Thursday, January 31, 2008

Avatar

Avatar:
A graphical image of a user, such as used in graphical real-time Chat applications, or, a graphical personification of a computer or a computer process, intended to make the computing or network environment a more friendly place.

This is exciting. I was asked by our games group to participate in a virtual world demo with avatars for the upcoming Games Developer Conference. My co-worker, Jessica, and I were asked to record a casual three minute conversation in the Dolby studio. We ended up having a dialog about American Idol, the Oscars, and classic R&B hits from the eighties. We even sang a tune or two. I'm curious to see how the powers that be will use this material. Can you imagine an avatar version of me? In any case, Jessica and I had so much fun doing this that we decided to start up our own podcast talking about random stuff. Below is the first webisode.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Dolby Digital Cinema CNBC Clip

I got six seconds of fame for being an extra in the new Dolby Digital Cinema segment that aired on CNBC Europe recently. Sometime last year, our corporate PR person posted a bulletin board message recruiting volunteers to be filmed watching a movie in the Dolby screening room. Dolby Digital Cinema provides the technology to store and decode digital files and deliver pristine digital movies to theaters. Dolby Laboratories launched the Dolby Digital Cinema system around the world with "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and then "Chicken Little." Rick Chavez reports for CNBC Europe on the new cinema initiative.

Check out my six seconds of fame here. I appear 1:35 into the clip, and I'd like to clarify that the director placed me in that front row seat. There have been rumours at work that I monopolized the first row because I'm a diva, but I assure you that those allegations are false. I wouldn't my readers to get the wrong impression of me.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Happy Birthday Chewbacca!

Is it considered odd behavior to throw a birthday party for a dog? I don't think so, yet some have suggested that I've turned into one of those Best In Show crazy dog people. I just wanted to have a little celebration for my little girl!

Technically, Chewbacca is about a year an a half old, according to the vet, but in my eyes her birthday is December 9th, the day I brought her home from the Peninsula Humane Society. This little dog had a pretty rough life before joining my family, but now she lives in a nice home with people who love her to death. I am happy to say that since joining our family, Chewbacca has reached a healthy weight, thanks to Dick Van Patten's "Natural Balance" dog food. She now fits into a size small dog clothes!

I am happy to say that Chewbacca's birthday party was a huge success. I can't believe I had twelve dogs running around the house. This was supposed to be an outdoor party where all dogs can roam free, but due to rain, I moved it indoors. Can you picture eleven little dogs and one big 70 pound golden retriever running around my family room? It definitely was a zoo. I think all dogs and humans had fun.

As eccentric as having a party for a dog may seem, I'm glad that I did. Happy Birthday, Chewbacca. I'm glad that you are a part of my life :-)

Saturday, January 26, 2008

How Many Times Have I Taken This Class?

Welcome to CSM's After Effects Spring 2008 course.

This course is designed to get you up and running with no prior After Effects experience - if you are already fairly comfortable with AE you may find this class too easy as it is geared towards a beginning user. You should have some experience with digital video, and I consider strong familiarity with Photoshop a prerequisite for this class. If you don't know Photoshop you may want to consider taking CSM's Graphics for Multimedia - Photoshop (MULT 177) class which started on Wednesday January 23 - it should get you comfortable with photoshop by the time we start using it together with AE.


This is not a design class - your grade will be based on your mastery of the program and not your creative abilities. However, the whole point in mastering a program like AE is to do creative stuff with it, so I will be bringing in videos each week to analyze/discuss from both a technical and creative standpoint. If you have something you'd like to discuss, bring it in and we'll take a look at it.

I'll be changing the focus of this class slightly this semester. In the past I have focused on AE primarily as a motion graphics tool - used for things like animated logos and commercial graphics - but this semester I will begin to shift some of the class focus towards visual effects such as you would use in a feature film - masking, greenscreen, etc. We'll still cover aspects of motion graphics though, especially in the first few weeks as you get familiar with the application.

We'll be working with version 7 - the most recent version, part of Adobe's CS3 package - in the lab here. If you have an earlier version at home most of the concepts and techniques we discuss will be equally valid, but the interface changed significantly with the most recent version so you may have to make some adjustments. Projects created with an earlier version can be opened in 7, however once you save the project in 7 you will not be able to open it in a previous version.

The main site here is a public site (divergentshadows.com) which I use to make my class materials available to the general web public. If you are interested in other topics related to digital video, web design, and internet media I encourage you to check out the links at the top. I'm mostly doing this in my spare time, so it's not very complete yet. The video section has a lot of material related to general production and Final Cut pro, while the links page has a lot of resources which I've found to be useful. The rest will come over time , and I'll keep you updated when I add new material.

This page, and the links on the right, are specifically for this class and not linked from the main site so make sure you write down or bookmark the URL. Make sure you look over the syllabus and schedule as well so that you're clear on the requirements for the course.

I'll be posting updates here every week or so, so check back regularly for class and AE related news.

Friday, January 25, 2008

And The Oscar Goes To...

Hello IDOM'ers,

I have excellent news! RETREAT has been awarded the "Best Acting By A Horse" award! We are once again nationally acclaimed award winning film makers! Rick, I don't have Junior's phone number. Could you please call the ranch to inform him.

Tony


-----Original Message-----
From: info@filmchallenge.com [mailto:info@filmchallenge.com]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 3:21 PM
To: Nguyen, Tony
Subject: NFC Winners

Hello NFC Teams:

The Audience Award voting is over and the Round 2 Judges have completed their ratings and determined the winners for the 2007 National Film Challenge! There were many, many great films this year. But, of course, decisions have to be made. The website will be updated soon, but for now, here are the winners:

BEST FILM ($1,000 and a screening at the Cinequest Film Festival) Time Cougars Rattlesnake Wash Productions Albuquerque, NM Team Leader: Isaac Kappy
Genre: Sci-Fi

AUDIENCE AWARD ($500 and a screening at the Cinequest Film Festival) Traffic Jam La Toalla Productions Irvine, CA Team Leader: Russell Bush
Genre: Musical

BEST DIRECTING
Traffic Jam
La Toalla Productions
Irvine, CA
Directed by: Jose Triconis
Genre: Musical

BEST ACTING
2 Categories:

INDIVIDUAL: Mike Fuller from “Man vs Machine” Mike Productions Pittsburgh, PA
Genre: Action/Adventure

ENSEMBLE: Time Cougars
Rattlesnake Wash Productions
Albuquerque, NM
Genre: Sci-Fi

BEST SCREENPLAY
She’s With Me
Instant Noodles Film
Fremont, CA
Written by: Bobby August, Jr.
Genre: Silent Film

BEST EDITING
Man vs Machine
Mike Productions
Pittsburgh, PA
Edited by: Michael Savisky
Genre: Action/Adventure

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Date
The Focus Group
London, England
Cinematographer: Edgar Dubrovskiy
Genre: Romance

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Kirsten’s Treasure Map
Team Hippopotami
Huntington Beach, CA
Sound Design by Andrew Capra
Genre: Silent Film

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
Traffic Jam
La Toalla Productions
Irvine, CA
Music by Jeff Shum Lyrics by John Fisher
Genre: Musical

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Salvage
Team Hi-Def Chefs
Minneapolis, MN
Art Director: Frost Simula
Genre: Horror

BEST COSTUMES
Heroic Love
Team The Smith Bros
San Jose, CA
Genre: Superhero

BEST MAKE-UP
Die, Dick, Die
Cagesafe Productions
Make Up Artist: Alexis Vase
Genre: Detective/Cop

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Unimpressed
Castparty Productions
Quincy, MA
Effects by Kevin Hanner
Genre: Fantasy

BEST GRAPHICS
Traffic Jam
La Toalla Productions
Irvine, CA
Graphics: Matt McCabe, Dan Repasky, Nabil Wire
Genre: Musical

BEST USE OF PROP: GARDEN TOOL
Back to Center
EyeQ Films
Alameda, CA
Genre: Action/Adventure

BEST USE OF PROP: BUBBLE WRAP
Sent
Team Somatic Cinema
Newton, NJ
Genre: Drama

BEST USE OF PROP: TOILET PLUNGER
A Very Merry Fishmas
Team Tongue vs Cheek
St. Charles, MO
Genre: Holiday Film

BEST USE OF PROP: PEANUT BUTTER
Brown Gold
Yutka Productions
Moscow, Russia
Genre: Comedy

BEST USE OF LINE: "THOSE ARE GINORMOUS!"
Purgatory
Slim Productions
St. Louis, MO
Genre: Drama

BEST USE OF LINE: "I HAVE NO TIME FOR SILLY GAMES."
The Interview
Team Year of the Rooster
Sherman Oaks, CA
Genre: Spy

BEST USE OF LINE: "IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LOOK."
System To Get Down
Team Nectar of the Gods
Media, PA
Genre: Romance

BEST USE OF LINE: "NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL USING YOUR NOODLE."
Time Cougars
Rattlesnake Wash Productions
Albuquerque, NM
Genre: Sci-Fi

BEST USE OF CHARACTER: KEVIN OR KATHY KLONSKY, FOLK SINGER Folk This, Folk That Team Cinethusiasts/MSUM Moorhead, MN
Genre: Horror

BEST USE OF CHARACTER: DREW OR DIANE SMOTHERS, YOGA INSTRUCTOR Bridge Pose Team Collars Up Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Horror

BEST USE OF CHARACTER: CHEEKS EASTON, CELEBRITY IMPERSONATOR System To Get Down Team Nectar of the Gods Media, PA
Genre: Romance

BEST USE OF CHARACTER: TAD OR TINA FULLER, CHEERLEADER Only if You’re Lucky Team Contra Sutra Bozeman, MT
Genre: Western

BEST USE OF ACTION/ADVENTURE GENRE
Boys and Their Games
Black Forest Bridge Productions
Cincinnati, OH

BEST USE OF COMEDY GENRE
Open House
Team Pixotic
Oakland, CA

BEST USE OF DETECTIVE/COP GENRE
The Key Master
Team MORIGUMI
San Francisco, CA

BEST USE OF DRAMA GENRE
Love Always
Team Conspiracy
Waterford, MI

BEST USE OF FANTASY GENRE
Unimpressed
Castparty Productions
Quincy, MA

BEST USE OF HOLIDAY FILM GENRE
No Cell Phone Day
Team The Swem MCs
Williamsburg, VA

BEST USE OF HORROR GENRE
Cleo
The Tina Yothers Army/ UNCUT Productions Philadelphia, PA

BEST USE OF MUSICAL GENRE
Traffic Jam
La Toalla Productions
Irvine, CA

BEST USE OF ROAD MOVIE GENRE
Dead on Departure
Team Cinemuse
Harrisonburg, VA

BEST USE OF ROMANCE GENRE
System To Get Down
Team Nectar of the Gods
Media, PA

BEST USE OF SCI-FI GENRE
Hooded
Schmidt Video Productions
Minneapolis, MN

BEST USE OF SILENT FILM GENRE
She’s With Me
Instant Noodles Film
Fremont, CA

BEST USE OF SPY GENRE
The Spy Team
Team The Convection Ovens
Los Angeles, CA

BEST USE OF SUPERHERO GENRE
Heroic Love
Team The Smith Bros
San Jose, CA

BEST USE OF WESTERN GENRE
Only if You’re Lucky
Team Contra Sutra
Bozeman, MT


*SPECIAL JUDGES AWARDS*
BEST ACTING BY A HORSE
Retreat

It Donned On Me Productions

San Francisco, CA
Genre: Fantasy


BEST PERFORMANCE BY PUPPETS IN LEADING ROLES Hamlet the Pig In: The Barn Identity PinPoint Productions Harrisburg, PA
Genre: Spy

BEST DEATH BY TOILET PLUNGER MOMENT
Happy Effin Halloween
Bug Juice Productions
St. Louis, MO
Genre: Holiday Film

MOST EXTENSIVE USE OF PLAID IN A COSTUME Tunnel Vision A Likely Story Film Productions Alexandria, VA
Genre: Detective/Cop

BEST USE OF THE OLD SWITCHEROO!
In The Bag
Filmatix Films
St. Louis, MO
Genre: Road Movie


Thanks again to all of the competing teams! In the next few weeks we will try and get all of the finished films on the website for viewing.

Good luck on your next film projects and we hope you’ll participate again next year!

Doug Whyte
NFC Producer

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Freaky Fred

The Evite:
This time around, there will be a character, two props, a quote, and a song. These items were randomly chosen, and everyone has been given a different song. The rules are simple: every item must be used in this 3-5 minute (no more!) movie, and at least 60 seconds of your song must be incorporated into your piece. This is what you will need to work with:

Character:
"Fred"

Prop #1:
Balloon

Prop #2:
Picture of Evan Donn


Quote:
"That's colorful."

Individual Songs:

Sig - Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
Rob - Physical (Olivia Newton John)
Evan - You Can Do Magic (America)
Sasan - Sun King (The Beatles)
Rick - Blue Suede Shoes (Elvis Presley)
Joe - Ruby Soho (Rancid)
Tony - Beat It (Michael Jackson)
Tom - Don't Stop Believing (Journey)
Dinah - Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash)
Penny - Stop In The Name Of Love (The Supremes)
Kirk - Bad Girls (Donna Summer)

I'd like to emphasize that you are not required to accept this challenge. Please feel free to bring your own projects, even works in progress. The purpose of these quarterly meetings is so that we can show case our work in a fun and friendly environment. The format will be the same as last time: we'll screen individual products first followed by The Challenge. If you're feeling ambitious, then I encourage you to submit one of each! This is a potluck event, so please bring a dish or a bottle of wine. Please indicate what you will be bringing in the evite so others will be able to plan accordingly.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and their projects. Human and canine guests are welcomed. Please let me know in the evite how many guests will be attending so that I can get an accurate head count. May 19, 2007 is a right around the corner, so I hope it's lights, camera, action for all of you!

Sig Thorsen's Submission:

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Rupert Sanburn Takes The Challenge

The Evite:
A hammer, a character named Rupert Sanburn, and the quote, "I've never seen one that small before." How will these things be incorporated into short film? Come to the Theatre des Imbeciles (The Theater of Fools) on April Fool's Eve to find out! Evan Donn's loyal followers have been asked to sumbit their films for this event held on March 31, 2007 in Foster City. This will be a potluck event, so please bring something other than beer and sodas (you can note what you will bring on the evite so others will know not to bring it). Please feel free to bring guests, but please let me know how many so that I can set up seats in the "Theatre des Imbeciles." Ok, it's just my living room, so please don't expect anything too fancy schmancy :-) I highly encourage all film makers to bring their projects. Even if you do not have this particular film completed, feel free to bring any of your work. We can have previews and then launch into the the actual show. Shoot me an email or give me a call if you have any questions. See you on April Fool's Eve!

Sig Thorsen's Submission:

Monday, January 21, 2008

The Fish Tank

I got rid of the green screen and it worked. Well, sort of. It doesn't look great, but definitely better than before...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Leopard

I just upgraded to Leopard. MEOW! I tried the video backdrop feature, but I'm getting a whole lot of spill. What's up with that? I used a green screen too! Anybody know what I can do to about this?

Saturday, January 19, 2008

vlog

vlog:
A video log. A journalistic video documentation on the web of a person's life, thoughts, opinions, and interests. A vlog can be topical and timeless, instructional and entertaining. The main thread is trying to communicate on a personal level with your audience.

I'll be setting up a vlog shortly. In the mean time, here's a quick video of my dog, Chewbacca.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

FCPUG SuperMeet

The 7th Annual Macworld FCPUG SuperMeet
Wednesday, Jan 16, 2008

Where?
Robertson Auditorium, Mission Bay Conference Center - UCSF
1675 Owens Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
Phone: 866.431.UCSF

When?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 - 7:00PM - 10:00PM (Doors open 5:00PM)

Why?
Because you need to learn something.

How Much?
$10.00 per person. $15.00 at the door. Ticket will include 2 raffle tickets.

Any raffle prizes?
Of course. $2.00 per ticket or 3 for $5.00

Who should attend?
Anyone and everyone who wants to learn something

What's on the agenda?

7:00PM - 7:20PM - Richard Townhill
7:25PM - 7:40PM - XDCAM EX1 Noah Kadner
7:45PM - 7:55PM - Steve Martin
8:00PM - 8:20PM - Steve Bayes
8:20PM - 8:50PM - Break
8:50PM - 9:10PM - BMD presents Alex Lindsay
9:15PM - 9:35PM - Adobe presents Stu Maschwitz
9:35PM - 9:45PM - Mabel Valdiviezo
9:45PM - 9:55PM - Jason Mitchell

What did I get out of this event?
GREEN SCREEN! I'm obsessed with green screen now! I want to be able to do my own keying. Alex Lindsy showed how how to green screen using the HDMI port and the Blackmagic Intensity card, and it looked good. Time to experiment!

I actually got a lot out of this event. I wished, though, that I had won a raffle prize. I swear, I never win. But at least an IDOM'er took a prize. How ironic is that that Joe Kirsch, a.k.a. iPod Dad, walked away with a touch iPod? Maybe I'll have better luck next year.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

MacWorld!

Thinnovation! I went ga ga over the new MacBook Air, and I even went straight to my bank account to see if there was enough funds for this new toy. Unfortunately, my bank account is more like a blank account, so there won't be any new electronic toy in my near future.

Apple Introduces Slim Notebook, Online Movie Rental Service
Ellen Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

(01-15) 12:42 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday introduced what he said is the world's thinnest notebook computer.

Jobs, in a keynote speech opening the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco's Moscone Center, said the new MacBook Air measures between 0.16 inch and 0.76 inch thick. Other notebook computers typically measure 0.8 to 1.2 inches thick, he said.

"We're talking thin here," Jobs said, as he effortlessly pulled a MacBook Air from a manila envelope, generating oohs and ahhs from the crowd of Apple fans, industry analysts and journalists.

TheMacBook Air has an 80-GB hard drive, a 13.3-inch, backlit LED display and a full-size keyboard in a recyclable aluminum case, and weighs 3 pounds. It sells for $1,799 and Apple will start taking orders today, with the first models shipping in two weeks.

In a nod to environmentalists, Jobs said the display is mercury-free, with no arsenic in the glass surface. The packaging also amounts to 50 percent less volume than previous MacBooks, he said.

Jobs also introduced a new iTunes Movie Rentals service, partnering with Touchstone, Miramax, LionsGate, Fox, Warners Brothers, Walt Disney, Paramount, Universal and Sony.

"We have every major studio," Jobs said.

ITunes Movie Rentals will launch by the end of February, Jobs said, with 1,000 movies available for download over a high-speed Internet connection. The iTunes service will make movies available 30 days after their DVD release, viewable on Macintosh computers, iPods and iPhones. The movies will be start playing less than 30 seconds after the download starts, he said.

Once rented, users have 30 days to watch a movie and, once it has been cued, 24 hours to finish it. The service will cost $2.99 for older movies and $3.99 for new releases. High-definition movies, a new offering, cost $1 extra.

iTunes remains a critical part of Apple's digital strategy. Jobs said the number of songs sold via iTunes topped 4 billion last week, and iTunes sets a one-day record on Christmas with 20 million songs sold. The online store has also sold 125 million television shows and 7 million movies.

Apple's announcements are being closely watched as the Cupertino technology company continues to play a leading role in setting digital lifestyle trends. Last year, Jobs unveiled the iPhone, which helped spur the mobile industry to produce ever more smart phones that connect to the Internet, play music and videos and incorporate touch-screen technology.

On Tuesday, Jobs said 4 million iPhones have been sold since they first went on sale 200 days ago.

In the third quarter of 2007, the first full quarter of sales for the iPhone, it garnered nearly 20 percent of the smart-phone market, Jobs said, citing statistics from Gartner, a market research firm. Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, has 39 percent of the market, but Jobs said Apple's share already matches that of Palm, Nokia and Motorola combined.

Jobs also introduced new features for the iPhone and the iPod touch, including a GPS-like service that identifies a person's location. Although the iPhone does not have Global Positioning System technology, it uses technology developed by Google and Skyhook to triangulate the person's location.

Another uprgade to the iPhone enables users to send text messages to several people at once.

Jobs also said that thelatest Mac operating system, Leopard, is the most successful launch of an Apple operating system, with 5 million copies shipped. "We're really thrilled by this," he said.

To compliment Leopard's Time Machine automated back-up feature, Jobs introduced the Time Capsule on Tuesday, a wireless device that will automatically save and back up files from the home's other computers. Available next month, the 500-GB Time Capsule will cost $299 and the larger 1-terabyte device one will cost $499.

Jobs acknowledged that the Apple TV, a device that transfers digital content from computers to televisions, has not met expectations and that no one, including rivals such as Microsoft, has been able to convince consumers en masse to move their downloaded movies and television shows to their televisions.

Jobs said he hopes to change that with a new and cheaper $229 version of the Apple TV, which will allow users to rent movies directly on their television without connecting to their computer.

"Today seemed to be some course correction, saying, 'We could do better,'" said Ross Rubin, an analyst with NPD. "They're listening to customers. No company is infallible. Every product can be improved, even Apple's products."

Jim Gianopulos, chief executive of 20th Century Fox, joined Jobs briefly on stage, announcing that its new DVDs will also allow consumers to make a copy to their iTunes library. Fox was the first of the studios to partner with Apple to offer online movie rentals. "When Steve came to us with the idea, it was a no-brainer," he said.

E-mail Ellen Lee at elee@sfchronicle.com.


Monday, January 14, 2008

Quicktime!

Rob Carey showed me a great feature in Quicktime that I never knew existed. It turns out, I can record Quicktime movies from the built in camera on my MacBook Pro. I always thought that this video feature only worked during iChat sessions, but I was wrong! Below is my very first movie filmed directly from my MacBook Pro. Wow, this revelation could change the way I blog from now on!


Sunday, January 13, 2008

Surprise!

Mrs. Donn tasked me with the job of keeping her husband out of the house while she prepared for his surprise birthday party on Saturday. Um, what the heck was I going to do, have him come over for the Seahawks/Packers game? I figured the most believable thing to do was to have him and other IDOM'ers come over to Rick's editing suite to film the IT DONNED ON ME documentary. We did just that, and I got the footage I needed. Evan is a smart guy, though, and he figured it all out. It's all good though, because he played along with it until the very end. At dinner later that night, I announced that the real surprise is the special Evan Donn video tribute that we had planned in his honor. Evan was not surprised. The guy knows us too well.

Happy Birthday Evan Donn!



Friday, January 11, 2008

Alice's 3 Minute Film Festival

Alice @ 97.3 radio in San Francisco announces Call for Entries for the sixth annual 3-Minute Independent Film Festival which will be held April 11, 2008 at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. With over $10,000 in cash and prizes, extensive radio exposure and more, this season’s juried competition offers filmmakers a unique opportunity to showcase their ‘short’ cinematic masterpiece and be honored in an evening that celebrates the art of short film. Over the last 5 years, more the 100 short films have been screened at Alice’s 3-Minute Film Festival with over $60,000 in cash and prizes awarded. We are looking forward to receiving more innovative and creative works for our 2008 festival.

The only limit to creativity is the running time of your film. Your short film must be 2 – 5 minutes long. The running time does not count closing credits, so your film can run over 5 minutes if you’re running closing credits. Deadline for submissions is March 24, 2008. Submissions are free. Enter today. Your film could be chosen and showcased at Alice’s Film Festival in April, 08 where an esteemed jury will choose the best overall film in each category to win cash and prizes in a special award ceremony at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. Good luck, we look forward to watching your film.

To submit your film, please fill out the official entry form and mail your DVD film submissions to Alice Radio, 3-Minute Film Festival – 865 Battery Street, San Francisco 94111.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Professor Donn's Response To The 12 Days Of Donn:

Wow, that's just... amazing. I always knew the day would come when you would figure out how to combine your penchant for photoshopping people's heads onto other bodies with live video. Now that day is here. I fear for the future.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

I Signed Up IDOM!

-----Original Message-----
From: info@documentarychallenge.org [mailto:info@documentarychallenge.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 12:57 PM
To: Nguyen, Tony
Subject: International Documentary Challenge Team Confirmation

Dear It Donned On Me,

Congratulations! We have received your entry and you are officially registered for the 2008 International Documentary Challenge! The International Documentary Challenge will take place March 6-10, 2008. On Thursday morning, March 6, at 8 am, you will log in to the International Documentary Challenge team area at http://documentarychallenge.org/teams/ to receive the genre for your film as well as the assigned theme that must be incorporated into your film.

What can you do to get ready? Start stocking up on caffeinated beverages!?! Just kidding, but you can start lining up your team-cast and crew-and all of the equipment you will need for your filmmaking weekend. In addition, you may scout and secure locations. From time to time, we will send you e-mail updates to help you get ready for the Challenge. For other information, you can go to the links page of our website http://documentarychallenge.org. Use the bulletin board on our site to post questions and read other participants' questions and our official answers.

IMPORTANT:
1: You must notify us if any of your contact information should change-especially your EMAIL ADDRESS!

2: PLEASE NOTE: The entry fee on your credit card statement will read:
"KDHX"

3: Please review our refund and privacy policies: http://documentarychallenge.org/policy.htm

Good Luck and Welcome Aboard!

Doug Whyte
International Documentary Challenge Producer

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Unfinished Business

Evan Donn's email regarding upcoming deadlines inspired me to move into the 2008 season. However, I still have some unfinished business from 2007. I'd really like to finish up my IDOM documentary, the one I was supposed to complete during the winter break. I'm going to get all IDOM'ers in one place so that I can finish up all the interviews. Maybe this Saturday...

Monday, January 7, 2008

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Looks like the 2008 season is upon us!

-----Original Message-----
From: Evan Donn
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 8:45 PM
To: Nguyen, Tony; Joe Kirsch; Sig Thorsen; Joanne Donn; drkemp; Dinah Despenza; Rob C; Thomas Flowers; Kirk Moore
Subject: Upcoming Events and Deadlines

I've been putting together a list of competition dates and deadlines for the 2008 filmmaking 'season' - not just 48 hour competitions but also local festivals, etc. It's not complete yet but I wanted to throw out a couple quick deadlines and events that are coming up:
  1. 'Rewind Kindly' - Part of a competition (filmmaking frenzy) put on by the Alamo Drafthouse - widely considered to be the greatest theaters in the country for film enthusiasts (it's a similar concept to our own Parkway Speakeasys. This is being done in conjunction with their premier of Micheal Gondry's ('Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'The Science of Sleep') newest film, "Be Kind Rewind." The basic plot is that a man (Jack Black) becomes magnetized, then walks into his friend's (Mos Def) video store and accidently erases all the video tapes. Rather than buying new ones they shoot their own no-budget versions of blockbusters and try to pass them off to their customers as the real thing - only to discover that their films are more popular than the originals. So that's the contest - make your own 5-minute or less version of any Hollywood film. Deadline is January 18th!Micheal Gondry at the Apple Store SF - TONIGHT!!!!!
  2. 'Be Kind, Rewind' was edited on Final Cut Pro, so Gondry will be giving a presentation on his workflow as well as showing clips from the movie. Starts at 7pm tonight at the Apple store on Stockton, I'm planning to be there.
  3. Rogue Ales Short Film Festival. Rogue is accepting submissions for their twice annual festival once again - the next screening is February 29th but the deadline for submitting something is January 31. Doesn't cost anything to enter, and the prizes are cases of their beer - it's just a small fun thing to do. I'll go ahead and enter our three non-Visa films but I'd encourage everyone to send in other projects as well.
  4. SF Cutters Macworld Supermeet - January 16th - I know some of you have already bought tickets, but for those who haven't and are still interested in going you need to get your tickets quickly - their latest emails mentioned they have about 150 tickets left and they're selling about 40 a day so it looks like it'll sell out well before the actual event.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Ballooney Tunes

Since I just posted a novel of a blog about my trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I thought it would be appropriate to post excerpts from Lynn Ruth Miller's show, "Ballooney Tunes." Lynn Ruth Miller is Queenie, the senile stripper who will astound you with her collection of outrageous parodies guaranteed to put your underwear at risk! A body of balloons goes pop and every funny bone is exposed. Comedy at its naked and bawdy best. Voila:

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Travelogue: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2007

I started Blogged Arteries: The Unrendered Files this summer, but I didn't really get prolific until the fall when things calmed down with IDOM. I didn't get the chance to blog much about The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, so I'd like to take this time now to post my travelogue from that trip. This is going to be a really long entry, so you may want to take your bathroom break now and return with a cup of coffee and a pastry.

Friday, August 17, 2007
It's a little after 9pm, and I am sitting here at SFO waiting for my flight to Scotland. Actually, to be more accurate, I am waiting for my flight to Toronto where I will then connect to London and then to Edinburgh. The next 20-plus hours are going to be tiring, but right now, I am so amped up. I have never been to Scotland before, so I’m bouncing off walls, and this is sans sugar. What I have going on right now is a natural high. Borm neurons are wildly dancing, and those who have ever seen me on the dance floor, you can probably get an idea of how frenetic the inside of my head is.

It’s not just the neck up, mind you. My heart is thumping fast and a swarm of six-legged winged insects are buzzing around in my stomach. I think one may have defecated on my fundus. My point is that I am both excited and a bit nervous. I’m heading to The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland to film a documentary on Lynn Ruth Miller. This makes me nervous for two reasons: A) I know nothing about this festival, so filming a documentary about Lynn Ruth at this event will be challenging, and B) I will be spending a whole week following this septuagenarian around Scotland! Boy oh boy, if our chemistry in the UK is anything like it was on the set of Urgent Care, then I’m going to be in big trouble! Seriously though, I’m really excited about this trip, but at the same time, I am a little nervous. But it’s definitely positive nervous energy, so I probably don’t have anything to worry about.

I swear, this has been a crazy summer. Who would have thought that this little thing called the 48 Hour Film Project could lead to all this madness? I swear, when I signed everyone up for this event, I knew that people would either give me high fives or kill me. I’m happy to say that I’m still alive and kicking. Without Urgent Care, there would be no Lynn Ruth Miller, and without Lynn Ruth, there would be no Scotland. Since I have another hour to wait before I board, I’m going to hop online and learn a little more about this Fringe Festival. Oo-wee, I think one of those six-legged winged insects in my stomach just laid and egg. Nerves, I guess.

Saturday, August 18, 2007, 4:43am.

Is it Saturday? I think it’s Saturday, but I’m not quite sure. According to the clock on my MacBook Pro, it’s 4am in the morning. I’m really not sure what time it is though because I’m really not sure what time zone I’m in. True confessions: I am geographically illiterate. I don’t know where Toronto is. I know it’s in Canada, I’m just not sure which part. I am assuming it’s somewhere in the middle. Mr. Waller, my 7th grade Geography teacher, must be rolling his eyes right now. I am such a failure to him, and I hope he never reads this blog. To my defense, though, Mr. Waller did focus more on Europe and Africa, and Canada got pushed to the side. That’s why I don’t know where Toronto is! In any case, I am going to stop with the nostalgia. If I am going to walk down memory lane, then I am going to avoid that bumpy path known as Junior High Blvd. Come to think of it, I’m going to avoid everything between 1984 and 1992.

I’m going off into strange tangents, aren’t I? It must be fatigue. I’m happy to say that I didn’t have a bad flight! In fact, they stuck me at the window seat in the emergency exit row with one passenger on the aisle and nobody in the middle! I was actually able to stretch out during my snooze. I didn’t sleep well, mind you, but it was enough to stop my eye from shutting. I now I have a three hour lay over. I just scarfed down some really bad Canadian California rolls, and now I’m sitting here staring at all these Canadians walking back and forth. I know they are Canadian because every fourth word out of their mouths is “eh?” Ok, maybe that’s stretching just a tad. I’m stuck here for a couple of hours, so I’m just going to sit back and attempt to relax. The excitement and nerves that I felt earlier are gone. Now I’m just tired. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep on the next flight.

Saturday, August 18, 2007, 5:29pm.

It took me 20-plus hours to get to London. There was a three hour delay because of engine problems. I would not have minded this delay had Air Canada told us before we entered the aircraft. Unfortunately, the announcement was made after everybody was seated. We sat on that plane for three hours. I felt like a dried up broccoli trapped in a vacuum sealed tupperware bowl. I don't know about you, but I prefer not to share my oxygen. I guess there is a word for peeps like me: CLAUSTROPHOBIC. The good news is that there were a few empty seats on the flight, so I jumped into one of those vacant spots. Even with all that extra space, it was still a very long and tiring flight. I finally made it to London a little after midnight. I checked into my hotel near Heathrow and crashed. Maybe it's a good thing that I have an over night stay in London because it will help me adjust to the jet lag. At least tomorrow I can wake up ready for Edinburgh! Speaking of which, below is the findings of my Fringe research, courtesy of Wikipedia:

The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest arts festival. It takes place in Scotland's capital during three weeks every August, at the same time as several other arts and cultural festivals: the collective names for all these events is the Edinburgh Festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is just one part of the Edinburgh Festival. In fact, there is no single Festival as such; the term is shorthand for all the discrete festivals which take place in Edinburgh from late July through to early September.

Alongside the official Edinburgh International Festival (started 1947) and the Festival Fringe (1947) other roughly concurrent festivals in Edinburgh include the Edinburgh International Film Festival (1947), the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (1979), Edinburgh International Book Festival (1983), the Edinburgh People's Festival (2002) and the Edinburgh Art Festival (2005). Plus there is the ever-popular (and audible to other festival-goers) Edinburgh Military Tattoo every evening on the Castle Esplanade during August.


In addition to the summer festivals, Edinburgh plays host to a range of other festivals throughout the rest of the year. [1] It matters little to the festival-goer which events are part of which festival, except that each festival has a separate programme (and website) and sells tickets only for its own events.

The Fringe mostly attracts events from the performing arts, particularly drama and (the big growth area in recent years) comedy, although dance and music also figure significantly. Theatre events can range from the classics of ancient Greece, Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, through to new works. However, there is no selection committee to approve the entries, so any type of event is possible: the Fringe is well-known as a showcase for experimental works which might not be admitted to a more formal festival. The organisers are the Festival Fringe Society: they publish the programme, sell tickets and offer advice to performers from the Fringe office on the Royal Mile.

Sunday, August 19, 2007
I Finally Made It To Scotland! I have no idea what day or what time it is because I've been through so many time zones in the last 20-plus hours! For this reason, I am very happy to finally arrive. Once my plane landed, I took a cab into Edinburgh. I arrived at my flat some time in the late afternoon. My room reminds me a little bit of my dorm from my college days, but with some historic European flare. It is really small and dark, but that's perfectly fine with me, since I paid a whopping zero pounds for the lodging. For those who need the American conversion, that's zero US dollars. Lynn Ruth Miller provided me with the accommodations, so I will make no complaints. I'm just glad I have a roof over my head! In any case, I freshened up, packed up all my camera equipment, and headed into Edinburgh to meet up with Lynn Ruth at the Hilton Edinburgh Grovesnor Chester's Bar for her two evening shows, "Absolute Comedy Chaos" at 7pm and then "Ballooney Tunes" at 10pm.

My taxi ride from the airport into Edinburgh and then subsequently to the comedy club proved to be quite challenging. Even though English is spoken in this country, it still is Scottish English, and between the thick accent and the nuances in vocabulary, I struggled to understand. Case in point: En route to Edinburgh, my taxi driver kept pointing to a woman on the street and saying "mometas bron." I had no idea what that meant, so I politely smiled. However, he kept pointing to that woman and saying those words. I thought maybe "mometas" was slang for prostitute and that the taxi driver wanted me to hook up so that he could score a commission for the referral. Heck, they do that all the time in Las Vegas, I figured why not in Scotland. The taxi driver repeated this about four times, and I finally figured out what he was trying to say. Apparently, he was pointing to the meter, and not the lady on the street, and telling me that it was broken. I finally realized what the driver was talking about when he told me he wasn't going to charge me the portion of the ride that didn't get logged into the meter. It made perfect sense at that point, because there was no way that woman was a prostitute. She was wearing a turtle neck! What hooker wears a turtle neck? I'm glad that everyone in Scotland speaks English because I would be so lost if I had to attempt to communicate in a different language. Scottish English is challenging, don't get me wrong, but at least I could understand 70% of what's going on.

I made it to the Grovesnor Hilton with enough time to down a Coca Cola Light before the show. I was greeted by the thunderous voice of Lord Buckley. This lanky Scot, clad in a tuxedo jacket and a safari hat, introduced himself as the world's oldest rapper. A young woman with a scarf wrapped around her head stood beside him. I responded, "hello Lord Buckley, I am Borm." The young woman interjected, "Oh, Borm, I'm Cameron! Lynn Ruth has told me all about you!" I smiled and replied, "Ah, yes, Cameron, the girl from Portland! Good to finally meet you." Lynn Ruth Miller had invited this 15 year old girl from Portland to assist with her show. It seemed odd to me, but I'm sure there is history between the two, so it probably made sense.

Cameron noted that Lynn Ruth had stepped out and that she would return shortly. We exchanged some pleasantries and then then she showed me around the venue. She also noted that Lord Buckley is one of the comedians on the roster. I later learned that "Lord Buckley" is actually one character from comedy writer's Bob Sinfield's vast repertoire. As Cameron filled me in on how the performances have been going, Lynn Ruth entered the club. I walked up to her and she gave me a big kiss on my right cheek. This is a signature Lynn Ruth Miller salutation, and I'm quite used to it. Lynn Ruth said she was very happy that I made it to Edinburgh in one piece. She then introduced me to 80's Luke, the other comedian scheduled to perform at Chester's Bar. 80's Luke is a 30-something heavy set Scot with "hair by Loreal and body by KFC." (His words, not mine). I stepped back and took a look at this colourful cast of people standing before me. These characters looked like something out of some bizarre situation comedy. I had to take a picture. The young gentleman in red is the 20 year old bartender from Malta. I pulled him into the picture to complete the family.

After our photo shoot, Lynn Ruth headed to her dressing room to prepare for her show. I swear, this woman is amazing. I have never met a 73 year old with so much energy. Lynn Ruth's fliers say it all: "She jumped out of a cake in 2005. She rocked the house at the Bongo Club in 2006. Now Lynn Ruth Miller hosts a variety show featuring her craziest favourites from this festival. Spice of the Fringe." She took the stage at 7:15pm, right after Lord Buckley's opening monologue. Unfortunately, there were only two people in the audience for the 7pm show. This is a very small venue, and it's far from Edinburgh City Centre, so bringing in the crowd had been challenging. Tonight was no different for Lynn Ruth, Lord Buckley, 80's Luke, and the other comedians performing at Chester's Bar. However, what I love about Lynn Ruth Miller is that she is a trooper. Though there were only two spectators in the audience, she plugged along. She gave them joke after joke after joke. Unfortunately, her brand of humour was a little too much for the two young Scots, and so they got up and left in the middle of her geriatric rant. OUCH! This didn't phase Lynn Ruth at all. In fact, she kept things in perspective and prepped herself up for the 8pm show. In my opinion, the young couple probably left because Lord Buckley's opening monologue tired them out.

"Absolute Comedy Chaos" is a show case of comedians throughout the night. This club is not an elite venue by any means, but it's a great place for upstarts to try out their act. I had no intention of filming tonight's show because my goal for the evening was to scope out the place as preparation for tomorrow night's filming. I really liked this place. It's quite cozy. I also quickly figured out that, though Lynn Ruth Miller may be one of several performers, I considered her the headliner, simply because of who she is. This woman commands stage presence.

In any case, after that dismal first show, a group of 20-something males showed up for the 8pm show. An audience! I was so excited! I sat back and watched the show. Lord Buckley once again opened the show and introduced the line up. This time around, Lynn Ruth and 80's Luke was joined by local comedian Terry Milligan, Helen O'Troy, the young comedienne from London, and a corpulent Scot with big curly blond hair whom I cannot seem to remember his name. I thoroughly enjoyed Terry's and Helen's performances, but I'll have to be honest and say that I did not understand a thing the third guy was saying. What saved him was his sight gags. In any case, all these performers impressed me. They may not be seasoned veterans, but they made me laugh, and that's what counts! I whipped out both my video camera and my Nikon D70 and snapped away.

Absolutely Comedy Chaos ended at 10pm and Ballooney Tunes started up shortly afterwards. This is Lynn Ruth Miller at her cabaret best. This is the one woman show about Queenie, the senile stripper and her collection of outrageous parodies that are guaranteed to put your underwear at risk! A body of balloons goes pop and every funny bone is exposed. Comedy at its naked and bawdy best. Most of the audience from the 8pm show stuck around for Ballooney Tunes. Lynn Ruth belted out every song, and the audience cheered her every move. I kept asking myself, "where does she get all this energy?" When she hit her final note and took her final bow, she leaned into me and said, "I hope you're not too jet-lagged 'cause we're going to The Bongo Club now!" Once again, WHERE DOES SHE GET ALL THIS ENERGY??

I am at the Bongo Club right now. This place rocks. It's cabaret. It's rock & roll. It's bohemian fun. I am upstairs in the green room waiting for Lynn Ruth to finish changing. This septuagenarian just got up on stage and stripped down to her sexy lingerie in front of a cheering audience. She shook her surprisingly limber hips to the tune of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," and the audience ate it up. I was stunned and amazed.

I saw some other great acts that night. The two that stood out were Paprika Balkanicus, a band that blends Balkan, Eastern European and Gypsy music with Classical and Jazz influences as well as originals, and "The Suit Case Royale, a band of three multi artists creating Junkyard Theatre in Melbourne that is toured locally and internationally." (description taken from The Suit Case Royale official website). Their music was so infectious that I found myself humming their songs the rest of the night. I got to meet both bands after the show.
Monday, August 20, 2007

It is 4:24pm on a Monday in Edinburgh. I am sitting at the Starbucks off of George Street drinking my "Innocent Pure Fruit Smoothie." They don't have the venti green tea lemonade here, so I had to settle for an alternative beverage. I chose this smoothie because I liked the label. Also, they say that you are what you eat and drink, so I figured this "Innocent" drink was most appropriate for a person like me.

I am here at this Scottish Starbucks taking a break from all this documentary filming. I swear, Lynn Ruth Miller is all over the map. I'm getting awesome footage, but if I don't pull over and rest, I may just burn myself out. Edinburgh is a "walking" city, and everyone knows that I am not a walker. It's a good thing I brought my comfortable pair of Vans, but I do have to say that lugging around 50 pounds of equipment is doing quite a number on my back. Any chance I can sit back and relax, I will take full advantage of it. I really wish I had a venti green tea lemonade right now, but this Innocent Smoothie will do.

I had a pretty long and tiring day, so it's nice to sit back and relax. We stayed out very late last night. After Lynn Ruth's gig at the Bongo Club, we had dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Dario's. That restaurant is open until 4am, and we barely made the cut off time. I had a mediocre pizza that tasted like it had just been defrosted. We got back to the flat at about 4am, and because I ate so late, I had a hard time sleeping. After about an hour of tossing and turning on my twin size bed, I managed to fall asleep. Actually, it was more like fall "anap." I didn't really sleep. I took a nap, and eventually woke up at noon.

I walked to the Three Sisters Club at 139 Cowgate to see Lynn Ruth's storytelling show, "An Audience With Lynn Ruth." This show is the polar opposite of her comedy routine and strip tease at the Bongo Club. It's much more serene. In fact, this performance show cases Lynn Ruth Miller's softer poignant side. I attempted to film this performance but I just didn't have too much luck. I'm just not good with the camera. I'm pretty good with Final Cut Pro and 90% of the time I disguise my fallacies through creative editing. I really do have a lot to learn, and this week will be a true test. All I know is that I have to find a camera shop somewhere in Edinburgh. I desperately need a tripod. The one I brought is just not working out for me. I hate to do it, but I am prepared to pay an arm and a leg for this tripod.

After her performance, Lynn Ruth and I had lunch at Henderson's, a vegetarian restaurant at Edinburgh City Centre. We discussed marketing strategies. It is my goal to make Lynn Ruth Miller famous! This woman is hilarious, and I want to see her name in bright lights. I will do what I can to transform this 73 year old granny into a star! After lunch, we broke off and I got to check out Endinburgh by foot.

I walked and walked and walked some more. My goal was to find a tripod, so I searched high and low. The problem is that I am not very good at reading maps. I thought I was walking one way, but it turns out I was supposed to go in the other direction. I turned the map upside down and all around but I had no luck. I kept walking, lugging about 50 pounds (that's weight, not currency) of camera equipment. When I finally reached Princes Street, I did the dance of joy in my head. I would have done it with my body, but I was just too tired. I purchased my tripod for about 14 pounds and then jumped into a taxi and headed back to the flat to prepare for Lynn Ruth's evening show. Though I had corns on my feet and my right shoulder sagged to one side because of my camera bag strap, I felt good about my trek through Edinburgh. Not only did I get good exercise, but I got to see Edinburgh by foot.

I got some great pics of the city. My personal favorite is of the Museum of Scotland, where the pillars were wrapped in Campbell Soup labels in honour of Andy Warhol. I will make the effort to see this exhibit. I took a whole lot of pictures, but that probably comes as no surprise to my readers. This is only day two in Scotland for me, and I have already taken a few hundred shots. I don't plan to stop any time soon!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007
It's about 4:07pm on a Tuesday afternoon. I am sitting at the Edinburgh Public Library because the Starbucks in Edinburgh City Centre did not have wi-fi. I never thought that I would end up at a library in Scotland, but here I am! I'm not complaining, because not only do I have a nice quite place to review the footage that I took of Lynn Ruth's storytelling show, but the wi-fi is free at the libary!

I have to say that I wasn't too pleased with my filming of "An Audience With Lynn Ruth" this second day. However, I learned from my mistakes from the previous day, so there is a 20% improvement. Tomorrow's filming should be 20% better, so I'm optimistic that by the end of the week I will reach 100%. Is that wishful thinking? I hope not. It's all part of digital workflow (did you catch that, Evan Donn?).

After Lynn Ruth's performance, I stuck around for the 2pm showing of "A Shadow Passing," a one woman play about unrequited love. The woman starring in that show, Audrey Lee, is personal friend of Lynn Ruth's so I offered to film her show. I have to say, that her show depressed the hell out of me. In fact, it depressed the hell out of the whole audience, all three of us. In any case, I was able to get some good angles of Audrey, so I figured I would apply those angles to Lynn Ruth's performance tomorrow. I'll eventually get it right.

Right now, I am sitting in the "romance novels" section, looking through my footage Lynn Ruth's performance of "Ballooney Tunes" from last night. I have to say that I am not happy. Even with my new 14 pound (that's currency, not weight) tripod, I still wasn't able to get the filming right. It didn't help that Lynn Ruth was all over the place, running around putting wigs on audience members and throwing diapers at the people in the front row. For this show, she really needs someone who is good with the hand held camera, and I'm not the guy. In any case, I'm looking at this footage and telling myself that I really need to do some creative editing in order for Ballooney Tunes to work. I'm going to log some of this footage and then head back to the flat. I'll take a little break and then attempt to walk to Chester's Bar at the Grovesnor Hilton. I don't read maps well, so this will be a challenge, especially in the dark!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007
I'm really liking this Absolute Comedy Chaos. I'm known as "The Camera Guy" at Chester's Bar, and all the comedians treat me like I'm one of them. There's no egos here at the Grovesnor Hilton, and I really like that. The attendance is hit or miss: some nights we will pack the house and the laughs would be thunderous, and then other nights there may be only one or two souls lurking in the bar. What I really like about this venue is that it's so casual. I also like the fact that I've actually become a fixture here. I swear, Absolute Comedy Chaos at Chester's Bar could be a situation comedy. There are definitely enough colourful characters. Picture the cast:
  • Lynn Ruth Miller, 70-something strip teasing granny.
  • Lord Buckley, world's oldest rapper.
  • Cameron, 15 year old personal assistant to the strip teasing granny.
  • Borm, camera guy and the only Vietnamese person in Scotland.
  • Noah, young mild-mannered bartender from Malta.
  • 80's Luke, Scottish comedian with hair by Loreal and body by KFC.
I think we may be on to something! The point is that I'm having a lot of fun hanging out with these people every night. I could be out on the town exploring the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by night, but I choose to stick around with this dysfunctionally entertaining group of misfits. Seriously, though, we're like a little family here. Absolutely no egos at Chester's Bar. All the comedians are in the same boat, and it's fun for me to watch all the fun from behind the camera.

The awesome thing about Lynn Ruth Miller is that her brand of humour crosses generations. People of all ages love her! Last night, a middle aged gentleman from England brought his two teen age sons to see Lynn Ruth's show. At first I wondered if the boys would get her, but they laughed at all her jokes. I don't know if it was a British thing, but these two teens liked the raunchy granny so much that they posed in a picture with her afterwards! In a warped kinda way, Lynn Ruth really speaks to the youth of today. In fact, this geriatric comedienne speaks to all demographics. Below is a cross section look at Lynn Ruth Miller's audience.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
It's 5:13pm, and I'm sitting in the lobby of a hostel in the middle of Leith Walk in Edinburgh. I don't really know how I ended up all the way out here, but I guess that's what you get when you fold up your map and stick it in your back pocket. I'm sitting here looking at all the pictures I've taken with my Nikon D-70 up to this point. I'm up to about 700. My critics often scowl at my excessive nature, but I will stand behind my actions. I document my life via Blogged Arteries, so every photo and every frame in my extensive video archive helps me remember every detail of what goes on in my life. I'm looking at these photos and thinking about what a great time I'm having in Scotland. It's definitely going to be hard to return back to the States.

It was another late night for me last night. After Lynn Ruth's Ballooney Tunes show, we all took a long walk across town to The Carlton for her strip tease act. When Lynn Ruth takes off her clothes off on stage, the audience roars. Her performance at the Carlton brought the house down, and I was glad I was able to get video footage of it. Initially, the club owner have us a hard time about filming, but Lynn Ruth managed to sweet talk them into letting me film. I managed to snap a few good shots.

I woke up at 11:30am, and got some B-roll footage of Lynn Ruth Miller washing her hair for my documentary. I had wanted her to sit in the tub and talk about her experience so far at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but she felt more comfortable keeping her robe on while she washed her hair. I got my shot and returned to my room to prepare for my day. I inserted new tapes into my cameras, cleared the memory card in my Nikon D-70, packed up my computer, and walked on over to The Three Sisters at Cowgate. Once again, I filmed Lynn Ruth's storytelling show, and once again I had problems. I'm not going to make any excuses. The sad reality is that I suck at filming. Hopefully, Evan Donn will be able to transform me into camera man extraordinaire after I'm done with his Digital Work Flow class next semester. I definitely need a little more practice. Eventually, I'll get it. I'll keep telling myself that.

I left the Three Sisters right after Lynn Ruth's show. I took the rest of the afternoon to explore Edinburgh by foot. My first stop was the Museum of Edinburgh for the Andy Warhol exihibit. According to the museum's official website: "The first installment of our Bank of Scotland totalART series presents the largest collection of Andy Warhol work ever exhibited in Scotland. Twenty years after his death, Warhol remains one of the most prolific and contentious artists of the twentieth century and this show presents a diverse range of his work. The Bank of Scotland totalART series aims to showcase some of the most critically acclaimed artists of the 20th-century. The next instalment will see a major collection of work by Joseph Beuys in autumn 2008. Beuys and Warhol admired each other’s work and spent time together sharing their very unique views on art, society and popular culture. Both shows offer a unique insight into the life and works of these two significant artists."

I'm glad I checked out this exhibit. I have to admit that I didn't really know that much about Andy Warhol, so seeing his work at the Museum of Scotland was definitely educational. Now, when someone makes reference to this artist, I can say that I saw his work. Whenever Marc Chagall comes up, and it occasionally does, I get to say "oh yeah, Marc Chagall, I saw his work at the SF MOMA. Love the flying sheeps!" So if someone ever brings up Andy Warhol, I will say, "Saw him in Endinburgh! Loved the Campbell Soup labels wrapped around the pillars at the Museum of Scotland!"

I spent the rest of my afternoon walking up down Princes Street and then headed towards Leith Walk. I also made my way to Edinburgh High Street, which is part of the Royal Mile which runs for about a mile, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill to Holyrood Palace in Queen's Park at the bottom of the hill. Part of this street is closed off during the Fringe, and all the artists and performers roam free. I had been focused on filming Lynn Ruth Miller all week that today was really the first day that I had to immerse myself in the Fringe. As I walked around High Street, I couldn't help but smile. Everything I love about life surrounded me at The Fringe. Creativity fuels me, and it was a huge pleasure to see others just like me expressing themselves at this festival.

Thursday, August 23, 2007
Today was a marathon day in Edinburgh. I was scheduled to fly out of Scotland at 6am Friday morning, so I figured there was no reason for me to go to sleep. Since I had to be at the airport two hours before the flight, I stayed up through the wee hours of the morning and took a taxi to the airport early Friday. This worked out just fine because every minute counted, and this allowed me to fully enjoy my final day at The Fringe.

I don't think I ever suffered jet-lag on this trip because I never got away from San Francisco time. Lynn Ruth, Cameron, and I pretty much stayed out to the way after midnight every night. Ballooney Tunes started at 10pm, and by the time we got out of Chester's Bar, we would have a late dinner. It's a good thing we walked all the way back to the flat every night because it allowed me time to digest. Last night was no different. I made it back to my room at about 4am and I finally got to sleep at 5am. I got up at noon and walked on over to The Three Sisters to film "An Audience With Lynn Ruth" for the last time.

I stopped off at Bobby's Sandwich Bar and picked up a ham and cheese baguette beforehand. I paid about 5 pounds (that's ten US dollars!) for that sandwich. It was adequate, but definitely nothing compared to the cinco peso torta (that's 50 US cents) from Huatulco. I brought my 5 pound sandwich (that's currency, not weight) to The Three Sisters and munched while I filmed Lynn Ruth's final show. I made sure that I turned my face away from the camera so that the microphone didn't pick up any of the baguette crunches. I'm not sure it would have mattered either way, because once again I walked away with another less than stellar recording. I'm going to have to do some very creative editing in order to make this video look good. Oh boy. In any case, after I finished filming, I took off for High Street to enjoy my final day at The Fringe.

I walked and walked and walked some more. It's a good thing I packed my comfortable pair of Vans because if had to walk around Scotland in my Sketchers, I'd have more corns than a maize plantation. It didn't help that I was carrying a few extra pounds (that's weight, not currency) of camera equipment, but adrenaline kept me going. I wanted to hit every corner of Edinburgh that I missed earlier in the week. I started out at The Three Sisters and worked my way up High Street. From there, I walked down the hill to Princes Street and then hopped into a taxi to get to The Laughing Horse Berlin Bar Club on South Queensferry Street Lane for 80's Luke and Terry Milligan's show at 5pm.

I was standing near the Campbell Soup label clad pillar at The Museum of Scotland when I flagged down the taxi. I did not wanted to be late to this show, and being that I have no sense of direction, I figured I should let a navigational specialist take over. It turns out that the Laughing Horse Berlin Bar Club was right around the corner! I paid 3 pounds for that taxi ride, and that was the smallest fare I ever paid in Scotland! But that's fine, because the cab driver got mer there in 4 minutes and I had plenty of time to grab dinner at Wannaburger. There was a deli across the street from the burger joint, but I felt kind of weird about eating at place called "Cock Burn." Would you eat at place called "Cock Burn?" I ended up at Wannaburger instead, and I paid a whopping 9 pounds for my meal. After dinner, I walked around the corner to the comedy club.

Terry Milligan and 80's Luke cracked me up. I came into this show thinking that I would get a repeat from Absolute Comedy Chaos, but that was not the case at all. These two are very good at sketch comedy and their "Bringing In The Sheep" show made me laugh so hard I literally peed! Really! As part of his routine, Terry Milligan takes his audience out of the club and into the public as they all chant "bringing in the sheep, bringing in the sheep, we will go rejoicing bringing in the sheep!" When I first caught his routine at Absolute Comedy Chaos my first night in Scotland, Terry dragged his audience out in the street and crammed them all into a phone booth while chanting that bringing in the sheep ditty. For his show at The Laughing Horse Berlin Bar Club, Terry led his audience of 10 into the ladies room and made everyone hide in a stall with the door closed as we continued to sing the sheep song. Oxymoron, eh? How can one be hidden if they are chanting? It's all part of his act, and it's funny as heck. In any case, as we waited in the stall, I decided to pee. I did my business and when I flushed the toilet, Terry got excited. He tried to find the culprit, but I didn't fess up. I knew what Terry Milligan was capable of doing to his audience members, and I really did not wanted to be singled out for public humilation! When that joke ended, Terry took us all back into the club, and at that point, he and 80's Luke went at it with their tag team comedy. I laughed so hard, I almost peed in my pants again.

After The 80's Luke/Terry Milligan Show, I stuck around for another comedian's show, which I'm actually sorry that I did. Marcus Clarke is the "Puppet Maker" and I'll give him kudos for making good looking puppets, but he should just stick with that. Combining puppets and comedy is tricky, but what turned me off about his performance is the fact that his lips moved when he attempted ventriloquism on his puppets! The only good thing about his show is that it got me curious about Avenue Q, the Tony Award winning musical largely inspired by (and is in the style of) Sesame Street. I hear that show is coming to San Francisco, so I'll try to catch it. When the puppet maker's show ended, I darted out of there and hopped in a taxi and headed straight to Chester's Bar for Absolute Comedy Chaos and Ballooney Tunes.

My last night at The Grovesnor Hilton was so much fun. Aside from the usual banter between comedians and crew members, I had jokingly told 80's Luke that I had been practicing my comedy act in the taxi all week, and that I would love to bring my act to Chester's Bar. Seriously, I was joking. Well, it turns out that a few comedians did not show up for Absolute Comedy Chaos, so there were some holes in the schedule. We had a nicely inebriated audience that night, so 80's Luke pretty much said what the hell, and he put me on. I got up on stage and immediately gave the following disclaimer: "I am the camera man. I work BEHIND the camera. This is my very first attempt at stand up comedy, so I want you to laugh at EVERYTHING." I then launched into impersonation of 80's Luke, Vietnamese style. People get a kick out of me speaking in my native tongue, especially when I take words in English and give them the Vietnamese inflection twist. I thought I'd throw this out to the people of Scotland. Well, let's just say that my audience was very nice and they laughed at everything. But then again, I did tell them to! I lasted about 8 minutes. I realized that night that stand up comedy is not for me. I had my 8 minutes of stand up comedy fame, but I can honestly say that I will never do it again. Lynn Ruth summed it up well: "Don't quit your day job, Borm." I do have video footage of my routine, but I won't put you through the pain of watching it, so I won't post it on this blog! One of the girls in the audience did say that she thought I was adorable. I love it when girls think I'm cute. I took a picture with her. If Tai Ho Lez were there, she'd say "SHAMELESS."

When Absolute Comedy Chaos and Ballooney Tunes ended, I waved good bye to my new comedian friends. Lynn Ruth and I then walked to the same Italian restaurant that we had been dining at every night. As I sprinkled parmesan onto my lasagna, Lynn Ruth gave me the good news: a producer in London saw her show, loved it, and wants to produce it. I was so excited for her. She worked hard for this, and she deserves this. My job now is to create an awesome DVD and market the heck out of Lynn Ruth Miller. I've had issues with filming all week, but I think I can take the highlights and use my editing savvy to create something compelling. This trip has been awesome, but Lynn Ruth's news takes the cake.

Friday, August 24, 2007
I'm back in United States. After 20-plus hours of travelling through four different airports, I am very relieved to be back home in San Francisco. NEVER EVER again will I try to save a few bucks and take flights with multiple connections. San Francisco to Toronto to London to Edinburgh and then back again is a big price to pay for a bargain. I would rather cough up that extra couple hundred of dollars for a direct flight. Live and learn. At this time, I am completely wiped out, so I will keep this blog entry short. I am going to jump into the shower and then crash on my nice comfortable Ikea bed. Boy oh boy, I really missed that bed...

Saturday, August 25, 2007
It's Saturday afternoon and I am sitting at the Starbucks on Bryant & Mariposa in San Francisco. I am still on Scotland time, so an occasional yawn have snuck in as I sip my venti green tea lemonade sweetened with four Splendas. I haven't had one of these beverages in a week, so it's nice to get it back onto my palate. I am sitting here thinking about how I am going to piece this documentary on Lynn Ruth Miller together. I have about 16 hours of footage, but I am embarrassed to say that only about 60 minutes of it is usable. I haven't looked through all the footage yet, but I pretty certain that this is the case. In between logging and capturing, I am looking at the 1200-plus digital pics that I took. Of all the shots, this one stood out most:

I took this picture early in the week as I walked to The Three Sisters for Lynn Ruth's storytelling show. This nude and blind folded Barbie imprisoned behind barb wires and put out on display stood out for me. Of all the things I saw at The Fringe, this random unintentional exhibit made the biggest impact on me because of it's metaphorical implications. My mind works in mysterious ways, and as abstract as this may sound, what I see from this is a creative soul tormented by their left brain. We all have in our heads the guidelines of what society deems as acceptable and what is not. Unfortunately, many of us fall prey to this and forget our inner artists. These inner artists are the ones who creatively strip themselves naked and bear their souls to world, but in this sad case, this particular one is blinded and imprisoned by the higher being in our psyches that dissuade us from expressing ourselves because what we have to show is not suitable for all eyes.

I wish we could all express ourselves 100% of the time, but unfortunately, that will never happen. People are so hung up on what other people think that it's easy to fall prey to what someone else deems as appropriate or not. That is why we have events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is ok for the inner artists to take it all off and show the world what they got. There is no fear of any higher being demolishing their vision and locking them up. That's what I got out of this display, and that is what I take away from The Fringe.