Did that picture Kubrick picture just move?

You're favorite bearded sound man is checking in again. Hope this posting finds everyone safe and sound.

So, while fighting bouts of cabin fever and drinking all my "supply" beer I found this interesting collection of Stanley Kubrick Cinemagraphs.

In case you have never heard of cinemagraphs they are basically still photos in which a minor and repeated movement action occurs (Thanks Wikipedia!).  To put simply, it's still until it moves... in a generally freaky manner.

Our own in-house photographer Louisa Gracia has recently been experimenting with this, with some interesting results.

At any rate, we cannot deny that Stanley Kubrick was one of the most prolific directors of our time.  Maintaining a personal mantra of never working on the same type of project twice he has made his mark on American cinema with such visually stunning titles like A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. His eye for setting up a shot as well as a scene comes through in this collection of excellent cinemagraphs (stolen from one of my favorite websites: Unrealitymag.com) that contains such classics as Full Metal Jacket and Lolita.

Step 1. click link.

Step 2. enjoy.

http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2011/08/26/30-amazing-stanley-kubrick-cinemagraphs/#more-44980

Be safe out there.

Gettin' 'er dun.

Howdy y'all, this is everyone's favorite bearded sound-man checking in.

After seeing Wednesday's pic of the week it reminded me of a student/indie short I had seen while in school and of course I felt the need to share it with everyone because quite frankly it just goes to show you that you don't have to be a Kubrick or Spielberg to make a great film you just need to know you equipment and your capabilities.

It's seeing stuff like this that keeps me and the team inspired to keep on doing what we love doing.  Oh and the love.  The love definitely helps us continue making the caliber of productions we make.

Check out the "how to" section, while it's in French and may not be understood by some it's definitely a great look into how a production like this gets put together especially the parts where you can't actually burn down an entire old timey circus.

Anyway, let me stop babbling and get on with the show, by the way, you can totally watch this at work on your lunch break and not get strange looks from your co-workers.

This week's POW - The Last Circus + clowns with machine guns

Yes, you read the title correctly.

We won't even keep you waiting for very long to check out this week's release (for August 19th) and trailer. To be fair, this filmed was released late last year in Spain first and it's finally making it's way over the Atlantic and here to our theaters, albeit to limited release.

The latest film from cult director Alex de la Iglesia , (El Dia de la Bestia, The Oxford Murders)  who's work, for some, is reminiscent of early Peter Jackson films and twisted in that Benicio del Toro sort of way. The Last Circus, is, to be fair, a fucked up sprawling downward spiral of sex, clowns, murder, violence, comedy and Spaniards. In essence, one of those type of films that begs to be seen and talked about among other film buffs.


The imagery from the trailer already seems magical and menacing all at once, the type of stuff reserved for Rob Zombie films but with a real sense of art and less of the grit perhaps Americans are used to.

Nonetheless, the film looks insane and worth checking out. So, without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen...the Last Circus.

Briefcase Pick of the Week (POW) - Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle for Expression

Welcome lovely blog readers,

This is the first installment of Briefcase Blog's Pick of the Week aka the "POW!" (cue Adam West's Batman fighting sound fx). Let's review the trailer to the indie documentary Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle for Expression. 

For those of you who've been living under a cultural rock for the last, oh let's say 30 years, graffiti has been an ever prevalent art form in urban neighborhoods (and quite a few NY subway trains during the 70's and 80's). Yet as with all movements, there's evolution and graffiti eventually became a mainstay (supported by artists like Keith Haring, Banksy, Os Gemeos, Space Invader and Shepard Fairey). Street art has become the new cultural measuring stick in the art world. Simply put, what was once considered lewd and incongruous behavior by "hoodlums" and "trouble makers" in urban societies, those same artists have now become the taste makers and the reigning kings of an art landscape forever changed (Watch: Exit Through the Gift Shop, Read: Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art).

However for every movement, there's an Anti-Movement. That anti-movement has been documented by Max Good and Julien de Benedictis, the Writer/Directors of the documentary, and it captures one of the strangest, if not totally surprising reaction of buffing street art. Buffing is basically vandalizing street art by painting over it. The film speaks with the likes of New Orleans' "Grey Ghost" and LA's "The Grafitti Guerrilla" some of the many graffiti "crime fighters" as the film delves into a world perhaps little, if any of us at all, know much about.

As a fan of film making that turns societal norms on it's head, this film seems spot on. Who would've thought vandalism would become art and now that art has beget a new standard of vandalism. Is it so strange that previous lawbreakers (writers, artists, etc) are quite possibly now the victims of their own movement? You judge for yourself.

The film will be released this Friday August 12th to a limited release, so check your local listings for showings and make sure to tell a friend. Cheers!

Sound design + really big alien robots

Yesterday I stopped off at our sound designer/engineer/mixer/beard enthusiast's home, a Mr. Matt Raimo, and we got into some discussions about sound design. For those of you that don't know what a Sound Designer is, think of a designer, someone who puts things together, creates something new out of something else (be it interior, graphic, etc). Now, think of that but using sounds. Bingo! Sound designers are a huge part of movie making and so I think it's only fitting to share some of their awesomeness with you guys.

Below is a video I found recently from SoundWorks Collection and some of the work they did on the feature film Transformers: Dark of the Moon. If any film is going to use sound to it's absolute fullest, it's a Michael Bay film. Cheers!

Godard speaks

Happy Monday to each and every one of you beautiful internet people.

Today's blog is going to be short and sweet because the video we've added is not. So, a quick intro on the subject, one of our favorite reclusive filmmakers of all time, Jean-Luc Godard.

If perhaps you're not familiar with his work, he was part of the French New Wave of film making, an auteur really, and debuted with his now classic film Breathless (1959). It was also "produced" by other auters Jean Pierre Melville (Bob Le Flambeur, L'Samurai) and Francois Truffaut (400 Blows, The Last Metro). A short list of some of the must sees from Godard include Band of Outsiders, Femme est une Femme, Pierrot Le Fou and Tout Va Bien (to name a few).

The film Breathless, like many others, explores wholly new territory for film making, utilizing mismatched shots, jumps cuts, on the spot dialogue, breaking down the 4th wall (which was basically unheard of in it's time), random dance sequences, quirky characters as well as finding a place within all the cool, bohemian/beatnik kids of the late 50's and early 60's.

As a filmmaker, you need to know his name and more importantly his work, having influenced just about every major filmmaker you know and love, from Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson to Jim Jarmusch and the Coen Brothers, as well as a direct link to his French predecessors the likes of Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie). In truth, every successful and current filmmaker has, if not borrowed, blatantly stolen from Godard, but then again, that's homage isn't it? :)

So, without further a adieu, here's part one of his 1980 interview with Dick Cavett. Cheers!

Gun Hill Road + Latino filmmaking and where it's going

Tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 5th the film Gun Hill Road is set to be released in theaters.

As a filmmaker, a Bronx native and a Latino, I have to say one thing even before we talk about the film and the prospects of it's quality. BRAVO. Finally a film that tackles on Latinos and aspects of Latin culture that don't immediately derive from the atypical portrayal of Latinos as illegal immigrants, criminals, derelicts, rapists, whores and drug dealers/traffickers (and in some instances a combination  of any of these) and finally just tells a compelling story about people, sans the ethnicity crutch.

Synopsis - A father returns to his family after a three year stint in jail and discovers that his son is undergoing a sexual transformation all the while trying not to erode the vulnerable relationships between himself, his wife and the son he thought he knew. 

I have to say, right away, I'm enthralled with the concept of the film,written and directed by up and comer Rashaad Ernesto Green, it's about time a film depicts Latinos away from things stereotypical and willing to take risks and challenge the personas we've been typecast as. Now, this isn't a war cry, it's a progressive way of thinking from a film making perspective and one that both as indie film makers as well as fans of good dramatic cinematic films can get behind (my two cents).

The film stars Esai Morales (you probably remember him from La Bamba) as well as Judy Reyes (of Scrubs fame), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (who starred on HBO's The Wire). Yet perhaps most interesting of the casting of (and introduction of) Harmony Santana, who is living as a transgender woman (Check out the article on her on the NY Times website here).

That's the type of forward thinking and progress that Latino culture, especially our entertainment culture, that has needed a kick in the ass for some time. Breaking the mold of seeing the same people we see on the street on screen. (I think I'm not the only one who, if we could, would never want to see Daddy Yankee on screen ever again?)

Also, did we mention the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2011 ?

Check out the trailer here. I know this blogger right here will be excited to get to the theater and check this out firsthand as should you.

Haus of Topper ad + crazy hair and a dog who loves fashion

A few weeks back, we put our heads together with the head designer of Haus of Topper, an independent jewelry company to come up with concepts for a campaign based around their new line (due out in the fall). Initially we'd landed on something 70's inspired, which we were excited about and hoped, but as things are in life, that didn't find it's way into the final concept.

Nonetheless, we found ourselves on set, camera in hand and a photo shoot happening, so we figured we'd shoot it too. The photo shoot was conducted by the uber talented Louisa Garcia and the art direction/hair and make-up done by the fabulously talented Robert Huitron.

We were greeted by an apartment loaded with jewelry and clothes and Robert working his magic on our model. As was Cocoa, David's dog, who apparently has quite the affinity for jewelry and revels in the fact there was plenty to go around. Lucky dog.

In any case, we filmed the shoot, hoped for the best and this is what we put together. Cheers.

"Decade of Fire: How the South Bronx was burned" - support indie films!

Here at BCP, we're from the Bronx. It's our home, our stomping grounds and quite frankly, it's ingrained in our attitudes, our history and just about every aspect of who we are and what we do (guerrilla filmmaking for instance).

So, recently friend and amazing artist  had shared a link for a film still in the process of being made, as far as we can tell called "Decade of Fire: How the South Bronx was Burned" and of course, it caught our attention. the film is co-produced by Vivian Vazquez, Gretchen Hildebran and Julia Allen. Being indie filmmakers and supporters of all things interesting and refreshing, we took a look at the trailer. It looks awesome.

They've also set up a kickstarter pledge - DONATE HERE .

We love a good story. And we think there's one right here in the making. Check out the trailer below, hit up the kickstarter page and lend a hand in helping to fund have this film get made. As Bronx natives, we're already fans, but you'll notice the quality of the documentary is there and even more so worth your dollars. Without help, stories like there never make it into the public scope. So, if you love film, if you love the Bronx, hell, if you just like supporting a good cause, by all means, check this out. Cheers.

Spitting Ink. A film on NYC poets after 7 yrs on the shelf + degrees of seperation

It's interesting how connections are made in this industry. A friend of a friend of a guy who used to couch surf in the midwest while working on a set as a PA and made friends with a photographer for a band that knew a guy who did graphic design who's sister was a chef and was featured on the local news with her aunt who started her own business before her husband's career as Broadway musical star tanked after the release of their last show that was written by an up and coming screenwriter who wrote something for a film competition your company was in and lost to it but you met the director at the Q & A.

whew.

This isn't that extensive, but you get the point.

The film is produced by Hazazah Pictures and written/directed by Ralph De Haan and Lars Siemens (aka "the Dutch Brad Pitt") whom we've established a new working relationship (albeit digitally) We were introduced to Lars through a good friend (and one of the subjects in the film) HBO Def poet, Bonafide Rojas (check out his performance here). He also performed at our Factory B: Portraits and Poetry last August. 

The film follows 7 NYC poets around town in a series of single vignettes and then compiled into a whole film. The film premiered at the International IDFA festival and has since screened at others and, if we do say so, it's shot very well (on 16mm no less). In any case, here's the video in it's entirety. It's a bit of a time capsule work, considering it was also filmed about 7 years ago and then shelved since the filmmakers weren't sure initially on what to do with the footage. I'll say this, I'm glad they finished the project, for sure. Cheers.

Francis Ford Coppola drops knowledge and breaks rules

We're always scouring the internet for something interesting, so, since we came across this little interview held with the peeps over at the99percent.com with famed and legendary director Francis Ford Coppola.

Without getting too carried away, we just wanted to share this with you guys. It's not often you get directorial advice and life lessons compressed into a short blog, but, heed my words, it's totally there. Check it out

http://the99percent.com/articles/6973/Francis-Ford-Coppola-On-Risk-Money-Craft-Collaboration

Caan, Brando, Coppola, Pacino & Cazale on the set of the Godfather

Coney Island, a land unbeknownst to most

Being a production company usually means we have our own projects, but sometimes our individual talents are called upon on other projects. And, since this business is all about who you know, it's nice when those you know also do good work. We've been lucky we've worked with some pretty talented people behind the camera.

That being said, our partner David C. Diaz has worked as an editor on a project we thought was pretty awesome the moment we heard of it: City Stories. Producers Elgin Fulton and Geoffrey Greer put together a show (or at least what started as a show) about stories that live within, and perhaps don't ever escape, cities around America. They started with Coney Island. Home to Famous Nathan's hot dog eating contest, the Siren Music Festival, The Mermaid Parade and of course the infamous Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone. Coney Island, with it's boardwalk and attractions, loans itself to be swarmed by locals and tourists for most of the spring and summer into the early fall. The rest of the time though, it's a very different story.

If you'd like to read some more on the project, check out the recent article written on the project in the Daily News and definitely check out the trailer beneath. Also, if you like the project and would like to help get it off the ground, you can donate here - www.indiegogo.com/City-Story  

Cheers.

Northen Ink Xposure Tattoo Convention, coffins and one bald Canuck

Greetings,

It's been a while. So, I'll keep this brief.

So, we sent a panda with a camera to Canada...It's true. 

Ok, not really, but we did have our trusty partner (DP, Editor, sushi enthusiast)  David C. Diaz (aka "the Panda") head to Toronto with good friend and amazing tattoo artist Logan Aguilar - www.loganaguilar.com - to accompany him, with camera in tow, to the Northern Ink Xposure (NIX) tattoo convention.

It's the largest Tattoo convention in North America and it's meant for uber talented artists, collectors and genuine lovers of the art form. Thankfully, Dave was there with his trusty Canon 7D, a lavalier mic that didn't work and a love for tattoos. He managed to capture some great footage for us back home and a lot of ink. We like it. A lot. And so far, the tattoo community is showing us love as well.  :: swoon ::

We also were very lucky to interview Damien McGrath, co-creator/curator for the convention as well as co-creator of www.tattoos.com.

Here's a look at part one of the NIX convention, as we're working on the next installments coming your way soon.

Dale Duro Records, "Papeles" and how to make fake narcotics

Hey everyone,

So, as promised, here's the video from Kister, Da Key and Manny Machete known as "Papeles". We had a blast working on this one since it involved some great cinematography, provided by our uber talented director David C. Diaz, stunts, courtesy of a falling audio guy we lovingly know as El Diablo as well as fake guns, money and some pretty realistic looking narcotics. Quick side note, we literally raided the kitchen cabinets in search of baking soda, cornmeal, pancake mix to fill in for the real stuff. Fun times. 

The concept of the video was to start it like a movie telling the story of the crew, who've been pulled in for questioning from the police (played by Al Diaz, David Cruz and Jerry Broome in order of appearance) after trying to retrieve guns and contraband that were stolen from their prospective boss (played quite convincingly by Lorenzo Collado) during an early flashback scene. Here, the video kicks into full gangsta swag and in the end we get to see the twist of the running narrative.

Considering that we filmed this in exactly TWO locations, most people have never been able to tell otherwise, we're proud of the work and we're hoping to hook up with the guys from Dale Duro Records again and again. Gangster, yes. Nice guys, also yes.

We'll be back soon enough w/ clips from the video premiere, but for now, here's the video itself. Enjoy.

Finishing old, starting new. Plus: New secret project and bunnies. Big fucking bunnies.

Loot and Keith Haring mural (Photo by LaGata Photography)

It's been a while since we've been on here, but there's a shit load of new projects we have our hands in.

For one, we finished the 2nd day of shooting of up and coming rapper Loot for his video for "Press On". We used up most of Harlem and the South Bronx it feels like, but we put it to good use i promise. Looking forward to how some screwy cinematography, street preachers, and the Keith Haring "Crack is Wack" mural (above) come together visually and tell the story of a homeless woman. But there's a twist. Of course there is. What would a Briefcase Production music video be like without a twist?

A few things learned from that shoot, don't ever schedule 8 set ups for anything less than a 16 hr day. Seemed like a good idea at the time though. Ha. C'est la vie.

We have a few more music videos in the plans, one of which I'm entirely excited about involving bunnies. Yes, bunnies. Big bunnies. And perhaps the trunk of someone's car. Not sure yet. Well maybe.... pretty sure we will though. ...Huh? Right, back to the blog.

Necklace by Haus of Topper (photo by LaGataPhotography)

Also in the works, a photo shoot/short film-behind-the-scenes project with the awesome jewelry and clothing from the mind of our good friend David Topper (Haus of Topper) (left). It's going to be chic, it's going to be stylish, it's going to be really loud on set to say the least. Haha. Behind the camera, for the photography portion will be the lovely Louisa Garcia of LaGata Photography, so needless to say it'll be vivid, ingenious and probably involve really skinny models. Don't worry, I hear she doesn't ever, ever feed the models, so all should be good.

Now, working on shoots is great and all, but there's also some writing which happens from time to time (like now, for instance). Yours truly has teamed up with Casey R. Anderson of Lamp and Boat Productions to get some script writing done. What pray tell could they be writing? The next great American family film? The action adventure? The silent indie sleeper? All I can say as of now is, it involved an old Volkswagen Beetle and perhaps some Black Panther relations. I think I've said too much already. Nonetheless, go wet your appetite at his Vimeo page and see his work. Then consider our talents combined...... go ahead, I'll wait......

.....Better now? OK. Let's finish this blog at home. Briefcase Productions. We're currently working on the pilot episode of our favored Kharon's Fare project. It was once a short film and now it's evolved. Grown. Become a monster. Eating your children even!.... ok, maybe not all that. But it's gotten to become something bigger than what we anticipated, so we're turning it into something special. Will it take over our lives? Only time will tell officially.  Auditions for this project coming soon, so stay tuned to us of course. It's got all the makings of a great story following the life of a modern day hitman. Interested yet? You should be, it includes characters named Zeus and Sherlock. How can you not like that?

Lastly, did I mention we have a secret project coming up? Oh yes. All we have to say is, we're crossing water for this one. Going international. That's it, can't say anything else. Sorry. But, we'll keep you posted on those developments as they....develop.

Oh, before I forget. Did I fail to mention the possible joint project between ourselves and a certain art collective? More on that in the up coming blogs.

Briefcase out!