Amen-ds

I took a class called New Worlds: Science-Fiction and Fantasy Short Story Writing this past semester. It was a pretty good class. It even got me a house-/pet-sitting job over the summer.

But anyways, I thought I'd share my mid-term for that class here, because I do like sharing more than just my movies. I feel strange putting scripts up here, so here's a short story. It's, um, fantasy, maybe? I dunno.

It's called "Amends," but I don't know why, and I hate that it is called that. It makes me want to throw up.

Amends

Zaire: Shaping the Fight

From October to April I made a documentary intended to illustrate David Rathman's artistic style and the collaborative process involved in making Zaire, a short expressive animation about Muhammed Ali and his fight with George Foreman known as The Rumble in the Jungle.

Here's the original animation.

Zaire from Tom DeBiaso on Vimeo.

Here's the documentary I made about it.

Zaire: Shaping The Fight from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

It was fun, long and hard and I learned a lot about what it takes to make a documentary. It's a completely different way of working. Chris Jopp shot it for me and Ned Hurley acted as assistant director and God of Editing. Basically I just sat behind Ned and pulled my hair out and shouted confusing things at him as he cut it all together, and he made it all work somehow.

OK, cool, maybe in a while I will make another documentary. Right now all I want to do is write write write and in a couple months shoot shoot shoot scripted things.

I Didn't Want to Make a Video

As the floodgates of summer open wide, so do blog updates follow.

Here's my final project for Appropriation class, some kind of horrible triptych. Two videos, and one sound collage. In order, here they are.

ONE

I Didn't Want to Make a Video (#1) from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

TWO





THREE

I Didn't Want to Make a Video (#3) from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

Any feedback you have = greatly appreciated, as always.

My junior year is officially done (still waiting on grades though), I will be interning at IFP this summer, and also I will be relaxing. I will be relaxing as much as possible.

More updates coming soon.

lol'd

My friend Owen McBride Platt has picked up the hobby of making what he calls "lolz." He makes all kinds of things, and recently did a series of them as a project for appropriation class. Well, he's really stepped up his game this time, making a "lol" that is guaranteed to have only three people really understand it.

appropriation, Gremlins, and the first sign of the apocalypse

Yesterday a project I made for Appropriation class was critiqued. It's a weird, found-footage movie and unlike anything I'd made before, and even though the critique went really well and I got a lot of really great feedback on what was widely accepted as a very successful piece, I'm still not entirely confident in it. But, I do love it a lot and so here it is.

Untitled, March 2010 from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

The footage is taken from an old film called They Grow Up So Fast, and the audio is taken from an interview with Rick Warren from a year or two ago.

Today Ned and I went to Roseville because I had to pick up a suit there but while we were waiting we went to Half-Price Books and I found probably the greatest thing ever made, read-along Gremlins story books on 45s!!


I grew up on this kind of stuff when I was little. I love the language of the books, and I love the kid-friendly illustrations. I haven't listened to the vinyl yet but I'm sure it's awesome as well.

P.S. I guess I have a twitter now. I've been using it to help flex my writing skills in a different way and so far I have enjoyed the results.

after 2 months of silence: I'm still boring

Well, I'd like to apologize for the lack of... anything on this blog. I made the decision at some point that this blog would mostly be for large updates and new work to post, and... well you know how it goes. Anyways.

My Christmas vacation was alright, but real hectic, resulting in me being a little behind on this documentary I'm supposed to be working on. But that should be done in 3-4 weeks. Other than that, here are a couple experiments I worked on with Lilly Ball as projects for our Lighting/Cinematography class last semester. The first owes a lot to Maya Deren's Meshes Of The Afternoon, and the second one is pretty directly influenced by [rec]. Mirage (the first one) definitely feels like a dry run for Floor 2 (the second one). They are, by definition, experiments with the way I work and conceptualize. I do love some of the camera work in Mirage though, and so I think it's worth sharing. At the least, they're kind of interesting. I wouldn't call them polished, but anyways. Enjoy.

Mirage from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

Floor 2 from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

Tomorrow, I am taking a road trip to Milwaukee with Ned Hurley to see the freakin' Residents perform Talking Light. Good God I'm excited. Maybe I will have pictures to share... maybe.

The classes I'm taking this semester are pretty theory-heavy, and I hope to make a couple things that are a lot more experimental than anything I've done before. I saw My Name Is Oona by Gunvar Nelson at the Walker recently and I can't get it out of my head, not ever. I think it's stuck in there.

For Advanced Screenwriting I am supposed to pitch and write a feature-length screenplay (or, well, at least 40 pages of it). I pitched a story about vehicular manslaughter, blackmail, plane crashes and bombs, and well, I think it's really great.

I've also been working on other blogs that update more frequently.

Fat City!: My personal tumblog, it's basically an amalgamation of stuff I like that I find on the internet.

I Love Short Songs: A blog with several contributors in which we share very short (but very good) songs.

last seen: A visual archive/record of what myself and Ned Hurley are watching.

So yes, if you were wondering, "What's going on with Ethan? Does he have a life yet?" the answer is: not much, and of course not.

Love Ethan.

christmas mix!

Hi, I made a mix of christmas music that I think is pretty neat.

Download it here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MRW5EGI3

Recommended play order:

1. Good Morning Blues (Real Tuesday Weld Clerkenwell Remix) - Count Basie and His Orchestra

2. The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
3. Santa Mouse - Burl Ives
4. Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan
5. I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee
6. Jingle Bells - Booker T & The MGs
7. Jungle Bells - Les Paul & Mary Ford
8. Santa Dog: Fire - The Residents
9. Christmas Won't Be The Same This Year - Jackson 5
10. Christmas Is Going to the Dogs - Eels
11. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! - Lenny Dee
12. Auld Lang Syne - The Beatles
13. Merry Xmas Everybody - Rooney
14. Christmas Time Is Here - Chris Farstad & Simon Larson
15. Snowshow Version 2 - Katie Chastain
16. Silent Night/Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis [Live on Austin City Limits] - Tom Waits
17. I'm A Christmas Tree - Wild Man Fischer & Dr. Demento
18. Thanks For Christmas - XTC
19. Christmas With You is the Best - The Long Winters
20. The Man With All the Toys - The Beach Boys
21. Father Christmas - The Kinks
22. Santa Dog '78 - The Residents
23. White Christmas - The Drifters
24. The Twelve Days of Xmas - Bob & Doug McKenzie
25. Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
26. Suzy Snowflake - Soul Coughing
27. Just Like Christmas - Low
28. Bululalow - Jonny Rodgers
29. Christmas Time is Here Again - The Beatles
30. Another Rock And Roll Christmas - Gary Glitter
31. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Jackson 5
32. The Worst Christmas We Ever Had - Destroying Something Beautiful
33. To Heck With Ole Santa Claus - Loretta Lynn
34. Sleigh Ride - The Ventures
35. Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - Eels
36. Purple Snowflakes - Brown Recluse Sings
37. Christmas Time - Jon Steinmeier
38. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Lenny Dee
39. Santa Dog (Residents Cover) - Poxy Boggard
40. A Stick, A Carrot & String - mewithoutYou
41. Rock of Ages - Ben Kweller
42. Give Love On Christmas Day (Acapella Version) - Jackson 5
43. Happy Christmas (War is Over) [Live at First Avenue] - Low
44. O Holy Night - Andy Zipf

OK, thanks, have a great Christmas, bye!

The House That Kevin Garnett Rebuilt

Over the past three months I've been making a music video for local band and friends Where Astronauts Go To Hide. It's been really, really fun, and just this past Friday the band played a concert wherein the video was premiered and (I think) well-received.

It's called "The House That Kevin Garnett Rebuilt" and I am real proud of it! If you think it's neat, I would urge you to share it on your facebook or tumblr or whatever and really get this thing out there. Embed! Embed!

Beyond that, you find me in the midst of finals, which are going fine, no big deal. The semester ends Friday and then I'll go home and realize I have nothing to do/no life when I'm not in school.

No just kidding it will be great! Anyways, here's the video. Tell your friends!

The House That Kevin Garnett Rebuilt from Ethan Holbrook on Vimeo.

Official music video for Where Astronauts Go to Hide's "The House That Kevin Garnett Rebuilt"

Thanksgiving

Pretty great, am stuffed, lots of leftovers. Sis and I marathoned the first season of Mad Men. She leaves Sunday.

Been editing, writing scripts, etc. It would be nice if there were an extra week or two this semester. But man, am I excited! Things seem to be moving incredibly fast, and incredibly slow. But things are always moving forward, and up! So I'm not complaining.