Christopher Pendergraft

Title says it all. One of the most engaging movies I’ve ever seen.

Zero 7 - Pop Art Blue - http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Pop+Art+Blue/23184900

One of the things I try to do when writing a story is incorporate elements of my favorite songs, quotes, paintings, etc. into the story. In this case, after realizing that “Pop Art Blue” was a color, I titled my short screenplay “Pop Art Blue” in homage to this song.

The second draft is almost done and will be posted soon. In the meantime, enjoy Zero 7’s “Pop Art Blue,” from the most unique album I’ve ever heard, “Yeah Ghost.”

Port City Poetry Vol. 1 is the first in a series of mini-documentaries by filmmaker Christopher J. Pendergraft and poet Kevin Dublin, chronicling the proliferation and evolution of poetry in Wilmington, NC.

Vol. 1 features interviews from Ana Ribeiro - poet, reporter and manager of the Port City Poets blog, and poet Jeffrey “Just Jeff” Wyatt on their personal definition of poetry and where poetry is headed.

Also featured in Vol. 1 are highlights from Oct. 24th’s “Soul Slam” @ Bottega Art & Wine.

My commentary on the experience coming soon.

The Midnight Sun is a poem written by poets Kevin Dublin and Ana Ribeiro. The poem struck a personal note and I immediately began to tinker with the idea of shooting a short film based on it. I also realized this was the perfect opportunity to create a workflow for high definition video using Final Cut Pro, being that I’ve never edited HD video. Shot w/ Canon HV20, 1080i60, CineMode on the right frame.

The Midnight Sun by Kevin Dublin and Ana Ribeiro

The whole moon hanging high
I saw you at the bar, at midnight
Sitting, holding, sipping with your head tilted to the side

You averted your glance
But I followed your eyes
And landed on another bottle of wine
And for a second I died, because we weren’t together

I remembered the same scene years ago
And it led to a route of despair
When I thought of your midnight sun
Above summer skies and summer wind

In the confines of your hair
Where I imagine my hand nestle your cheek
The moment before you hit the road
Carrying all the worries of the world
And throwing them all back to me

Everything exists inside you
And inside me all is chaos
I want to bathe in your midnight sun
And forget that you’re not the one
And forget that I’ll always remember

And pretend this is the first time we met
And live in this infinite moment
Letting you light up the dark hour you caused
I could risk, I should–

No, perhaps I should remain–
And waste away any chance at happiness
Afraid of burning in your midnight sun

Written By: Kevin Dublin and Ana Ribeiro
Directed By: Christopher J. Pendergraft
Cinematographer & Editor: Christopher J. Pendergraft
Narrated By: Kevin Dublin

Cast
Lost Lover: Kevin Dublin
Beautiful Girl: Anna Hedgecock

Music
“Blue Feather” by Kevin McLeod

Special Thanks
Bottega Art & Wine

I found an old video of myself performing kata! Brings back memories. This kata, Heian Godan, seems so easy compared to the kata I’m learning now, Bassai.

Purchased a MacBook Pro. Might keep it if Final Cut Studio performance is better than my PowerMac.

Test footage shot with the HV20. Wasn’t shot by myself.

Dying bumblebee from HighlyDeceptiveVideo on Vimeo.

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks or so researching camcorders that are friendly to independent filmmakers. It seems that the Canon VIXIA HV20 kept popping up in my searches, primarily because it can be modded so third party lenses will easily attach to it. This allows for a higher degree of flexibility in shot choice. The camera also comes with a “cinema mode,” in which the camera will record at 24 frames a second (or 23.976/fps on the NTSC standard). Recording in 24p delivers an aesthetically pleasing “filmic” appearance to footage, and is considered a cheap alternative to shooting with film. The camera also has many other features, but I won’t list them here as it’s much easier to just read about them from the Canon website.

I, for one can’t wait to get my hands on it and start shooting stuff. I’m possibly heading to Wilmington this weekend for a Talib Kweli concert, so Kevin and I are collaborating on a script for a short sketch that we’ll film then.

If all goes well, I’ll also be shooting a short “documentary” on martial arts very soon.

Excited? Click the image below for full specs.

As to be expected, the armchair film critics has their panties in a wad over the newly released trailer for the big screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” The whining stems from the few seconds of the trailer, where short clips of various disasters are displayed, insinuating that the movie will attempt to explain the reason behind the world’s post-apocalyptic state.