Christmas in Los Angeles

We spent Christmas in LA this year. It's always a bit weird to see the santas in bright sunlight and mingled with palm trees.
Christmas day, we helped a friend install a doggie door for her four little pooches and then helped to finish a corral for same doggies. I never have poured concrete on the Saviour's birthday before. We were rewarded for our labors by a fantastic roast dinner and some excellent prosecco.
After dinner we went to the pet hospital and picked up our Seven, who had started to have seizures two days earlier.

Computer Keys

I was driving home from Eagle Rock and was beside this car covered in old computer keys. It looked like a sea of Chicklets. Wish I could have taken a photo of the hood. There was a very happy youngster in the back and the guy driving looked cheerful as well. Wouldn't you?
This was taken on my new cel phone which actually has a good camera.

Death Star

'Death Star' Galaxy Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy

A powerful jet from a super massive black hole in one galaxy is blasting a nearby galaxy, according to new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet's path and trigger a burst of star formation in its destructive wake.

Read it all here.

Weekend Dog

Seven tried to soak up the last bit of sun last weekend. It's been cold in the morning. Our walk was a brisk 41 degrees last sunday. And it's just supposed to rain the next three days here. Dreary days ahead until the weekend.

Box Films

I got a nice e-Xmas card from our Italian friends @ Box Films today. Tony is the executive producer there and worked with us on the Jaguar campaigns in Rome and Marbella. His considerable charms and talents with the ladies also landed him in front of the camera.
The Box Film Company is based in Milan so it's natural that they have a chic website filled with interesting graphics, inventive director reels and a jaguar commercial or two.

Le Roy, NY

I was looking around the net this morning and came across these photos from my Grandmother's town of Le Roy NY. I must admit to some haziness in the memories but some of these places I do remember.

Graffiti Brooklyn

A few pieces of interesting graffiti spied on a recent walk through DUMBO.

New York City @ Night

We were wandering around Times Square, the skating rink @ Bryant Park and the Grand Central Terminal for the holiday light show.

Runaway Dogs

The last day of that Coke commercial was filmed in Madison Square Park @ 23rd St.
There are two rather nifty tree sculptures of aluminium in the shadow of the Flat Iron Building. But for our action, a poor hapless dogwalker is dragged along by her charges as the camera zooms by. Having a dalmation in the mix made me more interested and a bit homesick for Seven.
The dalmation kept trying to heard the doberman until take 4 when then doberman retaliated and a fracas insued.

Chanukah Hams

Only in New York, kiddies. A woman snapped fotos of Balduccis advertising hams, "Delicious for Chanukah". The whole story is here.

Yahoo continues the story.

Indifference to Injustice

We were shooting last week @ Madison Square Park on 23rd street. We had a shot near the old court house on the eastside of the park. As we were setting up, I notice the bas relief marble sculpture and went over to check it out. Raising from the marble flames below was a scale carving of the Auschwitz camp with the engraved "Indifference to Injustice is the Gateway to Hell". Detailing the gas chambers and execution walls, the memorial is a small reminder of history's past cruelties.
How many times had I walked past it over the years and never noticed....... A small corner on a busy street. It is a lesson on looking for the details in a city like New York.

Tipping Point

The week we finished a new Coke commercial with Nicolai, the Argentine Guinness spot hits the internet and airwaves to much acclaim. The most expensive Guiness commercial ever says one site, upwards of twenty million dollars.
Many Hi-Res downloads and articles can be found here.

Gaffer63: Iruyu Memories

Times Square Morning

Last week we were working ontop of the Reuters building in midtown NYC. The sunrise and early morning bustle of Times Square was brillant. And we had a great view of the old Paramount building and it's restored art deco clock.