Tundra Caravan

 Last summer when I directed "Aladdin" in Fairbanks, Alaska, we were very lucky to have a certain middle eastern dance troupe in town choreograph a dance number for us. It added tremendously to the show. Every kid was engaged in the dance. In return for doing us a favor I shot their show at the Tanana Valley State Fair and edited a recap:

The Barista Dance!

I learned the barista dance at Deux Gros Nez, a coffee shop in Reno where I worked during the year after high school. It was my first paying job! The "Deux" as we called it is also where I learned the joy of simple things: like the difference a smile, a hello, and a coffee can make in someone's day. I took pride in learning how to make good coffee, knowing that people made a special trip to get one. I learned the meaning of cooking with love: cooking for someone the way you would want to eat it. ( Much to its regulars' chagrin, the Deux is no longer open, though you can find at least a little of its essence over at the new Laughing Planet Cafe, which Deux Chief Tim Healion now runs.) When The Thinking Cup located in Boston handed over footage of one of their baristas at work, knowing the swift and careful moves of a busy barista, I was excited to edit it into a jazzy dance.

Thinking Cup Coffee Shop from lis bartlett on Vimeo.

Speaking of Stumptown coffee, which The Thinking Cup serves, this is one of the best videos I've ever seen. Cheers to you, Trevor Fife.

Swimmer Jim

I present you with Swimmer Jim! It's a little video portrait of Reno area Masters swimmer Jim Conkey, done as a part of Project Moonshine, and last winter's 'I Like Winners' exhibition at UNR's Sheppard Gallery. The basis for the exhibition was to explore through art the ideas of winning and athleticism. Here's Jim and his thoughts.

Swimmer Jim from lis bartlett on Vimeo.

Sutro Baths Then and Now Portrait

Here's a portrait of the Sutro Baths I made for our first assignment in Sam Green's doc class last Spring at USF! Sam gave us a list of places to choose from in the city, and I chose to do a portrait of the baths (named after San Fran's 24th Mayor, Adolph Sutro) because I have always been intrigued by the eerie history of the Cliff House and it's surrounding areas.

For this assignment I was really interested in sound mixing, from sounds found online to the music included and the sounds recorded live at the Baths. Thanks for the Marcus Guenter Sky. Enjoy...

Monarch Movie

Here is a movie I made intro to video production at USF with Samara Halperin last fall. It features music by Animal Collective, Mark Mothersbaugh (from the Life Aquatic) and Colleen, various butterfly footage from youtube, and voices by Dan and Kim Bartlett. enjoy!

Sex and the City Commentary

My interest in Sex and the City stems from the fact of its intense fan base. What is it about this story that makes women and (mostly gay) men everywhere like it so much? I know, parts of it seem obvious- the glamour, the gossip, but what else? People feel positive and negative about the effects of the show on our culture. I thought the movie coming out meant a perfect time to do a little in qualitative research to try and figure out what here is making people tick.

Kindness Movie

Here is the first movie I ever made! It was done for Samara Halperin's intro to video class at USF last Fall. The assignment was to do an on camera edit, and it's my first one, so forgive the shaky camera, i-pod cord, and unfocused lens. It's supposed to be a portrait of kindness, features an experience at Burning Man, and is narrated by my friend and photographer David Calvert.
Enjoy!