Universal Studios Hollywood: Video Postcard

I ended up editing a new video postcard and thought it would be nice to share it before school starts.  This is old footage of Universal Studios Hollywood (originally shot in 2004) but the edit is new. Check out 'My Travel Edits' tag to see more of my video postcards, or check my YouTube channel. Anyway, here's one more send up to the end of summer. I'll pretend that heading back to film classes will be just as exciting as this.

Summer School Ends & Memory Almost Full

Summer school has officially wrapped and once again I'm feeling great about what I did and worse about what I didn't. It's in the past now though and I'm ready to move forward. 

More than ever I feel motivated for my final year.  I've had this anxious feeling before, but this is actually the beginning of the end. To be fair, I really don't have anything to say here that I haven't said before . . . or at least I'm not in the mood to write myself a pep-talk. 

I'm tired of not caring about my classes, and I'm tired of questioning all of the things that I don't like doing as an excuse not to do them. I have one last year, and with a bit of extra effort I know it's going to be great.

I went out and bought Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full today which seems relevant given my current thoughts about school again. I'll never tire of learning, and even if for some odd reason I did how could a person ever really stop? I think I'm ready to start rethinking some things, preparing myself, and amp myself up about university one more time. Things are going to change again. For now it's time to celebrate, relax, and maybe just Dance Tonight:

Harry Potter Spin-Off

Whether or not you like the Potter books or movies or merchandise, it seems impossible to avoid them. But aside from the marketing machine, there are a few folks who have taken it upon themselves to exploit the phenomenon and create something new; popular all because of association. I have to say quite a few of these clips are pretty darn clever, but you be the judge as to whether or not they're better. Here are my two favourites:

Is Harry Potter Gay?

Harry Potter Puppet Pals

Will Ferrell SNL Bloopers

I have to say that sometimes bloopers are even better than the scripted versions. These Will Ferrell bloopers from Saturday Night Live (and a few other shows) are no exception. Here's another tip of my hat to those random posts on YouTube that keep me laughing out loud. Enjoy!

Desert Island Flicks #5

See the revised post for this flick by clicking the banner below.

Cool Video Concepts

Recently i've been into the music of Need to Breathe, a group that i came across when randomly downloading songs. This process is nothing new for me (or many others i assume), sometimes it feels twice as rewarding to find something good by accident. After having a few of their tracks on rotation for a week or so, i took the next logical step and did some research. In the process i watched one of their videos on youtube and was impressed at how the low budget concept and self-made music vid by the group was actually pretty clever. I like how the spectrum has expanded in mainstream entertainment, and Need to Breathe's vid for 'Shine On' is an example that it's not so much about the equipment used as it is about the idea. From my perspective, where i have no choice but to be low budget, it's reassuring and inspiring to see this. Not to mention it's a catchy song. Check it out:

Need to Breathe's 'Shine On'

Here's another music video with a basic premise and technique using stop motion with dominos and dice (it seems similar to the White Stripes video using Lego, another one to check out). The reality of doing this one would be somewhat more time consuming than Need to Breathe's vid, but talent is talent and good is good. Enjoy!

Fujiya & Miyagi's 'Ankle Injuries'

A Chill in the Air on CitizenShift

When I received an email from CITIZENshift in regards to a project I did back in January 2006, it took me by surprise. A Chill in the Air was an experimental film that I made for the Make Shorts, Not War contest. The goal was to take a pacifist perspective and by using footage of WWI provided by the National Film Board, create a message of peace. Overall, the experience was incredibly rewarding. My film was shortlisted as part of the English top 10 out of 280 submissions across Canada. Each week the public voted online, eliminating 2 films a week until the final 4. A Chill in the Air made it to that final round.


In the end I didn't win, but until checking on the CITIZENshift site I had just been using the 'top 4' credit for the film. What I found out though is that I actually came in 3rd place (perhaps 2nd place in the popular vote?). The 1st place film was the one that received the most votes (people's choice), the 2nd place was jury's choice (judges/organizers of the contest choice), and my film is listed as honorable mention (the leftover, haha).

The 7 other submissions are listed as finalists. Throughout the contest I was featured in the news in my hometown of Medicine Hat (a small city of 60,000 people). So if having a bunch of strangers vote and share feedback on my film from across the country wasn't enough, being in the local news ended up bringing me back into contact with people from high school who were suddenly seeing my name again. Of course, there was also a great rallying of support from my family and friends who undoubtedly made my experience such a success.

That winter in 2006 was a pretty eventful one for me. It was interesting to be reminded of that, and to rewatch my film again after all this time when I was contacted for an update for the CITIZENshift blog series 'Where Are They Now?'. My answer was, and is, simple enough: still in film school.

Here is the blog entry from CITIZENshift.

Some Old Fremont Footage

Sometimes I get in the mood to edit, but with no new footage I end up rehashing old stuff to make new videos. It's not so much that I plan on doing anything with the video when it's done (although the blog has provided a showcase for my whims) but I do find editing cathartic and relaxing when working on personal stuff. 

For one reason or another (mostly because I'd rather do anything than work on my history paper right now) I had Vegas on the brain so I started playing. I thought about all of the raw footage I shot on Fremont Street in 2005 and that was enough to go on. It's kind of fun to think of how many random edits of things I could make without shooting anything else. Around an hour later I came up with this.

I Am Canadian

I remember seeing this ad on TV back in high school and by chance came across it again on YouTube. Molson always had very patriotic advertising (Molson Canadian beer, who would've thought?) but none of them have come close to this one in my view. Have to say that it still gives me chills and makes me proud to be a Canuck. My name is Luke, and "I AM CANADIAN!!"



Seeing as I'm on a bit of nostalgia trip I thought I'd share another VERY Canadian video with you. This one goes as far back as I remember to the late 80's (I would've been 5 or 6 years old) when you'd catch the Log Driver's Waltz on CBC between various morning shows. See how stereotypes bring us closer together? haha.

Desert Island Flicks #4

Check out the updated post by clicking the banner below.

Film Strip