C. Hannibal visually speaking

Study the Light

So, Mel B (not the Spice Girl) is not only my advisor, but she’s also my photo teacher. She clowned me today by saying in class, “I didn’t even finish Uni, and I’m advising Masters.” Yeah, self-taught Pulitzer Prize-winning photog.

She’s a trip, and  super fantastic at what she does. Her teacher skills are above average. Easily. She’s got the ill New Zealand accent that makes “tools” sound like “tours”. She can curse up a storm, too. These pages are from the book Basics Photography 7 by David Prakel. Purchase a copy of this very good nubie guide, here. On the first day of class Mel went in hard, hitting us up with the mathematics, God. Doubling and halving, doubling and halving. I’ll figure it out.

C. Hannibal cultural history, visually speaking

To Die For

The trailer for the documentary “Women Are Heroes,” by French street photog JR is making the rounds again, this time in a version for the English speakers. The exhibit itself is over a year old, and part of his 28 Millimètres project, this time focused on women in conflict zones (whether through war, poverty or simply the system).

January 12 he’s dropping what’s being billed as the movie of the adventure.

The artist, who you learn more about here, does interventions using blown up black and white portraits. For this project he went to Brazil, Cambodia and the squatter’s village called Kibera in Kenya.

This made me think of the tattoo that Tupac had on his chest that read “2.Die.4” under a small Queen Nefertiti image.

This project may not be giving political power to the millions of women who struggle in the world, but like one African woman says in one of the video trailers, people will at least wonder who they are, and that gives them voice. At the end of the day, John and Yoko knew what they were talking about with that song.

 

For more on this documentary and collected clips check out:

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Dailymotion

C. Hannibal cultural history, los angeles, music, visually speaking

Would Pac Approve?

 

I’m not showing you this found photo so that you can see how funny looking Marc is. I was just wondering what happened to all those posters that used to decorated my room. All gone, except for the Ali poster over there in the left corner. I bought that huge Pac poster shortly after he died, when I was an undergrad in college. I didn’t mind Tupac was giving me the double middle finger. I’d like to know who took that, however. Was it in Vibe?

I think that if Tupac were alive today, he would be recording over techno and house beats, because that’s just what you’re supposed to do nowadays as a rapper. I really hope there’s no posthumous album with that gimmick in the works, unless it’s by David Guetta and maybe Will.I.Am, maybe.

Below, a recent mix by Brooklyn native and Detroit transplant Kevin Saunderson, considered one of the pioneers of Detroit Techno. Check a previous post about a historical documentary on that scene.

Kevin Saunderson – 2010-12-10 – Live at Mixdown Channel 955 Detroit Radio by Electro-Mix-Memory

Pac would either work with him, or one of the new jacks on the scene such as L.A. techno duo Raíz. Or, Pac would go crazy on you at the suggestion he record over these beats. But I’d like to think of him as more worldly than that.

Mixes by Raíz | acid circus

If you’re in Hollywood next week, you can check out the two DJ sets plus many more on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The ghost of Tupac may be hanging out further west on Sunset. RSVP for free entry. The venue is small, so it won’t turn into one of those events Dennis Romero likes to write about.

C. Hannibal digital media, mexican culture, visually speaking

Chirrete y Stinkfish

Shortly after I got to Mexico City, just two years ago, besides hip-hop heads I was looking to connect with Colombians. Not for that. But just to connect with some good folk on the transnational paisano tip. For reasons artistic, political, economic and illegal there are lots of Colombians living in Mexico.

It wasn’t before long that  I was invited to a cruddy apartment on the edges of the usually fancy La Condesa neighborhood. Inside the apartment was the toxic smell of fresh spray paint. It was the home of graffiti crew APC (ANIMAL POWER CREW), a bunch of Colombians and several Mexicans who travelled around doing art, street art. Above, an animated short by one of the crew members I got to know best, Chirrete Golden. The piece is called “Sin pérdida” (without loss). Pure poetry, in words and visually. On his blog he details how he made it using Final Cut Pro and After Effects.  Check out this video of APC at an art show they did over the summer in D.F. The turnout, as I remember was bananas.

One of the more recognized members of the crew, because of praises he’s won on hipster  blogs and magazines is another Colombiano called stinkfish. Here’s his blog. Below, cuts from his flickr stream.

C. Hannibal visually speaking

Bootlegger’s Revenge

http://vimeo.com/17136608

One thing this video doesn’t mention is how this guy built his entire audience off of rapidshare.com and the like. He’s come a loooong way. Based on what he used to tell me in emails, his day starts at like 5 a.m. or something. An Internet hustler with a Master’s and a day job.

He doesn’t drink or do drugs, but he does puff menthols pretty heavy.  Somehow or another he convinced me to write for him after seeing my nonsense writing on his forum.  And that’s how I got into the writing game. If you like what I write, or you don’t, thank this bum for showing me the light.

P.S. Gotty, you still a sucker. LOL.

C. Hannibal digital media, visually speaking

Anatomy of Catching an L

Marion Jones photo via http://bit.ly/fx456f

I’m sharing here my pain at catching an L. A loss. We’re running out of semester over here at the Uptown Vatican of journalism. I’ve fought to survive, but it hasn’t been without one or several defeats along the way. I’m learning to respect these deadlines more. Break them when I can, but nonetheless grind until my fingers bleed and my eyes go blurry from too much screen staring. It’s rough, it’s a way of life. It’s called a “calling”. Whatever that means. All I know is that it’s not funded so well.

For this class on catching an L in digital media, a/k/a This is NOT how we Duy take a look at exhibit A and B of an assignment I’ve been trying to get right for almost a month. The job: produce a video about a high school that was listed to close. Outcome: questionable.

A. My second attempt. Okay. No excuses son. This is pure sewage in the sense of professional work. I’m playing the student card through all three-and-a-half minutes. I want to come back to this in less than a year and laugh, because I’ll be so dope by then. Let’s pray. Then watch.

Continue reading “Anatomy of Catching an L” →

C. Hannibal digital media, visually speaking

This Is How We Duy: Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines….

This is my second draft for all intents and purposes (a.k.a all intensive purposes). This version of my NYC Biker gang ¨story¨ pushed deadline. No, broke it (I did give a heads up). That´s not how we Duy, so this is where it will reside. But please believe I will get a digital media associate, preferably L. Dubbs, to help me shape in into something uber dope. I think I´m closer to a story. Let me know what you think.