"Ci'iy Life" BFF Showtimes Announced

Hey!  Just because you can watch my music video for Oddisee's "Ci'iy Life" for free right now from the comfort of your own internet connection, why not pay some money and come on out to the Brooklyn Film Festival on June 5th or the 7th?  I'll be at the 2:30 showing on Sunday, come out & hang.

Ci'iy Life Music Video

It's officially LIVE everybody.  Thanks to Oddisee, Tranqill, & Sam Bair for helping me get this video out & I'll keep you posted for when it's scheduled to play at the Brooklyn Film Festival.

Ci'iy Life x Brooklyn Film Festival

GOOD NEWS!  My music video for Oddisee's Ci'iy Life is an official selection of this year's Brooklyn Film Festival.  Stay tuned for more information...

"Ci'iy Life" Music Video to be released Fall 2011: UPDATE

If you've been following this blog for some time, you'll know that I worked on & finished a video for one of my favorite hip-hop producers, Oddisee.  I've been super anxious to finally get the chance to show it off, but the other day he informed me via Twitter that he'll be shelving it until this coming fall when the weather starts to get a bit cold again, among other reasons.  I agree, it's definitely a winter video... but I'm sorry I couldn't share it with y'all sooner!  I did manage to submit it to a few film festivals though, so we'll see if that works out.

In the meantime hopefully I'll have something to show for myself in other endeavors!


UPDATE:  Nevermind.  Look for it soon!

2011: New Year Updatery™

.... annnnnd we're back, people!  Sorry for neglecting to update in some time, I was too busy being lazy.  If there's one thing I've started appreciating more the older I get, it's managing to enjoy the rare moments of down-time.  Not only did I get to visit my old friend, Playstation 3®, but I managed to make it over to Chicago's Uptown for some holiday time with the fam & friends.  It was some much-needed relaxation.

How I Spent My Winter Vacation by Mark Phillips

Despite my best efforts, it wasn't all sleeping and being hungover and subsisting off of a candy & cheese diet!  Not counting how many people I helped/murdered in Fallout: New Vegas over the break, I finally managed to finish the oddisee music video that I've been working on and for the most part am very happy with it.  Unfortunately I can't post it and show you just yet, but once oddisee gives it a proper release you will be the FIRST (well technically second) to know about it.  I know a lot of people enjoy making trailers for their hip-hop videos nowadays but since the video only rounds out to be just over two minutes I'd be giving away most of what happens even if I kept it short (not that Hollywood doesn't do that already).  Sooooo you'll just have to sit tight and wait a month or two, brah.

I have a lot to catch up with this blog, so get ready to pretend I'm your mom and check in regularly, dear.  

Happy 100th Blog Post!!!™

'Finishing up a long day at work, but I wanted to get a chance to post this brand-new still for the new Oddisee "Ci'iy Life" music video... coming before 2011 hits.

Oddisee "Ci'iy Life" Screenshots

I mentioned awhile back (and I mean AWHILE back) that I was working on a music video for one of my favorite producers in hip-hop, Oddisee.  Well, I'm still working on it during my free-time and luckily winter's coming back 'round -- so it'll be perfect for the season!

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I have about 2/3 done... expect the final product "soon"!

New Project: Oddisee Music Video

I'm officially directing a new music video for a song featuring the UK artist Tranqill produced by one of my favorites, oddisee. It's for a track off of oddisee's last seasonal EP and won't be a hip-hop video in the typical sense. It'll be more or less (as my good friend Skylar put it) an animated version of something you might find in an Ezra Jack Keats book. Here's a couple of collages that I put together that will get the animated treatment:

... mmmm bleak!

Speaking of not-so-typical hip-hop videos, if you know me then you know I really enjoy Ghostface Killah of the Wu Tang Clan. A lot. I don't really know what I'd ever do if I met the man face-to-face (probably go buy a new pair of pants), but here's a classic from his 1999 album Supreme Clientele. Who else can eat an ice cream cone like that and still retain his... swagger?

The Gift of .GIFing

Outside of the occasional venture into Flash, any animation I do designed for the web comes far and few between. That's why today is special... I made this:

If it fails to load properly that is most likely due to my lack of knowledge in compressing .gif files

To be honest I didn't do much more than add a bloody nose to a pre-existing .gif animation and then composite it onto a .gif dance floor, but isn't that 90% of animation nowadays?
My horizon is chock full of new projects, which reminds ME to remind YOU to check out one of my favorite music producers, oddisee. I could go on and on about his rich beats, devotion to providing plenty of free quality music to his fans and versatility in his music, but I'll let you check him out yourself (but only if you're really interested... I don't want to pressure you into something that you don't want to do like so many delicious-looking Domino's® ads these days). Check out his latest free seasonal EP, Odd Winter over on his blog. More on him later...
I must admit that after brainvomiting out that last paragraph I've developed a bit of writer's block & think I will call it a night, however brief it may have been. I haven't even left the office to go home yet.

I'm going to go become lost in John K's blog now.