Merry Christmas

from the mellans

Strife

A KICK
A SCRATCH
A SCREAM
INTO THIS LASTING BEAM
A PLACE TO SPEND ALL A LIFE
WITHOUT DIVISIONS BY THE KNIFE

THE TICK
THE TAP
THE GRASPING HAND
WHICH TAKES THE PLACE OF MORTAL MAN
WHO'S LIGHT UNVEILS OUR EVERY MOTIVE
BY EACH SOLDIER SO DEVOTED

photo

The Flatbed collision.

New Book !!

This is a book I've been working on for a while.
If you think the title is interesting, you'll be fascinated with the inner text.

Hot Springs Explosion

this post is overdue I apologize to the people I told it would be posted a week ago. I am now sitting in line for the surplus sale at UNCW with my laptop so here goes.

Annie and I stopped at a small college called Warren Wilson on the way to Hot Springs NC. We stopped to visit her friend Sarah, who showed us around her school's beatiful campus. There are many interesting things about the school; they raise their own crops and live stalk to serve in the cafeteria. One interesting concept that stummped my shopping emotions was a "Free Store". Students moving out or jut with excess can donate it here and it anyone who wants can come in and take anything they want. I found myself very puzzled by this...so puzzled that i only left with a can of spray paint, some hideous glasses and a car window reflector. The concept of free upped my discression. I often found myself looking for price tags or sale signs...but no.

We got to the campground and picked a nice little site tucked away in the back near the train tracks. We asked the owner how often the trains came and if they were unbearably loud. He said they only come when you dont want them to. We thought he was joking. but in actuality, the trains did only come at night, and it was an intense ground shaking rumble.

DAY 1:
On our way up to the Appalachian Trail a black dog began to follow us and some other tourists. we didnt think much of it until the other tourists went another course and the dog kept following us. Just as we got to the trail head, Annie spotted a Lost dog poster that had a picture of the dog we were holding. the poster said Generous Reward, so we made a makeshift leash and ran back into town to call the number. I borrowed a phone from some bikers and called the lady.
Hello?
Hi ma'am we found your dog.
Um, what?
We found your dog.
No...We found him a couple weeks ago. you found a sign?
Are you sure your dog is at home with you?
yes.
Well, we I guess there is a dog that looks exactly like yours here in hot spring.

A little scared and creeped out by my dog stalkerish phone call, she hung up. We decided the dog could come along on the hike. we saw on its collar its name was Dodger. Dodger was great company on the beautiful hike up to a peak that overlooks the entire town(not too big). We ate lunch and did a charcoal sketch at the top, meanwhile Dodger sat by our side. When we reached the campground, it was obvious that Dodger was not going to go home on his own. Eventually we found out where the owner lived, so we delivered the dog by hiking up to her farm. A man ken was house and dog sitting and was releaved to have Dodger back. We were sad to see him go.

What a cool way to have a dog. instead of an ownership, he picked us and we picked him. If I ever have a dog, this is how i want it to happen.


my batteries are dieing so I'll continue later with pictures.

BUMP BRAIN

Bump Brain has created a new song.
we recorded household objects and used them along with a driving beat.
you may recognize some...glass, scissors, camera, Velcro, spray can, and many more.

check it out

http://www.purevolume.com/bumpbrain

and more soon to come

Panorama

Panorama - an extended pictorial representation or a cyclorama of a landscape or other scene, often exhibited a part at a time and made to pass continuously before the spectators.

So I just realized that my phone can take Panorama pictures...pretty cool I think. It shows you where the last picture left off so you know where to line up the next one, then it sort of blends them together.

anyway, these are some I took today. Cant wait to play with this feature more.


Drainage pond behind the building.


Behind the Coffee shop counter.

Campus Walk

School has been busy, assignments, projects, reading, papers, and class. however, I have been enjoying every aspect of it. I have been practicing to live in the moment. Not living in the moment with no regard to future, but to truely appreciate each moment and not wish for something boring to be over, or for the next thing to come, or the weekend.

Even during the mundane schedules we can enjoy, and suck everything possible out of that instance.

These are some photos i took with my phone while on a walk through campus with Annie.

THE LANDING

Annie and I got a jobs as... hmm not really sure what as, but at the Landing Java City coffee shop underneath my apartment.


Its a fun job making coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and Javalanches (coffee smoothie). Its fun working with her as well. the pay is very minimum but its nice that its just one floor under my room. And I get free food and drinks.

Egyptian night

Well, this is a little late but I just found the pictures so I gotta post it.

the night before i left for North Carolina, my father took us out to eat at an Egyptian, Mediterranean, Pakistani Restaurant. The owner gave us the best seats in the house on a bench with cushions and we ate a large platter of food off the brass ottoman looking table. It was very authentic and very good food.

the owner then invited us back that night too see an Egyptian magician. My father did not go but Whitey and Adam came along with my sister and I. Again, the owner gave us the seat of royalty and we smoked Banana Sheesha.
The Egyptian Magician started off his act by spinning for about 15 minutes straight while twirling a very large skirt/umbrella type deal.
Next he brought out a bed of nails, layed down on it and asked Annie to come and stand on his chest...no blood was drawn. He then put another set of nails on his chest and asked someone to stand on that.
He then took out a sheet with broken glass. broke 4 more Heineken bottles and proceeded to walk on the glass. He then picked up Whitey and Adam (which is a task in itself) and walked on the glass. No blood was drawn nor did he flinch his face.

He did some other tricks then an Egyptian singer and keyboardist came out and sang song while we danced. A fun night.

InterGraptions

Strange Interactions between grapes and people are bound to happen at parties.

when a bowl of grapes is placed on the snack table, it catches the eye of almost everyone...who likes grapes. As people approach this bowl of juicy grapes, the following scene ensues leaving the guest confused and the grapes offended.

You want more than just a few grapes, so you spot a branch that has about the amount you want to take. what stands in your way is that that branch is attached to a larger branch containing 8 times the amount you want. you don't want this much either.... so you find a good place to break the branch and be on your merry way eating grapes.
WRONG: the grape branch is very strong and it takes some intense struggling, shaking, and twisting to get it loose. meanwhile half the grapes on the branch you're fighting for have fallen off and mixed with the small shriveled grapes at the bottom of the bowl.

you've got the branch free but have lost most the grapes and your dignity and after the 5 minute struggle you still have not gotten your fix grapes.

Advise to hosts serving grapes...accompany the grape bowl with scissors, knife, or other sharp objects to avoid these encounters.

From Dusk to Darkroom

This summer, my sister Annie and I had a goal to make a wet darkroom in the older side of our basement...It was sort of a distant thought until I came across a Beseler enlarger at a local goodwill. I didn't know much about film photographer so I got my Annie to look at it. She said that it was the same brand as the enlargers they use at her school.

So we got the Enlarger after testing it out for $15


Over the next couple weeks, we kept our eyes out ( what a funny expression...if thats even it "kept our eyes out") anyway, while digging through trash piles we got a couple trays. But the jackpot came when Adam stumbled across a large pile outside someones house that contained the makings of a very advanced darkroom. I think he said he spent around 3 hours digging in that trash pile.

Anyway, the list of things we added was extensive and all of it was FREE.


We then began clearing out a corner and light proofing the basement. It took some black trash bags and some old thick blankets we had around the house.


Our father helped us fashion a safe light out of some sheet metal and red plastic we found.
We borrowed a lens from our Grandmother, who has a darkroom.

Annie's photo teacher was ecstatic about our project and donated a timer and several bottles of new developing chemicals.

We made our first prints using Annie's negatives from the past school year. she taught me how the workings went and I did my first composite. Definitely a fun time...and more to come.

Total costs
Enlarger - $15
low wattage light bulb - $2.39
Everything else - FREE

The Voyage of Yumei

Dream Fulfilled, my mother has gotten a small boat.

A family friends father had a heart attack and they wanted to liquidate his things so he could possibly move into a retirement home...anyway, about the boat.

It is a 9-foot fiberglass dingy with a sail. As my mother told me, this is a good thing that it has oars because if there is no wind, you can put your arms to the work. As opposed to a Sunfish type of boat, if you're without wind, you're stuck.

she got the boat for $50. the original price was $100 but they couldnt find the sails so....
It need some repair work to some rotted wood at the stern and fiberglass holes in the bottom.
She worked hard to repair these problems then painted the inside of the boat.

We planned to bring it up to Deep Creek maryland just to float and row around in the lake, but Dr. Hymas suggested that we craft a make shift sail out of a tarp.
We cut one up, and sewed it using the same old sewing machine that my mom had used to mend the sails on Zephros when they were sailing in central america. I think it brought back some good memories of her youth.



We rode up to deep Creek Friday night and had the maiden voyage on saturday morning. The lake was a bit cold and the wind was scarce but it was perfect weather to learn on. She taught me the names for all the sheets (ropes) or a sail boat, names for maneuvers and even the jolly rodger song.

I also got to look at the photo album with all her pictures from the five years living on Zephros. It was inspiring and made me want to keep a little picture of the boat along with me anywhere so that if i was ever feeling boring square, I could look at my mom sailing through the ocean and be inspired to go on an adventure.

As tons of speed boats, water skiers and jet skis zoomed by us, we were enjoying the unique feeling of capturing the wind and using it to move. We also enjoyed the wake created by the boats as they created a rough sea taste.

At night, we enjoyed making fake owl calls by the camp fire and watching other campers flash their lights up into the trees looking for the owls.

great time with my mom, and awsome stories about her sailing days.
PS. Yumei means Dream in Japanese. We called it Dream because it was her dream to sail again and to have a boat that she could operate alone and drive in the Van.

Journey to the end of the world

Last weekend, Adam, Whitey and I decided to take a bike trip. Ride for a day, camp out, and then ride back. We looked at some maps and plotted our route North-West on the C&O Canal.

After a late night dancing at the Blackcat, we got to bed around 4 a.m. Tired and sore, we woke up, packed our bikes down, and stuffed food into our backpacks and took off to Ballston where we took the metro to Rosslyn. From there we rode across the Key Bridge into Georgetown and started up the C&O Canal trail.

The trail was nicely paved with pea gravel and for the most part there were no hills. It was a pleasant and scenic ride that was almost entirely under the shade of big trees.

Around Great Falls area we all started feeling a little fatigued so we stopped a bit and ate granolla bars and carrots. Feeling a little bit better but we biked on passing through the large crowds swarmed around the Great Falls.

we set our goal for 25 miles and once we hit it, we started looking for a secluded place off the trail where we could camp and not be seen by any bikers or worse...trail patrol.

We found a place a ways off the trail through thick thorn bushes and down a small cliff. After struggling to push our bikes through we came to a grassy little beach right on the River.

We had made it a rule that we could not look at our watches or anything that would tell us the time for the whole trip. So we figured we had about 3 - 4 more hours of daylight so we built a lean-to using the sticks from the large pile of drift wood nearby. we found fire wood and prepared a fire pit and laid the tarps out under our lean-to.



With about 3 hours of daylight let, we swam in the Potomac. It wasn't very deep at all so we waded out into the middle and floated/frolicked around on a log. we carried out.

Once night hit we lit the fire and ate our dinners. As we got ready to go to sleep, the mosquitoes flooded the camp site. We spent all night swatting them away and trying to keep from getting bit while also keeping our ears covered from their weedwacker like hum.

I think its accurate to say that non of us slept more than about 30 minutes. Exhausted and defeated we got up as the sun was rising and jumped into the river to wake up. We ate a little breakfast, loaded down our bikes then rode at an incredible rate for home.
We returned at about 10:30 a.m.... meaning that either we left extremely early or rode very fast.

Total riding distance - 57.05 miles
Number of hours slept - .5
Number of mosquito bites: 300

last week we finished our Summer Time commercial to help out kids who are faced with a long empty summer and parents at work.

We shot and edited this in about a week so it could play at two local highschools before school ended. It has been playing on Channel 69 in Arlington.

We just returned home from a four day movie shoot in Durham NC. The film is a short film called Perryville Crime.

Anyway, check out the video...and learn from it.

New York Exchange

Friday, Adam and I woke up at 5, drove to Georgetown where we met up with the crew from MRB films. They were filming something I later found out was called the "nose PSA".

We picked up the Van they rented for us and loaded up the film. 6,000 ft. 35mm . Before we left, we got a few comments from some of team members regarding the severity of the goods we were carrying. words like "important", "a lot of time and money went into this" and "loose them, you die" were mentioned to us as they went home after the all night shoot.

the mission:

Drop of the film at Post works in Manhattan.
Drive to Brooklyn and pick up 6 bird costumes.
Drop off the van in Alexandria.

Adam and I used the time in the van to write a script for our next short film called PERRYVILLE CRIME, that is going to be shot later this week in North Carolina.

We got into the city around 11:30
dropped off the films and called the costume place. They weren't going too be ready until 4 so we thought we'd park and walk around. well, finding parking for a cargo van in Manhattan is ridiculous. we drove into at least 4 underground parking garages and had back out because the ceiling was almost scrapping the roof.

We found one and parked for 2 hours... 30 dollars...not our money though. MRB paid for the van, gas, tolls, parking, and lunch...and $100 each for driving.

We found a wheel chair in the trash and took turns pushing eachother around in it - each time acting out a different ailment.

We ate at Famous Ray's pizza. our pizza looked like it had all the past days left over on it. but pretty good.

we then went into Central Park and did some Jumpstyle... if you don't know what that is, look it up... it will change your life.


anyway, this is getting long.
we drove through insane city rush hour traffic and got lost. picked up the costumes then got lost in brooklyn some more. we got home around 12:30.


Im glad we didn't get stopped by any police...just because they are police and because if they had looked in the back of the Van, they would have thought we were transporting 7 dead bodies in bags.

good trip.

if you havent watched all of the Morris & Deutsch videos online, do it up.

DIY Clapboard for Movies

So when digatizing some footage, I came to the realization that even though the clapboard is no longer a nessecary item in digital film making, it is one that will save time in the footage capturing process as you scan through footage. Seeing a white clapboard will lets you know when the scene is starting and what take it is.

So you could just use a white dry erase board, or go out and buy a $60.00 dry erase clapboard...but that wouldnt be so fun.

things you'll need:

- dry erase board

-two boards 2x1

-one 1in. hinge

-Saw

-Tape

-Spray paint

Here is what I made... everything was free for me but if you dont have such luck, it shouldnt take more than $20.

I started out out with white dry erase board. (the kind that sticks on a college dorm room door, so kids can draw obscene pictures on it)

Then I found two 2 by 1 inch boards to use as the actual clapping mechanism.

Found a little hinge to fit the board. (1 inch)

Cut a slit into one of the board so that the dry-erase board can slide into it. (a sharp saw is good)

Cut the other board into half. so its about 1x1.5 in. then attach with the hinge.

Take the clapper part off the dry erase board, mask off some diagonal lines and paint them.

Then If you want to add a stencil of your production company like I did, do it up!

Maybe spray it with some Clear coat to prevent scratches (but not the part of the board where you write)

Take some black electrical tape and mark some squares to write the Scene information.

Attach it all together and use it up!

good luck

Maybe attach a Dry erase marker on the back.

nice.... a blog

Morris & Deutsch Productions have just uploaded many of thier video shorts to Google Video.

check them out. It contains some that arent on the DVD!

just search for Morris & Deutsch or click here http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=morris+%26+Deutsch&so=0&hl=en&start=0


enjoy!