Just about There.

Well, over thanksgiving I finally picked up my new computer....and I absolutely love it...its nice to have a piece of equipment that you can count on.  The problem with working completely Independent is that no matter what equipment you have, you always dream about what you could create if you had just that one more thing...that one thing that will allow you to take it to the next level.  Last year I got my new camera, and even though I had a pretty awesome camera I was never completely happy cause I knew I had a piece of shit computer sitting at home.

Now! I finally feel like I'm at a place where I can create a product that I can be proud of!  The documentary I've been working on was perfect because I didn't need the best equipment...all I needed to do was use what I had at my disposal to capture life as it was happening...Russell uses what he has at his disposal to create his fish and reef....its a lesson I learned from him.  Take was life gives you and create....its actually what being an outsider artist is all about.  So I believe that my lack of resources will actually add to the film.

In addition to my new computer I bought my first copy of Avid to edit on!...I finally have a reliable computer and editing program....I'm just praying to god that when I install the program it will recognize all the work I had previously done....if not I guess its back to the drawing board....I have really come to appreciate my film on a whole new level these past few weeks...its scary to think that its all gone.  If everything works out I will take full advantage of my second ...actually third opportunity.

One update actually...Eric is going to start composing some music for a trailer...I've come to realize that we  need to cut a trailer together finally....my girlfriend ana is actually the one who came up with the idea, so I'm hoping that it turns out amazing!!....cause its time to start fundraising.

I'm going home this weekend, hopefully its nice so I can go and see Russel....help him hang some Christmas lights and film him building in his workshop!....I'll return with more pictures.

                                                               Power Puff Fish
Russel will sometimes use pop culture as an inspiration for his fish....this is what a Power Puff Girl would look like if she existed in Russel's Reef as a fish.....some of it is pretty bizarre, but for the most part its amazing.

- Elliott

Seen from Space!

So awhile back I was introduced to Google Earth....for those of you who are not familiar, it is a program operated by Google obviously...and you can basically look at any part of the earth via pictures taken by a satellite orbiting the Earth.


Well, I looked at my house, Wrigley Field, Lowell High School...etc. etc....So in bordom I decided to see if I could see Russel's reef.....and to my surprise there it was!!

not only is it the only ferro concrete reef in the world....its the only ferro concrete reef in the world that can be seen from space!...kind of.....the more time I spend on this project, the more "firsts", and "only" titles this place aquires....its pretty amazing to be part of something that can be considered absolutely original....This picture is probably years old though, Russel is constantly adding to the reef....if fact I helped carry out at least 40 creations last spring....and just in the past few months the reef has expanded so much.


Next time I go home I plan on taking a few pictures so people can see some of his new creations...for now though here are a couple non satelite photos of the reef.

Sorry some of the creations look pink....my camera refused to white balance for me!....More pics to come!


-Elliott

Zombie Computer!

I don't know why it was a surprise to me, my entire life I have fought a losing war with technology...except in real war the object is to kill your enemy, and in this war my objective is to keep my enemy alive...unfortunately I have failed, my computer is dead!....again.


This wouldn't be such a problem except for the fact that I was in the process of editing my first feature film on the damn thing.  Like I said before, I don't know why its so surprising...this is the second time this has happened on this project...except last time I only lost a 20 minute cut...last time I saved my project I had a collective two hour cut of the film...60 hours cut down to a slim 2....I guess this is what I get though, I should of gotten a new computer long again...instead I chose to resurrect it time and time again...here is warning to all...never edit on a zombie computer...once its dead...ITS DEAD!..don't think that just because its working alright for awhile that it'll always be like that....it'll wait till you let your guard down, and jump up and bite you in the leg...turning you into a zombie also....a really pissed off zombie.

I bought a new 2tb hard drive, and I have a new laptop on the way....but its terrifying to think that 5 months of work has been flushed down the toilet...I really have no idea what will happen when I try to install avid on my new computer...I've been told that it'll be alright..I'm hoping that all my files are safe on my external hard drive, and if not the only thing I can do is start new.

F*cking computers. 

-Elliott 

Donald Duck Fish





In the Beginning

To be honest I should have started this blog years ago,  I started working on this project two years ago with Eric...the guy on the right in the picture.  We've been working together since High School...and are both graduates of Columbia College of Chicago....all pretty boring stuff, all you need to know if that we shared a common passion and wanted to make films together.


This project started as a school assignment...I really had no feelings one way or another toward documentary...I really hadn't seen many, but we decided to make our very own documentary anyway....
Somehow we came upon the idea of making a documentary about our friends dad, Russell Neswick....Who brought it up...I really can't say....but growing up he always seemed kind of crazy...I don't want to sound judgemental, but if you put the facts together he would seem pretty crazy to anyone....hes 80, he lives in the woods in a pretty decrepit house, he microwaves meat, and he spends almost every waking minute of his life building a concrete reef.  

We really didn't have any expectations on what we wanted to accomplish,  typically we would meticulously plan out our films....and to be honest, we have never really been happy with the end product....so we just assumed this would be a disaster.

It doesn't take a film genius to realize that this movie is pretty rough....and even though we never really expected to take this project any further than what you just saw, we did....and it would turn out to consume the next two years of our lives...in fact with each passing day we give more to it....and it may sound crazy to dedicate two years of ones life to something that started out so rough...but you'd be pretty naive to actually think we had a choice...this stuff picks you...and one thing I've learned from Russell, is that its just kinda in your own best interest to go with the flow of things.

-Elliott