Collaborators

TEDxDU | Radical Collaboration

TEDxDU
“Using a bold mix of humor, science, technology, music and more, the TEDxDU event will feature a combination of DU students, alumni and faculty, along with other innovators who are taking action to improve the world,” Robert Coombe, chancellor of the University of Denver, says. “We envision TEDxDU as a gigantic collaboration engine to share our commitment of improving the human condition.”

ABOUT TED
TED is an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they are most passionate about. “TED” stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design—three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. And in fact, the event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any discipline. Attendees have called it “the ultimate brain spa” and “a four-day journey into the future.” The diverse audience — CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists—is almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and Bono.

TED was first held in Monterey, Calif., in 1984. In 2001, Chris Anderson’s Sapling Foundation acquired TED from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. In recent years, TED has expanded to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TED Talks and TED.com; TEDx, a program to license TED to independent organizers around the world; and the TED Prize.

To date, there have been over 600 TEDx events, with over 700 more planned, in 88 countries. TED videos have been viewed 319 million times since the launch of TED.com.

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.

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 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."

Film Collaboration | Film Conspiracy

David Quakenbush is an artist, photographer and guerilla filmmaker in the Denver underground film scene. He also works as a videographer/multimedia designer at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, where he creates content for web-based art + design classes.

He holds a BA in philosophy from Colorado State University and is graduate of Colorado Film School's writing/directing program.

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.

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

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

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

Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

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

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.

Beautful Empty Short Film Conspiracy

I'm a writer and traveler, and I do them both pretty well.  But i can't make music and i can't make films, so when i heard about the call for entries for The Beautiful Empty I called my film maker friend Dave (of the Umbrella Brigade) and put him on the job, and we ended up with the film you'll see for 'Can You Hear Me'.

I have the good luck and pleasure of knowing people like John and Dave and many others with incredible skill sets including the folks I work with at Love Hope Strength.  This international cancer foundation works toward the eradication of the disease by, as we say, "setting up one cancer center in every country that needs one, one concert at a time."  Please visit lovehopestrength.org to learn more.