I am proud to launch the official Kickstarter.com fund raising campaign!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kaistaats/monitor-gray-a-sci-fi-short-film

All contributions are appreciated, from $5 to $5000.

This marks my first Kickstarter.com campaign. I spent roughly a month researching, building momentum, preparing for the launch. If successful in reaching our goal, we will have the funds required to hire talented computer generated visual effects artists to give this short film a polished, professional Hollywood glow.

Fingers crossed! Tell everyone you know!

Of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
A compilation of a number of video sequences I shot this spring and early summer, each is a study in motion, a way of looking at how things move from a different point of view.

In the opening sequence, I want the person who would otherwise be in motion to be stationary, forcing the viewer to notice the motion behind and around that person.

In the second sequence (me running) I presented my body in motion. This is in direct contrast to the previous sequence. Yes, we watch runners or run ourselves, but take note of the way in which feet impact the ground and how a body reacts to impact. There are implied, invisible forces of motion working to counter gravity.

This is, for me, when running feels like flying and anything is possible.

The closing sequences (ocean, lava) are in and of themselves in sharp contrast to each other as well as to the opening two. The ocean is the only sequence maintained in real-time while the speed of the lava flow is increased by a factor of 10x to give life to its molten form.

The moon and clouds on Mauna Kea were used as transitional pieces.

All combined, I have touched upon the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.

In order of appearance:

• Downtown Phoenix, Arizona: D’Metra Macedon (thank you D’!)
• South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona: Kai Staats
• Moon over the Mauna Kea Visitors Center (~9,000 ft), Big Island, Hawaii
• Clouds forming over four of the many Mauna Kea Observatories (~13,800 ft), Big Island, Hawaii
• Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Twenty four years ago I wrote a short story called “Monitor Gray”, followed by “Jon’s Song” and “Sands” four years later. Now, after three months of dedicated work, we are just thirty six hours from shooting the most important scene in a ten minute short film treatment of the same name.

Monitor Gray is reborn.

To learn about the current production, to review the concept art and backstory, to learn about what was happening for me in the years I wrote those short stories, visit www.monitorgray.com

My work with Ron Spomer Outdoors began last fall, a business discussion leading from website development into shooting educational and promotional films. We shot more than thirty in September and October, a third of which have been edited and presented on the Ron Spomer Outdoors YouTube channel.

There are a number of titles “The Monstrous Moose,” “The Billy Goat Bluff,” “Size DOES Matter with the Caribou,” and “Are Elk Stupid?” which fall into the category of educational shorts, packing a lot of fun facts into a short time frame. Ron’s natural humor and comfort in front of the camera help to bring these short, simple videos to life.

My favorite, and the most complex of the shoots, is “A Chukar Hunt with Ron Spomer” as it not only provides a good bit of educational material, but provides a full day of hunting compacted into less than five minutes. It was fun to shoot, a lot of work, and a beautiful edit in the end.

In creating these, Ron, Betsy and I set out to so something that works against the current trend: we intentionally limited the cuts, the number of edits to as few as possible, calling upon Ron’s innate talent to just speak and with only a few exceptions, perform damn near perfectly in one take.

Working against some twenty five years of MTV style editing, we are telling stories the old fashioned way—with a professional story teller who carries the audience from start to finish.

While we were taking a risk, it has paid off. The feedback is 100% positive. No one has stated they are bored or wishing we had computer generated graphics. In fact, we have created a new business model around developing short, hands-on, educational product reviews. We always tell the truth while helping to promote quality products.

For more information, visit Ron Spomer Outdoors

It was 2007 when last I had the pleasure of working with my brother Jae in the production of a short film (When Art Recreates Life). While every year I assist with the Almost Famous Film Festival, and usually have opportunity to work with Jae on a shoot or two for BallBoy Productions, to work with him on set is a different matter.

Jae’s business partner and A3F Board member Jason Francois wrote and directed “34”, a magical, moving story about a man who struggles against time and life itself to revisit crucial points in his life. In just twelve minutes 34 is engaging in a surprising way, causing both me and Jae to wipe tears from our eyes while watching the first edit. That says a great deal about Jason’s story, the acting, and Jae’s editing. No surprises and yet it hit us just the same.

I love the process of film making. I find the overwhelming detail required to perfectly reproduce what we do a thousand times a day a paradox of tremendous ramification.

Acting and film making are breathing meditations, engagements of self- and other-awareness not by just one person, alone, but by a collection of individuals, each of which who contributes their own expertise. Recreated moment to moment, actors, directors, and support staff hyper-focus on a segment of a greater story when the Directors says–

“Quiet on the set.” Motion is replaced with still, the last rustles fade. Support crew walking halt mid-stride, freezing for a few seconds to a minute or more until the shot is complete. It’s like that game we played as kids, to see who would fall over when someone yelled, “Freeze!”

“Camera rolling.” Not a sound is heard. The entire world collapses to a single point of focus. Nothing else matters anymore. No cell phone calls, no text messaging, no email or Facebook posts. Be there, in the moment, present for the duration of the take. It’s relaxing, to know that nothing, save an airplane overhead or car alarm off-set will disrupt this moment. I usually close my eyes, to just listen, focused on the muscles in my arms and hands to be certain the light or microphone I hold does not waver.

“Action.” The set comes to life. Will this be the one? The perfect take in which the director nods, smiles, and everyone claps knowing it was life recreated in snapshot perfection?

Whispers of a father who fears he has failed to express his love for his daughter. Horrific, painful engagement as the ultimate trust is destroyed in one selfish act. Tears of reconciliation reflect set lighting under a desert night sky. Frustration amplified as time is running out to obtain the highest level of connection and forgiveness before it is too late, before opportunity to visit 34 is gone.

Thank you Jae and Jason for inviting me to participate in the expression of your waking dream. Eager to see the final result.

For more information, visit www.ballboy.net/34/