so my last post was a bit vicious, and i like to think that i don't use this blog simply as a means to communicate my dissatisfaction with the world. that being said, i'd like to share something that actually makes me happy just by thinking about it.
sony has a new TV, the Bravia, and its motto is "colour like.no.other." to demonstrate their new product's incredible colour, they shot 250,000 bouncy-balls down the steep slopes of san francisco. this commercial seriously makes me feel warm inside, and it's not just because i have a thing for bouncy-balls (i have a collection that i started as a kid [yes matt, as a fat kid]).
watch the extended version here. and when you get hooked by the song, download it: "heartbeats" by jose gonzalez (note: the song is originally by the swedish brother-sister duo The Knife). check out the featurettes too, because the fact that they actually shot cannons full of bouncy-balls around a major city, instead of doing it digitally is pretty awesome.
12.29.2005
12.09.2005
final project gripe.
forgive me if i sound a little harsh in this post, but in the words of REO Speedwagon, "i can't fight this feeling anymore." further, this will be a long one, because i have a few 'things' to talk about...
when i say 'things,' i'm pretty much referring to other students in my production classes, one class at Brown and one at RISD. now, i'll preface my argument by saying that i realize there are exceptions to the rule, and that i am not an omniscient entity.
however, if i have to sit through one more mind-numbing, narcissistic piece-of-shit video project by one of my peers, i think my head might split open so my brain can escape the pain. at Brown, we're talking documentaries. i don't expect Grizzly Man or Riding Giants, i just want something that somewhat resembles a documentary, and is watchable. what i don't want to see, is some video with a "concept." and by concept, i mean fuzzy, grainy, blurry, shaky footage, of god knows what, edited together... or rather, not together, with mixed-up, might as well be jibberish audio tracks layered into what i would call a fucking disaster. what makes this worse, is that one kid who always tries to read into the "piece" with their "psycho-analytic/post-modern/constructivist/deconstructivist/i learned some big words in Modern Culture & Media 11" bullshit. that stuff is all well and good, for projects deserving of such dialogue, not the semester-long training montage of one man's quest to learn the lyrics to "Notorious Thugs." (that vid, in all honesty, was awesome).
moving on... the RISD kids. grow up. not all of them, but roughly 50% of my directing class is taken up by "tortured artists." (tortured artists = children). "i couldn't do the project because the cameras were signed out, i had finals, i was busy getting lit off of opium tea." excuses are like... you know the rest. we all have the same issues: signing out equipment, getting actors and locations and doing this on top of other school work, so don't waste my class time arguing with the professor about why you couldn't get your work done.
finally, at both schools, learn to criticize, and take criticism. there's nothing more pleasantly painful than a totally positive critique. i'm not saying we need to lay into each other, but if someone half-asses a project, then it's up to the students in the class to let them know. unfortunately, most people won't call others out on it, unless they've done their work to back it up, and that isn't always the case. i don't want to show a project, and have everyone say "yup, great." i want to know what people think (though i wonder if i could even get a coherent thought out of some classmates), and i want to get better at what i do.
basically, it's a fucking shame that so many students at such great institutions as Brown and RISD are wasting opportunities, theirs and others. i'm graduating, so no more bullshit for me, but i hope for the sake of future classes, that something changes.
much respect to those other students who do great work, and make working in film and video an awesome experience. they know who they are.
when i say 'things,' i'm pretty much referring to other students in my production classes, one class at Brown and one at RISD. now, i'll preface my argument by saying that i realize there are exceptions to the rule, and that i am not an omniscient entity.
however, if i have to sit through one more mind-numbing, narcissistic piece-of-shit video project by one of my peers, i think my head might split open so my brain can escape the pain. at Brown, we're talking documentaries. i don't expect Grizzly Man or Riding Giants, i just want something that somewhat resembles a documentary, and is watchable. what i don't want to see, is some video with a "concept." and by concept, i mean fuzzy, grainy, blurry, shaky footage, of god knows what, edited together... or rather, not together, with mixed-up, might as well be jibberish audio tracks layered into what i would call a fucking disaster. what makes this worse, is that one kid who always tries to read into the "piece" with their "psycho-analytic/post-modern/constructivist/deconstructivist/i learned some big words in Modern Culture & Media 11" bullshit. that stuff is all well and good, for projects deserving of such dialogue, not the semester-long training montage of one man's quest to learn the lyrics to "Notorious Thugs." (that vid, in all honesty, was awesome).
moving on... the RISD kids. grow up. not all of them, but roughly 50% of my directing class is taken up by "tortured artists." (tortured artists = children). "i couldn't do the project because the cameras were signed out, i had finals, i was busy getting lit off of opium tea." excuses are like... you know the rest. we all have the same issues: signing out equipment, getting actors and locations and doing this on top of other school work, so don't waste my class time arguing with the professor about why you couldn't get your work done.
finally, at both schools, learn to criticize, and take criticism. there's nothing more pleasantly painful than a totally positive critique. i'm not saying we need to lay into each other, but if someone half-asses a project, then it's up to the students in the class to let them know. unfortunately, most people won't call others out on it, unless they've done their work to back it up, and that isn't always the case. i don't want to show a project, and have everyone say "yup, great." i want to know what people think (though i wonder if i could even get a coherent thought out of some classmates), and i want to get better at what i do.
basically, it's a fucking shame that so many students at such great institutions as Brown and RISD are wasting opportunities, theirs and others. i'm graduating, so no more bullshit for me, but i hope for the sake of future classes, that something changes.
much respect to those other students who do great work, and make working in film and video an awesome experience. they know who they are.
12.08.2005
the latest from John Gillis
life's the interruptions...
... last night i spent in an abandoned guard tower on the atlantic coast of patagonia in a town called rawson, and woke up to sunrise and unsurfably large waves.... today i walked around with penguins all day and they made me smile like a child... i still have to go to piedrabuena and visit the patagonia company guy's personal land, rio gallegos, rio grande, usualla, a four day trek in torres del paine, glaciers in el calafate, and a 3 day trek in el chalten to mount fitz roy.. then pass a night in santiago with my chilean girl, one in mendoza with my mendocina, then grab my luggage and get to buenos aires by 21:00 on dec 22.... it's not gonna happen.... which stresses me, but when you're living on the cheapest pasta possible and sleeping in a tent partially made from trashbag plastic, things are good... look forward to ripping back in the states... i'll call ya when/if i get home!
... last night i spent in an abandoned guard tower on the atlantic coast of patagonia in a town called rawson, and woke up to sunrise and unsurfably large waves.... today i walked around with penguins all day and they made me smile like a child... i still have to go to piedrabuena and visit the patagonia company guy's personal land, rio gallegos, rio grande, usualla, a four day trek in torres del paine, glaciers in el calafate, and a 3 day trek in el chalten to mount fitz roy.. then pass a night in santiago with my chilean girl, one in mendoza with my mendocina, then grab my luggage and get to buenos aires by 21:00 on dec 22.... it's not gonna happen.... which stresses me, but when you're living on the cheapest pasta possible and sleeping in a tent partially made from trashbag plastic, things are good... look forward to ripping back in the states... i'll call ya when/if i get home!
12.07.2005
pumpernickel gets me every time.
pumpernickel bread gets me every time. i go grocery shopping, i get my usual items... baby carrots, spinach, golden delicious apples, bananas, plantains, 1lb turkey, 1lb provolone, wheat thins, trail mix bars, muenster or monterey jack cheese, strawberry banana yogurt, eggs, Tropicana Grovestand Lots of Pulp + Calcium orange juice, 12 grain bread, and last but not least, a half-dozen bagels.
and i pretty much always get wheat bagels. depending where i am, i may go for a honey wheat, a chocolate chip, or rarely, but sometimes, a blueberry. however, there's always a part of me that looks at the pumpernickel bagels, their dark complexion standing out among the bland color spectrum of bagel skin, and thinks... "those look good. and the darker the bread, the better it is for you. hhmmm..." but never had i acted upon my urging, always reminding myself... "you don't like pumpernickel bread. in fact, you hate it. don't get it." until last night, 8:12PM at Stop & Shop. "i'll just get one."
and i thought, "it can't be that bad. what about that pumpernickel raisin bread i had at that restaurant that time... with those people... in that town... that was good, wasn't it? toasted with cream cheese, i bet this bagel will be terriffic."
and so, with great excitement, i woke this morning and went down to the kitchen, found my deep brown dose of carbohydrates and sliced it in half. some crumbs spilled out of its soft center onto the counter and i thought i'd just give it a taste...
"FUCK! i still fucking hate fucking pumpernickel! god damn it!" and like a dog with its tail between its legs, i returned to my faithful wheat bagels, praying that i have learned my lesson, once and for all.
p.s. - what the fuck is pumpernickel anyway? just read the third paragraph.
and i pretty much always get wheat bagels. depending where i am, i may go for a honey wheat, a chocolate chip, or rarely, but sometimes, a blueberry. however, there's always a part of me that looks at the pumpernickel bagels, their dark complexion standing out among the bland color spectrum of bagel skin, and thinks... "those look good. and the darker the bread, the better it is for you. hhmmm..." but never had i acted upon my urging, always reminding myself... "you don't like pumpernickel bread. in fact, you hate it. don't get it." until last night, 8:12PM at Stop & Shop. "i'll just get one."
and i thought, "it can't be that bad. what about that pumpernickel raisin bread i had at that restaurant that time... with those people... in that town... that was good, wasn't it? toasted with cream cheese, i bet this bagel will be terriffic."
and so, with great excitement, i woke this morning and went down to the kitchen, found my deep brown dose of carbohydrates and sliced it in half. some crumbs spilled out of its soft center onto the counter and i thought i'd just give it a taste...
"FUCK! i still fucking hate fucking pumpernickel! god damn it!" and like a dog with its tail between its legs, i returned to my faithful wheat bagels, praying that i have learned my lesson, once and for all.
p.s. - what the fuck is pumpernickel anyway? just read the third paragraph.
11.10.2005
BLUE 42! BLUE 42!
I'm ready to go in, Coach. Just give me a chance. I know there's a lot riding on it, but it's all psychological. I'm gonna execute a button-hook pattern, in super slow-mo.
11.06.2005
an analogy from john
JAGillisJr: because life is sort of like a drawing.
twenty4fish: how's that?
JAGillisJr: you draw some original lines that you count on and then draw the rest of your picture in relation to them, but then when those things that you think will always be there change or disappear your picture starts looking very different.
twenty4fish: how's that?
JAGillisJr: you draw some original lines that you count on and then draw the rest of your picture in relation to them, but then when those things that you think will always be there change or disappear your picture starts looking very different.
11.01.2005
Stop Alito
i don't know what it is about blogging that naturally lends itself to politics, but i am compelled to pass along links like this. Stop Alito it's no surprise that Bush keeps nominating these retards to the Supreme Court. he's surrounded by 'em, and we know he's a terrible decision-maker. the fact remains, however, that this Alito cat would be detrimental to our future, so take a second and sign the petition. and if we're lucky, maybe someone in Washington will actually read it.
10.19.2005
WALMART MOVIE
click the graphic above to learn more about this documentary on Walmart, opening in November. the teaser trailers on the site promote the film sarcastically, making jokes out of the evil practices of Walmart, but this set of out-takes from a former Walmart manager are really rather unsettling.
while i must admit to spending late nights at Walmart in hicktown, PA (see picture below) while attending Bucknell University, i've always felt guilty about shopping at walmart, or most major chains for that matter. maybe it's because my family owns a small business. i agree that the prices can't be beat at stores like Walmart, but there is a reason for this. those low prices have to be made up for somewhere, and that fucking smiley face handed out by the disabled old lady at the door is a poor way to cover it all up.
Pennsylvania
this is where i used to go to school. notice my jeep in the background. that's one of two horse 'n' buggies in the parking lot that day, belonging to, i think, some Mennonites (a different breed of Amish). i'll let the irony of this picture speak for itself.
10.17.2005
10.15.2005
john gillis - studying abroad in Argentina
2:12AM EST: i just came home at 330 am and found my host dad ass naked in the living room watching formula 1 qualifieres... a convo in spanish ensued, where i had to judge when was long enough to prove i wasn't freaked out but short enough to say "hey i'm not lingering here"...awk
10.14.2005
help my homeless friend
this is me and my best-friend in the world, might as well be my brother, matt. he's the greatest, so great that he's got this gig lined up in the NYC, and they want him so badly, his boss said he could live with him for a couple weeks before he finds a place of his own. well... i'm throwing this out there into our infinite yet interconnected universe, and asking that if you, or anyone you know needs a roomate, needs to sublet, has an apartment or room or a comfy floor for matthew james braley (aka bralfucious aka mattmatt aka hey stupid), please contact me immediately so we can find this kid a home. bonuses: he's really cute (grandma says so), he has nice eyes, he likes doing dishes, and other chores, and some people even think he's funny... sort of.
10.13.2005
"Call out gouranga be happy!!"
can anyone explain anything to me about this email i received a while ago?
>From: Neateye
>To: Me
>Date: Sep 23, 2005 1:57 AM
>Subject: Gouranga
>Call out Gouranga be happy!!!
>Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga ....
>That which brings the highest happiness!!
>From: Neateye
>To: Me
>Date: Sep 23, 2005 1:57 AM
>Subject: Gouranga
>Call out Gouranga be happy!!!
>Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga ....
>That which brings the highest happiness!!
10.12.2005
fiji
this is me in fiji, december 2003, with a bunch of fijians i met in a local village. they gave me a handmade lei and toured me around their place. in the rural parts of fiji, away from the hustlers of the cities, you will find some of the friendliest people on the planet.
10.11.2005
Intelligent Design
earlier today, i read an article from sunday's cape cod times about "Intelligent Design." (check this too Intelligent Design). it's a theory that doesn't actual theorize much (original thought anyway), instead it harps on (alleged) holes in Darwin's Theory of Evolution. the idea is that most organisms (read: humans) are way too complex to have evolved from minor genetic mutations over time, so there must have been some... wait, here it comes "intelligent designer" (now, who could they mean? hhmmm...). i was planning on laying into these advocates of intelligent design, and the fact that a startling percentage of adults believe Creationism should be taught in school science classes, and the truth is, i am likely to eventually write on that topic, but right now, i am moved to suggest that sometimes it's hard to deny the instances in life when it seems that a higher power is at work (did i say that?). the chance encounter with a long lost friend in a far off place, the employee who calls in sick and avoids a crash on the way to work, or in my case tonight, the perfect song at the perfect moment.
i admit that i love technology, and an ipod is my latest buy. the technical specs are great, and it serves its purpose perfectly, but there are times when my ipod is on shuffle and it plays the song that is so powerful at that moment, so well-adapted to its environment in terms of evolution, it is shocking. has the technology evolved in such a way that it knows when ben harper will bring tears to my eyes, or thursday will power me through a furious time?
tonight, actually, several times today, i found itunes playing all the right songs, but as i stepped outside tonight, hazy streetlights shining in a mild fog over damp roads, not a soul in sight, and even less to hear, i was so moved by my ipod's selection. the sort of song that you don't want to end, but if it didn't you may never move your place.
it's nine inch nails when everything is wrong; death cab for cutie when you're sure the love is gone; it's kanye west at the start of the party, and "don't stop believing" target="_blank" at the end of a long night; it's tom petty when you're on the road alone heading west.
but end it did, and of course, the next song, even more appropriate than the first, as if i was the subject of a live music video. a chill in the air, slight wind, enough to blow wet leaves and light litter across the parking lot, i had any number of places to go and tasks to complete, but the first order of business was to appreciate those moments when everything is so perfect, be it happy or sad, that it is bittersweet to see it end.
i admit that i love technology, and an ipod is my latest buy. the technical specs are great, and it serves its purpose perfectly, but there are times when my ipod is on shuffle and it plays the song that is so powerful at that moment, so well-adapted to its environment in terms of evolution, it is shocking. has the technology evolved in such a way that it knows when ben harper will bring tears to my eyes, or thursday will power me through a furious time?
tonight, actually, several times today, i found itunes playing all the right songs, but as i stepped outside tonight, hazy streetlights shining in a mild fog over damp roads, not a soul in sight, and even less to hear, i was so moved by my ipod's selection. the sort of song that you don't want to end, but if it didn't you may never move your place.
it's nine inch nails when everything is wrong; death cab for cutie when you're sure the love is gone; it's kanye west at the start of the party, and "don't stop believing" target="_blank" at the end of a long night; it's tom petty when you're on the road alone heading west.
but end it did, and of course, the next song, even more appropriate than the first, as if i was the subject of a live music video. a chill in the air, slight wind, enough to blow wet leaves and light litter across the parking lot, i had any number of places to go and tasks to complete, but the first order of business was to appreciate those moments when everything is so perfect, be it happy or sad, that it is bittersweet to see it end.
10.05.2005
The Politics Test
| You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (16% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
10.03.2005
bartending, credit cards and the people who use them
i've been bartending now for five summers at the same restaurant on cape cod. we host weddings every weekend, all summer long. it's a nice place, but the drinks certainly aren't overpriced or expensive, by some standards, they're downright cheap. however, i am always amazed at the people who come up to the bar, order a drink like a "glass of pinot grigio," (or as they pronounce it, "peen-yo"). Ok. that'll be $4.75 please, and out comes the credit card. do you really mean to tell me that you don't have five bucks on you? if you don't have five bucks on you, then you probably shouldn't be spending your money on alcohol anyway.
you might wonder why i would complain about accepting a credit card as a form of payment; allow me to explain.
at a busy place, where you ring up the drinks, generally expecting the customers to pay in cash, you calculate the price via the computer. when a customer throws you a card, you must then delete that order, start a new tab, ring in the drinks, print the check, run the card, get them to sign it, and then enter the total amount (this includes the huge tip i'm sure to get from this whale of a spender). this process takes at least, a few minutes... not a large amount of time, but in the middle of a wedding when there are 150 other customers all thirsty on a hot summer day, time is money... in this case, money lost. i usually ask if the customer can pay in cash, but judging by their face, this is a ridiculous request. so while i occupy the computer, blocking out my fellow bartender, awkward interactions abound between family and friends while they thirst for alcohol, the only proven social lubricant. the kicker? these are the same people who don't know how to tip. a second kick to the nuts? repeat offenders... just throw the card down when you get there and run a tab!
a final note on the credit card culprits... they're almost always women. i guess maybe they were planning on a guy (or maybe another girl) to buy their drinks, but the plan flopped and they were left without cash. who knows? but from the guy pouring your apple-tini, do everyone a favor and hit an ATM before you come to the bar.
you might wonder why i would complain about accepting a credit card as a form of payment; allow me to explain.
at a busy place, where you ring up the drinks, generally expecting the customers to pay in cash, you calculate the price via the computer. when a customer throws you a card, you must then delete that order, start a new tab, ring in the drinks, print the check, run the card, get them to sign it, and then enter the total amount (this includes the huge tip i'm sure to get from this whale of a spender). this process takes at least, a few minutes... not a large amount of time, but in the middle of a wedding when there are 150 other customers all thirsty on a hot summer day, time is money... in this case, money lost. i usually ask if the customer can pay in cash, but judging by their face, this is a ridiculous request. so while i occupy the computer, blocking out my fellow bartender, awkward interactions abound between family and friends while they thirst for alcohol, the only proven social lubricant. the kicker? these are the same people who don't know how to tip. a second kick to the nuts? repeat offenders... just throw the card down when you get there and run a tab!
a final note on the credit card culprits... they're almost always women. i guess maybe they were planning on a guy (or maybe another girl) to buy their drinks, but the plan flopped and they were left without cash. who knows? but from the guy pouring your apple-tini, do everyone a favor and hit an ATM before you come to the bar.
9.07.2005
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