A Direct Kinect
The line to enter The Galen Center
In a recent post I mentioned going to a preview event for Microsoft Xbox 360′s “Project Natal”; although it was just a beta I was very impressed with what I saw and posted video footage I shot of Mr. Sean G testing out Natal doing his best Breakin’ rendition.
A few days later I received an email from Edelmen, Microsoft Xbox’s PR firm inquiring about the video (uh-oh), which they were excited about and wanted to use, but…asked that I edit and “blackout” the device like it was in the witness protection program since it was still in beta (whew). Considering what happened with Gizmodo’s Jason Chen, I immediately complied no questions asked and the subsequent edit with their help ended up receiving over 100K views, which is why I presume a few months later I was asked if I could come out to LA for E3 to attend the launch event for Project Natal featuring a performance by Cirque Du Soliel. You better believe they didn’t have to ask me twice! I was flattered they even considered me and psyched to have the opportunity to witness and experience their huge kickoff event for E3!
On June 13th that opportunity came…
Downtown Calling
Thanks to Jon Moskowitz’s retweet of Gak City’s post for putting me onto this, looking forward to getting the chance to check it out. I’m so fascinated with this time and era since I was able to catch glimpses growing up…
…Las Vegas
Historically, this is one of the ‘lead-up’ weeks to Las Vegas, the week when many of those in or related to the apparel industry are prepping for next week’s trade shows. Whether you have a booth or you’re showing out of your hotel room, these are the last, (usually) hectic and frantic days before you leave for Vegas. You’re making sure your samples are in, hopefully correct, or you’re praying that they just arrive in time. You’re checking booth design, floor plans and layout. You’re editing down and merchandising the collection, laying out line sheets, getting them as close to ready as they can be, or you know you’ll be at one of the Kinko’s in Vegas right up to the last minute before the show starts. Everyone who’s prepping for the show is going over their mental ‘to do list’, every little, and last detail, making sure they’ve got everything in check…
Everything’s Gone Green
It was an ‘eventful’ Summer for me this year to say the least, even if it meant having to work and produce them. Back in July, I was asked by LTD to direct and project manage the third installment of the Green Label Art program for their client, Mountain Dew.
Off The Radar
It’s been a long NY minute since my last post, not that it matters, last I checked Google Analytics it said I was the only one reading this!
I’ve been ‘off the radar’ for some time, but my intention with this ‘blog’ wasn’t to provide daily updates and posts. It was more of a place for me to write about my thoughts and musings on life and projects I’ve worked, or working on and the related experiences. Maybe you’ll connect with them, maybe you won’t. For me, it’s something I can look back on to have a ‘point of reference’.
Farewell To A Cultural Icon
R.I.P.
I couldn’t believe the news as I watched it unfold Thursday, I mean who would have thought? I kept thinking to myself, “Not him, not now.” It was one of those unexpected, surreal moments that everyone will remember in history.
Public Ad Campaign’s “New York Street Advertising Takeover”
Last Saturday when we had our first taste of Summer-like heat, I noticed some billboards around the neighborhood being ‘whitewashed’ and replaced with some interesting ‘pieces’ that I took some flicks of:
There’s was also a small sign which accompanied each of the pieces which read:
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice set
There’s never a shortage of filming going on around the neighborhood, so much so that most of the time I take them for granted, just checking the permits that go up to see how it effects my alternate side of the street parking game – a treacherous one in this area at that! I may recognize the production taking place, but usually keep it moving; although I have to admit there have been recent highlights, such as seeing Ice-T and Coco with their “his and her” Bentley’s when Law & Order SVU was being filmed here. The other, was the recent production for Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice“.
Record Store Day
I subscribe to Bob Lefsetz’s email mostly for the shits and giggles I get reading his constant critique and blasting of the current state of the music industry, at times he can be very insightful with his observations, but in one of last week’s emails he wrote:
“As for Record Store Day…How laughable is that. If you’re salivating over this, you’re living in 1990, and hoping we go back to 1970. Record stores are dead. As dead as your Apple II. Some will survive, as dealers in antiquities and tchotchkes, but essentially everyone will buy online.”
The End of Print?
I went to the Envoy Gallery Monday night for the launch event of CRUSHfanzine, a quarterly publication who’s theme is to examine the intense moments of ones obsession.
According to co-editor Nicolas Wagner’s note, the magazine:
“…came out of both frustration and an unexplainable desire to see, collect, cut out, paste and gather visuals of the same person or subject.”
The Editor, The Cover Star and The Wife (Nicolas Wagner, Tal & Arthur)
Where The Wild Things Are
I can’t begin to tell you how much of a profound effect this book had on me (as well as everyone else) when I was a kid. I can remember reading Where The Wild Things Are and then acting out the story in my mind or by myself, it just opened a world of imagination that I still feel some connection to to this day.
Through the years I’ve seen many (kids) books translated onto the big screen, but always wondered when this one would would have its day. When I heard Spike Jonze was directing, I was absolutely elated, in my opinion it was either him or Michel Gondry who would truly be able to tackle the story and give it justice. Then there was the leak of the ‘test shoot’, which made me anticipate the film even more, but then the stories of studio heads demanding there be a re-shoot and re-edit because kids were scared into crying during screenings and my hopes once again started to fade.
Then low and behold….
Nothing is original…
A brilliant and inspiring quote from one of my favorite directors Jim Jarmusch, designed by Mark Malazarte.
C-N-M
Capone and me "shooting myself in the foot"
I’ve been seeing some recent posts on Capone-N-Noreaga promoting the upcoming release of their third album, “Channel 10″, which leads me to this photo that I dug up from my archives. Back in March of 1999, while I was working for TRACE Magazine I got offered the opportunity to interview Capone for a Queensbridge-themed music issue. Mind you, I wasn’t originally hired as a writer, I handled ad sales and marketing, but with such a small staff I got the fringe benefit of being able to ‘wear different hats’ while I was there.
A Time Before Digital
Colin Sutton, Raymond Roker, me and Ruslan Karablin @ 432F - 1992
Raymond Roker posted this picture on Facebook recently in an album titled, “A Time Before Digital Cameras”, which evoked fond memories taking me back seventeen years. Wow, seventeen years, I doubt anyone in the picture knew at the time, but looking back now, the first 432F trade show could be considered a seminal chapter in streetwear and its culture. (more…)
So It Begins…
Thinking back, it was last New Year’s Eve when I bumped into Jon Shapiro, random considering I hadn’t seen him in a couple of years and here he is in the madness that ensues on the streets of Manhattan just after midnight. Shipes said he’d been on his grind making moves such as bringing Sean Kingston to Epic Records and in the process leveraging an imprint deal for his label, Cinematic Music Group. He also mentioned that he was signing Devin The Dude to an indie label, Razor and Tie, which baffled me since (I thought to myself, “Wait, didn’t you just say you signed to Epic? and) I knew Devin had been on Rap-A-Lot for his entire career. We laughed about some buffoonery that took place the last time we saw each other, exchanged numbers and that was how 2008 began…