Happy New Year 2011

It is below zero and the kids are building igloos in the backyard tonight. They rules. It is nice to have a 2 feet of snow on the ground to play in. We are liking our new home and the intense winter.

Vegemite

Old Friend David Hern with the kids last year in Australia, good times.

Ty Williams

I like this guys art and point of view, Ty Williams and since my middle name is Winston I use to sing the Winston Cig Jiggle from TV as a kid.

Merry Christmas

This is a photo of our family last Christmas in Australia.
This year will be a white Christmas for sure.
Here is the lyrics from one of my favorite songs:

Teach Your Children
By Graham Nash

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good-bye
Teach your children well
Their father's hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

And you, of tender years
Can't know the fears
That your elders grew by
And so please help them with your youth
They seek the truth
Before they can die.

(Can you hear and do you care
And can't you see whe must be free
To teach our children what you believe in
Make a world that we can believe in.)

Teach your parents well
Their children's hell
Will slowly go by
and feed them on your dreams
The one they picks
The one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

One of my Favorite Filmmakers

bike messenger/taxi driver altercation from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

I love it when he gets out the toys.
I love this dude and his brother.

The View

The view from my new office, I am working at home these days.
Life is good,
a new town,
a new office and
some cool projects coming up.
Peace

TJ Benefit in Las Vegas

Can't wait to see you Fly Again

Spent the afternoon doing TJ influenced art with the kids thinking about how happy we were that TJ is awake and talking!
Can't wait to see you FLY AGAIN brother.

Thinking about TJ

TJ Lavin crashed hard a week ago at the Dew Tour in Las Vegas. We are all thinking about you, and praying for you brother.
(Photo: TJ with my kids and a neighbor at Salt Lake City Dew Tour a few years ago)

Doug Block's New Film

The Kids Grow Up - trailer from Copacetic Pictures on Vimeo.

It take a bit of courage and something else to do films like this. I can't wait to see it.

Moved---Midway, Utah

One of the views from our front yard at our new house.

Nice Sail

I am a big fan of plain white sails, but this sail is beautiful.
(Photo: found on the world wild web, not sure where it is from)

moving

Getting ready to move.
I am digging through too many t-shirts, my record collection, and old film equipment.

Spike Lee on the Radio

Enjoyed listening to a great interview this morning of Spike Lee by KUER's Doug Fabrizio. Catch it again tonight at 7pm on KUER. Spike is one of my favorite filmmakers. I dig his passion.

Favorite Sweater

I miss my favorite sweater.
Photo: Standing on the course of the Tour de France before the racers race by, Belgium 2007.

Art Moms

The Art show at Art Access in Salt Lake City was very fun. It was great to have the mom's of the artists there. Paul and mom above and Fidalis and mom below. All involved have committed to another year of doing art together, we will also include other artists too.

We are looking, really looking.

surfing with the kids

Love to watch the kids play in the ocean. F on the surfboard and M in the background.

Beach Time

We are taking a little break at the beach in So. California. Here is a drawing of the scene from the eyes of our 10 year old M.

Scenic Route

scenic route fuel tv from oi documentary services on Vimeo.

Just found out this spot I did for Fuel TV won a few awards so I thought I would repost it here. It a simple concept and was fun to shot. The message? I hope everybody brings their own meaning to this one.

Chad Kerley

Had fun shooting this guy for the Fuel TV show "Camp Woodward"

ira

A drawing of one of the other producers on the Camp Woodward TV show. Most of the production crew go out drinking every night. I don't drink but I wanted to go chill, so I took a box of crayons and a sketchbook and drank Coca-a-Colas all night. We had a great laugh. I drew and colored all night and talked a bunch of other people into drawing with me.

New Motto

"enjoy filmmaking"
thanks ev

from Boulder, CO

Birch Creek

birch creek service ranch (rough cut #1 march 23, 2010) from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

I helped make this video with the kids at camp, my daughter being one of them. This place was epic for her. Please consider it for you kids 12 to 15 years old. The name is confusing but it is a place for good kids to get getter, learn to work and some serious creative play in the outdoors and back country.

Adam Bateman

A perfect day,
2 art museums and a bike shop.
On my list was to see Adam Bateman's new work,
sprinklers,
he is the guy that does books too.

unplugged

I spent the weekend at my brother in-law's wedding in the desert.
Just what I needed an unplugged weekend.
No computer, no phone.
The closest thing I did to filmmaking was pose the dogs for this snap shot.
I felt like William Wegman man handling the dogs till we got the shot acceptable.
Congrats Kristen and Adam on your wedding!

Lisa Solberg

I love to listen to what artists have to say. This video has nothing to say and I love it. It is refreshing to just watch art being made, enjoy.

Fidalis influenced art with the kids

The Kids and I have been doing art projects in the garage.

Spring?

Late April snow! (oh yeah to be an official Utahan you have to have a trampoline) Check!

Spring Fever

Thinking about our late spring/early summer trip to the lake, we all have a bit of spring fever here.

Last Day in Sydney

On the last day in Australia I got an unlimited BUS/TRAIN/FERRY pass and just cruised. A good mental health day for me. This photo is a Laser race in Sydney Harbor, I am just about to get my sailboat out of winter storage for the Tuesday night race series with my Park City sailing friends. Also check them out here sailparkcity.org.

Ned Kelly

In Australia for 2 weeks working on a cool project. Now I know who Ned Kelly is. (note: not my photo, stencil in Melbourne)

Alusa / Fidalis video #3

Alusa / Fidalis Art Project Session #3 from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

Alusa / Fidalis video #2

Alusa / Fidalis Art Project Session #2 from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

Lunch in Toronto

After years of movie making I can't remember a better lunch on set.
1 hour lunches in Canada, and a crew that will sing to you during lunch.
(this photo: Wayne the 1st assistant director, Chris the Key Grip, Ray the gaffer, Esther craft service, and me napping)

Toronto Street Art

love this

Russell Johnson's Theme

Russell Johnson's Theme from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

Clip #2 of 9 from the upcoming freestyle sing-along documentary about the band Seve vs. Evan.

Paul Alusa / Fidalis Buehler Art Session #2 March 17, 2010

Paul with his art work,
from the Alusa/Fidalis project, more about that later.

Excuse Me Mr. Captain

Excuse Me Mr. Captain from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

Long story but I am recovering being a filmmaker. I put an edit suite in my basement and I could not be happier about it, I should explain more but for now enjoy this clip of one of my many film works in progress. The film is called:
YOU CAN BE MY PHILOSOPHER
IF I CAN RIDE YOUR DINOSAUR
a freestyle documentary about the band SEVE VS. Evan shot in 1 day by 6 filmmakers.

Bondi Beach, a perfect Sunday Afternon

Southern hemisphere in February, I love you.

street art/poetry or...?

Spend a week in Wellington, New Zealand-this person's words were posted around town. (click photo to make it bigger so you can read it)

Going Back

After a few weeks at home I am heading back to Australia (and New Zealand) for work this time. Here is a slide of one of my favorite pieces of art I have seen in years, more about it later. Can you figure out what is going on here?

sketchbook mess around

Alusa / Fidalis video #1

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Sundance Film Festival 2010. Went and saw Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child with my art group. The best part of the film was watching him paint. The film was not as good his art. Fame and money I am sure are not super easy to deal with. Sad to see him go, dead from drugs at 27 years of age. We all need to find peace with ourselves, not sure that makes sense. RIP.

This quote from the Sundance Film Festival 2010 Program,

“As the first woman to lead an Islamic nation, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's life story unfolds like a tale of Shakespearean dimensions. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, Bhutto evolved from pampered princess to polarizing politician battling tradition and terrorism in the most dangerous country on Earth.”

“Bhutto” is an amazing film. I loved this film and learned so much. Technically the film was brilliant but sometimes the sign of a real brilliant film is that you do not utter a word of the film technically. At the Q and A there was only talk of Bhutto, Pakistan and what a wonderful role model this woman was for women and really for everybody. I did not move for 2 hours, she is an amazing woman, I recommend this film highly.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

At the Sundance Film Festival got to see the “Banksy” film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” It was good fun. A wacky film that is just as much about the filmmaker as it is about the subject, Banksy and street art in general. Well supposedly Banksy was in town and painted this wall in downtown Park City, I think a very nice piece by the way. Anyway, I had some fun in line with some people that wanted me to sign a petition to have Park City “CIty” not paint over Banksy’s art work. I argued that that was the whole point you can not make Banksy’s art legal, that is his whole shtick, he is a street artist. The film is worth seeing, Banksy was brilliant and the filmmaker was a super treat to watch too.

Alusa / Fidalis

A new art project.
They were brilliant.
More about these guys and the project soon.
(check out more photos here from session number 1)