I don’t know why I didn’t think of this myself… But a fellow filmmaker, Eric Escobar from PrepShootPost, suggested to post some screenshots of Every Day the Same, so here are some of my favorites along with some commentary.
The camera’s video mode doesn’t have any kind of auto-focus to help you, but sometimes, missing focus makes the shot look gorgeous. This was one of those shots.
I love this shot because we were asked to stop filming by one of the Starbucks employees just moments before. Nobody had a clue that I kept shooting anyway! hahaha
I love this angle. There’s a strange but beautiful voyeuristic quality about it.
I’ve never seen anyone so sad about having to go to work! Sasha is a brilliant actress, I was lucky to have been able to work with her.
Ok, THIS is what I mean about the camera’s video capabilities. This was 100% IMPOSSIBLE on my old camera. Remember the one? It was stolen last year. Good! Blessing in disguise! But just look at this shot! Only her right eye is in focus. Even her LIPS are in soft focus!
Just because I wanted to have a shot somewhere that had ridiculously shallow depth of field.
Ahhhh going home and lookin’ fabulous!
This was THE image that captivated me almost two years ago when I came up with the concept for the film. It’s good to finally see it on screen and alive.
Another place we weren’t supposed to shoot. Kohl’s. Sasha and I laid out exactly what we needed to do before going in and were fully expecting to get kicked out. We didn’t, but we were in and out within about 40 seconds. By the time anyone had a clue, we were already outside and saying goodbye. Another huge advantage to the camera. It’s small enough a video camera not to attract any attention to itself. My old one was big enough to have gotten us kicked out before hitting record.
Another “I wanna show off how cool shallow depth of field in a movie looks” shot. Although with this shot I did also want to emphasize the moment she really gets home. Like “It’s official! The keys are up, world! Leave me alone!”
Pretty. She had a real conversation with a friend.
Sasha once again flexing her acting muscles. Seriously. Not having any other actors to feed off of throughout an entire project is very, VERY difficult to do convincingly.
Posted something similar a while back on my Facebook account. I just love the way the windows’ light flared in the camera.
It’s midnight, I just came home from the premiere showing for the premiere showing for Every Day the Same and it was an absolute JOY!! A huge thanks to all who came, it was a blast hanging out again 
I’ll be posting the movie online soon…ish…
Finally found the time tonight to update the look of this blog. Hope you likey
I don’t think I even mentioned this on the blog… I have no idea why.
A little while ago, in what I still think was an unbelievable stroke of good luck, I received a notification that my new camera had been shipped.
It was on back-order.
Everywhere.
Anyone I asked would tell me that even though I pre-ordered the thing in October, it’d be anywhere from two to three months from January before I could hope for it to head my way. But on January 18th, it came to my door.
The next day, I got my new lenses.
And the day after that, I shot a movie with it.
The ability to switch from great still photography to High Definition footage within the same camera and with just the click of a button is an unbelievable experience. Sure you get used to it, but it still rules. The funny thing is that I used to scoff at the idea of bringing video to a photo camera. “Psh, just make me a good photo camera would ya please?!”
Well, it turns out that photo cameras shoot really, truly gorgeous video. I discovered this a year and a half ago when the Canon 5D MkII came out and everybody’s heads exploded at the sight of the footage. Mine included. But I couldn’t justify stepping down to the 5D just to get video. Then the 7D came out. Even cheaper than the 5D and also equipped with beautiful video. But it was a step down from the 5D, so forget it. Both cameras would mean spending money that I’d later regret.
So, I patiently waited for my 1D MkIV to come out.
It finally did.
And now… The movie’s done!! Here’s a couple of images to whet your appetite
The poster:
The image that will go straight on the disc:
If you’d like to come see the film, I’d love to have you! Just leave a comment or email me directly!
It was exactly ten years ago this year that, at the time completely oblivious to the titanic ramifications, I was about to make the biggest, most profound decision of my life.
Salt Lake City… Or San Francisco…
My best friend chose San Francisco.
And I chose Salt Lake City.
At the time, I honestly felt like it was the place I needed to be.
But what followed were the ten bumpiest years of my life. Had I known this, I would gladly have volunteered to help NASA land a manned spacecraft on Venus, upside down, without any radio communications or even a spacesuit, while juggling seven rabid dogs and a moose with one hand tied behind my back, giving birth to a hedgehog and fighting off Darth Vader with a toothpick.
Really. It’s been a rough ride. Slight exaggeration obviously. I mean who wants to volunteer for NASA?
But I am who I am. And I like who I am.
So I don’t regret having gone through what I did, nor do I regret where I am now. I don’t regret anything or anyone in my life. Without my experiences, without the people I know, good and bad, I’m not me. And as I just said, I like me.
But…
I’ve always wondered where my life would be if I’d gone to San Francisco instead of coming to Utah.
Always.
And if you’ve been reading my blog lately, you’d know that I have vouchers to fly United Airlines.
Three of them.
Now, I already know two cities in this world that I’m madly in love with: Paris and New York City. I have a feeling San Francisco might be joining that very short list.
And the reason THAT’S significant is this:
I’m seriously considering and researching a move to one of those three cities.
Whoa… That sentence is gonna get me a LOT of phone calls!
So although I can’t address everything and everyone with this post, lemme at least say this.
I’m really not sure at this point. It may never even happen. There are so many factors for me to consider, but two of them stand out above the rest; I have two boys here and a growing business that I’d have to practically build from scratch anywhere else.
So yes, this is a huge decision that I’m not taking lightly at all.
But there’s no question that I’m really flirting with all three options.
Well ok. Not Paris. I’d love to live there, but only as a bazillionaire or if I can expand my studio that far. So not very likely either way. At least not right now. Unbelievable city, can’t wait to go back, but hang in there Paris, I’m not getting to you just yet. Maybe someday.
So that leaves me with two options:
San Francisco or New York City. Vastly different cities.
I’ve been to New York a couple of times already. Loved it both times. No. ADORED it. I’m gonna go there again this year before the wedding season hits. Oh and New York makes a lot of career sense too. That’s a big bonus.
But I’ve never been to San Francisco. And so, after ten years of wondering, in the very near future I’ll be going there to begin finding out if moving there might be a good idea.
I’m not expecting my tourist experience to tell me everything I need to know about actually living in the city, but I’m hoping it’ll give me a feel for whether the place suits me.
Soon after that, I’ll be going to New York for my third time to do the same.
And then, after as much research and thought as I can muster for both cities, I’m going to have to ask myself the biggest question of all.
Why move anywhere in the first place?
That’s the one that’s got me stumped right now. Because I like it here. I have a house here with tons of space. I have friends here. Great neighbors. Both my kids are here. My business is doing great.
So why move at all?
I don’t know…
But I do know this:
I don’t want to continue wondering why not.
I’ve been excited to show you these for some time and now, I finally get to!
The images below are photographs taken with a Holga camera.
The Holga is a film camera. Medium format, which is larger than the 35mm film cameras most people remember. And it’s also listed under “toy camera” anywhere you look to buy it.
Why?
Because it sucks, that’s why. You laugh, but it’s true.
It sucks.
A lot.
It’s manufactured in China with exactly zero quality control, so if you and a friend each bought your own, you’d still end up with two completely different cameras, it’s made entirely of plastic (yes, even the lens) and it’s incredibly primitive in the control it offers.
Oh and don’t lick it either, there’s the slight possibility you might get lead poisoning. Remember; it was made in China! On the other hand, what the hell are you doing licking cameras?!
Anyway, but that’s also why boatloads of photographers love it so much. It’s primitive and unpredictable.
I can’t speak for other photographers, but my experience with the Holga has been liberating. That’s what I love about mine. The freedom. I go into any new shoot with two things on my mind.
1. Film is expensive and I only have 12 shots per roll. I better get this right.
2. This camera sucks. It doesn’t matter what I do, it’ll come out interesting. Still though… Get it right…
Whenever I get started on a shoot with my current digital camera, I have about 1,200 images worth of space. With a Holga, I have almost exactly ONE HUNDRED TIMES fewer shots at my disposal.
So I friggin’ pay attention.
So yes, it focuses me like digital cameras can’t. To me, that is liberating, because instead of focusing my energy on telling similar images apart, I get to pay closer attention to what I want to do NOW, with the camera in hand. But there’s the added bonus of not knowing what you’re gonna get, especially with a Holga, until you get your roll back from the lab.
Here’s why.
With professional cameras, your view is bounced around through a series of mirrors so you can see exactly what your lens is seeing. You see how far you’re zoomed in or out, what your focus looks like, there’s even an indicator to tell you what your exposure is gonna look like before you take the shot.
With a Holga, forget about mirrors; you look through a hole. You don’t have a clue what your lens is seeing. You have to literally guess what your focus is gonna be like based on some stupidly vague icons at the front of the lens. And you have two aperture settings. Sunny and cloudy.
And that’s it. Go take a picture.
And when you do go take a roll full of pictures and get them developed, you find that your Holga did a number of things you didn’t know it was doing. It leaked light onto the film in this frame but not on that one because the construction of the casing sucks so much, it missed focus because you can’t tell exactly where your focus is anyway and even where focus magically falls in your lap, the camera’s construction may be such that the bottom right corner of your images are out of focus regardless. I say “may be” because remember, no two Holgas are alike. I just know it does that on mine, with some frames where the issue is more pronounced than others. Oh and of course the thing Holgas are most famous for: vignetting. The corners of your images are darkened, not by choice like we do now digitally, but because that’s how your Holga came out of the factory.
The sheer unpredictability of the thing makes the results all the more exhilarating.
So I hope you enjoy my little collection so far. These have been shot between around November when I got it and during my trip to Europe, which by the way means that I had three cameras to juggle; the iPhone, the Canon and the Holga. And I had a 4-year-old. And it was cold. And the French have nukes.
What?! It’s more exciting when I put it like that!
