CONVERSE & CORNERSTONE Promotion Video Shoot, NYC

I've said it before and I'll say it again... opportunities to work with clients with a good team, visually oriented, and a great rep to boot are fantastic for everyone involved. Just recently I finished putting the final grade on a behind the scenes video I shot for a New York City rock band called "The Flying Machines" sponsored by Converse and Journeys and produced by Cornerstone Promotion. This winning band was selected from a pool of 4800 entries for the national competition. We gathered in a unique recording space in Manhattan called Sear Sound and I documented the nip & tuck of the album under the guidance of Grammy award winning music producer Mario P. Petralia.

I captured all of the HD imagery using the Sony EX-3 coupled with 16mm B&W Kodak 7222 that was captured using a Bolex. The 16mm telecine transfer was performed at DuArt in NYC. The two formats were edited together using Final Cut and graded using Magic Bullet. The final piece will be displayed on the Converse website and distributed within Journey shoe stores nationwide.

Nautica South Beach Triathlon, Miami Beach, FL

The day started off at 4:30 am as I made my way towards 2000 + incredibly fit athletes milling about their Treks and Cannondales. Power Bar wrappers covered the ground and a hint of icy hot permeated through the air. After a quick introduction and the Pledge of Allegiance we marched five blocks on the sand to the sight of an amazing Sunday morning sunrise and the start of the Nautica South Beach Triathlon. I love being challenged at these particular sporting events which require you to capture the thrill of the competition while showcasing the overall ambience of the cities who play host to them.

This shot above was one of the first frames I made at the competition, which features pro-level athletes storming the Atlantic in the first leg of the triathlon. In order to be mobile, but still provide this unique perspective, I boomed my Canon 1Ds Mark II 10 feet above my head utilizing a Manfrotto monopod. In order to trigger the camera I called upon the Pocket Wizard receiver / transmitter in combination with the PocketWizard CM-N3 Motor Cord. I metered for the sunrise, prefocused the camera, and put the lens to manual focus.

In the run that followed towards the water, I barely even realized that I had chased the triathletes well beyond the shoreline and ended up about waist deep in the ocean... A few more steps and it would have been a call to Canon.

The client was extremely happy with the overall take and I look forward to next year's race.

Winter Music Conference Video Documentary, Miami Beach, FL

Every year thousands of dance music enthusiasts converge on the balmy shores of Miami Beach, FL, in the middle of March for a festive fun filled event called the Winter Music Conference. Common Machine Productions tackled this annual event for a web documentary focusing on the New York "Super Club," Pacha. I am the DP and camera operator for CM. For five days we endured the occasional spray found at the Miami Beach pool parties. All that sun was just so warm and nurturing we just had to complain...

The completed 12 minute documentary will be viewed and distributed over the night clubs youtube and commercial website.