I came across a trove of visual gold this weekend, and I can’t wait to share it with you folks. First up, Field Notes, a voiceover-driven (of course) short about the power of the memories we record and document.
“First of all, don’t worry about the money. Love the process. You don’t know when it’s gonna happen. Louis C.K. started hitting in his 40s; he’d been doing it for 20 years. And don’t settle. I don’t want to ever hear, “It’s good enough.” Then it’s not good enough. Don’t ever underestimate your audience. They can tell when it isn’t true. Also: Ignore your competition. A Mafia guy in Vegas gave me this advice: “Run your own race, put on your blinders.” Don’t worry about how others are doing. Something better will come.” – Joan Rivers
Another great piece of art and inspiration by Gavin Aung Than over at ZenPencils! Did you know he has a book out filled with comics like these?
People can relate to an incredible story, and that’s why this short presented by The Lincoln Motor Company blew me away. In a series called, “In the Moment”, The Lincoln Motor Company partnered with Vimeo and independent filmmakers to create a visual based around a single message: find your moment, and live in it.
This particular short directed by Diego Contreras and shot by Khalid Mohtasseb was a great example of how far stories can go, even in advertising. There’s something so ethereal and honest in this, and it’s no secret that I have a soft spot for voice-overs of any kind. Really, really well-done.
The day my eyes were opened, I see now
My shadows were not my friends
They were impersonators sent to fool me
I pulled them close, and they pulled me away from everything I had dear
But you came, and chased my shadows into the light
And there we danced, to melodies I thought had vanished
| I first got the idea for the film when I read an article about a blackout in LA in 1994 where people called 911 reporting these strange clouds floating in the sky, those clouds where in fact the Milky Way. It made me think about how the lights from cities have made many of us lose our connection to the night sky. We live in a fast paced man-made world whereby it is all too easy for us to become disconnected from the natural world around us, isolated from what is actually real. There are many other aspects of the human condition that this film could touch upon which could make its’ intentions appear somewhat complicated, but is essence the film’s agenda could not be more simple; to inspire people to get away from the city lights, go somewhere quiet on a star-filled night and simply look up.