You May Wonder What Has Happened to Me.

It seems I've put myself in Europe for the summer. May 21st, I left Raleigh, NC for Reykjavik, Iceland. After abandoning my original plan of hiking from the northernmost point of the country to the southernmost point (the season was still too young and snow covered the roads in the highlands), I spent twenty-seven days there going on shorter multi-day backpacking trips, as well as meeting new friends through hitchhiking and couchsurfing.

Hraunhafnartangaviti, the northernmost lighthouse on the northernmost peninsula of the country, sits in front of the sunrise at two am, just two hours after the sunset. During the summer, Iceland has no darkness.

Hraunhafnartangaviti, the northernmost lighthouse on the northernmost peninsula of the country, sits in front of the sunrise at two am, just two hours after the sunset. During the summer, Iceland has no darkness.

It never ceases to amaze me how there are seemingly infinite numbers of connections to be made, more people in the world than can ever be met, yet every single one has their own story, an incomprehensibly huge spiderweb of interacting life. Those that think they are the center of the world have not yet met the world. 

I left that country on June 16th with more memories than I could keep preserved in my head (I had to write them all down), and traveled to London. I am currently on my way north, by thumb of course, to see Edinburgh and had the luck to stop at a new friend's house and use a computer. In northeast Iceland I met two Swedish journalists who were nice enough to let me borrow a computer and process this photo, but it seems the rest of the raws will have to wait until July when I get to Italy. 

A timelapse frame, near Borgarnes, in Western Iceland. 

A timelapse frame, near Borgarnes, in Western Iceland. 

Iceland is a beautiful country. They call it the land of ice and fire. I would certainly agree.

Next stop: France.

A Calmer Friday

Every once in a while you get a feeling that the world is clear, fresh, and beautiful. Sometimes a story does it, sometimes a person, sometimes a song, but from wherever you receive it, it is revitalizing, a crisp drink of water. I was lucky enough to feel it twice in twenty-four hours. With hairs standing on end and wind in my hair, I welcome that bright tomorrow.

Also, the film, now called Thieves at Last, was shown for the first time today. It went well :) it will be a little while before I'm done with final tweaks to show it on the internet and other places. I'm glad I had the chance to do it though, for sure. It's something to make and move past no matter how well it went.

I sent the camera back on monday. I wish I had the chance to use it more than I already did. It was quite an experience, and it makes me want to rent every time I shoot something important. 

I also did a quick photo shoot with Suzan Zhang a week or two ago, we got a few nice shots out of it, so that's good.

On the Way

Check it:

Progress is happening! Everything has been shot, the gear has been returned, now we enter into the less stressful part of the process. Since we went with the whole continuous shot idea, there isn't a whole lot of basic editing, most work is going to be in color, effects, etc.

Hooray!

Hooray!

A bit more work with Mason Youngblood on the soundtrack, some time in After Effects, and we may be closing on on the finish line!

Day One On Set: Success!

I had an awesome time filming yesterday with these fine folks:

Molly McNutt, Thi Lam, Megh Ahire, Joe Pennebaker, Tucker Prescott, Mickey Johnson

Molly McNutt, Thi Lam, Megh Ahire, Joe Pennebaker, Tucker Prescott, Mickey Johnson

Also these guys:

Connor Brunson

Connor Brunson

Nathan Anderith

Nathan Anderith

Thanks all for your help! While the movie is certainly not finished, the most difficult parts are over with! Everyone did a great job and I really appreciate the efforts of everyone involved. Even with the missing props, the time constraints, and the stoplights that wouldn't turn at the right moment, I think we made the best out of it. One more scene, and then endless hours in the editing room, woo hoo!

I Have Been Quite Busy.

This coming weekend, a rag-tag group of renegades will finally shoot an idea that has been brewing in my head for a year and a half. Deep Comes the Night (this title may change as it seems we are shooting in the morning instead of dusk) will be shot this coming weekend. The rented camera has been insured, the props procured, the location secured, the stress endured. We'll see how it goes, but hopefully all will be successful.

In other news, the painting is coming along:

and I've started another one, Veronese's Deposition of Christ. Pictures coming soon. After finishing Brave New World, I also did a quick speedpaint of the final scene, where the helicopters land around John. Not too detailed, but no matter.

I also worked with a friend on a short manga. I haven't spent much time on it, for which he probably hates me at the moment. Here's a preview of page one.