A Movie of your Life. One Second at a Time.
1 Second Everyday – Age 30 from Cesar Kuriyama on Vimeo.
“Trying to make the best movie possible is making me live the best life possible.”
Cesar Kuriyama quit his job at the age of 30, took a year off work, and documented each day in one second intervals. Now he’s developed an app via kickstarter and it’s scheduled to release today!
I’ve always struggled with keeping a diary because I’m not good with words. I’m a visual person. That’s why I love apps like instagram where you get snippets of people’s daily lives. BUT, I’ve always wanted to keep a journal so I can look back on my crazy nomadic life and remember the good times and learn from the bad. I have a friend who has managed to keep a journal for the last 10 years. One whole decade! She’s like my memory machine. I can go to her and ask what we were up to on October 12, 2009 and she can read out in detail our trip to Norway. It’s amazing.
Needless to say, I’m getting this app. I love making movies. I’m lazy at journaling. I have a bad memory. This is perfect. Check out this interview on the BBC to learn more about the project!
Kurt Vile Baby’s Arm
Amazing song and video by Kurt Vile. This video is proof that you don’t need fancy equipment to make a beautiful film. It was shot on a phone by photographer Todd Cole. So beautiful. The making of the film is below.
Happy Documentary
Happy – A Documentary Trailer from Wadi Rum Films on Vimeo.
I used to love looking up ranks of countries with the best quality of life and trying to figure out why some cultures/people are happier than others. Obviously war and famine stricken places aren’t as happy as peaceful and economically stable ones. But regardless there’s huge fluctuations in happiness among people with similar lifestyles. The documentary Happy explores the levels of happiness among individuals on the psychological and sociological level. Its interesting to see how genetics, geography, socioeconomic status, and relationships all influence one’s state of well being. And how surprisingly little some factors (like money) have on your happiness.
Interesting fact: People who put themselves in the state of “flow” tend to be happier. Engaging in flow means involving yourself in activities where you are so focused, so lost in the moment that you lose your ego. It can be active like rock climbing or creative like painting or writing.
Een, Twee, Drie…
Check out this really simple video. Dutch people from 1 to 100 years old stating their age. I love it.
’100′ (from 0 to 100 years in 150 seconds) from Filmersblog on Vimeo.
Apache, Purty Motion Graphics
The good news is I get to spend this week at work animating graphics I drew last week 
. The bad news is, I’m so rusty at After Effects, its been a while since I dove into the program. So I decided to do some research and found this sexy monster of a music video. I don’t know how they did it, even after I read their behind the scenes instructions. Isn’t it purty?
The Many Colours of Kate Moross
My friend Verity got me hooked on listening to music by Jessie Ware (below). She has a Kate Bush gone R&B feel to her. I watched her “Wildest Moments” video over and over and I couldn’t figure out why I was so drawn to it. The video is literally the singer sitting in front of the camera, nothing special but so enticing at the same time. So I decided to check out the director’s bio and discovered the lovely Kate Moross. Unlike this music video, this London based designer/illustrator/creative seems drawn towards complex patterns and bright neon colors. Her style is very distinct and I really love it when a creative can just as easily design a pair of adidas one minute and direct a beautiful music video the next.
Animated Seoul
Way back in my military brat days, I lived in South Korea. I loved living there and this beautiful animation by Dave Prosser brings back a lot of memories of the country. Breathtaking mountains, addicted computer geeks at PC shops, and street stalls full of grannies making the best food I’ve ever tasted in my life. Ah Korea.
Bombay Beach
Wow, Bombay Beach is one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen in a long time. When it comes to documentaries, I love the cinema verite style the most and Israeli director Alma Har’el perfectly documented the characters in this film in such a discreet and elegant manner. Set in one of the poorest desert towns in California, what was once a beautiful vacation destination for the upperclass is now a barren wasteland with a sad body of toxic water. The documentary follows the lives of a few charismatic souls who call Bombay Beach their home. Har’el is predominately known for her chaotic music videos for Beirut. Elements of her past work are also beautifully showcased in this film where there are often long silent scenes of characters dancing in the desert. If you love experimental documentaries or just want to learn about this crazy little town, watch this film.
Farewell Amsterdam
It makes my heart ache just writing this but it’s official: I’m moving out of the most adorable city in the world. I’ve had a great three-year run and my time here has shaped and changed me in ways that’s still difficult to comprehend. I’m pretty sad to go but I’m also really excited for what is in store for me. My future is still yet to be determined and it’s always exciting to dive into the unknown. All I know for now is that I’m getting on an airplane back to the motherland and regrouping in hot hot Texas for a bit. Then, who knows? Only time will tell.
The first weeks of being in Amsterdam.
Beautiful houseboats, beautiful canals.
I will miss you dappermarkt!
Queens Day, aka the best party in the world
Summer in Oosterpark
Crashing gallery openings
There’s more than prostitution in Amsterdam windows.
So many parties in this house.
I will miss the bicycle more than anything.
Winter, houseboat, boyfriend!
They love dem flowers here.
A short film I made when I first moved to Amsterdam.
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