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August 30, 2008

WORDS OF WISDOM: KARATE

"I don't know karate, but I know ka-razy!"
-- The Godfather of Soul, James Brown in his 1974 hit song The Payback.

Watch live performance of The Payback.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 01:30 PM |

August 26, 2008

THE ATHLETE DEFINED PROJECT

Last week I launched a special initiative on Flickr called The ATHLETE Defined Project. As we head into the final months of post-production on the film ATHLETE, I wanted to start raising awareness about the documentary and to challenge people to think about what truly makes an athlete.




I invited hundreds of users in the Flickr community to share their images that capture the everyday athlete experience. From cups of Gatorade, to the agony of mile 20, to emotional reunions past the finish. When you focus on such details (and imagery), it allows you to look at what constitutes an athlete in a very different light. Beyond the gold, the glory, and the money. Each photo has a story. And each story has an athlete behind it.




The Project is a natural extension of the documentary and covers a much broader area than the film ever could. Many thanks to those who've graciously contributed their images on Flickr. I invite you all to take part in this project and help redefine what it means to be an "athlete".

flickr.com/groups/athletedefinedproject

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 11:01 PM |

ORANGE DRINK



Orange Drink, aka "the nectar of the Gods". Okay, maybe not. But you do have to admire the simplicity of the product. It's orange and it's a drink. Packaged in a plastic gallon container with a label. No promotional offers, bits of trivia, or images of celebrities on the bottle. Just. Orange. Drink.


Would you like a refreshing glass of Orange Drink?





DLM

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Posted by DLM at 12:27 AM |

August 24, 2008

SUNDAY SPORT SIGHTINGS



Nike's latest "Grapple in the Apple" tennis campaign in Union Square. It was basically two Penske rental trucks wrapped in these ads, parked in front of Paragon Sports. What a brilliant idea! Going to have to jot that one down.




A new US Open pop-up shop in SoHo.



Where you can purchase a piece of Sharapova's used towel, framed.



Lastly, the new Nike Sportswear store on 21 Mercer. A lot of cool stuff. In the back is where they offer a service called bespoke. As with suits from Saville Row, you can have a sneaker custom made from scratch. For a flat rate of about $800, you work with a designer on site, and choose your colors and materials (they have red alligator leather, for you adventurous types). The designs are then sent to Italy where a cobbler hand makes your special sneakers. Yeah, had to get out of there. Dangerous place. It's like kryptonite.






DLM

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Posted by DLM at 07:29 PM |

MIRACLE



It's a little after 3:30 am and I just finished editing a rough cut of Jenny's piece (the third of four stories in the film). Can't describe how thrilled I am. Instead of several months, I managed to complete it in a few weeks. Truly a miracle. Not sure how that happened. Perhaps it was the Spam. Or maybe it was staring at No. 16 all week. Whatever the reason, I'll take it. Three down, one to go.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 03:55 AM |

DESK TOY: NO. 16



Name: NFL Legends Series 4 - Joe Montana
Designer / Manufacturer: McFarlane Toys
Origin: Made in China
Acquired From: FYE at Newport Mall, NJ
Fun Factor: Low
Comments: It really doesn't do much but stand with its arms raised. But looking at it sure brings back fond memories of "Montana to Rice!"




DLM

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Posted by DLM at 02:23 AM |

August 20, 2008

WORDS OF WISDOM: FAILURE

"I'm inspired by failure. By being told I can't do something. Defeat — the process of picking yourself back up. Learning — and losing — hurts like hell. It's the hardest thing in the world. But beating the odds? Everybody likes an underdog. It makes running with the top dogs that much sweeter. And that's why I work so hard."
-- Lolo Jones, US Olympic hurdler in an interview with Oakley.com (before Beijing) about her early hardships in life.

Without question, one of my favorite stories of the Olympics. Very moving and inspiring.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 06:50 AM |

OLYMPIC STORIES

never really appreciated the back stories of Olympic athletes until I started working on this film. Here are two amazing tales liang chow lolo jones

Posted by DLM at 06:42 AM |

August 18, 2008

TAKING SHAPE

Really, really happy with how Jenny's segment is coming together. So far so good. The opening scenes are really strong. I'll keep my fingers crossed that editing continues smoothly. I once told someone that I thought I could finish Artie's segment in a month. Then I ran into editor's block. I'll keep those grand predictions to myself this time. We'll see.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 12:41 AM |

August 17, 2008

1825


de•ter•mi•na•tion (noun)
firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end
(a woman of great courage and determination)

--Merriam-Webster


DLM

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Posted by DLM at 10:45 AM |

August 15, 2008

WE RUN TOGETHER



Nike just launched a campaign in the UK to support Paula Radcliffe in her quest for gold this Saturday (produced by their agency Wieden + Kennedy in London).




To show your support, visit weruntogether.com.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 12:54 AM |

August 13, 2008

SPAMTASTIC



One of the great (and tastiest) inventions of the 20th Century would have to be Hormel's canned luncheon meat, Spam (seriously). So you can imagine my excitement when I spotted this at the local Duane Reade the other night -- Spam Single serving packs (would have been ideal in Patagonia). Not only great on mountaineering expeditions, but perfect for the busy, on-the-go bachelor who just can't finish an entire can. Someone at Hormel deserves a promotion.


So quick and so easy.



Just four easy steps to "crazy tasty town" (note the sell-by date; good even a year before the next Summer Olympics in London).



Indeed.



They need to add Spam sushi to the wheel (that's crazy, crazy tasty).



Tasty and versatile. The Spam necklace.



Confirmed. The Spam necklace is a hit with the ladies (I'm wearing mine Friday night).





DLM

PS -- Thanks Jen and Mike.

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Posted by DLM at 11:30 PM |

August 10, 2008

BEIJING FEVER


NYC's got Beijing fever...

In NoHo.



At Paragon Sports.



And at Niketown.







DLM

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Posted by DLM at 11:45 PM |

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS



Friday was opening night of artist and director Aaron Rose's new documentary Beautiful Losers in NYC. It profiles a host of "DIY" artists who got their start in the early 90's and have come a long way to achieve success and acclaim for their work.




It's really a timely and relevant film for me (even inspirational), as someone who's only been in the creative game for about four years. And much of my experience and education in design and film (like many of the subjects in the movie) have come purely from trial and error and just going out and doing it.





What's unique about Beautiful Losers is that it's being distributed by Nike Sportswear, as opposed to a studio (hence the special edition Nike Dunks on display).



Director Aaron Rose with artist Kaws after the screening.



They handed out these collectible Krink markers after the show. It ties in nicely with the film's message of going out and making "something from nothing".



That got me thinking, "what would I hand out for the first screening of ATHLETE?" Tube socks? Deodorant? Body glide? Just one more thing to think about on this film.

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 01:27 AM |

August 08, 2008

DELICATESSEN



Got to check out the new SoHo/NoLita restaurant Delicatessen tonight. Despite the name, this is not your ordinary corner deli. It's the sister restaurant to Cafeteria in Chelsea. So the place looks nice, but how's the food?




Let's start with appetizers: Halibut Tacos (very nice).



Cheeseburger Spring Rolls (unique).



And, for the main event: Chicken in a Bucket (one of the best fried birds I've ever eaten; not sure what they put in that ranch sauce but it's killer; and I hate ranch).



Finger lickin' good! Right up there with Sylivia's.



Oh yeah, the desserts: Ovaltine Pudding...



...and S'Mores (yeah let's talk about that chicken again; didn't care for dessert; but I think I was alone on that one).



Btw, the menus featuring Terry Richardson's photos weren't out yet.



Thanks EF for another memorable meal.

DLM

"No Jerry! I need that chicken, I gotta have that chicken, you leave those roasters alone, Kenny never hurt anybody." -- Kramer

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Posted by DLM at 02:13 AM |

August 06, 2008

MOST ANTICIPATED

The most anticipated Olympic event for me is the women's marathon. Two reasons -- Paula Radcliffe and Magdalena Lewy Boulet. Two athletes from different parts of the world. Both with incredible back stories leading up to the race on 8/16.

Paula Radcliffe arrives in Beijing fit for marathon
[The Daily Mirror]

Richie Boulet ready to fulfill vows, follow his wife through marathon
[Marin Independent Journal]

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 11:40 PM |

August 05, 2008

TEAM BEHIND A KINGDOM

The folks at Macias Advertising, the agency behind Futbol Kingdom, sent me the following clip today. It's a cool promo that they produced for last weekend's NYC event that aired on Univision.




Macias is an award-winning agency based in South Beach, Miami. They not only came up with the clever concept for Kingdom but are also responsible for producing and marketing the event. Thanks guys for checking out the blog. Best of luck with the rest of the tour (next stop is Chicago this Saturday).

DLM

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Posted by DLM at 11:48 PM |

August 04, 2008

THE VERY LONG ROAD TO NO. 3


(A view of the editing dungeon)

This week I will be moving on to editing the third story in ATHLETE. As you can tell by the title of this post, it's been a long journey to get to this point. Over the weekend I saw the rough cuts of the first two stories together for the first time, and it really hit me -- this thing is epic.

Not in special effects, battle scenes or exotic locations, but in scope. The task of trying to do justice to each subject's life story is a major priority for me. And that, as I'm learning, takes a considerable amount of time to achieve (probably more than I had anticipated).

The third story features Jenny, who is a cancer survivor. This could be the most complex segment to pull off because of the subject matter and since parts of the story take place in the past, during Jenny's cancer treatment (thanks to footage her sister shot several years ago).

The journey continues...

DLM
athletemovie.com

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Posted by DLM at 12:30 AM |

August 03, 2008

OLYMPIC SCHEDULE

NBC's schedule for the Olympic marathon and triathlon events in Beijing:

Marathon
8/16: Women's Marathon (7:30p - 10:00p LIVE EST)
8/17: Women's Marathon (2:00a - 4:00a REPLAY EST)
8/23: Men's Marathon (7:30p - 10:00p LIVE EST)

Triathlon
8/17: Women's Triathlon (10:00p - 12:00a LIVE EST)
8/18: Women's Triathlon (2:00a - 5:00a REPLAY EST)
8/18: Men's Triathlon (10:00p - 12:00a LIVE EST)*

*May want to double check the time. Not listed on NBC's site; found it on ESPN.

DLM
athletemovie.com

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Posted by DLM at 11:39 PM |

FUTBOL KINGDOM



Burger King kicked off its eight-city soccer event, Futbol Kingdom, in NYC today. You really have to hand it to its ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, who've done a nice job transforming "BK" into a fun, hip brand (the steakhouse ads are hilarious). The Kingdom event was conceived and produced by Macias Advertising and "is designed to reach key Spanish markets as well as 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics on a national level."


The event featured several games where participants can score Kingdom merch.







South Street Seaport was made over to resemble the barrios of South America. Reminded me of La Boca in Argentina. Was impressed with the small details.







A Dutch freestyle group from Rotterdam, called SoccerShowdown, wowed the crowd with their fancy footwork.















DLM
athletemovie.com

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Posted by DLM at 08:29 PM |

LUCKY SPEAKERS

Saw these Lucky Brand Jeans portable iPod speakers at Best Buy in NoHo. Remember hearing about them while filming at the Lucky showroom earlier this year. Pretty cool brand extension.






DLM
athletemovie.com

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Posted by DLM at 07:32 PM |

August 02, 2008

JUDGE THIS



Was recently invited to be part of a panel to help judge a national design competition. It's a pretty fascinating process. Especially to see all of these submissions and the diverse range of design aesthetics and styles. Not to mention the countless hours of work that must've gone into each piece. It's quite a site to behold; all of this creative output, from different parts of the country (and the world?), on one table.




Thanks for the honor and experience (you know who you are) and thanks MF for the pics.

Now I've got some judging to do...

DLM
athletemovie.com

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Posted by DLM at 12:55 AM |