...This LIFE Experiment, Matthew Verzola

This LIFE Experiment, A Mission Statement

2011-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

life [lahyf]

noun

1. the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism , reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through chagners originating internally.

2. The sum of the distinguishing phenomena of organisms, especially metabolism, growth, reproduction, and adaptation to environment.

3. The animate existence or period of animate existance of an individual.

4. A corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence concieved of as belonging to the soul.

5. The general or universal condition of human existence

ex-per-i-ment [ik-sper-uh-muhnt]

noun

1. A test, trial, or tentatitve procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.

We are Alive.

We are Scientists.

Just as a scientist will walk into his laboratory with the intent to experiment with constants and variables in order to draw conclusions to believe in about science; we, on a daily basis, walk through our lives experimenting with constants and variables to draw conclusions to believe in about life itself.

As a scientist, one's job revolves around building on established truths, beliefs, and scientific law in order to discover things unknown, and take ideas from the category of "Idea" or "Theory" and transition them into the category of "Scientific Law"; As people, we are both blessed with the opportunity and burdened with the task to establish our own set of beliefs about this condition that we have "that distinguishes [us as] organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms"

What a task!

...how does one ever decide what to and not to believe in?

Especially in a day in age when we as a generation are systematically ripping apart and tearing down the religions and the systems of moral conduct that have been established, practiced, and believed in for hundreds and hundreds of years of human life.

Our generation as a whole is very good at telling you what exactly it does NOT believe in, but let's detach ourselves from negative space from a second, what DO we believe in?

...and if we cannot answer that, how do we find the answers?

Let us learn from the scientific method, we establish beliefs only through repeated experimentation. We must experiment with the variables of our own lives in order to find out, subjectively, what habits are conducive to maintaining personal balance.

This blog is an expression of my own perspective on my own personal findings.

Welcome to This LIFE Experiment.

-VERZOLA

Warm Gun - "Let Me Fall" (In-Studio)

2011-12-15T11:31:00.001-08:00

ThisIsWarmGun.com

Stephen Fry: What I Wish I'd Known When I Was 18

2011-12-12T14:45:00.001-08:00

STEPHEN FRY: WHAT I WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN I WAS 18 from Peter Samuelson on Vimeo.

Warm Gun - "NOCTURNAL - Summer's Over"

2011-12-11T20:30:00.001-08:00

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

Hot off the press from my guy Warm Gun,

Not gonna lie, this album put me in a GREAT mood.

Melodies are catchy as all hell and the samples spring up

From all across the board... SHOW SOME LOVE!!!

Hell's Kitchen Apt. - Interior Biss Design

2011-12-09T17:22:00.001-08:00

I'm absolutely pleased to see this project finalized.

Two of my best friends own and operate Interior Bliss Design

(as well as Sexy Bachelor Pad for a more specific client)

and are GENIUSES with their aesthetics.

Case and point, I'm going to stop writing and let their work speak for itself...

Beautiful work you guys,

So good to see you last time I was in NYC!

50 Cent X Wall Street Journal

2011-12-09T13:09:00.001-08:00

Always good to spend a little time listening to words
Spoken by those who have done.

Wanna talk business? 50 has done.

The M Machine - Promise Me A Rose Garden

2011-12-03T10:20:00.001-08:00

Favorite track for the weekend...

ENJOY!

The M Machine - Promise Me A Rose Garden by The M Machine

Ryan Leslie - "Beautiful Lie" In-Studio

2011-11-19T12:51:00.001-08:00

Jay-Z Covers GQ; Men of the Year issue

2011-11-14T18:26:00.001-08:00

FULL ARTICLE OVER AT GQ

"You hear that silence right there?" he finally says, laughing. "That's art workin'."

Bon Iver X Nabil

2011-11-14T18:22:00.001-08:00

BON IVER "Holocene" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.
Directed by: www.NABIL.com
Dp: Larkin Seiple
Editor: Isaac Hagy
Label: Jagjaguwar
Post: Peter Sauvey, Gustavo BKR
Producer: Jill Hammer
rep: Lark Creative
color: Marshall Plante
Production Co: NE Direction

special thanks to Hrafn Svavarsson @gaviatravel for you guidance in iceland, and Svana Gisla for hooking up your family

and to little Hilke, for doing a lot of walking for me!

Assembly Manifesto, Book Release 11.11.11

2011-11-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

AssemblyManifesto.com

"They call usDAYDREAMERS.

We refine ourselvesas VISIONARIES.

We keep our heads inthe clouds,

Knowing that fromthis height

It is much easier tosee the extent

That our ambitionscan reach.

We enjoy spending ourtime

Stretching the limitsof our imaginations,

Envisioning

In the depths of ourminds our deepest desires

That have not yetcome to fruition.

Inside our mind’seye,

We all possess thecapacity

To direct ourthoughts

Forward towards theFUTURE."

-VERZOLA

Assembly Manifesto, 2011

Adele, Recording at Home

2011-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Someone Like You

Love this video...

It's one thing for a musician to have their
Personal space for creation and expression,

And then to venture out into the studio
To get that expression recorded.

But it's quite a different experience to bring
The audio and video equipment

Inside of your own space to see where it comes from.

It's hard to get much more honest than that.

TOKYO RISING

2011-10-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

TOKYO RISING: A DOCUMENTARY ON 3/11

"Tokyo faces a new reality after the tragedy of 3/11. While persistent challenges still lay ahead, the city's creative class is hell-bent on making sure that their hometown thrices. Innovative and resilient, they are defining the future of Tokyo on their own terms. We put our boots on and went exploring."

The beautiful cinematography alone is enough to make this piece worth watching. Palladium Boots and Pharrell created this documentary to explore 3/11's aftermath, interviewing visual artists to get inside their minds on how the tragedy affected the country, through thoughts, feelings, and creative work.

ONE DAY ON EARTH - Trailer

2011-09-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.
www.onedayonearth.org

ONE DAY ON EARTH creates a picture of humanity by recording a 24-hour period throughout every country in the world. We explore a greater diversity of perspectives than ever seen before on screen. We follow characters and events that evolve throughout the day, interspersed with expansive global montages that explore the progression of life from birth, to death, to birth again. In the end, despite unprecedented challenges and tragedies throughout the world, we are reminded that every day we are alive there is hope and a choice to see a better future together.

Founded in 2008, ONE DAY ON EARTH set out to explore our planet’s identity and challenges in an attempt to answer the question: Who are we?

Pharrell X N.O.R.E. Ft. Weezy - FINITO

2011-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'ma live the dream, yo

No time for sleep, yo

If you know what we know

Y'all niggas FINITO

Frank Ocean - We All Try

2011-09-20T00:42:00.001-07:00

Frank Ocean - We All Try (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo.
http://www.highfivecollective.com

http://www.facebook.com/high5collective

@H5C

http://frankocean.tumblr.com/

NABIL X Frank Ocean - Swim Good

2011-09-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

frank ocean [swim good] from christopher francis ocean on Vimeo.
directed: NABIL

edited: Eric Greenburg

I'm about to drive in the ocean

I'ma try to swim from somethin.. bigger than me

Ryan Leslie X Red Cafe - "Fly Together"

2011-09-01T11:54:00.001-07:00

Macklemore X Ryan Lewis - OTHERSIDE remix

2011-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Skrillex - First Of the Year

2011-08-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Skrillex - First Of the Year (Equinox) from HK Corp on Vimeo.
Skrillex - First Of the Year (Equinox)

Réal : Tony T.

Prod : Hk Corp (fr) / Atlantic Recording Corporation

2011

Grinding...

2011-08-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

"When you want to succeed

as bad as you want to BREATHE,

Then... you'll be successful."

Explosions In The Sky
never fails to produce a great ambient soundtrack either

Swizz Beatz Named VP For LOTUS

2011-08-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ungh... Do your thing Swizz.

That's what I'm callin creativity on a real level,

One person bein able to translate vision and creativity into any medium.

Whether that medium be going hard in the studio

or in a design studio as VP of Creative Design and Global Marketing

for a company like Lotus

Tyler Durden's Quote of the Week... IV

2011-08-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

"People do it everyday, they talk to themselves...

They see themselves as they'd like to be,

They don't have the courage you have,

To just run with it."

-Tyler Durden

...why is that courage so scarce?

At a certain point while becoming an adolescent,

We all realize that we talk to ourselves.

Our minds run rampant,

Trying to make sense of our surroundings.

Trying to make sense of ourselves.

Trying to make sense of ourselves IN our surroundings.

As we become self-aware, Our insecurities make us self-conscious.

We want to express our souls,

We want to change our surroundings,

We want to create a life that is as unique to history

As we are unique to the human race.

...but for some reason along the way,

those in charge of helping build our vision of the world

show us nothing but boxes, limits, and expectations...

...forgetting to encourage us to color outside the lines.

To explore.

To Experiment.

To stretch the limits on what these bodies that we have been

given are truly capable of.

UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THE THINGS WE ARE CAPABLE OF NOW

AND WHAT WE WILL BE CAPABLE OF IN THE FUTURE.

Our bodies grow organically.

Our minds grow organically.

Why would we let any other body,

Or any circumstance tell us when to

Stop our LIVES from growing organically as well?

Remember what it was like being a child,

running around, playing outside and having fun?

Those days when we would come home

With bruises on our knees, scratches on our arms,

and stains on our clothes were, by far, the days when

we learned the most about life, and had the time

of our lives doing it.

We need to start being honest with the fact that there is

a difference between who we are now

and who we want to be in the future...

...and it's not going to be instant perfect change,

life's not perfect, sorry.

It's going to be an organic growth process.

And why would we model that process off of anything

but when we go through the most rapid growth of our lives,

When we're children?

FUCK SHIT UP

...and see how it responds.

We need to talk to ourselves.

We need to see ourselves how we'd like to be.

And we need to FIND the courage,

To just run with it.

Motivate.

Execute.

Appreciate.

Repeat.

-V

Jay-Z & Kanye West - Otis

2011-08-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about this video...

...not that they're ballin enough to just gut that Maybach like a fish...

...not that there's mad fireworks goin off just cause...

...not even the fact that there's 4 model's in the backseat...

But that AZIZ is in there chillin. Doesn't even have any lines in the video

and his presence just cracks me up.

The Death of The Age

2011-08-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Just think about this for a second...

All of the great "Ages" of history are behind us.

All thanks to technology,

we're caught right smack on the cutting edge

of a period of societal growth like no human has ever seen before.

(Although after America's credit rating got kicked out of the TripleA club

last weekend, maybe we are already collapsing... haha... anyway...)

We, the generation of Echo Boomers, will not experience what it is like

to be part of a great age defined by a new human use of a natural element

such as a Stone, Bronze, or Iron. We are not having an easy time

defining ourselves by great art movements and newfound modes of

expression that are slowly refined over decades, or even centuries.

Even now, we hear reference to the "50's", "60's", and "70's"

and find it hard to fathom what devoting your entire youth

to a movement shared by the majority of our generation would be like.

(relevant rant about "Hipsterdom" to come in future blog)

(Santorini, Greece. Photo: Unknown)

"Every generation needs a new revolution."

-Thomas Jefferson

I'm not complaining... In fact, quite the opposite.

I'm celebrating.

I find it absolutely fascinating that while Great Ages

are getting shorter and shorter, our average human life

expectancy is the highest it has ever been.

Weird right?

By every historical generation that's ever existed,

(thanks to history and the internet)

we have been handed more resources and more time with which

we can be creative with those resources

than any generation has been handed.

Ever.

We have instant upload-able knowledge, and

access to thousands of years of human wisdom.

We can see through the mind of any great historical figure to have ever lived.

It's slowly becoming less and less taboo for one to develop their

own moral foundation with which they base their life's decisions off of...

...or in other words, we should be encouraged to establish new

patterns of thought process that are blatantly more refined than those of

our parents, grandparents, and especially those of our peers.

For our sake.

Just because we can read about wisdom and knowledge of the greatest

Artists, Philosophers, and Entrepreneurs, doesn't make it a replacement

for real life world experience.

We NEED to experiment with these grand concepts within our own lives

to understand how this knowledge's application

will help spark our futures, create our presents, and solidify our pasts

Motivate.

Execute.

Appreciate.

Repeat.

-V

Lykke Li - Jerome (The Lost Session)

2011-08-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

YAK Films - King Bones & DJ Aaron

2011-07-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Wings"

2011-07-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's remembering that there's creation like this

going on that makes me remember how proud I am to be an artist creating in this city.

Champagne & Lemonade... Dropping 7-20-11

2011-07-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

My dude Shawn Ahmadi pullin together his first

self written, self produced, self performed album

post graduating from UW this last spring...

After movin back to Seattle Shawn asked me to jump in the studio

as a Visual Director in the final stages of Production.

Droppin this wednesday, sippin some champagne in celebration of

makin money and bein back with good friends, then it's on to the next one!!!

In the mean time... check him goin on on a track

in my favorite video from two years ago...

"22" Opening Ceremony X Gia Coppola

2011-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Executive Producer: Cayce Cole

Producer: Sebastian Pardo

Associate Producer: Daniel Pappas

Director: Gia Coppola

Director of Photography: Autumn Durald

First Assistant Camera: Aaron M. Smith

Editor: Luke Lynch

Color: Autum Durald

Sound: Daniel Kaufman

Production Assistant: Colin Trenbeath

Production Coordinator, OCTV: Rory Satran

Credits: Susan Barber

Actors:

Nick Stewart

Nick Darmstaedter

Charlie Eisner

Sam Freilich

Nathalie Love

Fabianne Therese

Jake Nordwind

Song: "When I'm With You" by Best Coast

Special Thanks to: Best Coast, Adam Shore, Humberto Leon, Carol Lim, Kathy Minh Bach, Jesse Hudnutt, Reyn Spooner, OCLA

Veezy X International Mo... Album Release Party

2011-07-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

VerzolaPhoto

2011-07-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

www.VerzolaPhoto.com

New Design.

New Images.

New Video.

Let's Work.

EMANCIPATOR - Fox Theatre Live

2011-06-11T10:48:00.001-07:00

EMANCIPATOR - "Live At The Fox Theatre" 02.24.11

TRACK: "Greenland"

Emancipator is Doug Appling

With Ilya Goldberg on Violin

On Tour With Blockhead & The Great Mundane

Special Thanks to Albums On The Hill

Photography & Editing by Jesse R. Borrell

Interviews by Garrett Cosgrove

A NoCoast.TV Short 2011

Please Visit:

www.EmancipatorMusic.com

www.NoCoast.TV

ROBEL WOLDU X Veezy... Coming Soon

2011-06-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.robelwoldu3.com

Tyler Durden's Quote of the Week... III

2011-06-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

Been a long time since I had these going, but in light of getting my writing out more recently...

let's bring back Tyler Durden's quote of the week:

"No Fear. No Distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter TRULY slide."

The way I see it, most of us (and by most of us i mean the 98% of us that aren't corporate CEO efficiency maniacs, highly organized motivational speakers, and/or highly refined philosophically sound masters of our college education) are constantly being distracted.

CONSTANTLY being distracted.

Pulled THIS direction by the group of friends we keep to go spend our down time hanging out, pulled THAT direction by a significant other who's making a serious life change and trying to bring us with. Roped into buying this piece of vintage thrift store fashion because we had seen somewhere that that label had at one point in history been "chic" and will portray us better, or sucked into some political ranting about some event even though we've only seen the American Media's perspective on it, because we want to be looked at as politcally educated...

My point being, I feel like I'm part of a generation that does NOT let what truly doesn't matter slide. We get caught up in clinging to everyone else's opinion, and just throwing our two cents in, whether it falls upon deaf ears or not.

...but who decides what does and does not matter? Who is burdened with the job of creating our moral code?

Our Parents?

Our Church?

Fox News?

I mean, they all have an opinion about our lives, just like we have an opinion about theirs... and because of that, careful, careful consideration should be given to anyone that has an opinion about our lives... (well maybe not fox news) but at the end of the day, WE alone carry the burden of deciding for ourselves what's RIGHT. What's REAL. Using the power of our own minds we have to take in all exterior opinion and observe outside information decide for ourselves what of all of that is valid, and where we have to fill in the gaps to have our own moral code that will guide us.

As that vision becomes clearer, it becomes easier to just say:

"You know what, I've put in the work figuring my life out. I KNOW what I want, and i KNOW how to get there... 'No Fear. No Distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide'"

-V

Kanye West - "Monster" Video

2011-06-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

FINALLY we now have a real video to look at instead of a terribly quality, terrible edit version of the same video with a Perez Hilton or World Star Hip Hop logo stamped over the top of it.

It's funny to me how controversial the first edit was when the hype over the song, the new album, and kanye himself was big talk for the masses... now that the buzz isn't there anymore people aren't NEARLY as offended by the material in the video... why?

OH cause it REALLY didn't matter to you that much in the first place. Bandwagon jumping sons of guns... all i'm sayin, is that if you're going to choose to be upset over something, be consistant, and have a real opinion that's your own consisting up of reason, justification and real thought from your own life.

Not choosing to loosely associate yourself with every issue under the sun while it's big in the media for 5 minutes. We do not have the time or energy to be worried and upset over every wrong doing of the society we live in... what we're going to spend every waking, and sleeping hour worrying? Choose something to put your time and energy into that REALLY matters to you, and spend the rest of your time enjoying everything else.

just sayin.

MONSTER

Production Diary: B. Howard - Dancefloor

2011-06-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

So ALL the way back from the middle of last september, here's a quick look behind the scenes of B. Howard's new single "Dancefloor".

Production Day 1 was held inside the MI6 lounge in West Hollywood (Foxtail 2.0).

Great Production, Great Team.

Big thanks to:

Josh Harris at 4th Wall Entertainment,

Salvador Lleo (DP),

and everyone else involved.

THADWICK TRISTEN TREVOR lll - "Brain Champagne"

2011-06-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

ALWAYS a big shout out to my dude Thaddeus,

or THE Thadwick Tristen Trevor III

...just go download the album,

"Adventures In Helluvastate"

totally free on their bandcamp HERE

welcome to seattle

THADWICK TRISTEN TREVOR lll & SWAN COLTRANE - "Brain Champagne" (Official Music Video) from Stephan Gray on Vimeo.

ARTIST: Thadwick Tristen Trevor lll & Swan Coltrane

SONG: Brain Champagne

ALBUM: Adventures In A Helluvastate

LABEL: Members Only/Cloud Nice

DIRECTOR: Stephan Gray

DP: Billy Summers

VEHICLE MOUNT DP: TJ Williams

PRODUCER: Bret Seeger

DRIVER: Jarv Dee

2 CAM/EDITOR: Stephan Gray

Jay-Z covers SKY

2011-05-05T09:29:00.001-07:00

"...More like: Read some of these words and tell me that this doesn't compare

to some of the best words you've ever heard."

-Jay on whether or not Decoded attempts to make

non rap listeners look at his lyrics in the light of poetry

SKY HAS WHOLE ARTICLE AVAILABLE HERE

Ryan Leslie - "Glory"

2011-04-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

This Sunday... Chapter I

2011-03-05T20:55:00.001-08:00

www.HigherLearning101.com

PROPS X International Mo X Warm Gun - Rock.Paper.Scissors

2011-02-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Lupe Fiasco X Sway "MONSTER" freestyle

2011-02-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Tyler The Creator - "Yonkers"

2011-02-20T23:07:00.000-08:00

Depth in Concept,

Simplicity in Portrayal,

Limitless in Association

Ryan Leslie - "Maybachs & Diamonds"

2011-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

So I give her....

What she wants, What she needs...

Why?

Cause her love is worth more than

Maybachs & Diamonds

Diggy Simmons X Shook

2011-02-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Diggy Simmons- {Shook Ones Freestyle} from philthegod. on Vimeo.

Odyn Vovk AW-11

2011-02-11T16:28:00.001-08:00

Odyn Vovk AW-11 commercial from Jon Ryan on Vimeo.

VMAN 21 Kanye West X Karl Lagerfeld

2011-02-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

VMAN 21 ASSEMBLY LINE from V Magazine on Vimeo.

Be Water My Friend...

2011-02-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Distant Relatives X NABIL - "Patience"

2011-02-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

DISTANT RELATIVES "Patience" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Directed and shot by: NABIL

Editor: Eric Greenburg

Post/artwork: Gustavo & Clara

Producer: Nabil

add Prod: Kathleen Heffernan

thx: kathleen Heffernan, Marc Antoine, Jodie Smith, Sheku

Damian Marley & Nas are Distant Relatives

www.NABIL.com

Kate Ryder X Veezy... Viper Room on the 22nd

2011-02-06T22:58:00.001-08:00

Remember that cover I posted of hers from a few months ago?

Producion Diary: Kate Ryder

and here's a preview of what's to come...

Wish I was in LA to see the show!!!

Macklemore X Veezy

2011-02-03T16:09:00.001-08:00

In light of my dude Macklemore producing and performing in BEAST MODE lately,

Congrats on all the success, makin Sea-Town proud.

CHECK HIM HERE:

MYSPACE

FACEBOOK

First work of 2011.... Nola Carroll X Veezy

2011-01-31T15:45:00.001-08:00

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - My Oh My

2011-01-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Ryan Leslie - "Beautiful Lie" (Live Paris Premier)

2011-01-08T07:43:00.001-08:00

NYT Magazine - Year In Ideas

2010-12-31T19:57:00.001-08:00

New York Times Magazine - Year In Ideas from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

The Long-Life-Span Smartphone. A great idea, as I am tired of getting a new phone every 2 years. Check out all the Ideas here http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/19/magazine/ideas2010.html

From the article:

"In the United States, a cellphone’s average life span is 18 months, and yet fewer than 1 percent of these phones are estimated to be recycled. As an antidote to this pattern of rapid obsolescence, the British design-consulting firm Kinneir Dufort developed its Revive smartphone concept, proposing a device that can evolve over time rather than be cast aside when it breaks or something newer and shinier hits the market. Unlike existing products on the market, it would be designed for easy disassembly, so the end user could replace or upgrade components without tossing the entire phone.

Service providers and manufacturers would be able to charge for these improvements, replacing revenue they would have earned from selling new phones. To help it age gracefully, Revive would be made from materials — leathers, metals and plastic composites — that acquire a patina from wear. A service subscription, meanwhile, would offer the user credits the longer he held on to the phone, making him a “stakeholder” with an investment in the longevity of the product." JESSE ASHLOCK

Credits:

Sean Pecknold: Director, Writer, Animator,

Britta Johnson: Editor, Props, Set Design, Art Department

Justin Braegelmann: Sound Design

Train of Thought by Leo Bridle

2010-12-31T19:54:00.001-08:00

Train of Thought from Leo Bridle on Vimeo.

A short film in paper by Leo Bridle & Ben Thomas.

Train of Thought was made as our graduation film from The Arts Institute at Bournemouth. Although we used digital compositing software, all the animation and models were done by hand, not with CGI. The film took approximately 9 months to complete, from storyboards through to the final edit.

The music is by Portico Quartet arranged by Jack Wyllie

http://porticoquartet.com/

and sound design by Andrew South http://vimeo.com/andrewsoundesign

Making of here: http://vimeo.com/5704398

Official film website - including full credits: www.train-of-thought-film.com

The Art of Conversation

2010-12-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

I was having this discussion with a friend yesterday...

We talked much about the negative connotation of self consciousness VS. the positive benefits of self awareness. But the interesting part was not so much the topic, but the structure of the conversation itself.

Wednesday evening at my favorite coffee shop in Hollywood, Solar de Cahuenga...

...a couple glasses of wine and a great atmosphere never fail to spark a good chat.

It was one of those conversations that just flowed effortlessly from topic to topic, touching on this, and ranting on that. A constant stream of appreciation for one another's perspective. One of those meetings where from time to time, I'd find myself shifting my weight back in my chair and thinking... "wow, this is a really great exchange. I feel GOOD about this." It's a shame that real, conscious human interaction is such a rare commodity, but I feel like this kind of conversation should and could happen between more people, more often...

(Photo by: Marc Van Dalen)

...but why doesn't it?

Why is open, conscious, uninhibited human interaction such a rare occurrence?

Are we so deeply intertwined and depressed with the autopilot, emotionless, playing out of our own lives that we're just TOO guarded to let this happen? Yes. ...and rightfully so, I mean you can't just open up to anyone, right? If we went around spewing our guts in every conversation, not only would we be emotionally drained, and people would write us off as crazy... but that's just not proper etiquette.

Part of the art, is seeking out and identifying those people in our lives that we can conversate on a deeper level with. Many of us find those people, and stick with them forever, as we should. Those are our best friends. Those are our soulmates. But why should we be limited to just one or a few? I think it's just politics to say that we're limited to creating real conversation with only a few select people on this planet.

I feel like conversation is an art form, because it's constant creation.

It's a collaboration piece.

It's two people poking and prodding eachothers' minds to more fully understand and appreciate one another. It's the kind of shared perspective that leads to the MOST genius ideas. Sure, we're all brilliant in our own respects and we all come up with good ideas on a daily basis... and when we meet people we truly want to create with, why WOULDN'T we work with the same people over and over again... Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? Takashi Murakami and Marc Jacobs? Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly??? JAY AND YEEZY???

Obviously creative connection between two people over and over again is tremendous... but my point is that we should not feel limited to just the few people that we meet by proximity alone.

If we all made more of an effort to carefully treat each and every conversation as if we you're creating a masterpiece of body language and spoken word... I feel that we would all be a bit happier with each and every relationship formed in this lifetime.

It Might Get Loud

2010-12-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine, Cameron Chambers (awesome guitar player) and I watched this documentary on netflix the other day. I used to play guitar a lot more than I do now, and the music is still a huge influence in everything that I do...

This might be one of the best opening scenes

to any documentary I've ever watched.

Can't TELL me you don't want to watch the whole thing now...

Can't WAIT to be home for December

2010-11-27T10:00:00.001-08:00

SKATEISTAN: to live and skate kabul

2010-11-23T17:48:00.001-08:00

SKATEISTAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL from Diesel New Voices on Vimeo.

Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul is a beautifully shot film that

follows the lives of a group of young skateboarders in Afghanistan. Operating against the backdrop of war and bleak prospects, the Skateistan charity project is the world’s first co-educational skateboarding school, where a team of international volunteers work with girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 17, an age group largely untouched by other aid programmes.

BY ORLANDO VON EINSIEDEL

Psychiatry: An Industry of Death

2010-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine and I went to this museum.

For those of you in the greater Los Angeles area, the museum is located at the CCHR (Citizens Commission on Human Rights) building over on Sunset Blvd... Free Admission

And for everyone else that can't head over and see the museum in person, here's a string of videos pulled straight out of the museum itself that paint the big picture pretty well.

I don't usually bring content like this to my blog and shove it under my readers' noses, because I want to keep everything surrounding this blog about my art and career, my close friends' art and careers, and other music and videos that can be appreciated, if anything, as a little window into my inspirations...

But this museum specifically strikes a very intense chord within me as a young artist, and is actually a driving force in why I create, and why this blog is even here.

Aside from trying to build my career as an up and coming visual artist and art director in Los Angeles right now, once a quarter for the last two years I've been developing my public speaking skills (and I mean developing, my skills used to be atrocious...) by heading back to the community college that I got my two year art degree from, and doing presentations on portraiture to the beginning and and advanced photography classes... I love doing this because I love getting the chance to have a small influence on developing artists and creative thinkers.

I love this, because growing up I always felt stifled as an artist.

I'm going to save my rants on how our education system was completely non-conducive to the ways that I tried to express my self and my ideas as a kid... But growing up watching first hand so many artistically inclined people, and some friends friends have their creativity, personalities, energies, and in essence what some people would consider a person's soul suppressed by way of being labeled ADHD by psychiatrists and prescribed Ritalin and Adderall, etc... It really made this whole subject of psychiatry a subject that resonates loudly within me and my opinions, and is why I'm EXTREMELY grateful for Michael Wewer, the photo teacher at EDCC who pushed me into presenting my work publicly for the first time.

...What the Fuck, SPECIFICALLY, is ADHD anyway?

the funny thing is watching a leading psychiatrist in the field stumble through trying to define a psychological disorder that millions of kids have been sedated for.

Not "haha" funny...

...awkward disgusting funny.

"We're the middle children of history.

No purpose or place.

We have no great war, no great depression.

Our great war is a spiritual war.

Our great depression is our lives.

We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'll be millionaires,

and movie gods, and rock stars... but we won't.

And we're slowly learning that fact.

And we're very, very pissed off."

-Fight Club

WE HAVE TO STOP BEING WEAK.

WE HAVE TO START CONTROLLING OUR OWN LIVES.

WE HAVE TO INSTILL WITHIN OURSELVES THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT WE HAVE THAT POWER,

BECAUSE NOBODY IS GOING TO DO IT FOR US.

There are too few parents, and too few teachers preparing their children for life with an awareness of how GREAT their own potential truly is.

Production Diary: Mik Brown

2010-11-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

"When I Grow Up" - Fever Ray

2010-11-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

This popped up on my shuffle yesterday in the car,

Made me remember how great the video is for it

TAYLOR

2010-11-16T18:50:00.001-08:00

My Directorial Debut...

Lykke Li - Get Some

2010-11-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

I have... such a schoolboy crush...

Havana Nights Party

2010-11-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you Vallo for putting together a beautiful evening at your home

11.16.10

2010-11-14T11:20:00.001-08:00

TAYLOR

TAYLOR (trailer)

2010-11-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Taylor the film Trailer from Koa Pennock on Vimeo.

TAYLOR Posts New Website Photo

2010-11-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

"As a lotus flower is born in water,

grows in water, and rises out of water

to stand above it unsoiled...

...so I, born in the world, raised in the world,

having overcome the world,

live unsoiled by the world"

-Siddhartha Gautama

(click for site)

My best friend and creative visionary KOA pennock and I were in the same city last week...

If you're not living in NY or familiar with his work, Koa runs a VERY exclusive accessory line out of New York City.

As of late, the line has also been putting his stamp on clean, classic, tailored menswear...

Even if you're not ordering or planning on appreciating a Taylor piece, it's SO dope to see a new image produced for the line...

...by me!

TforTaylor

Finally Turning 21

2010-10-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

To take a page out of my boy KOA's book...

Landed at Sea-Tac airport this morning...

With a single swoop by our jet over downtown before our descent, I always fall back in love with this city every time i'm here.

But just for my readers' collective awareness, I'm home the above dates.

Working, teaching a couple portraiture lectures,

giving my "Speaking Fluent Photography" class.

As of next saturday, the 30th, I turn 21.

For the last year and a half of my life i've kept my age a secret, because running around Hollywood in a director position I wanted NO one to know my age.

Not because I was ashamed in the least bit... but people pass judgment on those who are young and I never wanted that thought to even cross minds.

But now given everything that I've accomplished, I'm PROUD to say that it was all done at 19 and 20 years old...

But now it's time to make everybody aware of my age.

Because now, I'm kicking things into high gear.

If we can create beautiful work together... I want to meet you.

If we can make great money together... I want to meet you.

If we can enjoy a nice glass of wine and a great conversation together... I want to meet you.

But if you're more worried about the drama of your daily life than the beautiful potential of what we COULD be creating...

Well that person is just a waste of my time and energy.

And I pride myself in efficiency.

So anyone that's reading this, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy lives.

So, so, so, so, SO much appreciated.

If you strive to be a part of The Difference, I want to meet you

Production Diary: Najarra Test

2010-10-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Najarra Townsend
IMDB

Tye Olson
IMDB

Ryan Leslie X Jasmine Villegas - Hello (In Studio)

2010-10-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cold Money - Shawn Ahmadi Feat. Remedy

2010-10-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Fall Winter 2010" by Filippa K

2010-09-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

"Fall Winter 2010" by Filippa K from Filippa K on Vimeo.

Fresh Perspective: Ngene Mwaura

2010-09-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ngene Mwaura is an artist from Kenya, his interest in the arts has followed him throughout most of his life. He works in sculpture, silkscreen, and block printing. He has worked with world renowned artists such as Ndasuunye Shikongeni (east and south african print artist), Fred Mutebi and Henry Mujunga (duo from Uganda), Rafael Zarza (cuban print artist), is a featured artist in the Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art, and was also the cover artist for black history month at Toyota headquarters in Culver City in 2007

www.NgeneMwaura.com

Lykke Li in the Studio

2010-09-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me well knows how exciting this picture is to me...

I have the BIGGEST crush on Lykke Li, and seeing her at The Wiltern last summer solidified that crush. It was such one of the best shows I've ever been to... and I've been to a LOT of shows.

From her Facebook Album "In The Studio: Fall 2010"

And posted recently by her as well...

I TOLD you this collabo was comin...

2010-09-26T01:37:00.001-07:00

Megan Fox for Armani - The Tip

2010-09-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

The Black Ivy

2010-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

FAVORITE video of the week.

"We ARE... the intellectual prep.

Preparing the steps for success

Dressed in the attire

That evidently reflects... "

The Black Ivy from Street Etiquette on Vimeo.

Spoken word by Joekenneth Museau

Music : Aretha Franklin - Young, Gifted and Black (1972)

Shot by : CJ Something

Location : Harlem, NY

"Guys like us,...

2010-09-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

...we don't appreciate the finer things in life.

We CREATE them."

-Trevorr Z. Haapalainen

Well said brotha, we'll be birdying that Turtle Bay Palmer sooner than you think!!!

Sk8Cafe on Skee TV

2010-09-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

...follow up the my Board Out Of My Mind post

Canon 7D High Speed Test

2010-09-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

7D 1000 fps from Oton Bačar on Vimeo.

7D slow motion test footage of my friend doing bmx tricks.

Everything was shot in 720p 60fps.

Edited with Twixtor in After Effects.

Music: "Fly Away"

Composed by:Niklas Aman, STIM

Published by: Freeplaymusic, BMI

B. Howard - Super Model

2010-09-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

Shawn Ahmadi's 7 Minute Masterpiece

2010-09-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Feels great to know that my boys are holdin it down in Seattle...

HIT UP MY BOY SHAWN UP FOR ANYTHING YOU NEED MUSIC WISE!!!

MY MAN KILLS THE KEYS LIKE NO ONE I'VE EVER SEEN!!!

View his other videos HERE

www.ShawnAhmadi.com

Gant Rugger F/W 2010 - US Royalty

2010-09-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

Gant Rugger Fall/Winter 2010 from Gant Rugger on Vimeo.

This is my FAVORITE lookbook video that i've seen since 3sixteen's Fall '09 Photoshoot

Beyond the classiness of the threads themselves,

there's two things that REALLY draw me in about this video.

1.) The Music...

the track:

Equestrian - U.S. Royalty

Anyone who knows me personally, understands how much my vision, and my design aesthetic always veers towards saying more with less imagery, and being POWERFUL with simple minimalism... check their website, enter your email, and download the track.

You know that band that you listened to BEFORE they were famous?

U.S. Royalty is will be that band for you if you start listening now

and 2.) the line

GANT rugger

This is the most classy, and flawlessly executed Polaroid Throwback aesthetic that I've seen done for a clothing companies collection... simple, doesn't go overboard with throwing in random hues of red and yellow to make the images SEEM weathered, and the whole thing is like that because it is cohesive and makes SENSE with the line.

Great Line, Great Photos, Great Band.

...but wait... is that the vocalist on the lookbook's website???

This is the kind of work I like. People using as many different mediums as possible to exemplify the depths of their taste and creativity.

Jake Davis Test Shots: Tassel Moccasin

2010-09-11T15:24:00.001-07:00

Jake Davis Test Shots: Tassel Moccasin from Jake Davis on Vimeo.

Series: Sebago Nexus Project

Featured: Street Etiquette Tassel Moccasin

Model: Travis Gumbs

Sebago.com

StreetEtiquette.com

twitter.com/StreetEtiquette

JakeDavisFilms.com

JakeDavis.typepad.com

twitter.com/JakeDavisFilms

G.O.O.D. Fridays: Good Friday

2010-09-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD HERE

Welcome to the Sk8Cafe...

2010-09-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

EST. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 2010

111 W. 7th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

www.TheSk8Cafe.com

Facebook

Twitter

Un Rendez Vous - Guy Ritchie X Jude Law X Dior Homme

2010-09-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jude Law

Michaela Kocianova

Director: Guy Ritchie

The Snowball Effect

2010-09-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

The other day, I posted this on my facebook...

"In being a photographer, my getting to the next level with my work comes only with portraying all of these musicians, designers, and artists... and the AMAZING time and effort that they're all putting into their work right now. IT IS NOW THAT OUR GENERATION IS GETTING READY TO SHOW OFF HOW READY WE ARE TO MAKE THIS WORLD A MORE BEAUTIFUL PLACE, SO THANK YOU TO YOU ALL WHO WORK WITH ME FOR LETTING ME PORTRAY THAT AMBITION!"

I just wanted to take a minute a go a bit deeper into that.

Every project that I do is a collaboration piece.

From the moment an artist, musician, designer, dancer, etc. will contact me trying to get photos done, I automatically start wrapping my head around different ways to portray that artist... Don't get my wrong, there are lots of people that approach me with ideas that have very specific ways that they'd like to be shot, but even then, I WILL NOT leave without at least being able to throw my two cents in... hence why I stray a bit from shooting white background head shots for actors in this city... Once I have my own studio though, I'm sure I will start shooting more headshots.

MY way.

The beauty in working for the greater good is that we can all be a part of this come-up together. Even had I chosen more of a personal, individual, non commercial art as my path of choice, I still feel like the majority of my work would have lain in collaborations. Just like a snowball rolling down a hill, the force behind an artist's career will grow exponentially as he works with others who share a similar vision... That's IF he stays finds a way to keep his shape among all the other snow, and keep himself motivated, and moving forward.

SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT DURING THIS PERIOD WHILE I FIGHT TO GET MY VISION AND PERSPECTIVE OUT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD, AND KEEP MY INDIVIDUALITY INTACT. THIS AGE IS AN EXTREMELY TRYING TIME FOR ANY YOUNG ARTIST, AND I'M PROUD JUST TO STILL BE ALIVE AND KICKIN!!!

-V

Ryan Leslie X Fabolous - You Be Killin 'Em (In Studio)

2010-09-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

VerzolaPhoto on Facebook

2010-09-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

500 and some new images are being uploaded!!!

LIKE ON FACEBOOK

Machete

2010-09-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Seein it tonight...

The suspense has been building since Rodriguez and Tarentino's theater release of Grindhouse.

SO PSYCHED.

Let him introduce himself: Taylor Koa Pennock

2010-09-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

"Let me introduce myself. You can call me Koa. I just wanna be your friend. That’s all. I’m a youngster from the west coast, 21 to be exact. Seattle, I’ll forever love you. I’m out here in New York City because time is money, and life is short. I have dreams, big dreams, and they’ve brought me here:TforTaylor.com . Let’s Toast to that shall we?"

VIA: koabear.tumblr.com

We're KINDA takin over... Just Sayin.

Don't Forget To Look Down... From the Start.

2010-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

From the back of the room,

He watches all those around him.

Daydreaming patiently

About the lights and sounds he

Follows his ambitions,

Daily Missions, Exhibitions,

To exhibit to the limit

What it is that's kept him driven

From the Start

-V

I was that kid.

I wasn't the first, and I most definitely am not the last.

For many different personal reasons, this day marks day one of a new chapter in my life... so while on my morning jog, I couldn't help but think about how closely the course of a jog can mirror that of the different paths people choose to walk down with their life. There are all sorts of different types of joggers, those who look straight at their feet the whole way, carefully watching each step, and those who hold their heads high and take in the fresh morning air and the scenery, and have their mind on the end goal. There are those who choose to run flat, predictable, some would say relatively easy paths, and there are those who run fearless into dark, mysterious forests full of fairy tales and big bad wolves...

...But as we all know real life is not nearly as cut and dry as that and 99% of people touch on each and every different type of path, usually a couple times on any given day.

As great as it is to be focused on the end result, and all of the fairy tales that lie ahead of us and around that next bend, we MUST be aware of our own feet... because it's when we start looking too far ahead that we forget about the fact that there are still very real tree roots and potholes in our current surroundings waiting to sprain our ankles and make us fall flat on our faces.

(Tanya Amanda Radulovich by John Hildebrand)

Plan for the Future.

Wish for your ideal destination.

But don't forget to look down and make sure your feet are actually moving,

And to surround yourself with others who are moving as well.