The Last Few Weeks

So Finals are over with, I passed all of my classes, and I've got some new stuff to link you guys to.

First of all, I put in for a second job, which will hopefully become my primary job for the rest of my duration at Auburn University, as Videographer for the College of Liberal Arts. For those of you interested, here's the demo that I presented at my second interview:



Long story short, and regardless of my feelings regarding the quality of that demo, I got the job. So that's exciting. I start sometime in the first week of July.

On top of that, I was busy filming a few live shows for local Auburn, AL band Adventure. They were filmed in three different locations (a house party, The Gnu's Room, and The Independent) but only one came out looking desirable, and even that one had to receive some heavy editing... mainly due to my shakey hands :\ Regardless, here is the video for those interested in checking it out, and big "thank you" to The Gnu's Room for hosting it on their site.



I'll be working more closely with the band in Fall to get a solid video shot for one of their tracks.

Lastly, I helped a friend of a friend of mine shoot an audition tape for a chance to be on SyFy's "Face Off". For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it's one part reality tv and one part make-up artist spotlight as several make-up artists compete and help create new designs for shows, movies, etc. What started out as a silly shoot just to help a friend out actually turned out quite nicely and ended up being a little crash course on time-lapse. Yet again, here is the video for those of you that are interested:



Now, I've got ten days left until I depart for Sicily (which I'll be posting some "video journals" of whenever I can) to work on study abroad and some documentary work (this'll be my first documentary piece, so keep your fingers crossed) and I've got some Rocky Horror footage to edit by Saturday. Quick shout out, my little pet project and management experiment, Dead?Wait!, will be having a small show in Tuscaloosa @ The Green Bar on May 14th (Show starts at 9:30, doors open at 8:30).

Obligatory Quick Links:
Currently Playing: Heavy Rain
Currently Reading (And partially obsessed with): House of Leaves
CD that I listened to last night while cleaning the house: Grandaddy - Sumday

Preparation

Yet again, I know that it has been an extremely long while since I have had a post, it's just that not a whole whole lot has been going on. I've mostly been working and preparing for this Summer. On a side note, I visited Disney World for Spring Break 2011 with my girlfriend and two of our friends (plus their child).

As far as what's to come... well:

This Wednesday:

The Gnu's Room is hosting the meet and greet, pre-orientation, meeting for a club that I'm trying to get started at Auburn University. If you're interested and you are local, come check it out, student or not. 

Later this week/month: I'll be filming the last vignette for the Weekenders project, which is tentatively titled "Retrospect". It will be adapted from a short story written by Marian Carcache. And after that it will be edit time, so I can pull it all together, and I should be ready to screen the entire Weekenders collection starting in May. 

Besides all of that, Dead?Wait! may have a show in Tuscaloosa around May 14th, and I'm going to be preparing a treatment/outline/rough "script" for my Italian documentary that I am working on this Summer. 

I've also recently finished shooting an audition tape for a make-up artist friend of mine, Jessica Brewer, and so I should be posting that up sometime soon, if she allows. Finally got a firm handle on Time Lapse techniques and even used some in her audition tape. 

Stay tuned. 

Things I'm Into Right Now:

Bottle Rocket: Criterion Edition (Blu Ray)

Red Dead Redemption

Upcoming Release of: Portal 2

And

The New Beastie Boys Single

+ Danger

It's Been A Long Time...

My apologies for the time off from the blog that I've taken.

It has been a busy few weeks/months.

I just bought a new camera, a Canon T3i, and some new gear. Specifically a really nice Manfrotto tripod and video head, a Zoom H4N, and I've got some lenses in the mail.

Also, I'll be hearing back from the local Camera shop, Camera Graphics, about my 5D Mk. II body pretty soon.

In other news, I've been getting prepped about my trip to Sicily this Summer. I'll be shooting loads of footage, hopefully on my 5D, and I'll be routinely posting video logs and other fun stuff while I'm traveling. I'll also be working on several mini-documentaries for Universities to use as teaching tools while I work on a large overarching documentary for other purposes.

I've also had the idea that in order to get better with my film making techniques, I'm going to try and tackle a different technique every two weeks or so and document it on YouTube for you all to see. First attempt is going to be my first foray into time lapse photography. I'll try and get it done before Spring Break and post it up.

During Spring Break I'll be documenting my trip to Florida, so hopefully there'll be something fun to watch out of all that.

Later.

Status Update: I'm Not Dead

Alright, so I apologize for not having posted anything in quite some time.

For those of you interested, I've been trying to post regularly on Twitter and Facebook these days, so I often forget that this blog even exists.

In recent news: Proposal for "The Triangolo Project" is coming along. We have a demo reel compiled and the document is essentially finished. Time for fine tuning and meetings.

Dead?Wait! has announced two shows, with a third announcement to come soon. These guys are fun to manage. Visit them at WhatIsDeadWait.com.

Should be beginning filming on the last two components of the Weekenders vignette project shortly. More info on that as it arises.

And... really that's about all.

Any questions, comments, concerns, etc... fire away at alessio@acsummerfield.com or just go to the "Talk At Me" section of my website.

Another post should be up, sooner than later. Off to a promo meeting.

Cool things to check out:
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Blocks Cometh
and
Dead Space 2 (which I finished last night. Fantastic.)

New Year's Catch Up

Alright, so, time for a status update.

In short, we didn't get selected to be a finalist in the Crash the Superbowl competition, but you can click the link to see who did win.

My producer, Colin Macdougall, and I are working on a proposition to try and do some filming for Auburn University overseas.

A new vignette, tentatively entitled, "Pierrot, Eat Your Heart Out", should be posted up on the site/Vimeo soon, just editing some audio tweaks. This vignette will be the last to be posted online before I finish the entire collection, after which I will remove the videos from the web, do a few screenings in the Auburn/Opelika area, possibly enter it into some film festivals, and then post the collection, in its entirety, online.

And... the production company, 214 Productions, that I helped found has officially dissolved. Due to scheduling conflicts, some issues with the crew having to all be students for this proposed Summer shoot, and a need to be able to work at a comfortable pace, we have decided to part ways. But, that doesn't mean that Colin won't still be producing my work or that John Henderson and I won't still be finishing the vignettes and working on occasional projects together.

* Side note, if you're in the Auburn/Opelika area, I will be DJing a Zumba session/dance party at the Irish Bred Pub in Opelika on Sunday, Jan. 9th, at 5:30 p.m. And, in related news, Dead?Wait! is still, in fact, working on some original music, so there should be a live promo video and a song or two coming soon.

Stay tuned, and check back for updates, new videos, and/or scheduled events.

The Prospect of Shooting in Sicily

So, being Italian American, specifically Sicilian American, I always want to go back home to shoot some sort of film, really, anything.

Well, I think that I've finally got that prospect tacked down. I am currently working, with some help from friends and colleagues, on a proposition to Auburn University to shoot a series of short films to highlight Sicilian culture and character studies for educational/documentarian purposes. More information as this whole endeavor fleshes out, but fear not, I am also still working on finishing the Weekenders project, my series of vignettes, by Feb. 4th for the local film festival and for screenings.

More info on a new vignette will be posted soon as the editing process draws to an end.

Stay posted, and remember to check out my projects at my website.

Crash the Superbowl

Alright, so our entry for Crash the Superbowl has been completed. Show your support for me and check it out, tell your friends, and help get those views on up there so that we can be noticed. We worked pretty hard on it, and yours truly was Key Grip and Gaffer on set.

We'll Never Tell - Our Crash the Superbowl Entry

Of College Radio and Superbowl Commercials

Hello hello,

my apologies at how long it has taken for me to post something new, been a bit bogged down. Kristen Brooks, my beloved of almost a year (it'll be a year on Nov. 27th), cut her finger three days ago and we had to get that looked at, the production company that I helped found, 214 Productions, has been working hard on an entry for the Doritos "Crash the Superbowl" challenge, and I've been getting my hands into a little student expression of my first amendment rights.

The commercial for the Doritos contest has been shot and is now entering the post production stages, so, keep your eyes peeled for your favorite Italian American's name as a key grip/gaffer on that one. I'll keep you posted.

Now, for the radio thing... Auburn University's own WEGL 91.1 FM seems to have fallen into a slump of clashing new management. The new management seems to think that a college station needs to compete with big TOP 40 stations in the area and that we're competing with other colleges over who has the best radio station. Now, before the new management took over, and a year or so ago, WEGL 91.1 was nominated for an MTV award for "Best College Radio Station", and we're fighting to bring it back up to that stature. I've got a meeting with said management today at 2 p.m. and I'm a bit worried. But, we're behaving as a vessel for the community and we've got 807 Facebook fans and counting! So, if you'd like to contribute or support, visit us @ Keep WEGL Weird.

Thanks to all, and shoot me an email from my site if you have any questions, comments, or potential film opportunities that you need assistance with.

Thanks guys.
- Alessio

Of Ska Pirates and Professional Bowlers

So, for those of you who are my Facebook friends, or have been to my site/vimeo recently, I've posted up my latest finished project, a SKA VIDEO!

Specifically, a music video for local ska band, Blame Sydney!.

For those of you who are not that into Ska, don't fret, neither am I, but I do really like the band Pain, and so I fell in love with, not only the members, but the sound of Blame Sydney.

Here is their video below, and then below that is a video for the Pain song, In a Band. Ironically enough they both feature bowling alleys.

Feel free to leave any feedback on here, my vimeo account, or you can email me @ acsummerfield@gmail.com


How To Start Again - Blame Sydney! from Alessio Summerfield on Vimeo.

Premier Post

Hello,

This is my christening post, I suppose, so I better make it worth reading. Just got this blog up and running, and hopefully it'll add a bit more depth to my website, which you hopefully went to that led you here. Seeing as my site only gets updated anytime there are new videos or newsworthy developments, I'm going to use this space to provide some insight, post up some side things, and flesh out the days in between new uploads to the site.

I am Alessio Summerfield, and this is my blogspot. Won't you come back and visit?