Man, I Just Love Bongo Drums!

Yes, that's a sarcastic statement. This weekend, we had what I can only describe as a "harbinger of dark times to come." The summer bongo drum playing bozzos have arrived to our peaceful little corner of non-tourist oriented Santa Monica. They invaded our little public park across the road, home to plenty of vagabonds who do no-one any harm, like locusts to a fresh crop devouring every last morsel of the soundscape. Now, as rule, and as my close friends will attest, I am normally a very tolerant person. Dare I say, a touch liberal minded even. But if there is one thing I just can't get my head around and open up to, it is the incessant clamour of a bunch of dudes sitting in public and wanking on a piece of stretched hide. It is like the bongo drum was invented as a cruel joke on society at large by someone who wanted to give every talentless hack musician an excuse to become "a percussionist" by trade! I mean, what is with these people? I just don't get it. The same uninspired beat, over and over again, for something approximating a day! The words "monumental waste of energy" don't even seem to begin encompass the abject cultural poverty I see when I gaze upon some tighty whitey sloppily slapping a sheep's skin! Brutal! I am trying to think of some non-violent way I can protest to this noise polution... and I am having a hard time...

Dear Friends and Supporters of U.B.C. Rowing

As many of you know, the project to construct a new U.B.C. Rowing shell house is nearing completion. The formal name for the new site is the UBC John M S Lecky Boathouse. What once appeared an impossible dream, mired in red tape, complicated special interest groups and lack of real tangible support, will soon be a living, breathing, tangible reality taking up residence on a beautiful bend in the Fraser River, in Richmond, B.C. The completion of this near 10 year goal has been realised in large part to the singular will and determination of Head Coach Mike Pearce. Of course, there have been many other helpers along the way, namely the executive team of George Hungerford, Jane Hungerford, Roy MacIntosh, Martin Gifford, Doug Robinson and Rod Hoffmeister who have been instrumental in making this happen. But, I want to personally highlight that without Mike's dogged persistance, the will in others, who have been so crucial in the project moving forward, would never have been stirred into action. Congratulations Mike!

The site is truly remarkable and really prompts the question: why has this not happened before? The dyke in Richmond, complete with cycling path, provides a vantage point on rowing that I can not think any other site in Canada shares, save perhaps Welland Canal, and we all know how we feel about Welland Canal! With the North Shore moutains setting an inspiring backdrop one can not help but feel their enthusiasm for the sport of rowing that has given us all so much swell in anticipation of such an outstanding achievement: a brand new shell house!

Indeed, this letter is intended to encourage you to be a tangible supporter of this great venture. To share in some small way, through your donation, no matter of what size, the sense of accomplishment in the construction of this building. I believe whole heartedly that it is our time, as key alumni, to put our money where our hearts are and stir ourselves into action in support of the new U.B.C. Boathouse.

One of my good friends, and fellow supporter, Lawrence Varga put it simply that (I am paraphrasing) "we may not have had the best coaching, equipment, nor boathouse when we were at UBC, but it would be nice for other guys (and gals!) to have a better crack at things, wouldn't it!" We had what we had, and we did the best we could with it. But this is not about us, it is about the future of something that we all are a part of and that is the important tone to strike. This is about community and legacy. This is our chance to be a part of a future gift to rowers yet to be.

I know that some of you may be thinking: whatever I got from rowing, I got because I invested myself and my energies. That is most certainly true, rowing is largely a grass roots sport in Canada, and few of us had any support at all aside from the encouragememt of our great families and friends. And we all "put aside" our lives in some way in order to take part in something that held some intrinsic value for us. But you can never take away the fact that rowing provided us with a channel, a format, an arena through which we could inspire in yourselves the virtues that we personally felt when rowing. You choose to take away from your experiences as a rower what you will. However, I challenge us as a group, now, to have the presense of mind to recognise that this gift in some small way may enable another individual to take something away from rowing that will continue to inspire them in that indescribable way that only rowing can . In that way the sport has inspired you.

I ask you now, to take a moment to think of all the people you know today, who you count as your friends, your family, in fact your extended community, that you owe in whole or in part to U.B.C. Rowing. Many of whom, may have met elsewhere, but the path to that elsewhere was laid in U.B.C. Rowing stones. I ask you now, is this not a time in your life to ackowledge how much rowing has done for you?

Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration,
Shawn "Rupie" Walsh

p.s. more specific information and pledge for can be found on the following website:

http://www.ubcgoldforlife.com/

Mike Pearce can be reached by dialing 778-862-5654

Sand Animation?

Animation? Well, no not exactly. More like "live illustrations." Click here and then click on "sicaf_sand.wmv" to see what I am on about. Quite intriguing.

A Scanner Darkly

Oh my sweet heavens! Has everyone seen this trailer!? When Richard Linklater made "Waking Life" after a long period of gestation primarily caused by that always present "technological line in the sand," you just knew looking at that film that there were so many other stories that could be told with a unique sensibility in that strangely concocted potion of digital filming and post production "re-animation" that made "Waking Life" a visual, if not holistic treasure. A "Scanner Darkly" looks like it will be a treat and just the sort of story suited to the dream like quality of this style of animation production. From IMDB:

Based on famous science fiction writer Philip K. Dick's novel set in a future world where America has lost the war on drugs, undercover cop Fred (Keanu Reeves) is one of many agents hooked on the popular drug Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred, for instance, is also Bob, a notorious drug dealer. Along with his superior officers, Fred sets up an elaborate scheme to catch Bob and tear down his operation.

Click here for an official note about the film from the Philip K. Dick Trust. I'm excited about this one! It has some real potential to surprise...

John Gajdecki Interview

Click here to read a great, informative, and open interview with John Gajdecki, Visual Effects Supervisor. I am envious of two things primarily when I read through the interview:

1) my relative late arrival on the visual effects and animation scene in 1996. I should have stuck with my teenage dictionary flipbook animation masterpiece that much longer! I knew it!
2) the wealth of practical knowledge derived from on-set experience. I have been locked in computer monitor tunnel vision land for far too long and I think I would benefit from the "live" experience so much... definately a goal in future job opportunities.

Anyway, for those of you out there hoping to glean a few helpful hints for your own experiments in visual effects, or perhaps just looking for a some added insight into the behind the scenes world of visual effects shot production, check it out!

Running Of The Bulls

Last night as I sat with Meg on the Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade, in a "fake English pub," eating "fake Mexican food," I was challenged by an honest to goodness real life Vallecano (a person born in the Madrid neighbourhood of Vallecas) named Raul Sanchez, that if I was ever in Spain with him, at a suitable time, that we should "become like brothers by running with the bulls." I am afraid that my fate may have been sealed.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe: Film Trailer

A bunch of people have enquired with me about the estimated time of arrival of the first theatrical trailer for the film I am currently working on (coincidentally, I just saw the final cut of it at work!). As usual, there is a lot of interest in the "imagining" of a story that is so central to a lot of folks' memories of adolescent reading. Stylistic choices are the first point of interest when a story is so well known by its intended audience. Everyone can't wait to see what various worlds and characters look like. Remember all the hubbub about "I wonder what Gollum will look like" with the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Well, there seems to be a lot interest in whether a "talking larger than life Lion" will be achieveable or not. Well, judge for yourself. Here's the final scoop according to Disney publicity. The trailer will air at 9:22 PDT, this Saturday, May 7, 2005. It supposed to be on every major network and then some - they are calling it a "marketing black out" or something (sort of when for 90 seconds, no matter what channel you turn to the trailer with be playing). It will also be going out with the final installment in the Star Wars saga, so it should get some "mild exposure" there. I worked on just one short shot in the trailer that features a load of "fauns" cheering with their weapons raised in anticipation of the big battle. The remainder of my work on the film will revolve around digital cinematography of the main set piece battle sequence in the film. It is as you may expect; a grand sweeping cinematic sequence pitting good versus evil. It is going to be a lot of fun to contribute to it!

Added a Link to UBC Boathouse Project

Scroll down the side bar, or click here to go to the official web page for information on the new rowing shell house being built in Richmond, B.C. This project has been spear-headed by my great friend Mike "Fierce" Pearce, the current Head Coach for the U.B.C. Rowing program, virtually since Mike ended his own competitive career and began in earnest to pursue coaching. That's almost 10 years ago now! I think that Mike only went into coaching with the intention of pursuing this "entrepreneurial venture" in mind. Bringing a viable future for the program through the establishment of a new modern facility with room to grow in coming years has always been a goal from day one for Mike, and at long last, it appears that his dreams and intentions are going to become a reality. Mike and I spent many hours dreaming of the development of a truly outstanding rowing facility for U.B.C. rowers while we shared a basement suite together at 16th and Arbutus and rowed together at University. It is truly a thrilling moment to see things coming together for him like they are. As we used to say back in university "all we have to do is get a new boathouse built." Little did we know what that would mean.