Up on the Roof – coming home to roost

Imagine this blog post being delivered by messenger pigeon. Now imagine that my 2008 film, Up on the Roof, had finally become available on DVD and in downloadable format. Well, which would you prefer to be true?

Up on the Roof is finally widely available, courtesy of IndiePix Films. The download gets you the one-hour film while the actual DVD comes packaged with two additional films on the same topic, which is, roughly speaking, people keeping pigeons on New York tenement rooftops. Only the other films were made in 1967 and 1981.

Other extras include a recounting of the history of pigeons in America, an academic discussion of Brooklyn gentrification and scenes from the battle against over-development in the Williamsburg section of that storied borough.

Order your copy today!

(also, stay tuned for news about a broadcast coming later in 2011!)

Last Summer at Coney Island

on sale now!

It’s on. The past 4 years of my life go on sale this week. Well, actually, it’s the DVD of Last Summer at Coney Island and I couldn’t have done it without anyone. So, if you know who you are, thank you.

The film runs 94 minutes and the DVD has close to an hour of extras. Oh, and it’s going to be on some PBS stations, starting with Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 15th at 10pm. Click HERE for schedules and info.

The story concerns Coney Island’s roller coaster relationship with redevelopment and it features a kick ass soundtrack by Kaki King. Other music by Alex DeMammos, Gwen Stefani, Death Cab for Cutie, Bliss Blood, Amiina, Lullatone, and others.

Please share the news!

Taxicab Confessions

Got HBO? Tune in for the latest installment of Taxicab Confessions, on which I served as coordinating producer & cameraman. And if you ever wondered what exactly a cameraman does on a show known for taking place inside a taxi with hidden cameras, just watch the trailer. We shot this 2 summers ago, cruising the streets till the break of dawn like an aimless, insomniac surveillance team. Also cozied up to some burlesque performers, flew in a helicopter with no doors, played drag bingo on the Bowery, and generally attempted to capture all the spit and vigor that New York has left.

You can watch the results on Sunday, 1/30/11 at 11pm Eastern Standard Time (2am if you’re in the west) or check your local listings. They also seem to be offering it on demand some times but not others.

Another New Year at the Crossroads of the World

Proud to be working again with Countdown Productions, the company that owns the New Years Ball and produces the festivities and the broadcast from Times Square each year. Now, you can watch the show from your iPhone, Droid, or iPad. Get the app and other info from New Year’s central or your local app store. (how much does this sound like a commercial? but it’s true!) And, of course, you can watch from your regular old computer, which you will probably have connected to your TV or digital projector. I don’t know! The point is, any time you see pre-recorded video in the webcasted show, it’s from me. Case in point, this segment on the history of celebrating New Years Eve in Times square. Because you’ve always wondered.

Haiti

Just got back a few days ago from a mind blowing 2 and half week trip to Haiti where I was working with two great organizations: Global Nomads Group and Architecture for Humanity. They’ve partnered (along with the Bezos Foundation) to rebuild a few of the many schools that were damaged or destroyed in last January’s earthquake. My role was to document these rebuilding efforts and to introduce the people, culture and schools of Haiti to young people of North America (and beyond) who have signed on to help raise the money necessary for work to begin. (Bezos Family is contributing matching funds.) The videos say more than I ever could in a blog post about the devastation, beauty, despair and resilience that we encountered. Please visit the partner sites and the Global Nomads Facebook page for more information on the situation there and how you can get involved.

We produced four videos during the trip while another was done in Kansas, portraying some of the American students who are exploring philanthropy for the first time in their young lives. Gotta say my favorite of the project was the profile we did on one of the students in Port-au-Prince. What was supposed to be a 3-4 minute piece turned into a 7 and half minute short film called “Diandine.” This precociously smart young woman has a lot of unique qualities and it was truly an honor getting to know her and her family, but if you’re looking for a window into the challenges and determination that define the young people in Haiti right now, this is a great place to start.

While you’re on the YouTube page, there’s plenty to explore, including a segment we did on Haitian Vodou!

Battle of Brooklyn

On my b’day this year, I ran into Beyonce and Jay Z while shooting the ground breaking of the Barclay Center: the largest development project in New York since, I don’t know, forever. It’s being plopped down next to downtown Brooklyn and will make billions for some, while taking away central Brooklyn’s low scale, neighborhood sensibility. The footage I shot was for/with my friends at Rumur Inc who are making an epic doc about the whole debacle. Read all about it and watch the amazing trailer here:
www.rumur.com/bob

Beyonce and husband arriving at Atlantic Yards on 3/11/10.

And yes, Beyonce and I had a moment.

River to River

It’s my third season working with the River to River Festival as their resident filmmaker and I am yet again humbled by the amazing performances that I wouldn’t have bothered to check out if someone weren’t paying me to do so. I often come away wishing I had dragged people I know to these things because not only are the artists top notch, but all the venues are in very special waterfront corners of lower Manhattan. Fortunately, I get to share little snapshots of these shows with everyone on the festival’s website. A few of these clips have gone up already this summer and more are being added every few days. Check ’em out, and while you’re there, take a look at the last few seasons’ videos. I’m rather proud of many of them.

Beth Orton at Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City