The Ken Burns Effect

When Apple Computer decides to pay tribute to you by coining the term “Ken Burns Effect” to describe a film technique, than you know your doing something right! Award-winning director and producer of documentary films, Ken Burns was in Manchester, Vermont, last night signing autographs of his companion book to the film by the same name, “The War.”

The film aired a few months ago on PBS about the personal experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII and veterans that have passed. The seven-part series, 14 hours in total, is already considered a preeminent educational tool to learning about World War Two.When Ken Burns was in Albany over the summer chatting with Marianne Potter, host of InSight on WMHT, I was unfortunately, unable to be a part of that production. So, when I heard that one of my favorite bookstores, The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, was holding an event at The Equinox I gathered my gear in hopes of meeting the legend.

True to form, Burns was eloquent, passionate and downright guileless describing the thousands of miles of horrific footage he had to sift and scrutinize through to accurately tell the story. A full-house of veterans, students, history buffs and a few cinematographers (including me) sat spellbound at some of the crippling stories he recited by men who soldiered the front lines in the 1940’s. Burn’s soft-spoken voice somehow amplified his insightful observations on history and human drama and as to why he tackled such a huge subject, he said “the knowledge that our fathers were dying… and an unacceptably large number of graduating high school seniors think we fought with the Germans against the Russians in the second world war… well, we could no longer avoid it”. He continued by saying, “seven years ago we committed ourselves to this film series and companion book. It was a massive project that utterly transformed everyone who worked on it. Taking on any war is risky but taking on the biggest of them all is obviously fraught with peril. No book or film series, however long can reflect the whole story”.

His most notable productions are The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz and now The War, but he’s been making films since 1976. It’s writers like Burns that are helping me hone my own producing, lighting and shooting skills. His masterpieces speak volumes about the intricate mixing of music with video and photographs to capture the emotion of a subject.

When I asked him to sign my book, as expected, I clammed up and lost my voice. I practiced gushing remarks about this man’s lifetime achievements the entire car ride up but all I could muster was a smile and quick thank you. Seems that the ‘Ken Burns Effect’ on blond wanna-be documentary producers is more pious than meeting the Pope.

Travel Philanthropy

Continental Airlines is my favorite airline because of all the ways I can earn miles towards free travel. Places like Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, Target, Netflix, Apple Store, ShopRite, Hilton, Marriott and the list goes on. Now, there's reason to fly Continental exclusively. It's partnered with Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and outreach services that help travelers and travel providers support environmental causes. The two are promoting travel philathropy to lessen the effects of travel pollution. After booking a ticket with Continental, Sustainable Travel International calculates how many metric tons of CO2 my flight uses and gives me the option to donate to reforestation, renewable energy or gold standard projects to offset my footprint. For example, I just booked a ticket from Albany to Dallas come this January. In return I was given the following information:

ALB DFW
Flight type Round trip
Total flight distance 2850 miles / 4587 km
Metric tons CO2 0.4282

Then, I was asked if I'd like to donate to the following causes in the amount listed to offset my trip:

$5.14 International Reforestation Projects
Projects to recreate critical forests and provide incentives to protect critical forest land and avoid the cutting of trees. Projects are designed using the standards set forth by the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance (www.climate-standards.org).

$13.46 U.S. Renewable Energy Projects
Renewable energy projects such as wind farms that are used to generate clean energy in the western U.S. Bonneville Environmental foundation provides STI with Green-e certified (www.green-e.org), 100% renewable green tags for this program.

$13.92 Gold Standard Projects
Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects are inspected and validated by Clean Development Mechanism accredited Designated Operational Entities including The Gold Standard (www.cdmgoldstandard.org).

$9.41 Combination of several offset Projects (calculated based on 25% Gold Standard, 25% U.S. Renewable Energy Projects, 50% International Reforestation Projects)

This option lets travelers continue to fly, support the economy and contribute to worthwhile projects. Naysayers will argue this technique simply cancels out global warming rather than effectively reducing it. In that case, do like I do and chose to donate 5% more than what is suggested. Hey, it's only a couple dollars more and it's start.

Extra Layers for Lassie

Do dogs just naturally tend to stay outside longer when the days get shorter? My dog Rocco refuses to come inside and makes himself cozy and comfortable sleeping on a weathered couch every night. His routine of dozing by my bedside is no more but instead growls at me if I budge him from his new favorite dog house - the garage. It's nice to see that he's getting more use out of a crummy couch destined for the landfill, however, I miss him nosing me at 6am and whimpering me awake during his occassional nightmares. Worse yet, how safe is it to leave a dog sleeping in 20 degree temps? I presume dogs suffer frostbite but how cold does it need to get before that happens? I could entice him back inside with a bone or biscuit but minutes later he's always whining for the door. Might my aging and gimpy Golden want privacy because he knows something that I don't? I just got him, surely, he has another 3 or 4 more years of walks, talks and barks in him. Then again, I admit, I've not been good at keeping anything around, especially the opposite sex, for more than 6 months - given the rate of speed that I live that should be of no surprise. Perhaps a portable heater will help ease my worries when it falls below zero but until then I'll just keep covering him up with a sleeping bag.

Paris Videos on Demand

Turnhere.com is taking far too long to post some fabulous videos of France I shot this past summer in Paris and the southern region. Therefore, I'm posting links to my own server in hopes that this doesn't cause too much traffic or concern for Turnhere.com. Caution: these files are fairly large (10MB) so it might take several minutes to download and, as always, you need Quicktime Player to view.

Click here to see world famous climber and walker Alex Poussin zip me around Paris on the back on his motorbike. He and his wife spent 3 years trekking across the entire continent of Africa for the Discovery Channel so it was a true bonus to spend a full afternoon videotaping his other achievements.

Click here to see the quaint little Parisian town of Narbonne. My host, Miss Sabine Affre shows me the daily markets, the Via Domincia road and the town Horreum or a town underground built in the 1st century BC. This 2,000 year old warehouse is in a dimly-lit space with black cats roaming about and ceramic Gallo-Romain vats; empty today but once full with wine, water and beer.

Click here to see the Marais District of Paris with Sandra Hoyois from NotATouristDestination.com. She voluntarily gave up her entire day to escort me through a part of Paris better known for it's high number of fabulous street artists. This district has easily become the most sought-after place in Paris for artists, designers, architects, and Bobos, or the Bohemian Bourgeois. We took a stroll with 2 professional painters with a knack for using empty walls as canvases to display their beautiful creations. This fourth Arrondissements is so much more than boutiques, galleries and trendy restaurants since the arrival of fabulous street artists a few years ago. If and when you decide to visit Paris let Sandra Hoyois be your official tour guide to unique people and places that no other tour company offers.

Turkey Trot in Troy, NY

I actually made it to the 60th Annual "Turkey Trot" this morning! Like an episode of Star Trek I 'energized' myself back home last night from Chicago and caught a few winks before tearing up the turf in Troy.

This is the oldest race in the Capital District that started in 1916 and has grown into one of the largest road races in upstate New York. There had to be over 5,000 people gathered this year. Die hards donned turkey hats, scarfs and mitts while others ran in potatoe sacks and camouflage. Karen kept her MP3 player buried under her furry earmuffs while I wrapped my neck in blue and white turtlefur. The first mile is always an inspiration and the best time to snap photos. By the second mile the trek gets rougher with extra layers sopping up sweat and runners jockeying for space. The third mile is absolutely brutal as the crowd thins out and the real runners finally leave the rest of us in the dust (or puddles). But thick pools of supporters standing alongside Troy's picturesque Dutch buildings keeps the momentum alive until the finish line.

Nothing is better for a guilt-free conscience than running 3.1 miles before sitting down to 10 pounds and 2 billion calories of turkey, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie and eggnog! Happy Thanksgiving my loyal readers!

Historical and Tasty Wisconsin

Once upon a time all you needed was $32 to rent a 4-bedroom townhouse for a month. All you needed was $2.65 to buy 30 days worth of electricity and a few pennies for the water bill. Once upon a time the federal government experimented with a "New Deal" idea to combat the effects of the 1930's Depression. The program, begun by the Resettlement Administration under President Roosevelt, rejuvenated farming communities by building up suburbs like Greenbelt, Maryland, Greenhills, Ohio and Greendale, Wisconsin. The program worked, stimulating the economy with new jobs, affordable housing and creating an example of suburban living.

Dad is to blame for my unbridled enthusiasm for exploration so when we're together no stone is left unturned. After absorbing decades worth of facts on the "Jewel of Milwaukee's suburbs", we learned about publishing mogul Roy Reiman, Trimborn Farm and finally Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dad is usually reluctant to drive through big cities but with me he navigates the largest city in the state with ease. There's still plenty of brewing and manufacturing warehouses (Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and Miller) but Milwaukee has reinvented it's image with skyscrapers, condos, lofts, a riverwalk, museums, auditoriums and arenas.

Lake-effect weather and sprawling geography put a damper on our walking tour so we circled the block in the car. Places like the Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion, Basilica of St. Josaphat and Riverside Theater were tempting but we needed our cheese curd before the stores closed. It's Dad's favorite - if only I could stow some in my luggage...

From Cancer to Candy

My consciousness (see last entry) has lead me directly to the hospital bedside of my poor step-mom. She's been battling cancer for years and if it not for a hospital just north of Chicago she wouldn't be here today. The Hospital is called the Cancer Treatment Center of America and it's one of the last and best alternatives for stage 4 cancer patients. Like their website describes "Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) offers patients the most sophisticated forms of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy in combination with complementary therapies, including nutrition, spiritual support, mind-body medicine and naturopathic medicine." Miracles abound here and my step-mom is just one shining example of defeating the odds. There are only 2, maybe 3, cases of her type of cancer ever seen in this hospital and so doctors are literally writing chapters on her prognosis. Her results wax and wain every 6 months, tumors come and go like the seasons, but in the end she's still living life fully with dear 'ol Dad.

Of course, this takes a toll on dear 'ol Dad as well so to lighten up the moment we decided to escape the hospital and visit one of the official "Jelly Belly" museums. After a train-ride through the guts of the storage warehouse we taste-tested hundreds of Jelly-Belly candy to mixed reviews. The crazy Harry Potter Bertie Botts flavors included pickle, bacon, dirt, booger, spinach, sausage, grass, vomit, earwax and rotten egg. I spit out the latter instantly. I think the chemo affected my step-mom's taste buds though because she kept on chewing even with a nasty grimace on her face. Pomegranite was a big winner and we took home bags of it. Ever since Ronald Reagan started the Jelly Belly craze in 1985 this corn-syrup concoction has been a favorite with America, Europe and now even Southeast Asia. A plant is being built in Thailand now.

Today's adventures continue just over the border into Wisconsin in a town called Geneva and another called Greendale. I'm sure I'll have something to write home about after these as well. Thanks always for reading.

Mental Atoms

I'm getting too old so I've decided to bury this birthday in the clouds - literally. I'm sailing at 25,000 feet on my way to Chicago and it's most bizarre to leave my little soldiers behind this time. 5 to 15 bags of equipment usually shadow me unconditionally while my Panasonic HD gets diapered in blankets and hugged until she's safely inside the overhead compartment.

But not today. Today I skirted the check-in with only my personals, which never amount to much. I know better than to wear a belt, shoelaces, underwire, jewelry or perfume onboard. Nearly anything can set a metal detector off.

With so few straps, bags and wheels I afforded myself the luxury of bringing the whopping Sunday NY Times. This bulky heavyweight (to some) is as light as feather in my hands. And speaking of light, inside is a fascinating read about consciousness.

The theory or hypothesis is called panpsychism and it's something I've innately believed in since a child but never knew there was a name for it. In short it's a belief in the consciousness of the cosmos and that our brains evolved from the properties of a complex system of elements found naturally in plants, trees, animals and even rocks. Rocks - hmmmm... yes, that would explain my last ex-boyfriend.

Anyway, when asked about life after death, I usually fall short of subscribing to a religion but rather fumble through a theory on consciousness and matter (electrons, protons, neutrons). It all sounds strangely Star Trek to most but to me it makes perfect sense, more so than "Adam and Eve", purgatory, heaven, hell, reincarnation or the worst possible belief - having no belief at all.

If you believe in evolution than it makes sense that a person would be filled with a conscious energy from both biological beings (animals, fish, birds) as well as inanimate objects (trees, water, earth) since time began. They each have properties inherit to existing in our atom-filled world and each is a result of another.

I think that when we die this energy (or consciousness) carries on in both self-conscious beings and unconscious beings in varying degrees. Thoughts, feelings, beliefs, subjectivity - all of the human qualities (some primates as well) combine to carry on a higher purpose, most likely (but here's where my theory erodes a little) to keep the universel in constant motion or change. This constant motion guarantees that life continues and all are giving a chance at existing, at one time or another.

Perhaps it's my being in an oxygen-thin environment right now but this is where my mind fundamentally goes when I'm stuck in a 737 on my 37th. I could carry on but the crux of my controversial thinking but is better explained in the New York Times Magazine article and besides Chicago awaits my arrival.

The Geese Police

Upstate New York battles a surplus of deer, Vermont tackles moose management and in Massachusetts it's those pesky geese that cause so much outrage.

These well-trained Border Collies are called the "Geese Police" and every Friday, with their Master, they patrol Lake Quannapowitt, just north of Boston, Massachusetts. Geese feces poses public concern for the beaches, parks and playing fields so one man and his 3 beloved dogs are hired to solve the problem. With a little ingenuity and a whole lot of vigilance they flush out hundreds of territorial Canadian geese.

While in Massachusetts today I just happened across this "GeesePeace Initiative" by chance. I stopped by a park to tape some footage for a client when I spotted a man emptying out a boat of excess water. His little tug looked like it had a sprung a leak but it was only the heavy rains from the night before that deluged the back end. 3 Border Collies wearing mini life preservers and anxious smiles waited impatiently.

When it was time to clock in these three busy town mascots jumped into the boat to chase geese from their safety zones, not killing them, but just scaring them enough to leave. They were obviously in their glory as was I videotaping them.

Dental Dynamo

Dental Extraordinaire Dr.Simon Rosenberg at 399 East 72nd Street is my new favorite dentist! During an assigment in NYC this week I videotaped a sixty-second web commercial for this super talented and humor-driven prosthodontist. Beyond having all the latest and greatest technologies (Milling Machine, Biolase Waterlase, CEREC Design Unit) his office assistants couldn't be nicer. They all played bit roles in the commercial including testimony from his loyal patients.

It's universal that nobody likes going to the dentist but Dr. Rosenberg's clientele look forward to root canals, routine cleanings and especially smile makeovers. They're all too busy chuckling at Dr. R's quick wit and warm personality to be affected by slight pangs of discomfort.

It didn't take me long to see that this genuine doctor was exactly who I wanted as my own. I'd gone 2 years in Albany unable to squeeze in a cleaning because of my busy schedule. Upon hearing this Dr. Rosenberg's heart spilled open and offered a pro-bono cleaning right there on the spot, no questions asked. I couldn't beleive this man's generosity! For the first time in my life I jumped in the dental chair anxiously and endured one of the most reassuring cleanings ever done so by a Registered Dental Hygienist, a Russian-born emigrant with a soft hand and easy manner.

Upon leaving with my goodie bag chock full of extra toothpaste and floss, I forgot to schedule a follow-up cleaning in 6 months. But as soon as I feel the tartar building I'll be back waiting my turn for a cleaning beyond compare with comedy to keep me smiling! Isn't life amazing?

A Brief Sojourn Picts

Brian, a studious NY State employee of the Tax and Finance Department reads this blog daily and I can't thank him and the many others enough for doing so. So, of course, when asked, I can absolutely accommodate his request for beautiful photos of Switzerland. Rather than photos though I'm editing a short video montage on the town of Sion. That should be up soon for download but in the meantime:







This is the fondu dish where I dipped and cooked a variety of meats including chicken, beef and, my apologies to my PETA readers but... horse. Who knew when I ordered it? I surely didn't. One wee nibble later and I pushed it aside immediately. Betting in Saratoga will never be the same.

Behind the Scenes in Moviemaking

The 'Domes of Rome' documentary is no box office smash hit (yet) but that didn't stop my motley crew of after-hour party people including Tom, Lupo, Carl, Daniel, Cesar, Maria, Linda, Maxwell, Carola, Mannel and Todd from acting like it was. With copius amounts of limoncello we gave ourselves a congradulatory send-off from moviemaking mayhem.

The next day Lupo (the fresh Italian kissing my forehead) offered up a quick tour past places in Rome that filmed features like The Passion of Christ, Gangs of New York, the HBO series Rome and even my favorite off-beat Wes Anderson film - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Other greats shot in this city include Ben Hur, Roman Holiday, The English Patient and the Pink Panther. In fact, one of our own as well as my housemate for 3 weeks, still photographer Ms. Linda was born into showbiz with a father who helped direct Ben Hur. She spoke fabulous Italian and offered up a night tour of the great Trevi fountain, a old ancient aqueduct where I threw 3 coins in and made a wish for good luck.

Speaking of which 'Three Coins in the Fountain', the 1954 film, about three American girls looking for romance in Rome is a gem of sappiness worthy of seeing again. Nearly every small cafe shop proudly displays a poster of Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita and it's clear that Audrey Hepburn is still the most beloved actress to grace a piazza.

The motion-picture world loves Rome and it's no surprise why. The elegance and modern sophistication of this city combined with two thousand years of continuing history makes for limitless possibilities. Amidst the chaos of Rome I actually discovered several places where love at first sight can flourish -like in the case of the 'Yesterday Today and Tomorrow' movie when Sofia Loren is adored from a nearby terrace. Ahhhhhh, so sweet.

From Fettuccine to Fondu; A Brief Sojourn

Keep up with me here because 2 days ago I boarded a flight for Geneva, Switzerland to finish up shooting yet another documentary! Crazy? For sure! But worth the stress and aggravation to escape the hectic pace of Rome and breath in some fresh Alp air.

I've been in a little town called Sion documenting a man named Serge Roetheli, a world runner who circumnavigated the globe for almost a decade with his wife by his side on a small motorbike. Last year he and Nicole flew to Albany to be interviewed for a documentary that we (a loose collection of west/east coast production companies) are producing/shooting/writing/editing. But, rather than just interview him a second time around, I shadowed his continuously active lifestyle for the day. Activities like boxing, propelling, climbing and owning a new trendy corner cafe and lunch shop.

Dressed with souvenirs, photos and special dishes from their 8-year adventure the cafe is perhaps a temporary fix from the freedom they had while traveling. Still, it suits both of them well because they still meet friendly faces everyday and it's a team effort. In a very short time Serge and Nicole have gone from rags to riches (by their standards) following an exhaustive endeavor where they sold all their personal belongings to complete a goal. In running around the world through 66 countries they risked their physical safety, mental health, financial future and most importantly, special relationships with family, friends as well as to each other. Bouts of malaria, dysentery, seizures, snake bites, broken bones and soiled spirits slowed them down but didn't stop them.

In 2005 their perseverance paid off completing 40,912 kilometers(the name appropriately given to their Cafe) in just over 8 years. Today they don't have a regret in the world. They both carry an introspection and understanding of people and places at the ground level that few others have. It was wonderful seeing accomplished friends still so bitten in love and enduring another challenge, albeit not nearly as daunting as breaking long-distance records. Even though most of the day was spent with Serge and Nicole, I learned much about their hometown as well.

The Alps that protect their little valley town of Sion behold a sedated magic for the locals who live here. Nobody stops to stare at the colors of a setting sun melting down on their craggy horizon for the billionth time. That heavenly glow around dinner time is as trite to them as a stop light turning yellow to red is for us. But what I find remarkable is that the Alps have this unusual protective quality not unlike giant human hands clasping lightly around a fragile baby bird. If you’ve ever cradled a robin that’s fallen from its nest than you know the sensation I'm writing about. The Alps instead do for a person’s soul what humans do for the weaker species. They evoke a sense of support, safety and shelter so strong that you can almost feel that second set of eyes peering down on you and lifting up your spirits.

When I was a kid and visited family in Germany I was scared to death of the Alps. They loomed over me like a monster: dark, menacing and foreboding. But now they cast an invisible net of protection, still porous enough to navigate but stalwart like steel to withstand exposure. Figuratively speaking, I guess the Alps provide what many travelers like me get when away from home for too long – lonely. Of course, there's no better Swiss cuisine than Fondu to help soak up my pains of missing my dog and sleeping in my own bed. Photos will be posted soon.

Living Large with Romans

Finally, we found time for the The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater and the formidable ruins in this great city of Rome. With an author/historian by our side, Anthony walked us through 2500 years of pagan greatness. The colliseum was built in 75 A.D. and took only 8 years to construct. Inside the amphitheater is a vast ellipse with tiers of seating for spectators of wild beasts and gory fights between gladiators. We walked on broken craggy stone around the first permanent amphitheater to be built in Rome. Its monumental size and grandeur was one of the best sights of all of Rome, in my opinion - and there's virtually no corner of this town that my camera has left untouched. As the sun set I hopped aboard a horse and carriage ride and made my way up through the narrow streets.

Rome Wrap Up

With one day left in Rome I finally found time, albeit briefly, for a blog update. Shooting a documentary might be the toughest job I'll ever love but with it comes crew conflicts, personality strains and creative differences.

Every morning begins with a crew of sleep-deprived zombies buzzing my apartment door, shuffling up a flight of stone steps, squeezing through a door no bigger than a fallen mine-shaft and snagging the gear needed for a 12 hour day. From there we hop into the producer's rented van and take to the city streets where mopeds, buses and taxi's weave around us like a formula-one race. That tends to wake the crew more so then a steaming hot thumbnail of black espresso (as if we have time for that). Once we park, the car is unloaded faster than I can say Por favore.

Regardless if shooting begins inside another basilica, where some of the most ornate but foreboding imagery exists or on the outside, where ancient ruins and crumbling cobblestone transport me back 500 years, I'm immediately in what I call the "zone". Nothing else exists but what I see in my viewfinder. My eyeball locks onto history: political, judicial, cultural, architectural and obviously religious history. Little details that most tourists and even the locals miss are captured and inflated on camera for maybe the first time on television. Details like the soft features of a cherub's wings outstretched over the church entrance door or the 3 round mounds of stone that symbolically represent the Pope atop a cuppola. It's the small stuff that garners the most attention.

And if the sky cooperates then the church lights up like Christmas tree; a crisp white marvel standing tall against a deep neutral-density blue. It's absolutely Bellissimo! The colors scream for attention and so my trusty Panasonic HD promptly pleases the forces by recording every tone and timbre. And when that's all finished the inside murals, frescos, paintings and statues are next in line to show off their attributes.

Oh sugar - no more time for poetry, the boys are at the front door!