Local Artists Ask The Question

You hear it all of the time…Support your local talent. The support they get is sometimes the the push they get to keep performing their art in public. What you don’t hear all the time is the question local artists ask themselves, “Can I go full time?” When is the time artists ask themselves “Can I pursue my passion full time?” In truth they probably ask themselves that all the time. The real question would have to be, when is it they answer the question with “Yes I can!”.

David Christopher has answered this question with “Yes I can”, quite some years ago now. I had the privilege of witnessing two of his live gigs here in Canberra very recently. One at King O’Malleys in Civic Canberra and the other at A Bite To Eat in Chifley shops Canberra.

So as an audience member I felt honoured to be supporting such local talent. As a whole, a bunch, a hungry mob of fans insatiably devouring entertainment like its their last meal, are we giving enough back to the local talent we so love to listen to and watch? Personally I don’t think so. Yes Okay, the artists get immediate feedback through their live gigs and if you could live off praise alone I dare say that would be the most satisfying job in the world. Its so easy now to enjoy entertainment for free. I think the onus has come back onto the audience to give back to the artist. So how do we do that? Sharing has become easy and like breathing these days too and in a way we do help the artists by face-booking, twittering and the like to our friends. We can go further and the options are a natural next step, like buying CD’s or paying for and downloading their music. I know in my mind there is a nagging moral question in the back of my mind when I am a member of the hungry audience enjoying the nights performance. “How can I give back to this artist whom has entertained me so well tonight?”

David Christopher dropped his latest single this year in May 2012. The lyrics were written by Michael Lee and music composed and performed by David Christopher. A great combination melded together by these two artists sees the birth of a great song.

I had the honour of producing a music video to this single and in a way, my way of giving back to some truly talented artists. I like giving back in this way as I get to creatively express myself using their talent to promote their talent. Can only be good, when done right.

The Light In Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BWoD2Zlbxg

So I say give back and rock on!

David Christopher https://www.facebook.com/davidchristopherspace

Michael Lee http://bmsadventure.blogspot.com.au/

BC

One day left of Mivember

One day left of Movember, last day to donate to cancer research and mens health awareness.

My mo has grown well distinguishable! I have been diligent in grooming every day, for the whole of November/Movember.
Please donate
http://www.mobro.co/benzone
Thank you to all that gave donated and raised awareness to this worthy cause.

Cancer can make you feel blue

Help change the expectations of cancer to one of certain hope
http://www.mobro.co/benzone

3days to Mo

Only 3 days to Mo, please donate to Movember. Help me raise more than $300 for Prostate Cancer research and awareness.
http://www.mobro.co/benzone

www.mobro.co/benzone please donate to Movember

Picks of great pic’s through instagr.am filters

The squirrels have been very busy over the last two weeks up and down selected pine trees. This one pine amongst the white snow fascinated me and has such beauty in the snow surrounding it.

The sun has always been a great attraction for me in photos and playing with foreground gives an otherwise normal scene such beauty. The filter used in this photo intensifies the light and darkness at the same time. It’s actually taken in the middle of the day.

Another foreground to the sun for me is the fantastic sheets of ice that slowly slide off of roofs in winter here in Sweden.

The Throat Clearer webcams script (first draft)

So this is the first draft proposal to the Throat Clearer episode, that I sent to krumbine. So over the years I have been on this earth I have come across numerous throat clearer’s. I had a Grandfather, rest his soul, who used to clear his throat more than several times in a four-hour period. I’m guessing how often, but it was quite disgusting being in the same house when he cleared his throat. I have worked with a person who cleared his throat every time he would enter a room. I amuse myself with the theory that he is trying to assert his dominance with his throat clearing ability. Sort of like an inferior complex, it’s a game in his own mind. And of course there are others who do have a legitimate medical reason, like an excessive build up of phlegm. I myself have had this problem from time to time.
Now the twist to this sometimes socially awkward problem is inspired by Seinfeld. Elaine, Jerry, Kramer and George would all have ridiculous reasons for breaking up with their partner and this one fits in that category, perfectly.

Webcams proposal 4

Characters
A = female
B = male or female
C = male or female
D = male

A
So I dropped him like a hot potato!

B
Oh you go girl! But really, it cant be that bad?!

C
Who’s dropping who? Give me the goss, the goss, goss, goss! Like yesterday.

B
OK, Brittany here dropped Drake cause he clears his throat, like, like, nobodies business.

C
You’re kidding me?! That hunk a man meat, dropped like a hot potato because he clears his throat?

A
That’s right. Totally weirds me out!

C
Kinda harsh don’t you think?

A
(Resolute)
You wanna talk harsh baby. Like, try standing in the same room when he clears his throat?

B
So have you told him why?

A
Oh, …I haven’t quite told him yet.

C
So we’re witnessing a break up before the break up?

B
Really? Like, like you’re ok with telling us before him?

A
Oh totally cool as a cucumber!

C
So this is some weird shit right here. Give us an example of how he might clear his throat.

B
Yeah and we can tell you if its, like a dumpable offense.

A
Ok then.
(clears throat as if shifting a truck load of phlegm)

C
(blown away)
Oh wow!

A
I know, see?!

B
(convinced)
Oh now that sounds like a cry for help.

C
Cry for help?!

A
No, its shocking! You never know what I might, like, like catch!

C
Have you asked him if he has a problem at all?

A
Like derr! Its clear he has a problem, don’t need to ask.

B
He’s overdoing it, he has issues!

A
Issues?!

C
He might have a dairy intolerance.

A
But he doesn’t work at a dairy.

C
No I mean a build up of phlegm as a reaction to dairy products he eats.

A
Huh?

B
An inferiority complex.

A
Infer-whaty plex?

B
Like, he’s asserting his dominance by clearing his throat, extremely hard and loud, for everyone to hear.

A
(confused look)

C
I’m putting my money on lactose intolerant.

B
Like, inferiority complex, all my money!

C
Is it really worth it?

D
(clears throat)
Is what worth what?

B
If Brittany should drop Drake because, like, he clears his throat like T-Rex would.
(puts hand over mouth, realising the cats out of the bag)

A
Oh they don’t know what they are talking about Drake. Don’t listen to them. How did it, like go at the doctors?

D
(clears throat)
Doc says I should cut back on dairy intake.

C
Boo yeah! Can you feel it?! Feel the righteousness!

B
(defeated)
Oh my god!

D
(clears throat)
So when were you going to tell me? After telling the local newspaper?

A
Like, like I was just kidding Drake.

B
Sounds like Brittany needs to apologise to Drake.

A
Ah yes, like, I need to apologise to you Drake.

D
(waiting for the apology)
OK?

C
Oh this is awkward. Exit stage left.
(turns off cam)

B
(grimaced look of embarrassment as turns off cam)

D
Well …?

A
Wanna get pizza?

End credits

Pouring some sugar on the love

Recently I had been approved for partnership on YouTube and since then I have been stuck in the middle without an AdSense account. Without this AdSense account I am like a dog without a bone, not complete. Its like I have the right to be a dog, but I have to tone it down, because without the bone I may as well be a cat. So who out there hears a small cat meowing, hissing and raising his back hairs with complaints? Well these three people whom I call colleagues made a video in support for me to raise that all elusive AdSense account high in the air and chant “We are the champions, my friend. And we’ll keep on fighting till the end”. So while I have the full confidence this will happen, it hasn’t happened yet, but my friends are in my corner raising awareness and fighting the fight. Thank you so much guys, I am officially pouring the sugar on the love. You guys rock!!!
MattyHo07 and Chris LeBrane acting naturally!

Great episode of the “Beanie Boy Show” from krumbine.

Haven’t blogged for a while

I haven’t blogged in this blog for nearly a month now. I feel a little guilty for that. Really I don’t know why, or I should say I do know why. It’s one of those “Promises I have made to myself to post regularly here and haven’t followed through with guilt trips”. Really I’m over it now. There will be more blogs on the first drafts that made it to the final cuts of webcams in the future. They have ground to a halt because of laptop problems.

Update: HP laptop decided not to recognize the DVD drive around April this year. I got by without using it and now about two weeks ago the sound just drops out. Relying heavily on video medium as a source of creativity has really upped the anti on my proactiveness. This problem sometimes
consumes me and after a few hours struggling through troubleshooting, recovery manager and reinstalling driver software, I’m back at square one. Up shit creek without a paddle, or a laptop without sound and a DVD drive. This routine I have carried out in varying detail and ways, more than several times. So I decided to hand my laptop over to Rune, a friend of mine. I’m hoping his knowledge and expertise will rub off on the gods of all things laptopish. I also have a feeling it might be dusty in the inner workings of the laptop. It has been easily overheating.
Whether that makes it overheat and affect the graphic and sound card I don’t know.
Fairly important for me to get this laptop fixed within the next couple of days as I am involved in the “One day on Earth” project, which is due on the 10th November. The idea is to film anything you like on the 24 hours of 10/10-10. I filmed and interviewed a friend during the preparations of the Elk hunting season, which started on 11/10-10 here in Sweden, just a day after filming. You upload your film and the organizers pick the best films from around the world to make a feature length film, a sort of world diary for that day.
The other important project I need to edit is the Indiana Jones film we shot with my son and his friends back in October. We try to make at least one film with the kids each year. They get a real buzz out of shooting and watching the final product.

I have been enjoying the writing process in webcams format and found myself working on more than one script at a time. That is not something I like doing because it inevitably means I drop the ball completely on one or all of them.
As for subjects to write about, I like to keep a variety of themes going. I listen to many podcasts and read news fed to
My iPhone regularly. The research into subjects is initially to give my characters a little depth. I think it’s important for some of the characters to know about the core subject of every, on average 5 to 7 minute episode. In fact I am listening to a podcast right now called “Beer Sessions”. All about craft beers. I think I might centre a script around this episode. It’s all about malts and the malting process. I used to brew my own beer back in the 90’s and never knew too much about the malt process. Malt was something you just bought to add flavor and character to your home brew. Turns out its quite an important process in a great tasting beer.

Well that’s all from me and it’s bye from me.
Ben

Like recieving flowers?

Ladies, do you like the idea of receiving flowers from complete strangers? While it’s not common in the western world for males to receive flowers, it has a complimentary gesture. Kinda makes you feel good about yourself, might even make you smile for the rest of the day.
While listening to a radio talk back podcast from Australia, in which they conducted an experiment of a man offering to buy women, who are complete strangers some flowers. Now admittedly in this context it did have a creepy undertone to it, but by enlarge there was positive reactions from the ladies and it was agreed on that those who felt positive about it, were secure and confident within themselves and in fact in a relationship. Anyway I digress and I kind of went down the wrong path. You see I received a shout out from someone on You Tube along with other people, some of whom I collaborate with on You Tube. What has this got to do with flowers you ask. Well in a way I likened this shout out by Melissa Gott as a bunch of flowers. It made me smile for the rest of the day.
The shout out was titled “Greats”. It was such a thoughtful and nice thing to do and well, an ego booster to say the least. Now I don’t consider myself great, you are only as good as your last film, blog, story, book, artwork or whatever you dabble or obsess over as a vocation. Anyway click on the links below and show Melissa some love.

Greats
Melissa Gott on YouTube

This has been a blog from my mind to yours, calling on you to show some love to Melissa Gott.

Stay creative, Ben.