Moving on... New Blog

New blog now up on my website! Follow me and stay up to date with my new blog on my site: benjaminmichel.com, Peace!

Feature Scriptwriting

Steadily chipping away at the sculpture that will manifest as film biopic! Details next year, meanwhile check here and follow me on twitter: @benjaminlmichel

Collaboration with Pras and RH3!

I'm excited to not only be working with Pras Michel of the Fugees but also with his protege, Roy Hamilton III aka RH3. RH3 is a music producer and DJ (iamrh3.com) and both Aleksey Siman (alekseysiman.com) and I have started a creative venture with the talented music maker. We have a short promo coming out virally with RH3 showcasing what he's about and what he's doing. He's also recently put out some video blogs (vlogs) on Youtube where yours truly makes a cameo. Check it:

Nuevo Fotografia

I'm busy but I manage to capture some stills of my interactions... some new photographs on my flickr are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelphotographie/

LA

I'm in Los Angeles working with musicians documenting their process of making an album. It's fascinating to see the process of artists both personally and professionally. This project will be gradually released in the following months. Will update with more info!

The Groove in London!

My artistic collaborator, Aleksey Siman and I documented the rhythmic and soulful sounds of Siemy Di and Plume Sauvage while in London. Here is the result of our encounter, a short music doc called "Back To The Essence":

6 x 6 Blog and Trailer!

The blog site for 6 x 6 as well as a trailer is up!

Find updates on film and it's agenda on the blog: 6x6film.tumblr.com
6x6 - Trailer (2012) from Benjamin Michel on Vimeo.

Food Matters - a critical documentary

Genuine music and words...

LaMontagne, one of those artists who prove that genuine and talented artists still make music among all the clutter.

In Estonia

Here in Talinn, Estonia, editing 6x6 and enjoying the sights. This is the more relaxed portion of my venture here in Europe. Good friends, food and conversations to enlighten the mind. I definitely could make another film here! Maybe I will....

6x6 - Day 3 through 5 and Wrap!

 

'6x6' principal photography has officially wrapped today! I can say that this production has been one of the most exciting and invigorating processes of making art for me. Our sporadic crew, conscious actors, and supportive friends have been nothing less than phenomenal given our meager budget and limited time. Now we're heading to the grueling part of editing but it is all good! A new film as well as a new family has been made! This is a fitting conclusion and experience to remember as this is my last short film before I start developing my debut feature.

6x6 - Day 2 and Cassavetes

Day 2 of production is in the bin. It is amazing to be surrounded by artists working in and around our project. Being both actor and director is a challenging parallel because as a director you must be able to communicate with your cast and as an actor you must interact fluently with other actors. I take inspiration and a bit of relief when a master director/actor such as John Cassavetes pulled it off flawlessly. 

Ben Gazzara (left), Gena Rowlands,  John Cassavetes 

As a fan and contributor of indie film, I'm continually reminded of Cassavetes and his precious works of cinema. With the advent of cheap solutions in making professionally admirable indie films, my goal is to focus on performance and the open communication to the audience without disrespecting the power of the image. I can only hope to have at least some Cassavetes' cinematic charm rub off on me and be enlightened by his works.

6x6 - Day 1

Some stills from '6x6' on the first day of production. We ran into some obstacles on the busy London streets but we managed to pull off a scene. The life of indie filmmakers making films on a limited budget, creates a need for a dedicated tiny yet efficient crew and we've got it. We're on our way to Day 2. 

6x6 Production begins!

We are starting production for '6x6' this Sunday, June 2nd, 2012. It is an exciting day to shoot although the weather has not been what's expected, we're going to work with what's given and make it happen for the 1st day of production! I've been inspired by the atmosphere of London and now it's time to put in a small capsule of a film that's set in the city.

6x6 - Pre-Production

In London, preparing to film '6x6' which has evolved into a psychological study between artists through the evolution script. I'm currently on the scout for the right locations and the mix of good tea and good friends help ease the process.

New brief summary of film:

'6x6' involves a photographer who is consumed by his work and himself, a fashion model who's ambition is to be at the top and an fine artist who's work trumps his personal life. To the photographer, his subjects are nothing more than objects whose purpose only serve his photographs. He always gets his way until he meets the model and artist who challenge his views and shatters his illusions as well as theirs.

Ethos

An important documentary film that is short and direct enough I think that most people can sit through and understand. A must see.

New piece of Cinema

My short film, "6x6" is in pre-production. "6x6" involves a photographer who is consumed by his work and himself. To him, his subjects are nothing more than objects whose purpose only serve his photographs. He always gets his way until he meets a certain model who shatters his illusion and brings him back to earth, mentally speaking.

New DP Reel!

This is a compilation of my recent cinematography work. The work is ongoing of course and will likely be updated but this gives you a taste of what I've been up to lately. I added the touch of Orange Juice's song "Funktastic" from their new album, "Heart Well Fed" which I wrote a review for on a previous post.

New Music Video - Asher Arfeen's "Diya"

Film collaborator and friend, Aleksey Siman and I took on the task of making Urdu language singing, Pakastani-American, artist, Asher Arfeen's new music video for his original song titled, Diya. Aleksey and I have worked together many times in the past so our collaboration with him as director and me as cinematographer was natural. It was an interesting challenge making a foreign language video while still making the song's lyrics relevant. In the end, it boils down to the visuals complementing the music. Despite the language being foreign to some (English only speakers), I still feel that the essential message of the song is expressed through the imagery.

Orange Juice has a "Heart Well Fed"

New music from Orange Juice brings about a refreshing feel just as the fruit the band is named after. "Heart Well Fed," the third indie release from the Naples, Florida natives exhibits growth with a more unified sound than their previous works. The band seems to be sticking to their laid back sound with the smooth chords, slow rhythmic bass lines and steady drum patterns. The lead singer/bassist/guitarist, Hunter Robinson seems to pour his soul into songs like "Yellow Eyes," "Hello Good Feeling," and "She's The One" among others. As in their previous works, Kyle Roeser and Alex Casement's vocal interjections all seem to unify the band's sound with songs like "Turn The Page pt.1" and Turn The Page pt. 2 (a metaphorically pleasant separation of one song over two tracks) and "Whatever Happened To The Blues."

The band mixes a variety of genres and styles from folk, blues, alternative and hard rock, a bit of surprise with the track, "Hometown," while essentially keeping true to their sound and feel. The album is mainly a "feel good" one, reverberating with tracks such as "Sunrise," "Smile Twice Daily," "Champagne," and the comedic "Superman." The lyrics seem to manifest life's ups and downs but with an optimistic outlook. The songs are often self-reflective and meditating, "Stay Relaxed" is such a case, where Alex Casement's guitar riffs and solo create a hypnotic medley. The band's love for jamming and having a good time is heard in "Funktastic" and "Second Hand Smoke."

Orange Juice is a band in progression. They don't seem to be static or complacent with their sound rather they're evolving without disregarding their musical roots. This new album is a wonderful ride the whole way through without the need to skip around even though some tracks just ask for a repeat. The great thing about this album is that it seems to have leaped to a new level of complexity and harmony, making it hard to let go. Indeed your heart will be well fed with this album.

Photographs!

It seems that the only time I have now for personal projects is mainly in still photography. I've been posting new photographs on my website, facebook and flickr.

A History Forgotten (2012) - Full Short Film

"A History Forgotten" in full, premiered last month at the 2012 San Diego Black Film Festival.

My Question to McQueen at TIFF

A brilliant answer to my question about art and cinema [10:35] at TIFF 2011 after the screening of Shame.

A History Forgotten - SDBFF 2012

A History Forgotten is an official selection of the San Diego Black Film Festival , to be screened this January.