HDMichael.com http://hdmichael.com Tue, 27 May 2008 07:27:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 en © michael@hdmichael.com () michael@hdmichael.com() michael@hdmichael.com No no http://hdmichael.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg HDMichael.com http://hdmichael.com 144 144 We Are All Made of Stars! http://hdmichael.com/2008/05/23/we-are-all-made-of-stars/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/05/23/we-are-all-made-of-stars/#comments Fri, 23 May 2008 16:02:36 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/05/23/we-are-all-made-of-stars/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "We Are All Made of Stars!", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/05/23/we-are-all-made-of-stars/" });]]>
We Are All Made of Stars from Michael Choi on Vimeo.
This was shot with Canon HV20 at a Festival held in Nipponbashi streets of Osaka. It was one of the best and fun experience during my travel to Japan. I been editing this for the last couple of weeks playing around in FCE with Magic Bullet plugin. Am I happy with the results? Not really… but it’s a start of learning new tools I guess. Later I’ll upload different versions and shorter clips of my favorite shots in this festival like the Harajuku Girls performing a hip hop dance which I didn’t include in this video. Enjoy.

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/05/23/we-are-all-made-of-stars/feed/ Tsukiji-Shijo http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/26/tsukiji-shijo/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/26/tsukiji-shijo/#comments Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:59:58 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/26/tsukiji-shijo/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Tsukiji-Shijo", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/26/tsukiji-shijo/" });]]>  dsc_0135-115.jpgTsukiji fish market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors (few Japanese casually visit the market).There’s a slight typo which is ‘3008′ instead of ‘2008′, I didn’t bother to change the typo because it doesn’t really change its contents anyway… (truth, it takes too long to convert them back to mp4, I don’t have the patience) I’ll be more careful next time

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/26/tsukiji-shijo/feed/ Bike messengers on crack http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/23/bike-messengers-on-crack/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/23/bike-messengers-on-crack/#comments Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:39:25 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/23/bike-messengers-on-crack/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Bike messengers on crack", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/23/bike-messengers-on-crack/" });]]> I wish I could ride the streets with such freedom and courage. I gotta get myself one of these…  

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/23/bike-messengers-on-crack/feed/ Cayman Carwash Time-Lapse http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/20/cayman-carwash-time-lapse/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/20/cayman-carwash-time-lapse/#comments Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:10:26 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/20/cayman-carwash-time-lapse/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Cayman Carwash Time-Lapse", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/20/cayman-carwash-time-lapse/" });]]> dsc_0344_tonemapped-copy.jpgI wash my car at least once a week and this time I have decided to use my DSLR and create a time-lapse movie.  At the beginning you will see me starting off with the water hose and then soaping the car, then I thought I can be more creative and tried to make the towels drying the car by itself.  Later, I decided to finish it off with myself ‘wax on, wax off’.  After putting it together using Quicktime Pro and then exported to FCE finishing it off with the title and the ending, I got frustrated because I didn’t know what type of soundtrack to add on this video.  So naturally I turned to iTunes and listened to alot of samples and remembered seeing someone else’s time lapse video with Moby soundtrack which was really cool from Vimeo.  After typing in Moby on iTunes the first song that came up the list was ‘Extreme Ways’ the film Bourne soundtrack and thought it would be funny to add this on my time-lapse movie which in my opinion was the right choice.  Overall I am very satisfied how all this came together.  Every time I edit movies and I realize how important the role of the soundtrack plays in the whole composition of the movie.  Please enjoy and I would like to hear from your perspective and tips for a beginner like me.  Thanks

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/20/cayman-carwash-time-lapse/feed/ Shibuya Jazz Revisited http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/15/shibuya-jazz-revisited/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/15/shibuya-jazz-revisited/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:33:12 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/15/shibuya-jazz-revisited/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Shibuya Jazz Revisited", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/15/shibuya-jazz-revisited/" });]]> dsc_0092.jpg This is my second version of Shibuya crossroad.   The first one was thought to be too long and boring, so I went back to Shibuya reshot and re-edited the clips.  Click the above picture and enjoy the ‘Shibuya Jazz Revisited’.  

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/15/shibuya-jazz-revisited/feed/ Back in Los Angeles http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/13/back-in-los-angeles/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/13/back-in-los-angeles/#comments Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:58:11 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/13/back-in-los-angeles/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Back in Los Angeles", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/13/back-in-los-angeles/" });]]> Yes, I am back in Los Angeles, the weather here is awsome and the sea breeze near by my house smells so good.  Stretching my legs on my own queen size bed feels so damn good comparing to switching beds almost everynight at the hostels in Japan.  I love hugging my pillows and basically I can get up any time I want without worrying about waking anyone else in the dorm, it feels damn good to be back at home again.  I don’t know when or how soon I’ll be going back to Japan but just in case I have gotten a re-entry permit with the proper working visa.  As far as this site goes, I’ll be uploading more photos and videos from Japan.  Editing is really a killer and painfull process but when it’s done the return is very sweet and grand.  Soon soon I’ll be uploading them but before I need to reorganize my life in LA first.

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/13/back-in-los-angeles/feed/ Return to My Blood http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/03/return-to-my-blood/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/03/return-to-my-blood/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:24:21 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/03/return-to-my-blood/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Return to My Blood", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/03/return-to-my-blood/" });]]> metal-safari-logo.jpg 

This video was shot last Sunday March 30th, at ACB Shinjuku, Tokyo.  I have to say I really like how to this shot came through shooting with my low resolution point & shoot camera.  During my stay in Osaka J-Hoppers, I became friends with three travelers from Poland, Monika, Ana, and Ramek.  We arrived in Tokyo around the same week and they have invited me to this concert at Shinjuku.  They were huge fans of Metal Safari and decided visit Japan just to watch their concert (and X-Japan concert).   Visiting from U. S. sick and tired of all the crappy rock bands, these guys the “Metal Safari” are absolute HEAVY & ROCKING awesome.  It’s great feeling to see what they are performing in Japan where U. S. seemed to have lost some of the originality of heavy metal rock scene. From listening to Anthrax to Metallica as to Sepultura, Metal Safari packs with an enormous punch of energy and spinning head bang, that’s really hard to beat.  Later this week I’ll be uploading more of Metal Safari performance from club Hot Shot at Shin-okubo.  If you are in Japan or plan to do so, I strongly recommend you to visit their concert, for schedule check out their site, which is located at my blogroll.

“Ina, Hiro, Yazu, Jun keep rocking! Kanbate!!!”

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/04/03/return-to-my-blood/feed/ Hanatoro “The Lantern Festival in Kyoto” http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/28/hanatoro-the-lantern-festival-in-kyoto/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/28/hanatoro-the-lantern-festival-in-kyoto/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:57:23 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/28/hanatoro-the-lantern-festival-in-kyoto/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Hanatoro “The Lantern Festival in Kyoto”", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/28/hanatoro-the-lantern-festival-in-kyoto/" });]]>  11hanatoro.jpgBeen living and traveling throughout Japan, I am really impressed with the culture & traditional they keep and celebrate special days throughout the year.   This shot was taken at nite in Kiyomizu Dera (one of my favorite temple in Japan).   There were many security guards that didn’t let any photographers to use their tripod so I had to lean on one of the fences and shot as many as 15 to 20 shots to pick out the best one.  I have to say I am really happy with this shot especially because most of my night shots didn’t come out so well.  Its already hard to shoot right at nite without relying on a tripod.  I will be uploading few more shots from Hanatoro later on this week.

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/28/hanatoro-the-lantern-festival-in-kyoto/feed/ Osaka Sumo Tournament http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/18/osaka-sumo-tournament/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/18/osaka-sumo-tournament/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:09:13 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/18/osaka-sumo-tournament/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Osaka Sumo Tournament", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/18/osaka-sumo-tournament/" });]]> sumo-stretch.jpgBetween March 9th to March 23rd, Osaka Sumo Tournament is held in Osaka Prefecture Gymnasium.  I was there on March 10th from around 2PM to 6PM to shoot some footage of my first experience in Sumo match.  An hour later after my arrival I started fell asleep and noticed that there weren’t that many people seated.  Around 4PM is when things got more excited and empty seats were filling up fast.  Later I have found that the Sumo matches begins with the beginners to more higher ranking towards the end.  If you ever decide to visit Japan and watch Sumo matches I recommend going there around 4PM and that’s when most of the seats started to get filled up fast and when the higher ranking sumo wrestlers begin there rituals.  I bought the cheapest ticket because I wanted to seat in the back to get a good range view for my videos but, I noticed many people were allowed to walk around to get a closer shots of photos and videos and surprised none of guards were stopping them.  Dosho Iri exactly translates to Ring Enter, a ritual to drive the evil sprits away.  I am not gonna try to explain the history of Sumo matches but you can check out my videos which I have just uploaded in the Movies section.  Enjoy

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]]> http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/18/osaka-sumo-tournament/feed/ Stuck in J-Hoppers http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/13/stuck-in-j-hoppers/ http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/13/stuck-in-j-hoppers/#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:31:20 +0000 http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/13/stuck-in-j-hoppers/ SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Stuck in J-Hoppers", url: "http://hdmichael.com/2008/03/13/stuck-in-j-hoppers/" });]]> six_tonemapped_tonemapped-copy-50percent.jpg  Today after all the travels taking photos and videos I have decided to take day off and try to play around with the HDR shots.  After combining five different exposures on Photomatix as I am trying to follow the ‘Stuck in customs’ tutorial,  I have found myself stuck in my hostel in Osaka and can’t figure out how to use the Photoshop CS3 to add finish touches for this shot.  But somehow after combining on Photomatix and playing around with the “Tonemapping” I ended up with this weird kind of shot which I am starting really like it.  Since I have decided take my time off from traveling around Osaka, I am just gonna sit here and learn how to use the CS3 to finalize other HDR shots.  Click on Gallery and click on view slide show to see it in lager format with other five original shots before I combined them.

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