…and watch this.
I don’t usually just post videos (not unless there’s a bloody good reason at least), but this video from OK GO is fantastic.
Yes, it’s totally inspired by that Honda advert, however – true to the ‘take-it-and-make-it-better’ generation we all live in – the guys really do build on what’s gone before to make this an utter delight to watch.
Enjoy.
Thanks to Matt Singley for the heads-up.
A few days ago, interes10 mentioned that London’s Natural History Museum was a fairly decent place to visit for a family day out.
Whenever I think of the Natural History Museum I immediately have images of the giant Blue Whale model in the Mammals hall, or even the huge fossil collection that inhabits the entrance hall.
Dinosaurs spring to mind.
Always.
Today I found myself back there again. But not for a family day out this time, oh no. My presence was required for a much different purpose.
Operation: BIG GNAW was my very own secret mission for today.
Part of an overall plan – PLAN 9 to be exact – I was to be at a set location, at a set time and armed with a very specific set of responses to a set of questions of which I had no knowledge. With a map in my pocket and some guidelines around exactly what I could and could not say, I set out.
“But what the hell is PLAN 9? What is Operation BIG GNAW?”
Allow me to explain…
Mr Dan Light (pictured, top), is currently in the process of putting together a sizzle/trailer for a new film entitled Loch Ghoon. The script, based on an original screenplay by Dan’s cousin Max, requires a few vox pops from everyday folk (that’s where I come in), shot in and around London’s Natural History Museum (NHM).
‘PLAN 9’ was the codename for the operation that took us secretly deep inside the NHM and BIG GNAW was the pseudonym under which my instructions were left for me. Along with a few other cheeky cameo stars, the aim was to get in, shoot what we needed and then get out again before we were rumbled by the NHM security.
Not an easy task.
I’ve tried filming in a you-think-it’s-public-but-it’s-not-really kind of place before and that did not end well. However, thanks to Dan’s meticulous planning (see above), the whole shoot went off without hitch.
Being a Saturday afternoon, the museum was naturally very busy. With Joe Public taking photos left, right and centre, somehow a small collection of inconspicuous-looking men gathered ’round a camera, interviewing each other suddenly became something rather normal. Par for the course in fact. Business as usual.
To the average passer-by, we were merely tourists.
http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer5.swf
Very, well done.
Rupert, Dan, James, Dan, Benny, Antonio, Katie, Saffron (and maybe a couple of others whose names escape me), excellent work all round.
There’s a Plan9 photo set from today’s fun and games up over on flickr and, if you’re interested in following the progress of Loch Ghoon, I suggest you stay tuned to Dan’s blog – if anything, it’s just a good read.
This is BIG GNAW, signing off…
PLAN 9: COMPLETE
Minor update:
Benny has put his videos and words together – ‘Assault on Plan 9’
As has Dan – ‘We go in. We get what we want. We come out.’
I started writing this post nearly three weeks ago, way back when November was coming to a close and I’d just about made it to the end of National Vlog Post Month (NaVloPoMo). If you missed the explanation at the start of it all, then apologies – the general gist was to upload a new video every day, for the entire month of November. Consider this a review, if you will.
Final score? 28/30
Not bad for my first attempt, wouldn’t you say?
The two that I missed were Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd respectively. The former was my birthday and, while I did actually manage to record and upload a video in time, the quality was so frickin’ bad – I’m refusing to put it up. The latter however, was the day after my birthday and, given that the party guests only started to leave around 7ish on Sunday morning, I think I can let this one pass.
Either way, two other videos were made for the weekend in question and, if the creators don’t mind, I think I’ll submit them as entries for those days. Guest entries if you will. First, my NaVloPoMo partner in crime, Benny Crime, with his ‘Happy Birthday Whatleydude‘ entry and second, creator of all things NaVloPoMo, Rupert Howe, for this awesome ‘Whatley’s evil twin‘ video.
While Benny’s is suitably bonkers, Rupert’s definitely needs some explanation, but you’ll have to wait for another day for that I’m afraid…
In the meantime one upshot from making video every day for a month is the enforced, creative experimentation of it all.
Much has happened over the past couple of months and there is much to catch up on.
The ‘Tales from my Moleskine‘ series is only halfway through (so expect something from there to appear here next), there is a lot of random video content I still want to throw together and of course, there’s just a crap load of normal life stuff I want to share.
So watch this space, I’ll be back soon…
“Changed for good, my output has.
To what end, remains to be seen…”
I found this in my Google Reader a few days ago and it’s stunning. Originally shared my way via Rax Lakhani this video is a simple premise beautifully shot and perfectly executed.
Word of mouth in its purest form.
People, talking to people – about the things they love.
Enjoy.
Yesterday we went to see the Eiffel Tower…
Aside from being reminded of Superman II all day, we also managed to take some video! 🙂
Shot with the new Nokia N900.
I’ve been in Helsinki for the past 24hrs so excuse me while I dig around in my video archive for something that I haven’t published here before…
What I’m about to share with you isn’t specifically ‘new content’ exactly, however it is something actually quite special and I hope you enjoy it.
Meet Stewart Reed.
Stewart, believe it or not, is a genuine cowboy who lives and on a ranch out in the small town of Shell, Wyoming.
One night in July, while we were camping up in the mountains (and after we’d watched the Sun go down), we stayed up late drinking whisky, sharing jokes, telling tales and, eventually – after some cajoling from the group, Stewart fetched his guitar out from the pickup and started to play…
There, up in the mountains, in the long dark silence… a real, live cowboy… singing.
It was magical.
This one, Wagon Wheel, is by far and away my favourite.
Give it 30 seconds or so before he gets going, after that – just enjoy…
“Houston. We have a problem.”
It would seem that the 30-day video marathon that is NaVloPoMo has arrived slap, bang in the middle of the first decent writing stride I’ve had in donkeys.
This is largely in part thanks to the wealth of written content I have hidden away in my new best friend and travelling partner, my moleskine.
Alas, as video cannot be held inside its tender pages, the ‘tales from my moleskine‘ series may have to take a back seat for the time being.
We’ll pick it back up again in December. Promise.
If you’ve missed it all so far and fancy a dive, by all means, just click on the word moleskine and you’ll be magically transported. However, if instead you’d rather stick around and see what ocular treats I have lined up for you today, then please, make yourself comfy… We’re off to Africa.
The date is July 8th, we – the first batch of Lucozade Winners and I – had left Damaraland that morning and boarded our own private Cessna to fly up to a place called Haartmann Valley. From there on in, it’ll be a three hour drive to our next camp. Eesh.
It’s pretty remote, but we’re told it’s paradise.
This short video, put together soon after we arrived, hopefully gives you some kind of insight at just how remote ‘remote’ is when you’re in Africa.
Hat tip to @reyes who duly pointed out the base for this month’s shenanigans.
I think, this year, I’m going to attempt National Vlog Post Month – aka – ‘NaVloPoMo’.
STOP!!!!!
Don’t go! Don’t run away! Stay here, please..?
Just for a minute.
Let me explain.
I’ve seen those jumbled letters before you see, they make me shiver and panic. “Too much!” my brain screams, “Far too much!”.
Thing is, NaVloPoMo defines that every day for the month of November, I need to post a new video blog. This sounds relatively simple enough, right? Well no, it’s not actually. But – logistic technicalities aside – when it comes to my own blog, I try to stagger my output as much as possible. One post every week to ten days or so here on my happy place means that, in my mind anyway, people might be more inclined to read it.
This might sound silly to you, but if I suddenly started throwing out seven posts a day, you’d stop coming back.
The point is, time is precious. And I’m aware of how much time it takes to read a single blog post, let alone consume any video. So if you just go away for a month and decide to come back in December, when this is all done… then I understand.
If you’re happy to stick around and put up with my videos, then awesome.
Here’s one to start you off:
(see you back here tomorrow)
whatleydude.com 