TPT Kids from OnyxMedia on Vimeo.

Back in 1999/2000 I had the pleasure of creating some ID elements for Twin Cities Public Television. These spots feature kids of employees of the station including my own. It was a fun shoot.

Foursquare is the clear winner in the social/location space. It’s strong suit is that it encourages check-ins with a game-like interface. In addition there are easy ways for real-world businesses to tie into Foursquare through contests and promotions. The downside to Foursquare is that there are ways to cheat the service and check-in to places when you are not actually there. This had led to HIGHLY contentious Mayorships (the highest possible Foursquare achievement) among users.

Gowalla is one of the new kids on the block and my personal favorite. Gowalla is a lot like Foursquare with a similar game interface, the difference is that Gowalla tries to make it harder to cheat the system. You have to be in close physical proximity to a location to actually check-in. I like Gowalla a lot, it’s badges and awards are simply more fun. The iPhone version of the app is also the best of the three. Unfortunately because it is new there are not a lot of users there yet.





That’s the down and dirty about the big three services, but what do you do if you are like me and use all three? The good folks ate Brightkite have responded to the lagging popularity of their app and launched a multiple check-in service, Check.In

You can use this web application to check-in to the big three and more all at the same time, a huge time saver. My only gripe is that it is a web only app and a bit sluggish. Hopefully there will be phone native apps in the future that will make checking-in a zippier process. The next time you are out give it a try and let me know what you think.

A little video I shot for my website SceneSTL.com . Enjoy!

Music is Calvin Harris – “The Rain”

Even with all the eye candy the element of the spots that creates the emotional connection is the music. In my humble opinion this is really one of the most overlooked elements of any commercial but good music will create a deeper connection to any product or service. In fact when I edit I start with the music track first, then I add the layers of video and visual effects on top. Many video professionals use this technique and then there are some that don’t (You can always tell the ones that don’t because the spot just seems a bit “off”). Here is an example of a great car commercial by Jaguar a company that has always had consistently excellent spots. They really elevate the Jaguar brand to one that is of high quality luxury (Nevermind that the company is owned by Ford, makers of some of the most unreliable vehicles on the planet).

The music track is “Collarbone” by English rock band Fujiya & Miyagi whose music is a well kept secret to many, but well known in the creative community as a “go to” resource. If you are looking for a song that is laid back rock with an edge check out Fujiya & Miyagi. Check out their own fantastic music video for the song “Collarbone” here. Thanks for reading and I promise to blog more soon!

You know it’s funny where inspiration can come from sometimes. I have to say that this video really got my creative juices going. No not from the beautiful woman in the clip (although she is indeed easy on the eyes) but the sublime way the visuals and the music blend together. I was always inspired by music and sounds and Its been awhile since I have edited anything. I almost stopped editing out of protest I think… However after watching this I feel like I am ready to pick up the cam and shoot something, edit it and push it out to the web…

Thank you to the guys at Blue Dawn Studios for posting this.

Lollime Bikini Photoshoot with Michelle Sanchez from bluedawnstudios on Vimeo.

I have to tell you I LOVE this video. I found it on Vimeo.com a while ago. If you haven’t browsed the videos there you are missing out. This website is the antithesis of YouTube because the users there are all usually trying to be creative AND artistic! Imagine that!

This video holds a special place in my heart because it was shot with the tiny but mighty Canon HV20 ( I own one too). In addition, I love the fact that it starts out fun and a bit happy but then changes tempo and then you get a real snapshot of a day in the life of New Orleans. Just regular folks going about their day in a city that has seen more than it’s share of changes in the last few years. Brilliant!

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