Brad Kelly Films

Somerville Night Live

2011-12-07T15:29:00.005-05:00

Doing my Lorne Michael impression. Red Sox cap maybe not the best choice.

I produced and directed my first show for SCATV Ch.3 in Somerville last night. It was a live hour with some very talented cast members (and crew!). It was a SNL-ish mixture of skits, short films and news updates with a strong local Somerville slant and a seasonal holiday flavor.

It was precarious, as live events often are: Key actors stuck in traffic, crucial video files exporting with only minutes to spare, balky studio equipment and twenty odd cast and crew rushing around mustering costumes, props and script changes. Invigorating to say the least!

I didn't sleep for two days prior as more than half the show content was created in the final 24hrs. In fact 90% of the skits & films were written, and in the case of the short films (excepting Father Pike) were shot and edited, in the space of three days. Rehearsal? HA! We laugh at you and your "rehearsals."

Art Hennessey and Amanda Good Hennessey did the lions share of fleshing out our concepts into workable scripts. Not to mention managing the actor chaos backstage with admirable aplomb.

I was also really happy create some "Lord Somerville" short films out of Art's essays. Lord Somerville is an enigmatic top-hatted anachronism who strolls around observing the Somerville scene. Look for them to pop up online separately, too. Hopefully, we can do more of these!

Jason Reulet, of Oblique Sector fame, came up with a great musical theme for our "Eye on SCATv" news breaks.

Erik Rodenhiser took a break from his North Shore theater endeavors to break out his "Andre" character to host a few segments. Although, I cringe at the thought of seeing Andre do any more yoga. One downward facing dog was enough.

Some other talented performers brought their lightly scripted/improv A-game, including Sheryl Faye, Floyd Richardson, James Saguinetti, plus relative newcomer Sunil Dikshit.

The show will be re-broadcast in Somerville a few more times before moving on to Cambridge (CCTV) and then the Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN). Eventually, it will hit the web and I'll post the link.

I look forward to doing this again, only with a little less hectic creative process next time.

Lord Somerville scans the scene for the subject of another essay.

Kickstarter Success! The Oblique Sector movie festival tour gets fully funded. And Red Rocks Film Market news.

2011-11-11T19:26:00.012-05:00

A huge "Thank You" to everyone who contributed to our Oblique Sector Kickstarter campaign and put us over the top!

I shot and edited a short appeal video this summer and we had no idea if we would find enough backers to raise the funds necessary to keep submitting the film to festivals, a surprisingly costly part of the independent filmmaking process. You can see our video below:

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the kind folks who pitched in and gave us over $3000 (so far)! We're thrilled to keep The Oblique Sector out there on its festival run.

And if you'd like to help you can still get on board train and grab a DVD or other cool awards by donating before midnight tomorrow. We are very grateful!

In other news, we are pleased to report that The Oblique Sector is available at the Red Rocks Film Market in Utah, this weekend.

The Oblique Sector Playing in Two Film Festivals This Weekend

2011-09-22T17:46:00.008-04:00

We are proud to announce that we have been accepted to two new festivals.

Both are happening this weekend and if you have some Frequent Flyer miles to burn you could see our film twice!

The Oblique Sector is now an Official Selection of:

Atlanta Underground Film Festival

and the

Pawtucket Film Festival

Here are the details:

Atlanta Underground Film Festival

Saturday, Sept 24th - 11:30pm - COMEDY SHORTS II program

The Goat Farm Arts Center - Goodson Yard 1200 Foster Street NW, Atlanta

For details on tickets and directions: www.auff.org

If you've got any friends in Atlanta, please feel free to spread the word!

Pawtucket Film Festival, RI

Sunday, Sept 25th - at 3:30pm

Blackstone Valley Visitor Center

175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI

For details: www.thepff.com

We will attend the Pawtucket screening. Please let us know if you will be there, too!

FOLLOW US:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/obliquesector

Facebook: http://facebook/obliquesectormovie

www.obliquesector.com - for updates and trailer of our film

As always, thanks for your support!

Albion Park Productions heading to Nantucket with "The Oblique Sector" for the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival

2011-06-22T20:12:00.006-04:00

I'm looking forward to getting on the ferry in Hyannis tomorrow for the ride across the sound to Nantucket where our little film, The Oblique Sector, is having it's world premier at the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival!

Sadly, (or not!) both screenings are sold out, but rush tickets are usually reserved for the day of, so if you're on the island, you've still got a shot to get in. We are screening on Thursday and Saturday.

Follow the Albion Park Productions team on twitter for the latest:

Official film twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/obliquesector

Producer/Cinematographer, Brad Kelly (me): https://twitter.com/#!/bradkellyfilms

Director/Lead Actor, Jason Reulet: https://twitter.com/#!/jasonreulet

Writer/Producer, Art Hennessey: https://twitter.com/#!/ArtHennessey

Writer/Lead Actor, Amanda Good Hennessey: https://twitter.com/#!/Amandagh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/obliquesectormovie

We're looking forward to meeting others in the filmmaking community as well as enjoying the festival and seeing as many other films as we can. Not to mention, enjoying the impossibly quaint surroundings of the former 18th century whaling capitol that is Nantucket.

We'll also be rubbing shoulders with other festival participants such as Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Seth Meyers, and special 2011 NFF honoree, Academy award winning screenwriter Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby). Good company!

See you on the island!

My Judgment Day May 21 Billboard Photo On Slate.com

2011-05-20T02:11:00.009-04:00

My "Judgement Day May 21 Billboard Over Budget Copy in Cambridge, MA" photo makes the Slate.com website.

Slate calls it "clearly photoshopped." It isn't, but it is post-processed (with the Camera+ iPhone app) heightening the contrast on the clouds. It's a cellphone photo, so it obviously won't stand for much post-processing, but those clouds were really there. That's pretty much been our weather around here for as long as I can remember. It's photo #2 in the slideshow. I'm also credited with the next image, too, but I've never been to Lebanon, so obviously that's a mistake.

I guess we'll find out this weekend if Mr. Camping's math and biblical scholarship skills have improved any since 1994.

"Thumbosis" Our 48 Hour Mockumentary Now Available Online

2011-05-09T13:47:00.006-04:00

Is today's younger generation all thumbs?

A short mockumetary.

"Best of Boston" winner at the 2011 48 Go Green Film Competition. It was a Top 16 Finalist and screened at NAB on April 13, 2011 in Las Vegas.

I blogged about this earlier.

"Thumbosis"

A mockumentary with the assigned theme of "Save the Next Generation."

Required character: Morgana Johnson, Ph.D.

Assigned prop: keys

Required line of dialogue: "When does she arrive?"

Thumbosis Extremis is what happens to young people who, perhaps already debilitated by Nature Deficit Disorder, overindulge in typing, texting and endless video game playing, rendering the digits of their fingers virtually useless from overuse.

You can also watch the film on 48 Go Green's official site: http://www.48gogreen.com/video/742/thumbosis

www.48gogreen.com/

Our comedy short "The Oblique Sector" an Official Selection in the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival

2011-04-28T15:32:00.013-04:00

Albion Park Productions (a new production company that I started last year with some very talented and creative collaborators) is pleased to announce that our very first project, a short romantic comedy by way of the Twilight Zone called, "The Oblique Sector," is now an Official Selection at the 2011 Nantucket Film Festival!

"Those dating sites never worked out for me."

We've set up a website for the short and you can check out the credits, trailer, and other news as it makes the festival circuit:

http://www.obliquesector.com/

Check the updates as there are several local screenings to be announced shortly.

Preview: Here's a peak inside the world we like to call, The Oblique Sector!

The Trailer

I had a great time creating this along with some very talented folks, including Director Jason Reulet, who pulled double duty as the Oblique Narrator, himself!

Amanda Hennessey not only co-wrote and produced, she turned in a great performance as our heroine.

My thanks as well to video-maven Sam Sacks, who broke in his new Canon HDSLR so we could shoot two camera coverage to get the restaurant scene finished in the limited time we had before the real diners came pouring in to Chianti in Beverly, MA.

We've got many good things brewing and I'm looking forward to our continuing collaboration!

Chemistry is filled with complicated equations, and romantic chemistry is no different.

Like us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/obliquesectormovie

Or follow us on twitter, if your prefer: http://twitter.com/#!/obliquesector

P.S.-Nantucket Film Festival...that's a great logo you have there.

"Thumbosis" Wins Best of Boston, Screens at NAB Show.

2011-04-13T15:27:00.009-04:00

Over the last several years I've participated in a good number of 48 Hour Film competitions, usually with team Playomatic (and my frequent collaborator Steve Stuart) here in Boston (and in Providence, RI) and while we've won our share of awards, we've never won the the Big Kahuna--the "Best of Boston" designation awarded by the panel of film critic judges to the overall top film...Until now!

Video Drone

Our short mockumentary, "Thumbosis," was declared "Best of Boston" following the 48 Go Green Premier Screening on February 24th, 2011 at Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA.

"Thumbosis"

A mockumentary with the assigned theme of "Save the Next Generation."

Required character: Morgana Johnson, Ph.D.

Assigned prop: keychain.

Required line of dialogue: "When does she arrive?"

The Heartbreak of Thumbosis

Taking a cue from Nature Deficit Disorder, a somewhat real, if controversial behavioral disorder postulated by Richard Louv in his 2005 book, "Last Child in the Woods:"

The young are the most vulnerable.

Our film spins a mockumentary around our own made-up disorder, Thumbosis Extremis.

Thumbosis Extremis is what happens to young people who, perhaps already debilitated by NDD, overindulge in typing, texting and endless video game playing, rendering the digits of their fingers nearly useless from overuse.

We trot out our expert (and required character) Morgana Johnson, Ph.D. to explain and illuminate the condition, as well as present treatment options, some more effective than others.

As with all our past films, I was cinematographer (as well as co-producer, co-writer and Box-O'-Joe schlepper) for Thumbosis. Filmed entirely on Cape Cod, I'm pretty proud of what we accomplished in only 48 hours with a tiny crew, from concept to finished film.

Is there hope on the horizon for Thumbosis sufferers?

Thumbosis was shot entirely with a Panasonic HVX200, usually utilizing a Brevis 35mm adapter and a selection of SLR lenses. My 24mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4 and 105mm 2.8 Nikon primes were the most useful on this shoot and account for 90% of all shots.

Only the "nature" shots were done without the Brevis and I took advantage of the 60fps capabilities of the HVX (which, on a 24fps timeline, makes for some very pleasant slow-mo) and it's excellent standard 13x Leica lens. The HVX has been around a good five years, but it's still a highly competent workhorse capable of very cinematic HD video.

Compared to the HDSLR's all the rage today, this baby still rocks on a professional level, particularly with the form factor and high quality audio acquisition (balanced XLR's and phantom power, etc.).

Panasonic's own AF100 and Sony's F3 are starting to merge the best of both worlds; the gorgeous depth of field and interchangeable lenses of the DSLRs along with the high quality audio/video connections and rock solid build and workflow that professionals crave. I'm looking forward to maybe retiring the Brevis adapter with my next camera.

Devastated about the RED Scarlet. Pondering her next HD camera purchase. Should she go 4K?

The 2011 48 Go Green Film Competition is an offshoot of the 48 Hour Film Project. As "Best of Boston" winner, Thumbosis went on to compete against other winning films from around the globe and was a Top 16 Finalist.

As one of the Top 16, "Thumbosis" also screens today, April 13th, 2011, at NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters Show) in Las Vegas as part of the "Best of the 48 Go Green" session.

A Thumbosis slideshow:

I'd love to be at NAB this year, but I can't fly for a while due to recent surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon (Ugh!). Ironically, fear of deep vein thrombosis prevents me from seeing "Thumbosis." You can't make this stuff up...

Super Moon Over Boston

2011-03-23T17:23:00.009-04:00

The moon passed within 221,567 miles of the earth on March 19th. That's closer than it's been in over 18 yrs. Known as the Perigee Moon when the moon is closest to earth in its orbit, this moon has been dubbed the Super Moon, as perigee also coincided with the full moon. The resulting lunar spectacle was 14% larger and 20% brighter than when at lunar apogee.

NASA has a more complete explanation and video online.

With clear weather forecast I decided to try and get a photo of this once-in-a-blue-moon phenomenon. Not owning any super-telephoto lenses I had to improvise.

My 80-200mm zoom wouldn't really cut it as 221 thousand miles is a long way away. Combining my 2x teleconverter and the 1.5 crop factor of the Nikon D300 yielded an effective 600mm focal length.

The moon is surprisingly bright in the night sky and as it rises higher above the horizon it increases in brightness. I was able to get proper exposure at f5.6 with a shutter speed of 1/200th sec.

A sturdy tripod and some further cropping in post produced the view of the moon above. The incredibly beautiful orb that orbits our terrestrial home.

"Inexhaustibly For Anya," People's Choice Award winner screens again tonight

2011-02-17T14:00:00.012-05:00

Thursday, February 17
Marblehead Little Theatre, 12 School Street
Doors open at 7:00 PM, Screening begins at 7:30 PM
Running time: About 90 minutes
Free admission

"Inexhaustibly For Anya," a short doc I shot and produced for the International Documentary Challenge, in one long weekend with Steve Stuart last year, is screening tonight with other shorts at the Winter Film Festival in Marblehead.

Our short won the "People's Choice Award" for best film at the Marblehead Festival of Arts last summer at its premier.

The film tells the story of Marblehead's own Keri Cahill, founder of the Rebel Shakespeare Company and her heartfelt determination to bring Anya, the sister of her adopted Russian daughter, to the United States.

You can follow Keri's continuing quest on her blog, "Creating My Own Little Nirvana."

My Meteor

2011-02-15T02:15:00.010-05:00

Sometimes being late and carrying your camera with you everywhere pays off.

On January 29th I walked to Harvard Square to catch a movie at the Brattle Theatre. I brought my camera and tripod figuring to get some snowy nighttime Harvard Square shots after the film.

Well, I underestimated the snow drifts and consequently, the time it would take to get there. I arrived late for the movie. Irritated with myself, I started my solo photo walk earlier than planned.

And then this happened:

Time to make a big wish, I guess.

I posted a little more here on Flickr.

Holiday House - A Short Doc About That House

2010-12-23T14:34:00.010-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been nearly 5 years since my friend Steve Stuart and I made this short documentary in one weekend for the 2006 International Documentary Challenge.

It seemed seasonally appropriate to put it online now. If you live on the North Shore of Boston it's likely you know the house in question.

I shot this with my venerable old Panasonic DVX100A (not so old then). The timelapses were done with a consumer Nikon camera with crappy compression--and show a lot of artifacting. I'd never shoot them that way these days!

As usual, scratching the surface of ordinary people reveals unexpected depths. Here's the blurb:

Holiday House tells the small town story of "That House" on Rt. 62 in Danvers, MA. You know the one you drive by as you head into or out of Beverly, that is usually overflowing with decorations for every conceivable holiday?

Who does that?!? Well, now you know! For Karen McCarthy and friends, it's a labor of love and a celebration of freedom, family and community.

This film was created by Brad Kelly and Steven Stuart in Danvers and Beverly, MA between Thursday, March 23, 2006 and Monday, March 27, 2006 for the International Documentary Challenge.

Floating Pool Footage and Photos Air on CBS

2010-09-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

I've blogged about this interesting project before:

Now, CBS Ch2 in New York has featured a short interview with Floating Pool Lady architect Jonathan Kirschenfeld. The piece uses some of the B-roll footage and photos I shot in Louisiana of the pool/barge under construction, as well as upon its arrival in New York City, after the long journey up the East Coast by tugboat.

The Floating Pool Lady passes under the Verrazano-Narrows on its way to NYC

Sadly, the link seems to be broken on CBS2, but you can still see a rather low-res YouTube version of the "CBS Eye on NY" piece here:

photos: ©Brad Kelly Productions

The iPhone Crack'd

2010-08-19T17:52:00.006-04:00

iPhone 4 meet concrete:

Well, it happened...

The iPhone 4 is definitely a slipperier creature than my old iPhone 3.

I was still getting used to that fact, and hadn't gotten a case or bumpers, yet, despite Apple's offer of a free one in light of the antenna/reception issue. This was an issue for me, but, after a few days of dropped calls I used a discrete piece of gaff tape over the antenna gap and that solved that problem.

But, alas, gaff tape doesn't provide any shock protection.

So when I dropped it four feet or so, onto a concrete sidewalk, this was the result. I'd dropped once already, with out major effect, but something about the angle of impact this time must have been unfortunate.

Now I'm wondering what to do. It still works, but the back is now a web of iShards and was shedding little chips for a time. I'm worried that the web will spread or a big chunk will fall out initiating a domino effect or leaving sharp shards in my pocket or in my hand.

One person told me to use super glue and wick it into the cracks to stop them from spreading. This sounds reasonable, but I'm worried it'll make the back an ugly mess. Not to mention making further servicing of the innards by Apple or anyone else difficult, if not impossible.

I found a company online called DirectFix that sells a replacement back for $99, but they're currently sold out.

And you have to do the repair yourself.

They provide an instructional video on how to replace the screen that gives a fascinating glimpse inside the engineering marvel that is the iPhone 4.

Let's just say that I'm really glad it's the back cover that broke and not the front, if I have to do this repair myself.

Here's the teardown video if you're interested in what's inside an iPhone:

At least my front screen is still fine and everything seems perfectly functional.

Even the camera still works perfectly, just don't cut yourself framing up a picture!

All photos: ©Brad Kelly 2010

"Inexhaustibly For Anya" World Premier Screening tonight at the Marblehead Festival of the Arts

2010-07-02T14:06:00.008-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that, "Inexhaustibly For Anya," the short documentary I shot and produced (in one crazy weekend for the International Doc Challenge) with Steve Stuart has its World Premier screening tonight on the outdoor screen at the Marblehead Festival of the Arts in beautiful Crocker Park on Front St. in Marblehead, MA.

The screening is scheduled to begin at 9pm. Keri Cahill, Nastia and other supporters will likely be on hand, as well.

Hope you can join us. The weather is supposed to be fantastic. A great way to start the Fourth of July weekend!

"Pie Heist" Selected for Best of Boston Screening

2010-05-28T15:59:00.012-04:00

Something has come between Winston (Erik Rodenhiser) and the strawberry rhubarb pie.

I'm pleased to report that our latest short film "Pie Heist," has been selected to screen at the Best of the Boston 48 Hour Film Project screening at the Kendall Sq. Theatre on June 14th.

We shot on a beautiful spring day at the Salem Willows Park. It was an HD shoot (DVCPro HD) on a Panasonic HVX200 using a Brevis35 lens adapter and Nikon primes. It all worked like butter with only one 16GB P2 card. Post was on a MacBook Pro running Final Cut Studio. All done, from conception to delivery, in 48 hours. A real tribute to the spirit and patience of our cast and crew!

In between set-ups, I took a few moments to shoot some stills with my infrared camera:

Ever vigilant, Wilma (Leigh Deacon) can both read and defend a pie.

A reflective Kim Pederson.

Jeremy keeps things running on script.

The Baldwin girls take five.

Winston and Wilma in happier times.

A classic stand-off.

Winston is undeterred.

Get a Free MIT Education Online

2010-05-14T16:08:00.008-04:00

Believe it or not, MIT has placed virtually all their courses online and made them available to anyone. Approximately 1900 different classes on MIT Open CourseWare (OCW). Many even have steaming video of the full lectures.

I discovered this when I was contacted by MIT about using a portrait I had taken of MIT President Emeritus Paul Gray to illustrate a feature article on the MIT OCW website.

The portrait in question was actually an HD video still from an interview I had shot, with some Photoshop post-processing--a phenomenon further illustrating the ongoing convergence of the still photography and filmmaking fields. Certainly, a subject worthy of another blog post (or maybe a new MIT course).

Of course, the OCW website cautions that it "is not an MIT education." And that it does not grant degrees or certificates, but it's a stunning educational resource nonetheless.

"Untied" Big Screen Debut at the Brattle Theatre Today

2010-02-28T10:55:00.004-05:00

"Untied," a short film I shot this summer, is having its big screen debut today at noon at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. Many of the cast and crew will be there, as well. Looking forward to seeing it in all its wide-screen glory!

DJ Hazard and Laura Bianca Cipolla shooting the hospital scene.

My previous blog post has a few more details about the shoot.

Scarlet Fever: The RED Scarlet "Debut"

2010-01-15T15:11:00.013-05:00

RED Digital Cinema and their RED ONE camera have been shaking up the traditional world of film production for the last few years. And one of their long anticipated products, the RED Scarlet, has been something of a holy grail for indie filmmakers for nearly a year, with rumors of impending release dates circulating online, only to see hopes dashed as it was pushed back and the product features reformulated, time and again.

But, now things are really heating up as a full scale prototype was recently unveiled:

With a 2/3" sensor able to shoot full frame 1080P at variable frame rates up to 30fps and 3K video up to 120fps (in full RAW) it boggles the mind for the price point.

Highly configurable by design, it also shoots stills and is representative of the convergence of photography and video/film that is ongoing in the media professions today. Cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II and the Panasonic Lumix GH1 are offering HD video capabilities along with the vaunted digital stills they were primarily built to provide. And, at a price point far below that of standard high quality video cameras.

RED Scarlet and Nikon D3s size comparison

The Scarlets promise of a relatively affordable camera able to shoot super-high resolution cinema images (and stills) in a very compact package will no doubt move a lot of units -- if it ever truly gets released.

Configured for cinema

RED's innovative modular design concept is also potentially game changing.

Short film "Untied" finished and website live

2009-12-22T17:00:00.023-05:00

Untied, a short film for which I was the Director of Photography has been finished by Director/Editor Adam Woodworth and the Untied website is now live.

DJ Hazard as "retired" mobster Sal Antonelli

The film revisits a similar underworld milieu as his award winning Bourbon short, but is not a sequel, as such. As the logline states:

"Untied" is the story of an old, retired mob hit-man, Sal Antonelli, who comes face to face with his own hit-man. In an attempt to extend his life, Sal stalls the hit-man by telling his life story."

Starring: DJ Hazard, Nat Sylva, Amber Daniels, Bianca Cipolla

Original screenplay by Keith Hedger

Headspace

The film was shot this summer in Boston, Worcester and Waltham in HD using 35mm prime lenses adapted for my Panasonic HVX200. Hopefully, I'll do a blog post about the technical aspects of the shoot in the near future. In the meantime, there are a bunch of video stills and behind the scenes production photos on the Untied website.

One nice thing about working with Adam; he has the work ethic and drive to complete his projects, so you know your work will see the light of day. Too often, small indie projects have a tendency to get stalled along the way from raw footage to finished film.

Adam checks out a setup

Expect a local screening, probably at the Brattle Theatre later this winter, followed by the film hitting the festival circuit in 2010.

DJ Hazard as Sal

DJ Hazard as DJ Hazard

Flower Power! Another Photo of the Day at Bostonist.com

2009-11-25T23:45:00.007-05:00

Flowerpomorphic People

I was pleased to see my recent photo, People Flower, picked as Photo of the Day for November 18, 2009 by Bostonist.com. It captures a somewhat surreal sight in the lobby of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston's Back Bay.

This is the second time I've had the honor from Bostonist. And, though it's not like they're handing out cash awards, it is gratifying. And the image they picked last time ended up being licensed by Newsweek, so they do have a lucky eye. Fingers crossed on this one...but I'm not holding my breath that I'll be hearing from any multi-million circulation publications this time around.

Imagine Magazine August Coverboy

2009-09-17T19:39:00.003-04:00

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and
some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
-Shakespeare Twelfth Night (II, v, 156-159)

Imagine my surprise, while on a shoot last week, when I received a call from my actor friend Amanda asking me if I had seen the August issue of Imagine Magazine and did I know I was on the cover? No, I did not know this! I said, juggling a tripod, camera and a perilously thin iPhone between my ear and shoulder.

Yes, I do receive Imagine Magazine: It's a regional industry tabloid covering the film/TV and media production industry in the Northeast. Amanda and I had both signed up (somewhat unwittingly) for home delivery subscriptions at the "Imaginnaire" Awards Gala at the Regattabar over the winter -- though it's available for free at newsstands and movie theaters around New England. Yet, August was one of those months, that between traveling and working, I hadn't taken the magazine from it's mailing envelope. I resolved to unwrap it as soon as I got home, like a child on Christmas morning.

And still, I couldn't figure out how I got on the cover. For all my mucking around in film/tv/media in these parts I didn't think precisely now was the time I would be granted the coveted cover shot (an honor more regularly reserved for the much more lovely Christy Scott Cashman). No editor had contacted me, no interview scheduled, no portrait session shoot showing me gloriously in situ in my ramshackle edit suite or peering confidently from behind my HD camera.

I deduced it must have been a candid shot at an industry event of some sort. In this digital age there is usually a gaggle of vaguely credentialed photographers (myself included) prowling around snapping pictures at any "industry" event.

At any rate, I wasn't about to argue with the recognition, but I still saw a potential pitfall. Amanda, I said, that's amazing, thanks for telling me, but I'm in the field and can't look now, just tell me the one important thing, do I look good!?

There was a pause. A longer pause than I was expecting, but I was also distracted by the work at hand so it only vaguely registered. You're drinking coffee! Amanda said with a heightened cheerfulness that should have been a warning sign, but in the heat of the moment only served to distract me from the fact she had avoided answering the question entirely. Wow! Drinking coffee? Amazing! I wonder where it was taken? I could feel the phone shifting perilously in gravity's pull. Well thanks for the info, Amanda, but I really can't talk right now. I've got to go. Talk to you later! I hung up and pocketed the iPhone before it could slip to the ground or worse into the yawning sewer grate that always seems to be nearby every time I try to use it without hands.

I finished my shoot buoyed by the idea that these folks had hired the August 2009 Imagine Magazine cover subject and didn't even know it (yet!). And, that that little something extra that I bring to each shoot was now being recognized and quantified in some tangible and public way.

Even if it was just: Me, drinking coffee, on the cover! I reasoned I must have been captured sampling the espresso at some recent confab looking sufficiently debonair to represent the whole of the New England creative class (at least for the month of August, an admittedly slow month). Things were looking up!

When I got home from the late shoot, I made a beeline for the pile of unopened mail and ripped open the mailer to reveal my career-making cover shot!

This is what I saw:

Get this man an attitude adjustment...or a better cup of coffee!

I looked like someone had put a giant dose of vinegar in my coffee. Or at the very least, like I had swallowed a bug; a perhaps nutritious, but not particularly tasty bug, in the previous gulp.

(Regardless, I swear I was enjoying myself that day!)

Imagine Magazine, August 2009, in the wild

So my moment of glory was anything but... Still, after the few moments it took for the anti-climax to soak in, I actually burst out laughing at the absurdity of it; by myself, alone, at 1 am -- laughing out loud, remembering Amanda's diplomatic evasiveness and the near perfect reversal of my own minor visions of grandeur!

Fortunately, I'm the least noticeable person in the shot and everybody else on the cover looks great, including cinematographer Brian Heller, who's explaining camera mounts for cars during one of Rule Boston Camera's excellent Learning Labs, which was the true (and worthy!) subject of the cover.

And, while I enjoyed my momentary illusions of grandeur, I'm not going to lose sleep over the sad reality of it, because, to take another tip from the Bard:

"What's gone and what's past help
Should be past grief."
The Winter's Tale (III, ii, 223-224 )

(Photo: Chris Maggio/Imagine Magazine)

Event Video Production

2009-07-03T00:10:00.003-04:00

This isn't your father's convention video, with a few slide projectors, and a couple big TV screens.

It's massive, wall sized screens, sometimes five or more of them, displaying images from a half-dozen broadcast quality cameras, multimedia elements and perhaps a few live satellite downlinks. And it's big business.

With a small army of technicians and miles of power and video cables and sophisticated lights and projectors (with bulbs that cost as much as a new car), today's event multimedia productions deliver an immersive experience for the attendees.

Operating camera for these events is a kick. It's really a live TV show, more akin to something CNN or Oprah would do, but only ever to be seen by the select couple thousand in attendance.

A recent production featured a satellite link to an operating room where the doctors performing heart surgery were in live consultation with doctors in the audience via audio and video links. Amazing, indeed.

(all photos via iPhone) ©Brad Kelly 2009

Umbrella Photo a Winner in RAW Boston.com Contest

2009-05-27T12:49:00.005-04:00

One of my photos was recently chosen as one of ten winners in the "April Showers" themed contest sponsored by RAW, a photo community run by The Boston Globe. It's an honor to be picked out of hundreds of submissions, even if "honorable mention" doesn't come with any cash.

My photo was snapped from the hip one rainy evening outside the Coolidge Corner Theater, as a couple waited to cross the street, the streetlight casting silhouettes on the wet translucent fabric of the umbrella they shared. It's one of those fleeting images that often catch your eye when you don't have a camera with you to record it.

You can view my photo and the others in the Winners Gallery. I have to give props to the Globe and the judges for going with a more abstract collection of photos than one might have expected. Good to see it wasn't full of the usual stock suspects.

Pat Glennon's evocative winning image (scintillatingly titled "21/365 v2.0") is positively minimalist; a blurred glob of tail lights through a wiper-streaked windshield.

I Am a Camera: "Eyeborg" filmmaker to implant camera in his eye

2009-03-05T15:32:00.005-05:00

EYEBORG-- The Two Week Trial from eyeborg on Vimeo.

From Reuters:

Anti-surveillance filmmaker plans eye-socket camera

BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters) - A Canadian filmmaker plans to have a mini camera installed in his prosthetic eye to make documentaries and raise awareness about surveillance in society.
Rob Spence, 36, who lost an eye in an accident as a teenager, said his so-called Project Eyeborg is to have the camera, a battery and a wireless transmitter mounted on a tiny circuit board.
"Originally the whole idea was to do a documentary about surveillance. I thought I would become a sort of super hero ... fighting for justice against surveillance," Spence said.
"In Toronto there are 12,000 cameras. But the strange thing I discovered was that people don't care about the surveillance cameras, they were more concerned about me and my secret camera eye because they feel that is a worse invasion of their privacy."
Spence, in Brussels to appear at a media conference, said no part of the camera would be connected to his nerves or brain.
He does not intend to create a reality TV show and the camera will be switched off when not needed, he said.
"I don't want to go into a locker room. I don't want to show the world me going to the bathroom either ... I'm not a life-caster and I don't plan to be one," he said.
(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Louise Ireland)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Sinusoidal Depleneration and You

2009-02-14T14:03:00.006-05:00

Rockwell Automation @ Yahoo! Video

Gotta love those niche market corporate videos.

Floating Pool Photos on UrbanOmnibus

2009-01-30T15:26:00.012-05:00

Moon and sky view through the roof of the Floating Pool

I had the pleasure of shooting for an HD documentary a couple years ago, produced by Doug Cabot, about a unique project, the Floating Pool.

The documentary follows the conversion of an old barge in Louisiana into a floating pool to serve the residents of the New York City area during the summer months.

Imagine being able to swim "in" the East River with the skyline of Manhattan as a backdrop. Well now you can! Find out where the Floating Pool Lady will be docked next summer and plan a visit. (PS-it's free!)

The Floating Pool under construction in Louisiana

In the course of spending time with the project, in Louisiana and New York, I also took some still photos. Some of these and others are being featured as part of a slideshow and article on the Floating Pool on the just-launched website, UrbanOmnibus.

UrbanOmnibus is a project of the Architectural League of New York and hopes to highlight interesting projects and create conversation about design and the future of sustainable architecture in New York City.

The Urban Omnibus interview with Pool architect Jonathan Kirschenfeld features a slideshow with images of the pool at various stages of planning and construction. I've also added more of my photos to a set on my Flickr, if you're interested.

Believe it or not, the floating pool is not really a new idea. New York city once had 15 of them a hundred or so years ago. The Omnibus interview with Ann Buttenwieser, the person most responsible for the floating pool project, explains some of the history of the floating "baths" (as they were then called) as well as the torturous path the project took from when Ann first proposed it in 1980.

You can also listen to a WNYC produced conversation between Ann and Leonard Lopate below:

Look Around You!

2009-01-14T20:32:00.005-05:00

The highly amusing British send up of 1970's classroom instructional videos, Look Around You, has been my own personal best argument for the usefulness of YouTube, being that Yanks like me couldn't have basked in its gentle genius without it.

Now, the BBC produced parody series has been picked up by the Cartoon Network to air beginning January 18th as part of its Adult Swim block.

The series is Moog synthesizer-note perfect--as anyone who went to school in the 70's or 80's can attest, with little scientific absurdities building upon themselves throughout the instructional "modules" while the spirit of Monty Python hangs over the proceedings like a benevolent ectoplasmic fog.

Homer Simpson's Favorite iPhone App

2008-12-12T13:08:00.006-05:00

I was playing around with the AroundMe iPhone app--a very nifty feature that lets you check for things like "restaurants," "gas stations," "hotels" or simply and importantly, "coffee," and the application uses your current location data to direct you to nearby establishments.

In this case, I was home and I used it to tell me something I already knew:

There are a million freakin' Dunkin' Donuts in Somerville! No less than six within a mile of my house!

Iron Man Project resumes in Arizona

2008-11-21T00:06:00.009-05:00

Iron Nutz Florida Recap from Brad Kelly on Vimeo.

The Iron Nutz' quest to complete every Iron Man in the US in one year continues this weekend in Tempe, Arizona. It's my pleasure to get to document the journey. These three guys have heart and guts enough to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a full marathon--all in one day! The remarkable thing is they're also regular guys with a generous spirit and a desire to help others less fortunate through their gruelling efforts.

I put together this little video with some of the footage from the Florida shoot three weeks ago. It's HD, shot to P2 cards on the Panasonic HVX200. A very handy and portable camera for situations like this, but still rendering a fantastic image and amazing color for its size.

On a side note, the camera that shot this is now "lost" somewhere within USAir's byzantine baggage handling system. Way to go USAir...

BOO!!: :60 sec Promo for the Witches Cottage in Salem

2008-10-27T13:02:00.017-04:00

I recently shot this :60 sec spot for the Witches Cottage at the Griffen Theatre in Salem, MA. The footage was edited by Steven Stuart at Playomatic Media Group.

The multi-talented Erik Rodenhiser owns and runs the Griffen Theatre at 7 Lynde Street in Salem. The theater usually hosts a fun, frightful show called, "Eerie Legends of Salem," as well as a variety of theatrical readings, improv comedy showcases and plays.

During Halloween season, however, the theater ups the ante and transforms itself into "The Witches Cottage," featuring a live multi-media theatrical performance exploring the ghosts, legends, Native American tales and history of witchcraft in New England.

As of this posting, the links to the Griffen Theatre and Witches Cottage websites are showing a "Bandwidth Limit Exceeded" page. Hopefully, this means business is very good for Erik and the cast and crew this week. (I'm sure that's mostly due to the demand created by the fantastic trailer that we put together!;-)

In case the website is not back up shortly, The Witches Cottage/Griffen Theatre can be reached at:

978-825-0222
7 Lynde Street
Salem, MA 01970

To quote one of the reviewers on Trip Advisor:

"The quality of the attractions in Salem vary widely. Amid a field of the mediocre, the Griffen Theatre shines!...Salem could sure use a few more places like this - a Must See !!"

Orson Welles Meditates on Art and Mortality and Chartre

2008-10-16T12:45:00.003-04:00

A scene from "F for Fake," from Orson Welles' later years.

PLEASE ignore the dweeby introduction (I think the spaceship will be along to pick that guy up with the next comet) and skip to 1:10 for the actual clip.

Mad Men: Nostalgia Carousel

2008-09-25T12:54:00.009-04:00

"
...it takes us to a place where we ache to go again."

From Mad Men, Don Draper pitches Kodak on an ad campaign for their new circle shaped slide projector.

"It let's us travel the way a child travels. Around and around and back home again, to a place we know we are loved."

Testing the Brevis35 MP.1 HD Imaging 35mm Adapter

2008-09-17T11:52:00.008-04:00

I spent some time yesterday with Cambridge filmmaker Adam Woodworth setting up the Cinevate Brevis35 Flip adapter to my HVX200 for some film work we'll be doing this Fall.

The adapter will allow us to use our range of Canon and Nikon prime lenses with my Panasonic HVX200 for beautiful depth-of-field and seriously cinematic HD images, with minimal loss of light to the sensor.

Cinevate claims approximately a half-stop loss depending on lens configuration. I can say that based on the limited test shooting we did with a chart, as well as some night shooting in Central Square with a Canon 50mm f1.4, the performance was impressive--certainly less than a full-stop of loss. There was some slight corner vignetting noticeable on the test chart but with a little re-tweaking, I think it can be mostly eliminated.

Getting the lens elements aligned was the most difficult part, but with patience, it all came together as the manual promised. More testing is needed in other lighting scenarios, but the first impression is very exciting!

This has the "Flip" option, so the image is changed to right side-up for viewing convenience--and as a bonus, reportedly improves image quality by correcting for chromatic aberration.

The carbon rails system is strong and super-light. I was getting comfortable enough to where I believe that handheld shots could be a real possibility for certain circumstances.

I'm looking forward to putting this rig through it's paces on a real set soon!

Bottle Shocking: Another of our Short Film Alums Makes Good in LA

2008-09-11T12:41:00.007-04:00

Hal B. Klein, one of the actors from Squeeze Your Thumbs, our New York City 48Hr Film Fest entry from a few years ago, has had some success since moving to the West Coast (along with Thumbs co-star Victoria Englemayer).

Hal at the Sundance premier for Bottle Shock.

Hal landed a supporting role in the new film Bottle Shock, about the famous 1976 "Judgment of Paris" where American (California) wines shook the wine world to its twisted, viney roots, by defeating the Old World offerings in a blind tasting. The film stars the always watchable Alan Rickman.

The reviews are very good for this indie, with Slate calling it "eminently quaffable."

Hal has also landed a role in the upcoming, Jack and the Beanstalk, alongside the likes of Chevy Chase (Chevy Chase is alive?), Christopher Lloyd and Wallace "Inconceivable!" Shawn.

Hal is also attempting to see the San Jose Sharks in every arena in the NHL and he hosts a cooking show.

Hal is nothing if not eclectic.

Above Michigan

2008-08-20T18:28:00.009-04:00

I'm back in Boston after a couple weeks shooting for some projects in the Midwest. My brother grabbed this shot of me shooting HD video above the new Grand Rapids Art Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Yes, it was windy. Yes, it was a long way down. Fortunately, I was working hard and didn't have time to get the willies.

Johnny Cash: The Man, His Music, His World tonight on P.O.V. on PBS

2008-08-05T02:03:00.006-04:00

Robert Elfstrom's 1969 documentary on Johnny Cash airs tonight at 10pm on PBS's P.O.V. series.

From the P.O.V. website:

In this classic 1969 documentary, the Man in Black is captured at his
peak, the first of many in a looming roller-coaster career. Fresh on the
heels of his Folsom Prison album, Cash reveals the dark intensity and
raw talent that made him a country music star and cultural icon. Director
Robert Elfstrom got closer than any other filmmaker to Cash, who is
seen performing with his new bride June Carter Cash, in a rare duet
with Bob Dylan, and behind the scenes with friends, family and aspiring
young musicians. Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music paints
an unforgettable portrait that endures beyond the singer’s 2003 death.

“Elfstrom’s film is a book of quiet revelations.”
— Matt Zoller Seitz, Time Out New York

“Robert Elfstrom’s magnificent 1969 documentary Johnny Cash: The Man,
His World, His Music ranks among the most comprehensive and effective
cinematic presentations of the late Cash’s persona and impact.”
—Ron Wynn, Nashville City Paper

The P.O.V. site has a great excerpt of Johnny and June Carter Cash singing a sweaty version of "Jackson," but since they don't seem to allow their videos to be embedded, here's Mark Romanek's masterful video of the Man in Black in his final year, covering NIN's "Hurt."

"Beneath The Surface," our latest short film, premiers tonight in Providence

2008-07-22T13:57:00.034-04:00

Beneath The Surface, a New England ghost story

This past weekend, I shot a short film with team Playomatic for the Providence 48 Hour Film Project.

On Friday night, we initially drew "Road Movie" as our genre, but since we had secured a fantastic near-mansion in Manchester-by-the-Sea as our location, we didn't want to have to leave that behind and hit the road. So we took our chances with the wild card draw. As you can imagine, we were psyched when we drew "Ghost Movie," as it played right into the strengths of our location.

The required elements we ended up with were:

Genre: Ghost movie
Character: M. Chaney, hairdresser
Prop: Pear
Line of Dialog: "If you see him again, tell me."

All competing teams (some 50 or so--about half the number that competed in Boston in April) had to include those same elements; Character, Prop and Line of Dialog, into their film, regardless of what genre they drew.

(The 48 Hour run on pears probably raised a few produce manager eyebrows, too, and it's an Onion headline waiting to happen: "Mysterious Spike in New England Pear Sales Baffles American Fruit Council," but I digress.)

I'm proud of what we accomplished in a short two days.

"She swims at night. Only at night..."

Cinematographically (I don't think that's a word, actually) this one was a lot of fun! I used one of my still cameras to shoot some infrared portraits and timelapses, which we animated into the film. The infrared has a natively "otherworldly" look to it, and it was perfect for the ghostly feel we were after.

Ye Old Oak Tree and backyard swing

I even managed to shoot some ethereal underwater footage in the pool of Leigh in a vintage-looking gown for a drowning sequence.

We shot and edited in SD this time, in the interest of speed and simplicity, since we were editing on my laptop on the fly. But, we went tapeless, again, shooting to P2 cards.

It's great not to have to digitize tapes, especially under such time pressure. Shooting to tape just feels so ancient and creaky now, I really try to avoid it whenever possible. Of course, the hard drives I buy now are measured in terabytes not gigabytes, but that's progress for you.

A Visitation

Some see her. Others cannot.

"Beneath The Surface" premiers at 9pm tonight at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI.

Photos ©BradKelly 2008. Pool-side production photo courtesy Art Hennessey.
_

"Once," and again.

2008-07-12T19:06:00.008-04:00

I'd long had a little movie kicking around in my head and when I saw "Once" last year, I felt like they had stolen it right from my cerebellum (well, the shape of the film, anyway, I know very little about Dublin street life). Still, jealousy didn't keep me from enjoying this touching little gem of an indie film.

Reportedly shot for under $200K in and around Dublin, the movie casts its eye on Guy (Glenn Hansard of Irish rock group the Frames) as a struggling singer/songwriter/busker, and Girl (Marketa Irglova) as a lonely, struggling Czech immigrant. They meet when she is drawn to his songs as he plays for quid on a downtown street corner. Soon they are working together recording a demo and find themselves sharing the joyous magic of creative musical connection, as well as feelings, inchoate dreams and finally, an enigmatic bittersweet future.

Unlike traditional musicals, the characters don't abruptly stop their lives to belt out bombastic or treacly tunes like Dublin-ite Ethel Mermins. The songs are integrated organically and given room to breath and work their way under your skin. The movie doesn't really seem like a "musical," but in its way, I suppose it is.

I love the off-the-cuff style of the dialog, the cinematography and the story arc. It's absolutely un-Hollywood at it's best, but the biggest reason this diamond shines is Hansard's delicate, emotive songs--they're the perfect hook to hang this slice-of-contemporary-Irish-life's transcendent melange of music, melancholy and hope.

(Rated R for the copious use of F-bombs. What is it with the Irish and swearing?)

"Karma Generator" review

2008-06-27T10:07:00.014-04:00

John Serba of the Grand Rapids Press had some nice things to say about our film "Karma Generator," recently, when it played the Waterfront Film Festival.

From the review:

"Karma" is a must-see for fans of Vander Ark - it offers insight into his songwriting process, and the unique creative relationship he developed with famed producer Bill Szymczyk."

"Karma Generator" is currently available as a bonus feature on the DVD Brian Vander Ark: Live at Aquinas College and a bargain at only $17 for a really well-produced concert film if I do say so myself! (Full disclosure: I was the Director, Co-Producer and DP.)

Up on the catwalk before the show

"The Best of Playomatic" screening at the Griffen in Salem

2008-06-25T09:35:00.004-04:00

A collection of Playomatic short films, most of which I was involved with in one way or another, usually as director of photography, will be screening this weekend at the Griffen Theatre in Salem, MA. Sadly, I'm out of town and unable to attend but maybe you can and help support my good buddy Steve Stuart and his family.

Here's the press release:

"The Griffen Theatre at 7 Lynde Street in Salem presents The Best of the Playomatic: A Hilarious Short Film Screening on Friday, June 27th and Saturday, June 28th at 8 p.m.

There is a $20 suggested donation at the door as the evening is a benefit for the filmmaker and his family, who plan to move to Western Australia next January to work for Create International, a cutting-edge ministry organization in Perth that provides culturally relevant Christian video and web materials to different nationalities throughout the world.

Beverly-based filmmaker Steve Stuart has won several awards at Boston's 48 Hour Film Project for his zany shorts, filmed mostly in Beverly and Salem. The shorts feature North Shore actors and one pesky yard gnome that pops up in each of them. Featured short films include: America's Next Top Superhero, Opening Night Jitters, Sneaker Double Feature and the most recently shot Deadly Deja Vu.

According to the filmmaker, these 'strange, little films' represent his alter ego. Stuart's 2007 film Hope for Uganda screened this year at the first Salem Film Fest."

Brian Vander Ark: Live at Aquinas College

2008-06-22T22:54:00.010-04:00

June has been a big month so far!

First, "Karma Generator" screens at The Waterfront Film Festival and now the Brian Vander Ark concert my brother and I produced and shot has been released on DVD!

I used five cameras to capture Brian Vander Ark in all his full-band glory premiering the material from his new self-titled album, plus some Verve Pipe chestnuts for good measure.

You can order the DVD for $17 (or autographed by BVA for $22) from Vander Ark's website and view some clips there in the "Videos" section.

The stage and lighting looked great, and included Brian's touring Airstream trailer as a backdrop, after Brian JUST managed to shoehorn it into the arena. You think Brian is a talented musician? Well, you should see him drive!

The band is really crankin' and the sweat is palpable as they deliver the goods to several hundred fans (and countless more via the magic of DVD) on a very special night.

From Brian Vander Ark's press release about the DVD:

"It's also very exciting to be able to announce that the new DVD, Brian Vander Ark: Live at Aquinas College is now available for purchase. The concert was recorded by my friends Brian and Brad Kelly. It was a five camera shoot, and I consider it to be a companion to the new album. All of the songs from the new album were performed, along with songs from the other solo albums, as well as some Verve Pipe songs as well. You can watch a sample of it at the new web site in the "Video" section."

Karma Generator at the Waterfront Film Festival

2008-06-15T20:21:00.010-04:00

This is a big weekend for "Karma Generator." The documentary my brother and I made about Brian Vander Ark recording his new solo album with legendary knob-twiddler Bill Szymczyk in North Carolina.

Our movie has been screening at the Waterfront Film Festival, held each year in the summer artists haven of Saugatuck, Michigan.

Screen Actor's Guild Magazine named the Waterfront Film Festival one of their Top Five Favorite Film Festivals and it's in mighty fine company: Cannes, Sundance, CineVegas, and SXSW being the other four (I'm sure it has something to do with plying visiting filmmakers with dune rides and jetski's on Michigan's sandy west coast, but hey, all's fair in the film-fest game)!

Film Threat has also named the fest one of the top "Ten Fantastic Film Festival Vacations." Unfortunately, work commitments kept me in Boston this weekend, but I'm sure my co-director brother has been soaking up enough glory and cocktail shrimp at the filmmaker buffet for the both of us (at least his gloating Blackberry messages text'd from ground zero in Saugatuck would lead one to think so).

Karma Generator is screening with another documentary, The Linguists, about the effort to preserve and document the world's rapidly disappearing indigenous languages.

Hanna's Gift and Queenvick at BIFF

2008-06-13T16:33:00.007-04:00

Victoria Englemayer, star of many a Playomatic 48 Hour Film Project is now an LA based actor. However, she's back in town for the screening of the movie Hanah's Gift at the Boston International Film Festival tonight at the AMC Loews, Boston Common. Victoria scored a lead role in what looks to be an intriguing horror film (appropriately premiering on Friday the 13th!).

In Hanah's Gift, she plays the childlike, "Toby." In 2005 she played Heike Koller, European pop star, in our NYC 48 Hour Film entry.

Portrait of the Artist as a Frightened Young Immigrant.

Young Artist transforms into Star.
Hal B. Klein and Victoria during the shoot in New York City.

Corporate Video As Art

2008-06-08T01:57:00.009-04:00

Suppose you were given 10 minutes to explain a company's new product in a promotional film. Suppose it had to be surprisingly technical but also engaging to the non-technical viewer. Suppose you were also a great artist and designer...

Behold, an instructional film created for Polaroid by Charles and Ray Eames in 1972 to introduce the landmark SX-70 camera.

Charles and Ray Eames were not only famous industrial designers, they were also filmmakers, creating more than 100 short films over the course of their career for clients like IBM and Polaroid, most of them painstakingly artful, yet communicating complex ideas in profoundly clear terms.

Ray and Charles Eames at work.

Eames Lounge Chair debut in 1956 on NBC

2008-06-08T01:32:00.005-04:00

As an addendum to the above post, you can watch Ray and Charles Eames unveil their soon-to-be iconic lounge chair live on the "Home" show with Arlene Francis on NBC, in 1956. Charles also discusses their famous modernist house and working with Billy Wilder on the Jimmy Stewart movie, "Spirit of St. Louis."

But the real star is the chair--and also remarkable is Charles' almost abashed sense of modesty.

"Photo of the Day" at Bostonist.com

2008-05-21T17:45:00.006-04:00

The Benefits of Multitasking...

After shooting HD video for a client at the opening of the new Apple Store in Boston Thursday, I dug out my still camera and tripod and did a walking tour, shooting some photos of the Back Bay at night.

One of those photos was picked up as the Phot o of the Day on Bostonist.com, a cool website about everything Boston (sister publication to NYC's Gothamist).

The photo is a black and white image of the John Hancock Tower (at 790 ft., the tallest building in New England--135th tallest in the world).

Here are a few other photos from my post-Apple nocturnal ramble:

photos ©2008 Brad Kelly

"America's Next Top Superhero" screening at "Sci-Fi Sundance."

2008-05-21T14:50:00.011-04:00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"America's Next Top Super Hero," a short film that I shot for the 48 Hour Film Project (over four years ago!) has been picked-up to screen at The Wrath of Con: Science Fiction and Film Conference in Panama City Beach, FL at the end of this month.

The Wrath of Con convention is a geeky collection of workshops, autograph sessions, memorabilia and hobnobbing with authors, costumed fans and D-list Sci-Fi celebrities...as well as a slate of films they're calling the "Sci-Fi Sundance." I'll be waiting for the Weinstein's call...

The main reason I'm disappointed I can't attend is that my childhood hero (circa 1978), Capt. Apollo, Viper pilot of the Battlestar Galactica (Richard Hatch) will be there in person.

Mr. Hatch in later years.

As Commander Adama's (Lorne Greene) level-headed son, Apollo was charged with defending the "rag-tag fugitive fleet" of planet-less humans from Cylon attack. And he was a much better role model than that loose cannon, Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), who only seemed to have cigars and women on his mind (and probably not even in that order).

Starbuck and Apollo, defenders of the remnant.

Apple Opens Largest US Store in Boston

2008-05-19T18:53:00.010-04:00

Talk about hoopla! It was like the opening of a Star Wars movie in 1976. Apple opened it's largest store in the US Thursday on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay. The crowd was lined up outside, stretching all the way around the building to Newbury Street, in a festival-like atmosphere.

I was there shooting interviews with iPhone owners in Hi-Def for a Boston-based third-party applications developer for the iPhone (who must remain secret for now, don't ask me to tell, I don't want to have to kill you).

The new building is a glass fronted cube that represents over two years of effort by Apple-- almost stymied from the get-go by the Back Bay Architectural Commission, who initially did not find Apple's plan to raze the existing building amusing.

Lucky insiders view the throngs below.

During construction, Apple hid the building behind a facade modeled after Fenway's Green Monster.

Photos ©2008 Brad Kelly
Green Monster Photo ©Chad Barraford

Transsiberian and Sir Ben Kingsley in Somerville

2008-04-25T01:31:00.019-04:00

Transsiberian opened the IFFBoston this year.

Director Brad Anderson and co-writer Will Conroy serve up a tension filled train trip through Siberia, with more than a little Hitchcock along for the ride, rubbing up against the post-Soviet Russian underbelly.

Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play husband and wife, taking a once-in-a-lifetime side-trip through Russia after a short-term missions trip to China with their church.

Fine performances throughout, especially Moritmer as Jessie, the not-quite redeemed missionary wife struggling to move beyond her past. And Eduardo Noriega as their magnetic and dangerous fellow traveler.

And of course, the aforementioned Sir Ben playing Grinko, the Russian narcotics inspector--and as one would expect, much more Sexy Beast than Gandhi in this one. And effective he is, wearing his sable hat, slovic accent and attitude of resigned post-Soviet opportunism as if he was born to them.

If there's a weak link at all it's Harrelson as Roy, the naive optimist. I just didn't buy the vodka-swilling evangelical bit. The way he plays him, Roy is maybe one-part missionary, two-parts frat boy and three-parts corn-fed Midwestern rube. But it's not entirely the actor's fault. As scripted, he's about as credible as a Nancy Pelosi Bible verse.

The cinematography is solid, contrasting the vast desaturated snowy wastes outside the train, with the threadbare hothouse of the lounge car and sleeper cabins inside, featuring stopped up toilets and menacingly indifferent customer service where eventually it seems the only true freedom left is the freedom to smoke pretty much anywhere.

Despite one sickeningly graphic interrogation scene where I feared we were heading into Eli Roth territory, director Anderson pulls back quickly, before the mood veers irredeemably into torture porn, getting back on the rails again to deliver a satisfying final twist or two.

*****************************************************************************

An audience Q&A followed the screening.

Director Brad Anderson

Sir Ben Kingsley and scriptwriter Will Conroy

Our friends at our local film collaborative New Film Nation (formerly Beanywood) have posted an interview with director Brad Anderson, filmed on a balmy Somerville sidewalk outside Orleans restaurant right after the premier:

IFFB 2008 Kicks Off Tonight in Someville

2008-04-23T16:53:00.028-04:00

80 degrees and sunny! Spring has definitely sprung in Boston and that means....

The 2008 Independent Film Festival Boston officially launches tonight with a screening of director Brad Anderson's new Hitchcock-ian thriller Transsiberian. Anderson and Oscar-winning star Sir Ben Kingsley are going to be in attendance for a Q&A after tonight's screening.

My first on-set experience for a "real" movie shoot was when I was a PA (production assistant) for another Brad Anderson film, Session 9, when it filmed in the Boston area at the long abandoned Danvers State Lunatic Asylum (made up of very, very creepy, crumbling Victorian gothic buildings...it is currently mostly demolished and being redeveloped into apartments and condos).

The Festival closes next Tuesday with great German provocateur Werner Herzog's new film, Encounters at the End of the World.

Herzog is back in documentary mode after his last Hollywood action film, Rescue Dawn (itself, actually a dramatic take on his inspiring 1997 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly).

Far from the steaming jungle (or "june-glee" as Herzog has it in his German accented narrations) of Laos, the director finds himself closer to Grizzly Man territory in climate, if not location, visiting with the oddball collection of characters who make their home at the very bottom of the world, Anartica's McMurdo research station.

Between tonight and next Tuesday the IFFB will showcase a lucky 96 hand-picked films (of 2000 submissions screened and considered!) as well as a host of industry panels, parties and special musical guests (check out local media sensations, Harry and the Potters on Saturday, playing after a screening of We Are Wizards, a fan-umentary exploring various aspects of Pottermania).

On a side note, the jester hatted folks in the photo parading in front of the theater were chanting, "L. Ron Hubbard died to save your soul! L. Ron Hubbard died to save your soul!"

I'm not sure what that was all about but it was probably a Scientology protest or local college students with a little too much time on their hands.

It's sort of like that around here.

"Death Holds A Hoagie" 48 Hour Film Project

2008-04-09T13:46:00.013-04:00

For the fifth year in a row team Playomatic has made a film for the 48Hour Film Project. This year we drew Detective/Cop as our genre. The resulting film (completed in 48 hours and, uh, 18 minutes) is a little film noir farce we've titled "Death Holds A Hoagie."

It is screening Thursday night at the Kendall Theater in Cambridge. Tickets are available online.

A Hoagie Rogues Gallery

Karma Generator Screening and BVA Concert

2008-03-26T22:47:00.013-04:00

Setting up the wide shot camera in the rafters.

It was a really special night in a great space, despite a West Michigan Spring snowstorm. BVA managed to get the Airstream on stage by some miracle of driving prowess. Bill and Lisi Szymczyk made it in for the show and the band was kickin'. "Karma Generator" played on a huge screen and the audience really seemed to enjoy it, laughing at all the right moments.

My brother snapped this photo of the action.

We filmed the set with five cameras. Look for the DVD release hopefully later this Spring.

Pre-show from back stage.

Local Resonance

2008-03-21T14:09:00.010-04:00

There's been some really good press in the run-up to the show here in snowy Michigan!

This morning WYCE aired an interview with Brian Vander Ark and my brother about "Karma Generator" and Brian's concert. You can listen to the INTERVIEW stream online, too.

And there's another nice mention in John Sinkevics' Grand Rapids Press blog here:

http://blog.mlive.com/soundcheck/2008/03/easter_weekend_picks_hopping_m.html

I just checked out the venue and worked with Blue Water Technologies to set-up the mega-giant projection screen for the movie. Awesome!

Plus, the stage setup is such that Brian Vander Ark is bringing the Airstream right on stage as a back drop. How cool is that for our concert film shoot!?!?

See you there tomorrow for blast-off!

Karma Generator Premier Almost Sold Out

2008-03-19T10:34:00.013-04:00

The latest word is that there are less than 50 tickets remaining for Saturday's inaugural showing of our short documentary film "Karma Generator." (Oh, and there's also some guy named Brian Vander Ark playing afterwards, too.) So if you were thinking of getting them at the door, I'd hate to see you disappointed. So get your TICKETS now.

We're really happy with how the film turned out. My brother Brian came from Grand Rapids to Somerville recently and we worked on the editing and I think we've shaped a pretty interesting look at what goes on behind-the-scenes during the recording process. It's a lot harder than most people realize. And if you're a Brian Vander Ark fan, it's absolute catnip.

LOOK OUT! I think it's an East Grand Rapids gang sign.

Oh, and we're filming Brian's show Saturday with his full band for a DVD release. I'm DP-ing it with five cameras (maybe six!), plus a ProTools rig for stellar sound. Be there and be a part of big screen history!

My brother always brings his appetite...

URC at 303 Third Street: You don't have to be smart to live here, but it helps...

2008-02-29T15:41:00.016-05:00

MIT President Emeritus Paul Gray

Want to live in sleek modern surroundings high above the intellectual buzz of Kendall Square?

Got your diploma?

I worked with the fine folks at inMotion Real Estate Media to shoot some interviews in High Definition to get the word out about the new 168 unit development called URC (University Residential Communities) at 303 Third Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge.

The only catch is, in order to be eligible to purchase there, you need to be affiliated with one of three venerable New England institutions; MIT, Harvard University or Mass General Hospital. (I visited a friend once, at Mass General, does that count?)

O. Robert Simha, long-time director of planning at MIT

The final product incorporates some motion graphics and animation as well as the HD video elements. You can view it here in the video gallery:

http://www.303third.net/media.php

"Karma Generator" trailer -- Behind-the-scenes with Brian Vander Ark

2008-01-29T00:46:00.001-05:00

karma generator trailer from Brad Kelly on Vimeo.

In November, I spent some time in North Carolina, shooting a documentary I'm doing with my brother through our redBrick media venture. My brother is a commercial photographer and stunning fine art photographer (who favors moody nocturnal B&W images) -- and he's blogged about this project here.

We've combined our love of images and stories (and music) into several short documentaries over the last couple years -- and this latest one is called "Karma Generator."

"Karma Generator" goes behind the scenes as talented singer/songwriter and former multi-platinum Top 40/MTV Flavor-O-The-Month (while fronting the Verve Pipe) Brian Vander Ark records his new self-titled solo album with legendary record producer Bill Szymczyk (The Who, Eagles, B.B. King, Bob Seger).

It was a treat to watch the creative interplay as these two hashed out the songs in Bill's home studio (although much of the instrumentation was recorded at Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium).

The album is due any day now and some of the songs are up already at Vander Ark's myspace page. I'm partial to "I Went With The Road."

"Karma Generator," the short film documentary, will premier March 22, 2008 in Grand Rapids, MI prior to a Brian Vander Ark show (with full band). Tickets are available here.

(production action photos courtesy of Lisi Szymczyk)

in a minute: YMCA Commercial Shoot via Vimeo

2008-01-09T16:32:00.004-05:00

If you shoot high quality video and want to showcase it on the web at a quality better than a highly compressed postage stamp (ala YouTube) there haven't been many easy options.

Recently, I stumbled upon Vimeo, which advertises its ability to host HD quality video for free (albeit, still compressed for the web) and streamline the upload process to something approaching the simplicity of YouTube. What also intrigued me (as a new blogger) was the ability to embed high quality videos right into my blog via Vimeo. So today's blog entry is a test of that feature. Let's see if it works...

in a minute: YMCA commercial shoot from Brad Kelly on Vimeo.

(I'm pretty pleased so far, although I've noticed that you have to click through to the Vimeo site and watch it there to get the best quality. Especially playing full-screen, the embedded version is showing serious compression artifacts, while the full-screen version at Vimeo is crystal clear. Still, it's a marked improvement over YouTube for embedding purposes. Particularly if you shoot HD, since Vimeo is natively 16:9.)

Lately, I've been bringing my still camera to my shoots and snapping a few photos during downtime (provided there is any).

For the behind-the-scenes timelapse, I simply put my Nikon on a tripod and had it shoot a picture every thirty seconds. Then I took those stills (about 700 of them) and animated them into a sequence and resized for HD (1280x720) in Final Cut Pro.

A few minutes to upload to Vimeo -- and there you have it: A production for the local YMCA featuring an Arri light set-up, a green-screen key-effect and a parade of wonderful North Shore talent all in about a minute!

Barry O'Brien, Master of Darkness -- and Light!

Barry is an experienced producer, copywriter, lighting director, editor and jack-of-all-video trades. He runs North Shore Communications Group. He was the guiding force behind this particular production and I'm pleased anytime I get to work with him.

This video was used as part of a campaign that has raised a significant amount of money for the local YMCA.

(photos and text ©bradkelly2008)

An Otis Grove New Year

2007-12-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

I was at the Middle East a couple nights ago shooting a live set for a local band (a punk band, but that's another story) when I noticed this poster for Otis Grove playing for free on New Years Eve.

In September I worked with Adam Woodworth to shoot Otis Grove's CD release concert at a really cool warehouse location in Somerville. The band has posted a few of the cuts from the DVD here, if you're interested in seeing some of what we shot.

Adam, by the way, has made some really top notch short films. Comedy fans will recognize local comedy legend DJ Hazard playing the heavy in Adam's latest: Bourbon: The Movie. (Non-gangster film fans, need not apply)

So if you haven't made New Years Eve plans and went a little over budget on the holiday spending this year, head over to the Middle East Monday and ring in the New Year with Otis Grove and their unique brand of feisty retro-jazz/rock.

They are a truly stellar live trio, rockin' a great old Hammond organ through the coolest vintage amps in Boston. Can't beat the price, either.

HD Shoot for CCAS

2007-12-11T14:59:00.002-05:00

Last month I worked as DP (Director of Photography) with Playomatic Media Group to shoot a high-definition product demonstration for Cross Country Automotive Services for one of their new high-tech automotive products (think OnStar on steroids).

A good part of the shoot was outdoors utilizing a jib (basically, a nifty sort of balanced arm with the camera mounted at the end for smooth Hollywood-style camera moves).

You always cross your fingers about the weather before an outdoor shoot, but we really weren't expecting snow before Thanksgiving. But, snow it did! This is New England after all.

With thousands of dollars on the line if we were we to lose the day, cast and crew soldiered on and it made for a really interesting process.

To avoid the large wet snowflakes, we rigged a series of umbrellas for everything from the camera and crew to our star talent Jennifer Wilson. Fur trim also seemed to help.

Some more of the CCAS team weathering the weather:

Fortunately, the weather wasn't crucial to the script and actually made for more atmospheric images. The low clouds and snow-filled sky casting a soft, even light and the late Fall New England leaves still providing some colorful pop.

Director Steven Stuart Baldwin signals Touchdown! on the Umbella-Cam (patent pending) jib shot.

Then we got to move indoors to for the warm, cozy part of the shoot:

After a long day everyone felt celebratory.

Cast and Crew bid adieu...

Looking forward to shooting again with Playomatic and CCAS later this month. They're great people to work with!

I Blog, Therefore I Am

2007-11-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

Someday I'll use this space to post thoughts, photos and clips about my various film projects.

But right now, I just need an account so I can post a comment on my brother's blog, so he doesn't feel like his blog is a vast empty space with virtual tumbleweeds blowing through it.