Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

I have been working tirelessly on this web campaign. Check it out:









Friday, September 12, 2008

You Must Hear This to Believe This!

Believe it or not, Florence Foster Jenkins managed, despite being famously awful, to sell out an entire concert at Carnegie Hall. She had many admirers (among them Enrico Caruso). This has to be heard to be believed. As a particular point of interest, after she recorded this song, she told the sound engineer that no second try was needed as it was perfect. See for yourself. (She is singing Queen of the Night by Mozart, incidentally). Some might argue that singers at this level of talent are the norm in show biz these days.

Play

See the full list of incredible recordings here.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Labor Day Weekend

Here is video I edited from some video footage of my Labor Day weekend, last week. This features my brother Chuck's friend Mark, his girlfriend Amy, and his friend, Chuck, who is my brother. It's only two minutes long and features a soundtrack by Gorillaz and Beck.

Enjoy...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Vacation Bible School Video

My second video project was commissioned by my mother for her church. This summer, scores of little well behaved, God-fearing children came to Vacation Bible School's theme park themed "SonWorld" (where "Son" refers to that of "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit") and learned how to believe, obey and choose Jesus as their savior. I was there with my trusty video camera to capture all the fun. Believe it or not, the voice-over is actually me!



Friday, July 25, 2008

High School Drawings

I used to doodle a lot during class in High School. I wasn't very good at drawing, technically, but somehow a lot of them were pretty funny. I would draw on my class notes, book covers, homework assignments, and quizzes and tests that I got back from teachers.

I decided to scan them all into an electronic format to show others. In so doing, I felt that if I erased out the notes that surrounded my odd collection of images then you the audience (well, me) would appreciate the pieces more. But now it occurs to me that I should've left them as they were. The contrasting subject matter of the notes I was taking down at the time seem to make the drawings funnier somehow.

OK, so here is a video I created featuring my drawings, with an unrehearsed, unedited narration by yours truly to help explain what's going on.

I suppose this has the potential to be the most boringest movie you've ever seen, or if you're high, the most hilarious. Please pack a bowl now, if you are so inclined...



Musings and Reflections


I keep forgetting that I have this blog and that I should write in it. I keep coming up with interesting ideas or experiences that I should document but don't due to laziness. It's been like this all my life. It's my legacy or the cycle that I am tasked to break.

I had a great picture of the neon sign at the Chelsea Hotel from the terrace of a room below. My evidence that I hung out there this weekend. It was in Bob Dylan's old room. I was supposed to post it up on this, but I deleted it from my computer. Now I gotta sync my IPhone again.

Anyway, the person who lived there was a bit of a (self-confessed) slob and when we all arrived he said to straighten up the place. There was quite a bit of clothing and such laying about so I said aloud, in everyone's good humour, that there were a lot of Jackson Pollacks in this Chelsea Hotel apartment. I was rather pleased with myself that I was able to bridge the gap between rock and roll, art savvy New York, and trite, potty humour obsessed suburbia. But I did have to explain what I meant by "Jackson Pollack", which to my relief got a laugh from everyone. Upon further reflection, I was somehow delighted to know that I would've gotten the same curious, blank reaction from a contrasting audience in a suburban setting. But now I'm realizing that people just don't get me anywhere I go.

Here's the picture:


I also had a dream where I was a middle aged business executive in a nice suit in Midtown Manhattan. I was in the center of a great city-block expanse of freshly poured concrete and it was my job to get people off of it so they don't muff it up. As I was chasing after everyone and shouting at them, I was making a big mess of it myself. I think I have an interpretation for what this dream means.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Side Two of Abbey Road

Will Franken just released the final installment of his podcast series "Things We Did Before Reality". It is called "Side Two of Abbey Road". Will chose this to be the title for two reasons: one, because it has always been his favorite side of his favorite album by his favorite band; and the other because since it was the twelfth and final installment of the Beatle's collaboration, it was fitting to use as the backdrop for the twelfth and final installment of his podcast series.

The way he blends the music with his life story is amazing, even going so far as to synchronize the beat of his dialog around the lyrics, guitar licks, and breaks in the songs. The piece really pays homage to the brilliance of the Beatles and as such is by far the most reverent piece of work I've ever heard.

Listen to it now at:
http://cdn2.libsyn.com/willfranken/sidetwoofabbeyroad.mp3


Friday, May 2, 2008

Goodbye New York


OK, well I gave New York City a go and it didn't work out. I tried and now it's summertime again and I'm broke. I couldn't land that cushy midtown deskjob. I didn't catch the eye of a wealthy cougar over a martini paid with my ever-bulging credit card. Now I am back at my parents' house in South Jersey. For the first time in 10 years. I thought I was pathetic enough to crawl back to my parents house at the age of 25. Since then I was somehow able to make something myself. I had a nice-paying job, living in San Francisco, driving a nice car, with a great circle of friends. Now I'm back to square one. Am I burning off some bad karma or what?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I like singing in F#

I can't get this song out of my head:


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Oh by the way...

I live in New York City now. I also work with this guy:

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Listen to Will Franken's Latest Podcast!

Absurdist comedian Will Franken unleashes "BANG!", a podcast inspired by the punk rock ghosts of New York City, as it boldly and unapologetically satirizes the current socio-political landscape, the pedantry of globalization and multiculturalism, and the errant artlessness in the entertainment industry. Huzzah! Huzzah!

Mr. Franken genuinely considers this to be one of his best podcasts yet. Recorded entirely in Manhattan, the energy, sights, and sounds of the great city of New York have played a major influence in the production.

Listen to it now at: http://willfranken.libsyn.com

Mr. Franken is hard at work on his next installment. Stay tuned!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Dissoi Logoi

Written by Wm. Franken. Starring Stealth Johnson and Wm. Franken

The words "Dissoi Logoi" are Greek words for "different words". The phrase really carries the meaning of contrasting words and it refers to the ancient rhetorical practice of arguing both sides of an issue.