In November I made a trip to NYC to work on some new promo videos for my old friend Peter Levin. Pete is currently playing in the Greg Allman Band, after years touring the world with The Blind Boys of Alabama. Over the last 20+ years during my own journeys, we’ve connected in endless cities where I’ve been at the time and he’s passed through on tour with all kinds of bands. Pete’s a killer keyboard, piano and organ player who’s performed with if you can believe it Allen Toussaint, Crosby Stills & Nash, Aaron Neville, Levon Helm, The Doobie Brothers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Lou Reed, Joan Osbourne, Yo La Tengo, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Charlie Musselwhite, Christian McBride, Merl Saunders, Phil Lesh, Mike Gordon, Vasser Clements, and the Oak Ridge Boys.
We spent 5 days at his studio in Brooklyn filming daytime sessions with an assortment of players, and then he played each night as part of a weeklong run at The Winery in Manhattan with the Greg Allman Band which I also got to enjoy as his guest. The new materials will showcase some of his solo work with a variety of artists, featuring him playing on an incredible collection of keyboards, synthesizers and his grand piano that he keeps in his studio. Was a great time connecting with an old friend and will be exciting to put the content together over the coming weeks.
This is a similar style of piece we did 7 years back
and a clip of Pete playing Amazing Grace with The Allman Brothers Band and The Blind Boys of Alabama at the Beacon Theater in NYC
Pangeality Production was recently hired by a motivational speaker from out of state, coming to Seattle to present at a conference of dental students from around the country. Though his business is about preventing divorce by helping build healthy marriages and providing tools and exercises for repairing broken ones, his talk to students was about future planning. The majority of them were graduate students who would soon begin their professional lives, and he teaches that the 3 pillars upon which a successful career rests are Vison, Expectations, and Support. He’d found Pangeality Productions online and hired me to film his hourlong training and presentation, that he could then share within his own social media channels and website.
Earlier this week I had the as always awesome opportunity to join friends and clients Pete and Dylan Knutson of Loki Fish out salmon fishing on Puget Sound. The fall window for fishing keta salmon comes each early October and on their boats the Loki and the Njord they’re literally at the mouth of Elliot Bay in Seattle’s harbor pulling in keta salmon about to leave the ocean, entering the rivers that lead to their natal streams where they’ll spawn and die. On this particular night I was out to get some drone footage of the boats in action. It was a gorgeous warm October night with the sun spraying amazing colors out above the Olympics. It was the first time I’d both had to hand catch the drone and flying out exclusively over water. It was a smooth shoot and a solid night of fishing. I then met them the following morning on the docks at fishermen’s terminal to bring in the catch, joining the other boats in their fleet to unload and get the fish out into the community. The fillets were available in regional farmers markets and restaurants literally in less than 36 hours. An amazing turn around of basically the freshest catch possible. Loki’s been using video as a tool to tell their story and promote their business since we first met and started working together in 2007. This particular media was an opportunity to get a really unique perspective of exactly where they’re fishing and it’s proximity to Seattle. That angle from the drone shows both the boat and Seattle skyline in the background. We put together some unique sound bites about the old and new, about this fishing ‘run’ being active for perhaps thousands of years originally by the native population and now commercially as well. And then identifying that with the rise of Seattle’s tech sector and the growing presence of drones in America and their growing applications. To learn more and/or purchase some amazing wild Alaskan or locally caught salmon or to see more of the media we’ve previously produced, visit their site at LokiFish.com
Drone’s Eye View of Salmon Fishing Boat Leaving Shilshole Marina in Seattle
Drone’s eye view of salmon fishing boat in Seattle’s Puget Sound
Hand catching a drone off a salmon fishing boat in Seattle’s Elliot Bay
Freshly harvested and onto plates in Seattle Japanese restaurants in less than 24 hours.
Fisherman Pete Knutson of Loki Fish ‘picking the net’ of keta salmon in Seattle’s Puget Sound
Freshly harvested and onto plates in Seattle Japanese restaurants in less than 24 hours.
Dylan Knutson of Loki Fish processing the salmon fresh out of the net, bleeding out and chilled in iced water.
Dylan Knutson of Loki Fish processing the salmon fresh out of the net, bleeding out and chilled in iced water.
Seattle city council candidates from throughout the city at TreePAC forum on Open Space and Urban Forestry Issues[/caption]Over the years I’ve done a lot of work with local nonprofit Plant Amnesty, who’s dedicated to ‘eradicating the senseless torture of trees and shrubs through malpruning’. TreePAC is the political arm of their work and they recently held a forum for city council candidates at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture. 17 candidates representing all district races and the at large council seats addressed zoning issues and other policy related to open space and urban forestry management. The video is now publicly available, enabling those interested parties locally, regionally and nationally to understand the dialog taking place in the Emerald City, looked to around the world for leadership in these kinds of issues. For more information and to see the video, visit http://treepac.org/ and http://www.PlantAmnesty.org
Seattle city council candidates from throughout the city at TreePAC forum on Open Space and Urban Forestry Issues
Seattle city council candidates from throughout the city at TreePAC forum on Open Space and Urban Forestry Issues
Chillin’ w/ Seattle gardening celebrity Cisco at Seattle city council candidates from throughout the city at TreePAC forum on Open Space and Urban Forestry Issues
I’ve recently completed work on a large training curriculum with Sound Discipline, an amazing local nonprofit teaching self regulation skills to young people in schools through a variety of means. The central pillar is the class meeting where students regularly share and discuss the problems and issues they are dealing with at home and school, and get support from their peers in solving those problems.
They also teach the Brain in the Hand Model of Dr Dan Siegel .It’s really amazing to see an entire school speaking a language where students and staff are on board with this model. The ability of a student to simply flash the hand signal that means their brains are compromised from making good decisions and being safe, that they’ve “flipped their lid” and need a minute to calm down and take a few breaths.
I was very impressed to hear the voices of the 5th grade students featured in the training series and how they feel about class meetings and the skills they’re learning and using at school. Plus the impact it’s had on their performance and community as described by teachers, support staff, and principals was inspiring.
This summer I’ve been enjoying flying a drone. It’s an amazing tool for capturing aerial images, both still and motion, providing amazing perspective on all kinds of natural and commercial shoots. I’ve put together an early sampler of some fun work. The shots come from around the pacific northwest, including in Seattle, The Methow Valley, North Cascades and beyond.
Last week I did some freelance camera work with CCTV covering the major announcement of the opening of the Global Innovation Exchange (CCTV is similar to a Chinese BBC). One of the most prestigious universities in China is joining with the University of Washington to run a graduate institute in Bellevue that will focus on technology and innovation. The partnership with Tsinghua University of Beijing — sometimes called the MIT of China — will mark the first time that a Chinese research university has established a physical presence in the United States. The program will be based in the Spring District of Bellevue in the rezoned and redeveloping Bel-Red Corridor. The GIX as it will be known, will start with a few dozen students in fall 2016, and could grow to 3,000 students in a decade.
“Both Tsinghua and UW faculty will teach, in English, and the students will earn a master’s degree over 15 months. They’ll be charged with tackling great problems of this era: sustainability, health, inequality, environmental issues, transportation and clean energy, to name just a few. Technology isn’t just about engineering and science anymore.” In remarks, a Microsoft person described the partnership as “a way to grow higher education in Seattle, which is “at a disadvantage” when compared with other U.S. cities that are tech-innovation centers, including Boston, New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. All of those cities have at least two major research universities; Boston has four. Seattle has one.”
We shot interviews with WA Governor Jay Inslee, the head of research for Microsoft, and the presidents of both Universities, that all played across a variety of CCTV programs.
Currently in production of multimedia training materials aimed at sharing and promoting Best Management Practices in the Automotive Repair Industry. The project is being lead by The Pollution Prevention Resource Center with whom I’ve worked with on a number of previous projects. Our first shoot was at a model green shop in West Seattle, and last week we filmed at the City of Seattle vehicle fleet maintenance facility. On tour, we were lead by the head of the facility, and accompanied by an inspector from the Department of Ecology and a chemical engineer with Puget Sound Energy. The sprawling complex was full of auto repair bays with vehicles ranging from brand new Harley motorcycles for the police department but not yet in rotation to a SWAT vehicle, parking chariots, trucks with cranes and on and on. They had an on site painting facility and we learned about their chemical and materials waste systems. Was pretty impressive to see this hub of action that maintains the vehicles of all city departments.
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
Vehicle Painting Facility on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
Vehicle Painting Facility on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
Vehicle Painting Facility on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
Inspecting SWAT Team Vehicle on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet
Inspecting SWAT Team Vehicle on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet
Inspecting SWAT Team Vehicle on City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet
Portable Hydraulic Vehicle Lifters on Inspecting Chemicals On City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
Brand New Harley Davidson Police Motorcycles Ready to Enter Service
Brand New Harley Davidson Police Motorcycles Ready to Enter Service
Brand New Harley Davidson Police Motorcycles Ready to Enter Service
City of Seattle Vehicle Fleet Maintenance Facility Tour
In late May and early June of this year, the Shell oil rig Polar Pioneer was docked in Seattle’s harbor for maintenance. Coming from around the world, the rig was bound for Alaska to begin offshore drilling for oil in the Chukchi Sea between the US and Russia. This decision to allow for drilling there by the Obama Administration represents a new and dangerous direction for official policy that bost prolongs a dependence on fossil fuel as well as takes great environmental risks with the threat of an oil spill in such a significant and remote ecosystem.
Over the course of the month, there were numerous events on land and sea that included a surge of kayaktivism, small boat protests around the rig to draw attention to the federal policy and the oil giants irresponsible and dangerous plans. The rig was a giant monstrosity of a machine, towering over the city skyline larger than any other machinery anywhere in the port and visible from every direction.
On the morning of the the rigs departure from Seattle, a call went out to people to come join the waterborne protest and stand in the path of the giant rig. I awoke at sunrise and went to get my drone camera up in the sky over the rig before it’s departure. I then boarded a Greenpeace boat full of Raging Grannies and joined the small crowd in the waters in front of the departing rig as it made it’s way out of Elliott Bay.
This is a short piece I produced for Yes Magazine, with whom I’ve collaborated on a number of projects over the years.
Recently, I’ve been working on a new project with Sound Discipline, showcasing their work with one local school, Lakeridge Elementary in Renton. It’s amazing how powerful their approach to problem solving and communication skills can be in helping create a healthy learning community. Teachers integrate a ‘class meeting’ model that is an opportunity for students to express their feelings, share compliments and problem solve together. I’m particularly impressed with their using the hand model for understanding one’s brain, and how young children are using it when their ‘lids are flipped’, their decision making skills are scrambled, and they’re needing to take a break. It’s now a common language throughout the school and everyone knows the hand symbols and what they represent.
Doing great work, some bites from Sound Discipline’s website: We see a day when:
• People feel cared for, respected and empowered in their schools, families and communities. • Families feel that it is normal to ask for help and have a broad network of local resources (or family educators) that cross race, class and culture where they can turn for support and parenting tools •Classrooms are places where young people are learning the skills needed in a global society • Schools are places where mistakes are opportunities for learning and the race bias around discipline is undone • Communities support schools and families in using solution focused methods that enhance equity and honor each person’s dignity.
We Believe:
• All people, young and adult—regardless of race, class and culture—are worthy of dignity and respect • Misbehaving children are discouraged children • Current punitive practices and systems work to the detriment of all young people and perpetuate a legacy of oppression and inequity • Mutually respectful relationships and solution focused problem solving empower children, families, schools, and communities to thrive and foster academic excellence, citizenship, equity, and democracy
I’ve recently been working with Dina Russell of PlantShare to produce 2 videos in support of the launch of their new website. One video is a How It Works nuts and bolts site tour, and the other is more conceptual, filled with the words of current users. It’s basically taking the ancient art of sharing plants and giving it a digital platform to facilitate and connect people looking to give and receive free plants, in all forms from cut flowers to transplanted trees, seed, trimmings etc. I’m looking forward to it’s success and growth.
I recently attended the screening of the world premier of the Nepali film Serdhak – The Golden Hill at SIFF, The Seattle International Film Festival. Following the QnA, I scooped up the young filmmakers, director and star/writer for some Seattle love beyond downtown and their hotel room. Over the years, I’ve visited Nepal 6 times living there for roughly a year and a half and speak almost fluent Nepali. I felt it my responsibility to host these young guys and share my city with them. We went down to Mertle Edwards Park on the Seattle waterfront and enjoyed a gentle breeze and beautiful sunset on a warm night in late May. This is a spontaneous interview we did discussing the making of the film. Follow their progress as the film begins screening internationally at https://www.facebook.com/SerdhakTheFilm Our interview:
Jon Clarren is an artist friend of mine I’ve been working with to develop some of his marketing and promotional materials. The content we produce will reach property owners, architects, and developers looking to integrate art into their buildings and properties, in courtyards and rooftops, foyers and all kinds of spaces. It’s been great filming at his studio, and in a glass hot shop and a metal fabricating studio in Ballard.
Over the past 6 months I’ve had the privilege to film a few live shows of Seattle soul queen Grace Love and her band The True Loves. They’re tearing it up, taking off this year with shows at Folklife, Bumbershoot, Timbr and much more. You can catch them performing live around town frequently.
For the fourth year in a row Pangeality Productions was tapped to film the PCC Annual Meeting. Over a beautiful spread of a meal, new PCC CEO Cate Hardy welcomed members, introduced herself and her vision for the future of PCC Natural Markets. Board Candidates gave short presentations, the PCC Cooks program was showcased (running since 1983), and the new soon to be opened PCC in Columbia City was featured, including insights from new Seward Park store owners to be Third Place Books.