davidSTONE

2011-12-11T15:39:00.001-08:00

So true!!!

Angel City - Sunrise

2011-09-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

I used to love this song. So cheesy yet a catchy and melodic hook.

JLS - She Makes Me Wanna (Steve Smart & Westfunk Radio Edit)

2011-09-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

Summer anthem!

Hot! Nicole Scherzinger - Wet

2011-09-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is HAWT! And it's got an even hotter music video to boot. I love this track! Nicole was the voice behind the Pussycat Dolls! Check out the first 2 lines of the chorus:

Well, Imma rip my clothes off.
Take a leap and surf through the crowd

Summer track - Mel C - Think About it (7th Heaven Remix)

2011-09-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, I love love love this track!!!! I haven't heard anything from Mel C since that epic remix by Hex Hector of "I Turn To You." I fell in love with this remix the moment I heard it and have been listening to it non-stop for 3 weeks. "Think About It" is Mel C's latest. I'm not a big fan of the original but this remix is just gives me chills. You know how sometimes a track just grabs a hold of your emotions and senses? Well that's what happened to me with this track. I became a huge fan of the 7th Heaven remix duo after I heard their rework of Tatjana's "Spider Web." You can find more of their work here.

Feel good track: Jennifer Lopez - Papi

2011-09-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

This track really gets me going lately! Red One (the guy that brought us Lady GaGa's sound) produced this. I'm a huge Rosabel fan, and am loving their remix of JLo's latest - Papi.

They went there.

2011-09-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Chelley - Took the Night (None of these chicks look better than me)

2011-09-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Love this house track! Such a throwback to the late 90's. Heard it for the first time on Gaydar Radio about 6 months ago. Love the lyrics and attitude of the song. Love the video - simple and loud!

Dev - In the Dark

2011-09-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

This song has grown on me the past few weeks. The visuals in the video are stunning. Love the contrast and underlying themes in the video that subliminally flash back to the meaning of the song - masturbation. The music video is very reminiscent of Madonna's Human Nature music video. It's rare to find the hands-over-the-body thing executed correctly, but this time they made it work!

Love the Funk3d remix, especially with that bassline! Check out the Static Revenger remix, it has a very Chuckie feel!

Predictions

2010-12-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

Cloning, Montego Bay, Charleston

Alex Gaudino - I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)

2010-11-27T05:37:00.000-08:00

I love how genuine this video comes across. The models they used are not your typical MTV body types and I think that adds an element more people are able to relate to. It also makes me feel better about not working out lately.

The Saturdays - Missing You (Cahill Radio Edit)

2010-11-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

I just miss all the mess that we made.

Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 Mac version

2010-11-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

Due to server overload I'm uploading today's Redsn0w release: Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 Mac version on Megaupload.com and Mediafire.com. A big thank you to those responsible for creating this!

I downloaded the original from here: http://mygadgetnews.com/downloads/redsn0w_mac_0.9.6b4.zip

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JG2XAEY7

http://www.mediafire.com/?lrxqcf7iddb9z6r

Metropolis - trailer

2010-09-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I watched anime. This anime movie was really awesome! Great plot and setting. Such an emotional ending!

The Concert - Official Trailer [HD]

2010-09-08T03:31:00.000-07:00

Red - Official Trailer [HD]

2010-09-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

Another cool spy movie. It's about time!

Devil - Official Trailer [HD]

2010-09-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

Sucker Punch Trailer

2010-09-08T02:54:00.000-07:00

This movie look wicked!

Brooklyn's Finest

2010-09-08T02:29:00.000-07:00

Finished watching Brooklyn's Finest yesterday. Very awesome movie! Initially I was skeptical about the movie thinking it would be a clone of The Wire. I was wrong. Like the new wave of crime dramas this motion picture tells several, intertwined stories. Don Cheadle's part was stellar! I love that guy! Perhaps it's due to Cheadle's appearance, but the movie reminded me of Crash (directed by Paul Hagis) and Training Day. The movie's themes seem to revolve around good, bad, and hardened cops. Basically, the movie's about a corrupt cop, a cop that's about to retire, and an undercover cop (Cheadle) struggling with his loyalty's place.

Stonebridge - Close to Heaven

2010-04-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Randomly found this music video on YouTube today. I really like this music video! Black and white. The model. If I had one word to define this video: COOL. I love it when the dance music industry puts out better music videos than its pop and corporate counterparts. This goes to show that good music videos are within everybody's reach!

Timbaland - Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake

2010-03-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

This video, albeit following the usual MTV-esque video formula, isn't bad. I really love the colors and different scenes they filmed. It's not too heavy, nor is it too light. Again, Timbaland's presence doesn't help. I prefer Timbaland as a producer, and not as a performer. Matter-of-factly, I can't stand his presence in any of his videos.

That being said, this video features a nice mix of styling, camera work and editing. What I really loved was that the scene cuts were intermittent and not annoying consistent and every two seconds.

As far as the story line matching the song's concept goes it was the usual run-of-the-mill Hollywood/MTV thing, lol (in other words, it was OK).

Styling: The outfits and accessories really work. I especially loved the retro aspect of the car and Timbaland's sunglasses - HAWT!

Another aspect where this video shines is just the splendid variety of scenes and the accompanying styling. It's not an easy feat to mix different scenes and montages into one video and make it all flow.

I definitely like the song more now that I've seen the video.

Rihanna - Rude Boy

2010-03-12T12:03:00.001-08:00

Very cool song and very cool music video concept. The video definitely won't knock you on your ass, but it's definitely an idea I haven't seen anyone do in a while. They went wild with the creativity on this one! The colors, effects, and everything in this video are kitsch, dull, spicy - it's a spectrum encompassing so many "things." I love love love it!

Alexandra Burke - Broken Heels - Official Video

2010-03-12T11:55:00.001-08:00

I love love love this song. It's been my lifter upper song since I started traveling. The video... ehhhhh. I don't hate it. What bothered me isn't the reinventing-the-wheel MTV formula approach, but the football theme. I get it, anything he/she can do, she can do it in broken heels. But football, seriously?! I think some football action scenes would have given the video some of the much-needed punch it needed.

Again, I don't proclaim to be a video music director, nor that I can do anything better. But I'm sure that if I was presented with the opportunity... lol

Whitney Houston - Step By Step

2010-03-12T11:26:00.001-08:00

This is the general direction which I think would have suited Kristine W's "The Power of Music" music video better than the original!

The Power of Music (Official Video)

2010-03-12T11:24:00.001-08:00

I really like the song and concept of Kristine W's latest track: "The Power of Music." The video, however, was disappointing. I heard that Mike Ruiz was directing it and was eager to see what magic he had brought to the video.

The song itself is a very powerful dance floor stomper. It makes you wanna shake your ass! With a title like "The Power of Music," brought by no one else than the fabulous Kristine W I was really hoping for an awesome music video. Unfortunately, throughout the years, dance music's weakest points has been its videos. Nevertheless, Mike Ruiz was directing this, so I was eager to see what the final product would be.

My two biggest disappointments with the video were the lack of choreography and a weak story line.

#1 Choreography: With a title like "The Power of Music," and the fact that this is a dance track choreography is a must! One of the scenes featured throughout the video (with Kristine and 2 dancers) seems to have been the only choreographed scene, but the heavy editing destroyed that.

#2: Story line: This is one of my biggest complaints with many of today's music videos: weak or non-existent story lines. I think it goes without saying that a video needs to tell a story of sorts, whether the approach is direct or abstract is irrelevant, but without a story to accompany a music video you're essentially looking at a song with video without there being an element of congruence.

I really think a concept similar to what was done for Whitney Houston's "Step By Step" would have suited this song extremely well. The song features a great mix of story, choreography, and different montages.

Overall, I really felt like there was too much editing present in this video and it was limited to 6 montages (one of which shows Mike Ruiz and Kristine W walking through what I assume to be NYC). 6 montages/scenes would have been sufficient had there been a stronger story line to accompany them, but unfortunately there wasn't. Instead, I saw what looked like run-of-the-mill effects and plugins for Adobe Premiere/Final Cut.

Now, where the fault lies; I don't know. I'm inclined to say the editing and not the direction is where things went wrong. However, the overall product is what matters the most, regardless of where the fault lies.

I'm only here to voice my opinion on the video, and I'm sure there are many of Mike's fanboys that consider this review blasphemous. Can I do better? I don't know. But surely that doesn't mean that I can't voice my opinion.

So, long story short: next time: more dancing and more story!

The Saturdays, "Ego" (Almighty Club Remix Edit)

2010-03-10T06:52:00.001-08:00

I've had a bizarre love affair with this remix for the past 6 weeks. Not to mention the theme of the song just rocks - ego!

Travel Blog

2010-02-26T10:40:00.001-08:00

As I am currently in Cancun I decided to create a blog where I can post notes, thoughts, pictures, and videos.

Here's the blog I created for my travels: http://davids2010trip.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Ben (Kanarek)

2010-02-26T08:51:00.001-08:00

have to say I feel extremely fortunate to have come across Benjamin Kanarek’s blog. Without it, I would still be VERY lost. Ben is a professional photographer that has done shoots for some of the hottest magazines around, including Vogue.

Ben is one of the few people out there in the industry that takes the time to share his wisdom and experience in the fashion world. His blog has pretty much given me a clearer idea on what it’s like out there and what to expect of the road ahead.

I stumbled on Ben’s blog by random chance while reading one of his posts on another photography forum where he confirmed one of my deepest suspicions: umbrellas deliver unexciting results. After reading his post I emailed him and threw some questions of my own his way. He answered. Wow. It’s rare to have seasoned professionals answer emails from n00bs, that’s all I can say.

I think what appealed to me the most about Ben was that he didn’t come across as one of those mediocre, I-have-no-opinion, photographer types. He was quite the opposite, actually: opinionated and successful. Until I stumbled on his blog I had been spending a lot of time on some photography forums and felt like I had run into a stone wall. Thankfully Ben saved me from that disaster.

Check out Ben’s blog, and you’ll realize this guy not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. I find his blog refreshing and fun to read. As an aspiring fashion photographer, I’ve learned a lot about this industry by simply reading his blog.

Thanks, Ben!

Back in Action, sorta...

2010-02-26T07:34:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I posted on my blog. I know... Shame on me! The past 4 months or so have been really weird for me. I've been in a zone, not to mention that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong (sorta....).

Long story short, I'm currently in Cancun (I've been here 9 days) and I'm loving it here. I'm ready to do some more exploring, especially since Cancun isn't the real Mexico. I've just been vegetating here, to be honest. I visited one ruin (Coba), but otherwise my days have pretty much consisted of buying beer, drinking coffee (at Starbucks), soaking up the sun, meeting new people (mostly fellow travelers). And that's kinda it! I burned through more money than I intended to (shopping - one of my vices) so I've been trying to figure out the cheapest ways to see the rest of Latin America.

I would looooooove to get down to Tierra Del Fuego and/or Ushuaia. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get into Belize and then into Guatemala. I'm thinking of taking a bus down to Chetumal and then taking a water taxi to San Pedro (in the Cays)...

Anyways, since I won't be updating this blog as often while traveling I'm going to create another one strictly for my travels.

Tumi Film - Patrick Demarchelier

2009-10-12T11:27:00.001-07:00

Very cool ad directed by Patrick Demarchelier. Who knew luggage could be this interesting?

La Vie en Rose - Melanie Fiona

2009-10-07T09:29:00.001-07:00

I love this version of La Vie en Rose! Like the ad as well, but the song is what does it for me.

Michael Jackson Megamix

2009-09-04T05:09:00.001-07:00

For the longest time I've been wanting to learn more about digital video editing. Like so many of my interests, it took me a while to really get into it. I had to research and compare all of the programs in order to find the "best" software package out there.

Here's what I learned:

1) Video editing essentially consists of a lot of cutting & pasting.

2) Even the most basic video editing suites out there, like Final Cut Express (Mac-only) or the ones from Pinnacle (Windows-only) will fit the bill.

3) Importing any video footage into a video editor requires the appropriate codecs for it to be installed, and for the software to be compatible with those codecs. Sound editors are much more simple in this regard. This is probably due to MP3 being a standardized compression format.

4) Not all compressed video can be imported and edited. Some video can be imported, but editing will not be possible or you will experience a lot of stuttering.

5) DV format is the way to go. Converting files into DV format essentially guarantees a pleasurable and smooth editing process. DV files do require a lot of space, and time to compress.

6) You need a way to convert your video into different file formats.

7) If you're looking for a simple solution; don't. Those AVI files you downloaded will most likely NOT import and be editable.

8) Uncompressed DVD rips are your best option. Edited video needs to be compressed to a streaming-friendly format and size. Remember that AVI files are already compressed. This means that if you edit an AVI file and compress it again you'll have a file that's been compressed twice. Each of those compressions is a trade off in quality for size. YouTube is full of these. They look horrible.

9) Editing video is much easier than editing audio! Mistakes are less noticeable than they are with audio.

10) Doing a music video edit is simple and complicated. A video consists of 2 tracks (typically): one for video, and one for audio. A remix video keeps the video but replaces the original audio tracks with the remix. The hard part is making sure the video is properly synced with the new audio track. In addition to making sure the original video is synced with the new audio track, you need to make sure the parts match. Remixes not only consist of a tempo change, but also of a different track layout. Trust me, it's fun. It allows you to play around with your creativity.

11) Forget about editing MKV files. It's one of the least editing-friendly formats available.

12) Youtube requires FLV files. If you're compressing for Youtube I suggest you export your video directly to FLV, otherwise your compressed video will be compressed again to FLV. The result will be a low-quality video, which you don't want.

13) Back-up. Keep several copies of your video. The last thing you want to do is make an edit you can't undo.

14) I recommend Sony Vegas (PC-only), Final Cut Express (Mac-only), and Adobe Premiere (PC and Mac versions available.)

15) Doing a music video megamix is not easy. It requires double the work: once for the audio, and once for the video.

16) It took me over a week of searching on the Internet to get this information. It's not fun.

It ain't too hard for me to jam!

Back in Action

2009-09-04T04:54:00.001-07:00

Following a 2-month creative block I'm back in action. Wow, so much has happened. Great songs, great ideas, and a steady, albeit small, source of income.

What really took me away from this blog was my need to find another "purpose," which entailed looking at a lot of photography tutorials, music videos, fashion magazines, interviews, and the like.

To give you a better idea: I logged on to Facebook probably about once every 10 days...

My attention span needs a recharge. Out!

.jam

2009-07-12T15:14:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson - Jam

I don't know who directed this video, but I really like the concept behind it. It's a one-of-a-kind music video. The setting, the rolling ball (with a mounted camera!), Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan exchanging expert tips... What I would call one very cool video.

leave.me.alone

2009-07-12T15:08:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson - Leave Me Alone (Album Version)

Directed by Jim Blashfield.

This is one of my favorite Michael Jackson videos. Special effects, the song, and the song's message all combine for one amazing musical experience. Just stop dogging me around!

stop.pressurin'.me

2009-07-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson Feat. Janet - Scream (Club Mix Radio Edit)

Remix by David Morales

Music video directed by Mark Romanek

The total cost of putting this video together rang in at 7 million USD; making it one of the most expensive music videos in history.

in.the.closet

2009-07-12T14:48:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson - In The Closet (Club Edit)

Remixed by Frankie Knuckles

Music video directed by Herb Ritts

You can definitely notice some trademark Herb Ritts elements in the video, such as the chromatic tone of the images.

freek.

2009-07-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

Here's something we don't see much anymore in the world of music videos: story, choreography, and special effects. Great editing and camera work as well.

roxanne.

2009-07-12T14:32:00.001-07:00

I just came across this video by chance. Another great concept for video. The music video claims that they did not use models or any sort of casting. I never even thought about associating this song with prostitution.

too.funky

2009-07-12T14:23:00.001-07:00

Just as with "Freedom 90," this video featured some of the hottest supermodels on the scene. Such a cool, and funky video. Aside from the occasional appearance, George Michael is pretty much out of the picture. Super concept. It's huuuuuuuge.

praying.for.time

2009-07-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

Another unique George Michael video. Only lyrics appear in this. Yet, for some reason, the video still hits you. Strange. Love the song. Love the lyrics.

freedom.90

2009-07-12T14:17:00.001-07:00

George Michael - Freedom 90. Awesome video. Notice how George Michael does not appear a single time in this video. Love love love the concept.

CK.2009.ad

2009-07-11T11:54:00.001-07:00

Rihanna.Elle.2008.Cover

2009-07-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

Elle Cover shoot 2008 - Rihanna

madonna.elle.2008

2009-07-11T09:02:00.001-07:00

Madonna - Elle 2008 (Behind the scenes) magazine

meisel.1998.italian.vogue

2009-07-11T08:52:00.001-07:00

A shoot Steven Meisel did for Italian Vogue in 1998. Dramatic.

herb.mariah.my.all

2009-07-11T07:36:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts directed the music video of Mariah Carey's "My All." David Morales remixed the version you're hearing.

milla.jovovich.ck.escape.

2009-07-11T07:23:00.001-07:00

Milla Jovovich for Calvin Klein's Escape fragrance. Very nice.

tom.ford.herb.ritts

2009-07-11T07:16:00.001-07:00

Tom Ford comments on Herb Ritts. I couldn't have said it better. Tom Ford is the Herb Ritts of fashion.

herb.gwen.teen.vogue

2009-07-11T07:11:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts shooting Gwen Stefani for Teen Vogue - Part 3/3

herb.gwen.teen.vogue

2009-07-11T07:09:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritt's shooting Gwen Stefani - Part 2/3

herb.gwen.teen.vogue

2009-07-11T07:02:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts shooting Gwen Stefani for Teen Vogue. What I really love about this clip is that you catch over 7 minutes of unedited footage of Herb Ritts shooting. This is what I'm really after. To see how he did stuff. I'm still trying to figure out why his crew is so large.

herb.madonna.1993

2009-07-11T06:52:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts shoots Madonna c. 1993.

herb.madonna.1985

2009-07-11T06:49:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts shoots Madonna c. 1985.

herb.madonna.1990

2009-07-11T06:47:00.003-07:00

Herb Ritts shoots madonna c. 1990. Another tribute to Herb Ritts. Amazing stuff.

herb.madonna.1990

2009-07-11T06:47:00.001-07:00

Herb Ritts shoots madonna c. 1990. Another tribute to Herb Ritts. Amazing stuff.

through.the.lens.of.Herb.Ritts

2009-07-11T06:44:00.001-07:00

Tony Ward through the lens of Herb Ritts

helena.christensen

2009-07-11T04:42:00.001-07:00

Helena Christensen's first ever TV interview (March 1991)

toni.braxton.let.it.flow

2009-07-11T04:32:00.001-07:00

Directed by Herb Ritts as well. Not one of my favorites.

herb.recap

2009-07-11T04:28:00.001-07:00

take.me

2009-07-11T04:18:00.001-07:00

Milla Jovovich - CK "Escape" (1995) - Full version - Directed by Herb Ritts.

herb.janet.interlude

2009-07-11T04:14:00.001-07:00

A gem in the history of music.

herb.ritts.montage.reel

2009-07-11T04:07:00.001-07:00

There's something really unique about this one as well.

herb.and.the.girls

2009-07-10T15:59:00.001-07:00

Some of the models and performers that have worked with Herb describe their experiences. Great great stuff.

britney.herb.vogue

2009-07-10T15:53:00.001-07:00

Britney on a photoshoot with Herb Ritts.

britney.and.herb

2009-07-10T15:51:00.001-07:00

love.will.never.do.without.you

2009-07-10T15:48:00.001-07:00

Great song. Even greater video. Wow, I love love love this video.

madonna.cherish.

2009-07-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

The first, and one of my favorite works by Herb Ritts. He directed this.

herb.ritts.

2009-07-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

Hert Ritts - my favorite photographer and idol.

My fascination with Herb Ritts' work began when I first saw the music video of "Cherish," by Madonna. Coincidentally, I really liked two other music videos he had directed around the same era: Michael Jackson's "In the Closet," and Janet Jackson's "Love Will Never Do (Without You)." I didn't know it at the time, but these videos were all directed by Herb Ritts. As I got older, I began noticing various cover shoots of magazines such as Esquire, GQ, and Vogue. Coincidentally, one of the first magazine covers I can recall being fascinated by was the one he did of Cindy Crawford and KD Lang. I didn't know what to think of it at the time, as I was only about 13 years old, but I was fascinated and intrigued by it. Unlike most other magazine covers and shoots - there was something distinctly different about this one. I dismissed it as art. Whatever that word meant...

There's always been a certain allure that much of Herb Ritts' work has had for me. Much of his works are warm, soft, simple, elegant, and pure. I don't think I've ever come across a single piece of work he did that I did not like.

Maybe the reason why I like Herb Ritts' work so much is because of its sheer simplicity and beauty.