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PAX East debuted in 2010, and in the relatively short time that it’s been coming to Boston, it’s grown into one of the largest conventions on the east coast, with attendance numbers that even exceed the original Penny Arcade Expo (PAX Prime in Seattle). Having attended the previous year and largely enjoying my experience, it was a no-brainer to attend this year. Thankfully, I was able to get a pass as a member of the press as the attendee passes sold out within hours of becoming available. The first day of the convention, I left my home at the magical hour of 5 am to drive down to Boston. For those who have never driven in Boston, it’s like driving anywhere else, except the feeling is akin to the car being packed full with bees and spiders. Thankfully, my plan to avoid the obnoxious traffic associated with getting to and driving around the city worked and I was able to park relatively close to the Boston Convention and Expo Center. Having arrived at my destination a couple of hours before I could pick up my press pass, I promptly pulled up a seat in the bag check line and relished one of the few relaxing moments of the whole weekend.
When the doors opened at 8 am, I picked up my press badge and made a quick stop at the press room before heading to the line to get into the Expo Hall. On this first day of the convention, press was able to get into the hall at 9am, an hour earlier than the rest of the attendees. I took this hour to stop by The Behemoth’s booth for their press breakfast; I partook of a red velvet cupcake and a scone, not wanting to give my stomach enough to work with to create a witch’s brew of gaseous emissions. After breakfast, I stayed at the booth long enough to play a couple of levels of Battle Block Theater and set about walking around the Expo Hall to get the lay of the land. The rest of the attendees are let in shortly after I completely forget the layout of the various booths, and getting around the Expo Hall quickly becomes about as easy as walking through waist-deep molasses (an analogy that’s less humorous when considering the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919). Thankfully, the glitz and glamour of the Expo Hall is only a small part of the overall PAX East experience. After escaping the metaphorical molasses, I take to the rest of the convention center to put my camera to work getting photos of the cosplayers that had already begun to filter in. Given that PAX East is a gaming convention, it’s not surprising that the cosplay scene is largely dominated by video game fandom, with a smattering of American comics and the occasional anime; in particular the League of Legends and Borderlands universes seem to be the most heavily represented.
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In the early afternoon, I met up with my friend David, who previously accompanied me at Anime Boston 2014. We took a few minutes to go over our schedule of interviews and the logistics of our impending press work both during and after the convention. Friday would be our least busy day by far, with only a single interview scheduled a few hours later. I killed time by getting lunch and exploring the rest of the convention center, taking photos and meeting with familiar faces the whole way. The first interview of the convention for David and I was with another man named David from Wadjet Eye Games. Thankfully, the original David took the lead on all of the interviews at this convention, thereby giving my brain no reason to indulge in its annoying habit of reminding me that I’m a fraud and charlatan. The interview went smoothly; the two Daves talked about some of Wadjet Eye’s titles as well as the whole nature of episodic gaming while I hovered about and awkwardly took photographs of them talking. After post-interview pleasantries were exchanged, I stopped by the press room again to empty my locker before leaving for the day, avoiding the mass exodus from the Expo Hall. Four a.m. Saturday morning arrived sooner than I had expected. Few things will make one regret not getting a hotel room for a convention more than waking up at such ungodly hour. After a shower and a couple of Red Bulls, I was back in my car and off to Boston once again, repeating yesterday’s ritual. Unlike the previous day, there was no early access to the Expo Hall for press, so I found myself waiting in the general admission line. Having anticipated this, I killed the next couple of hours with an iPad full of comic books, and the sudden introduction of beach balls flying through the air didn’t hurt either. The opening of the Expo Hall was announced with a collective cheer from the attendees as the shuffle toward the awaiting games began. This day would be my busiest day of the convention with four interviews scheduled, and upon entering the Expo Hall, I had to bolt straight to the first of them. I met up with David again at the tinyBuild Games booth and we put on our journalist hats. We toured tinyBuild’s booth for a little while, trying out their upcoming titles Jet Getters and Fearless Fantasy, and then got a quick look at the console version of No Time to Explain.
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With the first interview out of the way, the two of us waded through the crowd and out of the Expo Hall and toward PAX East’s Roll for Diversity Lounge for our second interview of the day with the good folks at the AbleGamers Foundation. David once again took the lead on the interview, and we talked about the organization’s mission to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through video games. The organization also had a bevy of devices on display that make it possible for disabled people to enjoy games that they may not be able to enjoy otherwise. I was able to try a couple of the devices, and managed not to break anything in spite of my caveman-like dexterity.
tell you what.
The two of us had just enough time between interviews to stop for a brief lunch break before we headed to our third interview with NewEgg. The retailer was at PAX East to promote their new gaming news and review site: GameCrate. Before the interview, David and I couldn’t help but joke about the fact we were about to interview people who do what we do, but are better at it. The room we interviewed in was host to festivities that included music and a prize wheel. David and I were undeterred in recording, especially considering the room was still quieter than the rest of the convention center.
Upon arriving at the previously mentioned booth, we were quickly queued up to play Orcs Must Die Unchained, which Robot Entertainment announced for the first time at the show. The game was easy enough to learn, even though I hadn’t played any other games in the series up to this point. The goal of the game was to work with your team to prevent enemy minions from entering your team’s spawn point. The team that David and I were on did really well right off the bat, until we were completely steamrolled and sent away with our tails between our legs. With a good two hours before our next meeting, David brought me over to the booth of an independent developer by the name of Last Limb to try out their debut title: Organic Panic, a puzzle platformer where in each level, players attempt to advance by using the various powers of fruits and vegetables. In our playthrough, David played as a barfing cherry and I was controlling a telekinetic coconut. Once we figured out the mechanics of the game and our characters’ abilities we were able to complete the level with a minimal amount of me getting yelled at.
The day’s interviews concluded with a trip back to the Expo Hall to talk to Dejobaan Games. David and I got a chance to try out Dejobaan’s first-person bullet hell shooter Drunken Robot Pornography with one of Valve’s Steam Controllers. I had a difficult time playing the game with a traditional controller with actual thumbsticks, and playing the game with the circular track pads that the Steam Controller employs was weird, but I could probably get used to it with enough practice. We also got a chance to try out the studio’s Elegy for a Dead World, a creative writing game. Players are tasked with documenting an ancient, longdead civilization on an alien planet as the lone survivor of an archeological expedition. Players can then upload their stories for other players to read. I penned a tale full of King of the Hill references, I
Sunday marked the final day of the convention. Like yesterday, I once again found myself in the line of attendees waiting to enter the Expo Hall. With two press meetings scheduled originally, this was only going to be slightly busier than Friday for David and myself. As far as the convention overall, however, it appeared to be just as busy as the previous day. Once the con had officially begun for the day, I waded through the molasses once more to the side of the hall farthest from the queue room and met with David at the Robot Entertainment booth.
Our final press meeting of the day and the convention was with hardware manufacturer Kingston. We got the chance to try out the new Hyper X headset, called “The Cloud.” I realize that the name sounds pretentious, but it really does live up to the name. The headset itself is incredibly light, but
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fits snugly, and the sound isn’t half bad either. The biggest plus for me was that I was actually able to hear myself think in the middle of the Expo Hall with the headset on. With our final press meeting complete, David and I parted ways once again. I stayed behind briefly to get some more photos, but at this point, I had been completely chewed up and spat out. With one last trip to the press room, I picked up some of my things and left Boston. From my perspective, PAX East 2014 was the year of the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). League of Legends’ presence was just as big as last year; Turbine had a large showing of Infinite Crisis, which is essentially League of Legends with DC Comics characters; Blizzard had Heroes of the Storm among its offerings, which is League of Legends with Blizzard characters; Paradox Interactive previewed Magicka: Wizard Wars, a competitive take on their Diablo-eqsue Magicka; and Robot Interactive’s Orcs Must Die Unchained has all the elements of a MOBA, but wrapped in an action game. Personally, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. League of Legends certainly has a large share in the current market along with Valve’s DOTA 2. I hope that the increase in players will foster good competition, and having more choices is rarely a bad thing. However, the games that made the biggest impact on me were from some of the smaller studios. I’m really looking forward to the release of Dennaton’s Hotline Miami 2, which refines the twitchy, adrenaline rush inducing gameplay of the original; Last Limb’s Organic Panic because the premise of fruits and vegetables fighting evil meats and cheeses makes me giggle; and the offerings from tinyBuild Games for their own unique brands of awesome.
PAX East 2014 was loud, crowded, tiring, but also tons of fun. If next year is half as great as this year was, I’ll definitely be going.
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Miguel “Mike” London takes his photography seriously. Most days you can find him working like a mad man in his south east Massachusetts frame shop. His customers come from all over and constantly chalenge his brain with new and strange things to develop into something that blows everyones mind when put on display in thier living rooms. He has on many occasions framed images for this author and never fails to impress when the final product is delievered. It is his attentions to detail that makes him one of the best image framers in the business. When he’s not chopping up metal frame rails or stressing over each product as it comes out the the print machine the shop is the furthest thing from his mind. Leaving it all behind to strike out on a mission to capture images is his number one joy. Mike was made for this business and he’s out to show the world it is in capable hands. The best part being he’s not stuck in one place. From abandonded buildings, to models, and landscapes Mike get them all. Even the fine details of these delicate flowers are something that is not wasted on a guy like him. You might find him anywhere in the world and he would be happy to share the beauty in the situation for all of us to see. -Eric Baird/Crush Media
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The power of social media combined with a video age internet has opened doors that for years have remained sealed to music business outsiders. In the past anyone who did not have a golden ticket to the wacky factories in record shaped buildings was out of luck. This has changed in recent years. Now if you have talent and a strong passion to work hard there are avenues that supercede the entire old boy’s network. This really pisses the music business executives off, but let’s faces it everything goes through an evolution and the industry is due for a global update. The old school is fading fast as a new generation finds more ways to poke though the thin veil that was once the empire of the record industry. We see the future of the music industry changing everyday as it grows right in front of our eyes on the internet in real-time. It is an exciting fork in the road for those who know how to work this developing system. Many upcoming talents will even define the layout of the future music business model. This is a complete reversal of the old days when only cigar smoking record executives ran the show. Case and point; Chicago has always had a rich history for its blues and rock clubs. Good things never seem to change much. There is still a healthy music scene going on across the city including amazing classical performances, rock & roll, as well as a never ending flow of riffs coming out of the jazz clubs until the early morning hours. Finding great music here is akin to fishing in an untouched ocean of creativity. It is no wonder that on most days this city is also where you will find two people who are using the power of the internet to create a new revolution in music. Untraditional, going against all rules of the hierarchy, these two have done exactly what they were told not to do. Pay attention ladies and gentlemen this is how it’s done! Camille and Kennerly A.K.A The Harp Twins are identical twins who hail from the windy city. Graduating with a degree in harp performance from the conservatory of music they were in line to take a spot in one of many ensembles or orchestras around the world playing the classics. Classically trained this would seem the most obvious path, but following the pack is not their style. In order to understand how this all came about we need to go back a bit. Being twins is something rather special. Having a built in best friend and confidant is something those of us who are singular could never understand. The level of communication between these two is of a higher level that your average siblings. Having a built in “partner in crime” so to speak, means they also have each others back. Working side by side is just part of their daily routine and results in super efficiency during the creative process. Just watching their videos you can see hints of this mysterious communication taking place. Understanding each other at this level makes a career in the competitive world of music business a little bit easier. Cammile & Kennerly on meeting Fans: “Meeting our fans is one of the best parts of our career. It’s wonderful to meet the people who support our music and it’s always amazing to see that our music can positively affect people. We’re so honored and humbled when fans tell us that our music has helped them through a tough time in their life, or that our music has a positive effect in their day-to-day life. We’re always disappointed when we see artists charging their fans extra money just to meet them. There are musicians out there who say that they love to meet fans and then charge their fans hundreds of dollars to meet them. We can’t imagine doing that! We plan to always meet and take photos with fans for free. It’s one of the small ways that we can say “thank you” to the people who support our music and us!”
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Starting with the piano they first got the idea of playing the harp from seeing a friend who also played. After convincing their family that the harp was going to be their instrument of choice these smart young ladies were off to the conservatory of music for formal training. It was during their musical schooling at the conservatory that Camille & Kennerly sat down to decide what the future would hold if they moved forward in performance. Classical music was not their passion although performing together was one thing they were certain of. Traditional dress and formal classical arrangements however were not something that interested them. Marching to the beat of a different drummer these two were destined to take a road yet forged. Breaking tradition to perform the music that they were passionate about arranged in what ever way pleased them was the way to go. So with that decided they set forth to create a new venue for their harps. Popular music was where they were headed and the road was wide open. They started uploading videos on the ever popular internet platform YouTube and things have really taken off for these two! Following a dream these beautiful twins are two of the hardest working musicians I have ever seen. One would think that pop & rock songs on the harp might see a little weird, but trust me when I say that there is something very special about the performances that come from Camille & Kennerly. While most musicians are looking for producers, camera men and song writers, these two have done everything by themselves. From arranging to recording, scouting locations, filming and editing it is all done by them. No backing tracks. No fancy camera tricks. Just good old teamwork makes it all possible. With the support of their family these two have somehow found a niche in a world full of overlapping ideas and talents. Something new is almost impossible to come by these days, but they have certainly created that and more! Now with more than 50 videos online, 100,000 plus regular subscribers, and over 14 million views The Harp Twins have become a serious presence in the online music world. They have been featured in countless online publications from heavy metal magazines to gaming websites. Their Facebook page is growing at a rapid pace every week and important people tweet their videos all across the globe. Success is rapidly becoming a reality as social media continues to spread the gospel of “The Harp Nation”. One look behind the scenes and you will see there is a lot more going on with these talented ladies. Music is not the only thing that has put them in the public eye. Both Camille and Kennerly have a passion for helping people with special needs. The pair has also tried their hand at acting in films recently appearing with Vince Vaughn in the movie “Delivery Man” along with several other feature films. They both look forward to finding more film roles that suit them in the future, but only if they are the right project at the right time. Live appearances also have them traveling about the country. Performing at private events along with conventions and festivals keeps them very busy. Being twins, especially ones that are mirror like in identity is a rather complicated business. For most of us who are not matching in DNA we can only imagine having a carbon copy of yourself at your side every moment. For the most part it is nothing short of a miracle, but there is a bit of a downside. Imagine your best friend who looks exactly like you having all of the same thoughts as you. Finishing each other sentences, liking the same things, and dressing to match would become part of your daily routine. Because it begins at birth these things would be normal and uncharacteristic. Simply normal everyday behavior as life progressed. From the outside however there is a different point of view, even a slight downside. Imagine everyone staring at you wherever you went. Strangers might feel a bit uncomfortable in your presence. Then there all the questions to be asked and answered over and over each time someone new becomes curious. There may even be people with a phobia of sorts from some of the “non-twin” sector. Most of it is all just a lot of misconceptions about identical twins. They may look alike, sound the same, and dress to match, but Camille and Kennerly are two personalities each to their own. “People can be wary of things that are different from the norm, but we love being “different” and we love being different together. C&K
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So being identical is really a fantastic circumstance, adding to the power of creativity in a way no on else can. This is a huge advantage. It also helps that you get along fantastically with your DNA other or it could make for some long days. I’d ask the cliché who the evil twin was and who was the good, but I already know the answer to that. They are both awesomely good! What makes this all so spectacular? Well first off Camille and Kennerly are two awesome people. They are humble, smart, and hard working. There is nothing pretentious about these two beautiful ladies. They work endlessly with the understanding to be successful then music is a full time job. Building a career in music reaches way beyond filming new music videos for YouTube. Song selection is one of the most important things any cover artist needs to ponder. The Harp Twins have figured out a way to please a vast array of people while at the same time playing songs that they also enjoy. Covering various genres helps to broaden their fan base and that method appears to be working. From major TV themes, game music, pop songs, and rock music these two have found something in a wide array of current and at times retro music as well. Who would have though that an Iron Maiden song could live in the same realm as the Mario Brothers theme?
The Harp Twins on Video Filming Locations “People ask us all the time how we transport our harps to all of the remote and crazy locations where we film! Many people assume that we have roadies or a crew, but we have always done everything ourselves. Our harps have soft padded cases and we transport them to sites in our minivan: Harpscalibur. It’s a hot machine. We then move our large Concert Grand Harps on dollies to the exact location. Sometimes we have to wheel them through difficult terrain: we’ve moved them through swampy areas, grassy areas, places with rather steep inclines, etc., etc.! Sometimes our locations make it difficult for us to steady the harps since they need even ground to sit safely.” “We carry our Electric Harps in large padded cases with shoulder straps. We have hiked for miles to reach many of our locations – which is quite a workout! Our harps also can’t get wet and we’ve had some very close calls! When we were filming our Final Fantasy Medley with the Concert Grand harps, it was an overcast and rainy day. We spent the day moving the harps in and out of our mini-van in-between filming because it was raining off and on. The worst rain situation was when we were filming our Saint Seiya Medley with our electric harps. We had to hike through miles of dense forest to get to our location and after we had been filming a few hours, a storm blew in and we were stuck in the middle of the forest! We only had one umbrella and some plastic bags, so we huddled with the harps under our one umbrella until the storm abated enough for us to run with our harps back to our mini-van. We looked like drowned rats, but the harps were safe! Even though we have to work hard to reach many of our filming locations and the weather doesn’t always cooperate, we always love the experience and we think our fans really enjoy the outcome. We love finding and filming at the perfect location for every song that we cover! ” - Camllile & Kennerly Kitt
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Television also provides great fodder for material most coming from their favorite shows. Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead themes are huge hits on their YouTube channel. The television genre is certainly an outlet for songs that no other artists can even touch or would want to for that matter, but these two make them awesome. So much so that producers and directors of these shows Tweet about them on their own social media accounts. That is one way to gain some great free promotion for your art. Being well rounded musically means there is something for everyone. Combine that with some fantastic locations to give us a great backdrop and we are off and running. Then there are the costumes! Camille and Kennerly are constantly shopping and combing all kinds of stuff to create the perfect look to accompany their videos. From the haunting gothic rock chic’s to Star Trek they know how to create a style that gives their videos a finished and well polished look. There is nothing worse that a great performance that’s missing these key elements. The Harp Twins have got it down to a science. You will never be left with the question of something unfinished in their world. Then there is the social media side of things. YouTube is full of very talented people who just don’t get it. If you are going to be successful using the internet as a platform for you art then you have to understand it is not a free ride. There is no magic to promotion. Developing followers is hard work that must be constantly attended to. Fans don’t just come out of the blue by the thousands. Artists have to constantly use the tools provided to entice new people into their works. The Harp Twins have built a very solid fan base by using the power of social media. Being responsive to their fans is a full time job for Camille & Kennerly. Using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube they are right on top of fan comments and reactions. Responding to as many comments as they can daily keeps the fans involved in the process. This causes the fan base grow at a very steady rate. There is nothing more important than being there for your supporters and the Harp Twins have been there from the beginning answering questions and interacting with everyone. This is the absolute key to developing a growing group of loyal supporters online. The central core of it might be considered their Facebook “Fan Page”. This is where the masses interconnect, share, and comment on everything happening in the “Harp Nation”. The Twins have now reached over 100,000 “likes” on Facebook and the numbers continue to grow everyday. This activity has also created spin offs all over the world. Loyal fans have taken it upon themselves to create sector pages and other groups related to the music of Camille & Kennerly. International fan groups, Harp Nation pages, Camille & Kennerly International and many more have all spawned from fans around the globe. This is the power of social media at its best. One thing is for sure; being unique has paid off in many ways for these two. So what do we have here? Two very talented wonderful individuals who are tightly connected playing an instrument that was never considered to be main stream in a worldwide media. This in itself borders on the edge of absurdity. That’s why I like it, but then again I have never been one to go with the flow so for me it’s perfect. The fact the it’s all a bit twisted is what makes is so provocative. Beautiful ladies making amazing music in stunning locations is getting these two noticed in a big way. What is in the future for Camille & Kennerly? This year will see more live performances, new music videos on a regular basis, and a chance for fans to meet these two in person at conventions and festivals. Their goal is to take the harp where it has never gone before and they are certainly in the midst of doing just that. Slowly, but surely they are creating what has been dubbed by them as “The Harp Revolution”. World dominance is not so far fetched when you have the power of so many loyal fans. Until then we can continue to watch as this grows in size and scope everyday.
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Adding to the mix of things there is a hint that new original music just may be coming at some point in the near future. That’s an exciting prospect and will certainly rally the fans. If you want to get some fan merch you can purchase cover song compilation CD’s, posters, and even Harp Twins T-shirts directly from their main web site. If you ask nicely they will ever personalize your purchase for no extra charge. This is what it’s all about. Giving the fans a little something extra without trying to squeeze every dollar and be greedy. This is the new way in the music world. Camille & Kennerly get that and are happy to please all of their many fans. I could go on and on about how awesome these two beautiful ladies are, however your best bet is to visit all these links below and find out for yourself! Camille & Kennerly now have an online store where you can purchase Harp Twins related items. Go there! Help make the Harp Revolution a reality! -E. Baird/Crush Media Boston
Camille & Kennerly Harp Twins Links Main web site: www.harptwins.com Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/CamilleandKennerly Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamilleKennerly YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CamilleandKennerly
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http://www.alleventsound.com
http://www.crushmedia.com
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During early 1970 construction would begin for a new modern city in the northern regions of the Ukraine in Russia. This gleaming new reservation would be a place for families and workers to live while a massive new project was under construction to the southwest of the city. Along the banks of the Pripyat River a new generation of Soviet power supply was rising towards the sky. Desperately needed to keep up with the demand for electricity in the growing country a nuclear power station would be the answer. The shiny new city just a few miles to the north of the plant would bring many families looking for work and a new start on life in this region of the Soviet era country. Once completed the city of Pripyat would become the home to engineers, technicians, and support staff of the new energy behemoth. This city and its opportunities was to become a placed of stability and progress. New shops including over 10,000 square meters of retail space, 10 sports facilities, and 20 new school buildings were to be erected. A place of hope for a new generation of Russian families was desperately needed during the tail end of these uncertain cold war years. For a while prosperity and stability would envelope this wonderful place. The city would become home to 50,000 living working and playing in the fresh clean air of this beautiful river valley. Sixteen years later all that would change drastically in just a matter of seconds. On April 26th 1986 the support city of Pripyat would become the center of one the world’s worst toxic disasters ever seen by mankind. During a testing experiment at the plant a chain of events would lead to the explosion of the main reactor spewing radioactive debris and smoke across the city. The cloud of radiation would spread for miles as far as the nation of Belarus and throughout Europe. The hopeful city of Pripyat would become a city of death in a matter of seconds. As dawn came the following day the worst of nightmares would be a reality. Pripyat would be directly in the path of the fallout. Uncertainties and slow response from the government would expose tens of thousands to this deadly invisible killer. Mass evacuations of the entire area caused panic and chaos. What had once been a place of prosperity would soon be nothing more than an empty shell. PAGE 24
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To this day the city remains a place of darkness. The exclusion zone wraps the city like a maximum security prison, but there are no captives. Soldiers guard the remains of this place in an effort to keep out the wandering public. It is empty, forlorn, and deathly quiet. No one can live here. Although the radiation levels have subsided in recent years it is unknown how long it will be before this land can be reused. Some scientists feel that this once proud city will never again see the hand of man. This is a no mans land and will remain so for many lifetimes to come. In recent years photographers have been allowed to enter into this devastated land to document what remains of this once proud city. Radiation has dropped to levels that are acceptable for short visits, but only when accompanied by officials and always for a strictly regulated period of time. To enter one must submit to a full body scanner. When exiting all must repeat this process to ensure they have not been contaminated by the invisible killer that lurks in everywhere within its boundaries.
Above: The Ferris Wheel in the central amusemment park now rusted and motionless. The park was brand new before the disaster and saw very little use. Left: Mother nature begins to envelope an apartment block. This tower would have once been home to many families. Some who may have even worked at the power plant may have lived in this building
All Photos by John Mooney
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“It was wide Variety of a wash of emotions. I guess I didn’t know how much it would affect me. We made it into Central Square and from there we headed to the amusement park and on to the Olympic pool and the basketball courts. Then we visited school #3 and also a day care. One word I can say is fallout. The horrors that these people went though is still present to this day. The images speak volumes for what happened there. I really didn’t realize how it would affect me as a new father. Spending my first father’s day there was a sobering experience. When we went into what was left of the daycare I found hand written letters from parents asking acceptance for children into the now destroyed child haven. As a new dad I have written these same letters for my own son. Imagining that happening to my family was heart breaking. It was a life changing experiences to see how people can be affected by the actions of others. It has certainly changed my point of view on life over all. I see the world differently now. I plan on doing some gallery shows of the images and sharing the stories of my trip. I think these are images that everyone should see. I don’t think there was better place in the world to do what I do. I think there is more of the world that should be documented in this manner and I will certainly continue this quest to share the history of these forgotten places through digital imagery.” – John Mooney
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All Photos by John Mooney
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Photography has been an art form for over 150 years. The pio-
neers of this endless medium knew they were on to something big from the very beginning. Looking back at early civil war tin-type images from the 1860’s we can see how far photography has come. Move ahead in time to 2014 and we have the imagery world at our fingertips. With software anything is possible. If there is a blemish then one click and it’s gone. Wrong exposure, slide the bar and in most cases it’s fixed. No more worries. Get your shot. Make sure it’s in focus and the computer will do the rest. Now you can have thousands choices for color, filters, overlays, layers and endless other options. Photography has become complicated in many was by all this technology. In the drive to create better images we have come to rely on our computers instead of the camera itself. Sure you have to take a decent picture, but once it’s in the system then you can play to your hearts content. I suppose this justifies calling the editing process “art” making it easy for just about anyone to create.
The roots to this type of art that reach wayback long before the on screen computerized image editor ever existed. Back in those days you had to do all the thinking ahead of time. Post editing was done by touching up negative by hand with tiny brushes and various inks. Experience over time led to new and amazing photographic discoveries. Some of the greatest images of all time were captured by the likes of Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lang, and Robert Walker. These were some of the people who made signifigant break throughs. They were explorers in an unexplored land and they did it all with nothing but black & white film and a manual camera. No auto settings for them. These are the pioneers of modern photography. Composition, exposure, developing were the skills learned in the early years. Many times the hard way by failing before success. One has to wonder how many negatives Robert Walker overexposed before he figured out the magic formular. Just look at the prints of these masters and you will see something that we are missing today. Today we have a vast array of technically perfect photographical equipment and yet something is missing. Something the new equipment is lacking.
During the Hollywood heyday of the 1930’s and 40’s photographer George Hurrell would become the king of the glamour portrait. From Rita Heyworth to Humphry Bogart his stunning images would become the iconic look of the periods movie stars. Hurrell would create still images that would grace the pages of every magazine and newpaper across the country. His photographs would become the face and style of the movies for millions of swooning fans during that era. To this day the unique look of his photographs envoke the mystery and romance of those golden years. Born in Ohio in 1904 George Hurrell passed away in 1992. His legecy lives on through hundreds of timeless Hollywood portraits.
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The days of shooting under hot lights and working in the darkroom have been replaced by remote control flash units, high speed computers, and high capacity memory cards. Sigh…I miss my darkroom. Somehow it all seemed a bit more magical. The suspense of developing a roll of film was a huge part of the experience. Even after you hopefully succeeded with this chemical wizardry you were still only half way there. Getting a print from the negative was another battle and required even more toxic potions. The end result however was an extreme feeling of accomplishment. One or two stand out images that came through the process unscathed. This was how I learned photography when I was a kid. Where is all this going you might ask? Nostalgia can be a funny thing. A few months ago I started to notice my social media feed was blowing up with thousand of images from all over the planet. I’m in way too many photography groups online. Still I like seeing this flood of pictures. The big problem being most of these have such an incredibly short life span. Everything moves so fast I found no time to ponder an image before another popped up and then another. Although there were some amazing pictures (and some that were not quite up to par for me although at least people were out there doing something with their cameras) I was getting overly bored by the same old things Flowers, abandoned buildings, and a stream of hot rods that seemed to have no end flowed seven days a week across my screen. One thing that irked me in a big way was when photographers shared the same images in a dozen different groups all at once. Now not only did I have this barrage of images I had also has to see the same images repeated over and over in my feed. To be fair I even found myself getting caught up in the madness myself processing and uploading pictures like a printing press spits out daily newspapers. There seemed to be a picture war on and I was in the middle of the battle. The whole thing was all getting to be a bit too much.
With all this in mind I set off to find a solution to my problem. My crew had been doing model shoots for the last few years and we had come up with some interesting themes. This was great, but at times we racked our brains to find some new approach. Then I had one of those eureka moments! I had been watching lots of old black and white movies. You know Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes, World War II star studded epics and the like. There is something special about how they were filmed back them. The acting is also a style we don’t see anymore not to mention the dramatic clothing of the pre war years. While looking up some of these old flicks on the Internet Movie Data Base I was reminded of the still pictures of these movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood. From around 1935 to the early fifties there was a look that has been almost forgotten these days. This was it! Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, there was something about the images of these movie icons that drew me in.
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Several methods were employeed during post processing to created color tones similar to vingtage photography. Since the option of using film was not possible only basic editiing tools were used to limit the anout of post processing. Left: This example mimics a bit of age and uses a brown tone and added border as if it had been in a frame for many years. Above: A more traditional tone the wardrobe and accessiries complete the 1940’s Hollywood style. Model Stephanie Allison Image Credit Bob Zajac
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The next step was research. More classic movies were just waiting to be watched. Then there was the digging though the mass of information on the internet. Who was the mastermind behind all of these timeless images? How did he create such mystery and mood over fifty years ago without Photoshop or digital cameras? One thing was for sure. I was going to find out and when I did we were going to do our very best to recreate this lost magical process. So ready to learn something new I made some popcorn and tuned my TV into that era over 50 years ago. Hollywood personalities were the rock stars of the day for sure. Much time was also spent just looking at the studio portraits of the day to get an understanding of what the public saw in the newspapers and magazines when it came to their favorite silver screen star. Then I was on the hunt for the mysterious person behind the camera who created all these wonderful images. My research would fine me wandering around many different styles. Mystery, comedy and drama were the big ones. Seeing these stars in action brought to life the press images that I was looking to recreate. Now it was time for a little reading and more image searching. After a few days it was evident there was one overwhelming force behind the style. One name kept coming to the surface; George Hurrell. I had found the mystery man behind the camera. This was the guy who had captured Hollywood during its heyday. Now all we had to do was figure out how he worked his magic. This was harder than it seemed, but after several online tutorials and some reading I had at least the basic principals by which this photographical genius had worked. Now the task was to find a way to bring his techniques into the modern world. The next step was research. More classic movies were just waiting to be watched. Then there was the digging though the mass of information on the internet. Who was the mastermind behind all of these timeless images? How did he create such mystery and mood over fifty years ago without Photoshop or digital cameras? One thing was for sure. I was going to find out and when I did we were going to do our very best to recreate this lost magical process.
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So ready to learn something new I made some popcorn and tuned my TV into that era over 50 years ago. Hollywood personalities were the rock stars of the day for sure. Much time was also spent just looking at the studio portraits of the day to get an understanding of what the public saw in the newspapers and magazines when it came to their favorite silver screen star. Then I was on the hunt for the mysterious person behind the camera who created all these wonderful images. My research would fine me wandering around many different styles. Mystery, comedy and drama were the big ones. Seeing these stars in action brought to life the press images that I was looking to recreate. Now it was time for a little reading and more image searching. After a few days it was evident there was one overwhelming force behind the style. One name kept coming to the surface; George Hurrell. I had found the mystery man behind the camera. This was the guy who had captured Hollywood during its heyday. Now all we had to do was figure out how he worked his magic. This was harder than it seemed, but after several online tutorials and some reading I had at least the basic principals by which this photographical genius had worked. Now the task was to find a way to bring his techniques into the modern world The first thing I figured out was the lighting. Using bounce flashes and remotes was no going to work. Although several modern photographers had done some recreations with this method, I wanted to go right back to the roots. So it was going to be old fashioned incandescent hot lights if I wanted to be true to the method. Next was the look. Right away I realized that there was a lot more to these famous images that just lighting. These were movies stars. Temperamental and impatient it must have been like wrangling cats. The first thing that became apparent was none of our modern models nor was current clothing going to work for this shoot. We needed to be faithful right down to the smallest detail if there was to be any chance of creating this magical illusion. So I reached out to everyone I knew that could possible help. First was the model. Stephanie Allison had worked with us on many other themed shoots before. During a shoot at a hot rod show I by chance captured one image of her that reminded me a bit of old Hollywood. I made up my mind based on that image that she was the perfect candidate for our “Hurrell” experience. Then it was on to the details.
As luck would have it I am involved in a costume company and regularly use pieces from a vast collection in my shoots. After a morning of marginally successful browsing though the racks of clothing I stumbled across a series of dresses that had the exact period feeling I was looking for. Add in some vintage fur coats and gloves and we were off to a good start. Then it was on to the accessories. Jewelry was next on the list. Through a friend I was able to obtain a nice selection of vintage pieces that would have been worn back in the day by many of these beloved movie stars. Things were coming together nicely. Like any model shoot one of the most important aspects is the hair and make up. For this shoot it was critical that we got both of this right. When pulling everything together I was also thinking in the world of black and white. This would be important for the final results. Although we would be shooting in color the final conversions would be monochrome. Choosing the right colors would have a profound effect on the outcome. The final piece of the puzzle for the model would be the hair. It needed to be period perfect. This was the only way to pull of the look. I wanted something that looked like it came right out of a hair salon in 1939. The first option and most times the best it to bring in a hair dresser to work up the models natural hair. The problem here being the modern hair cut does not lend itself well to the period we were working in. We were going to have to go with a wig. I’m a little soured on using wigs for reality shoots. If you are creating a character look for Cosplay or something like that then wigs can be the best option. Synthetic wigs however always seem to have the problem of not quite looking enough like real hair to pass muster when you are going for a high quality recreation. This is where one of my great friends saved the day! Our hair stylist Riva Berhouet was thoroughly experienced in the “reto” look. She had done some similar styles on one of our other models prior and lived the look on a daily basis. When I extolled to her what we were up to she came up with an amazing solution. Out of her collection she resurrected two vintage real hair wigs. According to her they were at least 40-50 years old and had been used in modeling shoots by a beloved friend many years ago. continued
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After delicate washing and setting our stylist Riva created the perfect 1940’s vintage styles that fit our need to a tee. When combined together all of these things created an unnerving resemblance that looked like it stepped right out of 1939. I was shocked to say the least when Stephanie walked into the studio. Perfect was putting it mildly. With a black back drop in place, hot lights going and a stunning model this was looking good so far. I added one final touch to complete the look. Digging in the attic at home I had found a white wicker settee that looked like it could have been pre war. Adding a small cushion and some gold fabric everything was complete. Now it was time to put all of this to the test. We put on some 1940’s big band music and got to business. I would shoot along with photographer Bob Zajac. Between us we would try various hot lighting techniques as well as some strobe shots. After several costume changes and over 600 images later we would wrap up the session. The results would come a few days later as we started to sort the images to see what had happened. All I was looking for from my camera was one good shot in the Hurrell style to justify all the work that had gone into setting this whole thing up. Bob would take the bulk of the images as I ran the session with the crew. Downloading my camera I had only taken a handful of shots. Scanning them I found what I was looking for. This was exciting. We had accomplished our mission.
I think the proof shows in the quality of the images we were able to capture that day. Some people would have done things differently and they wouldn’t be wrong. None of us were experts in this style coming in the studio door. We still have much to learn, but at the end of the day we got what we came for. Enjoy. We did. -Eric Baird Crush Media Boston
Debriefing; Recreation in a faithful manner of any type of art is not a simple task. Lots of time and effort went into prepping for a few short hours of intense work. I didn’t attempt this alone but instead decided to use my regular production crew to spread all the little jobs out. This made things flow better. We were prepared in every way. Working in the manner is something we do on a regular basis so everyone knowing their place certainly helped a lot. The same results could also have been achieved in a small studio as well, but we prefer to go big. Having all the right tools certainly made things a lot easier on me as a photographer & producer. I invited other photographers in to take their hand at a few shots. I want everyone to see and learn what we are doing. I think we will do this again when time allows. It was fun. We always do our best to laugh and lighten the mood. This is the key to a good relaxed atmosphere at these kind events. Working together as a team is rewarding. Building relationships helps to strengthen the team making them and me better every
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Here we are, it’s already May and the biggest movies of the year all seem to be coming out this month. Every weekend has a major release, making it an exciting month to be a movie goer. But before we get into it, let’s briefly take a look back at April for a moment. How awesome was Captain America: The Winter Soldier?! It’s awesome enough for it to carry the top spot at the box office for the majority of April. Another surprise last month was the total failure of Transcendence. This was supposed to be a bonafide hit for Warner Bros. No one expected a star studded $100 Million techno-thriller directed by the guy who shot the Dark Knight & Inception with IMAX screenings to do so poorly. In my opinion it wasn’t a terrible film, just not a blockbuster contender and should have been placed in a less competitive slot earlier in the year. So in comparing their success, not to downplay a genuinely excellent film but Captain America performed so well at the Box Office really because there wasn’t much competition. So what does that say for Spider-Man, Godzilla and the X-Men this month? Is there enough love to go around to successfully open these films to compensate their massive budgets? First up, May 2nd is The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Picking up where the 2012 reboot of the series left off, web-slinger Peter Parker finally learns the secrets of his parents (as promised back in the trailer for the first film, but never delivered) all the while now facing 3 new foes. His best friend Harry (Dane Dehaan) now The Green Goblin, the Russian Gangster Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) also known as The Rhino and lastly Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx). This needs to be a hit for Sony, they are banking on Spider-Man to carry them for the next decade with sequels and spin-offs to create a Web of Spider-Man (see what I did there comic readers?), not only for profit but to retain the rights to these characters, preventing a relapse to Marvel Studios. Fairly positive reviews from advanced screenings overseas are a sure sign we’ll be seeing in the least The Amazing Spider-Man 3 come 2016. Also out in limited release is The Protector 2, starring martial arts wonder Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, Tom Yum Goong). The following week, May 9th brings the Seth Rogen/Zack Efron R-rated comedy Neighbors. Rogen plays a husband with a new born living next door to a frat house lead by Efron. What seems like a harmless noise complaint, escalates to neighborly warfare. Universal premiered Neighbors at this past SXSW with unanimous, positive reviews giving them confidence in releasing it in an already overcrowded month. Aside from being Spider-Man’s 2nd week in release there is also Jon Favreau’s Written, Directed, Produced and Starring in Chef, another R-rated comedy about a Chef who loses his high profile restaurant job and in turn starts a Cubano food truck, while trying to reconnect with his estranged family. Lastly that week is Legends of OZ: Dorthy’s Return, and animated sequel to the Wizard of Oz. No advanced reviews on that one, proceed with caution. Next is Godzilla, opening on May 16th. This is the second attempt at remaking the famed title creature for US audiences, starring those Twins from the end-credits of Captain America and Walter White from Breaking Bad. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters), not much is known about the plot of the film and few glimpses have been released of the creature himself, but overall this looks leaps and bounds better than 1998’s Godzilla remake. If giant irradiated lizards isn’t your thing Disney is releasing Million Dollar Arm that same day, starring Jon Hamm in a true story of a man who used an Indian reality show to recruit to Major League Baseball pitchers.
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Maybe Godzilla is REALLY good, and you want to see it again. But wait, here comes X-Men: Days of Futures Past on May 23rd. The sort-of sequel but also prequel to the original trilogy of X-Men and Wolverine series, directly following 2011’s acclaimed X-Men: First Class. It tells the story of an apocalyptic future terrorized by exterminating robots called Sentinels and the surviving X-Men that send Wolverine back in time to the 70’s. In the past he must help Xavier form the X-Men to stop an assassination of a Senator which leads to the Sentinel program to begin with. Another much needed hit for Fox as it is rumored that this is their second highest budgeted film behind James Cameron’s Avatar. Also out that day is Blended, a saccharinated comedy starring Adam San-
dler and Drew Barrymore set across the plains of Africa.
Atari game nerds are dancing in the streets at the discovery of what was always considered to be nothing more than an urban ledgend. Crusty packages have been unearthed in the middle of the New Mexico desert like a modern day egyptian tomb. This discovery however is not all shiny and gold and in the end really has no value. Plus the whole thing stinks in more ways than one. Back when Steven Speilberg was getting ready to launch his epic alien saga E.T. the extra terestrial marketing gurus thought it would be a stellar idea to launch an Atari 2600 game based on the feature film that was sure to be a hit. What seemed to be a smart idea quickly became a nightmare of redtape and dropped balls. After months of legal wrangling the game designer was left with only 5 weeks to create a product that would head into the mass market by the millions. Unfortunalty things didn’t go to well for Atari and in the end the game was a disaster being almost unplayable. Consumers freaked out and returned the lame duck E.T. game by the truckload. This fact on top of a massive maunfatuced stock for the anticipated rush left Atari with a real conundrum. No one wanted the game and stocks took up tons of warehouse space. With tails between thier legs the executives gave the order. It was time to cut the losses and move on.
Closing out the month on Memorial Day weekend is Disney’s Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie. This tells the origin story of the Evil Witch from Sleeping Beauty. Disney is trying to recapture the success they found with 2010’s Alice in Wonderland with live action representations of their popular animated counterparts.Also out this weekend is our third R-Rated comedy this month, Seth McFarlane’s second live action featuring after 2012’s Ted, A Million Ways to Die in the West. McFarlane stars as a cowardly Cowboy that learns to shoot from a mysterious new woman in town. So that’s it, and boy is it a lot! Check us out on our Facebook page for frequent news updates from across all of the movie sites on the web, comment, share and debate! See you in June for Manga Adaptions, Jump Street, Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys and The Transformers. https://www.facebook.com/MoviePReviewPage
Dumping the whole disaster by the truckload into a landfill in the middle of nowhere and forget the whole mess was the solution. Up untill now this was consider somewhat of an urban ledgend. Gamers could hardly believe that such a thing could be possible even if it was a lame duck loser of a game. Flash forward to 2014. By some miracle of luck a film crew creating a documnetary about the pivotal moments in the digital revolution make a startling. After some problems with enviormental departments and other red tape the crew got permission to dig around in the old Alamogordo, New Mexico dump. From a few pictures posted online is does appear that the lost ledgend has been solved. The images show digging machines and men in safety vests mushing around in a mire of 1980’s decomposed festering rubbish. It does appear on the surface they have found something no one really wanted in the first place. Great. Thanks guys now the ebay price for this usless game will really plummet. It is interesting to note that the timeing here is rather convenient. Something almost seems a little fishy about this whole story. Was it a recreation to satisfy the need of the filmakers? After all they had just given a talk about this very subject at SXSW only weeks before. Was there some inside information that lead them to this one spot in the middle of a huge landfill like a homeing beacon? Who knows, but it certainly has generated a lot of press for the film. I guess you can be the judge on whether this was just a stunt or E.T. has really been exhumed. Some things are better of left undiscover. This is one of them. -Eric Baird Crush/Boston
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IAMTHINK.COM’s TJ Jordan sits down with actress Eliza Dushku to talk about her upcoming role in the new movie called “Jane wants a boyfriend” directed by Willian Sullivan this story follows a week in the life of two siblings. Jane who is afflicted with asbergers syndrome is played by Louisa Krause. Her elder sister Bianca is played by Eliza Dushku. Bringing home the challenges of life in a family dealing with life altering changes combined with the love and support of those who overcome challenges on the road to living life to its fullest under any circumstanes. TJ: Thank you so much for taking the time to hang out with us. I know this has been a madhouse for you and you’re in great demand. Eliza: It’s a big Con. It’s really cool to see everyone coming out. TJ: I was able to stop by your table yesterday and asked you to do this interview without knowing that you had just wrapped on a new movie that is extremely related to what our cause is about. We do a lot of early autism intervention and detection awareness. It seems like that would be a great place to start. If you could tell us a little bit about your movie and how it relates to our cause and some of the things it’s doing for autisms speaks. Eliza: Sure yeah. The movie that I just finished is called Jane Wants a Boyfriend and the movie is about two sisters. I play the older sister in the movie and my younger sister has Asperger’s Syndrome which is on the autism spectrum, bit I understand it’s about to be removed. TJ: It is at this point. They are currently looking at redefining the spectrum, but I think a lot of the therapy is going to be the same. Eliza: I know a number of people and friends that have aspergers so the script is really interesting to me. It’s not a full out drama. There are parts that are very warm. We are dealing with a family and these two sisters. It takes place over a week in their lives. Jane my younger sister, works in the wardrobe department of her older sisters theater. I play and actress and we are doing a Shakespeare performance. Over the course of the movie Jane turns 25 years old. She has previously been living at home with her parents. She very high functioning and somewhat independent ,but she still lives with her parents. Over the course of the move her parents decide they are going to move out of state so they ask my character if Jane can come and live with me and my new fiancée. Also Jane announces that she is ready for a boyfriend. She’s never had any previous relations with men and so it’s this sort of interfamilial drama, but there are some very sweet elements as well.
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Eliza: I could relate with my own personal experiences. It’s challenging and with aspergers it’s a little bit more difficult to detect than somebody with full out autism. So I think the movie does a really nice job. We worked with autism speaks and we want proceeds from the movie ultimately, assuming the movie makes lots and lots of money, to benefit autism speaks. It really is a challenge for everyone in the family. I think that this is something that is a very beautiful journey and I was really proud of the work that we did. You get to sort of see the up & downs and how it affects each person in the family. It is of course a challenge for the person that has the disorder, but it can also affect family members in many ways. You have people who overcompensate here or there trying to figure out how to have space in their own lives and also be generous and accommodating. I haven’t seen a movie that covers that as beautifully as I think that we did. I’m really proud of it. Even when I announced on my Twitter that I was making the movie it was amazing to hear people say “Thank you for making this movie” “This is something that my family has dealt with” etc.. So I am really proud that we are covering something like this. In my mind it would be a movie that matters. It falls into that category.
TJ: The beautiful thing about this is that from a different point of view we have a lot of hopes for Alexander my son. He was diagnosed in March and he’s only three. Right now we don’t know what kind of path he’s going to be on for life. We don’t know if he is going to get to go to college. We want him to have this full and happy life and part of that is having a companion. Eliza: Yeah TJ: So through this move we get to see what that may look like. Eliza: Yeah and I think that the more people talk about it the more you can maybe connect with another parent that has dealt with it. It’s the Humanity, the coming together and sharing your experiences that I think really makes it not feel like such a daunting and scary thing. When you can share with others and hear their experience. TJ: It becomes not normal and de-stigmatizes it. Eliza: I wish you the best and I’m sure your son is extraordinary and wonderful. TJ: He is. He’s amazing and I would like to say thank you for doing this movie because it means something to all of us. Eliza: Thank you. Thank you so much. I hope you say the same when you see it. I think you will TJ: I’m sure I will. Thank you so very much. This has been amazing.
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Artist Marcelo Neves was born in Villa Espanola, a small neighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay in the year 1972. This was a place rich in domestic culture and family. A place where neighbors talked to one another often cooked in communal areas and ate together while children played soccer (football) in the street. When Marcelo was just five years old he remembers drawing a chicken in school with crayons, his teacher at the time saw this drawing and addressed his mother telling her that Marcelo had a great talent in Art. His use of mixing colors, imagination and talent would certainly lead to a life of creating Art. Boy was she right. Marcelo and his family, Father, Mother, Little Sister and Little Brother came to America for the first time in 1988. His first impression of America was that it was boring. It was quiet, there was no one around in the streets and the neighbors were not friendly like they were in Uruguay. But soon he got accustomed to life here, while living and growing up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Like most normal Americans he went to High School, played Soccer (of course) and excelled in Art. After High School Marcelo continued with his Art on his own, drawing and painting, using various mediums and improving his skills. Meanwhile he was making a living working various jobs. Marcelo found work on construction jobs during the summer and machine shops during the winter when the weather got cold and construction got slow. Marcelo’s goal was to save enough money to go to Art School. This would be his future.
Editors Note: Each month Crush features talented musicians, photographers, writers and artists from everywhere and anywhere.
During the winter of 2000 Marcelo’s life changed drastically. He would be the victim of a disfiguring accident that would change his life forever. Late one night while working in the machine shop he lost his index, middle and ring finger up to the knuckles on his right. This would be a disaster to the talented young artist that would change everything.
Marcelo’s story is only the beginning. Marcelo fell into a great depression after the accident. He couldn’t use Next month look for a feature of his work his hand anymore to create something he not only loved to but lived for. Because of the accident the Doctors gave him medication for pain and and a video showing how life can move in all too many cases this lead to addiction. Marcelo changed, he lost on even after such a tradgedy.
himself, stopped making art, stopped making music. Two of the things he loved doing most in the world. He recalls “not being himself for nearly ten years.” He lost his friends, and he felt alone. In this dark place he made the decision to put himself into recovery. Marcelo slowly began to get better and started finding himself again. He began to sing, and started a band. Most importantly he picked up the paint brush again. This would his Revival. Recently I asked Marcel: “What gives you hope?” He told me that Love gives him hope. The Love of Art and Music was what mattered. Even the idea of being in Love gives him hope. Marcelo’s story is an inspirational one of struggle, tragedy, addiction, perseverance and revitalization. He ended our conversation with “If I can be a better person” “Then I can help others”. - Tim S. Daoust
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www.veroconcepts.com
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