2011 Vancouver Pride Parade

Every year at the end of July (on the civic holiday long weekend), the Vancouver Pride Parade occurs.  Hundreds of thousands of spectators stream in to the downtown of Vancouver, and many community groups and flamboyant floats parade about in the rainbow patterned streets.

Even old people. 

And dogs. 

And... uhh... police bear.

I was in an area where there were missing fences, and people kept getting in the way of the floats, crossing the street.  There were tons of security people yelling at the mob to stop getting in the way of the giant mechanical floats... because... you know, they'll get run over.  But people kept doing it anyways literally running back and forth while laughing, because parade spectators are annoying and belligerent, that's just how it is.  The security guys were quite frustrated, yelling the whole time.  Should have got more fences boys.

See more photos at my flickr!

San Diego Comic-con: Black Cat Cosplay Photoshoot

 Meet Black Cat

I wasn't actually at Comi-Con.  This was a photoshoot I did for Black Cat, she requested I take some nice photos of her before she headed out to San Diego.

This is basically a portrait shoot, a zone I'm very comfortable with.  It just happened that the client was dressed in a costume.  I guess it wasn't so strange, I seem to do a lot of these weird kind of photoshoots.  I should just rebrand my self as a cosplay photographer.

 Outdoor Garden.  We got a couple looks.

And this type of portrait shoot, I can jump pump out the photos, since I don't need to do any post-processing.  The make up and costume pretty much does all the work for me, and I'm here to document the work (the cosplay) anyways, not create my own painting in faux-shop.

 A few shots for green screen.

Black Cat leads Frodo out of Moria

But... I did take some photos in green screen so I can make some weird comps. 


You can find a few of the photos at my flickr!

She was popular enough to be interviewed by NBC Here

Bboy Jam: Filthee Feet 10 year Anniversary 2011

I came out to this one because a friend I haven't seen in years was competing in it.

Now, I shoot in night clubs a lot, and I've shot performance dance before, so I thought I would know what to expect.  This was totally different though.  People communicated to eachother through the power of dance.  Everyone was a bboy (bgirl?), and they were all dancers.  I was pretty much the only spectator, an outsider entering their world to document the unfolding events.

Seriously, it was weird.  No rules (that I could understand anyhow), people got right up to the dancers, forming a circle.  Now, I've seen this when I went to some clubs and parties where they had breakdance performers, but I thought that was just because it gets pretty cramped at a club.  No, this was a big gym with plenty of space.  It's just how things are.

Some details:
Apparently this was for something called the IBE Qualifier.  Some sort of international breakdance competition, and the top 8 bboys in Canada will go to Holland for a convention called "Notorious IBE".

See the full photo set at: Flickr

Nerd Stuff Below

Lisa's Night Out

This is a short film being produced by House of Leo Productions. It is a young woman's journey of discovery of her sexuality, and promises to be sexy and funny. It will be submitted to several niche film festivals, with the focus bring the LGBT-oritented festivals.

Screenplay by Mauri Bernstein
Directed by Lauren Holmes
Produced by Stephen Sawchuk
Cinematography by James Choi

Portion of the profits will be donted to Vancouver-based LGBT Charity! Click the link to find out how you can contribute to this project.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Lisas-Night-Out

Vancouver Stanley Cup Hockey Playoffs 2011 Riot

Everything was on fire. Mobs looting stores and setting them on fire. Few individuals tried to stop them, the rest cheered at the destruction.

The stores are smashed open, and are quickly looted.  There is large lineups trying to get in to loot the stores.  The pillagers flaunt their spoils.  Handful of people step in to stop the crowd.  The mob is displeased that the show is interrupted.  These select individuals take it upon themselves to discourage the rioters.  The rest cavort about in reckless abandon.

Police took back the streets step by step, behind shields and backed up by loud speakers.  The crowd has numbers, and brave few throws garbage as the officers.  The cops sit there and take it.  One member of the mob steps forward to show off to his audience.  The officer takes a single step forward, and The crowd turns in to a sea of cowards running past me in fear of retribution.  There is no strength in this gathering, no unity.  It is a amorphous conglomeration of chaos.

 

 

Cars are smashed, flipped, and set ablaze.  It took a few to start, but many join in, and those who don't are quick to cheer and give shouts of encouragement.  Riot tourists step in to pose for photos beside the burning wreckage.  This incites the rioters to further acts of destruction, they are eager to please the crowd.

Another fire, more glass breaks, a man stand upon a bench, plunder in hand.  The crowd cheers in encouragement, and more breaks in to loot.  They are united in purpose of destruction and lawlessness.  There is too few willing to step in to stop this madness.  At this point almost everyone has taken sides as active participants: those very few who will stand against it, and the vast majority who cheer and yell in the exultation of mayhem.  They are outnumbered at least one to a hundred.  Rest watch in silence.

*I don't know anything about hockey, and I'm not a fan in any way.  I would never have entered the streets but I was forced out by a fire set to my building.  All of this is within the block of where I live.

New Projects coming up

Just a status update letting you know I'm working on a few projects at the moments.  Expect to see some green screen lighting guides soon.

The Goblin Market. And New Webpage.

I'm in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada right now making this update.  I'm the cinematographer for the film "The Goblin Market"

A young woman's journey to the under belly, to confront those who claimed her sister's innocence, risks her own seduction.


Sounds sexy.  I will be providing the cinematography and editing for this film.  And some equipment.  I will list my equipment soon.

And check out my new webpage at:

http://jchoi.ca