THE OXFORD BILL OF FACETIME ETIQUETTE
What is the social etiquette regarding FaceTime video chats on the new iPhone? Having just acquired my own iPhone4, I’ve been eager to try it out, but truthfully over the few weeks I’ve had mine, I’ve only used FaceTime twice. And thats not because of the “WiFi Only” restriction… it’s mainly because I’m not sure if it’s socially acceptable to “Drop a FaceTime” on someone when you haven’t agreed on it previously. Somehow it feels like stopping over at someones house un-invited… I’m afraid I’ll catch them on the toilet, or in various states on undress, or with a mouthful of food. As a result of my sense of fear and pure ignorance, I have avoided FaceTime.
In response to this conundrum, I would like to propose THE OXFORD BILL OF FACETIME ETIQUETTE. This Bill is a work in progress, I may make amendments to it as time goes on (feel free to suggest your own.)
We, iPhone 4 users, on this day of July 19, 2010 hear-by resolve…
FIRST AMENDMENT
When initiating a FaceTime video chat, always send a preemptive text-message requesting permission beforehand.
SECOND AMENDMENT
When calling a friend who’s house I would stop by un-announced , NO pre-emptive text message is needed.
THIRD AMENDMENT
Only attempt to contact professional contacts and associates via FaceTime during regular business hours.
FOURTH AMENDMENT
FaceTime use in any bathroom (public or private) is strictly Prohibited.
FIFTH AMENDMENT
If you are in a public place, don’t film people you don’t know who may be sitting behind/near you.
SIXTH AMENDMENT
Hold the camera steady if you walk-and-talk so the other caller doesn’t get motion-sickness.
Any other thoughts? additions? experiences?
FILM MARKETING: Second Best
Over the last few months, I’ve been working with Justin Bell (Producer) and Jason Wong (Director) designing the marketing materials for their Indian-themed comedic short SECOND BEST. Every summer, sisters Taila (Puja Mohindra) and Deepa (Kosha Patel) ship off to Hindi Camp with their family for a weekend of yoga, matchmaking, and East Indian culture. But this year, the girls are without their mother, and their widowed father Raajesh (Duncan Bravo) is left picking up the slack.
I typically do my designs 100% digitally, but this project was different in that it required alot of illustration. So I broke out my art kit and went to work. Despite some of my initial apprehension regarding my ability to sketch the reverse angle of the girls for the DVD packaging, things worked out. The the film title and end credit sequence were also animated by me… keep an eye out for them at a later date. For now, take a look at our branding process and what we landed on. 
TRIBUTE: Will Kelley
Five days after seventeen year-old Will passed away, his friends and family gathered at his home to remember his life.
Blaine Hogan gave me a call and asked if I’d work with him to create a short tribute video for the memorial service later that week. So I tossed my gear in the Jeep and headed over.
See what I worked on this Spring…
I just completed work on a pretty large project. See what I did & how I did it…
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sean Stiegemeier
I love this… “So I saw all of these mediocre pictures of that volcano in Iceland nobody can pronounce the name of, so I figured I should go and do better.”
… and he clearly did.
Check out Sean’s website (his visual style is very Andrew Wyeth) and the timelapse dolly he used to get these shots.
Dynamic Perception Timelapse Dolly Stage Zero from MILapse on Vimeo.
BRANDED SHORT FILM: ProKeds
Promoting their Spring line, Pro-Keds recently debuted a short video telling the story of a shoe-based mission. With settings that will look familiar to NYC residents and a Bond-esque soundtrack, the playfully inventive piece follows a cast of characters who at various points throw shoes over a fence, trade them, pluck pairs from lamp posts, and steal them from sleeping subway riders. The madcap upshot, with its saturated colors highlighting the rich hues of the kicks, is one of the more fun examples of branded content we’ve come across lately. [Source: CoolHunting.com]
TRAILER: Song of the Sea
I love the style of this animation.
Song Of The Sea – Conceptual Trailer from Cartoon Saloon on Vimeo.
Playlist of the Week: April 5
Maybe I’m partial, but I think this could be my best playlist to date. There are some real gems in here.
This week: “Adventure We Go” by Muchuu, “Our War” by Neon Trees, “How the Day Sounds” by Greg Laswell, “We’re Gonna Be in Love” by Great Big Planes, “Lose” by Low Line Caller, and “All the Same to Me” by Anya Marina.
(Note: These songs can all be played from the Grooveshark music player in my left sidebar. Enjoi.)
Playlist of the Week: March 29
Alright kids, put on your mustaches and let’s go to work! It’s Monday and time for some new music….
This weeks playlist includes: “Selene” by Imagine Dragons, “Pink Champagne” by Lovedrug, “Love is a Dirty Word” by Jason Collett, “Living in a Movie” by Julie Peel, “We Are the Men You’ll Grow to Love Soon” by Let’s Wrestle, ”Spectrum of the Sky” by Break of Reality, and “Impossibly Beautiful” by Julie Feeney.
***Note: As always, look on the left sidebar and you’ll see you can play on these songs for free in the Grooveshark player.
We Will Walk
Here are some stills from the “WE WILL WALK” shoot in Chicago in mid-March for Nuru International‘s BH2O+ (“Be Hope To Her“) clean water advocacy event. Randy Warren and I shot this piece, featuring Gemma Vaughn (best name ever), on the Canon 5D MkII using 50mm, 85mm, 28-100mm zoom, and 100-400mm telephoto lenses.
This piece will be shown at nearly 30 university’s and city centers across the country (and one location in Florence, Italy) during the week of April 12th. Shortly after I’ll post the full video for ya’ll to see.
