APPLE PHOTO BOOTH FUN

Like I said earlier on this blog, I have been messing around with the Nokia N93 filmmaker's cell phone. Actually, FFC lent it to me after it was lent to him so one of us could figure it out. I asked FFC why it was lent to him. Nokia and Paramount were interested in releasing "The Godfather" on a miniSD to be played on the phone. FFC couldn't understand why anyone would want to watch a film like "The Godfather" on a tiny cell phone screen. I can totally see where he is coming from, but then again if this miniSD also had a one minute piece of FFC talking about his own creative process before "The Godfather" screened on the phone, a whole new audience of young people who are use to screening movies on laptops, ipods, portable game players, and cell phones would be aware of how great "The Godfather" truly is. In a sense, it will help to keep great art alive with our youth. I have a very young intern working with us who knew practically nothing about "The Godfather." He told me he would definitely be into watching a legendary filmmaker's film on his cell phone, especially if it was made sort of personal with a little intro by the filmmaker...putting a human face on it so to speak. I believe it is very important for our great artists to be open-minded with the digital arena precisely for this reason. The youth needs the wisdom of the old school while it is growing up with the new school...otherwise, they'll keep getting the usual visual cotton candy which makes a quick buck but doesn't stick to the bones.

As for the Nokia N93 as a tool, I liked it. It feels like a camera, not a cell phone and it has a great Zeiss lens. The editing software is a bit cumbersome to use and I would have liked a few more iMovie-like features (easy dissolves, sound overlapping, etc)...I'm pretty spoiled with Apple I guess); but just the fact that it has builtin editing software is pretty cool and bound to get better. I decided to do a little N93 weekly series called 360. No matter where I am at I will shoot a few 360's with the phone and string them together for a kind of poetic "smash cut" feel. I'm sure they will get better the more I do them. Enjoy 360.1 below.

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.
~Plato, Ion

Self portrait by Zelda Lin.

Zelda happens to be our webmaster here at EARSXXI and the PAH NATION. I just received a compliment today from a gentleman who works at Warner Brothers Studios. He was very impressed with our web page design and I believe that was one of the reasons why he returned my call so quickly. Kudos to Zelda for that!!! Not only is Zelda our webmaster/webdesigner, she has been helping me create the graphic brand of EARSXXI and PAH. I am always amazed at how effortlessly she takes my notes, makes them her own and creates all of our graphics. She is a very important part of my team.

VARIOUS PAH HEADS




A FEW PAH POSTERS



ZELDA'S PERSONAL ARTWORK:


Wedding Gift for Beth and John



Dollhouse Stills

Part 2 of the Red Dog Camera Rehearsals. I actually shot this little film in the Spring of 1992, not the Summer of 1993. Man, it's all a blur to me.

APPLE PHOTO BOOTH FUN.

As the PAH NATION grows the need for me to be in a million places at once grows. And I can do it. That's the beauty of the digital arena. With our EARSXXI Studio FTP site, I am able to upload myself giving Cell Phone Art topics for miniPAH's around the world as well as make a video appearance at a digital media seminar, digital media premiere screening or a digital media classroom. The folks on the other end can download the media off our FTP site, make a DVD and then screen it. It's amazing.

I was asked to speak on behalf of my poet friend Bill Nevins regarding the film "Committing Poetry in Times of War." They screened the film at the Kimo Theater on Route 66 in ABQ, New Mexico, but, unfortunately, I was unable to attend. So, I video-taped myself talking about the film next to my electronic fireplace in my office on Sunset Blvd. They screened it before the film. I hope it sufficed. Apparently, it started quite a debate on what propaganda was or wasn't. I'm very happy about that. Airing things out from both the left and the right to find the COMMON GROUND is what interests me.

CRC FIRESIDE CHAT: "COMMITTING POETRY IN TIMES OF WAR," THE MOVIE




Also, I've been messing around with the Nokia N93, the filmmaker's cell phone. Nokia's builtin little "muvee" software is a lot of fun; I'm still working on basic "non-muvee" cutting though. It could be a bit easier.

Cousin Michele Russo comes to visit from Bernalda, Italia. We have plans to bring PAH to the old country.

In Joshua Tree
where edges of civilization
and time blur
an Old Man Tree stands
like a father
arms outstretched
to the neighboring sky
sheltering Mother Earth
and all the stones
little ones, big ones
patiently watching
biding and abiding
rooted
in the deep quiet
there


-- Adrienne Coppola

On the road...

Don't worry, BIC is editing two homespun versions to be posted the next couple of Fridays as I type this. One in Izola, Slovenia, the other in Grants, NM. My son likes to cut them for me, he's just finishing up with his school.

Also, I received a letter of intent from the I.A.N. We are one step closer to 26 new episodes.

NOKIA N93 MUVEE ALERT!

Bailey's been too busy dancing to get the BikerCHEF home movies cut. He'll get around to it.

It's all a blur..
.

This years PAH-FEST in Grants, New Mexico helped to produce some very beautiful personal stories from the people. NMSU:Grants, Cibola Arts Council, the DBL team and the EARSXXI team worked hard to make this happen. Thank you to all involved. We all learned a lot together these past two years. The digital seeds were planted and have taken root nicely in Grants, New Mexico. Several other communities in New Mexico have inquired about old man PAH coming to pay a visit to them. Since I still believe New Mexico will one day become a digital Mecca, PAH is very interested in their stories as well. Now every year, PAH will be hitting the road to choose a new county, city or community to represent PAH-FEST:New Mexico. It is all part of the ever evolving PAH NATION. There's even a special 16 wheel PAH WAGON fully decked out with state of the art digital equipment in the works. Stay tuned!

I am back from my first major bout of 2007 PAH-FEST travels. The next big one is PAH-FEST:Motown and it happens in July. I am looking forward to it. The PAH NATION is growing and now has a life of its own...and that's a good thing.

I was extremely impressed with the seriousness and intellect of the Slovenians. Their schools are very hard and it shows. Everybody I stopped to talk to in the streets, spoke at least three languages and could discuss any topic I offered up. But, they were not arrogant or pretentious about it. There was always a touch of humor involved. In terms of technological prowess, the Slovenians take the PAH prize so far. I'd love to have more Slovenians working for our PlasterCITY Digital Post Facility in Hollywood (that's saying a lot because we have an excellent team over there). The young whiz kid Slovenian techs solved every problem that came our way in terms of uploading miniPAH:Izola and they did it quickly and this is a country that doesn't have nearly the same resources as Hollywood. Both Damian and Zelda were blown away.

Let me introduce you to a young Slovenian CGI expert and independent filmmaker. He does all his work himself and he does so masterfully. His name is Sebastian Pelan. Below is a small sample of his work. To check out more of his work you can go to his 3DGE Studio web page.





Here's a nice e-mail Damian received once we got back to the States.

Hi Damian!

You should be back in the States now, I hope your back trip was an easy one and that you're already recovering from jetlag :)

I just wanted to tell you and Christopher a bit more about my work since you guys didn't really had much time while here. I've seen you were busy all the time and I really didn't want to bother you. I guess an e-mail is much better, you can read it when you have the time to.

So, I founded my company, 3DGE Studio in 2005. My grandmother left an apartment in Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital) to my father, he sold it and gave me everything he had to build myself a decent future. Or at least, he thought so, as I did. I kept reading all the time about big US studios that prefer to use effects studios overseas since they're cheaper, so I said: Hey! I can do that! I'll set up the first slovenian visual effects studio and I'll start earning big bucks (that from an US side of view is really not that much) in no time. Well, I have to admit it, I was a fool. Since I started my company, I didn't had a single VFX work. Slovenia's film industry is so small and keeps producing only social dramas with no VFX needs, and other clients want to see your previous work to even consider your existence. If you wanna work, you have to show what you did, and if no-one gives you work to do you're... well... you get my point. That's why I started to make my reel from random ideas I had. What you see on the CD I gave you is stuff that was never used in any project. It's just stuff I came up with, trying to get something to show. It's not much, since I had to keep doing other things to survive (literally) and couldn't afford to get all the time I needed to work on the pieces. That's why I'm trying to keep my company alive with web design, and even selling computers. Being a salesman is really painful for an artist like me, but there's still hope in me for a brighter (and more creative) future.

Christopher was the first person from the "real" film industry to see that stuff. When he said he liked it, I was really shocked. He gave me that dose of hope I needed so bad. Tell him that if he'll ever need any visual effects work, I'm here and ready to do anything "grin"J

And when he told me he liked my style after the projection and award ceremony, it was like winning 100 cell phones for me. That was the greatest prize I could ever dream of.

That's it for now, I guess. Please, if you can, forward this mail to Christopher too (so you don't have to tell him everything yourself J).
And, yeah, see you next year!

You definitely will see us next year, Sebastian. Three Cheers for the Slovenians!!!

Back in the summer of "93 I made a little short called "Red Dog." I just found the video 8 camera rehearsals. I will post them a scene at a time every Tuesday. You might find them helpful, funny, intriguing or nuts. I love listening to Maryse's voice...very soothing. That's another reason why women DP's rock!

APPLE PHOTO BOOTH FUN.

The more I travel to promote PAH and his digital empowerment, global creativity concepts, the more I need to be careful. The digital arena gives everyone a voice and I love that. But, the very thing I love might come back and hurt me. People who know me know I wear my heart on my sleeve and try to be as honest as possible. I've noticed more Youtube videos of me on my travels. On these travels I mix in with the people, try to get to know them and their culture...it's the BikerCHEF way. However, I am also asked the typical how does it feel to be a Coppola or related to Nicolas Cage questions. I know people get excited with celebrity and I don't judge them for it. But it does get tiring. Anyhow, I was asked when the last time I saw Nicolas Cage was. I should have just said it's been awhile, but I was tired , a little drunk and said a little bit more. And what I said was immediately posted by a young Slovenian filmmaker on Youtube. Anyhow, I feel bad about that. My personal, family life is really know one's business but mine and my families. I owe my brother an apology for that.

When it comes right down to it, it is the simple folk that inspire me, not celebrity.

One of the students who tapped into the creative process at PAH-FEST:NEW MEXICO spoke up at the closing ceremony. He was very tall and lanky with a shy, quiet demeanor. He said, "I really wanted to work with a team. I kept following the head guys around, bugging them, hoping they'd let me. I finally got assigned with a team. I really enjoyed working with them. I liked being inside the church...I liked the floor...it was mud. I liked the people. That's about it."

It was from his heart and I felt it in mine. And, it made everything I've been doing worthwhile.

Words that do not match deeds are unimportant.
--Ernesto Che Guevara

The Mobiflicks, Cell Phone Art and YourTECH Portraits are now live at the PAH NATION ONLINE THEATER. Help PAH and the esteemed PAH NATION judges pick the winners by watching and rating.

One should remember when looking at this material that these are "everyday" people who had a story they wanted to share with the rest of us. PAH digitally empowered the Cibola County community to tap into the CREATIVE PROCESS, produce a 6 minute
Mobiflick based on a 255 word story (fiction or non-fiction), idea, legend,
dream or memory. Each team consists of 4 members. They get a day of
training (learning how to use the digital equipment PAH provides), a day of
prep, a day of shooting and a day to edit and complete their mobiflick.
They also get a professional coach to guide them, but they must help them
tell their story their way, they are not allowed to tell them how to tell
their story. When judging look less at the technical proficiency and more at
the freshness of spirit and how well their story was communicated to the
rest of us. Was it sincere and honest? Was I moved or intrigued? Did I
learn something? In other words, did it have 'weight'? This is the criteria
PAH is interested in...a fresh crop of voices from the people to the people.

These are very special glasses. They are made in Hungary and are called TIPTON Vinylize. A young man inherited over a 100,000 old 78 records of Hungarian folk music. This young man moved to Los Angeles with the idea of making it big in Hollywood. All he had was his father's old record collection. He decided that to be hip in Hollywood, one needed to have his/her own line of sunglasses....you know like Oakley or Black Fly. He turned all of his father's records into sunglasses. They are actually pretty cool. If I take a needle and run it along the rim I can hear some Hungarian folk music. I think he might have went out of business, but I like this Barnumesque story. So now, I am using these glasses...they are magic glasses. Anyone who wears them turns into an old Hollywood Studio Mogul-- a Zanuck, a Meyer, or an O' Selznick. The Magic Glasses suddenly make you talk with power and confidence as you tell the world the big picture you are going to make. My idea is to shoot a scene from each of these "on the street" Studio Mogul's Opus Magnus. Epic Movie.




A Slovenian fisherman tells us about the big movie he's going to make. He's like a regular Irwin Allen.

David Carradine on my grandfather Carmine Coppola's ancient tube electric piano. He composed his soundtracks for FFC's films on this. There's still cigar ash between the keys. Mr. Carradine made the little piano come alive. I'm sure my grandfather enjoyed it.


I also gave Mr. Carradine the EARSXXI "Keeping the Torch Lit" Award. He told stories about his creative life and sang with a local band. The people of Grants, NM really appreciated it. It was an honor to present him the award.

Friends, I hit a wall. As soon as I get my feet back on the ground, I will get this blog current. What you see is what you get...I do my best with what I have. And, I always try to stick to my guns.

I enjoyed my stay with the people of Izola, Slovenia. They truly understood the mission of PAH and that helped me in the sense of supporting my belief in what I am doing. Many try to discourage me or use me for their own purposes. I don't have a problem with that, as long as I feel what I am doing is worthwhile. I believe in PAH and EARSXXI, but I desperately need a breath of fresh air.

Democracy with its semi-civilization sincerely cherishes junk. The artist's power should be spiritual. But the power of the majority is material. When these worlds meet occasionally, it is pure coincidence.
--Paul Klee

Take a look at the wonderful, imaginative Cell Phone Art and YourTECH Portraits at the PAH NATION ONLINE THEATRE. They thought it, they shot it and they shared it. Now, you should click it, watch it and rate it. It's all part of the CREATIVE PROCESS DANCE.

PAH:IZOLA TOPIC = LESS IS MORE
PAH:PASSAU = 2