BlogDogIt

So once again I found myself down the virtual rabbit hole when I came across a very interesting artist community known as Newgrounds.

 

To quote Newgrounds' founder TomFulp,
from the sites wiki:

"I grew up making home movies and text adventures that no one ever saw or played, so it was really exciting when I got web access in 1995 and started Newgrounds. My first games were point and click adventures, followed by some more interactive javascript concoctions. In 1998, I picked up Flash and my life changed forever. By 1999, Newgrounds was so popular that other Flash artists wanted to showcase their movies and games here too. There were so many submissions that we automated the process in 2000, being the first website to offer real-time publishing for games and movies. It was like a big party."

And so the party continues...

While on Newground.com I saw a link to a video titled "4 Ways YOU'VE been Clickbaited?!" I pride myself in not falling for the "Clickbait" since that generally leads to the busier (if not seedier) side of the internet and - as I am sure you are aware - I prefer to travel the "roads less traveled" as they typically lead to fantastic discoveries like Newgrounds and ApexxWolf. ApexxWolf is a self-proclaimed "amature animator that makes short gaming cartoons from time to time." This entire post has been created mainly to present his video discussing clickbait on the internet.

In the words posted by ApexxWolf on YouTube:

Clickbait......Clickbait for Everyone!

Thought I'd try a new style of social commentary video talking about the use of clickbait on the internet. In the video I go over 4 popular methods used (including a bonus method) and try to answer whether or not clickbait is bad.

Inspired to create this after being clickbaited myself by a fake girl gamer live streaming on twitch :P

Enjoy!

The Video: https://youtu.be/gln3idQH9WU

 This video had 8400 hits at time of posting

Follow ApexxWolf

http://apexxwolf.newgrounds.com/
https://twitter.com/ApexxWolf
http://www.youtube.com/apexxwolf
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https://www.facebook.com/Apexxwolf-328464070603688/ 

I'm sure we all have memories of when the "black sheep" of the family took our Holiday celebration off-course, giving us one more reason to continue to look upon them in a less than ideal light. Now imagine a family where every single member is eminently qualified for the "black sheep of the family" designation. If you can do that, then you can begin to imagine Christmas with the Earlys.

Bethlehem (the title derived from the fact that this "dramedy" takes place in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) brings together several elements - any one of which would point to a dysfunctional family - in what you might think would seem like piling-on for comedic effect but in practice paints the situation as sad and reminds us that behind every house decked-out with Christmas decorations is a story of a family struggling to keep it together in a world more conducive to its falling apart. A cautionary tale of the evils of addiction and poor choices and the enduring patience and strength of the matriarch who - to spite the many shortcomings of this brood of bad-eggs - is hell-bent on hosting this family get together regardless of the inevitable consequences.

There is only one thing that could possibly bring this dysfunctional family together this year and that has to be love. Not the "heart on your sleeve", "god bless us every one", sappy, happy love but that deep, deep, down in your gut, unconditional "family" love that you can never escape no matter how hard you try.

Michael Malone weaves a grungy tapestry of hurt and hormones in the story of this family gone very very wrong. Those of us familiar with the wit and wisdom and the irreverent comedic stylings of Michael Malone have been eagerly anticipating the release of Bethlehem. This is certainly one of the more talked about independent films of the year and with this cast of characters is it any wonder? In addition to writing (along with Joshua Hull) and directing, Michael Malone plays eldest son Michael Early who earns the crown of "most level headed," an honor which is often debatable chiefly due to his penchant for getting stoned.

"Homemaker" and Mother, Carolyn Early is portrayed marvelously by Cindy Maples in a role that stretches from doting, motherly heart-to-hearts to sternly shouted expletives as her character overtly struggles with how little control she actually has over her family beyond extending the invitations to this hopeful event.

The baby of the family is in his late 20s, still living at home and - by all indications, most likely - not still breastfeeding. Bobby Early is played by Mike Dobrzelecki who tries his very best to steal the show by delivering carefully measured aspects of Elvis, Meatloaf, Baby Huey and just enough Karate Kid to win favor with his overtly absent, mistress toting, father Jack (played admirably by Raymond Kester.)

Melissa Revels delivers a delightful portrayal of middle-child Bridgett who could almost qualify as normal, but rest assured this is only what passes for normal in a family where "smoke-screen" seems to be the order of the day.

Uncle Raymond (endearingly characterized by Rich Ragains) lets his flaming love light shine and shows that he takes seriously his obligation to the family that dearly loves him in spite of his taste in sweaters.

JoAnn King White brings the character of Grandma to life as one who happily exists in her own little world and playfully invites all around her to join in the simpler pleasures reserved for those teetering on the verge of dementia. Grandma may well be the only guest in attendance truly happy to be there.

Of course this Christmas gathering would not be complete without their recently released, teardrop-tattooed, ex-con cousin Bryan (a role nailed by actor Derik Zooashkiyani) and his female companion.

The film does a masterful job of introducing the viewer to each member of this gathering, making us feel welcome among the madness. Once we begin to realize the volatile nature of this mixture of personalities the true magic of Christmas rears its ugly head. Just as you can mend a fraying rope by singeing its ends, so too can a family bond together at Christmas time.

This film is humorous without resorting to high-voltage lighting displays or ridiculously lubricated snow sleds. It delivers a profound message of love and family togetherness without resorting to angels getting wings or miracles 4 blocks north of 30th Street. Perhaps the most notable quality of Bethlehem is how relatable this messed up family is likely to be to everyone fortunate enough to watch this film. Destined to become a Christmas classic; one you should only watch with your children after they leave home or reach the age of 18 (whichever comes first.) [Officailly Rated R13 Offensive Language and Sexual Content]

Expertly lensed by David M. Brewer this feature packs amazing, big-time production value; a credit to all involved. Check out the complete list of cast and crew on IMDB and help spread the word about what is surely the unlikeliest connection ever between Bethlehem and Christmas.

Enjoy this Official Trailer with the knowledge it is not safe for work.

Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/P4ky4gNbO0M

 

Big Biting Pig is set to premier their latest annual horror flick this weekend. And if the trailers are any  indication, it looks like we are all in for a shockingly good time...

The film is called "Frances Stein" and (as you can well imagine) it promises to put a feminine spin on a familiar genre. For a look at the official trailers, a peek at the official synopsis, to order the DVD and/or view the streaming video you should visit The Big Biting Pig Productions "Frances Stein" Movie page. While you are there explore the site for many fright inducing opportunities for fun.   

Followers of BlogDogIt will remember that I created animated GIF files for each of the BBPP releases to date (shortly after the release of last year's monster hit "The Caretakers.") In case you missed them, be sure to check out "The Complete BBPP GIFs Collection" for my tribute to the Big Biting Pig Horror Collection.

Continuing in that tradition, I present the following GIF creations built with frames extracted from the official trailers - These are offered in the spirit of "fan-art" and in no way are these efforts endorsed by PJ Woodside, Steve Hudgens, or Pig Biting Pig Productions (but I hope they like them.)

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Maintain Composure...

"Frances Stein" (2015) - Big Biting Pig Productions

 

 

 

Subjection...

"Frances Stein" (2015) - Big Biting Pig Productions

Random represents indie sensation, Cindy Maple's directorial debut. The film was written by Cindy and wisely places her in a starring role beside her real life hubby Rusty James.

Graphically powerful and erotically romantic, this touching film offers the viewer a delightfully voyeuristic glimpse into this pivotal night of life and love for the unquestionably happy couple. Cindy Maples brings to the screen a side of herself that this reviewer will not soon forget while Mina Fedora's original score sets the mood and caries us solidly through to the final fade.

A truly impressive 7 minute short that showcases the talents of all involved in a polished work that will no doubt serve as first-rate resume enhancements for the creative, technical, cinematic and production personnel. Carriage House Productions and Cindy Maples prove once again that they are in it to win it.

The Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDoMNC2FGSk

This review was written by me for submission to IMDB

When I learned that the church was planning to hold a water balloon fight my first thought was "this cannot happen without my video camera and me in attendance." My first words had me volunteering to document the event. And so that "snowball" was put into motion...

It did not take too much thought to realize that in the midst of a water balloon war is not the optimum location for the delicate, precision electro-opticals of a digital video camera (unless yours happens to be of the Go-Pro® variety.) My Samsung HMX-F90 - as it just so happens - is not designed for making movies in moisture so I had to figure out a way to take the camera out from under the umbrella and into the field of battle.

Slipping the video-cam into a Ziploc bag was the first idea that had merit but polyethylene bags are not manufactured for optical clarity and I did not much relish the thought of filming a water balloon battle as though it were a Doris Day close-up. Since I do have several bits of scrap Plexiglas in the workshop I considered cutting a disk to serve as a port-hole to allow sharply focused rays of light into the bag-o-cam.

When I was a kid I had the plans for building an underwater camera housing using Plexiglas, epoxy, o-rings and wing-nuts-out-the-wazoo and wondered if the time had come to put those plans into action but was curious about what other "DIY" types are doing to waterproof their cameras. This is one of those questions that helps the internet earn its keep and as expected there was a fair amount of advice on building home-made submersible camera enclosures.

Many of the more popular methods involved using PVC drain pipe and fittings with Plexiglas for a window - some really good ideas but these involved turning on the camera before loading into the housing and allowing it to run non-stop until its retrieval; this left a lot to be desired in the way of composing, changing focal length, reviewing shots and cinematography in general. I had to dial back the enthusiasm a bit and - by way of the drawing board - invent what I think of as a "rain coat" for my camera, as opposed to those "Helmet Diver Suits" that certainly serve a purpose but are not really what this assignment called for.

In the laboratory, er workshop I was reminded of how well suited the scroll saw was for cutting out Plexiglas [see Bridge Head Template] and returned to that workstation to get this manufacturing process under way. The dimensions for the largest part - the "wrap around" piece - was worked-out using cardboard. The locations for the bends were transferred in pencil to the protective paper coating on the stock Plexiglas. Using a pen knife I lightly scored the brown paper in the hopes this would lead to a more accurate bend.

The bending was accomplished with the use of a heat blower gun; the material being situated between an iron straight edge and along the edge of the iron table saw top. There is a certain art to bending Plexiglas this way but it is a skill that once mastered will serve you well for many ingenious solutions. You should however, exercise great care when heating Plexiglas because the temperature at which the material bends is uncomfortably close to the temperature at which it will ignite. That being said, you are also well advised to have a fire extinguisher handy anytime you plug in the heat blower gun - just sayin'...

Once the large piece was formed the camera is tested for fit and  I discovered the camera controls could be manipulated easier if there was just a bit more clearance space above the camera. This adjustment was made by re-heating and some creative jig rigging but ultimately resulted in a satisfactory shape which was then traced onto more Plexiglas stock to form the front and back panels. These pieces were cut out handily on the scroll saw and the next step involved the rather tedious task of removing the paper from the parts.

The only reason I came to posses a supply of this 1/8th in. Plexiglas is that its previous owner was storing it in a poorly climate controlled warehouse and after several years of heating and cooling extremes the protective paper - which under ideal conditions is adhered with low tack adhesive - is mindbogglingly difficult to remove to expose any usable clarity. Not one to let such a valuable cache of resources find their way to the nearby land-fill I offered to let them continue in their tradition of improper storage in an out of the way nook in my unheated garage/workshop.

I will let it be known here that I have arrived at a method for removing even the most stubbornly adhered protective paper coating from even the most mistreated of Plexiglas rewarding you with crystal-clarity with a minimum of fuss. For this most valuable of trade secrets I ask only the paltry sum of $15 and a self addressed stamped envelope sent to "Tell Me How To Do It" P.O. Box 555..... but seriously here's how it's done:

Soak the Plexiglas parts in a container appropriate for complete submersion in a mild water/ammonia solution for anywhere between overnight and a few days. This will enable you to remove the paper without much trouble. The use of a hard plastic squeegee as a scraper will speed the process and save your fingernails. The only problem now will be the glue residue that is left clinging to the precious Plexiglas. There is only one thing I have found that will cause the glue to release its death-grip and that is none other than Denatured Alcohol. In fact if you ever need to remove sticky residue (as from bumper stickers etc.) go straight for the denatured alcohol and take care of it lickety-split (of course the usual disclaimer about "check for color-fastness in an inconspicuous location to determine if safe for your application" applies here.)

Once the protective paper with its glue mess was gone, window cleaner and paper towels finished the chore. Using a bit of emery cloth I sanded 1/4 in. bands where the Plexiglas pieces needed to be bonded to add some "tooth." At this time I also drilled the hole for access to the camera's tripod socket and scuffed that area to give a bit of grip to those surfaces. Using clear plumbers silicone caulking I applied a bead to the perimeter of the flat end pieces and assembled the project on end and weighted it down to dry overnight. The caulking goes on white but drys clear and make for a clean looking bond despite my rather sloppy caulk beads. The shape of the housing did not allow for the usual technique of smoothing the caulk with a moistened finger so it is what it is.

This video camera rain coat turns out to be a perfect companion piece to the "steady(ish)-cam" that was constructed for the "Rockin'4God" event [see: About this Rockin' 4 God Video] and the combination performed admirably in the heat of battle providing close-to-the-action footage that helps to make "The Balloon Fight Movie" the instant classic it is (among all those who took part in that most epic day of fellowship and fun.) The proof is in the pictures. Check out the video made with this rig and you will agree that without this clam-shell layer of protection it would have been the end of this video camera as we know it. All in all this was the proper amount of engineering to make good on my promise to "deliver the goods."

In my next post I will talk about editing "The Water Balloon Fight Movie" using open-source software and the complexities of building the soundtrack that added so much to the enjoyment of this video project.

[See BlogDogIt Article: Sound Trek]

 

The Dig project continues slowly but surely. Collecting the various bookmarks for the alphabetical highlight pages is a lot of fun but I especially  enjoy uncovering something that demands to be shared in the form of a post. The website I am sharing here is a Dutch language tribute to the 2009 Fanoe Kite Festival and features the adventures of three daring Belgian thrill seekers. 

You should probably brush-up on your Dutch or fire-up the translator before visiting their website but you are sure to enjoy the video below (created by Michel "Bitchkoemer" De Meester) which clearly speaks the universal language of friendship and fun!

Een weekje Fano 2008
A week of Fano 2008
        from Michel De Meester

Eind juni 2008 trokken we met de motorhome een weekje naar Fano.
In late June 2008, we went with the motor home for a week to Fanoe.

Uitsluitend om te buggiën en een beetje te genieten van het vliegerfestival.
Mostly for buggying and a bit to enjoy the kite festival.

Hier ziet u een korte samenvatting van onze "uitspattingen" aldaar.
Here is a brief summary of our "excesses" there.

Groetjes
Greetings

Bitchkoemer (B1084)

 

 The Video: https://vimeo.com/1564977

 

Wie zijn wij?
Who are we?

Soms noemen we ons "Tree of a Kite", een woordspeling van de bekende poker term "Three of a Kind".
Sometimes we call ourselves "Tree of a Kite," a pun of the famous poker term "Three of a Kind."

We zijn inderdaad "Three of a Kind", we zijn met drie, we kennen elkaar al jaren en hebben samen al heel wat woelige watertjes doorzwommen, kortom drie goede vrienden, ieder met een eigen persoonlijkheid maar door onze vriendschap zijn we, net als broers, meestal wel in elkaars buurt te vinden.
We are indeed "Three of a Kind", we are three, we've known each other for years and have been together for quite some turbulent lessons learned. In short, three good friends, each with their own personality but through our friendship we, as brothers, are typically found together.

"Tree" verwijst enerzijds naar "drie" , maar ook naar het dorp waar we alle drie wonen: "Boom" (tussen Antwerpen en Brussel), "Kite" spreekt voor zich, we zijn alle drie met de vliegersport bezig.
"Tree" on the one hand refers to "three", but also to the village where we all three live: "Boom" (between Antwerp and Brussels) [boom means "tree"], "Kite" Obviously, we are all involved with the sport kite.

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De oudste (en dus ook de slimste :-)
The oldest (and therefore the smartest :-)

Michel De Meester, in de vliegerwereld beter bekend als Bitchkoemer (B1084), houdt zich voornamelijk bezig met buggiën, maar ook af en toe een éénlijnertje onder de naaimachine duwen lukt hem wel.
Michel De Meester, in the kite world known as Bitchkoemer (B1084) mainly engages in buggying, but also occasionally pushing a tow-kite through a sewing machine with successful results. [?]

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De middelste
The middle
 

Rudy Belis, de buggy collega's kennen hem als FamGaga (B1158), hij rijdt ondertussen iets meer dan een jaartje en begint zich aardig uit de slag te trekken in zijn karreke.
Rudy Belis, the buggy colleagues know him as FamGaga (B1158), meanwhile he runs a little over a year and begins to withdraw from the battle in his nice karreke. [?]

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De jongste (en ook de lelijkste)
The youngest (and the ugliest)

Peter Bastaens AKA Viper, zal af en toe wel enkele rakjes rijden maar houdt zich voornamelijk bezig met onze technische ondersteuning, ook de catering valt meestal onder zijn bevoegdheid (lees pintjes halen voor de rijders :-)
Peter Bastaens AKA Viper, will occasionally do some buggy driving but is mainly concerned with technical support, also catering usually falls under its jurisdiction (read: fetch beers for the drivers :-) [?]

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Do you feel called to participate in the organization?
Do you feel called to sponsor us with "beverage and food?"
...please do not hesitate to send an email to someone of "Tree of a Kite!"

Michel aka Bitchkoemer (B1084)

Rudy aka FamGaga (B1158)

Peter aka Viper

pareidolia
par·ei·do·lia (păr′Ä«-dō′lÄ“-É™) n.

The perception of a recognizable image or meaningful pattern where none exists or is intended, as the perception of a face in the surface features of the moon.

Images from the interwebs.

Pareidolia

 Click On The Image For Source Page

While the rest of geekdom was shedding a happy tear over the announcement of a new installment in the the Star Wars franchise - Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - this nerd was beside himself over the fact that the world premiere of the long awaited, much ballyhooed, indie sci-fi, horror, action, thriller Ezekiel's Landing was about to occur and in my own back yard (so to speak.) Now don't get me wrong I am a big fan of Star Wars and take pride that I was among the first in line for the premiere screening of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope in Indianapolis at the luxurious Eastwood Theater in 1977.

 

Irving Theater - not as plush as the infamous Eastwood but with a far more colorful history - was the "happening" place-to-be in Indianapolis for die hard fans of independent films of the sci-fi persuasion. On April 24 the world premier of Eziekiel's Landing was featured "At The Irving."

On first inspection one might find the Irving better suited to a random Rave than a world premier, motion picture unveiling but what it lacked in bolted-to-the-floor seating, carpeting and ceiling tiles it more than made up for in warm, friendly fans of creativity rubbing elbows with the craftspeople who came together to make the night even possible and ultimately enjoyable.

Executive Producer Kate Chaplin took to the microphone as a pleasantly enthusiastic Master of Ceremony sharing the spotlight with Writer/Director James Treakle who set the stage for a respectable crowd of eager theater goers. The 85 minute film, included the briefest of intermissions 3/4 of the way through by some very needy anti-virus software on the projectors source MacBook - that's free anti-virus for you.[smiley:;)]

Following the featured presentation was a very informative Q&A session that had all cast and crew in attendance standing in the front of the hall. After taking several questions a suggestion was made that perhaps the wireless microphone should be passed down the line so that each member in attendance might declare their favorite scene and share one of their fondest memories of the production. This was priceless entertainment that can never be equaled. I am thankful to social media for keeping me in the loop so that I could attend this once in a lifetime event.

I encourage you, dear reader, to support the independent filmmaker in whatever genre suits your taste and discover right there, in your own "back yard," what it is that makes the movie industry so magical: the blood, sweat and tears of those individuals with the vision and drive to love, create and share in pursuit of what can only be called a really good movie.

In an effort to show my support for these folks I offer the following review of the film Ezekiel's Landing - originally posted to IMDB:

[ Continue Reading ]

I Am Kawehi is fast becoming one of my favorite singer, songwriter, musicians. This tune has got to be one of my favorites ATM. Since she was nice enough to share it via her BandCamp page the least I can do is embed it here (for easy access) and ask you people with money to support this artist.

Yo!

Get to know I Am Kawehi

Lyrics Below