Game Time

Smile, You're on Supernatural Camera

I'm cross-posting this with my other blog, the one I share with Paul documenting the behind-the-scenes processes involved with making our movies. Currently we're working on our second Inspector Hieronymus short, so most of our postings over there are about that project. If you're subscribed to my blog here, please add HomoMech to your subscriptions, too. It'll keep you up to date on the movie side of what's going on with me....

Here's the post from HomoMech:

Paul's script called for Inspector Hieronymus to use his "fabulous steampunk Polaroid" in our second short film chronicling the adventures of the intrepid occult detective. The camera needed to look like something that the Inspector would use to photograph supernatural activity, and in Paul's mind, I guess, that's "steampunk." The first Hieronymus short featured his "fabulous steampunk flashlight," and given it's brass fittings and such, I'd say it was, indeed, steampunk. (You can see the flashlight -- and the entire short -- here.) I'm pretty familiar with the historic line of Polaroid cameras, from the old Land to the Spectra and the "Go," but none of them were what I'd call "steampunk."

So, one Saturday a few weeks ago, I got together with JT Tepnapa of Star Trek Phase II, In the Closet (In the Closet isn't safe for work!) and Judas' Kiss for a walk through the Mission District of San Francisco to hit some thrift stores, looking for material to work with. We found a bunch of old cameras for cheap, and one awesome object that's a relic from the physical film days of home-movies (which I'm hanging on to for future projects!). Thrift-shopping for props is a great way to spend an afternoon hanging out with a friend.

Once home, I took apart one of the cameras, added some wood inlays, some brass brads, and some leather, but I still wasn't feeling it. It needed some brass fittings. So, I went to our local hardware store and spent more on brass lamp parts than I did on the rest of the camera and drilled, screwed and glued them on. The end result is the contraption you see the Inspector holding in the photo above. All in all I think it worked.

If we keep making these movies, we're going to build quite a collection of steampunk or para-Victorian items.

And that couldn't make me happier.

The End of an Era

Today marked the last broadcast of California Courts News, or CCN.
CCN is (was) the monthly news program I've been producing for the
Judicial Branch for the last five and a half years. The Office of
Communications, which is responsible for the program's content, has
decided to retool the show for web-only distribution. I'll continue
to produce the web version, and it will be cool, but it won't be the
same....

Today, a bunch of my co-workers came down to the studio while the show
was going out over the satellite with donuts and sparkling cider to
celebrate the show and send it off in style. It was a total surprise,
and a wonderful thing for them to have done.

Snif. CCN, I'll miss you....

Beta Brushes

I've written about the iPhone application "Brushes" before -- it's a natural media simulator on the iPhone which allows me to "paint" pictures with nothing but my finger and my phone. I love it, because I enjoy painting, but often inspiration strikes me when I'm not anywhere near real paint and brushes, or even my laptop. But I always have my phone with me.

So, I was really pleased when Steve, the guy who wrote Brushes, contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in beta testing a new version of the software. I enthusiastically agreed, and have been playing with a couple pre-release versions for a month or so. Up until the most recent version, the interface has been virtually identical, and the feeling of painting is very much the same. (The most recent version added two enhancements I'm really happy to see -- the ability to zoom out from the canvas, allowing for painting edge to edge, and the ability to zoom in as far as 800%, which allows me to paint tiny little details.)

Under the hood, though, Brushes has undergone some significant changes. The software remembers every stroke you make (which is very handy if you need to undo a lot of mistakes). It also allows you to export the image file to your computer, where the companion "Brushes Viewer" allows you to see the image you created, and to export a movie of yourself painting the image -- playing every stroke in order as you painted them -- or exporting a larger image than the tiny little 320x480 pixel image that the iPhone screen supports. Brushes Viewer allows you to export images up to 6 times that resolution -- up to 1920x2880 -- which is amply large to print even up to 8x10 or larger.

The downside to this is that I see exactly how primitive my pianting is! It's encouraging me to spend more energy increasing the detail I paint with. To the right is the same painting in the upper corner, at the 6x resolution. (You may have to click on it to get the large version.) You can really see the brush strokes and the smudgy stars and stuff.

(In my defense, I scribbled this painting out in about 24 minutes just to send Steve something and to let him know my impressions of this newest Beta version.)

I believe that this version of the software will be what Steve submits to Apple for the next upgrade to Brushes. It's an awesome update, and adds some real-world usefulness to this really powerful application. If you're interested in painting with your iPhone or iPod touch, Brushes is the app!

Luna and Venus over the Emerald City

A few days ago as I left work, I passed City Hall which was bathed in
green light. Looking up, I saw the moon and Venus above the classic
Beaux Arts dome. Snap with the phone.

Diana, the goddess of the moon, was a goddess of wisdom, and Venus, of
course, was the goddess of love. I can't think of two more suitable
figures to hold court over San Francisco, particularly as the Supreme
Court heats the Prop 8 cases in a month.

May the wisdom of Diana and the love of Venus guide the Justices.