Unscene Media Blog

Nanotech 210 Teaser

2010-03-09T11:55:00.001-06:00

Like I mentioned in a previous post, UMG linked up with Bailey who heads up MY Media and Ray from Komifoto to shoot a new project for Nanotech 210.

It was really refreshing to do something different that is sure to get people's attention and put the watches on the map even more. The Nanotech guys really gave us creative license to do what we needed to do on set which made our jobs a little easier. Anyway, here's a little teaser vid I threw together while I wait for some video material and the audio recordings from the studio. Enjoy!

Nanotech 210 x MYMG x UMG x Komifoto (Teaser) from Mike Maravilla on Vimeo.

Nurses 4 Haiti: The Photography

2010-03-08T06:49:00.001-06:00

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow | Right click & save

So if you've been following the blog, you'd know UMG (along with Mix Media sponsored the Nurses 4 Haiti event at Filipiniana restaurant last Friday. RJ (DJ Rex) from Mix Media got there early to set up and I wasn't too far behind to start shooting some set up photos and video.

As people started filing in as 8pm approached, you could tell it was going to be a packed house. Some of my friends actually weren't able to grab seats, but every one of them stuck around to support the cause and the artists performing. Thanks for coming out guys! Anyway, as I mentioned in my previous blog, Chris put together a great lineup of performers - including TK Proposal, Manny Garcia, Alan Tiongson & Francis Perfecto and the recent Battle of the Bamboo champions - KAPWA.

At the end of the event, the Haiti-bound ER nurses came up and expressed their thanks for the support...though I'm sure we all felt that their contributions for the Haitian people was the support that truly deserved praise. I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say thank you for being so selfless and doing what you're doing. It's not only an amazing journey of unselfish aid, but the N4H cause has also has brought more of us together to support and educate others on these worldwide matters through our collective talents.

I had so much fun shooting, connecting with new people and catching up with friends. Thanks again to Chris for putting this all together! If you guys are still feeling philanthropic (or couldn't make it to the N4H event at Filipiniana) don't worry...there's another one this Friday, March 12 at the Portage Theater called Help Me, Help Haiti. You can check out more info on Jen Deleon's blog. I won't be scarfing down any kare kare this time around, but I'll still be the guy snapping photos and video if you've got time to swing by. Hope to see you then!

Nanotech x MY x UMG x Komifoto

2010-03-05T09:57:00.000-06:00

The other day I got an e-mail at 3am from Bailey who heads up MY, Inc about shooting some photos and video for Nanotech 210 at a downtown music studio.

I looked into the brand for a bit and was really impressed by not only the technology (can you believe we even HAVE cell phone watches?) but also by the attractive design and thought process that went into the watches themselves. I know a couple people were watching Avatar on their watches when nothing was going on in the studio...so sick! Anyway, Ray from Komifoto was the man that actually referred me for the gig so I definitely have to say HUGE thanks for the opp...it was a blast working with you again after the Ethnikroots Holiday shoot. If you haven't checked out the Nanotech site yet, give it a look...Ray snapped all the photos on there. And I have to add...super nice touch with the subtle pattern you used under the watches on some of the shots.

When I got to the studio, a good handful of the artists were there along with some of the producers sampling beats for the shoot. I had a chance to explore the studio with Ray to look for good locations to shoot aside from the booth and this place is absolutely brimming with creative energy. Not to mention some very notable Chicago talents have put down some tracks here (e.g. R Kelly).

Anyway, the vids should be pretty cool. As per usual, I was faced with a ton of low-light difficulty (I think it's time to reinvest in flashes and video lights), so I really had to push the 5DII to its limits. Here are some of the photos I snapped while I was filming:

Super Sweet Between Private Party

2010-03-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

Justin from Mix Media and I headed out to Between last Saturday to shoot some photo and video for a private (surprise) party set up by Mark Capulong.

Once I walked in, I was really taken aback by the setup. Mark did a great job planning the party and the Between staff really pieced everything together flawlessly. The staff was also incredibly attentive - even to the DJs and I behind the booth (I was definitely chowing down on the amazing food while I uploaded some photos, haha).

I was definitely hurting without a video light (or a flash), but I think I was able to make it work for the most part. Regardless, it was a blast to come out, shoot and meet new people. The night went on long after the surprise party was over which, if you know me, doesn't happen very often. DJ Erge and DJ Rex from Mix Media kept the beats going all night, which definitely made the night complete. I had a chance to talk to Erge for a bit about collabing a bit more in the future. Strangely enough when I went to meet up with Morris from Equilibrium USG to work on an upcoming project, he showed me the skyn he designed for Erge - EQ is taking over the DJ world for sure!

Anyway, here are a few photos from the night. The vid to come soon!

Nurses 4 Haiti: Come Support!

2010-03-03T13:54:00.000-06:00

As we all know, Haiti had been struck by serious devastation only a few short months ago. And with the even more recent misfortunes in Chile, relief efforts are, unfortunately, spread even more thin. The economic tides that we have been stricken with (for what seems like an eternity) have made it extremely difficult for many to monetarily donate to the relief, but there are ways to provide meaningful assistance without having to break the bank.

In addition to supplemental efforts that I posted up on the Selfless blog, my friend Chris had recently informed me of a local event he put together to support Nurses 4 Haiti. The guys over at Mix Media and UMG jumped on board to help with the event along with some great performers like TK Proposal, Manny Garcia, Alan Tiongson & Francis Perfecto.

We're all coming out to the Nurse 4 Haiti event to share our collective talents, enjoy some great food and good company and, of course, support the cause. I'm sure I speak for all of us in saying that we'd love to see you come by, say hello and take a seat at Filipiniana this Friday, March 5th for the event. So far over 150 people have RSVP'd, so if you're looking for UMG, I'll be the guy juggling a camera and some kare kare. See you all Friday!

A Night at Chicago Oven Grinder

2010-03-01T21:16:00.001-06:00

After the University YMCA Alumni Event, Ryne from BakitWhy and I hit up Chicago Oven Grinder to meet up with another BakitWhy member from out west (Kathlyn), Voltaire (from the Roxas Brothers) and his gf Rowie and singer/songwriter Manny Garcia.

Despite the obnoxiously loud girl a table away, we were able to enjoy the deliciousness, good conversation and some intense twitpic-ing and digicam snaps. Yup, you could tell we were a table chock FULL of bloggers, haha. Here are some snaps:

The twitpics begin!

Before commencing, 3 people at the table popped some Lactaid, hahaha

The result of obligatory 5 minute silence

Table spread (L to R): Ryne, Voltaire, Rowie, Kathlyn & Manny

I took a little video of the waiter distributing the pies. Don't mind the ridiculously high ISO on the vid - it was hella dark in there...just focus on the deliciousness, haha.

University YMCA Alumni Event

2010-03-01T20:27:00.004-06:00

Over the weekend, I reunited with some old friends from college and others involved in the University YMCA from UIUC in downtown Chicago. It was really great to get together and see what not only we were all up to, but also the new direction the University YMCA is going under the direction of the new Y Executive Director, Mike Doyle. Even more than that, the University Y has given its alumni an open door to really give back to the org that provided so much for us during our tenure on campus.

Alumni of all generations (and programs) came out to the event and enjoyed great company and amazing food - all hosted at a fantastic location. It was obvious that with our collective talents, we could all do something really big for the org and for social cause as a whole. The event was extremely inspirational and I am truly looking forward to more of them in the future! I didn't really end up taking photos until later into the night, but here are a few snaps that I went through today:

Brandi Shearer & Cracker at SPACE

2010-02-19T08:24:00.001-06:00

Click here or the image above to watch the slideshow

On Tuesday (thanks to Barmey over at Lumino Magazine) I headed over to SPACE in Evanston to shoot for Brandi Shearer and Cracker. The last time I had seen a live band performance was in the Philippines with my cousins (in December), so it was a treat to get out to see these two acts do their thing and let us forget about the frigid Chicago weather for a couple hours.

The acts were nothing short of amazing and it made me realize how much I missed being immersed in the music scene. I didn't have too many chances to sit and talk with the artists, but during the break I had a chance to pick Barmey's mind about how he writes for Lumino and his own musical pursuits over some 312. Really inspirational stuff going on with Barmey's projects - can't wait to dig into some of them!

Anyway, the space at err...SPACE is incredible for any of you artists looking to book a gig. It manages to be acoustically sound but stylish and trendy at the same time. It's easy to miss from the street (since the front is actually a restaurant), but if you're in the area, it's a nice concert nook you should definitely check out. Here are some of the photos from the night:

Bill Murray Having Coffee with Wu-Tang

2010-02-16T08:16:00.001-06:00

During my daily blog reading sessions, I came across one of the shorts from Coffee and Cigarettes called "Delirium". I hadn't seen this movie since it came out, but I was happy to re-immerse myself in it because I remember how much I dug the concept. Essentially, it's 11 shorts set around the theme (you guessed it) coffee and cigarettes. But if you delve a bit deeper, it's about exploring a common space with common events at a more microscopic level - taking a look at people's lives at different angles of seriousness, randomness and dry humor. Strangely enough, it also gets you to take a good look at yourself and how you've been approaching life of late. It's easy to forget that sometimes the simplest interactions in simple places can be the most memorable.

Delirium probably runs the most heavy on randomness and dry humor of the lot, but that's not a bad thing. After all, how cool is it to see Bill Murray hanging out with Wu Tang??

Link Up x Mix Media

2010-02-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

The guys over at Mix Media and I linked up over the weekend to talk about some future collabs. Ever since the Midcoast F.Show, our brands have been mixing it up and making each other even stronger. It's amazing what happens when good people mash up.

I've been working on a fairly big project under UMG that means bringing some fresh minds and more creativity into a space that everyone can share and grow. I've already started to contact a few people to get involved, so creative people...stay propped and keep your heads up if I give you a buzz.

Rex (DJ Rex) actually had a Mix Media gig that night at his resident spot - Empire Liquors. Had an opportunity to see how they get their set together and get educated on fresh, new music. Pretty sweet. You can really never have too many sources for music, especially in the creative field. By the way, if you haven't seen him tear it up on a Flare Scratch, check it out.

Had a chance to do some work on the site. The new project should bring about some fairly big changes to the site to streamline it a bit from where it stands right now. Make sure you stay up to date on The Car Park and I Am Selfless in addition to the main UMG blog.

How to Make it in America

2010-02-10T09:17:00.003-06:00

Anyone else sick of waiting an entire year for eight episodes of Entourage?

Me too. The solution?

HBO's newest show (premiering Feb. 14th) called "How to Make it in America". I just watched the pilot (err, well...3 times) before it airs and I gotta say...I know the show is going to be HUGE. Why? It's the perfect combination of street culture (think hip-hop, skateboarding, art, fashion, photography and the sneaker game) and an all-star cast (Kid Cudi, Shannyn Sossamon, Samaire Armstrong and Luis Guzman). If that's not enough, Mark Wahlberg is behind the production so you know it'll be an Entourage-like heavy hitter. And can I just say it's so nice to see Shannyn back on the screen?? Filipino represent! I'll let the show do the rest of the talking - enjoy!

Oh and just a sidenote, this show makes me love New York even more.

New York, New York

2010-02-05T12:04:00.001-06:00

Click here or the image to watch the full photo slideshow

I posted a little preview of my recent NYC trip on my personal blog, but I figured I'd post up the full series of pics here too. More than just capturing New York from my perspective, I haven't gone out just to shoot for the sake of shooting in quite some time. In addition to that, I wanted to challenge myself in a couple ways:

1.) to capture the city that never sleeps using only my Canon 35L f/1.4 lens rather than traveling fully armed with all my gear.

2.) continue to shoot in .jpg rather than RAW to not only be kind to my lack of hard drive space (haha), but also make me increasingly strict towards my exposures right out of the camera.

In the end, I was incredibly happy with not only my photographic pursuits, but the trip as a whole. It was cold as heck, but that wasn't about to stop us from seeing the city top to bottom. It was an amazing amount of fun to finally visit New York, indulge in great food and really embrace the identity of a city so world renowned. I can truly understand why people love New York so much after they visit.

Here are some snaps from the trip, though if you want to check out all the pics from NY, check out the slideshow above. Enjoy!

2010 BDPA Awards Banquet

2010-02-01T11:37:00.004-06:00

Click here or the image above to watch the photo slideshow

In lieu of the ever-expanding scope of UMG and what it will become in the near future, I wanted to continue the trend of collaboration that really took off in 2009. That being said, I (along with Bhargav from Channel Awesome and Mark Reyes) linked up with Justin from Mix Media to cover the 2010 Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) 21st Annual Awards Banquet here in Chicago.

The event was flawlessly pieced together - from the food, music and general ambience to the eloquent speeches and professionalism that this organization and its sponsors exude. Huge thanks to Millie Liggins (the event coordinator) for having us out for the event and congratulations to all the award winners and newly elected president - Pamela Sexton!

In typical UMG fashion, I put together a photo and video slideshow and included some snaps below. Enjoy!

BDPA is a global member focused organization that serves the professional well-being of its stakeholders. BDPA remains committed to excellence and providing a wide spectrum of resources to members, corporate sponsors, businesses, educational institutions and the community. The organization is a catalyst for professional growth and technical development for those in the IT industry. [Via BDPA Chicago]

Also, be sure to check out the video edit that Bhargav did using our collective footage here - good stuff!

Gigabytes to Kilobytes

2010-01-28T00:04:00.003-06:00

So I think all the design, photo and video work I've been doing on my MacBook Pro of late has taken its toll. I've found myself on the go a lot more lately...especially by virtue of my recent trip to the Philippines. So my home machine (really outdated photo by the way) has been sitting pretty while my MBP has been slaving away on my client projects. Needless to say, I've got one of my four externals plugged into my MBP as we speak so I can clear out 100GB of files and resume my workflow.

As I looked though my desktop upstairs again and through my master files on another 1TB external drive, I noticed I've gone through all but 22GB of it in less than 6 months - the result of shooting RAW along with tons of vids with my 5D Mark II. Insanity!

Nevertheless, it seems that I inadvertently prepared myself for a long night before shipping off to New York for a couple days - a slice of Lou Malnati pizza (a bit of Chicago before NYC), Diet Coke, a couple indy flicks I snagged from a Blockbuster going out of business sale (SCORE!) and a snuggie.

Okay back to work!

Book Book Your Macbook

2010-01-25T11:01:00.003-06:00

Twelve South specializes in manufacturing both useful and aesthetically pleasing accessories for your Apple gear. Yeah, I know what you're thinking - it doesn't sound original or special by any means. It seems like everyone (in the spirit of generalization) is putting out aluminum-looking, poshy dress-ups for Macs. And despite their relatively hum drum performance and build quality, these accessories sell. In some ways, Twelve South wasn't so different...until now.

Under the guise of an unassuming, vintage read is this sexy, super functional Macbook case that makes your lime green Neoprene case look like rejected fabric from Kermit the Frog rather than the protective piece it claims to be. To put it simply, this "Book Book" case is seriously cool - managing to be a perfect blend of the uber-Mac nerd and the Sartorialist. What does this mean for you? It means you can actually carry it around as a legitimate accessory because tech-y can be sexy too. To all you people who wear your cell phone in a belt holster, take notes. And really, it's smart. Thieves aren't necessarily in the market for a spine-tingling, old world novel nowadays (or really ever), so parking your $1500+ tech toy away behind a little Shakespeare keeps you safe.

So if you've got a 13" or 15" Macbook sitting on your lap as your read this, it'd probably be a good idea just to order it right now and save that Neoprene stuff for your niece's first communion felt banner.

[Images via Design Rehab]

G Handle: Product Photos

2010-01-17T14:26:00.002-06:00

I actually had this G Handle product & model shoot awhile ago, but I haven't had a chance to post these up until recently. The concept was relatively straight forward - illustrate the "G Handle" in a few of its environments and to use the models to facilitate those illustrations. Despite this, the shoot was an absolute challenge since a majority of the shooting took place around noon and lighting was harsh. On top of this and in order to make things convenient for the models (and the time constraints), the shoot was held at a very crowded, central location rather than at a golf course itself or otherwise. SO...shooting to replicate a golf course environment, dealing with trademarks (eliminating brands off clothing/golf clubs) and "deleting" people around the area were major challenges in itself.

All in all, I think there were some very usable shots that came from the shoot, so I'm pretty happy. I can envision some great G Handle marketing materials that can come out of using some of these images. Here are a few snaps from the shoot:

On an interesting sidenote, we had some Bettinardi gear to play with on location that day...which is awesome in itself...but really cool when you've got Michael Jordan's personal putter head covers to get your hands on too!

Their website is coming soon, but for all you golf fanatics out there, keep www.ghandle.com bookmarked!

Chris Kim's Favorite Short

2010-01-11T13:35:00.000-06:00

Just a short little diddy here...

I totally forgot to post this up after I saw it because I was too busy watching it over and over again. My friend Chris Kim linked me up to this vid on his blog and after watching it, I can really understand why it's his favorite short. Thanks again, Chris! Feel free to bombard my inbox with more short films you like, haha.

Demand "The Annual"

2009-12-19T22:16:00.000-06:00

So awhile back I posted up a blog about a movie called The Annual. And if I'm still talking about something months after on this blog, you know I'm SUPER hyped for it. So what's the big deal?

Well, in order for the movie to come out this way in theaters is to DEMAND it online - much like how Paranormal Activity got big. And honestly, not to hate on PA that much, but this movie looks like it can blow it out of the water. Sean from The Annual sent me a link for us all to show the love for the movie, so if you're a small/medium/big movie buff and you can appreciate the indy flicks, take a sec and demand The Annual. Yeah? Okay, thanks you're awesome!

The Annual Trailer from Sean Gillane on Vimeo.

Never Too Late for an E-Session

2009-12-15T03:37:00.001-06:00

Just because the winter season is upon us, doesn't mean it's too late to shoot a beautiful engagement session - here's some proof:

Special thanks to David Lai for his help!

Ethnikroots Holiday Videos are HERE!

2009-12-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

Hey all, it's officially 12 days until Christmas, can you believe it?? Anyway, if you missed out on my previous post about the Ethnikroots and UMG collab, check it out. Oh, and before you click play on the vids, I just wanted to remind you that Ethnikroots is offering FREE SHIPPING for the holidays so order up quick! I know I'm going to snag a few more shirts before we all say goodbye to 2009. But anyway, I had so much fun filming that I had to do two different cuts for EKRS, so feel free to let me know what you think. Without further a-do, ch-ch-check out the videos:

By the way, huge thanks to Phil from 360VM for helping me out with the Shin-ski track. Since I'm back in the motherland (and the song is a rare find/sitting in my external back in Chicago), he was nice enough to up a copy and let me DL it. Serious life saver!

Anyway, as I keep saying of late, it's been amazing of late to mesh minds, do work and collab with people who really want to put Chicago on the map in their respective areas - Ethnikroots, Equilibrium USG, Mix Media, KOMIFOTO and G Handle. Thanks for thinking of UMG and I hope we all continue to work together and grow in 2010.

OKAY the aww sappy stuff aside, hope you all enjoy the vids. I'll continue posting up from the PI as my month-long hiatus from the snow and below freezing temps continues. Happy Holidays from the FUTURE!

Midcoast F.Show: Are You Going??

2009-12-10T08:24:00.000-06:00

So if I didn't post enough about the Midcoast F.Show and how cool it is, maybe this post will finally get through to you, haha. Anyway, the show is TONIGHT TONIGHT ZOMG FREAKOUT at Lumen Nightclub. Everything about the show is sick - the venue, the set up, the hosts, the clothes and of course the models. It'll be amazing to see Chicago's best mixing minds (and wardrobes) with the most renowned designers from the coasts. Oh! Speaking of models, here's a little sneak preview of them strutting their stuff at a casting we had over at Jugrnaut awhile back:

If you missed the photo session behind the vids, don't worry I made a little slideshow of the pics for you all here. But seriously, the show is bound to be a really good time, so I hope you already bought your tickets and you're just reading my blog for leisure, right? Hahaha. Anyway, the doors to the show open up at 10pm so don't be late and dress fresh. Oh, and if you're still a youngin' under 21, you'll have to catch the show on YouTube later, sorry! But seriously, if not for the fashion itself, roll through since a portion of the proceeds will be going towards Autism Speaks. Now how can you say no? That's what I thought.

Midcoast F.Show is TOMORROW!

2009-12-09T22:24:00.000-06:00

As you should know by now, the Midcoast F.Show is TOMORROW, December 10th at Lumen Nightclub. Only the heaviest hitters in the game will be showing up and if you haven't heard, Jaslene Gonzalez (the winner of America's Next Top Model: Season 8) and Julian on the Radio (from B96's morning show) are hosting this inaugural event. So cool!

Unscene Media linked up with Justin (one of the guys who heads up the f.show), Jaslene and Julian along with DJ Speed to chat about the show and how excited we are that something like this is finally coming to Chicago. Here's a little love from Jaslene and Julian themselves about the show:

Justin getting down to business with Jaslene and Julian

DJ Speed

The hosts themselves - thanks for your support, guys!

Ethnikroots x Holiday x UMG

2009-12-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

My friend CJ from Ethnikroots hit me up a couple weeks ago to sit down to talk about how we could collab for the holiday season and into next year. We bounced around a ton of ideas and its great to see another mover and shaker in Chicago looking to do things up fresh and rep the city hard.

The night before I left for the Philippines, I had the opportunity to shoot some behind the scenes pics and video for the holiday. Aside from being amongst some of the most passionate people in the game, it was a blessing to shoot one of the most fun sessions I've ever been to. If you hadn't seen already, here are some behind the scenes photos from the shoot:

Oh and before I forget, Ethnikroots is offering FREE HOLIDAY SHIPPING right now! Before they run out, gear up - their whole line is proper. CJ, you up for shipping to the Makati?? Hahahaha.

Project 808 Photo Session

2009-12-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

While filming the videos you may have seen on here, I decided to also take a couple snaps that would function alongside the clips. Since Project 808's website is in the works, I figured the mood of the photos should be dark and mysterious to peak curiosity and interest. Accordingly, the videos were done in a much darker, grittier tone as well. The priority was to keep everything black and white, take advantage of the spotty, progressive nature of the garage lighting and process them to accent the mood I was going for - to be vague and curiously enticing.

Jesal has told me that his logo had recently undergone some revision as well, but for the purpose of the videos and pics, I figured it could use a bit more edge than the revision had given itself. These are the results:

Logo Before:

Logo After:

The DSLR Revolution

2009-12-03T10:58:00.000-06:00

Erin Fong, a California College of the Arts student, thought that the DSLR as we know it today could use a major makeover...and she wasn't referring to just megapixel count and better ISO control - it's a whole new look that even makes humans tilt their head to the side a bit.

After heads return back to center, this nova camera (as she calls it) has gotten mixed reviews. Some embrace the new look willingly while conservatives argue that its new shape doesn't lend itself to sturdy tripod mounts and the like. Then again, if this really is the form of the DSLR future, I'm sure everything will evolve accordingly.

So how does it work?

"It takes the standard DSLR format and modifies it by splitting the control over two arms putting all the control right at the user’s finger tips. the arms can move around the central lens allowing a multitude of picture taking positions. the design is perfect for right and left-handed users and can even be operated with only one handle, borrowing from the camera phone style of picture taking. the design aims to explore the form of the camera now that it isn’t dictated by the conventions of film."

Personally, I don't see any reason why cameras shouldn't evolve in form. Although there will always be a place for conventional bodies, it's great to see people think outside the norm because of considering current and inevitable technological advancements in the industry. These cameras would look right at home in our hovercraft cars, no?

Via [DesignBoom]