FAT MONSTER FILMS presents "O2" ... Every. Breath. Counts.

ConspiracyPenguin said:
He does rock, but now I want to know what convinced YOU to say that. See, I have this problem where I have to know EVERYTHING. So if someone references something I do not know about, I get a little peterbed and want to find out what it was.
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Dont worry Nick, my dog suffers the same problem. If you close your fist and show it to him he paws at it until you open it. Close it again and he's back to pawing. He's a great dog.
 
He really is my favorite of our 5 dogs though!

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shawneous said:
Mark, great pics of your dad! where and when did he serve?
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Dad flew out of a base called SHADOWGUN in France about 90 miles south of Paris. He served in 44 and 45. He towed gliders into combat and also transported prisoners of war. On one trip his plane got hit and they barely made it back to friendly lines before crashing.

I recall being very young and playing with his bomber jacket and flight helmet. Unfortunately, at some point my mom tossed most of it out!

Addendum: I spoke with my dad to get more info and he explained that he got drafted into the army in 1942 and attended officer's training school. They needed pilots so he jumped at the chance and was trained to fly a single engine fighter. However, when they shipped him to Europe they made him a pilot of cargo carriers that transported supplies and returned POWs that were liberated from German POW camps. He said, "We were following General Patton, who was rough and tough but he got things done. We couldn't keep up with him even though we tried hard." He recalled one battle where a river blocked supplies so the allies called in air support to carry materials and he says the sky was black with planes. Thousands of them. He says he can remember it like it was yesterday and it was the most impressive thing he ever saw and he never felt so proud as to be part of the war effort. I also posted here previously about my Dad approving of the friendships this forum has fostered between different nations and especially Germany. Dad has been over a couple times and counts a number of German friends among his closest.
 
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Mark Johnson said:
When I originally posted the photo of my Dad saluting Jack noticed that his medal bar had come unhinged and was hanging 90 degrees out of place. Jack took the liberty of fixing it and the post because he thought a veteran getting honored like that shouldn't have his medals hanging askew in the photo. Understandably, I was touched and moved that Jack would take the time to fix my Dad's photo rather than simply calling my attention to it.

For that and for Jack's friendship I am grateful. Fat Monster has now upgraded Jack to a real bed when he next visits the shack.
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That's fantastic. Jack really is a great guy, he just helped me out with something earlier this week actually. It was great meeting him when I was down there.

Jeff Anderson said:
Dont worry Nick, my dog suffers the same problem. If you close your fist and show it to him he paws at it until you open it. Close it again and he's back to pawing. He's a great dog.
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Great. Now I am being compared to a ****ing dog. Well, he is your favorite, so I guess I've got that going for me.

Re: Gage's ridiculous comment: **** off. :nads:
 
ConspiracyPenguin said:
That's fantastic. Jack really is a great guy, he just helped me out with something earlier this week actually. It was great meeting him when I was down there.



Great. Now I am being compared to a poo pooing dog. Well, he is your favorite, so I guess I've got that going for me.

Re: Gage's ridiculous comment: poo poo off. :nads:
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Gotta agree that was very cool of Jack to take care of that. And I must say he did a superb job. Could've fooled me. Your dad sounds like quite a fascinating guy Mark. Enjoy Kansas! I've always had a good time in Kansas, not sure why, just a nice state.

And Penguin. Dont flatter yourself. He eats his own poop and barks at the doorbell on TV.
 
Mark Johnson said:
He said, "We were following General Patton, who was rough and tough but he got things done. We couldn't keep up with him even though we tried hard." He recalled one battle where a river blocked supplies so the allies called in air support to carry materials and he says the sky was black with planes.
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That's an awe inspiring vision... it's crazy how the world has taken shape over hundreds of millions of years... continents drifting and crashing into each other through millimeters of motion happening over millions of years, and suddenly here we are... doing the best we can to bring sensibilities and justice to a world that changes at lightspeed above the crust... flashes of intensity destined to yield a new course for humanity, as we cruise along in the gaps between... calling it peace.

There are days when I feel almost jealous of the incredible experiences of our fathers, but then I check myself on how foolish a thought it is... because it wasn't an adventurous course that they plotted for themselves, and yet there's no denying the beauty of the changed souls that came out of the experience... and certainly the beauty of some souls that never made it out.

We're fortunate that luck, skill, and judgement favored your father... and I'm glad that he can talk about these experiences with you. My own dad has moments of temptation to talk about the korean war, but it never gets very far because he'll tell me about somebody that he really liked (that didn't come home) and as soon as I ask his name... conversation over. So tell your father that there are a lot of us out here that really do appreciate his service... both to his country and his family.


Now... about Jack getting a bed... anything to keep him from spooning up to me in the middle of the night is welcome. "It's not Polo or Old Spice, Jack! Now go back to sleep!"
 
That was a very nice post Matt, and I loved the line at the end. My Great Grandfather was in the Navy. I recall one story my Aunt told me: his ship was on its way to Pearl Harbour to dock there but it got called back to tow another ship in and they missed the attack. He's gone now, and I wish I had talked to him about his expiriences more. If there's one thing I regret, it is that, although I was so young I didn't really think of it.
 
Love the pictures, Mark. There really are few things better than small-towns in the midwest. Give your parents my best and say hi to David for me. If you've got the time, resources, or ability to make your way up to Lincoln... I've got a bed and couch for yourself and David, complete with beers of your choice (I promise we'll find Stella Artois somewhere). Anyway, it'd be great to hang again!

If not, enjoy your time down there, man. I'm really enjoying the stories.
 
I can't speak for everybody... but this fest has had some really transcendental things happening for me. Seriously... my involvement with Fat Monster has turned my world on it's ear... the experience has brought a new set of gears to life. I owe a huge thanks to everybody out there... Luis, Mark, and Tim... plus all the other LA DVXusers that have been so cool... and definitely a big thanks to all the DVXusers from across the country that I finally got a chance to meet. So far I haven't had a single let-down... it's just been all positive vibes... and it was really great to meet Jared... even very briefly... as I wonder if he ever thought that first seed he planted and so meticulously cared for... called dvxuser.com... would grow into such an amazing tree of opportunity and community? Jared reminds me of the monolith from 2001.

While words can't convey the weight behind their simplicity... I really feel a debt of gratitude to everybody within the Fat Monster crew... and to everybody else who played a role in this wonder play. Thank you!
 
Dang, I should have hopped in here sooner. I'll provide a link to my new demo reel below, which has 3 of the 8 shots I removed markers from on O2. I chose those shots because they showcased the more complex work, which dealt with motion blur and hair roto. Other shots were much easier or were too subtle for people to really notice, even with a breakdown. Sadly, those real subtle shots usually require the most manual painting:crybaby:

But as with my ninja-like abilities, I can't reveal everything, and certain shots in O2 will continue to go unnoticed until someone raids my hard drive and finds the project files ;)

I usually just post a Vimeo link, and I replaced the source file the other night with my new reel and it worked fine, but Vimeo now seems to have lost it, and their upload system is having issues at the moment. So here's some linkage to download versions:

720p H.264: http://cowdigital.com/videos/ncaauwe_reel_20080718_h264.mov
iPhone/iPod: http://cowdigital.com/videos/ncaauwe_reel_20080718.m4v
 
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