Chris Wilcha's Music Video for Indie Band Fol Chen

One of the busier guys around, Chris Wilcha managed to squeeze in a slick music video for LA-based indie band Fol Chen.  The band describes themselves as, "You know that mysterious black object that the creepy family is staring at on the cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Presence' album?  Fol Chen sound like that."  And it seems fair to say the video captures that weirdness, but judge for yourself.

"Cable TV" was shot using a Canon 5D, the same camera employed by Neil Tardio in his Volkswagen spots earlier this year.  The video was a featured video on Youtube and recently mentioned on Sasha Frere-Jones' blog at The New Yorker.

Chris Wilcha and the Helicopter

Please enjoy Wilcha's helicopter ride, from what is shaping up to be one of the more fun Chelsea jobs in recent memory. Details, product shots, and the whole nine yards coming soon!

Nicolas Barker's Latest Work for the BBC

A series of four broadcast spots promoting BBC Radio 3, Barker's visions of daily life meeting classical music are rather charming, and since they're only set to air on the BBC, we thought we'd share them here with you!  Barker is a serious enthusiast of classical music, so the project was the best kind of challenge, forcing him to choose between classical favorites. 

Here are two of Chelsea's favorites, the first featuring a man meeting Purcell in the subway, and the second illustrating how Mendelssohn can inspire movement.

Lauren Greenfield Lecture at the Annenberg, Thursday, May 21st

Lauren Greenfield will be speaking at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles tomorrow, May 21st.  The lecture is part of the IRIS Nights lecture series, and Lauren's talk is titled Youth Culture, Gender, And Media Influence.  From the Annenberg website:

Greenfield will lecture about these long-term, multi-platform projects and how they developed and evolved creatively and professionally. Greenfield will also delve into the sociological aspect of her photography, and the media's influence on the behavior of children, teenagers and adults.

Lauren's lectures are always excellent and often hard to get in to, so be sure to check http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/events/iris_nights.asp for ticket availability.

Alex Gibney Blogging for The Atlantic

Add "blogger" to the long list of credits by Alex Gibney's name.  The director has added to his considerable workload and accepted a correspondent position at The Atlantic, the venerable politics and culture magazine.  Check out his blog at:

http://correspondents.theatlantic.com/alex_gibney/

He began the blog a mere two weeks ago, but has already managed to write plenty about the state of US politics, particularly as it relates to torture of military prisoners and the latest news about Abu Ghraib.  And, on a lighter note, he mentions his current project with Lance Armstrong, filming Armstrong's return to the world of competitive cycling.

Behind the Scenes With Chris Wilcha

Enjoy the following on-set photos from Chris Wilcha's latest shoot. He's the one pointing at the camera. Directing the camera, if you will.

We can't talk about the product just yet, but can say it was a cross-country adventure and the webisodes will hit the Interwebs in May. All photos courtesy of David Morrison, DP extraordinaire.

Scenic Scenery.

Just another day at the office.

Not Chris Wilcha.

But too delicious looking not to post.

Eastbound & Down Renewed for 2nd Season

David Gordon Green and star Danny McBride on set.  Mcbride also featured in Green's Pineapple Express.

Kenny Powers and co. will be back for a 2nd season of HBO's dark comedy.  A number of the first season episodes were directed, of course, by David Gordon Green.  The Variety announcement is here and the NY Times interview with DGG collaborator and show creator Jody Hill is here. Look for the DVD in late June!

Picture credit to Fred Norris / HBO

The Next Feature from David Gordon Green - Your Highness

After having a number of projects in the air, it looks like “Your Highness” will be the next David Gordon Green feature film, starring James Franco and Danny McBride and shooting in Ireland this summer.  Variety writes:

Scripted by McBride and Ben Best, the comedy follows two spoiled and arrogant princes in a medieval fantasy setting. When an evil wizard casts a spell on their father and kidnaps the older prince's fiancé, they're forced to go on a quest to save their family and the kingdom.

James Franco got a Golden Globe nod for his role in Pineapple Express, so we’re just going to call it now; Academy Award for Best Actor, 2010.  The rest of the Variety article is here 

Lauren Greenfield Shoots Amy Poehler For New York Magazine

Adding to her celebrity portfolio, here's Lauren's latest work for New York magazine, Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope from her new show Parks and Recreation.  Check out the full article here

State of Play Interview with Kevin MacDonald in The New York Times

As we all know, MacDonald's State of Play is coming to theaters on April 17th, and the New York Times interviewed the director about the film and adapting this cult TV series to the big screen. Here's an excerpt, and catch the full interview here.

"I loved the series, but it never crossed my mind you could make it into a film,” the movie’s director, Kevin Macdonald, said in late March, talking on his cellphone from the back of a London taxicab. And even when he was shown a script, he added, he had a lot of reservations. “It’s sort of like what they say about books,” he said. “You know, good books make bad movies, and it’s better to make a movie from a bad book. This was a very good series, and I worried that we would just let down all the people who loved the original.” What changed his mind, he added, was his realization that the emotional core of “State of Play” involved themes of friendship and loyalty that could be translated anywhere.

Christopher Quinn and CVS - For All The Ways You Care

Christopher Quinn's series of mini-documentaries for CVS has hit the airwaves and the Interwebs. Check out the dedicated microsite at www.forallthewaysyoucare.com. The shoot took Quinn and the Chelsea crew across the country, starting in Albany, New York, then heading to Witchita, Kansas and finishing up in Fruitland, Idaho.

Here's "Gina" and visit the website for all the rest!

Johan Kramer's Sing for Darfur Win European Independent Film Festival Award

Chelsea Director Johan Kramer's latest film project, Sing for Darfur, won "Best European Dramatic Feature" at the European Independent Film Festival.  From the press release:

The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU), Europe’s premier event for independent cinema, announces the 2009 festival award winners. An audience of several hundred gathered in the Grand Auditorium of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Site François-Mitterrand, to applaud the 113 talented independent filmmakers from 27 countries whose films were competing for the title of “Europe’s Best Independent Film” during the weekend of 13th – 15th March, 2009. Twenty-three awards were given out at the ceremony...Johan Kramer’s Sing for Darfur (Netherlands) for Best European Dramatic Feature 2009

Congratulation to Johan and everyone involved in the film!

Lauren Greenfield's Latest Work for The New York Times Magazine

Continuing her work on the accelerated pace of modern childhood, Greenfield's latest work illustrates the story of Allonzo Trier, a 13 year old basketball prodigy. See the full article with Greenfield's photography here.

Lauren Greenfield Featured At Inaugural Show of Annenberg Space for Photography

Chelsea director Lauren Greenfield is a featured photographer in L8S ANG3LES - exhibition of 8 LA Masters. The gala opening event is March 25 and the show runs through the summer. Greenfield will also be lecturing at the Annenberg in late May, so look out for more info on that.

For more of Greenfield's print work, check out www.laurengreenfield.com, and for more on the Annenberg Space and Foundation, click http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org.

Christopher Quinn Directs CVS

Here's a sneak peak of one of the three CVS spots directed by Christopher Quinn.