On Location: The Gizmo Tree

Project: The Gizmo Tree
Shot: December 2007
Location: Saskatchewan Legislative Building - Wascana Park
Revisited: March 2009

I'm not sure you can really expect trees to change that much in just a few years, but revisiting the location of The Gizmo Tree was fun. Shooting was such a rush, and after everything that followed it's easy to see why the project is still one of my favorites.

Inspired Singles: Issue 02

A single a day keeps your creativity in play.
Join me as I share some of my fav tunes in an effort to pay the inspiration forward.
Inspired Singles: Issue 02 by Luke Fandrich

Tomorrow Goes Away by Delta Spirit

This simple and down to earth tune has catchy lyrics and a strumming tempo that hooks me from the start. It doesn't hurt that the music fits perfectly with those sluggish days in the office - 'wait until tomorrow goes away' as Delta Spirit puts it, and yes, yes I will wait.


Get Over It by OK Go

The end of high school, my first year of uni, whatever it was that made this song so memorable I'm not entirely sure - although there was certainly a lot going on. This single from 2002 is still on rotation in my car and it's the mix of overly descriptive lyrics and the bass/clap back beat that makes this song worthy of belting it out - and I quote 'lot of knots, lot a snags; lot a holes, lot of cracks lot a crags; lotta naggin' old hags; a lotta fools; a lot of fools, scumbags!' and you thought rhymes were boring. Classic.


From the Stars by White Lies

Both ominous and heavy, From the Stars has a driving undertone that makes the story within the lyrics more direct. The change in pace as the song gets going is like transitioning from a dark alley onto a crowded bustling street lit with vibrant neon. In general, the album To Lose My Life is a great collection of tracks worth hearing again and again.

Time Crunch

When things are good, things are also busy. This year I've tackled a few personal projects, I've made some big revisions to this blog in how I showcase my old movies, and I've also been busy editing promo videos both independently and for the companies I work for. Usually there's been more free time to space some of these things out, but tonight I was in a creative meeting and it hit me just how busy the rest of my year is going to be.

My Indio Outio project is still being pieced together, I'm working full-time shooting promo photos for a website these days, and on top of this I'm still putting in extra hours as an editor for the corporate video company I've been with since I moved back to Medicine Hat. With so many random projects on the go my schedule has been filling up fast. It's both semi-stressful and fulfilling to find yourself in a position where you're actually in demand - where people are interested in how you do things and are hiring you for your specific creative contributions.

This year has been flying by and it's interesting to reflect on what's been going on without seeing the personal projects dominating my schedule. I've done a lot of work for other people and I suppose that's where things were meant to be going - it's what I talked about a lot as a film student. It's just a new learning experience to try and figure out how to balance everything and still feel like I'm continually challenge myself and moving forward. I have to admit that the confidence others have shown in me is a huge boost.

With a trip back to Regina (the city I went to University in) this weekend, I'm looking forward to the break, the visiting, and the sense that things really have improved since the year and half ago that I decided to branch out. Still doesn't give me any extra time though does it?