Getting ready to shoot

OK, no more rants today. Well, the day is still young.

I am super excited about my upcoming shoot tomorrow night for my new company. I'm shooting three different models from 3:30pm - 11pm in an old dance studio. I've also hired an art director who works as a fashion editor for a local fashion magazine. One shoot will be with a young model who works modeling clothing for the Home Shopping Network and is an aspiring actress. The second shoot will be with a musician/model and will be a dark and grainy, seductive-angry black and white scene. And the third shoot will be with a 6'1" international model doing a glamorous European-style shoot.

Be watching for the edited clips on my site in the days to come.

Living heroes

(Updated: I suppose I should give a quick reason why these folks made my hero list. )

I have quite a few heroes who have passed on, but thought I'd jot down a few who are still living (other than my family, of course).

In no particular order:

• Jimmy Carter - He practices what he preaches, is a peacemaker, diplomat and cares for the least of the least.
  
• Kofi Annan - Certainly a flawed man, but he worked tirelessly for human rights and justice and carried himself with a quiet strength. He's also from Ghana, where Annie grew up.
  
• Asne Seierstad - She's a journalist and an author from Norway who travels tirelessly to tell small stories about people from Kabul to Chechnya. I envy her life.
  
• Nanni Moretti - My favorite filmmaker. From Italy; I own most of his films and watch them over and over. Quirky, sad, lonely, funny, irritating.
  
• Eugene Peterson - A true pastor's heart, author of books that always challenge me and translator of one of my favorite versions of the Bible. A gentle man who loves stories.
  
• Gurinder Chadha - It takes real talent to tackle a subject like the role of Indian women in British society and make it so fun. And Gurinder seems to have a great personality to boot.
  
• N.T. Wright - Renowned British theologian, his book Jesus and the Victory of God made what was once common new.
  
• Peter Kreeft - The surfing philosophy professor. Always writing with a twinkle in his eye, his books give definition to some rather murky subjects.
  
• Richard Dahlstrom - A pastor in Seattle that continues to mentor me through his blog and sermons.
  
• Christiane Amanpour - Working on assignment with CNN, she always covers the hot spots with a level head and years of experience.
  
• Colin Powell - Always trying to form international coalitions, trying to moderate between extremes, used by many leaders for their own gain, Colin Powell continues to remain dignified and a diplomat.
  
• Sofia Coppola - Director of Lost in Translation, she knows how to capture nuance and subtlety. And if the behind the scenes documentary is true, she is one of the most laid back directors in Hollywood... a rarity.
  
• Stanley Hauerwas - Has championed the cause of those with intellectual disabilities since the 1970's.
  
• John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meany. Period.
  
• Paul David Hewson - OK, so I put Bono on the list. I truely do admire his determination for helping Africa. And I could listen to Vertigo anytime.
  
• Mira Nair - Another excellent director who deals with cross-cultural issues. Start with Monsoon Wedding.
  
• Julian Schnabel - Filmmaker and bold artist. Reminds me a lot of a friend of mine.
  

They say you can tell a lot about a person based on their heroes...

Crashed the set

Serious filmmaking

The Coen brothers are shooting their latest film, A Serious Man, a few blocks from where I work. I've been down there the last two days, watching them dress a couple of the neighborhood blocks to look like the late 60's. Just drove by again over lunch and about three blocks are locked down tight with police cars on all sides. Lots of crew wandering around. I'll take my camera with me tomorrow and see if I can get a shot of the brothers, or kicked off the "lot."

Interview

My buddy John looks deep in thought as he's being interviewed by a newspaper out in Virginia. For you arm chair travelers, you can read all about his latest adventures to East Timor in Southeast Asia here.

Location Scouting

Last night Silvi was my model as she and I drove around Minneapolis location scouting for a shoot I'm doing this summer.
It's a story I've been working on for a while about reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians, thus, the Serbian Orthodox Church visible in the background.

Silvi and I ended up eating at a fine dining restaurant, not by choice, but because we were both famished after walking in the brisk air and the restaurant was near by. We shared a $13 hamburger, the cheapest thing on the menu. It was a very nice date, and Silvi was excellent company. We also got complimentary warm bread.

The block down the street from the church where I hope to do some shooting.

Heaven

Someone was finally able to sneak a camera into heaven and send an image of it back to earth. To get the full effect of the picture, you have to click on it to see it full size.

Global filmmaking

For all you armchair travelers out there, a buddy of mine who I used to host a documentary discussion group with before he bailed from Minneapolis to work at National Geographic (bum) is blogging about his whirlwind trip over in Turkey, amongst other places. He's a talented documentary filmmaker; check it out.

Nanni Moretti on making films

"The hardest time for me is writing, the most tiring is when I shoot. When I finally get there, I feel free."
Nanni Moretti