January 31

I know I'm going to be busy all day so I'm posting an early, EARLY entry. This may be updated later on, who knows? So, I was traveling across the internets and came across some extremely disappointing news (for all you hip-hop heads out there). I blogged earlier this month about Lupe Fiasco releasing the first disc of his grand finale - LupE.N.D. - in June. Well, as of yesterday those plans are no more. This is from Mr. Fiasco himself:

"Due to circumstances beyond my control...the album roll out has changed radically...LUPE.N.D. has been postponed indefinitely!!!

As a matter of fact consider it cancelled until further notice!!!

Sorry Guys & Gals!!!!...the rumor mill and bitch ass cowards are going to have a field day with this one!!!...I'll just keep quiet about the actual reasoning so everybody can put their very special two cents in...

OK..so what now???

Actually an album is still coming in June...Thats Right!!!...Drum Roll Please...

"THE GREAT AMERICAN RAP ALBUM"

Yeah thats the new title...

want the tracklist?

ok...

1. Song #1
2. Song #2
3. Song #3
4. Song #4
5. Song #5
6. Song #6
7. Song #7
8. Song #8
9. Song #9
10. Song #10
11. The Greatest Rap Song Ever Made

No B.S.

See ya'll in June and again in December and again next June...

LupE.N.D. right after that...when the liberation comes!!!...

also JAPANESE CARTOON "IN THE JAWS OF THE LORDS OF DEATH" drops the same day as "THE GREAT AMERICAN RAP ALBUM"...Matthew Santos this spring...oh yeah...FNF UP!!!

I hate the music business...but I love music...Grammy's Here We Come!!"

So there you have it. Apparently we're getting a Lupe Fiasco album in June (which is still amazing), it's just not the one we were expecting. Hopefully this LupE.N.D. mess gets straightened out soon, considering I've been anticipating it since before the release of "The Cool." In the meantime, I'll be waiting patiently for "The Great American Rap Album" in the summer. And as for Japanese Cartoon...

Your paupers and peasants and princes and kings,
B

January 30

I'm at Joe's house right now. We've been hanging out and watching a lil' Pistons/Celtics action. It's not looking too good, but still a fun time. Kendrick Perkins is a punk. Today was basically spent over this way; Catching up, looking at pictures, seeing the badge and bulletproof vest. Haha. I asked if we could test it...he said no. We're about to head out again. See you folks later.

Love,
B

January 29

A lot of testing on After Effects again today. I have to thank Rhett again for filming me in front of the green monster for 6 seconds so I have a piece of random footage to work with. At 720p, it was plenty of time. Anyway, here are the photos from last night's Goldman's shoot. Finished up principle photography; Now it's in Rhett's hands to turn from nothing to A-MAZ-ING.















And that's about that. OH, WAIT!!! No it's not. Here's a bit of pretty cool news I got from Kyle Farthing yesterday. Some of you may remember the video we shot during the summer for As I Lay Dying at the Cornerstone Festival. If not, here it is:


As I Lay Dying - Forsaken (LIVE) from Kyle Farthing on Vimeo.

Well, it turns out that Kyle heard back from them a few days ago. Apparently, the band is going to be using the footage we shot (not sure how much) on their upcoming DVD. We're all going to be receiving credit. So, if it works out, I'll have my name (as well as Rhett and Kyle and Mike) on a nationally released DVD. I'm actually pretty excited. First real credit. Interesting, huh?

Some other big news from the day; My best friend, Mr. Joe Sollinger, completed his border patrol schooling/training earlier today (closing ceremonies were around 3 or 4pm). Technically, it's Officer Sollinger now. So, Officer Sollinger (and a friend) hit the road around 5pm and are driving straight through to Michigan. He should be back home sometime tomorrow afternoon. Now, Joe has been away since October (and briefly at Thanksgiving), so tomorrow will be the first time we've been able to actually get together in about 4 months. I'm excited to see him; Not only because he's been gone, but after this weekend he'll be moving to Port Huron to start his new career. Not far away at all, but not an 8 minute drive like it used to be. Needless to say I'm EXTREMELY proud of the guy. He finished college, worked to save money, and when an opportunity arose, he jumped at it, and now - not even a year after graduating - has a new career. Joe is one of the best people I know. It's a very general statement, yes; but whatever YOU consider a "good person" to be - in the highest regard - this is what Joe is. I mean this as a very high compliment. He's a genuinly good person (at a time where they're few and far between) and I'm truly, truly happy things are going so well for him. If anyone deserves it, it's him.

Well, I think that's about it for today. I'll be back tomorrow for some more blog-idy goodness.

Congrats Officer Sollinger,
B

January 28

I just walked in from filming the second part of the commercial from last week. It was a pretty smooth shoot that ended in a great meal and some good conversation. Now, it wasn't a conversation that most people have everyday and it particularly revolved around beliefs; But those are good talks to have every once in a while - even if you don't see eye-to-eye. Anyway, I'll have more pictures to post in my next blog entry. Until then, I'll let you know that it was a fantastic day. That's about it. Just a genuinely good day. I'm smiling.

Love,
B

January 27

It seems that a lot of my friends are either becoming sick, are sick, or are desperately trying to achieve a level of un-sickness. I must be one of the lucky ones...for now. Met up with a couple friends at Panera Bread today. Had a good time catching up and snacking on an Asiago Roast Beef sandwhich. T'was delicious.


I then headed home to find a package waiting for me. Gina, a great friend of mine from California, had sent me an amazing shirt from To Die For. I believe this was the second part of the Christmas/birthday shipments - the first being Socks & Socks. I need to get on the phone and let her know I'm diggin' it. Guess I should do that now.

Keep it real,
B

January 26

I need a green screen. Some lights would be nice, too...but I do need a green screen. I'm just now realizing all of the possible applications. I'll be honest though, I'm still trying to collect other pieces of hardware (such as lights, microphones, etc.) and I'm not sure where a green screen ranks. It should be a pretty high priority, though. Damn you, AFTER EFFECTS!!! It's been giving me all sorts of crazy ideas. Well, I need to re-list my sister's Mac PowerBook on eBay. Probably should get to that. Then again, I may hold out until 9pm EST so as to possibly get that west coast crowd in the mix. Hmmm...decisions.

Watch The Fall,
B

January 25

Earlier this week the nominees for the 2009 Academy Awards were announced. There were a couple surprises - In Bruges and Robert Downey, Jr. - and a couple (HUGE) snubs - The Dark Knight not receiving a Best Picture or Best Director nod. Feel free to Google "2009 Academy Award nominees" to scan the entire list; to which you'll then run across a section that should look something like this:

Achievement in cinematography

• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

There's one film missing from this list. It's one some of you may not have seen or heard of; But if you had, you'd understand where I'm coming from. The movie is called The Fall and is the second feature from Tarsem Singh. He's the man responsible for The Cell, the crime-fantasy from around 2000. Now if you visit imdb.com, you'll see 2006 next to the title. It hit the film festival curcuit around this time but wasn't nationally released until early 2008. Special "presented by" credits were given to Spike Jonze on this project, as well. Anyway, do yourself a favor and see this movie. It's not the best in terms of story or directing that I've ever laid eyes on, but the cinematography is flat-out breathtaking; Not to mention an amazing...AMAZING performance by then 5 or 6 year old Catinca Untaru. The cuteness level is a 17 on a 1-to-10 scale here, people. Here's a quick synopsis (taken from imdb):

Roy Walker (Lee Pace), an early 20th century Hollywood stuntman, lands in the hospital after performing a dangerous stunt to impress his girlfriend. Distraught and suicidal after losing her, the bedridden Roy befriends a fellow patient, a young girl named Alexandria (Catinca Untaru). He enchants her with vivid, fantastical tales about five heroes — an Indian, an ex-slave named Ota Benga, an Italian explosives expert, a masked bandit, and Charles Darwin — who unite to fight a common enemy, Governor Odious. Although Roy has genuine affection for Alexandria, he also has an ulterior motive...

Let me stop right there and just mention you see a lot of the film take place from Alexandria's highly vivid and imaginative point of view. It's like watching a painting come to life. Beautiful. Now this is a film you have to be "in the mood" for, so try holding off until you feel like it. But please...PLEASE watch The Fall and then let me know if you think the Academy missed one.

The Fall is beautiful,
B

January 24

I'm currently headed out the door and may not make it back in time to post before midnight; So I'll do it now. Paid off the credit card today. WOOO!!! The same time every month I feel both depressed and overjoyed knowing how much I charged, but that it's nothing to worry about anymore. Like, there goes $500 but I'm not in debt. Cool beans burrito. Speaking of food...I had pizza for lunch. Frozen. Not too bad, actually. I also continued the seemingly never-ending saga of After Effects tutorials. I guess that's that. OH, and the Pistons started their big lineup again last night..and lost by 21. Sad trombone.

Have a nice day,
B

January 23

Right off the bat, I'm really getting into After Effects.  I'm baring down and trying hard to not just go through a number of tutorials (like I had been doing before) but actually spending time learning each piece and applying that to my own tests.  Otherwise, all you're doing is color by numbers.  That's all to report today.  A lot of time spent in front of a computer again.  Haha.  Rhett can relate to this.

All you need is love,

B

January 22 [B]

I'm not sure if it's the same on everybody's computer, but on mine, the pictures I post always seem to have the right most section cut-off due to...something. So, if you want to see the entire picture, just click on it and you'll be taken to my Flickr account that houses said image (in all of it's rectangular glory).

Thanks,
B

January 22 [A]

Just to let you know, the January 21 post has been updated so as to resemble an actual blog entry.

That said, on to today...or rather, yesterday. I was out last night with Rhett and Josh filming a commercial for Goldman's. As always, we had the classic hurry up and wait atmosphere; But all in all it was pretty productive. Setting up and tearing down took up the majority of our time - especially trying to get a 12' x 24' green screen evenly lit in a very small space (credit to: Rhett, Josh, Downy's wrinkle free spray, a lot of boxes, weights, and many-a-lights). There were a few times Josh had to visit the fuse box due to a sudden power outage, but no biggie. The day ended in some Arby's, some NBA Live, and a nice, warm bed. Mmmm. The second part/finale of the commercial should be shot sometime next week. I'll try go get photos on that day, too.

Oh, also, last night the Detroit Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors in a blowout. This is significant because it's the first time they started their "new" traditional lineup of Rodney Stuckey (PG), Allen Iverson (SG), Tayshaun Prince (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), and Rasheed Wallace (C). Rip came off the bench along with Bynum, McDyess, and Maxiell (who had a monster game along with Tay). Now, I think A.I. should be our 6th man and not Rip, but either way, I'm happy our team finally woke up and realized we're not built for a small lineup. Kudos, but about damn time.

(Credit photo to: Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News)
Respect to Rip for taking his new role in stride.

Much, MUCH love,
B

January 21

That's a hell of a picture, huh. Anyway, to make this an official blog post with some new insight, here's a bit of news that came through the wire earlier today:

Lupe Fiasco will be releasing "Everywhere" - the FIRST disc of his 3 CD finale - sometime in June of this year. The full project is LupE.N.D. or "Everywhere," "Nowhere," and "Down Here." Also, for all of you Lupe Fiasco fans such as myself, here's another bit o' new (albeit older news). Donnell, I remember texting you about this earlier; But to everyone else, check out a group called Japanese Cartoon. They're a British-post punk band who are headed by lead singer Percival Fats. The 3 songs that have been released thus far are called "ARMY," "Firing Squad," and "Heirplanes." Did I mention that Percival Fats' vocals are eerily similar to Lupe's? Now, a message from the band was released stating that Mr. Wasalu and Mr. Fats are, in fact, 2 different people and while Lupe finances and produces the band, he's not part of it. I don't know...you be the judge.

G'night,
B

January 20

At this time, on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was just sworn in as 44th President of the United States of America.

January 19

Well, let me just say that YouTube is TRRRBLE. What a waste of time. Oh well, good ol' Vimeo came through in the clutch. Again, everything about the picture - the over-exposure due to a face escaping the viewfinder or the ever-present dark vignette around the frame - is perfect for me. All I did was add a couple slight fades and cut for some sort of "flow." No color correction. No added effects. The picture is as it was uploaded. Due to encoding parameters, the video is a tad bit dumbed-down, but it's obviously not a big deal considering the type of film used. Again, it's a lot to do about nothing; Just felt inspired to share some of this footage. So, for your viewing pleasure:


Vintage Montage from BJ Frost on Vimeo.

OH, and Happy Birthday to Jessica Glockner TODAY!!! WOOO!!! January Birthdays are cool, eh? That's right they are.

One love,
B

January 18

I was working on a video project that involved footage from (I believe) one of the first domestic, color, reel-to-reel video cameras manufactured; Way before Hi-8 or DV tapes were used. Now some people will look at said footage and just see really old, jumpy moving pictures. Nothing special. I think it's gorgeous. Everything from the uncontrolled over-exposure to the soft halo-vignette effect on almost every frame; You can't help but feel taken back. And, no matter how much you work on it, you can't mimic the exact look of real, old-reel footage (get it?). I've seen some amazing attempts to do such - in movies, TV, etc. - but nothing beats the actual thing. Maybe it's just me; Who knows? Regardless, I was feeling really inspired and made a short, 3-minute montage. It's nothing special. I tried to put it together with some sort of "flow"...but considering the clips were all over the place (literally), I just made due. I only cross-faded a couple times. Everything else is either the footage as was captured or cuts by me. It's currently being uploaded on YouTube and I'll post it here as soon as it finishes.

Oh, and the Super Bowl is going to be the Arizona Cardinals (WHAT!?!?!?) vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. Go figure.

Keep on keepin' on,
B

January 17

WHEW!!! I just made it back in time. Literally walked through my door, hung the coat up, and turned on the computer to post something before the clock struck 12:00AM. Let me just say that driving in a windy snow storm is bad enough; Try doing it for 80+ miles. Not cool. I'm talking near zero visibility at times.

*Also, quick word of advice to anyone aspiring to become a bus driver. If the conditions are as stated above, it's probably not a terrific idea to drive so close to someone that you could spit on the trunk of his car. Also, may not be the best idea to quickly veer into the left lane (which is covered in snow) and speed passed said car with no apparent regard for the weather or other drivers on the road.

Needless to say driving was pretty bad going down to the Palace of Auburn Hills. However, it was a good time once we arrived. I'm sorry, I need to back on up for a second. As you probably have read in an earlier post, I got tickets to the Pistons home game that took place tonight against a great New Orleans Hornets squad (thanks eBay). I was accompanied by Bradley Thibaut, Matthew Coe, and one Joshua Hockin. Before the game we stopped in a restaurant called "Montana's." It's not a steakhouse, it's a "cookhouse." Don't ask the differences, but that's what it is. Anyway, I've always been fond of the place because, instead of loafs of bread and butter, this establishment offered up endless skillets full of a sweet, cornbread type dessert with a cinnamon, sugar butter. Mmmm...so good. Well, come to find out, that must have been a while ago; Because when we sat down at our table and asked our waitress about it, apparantely it's not free anymore. It's also not endless anymore. It's also not a skillet full...anymore. Mini-loaf; Small cup of butter; $0.69. Lame. My meal was still good (plus a free dessert for the birthday) but man, what a bummer.

Flash forward to arriving in the Palace. Got there about 20 minutes before tip-off, got to our seats, and watched a closely contested game all night (with the Hornets pulling away right at the end). Yeah, New Orleans won; But all I really wanted was to watch a game that was competitive (not a blowout) with a great group of friends. Check.


You know how the drive back was. Most of the time was spent watching every other car on the road so as not to die or listening to some music. Joe Sollinger was on the line during this time as well, with the phone being passed from person to person, catching up with the man. I took a turn too...and quickly realized it wasn't such a bright idea. Also, did I mention bus drivers be crazy? Well, now I'm sitting here typing up the happenings of the day. Just got a text from my close friend, Gina, wishing me a happy birthday. Hmmm, actually just got off the phone with one Fred Brushaber regarding the same thing. All-in-all, a great time.

To everyone who called or texted or contacted me in some way today, I thank you dearly. 24: Crazy, but a quarter (I hope so, at least) of my life has passed already. Here's hoping for a few more good ones.

Goodnight,
B

January 16 [B]

As I sit here and watch the Pistons take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City, I have to think...

"If human beings were born without opposable thumbs, where would the space bar on a keyboard be?"

Talk amongst yourselves.

Have a great night,
B

January 16 [A]

The following was posted on a blog I frequent (DetroitBadBoys) and was too good to pass up. I'll be creating an actual post for today later (hense the [A] after the title). Until then, enjoy the Pistons' season as told by Dickinson, Hemingway, and Faulkner (Credit goes to "Rob G"):
_________________________

For something completely different, here’s the season done a la Emily Dickinson:

Small ball - small ball!
Were I with Curry -
Small ball would be
our Destiny!

Futile - the Bigs
Who seek the paint
Done with Defense!
Done with Rebounds!
Ah, Curry!

Might you - tonight - wear
A check’d Suit!


Finally, before retiring…Hemingway:

“They’ve probably bombed hell from three point range but never touched Granger and company,” Michael Curry said to himself. “The damned three guard lineup scares you to death, but it don’t kill you.”

“Smallball goes on,” said Arnie Kander, listening to the jeers of the crowd. He had winced at every missed rebound and now licked his dry lips.

“Why not?” Michael Curry said. “It is now a part of our league.” He ladled stew onto a plate.

“What did smallball do?” asked Maria, her eyes frightened.

“Nothing. Eat,” Michael said.


I lied. One more. “A Rose for Curry” a la Faulkner:

“I want a poisoned lineup,” he said.

“Yes, Mr. Curry. What kind? For the Pistons and such? I’d recom-”

“I want the worst you have. I don’t care what kind.”

The assistant coach named several. “These will lose even to the Bobcats. But what you want is-”

“Smallball,” Mr. Curry said. “Is that a bad one?”

“Is… smallball? Yes, sir. But what you want-”

“I want smallball.”

The assistant looked at him. Curry looked back at him, erect, his face like a polished globe. “Why, of course, if that’s what you want. But the fans require that you hold a press conference.”

Mr. Curry just stared at him, his head straight on to look him in the eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the clipboard and drew up the smallball lineup for the game. When Curry looked at the top of the clipboard, under a skull and crossbones: “For losing.”

_________________________

To clear things up for those of you who may not follow the Pistons as closely as I do, Detroit has been struggling this season when utilizing a "smallball" lineup. This consists of playing Rodney Stuckey at PG, Iverson at SG, Hamilton at SF (out of position), Prince at PF (out of position), and Rasheed at C (eh...). When Hamilton was injured, everyone shifted to their normal spots - Prince at SF, Rasheed at PF/C, Johnson/Kwame at PF/C - and we went on a 7-game win streak. Since Rip's return - and subsequent reinstatement of "smallball" - we've been on a 3-game losing streak; Including the past 2 loses to sub-.500 teams (Charlotte and Indiana) which we lost in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter - after leading the entire game. This is basically what Detroit Pistons' fans have been witnessing all year. Hense, this post.

I couldn't have put my frustrations any more eloquently than "Rob G" did above. Bravo, sir.

Out,
B

January 15

There you go. The amazing HPX-170. Now, granted, this all occurred yesterday; But you knew that already. In fact, I said that the pictures from the shipment would be posted today. It's cool beans and all, but it did take place yesterday. So for something new, I will tell you that I was able to snag lower level Pistons tickets for Saturday night against the Hornets.


Bonus 1 - Chris Paul is my second favorite player in the league (behind Brandon Roy) and David West is a beast.
Bonus 2 - Rodney Stuckey bobblehead night.
Bonus 3 - It's on my BIRTHDAY!!!

Needless to say, I'm excited. Also, Rhett gave me another rad idea. I'm thinking I may be messing around with a lil' time lapse action. I don't know. We'll have to see. Oh, and ONE more thing before I go. Ms. Spillane, I advise you to read your comments. I'm serious when I talk about my mind going crazy over the possibilities of your daily Dalton encounters. So...yeah...get on that.

Peace (and much love to ya),
B

January 14

I was scanning the inter-web earlier today when this lil' tidbit of news caught my eye. Seems there can be justice in this world after all. If you recall my ranting yesterday about the murder (let's not kid ourselves, that's what it was) of Oscar Grant, the following was released today via CNN.com:

"A former transit police officer accused of shooting an unarmed man at a Northern California commuter train station has been arrested and charged with murder, an Alameda County district attorney said Wednesday...He is accused of the shooting of Oscar Grant III at an Oakland, California, station on New Year's Day. The incident was captured on video by several witnesses and spurred violent protests in the northern California city. Grant, a 22-year-old father, was killed on New Year's Day in a crowded BART train station...Videos from witnesses show Mehserle shooting Grant in the back as another BART officer kneeled on the man."

You can read the entire article HERE.

Honestly, I'm feeling very good that his family may be receiving some closer after a freak crime. However, we all know there's a lot of red tape in our legal system. Hopefully this story doesn't get lost in the mix.

Oh, and on a much warmer note, I stopped on by my buddy Rhett's place of business (The Spencer Agency) earlier today to check out their newest piece of hardware. It had just arrived and was fresh out of the box - literally. Check back tomorrow for pictures...

Have a great day,
B

January 13

You've probably heard about the Oscar Grant situation the past couple weeks. I know, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the photo above. In fact, why even bring up such a controversial subject in the midst of a post starting with a picture of a disproportionate dog leaping from a bridge filled with snow? The short answer: Because it's my blog and I can do what I want. To make matters even more confusing, I'm currently listening to Damien Rice's "Lonelily." Nothing makes sense right now. And that's the point; The shooting; The picture; This blog, it doesn't make sense. Sometimes it's for the worse; Sometimes the better. As goes life.

Hahaha. No, seriously though, I had no idea where that was going. It does piss me off though when I read a report from the San Francisco Chronicle stating:

"Officials have not said whether the officer intended to shoot Grant. One source familiar with the investigation said BART is looking into a number of things, including whether the officer had meant to fire his Taser stun gun rather than his firearm."

REALLY!? It's bad enough that this kid - who, may I remind you, was also UNARMED - was shot (and killed) while the police officers had him restrained, face down on the ground (to which they hand-cuffed him AFTER they shot him). To even suggest that the officer - who pulled the weapon from his holster, stood above Oscar, aimed then fired - realized at that moment that it wasn't a Taser he was wielding, but a loaded Glock, is downright ludicrous and, frankly, should be insulting to any well-minded human being. Something's not right about this whole thing (OBVIOUSLY); Yet I have a feeling it's never going to be fully resolved. Especially after this (from the San Francisco Chronicle):

"The BART police officer [Johannes Mehserle] who shot an unarmed man to death on a station platform early on New Year's Day quit the force Wednesday...Mehserle's resignation means he does not have to answer questions about the shooting from BART internal affairs investigators."

So, basically, it seems Johannes Mehserle not only got away with murder; but because he resigned, his defense "would continue to be paid for by a statewide fund for police officers."

Looking at everything that's been happening recently, I really do feel lucky to be in my current situation surrounded by so many amazing people.

Much love and R.I.P. Oscar Grant,
B

January 12

This is the first OFFICIAL post. Self explanatory.

Start Here

Well, here we go. Earlier today, I had a quick back-and-forth with a great friend by the name of Rhett Blankenship (rhettblankenship.blogspot.com OR rhett365.blogspot.com) who informed me of something he and a friend were starting. It's basically a "digital diary" for the entire year in the form of a blog. Something clicked with me; It seemed very intriguing so I've decided to throw my hat into the ring. Everyday - no matter what - I will post something on this site. I have a feeling it's going to be amazing to look back on January 12, 2010 and see the culmination of photos, videos, random thoughts, etc. that have followed me during 2009. Thanks again for the amazing idea, Rhett. At the very least, this will certainly be interesting.

Much love,
B