Adventures in Video

That's a Wrap

2009-04-21T17:09:00.003-06:00

Finally after weeks of snow and freezing cold, the weather is wonderful again. Finally I can finish shooting my short film. I only have one scene left, but have been waiting for good weather. We are finishing shooting tomorrow. Finally in the can! I hope to move it into post in late May.
In the meantime I've got several adoption movies in the works.

Workshop for Adoptive Families in Denver Area

2009-04-05T08:08:00.003-06:00

Do you have video and photos from your adoption trip? Are you using these items to share your adoption journey with friends and family? Or to help your child understand her story?

If you do have video and photos from your trip, or hope to eventually, I invite you to join me for this free workshop I am hosting.

WHEN: Saturday, April 11th 10-11am
WHERE: Chinese Children Adoption International
upstairs conference room
6920 South Holly Circle
Centennial, CO

We'll be discussing what it takes to turn that pile of videotapes and photos into a magical DVD that you'll be proud to share with others. Whether you hope to make your own, hire the experts, or just want more info, you'll come away with a better understanding of the process involved in making this amazing DVD that is waiting to be crafted together for your family. See you there!

What Inspires Me

2009-03-20T08:59:00.009-06:00

I love hearing what inspires other artists. As for me, I spend A LOT of time looking at other people's work. The form doesn't matter; film, photography, print, web, or music. I feel I have something to learn from all these wonderful art forms. Of course, I see a lot of stuff the does not inspire me. But that's ok. We all come from a different place in expressing our art.

Now there are a few that stand head and shoulders about the rest. A few that move me to tears...and here they are. I guess I could call these "The Torrie Awards". Here is what moves me:

Motion Graphics: I get a lot of inspiration from the mo-graph world. These guys are on the cutting edge of technology and can make anything look surreal and beautiful. But absolutely my favorite piece of mo-graph continues to be the opening titles from HBO's dumped series "Carnivale" created by A52. I feel like a puddle of mush inside every time I see this piece and think, "Now THIS is the level of excellence I want to attain somday."

Film-making: There is a guy named Mark Allen and I love love love his stuff. He makes Michael Parks' paintings come to life. His imagery it totally bizarre and haunting but oh so rich and luscious! I love his use of costume, makeup, color, light, composition... everything. He also composed the music on this piece. He is just one step beyond in my book. (click pic to see film)

I have favorites in other categories but will save that for another post. These two pieces are my above-all favorite inspirations. They remind how far I still have to go in my own artistic journey.

Dusting off the Camera

2009-03-05T21:09:00.003-07:00

I recently dusted off my camera and started shooting again. This is a big announcement from me. Except for a few corporate clients, I haven't shot anything in 5 years. The reason? Well, it seems I developed some negative associations to my camera. I didn't even realize this. But every time the idea of shooting came up I would cringe and feel conflicted inside.

Recently I had this great idea for a short film. That's when I realized my camera aversion needed to be dealt with. It was pretty easy to trace my disdain for shooting back to my beginnings in the world of wedding videography. I spent 5 years of my life running around sweating like a pig with 30 pounds of gear on my 100 pound frame. The microphones and the headphones never worked correctly and the company I worked for wouldn't replace them. I always felt cardiac arrest coming on when hoping to Goodness the gear would work each time. Also there were the micro-managing bosses to deal with. Also, all this time I was busting my behind while being totally discredited by the "Real Production People". For some reason "they" do not see event videography as high-quality production. (sounds like another blog post coming on.)

So all these things conspired to make me hate my camera. I can't believe I've harbored this anamosity for 5 years. Hesitantly, this week I began shooting my upcoming short. It took some time to get re-acquainted with my camera, but I think that slowly I am learning to like her. It helps when I can shoot on my own terms... and use equipment that works :)

It's a Small World

2009-02-18T06:23:00.002-07:00

My husband and I are experimenting with a photo technique called "Tilt Shift". This effect turns a regular scenic shot into a miniature model look. Here is our first attempt with this technique. I think it would look better without the big shadow, but I still think the result is pretty cool. I can also use this for my adoptive families' videos. Many of them take a scenic shot of the Chinese city from their hotel room window. The tilt-shift would work great on those shots. The key really is that you have to be "looking down" on the scene.

ORIGINAL SHOT:

TILT SHIFT:

It's kinda hard to see here. But you can check out some awesome tilt-shifting here. And also the opening titles for the new show Doll House uses tilt shift with video.

New Movie Posted

2009-01-29T05:51:00.002-07:00

My my it's been a long time, my friends. I have been working diligently on making new movies. I just have been terrible about posting here. So to get the ball moving again I have posted parts of a movie I finished recently. This one is actually our adoption movie for our second daughter. You can see it here on our personal blog. Enjoy!

New Ways to Share Your Story

2008-10-13T13:38:00.005-06:00

I am delighted to now offer you photo book service! This is an awesome way to make something unique and useful with all those photos you have building up on your hard drive. Come on, admit it. They are just sitting there taking up precious space. Don't worry, I'm guilty of it too :)

A customized photo book makes a special Christmas gift too. Here are a few ideas that make incredible books: Baby Stories, Anniversary, Through the Years, Photos from your Hobbies, Vacations, Memories of a Loved One, Adoption Lifebooks, just to name a few.

If you have seen the books from Shutterfly or a similar site, the books are similar EXCEPT all you have to do is send us the photos. WE DO THE REST! I look forward to working with each individual to create a book that is special to you and allow you to love looking at your photographs and sharing them with others! click on my profile to email me for more info about this service.

Back in the Editing Studio

2008-09-16T13:22:00.004-06:00

Hi all! With the recent baby addition to our family and the fact that I've been in pre-production for weeks, I finally got back to the editing suite last week- yippee! Here's a favorite clip from my current project. This is from a 10-year anniversary movie. It is all still photos, but as you'll see there is SO much one can do with just stills. Never under-estimate the power of photographs for your movie project!

Back to Work

2008-08-24T06:29:00.002-06:00

I took the last 6 weeks off as we added an other child to our family! This week I am back at work. I'm so excited to get back at it! This week I'm starting a 10-year Anniversary movie. The wife is giving this to the husband for their anniversary gift. I've got some great ideas in the works to make this movie a wonderful tribute to the many wonderful memories this couple has created together over the decade. Stay tuned!

The Beauty of Ink Splats

2008-07-12T07:34:00.004-06:00

I am always observing the way things behave in the natural world. I then take those things and try to simulate them in my video productions. For example, the way paper falls to the ground. I use this idea to make photographs appear to be falling through space. Or the way water moves. It never ceases to inspire me. Anyway, I recently stumbled on the idea of black ink falling and "splatting" onto paper. It is so beautiful and random in the shapes it makes when it hits paper. So I decided to give this look a try in a recent video piece. I am in love with ink splats now. Here is the result. Very interesting.

Still Alive

2008-07-02T07:00:00.002-06:00

Sorry there's been no new post in forever. It has been crazy busy with trade shows and editing lots of family's' movies and adoption stories. I have a really fun new intro to share with you. I'll try to get it up here in the next few days. Happy Summer :)

Going Down Under

2008-05-25T06:45:00.004-06:00

I love that I get to travel the world vicariously through my clients. One day I'll be in China witnessing an adoption, the next day I'll be spending the summer in Venezuela. It really is an amazing and cheap way to travel! Last week I got to go scuba diving in Australia. This one was really fun and I love the music. I experimented with a bit of motion graphics, which makes the photos appear as if in 3-d space. I love this look and it makes the photos so interesting to view.
Good'Ay Mate!!

Earth Calling

2008-05-15T16:20:00.003-06:00

I just finished an adoption movie in which the family wanted me to incorporate Google Earth to show their long flight from San Fran to Taiwan. I had been messing around with the idea for months. So I was thrilled to finally have the chance to give it a try. I think it is very effective. And it looks awfully cool too.

A Family Reflects

2008-04-26T06:58:00.003-06:00

One of my recent families has posted a beautiful commentary on their blog of their experience in having an adoption movie made for their family. They talk about having so much video and photos from their trip to China that they simply didn't know what to do with it all. Can you relate? It is always so awesome to help people organize their memories in a way that is "user-friendly". They also posted the entire movie :)

Beautiful Gotcha

2008-04-22T17:10:00.004-06:00

Everytime I edit an adoption story I feel so much emotion when I get to the part where baby and parents meet for the first time. I've seen it hundreds of times and I never tire of it. It is a life changing moment, immortalized forever on video. I just finished a movie where the first moments of a family united where so touching and beautiful - you just need to take a peek at this amazing footage!

Using Vines in Adoption Videos

2008-04-02T14:43:00.006-06:00

I am so into growing vines right now. I adore this look, it adds so much to a video. Not only is it beautiful, but I think it is appropriate for baby/adoption videos because it symbolizes growth. Take a look at the sample to see what in the world I'm talking about!

Preservatives for your Memories

2008-03-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

Apparently, filmmaking is genetic. My grandfather was a filmmaker. He enjoyed experimenting with cameras, film, and later sound. This week I'm in the process of transferring these precious images and sounds to DVD. It reminds me how important it is to preserve these things.

If you or the generation before you has old films or vhs tapes, I strongly encourage you to have them transferred to DVD or miniDV. With time these films will disentigrate. VHS has a shelf-life of 15-20 years. Eventually the images become too dark to see and the tape becomes brittle. The old films are only slightly better. Typically you can get these formats transferred to DVD at a rate of .17-.25 cents per foot. It can be a pricey to get a high quality transfer, but I think it is so worth it. These films are all we have to remember our grandparents and the events which defined their lives.

If you cannot have your old stuff transferred, there are a few things you can to help maintain them in how you store them. Store the films and vhs tapes in tupperware containers. This will prevent moisture and dust from seeping in. Store your film bins in a dark dry place that is neither too hot nor cold. Realize that this will not ensure the films will last forever but it might buy them some time. Unless they are transferred to a digital format, they will eventually fade away.

Photo Fun

2008-03-22T21:28:00.003-06:00

There is no limit to what can be done with photos. Imagination run wild! Here's a short photo clip I created from a recent movie.

Welcome to the Cave

2008-03-17T07:24:00.003-06:00

Here is where I spend the greater part of my day. My studio, aka The Cave. You can't tell from the picture, but this room is about 10x10...and perfect for making movies. I've got everything I need right here. Pretty fancy, eh? Yep, here's where I hunker down and spend "quality time" with my clients, piecing together their movie creations each day. Welcome!

Sneak Peek

2008-03-09T08:46:00.003-06:00

I love learning new techniques that enhance the beauty of my clients' movies. Here's a sneak peek of a brand-new title I'm currently creating.

Perfection in every Picture

2008-03-01T19:41:00.005-07:00

Do you have photos that are almost good? It is frustrating to have a good picture ruined by red-eye, too dark, or off-center. Luckily with today's technology these problems are easily fixed. Notice the photos on the left with a serious red-eye problem and the date stamp in the corner. Then the ones on the right, voila! All better! When I receive photos from a client I carefully inspect each one to see if enhancements or corrections can make the photo better. Your photos are precious. These extra touches make each of your photographs stunningly beautiful.

New Look for 2008

2008-02-23T07:12:00.004-07:00

I'm excited to share one of the new packaging designs for this year. The DVD case and label are critically important. They are the first glimpse my clients see when they receive their movie package. This design is simple yet elegant. Right away the family gets to see a photo of their little one. I think it's a perfect look to introduce a family to their special DVD.

Photos in 3-D

2008-02-19T08:49:00.004-07:00

I just learned this little camera move technique. It creates the illusion of the photos floating in 3D space. What a fun way to view pictures!