Hayao Miyazaki

Here he is, in the pen-and-ink, my hero, Hayao Miyazaki.


(writer/director of 'Spirited Away', 'Princess Mononoke', 'Nausicaa')

Caricatures

Here are a couple [Radiohead] caricatures:

1) Thom Yorke


2) Jonny Greenwood

Museum Visits

Here are a couple of quick sketches from a couple recent museum visits.
Top: The National Gallery - from various paintings
Middle: The Tate Modern - quick sketch of Giacometti sculptures
Bottom: Tate Modern - sculpture and painting

Trip to the V&A

Yesterday I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. Usually I go to museums with the intention of looking and meandering first, then drawing - if time or company permits. But usually I draw. This visit was a little different. This time, I went to the V&A with the sole intention of drawing. Nothing else.

So yesterday, I went, I drew, I left. No funny business. I had work to do, so I couldn't stay long. But I went anyway. And this is what I drew.

let the pencil do the thinking.

Start with the eyes on a character and work your way out from there. No erasing, no going back, make it up as you go. This is a type of drawing I like to do from time to time. It's the type of drawing that tattooed so many of my school notebooks and planners. But recently, I've been deliberately doodling like this in predetermined places - like notebooks! But it's a fun technique to use. By not glancing at a subject and focusing intently on the drawing, I can get to an almost meditative-like state that allows me to "let the pencil do the thinking". You can arrive at some pretty incredible places if you take on this perspective when you draw. I also feel that it is something you can channel into the real world. In an empathic manner, put your entire self into someone else and walk in their shoes/sandals/boots. Drawing can be wonderfully therapeutic.

"Who will put flowers on a flower's grave?" -- Tom Waits

Drawing No. 2

Here's the 2nd drawing for the project. I am currently trying to explore a mixture of caricature and life drawing. This was the first step.

आईटी अल स्टार्ट्स विथ अ स्पार्क

"It all starts with a spark" - the first drawing as part of the project.

The Next Step

Hi all --

It's been months and months, I know. But I'm back. In fact, I've just started this little "art project" thing that involves small artistic explorations here and there all over London. I will be posting these creative burps on here as a way of documenting my progress. So stay tuned.

Many strange things will occur.

-NWS

Goodbye USA - Beginning of Summer 2008

Hi everyone
 
Well, the last time I left you, I had just graduated from college and was looking back on my senior year. Well, now I'm writing from London, England. In fact, I'm using my computer at Bovis Lend Lease where I'm currently doing temporary admin work. Yeah, 3 months after graduation and here I am. In the human resources department of the UK branch of a multinational company doing work in Microsoft excel and improving my "words per minute". Exciting. Well, it sort of is. Let me explain.
 
It all started after graduation...
Unlike 1960's Hollywood graduates played by Dustin Hoffman or even normal graduates, my summer after my final year at college wasn't spent lying in a pool or being seduced by 40 year old women. Instead, I did a couple things...
 
First, there was New York. Since I've been telling myself that I'm applying to NYU and Columbia for grad school for the past 3 years, I decided that it might be smart to visit the schools. So, the week after I moved home, I flew to La Guardia with my mother and spent 3 days in Manhattan. It was a really great couple of days. I able to see both schools and meet with the admissions directions from each. Both were very professional, informative and surprisingly impressive. Columbia is epic. Huge stone pillars, statues, gardens, fountains, basically ancient Rome. Aside from that it has one of the most respect and up-and-coming film programs of the past 20 years. NYU was equally as impressive, but completely different. There is no campus, just a bunch of buildings in the heart of Greenwich Village. And, unlike the warm reception of Columbia where everyone was smiles, NYU was moody, cool and very aware that they have the best film department on the planet. But, I didn't let it get to me... I think. What did I do to combat the onslaught of cool? Well, I sat in their designated reception area, (which was in the middle of everything, allowing any staff or UPS guys to spy on nervous prospective students like myself) got comfortable, took out my leather-bound sketch pad... and drew. It's the first thing I could think of... and the most natural. When nerves take over, reach for the pad and pen. That's what I do. And it worked. The admissions director walked up moments later to inform me that the women I was meant to meet is unavailable and he would be handling me instead. What he didn't tell me is that he was the director of admissions and she was not. SO I got an upgrade without even knowing. The meeting went well. I asked my 3 questions and he went on and on about how my work has to "speak to him" blah blah blah. I pretended that I didn't have a clue... even though I've been on his website enough times to do all the talking. But it was a success. And overall, I felt all the more happy to be applying to these great schools.

During the time that I wasn't seeing the schools, mom and I got to see some really cool areas of New York. We spent the most time in Hell's Kitchen, actually. A really cool area just west of times square with great restaurants, not a lot of tourists and cool cafes. I also met my friend Nick from high school one morning for coffee in that same area. He's an actor and yoga instructor by day, waiter by night... truly living life. I love it. (I guess I'm doing that too... only in an office in London.) But New York was great. It was overwhelming at all. In fact, there were very few moments where I was like "wow this is cool"... The whole experience just sort of felt comfortable.... much like I feel in London. It just fits. And I guess that's what you want, right? To fit. You don't want to be so infatuated by where you live that every day walking to work is being 10 and making that first memorable walk through the gates of Disneyland... You'd go through an awful lot of mickey mouse underwear... 
 
Second, there was home.
Being home was great. In fact, it was too great. Why is it that if you know you're leaving a place in a short while, this place becomes better than it ever has been ever before? Every moment spent there is more enjoyable than any other time you can remember being there and the times you spend with the people there are just perfect... Well, that wasn't the case at all... Just kidding. I joke because it kind of was. Not only was I riding the high of just graduating, having my senior art show and going to New York, but I was showered with attention from family members, friends and even random business associates. I know I know, maybe you all do that anyway and I've just been too blind to see it until now... I know. Or it might be true. Well, whatever the case may be, it was really hard leaving. After spending so many months looking forward to moving back to London.... when the moment arrives, you don't wanna go. Cold feet? Maybe. Or as Elvis would put it, I don't have a wooden heart. Thanks guys.

-Nick

 

Next up: London

Senior Year Short Films

Hi everyone

Here are the films I was talking about in the last post. Enjoy!


Campus Safety Action Force Trailer:



Campus Safety Action Force (10 minute version):



Unlit:



Vingt Quatre Ans:



Dream Tapping:

A Long (mustachio'd) Time Coming

Hi everyone

It's been well over a year since my last post, which makes this a very long time coming. But, basically, I'm here to say that as of today, 'London Calling' is officially back. I have returned. I am alive. I am well. And I am back in London.

I figured that this is the best way to keep everyone up to speed on my life and my work. I think there's been a few people out there who've enjoyed reading about my misadventures... so this is for you!

OK, so here's what's happened since May 2007:

Summer 2007:

I may, I finished Junior year at St. Norbert, Jenna comes out to America in what was initially meant to be a 2-3 week trip... But, thanks to our lucky stars, she was able to spend the entire summer with my and my American family. I introduced her to Chipotle, Taco Bell, (you know, all the good stuff) Wendy's, Diary Queen, yep, that's it. Fast food. Well, not really. She did eat some of that, but not all (thankfully). We had a great summer together... I caricatured a lot... like the summer before. County fairs, little parties, etc... and this summer caricaturing was my only form of income. And it went well too. We took a trip to Chicago, went to the pool and saw the Burnies, saw the lakes of Minneapolis, saw Minnehaha falls, did lots. Then, in august, she went back to England and I went back to DePere for my Senior year in college. Oh, and I decided to not shave certain parts of my face all summer long. I could now appear on the set of the Pirates of the Caribbean 6 and not need a press pass.

Senior Year (2007-2008):

Senior year was great. Really great. I lived in a s***hole campus party house where my room was not really a room, but a converted porch. It had windows on the walls of my room that shown inside the house, it was actually slanted at a 12 degree angle and was unbearably cold in the winter. So in other words... the best college living experience you can possible have! But if weren't for the people I lived with, it would have been bad. But it really wasn't. I had a great year there.

Aside from accommodation, I also did some work during my senior year.
Much like before, I continued making my own short movies on the side. For less than $100, I made 4 short films during my senior year. The first was called "Campus Safety Action Force". It was a 15-minute action comedy about everyone's favorite on-campus authorities. I wrote the script in the summer of 2007, then shot it in the fall for about 7 weekends with a brand new Canon GL2 video camera bought with my college-bound fund (thanks mom and dad!), some old friends and a bunch of new friends. It was a very stressful experience at times, but definitely paid off. I had a lot of fun, we had a successful screening (about 200 people turned up!) and I made some great friends. In addition to the movie, I had an article in the school newspaper and had T-shirts made to raise money for Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). On top of all that, I entered the movie into the student juried art show and won 2nd place! I wasn't even expecting that they'd include it in the show, but I guess I was wrong. I think a lot of people responded to the film. And that's why I made it. I wanted to connect with the students of SNC. I made it for them.
During my second semester I made 3 additional short films. These were much shorter than CSAF, but much more focused. They represent the first real step in the direction I want to take film. Character driven, interesting stories, use of symbolism, all that real stuff. I pored everything that I had learned into these 3 experiments. They were made within an independent study that I created with a faculty member that I really admire. The first is called "Unlit". I used two actors from the Basic Acting class I was taking to bring to life this little moment that exists within a much bigger story. It's basically just the climax of an argument that reveals little clues about their history together. For what it's worth, I think it was a big success.
The second is called "Vingt Quatre Ans" ("Twenty Four Years"). It's about a young French woman coming to America for the first time. In this 3 minute piece, she is on her to way to meet someone she has been waiting to meet her whole life. With thanks to the very talented French TA, Marie, the film turned out great. Above all other attempts, this has been the film that has really connected with people the most. For that, I am very proud. I hope to make more like this in the future.
The third and final film is called "Dream Tapping". This was another experiment of mine.... this time in political sci-fi. The idea stems from the government having the ability to tap into our phone lines to monitor our phone lines, prevent safety and uphold the greater good. So I took it a step further... what if the government learned how to tap into our minds, into our dreams? So this story takes places a white room, with all white clothing, representing a dream state that the government has created to make people better Americans by preventing terrorist thoughts. The story involves a young girl who was once a prisoner of this system hacking back in to try and bring it down. With the help of a young psychology student, she explains the system to him and they try to destroy it. I used the same actors as Unlit because I thought they worked well together. In the end, I thought they did a wonderful job and I achieved what I had set out to do: experiment with sci-fi. I'm happy with what I came up with and hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Aside from the short films made during my senior year, I also had a lot of fun, did well in school and continued to date Jenna. It was in some ways, the longest 9 months of my life, but in many other ways, it went way too fast. I spent a lot of time working and looking towards the future, but also seeing people I knew I wouldn't be spending much more time with. It was a delicate balance, but I think I succeeded in making my senior year the best it could have possibly been.

Graduation and Summer 2008:

Graduating was a really cool experience. I got to wear a Union Jack sash on my graduation gown, my family was able to make it and the ceremony wasn't ridiculously long! And I did graduate, which is also good. I was a little worried...
Probably even more memorable than gradua-ma-wating, however, was my senior art show. Being in the last group meant that I had the show just a few weeks before graduation and towards the end of the school year. So a really crazy-busy-stressful-time! But also a great time, because of being able to look back on the entire senior year. It was a great weekend. My family, grandparents, some extended family and some close family friends were able to attend. They took me out to eat, for drinks, for coffee and were altogether very supportive of me. I was very honored and thankful for such a a nice weekend.

So, senior year is over. Done. Gone. I am now an alumnus of St. Norbert College and possess a bachelor's degree. Scary.

Next Few Posts:
Videos!
Post After That:
NYC, home, then the move to London.

First Assignment for New Media

Hey,

Here's a video I made for New Media class as the first assignment. It's the first of three this semester. The last of which will be my 20 minute Film Noir. This one is based on a poem by my friend Graham. So, without further ado, here ya go:

More Guillemots

Here are a few videos that demonstrate why I love this band so much:

Ok, music time

Ok,

Favorite album of the week/month and year... although from last year... "Through the Windowpane" by Guillemots will knock your bloody socks off. Every song, every single song on this album fits perfectly... it flows and paints a rich tapestry of sound and lyrical depth... woa.

Give it a shot.

Film Noir!

This post is regarding my newest film... a Film Noir! Yeah, crime, mystery, violence, suspense, cheesy diaglogue and humorous characters... It was a blast to write... merely concieved and written in 8 days! not bad... I'd say. But, I was brewing up the idea whilst abroad in the UK. And it's going to be even more of a blast to shoot! (no pun intended) I have all the actors and a place to shoot! I am so far ahead of schedule it scares me... that's not my nature you see...

It's due to be fully edited by April 24th... for my New Media Class... Which I am SOOOO psyched about. I was going to make the film anyway, like I made Bookends last year. But, now that it's an assignment... the stakes are even higher... AND I can work on it in class! I am pretty thrilled. So, if you wanna read it, I can e-mail you a copy... There is no title yet... until then.