Ali Weiss

48 Hr Film Project: Awards Show Tonight

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:26:14 +0000

Two weekends ago I edited a video as part of the Chicago 48 Hour Film Project, and our team’s entry has been selected to appear in tonight’s “Best of the Best” awards show at Lincoln Hall. Details here. Our team is “The Guacamole Conspiracy.”

UPDATE: All of the films were great! Ours won the Audience Award for our particular screening group. Here it is:

The Twenty-Second Coming [48HFP, Chicago 2010] from Ali on Vimeo.

Proximity

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:08:14 +0000

Here is my take on New Yorkers, freedom, proximity, and the so-called “Ground Zero mosque,” which I read at The Paper Machete on 8/14.

Basically: Do middle-American suburban pundits realize just how far “a few blocks away” is for busy, crowded New Yorkers?

I’m home in NYC now. Matt and I walked a mile along Broadway on the way home from the airport, just for the fun of it (M60 bus to 106th & B’way, walked rest of the way to 83rd). We passed at least 15 drug stores and just as many mini, de facto “neighborhoods.” We probably passed a few mosques too and we don’t even know.

New Video – ROOF Live at the Wit Hotel

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:55:56 +0000

Here’s the latest Witisode I directed & edited for the Wit Hotel. Features local dance/cover band Your Villain My Hero.

Matt’s Gordmans Ad

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:43:29 +0000

OK, so I’m officially bragging about my boyfriend. I think this commercial he shot is great! The whole series of back-to-school ads is pretty funny, and I think they all use Chicago talent, so, represent!

Lakefront Lances (Time Out Chicago)

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:39:14 +0000

From this week’s issue, my Open Letter to the speedy dudes in spandex.

Happy weekend! Off to check out some Droid phones with my man & then enjoy an air-conditioned evening at home together. Pitchfork will have to kick off without me this year, but I think it’ll manage…

Write Club

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:05:15 +0000

So check out this Time Out Chicago article about Ian Belknap, the creator of Write Club. I’m mentioned in it because on Tuesday night (7/20) at The Hideout I’ll be one of the writers battling it out in the first round. My bout is “Mind vs. Body” and I’m speaking on behalf of Body. My friend Steve Heisler is on the Mind side. We have a beautiful poster!

So anyway, there’s work to be done before Tuesday. Today I Googled Gray’s Anatomy. The real one, not the TV one. As a little kid I had a Gray’s Anatomy coloring book and drew some pretty bold crayon gashes through skulls and muscles. Your topic is: Body.

UPDATE: I won! Video coming soon. It was a blast and I am so grateful to have been a part of it.

OK, video here.

Witisode

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:52:27 +0000

Jessica Zweig from Cheeky Chicago and I were selected as one of the Wit’s video teams to cover events at & around the hotel in a series of ‘Witisodes.’ Here’s our first video, featuring Spa at the Wit. I shot & edited as Jessica test drove the luxury services. We have a lot of b-roll because I always felt guilty saying ‘cut’ when she was in the midst of an awesome foot massage. The staff was so wonderful to work with, and the spa really does look amazing (and the Butter polish really is like buttah).

The Paper Machete in the Center Square Journal

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:50:32 +0000

Here’s an article by our neighborhood blog calling us the “Sharpest New Reading Series in Chicago.” Fun!

(I never thought this iPhone pic would wind up in an article.)

Guns and Baseball

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:19:19 +0000

Working on a piece about THIS for The Paper Machete tomorrow. It’s our 4th of July show. Theme: AMERICA!

How Chicago’s overturned gun ordinance relates to baseball? That’s my job for the night.

Sitting on the deck with Matt as he watches the Cardinals online and I type. Bye now.

UPDATE 7/3/10: Here’s the recording, which I just put up on Vocalo.org: http://vocalo.org/explore/content/68574

Double Header for The Paper Machete

admin — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:12:57 +0000

What a crazy Saturday! Emotional roller coaster at Ricochet’s: Packed crowd. USA down. USA ties! Extra Time. The Paper Machete won’t start at 3:30. Ghana scores. I get a $50 parking ticket, so caught up was I. (Yes, I just might plan to contest this in traffic court: I was late by just seven minutes, and as the ESPN FIFA promos teach us, seconds are everything). Whistle blows. USA loses. We hurry to set up the mic for the performers who have time to stay. We start the show . . .

And then, zoom across town for special edition Pride Show with The Neo-Futurists! Read all about it here.