Morgan Freeman, Amnesty International, and YouTube joined forces with Peter Lang to shoot a call to arms. For International Human Rights Day we are asking video artists and activists, filmmakers, artists, and rabble-rousers to create a video about a non-profit of your choice, concerning a Human Rights Issue that is close to your heart. Shot by Peter Lang here at the Picrow stage and edited by Joe Remerowski, this spot encourages others to take inspiration from stories of leaders like Nelson Mandela, and to use the medium of YouTube to spread that inspiration. Spread the word to help protect Human Rights by going to http://www.youtube.com/videovolunteers and submitting your powerful story of individuals coming together! Siyahamba!

Watch the Brotherhood Spot

Watch the Soldier Spot

Pictures in a Row’s Ray Baum, Gus Vasquez, and Steven Kellebrew (along with John Eggette from Producer’s Air Force and a few other people) put together Chuck Hood’s wooden mock-up of an F-16 and put it to work in the Air Force part of a spot for USAA, the insurance giant that caters to US service members and their families — Baum and company managed to curb their natural interest in what would happen if they installed a jet engine, and carted the whole thing out to the former Norton Air Force base, where ex-Air Force fighter pilot Chris Vasquez and Navy Blue Angel Len Anderson teamed-up to make a convincing show of a living breathing base attached to the tactical air command. That day, and the other three days of the shoot were all about making a paean to the men and women in the armed services — two spots, a :60 and a :30, as tribute and praise, with a little of what it means to serve thrown in.

The rest of the shoot relied heavily on an incredible group of guys brought by Jonathan Barton of Tactical Media — JB’s people rose to the challenge of recreating documentary-style footage of people in the field in Afghanistan and Iraq or on board ship absolutely wonderfully and with tremendous esprit de corps — all without any help from the military. Jon Barton’s people — and Jon himself — were phenomenal. Bob Hope’s old ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains and inner Lytle Creek at the 5000-foot level stood in for Afghanistan, as did Blue Sky Ranch in Santa Clarita. The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum played the part of a more modern carrier.

Peter Lang was the director, Sharon Groh produced, with David Quartararo executive producing, but much credit should be given to Jon Barton and everyone he brought — Brett Lynch (former Navy Seal), Marvin Jordan, Zach McCall, Dotan Baer, Santiago Zapata, Darius Cottrell, Matt Anderson, Robert Garcia, Wade Harlan, to mention a few — all were great. We couldn’t have done it without their tireless invention and willingness to do anything for the shot.

The agency was Campbell-Ewald, and we had a wonderful, engaged team: Al Majewski, art director, Jeff Warner, copy writer, producer Laura McGowan (!!!), and creative directors Jon Stewart and Doug Blanchard. START Editorial in Detroit handled the cuts with editor Louis Lyne at the helm. Eric Maurer from Postique Detroit did the color. All succeeded in accomplishing remarkable work in a very short time.

USAA was founded in the 1920’s under the name United States Army Automobile Association by a group of army officers who were refused automobile insurance as a result of having been enlisted in the army. In an effort to provide themselves with auto insurance, they began the USAA, and today it is a Fortune-500 company, consistently rated highest in consumer surveys. This is their first venture into broadcast. Picrow is proud to have been a part of it.

Here are some pictures of Uriah, the star of Lexi Alexander and Gregory Nussbaum’s new film LIFTED. Produced by Deborah del Prete and Coronet Films: starring Uriah Shelton, Ruben Studdard, Trace Adkins and Nicki Aycox this is the story of a kid who is LIFTED through a passion for R&B music that he shares with his father!

Charles Butler just edited a 5-minute PSA for the Human Rights Watch Gala. It was a powerful piece about the work the HRW does to advocate for juvenile rights. One of the driving stories follows a girl named Sara K. who at the age of 16 was sentenced to Life without parole for killing a man who raped her at the age of 13. Focusing on the Juvenile Life without Parole (JLWOP) sentence, which in 39 states can sentence juvenile offenders to Life without the possibility of parole, the piece tells the story of why and how the HRW advocates for fair sentences for youth offenders. Scotty K. shot the interviews of Elizabeth Calvin, the Senior Advocate, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch; Tamar Chafets, Co-Chair, Los Angeles Network; and Chaplain Javier Stauring, Recipient of the 2003 Human Rights Watch Defender Award to try to explain why it is that the U.S. is the only country where is it legal to sentence a juvenile who cannot legally smoke, drive, or drink to a life and death in prison.

Director Peter Lang of Hollywood based Pictures in a Row just returned from 18th century Virginia where he shot 2 spots for Colonial Williamsburg. He spent the past week with brick makers, silversmiths, fife and drum corps and George Washington, and came back with the beautiful pictures to prove it! Fresh out of the leaves and pumpkins of a Virginia Fall, and amidst the pride of a William and Mary College Reunion, Peter Lang got his living history on.

So yes, we do want to know, NEED to know, what to do with oversized sweaters, metallic leggings, and hair accessories to best compliment our Brenda Walsh-inspired bangs this Fall. So, just like everyone else we tune into the website Who, What, Wear. And thankfully Resident stylistas Joe Remerowski and Scotty K (a.k.a. Scott Kassenoff) have made it much, much easier for us to get the fashion tips we have been craving! Joe and Scotty shot 6 webisodes for Who What Wear’s “Schooled in Style” series, with Joe, Jerry Pyle, Joel McWilliams, and Lisa Rucker on editorial and Adam working his usual magic graphics. Then to really ice our runwalk, Joe continued to work his look, this time teaming-up with Ben Nussbaum to shoot 4 episodes of “Ask a Stylist.” with Joe, Joel and Lisa on editorial, and Adam on graphics. And what can we say without sounding overly confident? I mean, it looks good.

Interested in the 1080 progressive pixel portrayal? Right-Click Here and select “Download Linked File” or “Save Target As…”

Most of the days we reflect upon the pace of technological advancement it seems a steady workmanlike climb — then there are days you stumble upon a vista and gaze awestruck. No this isn’t cold fusion or personal jetpacks; but it IS the next best thing.  Yes I’m talking about extreme low-light sensitive HDDSLRs.

From Vincent Laforet’s Blog:

Here is the main point that I hope you take into account: the short film you are about to watch was shot in pretty much the very worst light that I could possibly find in an evening urban landscape.  I did not chose “pretty lighting” in a mall or under neon signs.  That would have been cheating in my book.

The short was shot near East 6th and Mateo St. in Los Angeles – in an industrial part of the city.   If you live in the area – go check out the area – you won’t believe the video you see below came from the poor lighting in that area.   Sodium and mercury vapor lights.   That’s it.  Really awful lighting.

To find out how they (Vincent Laforet, Stu Maschwitz, David Nelson) managed to do that check out the rest of his blog:

Vincent Laforet’s Blog.

They threw together something worthy in 72 hours with very short notice and Pictures in a Row’s Benjamin Nussbaum cut it into the stylish spot “Nocturne” featured below.  Let’s give our Benjamin Nussbaum a shameless plug:

From Stu Maschwitz’s blog at Prolost.com:

It’s one thing to shoot a film in two nights, but its another thing entirely to post it in a week. Editor Benjamin Nussbaum at Pictures in a Row is a total rock star. He took our hectic collection of footage and made it sing. If you need your shit cut good, go to Pictures in a Row. Seriously.

The rest is at:

Stu’s Blog — Prolost.com

Kudos to Canon’s Curiously Capable Capturing Contraption as well!

As the sun begins to set a little bit earlier and moves into the sign of Libra. As the Los Angeles heat dissipates a bit, and our lazy days become busy working-girl ones, we would like to take a chance to reflect back on the summer loving we have all done with our cameras. The New York Times has just posted another one of their user-generated collections of photographs of the summer, and maybe we should do the same… Calling all Picrowers, what did you do on your summer staycation?

This past Saturday at the Griffith Park Observatory Nikki’s most charming fiance, Daniel Ferguson, in a dapper white suit got on one knee and proposed! Thirty of Nikki’s friends and family hidden in the wings and buttresses emerged to surprise Nikki right before the proposal! The answer, we are pleased to report, was a resounding YES! They are planning the wedding festivities summer. After the proposal everyone went back to the site where the romance all began—The House of Pies to celebrate the young couples bright bright future!

Misko Iho, Picrow’s newest Director, just won the Gold in the Freeflying category at the Finnish National Skydiving Championships. Last year they got the silver but this year, with the same routine they managed to shine through with the gold medal. Congratulations Misko! You continue to wow us with your talents!