Archive for 2008

An early spring

Merry Christmas :)
It’s nothing like Christmas here, except for the little christmas tree that sits on my desk. I got to see my parents last weekend in Vegas, which was great. My father brought me a gift but the problem, well the problem he saw, was that there would be no tree to put the gift under. So Target came to the rescue and I showed up to find a little tree complete with lights and an angel on top. It even survived being shoved in my suitcase and now brings cheer to the whole house… well kinda. Bachelor houses don’t usually have a christmas tree, or any festive decoration. A friend asked why we didn’t have any lights up like our neighbors, and I told her that I would put lights up if she promised to not give me shit about them being up year round. It’s just an unwritten rule that twenty something straight guys don’t decorate. When I brought my tree home it was relegated to my room, that’s just how it is.

If you don’t know who Danny Boyle is you’re a terrible human being. I went to go see his latest: Slumdog Millionaire and no one I went with had any idea who the director was. It’s a shame because the guy has really had a pretty amazing career. He’s just a director that pretty much always makes a great movie, and not just one type of movie either. He stays away from the studios and has to fight for every film but most turn out great. Slumdog is about a young Indian guy who ends up on the local version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He grew up in a Bombay slum and while he was out doing anything he could to survive his slum was transformed with the rest of the city into Mumbai, a center of commerce and industry. After doing well on the show he is suspected of cheating and relives his life to explain how he picked up the answers to questions an uneducated slumdog never should have known. It’s a great movie so go see it, take the whole family.

Things seem to be have new beginnings lately, not just in my favorite topic of discussion, but in most aspects of my life. It’s not cold and barren here in Tempe, and I think that helps. Nothing is dead here, it’s all still alive, the sky is still just as blue as it is in May. It does a lot for one’s spirit. My new contract job is working out so far, school is going to be over before I know it and things are looking up socially. I have a lot to be grateful for this holiday season, and I’m making a point to stop wondering about what could have been and to just focus on what I have.

Just incase you were wondering… this post’s soundtrack (facebook people follow the original post button below) is that Belle and Sebastian song, you know the one we’ve been listening to and enjoying. I’ve been watching High Fidelity just about every other day lately. It’s just what I need right now.

David Hildreth

Cameron the Safety Net

It’s been an alright week. I got sick last weekend but thankfully it didn’t last long. It did give me an excuse to chug some NyQuil though… NyQuil sleep is the best.

Last Friday I got to go see Baz Lurhmann’s newest film: Australia. It’s his attempt at making an epic, like a David Lean epic… I love David Lean, and while this movie is nothing compared to what Lawrence of Arabia is it’s definitely worth seeing. The sort of movie that is best seen in a theatre, I highly recommend it. At two and half hours it’s a tad long, but the performances are solid, the plot alright and the cinematography breathtaking. Evidently for some of the war shots are just composited footage from Tora! Tora! Tora!. Recycling effects shots is nothing new, but with footage that old and a production budget as big as this, it seemed a little odd to me. Some of the handy work was done by a friend so I paid extra attention… and the final product looks great.
This post’s soundtrack (as always if you’re reading this on Facebook follow the “original post” button below) is an early mix of a track on Johnny Bertram’s new album (I think I use to live with this one guy who hooked me up). I’m not sure if it’s ok that I’m posting it, but I just did. Do enjoy the track, the new album is good and great. When I first heard Luke’s brother’s music I was blown away at how talented he is, but even the early mixes of these new tracks show how he has really started to come into his own. The album (at least as I have it) includes a few tracks that are on his already available EPs, but they are completely remixed with some new instrumentation. I have no idea when the album will be out, my guess would be shortly after it’s done.

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I love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as a matter of fact it’s the best movie ever made. I think everyone wants to see themselves as Ferris; he’s confident, in charge, easy going and endlessly creative. However in the end I know I’m really Cameron, that’s not all bad. He is genuine, he is loyal… but he’s also just a bit pathetic.
A good thing in my life is at a crossroads. A few months ago a good friend and I decided to see if there was anything beyond our friendship. There were some really good times, there were some really awful ones… and while it’s taken me a while, I now feel it’s time to move on. I really care about her, and I know she cares about me. I kept telling myself that the worst thing that could happen was for us to not have a fair shot at a relationship. It’s become quite clear that I not only have no idea what that means, but it’s far from the worst thing that could have happened. We were close for a while, and I wish it could have lasted, but it didn’t. I wanted to be with her so badly, but more then I wanted a meaningful relationship I want other things for her and for us. I want her to really seek God, to really digest Blue Like Jazz, to find someone who shares her spiritual beliefs. I want her to feel safe and secure, to know that she has someone to talk to about anything. I want her to see how talented and beautiful she is, I want her to have more self respect. I want our friendship more then I want to never talk to her again, more then I want my pride or to avoid heartbreak. I now see that the pros and cons of me and her add up to a great friendship, nothing more.

Bleh… I’m glad that’s out.
Take it easy, I’m going to go try and not think about this for the next forever or so.
David Hildreth

Weekends that feel like weeks.

I feel like I haven’t been in my own house, or slept in my own bed in a couple weeks. A few good weekends will do that to you I guess.
I got to go to Mexico last weekend and LA the one before. Mexico was a great time, Marco’s mother and step-father own a condo in Puerto Peñasco, what people around here call Rocky Point, and rent it out to tourists. Who knows how long Marco had been pitching the idea but he finally got permission to take a few friends down and stay for the weekend. It was crazier then most of my weekends but a lot of fun. To sum it all up I’ll just say that we ate toxic hot dogs, saw the sun set, walked on the beach, drank at a swim up bar, went dancing, saved Marco from some ugly girls, saw a prostitute that was probably a dude, got offered cocaine and then paid off some Federales. If you want the rest of any of those stories feel free to ask, it’s more fun to just give the headlines though :)
Photos from Mexico can be seen at the beginning of this album.
The weekend before we went west to see a friend who works at an effects house in Santa Monica and pickup some footage for a pilot Marco is helping out on. Five of us crammed into one car and made the drive friday night resisting the casinos in Palm Springs on the way. We navigated the maze of freeways and ended up in North Ridge at Demitre’s apartment. I wont tell you what he said he pays for the place, but the pictures below should give you a sense of how big it was… just imagine 6 guys sleeping there. That is one part about living in LA that wouldn’t be so awesome, although I’ve really warmed up to the idea of moving there. I don’t think I’m going any time soon and there are many places I’d rather go but as graduation gets closer the promise of work there seems better and better. Hearing stories about 80 hour work weeks, three hour commutes and less than lavish pay, doesn’t exactly excite me, but the projects you get to work on and the experience you gain sounds worth it.

I got some good news on tuesday, I’ve landed a steady editing gig for the next few months and maybe more. Freelance work as been harder to come by lately and the stability that this should bring will definitely keep me in Arizona for a while. The company produces concert DVDs for a well known heavy metal act and I’m going to be editing their next release. This should be a great opportunity to gain some more experience in film style editing and a chance to do some motion design and DVD work. I’d tell you more but while I haven’t signed an NDA yet they seem a bit squeamish so just know that it’s legit and I’m pretty excited about it.

I’m hoping this gig means some piece of mind about my near future and maybe will help to show that my decision to stay in town next year was a good one. There are many reasons I’m staying but this really helps validate it.

Recently I’ve been listening to more of The Beatles, everyone knows their singles but it had been a long time since I had really listened to a few of their albums. The last track of Abbey Road hit me hard about a month ago and inspired me to make something. It worked out that so I could turn it in as an assignment and it ended up good enough that it’l be seen on my reel. It’s an example of motion graphics typography, a style that has really become popular over the last few years. It can be seen in a recent batch of Ford truck commercials for example. This piece is set to Her Majesty, a track that wasn’t even suppose to be on Abbey Road. It was literally picked up off the cutting room floor… and it’s simple tune and complex words remind me of her.

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I’m cutting away on three new reels, I don’t have anything to post but I will shortly. My motion design reel will be the first done, the VFX reel is made up of projects not yet polished enough and my editing reel is just an idea, I have no idea what it will look like.

Take it easy, I’m taking it extra easy for a while.
David Hildreth

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