VIDEOTHATROCKS

Army of Freshmen – “Body Parts” Shoot

Benjamin — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:27:48 +0000

I had the pleasure of shooting some behind the scenes photos for AOF as they shoot the video for their latest single, “Body Parts”…

btw – check out the video below…it’s a riot, and it was done by COLLEGE KIDS! Incredible…

Starpool & Suburban Legends

Benjamin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:35:23 +0000

I couldn’t be happier to see the guys from Starpool go from playing local shows in a bar to selling out the House of Blues in Anaheim…phenomenal show, but if you were there you don’t need me to tell you that…

and don’t forget about our friend T-Bone Willie – Island Style…good thing he had the coconut bra, some people might have been offended without it…

Yellowcard and He is We

Benjamin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:12:12 +0000

There are two things that are universally true with Yellowcard: 1) LP (their drummer) has more than 2 arms and 2) paper walls is the defining album…

Starpool and Nastalja

Benjamin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:01:27 +0000

Another rowdy night ad DiPiazzas in Long Beach…

Zebrahead and Lit

Benjamin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:57:43 +0000

Clearly I’ve been busy, because these photos were shot over two months ago :/…anyway, this was a fun one, really small crowd for a MFZB/Lit show, but thats what you get when promoters don’t do their job…lets hope for a hometown show, maybe?

Reel Big Fish (and ska-friends)

Benjamin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:01:39 +0000

This was at the homegrown show @ the grove in anaheim, the finale show (I guess they do a series of local bands)…the friends include suburban legends, starpool, and chase long beach…

Bosstones, Cobra Skulls, Chase Long Beach

Benjamin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:36:12 +0000

Great to see the Boston boys play another fun set…plus a surprise appearance by Jimmy Kimmel (not really a surprise, he was hanging out by the bar with his bass clarinet the entire set)…and very cool to see Karen playing with CLB, don’t know if it’s a permanent thing or not, but I’m sure we’ll find out sooner than later…

and there’s a bitchin video I shot with my iphone below…for some reason fbook (or wordpress) won’t let me embed it…can someone help me out with that please?

http://www.facebook.com/v/644854434867

Warped Tour 2010!!!

Benjamin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:36:13 +0000

Pretty good lineup this year, including Motion City Soundtrack, Bouncing Souls, Andrew WK, We The Kings, Sum 41, and a ton more…and even though it was overcast the entire day I still got sunburned…damn you UVA rays!!

Big D and the Kids Table

Benjamin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:30:14 +0000

Alkaline Trio and Cursive

Benjamin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:12:59 +0000

New Found Glory, Saves The Day, and HelloGoodbye

Benjamin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:44:09 +0000

Check out Super Ian below

Starpool

Benjamin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:55:21 +0000

Suburban Legends & The Aquabats!!

Benjamin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:52:11 +0000

Less Than Jake

Benjamin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:29:08 +0000

Warped Tour 09 – Carson

Benjamin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:18:49 +0000

Reel Big Fish and The English Beat

Benjamin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:40:25 +0000

Twist and Crawl? Btw got to see rbf play 241 for the first time….nice…

BossToneS (Mighty Mighty)…

Benjamin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:24:33 +0000

go ben go!

Suburban Legends Disneyland :)

Benjamin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:21:26 +0000

In the TLT Danceclub…nighttastic…

Warped Tour 09 – Ventura

Benjamin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:17:26 +0000

Thank you warped tour for another fun show (despite getting pelted with a full bottle of water during the ltj set)…I’ll miss you lots…

The Blue Van

Benjamin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:54:37 +0000

Bayside, Less Than Jake, Army of Freshmen…

Benjamin — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:45:31 +0000

Hey Everyone, I’ve been a little busy with dustbusting some movies at work, but I finally have a free minute to report on a few shows I’ve been to…check out the photos, let me know what you think…peace out!

Chris Casella and Rebuilding America

Benjamin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:23:17 +0000

Hey Everyone,
I very rarely post up stuff about other photographers, but when I found out about Chris Casella and his music photos, I found a new bar to aspire to. If you ever want to see how concert photos are supposed to look, take a peek at http://www.chriscasella.com/

Anyway I tell you that to tell you this…Chris has entered a photograpy contest where you give them your perfect assignment, everyone votes, and the one with the most votes wins…I saw some of the other entries, and I think Chris’s is one of the best and needs to get a higher rank…I could only imagine the photos he would shoot on this assignment…

So go to the link and vote, it takes 2 minutes and it will make a world of difference to us (besides, he’d vote for you if you entered)

http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/ChrisCasella/rebuilding-america/

Thanks a ton guys!

Chelsea Girls

Benjamin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:02:48 +0000

I’ve never been a fan of cover bands, but there have been two such cover bands that have surprised me in the past. One is Powerserge, whom I caught at a Suburban Legends show. The other were these girls. A side project of Allison from The Donnas (and the reason my interest was piqued), they’re a hard-nosed babe quintet who not only rocked hard, put actually put on a show that was fun to watch. Throw in their special guests (including one of the guys from Ratt…I’m not a fan so if anyone could let me know who he is I’d appreciate it) and it made for a fun night…check the photos yo!

btw – Allison’s lips were not retouched…they are hardcore pink in real life…

btbtw – johnny bonham if you are reading this email me I have the funniest picture of you

Taste of Chaos 2009 and Aperture

Benjamin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:44:16 +0000

Thanks to my good friends at Warped Tour, Earshot Media, and the lovely fellows of Four Year Strong, I got the chance to cover the Taste of Chaos in hollywood…as far as the bands were concerned, I went in as a FYS fan and found them to be my personal favorite…I also enjoyed Thursday as their sound was just a little bit easier on my ears than the other acts…all in all a good time was had by me all …check out the photos, let me know what you think…

Side Note – this is the first show I’ve processed the photos from using Apple Aperture and I HIGHLY reccomend using it…I used to copy my photos to a hard drive, open in bridge, label in bridge, open each individually in PS, adjust and save, apply watermarks with an action, and export to web with an action…now I do all the above right in Aperture, plus include my photo metadata automatically and export to facebook and flickr (when appropriate)…five stars from me, ballin!!

Streetlight Manifesto (and the story of “Tomas and a thousand shoes”)

Benjamin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:01:15 +0000

Ok funny story…accompanied by photos…I was shooting photos with my friend Amanda when suddenly I heard Tomas, the lead singer from Streetlight Manifesto, challenge the audience to hit him with a shoe…then it began, a berage of shoes left and right, littering the stage, and none coming particularly close to Mr. Kalnoky…and then, one lone “shoeman” aimed and fired and, well, look at the photos below:

What an amazing shot…where was this ska kid when bush was giving his speech in the middle east? Anyway, click on one of the above photos for hi res versions of all the photos (over 150 total) from Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish…

(btw hi res of the shoe hit are on the bottom of pg3/top of pg4)

Streetlight Manifesto Custom Picks

Benjamin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:18:55 +0000

For a band with as much of a draw as Streetlight brings, they are one of the few bands that still doesn’t use a custom pick design…I love picks for the sake of it being a free (yet hard to get) promo item from a band, and I had a few free minutes at work, so I whipped up these two designs…who knows, I might print them myself and throw them onto the stage …

pick 1 front

pick 1 back

pick 2 front

pick 2 back

Hooray for Photos! Suburban Legends, The Aquabats, and Yo Gabba Gabba…

Benjamin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:15:47 +0000

Got an invite from Vince to come and shoot this show and found one of the weirdest crowds I’ve ever seen. I’m not used to seeing a lot of young children at rock concerts (due to their aggressive nature usually), but this show was different. The sheer number of young audience members just goes to show the effectiveness of a “The Monkey’s”-like hybrid approach of The Aquabats, DJ Lance Rock, and (just recently) Suburban Legends, using alternative media, like scripted television shows, to connect with new fans. This technique isn’t new, but it is certainly being reinvented and (just for sake of conversation) it’s important to mention that, unlike bands like The Monkeys, all three of the bands playing started first as a band and then moved to a new media form, rather than being invented by a media conglomerate (Miley Cyrus, we’re SO looking at you)…I support it 100%, and the fact that the shows are fun just makes the whole package that much more enjoyable…

Hypernova

Benjamin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:59:09 +0000

I normally don’t cover indie bands at all, but when the story about Hypernova popped into my inbox, I felt it would be prudent to at least give them a look…here’s the story: a bunch of guys, all originally from Iran, started a band in Iran and played at various clubs in Iran. The only problem is western music of any kind is illegal…gives new meaning to the term underground clubs. Anyway, they eventually got through to the American media and were granted visas to the US, and now play and tour in the United States (where you can do almost anything on a stage, search “Goldfinger” and “twinkie”)…they’re a pretty solid rock group and, although not as energetic as some of the other acts I’ve covered, very well rounded and fun to see live…

Barcelona

Benjamin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:32:38 +0000

I got a chance to check these guys out at the Roxy on sunset…I really didn’t want to go because: a) I was leavin to go home the next day and b) I had the worst head/nasal congestion ever…I saw the doctor earlier that day and was very heavily medicated…but I’m glad I did, it was a big crowd at a little venue and it was a very mellow, chill rock show, which is quite different from what we normally cover…check out the photos, and if you see their merch girl, show her the first one, k?

Bayside

Benjamin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:18:07 +0000

Courtesy of the guys at Reybee, I was able to finally catch these guys live and I finally get why they call them a cult…a long show tho, I have to admit, I haven’t been to a rock concert in a long time where there were four opening bands. But, it was still quite worth it, and I know it will make at least one of my friends jealous that I got to shoot these guys …

MC Lars!

Benjamin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:54:01 +0000

There’s actually a funny story behind this dude here…I saw Bowling for Soup play a show in Chicago a few years ago and MC Lars opened the show. All I can say is, well, he sucked. I even thought he was british for the longest time. The guys from AOF tried to convince me to see him again and give him another shot, so I figured I would one day.

Flash forward to about 3 months ago, going to see The Aquabats at a show in San Diego. I walk in and there’s a guy on stage, in an Aquabat uniform. I’m thinking “Oh Shit, I missed part of the bats!”, but alas, the other guys in the band (he had a baaand, huge plus!) had MC Lars shirts on, so I put 2 and 2 together…He’s a whole lot better now and I can say I’m a believer, it only took one show to turn me around…

BTW – Did you know Hot Topic was NOT Punk Rock? I’m glad someone is finally saying it…

Enjoy the photos, and a few shots of the Suburban Legends too…

The Donnas

Benjamin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:37:56 +0000

I had the extraordinary pleasure of driving 4 hours to the middle of the desert to shoot video of The Donnas playing live at Desert Moon 2, a show they throw for their fan club at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace…it’s a rockin little gin joint that fills with people for this super exclusive set. If you get a chance to go and experience this, it is so worth the trip, I promise.

but, I digress…

A few nights ago I caught them at the Hard Rock Cafe for a Breast Cancer benefit show, and snapped a few rockin pics of the girls…check em out, enjoy!

btw – there are also a few pics of the All American Rejects in there too…

Streetlight Manifesto

Benjamin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:22:51 +0000

This was a show that kind of reminded me of the shows I used to go see back in chicago…hot, small, sweaty clubs filled with kids kicking each other in the face…ahh good times. I’m not going to wax poetic about how much I love Streetlight, because there just isn’t enough time in the day. All I can say is their horn section is like a UFC fighter: not to be fucked with…real powerful stuff, be sure to catch their latest project “99 Songs of Revolution,” as they attempt to cover 99 songs on one (I’m assuming) collection of cd’s…

BTW – The AKA’s and Fear Nuttin Band both played and there are photos of them below also

Four Year Strong

Benjamin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:46:53 +0000

Very rarely do I meet a guy who I truly idolize, but this was the case when I went to vegas to shoot Four Year Strong and met Evan, the fearless tour manager for the band…he too is an amatuer photographer, and you can catch some of his work here… there are also some photos in here for some other bands, so I’ll let you dig through and see them, but as for Four Year Strong, I’ll give my world famous “one sentance” concert review: “Four Year Strong’s odd rythms make their cd a bit hard to listen to, but their live show has as much energy and catchiness, if not more, than A New Found Glory; and if you’ve ever seen NFG live, you know that’s a big statement to make”…there I said it, so go see these guys live, even if you question their recorded stuff; you’ll have a blast and walk away with a very different impression of the band…enjoy the photos (the ones that turned out, anyway)

Flogging Molly

Benjamin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:17:10 +0000

I saw these guys by accident a few years ago and I absolutly fell in love…so much fun, and so much Guiness! Enjoy!

BTW – This post also includes photos of Beat Union and The Loved Ones…

Plunket

Benjamin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:12:24 +0000

I was in Chicago very briefly due to homesickness, and I just happened to catch my buddies in a show…enjoy the photos, and who knows, there might be another video in the works …

IAMX

Benjamin — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:54:00 +0000

I got a photo pass for IAMX and I can only desribe them as Panic at the Disco, before “Pretty Odd” (watch that weird circus video for the vibe I’m taling about), on LSD…super great, awesome show visuals, enjoy the pics

There for Tomorrow

Benjamin — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:15:57 +0000

The guys from Reybee asked me to shoot some photos of There for Tomorrow, and I thought they were absolutly great. I’m not into emo, but their songs are extremly catchy and they brought a cool vibe to the crowd…check out the pics below, enjoy!

Scott Murphy – Guilty Pleasures 2

Benjamin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:30:25 +0000

Back in the day (circa April 2008), I worked on a cd cover for a friend of mine, Scott Murphy (ex Allister)…the files went to Japan, and I didn’t hear anything back for months…then, I got a pakage in the mail with the CD! Totally kickass…I shot the photos for this thing, so enjoy the below …

It’s not my photo, but…

Benjamin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:05:59 +0000

A good friend of mine Amanda Stevens entered a kickass photo into a contest for billboard…check it out and vote, she promised to take me out to dinner if she wins …

Click the photo for the link…

Warped Tour – Another Year, Another story about rock, sweat, and band merch…

Benjamin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:46:43 +0000

Living in LA is great for a lot of reasons. The biggest one for me is that I can see the Vans Warped Tour not once, not twice, but three times in one summer (four if I go to San Fran, but that’s too far of a drive for me)…thanks to my friends at the tour, I was able to catch and shoot photos at the first day in Pomona and the last day in Carson. Some of the highlights are below, and the photos are WAY below (btw my photos are coming out washed out when I put them through PS Web Gallery Automator…can anyone help me with that? Thanks!)

Pomona:

-Street Dogs…saw them with MMB and was absolutly floored again…caught their set late yet still snapped some incredible shots of their lead singer Mike McColgan

-Gym Class Heroes…yet another band I would have never been a fan of unless I saw them in concert…I’m so glad they played early or I would have never caught their set…def will try to photo them again…

-LTJ Merch Booth – and they weren’t even playing…a wee bit of trickery if you ask me…I still bought something…

-Relient K…long time fan, missed them @ Warped in 08 and glad I caught them again…got a guitar pick but lost it …super great live, can someone explain what mat’s 2nd microphone is for?

-Reel Big Fish – you know what I’m gonna say if you know me…freakin sweet…just wish the photos had turned out better…

Carson:

-Canon 40D…More of my pictures turned out, filled up an 8gb and a 4gb card, even as I was pruning bad pics during the day…

-Ludo…Met their manager @ a LTJ show and made it a point to catch their act…saw them in the press area, and was the only photog for their set…glad I didn’t missed it, they were full of enegy and made good use of that thing called a Moog we all know and love so much (I’m looking at you AOF)…

-Motion City Soundtrack…One of the first bands I ever shot live, and still one of the most awesome live acts to date…so much energy, no one can compare to their live act (plus their albums are pretty amazing)…see them live if you can…

-Kevin Lyman…riding his sick wheels…the man knows how to throw one hell of a show…

-All Time Low…the first band I became a fan of not from their show or record, but from their video…Dear Maria is a fun, stylized contempo piece that is super glitter and glam, and has a stripper…what more do you want?

-Black President…with Charlie from Goldfinger, yet a very different sound than Goldfinger, and for good reason too…still kicking ass (I love them for the same reasons I love the street dogs)

-Katy Perry…surprised at how good she actually is live…was expected some watered down, Hannah Montana-esque bullshit, but got the complete opposite…really attractive in person, has pipes like no one I know, and isn’t involved with the disney pop idol factory…I just hope she can crank out a few more hits and not get labeled a one hit wonder…

Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, Big D and the Kids Table, and the Suburban Legends (and the longest blog post title….ever!)…Day 2

Benjamin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:32:25 +0000

Same as below…this is actually from the first day, but I felt like doing things in a different way (story of my life)…link is below, enjoy!

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS!

Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, Big D and the Kids Table, and the Suburban Legends (and the longest blog post title….ever!)…Day 1

Benjamin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:12:39 +0000

Well I can finally die happy…I got to shoot photos for not one, not two, but FOUR of my favorite bands…as everyone who knows me knows, I’ve been wanting to shoot photos of Less Than Jake since forever and, thanks to their super kickass management (thanks Rey and Gary), it finally happened…

then, my camera broke

no joke…nothing metered correctly…I was looking through my over 800 photos from just this show (more to come soon) and these are the only ones that turned out. So, with that said, I am upgrading to a 40D and (hoping) I will get a second chance next time…hopefully you guys enjoy these, the shows were the usual LTJ/Goldinfer awesome and, like always, there was lots of confetti…

so, enjoy the pics and stay tuned for another whole set coming soon (putting them up has been difficult with my full time job, haha)

Breakdance City!!

Benjamin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:46:36 +0000

I seriously love the guys from 3L…they did a spot with a bunch of breakdancers and had a ton of this extra footage of everyone dancing that didn’t make the final. So, I naturally took all the footage and kicked it into a short “AndOne” style mixtape…enjoy!

The Get Go – “Face Down in the Dirt” Video

Benjamin — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:55:38 +0000

Now this is an exciting one!! Just finished the debut video for the band The Get Go from Chicago, IL…flew in from Cali for a week to shoot and edit this guy, and it is being debuted on MTV in Japan! Super awesome! Check it out, and check the you tube page for all the appropriate credits!

btw-I have to say thanks to my mom and dad, for going and getting the equipment, getting me from the airport when the plane was delayed 4 hours and arrived @ 1:45am, staying up @ the shoot till midnight the next day, covering part of my friends speeding ticket as the car caravan drove home from the shoot, not getting home until 4am, and returning equipment at 7am the next morning so I could sleep…

speaking of the get go, remember this video I shot?

Tunnel Post

Benjamin — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:48:55 +0000

It comes with great joy to say that I have been accepted to be a designer/editor/generalist at Tunnel Post, a up and coming Santa Monica production house. I love their work, I love their new office, and I can’t wait to really sink my teeth into this job and pump out some incredible work. Stay tuned for more!

www.tunnelpost.com

btw I got this job through my girlfriend kate…thanks babe

Good Time Max…not quite…

Benjamin — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:46:17 +0000

Hey everyone,

After a long absence I figure I’d just let you guys know that I have been busy finishing school, which is code for doing non-design, non-animation crap and being bored out of my mind…but now I’m done, which means I can finally put my mind to the things I enjoy: editing, designing, animating, fixing computers, and riding roller coasters.

I also have a new little nugget to share. This piece has an elaborate story of deceit behind it. Unfortunately, the story is so boring that it isn’t even worth telling. The only way I can sum it up is I was contracted by a guy (not to be named) to do a poster for a movie called “good time max”. I worked on it, constantly getting creative feedback and being promised a check afterwards (which I didn’t care, I liked the guy and hoped to work more with him and his colleagues). Unfortunately, a horrible rumor about him had been spread and he then proceeded to blame me for spreading it, without any thought to the source, nor without asking me for my own personal feedback and “my side of the story”. I was crushed that a “professional” (his professionalism in question to me, hence the quotes) I looked up to wouldn’t even give me an open ear, much less a chance to tell my side of the story. Needless to say we aren’t speaking and I haven’t been paid a dime for my work.

Bottom line: don’t do work till the check clears…I’m sorry you guys had to hear about it, and I wish it weren’t true, but it is…sorry it is watermarked, the watermarks will be lifted when payment is made in full…

As far as the movie, it’s been done before…if you wanna see good franco work, just wait for pineapple express to be released, or go buy freaks and geeks on dvd…

I’m also sorry if I sound like I’ve been ranting, this is the only way I feel I can fight back against the lies…if wrongs are righted and apologies are made (which I hope they are) I will make sure to make a note about them here…it’s the professional thing to do…

Thank God for the FloBee (studio day 2)

Benjamin — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:17:26 +0000

Day 2 has passed and not a single eruption or feud…seems like all is on track…just cranked out a video update, and the intro isn’t DK or 3L, but I figure it’s not bad for 2 hours of work (including render times)…check it out below (click on Mike’s shaven face for a few more photos)

AOF in the Studio (day one)

Benjamin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 08:11:36 +0000

This has been my first time seeing a band record a record and, although fun, I’ve learned a lot more about the Army of Freshmen than I’d ever want to know. I got farted on by Chris Jay, laughed at by Millie, and shown some penis cartoon pilot drawings by, well, all the other guys…good thing the gay bar next door to the studio is there, you know, to help these guys “release the tension.” More pics to come soon…

The Aquabats!! (have very loyal fans)

Benjamin — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:55:59 +0000

Going to see The Aquabats!, for me, was a lot like going to see Blue Man Group for the first time: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I was really, really impressed with the show, and I would recommend seeing them play live for the experience of it all (even if you don’t care for the music). Their fans are very interactive with the band, dressing up for the show and really becoming a sixth member of the band. I usually don’t take a lot of shots of the crowd, but this was an exception. If you’re in one of the shots, lemme know with a comment below…

By the way, if it seems like there are a lot more pics of MC Bat Commander than the other guys, its probably because he was the only one with a spotlight on his face…thats all…

An Extra Leg to Stand On…

Benjamin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:32:44 +0000

I mentioned this to a few people but I just secured and internship @ Three Legged Legs in Santa Monica…three words can sum it up: absolutely freakin awesome…cool shop, cool people, amazing work…their logo is below, click it and check out some of their stuff.

AquaPenguins!!!

Benjamin — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:53:43 +0000

I saw The Aquabats! for the first time last night and I can easily say it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. It combined ska, rock, superheroes, and evil tortillas…what more could you want right? Well I decided to try and catch their energy in a little merch design…so hopefully they’ll see it and, one day, save the world from the evil monsters…

By the way, pictures from that show will be up very very soon, I swear!!!

Memories of AOF from Las Vegas…

Benjamin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:18:43 +0000

Went so see Bowling for Soup in Las Vegas…then the Army of Freshmen came on, maced BFS, and took over their instruments. Check it out

Lucky Boys Confusion (is another thing I’ll miss about Chicago)

Benjamin — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:34:24 +0000

This may be the last Lucky Boys Confusion show I may ever see as the band doesn’t tour as much as they used to. Not to the west, anyway. I knew if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t see them again, so I sucked in my vomit and went, and I’m glad I did. It’s always fun going to see a band everyone is as psyched as you to see, and they played a few oldies I haven’t heard since ’04. Thanks Cody for takin’ care of the pass crisis.

Mustard Plug (awesome band, bad lighting)

Benjamin — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:02:13 +0000

I absolutely loved the MP show a few nights ago. Sure, I had a stomach flu the next day. Sure, only 30 of the 750 photos I took turned out. Sure, there were at least 100 photos that I looked at and said, “This would have kicked ass if only it was in focus/brighter/not blurred.” But still, it was a wicked-fun time.

My apologies…

Benjamin — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:57:39 +0000

This is supposed to be “Video That Rocks”…yet, the last month or so, there hasn’t been a whole lot of video work to show for. I apologize, and promise I will fix this lack of video problem soon. Hopefully. When I move out to LA I’ll shoot more stuff. Keep your fingers crossed.

Digital Distortion

Benjamin — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:55:14 +0000

As many of you may not know, the Plunk boys are gonna be on tour for the better part of 3 months and needed some new merchandise. So they called me. Sure, I’m doing it for free. Why? Because I love them. And I know when they blow up I’ll be the first one to ride on their yacht. Ahoy Captain!

Plunket (is very, very, very green)

Benjamin — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:01:50 +0000

Saw the Plunk boys play a show and pulled out the camera to shoot a few pictures. Ok I shot about 450 pictures. These are some of the best, click the thumbs below to see the whole collection.

Tom Skilling Award for Obscure Weather Graphic Design Excellence

Benjamin — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:47:05 +0000

Just kidding, didn’t actually win it (wish I had), but I did get a scholarship from the guy a while back…just looked for pictures and they’re finally up…btw if you don’t know who tom Skilling is, lets just say he knows the precise temperature of where you are right now and the windspeed (in knots, of course)…

Oh, by the way, the old people in the second photo are my parents…and don’t tell them I called them old people …

Ker-PLUNKET!

Benjamin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:18:06 +0000

I whipped this up today and, well, I think it speaks for itself…I need to learn to draw…btw thanks Mr. Budzak for being my “hand” model…

The D!al – “VIP” Video

Benjamin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:38:09 +0000

When I got a call from Z&R to do a metal video, I was kind of reluctant to do it at all…it’s a pretty widely known fact I do not like metal music…but, after seeing the dailies I said “Meh, why not?” So, about 70 some hours later of editing and processing goodness, it’s finally complete…it’s intense, it’s fast paced, it looks like it got caught in the film projector and ripped out in an effort to save the film from burning, and I wouldn’t have it any other way…enjoy!

Plunket Hoodie

Benjamin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:09:26 +0000

This was a quick one…the Plunk boys needed a new design in a hurry and, well, it says “we’re dangerous, but we like to party…” It’s a bit more “cut and paste” than I’d like, but sometimes you gotta just get it done…enjoy!

Motion City Soundtrack (just keeps getting better and better)

Benjamin — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:36:31 +0000

I don’t know why, but most bands that play on Conan O’Brien have a very mediocre show and, well, they usually just glare by, forgettable the next morning. That was until Motion City Soundtrack played. I actually saved the performance on my tivo for a year and a half, it had that big of an effect on me. They’re latest live show is absolutely spectacular, where they showcased some of the new songs, as well as a few really old ones (I think they played Throw Down). Also, unlike previous MCS shows, the production values have been ramped up quite a bit, a sign that the band is only becoming more and more successful. I liked them back when they played at the crappy little clubs, and I love them now on the big stages. Totally worth a check if they’re in your town.

If Chuck Anderson was my brother, I would finally be cool…

Benjamin — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:59:57 +0000

There’s some of us who go to school, work our asses off, study, read, and we still suck. Then there’s Chuck Anderson. He’s my age, never went to college, and does work that makes me look like I’ve been wasting my time. Which is why I wish I was his sibling, cuz then maybe some of his amazingness would rub off on me. Hopefully. Look below, you’ll see what I mean…so simple, so beautiful…

See what I mean? Don’t you wish he was your older brother too? Check out his site @ www.nopattern.com and be inspired like I am…

This got a C- in my Psychology of Creativity Class…

Benjamin — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:19:27 +0000

I did it in a day, and I feel it’s worth at least a B, possibly a B+…still not bad for about 3 hours of work…

Leaving on a jetplane…

Benjamin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:37:41 +0000

Just wanted to let you know that our operations are moving to Southern California as of the end of January 2008. With that said, when we move, expect a lot more videos and pictures up on here detailing the punk rock scene in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. We’ll definitely miss The Metro, one of our favorite spots to shoot, as well as the local Chicago scene we know and love so dearly. With that said, we’re gonna cover a few more shows in Chicago and then hop a plane out of here! Peace out!

Emmys and other News

Benjamin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:11:43 +0000

Well, its been a little bit since I had news for ya, so here is the latest:

-Went to the Chicago Emmy’s last Sunday night and it’s a riot. Jeff Garlin hosted and hit on the sign language interpreter girl..had her say the word “balls” at least 10 times. Awesome. Also met Tom Skilling…and yes, he is just as happy and friendly on TV as he is in real life. Same with Larry Yellin and Lilia Chacon (who drives the same sports car as my dad, but hers is in yellow). Isn’t it great to meet television personalities Plus he gave me a scholarship…he’s a nice guy. Also met Anna Davlantes. She has awesome abs. I think I’m in love. Photos coming soon, I swear…

-Got accepted to Semester in LA for the Spring. And I’m gonna live with an aunt and uncle in Los Angeles. Its almost like skydiving for the first time. I’m so excited and scared at the same time. Also, mucho love to Three Legged Legs in Santa Monica, asked them about being an intern/doin some work and they said “sure, just brush up on the wii chops.” Better get one for Christmas. Better hope they don’t have Guitar Hero 3.

I <3 Threadless (and Guitar Heroes)…

Benjamin — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:41:49 +0000

I LOOOOVE Threadless.com…awesome designs, and they have a store in Chicago (one thing I’ll miss about the city when I leave)…well, I decided to give it a whirl, do a design and see if I can get it printed…

EDIT – Here’s my submitted design…you like?

let me know what you think here

Lucy Boys Convention

Benjamin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:02:11 +0000

I went to see Lucky Boys play with Reel Big Fish 2 days ago and, well, it was awesome. No joke. Really looking forward to the Christmas shows. Here’s a shirt I worked on for them, keep your fingers crossed they never stop playing show…

GetGo Hoodie Design

Benjamin — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:45:23 +0000

As I was creating this, I’ve received two questions about this design: 1) When will it be available? and 2) Where can I get one?…well, if you’d like one, lemme know and I’ll get one for ya. Enjoy!

Army of Freshmen (and Bowling for Soup)

Benjamin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:25:11 +0000

Since I’m posting old stuff I’ve edited and shot and worked on, I think it’s only fitting I throw a little video from last summer’s Get Happy Tour up here too…

Warped Tour Sponsor Video

Benjamin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:07:22 +0000

A year ago I got the opportunity to shoot and edit (and design graphics for) a video of all the sponsors of the Vans Warped Tour. If you ever get a chance to go behind the scenes of this “punk rock carnival,” I highly suggest it, it’s an amazing experience. Check it out at the link below…

Warped Tour ’06 Sponsor Video

Need some tutoring?

Benjamin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:41:52 +0000

I was asked by the Columbia TV Department to tutor some students on Motion Graphics and Graphic Design. Well, I’m no expert, but if there’s one thing I love it’s helping other people learn After Effects (because usually I learn more about it in the process too)…with that said, I designed a poster to advertise my tutoring and I felt it would be cool to post it here…enjoy!!
btw – There are some images in this piece that were pulled off of Adobe Stock Images…I apologize if your photo is in here, it was a unpaid job and I didn’t have time to go and shoot my own stills…sorry…

American Taxi Shirt

Benjamin — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:11:20 +0000

I like to think of American Taxi as the spin-off to Lucky Boys Confusion…except unlike a spinoff, they are as good as the original. I did a spec shirt design for them, feel free to leave a comment (especially if you like it)…it’s kind of a wip, but you get the idea…

Merch Design for The Get Go

Benjamin — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:08:58 +0000

I almost forgot to put this up…some of the guys from Allister (among other chicago punk-pop bands) formed a new band and, well, I just had to do a shirt for them…check it below!

Plunket Video for “Baby Steps”

Benjamin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:39:05 +0000

What, you haven’t seen it? What’s wrong with you? Check it out here…

By the way, here’s a credit list:
Executive Producer/Director – Benjamin Budzak
Associate Producer/Art Direction – Ragan Thornton
Director of Photography – Zach Andrews
Director of Photography/Art Direction for Narrative – Jordan Campagna
Location Atmospheric Effects – Jason Reberski
Editor/Visual Effects – Benjamin Budzak
Playback – John Emerson
Makeup for Plunket – Joe Mistretta
Makeup for Narrative – Tatiana Srutwa
Kid – Brandon Russell
Dad – Louie Lawless
Mom – Lynn Phelan
Production Assistants – Dan Rafacz, Gary Budzak, Christine Budzak, Margaret Rosich

Special Thanks to Lakeview Elemetry and School District 66, Andrew Kramer for compositing assistance.

Plunket is:
Chris Samsa
Tom Tiede
Jim Kolar
Jaysen Vana
Joe Saguto

Merch Design

Benjamin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:35:16 +0000

Something I’ve gotten into recently has been merch design for bands, clubs at school, ect…it’s a fun way to express myself and know a lot of people will see my work (and my buddies will make a few dollars and pay for gas)…check out some of my new designs below:

For Plunket:

For TVAS (Television Arts Society):

For Army of Freshmen (still WIP):

New Internship

Benjamin — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:38:42 +0000

I am an intern @ Richter Studios up near UIC…I’m gonna be doing motion graphic stuff, and they seem really excited to have me on board…more to come soon, I swear!

My First Blog Post! Wooo!

Benjamin — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:07:03 +0000

Hi, my name is Ben. I’m 21, from Chicago. I wanted to start a blog about my life and my work, and now I have. Here’s what has happened recently:

-I Quit my job at Frequency Television. I wanted more free time to do other projects, and I still love all the folks who work at the station…

-I went to vegas for my 21st birthday and met a ton of cool people. Got drunk with Army of Freshmen and Bowling for Soup and won Jaret and Chris a ton of money. I also drank a 3 yard margarita and saw 6 shows (blueman, p&t, produers, spamalot, mac king, amazing jonathan)…Also met the coolest guy ever at the Magic Live convention…his website is in shambles, but I still think he kicks ass…

-I was an intern at Digital Kitchen in Chicago. Freakin’ Sweet! Everyone there was really cool and I learned about how to storyboard…hopefully I can go back to get some more experience one day…and I got to work on a spot for Finish Line…thanks Jason!

-I did a music video for the Chicago punk-pop band Plunket. It was awesome, and it turned out awesome. Check it here!

Thats it in a nutshell…I’m gonna put stuff I’m working on up here real soon, so keep your eyes to your screen for more!

xo
~Benjamin