An Enchanted Life

spectacular weekend in the bay area. ok, so the bay bridge is...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:35:43 -0800

spectacular weekend in the bay area.

ok, so the bay bridge is shut down with structural issues and there’s an oil spill in the bay that’s perceptible as you drive across the crowded golden gate bridge…but, the weather has been hard to beat. it’s been perfect convertible weather and i got to spend the afternoon and evening driving around town with friends from boston. a great walk on ocean beach was capped off with this spectacular sunset.

it’s hard to argue with a november first that finds you walking barefoot on the beach with friends on a great northern california day.

sunset through the golden gate does magical things as the light...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:27:00 -0700

sunset through the golden gate does magical things as the light hits the windows of homes in the east bay and provides sparkle for those who look east instead of west at the end of day.

today the frame of the trees on my street in sausalito and the rising moon added more to the end of day light on this halloween.

gorgeous day to spend some time by the water in sausalito....

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:16:00 -0700

gorgeous day to spend some time by the water in sausalito. obviously tons of pelicans agree.

a lot of tone on tone but going on with the wind storms. the...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:25:00 -0700

a lot of tone on tone but going on with the wind storms. the disney hall carries on the color but adds some new texture. and the trees ground things nicely.

personally i love the days that it’s not all blue and bright and this way of seeing the disney hall is lovely.

old palms sway as the winds whip los angeles. windy, windy night...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:03:00 -0700

old palms sway as the winds whip los angeles.

windy, windy night in los angeles. palm sway as cars dodge the flying fronds. street are littered and the air is thick.

about two years ago i produced a commercial for xbox that had a...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:18:00 -0700

about two years ago i produced a commercial for xbox that had a crazy car race in downtown l.a. with the vehicles leaving skids that created art. nice to revised this today. oh, and one of those cars is below.

today’s post is dedicated to my brother in celebration and...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:18:00 -0700

today’s post is dedicated to my brother in celebration and to honor the day of his birth. he loves cars, so i thought a post about cars was appropriate.

birthday’s aren’t just the celebration of a life and what’s happened so far but a celebration of what lies ahead so here’s a car that i hope lies ahead in his future and many more people’s future — an electric car.

this photo’s of the tesla roadster which i had the good fortune to shoot prior to it’s release. it’s an amazing car that is completely quiet, handles well, is very fast and has no emissions. while the tesla roadster is produced in limited quantities and financially is beyond the reach of most people, it’s the start of an idea that has been around since the start of the automotive age — the electric car. the dominance of the oil companies and their ties to auto manufactures has created an environmental and economic mess.hopefully this car and the others will create positive change. 2010 will be a year with a great number of new electric car options.

certainly the electric car isn’t the answer — there are a lot of actions that we all need to take to decrease the global dependence on oil. walk more, get a bike and ride it, change the roofing material of buildings, change how we heat and cool our buildings and oh so much more.

but if you’re going to have a car, this is a great one to have.

a west hollywood building that got a lot of additional character...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:56:00 -0700

a west hollywood building that got a lot of additional character and fun with a little bit of paint.

driving home tonight on santa monica boulevard i was drawn in by...

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:55:35 -0700

driving home tonight on santa monica boulevard i was drawn in by the water outside on the drive and inside in some of the large scale images in the regan projects gallery. the work is by marilyn minter and size and subject of the images brought you in but i loved seeing the installation in progress. while the show looks interesting, i found the set up captivating.

Photo

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:48:56 -0700

Photo

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:47:32 -0700

Photo

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:46:10 -0700

foggy night in santa monica brings a wonderful softness to the...

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:27:00 -0700

foggy night in santa monica brings a wonderful softness to the air as it touches your skin, creates a halo on all light and shrouds the views.

reflections. interesting idea how light and time affect your...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:52:00 -0700

reflections.

interesting idea how light and time affect your view.

interesting how things become magnified, clarified, illuminated and muddled in reflection. but the process is fascinating.

today was a great day for reflection and will be the cause for more.

so many wonderful things on a beautiful day in the home i’ve adopted for part of my life. amazing that within the huge metropolis that is los angeles i ran into 5 people i know at one small restaurant, another friend as we both had our cars repaired and an old boss who i haven’t seen in ages as i met yet another old friend for a cup of coffee and even more folks i know or who are friends of friends at a gathering this evening.

the fact that i can’t go far without running into someone i know makes me feel at home. the irony is that the fact that my father couldn’t take us anywhere without running into someone he knew was sometimes a cause for family friction and annoyance. the fact that i can’t go far without the same thing happening in my adult life has been cause for laughter and joy. we are all the product of our parents and our experience. today’s crossed paths and experience gives me a smile and a lot to reflect upon.

more details….

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:05:59 -0700

more details….

last week while in san francisco i ran across a new rex ray...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:40:03 -0700

last week while in san francisco i ran across a new rex ray work. while years ago i liked his work, it’s become so ubiquitous (especially in every contemporary furniture store or staged modern home) that i had become numb to his work. but this piece caught my eye and reengaged me with his work.

i do love the attention to and in the details. architectural...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:35:25 -0700

i do love the attention to and in the details. architectural details like this make me want to know more about the artists who created them and the the stories behind them.

twenty years ago the landscape of san francisco was changed with...

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:29:00 -0700

twenty years ago the landscape of san francisco was changed with the loma prieta earthquake. everyone’s talking about where they were, what happened, how the work on repairing the bay bridge still continues 20 years later and if you are ready for the next big one. for those whose lives are tied to san francisco it was one of those pivotal moments which become a marker in your life.

one positive outcome of the earthquake is that the landscape of the san francisco waterfront changed due to the demolition of the embarcadero freeway which made this photo possible. the new bay bridge looks like it will be a lovely structure, but it’s fairly insane that the construction has been going on for twenty years.

where was i? while i was spending a good part of the year in the bay area for work and with friends, i was living in new york and wouldn’t move to the bay area for another year. but on that day twenty years ago i was in new york but was with a good number of bay area friends. the day before was a good friend’s birthday and marked the end of an east cost tour by his band. so a good number of our friends who were in new york continued celebrating by gathering at a bar on 57th street to watch the giants in the world series. i had some business to take care of with an office in san rafael, california and was on the phone at the bar with the office when the earthquake hit. the woman i was speaking with asked “can you feel that?” i asked what and she told me that there was an earthquake. the confusion cased by the quake at the game was now evident on tv but i was occupied with the phone conversation and reminded the woman i was speaking with that i was in new york. she told me it was a large earthquake and she seemed sure that i should be able to feel it. remarkably, our phone conversation was uninterrupted throughout the quake. over the course of the coming days it would be near impossible to reach any other friends in the bay area as you tried to check on their safety. fortunately no one i know was seriously hurt or left homeless. but the magnitude of the quake was sobering.

the stories that floated in from friends varied from those in the parking lot at the game who saw the pavement rise up and roll in waves to one friend was on the richmond-san rafael bridge and didn’t know what had overcome his car. others in the marina watched the immense fires and a friend who had left new york that day was flying back to sfo when they announced there had been a quake and they would be landing in denver where she would have to sit things out for a few days.

while i wouldn’t want to relive the destruction it is one of nature’s forces that we can only be prepared for and admire the immense strength that is beyond our simple grasp. when i’m along the embarcadero in san francisco i am thankful that the city benefitted from the destruction and has an enhanced waterfront because of the events of that day twenty years ago.

saw “where the wild things are” tonight and it...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:23:00 -0700

saw “where the wild things are” tonight and it brought up a lot for me. a lot of wonder, joy, appreciation and emotion.

the setting of the land of the wild things may have been shot in australia but it reminds me a lot of the coast of the marin headlands which is where this photo was shot and is about a mile from my norther california home. while i’ve always loved the book, a boy i met on my way out of the film reminded me that the book didn’t really have much of a story and the film has one. spike jonze and dave eggers did a wonderful time expanding the book into a lovely story that i think is something where most can find an important emotional thread.

while most of the films i produce are the short, sponsored type (commercials) i’m proud to have a connection to some of the great artists who help craft this film — and it took a lot of craftsman. the attention to detail in brining maurice sendak’s classic to life is exquisite. hair and emotion are difficult to create and convey with puppets and c.g. but i felt a real emotional connection to the wild things.

the cast of both the “real” people and the actors behind the wild things is a great assemblage that you probably wouldn’t see joined in a fully live action film. this construct allows a wonderful connection between folks who are a bit unexpected. i particular loved the interplay between james gandolfini and catherine o’hara.

and then there is max. the emotion that this boy brought out for me is pure joy. he made me miss that i haven’t had the pleasure of having my own children and also made me miss interacting with my nieces and nephews. and, it made me want to share this film with the kids in my family.

perhaps it’s the fact that i was raised in the fantasy and adventures of a theme park that makes the world of this film so relatable and emotional for me, but i find this film a great escape that envelopes you. the slight shift in tone in lance acord’s cinematography when you go from the “real” world” to the the land of the wild things reminds me of the shift from black & white to color in the wizard of oz — more subtle but still an emotional shift brought on by the way it’s lensed. the attention to detail is meticulous and something i greatly appreciate. however, more than anything i love how this film brought me in to a simple relatable story and took me for a ride. literally i was leaning forward in my seat.

just my take on it, but i really feel that if you can’t hop in and enjoy this ride you’ve lost touch with some powerful emotions and fantasy.

don’t know why these here clouds up in the sky make me...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:53:00 -0700

don’t know why these here clouds up in the sky make me think of lots of versions of “stormy weather”. which version is your favorite? etta? judy? rufus & martha wainwright? or perhaps your thinking of santana.