Revisiting the Forgotten Blog July-December

Well there are plenty of excuses for why i have not blogged in some time but instead i must apologize to what ever readers i have left hanging. I suppose i was working so hard and struggling so greatly with the film that i could not bring myself to take the time to write about it. In July we thought we had finished the film and had a secret unofficial screening at Anthology Film Archives. What i saw before me was a very powerful but rough film not quite sure of all the elements it contained. There were certain pacing problems, editing and it was aesthetically uneven overall. The audience though seemed to really enjoy it and gave the film a strong ovation. The film was called soulful, deeply felt, spiritual and beautiful. People wanted to enquire about the main character and how much was fiction or non fiction, how i did the animation, questions about England and what festivals we were going to enter. Other's had some strong opinions that the film needed some major work. I wanted to make changes and took a month off from over 1 year and 6 months of constant work. So coming back to the film after over a month this time made me see that this was not entirely the film i envisioned. The film lacked flow in some areas and of course i wanted to add new scenes and additional landscape animation. The scenes that took place in NYC where shot before i had lived there so i added additional animation to that sequence as well. What i have now is a much stronger film in terms of structure, plot, visual language, coherency and fluidity which reinforce the initial power of the overall message. It is important to let the wine age while giving glory all along to the One who turned water into wine. I am happy and relieved to announce that "Glitch in the Grid" is complete and will Lord willing be playing in Film Festivals Internationally, Museums and Art Galleries with the DVD coming out mid to late 2011. Also another compilation of my new short films should be coming out around the same time. Joy!!!

April, May, June Times

It seems as if i have fallen off the blog train but now in the fourth watch of the night that i have finally caught up with the caboose hanging on by one hand. Jeffrey Leiser my wunderkind brother has almost completed scoring "Glitch in the Grid" and the final ADR, mixing and sound design. During this time i've have moved on to other projects such as my holographic paintings, curatorial projects (Anthology Film Archives is giving my film work a retrospective July 21st and i'm curating a contemporary experimental animation program earlier that evening), prep for upcoming art shows in Shanghai and Copenhagen, began writing the next feature and well... continuing to work on "Glitch". You see once you feel a film is done there is time to distance yourself from the project allowing ample time for pondering, satisfaction, insecurity and reflection. Since i consider this a major art work that has taken the last year and a half of my life i want it to be as strong as it can be even though i honestly have a ways to go with mastering feature film making however experimental. This has slowed the completion a little since i'm adding in the new sections and re rendering the film so that Jeffrey can score the final cut. Hopefully this will be done in the next week so that Jeffrey can finish and we can send it off to the London and New York film festivals before the deadlines. I'm not holding my breath as major festivals do not usually accept last minute entries but festivals such as Sundance who have a September deadline will give the film it's optimal shot at getting in unless MoMA who has recently asked me for an advanced screener of the film premieres it. It's all in God's hands and since it is a film that is all about Him i know it's going to work out perfectly. I've been feeling God's love really abundantly lately even though as always i do not deserve it in anyway but in turn i hope it reflects toward others who do not feel loved at all or enough. It is impossible for me to label, dismiss or explain away this Love as what many people see as "religion". My mind is now set on "Living for Heaven" my next feature. As this earth dies and falls away i really want to focus on the fact that we are all infinite spiritual creative beings made in His image for eternity. Human existence on earth is a fading the flower though our short life affects all eternity. What we do with the life and gifts given to us is crucial and we must honestly ask ourselves what we are living for and why. Telling this story through an albino woman and her dog living in nyc on the verge of the apocalypse is really interesting me. This weird, spiritual surrealism is becoming a theme in my film work and i welcome it. I'm grateful for the energy i have to move on so quickly after "Glitch". Life is so brief so i want to act in kind because time itself is running out for us all on this terrestrial plane. We must live for Heaven on earth now!
(updates on upcoming projects is in the news section at www.albinofawn.com)

March Extensions

The teaser is out now and i'm thankful for the buzz that is building from the positive press/publics response to the teaser. It's rewarding since the film began from a very humbled and broken place and is now being promoted alongside much larger scale productions, etc. Humility is something we should all strive for since it is contrary to our nature especially when we gain even the slightest acceptance from the world. i have to keep telling myself that otherwise i cannot move forward and could lose the vision given to me. Read Ecclesiastes. The question though is what can fiscal means really contribute to an honest pursuit of inner art? If the spiritual and artistic work is done honestly through grace and one asks for the strength to do it he or she will receive it in accordance with His perfect will. I think spiritual surrealism can come out of that. 'Glitch in the Grid' continues to walk this path as the film enters the advanced stages of post production. I continue to trust my perspective of the film from when i was living in England which is difficult to maintain in NYC even though it is one of the most European US cities i've experienced like San Francisco and New Orleans. I've been trying to stay in touch with a world view by watching the BBC and NHK TV online and not fall into an isolationist outlook.

The only work i will continue to animate while Jeffrey scores the film and the sound work is done is the land animation. Some ideas have come to me that are special, ideas that will really push me beyond my ability. Look out NASA... I am scouting parks in New York and plan a day in the Sequoia's when i visit CA in April for my brothers wedding in the short term. That is one thing i'm really missing nowadays, being surrounded by nature. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

Catching Up-December-February blessings

Where to start? One of the reasons for my absence is due to the non stop work i have done on "Glitch in the Grid". The film has gone from many strong yet desperate sections into a rough cohesive whole in a matter of months. Immediately after i finished my MIT media lab proposal i embarked on animating the final sections of the film and editing. The big freeze hit the whole of the UK, the coldest winter in three decades with an unprecedented snowfall. Thankfully as far as the film is concerned this fell in line with the snow storm animation i had been storyboarding. Translating the landscape animation technique into snowy valleys reaped huge rewards with uncanny results but not without pain and anguish. i did fear for my health several times where various parts of my body went numb and for my camera which would freeze up electronically! i did most of this animation in Westfield near Hastings, UK at the Sanctuary for the Risen Christ which is both a place to worship God and a working farm filled with animals. Jennifer Benskins who lives, runs and founded the Sanctuary was a tremendous blessing to me as i hope i was the same to her, we struck up a meaningful friendship and prayed often. Collins a man from Ghana who was also staying at the Sanctuary was a great friend as well, we kept different hours but had many great conversations. I also befriended all of the animals both on the farm and off but a my closest animal friend of all was Abraham the 3 year old donkey who has a sweet heart and a sensitive but funny personality that warmed my heart. Abram would be my companion as i animated away in the peaceful and sublime English countryside. During the months of December and January i really came into the heart of the film and into a verydeeppart of my own heart, mind and soul. i felt like i did when i created my mid length film "Psalms" which i believe to date is my strongest work but even deeper with more wisdom. The imagery i created at the sanctuary allowed me to progress in that high form of visual language and experience the transformational redeeming power of creating art that only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ brings. Each new obstacle that daunted me when overcome would allow my spirit to ascend and grow stronger. Being among strong Christians once again allowed me to be bold in my walk and art to glorify Christ without hesitation. i feel very open and free to proclaim that i love Christ with all my heart and want everyone to know His love, His peace, His grace, His forgiveness and His salvation. As Haiti experienced and continues to deal with the horrible earthquake and our world continues to be in a fallen state i realize just how vital it is that i proclaim Christ in my art and life. My time in England will always serve as a vital guide post for me in times to come and yes i will return as the legend goes.

So now a teaser is completed and it will Lord willing be released through various publication's websites soon, my new 2010 reel is complete and the film is almost complete. I am having Jeffrey score the teaser and i am starting on the poster. A new website is planned to commence.

I now live in New York City on 2nd st in the lower east side with my wonderful, loving and intelligent wife Jenny Leiser and close to my incredible loving brother Jeffrey Leiser who will be married soon as well to his talented and sweet wife Lindy Fox. Praise God!

November's Hope/MIT Media Lab

Even though November has been over for sometime i felt that i could not pass over such a vital month of production due to it's rich content, innocence and experience. My Cousin Jay Masonek who plays the lead in 'Glitch in the Grid' came to Hastings, England for my wedding on Halloween and thankfully stayed for most of the month of November at our generous next door neighbors. This was vital for the film as many re shoots had to be completed and new scenes fleshed out. We also shared plenty of time together gaining spiritual insights into the film, clarifying the vision, going on strange adventures and listening to His guidance. The month was also a challenge in that i have been working steadily on the live action, animation, editing for Glitch during the day and my project proposal for the MIT Media Lab specifically the Object Based Media Lab and Center for Future Storytelling at night. I have had a fruitful previous correspondence regarding my holography and interest in developing Holographic Cinema at MIT while their holo video display develops. I recently visited MIT in September and met with Michael Bove Jr. Head of the Object Based Media Lab and Co-Director of the Center for Future Storytelling. The environment on campus is electric, i feel that i need to be at MIT in order to help create the cinema of the future with forward thinking people and grow out of my comfort zone artistically/technically. Anyways back to Glitch the outdoor animation had increased in difficulty due to November's stormy weather and gail force winds in Hastings and the greater UK. The new techniques i have been experimenting with also add to an already labor intensive struggle but i am very pleased with the results and visual/symbolic power of the images. I managed only 2 minutes of stop motion animation in November. This being mid December the tally is now 3 minutes and i am creating a short film called 'Regeneration' that i will be sending to festivals starting in January 2010 Lord willing. I did this with my short animated film 'Forest' before 'Imagination' came out. i also hope to cut a trailer before the new year. Enjoy these new production photos and be sure to check out Jay's facebook for the amazing pictures he took during his stay!

October's End

Well now that it is Dia de los Muertos i felt it's time to recap October's rich soil.

Animation is continuing strong although due to the nature of the outdoor animation technique it can only transpire from noon to 4pm so that the warm orange light stays consistent within the sequences among other factors. Animating outdoors is both sublime and tedious with factors of wind, earth, light, moisture, and animals all adding and often hindering the work. Still even though it is moving at a snails pace i am very happy with the results. More elaborate outdoor setups and camera moves are creating new techniques which push me further into the unknown. I have been animating the dove (Holy Spirit) puppet lately and have completed 1 of 7 sequences. i have been watching the dailies on HD 1920X1080 quicktimes and putting together whole sequences in final cut pro. I look forward to the day that i can put out my work at 4k resolution not 2k. The landscape animation ideas keeps challenging me with how far i can take it without losing all sense of sanity. I really ramble on this blog, anyway back to work where i belong! Praise God for all his blessings!

Jay and Jeff made the trip over to Hastings, UK for my wedding (yes i got married!) and the final section of the live action which went smoothly. I hope i can safely say live action is now wrapped and a rough rough cut of the film is firmly in place. Another memorable month heading toward toward the finish line.

memorable september

Hello to you, World Wide Web readerss of this international blogosphere,

I am J. Masonek and I have something to say.

Glitch in the Grid has survived 9-9-2009 with no battle wounds, i'm happy to say. We have been in the midst of a September Wrap-up, gathering vital bits and pieces needed to make this picture speak, speak to you. Our days are long and influenced by offbeat humor and blessings from on high. Thanks go out to those who've participated in front of Eric's sturdy Canon lens.