"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!

Red Bull Stratos Jump - Man falls from 120,000 ft

Felix Baumgartner

So recently I've been following something I think all of us need to hear about.

Austrian born professional skydiver and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner (left) will attempt to break the record for the highest (and definitely the most dangerous) sky dive in history. He'll be jumping from 120,000ft above sea level. That's almost 4 times higher than a Boeing 747 cruises at.

Did that sink in yet? OK. Good. Let's continue...


The jump has been in the work for the last few years, but it's not sponsored by NASA. Hell, it's not even sponsored by the government. It's sponsored entirely by, of all things...Redbull. Who else would put up their money for something this awesome and this insane?

So, some of the specs regarding the jump, so that everyone has an understanding of exactly how crazy and how amazing this attempt at a record will be if, God willing, Felix survives.

Here's some details: He will fly up in a helium balloon inside of a pod like capsule where he will make his ascent to the predetermined 120,000 ft, stop ascending, step out of the capsule and jump. Sounds easy right? OK. Let's review:

-He will be wearing a specially designed pressurized suit where he will be breathing 100% oxygen. Let's understand something about breathing pure oxygen. It takes getting used to. What we breathe on land isn't pure oxygen, but Felix will need it to survive in the stratosphere. But even this isn't safe. In a pressurized chamber like his suit, any petroleum based product, which could be sparked by something as basic as static, could set him ablaze. Hair gel, chapstick, lotions, you name it, he can't have it on inside the suit or it might just burst into flames during free fall. Killing him.

-At this high up, he's susceptible to what's called Ebullism: This is when bodily fluids turn into gas due to lowered altitude pressure. At 63,000ft above sea level, also known as Armstrong's Line, the boiling temperature for water drops to 98.6º degrees Fahrenheit. This means that if the pressure in his suit drops from his regulated 3.5 psn, he will literally swell like a balloon in his own suit and quite possibly, pop. Also killing him.

Diagram of the capsule Felix will exit and jump from

-There is no air resistance at this height. So, when Felix jumps he will be met with nothing. Falling through this nothing means he will meet no air resistance and continue to speed up. Free fall speed is 3.4 m/s squared (or about 200mph) aka terminal velocity. This won't happen for the first 30-35 seconds of Felix's free fall. He is expected to reach speeds of up to 700+ mph and be the first human being to break the sound barrier. That's MACH-1. This is also suggestive, because at the altitude he'll be traveling at, sound travels slower than at sea level, but nonetheless, he will free fall and accelerate to be the fastest human being without the propulsion of a craft. What will happen when he hits our air pressure at this speed is also in question. Which leads to the next part of this...

-The jump itself. Regular sky diving allows for avid skydivers and BASE jumpers to maneuver through the air because of the air pressure they can "swim" through. Felix will have NO CONTROL OF HIS BODY for the first part of the fall. If he jumps with too much pressure moving forward, he may go into a top spin.  At 120 rpm, a human being, even a trained astronaut for example, will possibly knock themselves out unconscious. At 145 rpm, as per tests done on monkeys (unfortunately) the brain stem separates from the spinal column. Most likely killing him.

Felix atop the hand of O Cristo Redentor  in Sao Paulo, Brazil

So, what's the deal with this jump? It's both record breaking and scientific. Back in 1960 a guy named Joseph Rittinger jumped from a similar capsule from 102,800ft. (about 3 miles shy of where Felix plans on making his jump) during what was called the Excelsior Program. He survived, despite suffering slight Ebullism to his right hand when a pressure valve in his suit malfunctioned and allowed the pressure in his hand to drop. Had it not been for his suit, his hand would have popped before landing. He's been working alongside Felix for this jump. Part of this is research to test out suits and science on whether or not an astronaut could conceivably egress from a capsule/shuttle reentering the earth's atmosphere and if they would be able to survive an emergency jump from such an altitude. Felix is jumping for sport and science at this point.

But why should we be interested? Because there's the same element of danger we've always appreciated about daredevils and athletes. Felix is balancing the line between daring and crazy. He's already jumped from a slew of places in the world including BASE jumps from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and O Cristo Redentor in Sao Paulo, Brazil as well as becoming the first human being to cross the English Channel using a specially designed glide suit that allowed him to travel 22 miles over the Channel back in 2003.

What are we gaining from this? And how is it that corporate sponsors like Redbull are more interested in something like this than NASA or our own government? What does this say about us as people? And if it doesn't Felix, what's the next stunt going to be??

Art is the new TV and the impact of Shepard Fairey

I've become consumed with art. Curating, attending galleries and just visually consuming as much as possible. And then it hit me. Art is the new TV. It's no longer counter culture. Today's art might as well be full fledged commercials Still images that run for 15 or 30 seconds at a time and say nothing, because it's more powerful that way. And yet, even though we've become accustomed to viewing art through certain filters, it doesn't mean that art isn't at the mercy of large corporations. Actually, there's a really fucked up bastard child relationship with corporate ad mongers and artists.

Take Tobias Wong for example, who very much displeased McDonalds (among others) for his depiction of coffee stirrers made of gold and making it's associations to their part in drug culture as addicts would use the stirrer to scoop cocaine and indulge. It became quite the statement to some, helping forge the connection between the addictiveness of both unhealthy McDonald's food and cocaine. But really it gestures at how corporations truly feel about us and what I am getting at is, despite counter cultures, we're still at the mercy of money.

Shepard Fairey

Check this out:

I saw a Shepard Fairey "Obey" poster on Westchester Ave in the Bronx recently (somewhere near the non existent Morrison Ave stop on the 6 train). Is it because he needs to promote there anymore? Not when you've already been part of a campaign that helped elect our current President (see right).

So why do it? Why bother coming all the way into the epicenter of graffitti culture in the south bronx and put up a poster everyone and their mother has seen, especially after you've been commissioned to murals on Houston street (over an old Keith Haring by the way and it's still shameful that the city would let that happen) and ads by Saks Fifth Ave?

Because if you don't do the little things anymore you're considered a sell out and people feel justified in it because you were once a struggling street artist and should stay there.

This is partly why people love Banksy, Os Gemeos and the late great Keith Haring and on and on. Because they have yet to put themselves in a spot where a large corporation is not paying their bills. But we forget, Warhol was a designer. So is Shepard Fairey. And this become part of the problem. Designers are better promoters.

Andy Warhol

It's everywhere and nowhere at once. I recently had taken a stroll through my current gallery, on saturday night and there was a resounding amount of pop art on the walls. Not necessarily in the conventional Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Tomato Soup" pop art, but in the way that taking something else and moving onward with your own influence on it still resonates because of guys like Shepard Fairey. We strolled through the gallery and it came to me that there was once a fine line between fine art and pop art and street art and now it's becoming that much more difficult to draw that line without wanting to run it through Adobe Illustrator.

This is not to say that Shepard Fairey should be run through the meat grinder and guys like Banksy should be canonized (although he's definitely close). No, instead I think it's worth being mindful of how full circle we've really come as a community of art consumers. And I say consumer because if you buy into anything, even if it's not a product but an IDEA, than WE ARE ALL CONSUMERS.

We have Andy Warhol to thank for starting such things and Yves Klein for perpetuating the ridiculous in said things, Banksy for finding a way to share a message but we have Shepard Fairey to thank for making it true.

It is not impossible to sell an idea of importance because it IS the case now. Pure mass promotion has actually launched the career of a designer like Fairey into artistic superstardom. Where he was once as underground (and I use the term loosely) as guys like Blu or Space Invader or Eine or Basquiat or Fairey himself during the mid 90's.

So what am I saying? I don't know exactly. What I do know, is that at one point the same art that you reveled at for being so daring will also be the art you second guess for being put into a museum and finally you'll end up hating it because it sold you a handbag. Don't judge the art because of what it's doing to you, judge it because of what it is.

?uestlove meets Briefcase Productions...hello ?uestlove

So a few days ago we got the chance to kick with ?uestlove at NBC studios as per more work on "The Electro Wars". The shoot went well and involved much of what you would expect sitting down with coolest of the cool....lots and lots of music knowledge.

We ranted on about everything from Afrojack to Afrika Bambaata, how electro and hip hop are the beacons of music (and their resemblance to trees) and how difficult it was to remember Paul Van Dyke's name.

After we got to watch him cut up some video tracks for a segment on Jimmy Fallon's late night show called "Remix the Clips". Here's a look at how that segment turned out.


If we learned one thing from ?uestlove it's this....awesomeness comes in many forms, and it usually rocks a dope afro and gold shades.