The Digital Dembroski

That’s right!  Dannon and I are heading to Utah to visit Blendtec (and maybe make a visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats).  Make sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my videos on the Youtubes – we’ll be updating them both frequently!  Unless there’s no internet or cell coverage along the way…then we won’t.  You will be sad.

I love the Flip brand of cameras.  They’re cheap (relatively) and very versatil.  You can put them just about anywhere (so as not to risk a more expensive rig) and the quality you get for your $200ish dollars is comendable.  The only problem?  The field of view is too narrow.  A little super glue and cheap lens kit from Best Buy can fix that though.

Props to Anthony Skelton for his write up here.  I had some vignetting with the 2x lens when doing this to my Flip Ultra HD – I think modifying the Mino HD eliminates this problem because the “lens hump” is less pronounced.  Happy Hacking!

(Anthony Skelton Photography)

I’ve been invited to write about my Personal Training/Weightloss mission over at Mispibo’s Ning Group – I thought I’d share my writings here as well:

I’m getting married in 65 days 4 hours 23 minutes and 50 seconds.

And, and least currently, I’m not looking so hot.  Or Hawt even.  I read somewhere that that’s how the geeky kids say it.  With a “W”.

Anyways, as a gift to my lovely fiance, Kristen, but mostly as a gift to myself, I’ve decided to get myself looking more like the strapping young lad she met and fell in love with over 7 years ago.  In the interest of honesty I’ve let things go a little…ok…maybe a lot.  I was very physically active in college, but that was 4 years ago.  Slowly but surely I gained weight, my flat stomach became not flat, a double chin appeared… well, you get the picture.  I’ve basically gained 10 pounds per year.

So when I made the rather cliche New Years Resolution to start getting back in shape in January, I decided to really do it.

Abandoned Cine @ Dembrography

I haven’t been writing anything with these update posts lately, but I just wanted to say that this Abandoned Movie Theatre in Racine, WI is one of the most beautifully tragic things I have ever seen.  I’d love to get inside – I wonder who lives there now.

So it’s been a little while since I’ve updated all of my bliggity blogs.  This weekend should prove productive – I’ll have tons of Dembrography updates as well as the big ole scoopity scoop on the Fiesta Movement (since a bunch of you are definitely wondering – next stop Orem, Utah).  In the meantime, here’s a question to ponder…

If the Spetznaz could (can still?) throw axes while backflipping over barbed wire did we really win the Cold War?

Backflipping Spetsnaz Badassery

In the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea where that picture is from – my friend Nicolas showed it to me on the googles – it’s tagged with the word Spetsnaz so I’ll take it.  If anyone knows the true origin of the photo sound off below!

My good friend Conigs sent me the video you are about to see.  It should be said that those of us in the Film/TV industry pride ourselves in figuring out the magic and trickery behind technically amazing shots such as this one – so I gave it a watch (skip to 2:39 and watch for the long continuous take):

My response?  OMGWTFBBQ!?!?  The best I could come up with (based on the height of the camera) was a really long jib arm on a dolly.  I was wrong.  It’s much simpler and much more impressive:

That’s right!  High Speed Segway (no handlebars!) to running dismount.  For those that are wondering the Steadicam Operator is reportedly Karsten Jacobsten.  Seriously – I can’t stop watching this.  Thanks Paul!