R.I.P

This blog is dead. Have you noticed? We have moved on to bigger and better things. Check us out at Saint Cloud end of the week.

Update

JIIII is going through some changes in the coming couple months. We have been busy, thus the lack of post here. I shot a video for Headlights "Market Girl" remix by the Album Leaf, I've been working on editing our friend Chris Cutri's surfing documentary. Cole just shot a very cool spec commercial for Kodak and directed a spot for Salt Lake's professional soccer team the Real.

Here is an article that was just published about our work. Looks like they have interviewed some cool people including, Owen, TaughtMe, Joan of Arc, The Dodos, The Presets, Headlights, and many others.

Indie Rock Reviews

Daytrotter

So I am late on this post. The video is down now, but Daytrotter has started posting live videos that I do with bands coming through Salt Lake. Last week they posted a video I did with Pathers a Kill Rockstars band. I have done a whole slew of these so keep your eyes peeled for videos to come at Daytrotter.

New Music Video

J-Four directors Cole Webley and Julian Acosta will be directing a new music video for Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband.  The song is "Be the One" on the album Last Man Standing - the band is with Montage Music Group.

Art Show

We will be showing some of our work tomorrow, Thursday June 10th, at Aperture Gallery in Salt Lake City from 6-10pm. I hope we will see you there. Also my band Alligators will be playing at 7pm.

Izze Spec Ad

I shot a spec ad this past weekend for director Tony Petersen.  Look for it to be up on the blog in about three weeks.  Here is a screen grab of an early assembly cut.

Joshua James

Cole and I have been shooting a music video for Joshua James, I am directing Cole shooting with Jared Harris producing. The folks at Coal Umbrella were very kind and let us film there, thanks Maht, Liz, Trevor, and Jess.

We Are Still Alive

We have been neglecting our blog. We have been busy. We have a few shoots coming up, we will post pictures and will update you on what we have been up to the past month or so.

Meanwhile, my band recorded some demos, you can download them here The Alligators

Ava

We had our baby last week - Ava. I had a camera so I threw something together, check it out. Click here

NOBODY BETTER DELETE MY POST-- I'M SERIOUS

I AM THE UNPROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF THIS GROUP. BELOW IS PICTURE OF JULIAN ACOSTA (I)






////CHRIS WAS HERE

Film Review

I happen to come across this film review in the Desert Morning News - published Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. It must be the first film review I have ever had - it was for a film called, "Violette" shot last year while I was still at film school. I was the Director of Photography - and Aline Conti was the Director. It has played in a few small festivals - seems to be well received.

Tide "Laundromat"

Check out my latest spec ad starring Tony Petersen and Hillery Hathaway.  It is titled Tide "Laundromat"

Cherry Tulips Up and Around

So the video we did for Headlights "Cherry Tulips" is up on our site and has been around the internet. It's the video of the day on Paste Magazine and has been on other sites around the web (Pitchforkand others ). But here is the best version of the video...I think

Local News

I will be speaking at the Provo library as part of the Teen Tech Week program on Saturday March 8 at 11am. Please come if you are a teenager, or drag your teenager out if you are a parent of one. I will be talking about all sorts of film topics.

Another note...I just want to thank Square Magazine for putting a picture of my mug and a blurb about my work in their latest magazine, I think it's called the Hollywood edition. If you are in Utah you can find them around Utah valley for free.

Pitchfork

Jon and I did a video for Maritime recently, it's premiering on Pitchfork today. You can see it here as well Guns of Navarone

Fuel Spots

I worked on these spots with Steve Olpin a couple months ago. Pretty cool lookin eh?

Headlights

I spent the weekend with Headlights shooting a video for their forthcoming album. Cole shot it I directed. We had a blast with Headlights, they are great friends, definitely pick up their album when it comes out in February. A huge thanks to the crew for helping us get this done and to Mario Casamalhuapa and The Sun Valley Group for the beautiful flowers.

Menomena and Panther

I shot with Menomena and Panther a few weeks ago for Daytrotter. Both were really fun/creative shoots. I had some help from Matt Eastin and Nate Graves on these, thanks guys. We shot Menomena at Gilgal Gardens and they got attacked by some Halloween clad children. For Panther we shot them in their most familiar setting... their van. If you are unfamiliar with Panther they are a 2 piece; a drummer, a singer, and a laptop. Charlie plugged his computer into his van stereo and sang while driving and Joe rocked out on his bass drum and snare in the back seat.

Kineto Video

Julian and I just co-directed a quick project for Kineto Pictures. Here are a few screen grabs. Jon Troutman did the titles and effects. Enjoy.

Of Montreal

I shot with Of Montreal on saturday. I shot 2 cameras, one of them was my Canon point and shoot in video mode. I caught some of their show after the shoot, they covered a Prince song for the first song of their set.

John Vanderslice

I filmed with John Vanderslice a couple weeks ago when he was in Salt Lake. His show was at Kilby Court and he did the coolest thing at the end of his show. He had the entire crowd go out of the venue and performed his last song by the fire in the court.

Maritime vs Jimmy Eat World

I spent some time in Milwaukee and Las Vegas with our friends Maritime shooting a video for Guns of Navarone and shooting some live stuff of Maritime and Jimmy Eat World. Thanks to both bands for working everyting out in Vegas. Davey sang Praise Chorus with J.E.W. from their self titled album (formally Bleed American), it was pretty cool to see. Jon Troutman and I are co-directing the Guns of Navarone video, The video features some art work of Jason Gnewikow, look for it very soon.

Short Film

I just got done shooting this short film in Orlando, Florida. It was a lot of fun - the weather was crazy but I guess I'm just not use to that climate. We shot 35mm, anamorphic - the director was John Herzog.

Gentle Tyrants

My friend Rob has just started a music podcast, Gentle Tyrants. Rob sure knows music, check it out to get some incite on music, culture, art, it's' just a good ole time.

Daytrotter

I started this really fun project with Daytrotter shooting bands performing their music live, recording the music live as well. I started last night with Damien Jurado and Okkervil River. Eventually I will post links to the videos so check out the blog or my website in the coming weeks.

Cole

Summer has been great. Shot a feature. Spent a week on a river in Washington. My daughter turned one. Went to Germany. Graduated.

I've been listening a lot to Au Revoir Simone, Page France, and Amiina. I lost my iPod last winter so my music library is slowing making a comeback - thanks J.

Watched and loved: Children of Men (Julian loved it but he fell asleep when we first saw it in the theater in Illinois), haven't been to the theater most of the summer - film hours are rough.

In pre-production for my last big spec thing - a volkswagen rabbit commercial. Should be a lot of fun.

Julian

I am the first of our, what we are into right now, posts. Maybe those other dudes will post too.

Listening to: Maritime "Heresey and the Hotel Choir", Feist "The Reminder", Amiina "Kurr", Mika Miko "C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.", Deerhoof "Friend Opportunity", American Analog Set

Watched and loved: Paris, je t'aime, Hot Fuzz, Babel, Volver, Children of Men, Ratatouille

Reading: No one belongs here more than you, Rough Stone Rolling

I am also playing drums in Alligators...come to a show!

Blogs + Deerhoof = Truth

So I was reading blogs of people around town and artists I've clicked into while surfing the internet, all while listening to Deerhoof. Surprisingly, nearly everything I read seemed so cool, jokes were funny, writing was clever-er. I think Deerhoof makes blogs what they were intented to be. I usually scoff at the jokes, cool attempts, and clever-ing, which is bazaar because I have a strange/not very funny sense of humor so maybe I am a bad judge or, binarally speaking, I am the king of cool and I have every right to. So I guess my point is: listen to Deerhoof while reading blogs, actually turn it on now and re-read this one.

Headlights on MTV

You can catch the Headlights TV video on MTV's website...but there are plenty of other places to see it in much better compression, like our website! Which reminds me, I have been promising a new website forever, I think we really will have one up in the next few months, I've actually seen it in the works.

Pacfic Northwest Music

I went to the Jonathan Rice, David Bazan, Ben Gibbard show in Portland, Jenny Lewis sang as well. It was great. I got to chill a little with Dave afterward; what a cool guy he is, introspective, considerate, great musician. I heard a little of Ben talking to Colin Meloy about their music and the success of other bands of the area. Seems like all those artists really stick together and have such positive relationships with each other, it makes the fruits of their labor much more sincere/positive.