Karma Generator Screening and BVA Concert

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

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

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...

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

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)