Nathan Johnson

Welcome to my daily blog.
This is where I post things I'm currently working on and thinking about.
I write songs, score films, produce bands, and make visual art and photographs.

I lead a sprawling band/art collective called The Cinematic Underground and run a small independent record label called Cut Narrative . I'm also an artist at The Made Shop with my brothers Marke and Zachary. Twitter @NTJohnson

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People & Leaves (Live) at Thanet House, UK.

This is the first in a series of videos I worked on with Scubaboy for (Chris Mears’ band) New Volunteer a few months ago in England. Mearsy wanted to capture the band in a small room so we loaded everyone in to the breakfast dining room at Andy & Anna’s wonderful B&B to shoot for the day. Armed with about 8 digital & tape cameras (maybe 10 if you include phone cameras) we spread out around the dining room with friends and crew perched amongst the musicians.

This is the first single from the album Remote Control Parade that I produced with Mearsy in Denver and Bournemouth.

Also, check out Scubaboy’s other killer videos (especially the one for UNKLE) on his vimeo site.

New Volunteermusic videodirecting +

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Snowshow video pre-production. New Haven, CT.
Working on the “stitched up with stars” blanket for Katie’s Snowshow video. You can see it in the final video and in Ronen’s making-of video.

Snowshow video pre-production. New Haven, CT.

Working on the “stitched up with stars” blanket for Katie’s Snowshow video. You can see it in the final video and in Ronen’s making-of video.

Katie Chastainmusic videodirectingproducing +

Katie Chastain’s Snowshow video shoot. Martha’s Vineyard
I love this shot… everyone is throwing paper snow and Katie is caught up in the middle of it all.

Katie Chastain’s Snowshow video shoot. Martha’s Vineyard

I love this shot… everyone is throwing paper snow and Katie is caught up in the middle of it all.

Katie Chastaindirectingproducingmusic video +

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Katie Chastain’s Snowshow Video Production Crew. Martha’s Vineyard
One of the few pictures featuring everyone who worked on the video piled into the back of a U-Haul. It costs a lot of money to get cars over onto Martha’s Vineyard, so we rented a truck and hauled everyone around in the back. This is the night before the shoot after a great dinner at Tom & Julie’s house. After this weekend I realized again that working with friends is amazing. Especially when they are as talented as this bunch!
And if you’ve never seen Slava’s Snowshow, which inspired Katie’s song and this video shoot, let me highly highly HIGHLY recommend it to you!
In this photo (roughly left to right)
Isaac - camera crew, focus puller
Amanda - designed and made Katie’s dress, personal assistance
Arlyce (hiding) - snow cutting, video assistant, snower
Bethany (hiding) - hair and makeup
Anna - diorama dressing, background pulley operation
Katie - singing, origami, concept and execution
Ronen - video documentation, behind the scenes film
Kim - diorama dressing, background pulley operation
Reva - 1st assistant, task management
Chris - sound, general assistance
Marke - pulley construction, architectural overview
Bryan - miniatures assistance
Chad (not pictured) - miniature pulley construction
Nate (not pictured) - pulley systems assistance, snower
Jenny (not pictured) - general assistance
Brad (not pictured) - general assistance
Warren (not pictured) - director of photography, lighting, camera,
Nathan (taking photo) - director, concept

Katie Chastain’s Snowshow Video Production Crew. Martha’s Vineyard

One of the few pictures featuring everyone who worked on the video piled into the back of a U-Haul. It costs a lot of money to get cars over onto Martha’s Vineyard, so we rented a truck and hauled everyone around in the back. This is the night before the shoot after a great dinner at Tom & Julie’s house. After this weekend I realized again that working with friends is amazing. Especially when they are as talented as this bunch!

And if you’ve never seen Slava’s Snowshow, which inspired Katie’s song and this video shoot, let me highly highly HIGHLY recommend it to you!

In this photo (roughly left to right)

Isaac - camera crew, focus puller

Amanda - designed and made Katie’s dress, personal assistance

Arlyce (hiding) - snow cutting, video assistant, snower

Bethany (hiding) - hair and makeup

Anna - diorama dressing, background pulley operation

Katie - singing, origami, concept and execution

Ronen - video documentation, behind the scenes film

Kim - diorama dressing, background pulley operation

Reva - 1st assistant, task management

Chris - sound, general assistance

Marke - pulley construction, architectural overview

Bryan - miniatures assistance

Chad (not pictured) - miniature pulley construction

Nate (not pictured) - pulley systems assistance, snower

Jenny (not pictured) - general assistance

Brad (not pictured) - general assistance

Warren (not pictured) - director of photography, lighting, camera,

Nathan (taking photo) - director, concept

Katie Chastainmusic videodirectingproducingfashion +

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Katie ChastainSnowshow

Here’s the video I directed for Katie’s song Snowshow. We worked with 18 friends and shot the entire thing in one day in a converted barn on Martha’s Vineyard. Katie and I came up with the life-sized diorama idea as a way to do a single-shot video which wouldn’t require editing.

Just off-camera is a crazy jumble of controlled chaos as our friends operated the diorama. Click here to see the “making-of” video by Ronen

Katie Chastaindirectingfashionmusic videovideo +

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Katie Chastain. On the set of the Snowshow video, Martha’s Vineyard.
Photo by Ronen, Dress by d.aMa, Hair and Makeup by Bethany

Katie Chastain. On the set of the Snowshow video, Martha’s Vineyard.

Photo by Ronen, Dress by d.aMa, Hair and Makeup by Bethany

Katie Chastainfashiond.aMa designmusic videodirecting +

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(via thanethouse)
Okay, friends, if you don’t know about New Volunteer, now is the time to start knowing. This is the amazing band led by Mr. Chris Mears (Cinematic Underground member extraordinaire, Brick percussionist, Bloom Wine-o-phonist, etc.).
I’ve been producing their debut album Remote Control Parade over the last couple years (it becomes a long process when you’re independently working on two sides of the Atlantic, okay?) and they’ve just released the album in Japan. Which probably doesn’t do most of you any good.. .but also, tracks are up on MySpace. So dial up and rock out!
Also, we just filmed a 5 song set in the Thanet House Dining Room (pictured above), so that will be making its way out soon!

(via thanethouse)

Okay, friends, if you don’t know about New Volunteer, now is the time to start knowing. This is the amazing band led by Mr. Chris Mears (Cinematic Underground member extraordinaire, Brick percussionist, Bloom Wine-o-phonist, etc.).

I’ve been producing their debut album Remote Control Parade over the last couple years (it becomes a long process when you’re independently working on two sides of the Atlantic, okay?) and they’ve just released the album in Japan. Which probably doesn’t do most of you any good.. .but also, tracks are up on MySpace. So dial up and rock out!

Also, we just filmed a 5 song set in the Thanet House Dining Room (pictured above), so that will be making its way out soon!

New Volunteerproducingsongwritingdirecting +

3 notes