A New Season has Begun.

So I've just gotta say before I hit the sack tonight, that if you missed "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" Monday night, you missed out on one of the best pilots ever shown. It hit all the right notes and at all the right times and sucked me in like a Dyson. And the thing about Dyson's is, they never lose suction, ever. I just caught the episode again on BRAVO, so keep you're eye out on replays around the channel. The writing was great, tons of tight details that followed throughout the show and I'm sure the entire season. The cast was excellent. Not once did I think about Matthew Perry as Chandler or Bradley Whitford and Timothy Busfield as their characters from the West Wing. In fact, now that I think about it, each of their characters on Studio 60 is quite a detour from what they're known for. I look forward to the rest of season and hope it turns out as good as the pilot. Can't wait for the return of Earl and the Office tomorrow. Good night.

What a Difference a Day Makes.

Try, Try, Try.

If only we all had the guts to try as hard as this little guy. I'm going to finish designing a project tonight! Thanks, Ian.

Photo Shoot #1.

Photo Shoot #1.
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

I meant to put this up with the other post, but couldn't get it to work.

Here's a little sample of things to come with a behind-the-scenes look at our first shot from the day. My Mondavi Wine Bottles that took a lot of production work with rub-on transfers and paper labels and a coat of satin spray paint to decrease reflection. The end result is spectacular, but you'll have to wait to see it in my final book.

Shoot!

I'm in the middle of a Photo Shoot!

I've been away from the blogosphere introducing Texas to Ian with the family and then finishing up production on a couple projects for my first photo shoot. Now, here I am, going over the look and feel of my portfolio and how I want the shots composed with Peter Hobbs, photographer emeritus and PC instructor. We discussed all the shots, projects, and layouts in an hour and a half and are just now setting up the first one. It's been a stressful week trying to get my first few projects fully produced and only half of what could go wrong did go wrong.

I started out the week with a goal of getting 5 pieces complete for today. The biggest challenge was getting my R.E.M. 5-disc box set screenprinted at Lonny's place, which we did yesterday...half of it. It's my first time sharing in the screenprinting process, an arduous task that can result with monumental power. In burning the screens with my artwork, we lost some type and therefore lost time and production value. Lonny and I were getting frustrated and didn't want to rush it any longer. So we decided to hold off the rest for another week. The box set is intended as a handhelf piece for my book, so production is of the utmost importance, not so much getting it photographed for my website.

The next task was reworking and finessing the logo for KRAFT. The problem here is getting the logo right, so it can be applied to the Mac & Cheese package, so I can print it to build the boxes in order to shoot them for my portfolio. You can see how the chain works and were it can easily be broken. Needless to say, the logo, or logotype as it is correctly named, needs a lot of tweaks and a lot of time to fix. The chain got pulled early yesterday.

For my first photo shoot today, I've got 3 prized pieces to take care of: Mondavi Wine Bottles, Drew's Organic Salsa, and spreads from my Atlanta Symphony Orchestra book. They are complete, ready, and I must say really great. I've never been more excited about my work than I am today. Can you believe I forgot my camera! Dave Werner would be most disappointed.

Lastly, I have to say THANK YOU to my pops-in-law, Ken, for spending some of his well-earned retirement time here in Atlanta with us to help with the house chores and most importantly, keeping our awesome, growing-personality-by-the-minute son, IAN, happy.

Sunday Morning.

These used to be my favorite mornings. For some reason I would not really sleep in, make a full-course breakfast with Papas con Huevo, tortillas, cinnamon rolls, sliced fruit, and a Folgers Breakfast Blend. Over the past couple years, I've been able to spend this time with Lyndsey here too. She never enjoyed breakfast as much as she does now. As you've read on this blog before, Sunday morning also meant browsing through the weekly Best Buy Ad. (best deal this week is Arrested Development Season 3 for $19.99, along with numerous other TV box sets on sale for $19.99, from Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm to Seinfeld and some others) I haven't been home on Sundays in quite a while due to my schedule changes at work.

On this particular Sunday; however, we are undergoing our annual storewide inventory check, usually an all-night process. Since I am an expert in our inventory process, after having participated each of the past two years, I have been invited to work the night shift. From 7pm-3am, I'll be helping out, which means only dealing with intellectual book worms who look down on me for being visual for about 2 hours before the inventory begins. So, I'm home on a Sunday morning, the family is taking their morning naps, and I'm hungry.

The best part of waking up....

On a quick side note regarding graduate projects, 4 projects complete, 3 projects ready for production, 2 close to it, , 5 I haven't started, and 10 that are in limbo waiting for the right idea to go the distance. And my first photo shoot is in 2 weeks.

Save River Oaks.

Just read this bit on IMDB and it was the first time I reacted to an IMDB blurb regarding my home state.

The poor River Oaks theatre in Houston just might get replaced with a Barnes & Noble. That's a sad, sad, thing. It's an independent film house in the Rice Village area, a vintage, majestic theatre. Now, I'm not sure how sales have been, but to be replaced by B&N is like getting rid of a '57 Chevy for a MINI. It just doesn't feel right.

How Texan Are You?

You are 67% REAL Texan!!

 

You're mostly texan. You know your Mexican food, state heritage and are probably slightly politically aware. You can probably pronounce Kukendall, Manchaca and Boerne correctly. Go you.

How Texan Are You?

Since 85% of my readership has a history in the state of Texas, I'm sure you all will love it. The guy who came up with this is from Austin, so it's no wonder a lot of the questions revolve around that city. Some of the questions are pretty tough.

Thanks to Lorena for the link.

Motion Picture One-Sheets

The Descent
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

The thing about movie posters is that sometimes, there isn't much you can do when all a studio wants is a big picture of the star. I'll never forget when "Saving Private Ryan" came out. The poster was fantastic. A darkened grey skyline with a single soldier silhouette pacing over a hill right in the center, lower third of the frame. It said journey, war, and hope in one single image. Then around Oscar time and for the DVD release, a new poster was shed. Same original layers, except with images of the cast filling up the sky. All emotion blown off the mark.

It's a shame there aren't more great movie posters out there. Loved what they did with "The Da Vinci Code", the theatrical "V for Vendetta" poster, and the image of Superman drifting over Earth is a gorgeous shot for "Returns." I stood and analyzed this one for "The Descent" when I saw it posted at the Shallowford Regal. Stunning! A fresh execution of a typical concept. How often do you see the credits laid out around the border, or the rating at a 90 degree angle. It actually reflects crawling down and around a cave like the characters in the film! But was that part of the plan, I wonder? I wondered what Saul Bass would have done? I wondered why Movie Posters aren't more highly talked about amongst the design world. I guess they're only done in Hollywood, probably by designers at the studio, and then celebrated at some Key Art Awards show in L.A. Actually who does design movie posters?

I did 2 while at Portfolio Center, for "The Sandlot" and "Glengarry Glen Ross." I was pretty happy with my Sandlot poster, would be really great with a better photographer. GGR didn't turn out like it should have, but that was before I had a better understanding of poster design.

Film One-sheets are the best place to experiment with logotypes. Probably get to meet the director and flesh out concepts, maybe even see the film early, or visit the set. Hmph. And as long as there are movies, there will always be One-Sheets, so it sounds like there's good job stability.

I have this dream of a long hallway in my future house that connects the living and sleeping spaces. One side will be lined with my favorite movie posters, like a one-sheet museum. The oppostie side being a wall of windows that overlooks an outdoor terrace in the middle of our home. After waking up and getting ready for the day, as I walk down the hallway to head out for work, a refreshing sight of creativity will help start the days right.

What have been some of your favorite movie posters?

8th Quarter and a Baby.

And what do I have to show for it so far? A baby that is almost twice his birth weight, a list of 24 projects headed towards my portfolio, 5 of which I'll have to completely redo from scratch, and I just can't seem to get it together. I'd like to blame the high humidity and 90+ degree weather outside; but I was raised in South Texas, it's what I'm used to. I just havent' been able to master the art of simultaneous diaper changing and concept sketching.

I'll have to admit, being a stay-at-home-Dad is actually quite fun. I just seem to be snacking a little more than I used to. So much for losing that pregnancy weight.

Return of Television?

I've become very excited about a couple of new TV series debuting this fall, two of which are about TV shows in and of themselves. First there's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" with Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford and from the creators of "The West Wing." From the initial teasers played earlier this season, I couldn't tell what it was going to be about. Was it a comedy or a drama? They just didn't play well except to list the cast of stars. Tonight I've seen some updated trailers about the plot and it's style of comedy AND drama. The show definitely looks great, and it's fast paced action behind the scenes looks like an audience favorite. I'm concerned it might be too fast for a half-hour show; but it should be just fine with a full hour. Then there's the Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin comedy "30 Rock", a TV show about the behind-the-scenes antics of an SNL style sketch show. Pretty much anything with Tina Fey is a winner and the trailer is hilarious. This show seems to have something, even if it's a whole lot of nothing. And yet, even a third debut has its hooks on me.

I'll be the first to tell you that my favorite movies tell stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. From Shawshank and "The Truman Show" to "The Game" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, I'm astounded by tales of the regular guy (or hobbit) finding strength and facing the fears that surround him. Even M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" grabbed me by the heart and pulled me in; although one could argue that Bruce Willis' character wasn't exactly an ordinary guy, but that was after he discovered his 'powers.' So of course I'd be intrigued by "Heroes." Can you tell I only watch NBC? "Heroes" seems like an Unbreakable story with the number of character to challenge the X-men. Although it does seem like they researched and analyzed the public's love for Wolverine and Superman, disected their strengths, and created individual characters to embody said powers. Not exactly original, but the execution could still be great. As a side note, next time you see the trailer for Ali Larter's character, Nikki, listen to her answering machine. "Hi this is Nikki, leave a message." It sounds exactly like the answering machine from "Swingers" where Jon Favreau's character continues to leave messages after getting cut off. Now that I think about it, all the "Heroes" trailers are told like that original Unbreakable teaser.

Funny how television is becoming more like film. Teasers, trailers, high definition widescreen, event programs, commercial free (for those of you with the right technology), even the cinematography, and visual effects. I guess this makes things easier for actors to move from film to television (Alec Baldwin) and so forth.

May I also say "Kudos" to NBC for airing the pilot of Michael Mann's "Miami Vice" in support of it's film adaptation with Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell. I have to admit I don't remember actually watching the show, but I saw the pilot tonight, and dare I say it was actually good. Dare I go farther to say that Don Johnson did a decent job. Michael Mann, you haven't made a bad film I've seen, don't fail me now.

PayDirt.

Stopping by Old Navy this evening, I couldn't help but be reminded of a certain Seinfeld episode. I can't remember the exact episode, but Kramer joins Jerry and George at the hospital because he thinks he might find some heavy-duty gloves there. Jerry and George are in a hospital room talking with someone getting surgery (may be "The Junior Mint") when Kramer busts through the room with a handful of rubber gloves in his hand. "PAYDIRT," he exclaims!

When we walked into Old Navy and I saw tons of signs proclaiming, "take an EXTRA 50% already clearance marked items", I said to myself the same thing. Five shirts and $17 later, actually it was zero bucks later since Lyndsey's Mom handled the sale (Thank you), I was happy. This included vintage polos, baseball T's, and graphic T's. As a designer I sorted through the graphic T's choosing designs I thought reflected a belief or emotion that I could relate to. As a fan of $4 shirts, I honestly could've cared less. In the end though, it was palm trees, California prints, maroon, blue, and red shades that rounded out the collection. Summer is my favorite season.

Lightning Crashes, a New Father Cries.

Thankfully, everything is ok.

Smiles All Around.

Smiles All Around.
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

I absolutely love this shot of Lynds and Ian after our anniversary dinner last weekend. Just before my Kahlua Cocoa Coffee slice of cheesecake came to the table, Ian woke up and started making a fuss. Fortunately for the other patrons, The Cheesecake Factory gets so loud you could barely hear him. Grandma Moore took him for a walk outside, then after dessert we took a few pics by the fountain. He still wasn't happy. Poor guy went to the Cheesecake Factory and didn't even get a slice.

Day to Day Operations.

Day to Day Operations.
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

On a good day, this is how Ian and I hang out. He's not exactly tall enough to get the most out of it, but he likes looking around. It was tough at first trying to maneuver him into the front-pack; but I quickly figured out how much easier it is when he's not crying or hungry. This front-pack helps me accomplish some tasks like, oh, I don't know, typing an email or brushing my teeth or taking Ranger outside. Otherwise I'd be holding Ian in one arm and trying to maneuver said items with the other....not easy folks, not easy. However I don't think this will help when I need to spray paint wine bottles, or use an X-acto to cut cardboard. You can't exactly sit down comfortably while wearing the pack either. Maybe Ian can help me sketch this weekend.

Laundry Day.

Laundry Day.
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

I mentioned previously that our dryer was on the fritz. It wasn't heating. It was something we should have noticed as our laundry loads began to take 2 and 3 rounds to actually dry. Needless to say, all of our laundry got pretty backed up over two weeks and we needed to do something about it.

I was reminded of a place back at A&M called "Harvey Washbangers." Quite the clever name for a laundromat that doubles as a bar/restaurant, complete with a small reading space and Galaga arcade machine. It was great. You could take a load of laundry and take a load off with a Bud on tap. Just remember the washing machine number and look up to the Press Your Luck scoreboard for your lucky number to turn off and whammo, your laundry was done. Plus on Mondays, they had 20 cent wings. I was hoping to find one of these around town.

The best I could find was a little place called The Laundry Lounge over in Ansley Square. It was a nice place to do laundry with decent prices, great machines, and little reading area. The place was air conditioned, which is rare for laundromats, and good to take Ian along with us. The best thing about laundromats is that you have tons of machines to use. We had 6 washers going at one time, then 5 dryers held everything we had. Add to that the large tables to fold everything up and I'm happy (sad) to say that it made for a nice family outing.

As of now, our dryer is back up and running after Lyndsey's folks ordered a new heating element for us for our second anniversary. What would we do without them.

Oh, What's Going On.

I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted. I guess that's because time has been moving faster than a speeding locomotive. Which gets me to the first thing I've been wanting to tell you about. Saw "Superman Returns" last week and was absolutely floored by it. The effects, production design, action sequences, Brandon Routh, and the story were all fantastic. If this is the only movie I see all summer, and it probably will be, that's cool with me. Bryan Singer hasn't made a bad movie yet. It's amazing how much technology has changed since the original film in '76. "Superman Returns" is a blockbuster worth supporting.

Monday marked the first day of my 8th and final quarter at PC. Registration was the smoothest it has ever been, my loan check was ready on time, and it felt really great to be back. First steps are to take an inventory of all my projects, evaluate what's going in my book, what's missing, and then get crackin'. We're talking 18-24 pieces plus 3-4 handheld books. They say it's all about time management, embracing the creative process, multi-tasking, and hiring professionals to take care of some of the dirty work (photography, color correction, printing, the box). I'd say that's quite a bit to keep me busy.

Wednesday marked Lyndsey's first day back at work since having Ian. It was just him and I manning the homebase, oh and Ranger too. The three of us had a rough morning since one of us didn't seem interested in having a mid-morning breakfast. Thursday and today have been better. I figure I can get about 4 hours of classwork done in an 8-5 day, if everything goes well. I'll have to figure out how much everything else will take.

Friday marks the day when Ian's three surviving Great-Grandparents come to town. Lyndsey's folks are driving them over from Texas. They are the coolest GGP's I know. They'll love hanging out with Ian, helping us fix our dryer (a story for another post), and maybe even some homemade tasty treats. I guess I'll have to get started on a couple of final projects...

Which reminds me, the only reason I was able to finish everything on time last quarter was because of Lyndsey's parents. Ken and Kaye Moore were a blessing to have in town during Ian's first few weeks in the world, and my last few weeks of 7th quarter. They helped out tremendously with household chores, dinners, and tending to Ian. Those extra hours were perfect. Thank you for everything.

Sunday Ads Up.

Ever since sophomore year of college, my favorite part of the Sunday newspaper were the ads. More specifically, my favorite part was that 20 page booklet of blue newsprint with yellow price tags labeling the sales for the week. Ah, when I think of those blue and yellow tags, I think of DVD's 3 for $20, $9.99 new release CD's, and I think of spending the afternoon at Best Buy. In fact, while I was working in Houston, Best Buy was 8 minutes from my apartment and 2 minutes from my workplace. That's why I have 2 large binders filled to the brim with some of my favorite movies. Working at Borders, I take a moment on Sundays to peruse the Best Buy ad from an AJC (don't worry, I put it back so someone else can buy the paper) and this week found a great deal. The new album from Dashboard Confessional, "Dusk and Summer", will be on sale for $9.99; AND, if you show a student ID you'll get an extra 3 bucks knocked off. What a steal! Sale starts Tuesday and goes through Sunday.

The month of June is a great time for new music. It's like someone knew I was going to have a baby and therefore not purchasing much music in the near future and decided to release albums from some of my favorite bands at the same time. How dare they! So I'll be missing out on the new albums from LIVE, Guster, Keane, and the aforementioned Dashboard. Feel free to donate any {purchasesd} copies to the Poor Puckett Foundation for Missed Music.

Looking for Robyn.

Hey Robyn, hopefully you still read this. Send Lyndsey or myself an email, we don't have your contact information. Thanks.

Please, No More Chips.

I need a new snack. Chips and salsa are just not doing it for me anymore. Oatmeal Creme Pies are good for like a day before I get tired of them. And the animal crackers Lyndsey's mom got from Sam's are just lacking the flavor I need in a good afternoon snack. What kinds of things do you like? I know some of you are going to say an apple, or a banana, or something healthy; and that's ok, but it's something I already know. I'm looking for something new or something that's slipped my mind for the past few years. I love a snack with some good flavor, something that works with water, lemonade, or a coke. Something I can eat with my hands, from a bag or poured into a bowl, and definitely not something that takes an hour to make and is only good for one sitting. I don't mind spending time to make it if it will last a week or two. Any snack ideas?