AFV Halloween Gumby Kid

This cute kid decided to dress up as Gumby for Halloween, resulting in one of my favorite America's Funniest Home Video clips. I think we all have memories of childhood costumes that made us somewhat immoble. I recall being a red crayon in grade one and not being able to sit down. Anyway, he's Gumby! Happy Halloween!

Inspired Singles: Science Fiction/Double Feature

Inspired Singles Issue 11: Science Fiction/Double Feature by Richard O'Brien


This staple of Halloween mixes is a lyrical history lesson cleverly showcasing some really crazy B movies. From Flash Gordon to Forbidden Planet to Doctor X, there are a surprisingly large amount of character and plot references from projects not unlike Rocky Horror.

Science Fiction/Double Feature is the title track of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and has been made iconic not just because of its association with the movie and stage show, but because of Patricia Quinn's red lips. Now that's how you lip sync!

It's a tune that instantly reminds me of all those childhood Halloweens and the late nights after trick or treating. It's funny, it's weird, it's a classic.

Inspired Singles: New Format

Over the last year I've written 10 issues for my Inspired Singles column here on Editing Luke. The series has actually been quite popular, but it's also a lengthier post for me to put together and I feel that a lot of the singles go overlooked because they aren't easy to search for.

Hence, it seems like a good time to change things.

From now on, Inspired Singles will feature a single track per post. This means less work, and as a result, more posts and singles in the long run. Singles will also be easier to find by title, and results from the Linkwithin widget should appear more diverse and descriptive - not just an issue number.

I know there have been quite a few clicks through to these columns when they go up so I just thought a bit of a heads up was due. If anything, you can look forward to a lot more Inspired Singles popping up very soon!

Montana Joyride

Across the US border we continued our drive south reaching the mountains. The sun began to set casting a golden yellow across the fields and rolling hills. This was merely the beginning of our road trip to California and the views were already spectacular. It was early September and the days were shortening, but by the time we crossed into Idaho we had put the top of the car down and were ignoring the chill in the air for the starry sky overhead.

Amazon Kindle Commercials

When it comes to creating a great advert you need something eye-catching. Amazon Kindle has successfully done this by incorporating some clever stop motion to emphasize the imaginative aspect of reading. I'm not sure they've convinced me that a book is better on a tablet, but at least I'm talking about it. Check out this cool series of adverts below.

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

It's easy to get hooked on a good music video, and even easier if you like the song. To tell the truth, it was the stop motion that pulled me in before I actually started to like the track. I've come across several stop motion shorts lately that are nothing less than amazing examples of skilled editing. For starters, check out the music video for Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie below.

Sketches of Frank Gehry: Documentary #3

Creating something is one of the boldest forms of expression. It leaves something to be discussed, critiqued, and interpreted. It also takes guts to do.

Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005) is a documentary about the famed modern architect from a very open and relaxed perspective. From structures like the popular Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A. to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the film is successful at diving into Gehry's design and creative processes, his achievements, and the humour that often surrounds creating buildings that make people stare. It's not a history lesson or lecture. There's actually something quite poetic in hearing Gehry and Pollack's open discussions about the form, lines, and overall impressions of the designs.

Why did you do this? Why is this shaped like that? Director Sydney Pollack injects himself into the documentary with his casual questioning, and seems essential for bringing up the every-man opinion.

As a creative guy myself I'm always fascinated by the process that other artists go through. Artist seems to be the right description of Gehry. The way he sketches, bends paper for his models, and works his ideas through seems very tactile. In fact, he admits that he's not very good with a computer.

Personally I find Gehry's buildings to be really engaging (especially) against a backdrop of squares and cubes. That's the beauty of this documentary to me. Architecture has always seemed like so much math, and it is, but Sketches of Frank Gehry pulls the art to the surface - mixing form and function as they say. We're given a chance to explore urban space for the emotion it conveys, for the whimsical and expressive way that shape can change our perception, and ultimately shown how exciting and challenging it is to literally be out of the box.

Having seen this documentary prior to purchasing it for my 9 Docs Project, I can say that I was just as inspired the second time around. This film isn't meant to be hard hitting or confrontational. Instead it's exploratory and pensive, showing how one man has decided to challenge convention. Matched with some beautiful images of Frank Gehry's buildings, I found it easy to get swept up in the creative chaos. 8/10


Sketches of Frank Gehry Trailer

Morocco & Spain by Mike Matas

I'm a huge fan of constructing my own travel edits, so it was without hesitation that I latched on to this really clever and unique edit by Mike Matas. Shooting several thousand photos on a trip through Morocco and Spain, Mike combined them to create a vivid and fast-paced slideshow of the experience. The texture and depth is impressive. You'll probably find yourself grasping for some lengthier shots, but the technique is undeniably well-executed. Well done Mr. Matas!

Buick to the Future Snapshots

I was going through some of my old photo CDs and came across some of the snapshots that I took when trying to come up with a poster for my first Buick to the Future short. I remember we did this at the end of the afternoon after the footage had just been shot. It's the kind of campy project that I seem to enjoy even more as nostalgia improves it. You can check out the Buick to the Future shorts here.

Alberta Sunrise

I shot this on Friday morning coming into work. It's true a web company can be almost anywhere! The contrast between our location and the creative work we do is always a topic of conversation for visitors. It's like we're in the middle of nowhere, a modern office just minutes outside of the city.

When I pictured the types of video jobs I might do after film school I never imagined my day to day setting looking quite like this. The novelty of the prairies, and of being surrounded by open landscape for that matter, is quite literally a breath of fresh air.

ELMR: October '10

Editing Luke's Monthly Rehash: October 2010

Las Vegas is a place to cut loose . . . footloose? Everytime I go there it feels different. This months rehash is a mashup of footage that was shot on a trip to Sin City in 2008.

Stream Media Shout Out

In the several years that I've been working as a videographer and editor with Stream Media I have had the opportunity to see and participate in a lot of really cool projects. This summer in particular was full of several larger edits that occupied much of my extra time outside of the web company I also do video work for.

I wanted to give a shout out to Stream Media for being recognized by the EDA (Economic Development Alliance of Southern Alberta) after they received top honors at the 2010 National Marketing Awards for several projects produced by our team.

One of the edits I did this summer was mentioned specifically in the press release, which is really cool after all the work that went into it. You can see the press release and a link to the video here.

Congrats go out to EDA and Stream Media! I'm very proud to have been able to play a role in this success with you.

Snapshot Singapore

Rich history and modernity seem to collide in beautifully ambitious ways in Singapore. Through the lens, cracks of identity appear against the backdrop of a global city. There's something big happening here, and it's too new to fully understand. Everywhere you explore your senses seem temporarily heightened. What a great place to get lost.

Give it Time in Yobi Film

This year I was awarded the 2nd place prize in Season 2 of the Yobi Filmmaking Contest with my short, The Geology Student. Season 3 began shortly after with a brand new set of rules, and a lengthier structure to get more filmmakers involved. Largely I hadn't been paying attention though because I didn't have a new short I wanted to campaign for.

In July the Gizmo Tree was voted into the preliminary semi-final round without my promotion or involvement, and now for the second time this year another one of my shorts, Give it Time has been voted into the contest without my help. It's taken an email both times to bring me back to the site to even check it out.

My stance hasn't changed since this happened the first time. I'm incredibly honored and flattered that people are checking out my projects and voting, but if I'm going to participate in Yobi Film again I'm going to wait until I have something new to share. I'm very proud of my previous work but many have already played a role in a contest, competition or film festival. I don't want to back-track at this point when I feel I can produce new work at an even higher standard (I just need the time to do it).

You can view my Yobi profile here. At the time of this post it hasn't been updated since I was participating in the Season 2 finals.

It's an interesting position to be in as the short could potentially be voted through without my control meaning that I wouldn't be able to compete with another film. I'm not really putting too much faith in that though, and mainly wanted to thank those who have been to Yobi Film to view my work and vote without me even knowing.

I plan on returning to Yobi, hopefully to compete in Season 3 with something new. Right now that's all up in the air. You can view Give it Time below.

The Buried Life on MTV

I'll admit that I never expected to find one of my new favorite shows by watching MTV. Sure it's fine for popcorn entertainment and a good way to waste a half hour, but the place to find a show with actual substance? Enter, the Buried Life.

The premise is simple and altogether inspired. Four friends (Ben Nemtin, Duncan Penn, Dave Lingwood, and Jonnie Penn) set out to complete a list of 100 things they want to do before they die. And we're not talking about necessarily easy tasks either. In Season One of the Buried Life episodes range from helping to deliver a baby to attending a party at the Playboy mansion to telling a joke on late night TV. They're not always successful, but the fact they attempt some fairly lofty goals is really fun to watch.

I guess I connect with their ambition and desire to do things for the sake of collecting experiences. These guys are all in their twenties and I feel like (for me anyway) it's the time when you first start to realize that there are time limits for accomplishing some of the things you want to. Not to mention that big goals take time. I can also relate to the joy of documenting your adventures - something these guys get to do as a day job.

The message is upbeat, often hilarious, and surprisingly moving. Each episode they also help a stranger cross something big off their own bucket list. It's a nice touch that brings the focus back down to a personal level. There are little things that we can do everyday to make a difference, to inspire others, and to just generally make life better.

It's a great question to ask yourself, what do you want to do before you die?

Creative Space

Since my first dorm room in film school I've convinced myself that it's easier to be creative in a space that looks the part. In many ways I've always had the mindset of an editor; overly organized and always looking to contextualize my experiences. I'd like think that this is how my space comes across too.

It started with a couple posters and photos and throughout the process of moving between home and school, the expressions just seemed to get bolder with each years new setup. My dorm rooms became somewhat infamous for how ambitiously visual and wallpapered they became. A mashup of pop culture, personal photos, patterns and collections, the rooms were different every time but the style was fairly consistent.

There's something interesting about being so meticulously organized and yet so attracted to busy graphics. I like that I can look at a wall of imagery and feel surrounded by the ideas that went in to creating them. The colours and selections that end up on my wall aren't made haphazardly either. As an avid magazine reader I've always ripped out the images I liked, thinking that one day they would find their way into an art project, frame, or display. The argument was always that it wasn't the individual image that created the meaning or context, instead it was all about the unique combination of graphics that ended up on the wall.

I'd defend the look by saying that anyone could have these images, but it was doubtful that anyone else had arranged them this exact way. In that, I always felt that pop culture could be embraced and still be made more personal.

I've tried to create balance in my new place by framing things out more and not covering entire walls with pictures. I think it still looks pretty distinct (see first image) and it definitely serves the purpose of giving my mind cues to wander when needed. Then again, sometimes it's just about seeing how far you can go (see last image).

A creative space can be a million different things to a million different people, and in my experience it has been. I surround myself with things I like to see, places I've been, personal projects I've worked on, music I love, and things that generally inspire me or remind me what I've already accomplished. A creative space has only one fundamental requirement for earning its designation, and it's really quite simple - it should compel and allow you to be productive.

Facebook Like Button on Blogger

We're all looking for simple ways to keep our blog original, promote our content, and increase interaction. Leaving comments is ideal, but without something to add many don't bother. It's exactly why the Facebook 'like' button is the perfect solution - and becoming so popular so quickly.

You've seen it everywhere and now for the first time it's on every Editing Luke post. If you're currently on the main page you won't see them, but if you've clicked any specific post title then right at the top you'll see the button. This is perfect for any one clicking a searched link, those who are followers to this blog, or who click through to a post from the LinkWithin or nRelate widget.

It's a simple and quick way to show your appreciation to help increase the popularity of a single post - and no worries about filling your like box on your Facebook profile, these 'likes' are specific to this blog. You'll just see an update in your news feed, but not in your actual 'like' box. So go ahead and thumbs up!

See the link for instructions on how to add this feature to your blog below. And don't forget to click the LIKE button for Editing Luke & Jeeves in the sidebar!

To add this feature to your own blog, click here for instructions.
 

Joshua Tree Photo Collage

The desert allows your mind to wander. Expansive and unmistakably harsh you're left to question what could possibly survive in such an aggressive landscape. Yet the textures of the cracked ground and jagged foliage lend themselves to an expressive organic canvas. You suddenly realize that this isn't a barren wasteland; you're surrounded by thriving examples of life that have prospered against seemingly death defying odds. Alone with your thoughts in the heat of a glaring sun, you think to yourself what a truly amazing world we live in.

Split Wash 2: Jaguar

Nostalgia seems to be a great motivator. When going to clean my car a couple weeks ago I decided to bring along my camera simply for the sake of capturing something similar to what I had with my 1989 Buick. From that footage I created Split Wash, a short experimental video using a split screen to divide the recording in to two separate points and layer them together.

What I've done here is of exactly the same principal, except this time the image has been roughed up a bit more and repetition has been applied to the bottom layer. While the validity of these types of video as art can be debated, I've always had a fascination with the subtleties of editing and how it can force us to look at things in ways out of the ordinary. I often attribute this to painting. Like how an artist will create something that is as much about recognizing the paint on the canvas as it is about the art itself.

My goal isn't really to make this seem like more than it is, but in washing my Jaguar (just like I did with my Buick) I've captured a moment and presented it somewhat out of context to make the video and edit the subject. I find something visceral and tangible about working this way. In a little over two years the first version of Split Wash is now a little piece of my history; not quite a homevideo, not quite a complete project.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

After leaving Alcatraz it was off to another one of San Francisco's legendary landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge. I remember first learning about suspension bridges and every example resembling this - kind of like every big skyscraper always resembling the Empire State Building.

There's no escaping its size or prominence at the entrance of the bay, and driving across with the roof down only emphasized the scale. That distinct rusty red color, strings of cable whipping passed us, and swarms of traffic buzzing by made for yet another classic road trip scene. Here we were with the wind in our hair crossing one of the most recognizable bridges in the world.