Doing some sequences/timelapse and you will propably discover something you haven't seen before when watching them over and over.

Yeah. I think that's it exactly. You could probably find something new and interesting just pointing it down at the grass. And I just watched your construction movie and thought it was really cool. I'm downloading the second one now, but I'm on dial-up at home so it's pretty slow. Right now I need to go get a lens cleaning kit because I just notice the lens to the SD1000 is pretty dirty. It would nearly cost me as much in gas to run into the office for that. I first starting noticing something was weird when it was having problems focusing. I think I'll do something extremely clever like watching an ice cube melt, just to get something under my belt.

---

I loved the Grimaldi one. It's so simple, and yet it's so effective.

How a about a video about dog-shit in front of extraordinary architecture.

I don't think I have the pictures anymore, but in college I took a photography class. And the instructor (a real nice fellow) gave us an assignment. I forget what the general goal was. But my eye was caught by a fairly old building in town. It was a small two-story building, probably built in the 1940's, perhaps even the 30's. And I thought it had such interesting detail to it. Don't remember if it was art deco, but it might have been. But there wasn't any interest in an overall shot of the building. But I found out that by getting some close-up shots of some of the architectural features, it helped give them interest – along with some very interesting natural light and shadow, of course. I think I got a "B" on that, but the teacher liked the imagination I used to find something interesting in the otherwise mundane. And at first glance, this was a pretty boring looking building. Ugly, in fact. But not to the camera lens.

And so, you betcha. Dog shit in front of extraordinary architecture could work, even though you're only joking. Get down and shoot behind the dog shit at ground level with the building in the background. And, I guess, the motivated amateur would actually move the dog shit to a preferential location, even if that was not where the crap was organically crapulated. And then there are all sorts of decisions to make. Do I want dark logs, brown logs, or that sort of creamy greenish light gray log? Do I want one log or several of them crisscrossed? Or perhaps I want just a single non-logish pile that has a bit of a swirl on top not unlike an ice cream cone. Oh, the creative decisions involved are truly monumental. But you have to give a shit about it. The details matter.

Actually, probably leafs or mushrooms would be much more pleasant. But if even just to exercise a bit of mischievousness, if I were a photography teacher I think I'd give my students an assignment like this. It would help them to take their eye off their normal view of things and see things that they would not otherwise see.

Melting an icecube is a very good starting point. Rotting Apple is the next... Does the SD1000 offer some kind of timelapse or sequence-mode? Well, it's really interesting and worth the work although it takes time. All in all, digital photography consumes very much time. what the Hell. Good luck with the lens.
Thanks for the kudos.

The shit'n'architecture was a joke, although it would work as you pointed out. But the stink!!! I guess it must be terrible. Please don't do it, or only with a clamp on the nose. Mushrooms, Leaves, People, Cars or any other stuff is surely better.

Ahh, i had some kind of depressive cloud of thoughts today over me, because all this fantastic projects are so time-consuming, but most of my time is going into my "normal" job, which is soo dull and repeats itself every week more or less. I need some time off that crappy magazine layout. Geeeez!

Now something funny, this is no fake, found it today at my nightly stroll around town...

Does the SD1000 offer some kind of timelapse or sequence-mode?

The options are, smithz, to have it shoot a frame once every one or every two seconds for up to a 24 hour period. That sounds pretty limited and basic, but given the life of batteries, it's probably practical for a small, non-professional camera.

Love the photo. Darr Malermeister. And it even has the two "r's" like our own Darr. My German's a bit rusty. Gonna have to Google on "Maler," although I should know that one. Oh, crap, they're the Paintmasters. Of course.

Ahh, i had some kind of depressive cloud of thoughts today over me, because all this fantastic projects are so time-consuming, but most of my time is going into my "normal" job, which is soo dull and repeats itself every week more or less. I need some time off that crappy magazine layout. Geeeez!

Wouldn't it be just horrible if I said something peppy like "Make whatever work you're doing the most important thing in you day!" And I would probably want to slap silly somebody who gave me that kind of advice. I say the first step to improving any life is to live in reality. Heck, many days (most days) I hate my job. I make no apologies for that. Why lie to myself about it? Oh, I love some of the things I do while on the job – talking to certain people I like, getting out on the road, surfing the internet, and many other things – but the actual job itself is boring. It's meaningless work to me. But for god's sake, I'm not weighed down by lying to myself and denial. THAT is a real and nearly permanent death. I have the kind of hope that matters. I know where I am (somewhat), although I have no fucking clue as to where I'm going. But each day my understanding increases. And for some reason, that is important to me. Those are the little chits that I add to my basket each day. One day it may be a thought that I write. Another day perhaps a photograph. Still another, a kind act toward an asshole in real life. And there is no shortage of assholes in real life who need a little help. But I have an asshole limit, which is why I also need my solitude.

LOL. Yeah, that's what passes for a genuine thalo.net pep talk. Hey, it sure as hell helped me.

Here's a 4 mb time lapse movie of an ice cube melting. And believe it or not, it's a lot more interesting than paint drying.

That was a nice movie and it somehow cooled (haha) me down a bit.
Thanks for your kind words regarding the sometimes meaningless job. I will pick up something from that. Sometimes i think too much about everything, which is bad.
The dilemma for me was and is, that once upon a time i thought of graphics-design as a really rewarding and cool job. And nowadays i'm bored most of the time, disgusted by the dishonesty esp. at magazines (yeah, it's common but it's still bullshit to me), the high count of narrow-minded people, the ppl who do things because they want to have a BIG SUCCESSFUL career instead of loving the work itself.
I plan to chop my available working-time in half and keep the other half free for anything but crappy jobs. Maybe photographing, videographing, painting, etc. ... Plans.

One learns something new everyday. Of course I've seen ice cubes melt before. I just didn't know you could melt them the same way even without the scotch.

One learns something new everyday. Of course I've seen ice cubes melt before. I just didn't know you could melt them the same way even without the scotch.

LOL. Oh, now that would make for a much more interesting time lapse. Nothing like the golden color of scotch in a crystal-clear shot glass. I'm trying to figure out what else to try to time lapse. And I said this camera had a 24 hour limit. It's actually a 2 hour limit upon further review.

Thanks for your kind words regarding the sometimes meaningless job. I will pick up something from that. Sometimes i think too much about everything, which is bad.

No matter what anyone is doing, no matter their personality or inclinations, no matter their abilities or interests, at least some parts of life inevitably become a grind. It would be great if that weren't so. But I'm trying to find the one person in this world for whom that doesn't apply. I really can't help anything, although it was nice of you to say that I did. All I can do is bitch about it. But hey, if you bitch in just the right way and write it all down, it could become a bestseller or a blockbuster movie. Useless bitching suddenly becomes "art." LOL. And hell if that's not exactly what the process is. You say something that is common to a lot of people and give them a safer distance from which to view it.

The dilemma for me was and is, that once upon a time i thought of graphics-design as a really rewarding and cool job. And nowadays i'm bored most of the time, disgusted by the dishonesty esp. at magazines (yeah, it's common but it's still bullshit to me), the high count of narrow-minded people, the ppl who do things because they want to have a BIG SUCCESSFUL career instead of loving the work itself.

There are certain industries I work with, and even the leaders of these industries acknowledge to me that the people in them are egotistical pains-in-the-asses. Most people, especially including myself, are concerned with status, with how they look in the eyes of other people, with titles, with accomplishments, etc. And if you stop and look at how our culture is just a meatgrinder for such things, it's possible to have a little sympathy for people. Hey, I'm not discounting things like hard work and accomplishment, of those people who bust their balls (or tits), take risks, suffer sometimes great hardships, and sometimes achieve satisfying victories. But it's possible to overdose on that stuff and to forget the art of it. There is just no dismissing the tangible rewards of status, money, recognition, and power. This is a basic currency in the marketplace of humanity and one must either make peace with this fact and take advantage of it as one's abilities allow, or get off that merry-go-round and make peace with the world in another fashion. But I really won't say that one is better than the other. I think it depends more on a person's temperament and what suits them. And that's where we can run into problems, because this is a square peg world for the most part. But not all of us are square pegs. Many are round, or roundish.

The following trailer is to be read with the vocal stylings of Don LaFontaine in mind:

Four souls thrown together into a cauldron of violence. Only one would remain standing. Who would have the ruthless determination to pull all the right strings and see to the downfall of the others? Treachery. Mayhem. Adventure. They all come together in this stirring film by renowned director, BN. Don't miss it. This is sure to be the top film of the year, or any year.

The Battle

There I was, a Latinist and student of human nature, enjoying Caesar’s “War In Gaul”. Thought it quite gripping. Then someone (nomina sunt odiosa) pointed me to “The Battle” by BN, the famous American explorer. Said I should check it out. Which on a fateful Monday morning I did.

Reader, my life changed forever. BN’s “The Battle” makes old Caesar’s book seem like a knitting manual for one-armed and rheumatic grandmas. There simply is no comparison. Even Homer’s Iliad doesn’t stand up to BN’s movie. Move over, Achilles. Sorry, man.

What about Shakespeare, you ask? Stuff like “The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead"? Yeah, not bad, Will. “We won”, you mean. Big deal.

Now listen to BN’s “Come on blue, come on Blue, BLUE, BLUUUEEE!” This is fresh, this is passionate, this is DIRECT, this tells us what human beings are all about. The essence of human history condensed in just eight words! No frills, no embellishments: BN doesn't need them. BN tells it like it is. BN’s stuff is RAW, yet art, and cuts to the bone.

Please don’t get me wrong. The "Iliad”, “De Bello Gallico” and “Richard III” still have their place. They’re fine works, well worth reading in and of themselves. Just don’t compare them to “The Battle.” It wouldn't be fair on them.

“Come on blue, come on Blue, BLUE, BLUUUEEE!” This is fresh, this is passionate, this is DIRECT, this tells us what human beings are all about. The essence of human history condensed in just eight words!

Yes, I think you've captured the essence of what I was going for, Yabor. There's a less-is-more sensibility at play in my film. I worked for at least minutes to edit it down to just the essentials. But I previously had been thinking of inserting a weird fantasy sequence into the middle of it, a la "Pan's Labyrinth." But I just wasn't sure entering the gates of hell and drinking the blood of virgins would have necessarily advanced the storyline. But it was a close call. Perhaps I'll show you the Director's Cut one day. But I do have the Director's Commentary track if you would like. You have to play it while watching the existing movie. And be sure to turn down the sound a little on the original movie to get the proper effect. Sorry, but we just didn't have enough in the budget to remix this film properly to include the commentary.

But I just wasn't sure entering the gates of hell and drinking the blood of virgins would have necessarily advanced the storyline.

For what it’s worth, I think you were wise to leave that scene out. Love interest is not wanted here. Let’s leave that stuff to Shakespeare and Hollywood. Better to concentrate, as you did, on laying bare the quantum-mechanical tapestry of so-called reality--on laying it bare in all its brutality. The fate of “Yellow” in your film was in this respect a philosophical triumph, if I may say so.

Love the commentary!

Better to concentrate, as you did, on laying bare the quantum-mechanical tapestry of so-called reality--on laying it bare in all its brutality.

Well, I'm glad to hear that. That quantum-mechanical tapestry is certainly something we were aiming for, although that went right over the heads of the audience at Caan. We were totally overlooked which was disappointing, but not totally unexpected. The tastes of the southwest Europeans has always been a bit behind that of the northern countries.

The fate of “Yellow” in your film was in this respect a philosophical triumph, if I may say so.

It's funny you should say that, because we really anguished over the choice of colors. Blue is normally associated with royalty and power, and several of my creative team members thought we were verging on the edge of a facile stereotype showing blue finally winning in the end, even after being bashed about quite a bit. I mean, it's not like blue was given the victory by royal decree. He had to earn it. But still, it was a difficult decision. I find it's often too easy to be a slave to fashion by simply being little more than a contrarian to the current fashions. It all ends up being much the same thing, if you see what I mean. So we went with the blue and I think it really worked well. But the blue win is meaningless without the yellow. Without yellow we really have no story at all.

Deleted Scene

What we were thinking of here in this scene was to try to parallel the action of the arena on a more human scale. The choice of the blue shirt worn by the protagonist was not accidental, of course. He's representative of a sort of juggernaut that our technology can make of us all. We can so easily be stripped of our humanity in service of machines or even genes. There is little difference in my opinion. The man at the end of the scene who is almost, I would say, cowering on the ground, although much physically stronger than the little tike, is in the end no match for the programmed power of that sort of wrestle-mania type of mindset. Blue is quite literally wound up to become the instrument of a violent culture.

Ultimately we decided to leave this scene out because I thought it perhaps gave away the storyline too soon. We wanted the viewer to be rooting for blue, and perhaps even expecting that blue would in the end triumph despite the hardship. But I thought this scene foreshadowed the victory too clearly and too early. So we left it out.

“Can you wind this up, please?” That’s so heartbreaking. I love your treatment of the Phoenix theme here--death and resurrection. Yeah, “Alex” wouldn’t we all love to be able to rise from our own ashes--to be “wound up” again? But your defeat,“Alex,” can never be undone. Never, ever. God or no God, makes no difference either way: the Universe never forgets. “Alex” will have to learn the basic bitter lesson about life that we all have learned: namely that the bird Phoenix, when all is said and done, cannot EVER mate with Schrödingers’s cat: their respective quantum states won’t allow it. End of story. Man, I wish Bohr, Heisenberg and the gang could have lived to see this film.

Outtake

Anyone familiar with filmmaking knows that a lot of film winds up on the cutting room floor. That's just a part of the process. Props fail. The lighting can be wrong. Anything that can go wrong usually does at some point. You can't control everything -- especially the actors. You can have a reasonable amount of control over the technology, but when an actor fails to hit his cue, there's nothing you can do but try again and go for another take.

Alternate Ending

As much as I personally detest this trend toward putting more than one version of the ending of a movie on a DVD, I thought I would make an exception in this case. In life, blue does not always win. This is a seemingly facile statement, but do we ever really come to terms with this fact? Here, in this scene, we see that blue does not triumph. In fact, his arch-enemy red is victorious. We actually tested the movie with this ending in some private screenings and were surprised at the angry reaction of the audience. After all the struggles that blue went through, they felt cheated only to have red win at the end of the day. Although artistically I could have lived with this version, for purely commercial reasons we stayed with the ending where blue wins. It's the ending I had always intended, but there is that darker streak to humanity where there is legitimacy to red as well. I can't say too much about the details right now, but in the sequel, if we can re-sign the original cast, we're planning on exploring a little more in-depth the red side of humanity. We know we could lose a very large portion of our regular audience, but we think they expect us to take some chances so I really don't think this will be much of a problem.

Deleted Scene #2

We plan on releasing a special Director's Cut DVD in September, and it will have this scene on it. It was originally cut simply for time considerations. At forty-six seconds we were already pressing the outer limits of how long a film we could get the theatres to distribute. So unfortunately we had to cut what I thought were some very good scenes. This is one of them.

In this scene we see the hero being rather shabbily treated and yet, as heros will often do, taking the abuse with great aplomb. He is not deterred from his mission in any way but is instead invigorated and given a steely determination. I really liked this scene, and as I said, it will be a part of the upcoming Director's Cut.

Outtake #2

In this scene we had a malfunction of one of the fx mechanisms. The front of the truck is supposed to lurch up throwing the rider off. But it's tripped too early, but to somewhat comic effect, although we got a call from his agent complaining about the extra risks. We had to add a clause to his contract and increase his pay significantly. But we really didn't want to get a stuntman for this scene. It would have taken too long and wouldn't have been as believable. We eventually cut the scene entirely from the movie, but it will be back as part of a big chase scene in the Director's Cut version. And its in this chase scene where the real antagonism between blue and red is forged. That is sort of implied in the original film, and I think that works. But this is a case where adding a little back-story brings that antagonism more to life.

Speaking of retro, here's an old Argus camera of some sort that I just dug out of a box. I don't know what model it is.





I don't know what brother thalo's opinion is, but I like the retro look of the back in particularly. Of course it's not really retro. It's the real thing. It's about 5" x 2-3/4". And it weighs about 35 times more than my Canon Powershot SD1000. But arguably it could have taken better pictures with the right film and a sparkling-new lens. It looks like it took 35mm film.