Let's Be Human Beings

2010-11-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

"It's a story about us, people, being persuaded to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to create impressions that don't last, on people we don't care about."
- Tim Jackson

This quote from an economist kept coming to mind while I re-watched The Last Days of Disco. Still my favorite movie about young people in New York City. And young people in general. And, I guess, disco.

2010-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy year, which is why this blog fell by the wayside months ago. I'm reading some of my posts from the past 2 years, and I'm having one of those moments where you realize that maybe you've become a totally different person really fast and didn't even realize it. Like when I rewatched some Wes Anderson movies a few months ago and questioned what kind of person I had been in college to identify so much with movies that I can barely stomach now. Or when I listen to an old mix cd that I used to love and now all the songs seem random and irrelevant.

So maybe I should just rename this blog, "Things that seem important enough to post about at the moment, but that I will feel uncomfortable reading again in less time than it takes for most people to graduate from bar tending school." Catchy, right?

This is what's happened since my last post: I'm married now, to an exceptional woman with pretty hair and a lot of patience. I've directed some great projects and spent way too much time reading people's youtube comments after they've been released online (I know I shouldn't do this, please help). I'm working on a feature screenplay that's probably going to consume the next 2 years of my life. Also, I just rewatched the above Woody Allen clip and realized that there are certain things that I will always think are great.

I'll try posting more regularly here, I promise.

2010-05-03T17:27:00.001-07:00

My new Cage the Elephant video is being screened at Joaquin Poblete's Videomacher series this Friday night. Come by and talk videos with me over complimentary Boxed Waters!

2010-04-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

The new video I directed for Cage The Elephant came out this weekend. I'm celebrating by being really sick.

2010-03-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

Catskills set humor via Joaquin:

Q: How many first-time directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: "I don't know, what do you think?"

I'm back on twitter.

2010-03-03T00:50:00.001-08:00

Yes, she takes a lot of pictures.

But did I mention that she also speaks a little Chinese?

And that she knows almost every tree in our neighborhood by its proper name?

And that she can do a dead-on impression of Hillary Clinton?

Did I mention that she can dance really well when she's a little tipsy?

And that she genuinely appreciates Dizzee Rascal?

And that she has a preoccupation with unsettling historical details? Like Howard Hughes' OCD. Or the Donner Party. Or Van Gogh's chlamydia.

Did I mention that she paints surprisingly well, especially on the backs of old paper grocery bags?

And that kids and animals adore her?

And that old men do double- sometimes triple- takes when she walks by?

Did I mention that she's brave? Even in the face of really bad odds?

And that she never gives up, because she's unwaveringly stubborn?

And that she has integrity, and grace, and a quiet dignity that makes everyone around her a little less afraid to be a little more sincere?

And yes, she takes lots and lots of pictures.

2010-02-15T19:03:00.001-08:00

It was really only a matter of time before this happened.

moremediaforeveryone.com

We'd talked about starting our company for years, and last month was the perfect time to launch it. Steve and I have always had a do-it-ourselves (d.i.o?) mentality, and we're glad to have the opportunity to branch out completely on our own. Our rep, Laure Scott, is on board, and we're looking at options for UK and commercial reps. We're also excited to be joined by our good friend Josh Forbes. He's a genius in every possible way.

Since it's 2010 and an addendum like this is inevitable, you can follow us on:

twitter, facebook, tumblr, and flickr

On an unrelated note, this is hilarious.

2010-01-26T15:26:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a life-changing experience in Kentucky. I saw things no man should see.

I passed out on the plane last night and woke up realizing that I'd had this on repeat for 3 straight hours:

Seriously, this is going to be a great year.

2010-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

The new Motion City Soundtrack video I directed is out now. I owe a big thanks to the band, Targa, and everyone at Sony for taking a chance on a weird little idea. And of course, a giant thanks to Steve, Roger, Hillary, Bjorn, Ryan, Danielle, Chef, George, Justin, Joaquin, and our whole team of insanely dedicated and amazing people.

Also, check out the commentary I did with Keith for his hilarious Lenny Kravitz/Justice/Michael J Fox video. We talk enthusiastically about the 80s, Blossom, and promising young electronic french bands.

2010-01-06T15:39:00.001-08:00

I started the year off with food poisoning and post-production, which is a horrible mix. I sampled every drink at the bodega on the corner, pleading with God to let something stay put in my stomach and sustain me through the edits, and re-edits, and edits of re-edits. Here's what didn't work: Gatorade, Naked Juice, 7-Up, Vitamin Water. Here's what did work: UCC Coffee. Leave it to the Japanese to concoct a beverage that's impervious to whatever evil cousin of mad cow disease/ebola virus I was suffering through. I'm addicted now.

The Manchester Orchestra and Pistol Youth videos ended up on a few more "best of" lists and Fuse has a cool behind the scenes feature on the Shake It Out video. Yet another opportunity to see Clay lose fake arm-wrestling competitions, this time from all new angles!

2009-12-16T16:29:00.001-08:00

A huge thanks is owed to all the talanted people who made the Motion City Soundtrack video happen this weekend.
Virtual reality, cloning machines, death rays, and a choreographed dance sequence. I think we covered all the bases.

Also, check out Spin Magazine's list of the best music videos of 2009. Manchester Orchestra comes in at #8 on the countdown-
Lady Gaga got robbed!

If you haven't gotten your fill yet, there's more Manchester Orchestra action over at videostatic, where Keith Schofield was nice enough to join me for a video commentary. Hear us discuss the finer points of filmmaking and count the number of times I use the word "like".

2009-12-05T21:10:00.001-08:00

I'm in Chicago, speaking at Bjorn's amazing CoLab forum, which is one of those rich, rewarding experiences that helps me to appreciate 1) how many extremely talented people Steve and I are surrounded by, 2) how it would be impossible to do what we do without those people, and 3) how difficult it is to explain how I do what I do without simply bragging about these people. Seriously, we have the greatest group of creative friends anyone could ever ask for.

But it's also really cold out here (my first time ever in the midwest in winter), and I'm ready to get back to LA. We have a bunch of projects coming up with some fun bands and some weird ideas, and I can't wait to walk around my apartment again in jeans shorts with all the windows open.

2009-11-06T10:07:00.001-08:00

My new video for Manchester Orchestra is debuting on the web today. I watched Over The Top around 10 times over the course of the production, which is about 9 more times than anyone should have to watch Stallone do pushups on the back of a parked 18-wheeler.

2009-11-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

After four years of slapping band-aids and duct tape on my crumbling web portfolio, it was time to finally give the whole thing a massive overhaul. If you're one of the few people who reads this blog without having been redirected from my site, check it out.

2009-10-06T18:30:00.001-07:00

You can always count on honest design critiques from Bjorn. For goodness sake's man, it's a Stallone movie, I'm pretty sure big homey didn't even know what Helvetica was.

Also, I have a really quick cameo in the new Lenny Kravitz/Justice video. Somewhere around the 3:20 mark. Look mom, ~~I'm~~ my name is on TV the internet! Thanks Keith. Any color timers out there want to explain what it is they do?

2009-09-30T15:59:00.001-07:00

I spent the weekend in Nashville shooting a Manchester Orchestra video and getting acquainted with the south. Like every trip to a location with it's own dialect, I ended up subconsciously assimilating myself and by sunday afternoon I had a lazy drawl that made me sound folksier than a will call at the Grand Ole Opry. I caught myself telling a key grip to "move that there C-stand" and was so embarrassed that I spent the next hour reciting Wu-Tang lyrics in my head to cleanse my palette.

2009-08-31T14:08:00.001-07:00

Dear Kanye,

Today I found a box of costumes from the "Best I Ever Had" video under my desk. Do your video girls still need these? I was thinking about giving them to my girlfriend's nephews for Christmas. They sure love sports.

Good luck on your VMA nominations!
Isaac

ps - If you win, my producer and I are storming the stage looking like this:

2009-08-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

The video I directed for Cage The Elephant premieres on the MTVs this Thursday. A super huge thanks to Max, Marc, and everyone else who pushed it so hard. We still don't know if they're airing the director's cut or the "broadcast safe" version, but either way, it gets pretty grizzly.

I don't even have cable, so if someone wants to tivo that, that'd be great. In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to celebrate a job well done in a more unorthodox style:

2009-08-10T00:53:00.001-07:00

A huge thanks to everyone who helped out on last week's shoot. We spent all day filming off of moving golf carts in downtown LA, and then finished the night by bashing some life-sized pinatas. Sometimes it was hard to tell if we were filming a music video or putting together the ultimate quinceanera.

2009-07-31T11:50:00.001-07:00

If I'm ever on Jeopardy, I hope one of the categories is "garden gnomes", because I learned enough about them last week to completely dominate. I directed a video for Cage The Elephant on Monday that will feature little people, psychedelic forest sets, and a vague metaphor about the perils of hiding secrets. The guys put on a great Letterman performance last night, which was a relief since I was sure that their throats were coated with fake snow and spray paint fumes from the set. We're in post now and already in pre-production for the next video- it's shaping up to be a busy summer.

Personally, it's been one of those weeks (months? seasons? it's hard to tell sometimes), and I'm extremely grateful to be surrounded by good people. The kind that genuinely care about me and will remind me to do the right thing when I'm feeling unsure. The kind that will kick my butt a little when I'm not being myself and the kind that will put an arm around me when I'm up to my neck in stuff that's out of my control. I still believe that truth, and love, and goodness always triumph in the end, and you're all a constant reminder of that. Thanks guys.

2009-06-26T15:06:00.001-07:00

This Maira Kalman piece for the New York Times is worth reading ten time in a row. (Via Steve)

2009-06-23T23:10:00.001-07:00

2009-06-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

"Serious Business" photo by Ryan Reichenfeld

• LA Film Festival is screening one of my music videos this Saturday at the Italian Cultural Institute downtown. It's part of a music video showcase that starts at 7:00. If you like music videos and you want to see me wear a tie, come on down.

• On the 25th, They're screening a selection of my videos, along with stuff from Keith Schofield, Josh Forbes, and Andy Bruntel, at Space Fifteen Twenty. I'll post a flyer or something when I get one.

2009-05-27T12:25:00.001-07:00

"And brothers, you can't change nothin' with rhetoric and slogans. Because if a man's really got the truth in his pocket, he doesn't talk about it. He hangs it out on a shingle where people can see it." - Putney Swopes

2009-04-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

If you're in LA on May 1st, Dublab is screening a few of my videos as part of a showcase at the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax. More details at dublab.

Also, David Torno has an extremely in-depth video about the fx techniques in our Pistol Youth video at Pro Video Coalition. (RIP Bea).

2009-04-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

Alligator Dave between takes at the Red Stripe shoot.

Things have been relatively quiet this week except for the persistent sound of my wheezing cough, which was just one of about 20 equally disgusting and annoying symptoms from the cold I caught after last week's shoot. Hours after completing a 16 hour day that celebrated all things Red Stripe, I fell into a week-long battle with every sinus in my face, and spent the majority of the week clutching my stomach in the fetal position my bed. It wasn't pretty, but it's amazing how refreshed and focused you feel after consecutive days of either staring at the chipped paint in your ceiling or the wrinkles in your comforter. Inertia isn't a very good look for me.

A spot I directed a while ago was featured on an MSNBC segment last week. It's a political spot for an environmentalist group, and while I'm not looking to become the next James Carville, it's kind of cool to see serious people in suits talk about something ridiculous I made. Watch the msnbc segment here(fast forward about 25 seconds to get into my clip).

2009-03-19T22:24:00.001-07:00

Just a few things

Joaquin has a new music blog that combines mini-essays on Third Eye Blind with hand-drawn illustrations.

It turns out Kate was right all along, I've been overwashing my hair.

My new self-help mantra: Live every day like you're Busta Rhymes making his first appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show.

If you're short on time, the best part is at 3:25 when Phife hold's Busta's mic so he can use both hands to turn his reversible Dr. Suess hat inside out while rapping.

2009-03-04T16:16:00.001-08:00

She knows the scientific name for every type of cloud formation. She can draw a map of America with her eyes closed. She knows all of the words to A Shaker Hymn and she remembers Lil' Kim verses from 5 years ago. She laughs because babies can't make decisions for themselves and she sighs when the moon is low in the sky. She's patient. She's stubborn. She's detail-oriented. We're pretty sure she's the reincarnation of Louisa May Alcott.

She takes pictures of everything.

2009-02-25T00:25:00.001-08:00

We shot the Great Lake Swimmers video last night in Topanga. Controlled chaos in the middle of a pitch black canyon. Giant thanks to Corban, Kari, Marc, Robbie, Flip, Schlam, Josh Forbes, all of the grips and gaffers that spent the night pushing generators and lights uphill through poison oak, and of course, Steve, who hasn't slept in days.

I'm not one to hype my own projects, but I'm pretty sure this is going to be the Citizen Kane of Canadian folk music videos.

2009-02-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Pistol Youth video landed in this week's issue of TV Guide (full page here). This is full circle, right? A TV show about old women gets co-opted by young men for the internet, which gets covered by a magazine about TV that's mostly read by old people, in a section devoted to what young people are doing on the internet. Also worth pondering, is why Jimmy Fallon has a water cooler in his office. Is his office in a hallway? Does the break room at NBC have internet access? Someone get that guy an espresso machine or something.

It's another busy week of writing, and revising, and editing, and decision making. And sometimes when I get antsy I cannonball onto city skylines.

Yup, Kate took this.

2009-01-30T00:53:00.001-08:00

"the type to get hurt, but that's the past tense"

I've been a hermit all week- stop-motion animating, designing, and growing my moody beard. I'll get back to posting more often next week, in the meantime thanks to everyone for their nice e-mails. If I haven't gotten back to you yet, I will before Monday.

Also, is it bad that watching little Charles Hamilton hold his own against Serius Jones was just as inspirational to me as the entire inauguration day? I've watched the video enough times to teach a grad school course on it and I still get chills watching that split second when Hamilton decides to go in for his 2nd verse.

2009-01-22T12:17:00.001-08:00

Not that "Buddy Holly" and "Windowlicker" aren't two of my favorite videos ever, but let's keep it real.

The Pistol Youth video has gotten a few nice reviews around the internet:
Pitchfork, Videostatic, abduzeedo, Boards, idolator, and urban outfitters were all really generous, but my favorite thing so far is this comment:

2009-01-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Pistol Youth - In My Eyes

This is finally ready to see the light of day! A huge thanks to David Torno for his unbelievable fx work, Bjorn who donated his design skills to the title sequence, and Brad and the band, who somehow trusted me when I pitched this.

2008-12-27T21:17:00.001-08:00

This time around I put together my favorite songs from the year. Not all of them came out in 2008, but I listened to each about a million times over the course of the last 12 months. I don't have the time to do the usual commentary, so you can just make up the reasoning for why a U2 b-side would become my favorite song this year on your own. Weird, I know.

Download Really Let's December mix (right click and 'save as')

1. The Walkmen - In The New Year
2. Why? - Fatalist Palmistry
3. Esau Mwamwaya ft. M.I.A. - Get It Up
4. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
5. Q-Tip - Move
6. Superchunk - Driveway To Driveway
7. Portishead - The Rip
8. Modeselektor - The White Flash
9. Will Oldham - I Send My Love To You
10. U2 - Unchained Melody

2008-12-17T22:16:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I'm a little late on this one, but wow.

It's been raining nonstop in LA this week, which means that every time I venture outside everything has that great overcast and gloomy look that makes me feel like I'm living inside a Cure album (let's say Head On The Door to be specific) or a Johan Renck video. It's perfect weather for a week of last minute editing and color correcting, and a great opportunity to wear all of my clothes at once to stay warm. Seriously, LA isn't supposed to be this cold.

Promo News gave me a little shout out for the latest Rosie video, and it's nice to see Camila and Stein get a mention too. With those guys it's impossible to make anything bad. Also, Abduzeedo, a German design site, was nice enough to post a little piece on me a few months back and I forgot to mention it. Thanks Alexis.

2008-12-09T21:25:00.001-08:00

I had to fend off a lack of sleep and a nasty case of Thai-related food poisoning to finish this album cover, a Griffith Park foliage tribute for an indie rock band from Kansas. I'm really happy with it, but I'm afraid I'll never be able to look at it without being reminded of Chicken Phad Thai.

I should mention that the Draw Pictures holiday dinner on Monday night was a great opportunity to see everyone who made this such a fun year, and a humbling reminder of how many people it takes to make my ideas look good on film. Everything I did in 2008 wouldn't have been possible without tons of hard work from Steve, Marc, Corban, Bjorn, David Torno, Daniella, Sebastian, Jessica, Joaquin, Ariana, Scott, Justin, Bro Zealand, Camilla, Lisa, Phil, Jen, Stein, all of the interns, and everyone in the London and LA offices who either let me sleep on their couch, their editing bay floor, or their shoulder during long flights. Thanks everyone.

Wait, one more non-sequitur before I go sleep for 20 straight hours: How amazing is this?

Dave and I used to have an ongoing discussion about what song would play when we approached the plate if we were pro baseball players. I used to say either MOP's Ante Up (c'mon, tell me that isn't the perfect choice) or DJ Shadow's The Number Song (also, c'moooon). But after watching this, I'm afraid I would just have to request that my walk from the dugout take exactly 6 minutes and 12 seconds so that the whole stadium could feel the hair stand on the back of their collective necks by the time I was ready to strike out. It's so good it almost hurts to listen.

2008-12-01T13:22:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was perfect in every way. I slumbered. I drank grapefruit juice.

I saw Deerhunter, who was brutally loud (and who quite possibly sent me a subtle message of support via a t-shirt). I tagged along as Dave shopped for Christmas while out of his mind on Vicodin, which was brutally funny. And I read about Brutalism, which is quickly becoming an unhealthy obsession (who knew concrete could be so fascinating?). In summation- brutal, so very, very brutal.

Also, we recently finished the edit on the Nintendo spot I directed last month. You can see it here.

2008-11-21T07:06:00.001-08:00

That was my view from Griffith Observatory at 6:15 this morning. Yeah, 6:15 am. I couldn't sleep last night, and for the first time in 3 years it had nothing to do with crazy record labels or ad agency timetables. Please, someone shoot me before I just straight up turn into Brian Krakow. Ridiculous.

2008-11-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

Bro Zealand meets Bea Arthur. Could there be a more winning combination?

Also, if you're really into public transportation or you just use newspapers for warmth in the wake of the recession, you should take a peek at this month's issue of Metromix. The really nice girls from Uh Huh Her are the cover story, and they talk a little about our video shoot.

2008-11-11T20:39:00.001-08:00

I decided to do my monthly mixtape thing again. There's no real theme here, just things I've been listening to lately that I think my friends might like. I'm calling it the "Really, Lets" mixtape series, and I'll do my best to keep it a monthly thing. We were on a roll for a while, I'll see if I can at least knock two out before the end of the year.

Download Really Let's November mix (right click and 'save as')

Tracklisting:

Stereo Total - Prends moi (Take Me)
They could be singing about anything, but it doesn't really matter.

De La Soul - Big Brother Beat
I vividly remember a night from my senior year of high school where I stayed up until 3am listening to Black On Both Sides while reading a book of historical American speeches compiled by William Bennett. The next morning I inexplicably decided to run for student council. To this day Mos Def's voice reminds me of John Adams, neo-conservative principles, and pep-rallys.

Amanda Blank - I Need Love (Diplo remix)
I'll admit that I'd never heard the original LL Cool J version of this song until Nikki pointed out that this was a word-for-word remake. I was really bitter at the time and was pointing out how this song was an example of how girls are ridiculous, but after Nikki's explanation I realized that it's actually just LL Cool J who's ridiculous. Anyway the beat is awesome.

Why? - Gemini (Birthday Song)
This song is heart-wrenching. The part where he says that his girlfriend's legs look like skinny dolphins always gets to me and I'm not sure why.

The Diggs - Everyone's Starting Over
This is the fastest tempo possible for a melancholy song. Any faster and it starts sounding like goth ska, and no one wants to hear that.

Deerhunter - Never Stops
I think the best way to describe this song is to say that it sounds like Interpol if their jet crashed into the Himalayas and they had to survive a bitter winter without food or shelter, and they went crazy and started eating each other like the Donner Party. This song sounds like something they would write after experiencing that.

Leaders of the New School - Case of the PTA
Why don't rappers make songs like this anymore? Am I ever going to get to hear G-Unit rap about their social studies homework? Or Young Dro complain about cafeteria food? Or Clipse compare the drug trade to crosswalk duty?

Q-Tip - Breathe and Stop (Kleptones remix)
Chopped and screwed in outer space.

Celebration - Heartbreak
A+ use of an organ.

Built To Spill - The Plan
These lyrics are awesome:

"The plan keeps coming up again
and the plan means nothing stays the same
but the plan won't accomplish anything
if its not implemented."

It's the ultimate "put up or shut up" line, followed by 4 minutes of the band adding exclamation points in the form of epic guitar riffs. I'm pretty sure that most of Barak Obama's campaign speeches were basically just Built To Spill lyrics with words like "healthcare" and "unity" sprinkled in.

2008-11-05T18:13:00.001-08:00

The video I directed in England last month gets a mention in the new issue of Horse And Hound, which is the periodical of choice for equine-obsessed British aristocrats. Our horse from the shoot was semi-famous in the area, although at the time I only chose it because it met the important qualifications of 1) being a horse, and 2) being free. It's an odd article, but If I'm ever in a situation where I want to impress a sophisticated British girl, I'm sure this will work better than, "I have every Dizzee Rascal album memorized from start to finish".

I also saw Straw Dogs for the first time yesterday, and it turns out that it was filmed in the exact same location. Unfortunately the movie is all about how the locals beat up Americans and steal their sassy British girlfriends, so I don't think it really does the place justice.

A quick update: Apparently, another English magazine about horses (yeah, there's more than one) published a story about the video. It's bittersweet, as I'd always hoped to see the headline, "Music Video Stardom Calls For Mr. Happy" in reference to my own success and relative happiness.

Also, ArtRocker has a piece where the band gives a little commentary.

2008-11-01T15:21:00.001-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I like LA. But I feel like I was meant to live somewhere rainy. Like, non-stop rainy. And snowy. And foggy. Tornadoes maybe, too.

Anyone in the mood for a late-night-rain-skate?

2008-10-26T00:12:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin carving night at Daniella's was the perfect way to cap off an extremely long week.

Josh did a Pac Man inspired design, Nikki went with a traditional ghost, and Steve and Andy talked business in the corner. I went for a tribute to my hometown.

Here it is in all it's glory.*

I really wanted to add a coyote, a kachina doll, and the entire 1996 Phoenix Suns starting line-up, but decided to save myself a challenge for next year.

*In no way is it intended to be an endorsement for a certain Arizona senator.

2008-10-20T23:50:00.001-07:00

My dad got a Wii Fit for his birthday. My sister and mother were responsible for rendering Wii versions of our entire family. If you can look past the giant gloved hand that's violating me in the picture above, I'd say it's a fairly accurate interpretation.

I come back to LA tomorrow and I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again for the first time in three weeks. LA friends: let's make up for lost time and hang out this week. I miss you all.

2008-10-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

Anna and Brad got back from Indonesia two weeks ago and spent the night in LA before heading back to Phoenix. I don't think I'll ever know a more inspiring married couple. Seeing them together is almost enough to undue the multiple viewings of Husbands And Wives* that scared me to death in college.

All of a sudden Duckworth lives down the hall too, which means that my apartment building now has all of the required characters for a 90's sitcom about twenty-somethings in the big city.

I'm happy, tired, and content with the ridiculously unpredictable nature of my life. I'm reading a book about the Great Depression. I'm praying more. I deleted everything on my ipod except for A Tribe Called Quest and New Order. I've got a weird hankering to play pick-up basketball. I'm surrounded by great people.

* Regardless, still, a really great movie.

2008-10-10T16:13:00.001-07:00

Our location for the Xbox spot I shot on Wednesday was a Masonic temple in Scranton, PA. A secret society having a giant headquarters in a city that's known for being a haven for all things bland is an interesting juxtaposition. Shouldn't these guys be meeting at the base of an active volcano in the Falkland islands? Or in a secret briefing room in the Statue of Liberty's torch?

The day before the shoot we had a pre-production meeting at the temple and I asked the location manager if she'd give me a tour of the rest of the building. We were only supposed to be shooting on the first floor so I expected to get a polite refusal, but instead she spent the rest of the morning unlocking secret doors and accompanying me down weird passageways. We saw some bizarre things, but my favorite part of the whole temple was the wall of photos that displayed the Mason leaders of the past 100 years.

This guy was my favorite.

I can't claim to know much about the Masons, but I have a hard time believing that this nice old man was ever secretly plotting anything remotely sinister. It looks like the biggest secret that he's keeping is that he's planning to surprise his grandson with a Werther's Original. Please also note that the font used in his portrait is the same one you'll find on the Smile Now, Cry Later t-shirts that they used to sell at lowrider shows in Phoenix.

Jason Mraz was the featured artist in the XBox spot. He was like some perfect amalgamation of every guy I ever shared a dorm room with in college. He was a totally nice guy, super considerate, and really funny.

Is anyone else noticing that I'm down to about three plaid shirts? It's time for a serious laundry session.

2008-10-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

We shot some destruction-filled Nintendo spots in Riverside, CA yesterday. Shredders shredded, anvils crushed, and steamrollers rolled.

Of course Steve will teach the actor and the stunt coordinator how to properly operate a steamroller. Our 2nd unit camera operator got dangerously close to receiving a face full of metal during this setup. Also, our DP, Marc Ritzema will probably need a tetanus shot after yesterday.

First we dropped an anvil, 20 minutes later we dropped a fridge.

Our art director, Mike Beamer, made some really beautiful sketches.

The day was so busy that I forgot to apply any sunscreen, so for like, the 10th shoot in a row, I ended up with a radioactive sunburn. Shouldn't I have a sweet California tan by now?

2008-09-27T11:40:00.001-07:00

We're going to destroy things! That's Steve showing the ad agency how large our location is for these Nintendo spots. I didn't instruct him to raise his hands, but I think it's a nice touch anyway.

It's great to be back in LA after a really productive week in England. It's almost fall and my jackets and sweaters are beckoning me to come hither from the dark recesses of my closet.

I found this amazing PSA on youtube today. The parents' utter disappointment is especially funny when you consider the likelihood of seeing the exact same reaction at a dinner table conversation years later when their college-aged child announces that he's dropping out of law school to join a band or take up painting. Go arts!

2008-09-22T14:14:00.001-07:00

We filmed over 200 sheep today. How awesome is that?

2008-09-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Friday was dedicated to location scouting. We spent the day in the English countryside, looking at estates that are older than America.

This was a farm from 1066 that's still in use. My producer Camila and I jumped into a grain silo and spent the rest of the afternoon picking what looked like Rice Krispies out of our hair.

This is the closest I've ever been to a bull. It smelled like what you'd expect.

These sheep had never seen an American before.

Sadly, we won't actually be filming any peacocks.

Camila went to Cambridge and speaks like, 5 languages. My mispronunciation of British words and phrases amuses her to no end.

Miles of emptiness...

2008-09-18T14:19:00.001-07:00

The view from my window in... um, an unspecified area of the English countryside? The jatlag is killing me. I'll figure out my exact location when I wake up tomorrow. Our shoot is on Monday, and until then I'm going to spend as much time as possible chasing the manor dog through wheat fields.

2008-09-17T08:39:00.001-07:00

That's my latest poster print, a mixed media piece called "Please". It's accompanied by a second print called, rather predictably, "Thanks".

2008-09-16T00:07:00.001-07:00

I couldn't sleep a few night ago, so I rearranged all of my cds by color. It starts brown, turns red, then pink, yellow, green, blue, etc. The picture above only shows the first half. Just below, the white albums fade into grey and then slowly into pure black.

At 4am this seemed like a perfectly logical thing to do, but now I can't remember the spine color of the last UGK album.