Archive for the ‘Mexico’ tag

Don’t you ever forget

I got to go on a little cruise to Ensenada this last weekend. I went with three of my former roommates and had a lot of fun. It was my first cruise and I definitely will be taking another at some point, it’s just a great way to vacation.
You can see some pictures from the trip here on Facebook.

I’m now settled in my new place, I’d post pictures but most of the place is still bare. I got a a sweet couch and a few other things but it’l be a while before I have everything to fill the place out. I get to go mattress shopping today, not really very exciting stuff, but I need a new bed pretty bad. There has also been talk of having some people over to my place for dinner, so I guess a dining room table is in my future as well. I really hate the idea of owning a table and chairs… it’l never get used, it’s just something else to have to move someday. I guess it will do a good job making that corner of my place look alright though.

The Oscars were last night, I had just gotten back into town so I was totally ok with a few hours of mostly mindless TV. I really liked Slumdog and love Danny Boyle but that movie should not have gotten so many awards. It was good, just not THAT good. The Visitor and Revolutionary Road are still the two best movies of last year, but I think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would have been a solid choice for best picture.

That’s it for now, my posts seem to be getting lamer and lamer… it happens I guess.
David Hildreth

P.S. The music player for each post will be back in a little bit, I promise :)

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