soot + chalk

a story of soot + chalk

wil + interactive + ashoka

AshokaHub Mobile Research.
I conducted user experience research with top social entrepreneurs from all over the world including in person focus groups in Bangalore, Buenos Aires, Nairobi and Washington, DC. The video “It’s OK to Text While Driving Social Change” was created to tell the story of my trip to India alongside the unedited testimony from Ashoka Fellows.

AshokaHub Design.
I facilitated a co-design process among Ashoka Fellows and staff to build a unified portal through which previously disconnected social entrepreneurs can now find one another, share updates, and exchange resources.

Event Presence at World Bank Development Marketplace.
I designed an interactive booth that projected the photos of people passing by (not just competition finalists) along with their messages of how they are changemakers. Despite the event being very project-focused, the booth helped position Ashoka as a people-focused organization.

Ashoka Live.
With many inspirational social entrepreneurs visiting Ashoka’s global office, I developed a methodology and platform for broadcasting interactive talks with Ashoka’s Fellows to a much broader audience than previously reached. Talks are occasionally streamed at http://www.ashoka.org/live
In collaboration with Paula Castillo.

wil + interactive + documentary

Spotlight on Water.
This interactive video project won first place in the 2009 Citizens for Global Solutions Multimedia Competition. The competition required that entrants focus on a particular social issue while using interactive storytelling techniques to allow viewers to choose the narrative path.
In collaboration with Simon Stumpf.

wil + interactive + experimental

The Bangor Project.
I co-created this installation which was inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s emphasis that simple living reaps an increased sense of clarity. Participants selected phrases which triggered relevant documentary footage of life in Bangor. When fewer phrases were selected, each clip that played had a longer duration. The more phrases that were chosen, the harder it became to understand what each of the clips was about. I was in Bangor to teach video with SLIGHTLYaskew (http://www.slightlyaskew.org/), which received local media coverage (viewable by clicking through the photos above).
In collaboration with Joel Tomar Levin.

wil + documentary

Citizen Gain.
I studied Documentary Video Production through a Tisch Special Program in Johannesburg in 2006. Through that program, I made Citizen Gain about social entrepreneurs working on economic development in Southern Africa. I was happy to be asked to share my work at the Beyond Ideas: Art of Entrepreneurship and Base of the Pyramid conferences.

Drawing Conclusions.
This video about the situation in Darfur won the Best Digital Video award in the 2008 Citizens for Global Solutions Multimedia competition. It includes sketches taken from statistics in newspapers and other publications.
In collaboration with Simon Stumpf.

wil + experimental

lilly.
Based on at least some true facts surrounding the dissappearance of a young girl from California in the 90’s, lilly explores the fuzziness around what people say happened and what may have happened. It was shot on multiple super 8 film stocks and cameras and includes some video. This “rough cut” was screened at an event I organized in October 2010.

Spoke.
Wanting to promote the bike culture I found while living in Portland, OR to communities where I had previously lived, I created Spoke. It was chosen as a finalist from over 100 submissions to the Filmed by Bike Festival and was screened at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland.
In collaboration with Chester Bennett.

wil + music

Pickathon 2011.
A compilation of artists I recorded in Happy Valley, Oregon including Bill Callahan, Fruit Bats, Pokey Lafarge & the South City Three, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Vetiver and Alela Diane.

SXSW 2008.
A compilation of artists I recorded in Austin, Texas including Liam Finn, Jukebox The Ghost, Pretty & Nice, Chester French, and Peter & The Wolf.

I take my shoes off and sigh. Flex and spread my toes into air. Empty the glass and clink it down. Exit the tile for carpet and slide into wool and wait for the sheets and air around me to warm. Some nights I miss you more than others.

Red rocks meld your soul into sunshine like seeing friends in a city not your own. :) love. Hope. That is all. @campfir @nylicuc @lafrijola you were missed slice @wilkristin
(at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre)

Red Rocks. Sun. Hope. :) @nylicuc @campfir @cardinals . You were missed slice @wilkristin (at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre)

Our mutual film primer in Denver. So rad and wicked fun @campfir @wilkristin @nylicuc #ourmutualfriend #beer #Denver #brewery #film #documentary #sootandchalk

specialty flyer preparation by yours truly @nylicuc 7.30 at @omfbrewing tonight!

Denver. Premier. #Stoked! #Super8mm #documentary #film @nylicuc @wilkristin @campfir @bproff @omfbrewing

Pencil. Orange. Love. All you need. That is all.

At long last my eyes graced and grazed - subdued by level plain lands - now like a dream clear beam of sky - the westward horizon is broken across salty bay waters by none other - The Olympic Mountains - the truth of welcome home. (at Olympia, WA)

#empirebuilder that is all. (at The Empire Builder)

Conductor Bill. “my job is great.” … “yes ma’am a splitting to Seattle and Portland. First door on the left top Seattle.” …,”yeah it’s a pretty good job, see plenty of land.” “cool” - me (at Spokane Intermodal Center (Amtrak & Greyhound Depot))

One hour in Spokane on empty tracks. I chat with Susan, the coach attendant, on a frigid cod empty platform. Footfalls rubber soles work boots make on concrete. “what’s the best time of year?” -me “don’t matter as long as I’m working.” - Susan. it’s 23 out. Frigid can barely feel my hands. “it is cold.” -me “winter is the worst. In Williston ND you ain’t never felt anything like that, wind hits you takes your breath away, bone chilling, damn. Winter.” - Susan 6 days round trip Chicago top Portland. 18hours a day. StrAight. (at Spokane Intermodal Center (Amtrak & Greyhound Depot))

“hey, I told you not to do that.” - Old white bearded maintenance engineer. Soft nonthreatening yet serious voice. “oh sorry” - me (I only took one picture) “that’s infringing on my civil rights.” - old white beard (my flash alerted him but also blew out the picture when I cranked up the brightness.) “well I can’t see you anyway.” -me (I showed him) “ok” -old white beard. He swiftly spun and moved quietly down the cars filling them with fresh drinking water, hose in rubber gloves hand. #empirebuilder (at Spokane Intermodal Center (Amtrak & Greyhound Depot))

Hours and hours - in seats and plexiglass - idle through some of Montana’s finest outdoor environment glacier - the cold and fresh air and drifting snow on the light dry air is like a dream. Ice holds on tight to steel and iron at 80 mph. (at Amtrak platform - Whitefish, MT)

“ladies and gentle men, I will be closing the lounge in ten minutes in Havre, MT to step off the train… Sandwiches … Beverages … Alcoholic and non…. Cheese … Thank you.” -Amtrak lady. - “you are good at that speech.” Manuel maintenance man at Williston elementary school. “yeah watch the string of people come down, now… (a parade ensues) … See sometimes infant even have to be leaving I just say I am.” - Amtrak lady. Hahaha - me and Manuel. [Amtrak ladys voice is despondent lacking enthusiasm and gusto, even toned and in dual mono - thick with Chicago accent, embedded with wisdom for enduring long grinding rides to the west coast with the general public confined to steel rattling cars and rails. (at Havre, MT)

The space between the cars is dangerous. SteEl plates butt jump and slide. Swaying indifferent to your steps. Even the cold drifted snow fields in North Dakota seem more merciful. (at Rugby, ND)

It’s dark now. On a train stopped for boarding. Snow rests quietly on still cold steel rails in the yard. At night in the dark spotted by country houses and flashing red gate warning lights. Illumination of the land is all you really Hope for. You don’t notice your heart beat at night on the train. The car jostles you back and fourth and the full grown middle aged man across the aisle snores under a blanket in a cashmere sweater curled up in the fetal position. You don’t mind while your mind breathes in the space and soothing rumble of slow time traveling on the land. #empirebuilder

Does this #bandaid make my #face look #fat @nylicuc

our mutual film. a trailer for the “soon-to-be-released” film about a maltstery and brewery in denver. four guys unique vision of community and a gathering place delivered in a brewery. one barrel system and small batch brewery. the only brewery in denver to malt it’s own hops - controlling every aspect of the brewing process. and giving free beers for book reports.

www.sootandchalk.com

www.omfmb.com

spoke. a film about the intimacy of biking in portland. short portraits and the moving scenes of a young man and his bike. finalist in filmed by bike. an annual bike centered film festival in portland.

www.sootandchalk.com

soot and chalk. a film about friends. climbing. and the beautiful acadia national park. not much more than filming the nostalgia for friends and the moment.

www.sootandchalk.com