We showed silent films to 7-year-olds and I was quite surprised at how funny these kids found Chaplin and Keaton to be – even after 100 years they are as relevant to entertainment as ever. Our little folks were rolling on the floor. After watching the likes of these, they endeavored to make their own…
The Rain in Spain…
…does not always fall on the plain – regardless of what we’ve learned. Having just returned from a week’s travels into the Pyrénées and the coast, we encountered weather much like that of our former residences in Southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. We visited San Sebastián, Munitibar-Arbatzegi Gerrikaitz and Ansó. Which isn’t to say…
Diversity
One of the greatest things about living in a city like Barcelona is the great diversity present in the streets. Not only do we hear Catalán, Spanish and their relatives, but also French, Italian, Turkish, German and occasionally English. So goes the joke: What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual What do…
Catalan
From Wikipedia: The Catalans are the people from Catalonia, an Autonomous Community of Spain, including people originating in that region but living elsewhere. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France – known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord (Northern Catalonia), and in France as the Pays Catalan – are often included in this…
El Peor Terrorista
“El peor terrorista” translates into English as “the worst terrorist” – meaning the graffiti I photographed this weekend means, “the worst terrorist is the capitalist system.” [thanks, Fonz] Being from the States while in Europe means that Europeans often ask about Obama and are as excited about his election as we are – feels good…
Flight of the Bergey
I’m not one who usually rides on the back of anything except maybe a horse. Yesterday, however, I couldn’t pass up a chance to ride through Barcelona on the back of my friend’s scooter during rush-hour. = c
1-minute stories
Today we begin shooting 1-minute stories with the students here. What can you tell in 1-minute? Commercials that don’t suck can tell a lot: = c
Món Sant Benet
I was fortunate to be invited to participate in [and document] a field trip to one of the more reverent locales around Barcelona, Món Sant Benet. Here’s the site’s official story: = c
Littering PSA
Above is another PSA we made together around the issue of littering, which is a rather huge issue here as the city of Barcelona employs vast armies of cleaning crews who constantly follow behind the hordes of people here who throw their trash on the streets and park almost constantly. Thus, it is a challenge…
PSAs
This week at the school, we’re looking at and making our own PSAs. Broadcast PSAs came into widespread use in the late 1940’s with the famous “Only you can prevent forest fires” tagline of Smokey the Bear. The students are creating PSAs around many issues, including littering, drugs, creativity, oppression, etc. = c
That’s Entertainment
Riding home from work on the metro last week was both confusing and invigorating – learning your way around a strange city when you don’t speak the language is exquisitely gratifying, especially when you get to stand next to this guy, who played along to accompaniment in the form of a boom box he toted…
The Pope of the Remix Village is…
This guy: = c
Is that you, Joshua?
How good does it feel to know there are smart and, yes, successful people out there doing things for a greater good? Take Joshua Silver, for instance, who’s got all the credentials any mofo might need to be a big, selfish dick but instead has made it his goal to deliver affordable corrective lenses to…
Hey, Charlie
= c
timelapse : does it ever get boring?
I can watch timelapse after timelapse and never ever get tired of them. A fella made this one on a flight from Amsterdam and it’s a good one:
The Wilhelm Scream
Heard of it? I hadn’t until my pal, Lars, turned me onto it and next thing I knew I was combing the Web, looking for as many stories about it as I could. Turns out, this scream sound effect has been used as a bit of a tribute in more films than you can shake…
Feel-Good Commercials Don’t Suck as Hard
Commercials have a way of kicking the authenticity out of our ability to be spontaneous. People do things “spontaneously” now, more than ever, for Facebook or whatever social-networking site they subscribe to, which can be a drag but if it gets us off our butts and back into a playful, whimsical state-of-mind, it sure can’t…
Farewell #6, you are a free man
We knew him, we loved him and, especially with a remake of The Prisoner in development, we will miss him. = c