Kubrick's Boxes

If you have any interest in Stanley Kubrick I would suggest watching this. It is a remarkable documentary called "Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes." In this documentary Jon Ronson is invited to the Kubrick estate to go through his collections of boxes. It is very insightful. You begin to understand Kubrick's obsession with perfection.

The contents of the boxes are extremely varied and all over the place, from photos to fan letters, and show what a detailed and intelligent man he really was. His nephew Manuel Harlan took tens of thousands of photos of doorways, estate gates, costume shops, anything that would inform his choices on set. Harlin did those for most of his movies. In the film there is a discussion around trying to find the perfect hat for the Droogies to wear in A Clockwork Orange.

This is the kind of terrific documentary that would just drift to the back shelf of your video store. Because companies like Google have a transmedia understanding a documentary like this can reside on the internet forever. I don’t know how long the video will stay up, so watch it ASAP.

SLR as a Video Camera? Why not...

Vincent Laforet with Canon support shot a short film REVERIE with a SLR!!! It feels like a lightweight fashion spot but when you see the video you will not believe it. Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR was used. Canon allowed him to borrow the unit for 72 hours. Here is the raw footage (downsized to 1/4 resolution) the files used to create this video were not manipulated in any way. Hats off to Vincent for pulling this off in NYC. Check out the behind the scenes video too.

As I've been saying the cameras are now here. The "Art" needs to match the storytelling. As with all transmedia concepts the reality of technology is only valid if it can involve and prove satisfying to the viewer.

The Power of Lightweight HD Cameras

DigitalDolt presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

In 1974 the entire nation watched Evel Knievel jump the Snake River. His stupidity and courage was the stuff of global headlines. In 2008 two lone skateboards take on a massive hill like Evel reincarnated. The power of this video is possible because of lightweight HD cameras. It is a simple reality, just two crazy kids in suits skating into oncoming traffic on a steep hill. It makes the Snake River look like a Cakewalk. (Jump in 2:00mins into the action)

VBS Television

Ah Children,
Seek and you shall find. All that is good and fun on the web can be found in the stories produced by my dear friends at VBS. VBS is an online broadcast network that carries a mix of domestic and international news, pop and underground culture coverage, and music from all over the place.

Founded by the creators of Vice magazine, alongside creative director Spike Jonze, VBS.TV is an incredibly bright broadband internet television site from the makers of Vice magazine. Their coverage is candid and raw, whether it is sneaking into North Korea or Darfur to interview Mini Minawi of the Sudan Liberation Army or hanging with Surfers at the Red Bull Riders Cup.

Launched in March of 2007 as a free, advertising-supported video network, VBS.TV is updated with 20-30 minutes of original content a day, with more than 30 original series in regular production. VBS.TV content has been featured in MTV International's Best of VBS.TV series. “Heavy Metal in Baghdad” is a feature documentary film was produced from this amazing collective. It premiered at Toronto Film Festival. You won’t want to miss one episode.