GEEK MUSCLE MOMENT

The new Mac Pros arrived this week and they are configured, fueled up and ready to do some burnouts. I don't know why Intel can't think of a better name than "Westmere" for their processor that powers the 12-core engine of these new high-end Macs. I can barely pronounce it in my native tongue and even there it sounds like decaffinated lavender tea from Northwest Holland. I would like to see them take a page from the book of muscle car marketing where the power plant matters too... why not V12, Viper 24 or Thunderbolt 5150?

Vinnie... please make some calls before the release of the Lipton Fine Twine.

Anyways, for now enjoy the view of this 24-barreled Raygun melting through some Photoshop ice texture zoom blurred lighting effect in seconds...

TIGHT WRAP

Just picking up some pieces from a collaboration with Claudia Götzelmann who wanted to know more about CGI water while I wanted to know more about how pretty girls are shot. These pieces have been shelved for quite a while and I just felt like playing around with them again.

NEW BIN LADEN VIDEO SURFACES

A new Osama Bin Laden video message has been leaked and it's clear now that they'll be back to audio tape next year.

SMILE, IT'S TIME

FaceTime that is. Take a look into the new window at your local .Store. I guess, here's the reason you want to get not just one, but two iPhonefours. One for yourself and one for your best friend. Thanks Kevin, Claudia, Shawn, Annie, Chris & Chris, Charlie, David, Peter & Pete, Barbara, Mike, Vicki & Tracey, KandB, Wyatt & Tanya.

DRINKING WITH A BEAR

Thanks, Mike for this great 'tip'. Take a look at this Tipp-Ex YouTube interactive. The one thing I've always wanted to do was drink with a bear, too bad this bear doesn't drink. But anyways, this is the best campaign I've seen since the Subservient Chicken.

DON'T GO MAD... ALLES WIRD GUT

Christmas came a little early this year and I found myself back in LA for two crazy days on a shoot with Radical, complete with famous and funny director, fake snow, semitrucks full of stuff, and the best darn craft services I've ever had. Day Two we're shooting somewhere downtown LA and I come across this sign in the parking lot... I am not sure which way I should turn. But I am pretty sure it was Don Draper's secretary that came down the hall looking like she's going to a costume party.



It's also where I met Barbara, the producer from Austria who made me speak German and helped smoke all these cigarettes. She sports the best tattoo I have ever seen in my life. She swore she's not on suicide watch, and never even thought about it in this way when she had these life-affirming words edged into her wrist. I really believe her, even though I can't imagine a better way to remind oneself, that whatever it is, it's not worth dying for and to put away the razor blade.

MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED

Just finished a fun piece for Tracy Locke/Schlage titled "Transparency" with Chad Vander Lugt art directing this piece and Scott Dorman of Smalldoggin' making sure the composite passes the muster of probability. We were asked to build the two open floors out of glass, including workstations, desks, conference tables and even threw in a couple of elevators and then composite in the individual people portraits. Went out and captured HDRIs of the surroundings while the photographer was up on a crane shooting the building and giving free rides to anybody who wasn't afraid of heights. Here's a look at the final and some under-the-hood pieces leading up to it.


The final CGI/photography composite


Close-up of the transparent floors


The HDRI pano used to light and provide reflections for the CG parts


An in-progress rendering of the glass floors


A rough rendering populated with CG people to help with perspective in shooting the warmer bodies


The building used in building the building


Erik and a fearless companion up on the crane shooting angles


Everything starts with an idea