Former Vice President Al Gore's Wicked Speech!

Click here for clips of Al Gore's impassioned speech from yesterday where he slams the Bush Administration's incompetence in "making the world a far more dangerous place." He says the Bush Administration "has dramatically increased the threat of terrorism against the United States" and it is fantastic to see him rail against the Bush Administration for subjecting the American people to the disgrace of the war in Iraq. You go Gore!!!

London Calling: Mega-VFX, Financing and Cultural Fusion

Here's an interesting article from VFX World on the current state and success of the UK film and broadcast visual effects business. Quite a lot of jazz about the place where I work at the moment: The Moving Picture Company.


London Calling: Mega-VFX, Financing and Cultural Fusion

I have to admit that when I first arrived in Soho, it was a rush. So many studios (and good ones!) located in such close proximity to each other. You can literally walk from The Mill to Framestore/CFC, to Cinesite, to The Moving Picture Company, to Double Negative, to The Peerless Camera Company in about 15 minutes. It is quite a healthy situation for both employees and the companies. Rarely are good people out of work, and "fair market value" is very easily attained. Dominance of one studio over the others is rare, and there is less evidence of under cutting for contracts. Why under cut the dudes on the nexy block when they might be your staff in a few months?

Some of the shots I worked on for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were examples of the studios "sharing" the work. I was the Lighting Technical Director on a shot that later included a digital flock of bats produced by Framestore/CFC. We passed off a digital final to them, and they just sat their bats into our grade. The result was really pretty and remarkably easy to do! Many of the shots involving the "interaction" of the Hippogriff and the Werewolf in the film were shared as well between MPC and Framestore/CFC.

Also, it is really true about the "Pub Based Learning" comment. I can't count on fingers and toes how many times I have been introduced to someone from another studio at the pub. Each studio has its own favorite haunt. MPC at The Ship on Wardour, Framestore/CFC at the Coach and Horses on Great Malborough Way, The Mill at The White Horse near Carnaby Street. It seems totally silly, but it's true. The closest pub out the door, that's the crew pub! There really is no comparison to the "social aspect" to the studios here, and in Vancouver. Although, I hope that with the growing East Vancouver scene things will move in the Soho direction!

Why you should never put your picture on the internet!

Unless you are bound and determined to begin a cult following like this: click here

My second film screen credit

I am happy to announce my second feature film credit:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Screen Credits

If you scroll down, way down, to find the visual effects section, and then find The Moving Picture Company, you'll see me under "Lighting Artists." At times like these I remember when I was in my early teens and going to "hockey school" at the University of British Columbia in the summer. The coaches gave out bananas as awards. Why? Well, pretty simple. They taste best when enjoyed for the moment (the longer you relish them, the worse they taste), and if you get to many of them, you get the farts!

Congrats to everyone who toiled to make Alfonzo Cuaron's "whacked-out lunatic Mexicano" vision of J.K. Rowling's world come to life on the silver screen! It was a really fun ride for me, I felt a great sense of accomplishment with some of my work, and I met some great people. Now, about that willow tree... perhaps I should visit the Scottish Highlands for real!!!

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11

Here's a link to a Guardian UK article on the possible political effects Michael Moore's new film, Fahrenheit 9/11, could have on the coming November Presidential election in the United States.

click here

I am in agreement with the reviewer's assertion that under normal circumstances this bold, opinionated film, could be simply seen as preaching to the converted. But, with the added media attention that comes directly from Disney being determined to ban the film, despite subsidiary Miramax's objections, I think it could reach out and touch a lot of Americans who don't consider "Dubyah" to be "all that bad." Bad, he most definately is... support this film!

The Rain in Spain... AGAIN!

Meg is calling it "la maldición de las Canadienses." Every time someone from Canada visits Madrid lately, it rains. It started with me about a month ago when a bike ride in some inclement spring weather yielded a total bastard of a cold (my fault, I know!). Then, Lucy and Paul arrived to experience spring in Madrid in all its glory, only to find themselves battling some serious chilly rain fall during their stay! The weather turned beautiful, of course, after they left and right up until the day that Andrea and I arrived to visit with Meg. Once again, the forecast was for rain and it did not fail to deliver! We managed to have a lovely time with Megcita, even though it rained pretty much the whole time. There were brilliant breaks of sun, which we took full advantage of, but really it was a huge summer storm rolling through that was unavoidable! At times the sky was turned "ocean blue" by huge low hanging clouds. The metro was even closed at times due to flooding! I think I have seen more rain in the past two trips to Madrid than I did the whole damned winter!

Friday, we just bummed around in central Madrid. Andrea and I were both really tired from the work week and early flight to Madrid, so we took the time to sit and eat at Vinoteca for lunch and Lateral for dinner. We even made time for a nap! The only real highlights of the day were me dumping someone's beer in their lap by accident at Vinoteca, and Andrea getting a rude introduction to "las fumadores de Madrid!" at Lateral. We left when she started to look a little green.

Saturday, Meg went to the trouble of organizing a little day trip to Segovia and the neighbouring town of La Granja. In La Granja we visited the Palacio Real and the associated gardens. It was really beautiful and gave you a great insight into the "life of the royalty" in Baroque times. But, as beautiful as it was to waltz around in the former home of the King of Spain, it pailed in comparison to the lunch we had at a little restaurant called "La Zaca." This is a very popular little place for which Meg had to make a reservation one week in advance! We delighted in their specialty called a "favada." It is like a stew with "fava" beans, potato and chorizo sausage in a rich broth and is very typical of the Castilla y Leon area. I also had some fantastic "chuletas de cerdo."

Sunday, we went to the Prado in the morning as it is free all day. For the first time I had a real opportunity to look long and hard at "las pienturas negras." Goya's Black Paintings. Painted towards the end of his life, having severed ties from the court and secluded himself in his country home, they are his most intense and masterful rumination on the disaster of war and the summering of human kind at the hands of evil. They are timeless in their severity, and disturbingly beautiful. We had hoped to see some of his famous drawings and etchings, but none were on display. We then took in a bit of the Retiro, and met Meg's friend Elen at a cafe for our afternoon "charla." Dinner was at the excellent "La Vaca Veronica" and I couldn't resist ordering in the "filete" which is always so good. The restaurant is a great little spot located on "la calle Moratin" near Plaza Santa Anna, conveniently right around the corner from Andrea's Hostal!

Monday was spent doing a little shopping and more looking around in central Madrid. This time we managed to see the majority of Chueca, some of Malasana, the Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, etc. I managed to find some new sandals for the summer weather! made by the Spanish company Camper. Also, a few bottles of wine to tide me over until the next time I am in Madrid (not to mention some excellent queso manchego and chorizo, porque no!?). We managed to arrange to see Pedro for a couple of drinks and some tapas prior to dashing off to cash the plane.

All in all a very enjoyable, if packed, trip to see my Megcita who I miss more and more and more... nobody ever said separation like this would be easy, and I am seeing there is plenty of reason for that. Enough said.

A little bit "Withnail-esque"

Well, I had my first full day off in a couple of weeks yesterday. It was a great day with the weather turning so nice and Andrea (and her research assistant Abby!) in London.

We managed to arrange a visit with Brad and Alison and their two young boys Turner and Gibson. Turner is coming three and Gibson is just three months old. They are a barrel of laughs. Turner's favourite word these days is "no." Turner, would you like some juice? No. See Turner drinking happily. Turner would you like to see the ducks? No. See Turner chasing ducks. Turner, are you a good boy? No! See Turner behaving quite well all things considered. Brad and Alison have a lovely flat that has a view of the park, and is right next to the community swimming pool. Brad made the great suggestion that we "walk the Heath" and so we headed into Hamstead Heath to check out an outdoor cafe that serves a wicked English breakfast. What a great idea!!! It was like breakfast in the garden. It felt a little like home for me because of all the green I have been missing lately! Anyway, after that fine feast we fiddled around in the park with the kids until Brad's sister Martha had to head for the airport.

On the way back Turner decided to test his "separation threshold." He wandered off the path into an open field while his dad gently called "Turner, don't go too far." He was pretty proud of himself striding out alone into a brave new world and stood smiling smuggly as his dad edged further and further down the path. "Turner, we're leaving, come on now." He just chuckled and said "No!" And then, as fate would have it, the separation barrier was crushed in a heartbeat, and his whole little adventure came crashing down around him. A little Jack Russel came up, gave him a sniff, and went "BARK!" Little Turner did the international "this has all gone horribly wrong!" child sign language flop and plopped down wailing at high volume. I am sure he thought he was going to be ravaged by wild dogs!!! His dad marched back up the hill as the little Jack Russel ran circles around the strange little man making an aweful noise. Oh, well, as with all these little lessons, Turner recovered quickly and before we knew it he was back to reciting his favourite word: No! Albiet from the safe confines of his pram.

Having had a bit of an overdose of "family time" (compared to what we are used to at any rate) we headed back to the "other London" for a cafe in Soho. It was great to just sit and read the damned paper for once! Following our "gay cafe," we headed to The Blakemore Hotel where Andrea and Abby are staying in order to be "collected" by Andrea's acquaintance Roman, who is in turn a friend of her friend, Rupert Belfridge. Rupert is a fellow who Andrea met in a pub while in Lancaster researching some time ago. I think Marisha was in on the "meeting Rupert experience." I think it had something to do with Rupert babbling on about avant guard pottery and disco dancing while the girls smiled and nodded. Anyway, we were invited to have a barbeque dinner in Chelsea, at Rupert's mother's place, and we jumped at the chance to sit in a quaint English garden and eat. Hilarity ensued as Rupert arrived fashionably late (to his own engagement) and introduced his own hand made crab cakes as the "finest known to humanity." Some good chatter lead to a fine meal (con langostinas a la plancha tambien!!!) and the suggestion that "we retire to the club." Meaning The Chelsea Arts Club for a game of snooker and glass of port. I made quite the travesty of the snooker, but was very "at home" with my glass of port! Roman demolished me, and then Rupert demolished Roman, reasserting is sharpish abilities with the cue! I did my best to provide top notch play by play commentary. Suffice to say that Rupert's slightly off kilter gait, and rustled appearance, along with obvious upper class upbringing and eccentricity give him "a bit of the Withnail."

"Le Blagueur" is back!

I am happy to report that Andre "El Latino Desastro" Brizard has returned safe and sound from his holidays in France. Welcome back DD! More importantly for me, he has brought with him a fine selection of wines and some olive tapanade made by his mother in Arles!!! Joder macho hombre que bien!!!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I saw Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Claus last Firday night. I enjoyed it, though I have to admit a bit of "preaching to the converted" syndrome on this review. I am a bit of a Charlie Kaufman fan. The film revolves around the idea that a technical process can effectively remove painful memories and enable clients to live happier lives. Patients requesting the procedure experience no more brain damage than "what amounts from a hard night of drinking" and the service is performed by skilled technicians whilst they sleep. Or so they are told, and inevitably, complications ensue. The questions raised by the premise are obvious, but principly it is what is the nature of memory and how does it determine our character. If you erase a memory, are you a different person?

Like all of the filmic offspring of Kaufman's screen plays, however, the film seems to be "all in the idea" and the actual manufacture of the film is a mere rumination on that idea which is perhaps better expressed as a thesis in written form. At times like this, I am reminded of Alfred Hitchcock's comment that the film is "all in the script." Meaning that the actual creation of the shots in the film is merely a mundane technical exercise at best, performed to exacting standards by specifically trained individuals. However, where a film like Adaptation perhaps laboured under its own weight of circuitous plot high jinks (and obvious "how can this possibly end" questions) before the virtual certainty of its final swerve into Hollywood-ism as its only possible outcome, Eternal Sunshine has some gloriously chaotic and touchingly sentimental moments that tend to keep its pace and timing alive and somehow more true to the original idea. It is a love story after all. Thus, the race to the "anti-conclusion" that we all know is inevitable, is actually quite enjoyable. There are some really wonderful moments along the way, often aided by some of the best "invisable effect," visual effect shots in recent memory. One in particular that defies proper description here has Carrey exiting a bookstore (the sight of a recent tramatic memory) only to walk seemlessly into a friend's living room whilst the bookstore flickers in and out of existence - seen only by the audience. Does he know he has just lost a memory?

The ride through Joel's (Jim Carrey) rapidly deteriorating memories of his relationship with his recent girlfriend Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) as they are systematically and surrealistically erased is of course helped along by some exceptional performances by a sharp cast. Winslet is forgiven for Titanic now in my books (hardly her fault I admit, but I lay the blame nonetheless) based on this one wonderfully whacked out performance. Her version of "high maintenance" is I absolutely believeable and endearing. I loved Mark Ruffalo's stoner technician, with the most outlandish "bed head" known to man. Not the sort of performance to build a career around, but he was amazing nonetheless. Tom Wilkinson and Kirsten Dunst both turn in measured and exemplary performances that play off their established screen personas. Carrey is totally watchable and quite engrosing as the sometimes funny, mostly sad Joel. In hindsight, it is Carrey's proper break out from straight up comedy into the seldom inherited territory of "comedian and dramatic actor" a la Robin Williams. He has really stretched out in this film and I hope it is the sign of amazing things to come.

Those expecting a truly "indie" weird out experience will be disappointed, as the guts of the story just don't support that kind of experimentation, and Michel Gondry's direction is just too damned stylish! What I can't stand is all the complaints from reviewers about requiring "immense patience" with the story due to its jigsaw puzzle structure. These are the same reviewers who complain that a film like Van Helsing is nothing but pulpy bubble gum and squeal for more. Yet, when they have to work a bit, they get tired and complain of "hard going." I say "pipe it, you!" Those looking for a lovely bit of offbeat love story, you have found it in this film.

Mi hermana esta aqui en Londres!

My sister is here in London! She arrived safely this morning with her research assistant Abby and seems to be none the worse for wear after the flight! We will meet up later today for a pint of the nectar and then some food at one of Soho's grottiest of grotty bistros. Ha! Andrea is here to do some research for the next few weeks at the Victoria and Albert Museum, during which time we will go to Madrid together for four days to see Meg. By month's end, she'll be off home I and I will be busy moving to my new flat! It should be a lot of fun and I hope we have plenty of time to see each other even though we will both be really busy. AT the very least, we'll have a blast in Madrid!

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, a big happy Mother's day to all the mother's out there and a special one for Mom, Jenny and the most impressive Mrs. M.J. "Grannie" Blakely!!! We miss you all more than ever this year with the increased distance between us, and hope to see you all this summer to celebrate properly. Here's hats off to the matriarchal leadership that guides this family!

p.s. and a special "shout out" to the expectant Miss G who we are all sure will be the next in a long list of fabulous new mothers in our midst!