busy with… life

OK. I have’t updated a post for a long time. Longer than usual. There are reasons, of couse. The main one is in the photo you see above. I’ve been trying to focus more on my family. When you are busy trying to get work done, keeping up with a blog isn’t all that important compared to your family, especially if you are not trying to find photography work. And I haven’t been. I’ve had a few other things going on the last six months. In January, I opened a branch of Porcaro Communications down here in Austin. Here is the website.

While trying to get local ad business down here, we found a Canadian company, Engineering.com, that wanted to have weekly news videos on their website, with a little humorous flare. You can see them here. That has been a lot of fun. Last week, however, my business partner down here has decided to go with different avenues, so that has left me all alone with Porcaro Creative here in Austin. Even more changes. Since I have been mostly producing as of late, I’ve decided to take the company in that direction. Instead of trying to compete with ad agencies here in Austin, we will work with them.

I’d like to think we have been doing pretty well with TV production. Not to toot my own horn, but I will, we just won a Silver Telly Award (that’s first place) for our Rocket-man TV spot. It was a lot of fun to produce and we were able to do it on a really tight budget.

So, what does the future hold? Who knows. Will I update more blog posts later? Yes. Do or do not, there is no try. Just know that things are always up for even more change.

Here are a few other things I have done lately and haven’t shared. Click the read more to see them. Read the rest of this entry »

merry christmahanakwanza

I finished this before Christmas.
I just forgot to hit upload.
I hope that you are forgiving,
and not a Christmas toad.
I hope that this will find you
singing a happy song
I wish you all a Merry Christmas,
and may your days be long…

and they are with children like ours.

Frozen Cowboy

I’m currently up in Unalakleet, Alaska shooting a commercial for a cellphone company. I’ve been taking some random iPhone shots and felt like sharing. First day… It’s really cold. Really cold. Especially after living in Austin Texas for the last year.

social sabbatical

I have been actually taking a break from social media. Believe it. Shoot, my Analytics count for this site wont dispute it either. But I have to confess, it has felt wonderful. A lot has happened in the past month and a half and I promise some good blog posts coming up. Here is a rundown of some things:

1. I enjoy running now. I will run a half marathon in December.
2. I have taken a much needed creative break from photography.
3. I have lost 10 pounds.
4. I took a week vacation to perform endless hours of manual labor.
5. I have made a deck with my bare hands (and power-tools).
6. I have refinished a floor. Tore up vinyl and carpet, then stained the concrete.
7. We are moving to a new house in 6 days.
8. I am making an arcade (look for great post on this later). On hold for now due to other items above.
9. I am building a man cave.
10. Yes, I AM building a man cave.

one more thing…

I got this from an email that someone sent my wife. Let me know if you can read it. If you can, you are just like me. Lucky you.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

2 things (i swear I have been working)

First is this, with no introduction needed. Just cool:

Second is this. WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING MARVEL? Why did you let them buy you!:

mad ad

I really haven’t gotten into Madmen at all, mainly because we don’t have cable. I know that may come to a shock from most, but why pay for something when I can watch everything I want to online. The only reason I want to have cable is for the commercials, and even those I watch online. You get the best of the best. I digress.

The shot above was for the new season release of Madmen. It is a really freaking cool shot. Plus, it was a really freaking cool setup. They actually used a tank of water. It was shot by Frank Ockenfels and produced by The Refinery.

The best part is watching the making of video, which you can see below the jump. If you are reading this in a feed you may need to see this directly on the blog.

Read the rest of this entry »

two avatars

These are screenshots of two movies that I am just dying to see. The first is the live-action release of Avatar: The Last Airbender, from M. Night Shamalan. The second, the much anticipated release of James Cameron’s Avatar.

I have to admit, I find it silly that Cameron made Shamalan lose the Avatar part of the title and just make it The last Airbender. But I suppose if I were working on a film for 10 years, I wouldn’t want any confusion either. The most exciting thing about this film is that he was striving to update the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ John Carter series. I loved those books as a kid.

And the Last Airbender series, don’t even get me started. Pure awesomeness.

Watch the previews here after the jump:

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without the kids

So Rachael’s sister was here visiting for a while and Rachael and I got out for some no kid fun. What did our date include include? Photography and sushi, what else? These photos were us messing around at Zilker Botanical Garden

movies I grew up on

So yesterday, not only did my wife turn 30, but John Hughes passed away. He was responsible for movies that I have seen probably over 100 to 200 times collectively, and helped sculpt my film/creative side. He made it OK to be a nerd. I probably quote more one liners from his movies than anyone else, well other than maybe Lucas or Spielberg. Ultimately, he made me laugh… a lot. Who can forget the bear getting the fur of his behind getting shot off in “The Great Outdoors?” I still laugh out loud thinking of it.