Central Rock Gym "The Heist" 2014

Central Rock Gym in Watertown, Massachusetts hosts rock climbing competitions every year. New Leaf Productions shoots and edits the event video for CRG's annual Heist competition. During 2014's event, I operated two stationary cameras (a Canon 5d and Canon t4i) as part of a 3 person crew.

Bedford Davis Band Photo

Rancor - "Lovestitch" Music Video

The Rancor Archive

Lucid Reviews Movie Podcast: Episode 005: John Dies At The End

Lucid Reviews Movie Podcast: Episode 005: John Dies At The End: John Dies At The End (2012) Sol and Adrian jibber jabber their way through a review of Don Coscarelli's John Dies At The End (2012)....

THE REAL DEAL Providence 48 Hour Film Project 2014 HD

"The Wrong Way To Kill A Chicken" or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the iPhone Camera"

 I shot this gritty little slice of cinema verite on my iPhone 4s camera. Because the camera is so simple, there is a feeling of immediacy when shooting with it. There is virtually no gear to distract the photographer from the subject and as a result, it can be much easier to connect with the moment being captured. I was able to experience this first hand while shooting this video.

    I was visiting friends who live on a farm. One of the chickens had been caught eating eggs, and had been sentenced to death. The task was handed down to Sol. He had never killed a chicken before, and did not take the responsibility lightly. He reflected on the act of killing for several days in advance of the execution. One morning after breakfast, I saw him preparing for the ordeal. 

    I knew I had to record what he was about to do. The only camera available to me was the one on my camera, and I knew it would have to do. No stabilizer, no mics, no filters. Just the lens aimed at the moment as it occured. Later, in editing, I was surprised at how smooth some of the shots were. I was also impressed with how well the footage took to color adjustments. The orange and teal grading worked nicely with the lush greens of the setting. I added letterboxing to give the image a cinematic quality, to imbue it with the experience of watching from a theater, where everything is larger than life.

    The shallow focus shots were inspired by the camera work of Terrence Malick films. I aimed to conjure an ephemeral, spiritual sense to reflect the reverence Sol felt for the life he was taking. The stark, minimalist score is Roger Reynolds' "Process and Passion". I used it to emphasize the ebbing and flowing of life and the dance of death taking place between the chicken and it's executioner.

    Sol made it clear that he wants all viewers to know that he regrets not ending the chicken's life more quickly and less painfully. It was his first time, and I forgive him. I like to think the chicken did to.

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America

I have had the good fortune of knowing Larry Hott and Diane Garey of Hott Productions. They were an incredible boon to my fledgling career (and ego) when I started looking for work after college. I worked part time in their home office/studio, mostly doing assistant editing work for Diane as she and Larry finished the last leg of this PBS documentary they had been producing. Their shared passion for history and biographies was and is inspiring. Whether I was cutting b-roll for Diane or assembling scripts for Larry, the time was well spent. The spring and summer I spent with them was a period of growth for me, and I appreciate the chance they gave me to learn in their tutelage. 

Gretta & The Gazer

Lucid Reviews Movie Podcast: Episode 004: Under The Skin

Lucid Reviews Movie Podcast: Episode 004: Under The Skin: Under The Skin 2014 A late night review with Adrian and guest host Sol Heifets. A thoughtful discussion of Jonathan Glazer's Under T...