YouTube - Video #1: Duffy Boat Ride - Newport Beach

DUFFY BOAT RIDE - NEWPORT BEACH

I've always been drawn to filmmaking. Not to the point that it became a passion for me, but to the point that all aspects fascinate me and inspire me to learn more. As a kid, my Dad always had the newest and best video camera. He wanted our memories to be vivid and more than just polaroid pictures.

Our first camera hooked up to a dual VCR (Video Cassette Recorder for all you young'n's) which meant that you had to detach the piece of the VCR that held the VHS (Video Home System) tapes and attach it to the camera. Even though they gave you a handy over-the-shoulder bag to assist, imagine shooting wonderful low-quality footage as you hold yourself steady with this 20-pound satchel... and loving every minute of it. That was me!

As the years went by, new cameras rolled in. Still using the VHS tapes as a medium for a while, the newer cameras no longer needed the player; you could load the tapes directly inside the camera. Easy-to-use, light(er) weight models now featured screen wipes, fading pictures and higher video gain to see in the dark. The future was looking awesome!

Mini VHS players and cameras were next followed by video on handheld cameras and the ability to shoot video... it was about this time that I started to pull away from video and shooting movies. Teenage years hit and there were plenty of things to distract and focus my attention on. I continued to appreciate the art of filmmaking but no longer as a participant, just an appreciative observer.

Fast forward to today. Plenty of cameras to choose from, digital media sources to post on and a massive internet audience to appreciate your work. My love for film has been reborn!! ....but, baby steps. As I relearn and evolve my style, I love that I can share with people I know and people that I don't know. The video above is my first venture back into the filmmaking world and I'm hoping that this is the start of something exciting.

So take a look, let me know what you think! The video is available at my Channel - RJ Hendrix along with another film that took me just short of a month to film; a 21-day challenge. I'll post more about that later, but for now, subscribe to my channel if you like what you see... there's MUCH more to come!

-RJ

FOR THE ALLIANCE!

Here is where I get to nerd out just a little so please, bear with me.

So... needless to say... I'm just a bit excited for this film. I've played WarCraft now for 22 years... the original Orcs and Humans kicked it all off when it hit the PC Gaming world in 1994. Since then we've seen StarCraft, Diablo, WarCraft 2, Diablo 2, WarCraft 3 and then finally, the World of Warcraft that took the franchise and Blizzard Entertainment into the PC Gaming Halls of Fame, setting new standards and an unmatchable format for the Massively Multiplayer Online RPG Genre.

This movie has loomed in the shadows for years and years. First announced in 2006, some thought it would never happen, just like the vaporware of so many software companies and frankly, Blizzard Entertainment had bigger, better things going on. When the reality struck that this movie WAS going to happen, there were talks of big name directors taking the wheel - Sam Raimi the most notable, responsible for successful movies and television series in a similar genre - The Evil Dead (1981), Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series 1995-2001), Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (TV Series 1995-1999).

Raimi dropped out and the Director role was given to Duncan Jones. The story is based on the original back story that was tied to the original Warcraft title - WarCraft: Orcs and Humans and brings back a lot of characters that have gained popularity through the years by being referenced through the following titles and resurrected through the World of Warcraft game and following expansions.

Playing through the series for so many years and seeing these characters brought to life might be what I'm looking forward to the most: King Llane, Medivh, Lothar, Garona, Gul'Dan just to name a few. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not setting the expectations high - I genuinely fear being let down so I'm going to take it for what it is and keep my perspective focused on the delivery of the story and appreciate the reoccurring CGI eye-candy as a result of the large battles and intricate beasts and characters that live in the realm of Azeroth.

Rotten Tomatoes' Review of Warcraft has already begun the slaughter starting it off, before release, at a strong 18% out of 100%. I will appreciate what the film is trying to accomplish and the fact that it took them 10 years to put out a piece that Blizzard felt good about.

I'll make sure to follow up with review after I get a chance to see it on June 10. "For the Alliance"

Can you stump Akinator?

I can't figure out why this is so addictive but I'm determined to stump Akinator. Can you?

AKINATOR

5-years and some change...

Time is a funny thing... it can move forward slowly, quickly, unexpectedly and sometimes, it seems, with reckless abandon; blink and a year goes by. However, it is consistent and no matter how hard we try, we can't stop it (sorry NuSkin users, wrinkles are inevitable).

5 years, approximately, has marked my hiatus from writing in this blog or showing interest in it one way or another. That doesn't mean that all the craziness that dwells inside my noggin hasn't been funneled anywhere, it just means I've had things going on. While I could go into more detail and start a small novella on all of the things that have happened in that 5-year gap in time, my goal is to provide something interesting for you to read and hopefully, possibly, share your interests, comments, questions and concerns with me... if you're so inclined.

Netflix Challenge: Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Hunter Prey (2010)



Apparently this is a "newer" movie, but I don't recall it ever being in theaters. The title caught my eye and figured if it was horrible it's only an hour and a half. It wasn't horrible but if you check the link to the movie on IMdB, you'll notice the most common comparison is the movie Enemy Mine (1985) with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. It's not the same kind of comradery between the two characters in this movie though; in fact in the beginning it makes me think more of Pitch Black (2000) with Vin Diesel. Common tale of survival, hunter versus prey, "turning the tables" and a small plot twist when you realize what the "hunter" actually is.

Is it worth a watch??
Maybe, depending on whether or not you genuinely like Sci-Fi. It's creative enough to keep it interesting considering it had a small budget. The introduction of the Bounty Hunter that looks like an Orc from the World of Warcraft (which is played by the director, Sandy Collora) and the computer "Clea", played by Erin Gray from Buck Rogers, were the only things that were really random and annoying. Other than that.... I only nodded off once! :)

A Challenge to Movie Lovers.. Like Me

Hey friends,

Spontaneously, I get these ideas in my head (replace "spontaneously" with "regularly"); especially with being on disability for the last month because of my stupid foot. No, I'm not going to bore you all with the "Trials and Tribulations de Ryan" but rather extend a challenge to my fellow movie lovers out there that may be a little timid when it comes to trying new things.

I'm a proud member of Netflix and have been since 2009. I joined Netflix because of the wide variety that they offer not only in DVD selection but in streaming content as well. It's always great to have a huge movie and TV  library at your fingertips, especially when you have a little time to kill or even get tired of sniping fellow players playing Call of Duty: Black Ops on XBOX360. Am I selling Netflix? Nah... just a big fan. Which is why I'm proposing this challenge to all of you out there -

The Challenge

The very first time you had cable TV or satellite TV installed, what was the FIRST problem you ran into? "What on earth do I watch? There's so much to choose from!" Suddenly, your favorite TV shows didn't seem so important because of the new variety of entertainment waiting for you on all 400 channels, who cares if some of it is in Japanese? Well the same holds true for Netflix, at least as far as variety is concerned. I've spent long periods of time just scanning the movie lists over and over for something that would just grab me and say "WATCH THIS!"   ...it never happened.

So, why wait to find something? Why not just watch something new... something I never expected to watch. That, simply, is the challenge. Over the next month, pick 5 of the main subjects (Links below will work if you're signed in):

• Action & Adventure
• Children & Family
• Classics
• Comedy
• Documentary
• Drama
• Foreign
• Horror
• Romance
• Sci-Fi & Fantasy
• Television
• Thrillers

The trick is, do NOT watch a movie or television show that you have already seen. Instead pick something that looks mildly intriguing, something that you KNOW you will most likely not like, something that you've been wanting to watch but haven't had time or just something at random. Afterwards, write a paragraph about it. If you already blog, write it there and let everyone know what you think about it. Today is April 10th, if you pick more or less than 5 subjects, no problem! Just watch what you can, even one movie just to try something new. Note: Television shows you should at least watch 3 episodes of.

Post your results here, Facebook, MySpace, your own person blog or wherever as long as we can get your take on the new movie you've just seen. I'm hoping this will catch on, I think it's going to be a lot of fun! I'll make sure to post my reviews of the new movies that I've seen here.

Happy watching!!!

-Ryan

Change

So it's been a little while, long enough to actually have updates about life in general. Not too many will read this which is how I prefer it being that blogging is a nice occasional outlet, but not necessarily a great use of a public forum unless you're advertising, selling or find some inner need to broadcast something to the world.

I'll start by addressing weight loss (one of the main reasons that I ever chose to make this blog somewhat active). I started my journey at 233 pounds back near the end of March; beginning of April. What I didn't mention previously was that my weight in January of 2010 was at around 242 (heaviest I've ever been) and even though 233 was almost 10 pounds lighter, I still felt like a literal Manatee and was uncomfortable not only with myself but the world's perception of me in general. So I set out to change that and made myself "accountable" by announcing it on a blog... and believe me it helped.

At the time of the annual WestFest event, hosted by the Disney Podcast Network, I was already starting to lose but was fluctuating between 233 pounds and 228 pounds. During this event, I found a new job with the Walt Disney Company, Parks and Resorts. The job was at Disney Vacation Club and it moved me into a whole new style of weight loss: Constant Exercise. Being that the job had multiple locations, gave unlimited overtime, allowed for a lot of moving/walking/standing in the summer heat, the pounds started to drop. At Disney, Cast members (employees) that are not executive level or management are required to wear specific uniforms for their roles. My role required me to wear a very unforgiving, thick, double-sided vest every day in 90+ degree weather over the summer months. My uniform vest started at a size 2XL, my waste size in pants (which even though I was heavy was drastically undersized) were a size 44, my belt a 46 and I wore the XL shirts underneath. I felt like a stuffed cow in the uniform but didn't realize at the time that this attire was only going to contribute to my weight loss.

When I started training for my job, I weighed exactly 228 pounds. So, as I sweat the summer away, I started noticing my vest getting loose, shirt size feeling blousy and pants/belt needing tightening. At the end of summer, beginning of September, I had moved into a Large Vest, Medium Shirt, size 36 waste pants and 38 belt. My weight during the first week of September was 188 pounds. 40 POUNDS!! and almost 60 pounds from January. There were drastic changes to the diet - higher proteins, lower carbohydrates. My activity at the gym had increased in some cases to 4-5 days a week. Heavy cardio workouts and progression into weight training is when the real pounds started to shed.

At the end of October, my foundation started to weaken. The people that I was subletting my living space from decided that they wanted to rent their home for just them and gave me until the end of November to pack and leave causing me to cancel a much-needed trip to Orlando, Florida to see my friends. At the same time, my wonderful job was feeling less and less wonderful and overtime slowly started to disappear. With this change, my gym activity became nearly non-existent as I was living in alternate places due to my disgust with the previous place.

With luck, I've been able to find a place to live and move back into my residence from before my move to Tustin. I've only put back on about 5 pounds (currently weighing in at 193) but am planning on getting back to gym and hitting it hard this week. Hopefully, I can set the "machine" back in motion and get on track, but like before, placing the will and desire to do something in a blog that people can read lends itself to accountability and ultimately responsibility to follow through.

So, until the next one....