Poster

Poster sized at 24 X 36.

Pamphlet

Accordian folded pamphlet includes ticket to main event, pre-show invitation, and pamphlet information.

Coincidence

The other day when Shaheen and I went to Sammy's Camera to pick up the equipment for the music video, we where talking about car accidents.

I had mentioned that a couple years ago, I was driving on the highway and was nearly crushed by an airborne mini tractor trailer that had careened off the road on the opposite side of the highway and had pitchforked over our car and crashed behind us (dad and sister). It was probably the scariest thing I have ever experienced, although at the time, I had remained completely calm and didn't flinch as I watched it happen.

Then Shaheen had mentioned an accident he was in while in college where he watched the person behind him crash into the back of his car as he was stopped at a light, sending the car full of TVs and VHS players hurling forward. We then agreed that both of us where very lucky to be okay after those near horrible accidents.

Coincidentally, a couple hours after talking about that, we were stopped at a traffic light and I was staring at this car across the intersection, it hadn't registered what was happening, and it wasn't until several seconds after staring that I gasped and pointed at the accident in front of us.

Luckily this girl was able to get out of the wreck through the sunroof.




I had managed to snap a few pictures before the light had turned green for us. It was extra eerie because it was before any emergency crews had managed to make it to the scene. An almost apocalyptic scene. Especially in LA when you're never really sure whether or not the things you see are real or a set in a movie.

We are still not sure how she managed to do this.

Everything is Green

Yesterday was an exciting day.

We took an early trip down to Sammy's Camera in Venice and Shaheen and Sarah made a big step and bought a green screen setup: green backdrop, Kino Flo's, c stands, and a couple stands to hold the screen up. Okay, so I could come accross as all cool throwing those fancy words out there like I've always known what they meant, and you for not knowing, should do some reading before you consider talking to me again, but the truth of the matter is that I had no idea what they where buying and it wasn't until we where setting it up that Shaheen explained what each part was and why it was important. So allow me to explain. The green backdrop is obvious enough I hope, it's a specific shade of green that is absent from flesh tones, so when keying out the colour green in post production you don't end up with parts of the actors faces missing. The Kino Flo's are a type of light that emit a 625nm wavelength of light, the same colour as the screen, and you shine that on the screen to get the most even green for the background, making it easier to get a clean key-out. The c stands are apparently god sent when filming. They allow you to elevate any filming equipment and they pan and rotate. Fair enough. In this case they are holding the Kino Flo's.

Once that was all set up in their apartment, we fired up the green lights and the whole room turned an amazing green. I wasn't expecting them to be that bright. What was really neat was with the green light everywhere, every other colour became that much more noticible. Flourecents where glowing, incandecent lights where bright yellow, flourecent lights where blue. It was pretty nuts. So I went to town taking pictures.













I should explain that Shaheen and Sarah bought this equipment for a music video they are shooting this weekend. The song is "Coleen" by the group "The Heavy" they have a myspace page, you should check them out. They're good.

As we where setting up. Shaheen and Sarah's crew came in to go over last minute details. I'll credit the crew on a future post after the filming of the video is done, and when I have a chance to remember some names and talk to them for a bit.

After the get together Shaheen and I went back to the office had some fun and went to work on couple other projects.

It was fun.

Welcome to HOLLYWOOD

So today I went to Hollywood to book my room at the Hollywood Highland Hotel & Hostel. And before you create any image in your heads as to what this place looks like let me tell you how the first, no joke, 1 minute played out. It went a little something like this.

Hi, I'm looking for Richard. My Name is Mike Dudek. I made a reservation to stay here for two weeks.

We don't offer two week stays.

Oh really, the man on the phone said that wouldn't be a problem.

I mean you can stay for weeks, but you have to pay up front and what happens if you don't like it?

...

This is when I turned my head to look around at what I had gotten myself into, my eyes stopped at a cardboard cutout of "mini me" with a piece of paper tapped over his hand as if he was supposed to be holding it which had "Welcome to Hollywood" written on it with marker.



Then a cleaning woman comes into Richard's office, Richard is the manager, and hands him a box of chinese food. He opens it. Takes a second and says, "Is this tofu?" I give them a moment to finish as I keep staring at mini me. And this is when shit gets really fucked up. Out from behind the cut out of mini me runs out a real midget, except this man looks like Mr. T. Middle aged, african american, mohawk, wearing nothing but his underwear and a gold chain. He storms into the office, with let's say a swagger, reaches up and takes the carton of chinese food right as they are arguing whether what they are pointing at is egg or tofu, says "that's my tofu" and bolts.

At this point in time I agree to only stay for a week, instead of two, hand over some money and Richard shows me to my room, the facilities, and the smoking area. As fucked up an image you may have in your head as to visually what this place looks like, it's probably not even close to reality. Allow me to plant a visual clue, in my room there are two posters. One of a portrait of Einstein, and right next to it is a second poster of birdman and lil john, a "like father like son poster".











And now I'm at the back at the studio in Downtown, wishing I still had work's credit card to pay for a boring room at the downtown Marriot.

Then again maybe not.

In LA LA LAnd

And loving it!