An Odd Memory of Jeff Wall

Every once in a while this happens to me: I remember something. Strange though it may sound. It is true. Even though it feels lately like I have maxed out on gray matter: every new piece of information replaces an old one! Something bubbles up from the recesses of my mind... Today I remembered the short story of the small part I had in creating the image posted here. This is a famous photograph titled "Dead Troops Talk" staged by Vancouver artist Jeff Wall. In the early 1990's in a warehouse off of East Broadway Jeff recreated this scene, intended to be a bizarre snap-shot of the 1980's conflict in Afghanistan presented in a history painting scale photo light box. Jeff set it up by fabricating the entire hill-side out of wheel barrow after wheel barrow of earth supported by a structure of plywood. Well, for about a week I went there with my friend Ben Reeves (now an accomplished Vancouver artist in his own right) to help Jeff build this scene. I don't really even remember what we did exactly - I think we moved dirt around. Anyway, I don't remember anything particularly revelatory about the work - aside from the technique being significant at the time: shooting on huge 12 inch negatives separate plates and then recomposing the image digitally choosing all the appropriate takes for different aspects of the image. Pretty standard today. Pretty crazy back in the day. What do I remember? Moving dirt.

Tax Time in Canada

Rick Mercer is up to his usual fine level of comedy regarding tax season in Canada. The thing is - he not far off at all! As you may know I have traveled extensively since about 2003, nearly always working my ass off during the travel. This has created an inevitable trickle down of difficulties when filing taxes. Now, I have been 'good about it' always filing... Or so I thought! And paying good money to have things taken care of... Or so I thought! Recently, upon returning to Canada from the United States I have had a litany of re-filing, splitting incomes, claiming foreign tax credits, etc. What is always funny to me is how your great accountants - who really do a great job - inevitably find a way to save you $4000.00 and the charge you $3500.00. "Hey man," they say "at least you're up $500.00." When you're thinking - but aren't you up $3500.00? And they are the 'good guys' in this case. There's the government don't forget - Canada Revenue Agency! Good god these people really need to redo the plumbing man! I can not tell you how difficult it has been to simply file an adjustment to my 2005 tax return and claim the Canada Child Tax Benefit. More letters than I can count and every time to a different person! Cripes! Anyway... I forge ahead. Only to find out I inadvertantly forgot to file my 2004 taxes. Egad! I had them all prepared, and then due to a bizarre set of circumstances... They were never sent. Of couse, this will be my fault.

Thanks - I Found Them!

Trent Carlson and Andrew Currie are at Anagram Pictures! Thanks to all those who replied to my desperate call for help. No need to mention any names. Kevin Gamble! Kevin, you may be sly, resourceful and clever - but that doesn't mean you're not still... a jerk!

Where is Andrew Currie!? Where is Trent Carlson!?

Fire up the long range Walshman-radar people! Does anyone have contact info for these two Canuck directors? I met Andrew Currie and Trent Carlson back in the day at Mainframe Entertainment, but they are both currently A.W.O.L. from The Walshman's contact list! So help a brutha out and pass them on to me if you can my people. And Thank You!

Walshman Drinks Los Angeles

Join The Walshman for drinks and L.A. style posh tapas at The Beachwood in Venice Beach (Abbot Kinney and Washington Blvd.) on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 in the evening. I am in town for the B.C. Film Commission's Digital Post-Production Trade Mission and will need some serious R&R after a major chin-wag session in Hollywood. I was thinking why not head down to the Ole drinkin' hole while I am in town! So... Come one... Come all! And we will rehash all the good times and free love that was had while working at Rhythm and Hues (L.A.'s computer graphics hippie commune). You can let me know that you are coming by posting a comment!

Image Engine Seeks Senior Compositors

The visual effects for television department at Image Engine is seeking at least 2 senior compositors. Interested folks should contact Jason Gross, Visual Effects Supervisor = jgross@image-engine.com and/or Christopher Mossman, Head of TV = christopher@image-engine.com. Send in the usual supporting material - demo reel and C.V. etc. These positions are longer term contracts (shorter term contracts are also available). Core positions on the team, yadda, yadda. Image Engine is looking for people who know television work really well and are savvy to the ever increasing demands of television visual effects work. There is some incredible work being created for television in Vancouver these days - and Image Engine is doing some of it! 2006 saw the television department at Image Engine handle nearly 400 visual effects shots for "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" as well as a handful of shots on "Three Moons Over Milford." It is a busy department at Vancouver's most up-and-coming visual effects house!

Stanley Park Wind Damage

Click here to see some photos of the recent wind damage in Stanley Park caused by the winter storms we have had roll through the Vancouver area. I have to say that aside from the real obvious danger to people I absolutely love it when Mother Nature gets her knickers in a twist and fires some old fashioned turmoil our way. The wind storm that caused this damage was probably the worst I can remember. One of the more outrageous stories that came out of the wind storms was of a homeless man living in the brush of Stanley Park who was literally "trapped" by fallen debris. He somehow survived the limbs and branches, etc. that fell all around him only to find that once they fell... He was surrounded and couldn't get out! He had been caged!

New Ralph McQuarrie Book

Click here to read about a huge new volume highlighting the work of visionary artist and Star Wars conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie. The singular impact on pop-culture of this one artist can not be understated. He is undoubtedly responsible directly or indirectly for inspiring many of Hollywood's top film makers and visual effects practitioners. I can certainly remember as a kid basically accepting his work as "real." I could never quite figure out the bit about how there was a guy who was not the director but who somehow was "the man" in terms of how everything looked in the film. And then I thought about how cool it would be to be that dude. Well, that hasn't exactly happened... But at least I am involved in making movies!

Extreme Resolution Photography

Check this craziness out. A truly stunning project. Thanks to Rita Kunzler for passing along this link! Here's the blurb from creator Greg Downing:

Hi,

After a few years of work I have finally posted some of the gigapixel photography that I have been creating with my business partner and buddy Eric Hanson and I thought it would be a good time to let my friends and colleagues know about it. I used a pan and tilt technique with a motion control head to assemble 350 16 mega pixel images into a single 3.8gigapixel 360 degree spherical panorama of Yosemite as well as some other locations. I then took the image and split it up into over 100,000 256x256 jpg tiles and used the google maps api to point at my tiles instead of googles map tiles. Now anyone can navigate them. Each time you reload the home page you will find one of 5 of our gigapixel images, and more are coming in the next few weeks. One of the photos is taken from the same spot that Ansel Adams shot "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome" on a spot called "the diving board". From this one spot you can see 9 waterfalls, hikers in the valley below, big and little Yosemite valleys and even a rock climber on the face of half dome almost a mile away. There are 7 other images of this resolution on the site and some interesting movies of time-lapse w/ DEM integration that is interesting too.

This is our second attempt at a launch, the first one was last week. Within a few hours of posting it on a few visual effects studios internal mailing lists the response was like an avalanche. We were serving 22 gigabytes an hour and we were using our entire ISPs bandwidth, they basically kicked us off since they could not serve their other customers. We have since found an ISP with a dedicated connection with 60 times the bandwidth and are on our own dedicated server, so we should be up to the task this time around!

I am trying to get the word out about this website, so if you are a digg.comuser or have a blog please click on the digg link from the homepage and add some comments or blog about it if you think it's cool and tell your friends.

Thanks!
-Greg

Winter Wonderland!

Well no-one really expected this! A massive (by west coast standards mind you) snow storm has rolled over southern B.C. this week. This is the view off of my back sundeck looking pretty much due east at Mount Seymour. Those three peaks you can see are called "The Pumps." Although this has meant all the usual crippling fallout around town with people and infrastructure basically not dealing with it all that well... I have actually really enjoyed it! I love winter! You know, it is a cool thing when the buses are so crowded the driver is just having a laugh with people, letting people on at both ends without worrying about getting all the fares simply because he doesn't want people to be out in the cold! Amazing. As I got on the bus this morning in a decidedly messy morning commute and looked around at all the different faces and heard all the languages being spoken that I couldn't understand, yet people are all happily co-existing all crammed tightly together... Well I couldn't help but feel a little more upbeat about the world. Simple as that.

The 2006 Gentleman's Weekend

After much delay and general phaffing about the annual event that all those in the "Bryden Closed Circuit Audience" anxiously await each year of finally happened! The 2006 Gentleman's Weekend! Now, for those of you not in the know here is the brief history. Eight years ago my buddy Pat Bryden got married and invited friends from all corners of his life to a brief "Gentleman's Weekend" prior to the big event. Much hilarity, quaffing of brewskies, ingestion of the famous "Spolumbo's Sausage" of Calgary origins (and resulting expulsion of various vapours and gases) ensued. When Pat's twin brother Mike got married the following year said group of friends once again shared in a weekend of camaraderie. When the next year rolled around, and no-one was getting hitched - we all decided to have a "Gentleman's Weekend" anyway! And in the years since a weekend away with the Brydens has become an annual event. This year was the third straight in B.C. but shifted from the surfer's paradise of Tofino to the downhill shredding heaven of the coastal mountains!

Nick-named the first ever "Winter Dubb," The 2006 Gentleman's Weekend hosted by Miko Bryden and located in the Squamish and Whistler region proved to be massively enjoyable. Beginning with the traditional marathon ball-hockey kick-off this year located in East Vancouver and finishing up with a nail biting winter rally style race on the Sea to Sky Highway to the airport in blizzard conditions, the early on-set of winter on the west coast provided the perfect setting for an explosion winter sports action. Accommodations at the How Sound Brew Company provided sensational libations including the ever-present order of "Rusty Nails" known colloquially as "the death nail."

Now, The Walshman is not exactly known as a regular on the downhill slopes preferring the heart pounding (literally) thrills of skate skiing. However, in honour of the weekend's gathering, he decided to mount some boards and assault the mountain. Little did he know he would show such divine inspiration on the slopes! Novice? Who said anything about novice! The Walshman has mad downhill skills! Who would have thunk it!? The first run was a blue and he never looked back! Preparations have already begun for the G.W. 2007 in Fernie and The Walshman will be dusting off his mountain biking stead... A year is too long to wait!

Thunderbirds sweep the Vikes at Head of the Gorge

Saturday October 28, 2006

As last year’s winners, the UBC varsity men held poll position for this year’s 5km long Head of the Gorge. Last year’s crew was expected to win with a roster that included Olympians Ben Rutledge, Kyle Hamilton and Rob Weitemeyer. This year the T-Bird lineup was totally new, save for veteran Ben Dove as seven athletes and their coxswain were lost to graduation.

"I know that many thought we would be 'rebuilding' this year with such a large turn over, but this group has been quick to gel and they love to race; anything can happen with these guys," says men's coach Mike Pearce.

Happened it did.

The Thunderbirds held off the attack from the Vikes national-team-laden crew in the first half, then pulled away slightly in the second half to win by 6 seconds. The race was a great confidence builder heading into the Canadian University Rowing Championships being held this weekend in St. Catharines Ontario , where the T-Birds will be looking to defend their National title won last year.

The UBC men's eight was coxswain Adrian Lietch, stroke Brandon Campbell, Tim Love, Ben Dove, Adam Cragg, Graham Harris, Kevin Devlin, Daniel Gaisford, bow Chris Zanieski.

Final times 1 UBC 13:11.02, 2 UVic 13:17.77, 3 UVic JV 14:03.79

The varsity women, emboldened with a one, two finish at the Head of the Fraser Fours two weeks ago, were eager to take on the Vikes in the eight.

The Viking women have not lost the Head of the Gorge in at least the last 15 years -perhaps longer. A determined T-Bird crew started to reel in the Vikes early, closing the starting gap of 20 seconds to less than 10 seconds by the Gorge Narrows . Once the crews were through the Tillicum Narrows the Birds knew they had the race on their hands, but the race now was for the finish line. In the final 500m UBC rowed down the Vikes, passing them and opening up a length before crossing the line first and winning by 26 seconds.

As with the men, the race was a great boost going into the National Championships were UBC will look to unseat the Vikes who won the National Championships last year, reclaiming the title won by UBC in 2004.

UBC women's eight was coxswain Melina Iddon, stroke Nathalie Maurer, Melissa Cory, Ava Storey, Jacqueline Thygeson, Tayna Lahdenranta, Aiden Sisler, Paige Jackson, bow Martha Pierce.

Final times: 1 UBC 15:21.67, 2 UVic 15:47.68, 3> Gorge RC 16:14.71

Walshman Note: As far as I know this is both the only time U.B.C. has won back-to-back at the Gorge in the men's event and the first time the women have ever won! What an enormous achievement and I am sure a sign of great things to come from the program that the Walshman calls home!

Aquí Venga El Otoño! Autumn is Here!

With a great rush of wind and no lack of Mother Nature's enthusiam autumn has blown its way into our lives on the rainy twilight coast of Vancouver. How beautiful it is too! Although I can't say that I relish the thought of the coming "shoulder seasons" of rain before and after the snow, and therefore mountain amusement, makes its annual appearance, I am more than happy to usher in the coming of fall. This year's long, hot summer seams to have contributed to an abundance of rich auburns, reds and yellows hanging in the trees around our neighbourhood. I love the coming of fall. Something unmistakeable changes in the air... A coolness in the morning, the sun at an ever more glancing angle sweetening the light, and a general clearness of the air. I am moved to think that also a clarity of mind comes creaping in...

The Paddy Wagon

So this post is all about supporting the community... Responding to the call for help and all that (Walshman of and for the people!). I received this email from a former visual effects supervisor I worked with on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" Paddy Eason. Apparently, ole Paddy is in a bit of a pickle personnel-wise. Paddy now works from the United Kingdom office of Rainmaker Visual Effects. Paddy is a talented guy with a long history in the visual effects business and great eye. You know those funky composites of Harry running around inside the invisable cloak during "The Prisoner of Azkaban?" Some of Paddy's fine work! I would look forward to the chance to work with him again... For those in the U.K. this might be a good opportunity to get into a company with a presence in Vancouver. So rather than a mass-forwarded email, here's his message:

If you have a moment, I'd appreciate your help. Please take a look and forward this job on to anyone you think would be interested in the position, or anyone else who could help me find a great candidate.

Thanks for your help! -Paddy

Company: Rainmaker Animation and VFX, London
Job Title: Visual Effects Artists
Description: Rainmaker UK is looking for talented visual effects artists. Any and all specializations are sought - also generalists. Compositors, animators, effects TDs, shader writers, matte painters, lighters etc etc... We are particularly interested in senior artists who wish to get out from under large bureaucratic companies and spread their wings.

Dark Vixen I Love You So!

Well, of course, everyone knows how much I love La Megcita! But no, it is not that vixen I speak of today... I am speaking of that dark elixir that (aside from the above stated love) fuels my existance these days. Never before have I appreciated its magical ways the way that I do now. When 5 hours of sleep counts as a "full night's rest!" I can not describe the cravings I have for that warm chocolate-tinged rich and satisfying brew in the morning. Somebody tell me who invented this stuff! Is there too much of a good thing? It is crazy to think I am so reliant on its powers... Am I addicted? Oh no... Of course not...

Long Live The Black Pepper!

It is with great warmth in my heart that I say congratulations to my favourite Caribbean Frenchman and former flat-mate in London the one and only Jean-Paul "The Black Pepper" Rovela! That most enigmatic and indefinable of all computer graphics artists has gained more than a little self-definition in getting married! C'est formidable!!! I suppose this is as good a forum as any to relate the story of how Jean-Paul gained his nick-name. Jean-Paul and I worked together on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" at The Moving Picture Company in London during the dark soggy winter of 2003/2004. It was then we became friends and ultimately flat-mate on Museum St. We would often go for a coffee in the afternoon at Caffe Zilli on Broadwick Street when we realized that today, yet again, we would be at work until well into the evening. It was on one of these sessions, taking a break from the pressure of production and getting to know each other that the subject of nick-names came up... I thought it was a cool way to get to know each other! To find out what each other was called by friends... Illuminating. Of course, I explained how I gained the nick-name in the third person "The Walshman" from my rowing coach at the 1994 World Rowing Championships Volker Nolte who had the habit of adding a "man" to the end of people's names and only referring to them by that. So he would say "where's the Walshman!?" or something. For others, it disappeared after they were no longer in Volker's midst, however, for some unexplainable reason, it stuck on me. Of course later, there was this strange association to lighting and rendering highend computer graphics and RenderMan... But that's another story. So, I asked Jean-Paul, "what do your friends in Paris call you?" To which he replied "Well, ze onlee zing isza guys sometime call me Casanova... Because of the girlzzz!" to which there was much laughter. But, I then (now famously) responded "The guys may call you Casanova, but to the girls you are The Black Pepper!" And well, I guess that stuck too... Bless The Black Pepper and his new family! Long Live The Black Pepper!!!

Damned Cool Spot

Check out this cool spot. A simple but charming idea and a very nice employment of visual effects. I love the way the gathering weight of this snowball is related in the animation. Slightly spongey, but still heavy. Spots are intriguing to me. I have sort have become "a film guy" by virtue of the last few years of work and it is interesting how you can get labeled like that when the core elements of the work are so similar. The thing about spots that is both the killer appeal and Achilles heel is that it is all about the "idea." There are moments where you say to yourself "wow, what a cool idea" and then you realize you just said that about an advert for a brand of underarm deodorant! Film is much less on the idea and much more on the "art." Films last, spots don't. Film is still the best medium to push a design/look/style because of that bloody big screen. Nothing can replace that forty-footer for appeal of a moving image. Anyway, I am blathering on like a madman now... But suffice to say the two mediums appear irreconcilably divided on this idea versus art axis. Yet they both have strong elements of both as well... See what I mean? Intriguing...

My Stupid New Fancy Television

Click here to see the specs on my stupid new fancy television. For whatever reason I have never spent any money on a television. This is literally the first one when the price tag raised my eyebrows. I know, I know... Crazy to imagine in my profession that I wouldn't put any value in one. I used to spend (still do really) so much time at the studio and I guess I always preferred the cinema to home viewing. For the longest time I had a crap 17" JVC television was literally a "hand-me-down" from my folks. No kidding. Early on when I started work, everyone else was blowing all kinds all kinds of cash on huge projection televisions I had my little 17" crapper... Seems ridiculous now, but hey did I suffer? Not really, I just saw a lot movies in the theatre. Meg and I got rid of that one when we started globe trotting. When we got set up in Los Angeles we bought a 21" Toshiba CRT that's been a nice old school set. But, now that we are "settled" in our new place, spending lots of time "en casa" with Mateo and winter on its way, well I thought it was about time to get a "proper television" to watch movies on cold and rainy winter nights at home. So there it is. I am officially condemned as one of those "home theatre guys." I am gonna have to pay someone sit in front of me, chew loudly, and repeat lines from the film for me... Or else it just won't be the same.

Local Boy Makes Good: Neill Blomkamp

When I saw that RES Magazine had finally placed Neill Blomkamp on their "Top Ten Up and Coming" list of graphics artists/directors sometime last year I knew that eventually the chap would break out of the local scene in a major way. Well, directing "Halo" ought to qualify! The news indeed traveled fast around the Vancouver visual effects and post-production scene that Neill had been awarded the directing gig on one of the most hotly awaited films in years (due to the massive success of the video game title). But really, the boy has been on his way for some time now - no surprise given his solo efforts and his more than accomplished professional work for The Embassy Visual Effects. I remember hearing about how he had started his career at Rainmaker VFX right out of high school basically and has been a "natural" with 3D computer graphics from the start. This lead to much accomplished work and word that Neill was a "one-man studio" forging whole projects single-handedly. The fact that very early on he showed a penchant for total project involvement, design and directing, etc. Makes it come as no surprise that he was selected by Peter Jackson (Executive Producer of "Halo") as the perfect new face to embrace this hugely popular title (not to mention the fact that his own work really could be seen as one long extended pitch for this role). As with all films that originate in a video game concept this one has its fair share of nay-sayers already - like this idiot. Why is it that guys like this insist on pissing all over something that they have no idea about. What a moron! I can see it now... "Halo" comes out in 2008 and this jackass will be all over it and saying "Neill Blomkamp is the best thing since sliced bread." Ridiculous - make something, anything, as good as Neill has - then talk the talk. Cudos to Mr. Blomkamp... All the visual effects hounds in Vancouver are watching as one of their own moves on to the true "big time." Now, if it wasn't all being done at WETA...

Now that's what I can a bike race!

Could you have really asked for anything more entertaining in the great wide world of professional cycling than this year's Tour De France? GAWD! It was awesome... The surprise "ban" announcement just prior to the start opened the field to unlikely competitors for the yellow jersey, the early sprints were exciting, a total long shot Oscar Pereiro takes nearly 30 minutes on the yellow jersey in one strategic move strangely unanswered by the peloton, and the alps prove to be nothing but drama. The strategic favourite, and former Lance-a-like Floyd Landis, awaiting hip replacement surgury of all things, finally takes the lead on a gruelling mountain stage, only to completely crumble the very next day, losing the yellow by nearly 10 minutes. Then, of all things, he wakes up the next day and has what some people think was the single greatest day of racing ever on the tour. He charges away from the peloton on the first assent of a ridiculously tough alpine stage, and consumes 70 bottles of water over 5+ hours and 5 monster climbs to come within 30 seconds of getting the yellow back! And as luck would have it - the following stage was a long distance individual time trial and Landis reigned supreme. Crazy. I was up nearly every day sitting on the sofa, playing with Mateo, and explaining to him all of the ins and outs. I think he understood everything. Especially the part about going fast! I am still at a total loss to understand how Landis, after completely shutting down only the day before, could psychologically get himself together and just go out there and say "well, today, I will just get it back." I suppose we could all learn from that one. Vive le Tour!!!