thirteen & Dogtown, and managed to land a major fantasy film with a useful budget. I dug her fashion tonight and how fit she is, too. Just really impressed, actually: And you know how difficult it is to impress me. If it were permissible in life to do honest things like call someone up and say, "Hey let's go on a director's date and talk about how fucked this industry is and how the hell you managed to pull off having a career in the land of boys clubs and Michael Bay," well, I'd call her. Again you know I don't say shit like that lightly and that that particular statement happens to be very unexpected in this case.
Briefly spoke with Ang Lee early on, who made one of my favorite films (Crouching Tiger) not to mention other obviously great and celebrated films: Brokeback comes to mind. He's adorable. Directors' intros can get old when you do the screening thing regularly, but his introduction to the film was genuine. He cheerfully mentioned his approach to Ice Storm as being "a hangover from the '60s" and shared a story about desiring to depart from his habit of directing tragedies. When you see him, you get the urge to hug him, however his formidable talent gives you cause to restrain yourself and simply enjoy the happiness of his sphere.
Also met new Focus guys and girls, who miraculously managed to be rad despite pulling a 14-hour day with the event. Focus is a picky production company, which is commendable. They remind me of Searchlight in that they always at least try to create something great and high-minded. They often succeed. Also met Richard Kidd, an EFX supervisor who, like Catherine, I could have easily talked to for ages if the party weren't wrapping up. His production-teamwork mentality is kindred to ours. Look up his credits, and you'll see how welcome that perspective is given the level at which he operates. So came and went tonight: Another fun experience in hanging with our pal Francis, talking about serious hats, watching ArcLight movies and chilling at Boho. The Paparazzi chased someone down outside (this is disconcerting to witness) but otherwise the evening was spirited and flawless. All of this occurred two miles from my house. Most of the time LA is terrible, but sometimes it is extraordinarily kind. And so it is, my friends, that time now flies.
