Summer/Fall 2010.

So it's been about 5 months since my last post which means it's about time to check back in with my blog. I've been keeping pretty busy this year. Projects are slowly getting bigger and maybe even slower than that, they're getting better. There are a few new music videos and Funny or Die videos to post but that work has slowed down as I've been keeping busy with a few commercial clients. This summer/fall I've spent time in San Diego and LA for NBC's new promo campaign. I've continued working with Media Arts Lab, and worked on a feature film in Van Nuys, and one in Kansas City. I also worked on part of a short that was just accepted into the Sundance Film Festival. It's another Team G installment, which will make this the third time my name will scroll past a Sundance audience. Here's a short tease. It's the only part of the film I actually worked on. It's a fictional infomercial that is a part of the storyline and will play in the film:

Fat 2 Fab Extreme from Team G on Vimeo.

My most recently finished music video was shot by my friend Wyatt Garfield for the band Best Coast.


Funny or Die allowed me to work with David Mamet, a famous playwright, director, and screenwriter. In one short day we shot two projects. He, and Danny DeVito were a joy to work with. Check them out here:

Inside The Actor's Workshop with Danny DeVito from David Mamet

Our Valley from David Mamet

I also got to work on a music video for Cee Lo Green. It was still a funny or die project, made for the soundtrack to the Will Ferrel film, "The Other Guys." The video features Eva Mendez, and the song was written by composer Jon Brion.

Pimps Don't Cry ft. Cee-Lo Green & Eva Mendes from Eva Mendes

Before that I worked with magician Ricky Jay who you may recognize from P.T. Anderson films. This one's a bit dry, but I enjoyed the day.

Ricky Jay Trapped In An Elevator With Two Stupid Girls from Ricky Jay

There have been a few more FOD videos. One with Joey McIntyre from new kids on the block, A short with Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek and Fringe, and the first video I ever worked on for FOD, Mind Ride, finally posted a year after we shot it. You can look those up if you're interested, I just didn't want to bore. I'll write again, maybe in less than 5 months.

Funny or Die.

Funny or Die is another company I've been working with fairly regularly. I've done about a dozen project with them this year. One of which for their new HBO show, "Funny or Die presents..." FOD offers cool oportunities to work with some big name talent on a small scale. Here are a few projects I worked on.

The first project I worked for that made it up online was co-directed by Ron Howard and Jake Syzmanski (that might not be spelled correctly. sorry jake)

Heidi Montag Says No to Plastic from Heidi Montag

The next day we worked on another project also directed by Ron Howard and Jake. It was pretty exciting to work with all those actors. I was the A-camera first AC.

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

and you can catch me in the behind the scenes video once or twice.

President's Reunion Behind the Scenes - watch more funny videos

The next to make it up online was a funny project with Ralph Macchio, the original karate kid. I was the B camera operator for about half the show.

Wax On, F*ck Off with Ralph Macchio from Ralph Macchio

Next was a spot for Mini. Apparently there's a bit of a feud going on between mini and Porsche so Mini hired FOD to fuel the fire.

Mini Rocky IV - watch more funny videos

There are several more that have yet to make it up to the site, including a short with John Slattery (of Mad Men) dressed as a transvestite. An video with the Magician, Rickey Jay, and a spoof of Mad Men, staring Joey McIntyre. I'll post them once they're finished!

Staying Busy

So since I've been out in LA I've worked on half a dozen features, a bunch of short films, commercials, webisodes and a whole lot of music videos. Music videos are great because they're fun and fast turn around. And above all they really allow you to do some cool stuff that would be more difficult to work into narrative filmmaking. Here's a bit of a hit list of some of my favorite videos I've worked on. Some are a little odd., don't blame me I'm just an AC.

Foals"Miami"
Dir. Dave Ma
DP. Eli Born
This was my first video pulling on anamorphic lenses. It was a pretty awesome experience. We had a lot of fun shooting this video in just 1 day.

Foals "Miami" from Team G on Vimeo.

Yeasayer "Ambling Alp" NSFW
Dir. Radical Friend
DP. Kevin Phillips
This video was a lot of fun to work on as well. We spent two night and three days in the desert followed by a few days shooting at Jim Henson Studios for everything on stage. There's some nudity in this so don't get yourself in trouble at work.

Yeasayer "Ambling Alp" from Team G on Vimeo.

Mum "Sing Along"
Dir. Kevin Phillips
DP. Eli Born
This video was a treat to work on. We shot in northern Cali and camped in tents on the beach for 5 nights. It was super low budget but everybody really gave ti their all and came up with an awesome product. This video helped get Kevin signed to a directors label as well.

Múm "Sing Along" from Team G on Vimeo.

Music Go Music "Light of Love"
Dir. David and Meredith Metcalf
DP. Eli Born
We shot this video in 2 days. Also a lot of fun as I'm sure you can see from the video.

Music Go Music "Light of Love" from Music Go Music on Vimeo.

Fools Gold "Surprise Hotel"
Dir. Matt Lesner
DP. Wyatt Garfield
I only worked on this video for one day but it was a lot of fun. I ACed and did a little bit of operating. Some of the handheld, as well as some of the underwater footage was my handiwork. The band was a lot of fun to work with, and I always love working with my friend Wyatt.

Fools Gold "Surprise Hotel" from Team G on Vimeo.

Le Loup "Forgive Me"
Dir. Matt Lesner
DP. Wyatt Garfield
This was another fun video to shoot. We shot it in the Oregon Dunes in south western Oregon. You wouldn't know it from the video but the first half of the second day was pouring rain and it was freezing cold: temp probably around the 40's. That was a fun obstacle to overcome.

Le Loup "Forgive Me" from Monte Lomax on Vimeo.

Ravonettes "Last Dance"
Dir. Matt Lesner
DP. Wyatt Garfield
This was another fun shoot. Everything is shot with rear projection which is a sort of old timey effect that films used for driving shots back in the day. Essentially you just project an image from behind a screen then shoot actors in front of it.

Raveonettes "Last Dance" from Team G on Vimeo.

Starting this up again.

So I've decided to re-start this blog. In doing so I had to spend about ten minutes goggling "Scott Johnson's Blog" in order to find it. I guess I could have started a new one since it's been 2 years since I've posted here, but this was easier. So I guess I'm just going to post some project that I've been working on Photos I've been taking etc. It will probably be a little less wordy from here on out.

So to start off, here's a bit of what I've been doing. Two, outdated reels... for now.

Documentary/Reality Reel from Scott Johnson on Vimeo.

Scott Johnson '09 Reel from Scott Johnson on Vimeo.

The Corcavado Tent Camp

Amanda standing out side of our hommie little tent.


Well we've been in our third location for a few days now and it's definitely a change of pace. We're staying at a tent camp on the Osa peninsula. This means of course that we're sleeping in tents... in the jungle... with no breeze or any form of circulating air. All of our power is pulled from a generator. We have no power in the tents so by 7:00pm we're all on flashlight power. There are communal showers and bathrooms that are a small hike from where we sleep which makes it impossible to stay clean. Even after you get out of the shower, you walk down a sandy path back to your tent with no draft so by the time you get to your tent you're once again sweaty and sandy. Then you sweat more while you sleep. We also have no real access to laundry here so needless to say, my tent smells like foot. This place would be awesome to come camping, but its a terrible place to try and shoot a television show. Equipment is molding and getting sand in it's joints. It's really a pain in the ass.

Ok I'm done complaining now. This is by far the most beautiful place we have been to yet. The Osa is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world. The other day on the boats we came across a pod of about 500 dolphins. It was incredible. When spinners jump out of the water they spin--hence the name-- up to 5 or 6 times before they land back in the water. The footage we got is unbelievable. Often the dolphins were close enough to almost touch. They were swimming and cresting right in front of the boat. We go out and swim in the waves almost every evening. The waves can get up to about 10 feet over your head when you're swimming. It's a lot of fun. A few people have gotten scraped up by being slammed into the beach but never bad enough to quit doing it. Scarlet Macaws fly freely and live in the trees around us. White faced monkeys climb around the camp at their leisure. Overall it's a pretty sweet place. Working here is tough so I'm glad we're only here for two weeks, but It's been an awesome first few days. And any discomfort here will only make the air conditioning back in the U.S. more welcoming.

Good Bye Zancudo

Well today is our last day in Zancudo. This also means it may be my last day with internet for two weeks. We're packing everything up today and loading a truck with gear, and then tomorrow morning we're getting on a bus and driving out to the Pacific coast of the Osa peninsula where we'll be staying in tents for 2 weeks. We're down to the final 4 contestants so now things start to get interesting. I'll update next time i have internet.

the roads, and more

3.16.08
I’ve heard of towns so small that they only have one stoplight. Here in Playa Zancudo there are no stoplights. There are no stop signs. There are none of these because in Playa Zancudo there is only one road. It’s an unnamed dirt road that’s covered with more rocks than dirt. Pot holes are large and frequent enough to keep you on your toes while driving. In America we drive on the right side of the road. The law is the same in Costa Rica but in Playa Zancudo, as I imagine with many other small towns, you drive wherever the smoothest section of road is. It’s always to the far outside of the road and when traveling south the smoothest path is as far left as you can get. If another car is driving North you kindly move back to the right side of the road until the dust cloud settles.
There are only a few hundred locals here, both ticos and gringos alike—A tico is what one from Costa Rica is called, a gringo is white foreigner. We’ve met many of them at our at our favorite bar or by stopping in at local restaurants and sodas. We’ve been here for almost a month now and have made quite a name for ourselves. The whole island knows we are here and pretty much everyone likes us. The community is thrilled to have the economic boost. Thirty of us are eating/drinking/renting and buying souvenirs. On th 21st we pack up all of our gear and leave the beach for our third location. We’ll be taking both bus and boats to the Pacific side of the Osa Peninsula. By that time only four contestants will remain. I think some of the crew are getting a little homesick. Even I am looking forward to being back in the states. Amanda and I will be in country for almost another month—two weeks to finish principal photography and two weeks of the B-roll trip, and come mid-April I’ll be able to go back to my normal life.