Brett Noe Productions

I know we haven’t posted anything lately. It has been a wild ride the last 30 or so days! In that time we’ve:

• Shot a six minute short film titled Beauty In All Things for the IFP Phoenix Masterpiece Film Challenge.
• Shot Raven’s 6th Annual NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA 2012.
• Posted the short film.
• Shot the Catwalk-for-a-Cause 3D fashion show for Barrett-Jackson’s Lifestyle Pavilion at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction. (Video forthcoming.)
• Shot 10 vignettes for the 2012 Childhelp Drive the Dream Gala.
• Shot Renato Alvarez segment for the Grand Canyon Presbytery project.
• Posted the Catwalk-for-a-Cause 3D fashion show and edited the 10 vignettes for Childhelp, all in the same week.
• Shot interviews on the red carpet at the 2012 Childhelp Drive the Dream Gala.
• Worked for 8 days shooting BTS and IMAG while also handling the press for the Barrett-Jackson Lifestyle Pavilion. We also:
  • Showed the Catwalk-for-a-Cause 3D fashion show video on Tuesday.
  • Kimmie did the Battle of the Batter on Wednesday.
  • Showed the Restless Heart HOME video on Thursday.
  • Kimmie made a chandelier cake and cake pops for Icing: The Million Dollar Diamond & Dessert Show.
  • Kimmie did Icing: The Million Dollar Diamond & Dessert Show on Saturday then went home and made a birthday cake that night.
• Catered an event for 1500 with Kimmie’s business, Kimmie’s Cakies; Just the two of us, no one else, in three days.
• Posted Raven’s 6th Annual NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA 2012.
• Today, shot the last segment for the Grand Canyon Presbytery project.

Plus, an assortment of client meetings to attempt to secure new work. Needless to say, it’s been a busy month! Looking forward to the rest of the year. Things are starting to get exciting around here!

Join The Restless Heart Band in honoring our troops with the new video for the song “Home” produced by Lucky Dog Creative and Brett Noe Productions.

On Monday, Walter Isaacson’s biography ‘Steve Jobs’ was released. I’ve been reading it and find it a fascinating story. From birth till death, with no varnish added and with most of the players still alive to add commentary, Isaacson has assembled Jobs life in a compelling book that really allows you to understand Steve Jobs better.

All is revealed and paints a picture of the man who, with Steve Wozniak, founded Apple, was ousted by John Sculley, founded Pixar and returned later to bring Apple back from the brink of destruction. Not the picture of an especially kind man or an easy going man but of a driven man who wanted to “..put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

I’m only on Chapter 12 and I can’t put it down. I’m reading it on my iPad and iPhone (which I think is apropos) and I’m finding it riveting. There is much to admire about the man but, also, much to condemn. It makes me look at myself with a different light. I see many of the same traits, thought processes and demons that drove him in myself; the amelioration of which would probably have made both of our lives happier and easier.

In any case, I highly recommend you read this book. You won’t be disappointed.

Steve Jobs died on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. I was deeply involved in a project that day and didn’t have the time or energy to explore my mind and feelings and work it all out. I’ve spent the days since going about my own life but also reflecting on what this all means to me.

The first PC came on the market in 1975 when I was 7 years old. My father purchased a TRS-80 when I was 9. That same year, 1977, a little movie called Star Wars was also released. So I think I can say, with total honesty, that the 9th year for a nerdy boy from Central Illinois was pretty special.

I was aware of Apple computers, I even knew people who had them. By 1980 we had gone a different route, we had An Atari 800. My dad was on the school board and convinced them that computers were worthwhile. So, we got two Atari 400 computers installed in the school library. We moved to Michigan and I started high school in 1982. My first use of an Apple IIe was in high school in the computer lab. In 1983 we got an Atari 800XL for my brother and me to use. I used it until I graduated high school in 1986. In 1985, Steve resigned from Apple and founded NeXT.

After high school, I started college. I then proceeded to completely blow off my first semester. My father explained to me that if I wanted to continue college, I would need to fund it myself. So, I joined the army. I did do a little computer work then but it was minimal.

Three years later, I was discharged and resumed college. I started doing some contract work for Caterpillar. The work was all on one of Caterpillar’s IBM PCs using Lotus Freelance. Eventually, I purchased my own computer, an Acer 486DX. I then started learning networking and I.T. and made a business out of it.

In 1997, two major events occurred. Apple bought NeXT and Steve came back to Apple. Also, one of my clients offered to hire me as their I.T. Guy full-time. They were a creative company; a mixed assortment of Macs and Windows PCs running on a Novell NetWare network. I became very familiar with Macs then and began to develop an extreme dislike for Windows.

I learned Linux and began changing the servers over to it. It was easier to get the disparate machine types to speak to the servers and far more stable. I handled desktop support for nearly 50 client machines. My loathing for Windows continued to grow and I did this for almost 8 years.

In 2001, Apple released two major products; Mac OS X, a Unix-based operating system and the iPod. Both were ground breaking products and well designed products.

Around 2003, I purchased a video camera and began experimenting. I spent all available moments learning cameras, shooting technique and lighting. When offered the chance, I started working in the video department. In 2005, I bought my first Mac, a G5 tower and an iPod. Since I wasn’t doing the I.T. work anymore, I wanted a new and stable machine to do video work. The Mac was the right choice for me. I started paying attention to Apple releases and looked forward to Steve’s keynotes. In 2006, I bought the first Apple TV. In 2007, I bought the iPod touch. In 2008, I bought my first iPhone. In 2009, I bought a MacBook Pro.

In 2010, I bought an iPad and changed my life again. It has replaced my PC for all but video editing. I also purchased my 2nd iPhone In 2011, I received the 2nd generation Apple TV for my birthday and all the while; I was aware that one man brought a foundering company, responsible for making PCs a household item, back from the brink and made them a player again. He didn’t do it by making things, he did it by creating a culture of excellence that doesn’t exist at other companies.

As I sit here, writing this on my iPad, I am struck by how much I’ve come to rely on Apple products in my everyday life. I no longer want to have a machine I can tinker around on; I want one that just works, every time. I want one that is well built and beautiful to the eye.

We give Steve credit for these things but his most enduring creation, the one that will live on now that he is gone, is Apple itself. It’s culture is an example I’ve learned for my business. Strive to do something that will change the world and the rewards will follow. I like the sound of that.

This just in from Hand Held Hollywood:

Well my filmmaking friends, it took a while but the wait is finally over. Cinemek has released Storyboard Composer HD, and iPad functionality isn’t the only new trick.

Read the whole story here.