Blog Archives

Apr 27 2016

My Future as a Two Marshmallow Adult

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Moving from a one marshmallow kid to a two marshmallow adult means learning how to delay gratification …and it can be a real bitch let me tell you. That said, life seems to have a habit of throwing curve balls at our plans and expectations so it seems like an important skill to master. Some of us may have had the good fortune to learn this early on from parents or other role models during our formative years. For the rest of us, it means some real dedication and often sitting in some uncomfortable ass situations while the lessons get woven into our behavior. And just when we think we’ve got it, WATCH OUT! It often seems like the moment we have the hubris to think “I’ve got this” is also the precise moment that the universe counters: “Oooooh really, let’s see how much you’ve got this!” BAM!

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Feb 12 2016

OK Go’s Upside Down and Inside Out Latest Music Video

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Fun fact for my new friends! A company I cofounded in 2009 with a few of my buddies (which we later sold in 2012) was called Syyn Labs​ . Our claim to fame was that we made the Rube Goldberg Machine music video for OK Go 6 years ago. How time flies 🙂 The video is now at 50m+ views on YouTube! Now the band has released their latest video called “Upside Down and Inside Out” and it’s yet another masterpiece of lunacy! Good job guys. And if you’re one of the few people who HASN’T seen the RGM machine video, here’s the link to that one.  STILL A CLASSIC!

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Oct 03 2015

My 36th Birthday Challenge… To YOU!

It’s my 36th birthday and I’m super excited about it! Ever since I was 30, I decided to use my birthday as a time to give rather than to receive. Maybe some of you remember at the project that started it all: http://causeitsmybirthday.com … So to ring in my 36th year I thought I’d ask for YOUR help in creating a love ripple far beyond my immediate circle! If you want to play here’s how it works…

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Jun 18 2010

Syyn Labs Die Hard Shoot in the Mojave Desert

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Gradman, Sadowsky, Cousin Gilles (unslept), then Brent, Busby, Hector, Mat, Heather and others met out on a flat lake bed where 24 cars had been stacked in the layout of a piano: 24 b+w cars, one battery, tuned hors and synched headlights. Oh and Gary Numan to play the ‘Cargan’.

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After a stressful build day everyone left and I camped out in the open desert with a tent I had in the back of my car. This action was much to the surprise of the entire crew who was pretty sure that as soon as darkness hits rattle snakes and scorpions were going to emerge from every rock and come straight for my tent. The fear that most people carry in this world would be truly comical if it wasn’t so depressing.

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By the end of the following day Gary Numan would be flown in and we had to have it ready.

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We did it, but not without significant challenge and lack of sleep!

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Jun 16 2010

Syyn Labs Disney XD Shoot

Syyn Labs, Disney XD Rube Goldberg Machine from Syyn Labs on Vimeo.

Disney XD approached Syyn Labs to creation a station ID consisting of a Rube Goldberg Machine, incorporating objects that their target audience would identify with… This is what we came up with. And of course Adam had to be very careful when loading up the paint cannons:

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May 15 2010

The Brand New Syyn Labs Reel!

SyynLabs Reel from Syyn Labs on Vimeo.

Syyn Labs was formed in 2008 by a group of creative engineers who twist together art and technology. We build gizmos, whatzits, and interactive installations that encourage strangers to play together by lowering social barriers.

Our projects include ‘ArtFall‘, an interactive whiteboard; Rubens’ Tubes, sound-reactive fire sculpture, ‘Sonic Stalagmites‘, which allows people to ‘paint with sound’; and ‘CloudMirror‘, which uses augmented reality to bring your event’s badges to life. We regularly showcase new projects at our monthly Mindshare.LA event in Downtown LA.

We have presented our work at numerous corporate and social events and can create custom installations to suit your venue or public space.

Music:
The Polish Ambassador – Portal Hopping
http://ThePolishAmbassador.com

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Mar 05 2010

OkGo and Syyn Labs Collaboration – Close to 4m YouTube Views in 3 Days!

OK, I might not have been at the taping of it, or at the launch party earlier in the week OR at the celebratory party tonight at LACMA but at least I dropped the jaws of a handful of backpackers in the northern Chile desert town of San Pedro de Atacama when I showed them OkGo and Syyn Lab’s video collaboration for “This Too Shall Pass”. In only 3 days the video has almost reached 4 million views!

Syyn Labs, LLC, a company I formed with a group of some of the brightest people I know in LA, worked on this video in a 2 story LA warehouse for the last few months. They slaved over countless takes to make sure that not only did it all get captured in 1 dipping and weaving camera shot, but it also went in time with the song! The video ends with a huge finale – AMAZING! Kudos to all involved!

It’s quite wonderful, thanks to amazing colleagues, both Syyn Labs and Mindshare,LA are doing amazingly in my absence. This is either a sign that I am good at building teams or that I should leave town more often! Hmm, ideally it’s the former with a healthy mix of the latter!
So, I’m heading into Bolivia tomorrow, and I know it’s certainly going to be the most challenging part of the trip so far. I’ll be heading through the Atacama, the driest desert in the world into one of the poorest of the South American countries. I already have a bunch of experiences to catch up on writing, and this 4 day journey through the through salt flats and desolate expanses, will certainly not leave me feeling uninspired.
Onward!
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