The Amerikans - Turning an Interested Lens on People Amongst Us

Filmed on location in Wellington, Ohio, Episode 13 of "The Amerikans" shares the story of Don Downs -- an electrician by day and at night a bee sting therapist.

These lovely videos from the series The Amerikans aim to do honor to the less than ordinary lives of ordinary people. Here are two of my favorites: an electrician who practices bee sting therapy at night and a second generation funeral director.

From the project page:

"From the heart of the heart of the country come The Amerikans. These relationship-based documentaries are created in close cooperation with their participating subjects. Each episode allows its star to define and share his or her imagination, in film styles customized to the story at hand. The magic of this collaborative approach lies in revealing the extraordinary richness of the inner lives of ordinary people. The Amerikans is an on-going project that celebrates the creative and complex communities in which we already live, even if unknowingly."

 

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Filmed on location in Lorain, Ohio, Episode 12 of "The Amerikans" shares the exceptional story of Walter A. Frey, Jr. -- funeral director, organist and collector of beautiful ties.

Fastest Lap Around Manhattan - Video Leads to Arrest

During the summer of 2013, a record was set for the fastest loop around Manhattan starting from 116th St. on the FDR heading downtown, up the Henry Hudson Highway, and back down to 116th St. in just 24 minutes. Previous records were set by CBC with 26 minutes in 2010 and before that Alex Roy with 27 minutes back in 2001.

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This guy, “Afroduck” (Christopher Adam Tang) was arrested by NYPD after posting this video. 

He completed the 26.5 miles loop in just 24:07, averaging about 66 mph. 

See also Flying Great White Sharks Caught on Film

 

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Visualizing Gravity with Generative Artwork

This equipment hung from the ceiling records magnetism and the gravity of the earth. Movement a compass shakes and shows a direction, and movement of balance inclines by a liquid falls like intravenous drip. Equipment “magnetic field record" describes by applying these two movements. The dropper containing Chinese ink, and the weight supporting the spindle. The Chinese ink falls, and the dropper becomes light and inclines, then it moves to a center gradually, the horizontally extended magnet is pulled to the magnetism of the earth, and repeats inversion motion.

A bottle of sumi ink balanced by a large magnet on a device that rotates and drips inks in an ever diminishing spiral, I love this work called "Magnetic Field Recording" by Kouichi Okamoto of Kyoei Design.

 

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Wonderlights over Iceland

Aurora Borealis are a natural light phenomena that can be seen specially in the Earth Poles. The North Pole ones are called Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, while the South Pole are Aurora Australis or Southern Lights. They appear because of a collision from the particles that form the sun wind against the magnetic fields of the Earth. The scene of this video is Iceland, a place with amazing landscapes at any time of the year, but it's in winter when this country attracts the most attention because of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Enrique Pacheco has made this video during many personal expeditions and workshops in Iceland from the last three years. Enrique Pacheco is an expert in Iceland landscape and Aurora Borealis shooting, with more than 12 successful trips. If you are interested in travel to Iceland and live this unique experience, Enrique Pacheco offers workshops, in which you'll learn the time-lapse technique, improve your photography skills and enjoy the amazing phenomena of the Aurora Borealis. http://www.enriquepacheco.com/workshop-aurora-borealis-in-iceland This video has been made with the time-lapse technique, using DSLR cameras to capture consecutive pictures and then put them together. Most of the shots have 10 and 20 seconds of exposition in between, were shot with wide lenses and with the maximum aperture. ISO 1600 and 3200 are the main ones. The equipment that Enrique Pacheco used was Sony a99 and Zeiss 16-35 f2.8 for most of the shots, sometimes also Sony RX1. Enrique Pacheco has had the participation of Péter Nánási (www.peternanasi.com) as music composer. Péter has created an amazing music piece, exclusive for this video. Special gratitude to Péter, as well as to Sony and Kietacam, Enrique Pacheco's sponsors. www.enriquepacheco.com twitter.com/EnriquePacheco_ facebook.com/eppacheco -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Las Auroras Boreales son un fenómeno natural en forma lumínica que puede verse principalmente en los polos de la tierra, llamándose Boreales las que se producen en el polo norte y Australes en el polo sur. Su aparición se debe al choque contra los campos magnéticos de la tierra de las partículas que componen el viento solar. Islandia es el escenario de este video, es un lugar de paisajes increíbles en cualquier época del año, pero es en invierno cuando este país cobra gran protagonismo gracias a las Auroras Boreales. Enrique Pacheco ha realizado este video durante las numerosas expediciones personales y workshops que ha desarrollado en Islandia en los últimos tres años. Enrique Pacheco es un experto en el paisaje Islandés y en la captura de Auroras Boreales, con más de 12 viajes con éxito. Si estás interesado en viajar a Islandia y vivir esta experiencia, Enrique ofrece talleres, en los que además de aprender la técnica time-lapse y mejorar tus dotes de fotografía, podrás disfrutar del impresionante fenómeno de las Auroras Boreales. http://www.enriquepacheco.com/workshop-aurora-borealis-in-iceland Este video ha sido realizado con la técnica de time-lapse, es decir, utilizando cámaras DSLR para la captura de fotografías fijas consecutivas. En la mayoría de los planos las tomas tienen entre 10 y 20s de exposición, y fueron tomadas con ópticas angulares y a máxima apertura. Utilizando casi siempre ISO 1600 o 3200. El equipo utilizado ha sido Sony a99 y Zeiss 16-35 f2.8 en la mayoría de las tomas, así como Sony RX1 para algunos planos. Para este video Enrique Pacheco ha contado con la participación especial de Péter Nánási (www.peternanasi.com) como compositor. Peter ha creado una magnífica pieza musical, exclusiva para este video. Agradecimientos especiales tanto a Péter como a Sony y Kietacam, patrocinadores de Enrique Pacheco. www.enriquepacheco.com twitter.com/EnriquePacheco_ facebook.com/eppacheco

Enrique Pacheco took 12 trips to Iceland to shoot this stunning video of the Aurora Borealis.

 

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White Whale Sighting - A Rare Albino Humpback Whale

A one in a million chance encounter with Migaloo the white Humpback Whale as he leaves the Great Barrier Reef, migrating back to Antarctica after spending the worst of the southern hemisphere winter off Port Douglas. Migaloo is frequently seen, in season, by Wavelength: http://www.wavelength.com.au

This albino humpback whale along the Queensland coast in Australia named Migaloo (an Aboriginal word meaning "white fella").

Not Moby Dick, but beautiful.

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Photo credit: Tom Lancashire 

Photo credit: Tom Lancashire

 

40 Days of Dating - Experiments in Dating and Digital Storytelling

The dating life in New York City can grow tiresome and wearing. Two good friends with opposite relationship problems found themselves single at the same time. Tim is afraid of commitment, often dating many girls at once, and he’s losing sight of what a healthy relationship means. Jessica is a hopeless romantic, jumping into relationships too quickly, always looking to find “the one.” It’s been said that it takes 40 days to change a bad habit. In an attempt to explore and hopefully overcome their fears and inadequacies, Tim and Jessica will go through the motions of a relationship for the next 40 days: the commitment, time, companionship, joys and frustrations. Can they help each other, or will they fall into their same habits? Will they damage their friendship? What if they fall in love? Follow the story day-by-day, launching July 10th at fortydaysofdating.com

A beautifully crafted 40-day story told by two designer friends who decided to try dating each other. 

It is fascinating, excruciating, beautiful, moving, interesting, instructive. 

See the whole story » 

Haircut in Reverse - Stop-Motion

Tom gets his facial hair drawn on via a magic pen. 300 printed pages to create the effect. Watch the behind the scenes. http://goo.gl/w9rYrR Directed by Peter Simon Starring Tom Offer-Westort Haircut and Hand Model by Abby Simon Music by Paul Otteson // http://paulotteson.bandcamp.com/ Lyrics Wooly Willy catch a clam or two for me I've been a-driftin and a-dallying on the sea Call me a shipwrecked failure that can't afford but one luxury.. Trim the sails and play a paddled pitch melody Cuttle with cuttlefish, muddle with muddy fish, soft and sweet Oh god, my head it is a wailing from the days that I've been sailing Wooly Willy, travel so gallantly

I am trying to get my head around the planning and steps needed to pull this off this well...  

 

oh, awesome... the Behind the Scenes video is below... 

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Video Timelapse of Ballpoint Barber.

Crossing the Alps by Microdrone

This summer microdrones' md4-1000 achieved something no other quadcopter had previously done. The unmanned aerial system, which was equipped with the latest GPS technology from u-blox and an HD camera from Sony, conquered the Alps by crossing the Saint-Gotthard Pass connecting Switzerland and Italy.

"Microdone'  sounds ominous. These sights are gorgeous. Such is my ambivalence to technology.

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