influences

I believe it's imperative to pay tribute to my influences.  Sometimes I have trouble recognizing who or what they are but usually they jump right out at me.  I have a ton, all with different styles and abilities.

Film can create a detached or sub-reality that has always amazed me.  It's one thing to be able to create special effects or utilize tricks effectively in moviemaking but when those skills are deployed to advance a story is when they can become beautiful and awe inspiring.  No one does this better than Michel Gondry.  His work NEVER ceases to amaze me.  I can watch most all of his films and music videos over again and find something new and fun each time.

Frankly everything I've done pales in comparison to his work but I do have a specific project that is lying dormant right now but is directly influenced by Gondry.  It requires models that are taking a long time to make but will be very worth it in the long run.

Anyhow check out this trailer for a film I hope you've seen.  If not, change that immediately.

smaller contributions

In October of 2010 my buddy Jeremy asked if I could help out a guy he knows who is working on a documentary film about "Mott-ly, that guy from Mudhead."

Mott-ly stood out and was not easily forgettable. I did not know him but would see him some nights on the steps of the Nelson Art Museum, an underage drinking haven for teenage outkasts and KCAI students; and then for years at various shows around Kansas City and Lawrence until I moved away in 1994. I knew his band Mudhead too from seeing shows in KC when I was growing up, the last time I remember seeing them play was in Volker Park in the summer of 1989 with Kill Whitey and the Sin City Disciples.

Turns out this guy, Chris Snipes, who is making the movie needs to get a couple of interviews done in Chicago but he didn't have the resources to make it happen. He needed some help. Oh and by the way the interviews are with artist/musician Archer Prewitt and producer Steve Albini: two guys I have a tremendous amount of respect for and people I would love an opportunity to meet and interview. Convincing my good buddy and technical guru Eric to help me out, we were more than happy to set up the interviews and make them happen.

Chris' trailer for My Friend Mott-ly has just been released and I'm very excited about this project after viewing it. I'm honored I was entrusted to do a couple of interviews for what looks to be a truly heartfelt, personal and touching piece about a person I know little about. I think Mott-ly touched a lot of peoples lives and I can't wait to learn more about him when the film is finished this summer.