Katrina Response

In 1977 during college Summer break, I stopped in New Orleans on the way back home from a road trip to Savanna, Georgia. On a just right, warm day I laid next to the river watching a river boat. From where I was, I fell in love with the beauty of the city, water and area.

When I saw the news reports of the unconscionable length in responding by federal agencies, in particular FEMA, I am outraged. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin rightfully called the federal government to task.

At the same time, it’s disconcerting when some apply this catastrophe for their political views. In a more recent video interview on CNN, Mayor Nagin called on the irresponsibility of democratic Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco; excerpted below with only audio:


The entire CNN video piece should be here.

While the main cause, levee breaks, currently resulted from inattention and improper funded by the Republican led House and Senate. This problem goes back to prior administrations both Democratic and Republicans.

The problem of incompetence is not held by a particular party or group. It is an individual problem and needs to be handled at the individual level, case by case. Those that directly contributed to this disaster need to be held accountable whether liberal or conservative. A rational understanding of who is best for the job should apply — not a promotion of those by political affiliation.

I hope the best for the people displaced from their homes. That they find hope, achievement and prosperity whether in other cities from where their damaged homes are or if they choose to go back and rebuild.

   With Respect,

   Enric

Videos Playing in Place

The tutorial for making quicktime videos play in place* has been moved to the my Lucid Media blog at Videos Playing in Place.

The Lucid Media blog focuses on philosophical and technical issues in media.

:),

Enric

*Playing in the location on the web page without a page refresh or opening a new page. For example, replace a poster image with a embedded quicktime movie.

Widow Maker

Widow Maker

Note: This is a shorter version that highlights scenes with a different edit. Please view the official, complete version is at the Widow Maker film site.

On Friday, October 1st 2004, a substantial group of San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers awaited an email at Glorinda’s home in Marin County. These are members of the San Francisco Indie Club run by Glorinda Marie who is producing the film entry to the National Film Challenge 2004. They are waiting for the requirements sent to registered groups around the United States. What we received was:

  • Genre: Western
  • Prop of a monkey
  • Line of dialogue as “I didn’t know you felt that way”
  • And the character of W. Burns – Ventriloquist.

I was honored as the editor of the film. So, Saturday night I pickup the mini-DV’s shot so far at a beautiful estate in Tiburon where the brothel scene shooting is finishing up.

I get home around midnight and start digitizing with Adobe Priemere through a Pinnacle DV500 capture card. I tell myself I’ll take a short snooze during the capture. So, at 6 am on that Sunday I wake up to find that the computer screen is frozen. I reboot the computer and it doesn’t start up with the hard disk grinding. I’ve had a disk crash!

I rush over to Fry’s in Fremont and buy two firewire cards: One for my desktop and one for my laptop. But they can’t replace the Pinnacle capture card I had on the failed computer. And I don’t have time for a complete reinstall. I can barely edit wtih frames skipping, but I slug along. In the afternoon, Paul Martin, the director, comes by to look at my progress. I’m stressed and feeling guilty.

But Paul has no blame and simply states my conditions for editing is unworkable. That the only solution he sees is to drive 1 1/2 hours up to his home in Sonoma and edit there on his Final Cut Pro system. To make a story so far long, shorter, the unit production manager, Vicki DeMey, from San Jose joins is with her own Final Cut Pro system. We capture and then edit our sections straight through to Monday morning. Then we drive to Victor Speigel house in Berkeley to score the music. By around 10:50 pm with little over an hour before the Monday deadline is up, we finaly have a complete version output to mini-DV. I drop off the mini-DV at the 11:13 pm at 7th Street Oakland Post Office that closes at midnight!

“Widow Maker” turned out to win three awards from the National Film Challenge 2004:

  • BEST WESTERN
  • BEST COSTUMES
  • Plus a special award for BEST SHAVING INCIDENT.

“Widow Maker” was also accepted and screened by the Cedar Rapids Indie Film Festival April 2005.

:),

Enric

P.S. I ended up getting a G5 Final Cut Pro system on which I now make my films and vlogs.

Cat’s Claw

Cat's Claw


A short film for the Shelton Directing Actor’s class in May, 2004. Ryanne’s Update, Blah Blah Blah vlog of her kitty eating lettuce (at end of movie) reminded me of this film.

On to WordPress!

I’ve transferred all my Blogger entries to WordPress. I did the transfer manually, so if anyone notices an error in their entry, please email me.

I’m using the Clean Breeze theme which I find quite nice and capable.

Well, it’s getting late and time I signed off.

    ;),

   Enric

AfroSolo Arts Festival 12

AfroSolo Arts Festival 12


On Friday, August 12th I went to the Afro Arts Festival in the Fillmore district of San Francisco. I shot video of the space, interviews and introductions by the artistic director, Thomas Robert Simpson. Unfortunately I did not get approval to shoot the performances which were o exceptional and overall thrilling.

The artists were: Lawrence Beamen, a baritone singer who sang spirituals focusing on the works of Paul Robeson. The extraordinary soprano Rachelle Perry-Ward who sang from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”, Bizet’s “Carmen”, Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” and Verdi’s “Aida.” Mia Paschal performed a section from her one woman show, “some life”, on going to a barbecue in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco. Shanique S. Scott performed her piece, “Prisons”, on a woman attaining personal freedom. And Robert Henry Johnson performed his “Othello Papers”, a fascinating combination of five Shakespearian characters interacting in the present day.