Some serious reading to do

Dec 27, 2012


I got 4 new filmmaking pdfs books to read in addition to the one my sister gave me for my birthday:

-25 Scripts and How They Made It by David S. Cohen
-Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez
-Digital Cinema: The Revolution in Cinematography, Postproduction and Distribution by Brian McKernan
-Filmmaking for Dummies by Bryan Michael Stoller
and the one my sister got me for my birthday:
-Grammar of The Film Language by Daniel Arijon, which is more of a go-to manual book once you are in the process of filming something
Getting my reading on. 







I can't wait to eat this 4 books. I already started "Grammar of The Film Language" but this one is more like a go-to manual book once you are in the process of filming something, but it has some pretty cool drawings.

Self-teaching something is hard but it is very exciting, the only thing is, that even when you are learning something on your own you really need that someone to guide you and/or ask questions to. Right now I want to read as much as I can about it, watch lots of films paying attention to details, and of course the one I consider the most important is to grab a camera yourself and start filming stuff, theory is almost nothing, if you don't put it to practice and make some shitty stuff that'll help you learn with time.

Are you teaching yourself something? What would you like to learn on your own?



Share it!           0 Comments

It's always fun to mix movies and fashion, don't you dare say otherwise


Yes, Christmas cleaning is always good, and this time was even better. My sister found this jean jacket hiding in her closet, and she forgot she had it there, (knowing that I wanted one of those long ago, shame on you carol), so as soon as she got it out of the closet and threw on the bed, I jumped on it, and claimed it mine.

I proceeded to cut off the sleeves and think of what I was going to sew on the back, you know, inspired by Hayley's and Gaga's badass jean jackets. I then, remembered I had this Star Wars tee, that I thrifted long ago and was starting to smell funny, so what better use could i have found for it. My face lit like a cartoon character.

This is the result. 



I cut out the image only, then i glued it on the jacket with liquid silicone (not the right way to go, but i needed to glue it with something to make the sewing easier), then I sew it and here it is.






This is my "I am your father" response face.


Share it!           0 Comments

I'm on Tumblr you guys

Dec 16, 2012


I was born, and 21 years later I got a Tumblr: http://indieinthecaribbean.tumblr.com/

It's almost the same as here, but with way more images and less words, and more of a casual, non filtered thing, I really don't know. Oh and more of a "oh my God everyone is so awesome and beautiful and talented, and Im a potato" kind of thing. It'll be so much fun.


Share it!         0 Comments

You haven't posted anything in almost a month...shame on you Ross


Yeah, I know, bad Ross, bad Ross, though I don't have many readers, so there is no harm, and I just write for fun and to document the process of achieving my goals and what happens in the meantime, the good, the bad, the meaningless, the meaningful and so on.

Im finally on vacation (I've been on vacation for  like 2 weeks now...sorry), and after procrastinating a lot, and just doing the nothingness I was dreaming about doing once I got some well deserved vacations it's time to get into action: work and study.

Even though I don't have a job, and duh, I have 3 more weeks left since college starts again, so Im taking the time to keep the 'Self-Teaching Filmmaking' process I have been doing half-assed due to the lack of time and take this time to study and learn all I can, and work on my video making (you know, you gotta put the theory to practice, and embarrass yourself on YouTube while doing it).

I actually feel bad because I have kind of wasted this 2 weeks, but that's it, Im serious about it. Well it's not like i have been doing noothing you know. Little before I got out on vacation I was going with my sister to band practice, because she and some school friends are starting out a band and they want me to sing in it but provisionally of course because I am a sucky, sucky singer, but of course I said yes, because I love music, and being surrounded by musical instruments, and of course I could get to play the electric guitar, given that I only have an acoustic one because is all I can afford at the moment, bummer.



No, I don't play the drums, my skills are so little I apparently can only play guitar, (barely) something else would just be pushing it. This is me trying to play the drums, and realizing is not as easy as it looks. Right now I can only play the very beginning of 'Steady As She Goes' by The Raconteurs, (it just came out of nowhere)  and  a bit of 'Starlight' by Muse, (by watching some quick tutorials on YT, everyone was to busy to teach me some drums)...also, I am incredibly uncoordinated.


See how my face is strategically hidden by the plates? Nice job sister taking the picture :D. Man, now I realized I don't have any picture of that sweet cherry red guitar I get to play.

Also, in this two weeks of crazy productivity I have been dealing with major, important and crucial issues for human existence, such as how can I make a cover for my laptop out of some Floppy disks I had laying around. Its harder than it sounds, I own a Compaq 15'' laptop, and not only they don't fit right away, but I wish I could get like a hard cover (like those on Macs) where I can glue the diskettes to, instead of doing it directly on the laptop top.




And of course, there's the video we shot last week, its just a little short that we came up with out of nowhere, its crazy, weird, it makes no sense, but I love it. I mean, hey have you watched Un Chien Andalou? what we are doing is completely normal compare to that.





It was pretty exciting, since we mainly make music videos, and this is the first 'short' we upload to our channel. Here's the video:




Tell us what you think, either here or in the YouTube comment section, whether is good or bad, we always appreciate feedback.

And yeah, this is just some of it... How would you make your vacations productive?



My fictional heroes. For when you are feeling like shit

Nov 18, 2012


So let me introduce you to this people right here, the ones that have carried me through, and helped me feel better the minute I feel like crap, yeah they are fictional but they are my heroes, and they have been there for me even more times that I could count on with real people in real life. Lately I have been feeling real crappy, yes, we all have those off-days, but mine has lasted weeks, months and years. I've heard that writing these stuff down helps, plus I cant afford a therapist, other than my college psychologist. Maybe I should visit her again. 

The thing is that I just thought college was going to be this new beginning for me, a clean slate from all those shitty school years. In some way it has, I certainly have been able to be myself more than ever now, but I also thought that once I started college I wasn't going to have to deal with feeling like an outcast and a lame loser again, it was supposed to be the place and the time where I'd finally find my partner in crime, my future business pal, a friend. At the start it felt like that, but right now I can't wait to finish and graduate.

And yes, I have met incredibly awesome people, but I still feel like a damn stranger.  I know I am the problem, but, how can I change?, how can I make it better? believe me I've tried, I have tried.

I made this collage because as like everyone who watches movies, we all have this role model or this special movie character that makes us feel good about ourselves, and that gives us hope. These are mine, and I just wanted to gathered them all up, like some sort of holy shrine or something, and share it with you. I look at them and I know things will be better, I look at them and I know its ok to be the way I am, and I should not want to be any other way no matter how difficult it gets, and yes this is the new background on my phone.



I just go back and remember and think of all those movies, tv shows, and book characters, where "my fictional heroes" are. The ones that despite being weird, loners, outcast, rejected, awkward, different, or have gone through some really tough shit, have rise above all that, and never changed, even when it got really bad. Yeah, of course sometimes it got so bad, that they felt like giving up, or change who they were, but in the end no one broke their spirit, they remain truthful to themselves, and guess what, they ended up being really succesful, or at least very special in the future. Also, they are fucking hilarious.  We all have them, and these are mine (there are more, oh yes there are).

I love Chandler Bing, who could easily be my favorite fictional character of all times, I love his inadequacy and like him, jokes are my defense mechanism; Cristina and Meredith, my rolemodel of a true genuine friendship, they met after college on their late 20's, so I've still got a chance; oh Abed, I just wish I had a friend like Abed, he is so fascinating and no matter how many times everyone around him calls him a weirdo, he stays the same, just like dr. Spencer Reid; Cosmo Brown from Singing In The Rain whom I just fell in love with right away, Suzy Bishop and Margot Tenenbaum's uniqueness, and their 'i-dont-give-a-fuck-about-what-others-think' really empowers me, just as much as Lorelai Gilmore and Max's 'I-am-my-fucking-self' personality; Liz Lemon is a mayor hero for me, its ok to be lame and a loser your whole life if you're going to be the talented, weird and strong Liz Lemon, I love that woman, I love Tina Fey; which takes me to Napoleon, damn I look at him and I wish I had his determination, his security, his self confidence, and those sweet dance moves, he can be shoved into every locker, and he remains to be that awesome unique person he is; Dwayne from Little Miss Sunshine, I wish there was a guy like him at my school, I really feel related to him, and many times I find myself hating the entire world, ahh we'd be the bestest of friends; and last but not least, the girls from Whip It, especially Kristen Wiig's, Drew Barrymore's and Ellen Page's characters, all of them very empowering women, that show you is ok to be this genuine all over the place crazy chick, and it is bad-ass to be yourself. 

Yes, i also do have some real life heroes but that collage will come later.

So, who are your fictional heroes, which characters get you going and make you feel like you can do just anything? 




Share it!          6 Comments

Ya ta' bueno

Nov 12, 2012


Estoy tratando de buscar las palabras para describir lo que ocurrió ayer 11 de noviembre, y como se sintió estar ahí, pero no hay ninguna cursilería que le haga justicia. Fue surreal, fue maravilloso, fue simplemente bello. Creo que nuestra generación no había visto algo así. Sí lo hemos visto en películas, sí, nuestros padres y abuelos nos contaron como fueron las revoluciones de sus tiempos, pero viendo como son los tiempos de ahora, con toda esta indiferencia y cuando nuestra mayor preocupación es si fulanito me borró de su Facebook (not me, i hate Facebook FYI) o lo que sea, definitivamente me da esperanza. Sé que no escribo sobre noticias, ni política aquí, pero este caso lo amerita.

La protesta pacífica del pueblo dominicano por la injusta Reforma Fiscal (o mejor dicho, una protesta para reclamar por todo lo que nos hemos callado y soportado todo este tiempo, la reforma es simplemente la ultima gota), tomó lugar en el Parque Independencia, exactamente en la Puerta del Conde.

Aquí esta la noticia que hasta salió en el New York Times (para que vean que esto no es relajo). Clic aquí-->  http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-880013




 









Me encantó ver a este señor que tenía pinta de empresario agarrando su bandera y siendo parte de la protesta. Destacaba de la multitud por su ropa formal, ensacado y todo.

La bandera a media asta en un momento de la protesta.
Tantas personas diferentes, de todas las clases, pero especialmente tantos jóvenes de todas las clases, incluso muchas personas que ni parecían de este país, hizo de esta protesta algo muy especial. Sí, sabemos que esta única protesta no resolverá de un tiro todos los males de este país, but it feels damn good saber que callamos a todos esos "ahí no va a haber gente", "eso no sirve de na'", "aquí no hay unidad, y nada se hace bien", "ahí se va a armar pleito eso es peligroso" y un súper etcétera de disparates. La verdad es que si logramos esto, podemos lograr mucho más. This is just the beginning baby.

No puedo empezar a describir lo bien que se sintió estar ahí y formar parte de esto, si eres dominicano, y si no eres indiferente a esto y te sientes indignado y quillao' por lo que pasa, no te limites a las redes sociales, sal y tomemos acción, ACCIÓN y no solo palabras (se siente increíble protestar pacíficamente en persona). Ya hemos dado el primer paso, ahora a darle pa'lla y que esto siga!

¿Asististe a la protesta? ¿Qué opinas sobre la reforma? ¿Cuál fue tu cartel favorito? (El pueblo se botó ayer con las pancartas de protesta) 

Todas las fotos tomadas por: Copyright © 2012. Indie in the Caribbean All Rights Reserved.



Share it!          0 Comments

2 pros flying solo and 1 wonderful comeback

Nov 3, 2012


Today I bring you 3 very new music videos, I mean like really new, released this past week, and they're from great great music makers. The first is Young Again by Paul Banks who released his 2nd solo album, Benjamin Gibbard with Teardrop Windows who released his 1st solo album, and then we have the very expected (at least for me) No Doubt with their third single and video for Looking Hot.





Like i have said before, my favorite kind of music videos are the innovative conceptual music videos kind (with a bit of wtf sometimes),  but of course I also enjoy videos like this a lot, videos with stories mini-movie-like, videos that are funny, and videos with a specific theme (in terms of story,outfits, scenery etc.),  like these 3 respectively.



1. Young Again by Paul Banks

Paul Banks goes back to school in the video for Young Again, and ironically he looks incredibly old in here (you still hot Paul). Directed by Sophia Peer, this video has a sad feeling, like the helplessness you felt in your awkward school years, but thankfully it ends in some sweet victory...or maybe it doesnt (i want to leave some mystery for you, in case you haven't seen it).

Damn, you kids are so lucky :(






2.Teardrop Windows by Benjamin Gibbard

Ben Gibbard is a bad boy in this one, it's Ben like you have never seen him before (man i love Ben). I adore when i see people like musicians and actors who always have this serious guy facade, and they don't look like they joke around much, and then they come out and do stuff that show you they are actually funny as hell, is like, since they're not goofing around 24/7, you appreciate it more when they do. The song is great like every other Gibbard-written song, and the video was directed by Tom Scharpling







 

3. Looking Hot by No Doubt

And last but not least, No Doubt is looking hot, for real, they all look hot (as usual) in this native american themed video. I don't know the director yet (feel free to say it if you do), but this video, even though is nothing new it was very entertaining, and I want to hug Gwen in her red dress.

Oh yeah, this reminds me that when I watched the video on YouTube, the comments were very controversial, saying things like they are offending with racial stereotyping or something like that. I really don't think so, I honestly don't see anything but a theme used for a music video, just as some artist use African culture outfits and choreography in videos, or when someone uses ninjas, and other Japanese culture elements in their videos. I think that these things, when used in the right way, can be a celebration of culture, instead of offenses. But then again, I don't know. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think they are offending someone? yes? no?








That's all for today kids. Oh and have you seen any great new music videos lately? I would love to know, you know me,  I always appreciate new stuff!  Have a great weekend

Share          2  Comments