AMERICAN ON VINE

After the initial buzz surrounding the launch peaked a few weeks back, I recently downloaded the Vine app for my iPhone 4GS, and quickly became obsessed with the new realm of creating / sharing six second clips in the same manner that I fell in love with Instagram (and twitter... and facebook... and blogging for that matter).

In a world where it seems like there is a new social media app-of-the-moment every few months, most people are resistant to adopting yet another platform into their already robust portfolios. So it begs the question, why bother with one more icon on your already cluttered home screen? For me, whether I'm acting as a photographer, copy writer, video director or editor-- or when I'm concepting marketing campaigns, the answer is simple:

I like telling stories.

Each channel lets me tell different kinds of stories. I love Vine because it's inspired me to look at things from a fresh perspective, and has unlocked a deeper form of narrative storytelling unseen in other social media sharing apps. A find myself searching for a completely different type of subject: telegenic opposed to photogenic, unexpected tableaux of motion.

The user interface and flow is also really nice. I like being able to control the "takes" and "shots" within each six second clip. It's already impressive to see the wide diversity of styles and results generated by the relatively small group of initial users. Hopefully, we'll continue see the community and stream of awesome content grow as more and more users join the network (which technically is run by and a part of twitter).

GET ON VINE. 

Follow me on Vine @ Jeff Cleveland
Download Vine here: https://vine.co/

Albuquerque Panorama

TOTALLY TORONTO!

October 11, 2012 - The south-facing few from the Town Inn Suites, Toronto, Canada.

Ring the Alarm

My New Tattoo

I went to Rivington Tattoo yesterday-- the new home of my tattoo guy, Sweety.

The new shop is really beautiful. Simple, clean... dark wood floors and an amazing/ornante tin tile ceiling that is gorgeous to look at when you're getting needles full of ink drilled into your arm.

 

Here's what we started out with... the bare area between my wrist 

and the bottom of the clover.

And the other side.

Sweety traced the bow and Mickey Mouse on carbon-transfer.... but then free-handed the rest first starting in lime green Sharpie marker.

 

The workstation is kept very clean-- no spills. 

 

After the rough outline was done, he went back with a fine tip red Sharpie, and finally a blue ballpoint gel pen.

 

Once he was finished sketching, I checked it out in the mirror and we quickly got started. We all know I don't have the beefiest frame, or a strong stomach so it's no surprise that I get a little woozy when I subject myself to this whole tattoo thing... but Sweety is always totally cool about it and after about five minutes I totally thought I was gonna barf. 

Actually ran to the bathroom cause I-thought-I-was-gonna-puke-barf. But I didn't. I calmly went back to my chair, and he brought be a damp paper towel for my forehead and let me recline in the chair. 

When the bear of a receptionist found out that I'd almost fainted he was really amazing and rushed to the bodega to grab me a candy bar. I felt like Shleby-- a reference I wasn't sure they'd get, so I didn't verbalize it.

Here's what's left of the candy bar.

And here's the final product, obviously still very raw and swollen-- but I'll totally share updated photos once she's healed.

PICTURE PERFECT

The first official shot from my fancy new iphone camera. I'm gonna love this thing. 

 

The view of Soho from the Broadway windows of www.thisismkg.com