10 MPH : across the country on a Segway

After returning from my exciting klezmer boat trip in the Ukraine, I am up for some serious cross country documentary action. And by serious, I mean two wheels, standing, and 10 mph of segway transportation.

First seen on
core 77, 10 MPH : across the country on a Segway is a documentary film that follows Josh Caldwell and Hunter Weeks as they quit their jobs to go across the very country selling them the American/corporate dream.
Eat my slow moving dust, big business! Deciding that travel on a segway was the way to go, this film has the potential to ask us to look at our fast pace lives, corporate ideals, and SUV driving ways. It should at least be fun, and a way to see if these segway things are worth the purchase.

Socalled and the Klezmer cruise film blog!

Just rushing around packing - getting ready for the National Film Board and Beitel/Lazar Production of The "Socalled" king of Klezmer I will be blogging from the Ukraine on the first ever Klezmer cruise down the Dneiper River, that Josh Dolgin aka. Socalled will be both attending and leading a 60 person choir.

check out the blog with videos like this one at
www.nfb.ca/socalled

Holy War Dance Party!

This truly is the fun we were never meant to have....

Enjoy this fun, political dance vid - the best weapon we have today...

tags technorati : holy war dance party, dance, political, peace, arms, guns, oil, middle east, fun, funny

me and oscar

I am fortunate enough to work at the National Film Board of Canada, and had this wonderful, but such a dorky looking picture of me, with Torill Kove, the director of the Oscar winning film, The Danish Poet. On her triumphant return from LA, there was a photoshoot for the employees at the NFB to share in the celebration.

Danish Poet is such a special little film, I recommend it to anyone who feels like they are wondering around this earth directionless. You never do know what sequence of events will shape your future!

have a laugh at my picture, Ms. Miya looks much more sophisticated!

tags technorati : osar, danish poet, academy award, torill cove, NFB, animation film, canada, canadian

opensourcecinema

Ever wanted to use "happy birthday" in a film? Sick and tired of corporate media conglomerates stifling artistic and cultural expression? Had enough of youtube's "cease and desist" emails on your favourite videos? Got DJ Dangermouse's now classic mashup, The Grey Album on your ipod? Rest assured, there is a remedy to aid the mediaphile ...

Release your inner frustrations in a creative way with opensourcecinema.org, the interactive website for Brett Gaylor's current film, Basement Tapes, the documentary being made in co-production with EyeSteelFilm and the NFB on the issue of media ownership, and in particular, the importance of the music download culture, as well as the artistic revolution behind reappropriation, and mashing up pop and political culture for citizen made media. On the site, you can get involved in the making of the film, by mashing up your own remixes and interpretations on scenes that could appear in the final film.

All the necessary ingredients are provided :
1) your vids and footage to remix
2) already made mashups for inspiration

In Basement Tapes, Brett will explore the issue of copyright, how it neither protects the artists, nor helps the consumer/citizen react to the cultural/commercial icons, music, and images that we are surrounded with everyday. But, the free culture movement, spurned by the power and freedom of the internet and technology has opened up creation to the consumer. So, with download culture being threatened, and with Google having too much to lose to be inovative, Brett and Basement Tapes asks the questions to those that are effected and are effective in the war on intellectual property, an invites you to get involved in this process.

You will even have access to heavy hitting free culture thinker, Lawerence Lessig footage to have your way with. Just re-upload your final work back onto opensourcecinema.org and get involved in the movement to release art from the corporate owners.

Check out the site for more info, and an up close and personal "walk and talk" vlog from Brett himself, where he tests your listening skills with the concepts of Left and Right.

tags technorati : basement tapes, copyleft, mashup, brett gaylor, remix, film, video, editing, archive, open source, technology, internet, community

Expozine Awards 2007

The Expozine Awards gala was held last night to celebrate the hard work of local publishers, illustrators, and page writers (not post writers like me...). Independent and DIY artists and their followers congregated for some cheap beer, entertainment, and lots of smoke machine to get a glimpse at this years winners:

Best English Comic

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Best English Zine

Welcome to Gayside by The Third Leg.

Best English Book

The Theory of the Loser Class by Jon Paul Fiorentino, Coach House Press

Meilleur Zine

Ex Aequo (tie):

Le fascicule du FAS / spécial non-apprivoisable et non-domesticable, par fas.mjack.net

Sexy Fall // Chute! // Nous Numéro 1, de Louise-Andrée Lauzière; Éditions les cuisines piquantes

Meilleure Bande Dessinée

Hasemeister (spécial Halloween) par Frédéric Mahieu

Meilleur Livre

Cyclope opus #3 / Plan cartésien, Éditions Les 400 coups

tags technorati : expozine, montreal, publishing, independent, comics, zines, illustration, mainline theatre,

Nuit Blanche 2007

Nuit Blanche this past weekend, a short vlog....more later.

Tags: nuit blanche, montreal, festival des lumieres, lights festival, art threat, gallery, kino, dancing,

Creative Commons UK: Mix and Mash Film Contest

Get into the copyleft spirit with Creative Commons UK moving pictures mash up contest of three minutes shorts. CCUK even has a video resource providing archival and public domain material for your downloading pleasure.

So, reclaim your cultural commentary, stir it up with some good ol' human competitive nature, and get into it with your take on the remix theme of, "Britannia Rules, Britannia Sucks", and the possibilities that that holds.

Deadline is March 10th, so get downloading, get cutting, and get sharing - because your film has a chance to be judged by a stellar panel, that includes, BoingBoing's Cory Doctorow, as well as film and net worthy beings from the British Film Institute, BritDoc Festival, as well as independent filmmakers. And, there's prizes. Cool prizes.

Check out the link for more info, and to see the current submissions for some share-alike inspiration that cultural expression is on its way out of corporate hands, and into the hands of the artists.

And, stay tuned for a Canadian version of Mix and Mash...
cross posted to Art Threat.

Tags: creative commons, CC, UK, mix and mash=contest, boingboing, remix, mash-ups, film, video, music, share-alike, cory doctorow, BFI, BritDoc, culture, lessig, competition, contest

Tony vs. Paul

minirobot let me in on this year old youtube gem that was hidden in the rubble of lonelygirl "ask a gay man", and the disappointment of the ever increasing lack of content due to "copyright infringement". Tony Fiandaca and Paul Cummings of Tetriscide made this phenomenal stop motion extravaganza of two friends (they acted as well - or posed I should say) who become enemies, and the picture by picture trials and tribulations that are attached to flying punches, face in the grass travelling, and warm handshakes. In the increasingly corporate and unfun path that youtube is moving down, it is nice to come across real creative content.

tags technorati : tony vs. paul, stop motion, animation, film, youtube, Tetriscide, fighting, pixelation, battle

Poetry in Spam

Filtering through my spam has proven to be more interesting than all the emails, list serves, and all the rest of the crap that I have granted access into my email inbox! My philosophy: the evolution of spam has grown past the basement viagra operations (though they are still in full steam and vigor, bless 'em!), and the letters encouraging us to "deposit money into my Nigerian account". But have reached the socially hidden, basement stayed poets of the internet . . . spamming us to read their automatic writing exercises.

It's kind of fun.

Here's one that I found in my last clean-up:

"contrary, ignorance. But this is not the mark of all relatives; everything that is not substance. But one and the selfsame receptive of these qualities, but only in that subject of which the with one thing, and great in comparison with another, so that the same boat cannot be said to find its explanation in the word rudder. As defined with reference to that of which the things indicated are a quality, that which takes its character from the quality has a name have to admit that such parts are not substances: for in explaining is said to be capable of admitting contrary qualities. definition will not be appropriate, for the rudder does not have likewise, is a continuous quantity; for the parts of a solid occupy half. The existence of the half necessitates the existence of that Neither in the case of contraries, nor in the case of difficulties might ensue, and this is true with regard to all those him and the slave will remain the same, for it is of a master that a is white, black, that which is cold, hot, that which is good, bad, being indicated by the preposition of or by some other follows that there is no half, and vice versa; this rule also village: or we say that a house has many in it, and a theatre few, subject, for it comes into existence at the same time as the animal.

Now the head, the hand, and such things are substances, and it is As for the rest, time, place, state, since they are easily But it is by reason of the modification which takes place within the first is reciprocally connected, as in the aforesaid instances, when common. It is, therefore, established that in every proposition, of necessary for one to be true and the other false. Health and disease As for the rest, time, place, state, since they are easily cold, for it has entered into a different state. Similarly that in the sense of the word opposite which applies to possession and relative in so far as it is some ones property, not in so far as it qualities, inasmuch as we are said to be such and such in virtue of takes place, through disease or any such cause. The virtues, also, same time both white and black. Nor is there anything which is things which admit these qualities are affected in any way. Honey is Further, primary substances are most properly so called, because easily be rendered ineffective or speedily removed, are called, not subsists also between the species and the genus to which the primary Again, perception is generated at the same time as the perceiving determinate sense."

Deep.

anyway - Kung Hei Fat Choi - Happy New year of the golden pig... live it up.

tags technorati : happy chinese new year, pig, golden pig, spam, poetry, junk filter, funny, poem, hidden, basement poets, artists

tags technorati : Kung Hei Fat Choi

Best Shout Out Ever.

The 49th installment of the Grammys has been quite stellar, with such highlights as The Police reunion (but everyone is going to say that), and Jamie Foxx crip walking on stage (which reminded me that this was a goal of mine to learn to do since I was a teenager...now my current goal of the week...), but so far, best thing of the Grammys was Ludacris' SHOUT OUT to right wing "culture warrior", Bill O'Reilly. Confused at first, I admit (and bit peeved about The Roots not winning...), jumping onto my trusty imac to ensure that this had to be a joke. And, sure enough, Ludacris has as much humour as he does, frequent ladies homes in various area codes (lame joke, I know). For those like me, who were confused, a few years ago, O'Reilly critisized and insulted Ludacris and other hip hop artists, and the corps. that they endorse. Corporating whoring is another topic of discussion, but for now, we can just stick to the dressed up racism, and the undeserved self-righteousness of the Fox trainwreck, and his accusations that slapped him back in the face soon after.

You can read more about this scandal that ensued with Bill O'Reilly's sexual harrassment suit on AllHipHop.com , where they write:
"According to reports, former associate producer Andrea Mackris claims that O’ Reilly bought her a vibrator and gave her instructions on how to use it."

So creepy.

And you can read more at GlobalBlackNews.

Anyway - the Grammy's aren't over yet, but a here's my shout out to Ludacris for being the best speech yet.

tags technorati : ludacris, grammy, grammys, 49th, music, rap, hiphop, bill o'reilly, winner, scandal, fox, shout out, funny, rapper, best rap artist of the year, awards show

Technical wonderment, or geeky connectivity? let's say both...

Either mine and Rob's relationship is a testament to the power of fiber optics, citizen journalism, and the blogosphere or, it just shows everyone on the internet how geeky we actualy are. Rob is currently travelling out west on the Wal-Town the Film tour with fellow uberculturist, Ezra Winton. A film by Sergeo Kirby, and a NFB co-production with Le Production Grand Nord, and Loaded Pictures, featuring uberculture's 2 year tour across Canada spreading awareness, getting into antics about the dastardly Wal-Mart's business practices, and destruction to local commerce.

Off and on planes + both our busy schedules + time zones + expensive cellphone bills + youtube = I need to keep checking out the Wal-Town weblog/vlog to get the scoop of what is currently in the "goings-on" of Rob and Ezra's western film tour. An entertaining duo in dancing pixels and weathered sound, it's a great way to keep in touch and to see them cross the country, discussing an important issue that they devoted themselves to for such a long time.

So as nerd-worthy as this is, these little smatterings are a great way to keep connected, along with the expensive cellphone bills, and emails... And if you are in a town where Wal-Town is screening, East or West, go check it out.

Jan. 24: Gibsons, BC
Jan. 25: Vancouver, BC
Jan. 26: Courtenay, BC
Jan. 27: Victoria, BC
Jan. 28: Salmon Arm, BC
Jan. 29: Whitehorse, YT
Jan. 30: Dawson City, YT
Feb. 1: Lethbridge, AB
Feb. 2 & 4: Edmonton, AB
Feb. 5: Yellowknife, NT

East
Jan. 25: Fredericton, NB
Jan. 26: Saint John, NB
Jan. 27: Moncton, NB
Jan. 28: Summerside, PE
Jan. 29: Charlottetown, PE
Jan. 31: St. John’s, NL
Feb. 1: Corner Brook, NL
Feb. 2: Sydney, NS
Feb. 3: Wolfville, NS
Feb. 4: Halifax, NS
Feb. 5: Labrador City, NL
Feb. 9: Ottawa, ON

tags technorati : wal-mart, wal-town, uberculture, union, bigbox store, multinational, sweatshop, labour, labor, tour, loaded pictures

tags technorati : rob maguire, ezra winton

tags technorati : loaded pictures, Wal-Town the film

Canucks vs. Canadiens

This is footage from my first NHL game, Vancouver Cancucks against my Montreal Canadiens. It was a pathetic game, where I didn't get to see even one goal, but witnessed the fans continuing distress at our team bumbling around the ice. The Canucks, who won by 4-0, even seemed depressed by the end, as if they were challenging the pee wee league to an unfair match. Friends came up from New York (Canucks fans, go figure), and of course they were happy with the result, but they didn't get to experience the full force of Montreal's hockey obsession, and the verbal active fans (beyond the booing). We had great seats, as we showed up after the first period, and got a deal on some centre ice, lower section tickets, even though we were surrounded by corporate suits. Who lamely split (maybe their SUVs were going to get towed) before the game was done.

It seems like tonight (Atlanta) MAY be the end of the Canadiens downward spiral...but, as the game is currently on, I don't want to jinx it.
So fingers crossed.

tags technorati : montreal, canadiens, hockey, NHL, canucks, vancouver, 4-0, lose, game, bell centre, slump, tickets, RDS, CBC, TSN,

Bollywood North

Yesterday was the premiere of two great things: The Bollywood big budget blockbuster, Guru, and the world premiere screening of a Bollywood film outside of India. Megastars, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, of the largest filmmaking industry pleased 1200 fans in Toronto last night. And to the screams of adulation they graced the red carpet, and the idea that not everyone is watching American, Hollywood films. Canada can learn a thing or two from the Indians, who support their own cinema, from development to distribution, and have a lavish cinema that is known and cherished by many other nations. Whether it’s global warming and globalization in the air, the Bollywood and Hollywood North marriage will hopefully be around for a long time, and 1200 screaming Canadians will feel as passionately soon about their own films. You can read more about this here.
Here's a trailer of the film:

tags technorati : hollywood north, bollywood, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, cinema, toronto, filmmaking, canada, culture, guru, bollywood north,

REpost: The Echo Chamber project

This is a post from March 15th 2006 (ah, the ides of March!), that was spammed quite severely - and as much as I love people visiting my site, through such google searches as, "h0t young etc...", I think I'll pass, because it's just confusing and disappointing for me, and those looking for more exciting, revealing footage then what me and my little camera can provide. So, to not lose this post in the abyss forever, Here it is, one more round. I did lost the comments page, where I had some nice correspondense with Kent Bye of The Echo Chamber Project - but I hope we will be able to pick up a conversation after all these months.

In recent good news for The Echo Chamber Project, Kent has just received a $55 000 grant to keep up his dedicated work. Congrats! Well deserved as you can see by the project overview:

OVERVIEW
The Echo Chamber Project explores collaborative investigative filmmaking by using new media technologies as well as a repository of original video interviews with journalists and scholars. It is a project that details the limitations of American journalism while at the same time embodying innovative solutions through collaborative media production. In short, it is an independent filmmaker's "YouTube" combined with "Wikipedia" for serious journalism.

Radical innovation is needed in order to discover both sustainable business models for hard-hitting investigative journalism as well as new ways of maintaining influence and audience attention with trustworthy content. The Echo Chamber Project explores the two key trends of Online Video and Tapping into Collective Intelligence through Citizen Participation.

There are three end products for The Echo Chamber Project:
1.) A collaboratively edited 90-minute documentary film about how the mainstream media became an uncritical echo chamber during the lead-up to the war in Iraq.
2.) A set of open source tools and methodologies for participatory journalism and collaborative film editing that is sustained through a viable business model.
3.) An online, interactive collection of transcribed video segments that are annotated and filtered with user-contributed context and meaning at http://www.echochamberproject.com.

Here's the previous post, please don't spam me with more sexy talk.


March 15, 2006:


Check out this site, The Echo Chamber, Kent Bye's open source multi-media rich site/blog that looks critically at the (predominantly American) media's role in molding the culture landscape, and the slanted, and often propagandic information that is fed to the public for passive, unquestioned consumption that caters to fit the political administration's liking. I came across the video "Government Bypasses Press" while perusing on blip.tv.

Kent Bye investigates the idea of democratic media, and the future for internal dissemination in the form of new media, and grassroots, collaborative film making. The Echo Chamber Project is different than many other politically critical independent news sites, because it offers, and asks for positive solutions, including engagement in the media and the corporate structure of our culture. its great when you come across these little gems of websites - and I will definitly be checking back to The Echo Chamber.

tags technorati : kent bye, the echo chamber project, media, media dissemination, internet, culture

Hinterland Who's Who

The New Year has rolled in, and it's that time of year when you make resolutions about how you are going to make this year the best one yet. All that self-improvement and all that. So to look to the future, let's all reflect on the past. And what's better for Canadians then the appropriated memories that what we grew up with. The informative, and fun: Hinterland Who's Who. Here's a great video on spiders, and their downward addictive spiral. Enjoy.

tags technorati : hinterland who's who, crack spiders, funny, youtube, spiders on drugs, experiments canadian culture, TV, television, vignettes, educational, appropriation

tags technorati : spiders on drugs, hinterland's who's who, canadian culture

Goodness Gracious Me - it's the Eve of Boxing Day Eve

I am back in wonderful Nova Scotia with all my family (with whom i have noticed, take a lot of naps, myself included), all festive for the Holiday Season. And in pure, I suddenly have all this time on my hands, let's google (the appropriated word for Search) youtube for vids. In dedication to the holiday consumer festivities, the mall lines ups, and the newly introduced Sunday Shopping in Halifax (except the Liquor stores, to my dismay), here is a video from the British Show, Goodness Gracious Me, on fashion. Not much to do with Christmas, not much to do with anything else, but it made me laugh, as my stomach rumbles for the Chin-Yee holiday lobsters. Hope you all have a wonderful break, and I will be blogging again soon!

Jon Stewart

In New York last week, Rob and I hightailed it down there, got stuck on the George Washington Bridge - and made it in time to stand out in the cold to get into The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It was a bit surreal, especially since we were in Montreal that morning and drove straight to the show, but it was an awesome experience. Jon chatted a bit with the audience, and got berated by an audience member about the sprinklers... the special guest was rocking climbing crazy man and now author, Ed Viesturs, who bantered well with JS. It was a quick fix though - the 23 minute show is a 23 minute show, no retakes, no editing, cut to commerical, back to the show kind of deal. Colbert and Stewart of conflab a bit before their on air banter. It was a great - but short experience, got to love John Stewart for maintaining one of the best shows and news sources on the air today.

Girating Cowboy

Rob and I spent a wonderful time in New York City, and amid all the bright lights, tall buildings, anmd indie/corporate vibe of the city, here's what I thought was blog worthy. The girating Santas of the Broadway hardware store. But, the icing to the cake was not these wonderful Holiday gems, it was the window next door, that took Christmas one step further...with the cowboy Santa. Red suit and all. I wonder if he's a republican? Probably not, his sleigh doesn't run on oil.

tags technorati : santas, toys, windows, holidays, christmas, new york, NYC, vacation, cowboy santa, cowboy, girating, hardware store, funny, silly

90s pop culture turns high culture - Mario bros medley

Is this what it feels like to hear your favourite song on the "oldies" network? Not really, but I thought that I would try to shake some of us invinsible 90s kids up a bit...

The rate that our pop culture gets turned around, reapproriated, and sent back to us packaged in a newer, sexier outfit is remarkable - and exciting when things like this video/orchestra are out there - to shake up the remixers and tech savvy gamers out there.

Here's a fun reminder that the recylcing of cultural symbols and signifiers is not limited to the underground DJ, or even the remixing rap artist. here's a 6 minute medly performed by play! a video game symphony.

This is not an original idea, and I am proud to say that during my high school band days (stand up and electric bass - which I cannot play at all anymore but in my mind), two keen and talented musicians, no older than 17 wrote an entire ensemble piece for a full band, with this very same idea. The Mario Bros theme songs - sans the Ninetendo 64 version. Now that is foresight, and if those two talented Dartmouth Highers of Nova Scotia (circa 1996-1999) are out there, please drop me a line - you wrote us in the rhythm section the most kick ass dungeon part.


recorded by: djuret
www.kristiankarlberg.se

tags technorati : supermariobros, mario bros medley, mario, luigi, orchestra, play!, video games orchestra, video games, video, songs, waterworld, mario 3, nintendo, nintendo 64, music, live