Well, a few weeks back we had the distinct (and delicious) pleasure to shoot at one of our favorite local gems, Macrina Bakery (I know, our job can be so difficult some times). Not only did we get to spend time in the stunning—and Silver level LEED certified—new space in Sodo, but we also got to interview the lovely, Leslie Mackie.
Watching Leslie work and prepare for the day was truly a treat, and like all good bakers there is a level of intuition and craft in her movements that no recipe or footnote can teach.
While our Ginger Molasses Cookies, Ciabatta and Apricot Nut Breads will never taste quite as good as Ms. Mackie’s, at least she’s kind enough to share her recipes in the Macrina Bakery & Café Cookbook, a source that never fails when friends, in-laws, and cravings settle in for an unexpected Sunday morning visit.
Thanks again to Leslie and her team, and we hope you all stop by and see them soon!
Okay. After a bit of a hiatus from attending to our blog, we're back at it! And we're going way back to "1976"... an awesome video that portrays life in the ghettos of Cuba. It's from MediaStorm, a multimedia production studio based in Brooklyn. Check out some of their other compelling pieces on their site. Good work!
Saturday's Seattle Times featured a front page story on an MIT study to track the flow of our refuse and recyclables. Guess out of sight no longer means out of mind. Turns out Seattle volunteers are attaching tiny transmitters to their garbage and helping chart the journey and final resting places for their trash and unwanted items - which makes us wonder where the old Evil Knievel doll and plastic motorcycle we discarded in the 1970's might be today? Or the Hello Kitty pen from just a few years back? Sadly, they're still out there...somewhere...as is most everything else non-biodegradable that has ever passed through our fingers and our lives. We think it's a fascinating study that could lead to greater individual conservation, if we're willing to face the realities of consumption and our own denial that surrounds it. Heavy stuff, for sure. Kind of like that washing machine you dumped over the embankment down that side road in 1986. It's holding up quite nicely by the way.
Many thanks to some friends of little films who have steered us toward some great video lately.
Jeff Arnim shared a terrific piece titled Man in Van, created by Sean Dunne, a superb, young NYC filmmaker - a fascinating portrait of a man living a life with few regrets...in a van in Manhattan. Very hip, and packs a social/emotional punch without being obvious or overbearing. And beautifully composed and shot by Ed David. We appreciate these guys (and Jeff) for sharing it.
Next up, Kelly Evans shared a trailer at lemonademovie.com - a piece that truly speaks to this moment in time. Facing the realities of unemployment and a possible career shift, a growing number of folks are choosing to see the glass half full, realizing that this may actually be the opportunity of a lifetime. Produced by former (future?) advertising professionals, the actual synopsis reads "More than 70,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this “Great Recession.” Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives." Beautifully shot and edited, it's just a start - the team of Erik Proulx (writer) and Marc Colucci (director) continue to work on their full length piece.
And finally, we have to thank Lacey Lybecker for sharing an incredible video with us. Chances are you're one of the millions who've already seen it - which makes us feel way behind the curve since we hadn't! It's "Where the Hell is Matt?" - an amazing (and amazingly simple) piece that brings the world together, all while allowing the creator (Matt) the opportunity to create smiles and dance poorly across the entire globe. Turns out Matt's been doing this for some time and seems to be making a career out of it, even though he denies any desire to hold a job or work steadily. Makes no matter to us at little films - we salute Matt and would welcome the opportunity to not work steadily with him anytime!
It never fails to amaze us - there is good (and greatness) all around us. Just this morning we picked up the Seattle Times and were introduced to VillageReach, a non-profit located just down the road from us in Fremont. Call it entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropy, or even social capitalism (all are fitting), the point is these folks have figured out a way to truly deliver. In fact, delivering health care and related supplies to remote villages is exactly what VillageReach is all about. And they're finding innovative ways to do this, significantly improving access to health care in some of the most remote areas of the world. Thanks VillageReach! We would be honored to partner with you if we can ever be of service. In the meantime be sure to check out their site and the Seattle Times link!
It's a blessing and a curse to be a professional in the business we're in. When our friends and family need 'that little video which will be really easy to put together', we're first in mind. So it was at the end of the last school term as the parents of Erik's son's 5th grade class wanted to make a 'thank you' video for their teacher, Mr. Langley. With summer winding down and school right around the corner, we thought it appropriate to show this small 'thank you' to one of the many unsung heroes who teach our kids. Worth noting that Mr. Langley is a huge Civil War buff, and that plays a big part in his lesson plan. We apologize to Ken Burns if he's watching.
This seems to be the driving message behind the powerful work of Seattle-based photographer/artist Chris Jordan. He's been effectively opening eyes for some time now and he certainly inspires us to pay better attention to our actions. We also understand that he's a neighbor to us here in Ballard and we hope to cross paths with him someday soon. In the meantime, check out his TED presentation from last year and be sure to visit his site as well - www.chrisjordan.com.
Specifically, we’re a tiny team that grows exponentially as necessary - a collective with decades of experience writing, producing, shooting, editing and otherwise massaging video, streaming media, and motion content.
On the whole, we’re a little young for a mid-life crisis, but sure enough, somewhere along the way we realized that producing straight-up, mainstream corporate video wasn’t really the perfect culmination of our life goals. No doubt, it was a wonderful way to fill the refrigerator but it certainly wasn’t curing the world’s ills, and in some very rare instances it was actually helping to make things worse. So, we decided it was time to wake up and do more.
It just seems like anything less would be keeping our heads in the sand.
