Punkmonkey Pictures

Some recent work for Lehigh is online

2011-11-09T15:04:00.004-05:00

A new story that I produced for the College of Engineering at Lehigh University has been released to the public.

Sound-checking with Rick

2011-09-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

Lost a good man yesterday. My little tribute.

new Slacks video online now

2011-09-02T08:57:00.005-04:00

My experience at Workshops lives on in a new music video for my buds Slacks. I used the video from my final project for my class "Camera and Visual Storytelling", gave it a new edit and applied a little Slacks music. Presto, new music video.
I wasn't entirely happy with the original, MMW edit, which was kind of slapped together on a less than awesome laptop and the original music was dreadful. This use of the work is so much more preferable to what it was. I'm happy with the results, hopefully Slacks fans are as well.

Back from the Workshops

2011-08-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure to revisit the Maine Media Workshops, this time to study "The Camera & Visual Storytelling" with Steven Fierberg, ASC.
It was...deep. I'm still picking up the pieces in my mind, trying to put it all together in some useable context. In addition to being enormously talented and knowledgeable, Steve Fierberg is also very cool. I learned a lot from him and my fellow classmates, mainly about film-making but also about myself. It was great experience, one that I won't soon forget.
Below are some shots that I took for our Photo-Roman exercise. The whole set (most of it anyway) is posted on my Flickr page. The link is at the bottom of this post.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45493319@N02/sets/72157627333417296/

Here's a set of behind-the-scenes shots from the class. They're really only interesting if you're curious about film school. I wish I'd taken more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45493319@N02/sets/72157627209352109/

Lehigh: On the Frontlines

2011-06-13T22:27:00.007-04:00

A piece I recently completed for my job that I feel pretty good about.

Catching up

2011-04-26T17:54:00.001-04:00

I haven't updated my blog in quite a while but I've been doing some pretty neat stuff. Here's a bunch of links.

Not too long ago I shot and edited a long-form infomercial for the program that I work for at Lehigh University. The final version is a different edit. We had to lose the testimonials when concerns were raised about the length of the piece. Sadly, I don't think it's going anywhere, regardless of length. Oh well, keep on keepin' on.

http://vimeo.com/20290415

I was recently asked to help out on the new digital releases from Peacemaker by the net label, Grindcore Karaoke. The new releases include new edits of all three of the music videos that I did for Peacemaker. I think they polished up nicely. Here's my "official" statement.

In celebration of the 2011 digital release of two Peacemaker albums, Peace is the Victory! and Alive! On A Sunday Morning, by the forward thinking net label, Grindcore Karaoke, Punkmonkey Pictures has re-cut and re-issued three Peacemaker music videos, Holy Blood of Angels, Last Night I Dreamt We Destroyed the World, and A Short but Interesting Message from God. The new edits reflect the changing and expanding nature of the Peacemaker paradigm and esthetic. With improved visual effects and 32% new footage, these celebratory 2011 versions take the viewer on a deeper journey across the collective human consciousness, focusing on the miraculous and profound in ordinary settings. Peace is the victory!

Here are the links to the videos on my YouTube channel

Holy Blood : http://youtu.be/9w2wwwTxXOg

Last Night : http://youtu.be/gTQWCmXzm8I

Short Message : http://youtu.be/SLpKbduxhuc

Free music/video downloads are available Grindcore Karaoke,
http://www.grindcorekaraoke.com/

Peacemaker on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peacemaker/40395065469#!/peaceisthevictory

Peacemaker on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/peaceisthevictory

And finally,

I'm making slow but steady progress editing a psychedelic/suspense/horror feature by my friend and cohort Luke Ramer. It's called Under the Rainbow. It's a big job and a hard slog but hopefully I'll have more about this in the near future. I'm nowhere near done but we'll get there...

http://experienceundertherainbow.com/

http://west2ndproductions.blogspot.com/

New photo set online

2011-01-17T09:49:00.001-05:00

New shots from my recent attempts at still photography are available for viewing, this time with actor/musician/man-about-town, Desi Stevens. You may remember him from his moving portrayal of Big Mike the bartender in the short thriller The Secret Door.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45493319@N02/sets/72157625794387802/

New photos in my photo-blog

2010-11-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45493319@N02/sets/72157625367483395/
New photos posted of the Empty Flowers in my photo-blog.

The Secret Door screening at Philly F/M Fest

2010-09-02T15:59:00.002-04:00

See The Secret Door on the big screen!
http://www.phillyfmfest.com/
9/26/2010 - 7:30 PM @
The Media Bureau
725 N. 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123

The Secret Door

2010-08-12T22:37:00.003-04:00

Please watch in HD by clicking here: http://vimeo.com/11690248
or just watch it in the window below at low quality.

The Secret Door from Edward Ballinger on Vimeo.

the new Slacks video is online now

2010-08-12T21:48:00.000-04:00

Under the Rainbow...redux

2010-07-30T13:10:00.072-04:00

Summertime is the official season of vacations and low budget independent film making, so it's time to get out there and make movie magic. Since I'm not working a film of my own this year I pitched in for a couple of days on Luke Ramer's horror/psychedelic weirdness movie, Under the Rainbow. Luke started this movie last Summer but as anybody who has attempted movie making will attest some times things can take a while to get finished.

This time out I took on the role of set dresser as well as grip and gaffer (there wasn't a lot of lighting to be done, the shoot taking place outside in daylight). After I set-up any gear for that I was responsible for, jib and light control and the set design was in place, I had free time to take still photos. I posted the whole set on Flickr here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45493319@N02/sets/72157624485658001/

Many of the actors who performed in The Secret Door are working on Luke's film, so it was good to see the old gang again.

Some of my handiwork.
Shooting on 7/27 focused on events that occur around a makeshift "campsite". Give the materials that were available I made this peachy tent out of bedspreads and rope.

Shooting on 7/28 took place at a different "campsite", a hidden lair in a secluded glade deep in the forest. Standing in for our hidden lair was a picnic table on a frisbee golf course (to the disappointment to many frisbee golfers). Since we could not actually remove the "hole"(frisbee golf basket or whatever they call these things) I disguised it as a tree covered with dirty clothing. Not particularly convincing but at least you can't tell it's a frisbee golf thing.

The Secret Door chosen for film fest

2010-07-12T10:26:00.002-04:00

A rare and wonderful event is going to happen this September. Like the migration of butterflies or some other equally impressive sight of majestic natural beauty, The Secret Door will screen at an honest-to-god real film festival.

I don't have much in the way of details yet but our film is on their webpage, so there is evidence that I did not just dream this in withered state of alcohol induced delirium.
Find out more at these links
http://www.phillyfmfest.com/
http://www.facebook.com/PhillyFMFestival

Lehigh Nanotech Conference job

2010-05-28T12:37:00.005-04:00

Just a few snaps from a conference that my coworkers and I worked on Wednesday, The Lehigh Nanotech Network's Nano for Business 2010 Conference. It was a nice event but murderously long (7:30am - 6:30pm) and too be honest, I found myself a little sleepy after the speeches started. The forum/panel discussions were marginally more interesting for me as a camera op since I had to occasionally change my framing to follow the discussion. Man, it was hot in that room! One upside was that they gave us lunch (which was nice) and beers afterward (which was better).

I wish all of our events had beer.

Zero Tolerance Magazine mentions The Secret Door

2010-05-20T16:59:00.001-04:00

Check it out, maaannnn. Yeah, it's mainly about the music but that's cool. It is a really good soundtrack.
http://v2.ztmag.com/blog/news/?p=131

new video from r.hoak

2010-05-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

Song About a Girl #1 and #2 from Edward Ballinger on Vimeo.
I knocked this one out pretty quickly but I'm quite pleased with the result. I feel like my compositing skills have come a long way and my design work is better than ever. I would never claim to be a great After Effects artist, not even a good one, but I'm definitely more comfortable with it and I think that shows.

Microaggression

2010-04-28T09:36:00.001-04:00

Here's a video I recently completed for my job. I don't normally crow about stuff I do for work because, to be honest, it's usually pretty boring stuff (I do event video for a university; classes, lectures, meetings, etc).
This project was a little more fun and I'm pretty happy with the results. Say what you will about the subject matter, I think it looks pretty good and that's what I'm concerned with.

Microaggression in Academia from Edward Ballinger on Vimeo.

The Secret Door screens at film fest

2010-04-26T10:30:00.002-04:00

Apparently my short film, The Secret Door, screened at the Sharp Mountain Film Festival (http://sharpmountainfilmfestival.com/) on Sunday night, April 25, 2010 at Sovereign Majestic Theater in Pottsville, PA.

Go me.

Unfortunately I was not informed by the festival organizers that the movie had been accepted so I wasn't there to enjoy it. (It's always been my policy not to go to festivals that don't accept my submissions. For me that basically translates into not going to a whole lot of film festivals.)
Oh well...maybe someday I'll get to see my work screened; another time, another fest, another film.

Time Theft continues to destroy metal fans.

2010-04-12T14:01:00.001-04:00

As of this moment the new Punkmonkey Pictures music video for Total Fucking Destruction's "Time Theft" stands at over 1400 views, most of them in one week. The video has been featured on more than 30 metal zines and discussion forums from all over the world. Kids are so hungry for it that it's been ripped from Youtube and re-posted all over the web; on Asian and European pages and on BitTorrent.
I'm feeling like a proud daddy.

The new TFD video totally fucking destroys the metal blogs

2010-04-05T13:46:00.011-04:00

So, the interwebs are chattering about the new TFD music video, Time Theft, directed by me and captured with the help of my friend, Luke Ramer.
For a video artist such as myself, struggling away in obscurity, it's always gratifying to hear people react to my work with phrases such as "badass", "very good and professional" and "Awesome!"
I can't help but revel in the glory, just a little, however faint, imaginary and fleeting it may be.

Total Fucking Destruction - Time Theft

2010-03-31T13:24:00.002-04:00

Here's a music video I recently completed for my friends in Total Fucking Destruction. Check them out at myspace and facebook.

directed and edited by Ed Ballinger
camera operation by Luke Ramer and Ed Ballinger

D for Divorce

2010-03-29T21:18:00.011-04:00

Here's a fun comedy sketch that I shot for Dan Maher, aka Flighty Ducks. Check out his other stuff on Youtube at username: AmishPiracy.
The sketch features Clayton Glabis and the remarkable Jane Horvath, fresh from her triumphant role in The Secret Door.
Please note that we froze our asses off doing this thing (shot January 30th on a windy hilltop in Nazareth, PA) so I hope you enjoy it.

The Secret Door is on IMDB

2010-03-10T15:17:00.005-05:00

The Secret Door now has it's own IMDB page. Check it out for a complete credit listing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1601957/

Under the Rainbow, behind the scenes

2010-02-15T00:28:00.021-05:00

I was back on the set of Under the Rainbow yesterday, just a day before my vacation no less, and snapped these photos with my iPhone. I must say that I really like everybody working on this flick. I've heard it said on TV that film crews are like families and always figured it was pretty much bullshit but I can see the potential for such a thing. I like these people. I hope I get to work with them all again, many times.

Cast Party/Private Screening

2010-02-05T13:37:00.009-05:00

Pictures from The Secret Door cast party/private screening, 2/3/10 at the Allentown Brew Works. Thanks to Mike Fitch for the photos.

Punkmonkey Flickr page

2009-12-12T00:03:00.002-05:00

I thought maybe I'd post some of my stills just to see what people say. I still have a lot to learn but whatever. Check em out if you wanna. For real photographic skill check out Scott Kinkade, Scott Cameron, or John Langsford.

The Secret Door on Colors of the Dark

2009-11-23T11:01:00.005-05:00

The Philadelphia area artist and musician, Jonathan Canady, was kind enough to mention The Secret Door on his "negative culture" blog, Colors of the Dark. Jon was also kind enough to provide an unreleased song for the soundtrack of The Secret Door. As I've mentioned before, I'm thrilled that my movie is associated with so many talented people and Jon certainly ranks among the best. Having him on the soundtrack is a good "get" as they say.
Check out his blog Colors of the Dark as well as his personal blog, Black White Red, which focuses on his own prolific artistic output.

The Secret Door trailer is online

2009-11-20T13:31:00.003-05:00

November Update for The Secret Door

2009-11-12T20:47:00.009-05:00

I’m pleased to report that we wrapped shooting on The Secret Door on Sunday, October 18th. I believe that we started shooting in late May, possibly the 22nd or 23rd, so it feels good to be done. Making this movie was a really good experience and while I know that I say it all the time, it’s no less true that I am deeply grateful to all contributed in even the smallest way to its creation.

Editing and compositing are coming along well; so much so that I think we’ll be near the finish line in the next couple of weeks. Some members of The Secret Door family have contacted me recently asking about when they could expect to see the movie. All that I can say is - soon. Be patient.

The Secret Door is finally nearing completion. So, what’s next?

I have a very vague plan to throw a movie premiere/cast party when the film is ready. It all depends on how much money I have at the time and what kind of deal I can get. More details will be forthcoming to all interested parties.

Film festivals are definitely on the Punkmonkey Pictures agenda. I’m interested in exposing the movie to as many industry-type viewers as I can. Hopefully it will get some positive attention. Additionally, I have been talking extensively with a music industry friend about an official release of The Secret Door, probably as a DVD/Soundtrack CD combo. This option looks pretty likely albeit on a limited scale but not until next year, probably in the spring. I will post more about both of these initiatives as the information becomes available.

I guess that’s all I have for now. It doesn’t seem like much of an update for an entire month but there it is. We’re in the final stretch now. Thanks for checking in. Stay tuned.

- Ed

PS - Since I can't have a Secret Door Update without pictures (it's like a rule or something), I've included some behind-the-scenes photos from "the chase" scene. Awesome photos courtesy, as always, of Scott Cameron. I like these pics a lot because "the chase" was so much fun to shoot and looking over them now reminds how much warmer it was then. Man, this film-making thing is time consuming!

Santas Claws and other fun distractions

2009-10-14T16:24:00.021-04:00

Work on The Secret Door has slowed done quite a bit lately. As autumn blows by I’m trying to enjoy the season as much as possible before the long dark of winter clutches Allentown in its icy grip. That means I’ve not been working on my movie the past few weekends.

I did some production work for my friend, Luke Ramer, the first weekend of October which was pretty cool and worth mentioning here on my video-production blog. His main project, Under the Rainbow, has been put on hold for a while due to some equipment and budgetary problems (we micro-budget indie filmmakers know all about that) but Luke is a man with a lot of ideas. To keep busy he started another short horror movie intended for web release entitled (I think) Santas Claws. Roughly speaking it’s about an ex-military guy who plays Santa Claus because it makes him happy – because when he’s not happy (ala the Incredible Hulk) he becomes a werewolf and kills people. Santa has a bunch of enemies that pursue him; witches, a cabal of vampires, and a psychopathic killer called The Hunter all seek to destroy our hero.

My role on Santa’s Claws was as key grip, second (b) camera operator and all-around utility guy with a concentration in lighting and practical effects. I think it went pretty well. Here are some photos I lifted from Scott Cameron’s Facebook page.

Speaking of Scott, I’ve mentioned him on my blog before. He and his brothers run a production company nearby in Emmaus, PA, called IO House. He has managed to have been present for nearly all of the shoots I’ve been on recently. In fact, Scott has held a number of important positions on The Secret Door crew, not least of which as visual effects artist. Check out this frame from a special visual effects sequence that he’s working on for the movie. To say that I’m stoked about his contribution is understatement. It promises to be one of the show-stoppers of the production. More on that and other insights on The Secret Door will be revealed in future posts. I‘ll try and post again this month with more of a Secret Door focus. Work may have slowed but it hasn’t stopped entirely. Editing continues, as does the slow and challenging work of building a buzz for my first real indie film which is just beginning.

September Secret Door Update

2009-09-21T08:40:00.012-04:00

I'm over-due for an update on the progress of The Secret Door and there's plenty of stuff to tell you about. Shooting is nearly done. There are still one or two more things to capture. I was hoping to finish shooting by the end of summer but this movie-makin' business is a lot more time consuming than I had imagined. The main thing confronting me now is the editing process, which promises to be very complex. Shooting this movie in the way that I have, with a DSLR (Nikon D-90), has added complications that I would not have dealt with if I were using a straight-forward video camera. I believe that the images I've captured somewhat make-up for the additional effort but I don't think I will be doing this again in exactly the same way. In other words, it looks pretty good but it has been a pain in my rear to put to together.

The Secret Door now has a Myspace page. I hope to make this the official website of the movie. Until I arrange for a swankier url, the listing is http://www.myspace.com/the_secret_door .
On this page you'll find regular updates, photos and links to the myspace pages of many of the bands that have contributed songs to The Secret Door soundtrack. There is a song playlist on the page now that features three songs from the movie. Other songs not yet listed were recorded exclusively for The Secret Door and have not been uploaded to Myspace. Check The Secret Door myspace page regularly for new stuff. New behind-the-scenes photos, courtesy of Scott Cameron at iohouse.com, have been uploaded to the Secret Door Myspace page also. They're in the "production stills" album.

Thanks,
Ed

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

2009-08-18T22:40:00.013-04:00

Behind the Scenes on Luke Ramer's "Under the Rainbow"

For the last couple of days I was pleased to act as a grip on Luke Ramer's new movie. I had to leave early to cram in a quick vacation before the students return for the Fall term next Monday but I plan to rejoin the crew as soon as possible.

Director, Luke Ramer and Assistant Director, Rachael Ingram in "video village"

Actor, Norm Provost in a scene

D.P., Greg Roth checks camera on a dolly

cast and crew get ready for a driveway dolly-shot

My proud attempt at simulating morning sun coming through a kitchen window.
Norm checks out my handiwork.

Punkmonkey Update - New Movie Title and more!

2009-08-12T17:56:00.010-04:00

The first big announcement is that I've decided on an official name for the movie. The official title is (drum roll)...The Secret Door. I'm not going to bother trying to explain it. Trust me, it makes sense when thinking about the characters and how they interact with each other, at least it does to me.

So...work progresses. I've been shooting nearly every weekend for the last few weeks and the team and I have managed to capture some pretty good stuff. For the next couple of weeks I'll be taking some time off to work on Luke Ramer's new movie, Under the Rainbow, and to get some fishing in before the students come back for the Fall term. I plan to resume shooting at end of August and hopefully finish before the leaves turn. There is still much to do.

The other major news that I'd like to highlight in this week's update is the movie's soundtrack. I've received confirmation from a number of very respected musicians who will be participating in this project. As of today, The Secret Door will boast exclusive tracks from Jonathan Canady (Deadworld, Deathpile, Angel of Decay, Nightmares), Peacemaker (Richard Hoak of Brutal Truth, Total Fucking Destruction, old Head), Requiem (featuring David Graham), and Caution Horses, a collaborative musical project featuring Kevin Hufnagel (Dysrhythmia, Byla), Jeff Eber (Dysrhythmia), Colin Marston (Dysrhythmia, Behold...The Arctopus, Infidel?/Castro!), Christian McKenna (Zodiak, Slacks). We'll also include reused tracks from older releases by Slacks, Byla, Zodiak and the Italian noise purveyors, Iron Molar. I'm thrilled to be associated with any of these fine musicians individually but to have so many willing to help out on this project is a genuine honor. There may be more news regarding the soundtrack but it's still tentative so I'll hold off on further announcements for now. Stay tuned.

If you're interested in hearing some of these very fine musicians, check out their myspace pages.

http://www.myspace.com/malsonus

http://www.myspace.com/peaceisthevictory

http://www.myspace.com/byla

http://www.myspace.com/zodiak

http://www.myspace.com/requiem2872

http://www.myspace.com/ironmolar

http://www.myspace.com/slacks

Finally, the screen-shots I'm including on today's post are from our most recent shoot. Gabe, (Brian DiBonaventure) our villain, stalks a woman (Krystel Hubble) in a parking garage. Screen-shots from day #4 aren't ready yet but I'll get some up eventually.

Thanks for checking in. More will be posted soon.
- Ed

a few screen-shots to arouse your interest

2009-07-23T11:26:00.013-04:00

Work progresses on my current project. It is taking a bit of time but I believe that working deliberately is preferable to rushing and being unhappy with the final product. Some friends have asked me how it’s going and have asked when there might be something available to see. In response to them and to whet the appetites of any curious onlooker I am posting screen-shots. These screen-shots are organized by shoot day and don’t reflect a narrative since the project is being shot out of sequence.

A big shout-out is necessary to all the actors and crew who’ve worked with me and continue to work with me on this movie. It’s been a great experience so far. Everyone has been very giving with their time and they’ve been very patient with me. Thank you all so much.

Here are the promised screen-shots. Hopefully they will get you fired up to see this movie when it’s eventually finished.

Shoot Day #1

Shoot Day #2

Shoot Day #3

Punkmonkey Update

2009-06-26T13:01:00.006-04:00

Hello interested reader,
Work is progressing on my new short. At present it bears the working title "Some Good Thing" although that will likely change as I don't love it and I love everything else about the flick. Did I say love? Yes, that's right, and as anyone who knows me can attest, that has never happened before. In fact I usually find more fault with my own work than anyone else can. This time my friends, it's all coming together (for the most part).

To be honest I wish the script was a bit better. I mean, it doesn't sizzle the way a Tarantino or Scorsese script sizzles but it's my first attempt at screen writing. I can't expect to walk with the giants on my first attempt, right? This is not, however, my first attempt at cinematography. I've been honing that shit for a while now and I'm finally beginning to see results that I'm pleased with (all things considered).

So stay tuned. This movie, whatever it's called, is coming soon. I'll have lots more stuff to post about it in the coming weeks and months. We'll probably be shooting all summer and then work starts all over in edit, composites, color, sound mix, and on and on. For now enjoy these production stills, kindly provided by the skilled lens of Scott Cameron at iohouse.com.

Thanks for stopping by,
Ed

new movie shooting underway

2009-06-07T23:56:00.009-04:00

So, I started shooting a new movie of my own and it promises to be pretty good stuff-at least I think so. The working title is Some Good Thing. It's a dark, sorta creepy story about a prostitute murdering psychopath and a girl who avoids her demise...for now. Here's some screen shots.
It looks like I'll be shooting for a while yet so look for a fall or possibly later release.Some Good Thing
written and directed by Ed Ballinger
cast:
Gwen....................Samantha Elmer
Maggie.......................Jane Horvath
Mike...........................Desi Stevens
Gabe..............Brian DiBonaventure
The Wisdom Tooth....Gerald Prince

yeah baby!

2009-03-27T23:04:00.002-04:00

I'm currently mega-stoked about an upcoming delivery.

Cake details

2009-03-10T12:29:00.006-04:00

Tagline - The Cake - Purple, Green, and Gold Icing with a romantic filling

View the film: http://www.dvxfest.com/lossfest/index.php?id=2900491

Cast
Margot.................................Samantha Elmer
Tom......................................Dan Maher
Simon...................................Alex Funes
Jessie...................................Robert F. Killion
Black Cat..............................Jane Horvath
Kid on Bike...........................Mason Trauger
Trick or Treater 1.................Marena Trauger
Trick or Treater 2.................Mason Trauger
Spartan Cheerleader...........Jamie Jackson
Fairy....................................Michelle "Micki" Montoro
Baseball Player....................Colleen Johnson
Feathered Friend.................Buddy Thompson
V for Vendetta Extra............Bryan Bocich
Drunk A**hole.....................Sundar J.M. Brown

Crew
Producer..............................Steve Cameron
Producer..............................Maher Mahmud
Director................................Dessaline Stevens
Director of Photography.......Ed Ballinger
Writer...................................Vanessa Kimi Mravich
Production Manager.............Steve Cameron
Production Coordinator........Maher Mahmud
Production Designer.............Vanessa Kimi Mravich
1st Assistant Director...........Jim DiCamillo
Camera Operator.................Maher Mahmud
Boom Operator.....................Luke Ramer
Lighting Coordinator.............Ann Marie Rivera
Lighting Technician...............Moses Garcia
Lighting Technician...............Mark Ritchey
Script Supervisor..................Salome Kingsley
Key Hair/Makeup..................Amy Trauger
Location Manager................Jane Horvath
Production Assistant............Buddy Thompson
Production Assistant............Jamie Jackson
P2 Technician.......................Maher Mahmud
Production Stills...................Scott Cameron
BTS Photographer................Alex Funes

Post Production Supervisor..Scott Cameron
Editor...................................Ed Ballinger
Colorist................................Scott Cameron
Sound Designer...................Sean Cameron
Music Coordinator................Dessaline Stevens
Music Coordinator................Ed Ballinger

Special Thanks.....................Joe Horvath

Allentown Film Crew www.meetup.com/allentownfilmcrew
io house ltd. www.iohouse.com
Punkmonkey Pictures www.punkmonkeypictures.com

Our DVXuser.com festival entry, The Cake

2009-03-10T12:25:00.003-04:00

The viewing period for DVXuser.com LossFest is now open.  You can watch The
Allentown Film Crew's entry, The Cake, and follow the discussion.

Direct link to download The Cake
http://www.dvxfest.com/lossfest/index.php?id=2900491

Link to the discussion thread
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=164488

Link to other LossFest films:
http://www.dvxfest.com/lossfest/

You do not need to be a member of the site to view the short films.  However, you do need to
be a member with at least 50 posts to vote.

The Cake is done

2009-03-02T13:59:00.003-05:00

I've posted a few "behind the scenes" photos in my Myspace photo area from a movie I just completed work on, The Cake. I'll post a link for the movie when it's available for viewing on the web.
For The Cake I took on the roles of Director of Photography and Editor. I can honestly say that I gave it my best effort and I'm reasonably satisfied with the results. Of course things could always be better but for my first time as a DP on a dramatic production, it went pretty well.
More later.

pretty pictures are hard to make

2009-02-19T12:50:00.002-05:00

"Contrary to popular belief, the manipulation of images in the digital world takes a great deal of skill. It offers no easy fix for those who are careless with their exposures, and there is no software that can compensate for poor lighting or shot conception." - Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC 10/08

I just read this article, an op-ed really, by one of the world's great cinematographers, Roger Deakins. I don't really know shit about what real cinematographers do. It's mysterious to me; all the lenses, film stocks, lighting instruments, chemical processes, other magic potions and spells they weave to make beautiful images. What I liked best about the piece was not so much the technical jargon but Deakins humility.

Very soon I'm going to have my first solo opportunity to actually DP on a small dramatic project and I'll admit to being a little concerned about it. I think I'm as prepared as I can be but the short schedule and inability to get "playtime" on set is a concern. It seems like we might be rushing through things and I don't have the instinctual knowledge that an experienced DP would have. To know automatically know that to get a given look under such-and-such conditions I need an X light with Y diffusion at so many feet...not knowing shit always bothers me enormously. I wish I knew the answers before I start so I'd be sure to ace the test. Pencils up.

thinking of you

2009-01-15T22:56:00.002-05:00

A catharsis of video tape, a banquet of left-overs at a state dinner, a scathing criticism of someone who'll never get it so there's no point in dropping a name (public adoration is my enemy's most desired treasure).
Video by E. Ballinger
Narration by C. Manson

Withered

2009-01-09T14:48:00.001-05:00

Video from a Withered/Mouth of the Architect show that I shot in Philly last July. I'll be posting more clips from this same show later. Check my Youtube page.

My new Peacemaker video was mentioned on Headbangers Blog

2008-11-21T14:47:00.004-05:00

Wow, I'm stoked that my latest video of weirdness was mentioned on the Headbanger's Ball Blog. I must confess I never expected much from the Peacemaker vids in terms of attention-getting because they are so strange and that can be a challenge for some viewers.
Thanks Rich, you're the man.

jib test

2008-11-21T09:52:00.002-05:00

This is a crazy exciting new tool I just got at work. I'm not good at using it yet (this was my first test) but with a little practice it could be really cool.

Peacemaker - A Short but Interesting Message from God

2008-11-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

The latest in my collaboration with Rich Hoak's Peacemaker project.

Porch Rhythms

2008-07-17T19:17:00.002-04:00

Sickeningly wholesome, this video almost gives me a patriotic, warm-inside feelings or something. There is a narrative if you’re willing to go there with me. If you’re not, it’s a nice video about an old lady and baby birds.

Blessed Pool Hall - a lighting exercise

2008-07-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

Latest Peacemaker

2008-05-06T12:54:00.003-04:00

The latest Peacemaker visual stimulus, "Last Night I Dreamt We Destroyed the World", has been posted on the web.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pNPJqSo1-zQ

You'll also find it at the usual places.
http://youtube.com/punkmonkeyed
http://www.myspace.com/punkmonkeypictures
http://www.myspace.com/peaceisthevictory

Peacemaker and TFD

2008-03-03T15:04:00.004-05:00

The grindmaster, Rich Hoak, is back from tour with Brutal Truth and has posted the videos that I did for him on the respective band mypsace pages.
You can now find my video for "Armed Response" on the total fucking destruction myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/totalfuckingdestruction

Likewise you'll find the video for "Holy Blood of Angels" on the Peacemaker myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/peaceisthevictory

2008-03-03T11:54:00.002-05:00

The "Late Bloomer" video has been removed. Some people had a change of heart and others asserted their influence. Win some, lose some.

"Late Bloomer" makes blogosphere news

2008-02-20T15:10:00.007-05:00

This from a blog called Metalsucks

http://www.metalsucks.net/?p=4366

CINEMETAL: FIGHT AMP, “LATE BLOOMER”
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 11:08am by Axl Rosenberg

"The video for “Late Bloomer,” from the album Hungry for Nothing (which comes out on Translation Loss today!), was clearly made on the cheap by the entity known as Punkmonkey Pictures - but I think it’s kind of creepy precisely because of its cheapness. Like the way Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original, not that shitty Michael Bay remake with Jessica Biel) seems kind of like a snuff film - this seems like some actual fucked-up video some occult dude made. Intercut with performance footage of an awesome crusty punk tune.

In any case, I love this song, and am really looking forward to hearing this album in its entirety. Hope y’all get a kick out of it, too."

Peacemaker video now online

2008-02-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

Peacemaker - 'Holy Blood of Angels'

Peacemaker is a transformational harsh noise project founded by Richard Hoak, drummer of the legendary New York City grindcore primitives, Brutal Truth, and more recently for the Philadelphia based grind outfit, total fucking destruction.

This video, Holy Blood of Angels, is an interpretative film that attempts to see through the eyes of Peacemaker and arrives at forbidding but hopeful place.

Changes are in the making

2008-01-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

So...the old website is gone. From now on, punkmonkeypictures dot com consists of this blog and my YouTube page. I like it this way as I completely suck at html and everything else interweb related.

I am doing some really cool stuff right now, currently editing a music video for a great band called Fight Amp. The video is for the first single “Late Bloomer” which is available soon, if not already on Translation Loss Records.
I’ve been working on it for some weeks now and all the footage is finally in the can. I starting editing last week and I can already tell that it is going to be pretty good. For those loyal few who have followed my illustrious video career thus far, I promise this one is the one watch for. Bold words I know, but you'll see.
In the next few days I’ll post some stills here on my blog to give all interested parties a little glimpse.
This video is far and away the weirdest, heaviest, most dead right-on thing I’ve done yet. I’m stoked.

Video Update

2008-01-14T19:59:00.000-05:00

I so need to do away with my current website and switch this thing around completely. I really use Youtube all the time, perhaps changes will be made this year.

2008, the year changes are getting made! I like the sound of that.

I’m working on something monumentally cool right now.

Until then here’s a couple things I posted recently.

WITHERED

2007-10-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

been down and out but still out there

2007-09-07T14:22:00.000-04:00

I haven't updated my internet space in a really long time. I am still doing this video thing...but other stuff has come up. I'll clean up this web-mess of mine when I'm up to it.

I'm currently editing a concert video for the death metal band Withered. I have another concert video "in the can" by the band Mouth of the Architect that is waiting for my attention. I'm sure that I'll post clips on YouTube when all is ready for public viewing.

Thanks for checking in.
- Ed

American Heritage : "Br00tal: Axxes of Evil"

2007-02-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

my latest video.
American Heritage : "Br00tal: Axxes of Evil"
I hope you dig it.

TFD video on YouTube now

2007-02-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

I just posted a new video for my favorite client, Translation Loss Records, on YouTube.com. This time it’s for the grind-metal band, Total Fucking Destruction.
This is a different job than the one that I’ve mentioned in previous posts (Live at Hazels). This new production is a quasi-music video/promotional clip designed to draw attention to the record release in March 2007. It's composed of public domain footage and other stuff I had been holding on to. I had a good time putting it together. I hope it does what it was intended to do.

new Last Call reviews

2007-01-31T11:46:00.000-05:00

This bit of text (below) is from a new review of Cable's Last Call CD/DVD. I'm thrilled that the DVD has consistently been praised by reviewers.

"Last Call is about fifty percent live tracks, with the remainder of the disc being comprised of songs spanning their seven main releases. Those familiar with the band will enjoy the great musical progression shown on this disc, as Cable's development from noisecore into southern-metal influenced hard rock is quite evident. The DVD is also incredibly entertaining as it takes a PBS-esque approach to summarizing the influence of Cable on the east coast underground music scene of the 90's." - Lambgoat.com

busy, busy

2007-01-29T12:38:00.000-05:00

I've been busy at Lehigh University since the Spring semester started on the January 15th. I have the typical stuff to do, broadcast classes and edit jobs. I'm also involved with tapings that my department is doing for the textbook publisher, Prentice Hall. We are producing a series of video segments that are being incorporated into textbooks on CD-ROMs. I even get a credit in the textbook. Pretty cool.

I'm actually glad that textbook project is finally in production, even though it means working weekends for a while. I have been involved with this project for maybe a year now. I was heavily engaged in the planning meetings and pre-production then everything went on hold. Now it's back and naturally there's a rush to get it done.

On the Translation Loss Records front there has been some progress. The Total Fucking Destruction enhanced CD has gone to press. I was responsible for the video portion of the enhanced CD, a concert clip called "Live from Hazel's". I didn't shoot it but it was my job to clean it up as much as possible, edit the piece, titling, and chaptering. I think it looks pretty good all thing considered. The band and the label are both happy so my work is done here.

The American Heritage video is on the shelf for a while. It will be back on the front burner when I get through with the promo edit for the TFD project. More on that later.

Good Press

2006-12-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

I’ve just been tidying up the old internet homestead; sweeping and dusting. I finally added a video link and some commentary to the Cable “Live” page of my site (punkmonkeypictures.com) and, drum roll, got this here blog fully integrated into my dot com as the "news" page. I like the convenience of a blog so I think this will be a permanent fixture.

The big story this week is that the January 07 edition of Decibel Magazine is on newsstands now. Pick up it and check out the killer review that Last Call got. Here’s a little of what they said.

“Cable were a great band. The fact that one needs to say that in the past tense is probably due to the fact that they were a great band for 10 freaking years and not nearly enough people knew it. Hence, this excellent compilation and DVD, a perfect bookend to a slept-on career.” 9/10 - Joe Gross, Decibel Magazine, Jan 07/No. 027

A 9 out of 10, not too shabby. There's lots more but you should buy the magazine.

Punkmonkey News

2006-12-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

I’ve been doing other stuff and consequently my webpage has gone un-worked-on for more than a month now. It really is a pain to do things the way I was doing them, in a strictly html way, so I switched over to this blog method. Hopefully this will be easier to maintain.

I’m in the middle of two productions right now, both for Translation Loss Records.

The first of the jobs is music video for the Chicago-area metal band American Heritage for their song “Br00tal: Axxes of Evil”. I think it looks pretty good and I have high hopes for it. I would go so far as to say that this music video might be one of those career defining moments if I can get things looking the way they should.

I have lots of stills from this shoot to post, thanks to my friend and co-worker Bryan Pitkin and my good pal, the flash-happy shutter bug, Mick Mullin. I’m in the middle of editing "Axxes" and it might be a few weeks (or more) until I have something to show the public. More on this as it develops.

The other job I’ve been working on is a rehash of a “concert video” from the Philadelphia grindcore band, Total Fucking Destruction featuring Rich Hoak (Brutal Truth). I was asked to re-cut and polish the existing video, add new titling, and do some other tweaking. Mission accomplished. I’m waiting on re-mastered audio from Mick and then that one goes into the “done” pile. I'm not sure if I’ll be allowed to post video from that. The label or the band or both may have a problem with it. You might have to wait for the enhanced CD, or whatever it will end up being, if you want to see it. Incidentally, TFD is good stuff. I’m not really a grind-fan and I had a good time watching them, might even check them out this weekend if the stars align properly.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Tune in and stay tuned.