Custom Gear Shift Knob

One of the first upgrades I made after buying my Jaguar was replacing the leather gear shift knob with a custom one. In contrast to the original, the upgraded version is slightly larger, hand-made, and has a Jaguar badge inlaid under a high gloss resin. I was also diligent in my selection to find one that matched the colouring of the burled walnut in my car's interior. It's no surprise that you can find these knobs with a variety of stains and custom badges, although the wood interiors of Jaguars have made them popular targets.

I made my purchase online from a craftsman who specializes in custom woodwork out of Quebec. The piece cost about $80, which isn't the cheapest option obviously, but it was still more affordable than buying one of these gear shift knobs directly from Jaguar. The interior of the XJ8 is stunning as it is, but this is one of the easiest upgrades to make and it adds a striking focal point to the centre console. Not to mention, it seems like a small price to pay for something that you get to look at and enjoy every time you drive.

My Film School Notes

I rediscovered all of my film school notes over the weekend.  Had I gone to class more often I'm sure there would've been even more.  I'm not entirely sure what I've stored away here, but I'm fairly certain that there's going to be lots to share.  

I'm hoping to pull up some notes on former assignments and show you the resulting projects I did, maybe showcase a few syllabuses to give you an idea of what some of my classes were like, and ultimately archive anything of value for my own sake.

Hmmm, this looks like it could take a while. 

Vintage Inspired Photo Shoot

As I mentioned in my previous post about creating these Weddingstar photo shoot videos, they've proven to be great tests of just what a small creative team can accomplish on a small budget.  These photos shoots are completed in the course of a day, which includes all the setup, photography, and video work.  Of course, the video editing and additional photography for singling out the products takes a bit more time.

Still, creating these promos is as much a test of versatility as it is anything else.  With limited space and time these shoots are rather intensive when it comes to capturing as much variety as possible.  We constantly adjust our lighting, play with the setups, trade out various products, and experiment with layouts that will work in both print and web based formats.  It's actually a lot of fun.