Trailers
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 17.01.07“The Lost Boys arrived to America after walking a thousand miles through the wilderness of Africa to escape their country’s bloody civil war…”
God Grew Tired of Us is a documentary regarding the completion of this journey. What happened to these boys, as they discovered and adjusted to a world unlike anything they’d ever imagined? Starting in 2001 a team of people set out to track their experiences and trials as immigrants in the United States.
“I thought that God… grew tired of us…”
Another movie was released last year titled Facing Sudan by Bell, Book & Camera, recounting the experiences and relief efforts of a highschool janitor and those he touched. As I find more stories in blogs, relief organizations, and news sources, I can only sit and weep for these young men (and the girls left behind). Yet after all the horror, many have gone back to Sudan to help rebuild and minister to their countrymen.
I think this film could be a very unique look into a life most Americans will never imagine!
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SteelSnowflake, online
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 14.01.07You can read the full report in Eli’s blog post. Still a few things to clean up (according to Eli), but overall a nice quick transition. The same can’t always be said of my own attempts to transfer sites… and they’re always much smaller, and on the same server!
Good luck with the new setup, it’s great to see SteelSnowflake.com back online.
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an7_audio
iaian7 » code » txp John Einselen, 8.01.07an7_audio is a simple Textpattern plugin for using Jeroen Wijering’s Flash MP3 Player. Easily inserting an mp3 file, there are two tags for using either <embed> or <script> enclosures.
Do be forewarned that flash players can mess up other onscreen elements in some browsers, including background images and lightbox style overlays.
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an7_img
iaian7 » code » txp John Einselen, 7.01.07
an7_img is a Textpattern plugin used for image insertion and simplified integration of any standard Lightbox style script. Textpattern image IDs are not supported, but using a folder system makes image management fairly intuitive, and a heck of a lot easier than Textpattern’s image handling.
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Narnia, extended
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 29.12.06Ah, more of a good thing! Late this year Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was released in an extended cut, with countless hours of extras.
Extended scenes are spread fairly well throughout the film, with tidbits of dialogue and character reactions added liberally. One of the first noticible additions is to the train scene, where we follow some of the other children a little more closely. It gives a better sense of the drastic measures so many people had to make in an effort to protect their families.
Though there are other additions as well, most of the longer scenes are added to the battle. Instead of just a few griffins dropping stones, we have flocks of griffins… and they are in turn attacked by hideous bat-like creatures. The phoenix is almost taken out by one of the flying creatures as well, but is saved by a judiciously thrown spear. There is added sword play, various animalistic entanglements, and the fight between Jadis (the White Witch) and Areous (lead centaur) is longer. The battle sequence was always, in my opinion, fantastically directed, and fleshing out the action just makes it that much better.
The extras are… extensive, to say the least! I will never make it through all of them (an interactive history of Narnia seems rather unwieldy to handle through DVD menus, and I’ve read all the books), but the ones I’ve watched have been tremendous. Excellent coverage on the processes behind effects, costuming, sets, locations, acting, and more. Can’t recommend it enough, and I hope, sometime, to get through all the commentaries. It’s a fairly major undertaking.
While this longer cut is great, I was also surprised by how well the original works in comparison. The extended version doesn’t add much to the storyline, so much as depth or detail to the actions taking place. It’s enjoyable, and yes, the battle is superb!
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Merry Christmas
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 25.12.06I pray the wonderment catches you by surprise. Enjoy the vacation, the family and friends, the gifts, and the food. But be blown away by the meaning.
God bless, and have a wonderful day!
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2006
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 24.12.06I pray it’s been a pleasantly eventful year for everyone! It’s sometimes difficult trying to keep up with old friends, always cool hearing from some I hadn’t seen in awhile, and so rewarding finding new ones. After my whirlwind through 2005 (graduating, art show, and freelance work), 2006 has seen it’s own share of changes.
January brought a new job opportunity and a major move – to Kentucky. Never did I see myself willingly moving here. But God’s way is best, and it was pretty clear this was (and is) the path to take!
February 6th I started working for Answers in Genesis as a designer in the presentation department. This was presumably to work on illustrative animations and video, but after a few months those projects were canceled and the job devolved into powerpoint work. I also did packaging layout, a lot of graphics, and various photography jobs. Thankfully the occasional photo shoot was a nice break to the day and good bit of fun. I got to document some of the spring Creation Museum construction, shoot some events, and work on projects for print (such as ads to be placed in Answers magazine). We also got a visit from the presidential helicopter. How cool is that? I got to shoot a helicopter from the roof!
By July I had at least half my boxes unpacked, and was feeling a bit more at home. The living room is done in greens, blacks, and creams (of course with some of my black and white photography on the walls). Oh, and two mostly dead plants, since I just can’t remember to water them. In the kitchen I have my brown, blue, and clear bottles, a few bits of pottery, and some colour prints. There’s a lot of other art pieces I need to hang, but haven’t had a chance to matte and frame yet. A lot left to do!
The bathroom I did mostly in white: white curtains, frosted shower curtain with white leaves, clear glass oil lamps, and salted cedar branches. I’m trying a bit of antique ruggedness in the bedroom, as I’m keeping the old Singer treadle machine and my giant old trunk in there. Curtains are white with black hardware,
including a rather tricky installation hanging above the bed. I really hope no one notices the ceiling anchors whenever it comes time to move out of the appartment!
The summer weather was absolutely miserable, 90 degrees fahrenheit and 90% humidity, all the time. It was impossible to even breathe outdoors, so I pretty much stayed indoors till Fall arrived. Then Fall left a few weeks later in lieu of bitter Winter weather. I still got to do a little hiking (both Kentucky and southern Indiana), and a camping trip down to Red River Gorge. The timing was right to catch a few leaves as they were just starting to turn colours. Very beautiful area, with a ton of rock climbing opportunities!
September 2nd a friend died. Justin Vanderburg passed away after two weeks of complications from a motorcycle crash. Though I’d known him at Indiana Wesleyan University, lately he had been studying law and working with his dad’s firm. The funeral was in Ohio, and a lot of his college friends visited, along with hundreds of family, friends, and colleagues. He leaves a gaping hole I’m not sure will ever be filled for many people. A legacy was left that’s staggering considering how young he was, and amidst the tragedy, there was hope and glory in Christ’s clear salvation.
Back at work, things are always in full swing for the designers. I got to help with some more magazine production; a photo shoot involving fake snow in sweltering heat with Buddy Davis, and some cool photos for the Kid’s section of the magazine. Then there was the trip to the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, which is housed in an incredible old train station. While most areas have been converted into assorted museums, the photo of shadowy chairs is from part of the train station still left in tact.
I might have known that print projects were done well ahead of time, but it was weird doing Christmas stuff in August! Answers magazine goes to print months before it ships, and deadlines have gotten tighter with each issue.
After a couple days shooting for a nativity scene, I designed some Christmas cards for AiG, two of which were selected for print (the shepherds and earth cards) and went on to sell quite well. It was a welcome and creative respite for a lot of people, as we worked in the SFX theater using a monstrous fan, tons of cloth, and a couple lights to create the elements needed.
These were a few of the highlights, but to make a long story short, I started working with some of the other departments at AiG that needed visual effects. By the end of November I finally transfered departments, moving from presentations to the Creation Museum art team. It’s been an incredible change, and I’m finally working in video again! Lots of effects shots and animations for various displays, gearing up for the museum’s opening in 2007. I’d love to show you something, but it’s still very under wraps. Besides, it’s only getting better with the projects coming up this spring… you’ll just have to come visit the museum when it opens!
2006 also brought the birth of my online journal Iaian7.com, and the new year will be bringing updates to both JohnEinselen.com and SymbolEffects.com. I spend quite a bit of my free time working on my websites and prepairing for upcoming content. Hopefully I’ll be hosting tutorials for Lightwave, and a podcast that’s just starting.
Well, this has gone on long enough, and anyway it’s caught up to the end of this year as I spend these final weeks visiting family and friends. I’ve been incredibly blessed, and in so many ways. God has been taking care of me, wether I’ve thought so or not, and I’m truly looking forward to 2007!
I pray that all is well with you. May the wind be at your back, and the sun on your face.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless.
John Einselen
John,
This was a beautiful letter. Thanks for the update. God Bless You!
Aunt Karen
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The Nativity
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 20.12.06This past week I had the opportunity to see the film The Nativity.
The intro struck me as rather odd, starting with the slaying of all male children in Bethlehem. Tragic, for sure, and it seemed to steal thunder from the film’s climax. That said, our initiation into the culture of the time is harsh and brutal, as people are hounded and persecuted by the ruling Romans. Women are taken, animals slaughtered, and men crucified by the side of the road. It perfectly sets up the expectant longing for a Messiah, and the political climate that acts as horrific backdrop to this incredible story.
It is easy to see the lengthy research invested in this movie. The rich tapestry acting as backdrop is so beautifully woven. At first I was really thrown by some of the costuming, as according to all of my own research, clothing was quite colourful. Cultures we like to imagine as sirene and aged, walking around in muted browns and dirty whites… were actually a garrish, tumultuous, and riotous conglomeration of vibrancy. However, there is colour in the film! Same with any other production, there’s art direction to the clothing. Our village folk are clean, pure, and the country side is beautifully simplified with various shades of white. As we near the cities, there are splashes of colour everywhere, growing to the riotous expectations of market places and palace intrigues.
Throughout the film, there are references to what Jesus will become and do (“This was to be God’s temple, not a marketplace!”), and things build nicely to culminate in the stable with it’s flawless beam of heavenly starlight. Drawing more from tradition than commonly accepted practicalities, the wisemen arrive minutes after the shepherds amidst the blinding shaft of light falling on the newly born King of Kings. It’s far more likely they arrived two years later (thus coinciding with Herod’s historic command to kill the toddlers, not the newly born children), but keeping things cronologically tight leaves the story nicely tied at the end, as Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt.
I was quite impressed with the landscapes and effects used throughout the film, with some lovely shots of Jerusalem. Watch and see how glorious it would have been to journey there on pilgramige, and see the City of God standing on a hill. Almost all the effects are naturalistic ones; matte paintings, models, environment enhancements. The angel interaction is more limited than the Biblical account found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but still nicely handled. Never complicated, it’s a simple cut between a bird flying over head, and a glowing messenger delivering the most astonishing news ever heard to mankind. “You will bear a Son… Emmanuel…”
Traditional Christmas music is woven in throughout the soundtrack. I rarely found it distracting, and on occasion found it fit perfectly; Carol of the Bells lends surprising immediacy during the frantic search for a room as Mary’s labor pains become worse. It’s a better scene than I would have expected, which I think can be said for much of the film. Though not easily approached purely as film, it works well as a nativity; it is the traditional story (though maybe not strictly historical nor Biblically accurate in all respects) come to life. It’s good, and I found myself emotionally tied to Joseph as the Son is born, and he finds himself witness to the greatest event in the history of the universe.
God, become Man, to save us…
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France 24
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 10.12.06Daily Motion could be called, I suppose, the French YouTube. Not quite as big socially, but better quality compression. And more of an international flavour, content wise. It was here that I came across this promo for France 24. Solid class, european ads have to be some of my favorites!
France 24 is the latest French news source, watch the official clip to see how they’re taking news to the net by inviting webcam users to submit questions for world leaders being interviewed. RocketBoom has a pretty cool video detailing their visit to France 24’s production studio in Paris.
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Ellery
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 9.12.06With perfect timing, a friend of mine invited me to a concert tonight. It was at the Rohs Street Cafe, featuring the two person group Ellery.
Rohs Street Cafe is a bit out of the way, but certainly worth it. The prices were good, the drinks amazing, and the atmosphere really cool. I had a sesame seed and honey latte; a beverage I would have never thought of, nor expected to be so good! Jeremy is writing up a review in Phlegon’s Blog, so I won’t spend too much time describing it, save to mention it’s built in an old house; probably my favorite type of coffee shop. Old architecture and coffee house mix very well.
Ellery was awesome, I highly recommend visiting their website and listening to some of the samples! And keep in mind, they’re even better live. The audience was enthusiastic, though a bit slow to join in on the few Christmas songs. Even the opening artist was great; the brilliant guitarist Aaron Jones. Talking with him afterwards, he said he was a bit nervous opening with solely instrumental music, but everyone loved it.
Just getting back from Michigan in the past week or so, Ellery plays in a few of the surrounding states this month. By February they’ll be making their way out to Minnisota, so be sure to check if they’re any where near your area! Yes, I highly recommend it.
mediaboxAdvanced
Awesome … thanks for posting!
Do you know how we can see these documentaries?