Behind-the-Scenes Saturdays: Stills, Empanadas & the Tango!!

I'm also hired to do still photography for various events, and this night, an international holiday party, was full of wonderful South American cuisine, Argentinian music and the tango! At one point, my assistant subtly motioned to me in the middle of a song, to keep taking pictures! So, I got caught up in the 12-string guitar and latin music... sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

Behind-the-Scenes: Behind-the-Band

Shooting a demo reel last night for the UnUsual Suspects band of Ventura, California was a blast! And other than the drunken dude in the Hawaiian shirt yearning to have his time on camera and in the spotlight, it was a fun shoot and night. Awesome music, a groovy group of guys and an entertaining and lively night with this cool cover band. Hardly felt like work.

Photo Shoot Prep - Santa Barbara

No matter how many times I prep for a video shoot and go through my list it seems that something often goes MIA. But not today! I won't allow it. Because today is one of those uber fun behind-the-scenes photoshoots, near the shores of the Pacific.....In a magical secret garden-forest....  behind my favorite mid-century modern home in the area.... among the Oaks.... must I go on?

You get it, I'm prepared! Everything I need will be at my fingertips. I will find it quickly. You get my mantra.

Anyway, back to work. Actually it doesn't really seem like work considering the setting (did you read the first paragraph? The scene explains everything!). And we're working with one our favorite Santa Barbara fashion textile artists, Catherine Masi, an East Coast Italian artist that sells her swoon-worthy aesthetics for brides around the world.

So to all of the forest wood-fairies out there today....meet me at 9:00am next to the tallest fern and the biggest oak. Would be fun to sneak in a quick behind-the-scenes video clip of all of you.

NAB 2012: What a Show!

Wowza! This newbie had a fab time at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show this year in Vegas! I mean, Vegas alone... 'nuff said. But the NAB show, WHOA! I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a technology/production playground for one giant geeky 'play date' and boy was it fun! So, here's a little recap for you...

Lights!

Cameras!

Action!

New van anyone?

Oh, how I love me some gadgets like this 

Juice Pack Powerstation for iDevices!

Time for a little NAB shopping.

Back to the Digital Production Buzz show booth  with a Vente in hand - it's an editing staple!

And that's a wrap for NAB 2012.

One VERY tired but VERY happy editor!

Behind-The-Scenes-Saturdays: NAB Show 2012!

Lights! Camera! Action! Or in NAB-speak, "Where Content Comes to Life!


This year, it's Vegas Baby for the 2012 NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show. This colossal broadcasting and 'broader-casting' show prides itself with more than 90,000 media and entertainment professionals from around the globe attending, which for sure, is a promise for a full geeking-out experience for yours truly.


Promising boundless opportunities for content, content, content, NAB also proclaims that this is THE event where Shift Happens! So, with that in mind, this NAB-newbie is taking full advantage of all it has to offer. From the 1,500 plus exhibit participants and companies to the afterparties and a Supermeet, this gal has one thing, and one thing only on her mind: enter-every-raffle-and-giveaway-she-can!


So, with the spirit of winning big in Vegas in mind and a plane ticket in hand, keep your fingers crossed where the new motto is WIN BIG OR GO HOME! 


Let's hope for the first!. 

SXSW 2012!

Photo courtesy of Austist

The annual buzz has been in the air this past week with the kick-off of the SXSW (South By SouthWest) Music, Film & Interactive Conference down there in Austin, TX. Playing host to tens of thousands of participants and attendees from across the globe, this yearly happening draws the hippest, most influential, innovative and geekiest crowds imaginable for 10 days straight.


So far, we've watched a live stream of one of the trendiest techie competitions for Startups, the Start-up Bus competition, where teams from across the U.S. rode busses down to Austin while planning their pitches for their apps and their luck at a big break! We're also checking in with the daily 3-Minute video updates, salivating over all of the eats at those cool parties and wishing we were sitting in one of the groovy lounges quarreling over power sources for our technology. Sounds fun right?!


But for now, we've settled for living vicariously and virtually through friends (Woot-Woot Happstr!) and colleagues that are down yonder and of course, through Twitter, which is on fire with updates! And, we're swearing off staying back in California next year and are already making plans and strategizing about 2013. So, count.us.in SXSW! We're a comin' next year. That, you can bet on. 

Behind-The-Scenes-Saturdays: Finding Your 'Happy Place'

Feeling like a proud pseudo-mama right now as I'm watching the play-by-play media coverage of a dear friend's son on an adventure of a lifetime. Nate Cooper, (who I've shared many pizzas with over the years), is the founder of the hottest and happiest mobile app HAPPSTR. Being developed on board a bus as I type, this young hipster and team of 'buspreneurs' has already been written up on Mashable, Fox Business and Bloomberg Businessweek Lifestyle section for his obsession on the delight and good moods of peeps around the globe.


This geek-festival-on-wheels and hackathon, has been en route from New York City to Austin, Texas on the 2012 Startup Bus Project for the past few days heading to the SXSW Annual Film, Music & Interactive Conference. Happstr's mission? To understand, track and analyze happiness with the single tap of your mouse or mobile screen along with a simple phrase describing your state of happiness. Plus, their NYC Startup Bus just got themselves into the finals which, allows them to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to investors at the SXSW Technology Conference. Woot! Woot!


I mean really, can you imagine with all the negativity that we're surrounded by on a daily basis, that a group of innovative techies are actually wanting to track our happiness? Brilliant I say! 


And to Nate, whom was connected at the hip to his family computer each and every day growing up, I say a resounding AWESOME! You go and follow your dreams with a huge dose of happiness. In the meantime, I'm hitting your website up again with my current happy statement about 'What makes you happy?' - "Nate Cooper making a happy difference in this world!"... that's what makes me happy!


Now, back to finding my 'Happy Place!'

And the Oscar Goes To...

There's a buzz in the air over here at MDF as we are gearing up for the 84th Academy Awards in La La Land! We've got our Oscar picks ready, we're keeping a close eye on the fashions and most importantly, the planned Oscar menu will be delish! 


While we're munching down on our Oscar 'Spread' (AKA, food binge!), we're all cheering for The Artist, The Help and Midnight in Paris! But the noms are in so now, it's simply a cross-your-fingers situation. But, we've prayed to the Oscar Gods and are pulling for Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Viola Davis (The Help) to name a few. And of course, our Oscar for Film Editing goes to Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius of The Artist.


There are numerous more wins that we're hoping for here at the MDF Oscar headquarters (AKA, Hilary's living room), but for now, it's time to doll ourselves up, put the final touches on the balsamic, marinated artichoke hearts and take our places on the Tiffany Blue sofa.


But before signing off - be sure to let us know your picks, faves and nom hopefuls. Cheers and a toast to the nominees - because everyone's a winner! Well, not everyone, but it's good to be nominated right?! 

Behind-The-Scenes-Saturdays: The Happy Movie Premiere

Did you know that such a day exists? That's right, 'World Happy Day' has already come and gone but not without our participation as we're in much need and well overdue with a dose of happiness. Plus, we heard an interview of the filmmakers talking about this movie premiere all on one day.


So, here's how it rolled out. One day - 600 locations - same time - one movie. Simple, that's it. And because we're head-over-heals about this concept as well as global delight and good cheer, we just had to go. 


But, we don't want to give away too much other than to say, put on your happy pants and get yourselves out there, find a showing of The Happy Movie and partake in the  world-wide movement of glee!


And P.S., in case you forgot, here's a little reminder of what it means to be happy:

hap·py

  [hap-ee] 

adjective, -pi·er, -pi·est.

1.

delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to behappy to see a person.

2.

characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, orjoy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.

3.

favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky: a happy, fruitful land.

Happy New Year to 2012!

Happy New Year from MDF and the central coast of California! We're quite mirthful to ring in the New Year and start afresh as we've had a serious health setback here in our coastal office. So, we're slowly getting back up in the saddle at the onset of 2012, looking at everything with a 'Silver Lining' attitude and are beyond grateful for modern medicine. 


We've got scads of ideas, projects and ways of paying it forward this year and for that, we couldn't be more elated. We can hardly wait to hop on the production train and get rolling!


So we toast with you and to you to 2012. May it be the year of excellent health, enormous creativity, abundance and a plethora of happiness. Cheers!