Interview

Dave Knows on I Live Here PDX!

April 22, 2011 by Dave 2 Comments

I Live Here: PDX was created by Portlanders Sara Gray and Erin as a love letter to our fair city.

I Live Here: PDX is a love letter to Portland and an anthology of its residents, neighborhoods and moods. The idea was inspired by a similar project in San Francisco. As native Portlanders who’ve chosen to make our lives here, we want to be a part of celebrating the city we live in and exploring how others live in it.

And today’s my turn! If you have any interest at all, go check out my intriguing answers to questions such as How did you land in Portland? and What was the last thing you ate at a food cart? And see photos of the cool vintage bicycle I ride a couple times a year!

I submitted my answers before I gave notice at my day job and Heather and I decided to move to Astoria, but my interview answers are otherwise true! 😉

Photo by Sara Gray, photographer for and co-creator of I Live Here: PDX!

Interview: Google Hotpot Community Manager Vanessa Schneider

January 11, 2011 by Heather 1 Comment

Google swept into town recently to introduce a new product/service, Hotpot, which is an enhancement to Google Places. One of the people they sent to Portland to investigate the market and to rouse up some interest in Hotpot was Community Manager Vanessa Schneider. She graciously agreed to answer some of Heather‘s questions about Hotpot and her experience debuting it in Portland for Dave Knows’ readers!

What is Google Hotpot, exactly?

Hotpot is Google’s new local recommendation engine from Google Places, powered by you and your friends. You tell us what you like — restaurants, bars, hotels, hardware stores — and we serve you up personalized results the next time you do a Google search.

So for instance, I live in New York City. I’m a big Italian food fan, so I search on maps.google.com: “italian restaurants, new york, ny.” In my search results, I see one of the first listings is Porchetta LLC, and at the bottom of the Porchetta result listing it says that my Hotpot friend Vivi rated it 4 stars, along with a sentence or two about his experience. Don’t have to go much farther than that — done and done!

You can rate places via our desktop client or via our Rate Places widget for Android (iPhone app coming soon!). And of course, you can search for places and recommendations via your desktop or Android (or wherever you do Google searches).

How is Hotpot different than Yelp, Citysearch or other places that rate businesses?

Think of Hotpot like a personalized, social layer on top of your existing Google search. It’s all about providing a better Google search experience for you. People are performing local searches every day, so we wanted to focus on making those results more relevant and social (everything’s more fun with friends!).

Hotpot is not just for restaurants, right? Can I see recommendations for other local businesses too?

Exactly, any kind of business. You can rate any spot listed on Google Places, our local business listings, and that’s just about every place. Here’s an example of a Place page (you probably see the iconic red pin a lot in your searches — those lead you to Place pages). Place pages exist for anything from cafes to doctors’ offices to book shops.

How does Hotpot work for business owners? Is there a way for businesses to manage their site?

Business owners can definitely claim their free Place page, and in fact, many already have. This guarantees that their Places listing is up to date and accurate — they can list their address, business hours, photos and more. You can read more about how to claim your business listing here.

Because customers can leave public reviews on a business’s Place page, the owner can monitor those and also look for opportunities to respond to reviews on the page – here’s how. Business owners can also encourage customers to share their experiences and spread the word about their business via Hotpot.

Google could have chosen any city on the planet to launch Hotpot, but aren’t you glad they chose Portland?

Portland’s proven to be an amazing launch city choice. Everyone has been so welcoming and lovely! Not only are Portlanders tech savvy, but the city has a very strong local business community, and residents are constantly talking to one another about that delicious dish at that hot new restaurant — and that’s what Hotpot’s all about, sharing recommendations with friends and discovering new local places.

Have you tried poutine yet?

Yes, and it was glorious. After a long day at work, my colleague Sameer and I headed to Potato Champion at the Hawthorne food cart pod to eat the heck out of some poutine (Documented with Instagram here).

Can you put in a good word for Portland with Google Fiber?

Since I am now Portland’s newest #1 fan, I’ll do my best!

Vanessa blogs at VanessaSchneider.com, and can be found on Twitter too: @vanessagene. She also contributes to the Hotpot Community Blog (on Twitter: @GoogleHotpot).

Vanessa also encourages people to participate in the Hotpot Jackpot contest. Sign up for Hotpot and enter to win a dinner for up to 10 people at any Portland restaurant (there are first and second prizes as well). All you have to do is give your opinion about a bunch of places you’ve been on Hotpot, share your recommendations with friends on Hotpot, and you’ll earn points. The more points you earn, the better your chances of winning. Register today and start rating! Winners will be announced in February.

Interview: Chris Wilson

November 2, 2010 by Dave 1 Comment

James vs Reality is set to premiere November 9 2010 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne). Local filmmaker and 3D animator Chris Wilson produced, wrote and directed, along with Tim Feeney, this visual effect packed funny short film, which tells the story of a chronic escapee mental patient who just happens to think he is a super hero.

The We’ll Fix it in Post Productions team has spent the last two years on this ambitious project, and is offering the premiere free of charge to the public. It’s an event, featuring in addition to the film’s debut, local entertainers and artist performing live as well as an after screening meet and greet with the cast and crew.

James vs Reality features an amazing Portland cast of professionals and first-timers: Jonathan Senske, Hollie Olson, Harold MacKinnon, Ira Kortum, Adrienne Vogel, Mariessa Portelance, Luke Clements, Shannon Teem, Kate Mura, Maddie Johnson, Jonathan McGinley, Lanie Hoyo, JV Williams, Pat Wellington, Matthew Sweeney, Jeremiah Benjamin, Jason Hawkins, Bob Olin, and many many more!

Chris generously agreed to talk about James vs Reality, his other projects, and filmmaking in Portland with Dave Knows Portland.

In the trailer for James Vs. Reality there’s an amazing shot of Portland’s Union Station tower being hit by a plane (or something). Can you give us any clues as to which other parts of Portland get blown up in dramatic fashion in the film?

James Vs Reality Trailer from Chris Wilson on Vimeo.

Most of the end of the film is set at Union Station where a huge showdown occurs. Planes fall from the sky and crash into the buildings around Union Station and the tower itself doesn’t fair well, to a much larger extent than what is shown in the trailer. The other areas that get damaged aren’t nearly as iconic, but we see some of the Pearl and North Portland being mangled.

You say James vs Reality is your first live action film, but what about Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

Every Rose Has Its Thorn from Chris Wilson on Vimeo.

I don’t like to talk about Every Rose Has Its Thorn! That was actually just an early camera test. We’d shot James vs Reality with a camera guy and his equipment for six months, but were unhappy with the quality of the film. We parted ways, taught ourselves how to use equipment and came back to the project doing things on our own. Instead of just randomly shooting anything as practice, we shot Every Rose, which was also designed to be a practice piece for creating the visual effects that I needed for James vs Reality.

Do you have an academic background in film making?

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Arts and Animation, which means I had one film class that dealt with film, a handful of animation classes and a ton that dealt with graphic design, typography and the history of fabrics. I never worked with lighting, microphones or editing, but I could tell you all you’d ever want to know about the theory of fonts. A lot of what I know in 3D, visual effects and film making have come from just going out and doing it. I really think that’s the best way to learn!

When did you first know you wanted to make movies?

I remember seeing the trailer for Jurassic Park on TV as a kid and saying to myself ‘That’s what I want to do.’ A teacher at the time, Kim Palmer, allowed me to start making filmed projects for her classes and encouraged me to push into this further. It was a wonderful way to get excited about film making, while at the same time getting out of doing real homework. From there, I started moving towards going to college for animation.

You’re also working on an animated film, The Chronicles of Nerm, which is a sequel to The Adventures of Nerm and BG. I watched the latter recently and found Nerm to be a really annoying character. Are you sure anyone wants to see a sequel? </joking!>

The biggest complaint I got from the original Nerm film was how annoying the character is. While ultimately that is the point of the character, I also don’t want to turn off the audience. So the character was changed slightly for the sequel, plus I ramped up the violence towards Nerm massively. It should be refreshing to the audience to see Nerm be ripped limb from limb, shot and decapitated…and that’s only in the first 2 minutes. The end of the film turns into a giant WWF brawl… With folding chair.

I feel so lucky to have this cast for The Chronicles of Nerm. It’s only the second animated film I’ve done, but four Hollywood film and TV actors and actresses came aboard, including Zoë Bell, one of the leads from Tarantino’s Death Proof, Lost and many other huge projects. I’m not sure what the hell these people were thinking, but I’m so honored to have them!

How many hats do you wear in James vs. Reality?

I’m the co-writer and co-director with Tim Feeney on James vs Reality, but I’m also editor, did all the color correction, a lot of the sound and music. I worked with 3D artist Malcolm Burke for one key element, but did almost all of the rest of the effects myself. While I’ve done a lot of 3D work in the past, this was my first time doing visual effects. It was always a challenge, but ultimately the main thing that people will most likely be most impressed with. Considering this is a short film, there is a massive amount of action and effects. I believe this may be the first disaster film set in Portland!

What made you want to write a film like James vs Reality?

Tim and I had seen quite a few independent films from the area that just aren’t the type of film we really enjoy going to a theater and watching. Comedy, action and especially projects with visual effects are hard to come by in the indie world. So we wrote something we’d like to go see; an incredibly fast paced movie that will excite you and make you laugh, a huge spectacle film! That being said, there’s several filmmakers in town that are doing some very exciting (and funny) projects, like Mike Vogel‘s hilarious Did You Kiss Anyone and Zach Persson‘s sci-fi epic Ingenium.

Why do you work in Portland? Why not LA or NYC?

I’ve had a few offers to go work at big animation studios in LA, but I’d much rather be able to work on my own projects. And I think there are some great opportunities that you have in Portland that you just wouldn’t have in LA. Since there are very few films from here, people seem much more tolerant to filming around town. I think securing locations, going out and shooting on the street and such is much easier than it would be in LA where everyone assumes you have money and permits. We did a lot of stupid crap on this film, from blocking off entire blocks in downtown to driving our lead actor around on the top of a car at high speeds. The most the police ever said to us was ‘try not to get hit.’

James vs Reality premieres on Tuesday, November 9. After this no doubt amazing event, how will you be distributing the film?

We’ll have DVDs for sale at the premiere, packed with four hours of bonus craziness, but due to restrictions with our festival run we are unable to do a widespread distribution at this time.

What’s next?

I plan on finishing up The Chronicles of Nerm while writing my first feature film, Charlie vs the Cougar, a romantic comedy about people punching each other in the face in Alaska, but put some of my weird spins on it. I’ll even try to sneak an explosion in.

Keep up with Chris Wilson at Chris Wilson Online and We’ll Fix It In Post Production. And come to the premiere of James vs. Reality on November 9, 2010 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne). Party begins at 8:30pm!

Interview: Audrey Walker

May 24, 2010 by Dave 3 Comments

Audrey Walker is Portland based actor who has garnered a substantial filmography, though she’s only pursued acting seriously since 2004. She grew up in Aloha, and graduated from Central Catholic High School. According to her resume, she can make Dr. Spock eyebrows upon request.

Audrey graciously agreed to an interview. Find out how she got started, what advice she has for Portlanders interested in acting, what projects she has been involved in, and what projects she has in store.

How did you get started in acting? How long have you been a working actor?

I took my first acting class in 2004, so I guess that’s when I started acting. I took a class to learn how to audition and I went to my first audition a couple months after taking the class. It was for a commercial. I got the job. I’ve been steadily working as an actor in films as well as television commercials ever since.

Is Portland a good place for someone pursuing an acting career? What advice would you give to a Portlander beginning an acting career?

I think Portland is a great place for someone pursuing an acting career. I feel like it’s a little gem that people are just now beginning to rediscover for filming. We have a huge indie scene here. A lot of independent films are shot here. We have a network TV Show, we’re starting to get Movies of the Week. We get big budget films through. I know it’s not as many as the major markets but it’s picking up.

Because of this and the fact that the acting community here is relatively small, it’s a great place to pursue your acting career and get a good base. The acting community is extremely supportive.

The advice I would give to a Portlander beginning an acting career would be to get in a good class. A class with someone who has experience and who you feel comfortable with. Next up would be to get some good headshots and then hit the ground running.

Are you from Portland originally? (If not, what brought you here?) Have you considered (or already tried) moving to LA, NYC, or similar place, with more of a reputation for careers in the dramatic arts?

Yes, I am a native Oregonian. I was born and raised here.

Many times in the past years I have considered moving to LA for work. I mean it only makes sense to go where the work is right? Except lately the work has been coming to Oregon. So why rush it? I’m enjoying letting the work come to me.

I also have other factors to consider in moving to a larger market. I do have a family here and I would hate to uproot them. So in the meantime I am currently figuring out slowly but surely how to work the other markets from Portland. We’ll see what happens.

Besides acting, do you have other creative aspirations or interests? (Art, directing, writing, etc.?)

Acting is by far my strongest creative aspiration. I feel I am much better at envisioning a story someone else wrote and helping them to tell it than I am at writing my own. I know where my limits are.

What are some of your past projects?

Some of my past projects have included a supporting role in the feature film Man Maid where I was lucky enough to have met Jane Lynch on set. What a great lady. This is the trailer I’m in:

I also was fortunate enough to work as a body/photo double for Diane Lane in the movie Untraceable by Director Gregory Hoblit.

I also worked on the award winning feature film The Waiting List by Director Mike Vogel [Ed: read my interview with Mike here] which premiered at the Phoenix Film Festival.

I also worked on a film by director Steve Coker called Crackin’ the Code. It’s a comedy and we recently screened it at the PCC Art Beat (where I was also a guest speaker). Here is the official website for the film: CrackinTheCode.com.

What are some of your current projects?

I just wrapped up on an upcoming feature film by local indie directors Todd and Jason Freeman titled Wake Before I Die. It’s a thriller that is based upon a book written by their father Dale Freeman.

Wake Before I Die from Polluted Pictures on Vimeo.

I’m also currently filming on director Mike Vogel’s (of The Waiting List) next film Did You Kiss Anyone?. It’s definitely a comedy.

I also have a couple of really great projects lined up for filming this summer. One of them will be a psycho/drama/thriller by upcoming writer/director Jacqueline Gault titled Meet Jane Doe. I’m lucky enough to be playing the title role of Jane. [Watch the trailer at Kickstarter.]

The other project I have lined up this summer is a film by director Phil Vaira titled Fall of the New World. This will be a kind of fantasy/adventure/thriller.

What happened to your foot? 😉

Ha ha, seriously? Oh man, I really wish I had a good story like I saved an old lady from being mugged or something but I sadly don’t. I was working on scripts at the computer and my leg fell asleep. I got up to stand and when I took a step on it I heard a LOUD snap and I was on the ground. Now it’s a 3rd degree sprain. So please I implore to let your body parts successfully wake up before trying to walk on them. Just sayin’.

Keep up with Audrey’s convalescence and work at her website, www.AudreyWalker.com, on IMDB, and on Twitter: @AudreyWalker.

Photo credit: Boon Rodriquez

Interview: Jillian Lauren

May 13, 2010 by Dave 2 Comments

Author and performer Jillian Lauren has lived quite the life.

At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The “casting director” told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay pretty American girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Soon, Jillian found herself on a plane to Borneo, where she would spend the next eighteen months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Leaving behind her gritty East Village apartment for an opulent palace where she walked on rugs laced with gold, Jillian traded her band of artist friends for a coterie of backstabbing beauties.

Her memoir, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, was published in April, and she is currently on the book tour. One of her stops is in Portland, Oregon, where she will be telling her story at the May 19th Back Fence PDX, and appearing at Powells on Thursday, the 20th to read from her book. She has also written a novel, Pretty, that will be released next spring. Her writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Flaunt Magazine, Pindeldyboz Magazine, Opium Magazine, Society, and in the anthologies Pale House: A Collective and My First Time: A Collection of First Punk Show Stories, among others. She is married to Scott Shriner, bass guitarist for the band Weezer. They live with their son in Los Angeles.

Recently Heather and I had the privilege of interviewing her for Dave Know Portland, in anticipation of her Portland, and Back Fence PDX visit.

At the Back Fence PDX event do you know what story you’ll be telling, or will you wing it? Or will you share several stories? Do you know there are fantastic cupcakes [from Saint Cupcake!] handed out at intermission?

Live storytelling is new to me, so I’ll have something planned! But it will be something outside of the content of the book – kind of like the director’s cut. I didn’t know about the cupcakes, but I’m a cupcake fanatic. So that’s a real bonus.

Would you consider Some Girls an adventure story? A moralistic tale? Something else?

It’s a literary coming-of-age memoir. I think the word “harem” throws people off and they think it’s a romance novel or a cautionary tale. It’s neither of those things. I’ve had people ask me what the message of the book is, and I don’t have an answer for that. I did my best to tell an honest story and the message is really up to the reader.

Have you been to Portland before? Will you get to spend much time in Portland? (Powells Books, where you are scheduled to read the night after Back Fence PDX, is Portland’s Eiffel Tower!)

I’ve been to Portland many times and I adore it. My closest friend from LA moved to Portland a few years ago and I was pissed at her until I realized that it means I get to visit fairly often. I’ll be staying with her in her new house. I think I might be sleeping on a few boxes pushed together.

What was the most significant thing you learned about yourself in your 18 months in the harem? You entered as a teenager, did you age more than a year and a half in that time?

The real lessons for me were learned as I looked back and reflected. I was able to discover a different level of compassion for both myself and for the other people who shared my story. I looked at pictures of myself from that time and I said, What was so wrong with me? Why did I hate myself so much? I was beautiful. I was hopeful. I was brave. I was adorable. I can see it now clear as day, but I couldn’t see it then. The story is about struggling to love yourself and learning to forgive yourself.

Your life now is hardly conventional, you’re married to a rock star, you’ve adopted a child from Ethiopia, you’ve written a memoir, and now you are on a book tour. Was this the sort of life you wished for or expected growing up?

Actually, my life is pretty boring now, and I mean that in the best way. I write; I take care of my family; I go to yoga. It was precisely this stability that allowed me to write about some of the darker times in my life. In some ways I’ve gotten everything I dreamed of, it just hasn’t taken the form I thought it would. I always yearned for extraordinary experiences and wild adventures. I think it was partially that craving for extremes that led me into my unwise endeavors. So leading a normal life is never what I pictured, but I did finally get the sense of fulfillment that eluded me when my life was wilder.

What’s your favorite Weezer song?

I’m partial to “Good Life,” but my son singing along with “Island in the Sun” is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s totally obsessed with Weezer.

Visit Jillian Lauren’s website, JillianLauren.com, for more information about her writings and book tour. If you’re curious about the book, I recommend Melissa Lion’s review of Some Girls. And you can follow along on Jillian Lauren’s book tour adventures on her blog.