LUCENT PRODUCTIONS

Highland Mountain Bike Park - Year in review!

2012-01-02T12:46:00.002-05:00

As we ring in the new year, let's take a look back at one of the most amazing seasons to date at Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, NH.
It's pretty tough to wrap up an entire season into one video, but have a look and relive some of the highlights from 2011!

Highland Mountain Bike Park - 2011 Season Recap from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Love is in the air.

2011-10-26T18:22:00.003-04:00

I like to think, or at least hope, that people know that Lucent isn't so one sided with just shooting commercial and sports content year round. But for those not in the know, we also shoot weddings!! A big part of my summer this year has been either attending or filming weddings. I think the total so far has topped 15 between the two!

So if you have happened to stumble upon our blog from a friend's recommendation, a link from a blog, or I ran out of Lucent business cards and gave you a wedding one....check out our separate wedding business: Lucent Weddings

And while you're here, check out a few videos!

2011 Windham World Cup - Better Late Than Never

2011-08-29T11:23:00.001-04:00

As most people know, summer is typically the busiest time of year for anyone. Summer bbq's, parties, plenty of biking, and various activities that keep everyone pinned for 3 months of the year. By the time September rolls around you feel like you'd blinked in Spring and woke up Fall. My summer was no different, except I didn't get much biking in at all. Shooting for Highland Mountain Bike Park, filming weddings, and projects for other clients has kept me busy. Not to mention I have a full time 40hr/week job to squeeze in as well!

I hadn't been to a World Cup in over a year and a half, but when I checked my calendar and realized that the Windham World Cup fell on one of my free weekends, I knew I had to be there. I had no teams to shoot for, no clients on my list that needed rider footage, so I knew that it would be somewhat of a relaxed weekend. I packed the gear and hopped in my buddies car Friday after work. After a quick stop to pick up some supplies from e.13 to deliver to the guy's running support at the event, we were on our way!

This was my first time shooting a DH race with my Canon 7D. I'll be the first to tell anyone that filming races falls low on my list of favorites, mainly because the ENTIRE time you are shooting, it's run-and-gun and 'hope for the best'. Not much time to set up shots because you rarely know who is coming (unless you're lucky to have a second shooter up the course giving you radio calls).
*sidenote* I have a curse of setting up a shot, waiting for a few minutes but no one will ride down. I'll pick up my tripod and start walking down the hill and then the likes of Minaar, Gee, or Gwin would ride by. This was the case that weekend as well*
95% of the shots in the video were done handheld, with a few steadicam shots thrown in as well. The toughest part I found was trying to keep the rider in frame but also look where I was running. At one point I was jumping from rock to rock down the hill and almost ate sh!t pretty badly, thankfully the camera was not harmed in the filming of this video!
Slomo - I know most people will critique and say "OMG TOO MUCH SLOMO!" I felt that in order to really appreciate the amazing and uncanny bike handling of a World Cup downhiller, it would require it to be slowed down. I still wanted to toss in some high speed stuff for good measure as well though! I only shot for two days and prob have another 3-4 minutes of banger footage.

Enjoy!

Summer Daze

2011-08-17T21:05:00.002-04:00

My summers are typically pretty busy, but never THIS busy!! Catching up on some updates with since the last blog post:

CLAYMORE!! Claymore was a big blast for me this year. Spent the whole week up at Claymore hanging out with the riders and trying to make the best of rain storms that mother nature decided to drop on the east coast.

When you can't ride outside, just ride inside! Highland's HTC was a huge savior for most of the riders earlier in the week as they dialed in their tricks and kept things fresh:

Once the skies cleared the riders were able to throw down on Saturday with Brandon Semenuk taking home the coveted Claymore sword!

On Sunday, Highland held the first (of hopefully many) Battle of Hellion races. 6 riders at a time racing down Highland's infamous Hellion jump trail made for some epic racing and an exciting time for all riders involved

A few weeks later I was back up Highland for the first Ayr Academy session of the year. Here is some of the action that went down during the week!

Everything but the kitchen sink

2011-06-20T08:04:00.005-04:00

I hate packing. Hate it. Mostly because I am paranoid EVERY time that I pack that I am forgetting something crucial to my trip, regardless if it's vacation, an overnight stay, or leaving for a shoot.

This week I'll be spending 7 days at Highland Mountain Bike Park for the Claymore Challenge working on my farmer's tan, enjoying countless breakfast burritos and smoothies, and not to mention seeing some friends from all over the globe. I brought my full face helmet so if I'm lucky I'll actually get some riding in too!

I recently picked up two Fstop bags in the past month, the first up is my Tilopa BC bag which is now my regular camera bag (and it ROCKS), and the newly release Guru which I'm really pumped on purchasing. I love that I now have a bag where I can just toss in my camera and a few lenses and still have room for some clothes/other gear. This isn't a review on either of these (that will come later), just want to show how much gear I would typically bring to a shoot like Claymore, and how much of it I can fit in two bags!

So first up, here's all my camera/computer related gear I'm bringing (click for larger image):

A big list of items (From top to bottom):
8' Camera crane
40" Slider Dolly
Manfrotto Tripod
Timbuk2 hip bag (it's NOT a fanny pack folks!)
Flycam Nano
18-135mm lens
50mm lens
11-16mm lens (not pictured)
Canon 7D (not pictured)
Batteries & Charger
15" Macbook Pro
4 Hard drives/cords/chargers
Bag of AA and 9V batteries
Eyecup Viewfinder
64Gb of Compact flash cards
CF card reader
Bug Net/Suntan Lotion
2 Shotgun mics & cords
Wireless Microphones
Air Blower
Gorilla Pod
Mini USB Mouse

And here's what it looks like all loaded up into two bags! I have the Medium ICU in the Tilopa BC and the Small ICU in the Guru. Fstop makes a large ICU as well which fits inside the Tilopa BC (not Guru though).

Breakdown of gear in each: The only items in the Guru are my hard drives, Macbook, and macbook related accessories. I still have the top half of the bag to fill with food/snacks/etc. EVERYTHING else (minus the camera crane)fits in the Tilopa BC. Lenses, camera, batteries, chargers....EVERYTHING. I can technically strap the tripod, slider, and steadicam to the Tilopa BC if I was using them all in the field.

Steadicam!

2011-06-08T09:15:00.004-04:00

In the world of video production, there are countless numbers of crazy/expensive tools and equipment that can give the viewer a different perspective to view the subject. In the sports industry, there has been a huge increase in the past 5 or 6 years with the number of videographers taking advantage of Dollies, cranes, and more recently with the advent of the DSLR, portable camera sliders. These are all great tools that really increase the production value of a video if used properly. I have used (and still use) ALL of the aforementioned tools, but have recently been itching to have something different to give my videos that added variety and unique perspective.

I have been researching Steadicams, stabilizers, flycams...whatever you want to call them. With many of the larger HD cameras, you would need a steadicam with a large bottom arm, hefty weights, and some arms the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger...unless you had a vest which is big $$

Now that I shoot mostly on a Canon 7D, I could now fall into the range of the smaller steadicams that could be properly balanced and operated hand-held without a vest. I usually have to do a lot of hiking to shoot, so the less weight I have to carry around, the better! I stumbled upon the Flycam Nano via the website www.cheesycam.com <---- if you are a DSLR shooter, BOOKMARK THAT SITE!

I purchased the steadicam off eBay and within a few weeks the badboy showed up! The only seller is in India as far as I know, but they will ship international. I think I paid $150 total after shipping to the US....way cheaper than a Merlin Steadicam that sells for over $600.

Here are the pros and cons of the Flycam Nano:
Pros:
- Small in size and can be taken apart for travel.
- Cheap
- Build seems to be of pretty good quality. Mostly anodized parts, and they include extra weights and random screws (always key cause I lose stuff ALL the time)

Cons:
- Weight limitation - With the 7D w/no micrphone and no batter grip, the steadicam is pretty maxed out with an 18-135mm lens. I borrowed a 14mm Canon lens and it was much better. Keep this in mind when purchasing a small steadicam. Cameras like the T2i & 60D would fly much easier since they have less weight to balance.
- Calibration/Adjustment - There are knobs to slide the top carriage back and forth and side-to-side, but the balance really has to be perfect to get it fly smoothly. In my video I didnt have time to perfectly balance the rig and it tells. The first hr and a half you buy one, you will spend balancing it, unless you buy a more expensive steadicam that has micro adjustments on it.

Overall, for the price and size, I think the Flycam Nano is a great tool to add some different shots to your videos. Just be prepared to pull your hair out balancing it (and re-balancing it OFTEN)

Check out the video from my first attempt at using the Flycam Nano at Highland Mountain Bike Park!

Highland Mountain Bike Park mega update

2011-05-18T12:32:00.002-04:00

I am SUPER stoked to be back working at Highland Mountain Bike Park in 2011 as their in-house videographer. You won't find another mountain in the country that has their level of dedication to the sport, and I can't be more proud to be a part of their team. Our biggest goal this year is to pump out more video content than we did last year (and still deliver a quality product), and we are already on track to blow that goal out of the water!

If you've been under a rock the past few months, here's what you've been missing at Highland!

April is the big ramp up of people and action at the mountain, with current trails being buffed out from a harsh winter, to new trails being cut and developed for the season. I made the trip up twice in April to get the low down on what Mark and the rest of the team were up to in preparation for the 2011 season.

Highland opened it's doors two weekends ago to the public and had a great turnout of riders and sponsors to celebrate the start of what should be a epic season

And last weekend, Highland hosted the second stop on the ProGRT series. Smutok was gracious enough to give us a little preview of what the course had to offer!

Lincoln Tool and Machine Corp

2011-04-26T14:53:00.006-04:00

The owner at Lincoln Tool and Machine Corp. contacted me a few weeks back about producing some promotional material for the c. They were referred to me by a friend in the bike industry (referrals really ARE your best friend) since Lincoln Tool used to machine a lot of the amazing backplates for the e.13 chainguide systems.
I met with the owner not really knowing what to expect as far as their machinery and what I could possibly be filming, but I was in for a huge surprise.

Owner Scott Ferrecchia gave me a tour of their entire facility, leading me last into the room that houses their INSANE automated system. I would try to explain it but video REALLY is worth a thousand words. Bob and Dave, the guys that run the system, were great in helping out with whatever I needed like removing panels, programing machining tool paths, to helping me get some AWESOME GoPro shots.

Here's a few BTS pics of how we mounted the GoPro using a suction mount for some of the POV shots!

And now the video!

Thanks again to the entire team at Lincoln Tool and Machine. You guys made this feel like play and not one bit work!

Snow my god!

2011-02-09T09:38:00.004-05:00

I love winter. I love snow. I love walking down a street right after a snowfall before the plow trucks or cars have disrupted a fresh blanket of new snow.
To say we've had a white winter in the Northeast is an understatement of epic proportions!

The winter time is usually my 'off season' for filming, but I've luckily had a few things to keep me busy during these frigid months.

First up was a shoot with the guys over at Green Wax at Crotched Mountain. It's awesome seeing more and more mountains come on board with Green Wax for all their tuning and rental waxing needs!

I've shot many outdoor events in the past, but never any in the cold of winter. I made the trip up to Bretton Woods with the Bean Snowboards crew to shoot the first stop in the Main Event series. It was definitely a learning experience as far as battery life goes! I think I went through about 5 hand warmers just to keep batteries somewhat above freezing.

Now that I've had the 7D for a solid 6 months, I finally decided to test out the slow motion 60fps shooting mode. So on a day I had 'early release' due to Old Man Winter, I decided to have some backyard fun and shoot a self-filmed video. Overly dramatic slomo FTW!

Last up is a fun little test video. My grubby fingers got themselves a GoPro in the mail so I tested out the Time lapse photo function while my fiance and I shoveled for the ten millionth time this winter!

2010 Year in Review

2010-12-30T08:19:00.003-05:00

As 2010 comes to a close, I'd just like to thank all my friends, family, and everyone I've had a chance to work with for such an awesome year! Especially my fiance for putting up with me spending literally HUNDREDS of hours planted in front of a computer screen. "Want me to get your headphones?" is a phrase I heard quite often in response to me scrubbing a timeline with the speakers blaring (if you're an editor you know what I'm talkin about!)

2010 brought me to some familiar places, but more importantly I was also able to add a few new pins to my 'where i've been in my life' map! The following are some of my highlights and favorites from 2010.

1. Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race
First up is probably one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime...so far. Not only because my fiance and I have never been to South America, but more importantly because of the emotions (good and bad) that went along with the trip. I met some amazing and genuinely nice people, saw probably the craziest race of my life, and survived one of the largest recorded earthquakes in history. I might not make it back to Valparaiso this year, but you can bet I'll do my best to visit my Chilean friends at some point again!

Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race - More Mountain Bike Videos

2. Dave Smutok Bike Check
I didn't choose this video based solely on its riding/editing value, but more because it involved Dave Smutok. Over the past few years, Dave and I have worked closely due to my involvement at Highland Mountain Bike park and we've developed an awesome friendship and filming relationship. What I love about shooting with people like Dave is that he never complains when I ask him to hike back up and ride a section a second and third time, and he appreciates the artsy fartsy video shots (I'm pretty sure Dave is a video nerd at heart). I definitely look forward to working with Dave and the rest of the crew at Highland in 2011!

Dave Smutok Bike Check - More Mountain Bike Videos

3. 2010 US Open
What I love about the US Open is that it's one of the few times during the race season that I can be guaranteed to see some of the global riders I'm met over the years. Hanging out with good friends always cancels numerous hikes down a mountain with my 60 yr old knees!

2010 US Open of Mountain Biking - More Mountain Bike Videos

I also had the pleasure of shooting for the boys at Evil again, which I am always pumped on due to the fact that Steve Smith and I are pretty much long lost best buddies. We share an affinity for The Wedding Singer and various other movie quotes so we instantly hit it off back in 2009. Luke is just as laid back and easy going as Stevie so we fell right into our groove quite effortlessly. I wish these guys the best in 2011!!

Evil Bikes - 2010 US Open - More Mountain Bike Videos

4. Hold On Loosely Tour
At the US Open, Aaron Chase approached me about shooting the Hold On Loosely Tour. I was a little apprehensive since I would be getting my motorcycle license a week before the trip started, but those fears quickly diminished the second we got on the road. I could write a whole blog post about this trip, but I'll just let the video do all the talking! Hands down my favorite road trip to date!

Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 1 - More Mountain Bike Videos

Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 2 - More Mountain Bike Videos

5. HMBP Ayer Academy
If you ask people that know me well, they'll tell you that I'm still a kid at heart despite almost being 30. That's probably why I had such a blast shooting with the Ayer Academy campers this past summer. It's really awesome seeing kids progress and increase their riding confidence in such a short time! Highland is stepping it up for the 2011 Camps and I'm REALLY excited for what we have planned video wise!!

HMBP Ayr Academy: August Camp Video - More Mountain Bike Videos

6. Highland Training Center

If you can't tell already, I spent quite a bit of time in NH this year shooting at Highland. The drive never gets easier, but the second I pull into the parking lot I always get that same feeling of excitement and urgency. Over the course of the summer, Mark and I logged footage to document the construction of the Highland Training Center. This facility will continue to play a HUGE part in the mountain's success for years to come!

Highland Mountain Bike Park's HTC - More Mountain Bike Videos

7. Bean Snowboards Build Video
This one barely squeaked in for 2010! My good friends at Bean Snowboards are hustlin' harder than ever to get boards out for this season. They recently teamed up with some local artists to lay down some amazing limited edition boards. I was on hand for a day during the build process and was able to document some of the action. It was my first real go with my DIY pocket slider, pretty pumped on how it turned out! We plan to work together on a few more things over the winter, so stay tuned!!

Bean Snow presents... "Part-A" build sesh from Bean Snowboards on Vimeo.

Thanks again to everyone's support in 2010. I am eagerly looking forward to what 2011 holds in store for Lucent! Happy Holidays and we'll see be seeing you in the new year!

A big generalization

2010-11-19T16:51:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning up in my basement office today and remembered that I still have the first MiniDV tape I ever shot mountain bike footage on, circa 2001 if my memory serves me. As you can see, I was either really lazy when it came to labeling my tapes with useful information, or I didn't think I'd be filming much 'bike stuff' so one tape was enough to hold it all.

To this day, I'm still pretty bad about labeling tapes. Compound that with the tapeless workflow of the 7D, I'll pretty much be spending all winter organizing my archive of tapes and hard drive files.

D.I.Y. - Budget Pocket Slider!

2010-10-08T12:31:00.023-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that I hate spending money on some things. I refuse to pay more than $25 for a pair of jeans, or blow a couple hundred dollars on dinner at a restaurant. But when it comes to camera gear, I usually don't bash an eyelid at dropping $300 randomly for some new toy for my cameras.

There are many low-budget sliders out there for your average prosumer/freelance videographer like myself. But when I say low-budget, I'm talking in the range of $300 for the slider rail and a carriage to hold the camera. After realizing that a handful of the companies selling budget sliders get their parts all from IGUS, I was hellbent on saving money and doing this myself!

First up, I had to source out the rail and carriage parts. IGUS has recently realized that many camera junkies want this system, and actually have a section of their site dedicated to 'camera slider' packages. It actually proved cheaper to buy it from Amazon.com instead of directly from IGUS themselves. Here's a link to the camera slider system I purchased.

Next was to find a low budget fluid video head for the slider. Thanks to my new favorite website Cheesycam I was able to pick up a decent fluid head for cheap.

The slider system and the video head showed up within a few days of each other, so then it was on to complete the build!

Here's the list of EVERYTHING that is needed to complete my version of the slider:

- Power drill
- 3/8" drill bit (another small bit as a pilot hole will be helpful too)
- Tripod QR plate
- 3 Brass Pan head Slot Screws 1/4-20 X 3/4"
- 2 1/4-20 Washers
- 1 1/4-20 Jam Nut
- 2 Rubber 1/4-20 "Well Nuts"
- 3/8" slotted pan head bolt (not 100% sure on the pitch)

First step was drilling the carriage. Here's a better look at the pan head bolt used for mounting the video head. (This bolt came with the video head I bought)

Next I mounted the Tripod quick release plate using one of the Brass Pan head slot screws, two 1/4-20 washers, and one Jam Nut.

Underside w/QR plate.

Top view of the rail. I used a Jam Nut because of its lower profile which will give clearance from the carriage.

Next was to mount the video head to the carriage system with the supplied bolt, and then slide the carriage onto the rail. Then attached the whole system to the tripod via the QR plate. Almost done!

Now since the carriage moves SUPER easily along the rail, any slight tilt of the rail will send your precious camera right off the end! To solve this, I used a "Well Nut" (found in the specialty bin at Lowes) at each end, attached by one of the brass panhead screws. It is a rubber cylinder basically, with the metal threads on the inside for the screw to thread into. I wanted something soft to cushion the carriage and I think this works PERFECT (and cheap)

And now you're done! Here's how it currently looks!

The rail system is 1000mm long, which i think works fine for dolly moves with the 7D (time will tell). Any longer of a rail and the system no longer becomes 'portable', which was my main goal. For the studio setting, a long rail and two tripods would be really nice.

Price breakdown for parts:
- IGUS Camera Slider system: $92.99 after shipping
- Video head: $80 via eBay.
- Pan Head Screws (2 packages of 2): $2.60
- Washers (package of 16): $1.18
- Well Nuts (2): $2.78
- Manfrotto QR plate: $14.99

Grand total: $194.54
Not bad considering some sites sell just the rail + carriage for upwards of $250. I bought most of the nuts/bolts in packages of 10+ so you could prob squeeze a few more dollars in savings if you bought just a few individual. But its always good to have backups!

Lucent Productions is not held liable for any injury to your person or camera from following these steps. If you poke your eye out our drop your camera off your slider, I am not responsible!

Special thanks to Brandon Turman and Spomer at VitalMTB for information provided for this project!

Hold On Loosely...but don't let go.

2010-08-05T14:46:00.002-04:00

Earlier this summer I got a call from Aaron Chase asking me if I had a motorcycle. At this point I had JUST bought my first motorcycle and had signed up for the weekend long beginner motorcycle course. I asked why, and then he filled me in on what would be my most epic mtn bike road trip I've been so far in my life. I say 'so far' because I'm hoping next year is even more crazy ridiculous.

Chase and Highland Mountain Bike Park dirt-master Dave Smutok rounded up Cameron Zink, Adam Hauck, and the cape boys Clint McMahon and Mike Kent for a 9 day road trip through New England. The only catch is that we were all going to ride motorcycles the ENTIRE trip, with a rented box truck as our 'support vehicle' carrying all the bikes and gear.

Our first leg of the trip started up with a 150+ mile rip through VT backroads to Kyle Ebbett's house, where everyone shredded his amazing backyard setup and private dirt jump line in the woods down the street. After a night of partying and letting loose at Ebbett's house, we woke up early the next day and headed straight over to Knight Ide's house, home of the IdeRide camps! We spent the first night filming/riding his personal indoor skate park, and then woke up early for an epic day in his backyard wonderland. After a LONG day of throwing down, we were back on the bikes Friday afternoon for the straight shot back to Highland.

Saturday was our first 'relaxation' day so we ripped up to Laconia to check out the infamous Bike Week festival. Thousands of bikers, beers, and beer babes. That's all I have to say about that.

The rest of our trip consisted of ripping anything and everything Highland Mountain Bike Park has to offer. I have filmed a lot of the trails and spots there but I don't think I can ever get sick of it!

Now for the videos. Chase has the vision of doing a 'Casino' style video with narration by Cam Zink himself. The premise behind the story is that Chase, Smutok, a & Zink were a group that randomly met up with the 'city boys' Hauck, Clint, and Mike. At first Chase and co. were open to them, but soon realized they were nothing but show boaters trying to steal the limelight. After a failed attempt to take em out, the city boys fool Chase into thinking it's all the beef has been squashed....or so they think.

Part 1:

Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 1 - More Mountain Bike Videos

Part 2:

Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 2 - More Mountain Bike Videos

Time Lapse

2010-06-23T09:55:00.003-04:00

Hey folks, sorry for the HUGE lapse since the last post. With a full time job, part-time job of Lucent, and owning a house I feel like I rarely have a free second to update this blog (AND not to mention work on the website).

Anyways, lets start off with oldest to newest updates!

This past February I flew down with my gfriend to Chile for a half-vacation, half-filming gig to shoot the Valparaiso Urban downhill race, as well as a local downhill race up in the Andes in La Parva. As you all know, Chile was hit with one of the largest earthquakes in history...and I was still there for it! I had an amazing/crazy time while we were in Chile (earthquake aside), we met some amazing people while we were there and I can't wait to see them again this winter!

I had planned to shoot two videos, one of the urban event, and one for the downhill, but the dh race was cancelled due to the earthquake, so I made a second video from the extra footage from the trip.

Check em out!

Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race - More Mountain Bike Videos

Chile Numero Dos: Terremoto! - More Mountain Bike Videos

While in Chile I shot a bike check with Kona Clump Team Member Graham Agassiz. If you look closely, you'll see the fingerstache tattoo he acquired one drunken night in Chile!

Graham Agassiz Bike Check - More Mountain Bike Videos

Next up on the list was the Rye Airfield Big Wheels Redux comp. A local rider tried his best to revive the ol' skool Big Wheels comp, unfortunately there was a small pro turnout (is mtb park dead?). Regardless, the boys from the cape threw down for everyone at the park and it was still a good time!

Rye Airfield Video Action - More Mountain Bike Videos

If you live in the Northeast (or on the east coast for that matter) and you haven't been to Highland Mountain Bike Park yet, GET ON IT!! I am shooting all of Highland's Promo material this year and I can't be more pumped! Mark and Smutok (and the rest of the crew) are on point to deliver yet another amazing season with many new improvements to keep every pumped and coming back again and again.

Last on the list of video updates is the good ol' US Open!! Headed down to the dirty jerz once again to cover all the action for VitalMTB.com. Even though it felt like attendance was down this year, a large pool of international riders were drawn to the event, all hungry for the tasty prize money!!

2010 US Open of Mountain Biking - More Mountain Bike Videos

I also shot once again for Evil Bikes to provide coverage of team riders Stevie Smith and Luke Strobel. Stevie is always a blast to hang out with, crackin jokes and always laid back which my job that much easier. This was my first time working with Luke Strobel but I hope it's not my last!

Evil Bikes - 2010 US Open - More Mountain Bike Videos

So what's on deck you ask?

- I returned last week from a 9 day roadtrip with a handful of pro rippers. The contents and filming of this trip are a little under wraps at this point until video is released. Keep an eye out for a release after the Claymore Challenge!!

- I'll be up at Highland Mountain all summer shooting promos and updates, and hopefully make it to a few more events this summer.

- Lucent Weddings is booking more weekends and I can't be more pumped! We have 2 weddings this fall, and currently 2 weddings for next spring. Book now or forever hold your peace!

- New threads. World Cup racer/artist/friend/goofball Micayla Gatto has been commissioned to design some new tees for Lucent. Hopefully have them in time for summer, with some hoodies for those chilly fall nights around the fire!

Thats its for now, this is probably the longest blog post I'll ever do, and hopefully keep everyone updated more frequently. I say that every time, one of these days i'll keep that promise.

Over and out!
- Justin

Lucent Weddings - book now!

2010-04-09T12:13:00.003-04:00

I've recently uploaded some additional wedding sample videos to the Lucent Productions Wedding blog. Check it out here! Lucent Weddings

Lucent is able to work with any budget you may have, feel free to contact me at justin@lucentproductions.com for any quotes and to check availability.

Go Green!

2010-01-21T09:30:00.003-05:00

About a month ago I traveled up to Putnams Ski shop in Portsmouth, NH to shoot a few quick vids for Green Wax.

First up is a quick How-To on waxing a snowboard!

Second is a quick Testimonial for the guys at Green Wax

I also picked up a Vholdr ContourHD helmet cam this past summer. I've shot a few things so far, and recently started shooting some snowboarding footage. I whipped up a quick pistol grip for a different perspective other than strapping it to the goggles.

BIG Update!

2009-12-16T14:44:00.002-05:00

First and foremost, Highland Mountain Bike Park and Lucent have partnered up for the 2010 season to bring a wide variety of video content to the riders! Feel free to read the full press release here:

Press release

Additionally, I've been 'dabbling' in the snow world with some videos as of late.
Check out a quick webisode for my friends over at Bean Snowboards!

All of Beans boards will come pre-waxed with Green Ski Wax for the 2010 season. Check out the vid I shot for Green Wax w/the bean guys!!

Other than that, just gearing up for snowboarding season and making plans for 2010!
Merry Xmas to everyone and a happy new year!

A Real update: Ryan McDermott Muay Thai video

2009-11-05T11:50:00.003-05:00

Ryan McDermott is one of my best friends that I've known since high school, and has been training as a Muay Thai fighter for the past 6+ yrs. His 'pay the bills' job is as an architect, so it's a pretty big contrast seeing him transform from dress clothes to fight gear. Ryan would be the first to admit that he used to have a temper in his college days, resulting in him punching holes in walls. The temper is gone but he's still punching things. The only difference now is that he has to watch out for that return left hook.

I visted Ryan's fight school Redline Fight Sports in Cambridge, MA last week over the course of 2 nights. Night one we shot 90% of the footage, including some dolly footage and some helmet cam footage using the ContourHD 720p camera. Worked out pretty good, I did some handheld shooting with it, and then placed it under one of the bags to get a unique perspective. Night two we shot the interview and some additional POV sparring footage using the helmet cam again. Pretty pumped on the end result, even though I always see things after the fact I wish I could do over.

Can't get enough Lucent??

2009-11-03T19:05:00.001-05:00

So if you've reached this blog via the main Lucent Productions website (which is prob indefinitely 'under construction' until winter), feel free to keep up-to-date on Lucent happenings via Facebook or Twitter.

Bromont Promo

2009-09-02T11:14:00.002-04:00

So after the Bromont event, I edited the Evil Bike Team vid, did some travel for work, worked on the house....and then finally got around to editing the rest of the Bromont footage. Gotta love 80s pop music, been wanting to use this song for a while now.

In other news, I have officially written off using Ratatat in any future videos. I'm starting to think they are the new Rise Against of bike videos. Awesome but played out. Onward and upward folks.

Evil Bikes - 2009 Bromont UCI World Cup video

2009-08-07T16:28:00.002-04:00

Made the trip up to Quebec to film all 3 Evil riders at the Bromont UCI Worldcup!

Grab a seat and some popcorn, this one's chock full of butter.

Evil Bikes:::2009 Bromont UCI World Cup from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Flippies, whippies, and spinnies.

2009-07-23T18:56:00.002-04:00

Highland Mountain Bike Park held the 2nd Annual Claymore Challenge this past weekend. After last years event, they drew an even larger list of heavy hitters from all over the globe. Everyone threw down hard as usual, with Brandon Semenuk coming out on top!

Littermag (soon to be VitalMTB.com) hired me to bust out my camera and shoot the event, and here's what came out of it!

2009 Claymore Challenge Slopestyle Video from Litter Mag on Vimeo.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

2009-07-10T19:12:00.002-04:00

I usually have a purpose for posts, but this one is completely random, so I apologize on what you may consider a poor excuse for a 'deep thought'.

It kind of just hit me that some of the people I have met, and/or know on a more intimate basis, that I consider to share and appreciate their perspectives on life & the mtb industry live in distant corners of this rock we inhabit. For a second it kinda bums me out, but at the same time I'll be even more stoked on the rare occasion we get to share a 3D experience together.

What am I tryin to say? Basically the same sh!t people say all the time. Appreciate the people you have in your life, even if they're a digital version of themselves on a washed out computer screen. For the handful of peeps I'm referring to (you may or may not know who you are), I hope our paths cross in the near future.

For now one of my baddest of rad 3D friends is coming over to hang out and grill on a warm Friday night. Hugs.

Ain't no sunshine when shes gone...

2009-06-25T08:23:00.004-04:00

I don't really remember the last time I saw the sun, I'm pretty sure it was over 2 weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure the trails have the consistency of a water logged loaf of bread.

In other news.....I have been a contributor to LitterMag for a few years now and have developed an quite pleasant "e-friend" level relationship with Shawn Spomer. (Spom's if you're read this: if we hang 2 more times in person you get bumped to "3D friend" status.)
Anyways, Littermag is probably one of THE best online media sites in the mountain bike industry. Not for some fancy flash layouts, or do-hickey forums, but for some of the most rad content on the planet. The "cream-of-the-crop" photogs like Sven and Gary Perkins are regular contributors, so I am pretty stoked to be mixed in with those guys.
The BIG news for Litter/Shawn, its that they have partnered with the Vital Media Network, founders of VitalBMX.com and VitalMX.com, to create VitalMTB.com. The crazy part is that Shawn had temporarily scaled back the site content at one point. The new site drops August 1st, and I should still be contributing to the new venture!

Pics for clicks

Both machines in action. Sad part is that my laptop has more power than the G5 tower. My girlfriend knows more about Final Cut Pro than your girlfriend. Rad.

You'll find some really cool, interesting, or just plain weird items when you buy a house formerly occupied/owned by a couple in their 70's. I found this old Kodak film canister in the basement workshop, filled with about 100+ various keys to god knows what. It now houses my loose change. File this one under the 'cool' category.

A rebuilding year....

2009-06-02T10:20:00.003-04:00

LucentProductions.com is currently down right now while I try and focus some energy on the site. I'm thinking that I want something that has a better video player embedded so that I can really showcase some of the good stuffs. If anyone is out there that has some recommendations on that sort of thing let me know! My interweb-page design is right up there with my photochop skills.

For now, just stayed linked here or on face-space/twitter/smoke signal for any updates.

Highland Mountain Bike Park.

2009-06-02T10:16:00.002-04:00

So the past week and a half consisted of filming 3 days down in NJ for the US Open, and then coming home to pound out 2 vids from that event, AND finish a pre-season Highland Mountain bike park video I shot.

Being that I wanted to get it out ASAP since its no longer 'pre-season', I tossed this together last night for the dudes at HMBP. The mountain, the owner, the crew....ALL rock. Get your arse up to Highland now!!

Highland Mountain Pre-season from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

See no Evil.

2009-05-29T16:43:00.002-04:00

I hadn't touched editing in quite some time....and I think I'm making up for it this week in a big way. I shot for the MS/Evil Bikes race team @ the US Open, ate some delicious indian food courtesy of Evil Marketing Manager Todd Seplavy, and learned how rad Steve Smith is on and off the bike. The kid likes movie quotes, cooking in his undies, and italian ice. Oh, and he loves his mom.

Evil Bikes - 2009 US Open from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Open season.

2009-05-27T15:22:00.002-04:00

Memorial day weekend can only mean one thing on the East Coast mtn bike scene. US Open.
Diablo Freeride park played host again to the US Open of Mountain Biking for another year (I honestly lost count, maybe 6th?). Some of last years masses were off at Angelfire to scoop up some UCI points, but those in attendance were in for another gem of a race.

I had teetered on the idea of not going this year due to being broke as a joke, but some last minute video work made my decision quite easy.

Rolled into town Thurs just in time to catch up with Todd Seplavy and Steve Smith and we hiked up the mountain for a course walk!

US Open Course Walk - Presented by Evil Bikes from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

In typical US Open fashion, Friday was a hot and sticky 90 degree day, followed by some showers for Sat's practice and qualifiers.

Last year's dual slalom event had been replaced with a Giant Slalom event this year. The berm ridden woods from 08 were now improved and groomed for 09, providing an amazing display of berm exploding by the likes of Lopes, Fairclough, and good ol Sam Hill (thats not a knife....this is a knife). Brendon took home the win, with Sam right in tow. According to Specialized team manager Sean Heimdel, Brendon gave Sam part of the winnings so that they can remain facebook friends.

Mother nature decided to eff with Pros on Sunday by rolling in an apocalyptic storm during Amateur finals which meant Pro Men and Women's race runs would be delayed a good hr and a half. Riders were succumed to a blind crapshoot run a course that hadnt been ridden all weekend in the slop. Most managed a folly here and there, along with some the top guys making it through most of the course only to eat a face full of mud on the open grass corners at the finish. Sammy Hill redeemed himself with a win after being eeked out by Steve Smith last year, and a flat bonanza the year before.

So enough jibbah jabbah, here's the recap video:

2009 US Open Downhill and Giant Slalom - Presented by Lucent Productions from Litter Mag on Vimeo.

Check back later in the week (most likely friday) for the Evil Bikes US Open vid.

Slow and Steady.

2009-05-07T08:54:00.006-04:00

I'm pretty bad at finishing projects. Not even just bike related projects. For example, there was a hole that needed to be patched in my living room after some new wiring jazz was installed. I think the hole was made in November, and I think the patch job finished sometime in February. Some might call it procrastination, I call it....well, procrastination.

But sometimes I get this flash of insipiration and motivation to get something done, and that fire under my arse was finally sparked last week. (partially)

I took me a week and about 3 trips to Home Depot to find all the right supplies, and only an afternoon to build.

A run down of the parts list cost:
PVC pipe: $7.50 for 2 10' sections

Hardware: $15
Angle Aluminum: $18
Wheels & bearings: $15 (I must note that this a rare price. I randomly found them at Toys R Us on some clearance rack for 70% off)
Plywood: Free.

So for under $60, I present you with the new Lucent Dolly. Still need to figure out a better way to keep the pvc peices together, but it works for now. I took it up to Highland this past sat and should hopefully have a sample video soon.

Boredom

2009-04-29T09:27:00.002-04:00

Kevin Shiramizu is someone that I group into my 'quasi friends' catagory. Nothing against Kevin, I actually wish the dude lived closer to the east coast because all of my deductions about him bring me to the conclusion that he rocks. Not a full fledged pal, but also not one of my many exclusively e-friends either. Quasi because we have met before, but I have a new rule that I am not officially your 3D friend (one of Kevin's terms) until we have hung out 3 times. So I guess our friendship terminology is 'It's Complicated'.

Regardless, Kevin's blog is one of those sites that you'll visit and end up reading through 100 posts before you realize you missed your lunch break. Sometimes bike related, sometimes a randomly awesome video, or sometimes just his brain dropping some knowledge. Oh yeah, and Kevin also takes pictures/shoots video. He's in my Rad catagory of people I know.

Check it.
http://thenewboredom.wordpress.com/

Riding is back!

2009-03-23T11:14:00.006-04:00

I made it out west last week for a work trip to San Diego, and ended up staying a few days with an NU Cycling alum!

My first ride of the season was 3 and half hr 12 mile ride through some of the most epic XC trails i've EVER ridden!

2008-11-27T11:06:00.002-05:00

Happy thanksgiving from Lucent!!

I just picked up a fluid trainer, just in time to work off all the holiday food!!

Bean Snowboards 'Behind the Scenes'

2008-11-21T08:14:00.002-05:00

The guys over at Bean Snowboards let me come down to their shop last weekend and shoot a behind the scenes look at how they press and manufacture their snowboards. I was truly impressed with the process and the finished product. I don't know many people that are hand building snowboards out of a 2-car garage....do you?

Bean Snowboards - Behind the Scenes Promo from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Lucent HQ update!

2008-11-04T11:22:00.004-05:00

So the new Lucent office has been primed and painted! I event painted an old desk that was left in the basement by the previous owners. I have a few more pieces to add and pictures to hang before the final unveiling!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T08:26:00.001-04:00

The Brickyard

2008-10-28T08:46:00.005-04:00

I haven't really had the time to ride my bike lately due to major home renovation, but this past weekend I actually made it out TWICE to ride my Imperial.
On Sunday I hit up my buddy's backyard pumptrack 'The Brickyard', rightly named due to the hundreds of bricks that were dug up during the construction. we worked on the reverse line through the middle, hit up McD's (had my first Big Mac EVER), and then shredded the berms.

The Brickyard from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Highland Claymore Challenge

2008-10-03T10:41:00.001-04:00

Better late than never!!

Here's my teaser from Highland's first slopestyle competition, the Claymore Challenge.

Spot the Lucent?

2008-09-10T15:50:00.003-04:00

Dave Trumpore is over in Europe for the last stop on the World Cup circuit. As you can see from these picture, he's apparently taking in some of the sites!!

MIA

2008-08-06T08:51:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, most of my free time has now been shifted to home ownership! Since my last post, my awesome gfriend and I have bought our first house! We closed/moved last Thursday and have been spending all our free time cleaning, painting, and even doing demolition!

My next update will hopefully be a picture of the new Lucent office after its painted and furnished! (after I paint the bathroom and bedroom)

Ft William, brotha!!

2008-06-06T04:43:00.004-04:00

Lucent has finally made it to Europa!! I am doing video coverage for Freecaster here at Ft William and its been pretty epic!

More pictures to come soon!

Noggin'

2008-04-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

Seeing as I've had WAY too many concussions, and just got a DH bike again, I decided to get a new DOT approved full face helmet.
Check it: 661 Flight

Wide Open Mag interview

2008-04-29T07:53:00.002-04:00

I've been slacking ever since Free Delivery launched...basically because my tank was on empty and I needed some time to refuel and enjoy the new found 'freedom' of not editing every night after a 9hr day at work.
The guys over at Wide Open Mag in the UK did an interview with me about a month ago for their latest web-zine and its out now for download. So put some pants on, download the .pdf mag, and give your brain a work out and read the interview on Free Delivery.

Get your download on!!

2008-04-14T16:33:00.002-04:00

PHEW!!!!

Free Delivery is not available for download! Today will feature the first 3 chapters of the DVD, with a few more chapters available each day for the rest of the week!!

Head on over to Free Delivery to download the chapters for you computer of ipod, and then head over to BNQT.com to watch the high res video!

WOOT

2008-04-11T06:44:00.003-04:00

Higland Trail Work Volunteers!

2008-04-08T11:51:00.002-04:00

Highland Mountain Bike Park, one of the sponsors of Free Delivery, is having some trail dates coming up soon!

"The snow is finally melting off Highland Mountain and that means time to buff out the trails. There has been some interest for volunteer help with trails so here are your chances; May 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th will be trail work days. Volunteers should arrive at Highland Mountain at 9am for quick overview and then head out to trails. Anyone who works a day will receive a 1day lift pass voucher. The café will not be open yet so please bring a lunch. Some other things to remember might be proper work attire, your bike and feel free to bring you own special tools. Please have waivers ready in case we ride. If trail conditions permit we will open the lift by 4:00PM.

Sign up through email with your name and work dates: jobs@highlandmountain.com"

Free Delivery Teaser!!!

2008-04-01T12:36:00.003-04:00

Here it is folks, the Free Delivery teaser!!

More info coming soon at www.freedeliverythemovie.com

Untitled from Justin Schroth on Vimeo.

Free Delivery Crashes

2008-03-28T10:22:00.004-04:00

My favorite crash montage song is from Stomping Grounds, and older snowboard movie. So good that I used it for the unofficial Free Delivery Crash clip.

For a higher quality version, click here

upgrades.

2008-03-19T10:58:00.003-04:00

I've had an old Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse for as long as I can remember, and used it to pretty much cut all of my videos for past 4+ years. So it only felt right to replace it with another Logitech set, the S 530 for Macs. Pretty happy with it so far, I finally have hot keys that work with my G5 and I can finally use the apple key properly! I couldn't bring myself to toss the old set quite yet, so it went in a junk draw for now.

All work and no play...

2008-03-18T21:25:00.004-04:00

Makes DW a f@#kin RIOT to hang out with. On race day, e.13's own Michael Tobler poses on the Mount Ste Anne downhill course to take in the scenery...so Dave decides to give him the classic bunny ears.

Crunch time.

2008-03-18T19:14:00.002-04:00

So here's a quick lil update on FD for those that actually check this out. When I get home later I will prob post an awesome screen capture of some goons that work at a chain guide company.

Finished segments (minus titling and minor tweakage):

US Open
Trumpore Brothers
Wham Bam Thank You Jam (orig edited in SD, might re-capture and edit in HD if theres time!)
Dave Smutok
Sea Otter DH
Sea Otter DS

To be finished this week
The rest of Seth Loli's/Quebec crew super-segment
Joey Appleton
Bonus Material, which will prob be combined into one or two good sections depending on music I have to use.

After that its crunch time on the full FD launch site, DVD duplication and artwork. So needless to say, theres a lot to be accomplished to still have this released in March on top of a 40 hr job outside of video editing. If its not done by March 31st.......well......beggars cant be choosers!!

A new point of view.

2008-02-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

A Viosport POV.1 helmet cam arrived on my desk this morning to be used for a shoot this weekend for a very large motorcyle company (to be named later!). Despite my limited experience/debauchery with helmet cams, I can say that this setup blows others out of the water for the following reasons:

1.) Self contained unit - all you need is the helmet cam and the cpu/recorder. No extra battery packs, or small miniDV cameras to lug in a seperate backpack. The cpu/recorder would fit nicely in an Ogio-type vest with minimal restriction/weight.
2.) Resolution options - there are different quality options that can be set (by why not always use highest?) as well as aspect ratios. Being able to record in true widescreen format is a big plus for combining it with HD widescreen footy in post production
3.) Wireless remote - typical helmet cams require a wired LANC controller to the miniDV camera. The wireless remote that comes standard with it is perfect for mounting to handlebars, etc.
4.) Memory cards - cheap and easy. Supports up to 2Gb cards, and a 1Gb card holds 43 min of footage at the highest resolution.

The only downside I see is the price. At a high ticket price of $699, it might be more than most want to spend. But you dont need to shell out money for a small miniDV camera or extra accessories like a remote or mounting hardware...so I say its worth it.

Check out some pics of what comes stock:

BNQT.com and Lucent

2008-02-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

Ryan Denehy and the guys at BNQT.com have stepped up and are assisting with the web distribution of Free Delivery. What does this mean? Higher quality versions of each segment for download, and hopefully some additional content that you won't see anywhere else! For now, check out the blog post by Ryan on FD.

Free Delivery - Sea Otter DS

2008-02-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

Dual Slalom rocks, and Sea Otter has one of the best DS courses out there.

Here are some screen captures of some footage that will be seen in the Sea Otter DS segment.

Mick Dundee slayed it and came out on top at the end of the day.

Jill Kintner gettin artsy fartsy.

CVD and Lopes battlin it out.

Cedric Gracia

FD- Update

2008-02-06T08:30:00.001-05:00

Started doing some updates to the Free Delivery Site. What you see now on the site is what I'll be building off to put together the final layout.

Editing is still going strong, I have half pretty much edited right now: The Wham Bam Jam, US Open, Trumpores, and Dave Smutok's segment are almost dialed in. Still tryin to secure some more music which is holding me back right now, so i'll deal with what I can! Still shooting for a release the first week in March, so check back for more updates!

Smutang

2008-01-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

Dave Smutok's footage is all logged, and I'm uber pumped on how it looks. I went up one weekend to Highland Mountain Bike Park to shoot some downhill footage with Dave, and of course it rained.

The light was really bad that day, but the fog made for some interesting shots. Here are a few screen captures from that day's adventures..

Seeing Double

2008-01-15T11:13:00.001-05:00

Capturing has resumed after a brief hiatus and the tally is now up to 9 tapes finished. Mount Ste Anne, Sea Otter Classic, and the Trumpore twins at Bromont are now digitized.

Here are a few screen shots of the Trumpores at Bromont thrashin some berms. I'd label Lee and Dave on these, but I can never tell them apart. Next video shoot with them, I'm making them wear name tags.

To self: get comfortable in your office chair.

2007-12-30T17:25:00.001-05:00

I've begun the tedious process of logging footage for Free Delivery.

Running Tally:

Tapes logged - 4

Tape remaining - 19+

Here are some screen captures from some of the US Open footage.

Keep checking back for more updates as the process continues.

Holidaze.

2007-12-25T12:46:00.000-05:00

Ready to Shred

2007-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am officially ready to hit the mountains. For the past 6 years, I've rocked a Burton Custom with the Mission SI Step-In Bindings. This year I decided to go cold turkey on step-ins and get a whole new setup, so I picked up a Palmer Burn 158, paired up with the Flux Stream SF bindings in the Special Edition Rising Sun (yeah, I know the rising sun is played out), and my most favorite part, the Flow 'The One - Focus' boots with the BOA system. Basically, its a steel wire lacing system where you turn a dial to tighten up the boots. These have TWO dials for ultimate dialiability (is that a word?). What could be better? Well, I ordered the OGIO Caddy board from Whiskeymilitia.com the other day and they sent me two by accident...and still only paid for one!

Google Street in Boston

2007-12-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

Boston has recently been included for locations on Google maps that can show the 'Google Street' version. Even cooler, is that my GTI was in the driveway @ my apt when they took the pictures!

Broke Status.

2007-12-06T18:22:00.001-05:00

cause I just dropped a stack of benjamins on THIS:

Final Cut Studio 2
LaCie 500Gb External
Leopard Family pack
4Gb of RAM (not pictured).

I should have some sweet HD samples in the next week or so after I get all this installed so check back soon!

Old gifts for the old man...

2007-11-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

I just turned 26 today, so I am now closer to 30 than 20. But on the bright side, my brother gave me this AWESOME 1950s Keystone Capri 8mm video camera that STILL WORKS. It even has an interchangeable telephoto/wide angle lens with f stops and everthing! If I can find some 8mm film I might try and use it!

We have lift off!

2007-11-18T18:07:00.000-05:00

Version so-and-so (I cant remember what version I'm on) of the Lucent site has LAUNCHED! Theres still a bunch more that has to be done, but click the Lucent link to your right and head on over to check out the new layout and design!

**I realize a few links are fubar'ed and there are a few spelling errors. Those will be fixed tonight. My apologies to the grammar natzis**

Just a peek

2007-11-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

I went out filming with Seth Lolli a few weekends ago for Free Delivery to get a few spots filmed. Here is a very VERY small sneek peak at some of the footage. No bangers included yet cause we plan on going back to the bank wall again....with shovels this time.

Almost there

2007-11-12T08:40:00.000-05:00

I'm actually updating the Lucent site for real. My goal is something simple that uses a composition of hand-drawn and digital images for the final product. Hopefully it turns out good because my Photoshop skills are on par with Microsoft Paint.

More wise with age.

2007-11-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

...or maybe its less wise in my case.

My wisdom teeth came out yesterday, but that didnt stop me from playing guitar hero!
My lovely girlfriend took good care of me, including strapping ice packs to my face so my hands were free to slay GH III all afternoon.

(I wouldn't click on the picture unless you want to see a close up my swollen bloody mouth)

I Heart Boston

2007-11-01T12:31:00.000-04:00

I put together a longer version of the Fox "Wherever You Ride" Video for the guys over at MtbCUT.tv

Its finally up on their website so head on over and click on the 'Location' link to view it.

Main Street

2007-10-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

If you love Canada, dope street riding on 26" wheels, and poutine (who doesnt?!)...then this is a flick you need to watch. Vincent Allard edited this mini movie for the guys at Doberman bikes and its the sweetest street riding ive seen in a while by mountain bikers. Props to the guys up in Canada, something tells me I need to go up there next year to film!

Main Street from Vincent Allard on Vimeo.

Do you read these?

2007-10-29T15:45:00.000-04:00

Cause if you do, you will be one of the first to know that I have registered the domain name for Lucent's first full feature release, entitled 'Free Delivery'.
There's absolutely nothing there now (just a place-holder for the site), but I should have some decent content up there by Friday.

Free Delivery

CHAMPS!!

2007-10-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

As you can tell from the pictures below, the Red Sox are World Champs again!!

Shuffle Mix.

2007-10-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

Just recently picked up a Red Shuffle from Apple, and I figured I give ya'll a list of some of the songs on there that you should prob have in your iTunes. To make you think I'm with it when it comes to the whole music scene, I'll only list the bands not played on TRL. Big thanks to Aaron Lutze for introducing me to foundtracks.com and further contributing to work procrastination.

The Go! Team - "Grip Like a Vice"
Blonde Redhead - "23"
Interpol - "Pace Is the Trick"
Yeasayer - "2080"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sealings"

I should probably go buy some skinny jeans, slip on Vans, and a white v-neck undershirt to complete my hipster transformation.

More Smutok

2007-10-20T15:56:00.001-04:00

I went up to Highland again to do some DH filming with Dave Smutok for his segment. Here are a few screen captures of some footage.

Bromont

2007-10-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

Last saturday I went up to Bromont to film Lee and Dave Trumpore for the DVD. The one day i forget my rain cover for my camera it decides to pour, which meant I used my jersey as a rain cover and filmed topless....and chubby.

Check out some of the footage, courtesy of youtube's crap compression.

VOD on Pinbike

2007-10-08T19:14:00.000-04:00

Pinkbike has added a VOD (Video of the Day) feature to go along with their Picture of the Day, and wouldn't ya know, the Boston Wherever You Ride vid is the VOD!!! It's amazing what internet distribution can do, over 6500 views and counting in ONE day!

Check it out AGAIN here

Oh Canada! (again)

2007-10-05T13:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight I head up to good ol' Burlington, VT to do some filming at Bromont Mountain with Dave and Lee Trumpore, both seen in the MSA video I did for Iron Horse. Weather looks good and I'm actually going to get some DH riding in this season!

Grab your glock if you see Smutok.

2007-10-04T08:47:00.000-04:00

Head on over to the FSA Gravity site and check out the spot on Smutok that I shot @ Highland Mountain Bike Park. They messed up the 16:9 Widescreen and squished it into 4:3, but you get he idea. Pretty pumped on how the segment turned out, the crane is def clutch!

Lull....

2007-10-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

Nothing new to report on the Lucent front. This upcoming weekend I will be heading up north to shoot with Dave and Lee Trumpore @ Bromont for the DVD.

(this ones for you, Lutze)
I went to The Big E in central Mass yesterday, they had the best dessert ever, the Big E Cream Puff.
SCARF!

Vegas, Baby....VEGAS!

2007-09-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

No, I will not be in Vegas for Interbike....AGAIN.

But if you happen to make it to the expo, check out the IH and FSA/Gravity booths to watch a few short clips filmed/edited by Lucent

Iron Horse @ MSA

Gravity profile of Chris Van Dine @ Sea Otter 2007

and lastly, the recently finished Gravity profile on Dave Smutok @ Highland Mountain Bike Park.

...about time.

2007-09-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

Either the mailman is really slow, or Fox put me on the back burner. I FINALLY got my Fox 40 RC2 in the mail yesterday, after being told to expect it the first week in June. I guess I can't really complain for getting a free fork from the Fox video comp.

Highland

2007-09-14T09:12:00.001-04:00

This past week I went up to Highland Mountain Bike Park in NH to film Dave Smutok for his FSA/Gravity spot. Shot a bunch of crane footage in the jump park which I think came out pretty sweet. Also shot some 'behind the scenes' b-roll for the segment since Don Hampton was in attendance with George Ryan and Adam Hauck shooting for the next Chain Reaction.
All in all it was a complete waste of a day as far as shooting. 3/4 of the day was wasted trying to get a cable line setup for Dave's new line in the woods which was a bust.

Snapped a few pics in the many hours of down time.

Hauck, George, Doug, and Damien Breach all enjoying a quick YouTube video.

Highland has their own in-house setup for cutting planks. Totally bad ass.

Step down/step up portion of Dave's new line in the woods. He has some sick plans for this area next year which will be amazing.

If you're at Interbike this year, check out Dave's spot at the FSA booth, along with my segment on Chris Van Dine @ Sea Otter.

Scout's Honor

2007-09-02T21:09:00.000-04:00

I am working on a new site design, I PROMISE! In the meantime, I was bored this afternoon and made up a new 'Under Construction' page.

Lucent Productions

Iron Horse 2008

2007-08-31T13:28:00.000-04:00

Iron has launched their 2008 site (kind of), which includes a video from Mount Ste Anne filmed and edited by yours truly!

Check it out HERE for an idea of what type of footage to expect from the full segment later in the fall!

Kiss the cook.

2007-08-30T13:06:00.001-04:00

Who's got two thumbs and a brand new Weber from his girlfriend?

THIS GUY!

(Technically, Joey Appleton's gfriend ALSO bought him the same grill. Our ladies rule btw)

Seek Your Bliss

2007-08-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

Its pretty crazy that its been 3 years now since one of the coolest riders in New England had left us. Jeremy Demers had touched many people through his life, and even though I had only spent a few dozen times hanging out and riding with him, I still felt his genuine compassion and down to earth aura that he possed. No ego, no attitude....thats how he rolled 24/7. You could be meeting him for the first time at the skatepark, but he'd treat you like you were one of his boys. But we should not be sad today, I know Jeremy would not want us to reflect on what is missing with him gone. I'm sure he would just tell us to keep doing what makes us happy, celebrate cute women everywhere, ride our bikes, and seek our bliss.

RIP JD

8.24.04

Bulldozers and backhoes

2007-08-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

As stated in my last post, I am off in Peoria, IL at one of the main Catepillar offices all week. I arrived in Chicago on Sunday only to find out my connection flight was cancelled, and that the next flight was delayed 4 hrs. So instead of sitting around HOPING I'd make the next flight on standby, I rented a car on the company dime and drove through 2.5 hours of corn:

To give you an idea of how old school industrial the town is, this is one of the main roads I first drove on once I got into town, complete with some gigantor factory pumping out ozone-loving pollutants:

Seeing as the two best parts of my trip so far were this huge statue, and the Catepillar Merchandise Store, you can assume that I am NOT having a blast:

OOTO

2007-08-18T19:46:00.000-04:00

I am once again gone for another week, but I wish I could say its vacation or bike related! I am off to the Catepillar offices in IL til next Friday to teach some of the employees how to use my company's software....so if I'm lucky i'll get a picture of a dump truck.

Van Dizzle

2007-08-14T19:47:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of filming Chris Van Dine at Sea Otter this year and put together a video for FSA. I must say that Van Dine is probably one of, if not THE, coolest and most down to earth DH pros I've gotten the priveledge of getting to know/film. In the first 5 minutes of meeting him I felt like we've been friends for years, which makes a huge difference when working with a rider.

Anyways, FSA/Gravity finally updated their site and put up the vid! (along with a few others)

Chris Van Dine: Back in the Saddle

Artsy Fartsy.

2007-08-07T08:06:00.000-04:00

I got the new camera crane out last week for the first time, and I must say that it is kinda tricky at first. In the first five minutes of using the crane, I did the following:
1.) Swung the camera into branches.
2.) Swung the camera into people.
3.) Swung the back end of the camera into my head when I was too busy watching the monitor.

After a few minor adjustments I got the hang of watching the rider, watching the monitor, and watching the position of the crane all at the same time.

Check out some of the footage!

Tobler(one)

2007-08-06T08:19:00.000-04:00

Big congrats to Michael Tobler of e.13 Components on getting married this past Sat!! I heard he's on his way to Hawaii for his honeymoon to work on his tan, lets see how that pans out.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Tobler!

This is what mtn bikers look like dressed up:

There were really Toblerones in here.

Seth and Weagle thought the flowers were edible.

Mandatory 'Rock Out' photo:

I always Wonder(ed)

2007-08-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

I just found out that Daniel Stern was the guy that did the voiceovers as 'Adult Kevin' on the Wonder Years. If you don't know the name, he played Marv in Home Alone 1& 2, and also the pitching coach in Rookie of the Year. Pretty much his two best roles ever.

It's a bird, its a plane, no.....its.....

2007-07-31T20:23:00.001-04:00

A CRANE!!

Lucent has just upped the anty with an 8' camera crane!!

Instead of buying an expensive monitoring system, I scored a HOT deal on this Zenith DVD player from Best Buy to use instead! Full 180 degree swivel screen, two headphone jacks, and pimp white. I'll be able to monitor audio and video from this bad boy, and not to mention watch DVDs in the car (while I'm not driving of course). I should be out testing it this week at two locations so check back this weekend for a sneak peak at some artsy fartsy footy!!

Duck Sauce.

2007-07-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

I hadn't checked the Red Bull RoughCuts page in a long time since the last comp ended. The internet hit a lull tonight so I randomly browsed over and discovered that the the winning edit that took the top prize was a JOKE! There were three other finalists that could have easily won the comp based on technical editing alone. Straight cuts, some minor splices, and not even one cross dissolve?! For an video editing competition winner thats pretty weak. I guess I can't blame Red Bull, Ryan Sheckler picked the winner on this one, not an actual panel of judges that know a thing or two about making movies. Lame Duck Sauce for sure. Check out the vids for yourself and let me know what you think.

Am I bitter that I wasn't a finalist this time aroun? Maybe. I guess I'll have to go watch my second place edit for the first Rough Cuts while I pout.

You've probably never heard of him...

2007-07-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

But Brian Pierce is a local rider who takes some dang sweet photos. Brian had mysteriously disappeared from the face of the internet bike forums for a few years (it seemed), only to make a triumphant return by snapping some ill photos at the Mount Snow Norba Nationals like this one of Brian Piper:

Check out some more of his photos at Squish Magazine
Brian might be at a video shoot next week w/Lucent, so I am super pumped!

MTBCUT.TV

2007-07-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

Unless you're Amish, live in a third world country, or spend your days and nights watching Golden Girls...you're hip to the fact that the internet is by far the greatest means of mass communication and distribution of information. Be it world news, celebrity gossip, and yes...even mountain biking.

This is where mtbcut.tv comes into play. Headed up by Stu Thomson out of the UK, mtbcut.tv is going to be a first of its kind. There plan is to grab footage from all over the globe from various videographer's to produce a mountain bike internet channel, providing up-to-date footage and insight into the biking community around the world. Pretty stoked on the whole concept of the website, and even MORE stoked that Lucent Productions will have a featured segment on the site, focusing on the riding scene going on in Boston. The site plans to drop in August of this year, but now, go check out the site and the teaser they have posted!

MTBCUT.TV

Keep on Cruisin'

2007-07-20T08:04:00.000-04:00

I just picked up the SWEETEST cruiser for my fabulous girl, Lori. Ever since she saw Linley Weagle's cream-cycle at the Big Top party, she has wanted one....so being the best boyfriend ever, I surprised her with super sweet orange GT Glider Deluxe beach cruiser. I can't wait to get some pictures of this bad larry in the sun!

Artist spotlight #2: TREOS

2007-07-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

Artist spotlight #2: TREOS

Boston based TREOS (The Receiving End of Sirens) are scheduled to release their sophomore album 'The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi' August 7th and I can't effin wait!
If you aren't familiar with the name, steal your dad's credit card and buy their first album "Between the Heart and the Synapse" and prepare your arm for some fist pumping. I attended high school with TREOS band member Alex Bars so I am even more pumped for the band's success. The wheels are in motion to use some TREOS tracks on upcoming projects and I can't be more excited.

Check out their links:
New Album Site
Official Band Website
MySpace

Wish you were here

2007-07-13T14:47:00.001-04:00

Poached some wireless from the timeshare to send all you all a postcard!
As you can see from the picture, I'm calling my real estate agent from my 1990 CingularOne cell phone to let him know I found a suitable new office for Lucent. BALLIN'.

OOTO

2007-07-11T07:57:00.001-04:00

I just got back from Dave Weagle's bash on the vineyard this past weekend, and now I'm leaving tonight to head down to Newport, RI til Sunday and staying at a waterfront timeshare right on one of the piers for FREE (payment for some video work I did) . I love this summer.

So while I'm gone check out the following websites to get all your biking love: Eastern Front Decline Match Littermag

Bob Uecker said it best:

2007-07-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

"The Indians win it, the Indians win it, OH MY GOD THE INDIANS WIN IT!"
The Lucent "Wherever You Ride" video that was filmed/edited for the Fox Racing Shox video contest has also won the Teva Mountain Games Daniel DeLaVergne Filmmaker's Shootout! BIG thanks to all those that came out that day for filming, and special thanks to my girl for providing me with the music track for the vid!!

Year of the Golden Pig!

2007-07-09T08:36:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Dave Weagle of e.13 components and Evil Bikes hosted the second annual Big Top party at his home on Martha's Vineyard. The beach, a pig roast, mounds of food, seemingly unlimited beverages, and a live band....one of the best parties all year!

The bike ride from the ferry to Dave's was 6 miles, but thankfully flat.

We even stopped at one of the bridges along the way to do some freestyle bridge jumping. I flipped while Joey Appleton 360'ed and Brian cannonballed. The French judge gave me a 5.4 for not pointing my toes.

That kiddie pool is for booze, not swimming!

"I am going to eat the whole thing."

Denehy and Doug were there too! Ryan is pointing at me for a rematch in beer pong since Lori and I beat him & Doug 2 out of 3 times.

The gracious hosts!! Thanks again Dave, see you on the mainland brotha!