Lincoln - The Spark (Director's Cut)

Actually, it's a pity that this excellent short by director Christopher Hewitt is a commercial. I love his work and this one's not breaking ranks. A composition of great, manifold shots combined to a single, harmonic piece.

Educate the heart

Neat animation for the Dalai Lama Centre spreading a quite important message: Edcuate the heart.

Traveling northern Nica

Check out my buddy Roman's nice lil recap from his last trip to Nicaragua/El Salvador!
Makes me wanna hop on a plane immediately!

We should totally travel together again soon, buddy!

What if Money was no Object

This little clip reminds me of how my very own life has inevitably changed directions when I started asking myself what I really wanted to get out of it and where I wanted to set my priorities. Watch, listen and ask yourself: are you happy with what you are doing? After all, you only live once...

via rawmeyn.blogspot.com

The Twenty

Twenty men, for twenty years, for twenty miles. This is the story of the Surfrider Foundation, Santa Barbara Chapter’s epic struggle to preserve the Gaviota Coast - southern California’s last remaining stretch of unspoiled, rural coastline.

For twenty years, twenty men have withstood a slew of deep-pocket developers, major corporations, and elected officials in their effort to protect the Gaviota Coast’s incredible biodiversity and unparalleled scenic beauty.

Theirs is an inspiring story of ordinary people, fueled by their passion and love for the Gaviota Coast, who stand together against improbable odds to defend one of California’s last great places.

Will you join the 20? We need much more than 20 people to save the coast, forever... Join the fight by inviting your friends HERE!

500m Cable Cam

Continuously awesome!

Into The Mind

What a teaser! From the makers of All.I.Can comes the new feature film Into The Mind. Check out this trailer featuring some of the most amazing shots currently out there!

Directors: Dave Mossop and Eric Crosland
Producer: Malcolm Sangster
Music: A Tribe Called Red - Electric Powwow
Original Score by Jacob Yoffee, Sound Design: Cody Petersen

Requiem 2019

The last remaining blue whale comes eye to eye with its only enemy; mankind. The film was directed by Rutger Hauer & Sil van der Woerd, who felt an urge to bring attention to the ongoing whaling. If you love whales and oceans like we do, please share this film!

Blue Line

The former pro skater Brian Lotti,just made this amazing concept video. The film is a ode to skateboard, filmed in the streets of San Pedro, California, and will make you want to go skate, NOW!

Created by Brian Lotti and Nathan Factor Sacharow
Music by badmammal

Sally Extended Trailer

Nice trailer, I especially digg those lines in the beginning..

Sally Extended Trailer from TREWEEK & DAMEN MEDIA on Vimeo.

Start all over.

Soon.

Rise & Fall 2012

Give it up for my good, almost-portuguese buddies Salon Alpin for their latest impressive work 'Rise & Fall'.

Rise & Fall 2012 // Mayrhofen from Salon Alpin on Vimeo.

Also make sure to check out what they came up with to get the desired effects:

Rise & Fall // Insight // Sandgames from Salon Alpin on Vimeo.

Pushing the Limits 2012

The 2nd Law: Unsustainable

What an incredible masterpiece, a grand composition only few are capable of creating..

MADNESS

Highly addictive..

Quiksilver Awakens The Spirit!

Great clip, amazing shots, true words.

Let passion drive your life and be free.

Captain Paul Watson Sends Sea Shepherd First Message for Supporters Since Departing Germany

For the first time since the world began speculating why Captain Paul Watson made the decision to forfeit his bail and depart Germany after being held there under house arrest for 70 days, the Captain himself is speaking out. He relayed a message to Sea Shepherd headquarters over the weekend, asking that it be provided to his supporters. The complete message follows:

Captain Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Photo: Mike Mulle To my friends and supporters,

I am presently in a place on this planet where I feel comfortable, a safe place far away from the scheming nations who have turned a blind eye to the exploitation of our oceans.

The German government said I betrayed their trust by leaving Germany, yet they had already betrayed my trust. The German politicians had made up their minds politically before the German court had made a decision, and during the time I was held in Germany, the Japanese negotiated with Germany to file for an extradition order to Japan on fabricated evidence provided by former Sea Shepherd Crewmember, Peter Bethune.

In 2010, the Japanese ship Shonan Maru #2 deliberately rammed and destroyed the Ady Gil, nearly killing 6 people. The Japanese captain was not even questioned, damages were never paid, no charges were filed and they took the Ady Gil captain, Peter Bethune, back to Japan where he cooperated to provide false evidence to the Japanese Coast Guard to blame me for the boarding actions, despite the on-camera documentation that I specifically advised against the boarding by Bethune.

We have cost the Japanese whaling industry tens of millions of dollars and in October 2011, they were allocated a war chest of some thirty million dollars in misappropriated Tsunami Relief Funds to combat Sea Shepherd. With that money they have increased security at sea, filed civil suits in the U.S. Courts against us, and they have researched just where we might be vulnerable.

And the one possibility they found was a decade-old incident that occurred in Guatemalan waters in 2002. This charge simply involves obstructing a Costa Rican long-liner with water hoses. It was an action that occurred with permission of the Guatemalan government and it was against a fully documented illegal shark-finning operation that was also filmed for the award-winning documentary film, "Sharkwater." It was against a vessel that only a year before had been convicted of shark-finning in the waters of the Galapagos National Park Marine Reserve, where our vessel the Sirenian had helped to apprehend them.

Japan had previously tried to have me arrested by Interpol for the Bethune incident but Interpol refused their request for a 'red' notification, allowing them only a 'blue' notice, meaning that countries could report my movements to Japan but could not arrest me.

In December, the President of Costa Rica met with the Prime Minister of Japan. I had attended the Hamburg Film Festival in November 2011 without being arrested in Germany. In March I traveled to Spain and France without incident. Yet in May of 2012, I was arrested in Germany on an extradition warrant from Costa Rica. And what I found was that Costa Rica, like Japan, had issued an Interpol notice and Interpol at the end had dismissed the request.

Germany however, a country without an extradition treaty with Costa Rica or Japan, decided to apprehend me on what they described was a bilateral agreement with Costa Rica. This, of course, caught Japan's attention and they began negotiations to apply directly to Germany with a request for my extradition. That request by Japan was approved by Germany on July 23rd, 2012. I was alerted to this by reliable sources on July 22nd.

With Costa Rica, I had the evidence on film and with two dozen witnesses I was confident that I could win the case against the allegations of the shark finners. My only concern was that Costa Rica would then hand me over to Japan. For with Japan, there is the absolute certainty that once in Japanese custody, I will never be released.

That certainty meant that there could only be one option: I made the decision to depart Germany immediately.

I find it absurd that in all the years I have been campaigning for the protection and conservation of marine life, where I have not caused a single injury to a single person and have only interfered with illegal operations as defined by international conservation law, that Japan can make accusations against me after destroying a two-million-dollar vessel, injuring a crewmember and almost killing five others.

I am very disappointed with the German government. For me it is obvious that the German government conspired with Japan and Costa Rica to detain me so that I could be handed over to the Japanese. For me it is clear that they made the political decision to turn me over to the Japanese even before a court decision was made. All the German people that I have met were supportive of the work I do. I did not meet a single critic in the streets, in the courts, in the media or at any of the events and presentations that I attended. Even the police and members of the court were supportive.

I am very thankful for the support that I received in Germany and especially from the sympathetic sources that provided me with the information about the decisions made and the impending political decision to accept the Japanese demand to extradite me to Japan, once a court decision would be on their desk.

This was never really about Costa Rica. It has been about Japan all along.

We have confronted the Japanese whalers for eight seasons and we have humiliated them at sea and more importantly we have frustrated their illegal profiteering from the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

This is not about justice; it is about revenge. It is about a small group of dedicated volunteers opposing an economic super power and a multi-million-dollar whale poaching operation in a whale sanctuary. It is about speaking truth to economic and political power.

Costa Rica and Germany have simply been pawns in the Japanese quest to silence Sea Shepherd in an attempt to stop our annual opposition to their illegal whaling activities.

I know the whale killing poachers of Japan will continue to exploit all avenues to find a way to stop me. I have, however, eluded them once again and I will continue to try and keep a step ahead of them, no matter what risks and costs have to be made.

I can serve my clients better at sea than in a Japanese prison cell and I intend to do just that. In December, our ships will sail forth for the ninth campaign to oppose the outlaw Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The campaign will be called Operation Zero Tolerance and we will risk our ships and our selves yet again in the effort required to stop these pelagic bandits in their remorseless slaughter of the gentle giants of the seas.

Thank-you for your continued support,

Captain Paul Watson


- - -


Background: Captain Watson had been detained in Germany for 70 days despite thousands of letters of support sent to the German Ministry of Justice from the public, celebrities, politicians and other luminaries arguing for his release of this politically motivated warrant. He was arrested in Frankfurt on May 13th on a 10-year-old warrant from Costa Rica while en route to Cannes, France. He was being detained in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica for an alleged "violation of ship traffic," which occurred during the 2002 filming of the award-winning documentary, "Sharkwater." The specific incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark-finning operation run by Costa Rican vessel, the Varadero. On order of Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark-finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted. While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where the crew uncovered even more illegal shark-finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.

BEAUTY

Gran Canaria Pre-Xmas Surf Trip 2011

Finally, some shots from our pre-xmas surf trip to Gran Canaria - view the whole set on my Flickr.

MUCH BETTER NOW

Finally, the amazing live action/stop-motion/3d animation short 'Much Better Now' by my good friends Simon and Philipp a.k.a. 'Salon Alpin' is out!
The plot in their own words:

Much Better Now is an independent mixed-media short film. It combines live-action, stop-motion, 3D animation and tells the story of a bookmark, stuck in a forgotten book, in a life marked by standstill in a deserted room.

..and how they felt about creating it:

To work on this stop-motion project had the same creative impulse on us, as the wind has on our little character. We tell a universal story of evolution in a inspiring new way by using surfing as a metaphor, and no-one knows what future books will bring.

Make sure to check out their beautifully crafted Much Better Now website, too!

Needless to say - I'm super proud of you guys!!

MTV Night Videos

Great retro-style MTV idents by Emil Sellström, sound design by Kungen & Hertigen.

The 2nd Law

Powerful teaser of the upcoming Muse album The 2nd Law.

End Overfishing

Despite an increased awareness of overfishing, the majority of people still know very little about the scale of the destruction being wrought on the oceans. This film presents an unquestionable case for why overfishing needs to end and shows that there is still an opportunity for change. Through reform of the EU‘s Common Fisheries Policy, fisheries ministers and members of the European Parliament can end overfishing. But only if you pressure them.

Kilian Martin: Altered Route (a Skate Film)

Great skate short by Brett Novak starring Killian Martin.

We Will Change The World

Timon in Central America

My old buddy Timon has been traveling Central-America for the last couple months - here's a short recap of what he's experienced so far.
I love the spirit, this clip makes me wanna leave instantly!! Have fun buddy, hope we can travel together someday!

btw.. I love that vest!

It Gets Better

I am overwhelmed by this amazing and touching visual essay 'It Gets Better' by Eli Guerron. Stuff like this is the very reason why I do what I do..

This film is a visual poem, one that focuses on the hard times every single one of us has gone through in the process of discovering who we want to be, dry patches in the journey of finding out who it is we really are…

Isolation. Desolation. Courage. Endurance. And in the final moment, grasp of self-realization, represented in simple elements of visual design.

The Old Man and the Sea

Everyone knows the great story of 'The Old Man and the Sea', the last major work of Ernest Hemingway. So German student Marcel Schindler took on the story and came up with this lovely stop-motion project..

All Alone in the Night

Since I'm currently contributing to some exciting project called The Blue Guardians, I came across this time-lapse footage of the earth as seen from space station ISS while doing some research. It's so stunning how amazingly beautiful our planet is, can't believe there's people out there not giving a shit about protecting it..

More on The Blue Guardians later but here's a sneak peek of what I'm currently working on..

Untitled

Jung von Matt for LEGO

Amazing new campaign from multinational agency Jung von Matt for beloved LEGO. Imagine!

KONY

Well, you've all heard about this cause and most probably seen the video. In case you haven't, take your time and watch it to take part in numerous discussions wether this is something to support or not.

KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.



FOLLOW-UPs
Check out these links and read/watch through plenty of controversial opinions on this topic: (Many of the links have been gathered by my buddy Roman - thanks for that!)

Kony 2012 und Invisible Children
http://www.spreeblick.com/2012/03/07/kony2012-und-invisible-children/

Stop Kony, yes. But don’t stop asking questions
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/stop-kony-yes-but-dont-stop-asking-questions/

What's wrong with the Kony Campaign?
http://www.cihablog.com/whats-wrong-with-the-kony-2012-campaign/

My response to KONY2012


KONY 2012 SCAM... Bankers Outsmarted by Millions of Young Activists?


KONY 2012 ~ A Powerful SCAM?

The Division Of Gravity

Director/Photographer Rob Chiu does it again and blows away with the amazing short film "The Division Of Gravity". Check it out right here and other works on Rob's Vimeo.

"How many things we held yesterday as articles of faith which today we tell as fables."

Attack of The Storm Factory: Crystal Mtn.

No statement, just pleasure times. And a good song.

Sit Ski Backflip

Well, this is a one of a kind life story that stands for hope, motivation and dreams; mind-blowing and inspiring at the same time..

The Koala Bears - Wicked Game

Amazing cover tune of Wicked Game by The Koala Bears, a.k.a. my fellas Liz and Philly! Love that tune!!

Bill Maher - Irritable Bowl Syndrome

Great message, great animation! Fun watching this one..

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet

Well, I guess you've all heard about these new bills threatening online freedom. Learn about some details in this nice clip.



PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement."

The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.

Eat My Dear | Showreel 2012

Vienna based Motion Design Studio Eat My Dear updates with a brand new showreel including a wide spectrum of work that has been done throughout the last years. I was busy freelancing for them for the better part of the last one and a half years, so parts of the reel is my work. Great stuff! I'm looking forward to further collaborating with the guys and to a good year 2012!



Montage
EAT MY DEAR

Score
We Say We Say