The Bear is Loose

Do You Like Movies About Gladiators?

My Buddy Frank.  Photo & Shop by Me.

TUCSON AZ CASTING CALL FOR NO-BUDGET HISTORICAL COMEDY SHORT “SPARTACUS SCHMARTACUS.”

Shooting soon! Copy/Credit/Catering only.

Characters: Generally Caucasian/Mediterranean except for Exotics.  Costumes provided for all but crowd extras.

VERITAS:  Age 20s, well-built gladiator protagonist debunking the Spartacus myth, shortness a plus, stage-fighting expertise with gladius welcome

LYDIA: Age 20s, wife of Veritas, one line, appears in arena audience.

LADY FELIS CONCOLOR CORNELIUS: Age 50s, Senator’s wife, seducer of gladiators. Likes to show a little skin.

MILO:  Age 20/30s:  Gladiator referee   

[UNNAMED EXOTIC] Age 20/30s, well-built gladiator opponent, height a plus, stage-fighting expertise with sword welcome

======================================================================
Featured Extras:

[THE ON-DECK CIRCLE] Well-built gladiators (4) in a cell — Age 20/30s  Long hair or Shaved heads welcome

CAESAR:  Age 50/60s Regal bearing. Present in arena Royal Box.

SENATOR CORNELIUS: Age 50/60s present in arena audience.

ROYAL BOX CANDY:  Age 20/30s females (2-3)

ROMAN SOLDIERS:  Age 20/30s males (2) guarding Royal Box

Crowd extras:  All ages.  Males in togas, females in Roman/Greek dresses.  No green or purple.

INQUIRE TO RFLYZIK -AT- HOTMAIL DOT COM.

I was Bored Today

Technically, not a Red Shirt....

Not Exactly Yosemite

Part I of our Image Maker assignment in Digi-Photo II was to select a Photographer and present a minimum 20-minute lecture including examples of the Photog's work. When the Professor joked, "No one's gonna pick Ansel Adams, right?" I picked up the thrown gauntlet. Part II of the assignment would be to present for critique a series of photos in the style of that photographer. "How hard can it be to shoot a buncha rocks? Around Tucson?" The real stickler was waiting for days with dramatic cloud cover, an idiom (or cliche, if you will) of Adams' work.

Without a scenic body of water nearby, I decided to make one of my own for a photo. Behold! Lake Santa Rita! Breaking with Ansel's technique a bit, I saved some detail that might have been burnt black by Adams' trademark contrastiness. Call me a Rebel.
My Part I presentation went well last week; Part II is tomorrow night.

Hope 'n' Change Clarified

Photo Fun

Lisa the Biker Chick seems to enjoy her early Christmas present (Redskirts are marginally more survivable than Redshirts).

My Favorite

Shoppin'

Photo-Shoppin', that is.  It's not perfect, but good enough for unsolicited gratis work for a relative of a relative.  I'm sure he can use PS Essentials to repair the spot I overlooked.

I'm glad Professor Steve gave us a lot of retouching lessons, since the textbook was kinda spotty on the subject.

This is Old

I wonder if Tom did a face-palm on news of his super-model wife's dissing of Patriots receivers?

I'm Getting Drunk on Toasts Tonight

The Evil Commie Bastard Kim Jong-il is DEAD! Finally.

Before I graduated from US Air Force Basic Training with a guaranteed job of Voice Processing Specialist (the precursor to the current job title, "Cryptologic Linguist"), I slaked my disappointment with news that the 1979 assassination of the South Korean president would compensate for my not getting a slot in the Russian Language School; times suddenly got interesting, as the Chinese proverb goes.

Once I got to the Presidio of Monterey's Defense Language Institute, I was given the opportunity to re-apply for any of the languages offered to me during the pressure-cooker of Basic Training.

After having psyched myself up with the prospect of an unstable Korea, I gave up my designs on becoming a Russian linguist for the needs of the USAF and my country. I moved Korean up on my list... and got it. How's that for dancing with History? My Dorm Chief (and now Dear Friend) lucked out by getting German, and ended up getting cross-trained to analyst duties when the Wall fell. Funny how we both ended up teaching in Tech School together

Not me.. When all of the moves out of Tech School were frozen for us Tech School instructors, we Koreans were the exception (good thing I didn't buy a house on our Commander's recomendation!). It was great to be back in the field with the students I'd trained in Tech School
The rut/pipeline back to Korea was deep and heavily used, so it was nice to just do the job again, with the added bonus of doing it with people familiar.

I salute all my Skivvy Nine comrades and the Crypto-Service Folks who helped us make it the Land of the Morning Calm for a few decades.

For a few years, I even maintained a blog lampooning the lifestyle of the Beloved Leader. Whew, out of the closet now....

Meet the Boyds

Final project for Illustration Techniques...

I didn't draw the background.

I'm no Chris Muir

But I do have a web comic! Or web graphic novelette. Or six pics and a story that busted my ass for a few weeks.

Gives me a greater appreciation for folks like Mr. Muir who can meet a daily deadline providing such great content.

Don't bother picking technical nits; I know nothing about IAF operations, computer virii, or Iran that the average Tom Clancy reader doesn't know. I actually wrote this wondering what kind of graphic novel would Clancy write? (So, it's long on exposition and short on action... at least I didn't model it after a W.E.B. Griffin novel.)

Illustrator: Graphic Novel

The final for Adobe Illustrator CS5 class requires us to illustrate a graphic novel. I didn't know we didn't have to write one ourselves, but why waste the opportunity?

TSA, teh Final Cut

The Final Cut of Top Shot Audition is up. If you've linked it as part of your Movie Review, the new link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuBaVxP8t0g

You can fix it, or not, your choice.

Hey Blogger, Wanna Review a Movie?

My next Illustrator assignment will be to create a movie poster. I intended to make one for "Top Shot Audition" anyway, but one of the requirements is that I have to work in two movie reviews. There is a chance that Jean Jessup might have her November "First Friday Shorts "reviews up in time for me to squeeze it in, but that's only one review... and I might miss submitting in November if I have to work that night. Good thing I have all of you friends in the New Media!

Could you watch and post a review of Top Shot Audition on your blog? I value your feedback and want to get more than just the three YouTube comments, the first of which was mellow-harshingly negative.

You do not have to write a positive review. You do not have to link me or the video. You do not have to even mention the title, but if you're gonna be that vague, please let me know how to recognize the post as a review of my work. A link to your post in my comments will help my readers and me find your review.

What's in it for you? If I use an excerpt of your review on the poster, I'll post a Blog Ad for your blog on my side bar and keep it there for the rest of the year! Thanx in advanx!

(Of course, in it for me besides the feedback is greater audience reach and hopefully a growing number of folks who want to see a Cowboy Blob Production. Besides the dozens who only know them as shooting match videos.)

Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready for My Close-up

I had as much fun on the still photography shoot for "Top Shot Audition" as I did for the video.

Actually even more so, because under the hot movie lights I used instead of flash, we had to fortify ourselves with frosty rum drinks*. On the movie shoot, it was too early in the morning for anything other than the stunt beer, though we would enjoy some tasty Maker's Mark once the sun was well over the yard arm.

I want to get some movies posters made, if only because Jon's family and friends think they're so kick-ass.

I'll premiere TSA (unfortunate initials, huh?) at the November First Friday Shorts at the Loft.

*Very much frost, very little rum.

When I Should Be Doing Homework

...I gotta play instead.

Don't Hate Me

I only watch Fox News for the babes.

That's Julie Banderas (left) and the Notorious P.A.B. (Patty Anne Browne, right).

*Snerk!*

I think they should have jazzed up the Ring some.

h/t to MattS

Art Class: Where're the Robots?

Editorial Drawing

It all started at Ace of Spades HQ.