Collaborators

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Darci is a filmmaker, writer, producer and general cinematic rabble-rouser. She's also about the sweetest person you'll meet. Darci served as the festival director for the Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy - God bless her for that. And she wrote/directed a handful of short films herself for the project. She also has a growing catalog of films she has written/directed. Dang girl, slow down! On second thought, don't.

John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light

Lucia is a beautiful person who makes beautiful images. Stunning photography -- check it out.  She is also the curator for the Beautiful Empty Photo Conspiracy project -- original photography inspired by the words and music on Beautiful Empty, taken by photographers from across the country.

Lucia is our photographer-in-residence and staff photographer.  Hell yes.

Artist in Residence

We're proud to say that Scott McCormic is our current Artist-in-Residence. 

He has already designed several record covers for the band, including the cover for the national release of BEAUTIFUL EMPTY, the band's new EP, SIDE3, as well as the cover for band's first single "Wide Open World".  He is currently working on a series of art pieces inspired by the band's music.  Those art pieces will manifest in a variety of forms, ways and places... you'll see.

Scott McCormick
ARTIST STATEMENT
Weltschmertz - physical reality will never match the creative vision of the mind.

I make art because I have to. If I were a numbers man, I’d have to be an accountant. If I were a businessman, I’d have to abandon all manners of ethical choice. But, I’m a creative man. So I have to view the world as a malleable entity. I think John and I are the same loving hands teetering on the brink of insanity: We easily can skew our vision to fit the words that want to come out of our mouths. We can twist the reality that surrounds us to make sense of our own perceptions. We inspire each other. We can surpass concepts of what we think people want to see or hear, and create together an art form that people genuinely have no choice but to be a part of. The true creative being lies in the confidence that art is bullshit. There is only us being us. And, there is art that resides dormant in everyone…John and I just let it out. And I’m proud of that.

ABOUT SCOTT McCORMICK
Scott embodies a strange, wide and very deep set of talents.  He's a writer, singer, musician, raconteur, graphic designer, photographer, and fellow whiskey swiller of the finest proportions.  He's also a great friend.  You should hear the song he wrote about Christmas... it will break your craggy old heart.  I think I owe him $20.  ~ John C.

Filmmaker in Residence

A.C. Lloyd is JC&BFoL's Filmmaker in Residence, working on several music videos and other film projects in collaboration with the band, and inspired by the music.

About A.C. Lloyd

I am originally from the colorful town of Las Vegas, Nevada where I grew up surrounded by the desert and towering casinos. I attended high school at the Las vegas Academy for the Performing and Visual Arts before continuing my artistic studies at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in painting and photography. I soon after turned my attention toward film to incorporate my love of visual imagery, writing and music.

Beautiful Empty

Kelly Kievit is a longtime friend and an incredible artist. It doesn't matter if it's a painting, a photograph, an installation, her studio, her living space... everything she touches becomes deep and meaningful and beautiful. She's one of the most creative and fiercely unique people I know.

Kelly did all of the photography used in the design for the local release version Beautiful Empty (and much of this website as well).

Beautiful Empty

John's one of the coolest people I know. Oh, he's also an incredible engineer. Oh, and he'll break your heart with his pedal steel playing too. He engineered and mixed Beautiful Empty. We're making other records with him too. You'll see.

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

What we did for this project: Two members of The Umbrella Brigade, David Dyster and Derek Johnson, collaborated to create a music video/short film for the Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy. Derek, in all his writing ingenuity, created a beautiful story and David took that story to the place he knows best-behind the lens of a camera. Juan-Carlos Gomez, half comedian-half Columbian, has an amazing eye and donated portions of it towards the cinematagraphy.
 
The Umbrella Brigade is a collaboration of artists in Denver working together towards a greater goal: to inspire, to create, to change mindsets. In the words of one of our own: "The secret has been established. It will feed thousands. It will change perspectives. The limp will learn to walk, the hungry will eat, the blind will see. The deaf will hear."

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Mare is a crazy talented actor, writer, producer, director, book reader, publicist, plot hatcher and friend. Next time you get a chance to experience something that in which she's involved, take it. You can thank me later.

Beautiful Empty

Sam Hill was born in a forest made of blown speaker cones and old rusty radio towers.  She grew up in the hollowed out trunk of an eucalyptus tree tucked in a magical valley about halfway between here and there.  To stay warm, she made her nest out of old three quarter sleeve concert T's and pages torn out of mid century British romance novels.  She raised herself with guidance from discarded comic books and National Geographic mags from the very early 1980s.  These days, she makes her living translating the dreams of tourists and strays.  You can see her just about any day down by the quay.

John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light

Jennifer Newell is "Just a little bird floatin' on a hurricane."  She also frequents all things digital.

Beautiful Empty

Ann's Facebook page reads:

pedalpedalpedal, dirt and rocks, beautiful sunrises, the dark blue sky behind evergreens, a warm sunny embrace, my health and, of course, WES.

She also runs Cocura.  Ask her.

Short Film Conspiracy (Beautiful Empty)

THE BASIC IDEA
• A non-competitive short film festival inside of a CD release show and box art exhibit all inspired by the upcoming new record, named Beautiful Empty, from John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light to happen in Denver, CO
• Filmmakers from all backgrounds, skill levels, and artistic points of view are invited to make a short film inspired by a song from the new JC&BFoL record
• Filmmakers would pick a song from the new record (it will be made available to hear -- confidentially) to use in their work
• The goals are simple: creative collaboration, cross-pollination (of music, film, visual art and written word communities) and throwing a beautiful, memorable, one-of-a-kind event.

BEAUTIFUL EMPTY SHORT FILM CONSPIRACY

As soon as I turned 18 I packed up and headed to Colorado not sure why or what I would do.   A year later I got a job on a movie (where I met my future wife) and I have been addicted to the arts ever since.   I have worked on over 100 different productions in nearly every department.  I work mostly as a Director, Producer, and/or 1st Assistant Director – but that does not prevent me from doing whatever it takes.  The productions I have worked range from Movies, Television, Theatre, Commercials, Documentaries, Still Photography, Web, Short Films, Educational Films, Political Campaigns, Public Service Announcements, Corporate Videos, Industrials, Non-Profit Productions and others ranging from no budget to millions of dollars.  I have produced and/or directed films that have been a part film festivals across the country.  I am a member of many great organizations such as the Colorado Theatre Guild (Board Member), Denver Film Society, Colorado Film Video Association, Colorado Film Commission, Denver Open Media and others.  I am very grateful to be a part of the artistic community in Colorado and feel that it and the people I work with have shaped who I am today.

The Common Box Project

Take 65 artists from across the country, 65 simple wooden boxes, and the nuts and bolts of a new record by an indie songwriter and then mix it all together in a beautiful collaboration called the Common Box Project. Here's the basic idea:

1. John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light have a new record.
2. Alicia Bailey is an artist and gallery owner (Abecedarian Gallery) whose recent assemblage box art inspired them both with an idea...
3. A mixed media collaboration with artists of all types to create 65 unique pieces of assemblage box art that are inspired and/or informed by the new record.
4. A call is going out to artists from across the region (and country) to see who is interested in joining in this collaborative box art project.
5. 65 boxes have been crafted by artist/woodworker Nicolas Willert. Each box has been designed to hold a copy of the new CD (a secret place in the back of the box). 6. Each artist who is chosen to participate in the Common Box Project will be shipped a raw box and an artist kit containing materials related to the new John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light record intended to inspire/inform the artwork (audio, lyrics, images, stories, etc).
7. Each artist will then ship their completed assemblage box art piece to Abecedarian Gallery by late June. Each box will also hold a copy of the new record.
8. The Common Box Project listening party for the new record will be held Saturday, July 18, 7-10pm. Artists, fans, friends and press will all be invited.
9. Proceeds of each piece are split evenly between the gallery, the artist and the band.
10. Cool, huh???

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Andrea made a super cool short film inspired by the song Same Scar.

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

I am the father of two and a recovering corporate citizen who is trying to make films.

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

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Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Torrie Hansen began her production career at age 8 by recording and manipulating sounds on her parents old tape recorder. She founded a film club at her high school, became obsessed with music videos on MTV, and wrote/directed her own episode of “Tales From the Darkside”. She’s had several miserable attempts at having a “real” job, and finally decided to follow her bliss as a filmmaker. For the last decade Torrie has focused on short form documentary than intertwines beautiful images with stunning sounds. Her biggest passion is still the art form of music video.

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

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Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Patrick Mann has been performing on stage and film in Denver since 2006.  He is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, where he frequently performed in main stage productions and summer stock shows with Little Theatre of the Rockies.  Denver acting credits include Henry in Great Gain (Perception Films), Tom in Skeletons (Paper Cat Films), and Tuc in Mother Hicks (Firehouse Theatre Company).  Patrick is also co producer for Paper Cat Films (www.papercatfilms.com), a Denver based film company.

Beautiful Empty

How does one describe Naomi?  An energy tornado that brings people and things together in ways that just make everything better and more fun?  A) That was a horribly constructed sentence, B) that doesn't do her justice, C) but you know what I mean, don't you?

Beautiful Empty

Dave does lighting.  Dave does projection.  Dave does film.  Dave does sound.  Dave does story.  Dave makes your shows better.  Way better.

Beautiful Empty

Leighton Peterson makes films.  Leighton Peterson makes music.  Leighton Peterson makes love.  ALL AT THE SAME TIME. 

We love Leighton Peterson.

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Kristine Hipps is a filmmaker, writer, director, and founding co-producer of Papercat Films in Denver, CO. She worked for five years as a creative director, performer, and writer at The Second City in Chicago, and has an extensive resume of film, stage, commercial and voicover work. Her original stage play "Land of the Babydolls" was produced in New York City in 2008 by the Zenbaby Theater company, and she wrote, directed, and co-produced "The Monument", an indie horror film which took the award for first place feature at the Hauntcon Film Festival in 2006.

David Scott is a dreamerplannerdoer.

Beautiful Empty

My name is Mike Ligon, founder of HomeVibe Presents. I started HomeVibe out of my love for live music.

HomeVibe gives artists and fans a chance to experience quiet, acoustic sets of music in small venues. The "vibe" for these shows is meant to be intimate, giving the artists a chance to perform their songs in the most raw, pure form. HomeVibe shows give both the artist and the fans a chance to connect through music in a way that most venues cannot provide.

So, if you dig catching live local and national acts in small, comfortable settings, then you should check out a HomeVibe show soon!

I look forward to seeing you... ~ Mike