Gabriel Portnof Lead Lighter Reel 2007 from gabriel portnof on Vimeo.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
On the distribution of Wealth.
-Posted by my friend at my job.
When I was a kid, my father worked at a college that was on an old estate on the north shore of Long Island. That is Gatsby territory, and the area was filled with former fancy estates most of which had been converted to other uses. I remember reading then about how people used to have incredible fortunes and built amazing huge houses with hundreds of rooms and hundreds of servants, and how even the richest of the rich could no longer afford that sort of thing.
If you look at the history, the closest the US came to actual revolution was in the 1920's and early 1930's, which was that Gatsby period. Many people think that Roosevelt saved capitalism in the US by spreading the wealth and bringing in social programs like social security, WPA, etc.
IMHO, the Republicans consciously were seeking to bring back that era, where being rich meant being REALLY rich. And they succeeded. And, strangely enough, also succeeded in bringing back the event that ended that previous era, the Great Depression.
This is probably why businessmen on the whole supported Obama, for the same reason they supported Roosevelt: sense and fear winning out over greed.
You probably will recognize this song:
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
When I was a kid, my father worked at a college that was on an old estate on the north shore of Long Island. That is Gatsby territory, and the area was filled with former fancy estates most of which had been converted to other uses. I remember reading then about how people used to have incredible fortunes and built amazing huge houses with hundreds of rooms and hundreds of servants, and how even the richest of the rich could no longer afford that sort of thing.
If you look at the history, the closest the US came to actual revolution was in the 1920's and early 1930's, which was that Gatsby period. Many people think that Roosevelt saved capitalism in the US by spreading the wealth and bringing in social programs like social security, WPA, etc.
IMHO, the Republicans consciously were seeking to bring back that era, where being rich meant being REALLY rich. And they succeeded. And, strangely enough, also succeeded in bringing back the event that ended that previous era, the Great Depression.
This is probably why businessmen on the whole supported Obama, for the same reason they supported Roosevelt: sense and fear winning out over greed.
You probably will recognize this song:
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
A friend's Reel
This is a friend's VFX Director Reel. The cool part about it is he did everything on it. From modeling, to Surfacing, Animation, Lighting, FX, and Compositing. He's a real talented mf'er. I wish I was more like him.
Gabriel Portnof's VFX Director Reel from gabriel portnof on Vimeo.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Nothing Compares to This.
Nothing Compares 2 U (cover) live
I was watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night, a movie that I wasn't into at first but has grown on me considerably. At one point the main character is at home lamenting his lost love to the tune "Nothing Compares to You", a song that was originally by Prince, but was covered by Sinead O'Connor. I remember blasting her cover, much like the character in the movie, after being broke up with by my first love. I locked myself in my room and wallowed for hours in pure adolescent misery. I opened my ground floor window in Greenwich village so the whole block would now that nothing compared to her. At the end of the film there is a great Hawaiian cover of the song which I fell immediately in love with, both because of it's comedic awkwardness, and also for the fact that the song is great.
Then oddly enough, this morning on KCRW, as I drove east on Venice Blvd, Jason Bentley puts this new cover of the song on. I thought to call my girlfriend so we could have a laugh about the coincidence, but was beaten to the punch by her call to say the same thing. We were both listening to the same song on the same station. It was a good moment.
I was watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night, a movie that I wasn't into at first but has grown on me considerably. At one point the main character is at home lamenting his lost love to the tune "Nothing Compares to You", a song that was originally by Prince, but was covered by Sinead O'Connor. I remember blasting her cover, much like the character in the movie, after being broke up with by my first love. I locked myself in my room and wallowed for hours in pure adolescent misery. I opened my ground floor window in Greenwich village so the whole block would now that nothing compared to her. At the end of the film there is a great Hawaiian cover of the song which I fell immediately in love with, both because of it's comedic awkwardness, and also for the fact that the song is great.
Then oddly enough, this morning on KCRW, as I drove east on Venice Blvd, Jason Bentley puts this new cover of the song on. I thought to call my girlfriend so we could have a laugh about the coincidence, but was beaten to the punch by her call to say the same thing. We were both listening to the same song on the same station. It was a good moment.
Friday, May 1, 2009
I threw 3D graphics at Obama.
this is a picture of the president watching the Monsters Versus Aliens Superbowl trailer which had my explosion shots, and I also did the Logo that flies at the viewer at the end. So, i visually threw graphics at the president's face! I am McLovin that somebody found that image on the Huffington Post.
I wonder...If he flinched, does that mean i get to give him a punch in the shoulder like that childhood game we all used to play?
OH SHIT! they're back
When childhood cartoons go AWESOME!
Transformer "Revenge of the Fallen" trailer #3 from Bay Films/Michael Bay Dot Com on Vimeo.
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