Writing, which has been romanticized as a solitary pursuit, is often undertaken by teams in the case of filmed entertainment. There is a tug of war inherent to any collaborative process. In order for the process to work, however, neither side can be dragged through the mud pit in the middle.
The collaborative process can work in many ways. Earlier this year I spent time interviewing a number of rockbands. Some wrote all music collaboratively. Others depended on one member to write the songs while other members focused on their individual instruments and play. Still, inherent in all of those conversations was the recognition that some mysterious element was also necessarily at stake for all parties in order to keep the process engaged. One musician described band practice as, “where we all go into a room together to hate each other for three hours so we can come out again and be friends.” At its best, creative work is both difficult and rewarding.
For as much time as I have spent waxing on about flat, graphiccompositions, vast depth is also deeply compelling. The thought crossed my mind as I flew home last weekend that sunset, as seen from above the clouds, will make a pious man out of a sinner  at least for the duration of an east-bound flight from Las Vegas. It begs mention that any non-trivial shift in perspective provokes contemplation not of the nectar that we sip daily, but of the whole fruit itself. Boom-shots!
The camera cranes up at the end of any classically structured movie. As it does, our grip on the details loosens. If the film has had any affect, we drift into the dreamy darkness of music and credits for just a second before we hear seats snap back into place and the velcro sound of sneakers on a sticky floor. In flight, this moment can glow for some time as the camera continuously cranes above the action  particularly when the drama is comprised of the sun’s final bow.
“Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.â€Â
The Mayor’s Office of New York City is about to make it AGAINST THE LAW to photograph anything more than a snapshot without a permit and insurance. There’s a petition you can sign to try and stop this, and a rally today in Union Square.
This may not seem offensive to you, but think carefully about civil liberties, and it should start to scare you. Aside from creating even more financial and logistical barriers for artists, this makes it essentially illegal to document a protest, rally or demonstration, even if you’re not participating. So who bears witness? Not the citizens I guess. That’ll be against the law. But then, what does in matter when the city already video tapes everything you do.
my rims are matte The Raafmonster and MHB were in Harlem this morning scouting locations. We snapped our pics and moseyed down the 125. Raafi took a few bonus shots and said “I think you might need to email those to me”. And so here they are. My friend’s got a crush on Depth of Field and on Flat Planes. It may seem to be at odds, but they kiss close like jimmies and soft serve. iced for daze
Fresh off the wire, this is the most surreal music video of the summer. Kanye’s personal trainer is friends with Zach. Kanye gave Zach carte blanche to do a video. Will happened to be at Zach’s farm that weekend. Amazing. I’m gonna go remix some Palace Brothers now.
