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TREVZ

iPhone Camera Flash

As you guys know I love taking photos and video with my iPhone. Capturing cool moments with something as convenient as an iPhone is the dream of every documentarian. The one problem is that the little bugger does not have a flash. Adding a flash is not something to be taken lightly. Hear me out. One major reason we all love the iPhone and the Mac brand is because of their cool and functional industrial design. Mac products are among the most beautiful ever made. Adding a flashbulb to something as cool as the iPhone is not something that you would do without great thought. Done wrong and you could go the way of the Zune MP3 player. Done right and you add to the mythos that is the Mac brand. I always suspected that cautious approach is the main reason the iPhone did not have a flash. I mean something so seemingly simple should be a cake-walk especially when you consider the other revolutionary features incorporated into this “phone”. Its like inventing a flying car, but not adding a rear view mirror.

Today I saw an ad for the new Google phone that highlighted the flash as if to say we got one and MAC does not. So it got me thinking about how would Mac incorporate the flash without messing with its sleek aesthetic. I looked at the phone and I thought to myself, self, why not turn the cool Apple logo into a flash? Genius!!! In less than two minutes I had solved one of the major challenges in modern corporate design. I would be worshiped by Mac users world wide and hailed the saviour. I considered writing Steve Jobs himself, not to ask for millions in compensation, but just a free iPhone with the flash and recognition for my heroic achievement. That’s all I wanted. I would be the noble genius who embraced the inventors mantra of doing it for the love, not for the money. It was one of those glorious moments one has in one’s own head knowing that reality is just one google search away. Sure enough I googled “iphone apple logo flashing camera,” and what I found was a host of people with the exact same idea. Here is a video from a couple of Russian iPhone fans who replaced the Apple logo on the back of an original iPhone with an eye-piercing, glowing version. Below that is a mockup image of what this phone would look like with a flash. All done by folks like me who just love the iPhone. I hope Apple incorporates the flash soon. Its reason enough for me to buy a new phone.

TrevNewPop

TCM / TREVZ / VIDEO / netflix — No Comments
10
Jan 10

Le Mans 1971.

Caught the movie Le Mans on TCM yesterday. The movie starring Steve McQueen is about 24 Hours of Le Mans and was filmed on the circuit during the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race. What makes this race unique is instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines of the time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would instead concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars and the endurance of the drivers. But what I found compelling about this movie was the culture of sophistication surrounding this event. How true to life this is then or now I don’t know. I am well aware of how easy it is for filmmakers to present things as they see it, but since this was filmed in part at the actual event and not entirely staged I am less cynical about it’s accuracy. The vibe felt more like a Polo match than what I have grown to expect from car racing. I suspect the European sensibility about art and culture that seems to permeate everything they do has allot to do with this. Especially when the two main cars involved were Porsche and Ferrari.

The clip I embedded below is a conversation between Mcqueens character Michael Delaney and Elga Andersen character Lisa Belgetti. After a serious accident that involved Lisa Belgetti lover she asks Michael why do men risks their lives for sport? Michael responds with the following famous movie quote. “A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it… it’s life. Anything that happens before or after… is just waiting.” This is followed by a beautiful montage that illustrates the subtle and not so subtle beauty of the sport, focusing not only on the cars, but on the faces in the crowds, and the lifestyle that surrounds this event. It is a beautiful piece of filmmaking. This all takes place in the first 4 minutes so don’t let the 9 min duration discourage you from viewing the clip. And if you ever get a chance to watch the entire movie or if you have a Netflix account, you should give this film a chance.

Trev

NIGHTLIFE / TREVZ / VIDEO — No Comments
7
Jan 10

Paper Mag Nightlife Awards

As you know TheNewPop was born out of covering the nightlife, and even though I don’t cover nearly as much nightlife as I use to you can still find it’s influence in just about every video edit I do. I’ve always been intrigued by what is going on in nightlife and as far as I am concerned the King of nightlife coverage in this town is still Paper magazine. Launched in 1984 by editors Kim Hastreiter and David Hershkovits as a black and white 16-page fold-out (printed in the offices of The New York Times), it remains an inspiration to me. Over it’s 25 years in publication it still remains independent AND relevant. Here is a video from their Nightlife Awards ceremony. Great to see Patrick Mcmullen finally get an award. He is THE original nightlife photographer. Enjoy.

TreV

ARTS / TREVZ / VIDEO — No Comments
4
Jan 10

“Creator Of” series featuring James Fuentes

I am working with Pernod Absinthe on a new web series called “Creators Of”. This series features local artist, entrepreneurs and personalities who are making a name for themselves by being originators in their respective fields. Our first video feature features James Fuentes who was the former gallery director for Deitch Projects and now runs his own Gallery on the edge of Chinatown and the L.E.S. Check it out. Also if you’re an artist Pernod is giving away over 2k in prizes and a New Pop video feature in its “Creator Of” contest. click here for more details.

ARTS / NIGHTLIFE / TREVZ / VIDEO / iPHONE BLOG — No Comments
31
Dec 09

Art Basel Miami

Wow! I just realized this is my first new video post in 3 or 4 months. I have been busy. Finally caught a break so I spent some time updating and such. Anyway this is my first post in 3 months, and last post of the decade. It’s from my trip to Art Basel earlier this month. This is my second year down there. Last year I was shooting for Pernod. This year it was for Societe Perrier.

Art Basel and art fairs in general are easily my favorite events to cover. Really chill, good food, good folks. And this art fair is the grand daddy of ‘em all. Not only do you see the most intriguing art on the planet, but there are a ton of beautiful people and lots of partying going on. Unfortunately due to my hectic shooting schedule this time around and the fact that I decided not to rent a car, I didn’t get to visit any other galleries and fairs outside of Pulse, nor as many parties as I did last year. The ones I did make I was too beat to bring my camera. But what I did cover was great. In the clip below keep an eye out for Russell Simmons, The Vivian Girls, Hollywood Holt, The Shepard Fairey mural that was all the rage, and of course all the Hot ladies! I love NY, but we can’t hold a candle to Miami and L.A. when it comes to dimes. Also check the photos I took below. I took a flight from Tampa to Miami on the smallest plane I ever flew in and I thought I was going to die when we were landing. The plane was swaying from side to side 10 feet above the ground. The pilots (one pictured below) looked like members of a boy band. My girlfriend said the pilots were probably practicing their dance moves. That made sense. Anyway they got us on the ground in one piece god bless ‘em.

I also have morning shots from my hotel room. The hotel sucked, but the location and view were amazing! I love the geometric patterns the streets and buildings formed and the lighting due to the passing storm. Also included a couple of shots of the art. Happy New Year! See you in 2010.

TREVZ / VIDEO / iPHONE BLOG — No Comments
6
Oct 09

The Most Beautifulist New Park

Yesterday I walked on the High Line Park on the West side. The High Line is a new public park, built on an elevated 1930s rail structure located on Manhattan’s West Side from Ganvsevort to 34th street. And what a lovely day it was to stroll. I couldn’t paint a lovelier sky.

TREVZ / VIDEO — 3 Comments
1
Oct 09

The Godfather of DIY Terry Richardson

Many years ago in the mid 90’s I remember watching a Sports Illustrated swimsuit special on TV, one of the photographers featured was this wacky guy who shot the supermodels with a point and shoot camera. I laughed so hard. Here was this nerdy guy who looked like he was auditioning as an extra on Starsky & Hutch thumbing his nose at all the fabulous high priced photographers. A few years later I did freelance PA work on film sets to get by. One day I got called to work on a photo shoot at Asbury Park. Before I arrived on set the production team were making a big deal about the photographer doing the shoot. When I arrived it was the same guy I saw many years earlier on that TV special, his name was Terry Richardson. The thing I remember most about that day was the easygoing vibe on set. Typically I would work a minimum of 12 hours on a shoot, but on Terry’s set we wrapped in 4. There wasn’t that military like atmosphere that pervaded typical film/photo sets. This set was different, Terry seemed to be just hanging out with the crew. Seeing Terry work was an up close lesson in the nurturing of what I considered a fertile creative environment.

Many years later around 2004 due in part to the innovations in digital video I got the bug to shoot documentaries. When I started shooting I was determined to focus on the energy and the story and to embrace mistakes and imperfections, ride them the way a surfer would ride a wave. I wanted to stay light and nimble. My mantra was if it can’t fit in my backpack it isn’t going with me. And it was Terry Richardson the DIY revolutionary with a point and shoot camera who I looked at for inspiration. This DIY attitude seemed to inspire a whole new generation of photo and video artist. From Lastnight’s Party, to Cobrasnake to Thenewpop. We owe allot to the Godfather. Check this video that pretty much sums up Terry’s early struggles with the commercial world when he would show up on set with his point and shoot.

TREVZ / VIDEO — No Comments
30
Sep 09

Doundounba

This is an amazing display of the Guinea West African Dance Doundounba in pre-condo Williamsburg. Its from the 2005 documentary “Stone Soup” about the Willi-B Art & Music festival which was the first thing I shot for The New Pop back when it was called TheNewPopSensation.

MUSIC / TREVZ / VIDEO — No Comments
29
Sep 09

Stone Soup Festival 1-2 Williamsburg ‘05

Back in 2005 I got the bug to shoot video. My first shoot was documenting a 12 hour street festival in Williamsburg Brooklyn. The organizers Ben Moore & Amon shut down North 6th street between Kent & Wythe all day and rented out the old Galapagos (Now Public Assembly) and Northsix (Now the Williamsburg Music Hall) along with the venues Zablowski’s and a couple of others. It was huge event and for a first shoot it was allot to handle. I had a couple of friends help me out with logistics and another with the camera which helped allot. There was an amazing lineup of artist including Si Se, Outernational, Romashka, Prince Paul, Chris Annibell, and numerous other visual artists and dancers. The festival was supposed to be an annual event but this turned out to be the first and last.

A year later I made a documentary which I burned on DVD and gave to the organizers but I never posted it online. For some reason today I remembered the video and broke it up into 6 parts and posted on youtube. When I first edited it I decided for whatever reason to tell the story backwards. I also included interviews I shot a year later as commentary. I embedded part 1 and 2 in this post. I realize that as internet standards go this is hella long, but if your a video junkie like me then you might have fun with this.

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT 2005:

–Back then there were not many photographers and even less videographers shooting the scene. You would only see those old school shirt in pants tripod carrying older guys back then. Since then mostly during 2007 it become cool to shoot. Here is to the original nerd documentarians that did it for the love not to be loved.

PHOTO / TREVZ / VIDEO / iPHONE BLOG / politicks — 3 Comments
26
Sep 09

life @unionsquarepark The Burma protests

Yesterday I came across a protest in Union Square for human rights in Burma. Thought it was an interesting story so I pulled out my iPhone and walla! God Bless technology and the US-of-A, where we can all be news reporters and tell it the way we see it. People are dying for this same type of freedom all over the world. Don’t take it for granted folks.