User Bio

SchmueyVision is work by Phil Loarie.

Over the years I 've had a few aliases which may confuse some of my visitors. Perhaps you might know me better as one of the following: Vaypid Schmuey, Max Luxstein, Fil Zilla, Luchenzo, or Dr. V. I. Hoodah Doodah.

February 21st, 2013
Happy Year of the snake to one and all. I find it a wonderful coincidence or is it serendipitous that I start the year of the snake with spending almost every weekend so far shooting freight trains. Snakes on the train, yikes! While I watch my rushes at night I am taken how trains and snakes are so alike, yes freight trains hiss and have long serpentine tails too. More train videos coming in the spring.

I have posted 17 new videos since September most are very short. As you can see I have 7 submissions lined up here of edited clips for One Day On Earth 12.12.12 as well as some new train pieces and a recap of 2012.

Just a short word on where I am headed in this year of the snake: Sub-cubism growing into full blown cubism with a dash of abstract expressionism and a fine surrealism sauce on top. As might be expected more trains, harbors, ships, and water reflections appear on the menu. Also, I am talking myself into getting a new computer with more horse power--we'll see.

Thanks for stopping by,
-Phil

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Highlights from 2012
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Phil gets into a TUFF one.

I am pleased to announce that the Toronto Urban Film Festival selected my “Blueprint for Travel rev. 1.2” for exhibition. This is part one of a three part work in progress. The piece was screened in the festival as well as on the video screens that serve the Toronto Transit System last September. The TUFF criteria included silent and exactly one minute. It blows my mind that my work was viewed by over 1 million commuters.

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2011 Highlights:
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In November 2011, my "Coot Crossing" won the Vimeo Weekend Project's "1 Minute: a Vimeo Project" challenge. Which is really nice since this was the 18th time I submitted work to the Weekend Project Group.
Thank you Blake and the Vimeo Staff !

vimeo.com/32540362

On July 24th, 2011, "Life In A Day" a film produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin MacDonald premiered in theaters across the USA. My moon clip was selected out of 80,000 submissions as the opening shot. Hope you enjoy it. Here is the link to my original submission: youtube.com/watch?v=mebm81J2h14.

Please note the link above presents the raw unedited clip which is about 7 minutes long. What is used in the movie as the opening shot is about a 1 minute of the moon in the center of the frame and sped up in post production so it is seen in the movie for about 16 seconds (00:01:12) and again near the end of the feature (at 01:29:06) for another 6 seconds.

Here is the link to the entire feature which is about 1 hour and 35 minutes:
youtube.com/movie?v=JaFVr_cJJIY&ob=av1e&feature=mv_sr

Here is a link to the trailer I made with Youtube's help:
youtube.com/watch?v=56HaS4zKyKw

My employer, the University of California released a short piece on me regarding my work in "Life in a Day" on July 21, 2011:
newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/07/21/lifeinaday/

Local paper chimes in (9-29-2011):
contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_19004486

How did "LIFE IN A DAY" fair at the box office?
find out here:
boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lifeinaday.htm

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1974 to 2008
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This Vimeo site is my showcase for presenting new videos, old movies, and works in progress as I return to making cinema after a 34 year hiatus while balancing this with my career position as a computer technician and systems administrator for the University of California's Berkeley Campus, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department.

My passion for motion pictures and music goes back to when I was in high school where I learned about film making at Notre Dame High School for Boys in Niles, Illinois while I played bass in a local blues band (East-West) in my home town, Deerfield.

I don't think you have to have a college degree to make interesting movies, even though I do have a bachelor's degree in cinema and an MFA in electronic music. And I don't think you have to go to a fancy school to create interesting videos or music but rather feed your passion for motion pictures and music with all the learning opportunities that come your way.

I produced a hand full of nonobjective, abstract, 16mm films while in college and due to budget constraints I limited my work to electronic music, still photography, and playing blues guitar since 1975. Back then, many of us dreamed of portable, digital cameras and affordable digital multi-track recorders and mixers.

Along the way I had several opportunities to work as an "extra" when many Hollywood features were shot in the San Francisco Bay Area during the mid 1980s. Films included: "The Right Stuff". "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom", and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home". This was a wonderful way to learn how the pros do it with a full compliment of crews covering the lighting, camera, sound, props, wardrobe etc.

In 2008, I got back on the road to short digital movies as the cameras, etc became so affordable. I recall my cinema professor at SIU (Dr. Richard Blumenberg) quoting Jean Cocteau, "Film will only become an art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper. " Certainly, cheap digital pocket cameras that can render both digital still photography and VGA (640 x 480) video are a gateway to what Cocteau was talking about. Add Windows Movie Maker which is free and bundled in all Windows operating systems or iMovie for you Mac heads and you are on your way.

Another gem that sticks in my mind from the late SIU-C professor Richard M. Blumenberg's classes, "Motion is the defining characteristic of life." This is my mantra. This is my prayer. May I be so blessed as to capture something that moves and glows with grace and transparency.

Since 2008 I have made over 100 short videos most to these are posted here.

Thanks for visiting,
-Phil Loarie