christmas presents

i received an 8mm film camera for christmas this year and could not wait to get out and test it. here is the end result:

8mm Test Reel from John Holman on Vimeo.

i love the feel that is given with the grain and noise in the film reel. i look forward to using this in the future and creating more content for everyone.

crash and burn.

some unsettling events happened this past thursday. i was on my computer and set up the posts that you see below. i was done at the time so i closed my computer to let it rest. upon returning to my computer a short time later i found that it was frozen and a weird clicking noise. i just thought that it was something wrong with the programs that i was running at the time so i reset the computer and then when it tried to boot again all i got was the same clicking and this screen:

now last time that i had heard this clicking from a hard drive i took it into the data recovery lab in the byu library only to have them tell me that my hard drive was shot, the data on there was on there but could not be saved unless i spent hundreds to thousands of dollars trying to recover the information, and even then they do not know how much (if any) would actually be recovered. at least this time i had an extended coverage on the computer and took it to the apple store where they promptly switched out the hard drives. i now have the task of remembering everything that i had on my computer to make it back to normal. but there are somethings that i will not be able to restore (like pictures, documents, and other things that i did not back-up on other hard drives). our technology, although it is great, can still fail us. remember to back-up your things that you care about so no matter what happens you will always have it with you.

playing ketchup: jobs.

after the application and in between all of the shows that i went to i tried to find a job. there wasn't much luck there for awhile. then i got hired by the ups to be a driver helper during the holidays. but that never came to fruition. the only time i wore the uniform after trying it on:

after taking this picture i drove to the ups hub to turn it back into them.

well whatever, that wasn't going to keep me down. i kept looking and now i have a job with filml.a., inc. they permit people to film in los angeles city and county. i will be notifying people of the filming that will be taking place in the areas around the locations. i am super excited and will be driving around los angeles so much that i will know my city more intimately.

playing ketchup: shows.

these are the various shows that i have been to since moving home. (one was in utah).

here we go.

the weekend that i moved home i got to see two sweet bands that i had yet to see. the first was the day after i got home: Band of Horses

on 8/29/09 i went to the fox theater in pomona, ca (near the famous or un-famous glass house)

they rocked it for a great set and a great summer evening back in southern california. i went with three of my younger sisters. they are amazing live and if you haven't had a chance to see them you totally should.

the following monday (8/31/09) i saw Bat For Lashes

at the music box @ the fonda in hollywood, ca.

wow. that is about all i can say about this performer. it reminded me of the time that i saw imogen heap in salt lake. i didn't know what to expect at either show. yeah they sound great on their albums and i love their music but it was amazing! they totally had me (and anne) blown away from the beginning all the way until the end of the night.

ps to this show. i think we saw amy madigan (the mom from field of dreams, and uncle buck) there. i don't know who else it could have been.

the next show that i went to cost less for me to travel all the way to salt lake then to see them in california. i wasn't quick enough to get tickets to see them here in california and it would have cost me more then $400 by the time i got around to getting the tickets. on 9/28/09 i returned to utah and saw Pearl Jam

at the e center.

I was a little hesitant but was quickly blown away by these guys. they had such great energy and eddie vedder's bottle of wine loosened him (and some lucky front row fans) up for the show. One good thing about the shows that they put on now is the fact that they have tons of material that they can play. on the setlist were some songs that you would expect and are almost staples to pearl jam; but they also hit you with some others that you wouldn't think would make the setlist. i went with jared shores and we were up the whole time and jamming with the pearl. great show.

october 10, 2009 was an amazing day in my concert going experience. i went with justin and anne to a MuteMath show at the new club nokia in downtown los angeles.

this was one of the most amazing shows in my life. they had me racking the whole time. and i didn't have to deal with all the little kids that were their to support there new favorite band just because they appeared on the twilight soundtrack.

okay. during the show. things like this were not uncommon:

also, at the end of the encore the drummer was going crazy and took his bass drum to the crowd and had them hold it. then he got on top of the drum, waved his arms around and hyped up the crowd (as if the gesture of him standing on his bass drum wasn't enough) and then he dove into the crowd. i mean, whoa! my mind is still blown every time that i think about the awesomeness.

the temper trap

at the roxy in hollywood was the next show.

they are of the "sweet disposition" fame that is on the soundtrack for the film (500) Days of Summer. They are an australian based band. they have been constantly making a name for themselves and have performed all over the world. check out their debut album entitled conditions. very good. i saw them with anne and afton. thanks to afton for getting the tickets and making it a special night with the two of them.

okay. the next show with anne was on the 23rd of october at the el rey theater

that featured ben gibbard (death cab for cutie, the postal service) and jay farrar (irving) performing songs from the film One Fast Move or I'm Gone.

it was a good show and they both performed solo stuff and stuff that they had written together for the film. a highlight for me was a non-electronic version of the song "couches in alleys" that ben gibbard did with a band called styrofoam off of their album nothing's lost. it was a very good show and was glad that i got to see one of the very special engagements of the tour.

next was the Pinback show that i saw on 11/14/09.

this was a return to the el rey and i have to admit that i was happy to return and see a show there because i knew the lay out and had a feel for the venue already. i went solo on this one, which was weird since it was the first time in a long time (if ever) that that had happened. they incorporated a lot of video to go with their show and even played some music vids in the background as they played their hearts out. they both have many side projects that it was a good thing i saw them now and didn't wait until the next album (because who knows when that will be).

high voltage rock was blasted into my ears on the 24th of november by an aussie band called Wolfmother

at the wiltern theater.

they played an awesome set and a few surprises hit me as i was at the show. there were some celebrities there. first there was slash:

you may have beaten him in the guitar hero game where he is one of the bosses. well, he and andrew stockdale (wolfmother vocalist) wrote a song for slash's upcoming album slash and friends they blasted our ears and shredded our faces better then the shredder even could have.

but that is not all. when i turned around to face the rear of the venue because there were some very friendly people next to me, i saw the man behind the rise of snowboarding success in the united states (if not the world).

yes, shaun white was there being shredded by guitars instead of shredding the mountains of the world. then, on new years eve this duo came full circle as i was watching travis pastrana jump a subaru in long beach they kept playing a promo for Project X and my ears were soothed by the sounds of wolfmother as i watched shaun white snowboard in his very own half-pipe. and the world was right again.

(that was a lot of talk of shredding. i am sorry)

the 9th show on this tour was a stop at the orpheum theater with anne again.

this time we were on our way to see Zero 7 for the first time.

after missing opportunities in the past to see them i could not let them come and go another time without me seeing them. they played for 2 hours straight almost and at one point went into a trance and played these groovy beats and electro-mental pieces that made even the oldest and most uncoordinated people stand up and dance. they also have the singers on their albums come with on the tours to support because the two guys that make up zero 7 usually just provide the music. but, we also showed up early to catch the openers and i was pleasantly surprised/blown away/awestruck/in love with Phantogram.

phantogram played a great set and really set the mood for zero 7. between performances i went out and bought the ep and have been listening to it ever since. their lp "eyelid movies" is coming out soon and you should really look into them.

so that is where i have been. the next show will be at the el rey theater (once again) on the 13th of february, but this time to support Sea Wolf and The Album Leaf who will both be touring together in select cities to support their new albums "white water, white bloom" (which is already out) and "a chorus of storytellers" (out the 2nd of february) respectfully.

sea wolf

the album leaf

playing ketchup: application.

so i have been working on an application to the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the past few months and have had that consume my life. there was a lot of work that went into it but i am confident in the application and hope that i get in. i do not find out until march. i had to create a visual sample for the application and i would love for you to take a look at it.

Full Version: "Joe" from John Holman on Vimeo.

here is the link if it doesn't work. let me know what you think in the comments.

playing ketchup: moving home.

i did it. i moved back to california from utah. there are quite a few things i miss (more people then places, and definitely not university ave). i hope that all is well with everyone that still reads this even after my many months of inactivity.

california, here i come.

i decided (not too long ago) that i would be leaving the state of utah for the gorgeous state of california. it wasn't too hard of a decision. i need a change and i need to grow and gain more experience.

p.s. i leave the 28th of august on this endeavor.

50!

me times 100 doesn't even equal xaque. http://www.vengeanceandfury.com/

scoot the loop

today i set out on an adventure that took me may a place. i was bored and needed something to do so i got up and took a shower and then tried to figure out where i could go for the maiden voyage of me and my 20d. i also was looking to go someplace far so that i could road trip with my scooter (which had yet to be done). so i set off to eat before leaving and i stopped at wendy's for some deliciousness and while i was there i forgot my wallet but they gave me my food anyway, which was amazing. next i went back home only to discover that my wallet was in my scooter the whole time and so i semi-lied to the people at wendy's. after a few seconds of feeling guilty i finally decided that i was going to head up the canyon to see what it had in store for me. as i was scooting i remember the beloved spot stuart falls and decided that that is where i would be heading. as i made my way up the sundance canyon i thought to myself, "why stop at stuart falls when you can ride the alpine loop?" so it was then decided that i would spend my time riding the alpine loop instead. what a wonderful decision! i had an amazing time and even detoured to cascade springs but decided not to go all the way there. it was cool, sunny and lovely. here are some pictures from the trip (no captions):

i ended up listening to passion pit's album manners about three or four times total on this excursion and it made for great listening throughout the trip. i couldn't get enough!

road trip: oregon

this is one of the sections of the trip that i took with greg, jacqui and anberlin. it was freaking awesome and so here we go on a trip through pictures (not in chronological order) but they have captions for added effect.

can you say "truffle shuffle?"

i made it to the goonies house that overlooks beautiful astoria.

anberlin and i having great conversation while we color in a restaurant.

not quite. i just needed the coin to line it up (and to be facing the right direction)

these people were true campers. they knew how to rough it with their christmas lights, televisions, ipods, and all that other stuff to help them become further removed from society.

oregon coastline. loved every second of it!

the beloved tillamook air museum that was totally visible from miles and miles away and equally closed when we tried to go to it.

more oregon coast with anberlin and jacqui.

(read above to see where i was)

the tillamook cheese factory/processing plant/creamery/store/self-guided tours/made for tourists to think that they actually got to see cheese get made.

jumping for joy at multnomah falls. i cut myself in the landing.

the beginning of a very good talk with anberlin. i explained to her why waterfalls were so rad and she explained to me the meaning of life.

multnomah falls.

the great company that i went with/they drove.

my home for a few nights of the trip/all of oregon.

thanks for this one greg.

the lovely anberlin. who loved the tent. her mom can tell you how much though.

joy. laughter. long drives. short sleeps. fun. fun. fun.

we headed out to the oregon coast after a stop in portland but went to tillamook first in stead of astoria like we planned. but that was okay. i think everyone enjoyed the trip and we made it through that leg of the oregon coast so quick that we had an opportunity to head up to the great state of washington for the second half of the trip. highlights: the 45th parallel, trees, the coast, seaside, boardman, the columbia river, cannon beach, astoria, portland, rei, and much more.