1st De-Focus in Film

Let Me Dream Again (1900) - George Albert Smith

The 1st de-focus in a film, used to transist from dream to reality: Let Me Dream Again by George Albert Smith features a man dreaming about an attractive young woman and then waking up next to his wife.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000313/

1st Movie Remake (and 1st Film by Georges Melies)

Card Party (1896) - Georges Melies

The 1st of 555 known films by Georges Melies, Card Party (aka Une partie de cartes aka Party of Cards) is a remake of Louis Lumiere’s Card Game. The Lumiere original can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGSjgi9l4c

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000132/

1st Moving Shot

Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un Bateau (1896) - Alexandre Promio

The 1st moving shot, created by a stationary camera on a gondola in Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un Bateau, was filmed by Alexandre Promio for Louis Lumiere.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430447/

1st Comedy Movie

The Sprinkler Sprinkled (1895) - Louis Lumiere

The 1st staged narrative and the 1st comedy, The Sprinkler Sprinkled (also known as L’Arroseur Arrosé and The Waterer Watered) was shot in Lyon in the spring of 1895.

The film portrays a simple practical joke in which a gardener is tormented by a boy who steps on the hose that the gardener is using to water his plants, cutting off the water flow. When the gardener tilts the nozzle up to inspect it, the boy releases the hose, causing the water to spray him. The gardener is stunned and his hat is knocked off, but he soon catches on. A chase ensues, both on and off-screen (the camera never moves from its original position) until the gardener catches the boy and administers a spanking. Louis Lumière used his own gardener, François Clerc, to portray the gardener.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000014/

1st Christmas Movie

Santa Claus (1898) - George Albert Smith

The 1st Christmas movie, and containing the 1st depiction of Santa Claus on film: Santa Clause by George Albert Smith is believed to also be cinema's earliest known example of parallel action. It is one of the most visually and conceptually sophisticated films made up to this point in history.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242849/

A Christmas Carol - The 1st Film Version

Scrooge; or Marley's Ghost (1901) - Walter R. Booth

"Scrooge; or, Marley's Ghost" is the oldest known film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel "A Christmas Carol". Only about half of the original film has survived. It was shown to King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Sandringham House in December 1901 in a Royal Command Performance.

Music performed by Billy Duncan for Change Before Going Productions.

CHANGE BEFORE GOING PRODUCTIONS:
http://www.cbgp.com
http://www.facebook.com/changebeforegoingproductions
http://www.twitter.com/cbgproductions
http://www.gplus.to/changebeforegoing

BILLY DUNCAN
Twitter - http://twitter.com/mrjonseagull
Google+ - http://www.gplus.to/billyduncan
Seagulls - http://www.facebook.com/seagullsatlanta
Ricer - http://www.facebook.com/riceratlanta
An Army of Tiny Purple Dinosaurs - http://www.facebook.com/aaotpd

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000370/

1st Projected Film

Exiting the Factory (1895) - Louis Lumiere

The 1st projected film, Workers Leaving The Lumière Factory in Lyon (also known as La Sortie des Usines Lumière à Lyon, Employees Leaving the Lumière Factory, and Exiting the Factory), was filmed by Louis Lumière using his Cinématographe, an all-in-one camera, which also serves as a film projector and developer. This film was shown in 1895 at the Grand Café on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, along with nine other short movies.

The film consists of a single scene in which workers leave the Lumiere factory. The workers are mostly female who exit the large building 25 rue St. Victor, Montplaisir on the outskirts of Lyon, France, as if they had just finished a day's work.

Three separate versions of this film exist. There are a number of differences between these, for example the clothing style changes demonstrating the different seasons in which they were filmed. They are often referred to as the "one horse," "two horses," and "no horse" versions, in reference to a horse-drawn carriage that appears in the first two versions (pulled by one horse in the original and two horses in the first remake).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000010/

1st Hand-Tinted Movie

Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895) - William K.L. Dickson

The 1st hand tinted movie, Annabelle Serpentine Dance, was filmed in Edison's Black Maria Studios. Annabelle Moore, a young dancer from Broadway, is dressed in white veils that appear to change colors as she dances.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154152/

Happy 150th Birthday, Georges Melies!

1st Film Edit

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895) - Alfred Clark

The 1st edit within a film, and also used for the purpose of a stop-motion effect. The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots shows a blindfolded Mary being led to the execution block. The executioner raises his axe and an edit occurs during which the actress is replaced by a mannequin. The mannequin’s head is chopped off and the executioner holds it in the air as the film ends.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132134/

1st Woman in a Movie

Carmencita (1894) - William K.L. Dickson

The 1st woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the 1st woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000001/

1st Commercially Exhibited Movie

Blacksmith Scene (1893) - William K.L. Dickson

The 1st commercially exhibited film and the 1st staged scene with actors performing a role, Blacksmith Scene is a Kinetoscope film first shown on May 9, 1893. It was filmed entirely within the Black Maria studio at West Orange, New Jersey, in the USA, which is widely referred to as "America's First Movie Studio".

The scene is all filmed from a stationary camera. On screen is a large anvil with a blacksmith behind it and one to either side (portrayed by Edison employees). The smith in the middle uses a heated metal rod he has removed from a fire and places it on the anvil. All three begin a rhythmic hammering. After several blows the metal rod is returned to the fire. One smith pulls out a bottle of beer, and they each take a drink. Following this drink they then resume their work.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000005/

1st Publicly Shown Movie

Dickson Greeting (1891) - William K. L. Dickson

Believed to be the 1st movie shown in public, Dickson Greeting was played for viewers at National Federation of Women’s Clubs. Directed and starring motion-picture pioneer William Dickson, it displays a 3 second clip of him passing a hat in front of himself, and reaching for it with his other hand. It was filmed on May 20, 1891 in the Photographic Building at Edison’s Black Maria studio, West Orange, New Jersey, in collaboration with Thomas Edison using his kinetograph.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241373/

World’s 2nd Oldest Surviving Movie

Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888) - Louis Aime Augustin Le Prince

The 2nd earliest celluloid film, which was shot by Louise Le Prince using the Le Prince single-lens camera made in 1888. He recorded traffic on Leeds Bridge from an upstairs window of No 19 Bridge End, then Hicks the Ironmongers, at these coordinates: 53°47′37.70″N 1°32′29.18″W.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343112/

World’s Oldest Surviving Movie

Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) - Louis Aime Augustin Le Prince

The earliest celluloid film was shot by Louise Le Prince using the Le Prince single-lens camera made in 1888. It was taken in the garden of the Whitley family house in Oakwood Grange Road, Roundhay, a suburb of Leeds, Yorkshire, Great Britain, possibly on October 14, 1888. It shows Adolphe Le Prince (Le Prince's son), Mrs. Sarah Whitley, (Le Prince's mother-in-law), Joseph Whitley and Miss Harriet Hartley. The 'actors' are shown walking around in circles, laughing to themselves and keeping within the area framed by the camera.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0392728/

Occupy Atlanta Day 5 - Voices x12

Statements from 12 people at Occupy Atlanta, Day 5, at Woodruff Park (renamed Troy Davis Park by the occupiers). We did not cherry-pick these individuals based upon any criteria.

Basically I just let them know they could say why they were there and/or who they were, or anything else they wanted. Instead of picking specific people, I just posted up and asked every person that walked by while I wasn't filming.

Video and editing by CHANGE BEFORE GOING PRODUCTIONS:
http://www.cbgp.com
http://www.twitter.com/cbgproductions
http://www.facebook.com/changebeforegoingproductions


For more information about the OCCUPY movements:

Occupy Atlanta - http://www.occupyatlanta.org
Atlanta Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/OWSAtlanta
Atlanta Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyAtlanta
Atlanta Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupyatlanta

Occupy Wall Street - http://www.occupywallst.org
Wall Street Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet

Occupy Atlanta Day 2 - Voices x12

12 short interviews I filmed at last night's Occupy Atlanta.

Basically I just let them know they could say why they were there and/or who they were, or anything else they wanted. Instead of picking specific people, I just posted up and asked every person that walked by while I wasn't filming.

Video and editing by CHANGE BEFORE GOING PRODUCTIONS:
http://www.cbgp.com
http://www.twitter.com/cbgproductions
http://www.facebook.com/changebeforegoingproductions


For more information about the OCCUPY movements:

Occupy Atlanta - http://www.occupyatlanta.org
Atlanta Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/OWSAtlanta
Atlanta Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyAtlanta
Atlanta Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupyatlanta

Occupy Wall Street - http://www.occupywallst.org
Wall Street Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet

Occupy Atlanta Day 1 - Voices x12

12 short interviews I filmed at last night's Occupy Atlanta.

Basically I just let them know they could say why they were there and/or who they were, or anything else they wanted. Instead of picking specific people, I just posted up and asked every person that walked by while I wasn't filming.

Video and editing by CHANGE BEFORE GOING PRODUCTIONS:
http://www.cbgp.com
http://www.twitter.com/cbgproductions
http://www.facebook.com/changebeforegoingproductions


For more information about the OCCUPY movements:

Occupy Atlanta - http://www.occupyatlanta.org
Atlanta Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/OWSAtlanta
Atlanta Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyAtlanta
Atlanta Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupyatlanta

Occupy Wall Street - http://www.occupywallst.org
Wall Street Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt
Wall Street Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet

God's All-Seeing Vagina

Kudos to Netflix for the use of God's all-seeing vagina on their new Qwikster website, just to let us know how hard they can fuck us.

Two Gallants @ The Drunken Unicorn

Knocked down in 1st mosh pit in a decade + Puked on by random drunk chick + Drumstick from the best active band = Rock n' Roll

Two Gallants @ The Drunken Unicorn

I Know, I Know, I Know...

"Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers

Waves of Grain

"Waves of Grain" by Two Gallants

Pray betray the deceased,
Such an infamous freedom, such a militant peace.
How dare they distrust, do they know who we are?
And your progeny's brave,
Their tract houses waiting, pre-plucked and pre-paved.
To the ends of the Earth: wife, kids and a car.

But oh no, no, I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain. Let's all pray for rain.
And all your children are reared, by panic and fear.
But what when all your fields are rotten?
Your waves of grain. Amber waves of grain.
And your word is yet done, inbreed us 'til we're all the same.

And your collection of tongues,
You keep framed in your parlour, with your bibles and guns.
The fetus of Christ, with a fistful of scars.
And your vision is clear,
While you blind your own kind in a curtain of fear.
Your words twisted skywards, distracted by stars.

But oh, no, no, the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain. Let's all pray for rain.
And you pour out your prayers, and weep 'cause you care.
But what when all your fields are rotten?
Your waves of grain. Amber waves of grain.
And you hide the dead while my friends head to die in your name!

"And this playground is yours",
Spoke God, when you met behind closed doors.
Gesture your hand and the pawns shall subside.
And though you play alone,
You never get lonely, you never get bored.
Who needs a friend when God's on your side?

But oh, no, no, I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain. Let's all pray for rain.
And even I can't pretend, we're not near the end.
But what when all your fields are rotten?
Your waves of grain. Amber waves of grain.
When your days are done, I hope you've had fun with your game.

And you accepted as fact:
Behold a white horse, with you on its back.
A bow in your hand, a crown through your hair.
And the oceans shall rise!
And slap on the shores of mountainsides.
Great waves of progress shall wet the air.

But oh, no, no, the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain. Let's all pray for rain.
And you fools in the back, with your heads in your hats:
What when all your fields are rotten?
Your waves of grain. Amber waves of grain.
And my words won't be done! They'll never be done 'till the end!

Higher Ground

The latest from Playing for Change (also on Twitter):



“Higher Ground” - originally by Stevie Wonder

Wandering Hero

"Wherever the hero may wander, whatever he may do, he is ever in the presence of his own essence - for he has the perfected eye to see. There is no separateness."

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) - The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)

10 Great Things Courtesy of Labor Unions

Happy Labor Day! 10 Great Things Courtesy of Labor Unions - GOOD

1. The Fair Labor Standards Act, which protected minors against child labor.
2. The concept, if not the total reality, of an eight-hour work day.
3. Time and a half for working overtime.
4. THE WEEKEND.
5. Health insurance and other fringe benefits given by employers.

Read five more at GOOD.is →

Baba O'Riley

Thanks to smartphones, it is now much easier to convince someone that there is no song titled "Teenage Wasteland" by The Who.

Too Easy

Yes, that's a snake in his hands, and yes, that's a cat in her lap.

Here's Looking at You, Kid.

To America! - Finally seeing Casablanca on the bigscreen tonight at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre.  Play it, Sam.  I'll wear grey, you wear blue. Here's looking at you, kid.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Mini-Giddy!

Time Flies

At this time 3 years ago, my son was minutes away from being born. That is all. And that is enough.

Rock Timeline: From Classic Rock to Modern Crap [COMIC]

Rock Timeline: From Classic Rock to Modern Crap [COMIC]

by Winston Rowntree via Cracked

Grinding the Crack

The most amazing thing you will see all day:



“Grinding the Crack” - Jeb Corliss (also on Twitter)

Thank you to wimp.com for hippin’ me to this.

It's Just a Ride

"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are.

And the ride goes up and down and round and round.  It has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud. And it's fun (for awhile).

Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real?  Or is this just a ride?'  And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, and they say, 'Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because...this is just a ride.'

And WE...


...kill those people:

'Shut him up. We have a lot invested in this ride, SHUT HIM UP!  Look at my furrows of worry.  Look at my big bank account, and my family.  This just has to be real.'


It's just a ride.


But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever noticed that? And let the demons run amok.  But it doesn't matter, because...

It's just a ride.  

And we can change it any time we want.  It's only a choice.  No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money, a choice, right now...between fear and love.

The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.


Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride:

Take all that money we spend on weapons and defense each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we can explore space, together...both inner and outer...forever...in peace."

Bill Hicks (1961 - 1994)