Archive for category: Video
Hope Goes Surfing
I really love this concept: A professional surfer (former ASP World Champion and Central Floridian, CJ Hobgood), being sponsored by a non-profit group! TWLOHA (To Write Love on Her Arms) is an organization dedicated to providing help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA, founded by Jamie Tworkowski, is not only a non-profit, but also a surfwear brand. So people who support the brand also support the cause. It is a genius business model because it is also a very worthy one.
CJ, along with his twin brother, Damien, are in my opinion, two of the best ambassadors the sport of surfing has ever seen. They’ve both been ripping for years, as adept at the newest of new school airs and rotes, as negotiating the heaviest of slabs at places like Teahupo’o and Pipe.
C.J. nearly abandoned his coveted spot on the World Tour last year, but a couple of outstanding late season competitive successes, along with a bit of self-reflection, convinced him to continue in 2012. Having the opportunity to be supported by and in turn, to be able to promote such a meaningful brand/organization like TWOLHA no doubt provided a fresh surge of motivation for Hobgood, a strong self-professed Christian.
If you’ve ever known someone who has struggled with depression or addiction, then you know how debilitating those things can be. I’ve seen it up close and personal and have watched how it affects not only the individuals experiencing the issues directly, but nearly everyone around them in one form or another. Hopefully, CJ and organizations like TWLOHA will be able to use a similar “ripple effect” in reverse to raise awareness for these kinds of problems, and marshall more resources to help those who are fighting to overcome them.
If you are a Fantasysurfer player like me, take it from someone who has finished in the Top 1% of all players worldwide for three years in a row: Keep you eye on CJ this year. Despite a significant influx of rising young talent, CJ is going to be surfing with renewed purpose. If they price him low (likely), be sure to pick him up. And if he under-performs (unlinkely), well– let’s just say that won’t really matter.
You see, some things in life are more important than surfing.
Kendall’s Directorial Debut
My 12 year old daughter, Kendall, along with her 13 year old cousin, Madison, have made their directorial debut, an epic film starring the much revered and reviled, “Popular Girls”! Despite the star power, I am not certain if this will make it to a theater near you, so here it is on YouTube. I think they did a bang-up job. Some nice editing, scoring and special effects work, here. The acting’s pretty good, too. Below is the plot summary Kendall provided me. Grab some pocorn. Silence your cell phone. And enjoy…
“It’s Spring Break, and the ‘popular girls’ are going to Hawaii (not)! Somehow, they end up in…. Canada? The four girls go on many adventures in Pelly Mountain, some of which are hiking, escaping giant tires, bungee jumping – the usual. But only one comes out alive. This teaser will make you itch in anticipation to see the movie!”
Biggest Teahupoo Ever – EPIC Footage
This day at Teahupoo- Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many have called the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate to be there working for Billabong on a day that went down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled it a, “Double Code Red” prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water.
Kelly Slater described the day by saying, “Witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people’s lives all day long. It’s life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life.”
All.I.Can.
There’s not a lot I can say about this clip that the list of awards below don’t already communicate. I am a surfer, not a skiier; blessed to live near the ocean, but unfortunately, not the mountains. But this trailer makes me want to ski. And film. And ski. And edit. And ski. And create soundtracks. And ski. And preserve the environment.
Most of all, it makes me want to go buy the DVD.
And sit. And watch. And feast.
“BEST FEATURE-LENGTH MOUNTAIN FILM” – Banff Mountain Film Festival 2011
“BEST DOCUMENTARY” – IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
“MOST INNOVATIVE VISUAL FX” – IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
“BEST SKI FILM” – Adventure Film Festival, Boulder 2011
“BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY” – ESPN Fan Favorites
“BEST FILM OF THE YEAR” – Adventure Film Festival, Copenhagen 2011
“PEOPLES CHOICE” and “BEST SKI FILM” – Fernie Film Festival, BC 2011
“BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY” – International Freeride Film Festival, France 2011
“BEST PICTURE” – International Freeride Film Festival, France 2011
No Snow? No Problem.
Here is another clip from All.I.Can., the multi-award-winning extreme skiing film from Sherpa Cinema. This segment is titled, “Imagination”. Watch it, and you’ll see why. This whole film is nothing but imagination, at the least the parts I’ve seen to date (plan to purchase the DVD soon). It is so beautifully concepted, shot, filmed and edited. You can tell that the folks who created it are extremely passionate about what they do- their sport and their art. They are also insanely talented. It is dazzling.
Awards:
“BEST FEATURE-LENGTH MOUNTAIN FILM” – Banff Mountain Film Festival 2011
“BEST DOCUMENTARY” – IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
“MOST INNOVATIVE VISUAL FX” – IF3 Film Festival Montreal 2011
“BEST SKI FILM” – Adventure Film Festival, Boulder 2011
“BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY” – ESPN Fan Favorites
“BEST FILM OF THE YEAR” – Adventure Film Festival, Copenhagen 2011
“PEOPLES CHOICE” and “BEST SKI FILM” – Fernie Film Festival, BC 2011
“BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY” – International Freeride Film Festival, France 2011
“BEST PICTURE” – International Freeride Film Festival, France 2011
Remembering AI: A Fan’s Perspective
A lot has been written about Andy Irons from some of the surf world’s most notable personalities- people who knew Andy personally and interacted with him in a variety of ways.
So, I’ll offer some perspective coming from the rest of us– fans of Andy who knew him only through a prolific collection of videos, magazines and online webcasts, but who somehow still felt strongly connected to him, just as if he was one of our own crew paddling out, laughing, and sharing good times and bad with one another.
Keala Kennelly wrote in a moving tribute to Andy that her remembrance was “…one of the hardest things I have had to write about, because I don’t feel like anything I write will be good enough to honor Andy.”
Keala, if you happen to read this, it was better than “good enough”.
What was so beautiful about it is exactly what was so beautiful about Andy. It was an honest expression of emotion that came straight from the heart. And honesty in all things (writing, design, music, art, people…) is what ultimately makes them special and so compelling to all of us.
When I reflect on Andy’s passing, I do so coming from a perspective that is likely not too uncommon– that of a lifelong, die-hard Kelly fan, Andy’s long-time nemesis.
I viewed Andy as a “villain” (aka “asshole”) for a great part of his career until ultimately won over, not just by his incredible surfing, which was always undeniable; but by his fierce competitiveness, raw energy and passionate personality– no matter where that passion was directed.
But Andy’s rise from Antihero to Almighty, even amongst those of us who once rooted against him, wasn’t just about that endearing kinetic energy that oozed from him. No, what ultimately drove his popularity off the charts for all of us, the rest of us– even Kelly fans, was when he finally started owning his insecurities.
Not hiding them.
Not apologizing for them.
Just being authentic and admitting that he had them like everybody else. Just like Kelly himself did in front of Andy following the death of his father, as he so eloquently related in his own moving tribute to his career-long foe and good friend.
That’s why Andy became and remains one of my favorite surfers.
It’s one of the same reasons people are drawn to Dane.
And, it’s why Keala’s tribute wasn’t just “good enough”, it was freaking perfect.
You see– you can be a superhuman surfer… and still be human.
I didn’t know Andy, but I sure do miss him.
You can see a lot of that honesty on display in this gem of a video.
Author’s Note: This is my latest piece for The Inertia, a leading-edge highly-popular action sports website based out of California billed as, “The Planet’s Largest Network of Thinking Surfers” To see the response and full discussion of the article, please visit: http://www.theinertia.com/author/tim-hamby/
Moments in Time: Watch Sculptures
I am a huge fan of Dominic Wilcox. Dominic is a tremendously talented artist and designer who creates unique and imaginative objects, drawings and installations. His work is always surprising, generally profound and always fun. Visit his blog, Variations on Normal, and you’ll quickly lose yourself in his whimsical world.
I wanted to share some of his most recent work here- his “Moments in Time” watch sculptures. He’s created five of them here- tiny plastic sculptures brought to life by setting them upon the second hands of vintage mechanical timepieces. Included are scenes of love and protest, including a brilliant recreation of the “pepper spray incident” at the UC Davis Occupy protested earlier this year.
Like all great works of art and design, it is the conevyence of human emotion that allows the very best to transcend the ordinary. And Dominic has captured several varying moments in time so beautifully, giving them all eternal life, figuratively and literally.
Beautiful, Dominic.
Birthright by Sean Mullens
One man’s struggle to transcend.
This humble film is about a friend of Sean Mullens’ named Michael and his daily ritual to find his natural self through surfing. Directed by Sean MullensCinematography by Sean Mullens Music by The Album Leaf – Into the Blue Again – Broken Arrow
Sub Pop Records 2006
Coolest Coastal Halloween Costume: Jellyfish
The reviews have been completed.
The results are in.
And we have a (slam-dunk) winner.
After scouring every obscure website and hipster blog in the webishphere, I only had to look down the street to find the coolest Halloween costume– not just this year– but possibly, ever:
Jellyfish.
Straight from the creative imagination of LeAna Kimball, wife of my good friend Jake, LeAna is this year’s Grand Prize Winner and will recieve the balance of my kids’ Halloween candy that I still haven’t been able to polish off. I think there’s even a few Snickers left!
LeAna is the author of A Small Snippet, a rockin’ Mommy blog. In the course of doing marketing research for past clients, I’ve actually visited quite a few mommy blogs and LeAna’s is one of the best I’ve seen. Whatever you’re looking for- from parenting advice, to photography tips, creative crafting, cooking and costuming– you’ll find it there.
The last time I visited LeAna and Jake’s home, I think she was using one hand to tend to a sick child and another restoring a piece of antique furniture. I believe that if she wasn’t a full-time mom, she’d probably be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company like IDEO. I know she’d give Martha Stewart a good run for her money. And she’s a lot nicer.
Awesome job, LeAna– Congratulations!
P.S. Lest we forget, here is a beautiful video (Jellies – RED EPIC Style) by stillmotion on Vimeo shot at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago showing you the real things! So beautiful. Thank you to Tory Strange and the gang at the Surf Station in St. Augustine for the find. Their blog is always a go-to resource for interesting surf-related content of all kinds.
Playing For Change: Peace Through Music
I first came across this music video about two years ago and it has since become one of my favorites of all time. It is a cover of “Stand By Me”, the Ben E. King classic (one of the greatest songs ever written in my opinion), from the award-winning documentary, “Playing For Change: Peace Through Music”.
The Playing for Change project is the brainstorm of Mark Johnson and Playing for Change Foundation Executive Director, Whitney Kroenke. Mark’s idea was to travel around the United States with a mobile recording studio and capture musical moments from street performers across America. As Johnson and Kroenke traveled, they realized how extraordinary it would be connect all of those talented musicians to one another. They came up with the idea of starting a song in one location, then taking the partially completed song and the recording studio on to the next musician, until the song was complete.
Through this process, they discovered how music transcends cultural barriers.
As they continued to travel, it became apparent that their project was much bigger than any one country and so they decided to continue around the world, meeting and recording new musicians internationally, and continuing to grow their songs along the way.
Since its introduction, Playing for Change has received international acclaim from New York to Africa, to Brazil, to India and beyond. The street performers in their videos have appeared on shows like The Tonight Show and they’ve raised many thousands of dollars for instruments, musical schools and programs benefitting students in locations around the globe. Most recently, Yoko Ono assisted by supporting Playing for Change with the recording of the song, “Imagine” that also included video of John Lennon himself.
Sign up at www.playingforchange.com or www.playingforchange.org for updates, exclusive content and to join the movement to help build schools, connect students and inspire communities in need through music. You’ll also find the full library of music videos for Playing for Change which you can purchase on DVD. Make sure to check out another one of my favorites, “Don’t Worry”.
Meet Lloyd Cole
I love music of just about very variety. Occasionally, I hope to use this blog to introduce readers to some of my favorite artists that they may not be aware of, or performances they may enjoy. One of my long time favorites is singer/songwriter LLoyd Cole. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions debuted in 1984 with their album, Rattlesnakes, that reached #13 in the UK on the strength of the singles “Perfect Skin”, “Forest Fire” and the title song, “Rattlesnakes”. Over the next five years, they would put out two more albums before breaking up, when Lloyd began pursuing a solo career.
Lloyd is one of the most talented, intelligent (his songs contain many literary and pop culture references) and stylish performers you’ll ever see, respected tremendously by his industry peers. Like Prince, he is a prodigal guitarist and recorded many of his songs in his home, entirely by himself, playing every instrument. His music is largely alternative pop-rock, with an acoustic/folk sensibility. Unfortunately, judging by his Youtube numbers, which range from just a few hundred to about 15,000 views or so, today’s generation is either disinterested or has yet to discover him.
I was fortunate to see Lloyd Cole live in a very small bar right here in Jacksonville just a few years back. I considered it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and was able to stand and watch the show with my wife just a few feet from him. It was incredible and believe me when I tell you, I’ve seen a lot of concerts. I’ve posted two clips for you here, both from another one of Lloyd’s concerts back in 1990. These songs (“Jennifer She Said” and “Brand New Friend”), aren’t his most recognizable hits, but some of his greatest, nonetheless. Ignore the cheesy stage lighting and just pay attention to the music. Better yet, ignore the video and just turn up the music.
If you’d like to sample more of Lloyd Cole’s music, know that his are the types of albums that can be listened to straight through with great enjoyment of every track (they are first-rate ambiance for house parties and road trips- your friends will want to know who’s playing.).That said, this Greatest Hits album is an excellent place to start and can be had for just $7.99 on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lloyd-cole-commotions-1984/id14321168.
While his history is long, rest assured that Lloyd is still cool, still relevant and incredibly, still underrated and undiscovered.
The Creative Process of Coldplay: Take Notes
These are Chris Martin’s notes to himself and his bandmates, one of many such items posted on the walls, a whiteboard and even Martin’s studio piano (he scribbles on it in green marker).
More precisely, these are reminders of key principles which have helped Coldplay become astoundingly successful- a “secret formula” if you will, of philosophical beliefs and strategic tactics that the band employs consistently, covering everything from song construction; to photo / video guidelines; to marketing and public relations positioning; and general business.
In the interview, news journalist, Steve Kroft, framed Martin’s practice as somehow aberrant, stating: “He is a compulsive worrier and list-maker. He sends himself electronic messages, and scrawls notes on scraps of paper, on his hands, and anything else that’s available, lest he forget some brilliant idea. Like many artists, he is openly, gloriously neurotic.”“Neurotic?”I call it pure business acumen- (beautifully) equal parts creative and analytical.
How many new ideas or profound realizations arrive for many of us at unexpected moments? Insights that you just can’t afford to forget? What do you do? Grab a pencil and jot ‘em down, of course! Most designers I know keep idea/sketch books handy and I’ve got plenty of notebooks and post-it notes full of marketing, design, business and leadership lessons that I’ve either come to realize myself, or have picked up from others much wiser than me.
“The most powerful element in advertising is the truth”…
“Always have a point of view”…
“Make an emotional connection”…
“Don’t be afraid that a concept will go over your customers heads. If you assume they’re dumb, they may be smarter than you”…
“Safe is risky”…
“Advertising can’t create product advantages, only convey them”…
And so on.I keep them where I can always be consciously reminded of their powerful truths. If you happen to be the kind of person who instinctively organizes your standards and observations into digital files- congratulations! If you prefer a bulletin board, whiteboard or post-it’s, I can relate. If you use a green sharpie on your white grand piano, then ummm… well, o.k…. maybe Martin is a little bit more obsessive than most.But, based upon what I can clearly see in Chris’ notes, he is a man that is more calculating than confused; more cognitive than compulsive; more analytical than anxious. I see someone who is introspective and intelligent, and not inappropriately impulsive. Creatives, take note.
The “Mysteries” of Coldplay, revealed:
1. Albums must be no longer than 42 minutes, or 9 tracks.
2. Production must be amazing, rich, but with space, not overlayered, less tracks, more quality, groove and swing. Drums/rhythm are the most crucial thing to concentrate on; difference between “Bittersweet” and “Science of silence.” (A reference to The Verve and Richard Ashcroft solo)
3. Computers are instruments, not recording aids.
4. Imagery must be classic, colourful and different. Come back in glorious technicolor.
5. Make sure videos and pictures are great before setting release date. And highly original.
6. Always keep mystery. Not many interviews.
7. Groove and swing. Rhythms and sounds must always sound as original as possible. Once Jon has melody, twist it and weird it.
8. Promo/review copies to be on vinyl. Stops copying problem, sounds and looks better.
9. Jacqueline Sabriado, ns p c c, face forward/review. (Not sure what this references)
10. Think about what to do with charity account. Set up something small, enabling and constructive. Ref J. Oliver Fifteen (a reference to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant in London)
Dave Grohl “Band on the Run”
Last night I was channel-surfing and came across a teriffic PBS special- a White House tribute to Sir Paul McCartney (actually a repeat from earlier this summer). President Obama was presenting the former Beatle with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The event was quite formal, with a restrained air of dignity and sophistication and a few sublime performances from such entertainers as Elvis Costello and Emmylou Harris, who all sang covers of various Beatles / McCartney songs. One really special performance was “Band on the Run” by Dave Grohl, former drummer for Nirvana and current guitarist and frontman for the Foo Fighters. What I loved so much about it was that, well– he rocked his arse off, just like he always does! Never mind that President Obama was a few feet away, along with a stiff mix of seniors, suits and politicians that had likely paid thousands of dollars for tickets. Grohl blew the doors off the song like he was playing Lollapalloza, or an LA bar or something. Killer riffs. Hair flying. Ears ringing. It was great, and you could tell that McCartney and everyone else really dug it. I know I did. It was also a great reminder of what a versatile performer Grohl is and what a really talented songwriter McCartney is. Here’s the vid. Enjoy!
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