blog.cohenben.com

New York City landing

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:24:18 -0600

New York City landing

NEW WEBSITE!!! THIS BLOG IS ON HIATUS.

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:56:51 -0600

NEW WEBSITE!!! THIS BLOG IS ON HIATUS.

GAYNGS

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:34:00 -0500

Six months ago my friend Isaac Gale called me and asked if I would come to Minneapolis to help film this concert:

GAYNGS! Holy crap. Every time I hear these guys I ask myself ‘How do they have the guts to make this music today? ’ It sounds like they were frozen in a glacier in 1982, unfrozen in 2010 and are thawing out some of the best slow jams ever. SLOW JAMS! Well…slow jams that ROCK! Here are a few more Gayngs treats…

The legend is true, too. Prince showed up at their concert in May at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I was on the side of the stage operating my camera when an aroma of lavendar and babies suddenly washed over me. Mind you, this is a very odd thing to smell in a concert night club. Luck had it - I turn to my right and Prince is leaning on me. LEANING ON ME! He’s so tiny, I barely felt him. I had to smell him to know he was there. I’ll never forget that scent. And yes - Justin Vernon is a nice guy, so is everyone else in the band - especially Ryan Olson, the conceptual mastermind that originally put the whole thing together. Great people, great music… support.

It's Business [Card] Time!

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:42:00 -0500

I’m ordering new business cards and I want them to be cool. I work with creative people and so a boring, or poorly printed business card just doesn’t fly.

Then again, I find myself asking why I even bother printing these things. Sure — if I meet someone and I can pull out a badass business card then I feel like we’ve made a connection. Maybe they’ll call or email me about some work in the future.

Here are a few cards that just can’t be ignored!

Business card for a plastic surgeon:

Business card that can turn into a model airplane, car or boat:

Business card for a prankster (might not the best idea):

But I know that truth (or maybe I’m too cynical). I imagine my business card will probably go into the recipient’s pocket, and if it is lucky enough not to get folded in half over a piece of chewed gum later that evening, it will most likely go through several loads of laundry after sitting at the bottom of a dirty clothes hamper for at least 3 weeks.

Well, that’s what happens to a lot of the business cards anyone has ever given me. It’s not that I don’t care about their information or want to be in touch - in fact, sometimes a week after I get someone’s card I’ll think ‘hey - I should email that guy!’ But then I can’t find the card because it’s in any number of pockets (pants, jackets OR shirts) if not totally lost. Then I’ll find the card several months later - probably while folding laundry - and if it’s still legible I’ll send an email…

Hello! You gave me your business card about 4 months ago at the [fancy name] happy hour. We talked about collaborating in the future. I’m so sorry, but your card fell into an old bag of Doritos and when I went to take out the trash today, I noticed it. It’s a little wet, too, so hopefully I’m interpreting the smeared ink well enough and sending this email to the correct address! If so - and if you can forgive that - I’d still really enjoy talking to you about…

So - I know that giving my business card to people can be futile. But I’m not saying that I treat every card this way - in fact several cards I get go straight into my wallet, where they sit far too long, but at least they’re not being put through rinse/spin cycles. Or, worse, almost eaten.

So, here’s hoping my new business cards can make an impression and instead of getting thrown out by potential collaborators, clients, etc. — maybe they’ll call back. Maybe.

Was riding the bus today and saw the date flash on the red...

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:29:00 -0500

Was riding the bus today and saw the date flash on the red digital sign at the front: 10/01/10

Then the binary solo from Flight of the Conchords’ “Humans Are Dead” popped into my head immediately. It comes at the end of the song, so keep watching/listening…

Wishing everyone a very binary month!

Del Close didn’t invent long form improv, but he is the...

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:13:00 -0500

Del Close didn’t invent long form improv, but he is the father of the form that I’ve been studying for the past year at Improv Olympic in Chicago, IL. Never have I ever been in a community or ‘scene’ where the words “THAT TOTALLY BLEW MY MIND” were uttered more often. I see an average of 4 shows every week at the theater, I guess you could say I’ve fallen totally in love with improvisation. Even if I never have success as a performer, which is honestly more of a pipe dream anyways, I’ve learned more important lessons from studying long-form improv than any form of schooling I’ve ever been apart of… Maybe with the exception of 2nd grade art when I mastered scissors!

Here are my favorite ‘principles’ or lessons that I learned at iO Chicago (in no particular order). Disclaimer - I’m an improv infant and by no means claim to be an expert on this stuff. I’m just a huge nerd and I think it’s super cool.

1) DARE TO BE BOLD. It’s often chilling to sit in a classroom with improvisers and continually encourage one another to “do whatever you want!” Empowering? I think so.

2) BE IN THE MOMENT. Maybe the most ‘mind blowing’ thing we practice. YES, we actually practice BEING IN THE MOMENT. Do you realize how many people say they wish they could just be in the moment in their everyday lives? In improv, we actually do drills and preach this so much that tapping into this mindset (hopefully) becomes like a tool in your toolbox as an improviser. Pull it out at any time.

3) SAY WHAT YOU MEAN. You can’t be passive agressive or vague in improv. You have to just come out and say what you really mean. I love this. Few of us do this in our everyday lives because we have to be polite, especially in the Midwest where people actually do tend to be passive agressive. But you can’t be polite in improv because your scene will end up boring or confusing (just like real life! ha).

4) BE AFFECTED. At your core as a performer, you have to react to everything - especially the last thing said. Everything has to be done and interpreted with a sense of heightened importance compared to real life. One of my favorite teachers, Jason Shotts always says, “Make their head pop!” and “Let it hit you in the chest, hard!” Improv is all about reacting to one another and making each other’s heads pop on stage. It’s easier to do this when your partner says things to get under your skin, as I mentioned in the last one (#3) and as Del talks about in the video.

5) SEARCH FOR MEANING. This is one of the best, most mind melting thing we practice in Improv class. Del mentioned it in the above interview. He said we are all raving paranoids searching for meaning in everything. What that means, is there is always a reason, beneath the surface, someone says something or communicates something. It is our job as improvisers to ask what that is? Ask yourself, ‘What does it really mean when she said that ?’ … and then react.

6) DON’T TRY TO WIN, TRY TO LOSE. In comedy this is an awesomely important concept. Nobody thinks its funny when somebody just wins everything, and it’s not interesting to watch someone in a scene who has everything they want. It is so much more fun for the improviser and the audience to play or cheer on a character that is flawed, and who constantly gets what they want and then has it taken away, only to get it again, probably before losing it again. The flaws in your character allow him or her to want something.

7) DON’T ACT OUT OF FEAR. Back to the earlier point of you can do anything you want to in improv… perhaps the only thing you can’t do is make a choice out of fear. Your choices on stage as an improver should be postive and you should find a way to enjoy every move you make. If you’re not having fun, the audience damned well isn’t having fun. This is my favorite lesson I’ve learned in Improv that I try to apply to my life outside of improv.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head right now - or for that matter, all I’m willing to write in a single blog post. There are books and documentaries and essays and entire schools devoted to teaching these principles and more… They apply to every kind of work, every kind of creativity and all aspects of life in intriguing and valuable ways. So I encourage everyone to study it and have your MIND BLOWN. See improv!

A picture I took out the taxi cab window while in New York...

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:20:00 -0500

A picture I took out the taxi cab window while in New York earlier this year.

I’ll be spending quite a bit of time in NYC this year… I’ve got a few things lined up. Other things are lining up to line up. I’ll also be on the West Coast quite a bit. Yes - we’re expanding and it. is. awesome.

Last night I got together with my good friends and ate dinner...

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:36:00 -0500

Last night I got together with my good friends and ate dinner potluck style! I brought wine. I’m the worst contributor to a potluck in the history of potlucks. Seriously - I can barely cook myself a meal, let alone a dish that will serve 10 other people. I had originally signed up to bring chicken wings from my favorite chicken wing spot - but they’re closed on Mondays. So, what do I do in almost any emergency situation? Hit up the liquor store.

The last potluck I was invited to, I had the brilliant idea of trying to make sweet potato fries. I thought it would be easy, probably because it involves cutting up potatoes, adding some spice and olive oil and then putting in the oven. Done. Right? WRONG! I burned all the fries in my oven, freaked out, and then didn’t show up for the potluck because I was embarrassed to come empty handed. Not sure why the liquor store wasn’t an option that time.

BUT - one thing I’m good for at a potluck is EATING. I love buffets, so naturally, I love potlucks. It’s like going to a buffet except you get to eat on a sofa. So good. I’d almost always choose eating in with friends over going out for dinner. Spending quality time with people, uninterrupted by a waiter, a menu, adding up the tip - is so much more satisfying. I hate going out to dinner with 8 people, only to pay for my meal at the end and on the way out the door, or while hailing a cab, ask half of the party that sat on the other end of the table, “How was your dinner?” Quality time, people!

Cook your own food, order in, slow down and chat it up.

Anyways…

This is a short film I made one afternoon flying from Minneapolis to Chicago. I’ve made that exact trip while living in the windy city too many times to count this year. But now I have some big news! I’m headed to New York in barely more than three weeks and a whole new adventure will begin. Haven’t been this excited about something since leaving for college when I was 18! Makes me wonder… what are you excited about right now? Big things? Small things? Would love to hear about it.

Honest Tea Campaign in Advertising Age

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:46:00 -0500

Honest Tea Campaign in Advertising Age:

This was my summer in a nutshell! Wow, a lot of shooting, a lot of editing, a lot of traveling went into making this sweet ad campaign happen.

Honest Tea Tour Day 1

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:48:00 -0500

Hello there! I’m In Boston for the first day of the Honest Tea Tour. I don’t know if there is an official name for the tour, so let’s just call it the “Honest Tea Honest Store Honest Tour.” Or, HTHSHT for short.

So, during HTHSHT, I’ll be traveling across the country this month to direct and edit viral videos! Sweet!

Speaking of sweet… I tried Honest Tea for the first time today and I can honestly say that Pomegranate Blue is really good. REALLY GOOD. Okay, I’ll try not to make any more “honestly” remarks because it sounds hokey. Honestly.

Ha! Gotcha.

But honestly, it’s not that funny.

Directing and editing viral videos has always been fun, but this one might take the cake. We’re setting up this “Honest Store” in public places with Honest Tea retail racks and a big sign that says “$1 - Honor System.” The Honest Store is rigged with hidden security cameras and surrounded by incognito jerks like myself with our own cameras and the goal of catching people being honest. Okay, okay, I admit it: we want to catch people being dishonest, too! Let’s face it - when a dude is looking around to see if he’s being watched and then grabs two bottles and runs away - it just proves that dishonesty is loads funnier than honesty. Honesty does TASTE better, though.

This all reminds me of one of the oldest tricks in the book: putting a dollar bill on the end of a fishing line! Or like the time my friend Dan put a cell phone on the end of a fishing line at work and got a bunch of us to crawl under their desk to try and grab it. Evil. What was I saying? Oh yeah…

HTHSHT is as much of a social experiment as it is a brilliant promo campaign and I’m thrilled to be working on it. Tomorrow we will be all over Boston and Cambridge with more Honest Store displays and more sweeeet sweeeet Pomegranate Blue! I can’t wait.

Stay tuned - I’m about to cut the first viral video of the tour. We got some great stuff today so I’m excited to see how this turns out. Ta ta! (oy, I just said “ta ta” to sign off. Note to self: never do that again).

UPDATE: ABC News (Boston) showed up today and put together a nice piece about our experiment. I even got a cameo! http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/24100333/

Goodbye Conando!

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:15:00 -0600

Watch Conan tonight because it’s his last night hosting The Tonight Show. NBC’s horrible managing of their talk show circuit (or should I say, ‘circus’) has actually come to this. The only vindication I’ve seen is how amazing Conan handled his show up to the very last minute. Some of the most memorable and gutsy performances of any talk show host I’ve ever seen.

This is a blog and people like stories on blogs, so here goes my one good personal Conan story (my one bad one is about the time I went to Circuit City to buy a new TV remote for someone at Conan - might have even been Conan himself. I don’t know though… yeah, lame story, right?). Here’s the good one:

I was fortunate enough to work with a crew from Late Night when they brought Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to the Republican National Convention in 2008. I was the most expendable crew member so I was tasked with trying to sneak in with the obviously prohibited signage in the St. Paul Excel Energy Center. So they handed me a stack of “Totally Gay for McCain” signs. Yes, that’s right - featuring a big rainbow! I soon found myself detained by Secret Service. There were supposedly REAL protesters caught sneaking in with bags of urine earlier! Yuck. Well, I had to explain to everyone that I was not there to protest, but was working for a foul-mouthed dog puppet on a late night comedy show. The RNC people wanted me arrested but the secret service instead just took the signs and my press pass for the night. But don’t worry - I got a new set of passes and was able to finish out the week with Triumph. Aside from getting to watch Robert Smigel in action in and around the convention all week, the highlight for me was operating a camera while Triumph interviewed the perennially nuts-but-lovable Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader. [Edit: I’ll add a video later, looks like NBC took it down.]

Anyways, I’m not trying to make this all about me - but rather to say that I have seen first hand how dedicated, talented and awesome members of Conan’s crew are. That’s a powerful trio of human characteristics and I have to believe that it will carry everyone pretty damn far out of this messy situation.

So, much luck to everyone in Conan’s camp! The support the world is showing for Conan is great and I hope it somehow translates into bigger better things down the road for him and everyone. Unfortunately, this mess affects far more than just Conan - but also the good, loyal people that work for him deserve major kudos, too. On that note - follow @bigbley and read http://aaronbleyaert.com/ from now on.

Merry Xmas everybody (and Happy New Year!). I just finished this...

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:51:00 -0600

Merry Xmas everybody (and Happy New Year!). I just finished this creepy video holiday card from the FELT guys (Rhymesayers Entertainment). 100% collaboration with graphics extraordinaire Dan Marker-Moore. Check out his latest original experimental work (warning: very creepy, crying baby dolls dressed as the Pope ensue): http://www.dontcrybaby.org

I shot the footage for this “Merry Xmas Paul Reubens” video on my GH1 at the FELT holiday CD release party in November. Dan and I got together and played with some strange elf dolls, baby powder and other goodies to build the other elements and textures. Dan is like an evil wizard and we are already planning our next collab. This one was quick and dirty - but turned out awesome. I can’t wait to see what we come up with next. Maybe once it stops snowing we will move away from the dark ‘make-your-girlfriend-cry’ tone… but no promises!

My brother produced this segment for The Colbert Report....

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:15:07 -0600

My brother produced this segment for The Colbert Report. It’s hilarious.

As promised, here’s a shot from the Panasonic GH1. I also...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:07:55 -0600

As promised, here’s a shot from the Panasonic GH1. I also used it to film the guys in A Felt Thanksgiving.

Happy holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving kiddies! It’s been too long, I really...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:27:00 -0600

Happy Thanksgiving kiddies! It’s been too long, I really apologize but I’ve been very busy. I’ll try to step it up heading into the new year. Right now I’m in the middle of working on some very big content for Miller Lite at agency DraftFCB (Chicago). Stay tuned.

Enough about that - it’s Thanksgiving and I made what is probably my favorite promotional video EVER for Rhymesayers Entertainment. Watch Slug, Murs and Aesop Rock save Thanskgiving for Tommy, Susan and Dick.

Just want to say a quick thanks to several people that helped make this one happen. Even for a 2 minute video, I leaned heavily on several talented people. Nick Mestad and I wrote the script, Maria Juranic made sure it looked perfect, my brother, Aaron Cohen, pushed my ideas further than I could have, Kai Bensen made the incredible 1951 RSE Logo and other art cards and Andrew Melby pretty much touched every part of this in some way to make it happen.

Produced, Directed and Edited by Ben Cohen

Written by Ben Cohen and Nick Mestad

Titles by Kai Bensen

Additional direction and huge thanks to Maria Juranic and Andrew Melby

For the geeks out there - we shot this on my new Panasonic GH1 with the camera’s stock 14-140 mm f/4.0 lens in the 720p/60 flavor. It was shot on a a green screen with a doorway that we built. Sound recorded to a Zoom H4n. Edited in Final Cut with some chroma key done in After Effects. Film filters are custom and a top secret recipe but if you email me I might be willing to share.

Oh, and if you want to view the original 1951 “A Day Of Thanksgiving” film - just follow this link: http://cohenben.com/ohyeah/adayofthanksgiving.html

I just ordered one of these - should be here tomorrow. Will post...

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:12:59 -0500

I just ordered one of these - should be here tomorrow. Will post samples ASAP. We’re officially HD now.

Basically what we have here is a DSLR from Panasonic capable of shooting 1080p HD and very smooth slow motion, too. It has been back-ordered across the country for almost 6 months, but I finally will have one for myself (tomorrow if it ships on time). What can I say? - I’m a nerd and I’m excited.

MN wins 8-6. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, IL. Made and uploaded...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

MN wins 8-6. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, IL.
Made and uploaded on an iPhone 3GS.

I might start a series of these Panolab shots on my iPhone - it...

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:44:00 -0500

I might start a series of these Panolab shots on my iPhone - it sure beats just using the normal camera on this thing.

This was at Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) just before the start of U2’s 360-degree tour kicked off. The big black circle in the middle is a giant, expanding 360-degree LED video screen!

Here’s a departure from my music video production: Pink...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:03:00 -0500

Here’s a departure from my music video production: Pink Together. Earlier this year I teamed up with General Mills and the Susan G. Komen foundation to produce videos for the 2009 Pink Together breast cancer awareness campaign. You will start seeing this stuff on General Mills products in the coming months and the videos are now live on the pinktogether.com website. It was a great project to be a part of and I want to thank the great people I have been working with (shout out to agencies Ultra Creative, Olson Company and my DP on the shoot, the talented Aaron Ripplinger). As you can imagine - every story is inspirational. I urge you to take a look and support the Susan G. Komen foundation in any way you can.

This month I’ve been asked to update the videos and combine them with photography for a large installation at the General Mills HQ campus back in the Twin Cities. Will post some photos when it’s done.

Check out this Trailer for the new Brother Ali album...

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:24:50 -0500

Check out this Trailer for the new Brother Ali album “Us” available September 22 from Rhymesayers. Big thanks for Jonathan Chapman Photography and Jules Ameel for coming in to help shoot, Joe at the Hideaway for letting me camp out for three weeks while they worked and Brother Ali for the opportunities.

I’d be lying if I said I thought this video would hit 15k in 5 days. Brother Ali is about to do something BIG.