A few years ago, the infamous Apple Computer Company put out this ad. As we all know, Apple has arguably become as popular for their creative and clever advertising as they have for their products themselves. Many of them grab our attention, but the one that has always stuck out to me is the "Think Different" spot they did with old footage of some of the most influential and important personalities to walk the planet. The ad refers to the "geniuses" that have existed and the notion that maybe when they were working on ideas that ultimately became their legacies, that they might have been perceived as CRAZY! Apple simply tips their hat to them.

The reason I like this ad so much is because I'd like to believe that someday I might be able to do something that could have been perceived as crazy. Here's the ad:

Here's the text:
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Last year I shot a short film called "Unit 30." The project was a suspense thriller-type film directed by Taryn Hough. The film has been doing remarkably well in the film festival circuit and has even won some awards. To date, the film has been shown or selected-to-show at SEVEN film festivals, and to my knowledge it was only submitted to 14. If you get a chance to see it go for it. For more information on the film, the creators have been updating a blog site. It can be found at www.unit30themovie.blogspot.com.

The two current places you can catch "Unit 30" are:
1) GIAA Film Festival - http://www.giaafilmfest.com  
Saturday Oct. 2nd, 7pm
Anthology Film Archives
Located @ Second Avenue & 2nd Street

2) Terror Film Festival - http://terrorfilmfestival.net
October 21-21
(Specific Showing Time TBD)
Ethical Society Building
1906 South Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103

There's no trailer for the film yet, but here's a blooper video that was put together during filming. So enjoy.

Weekend posts are reserved for things that are fun, entertaining and make me smile. So, for the first weekend post on this blog, I'm sharing a video from a band called the Ooks of Hazzard. They are covering the song "Kids" by MGMT. When I first discovered this song I listened to it on repeat for about three days straight. What I love about this video is that it reminds me of community and togetherness. The message and lyrics of this song are powerful, but when juxtaposed with a group of talented musicians performing a piece in an unexpected way, the experience is elevated. And that makes me smile and appreciate their work even more. So, without further ado, the Ooks of Hazzard.

Today I'm posting a video similar to yesterday's post with Will Smith talking about success. This video features Eric Thomas. Eric is a motivational speaker who makes some pretty strong points about what it takes to be successful in his opinion. You may not necessarily agree with what he says, but it's hard to argue with his passion and desire to inspire individuals to commit to achieving their goals. 
You can see more of Eric's videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/etthehiphoppreacher or http://www.theetstory.org

Obviously Will Smith is a successful person. One of the most popular actors currently working, the guy just exudes talent, passion, inspiration and excellent. Any fraction of time that I might ever have to share with him would be something I would certainly not take for granted. Here's a collection of clips from interviews Smith did with assorted reporters and journalists. Just watching it makes you want to go out and make the world a better place. Enjoy.