It’s all too easy to add things to my “bucket list.”
Life in full swing makes it hard to break away and put a plan in action to start crossing things off my list. However, that’s not the case when it comes Jazz Fest in New Orleans. For a group of 10 of us, this weekend is anticipated all year long. The memories induce full belly laughs and are referenced throughout the year…
As Bob Dylan stated so perfectly, “If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them.” May we all carve out the time to live them.
This year’s pilgrimage includes the launch of Eric Lindell’s album which we shot all the imagery for and created a short film about. It has been an honor working with him. If you haven’t become familiar with his music, you can experience a sampling here and if you are lucky enough to have him tour in your area – check him out!
Havana, Cuba – The Lost City
FINALLY our Havana images and film are available to share with you! The Cuba trip I took with writer and soul brother Charles Gaines is beautifully presented through his words and my images… it’s almost as good as being there yourself. Enjoy the images and article on “The Lost City of Havana”…
Garden & Gun Magazine (which I consider to be the nectar of the South) is celebrating their 5th anniversary and I am honored to be a part of it. I am a huge fan of the south and I discovered some of my favorite food/drink recipes and secret hideaways within their pages… sign up… you’ll be glad you did.
Stay tuned for our article on bone fishing in Cuba…
Selected for Sun Valley Film Festival!
We are thrilled to have finished up our short film just in time to be selected for the Sun Valley Film Festival! Can’t wait to see our film of Eric Lindell‘s recording in studio and soulful interview on the big screen…
Here is the summary of our film used in the festival:
Big City Lights…In contrast to pop culture entertainment packaging artists and fast tracking youth to stardom, there are home grown, seasoned musicians that have dedicated their lives to music. Eric Lindell has taken the raw garage band surf scene of his youth, the bluesy stomps and rockin’ romps of his years in Manhattan and seasoned it with a decade of true New Orleans blues. Whether he is blowing off the walls of his packed Blues Tent at Jazz Fest, or touring coast to coast in his Blue Goose, he and his soulful smile are earning the appreciation of fans and fellow musicians across the nation one show at a time.
Armed with an insane sense of humor, eyes that see the best in others and the motto of “I’ve got your back,” Lindell is a refreshing force to reckon with. This short film captures Lindell in studio recording his latest album, laughing with his close knit crew, and reflecting a bit on life. Join us in experiencing a glimpse behind the scenes with an artist loyal to his family, friends, music, and most importantly himself.
Flew last minute for a fast and furious 2 days in New York – met with agencies, and some potential new projects… excited to see what comes out of it! It’s always good to get the pulse of NYC. There’s nothing like it.
The Spirit of Aloha
Just returned from LA after working on our Aloha documentary film. This project has been in discussion for years and I am drawn to every element of it. I am collaborating with two great friends Michael Anderson and Dale Hope to bring the vision to life. Its always great to work with aligned passions. These two partners are legend.
The image is of myself and Michael Anderson with the inspiring ‘Doc’ Paskowitz.
Tabasco’s Soul In MotionOur work family is playing together… we have a dynamic clip for Tabasco and we are working with Eric Lindell to create a Louisiana groove… it’s an honor to connect two of our favorite clients.
Life is good.
John Deere – Film and Print CampaignHere is our finalized film/print campaign for John Deere Financial. It was our second time working with Bader Rutter out of Milwaukee Wisconsin and our first job for John Deere.
We were hired to shoot 6 print ads and produce a 1 minute spot. We shot sunrise through sundown… froze our bones and drank way too much coffee but had a blast, nailed it and WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT DONE IN TWO DAYS!
It’s jobs like this that make me appreciate my team, how long we have all been together and how well we work together.
2011 was an incredible year for motion. EVERY client we shot a print campaign for I directed motion for…and I don’t see that changing. Companies need motion content. Whether we are shooting a full TV commercial or just a :30 second spot for their website… they are seeing the value of having seamless translation between their print ads and motion.
Every year at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Eric Lindell has the blues tent packed out and spilling over with people dancing-it’s insane… you can feel the soul of his tunes seep into your bones. I had him play for my 40th birthday in September and he blew the minds of all in attendance… we still have people wanting more of him…
We concepted a studio/lifestyle piece last fall and have been trying to coordinate our schedules ever since. We finally carved out 4 days in New Orleans while he was recording his latest album (to be released at Jazzfest) and captured some city soul, insane studio footage and acoustic interviews, not to mention the “Blue Goose” which is his custom touring bus with cyprus wood floors, bunks and cool design. All we need now is to catch him on his surfboard- the other love of his life…
We are editing through film and piecing it all together- the goal is to have it for his album launch at Jazz Fest.
See you there.
Pacific Recycling – Steel, Grit and SparksAs promised, here is the gritty film from our Pacific Recycling shoot!
Enjoy!
Our second still + motion shoot for KOPPEN/TracyLocke was a total success. Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and efforts in the cold weather in Arizona. Aside from great imagery and content, it came fully stocked with hilarious production shots, great tunes and true KOPPEN/KIEL comedy! Needless to say, we have a whole new appreciation for Umlauts!
