>{therealnickjones}<

Alright, the readers of this blog know I never mix politics into the equation here, but I feel this is important. I wore my “I support Ron Paul” shirt today and had about ten people say, “Who’s Ron Paul?” I don’t blame them. Ron gets next to no coverage on mainstream TV, and it seems like even when Paul has a record setting day, like yesterday… raising 6.04 million dollars in one day alone… no one wants to talk about him. And it’s not like the guy doesn’t have a shot. Check out these straw poll resultsI could go on and on about why I support the guy, but I thought it would be easier to watch the video. Oh and if you want more, check out the website here.

Again, I’m not trying to push a political agenda here, but I think it’s important. Oh and by the way, this video was not actually made by Paul, and I kind of wish they wouldn’t have thrown in the “Don’t tase me bro” guy… oh well.

alright you know what time it is. Let’s take a look at what is so hot right now with therealnickjones. (in no particular order.)

1. Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year, and about the only time of year when choirs are considered cool. The christmas tree is up at therealnickjones headquarters, and everyone is really feeling the yuletide spirit. Which leads me to my second level of hotness.

2. Coffee-Mate Pumpkin Spice. I can actually hear my dad saying oh gross right now. But let me tell you… nothing goes with a cold winter morning like a slight taste of pumpkin spice in your cup. Give her a try, she’ll set you free.

3. Creating Short Films for the Web - By Hillman Curtis. We all know Curtis as a designer, but in this book we learn about his passion for short films, and get inside his head for a look at the process he takes. I’ve been pretty excited about it ever since I started reading a couple days ago. Really cool book.

4. Led Zeppelin. You didn’t think Zeppelin could drop a “new” album, reunite for a huge concert, and NOT get a mention here did you? The greatest rock band of all time put out their “Mothership” recently, and I couldn’t be happier. Sure I already have every song on both discs, and have heard them all 500 times. But come on man. We’re talking about Zep here. Just buy the thing already.

5. No Country For Old Men. Go watch this movie right now. Hands down my favorite of the year. I was blown away from start to finish.

Satisfied? Until next time, these 5 things are just so freaking hot right now.

ok so the time has come again to address a few questions sent to me over the last few weeks. Take ‘em or leave ‘em… here are my thoughts on a few….

Nick, thanks for the site! Quick question, what is the top thing I should focus on to really start improving? - Jason

This is kind of a toss up for me honestly… I think it depends on the kind of video work you are doing. The easy answer is lighting. EVERYONE could use some improvement on lighting. When I look at a reel this is usually what I look for first. Work at getting nice even light in your shots. Stay away from the crappy fresh out of college lighting with a huge harsh key light and gigantic shadows.

If you could suggest one book on filmmaking, what would it be? - Mike

Without a doubt it is The DV Rebel’s Guide by Stu Maschwitz. This is an incredible read by a guy that truly knows what he’s talking about. Stu is a major name in filmmaking. He works at The Orphanage which is responsible for the success of some of the most popular films and commercials out there. This book goes through the entire process of shooting, editing, color grading, post, and a million other cool things, but does it with a zero budget filmmaker in mind. Buy this book today.

What kind of enviroment do you edit in? - killerbee

My editing situation varies from project to project. Sometimes it’s a hotel room on my macbook pro, sometimes it’s here at home on my nice new imac… Here are the necessities as I see it.
1. Coffee - I don’t even think about cutting without a nice cup.
2. Music - Led Zeppelin is a favorite of mine for long edit sessions.
3. Low Lights - Just one or two lamps is all you need. Keeps your color truer on the monitor.
4. Clothing - If I’m not comfortable I can’t even think about starting an edit. I like a baseball hat and a sweatshirt.

Nick, I love your stuff. My art school prof won’t let me shoot handheld. I’ve noticed you do this a lot. I want to try, but he makes me use a tripod on everything. What should I do? - John M.

Alright, it’s time for me to pass down the best knowledge I got when learning all this. You have to learn the rules before you can break them. I actually shoot on sticks a lot more than you might realize. Shooting handheld can be really dangerous. It has the tendency to pull the viewer out of the shot. Until you really understand the right situation to go handheld, you’re better off shooting locked down anyway.

Thanks for the questions! Keep sending them and I’ll keep answering.

We once again left the rest of Lifechurch.tv wondering what exactly happens in the minds of creatives today, when we decided to show up for the team photo in these amazing Christmas Sweaters. I’m not sure what was harder… wearing these sweaters around 500 other people, or trying not laugh while taking the photos. Check out the rest of the set here.

Merry Christmas!

Wonder Bros - Cross from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

Here’s the new wonder bros. Thanks to Grant Downing for the edit. Watch for the hands on top of the cross right at the end. Definitely my favorite part….

Much thanks to Kevin Ely for this iconic realnickjones image. Now if Ron Paul will just join up with me we can get this revolution started…

Beard Update 3 from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

All the beard updates you were craving.