I do admit that it’s been awhile since I’ve actually written on my tumblr. I had been asked to write about some of the projects I’ve worked on lately so I might as well get to it.

The idea for this Paper Moon video came about as I was leaving for Vancouver. I happened to be on Myspace and noticed Paper Moon was performing a lunch hour gig at Union Station, which for you out of towners is a train station here in Winnipeg. Oddly enough, it so happened to have fallen on a day I had already booked off. So I shot off a Myspace message to the band asking them if it was alright to film them; singer Allison Shevernoha shot back with, “sure!”

The band had set up in the middle of the lobby and I basically filmed the band walking around them. Sure, I got dirty looks from the audience. I also got dirty looks from some band members as evidenced in some of my shots. I think Allison didn’t tell the rest of the band about me. Sure, I felt a little embarrassed but I quickly got over it. It’s hard enough having the creepy asian banner constantly hanging over my head.

Afterwards, I briefly introduced myself/kinda apologized to Allison and snuck out quietly. We all know what happened with the last band I tried bonding with.

I didn’t intend to shoot any video for the song while in Vancouver. I was mainly there for Certified ScrumMaster training. Also, Travis was playing the Commodore which got me excited like a little fanboy. I avoided some olds band even though one member tried contacting me through Myspace while there. Those days are gone. I had other projects in mind which I had shot and may eventually see the light of day. Possibly.

I got the idea to shoot video while in my hotel room. I tried getting one of my friends to film me in my scenes but no such luck. So yes, I did film myself. It’s only fitting since I wanted to capture feelings of isolation. I’m always spending a good chunk of my time alone anyway. The song itself is beautiful with a dark undertone which I felt was appropriate. It’s not so much a balance of two sides, rather a continuous battle. Happiness vs. sadness. Bright, oversaturated shots of the band vs. dark, black & white shots of a lonely, sometimes empty room. Loneliness and emptiness sometimes feels one in the same, you know? There are a few shots that aren’t saturated or in black & white. I like to think of these as being neutral. There is a chance it could go either way. It’s my way of trying to be optimistic on things yet to be.

I’m still very proud of the work I have done here. I know some parts feel rough to me now but it still adds to it. I still consider this to be the centrepiece of my portfolio. I posted this on Myspace when it used to be slightly relevant and got nothing but positive responses. Allison said to me in private that she thought my video was beautiful. My biggest thrill was getting a message from Adam Chase. He’s the co-writer of the song and a member of the band Ivy, one of my old favourite bands. I miss that old fanboy feeling.

One more thing I should note is that there was also an “interesting” flight home from Vancouver. It’s enough for me to share that experience in a short film format. This was quite the trip.

(Source: vimeo.com)