Before I moved to Idaho in March of 2016, I spent 30 days living out of my car, road tripping through the entire state to create a feature for Resource Magazine called ‘Snow-clad Solitude: A Winter Road Trip Through Idaho.’ That trip was the final turning point that convinced me that I needed more adventure and nature in my life, so within three months, I was driving a U-Haul truck full of my few belongings across the Oregon border, down highway 95 and into the Treasure Valley. I look back fondly on that winter road trip through Idaho, but one self-portrait I captured always stuck out in my mind. There I was, standing on a 47 square mile frozen Lake Cascade, shivering from the chilly air that easily freezes the clear blue water. I seemed to be the only soul crazy enough to not only be outside in this weather but having FUN in this weather. I couldn’t believe where I was. How did this place exist? Lake Cascade had me hooked instantly. Being that it is just 30 minutes south of the popular tourist town of McCall, Cascade usually gets only a drive through glance from Boise’s weekend warriors. But to me, it is one of the most beautiful places in Idaho. Having the itch to get on the road as the state thaws out from a brutal winter, I took advantage of the birthday celebration of my favorite red flannel wearing model Caroline to propose a road trip idea. To go cold camping in Cascade. So we packed up the car, got her dog Lilly excited for the adventure and hit the road to revisit the Cascade region of Idaho. Now, in my excitement to get out of the house, I neglected to think about the fact that it’s not even May, and that most of the state outside of the Boise area is still buried in snow. So, not surprisingly, we were greeted with a metal fence at every campground we went to. But after visiting multiple campgrounds from Cascade to McCall and beyond, we found this one gem that was not only open, but had one of the most beautiful camp sites I had ever seen in Idaho. Now that is not a bad view to wake up to! What started as a seemingly fruitless effort accumulated into a euphoric moment as we set up the tent, basking in the fact that we were the only souls in the camp. But this was not surprising as the night temperatures were hovering just above freezing, and a pretty strong rain storm was in view for Sunday and Monday. But never one to trust the weathermen, we started our exploration weekend. While not the most colorful or dramatic sunset I had ever seen, the calmness of the sun breaking through the clouds just after it settled behind the mountain was a beautiful site, especially without a man-made sound for miles. As blue hour descended, the clouds stayed strong, assuring my dreams of stargazing were not to be. The next morning, however, we woke to some beautiful white clouds in the foreground as the bright blue sky waved at us from the background. We spent the morning working on our tans on the beach (while wearing long sleeve flannels), but I kept thinking to myself, “what a perfect day for a drive!” I had a spot scouted out that I wanted to see, but being that the mountains are still pretty buried, the dirt road was closed. Forced to kill time, we drove the 9 miles down Cabarton Road, in awe of the lush green fields lit up under the slightly defused sunlight as the white clouds made way to mennacing storm clouds. The nine-mile drive was spectacular, with the clouds constantly moving and reforming more dramatic scenes. As a photographer, I was loving every minute of it. But knowing I had more places I wanted to check out, we hit the road, went northbound on 55 where we encountered a large number of American White Pelicans working for their lunch, although they sure made it look easy. The way they ‘waterski’ when they land on the water is enchanting. After being in awe of the way the pelicans fished, we continued north just a couple hundred feet before turning right onto Warm Lake Road. But once we hit the summit, I started questioning the use of the name ‘Warm’ when this place was named. Isn’t it almost May? Luckily, the snow was still rather wet, making the drive not only easy, but also beautiful. Once we descended from the peak, we reached a surreal scene. The Boise National Forest laid bare due to the 2015 Cougar fire that burned 1,200 acres. The site was a reminder how mother nature can be cruel to some of the nation’s most pristine pieces of nature. In the center of the fire damage sat Warm Lake, a 640-acre lake that lies 5,300 feet above sea level. As expected at this time of the year, we were the only people to be hanging out on the docks as some dramatic clouds rolled in above us. After a brief picnic, the air started to chill, so we decided a trip to the Gold Fork hotsprings were in order. We arrived about 5pm, still three and a half hours before sunset in the mountain time zone. The multiple pools, all different temperatures, provided a nice way to unwind, even if we weren’t the only people there. Seeing nice breaks in the clouds, we headed back to camp thinking that we might get a nice sunset. But were we wrong. While the sky over Gold Fork had clear holes punched in the clouds, the sky when we arrived back at camp was anything but. The storm came on fast and hard. The wind immediately whipped up into a frenzy and heavy rain and hail descended on us. As I screamed in joy and ran around taking photos like a madman, Caroline and Lilly opted to sit this one out. But just as quick as it hit us, the intensity of the storm blew over, leaving a soggy ground and a beautiful blue hour in its wake. With a pretty fun weekend already in the books, I wrote off not getting any decent night photographs. That all changed as I sat at the campfire sipping my recently filled growler from The Salmon River Brewery, I looked up and all of the clouds had cleared above us. I rushed to get my camera set up and got this photo right before the thick blanket laid itself back on top of us. I had only five minutes, but it was a glorious five minutes. As we drifted off to dreamland (and listened to the constant rain start again overnight), we woke up and started to head back to Boise, but not before stopping by Lake Cascade State Park, where I took that self-portrait that made me fall in love with Cascade, Idaho. Want to see more from me? Sure you do! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and my website! P.S. Stop at this bridge just north of Smith’s Ferry for a quick picture of the flowing Payette river! via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2oQrfyj
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YouTube’s policies have created irritation amongst the YouTube community lately, mostly because they’re deciding which videos should or shouldn’t monetized. They use the term “advertiser friendly,” and when we think of a video that does not fit this description, we think it probably shows some form of violence, inappropriate behavior, hateful remarks and so forth. But apparently, videos showing some kind of political demonstration are now losing monetization as well. In a recent Reddit thread, a user shared their attempt to monetize videos from the Science Climate March in Washington DC on April 22, 2017. The user said YouTube deemed the content as not “advertiser-friendly” and rejected the monetization request. Here are the two videos the user attempted to monetize: However, despite these videos have a combined total of 37 views at the time this article was written, meaning that monetization is probably not viable for any significant return in the first place, the true question at hand is what constitutes an “advertiser-friendly” video on YouTube? According to YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines, content subject to disapproval of monetization because of a failure to show advertiser-friendly content falls under these categories: “sexually suggestive content, including partial nudity and sexual humor, violence, including display of serious injury and events related to violent extremism, inappropriate language, including harassment, profanity and vulgar language, promotion of drugs and regulated substances, including selling, use and abuse of such items and controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown.” The reasoning behind not monetizing this particular content is because it relates to some kind of political conflict, and we can assume there was no graphic imagery shown, just chanting and sign holding. In fact, according to this WIRED live blog of the march, there were no reports of violence or arrests during the demonstration. When looking at these guidelines, it can be inferred that many politically-driven channels are doomed to lose money. In the political climate we’re living in today, it is almost impossible to not post videos stating some kind of opinion, or showing demonstrations for or against a particular stance. In regards to the Science March, even a peaceful, nationwide protest is susceptible to demonetization. According to Climate State, their YouTube channel, ClimateStateWorld, was taken down for because of its content, which sparked questions of whether YouTube’s censorship policies were contributing to the attack on climate change happening in the U.S. In a recent article from March 2017, the site said it is becoming harder to post videos dedicated to climate change awareness, and in a span of six months, the channel has been demonetized and completely eliminated from YouTube itself. Since the demonetization issue arose late last year, many popular YouTubers, like Philip DeFranco and WolfieRaps, have had their channels threatened of being shutdown because of their content. The biggest criticism that has come from this is the guidelines were put out by YouTube, but these YouTubers were not made aware personally that their videos did not meet the new guidelines, causing frustrating and confusion. What do you think of YouTube’s “advertiser-friendly” content debacle? Are these guidelines fair? Let us know in the comments below. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2pmyvVz
#ThursdayTheme was ‘A Special Object’. We wanted to see a photograph of an object that is special to you. There was, however, one rule . . . no humans or animals! This theme was particularly extraordinary as each image has a story to tell.
Our #FridayFoto was all about the story told by Kathy Davis Linford.
Here’s what Julie had to say about Kathy’s image: “I think sometimes the story is so strong that all we need is the simplest visual representation. And that’s exactly what Kathy Davis Linford has given us. A beautiful account of a very special object and a simple image of it – just exactly as it is. Here’s the story – “My Dad built this table when I was in my early teens. I remember going out into the garage to watch him and loved the smell of the Walnut wood shavings. It is where I opened my prized Barry Manilow album on my 15th birthday. It is where I sat with a beer and a bowl of popcorn to shoot the breeze with my folks. It is where we had holiday dinners. It is where we planned both of my parents funeral services over the last three years. It is where we put together the programs for my daughter’s wedding two years ago. It is where I sit with my 15 year old daughter and catch up on her day. The dings and dents tell a story and I love every inch of this thing!” I don’t know why this got me – but it got me. Thank you for sharing your special object with us Kathy.”
Alison Stewart
Ange Murray Deirdre Eaglesham
Denise Nixon Jennifer Law Lynch
Jessica LaHousse Kristi Perley-Robertson
Liz Reinke
Michael Carver
Which is your favourite?
Pop by and request to join – you’ll love it! The post A Special Object – A selection of images from our #ThursdayTheme appeared first on Tea Break Tog. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2oJ39o9 David Akoubian of ‘Bear Woods Photography‘ first started his photography journey back in 1972, not even a year after Canon unveiled the now famous ‘F-1’ camera system. It took twenty years of learning and practicing his photography before he was able to pursue it as a career and become his own boss. Since then, he has worked alongside photography legends like Art Wolfe, been contracted by companies like Coca-Cola and had his work published in publications like Outdoor Photographer and Backpacker Magazine. Obviously, with a resume like that, it’s no wonder he was able to add Tamron Image Master to it five years ago. Akoubian described that moment as “Truly one of the greatest honors I have been bestowed during my career.” With Akoubian’s storied 25-year career anniversary happening in 2017, we were anxious to sit down and talk with the photographer about his work, his love for teaching photography, and how his childhood passion of painting helped him become an accomplished photographer. Tamron 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO at f/22, ISO 100, 1/2 second Being that the Canon F-1 came out just a year before you started your photography journey in 1972, was this the camera that accompanied you on those early days?
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/8, ISO 200, 1/80 second It took you 20 years to convert your hobby into a full-time career. What was your day job in those 20 years? At what point in those 20 years did you determine you wanted to work towards making this a full-time career?
Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at 15-30mm, f/2.8, ISO 3200, 30 seconds
You do a lot of teaching of young students, camera clubs, etc. What is it that attracts you to the educational aspect of nature photography?
Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/8, ISO 100, 1/80 second Before you got your first camera, you were a painter. Did you enjoy painting landscapes and nature scenes? How do you think your visual style transferred over from your painting?
Tamron 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD You talk about your love for nature photography being born when your father took you to the Grand Tetons in 1976. Obviously, it seems that the Grand Tetons is your first true love, as you return quite often. Can you tell us about your connection to the Grand Tetons and how those mountains help you to clear your mind?
Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD at f/11, ISO 100, 1/4 second Who inspires you as a nature photographer, either past or present. Who are some of the photographers that you respect and admire?
After speaking at length with Akoubian, it’s no wonder why he has maintained a successful career over two and a half decades. His work alone is exceptional, but his passion for sharing the beauty of nature resonates with almost everyone. All photos captions contain the Tamron Lens used as well as the EXIF data. Follow David Akoubian on his website ‘Bear Woods Photography‘, Facebook Page, and his Instagram. Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f8, ISO 1600, 1/1600 second Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/22, ISO 200, 1/13 second Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/6.3, ISO 800, 1/160 second Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD at f/16, ISO 100, 1/50 second Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/8, ISO 1600, 1/200 second Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC at f/16, ISO 100, 1/5 second Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/16, ISO 200, 1/250 second Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/8, ISO 1600, 1/400 second Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/22, ISO 100, 1/13 second Tamron 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD at f/22, ISO 100, .8 seconds Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 30 seconds Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD at f/22, ISO 200, 2.5 seconds Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/8, ISO 3200, 1/6400 second Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/11, ISO 100, 15 seconds Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 at f/11, ISO 400, 1/200 second Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 30 seconds Created in partnership with Tamronvia RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2piRtfN When looking for digital cameras that are a step up from your basic point-and-shoots, the question of mirrorless vs. DSLR pops up fairly quickly, since the vast majority of digital cameras of this calibre are one of these two kinds. Digital imaging is a fast-moving technology—and the trend shows no... The post Mirrorless vs. DSLR: Which Camera Type Should You Choose? appeared first on Expert Photography. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2q2l9Mc Risk-taking in business doesn’t always lead to success. Yes, we’ve seen how entrepreneurial risks have been in favor of tycoons like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and many more, but it’s important to remember risks are called “risks” for a reason. They don’t always work out. Take for example Uber C.E.O. Travis Kalanick, who according to The New York Times, has been under fire recently for being too consumed with success, openly disregarding rules and norms in order to maintain this high level of popularity and profit. This obsession with risk-taking and power has even frayed Kalanick’s relationship with Apple CEO Tim Cook. For example, The Times reported that in 2015, Cook threatened to take Uber out of the App Store because of Kalanick’s reckless decisions. According to Business Insider, Cook said Uber violated the privacy policy in the App Store when Kalanick decided to create a system where Uber can identify iPhones after they had been wiped and the Uber app had been deleted. This was Kalanick’s way to combat driver fraud in China. Apple CEO Tim Cook. Source: iphonedigital/Flickr via Creative Commons. Kalanick also took a risk with a process called “geofencing,” which means he went as far as creating Uber software that provides a different version of the app—one without the iPhone tracking codes—to anyone accessing it from Apple’s headquarters, even after the device had been wiped. Cook had a private meeting with Kalanick about his actions, and both Buiness Insider and The Times said Kalanick was left “shaken.” Business mogul Mark Cuban described Kalanick’s strength and weakness as “running through walls to accomplish his goals.” He has a constant drive to take risks, but this often leaves the company with their hands tied. This “Trump-like” desire to continue winning has led to #deleteUber trends on Twitter, as well as allegations of “a machismo-fueled workplace” with reports of verbal, physical and sexual assault by managers towards employees. Basically, since 2009, the company has been constantly struggling. Yet Kalanick and Uber is not the only example of risk-taking gone bad. Tony Hsieh, CEO and founder of Zappos, took risks with his business by creating unconventional structures. According to Entrepreneur, after Hsieh built up the company’s worth to around $1 billion and sold it to Amazon in 2015, he began to experiment with strange management ideas. In 2014, he introduced an organizational structure called Holacracy, which eliminated any managers or titles in the workplace, just a “peer-to-peer” operating system. This caused around 14 percent of the company to quit, leaving those who stayed questioning their actual roles and positions. Curtis James Jackson III, aka 50 Cent, was risky with his money back in 2014, when he overspent the billions of dollars he received from various investments and projects, which forced him to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. PayPal founder, Peter Thiel, made a risky decision in our current political climate when he publicly announced his support for President Donald Trump. Although he is no longer associated with the company, PayPal received a serious blow because of Thiel’s decision to share his views on Twitter. PayPal Founder Peter Thiel. Source: Heisenberg Media/Flickr via Creative Commons. Although there is a lengthy list of successful entrepreneurs who have risen to the top because of their quick decision making skills and ability to take risks, the good and the bad do balance each other out. There are enough stories about big-headed entrepreneurs that didn’t evaluate the consequences of their actions, and therefore received fell short of their vision. After all, just because you’re taking a “risk,” that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be calculated. [Featured Image: Fortune Live Media, Flickr/via Creative Commons] via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2oID3Tm It seems like anyone these days is willing to do anything to get famous, even when it comes to pranking loved ones for attention. In the past, these YouTube shenanigans have ranged from water bottle tricks that sprays water into an unsuspecting person’s face, to more extreme, not so “fun” pranks where someone fakes their own child’s death. Some of these popular channels include RomanAtwoodVlogs, VitalyzdTv, TwinzTV, and more recently, DaddyOFive. According to VICE, the family recently posted a video that sparked outrage among the YouTube community, leading DaddyOFive to take down the video titled “Invisible Ink Prank! Epic Freakout” after it received immense negative feedback for the parents’ abusive behavior. In the video, the parents, Mike and Heather Martin, squirt invisible ink on the carpet and blame their son, Cody, for making the mess. The video turns into a full blowout, in which the parents scream and curse at the child and his brother for staining the carpet, while they cry hysterically telling them they didn’t do it. The video ends with the parents telling them “it’s just a prank, bruh.” Since the video was posted, other YouTubers have commented on the matter, many calling it child abuse. Philip DeFranco published a video on his channel discussing the channel and family themselves, saying their other videos show evidence of abuse toward their children, especially Cody. The family has released videos both denying claims of child abuse, calling commenters “haters” and blaming DeFranco himself for blowing up the situation on his channel. They also deleted all the videos on the DaddyOFive channel, but released a video apologizing for their actions as parents (video above). These allegations of physical and emotional abuse of the parents have opened the conversation of whether or not other parents who run prank channels are exploiting their families to make profit off YouTube. The Martin family has since claimed that their videos are all staged and “fake,” and in regards to Cody, they believe he often exaggerates for the videos and Heather Martin said she thinks he wants to “be an actor” when he grows up. What are your thoughts on the controversy? Let us know in the comments below. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2pbD9nw How Non-Actors Delivered a Raw Performance in The Cage Ricky Staubs Gripping Tribute to North Philly
4/24/2017
“Let me tell you something young bull, ain’t no one chose to live out here.” Director Ricky Staub’s gripping, real film “The Cage” tells the story of survival in the streets of Philadelphia, following one boy as he finds himself stuck in a cycle of betrayal, anger, violence and death, and his struggle to break free from it. The performances in this film are genuine, emotional and Staub’s story is one many audience members can connect with. There is one thing, however, that makes Staub’s film unique: all the actors portraying these characters have no prior training in acting. We caught up with Staub to talk about his overall vision for his piece and why he decided to have non-actors play in his film. Hey Ricky, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. First off, what inspired you to create this film? I lived in the neighborhood where we filmed “The Cage” for a little over five years, it’s where I started my company. I’ve always wanted to tell a story there, so I was really inspired by a lot of the people in the film; the actors are friends of mine. The story itself was derived from the stories I had heard or I had seen or witnessed. One of my close friends in the neighborhood, a basketball coach named Andre, would tell me stories about what kids went through just to be a part of the team in the neighborhood. Whether it was the violence or the drugs or the home life, there were so many hurdles they had to get over just to play basketball. Why did you choose to work with non-actors? I wanted a raw portrait of the way I viewed both the good and the bad of this story, and I felt like an A-list actor, worth tons of money, would be needed to pull off the performances I imagined. I knew it would be really hard to capture the essence of North Philly, but I had a gut feeling that I could get the right type of people in my life to convey these performances. I didn’t want anything that felt false. Courtesy of Filmsupply Do you prefer working with non-actors? If I could work with an A-list actor that would be great (laughs). It depends on what type of non actor, what type of trained actor, and the level of training they have. I think when it comes to non-actors, if you can work with someone who closely identifies with the type of character they’re playing, I think that’s a better fit at times. With “The Cage,” not everyone was playing their exact selves, but they knew they could closely relate to that type of person. The gentleman that plays the father who’s in jail actually spent 11 and a half years at the prison that we shot at. It wasn’t hard for me to teleport him to this time, space and moment, and say ‘this is what it feels like to talk to your son.’ He was able to identify the nuances of what that would be like. How did you get these non-actors to adjust to being in a film and being on a film set? I just kept telling them to be honest and listen to each other, to not try to do anything, just be. I think typically it’s hard for actors and non-actors to not be aware of the fact that there is a camera and all these lights, so I just kept equating to that we were just playing pretend. The other thing I did was not cut a lot. So once we got everything set up and we were rolling, we would just go and keep doing take after take. It would get to the point where we would get to a rhythm where I felt we forgot the camera was present. I also tried to limit the presence of people on set as much as I could, but they did a lot of exceptional work in general. I think a lot of them were naturally talented. Courtesy of Filmsupply When I was watching the film, I noticed a lot of scenes required a lot of emotion and authenticity. Can you tell me about how you were able to channel those emotions? What works for me, which I recognized when I decided to go this direction, is that I was going to have to act with them to give them the sense of comfort-ability. I think a lot of what acting is is overcoming your insecurities of feeling stupid, because you’re basically playing pretend. You’re taking chances and you’re screaming, pretending to be arrested or pretending to shoot each other. The more I stayed in it with them, giving them the image of intensity, I felt like it really brought their guard down. Basically, they saw that I was making a fool of myself which kind of invited everyone into it. It makes me cringe when I watch the behind the scenes… oh my god I’m so intense. But I really think my biggest take anyway was that it invited everyone to be that intense as well. What has the response been like for the film? It’s been overwhelmingly positive. Not that it surprised me necessarily, but I never put out a personal film or story, so it was a little uncomfortable to process because I was scared of how it would be received. The most affirming and exciting part of it is that I told a story that was near and dear to my heart, but a lot of the surprise to people is that I’m not a black filmmaker, I’m white. Some people have asked me why I’m telling a story that’s inherently a black story and I say two things: I don’t necessarily know if you have to be black to tell a black story or white to tell a white story, but I also wrote a story out of affection and love for people and a place. I think the thing that’s been most evident to people is how apparent that is. To me, it’s a celebration of painting something I was familiar with, so there’s this honesty to it that a lot of people I have picked up on. I feel affirmed by a lot of the community of North Philly who feel really proud of the piece. Andre, who is a friend of mine, said something really profound; he said a lot of people’s binoculars into the hood are typically shows like “The Wire,” which usually just show the negative side of this culture. He said what “The Cage” did really well was that it was very edifying and didn’t shy away from anything, but also showed what’s powerful and beautiful about living here. I really did want to make a film that gave people a lens into how I saw this neighborhood and people. Can you tell more about some of the initial challenges you faced when casting non-actors? One of the largest challenges is you don’t have a conventional way of going about casting it. I didn’t work with a casting director, put out a casting call, and have them all come to an audition. I thought about how maybe a casting director could help me round up people once I exhausted my list of close friends, but I realized that for non-actors it wouldn’t be right to bring them into an unfamiliar, uncomfortable cold room with lights and a camera with strange dudes sitting behind a table who say your name and slating. What I did was work with one of our producers, and some of the other talent I cast, to help me make connections with people within their circle who they thought would be a good fit. Then I would go either to their house, sit on the stoop, or meet them wherever they were and read with them on the street. I would explain the story to them, give them a taste of what it was, and basically role play right there. I was always conscious of making the actors, my friends, feel comfortable first because that would give me their most authentic performance. The woman who plays Zeke’s mom, her name is Iesha in real life, was my neighbor when I lived there. She and I had actually gone through some hard stuff when we were neighbors, and I had seen her in some really desperate places. So I knew when I had seen her in a similar type of moment, it was very much me recalling that for her. It was obviously pretty challenging, but I think because we had a safe space as friends, it allowed me push her to that level and to those thoughts. Those are some barriers that don’t traditionally exist when you work with paid actors, who have gone to college for this or have studied for this for years. Courtesy of Filmsupply What was the process like making the film? Walk me through the rest of casting process and the week you were all on set. I did work with a casting director for Zeke who plays the main kid. I worked with her previously on a bunch of commercials, so I felt comfortable asking for a favor, but said I’m looking for a 15 to 17 year old black kid who has to be amazing at basketball, but also amazing at acting. About three minutes later, she wrote back in an e-mail and said ‘oh my gosh, this is so bizarre, but I just finished casting a street ball feature and we auditioned thousands of kids across the country. There was one who plays basketball at a school in Brooklyn who was absolutely a natural talent. He didn’t get a part in the film, but I held onto him because I was so enamored with his audition.’ I was actually on a job in New York in a couple weeks, so I convinced them to drive to my hotel, where I auditioned William in my hotel room. There was a longer version of the scene between him and his mom when they fight at the steps. We were basically screaming at each other in the hotel room, but I was really impressed with how he was able to take direction from me. I mean, talk about intimidating, granted I was a crazy white guy he had never met. But he totally rolled with it and I pretty much knew when he left that I had found my guy. Most of the time I would talk to him about acting on set, it was always in athletic terms, because he’s an athlete first. One of the first scenes was that bathroom scene, where he’s screaming at his mom on the other side of the door, and we had these blood capsules he had to put in his mouth. He hated the taste and kept telling me he thought he was going to throw up. He said ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ so I asked him if he ever got to tell his coach how to run practices or play the game? He like, ‘never,’ and I said, ‘Well, it’s the same deal here, this is my set. If you get it right, I won’t make you do it anymore, but you have to give it everything you got.’ We always had this relationship where I was constantly pushing him, which he seemed to really respond to. There were a lot of intense scenes, but it was a pretty fun and joyous environment. What was most exciting was everyone in the film felt very connected to the story we were telling. It always spurred conversations of real life stories from the actors, ones that they thought would help educate the scene and changed its dynamic. It’s fun to watch it come alive through their voices. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2oFDM7v She Asked Me: How Do You Stay Motivated?
4/24/2017
She ended her email with the following: “How did you stay motivated when you were first starting out? I’m trying so hard not to quit my whole business and run into a cave…” I have to be honest: Staying motivated when I first started my business isn’t much different than staying motivated in my business 11 years later. There are days when I feel on top of the world (moments when I wanna cap my teeth in solid gold and pop bottles like a rapper on a yacht)…and there are days when I feel like an utter failure (and the only bottles I’m popping is Pepto Bismol). But the thing that keeps me tethered to my dream is the belief that I’m a fighter. I wrestle with Doubt, I flail against Fear, and I’ve come back against the odds. Again and again. I stay motivated by my ability to be the underdog…and find a way to win. #goodbyehaters I win not by luck, fortune, or fate, but by sheer will to take whatever I have (however little that may be), and make.it.work. And this? The sheer will to continue fighting? This is something we all possess. You want to stay motivated? FIGHT ON. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2p9Ku6R As Zion National Park in Utah approaches its 100th birthday, it continues to pride itself on being the 5th most visited National Park in the United States. If you have ever set foot on this land outside of Hurrican, Utah, then you know why it is so highly regarded. Jim and Will Pattiz, the filmmaking brothers behind ‘More Than Just Parks’ spent several weeks trekking through Zion during the peak Fall color season, and although it’s easy to get lost in the mystic Canyon that was carved by the Virgin River, the Pattizs remind us that there is so much more to Zion outside of the Canyon.
The brothers took over 35,000 images in a 24-day span while traveling over 100 miles through the park. Check out their shooting locations. As a huge fan of Zion, I can attest to its unrivaled beauty. Plan your trip there soon, but make sure to book a campground way ahead of time and be prepared to have to take a shuttle during the summer. Zion doesn’t have a large road system or many campgrounds, so plan ahead. In fact, there has even been talk about limiting the number of daily visitors in the future, which may not be a bad thing. To see more, follow More Than Just Parks on Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their website. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2ocGS76 |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2021
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