Gaelyn and I decided to get wild and hopped a plane up to Davis to go to a friend's baby shower. We stayed the night, and made a fun trip of it. The next day we rode metro bikes around Sacramento and checked out a couple different fancy coffee spots. This was the first, and where we ate breakfast. A wonderful spot downtown, but a bit on the North Eastern side. An easy bike ride and plenty of great options to eat. Plus the art for the beans is wonderful.
This Is Not A Nice Sport
Wow. Well, it's been about 2 years since we initially shot and edited this short documentary about an amateur boxer named Cesar Rocha. Unfortunately I ran into a bit of a problem releasing this for public consumption over the last year or so. It's too bad, because I thought this was a pretty nice story on a young man that I've grown to know so well over the past 3 or 4 years.
When I look back on this piece now it feels dated and old. Mostly because my abilities have progressed over the past few years. I wish I would've been able to feel comfortable putting this out in the world earlier. Yet, that's the way it goes sometimes.
Either way, I hope you enjoy this piece I did just for the passion of story telling. We didn't make any money on this, in fact, I submitted it to about 10 film festivals, and it only got into one. Plus I had to pay for the usage of the gym. So, this is all about the passion for story telling.
Hope you enjoy.
Patches On Swiss Army Blankets
Here's a little fatherhood post for you that may have been missing that from me over the past, oh I dunno. Year maybe?
A while back I picked up these replica Swiss Army Blankets from Amazon. I liked the wool vibe and gave the room a bit of an outdoorsy feel. The best part is these were not super expensive. Which isn't always the case when talking about wool blankets.
Over the past few years our family has been collecting these iron-on-patches from different trips, friends or occasions. We hadn't really come up with a great idea for how to display them or in a way in which we'd have the opportunity to enjoy them for years and years.
I'd come up with the idea of putting them on the wool blankets. Naturally my wife wasn't super sold on the idea, so I had to take matters into my own hands and iron them on myself.
I liked the offset vibe of the patches giving it a bit of an off-center vibe and channeling a militaristic or Boy Scout style aesthetic.
Now here's to hoping they don't rip off during the night.
2017: Year In Review
This year started and ended with a bang. Like any year previous, two thousand and seventeen wasn’t without it’s inevitable disappointments. Personally and professionally I experienced incredible triumphs and dealt with catastrophes. Yet, the year in a whole was nothing short of large strides forward. We traveled more this year than in the previous two or three. We had the chance to completely remodel our entire backyard from scratch. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying adventures in the world that surrounds us. Elliot started preschool and we have begun the exhaustive search for Kindergarten. We have let go of the weight that has been dragging us down and tried our best to attach ourselves to situations, places and people that make us feel good. There is much more to take care of in the coming years, and two thousand seventeen has set us on the correct path forward. I was able to accomplish many of the creative project’s I had wanted to do this year and I want to thank those of you who have been following along on my professional and personal journey. Although I am still trying to figure out the best way for my “Jenkins Family Stories” series to exist in the world. I appreciate those of you who have kept up with us throughout those changes and adjustments. I look forward to many more mutually meaningful conversations with you in the new year.
In another post I’ll write and two establish some goals for 2018, but for now let’s look back and laugh at the last three hundred and sixty five days.
Thank you for another year
John Jenkins and The Jenkins Family
Babylon LA & Trash Talk
A Letter To Old Friends,
I'm mind blown. I'm beyond impressed. I'm so unbelievably proud to have known you for many years, and watch what you've done creatively. I know so much time has passed by since we were close. You may not take much stock in what this old father of two children has to say. My opinion may mean very little. Yet, I've always watched the moves you guys have made and the directions you've taken all of your creative endeavors. I'm proud. And I will forever be impressed.
Love,
John Jenkins (eightclip)
Cognoscenti Coffee
I've been to Cognoscenti Coffee probably a hundred times. I had always thought of them as a coffee curation café. They find some different, new, desirable bean. Then they serve it to their customers as a taster of what that coffee roaster has to offer. It's a fun way to enjoy different beans from around the world. However, apparently over the past year or so, they've started to roast their own bean right here in Los Angeles.
Typically, I bought a bag just to try it out. It's a light roast, and it sits right on top of your tongue. It reminds me a lot of a Ritual Coffee roast, which isn't necessarily my favorite, but it'd do the trick. I'm just glad to have another Los Angeles coffee roaster. Take Flight, Cognoscenti Coffee, and a few others. I'm going to do my best to seek out more Los Angeles local coffee roasters.
Cognoscenti Coffee
6114 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Legacy Boxing Gym
Inspiration: California. A Surfing Film
Santos Beans
If you read this blog you're probably also aware that the family and I spent some time in Los Cabos Mexico this Summer. While we were visiting we took a day drive up the coast to Todos Santos which was probably our best experience the whole trip. We found a little 3rd-Wave spot in Todos Santos and had a cup of coffee and I couldn't pass up a bag of beans.
Inspiration: Still KD Through The Noise
Take Flight Coffee
This is a new experience that I hadn't really known about. I believe I bought this box of coffee at a placed called Go Get 'Em Tiger in Los Angeles.
I looked up the company and got a bit more of a backstory which really intrigued me. At this point in my life I'm captured by small brands that have a story. That have an experience they want to share and Take Flight is one of those kinds of brands.
D.I.Y. King Sized Modern Bed Frame
This post is long overdue, but I found some extra time this week and I'm just finishing up some of these projects that have been clogging my hard drive.
Earlier this year my wife and I decided to finally upgrade our bed size. For the length of our relationship we've shared either a full or queen sized bed. However now, with the introduction of two little boys, we're finding that the queen will no longer suffice when the entire family needs to share the bed. Plus, I'm 6 foot 3 inches and over two hundred pounds, so I've been on a recent crusade to update my world to a size that works for me.
The Backyard Renovation Film
Films for My Boy's
Have you seen this film yet?
My boy's and I were playing with the race track in the back yard and I tried to capture our fun on the "slo-mo" setting in the camera on my iPhone. I happened to notice that the camera was really holding it's focus super well and the racetrack itself seemed to last for 10-15 seconds.
I shot the piece from a few different angles giving myself the editorial coverage that I'd need if perhaps I had a moment to assemble these shots into a small piece. During the edit process it became pretty clear to me that this thing was pretty cool. I sound designed the entire piece and added a really energetic piece of music. Then I took it a step further and picked a few shots to which I would add some visual effect.
When my boys saw what I evenatually finihsed up with they were drop jawed and so excited. We must have watched it a hundred times and this wasn't the first time we tried to do something like this.
D.I.Y. Our Entire Backyard Renovation
"The Fear Of Weeding Out" by Ross Farrar
I'd met Ross over a decade ago. We were both from the San Francisco Bay Area. He in the far North Bay, and I out East.
At the time he had started singing for what I considered a half joke band called Hammertime. They had an energy that was pretty palpable. It was hard to deny the fact that Ross exuded something that hardcore punk kids could latch onto.
Soon after he and a few other of my buddies started the Hardcore/Punk/Indie powerhouse band Ceremony. They were incredible, and they haven't slowed since their inception. They're incredible, and if you're reading this, you probably know or have known someone in the band of heard of the band. If you haven't, do yourself a favor get to YouTube.
Although our lives have diverged quite over the last ten or so years, I've tried to keep an eye on what Ross, and Anthony from Ceremony have been doing on the side. Ross recently has taken to studying literature, which I thought was just incredible and I secretly really wanted to start reading his work.
Anthony started a new small run press company called First Letter Press. The first two items published were works by Anthony and Ross respectively. I bought both of the books because I had toyed with the idea of writing more, and doing something like this for myself and loved the concept completely.
Both written pieces are incredible, and for many different reasons, but most specifically. They both remind me of my old friends Anthony and Ross.
I specifically want to point you towards the story called "Fear Of Weeding Out." by Ross Farrar.
If only so you can enjoy an extremely well crafted retrospective on the idea of missing out on something. Not just a night out with your friends, or an excellent outdoor desert music festival, but the concept of actually mis-understanding someone, something or some place.
Although I'd beg to argue with Ross that maybe missing things is ok, because a person's unique interpretation of reality is exactly what makes us human. The task for me personally is that I'd like to understand my interpretation of reality, and then try my best to understand other's perception's of reality. Thus trying to comprehend reality from all view points. Yes, this is exhausting, but to be completely honest. I've tried to do this since I was very young. I think that's why in college I gravitated towards sociological courses, and have found myself interested in non-fictional story telling and filmmaking. These things fall right in line with my desire to want to hear an argument, hear a counter argument. Hear a response to counter-arguments and then finally come to my own opinion on the subject.
So I don't necessarily worry about missing out, or weeding out because I know that we are all on different path's with different perceptions of reality. I just try to live the best I can in that day. Whether it be great, good, bad or terrible. Or, maybe I missed the point entirely. Either way, go and read Ross and Anthony's work and form your own opinion on it.
Advice
This letter came across my feed again this morning. I know that I've read it before and I'm sure that all of you have read it as well. However, it's yet again a friendly reminder and/or confirmation of how your path is taking shape. At some point I'll record some audio clips of this letter and post here so that I can have them to play and replay in the car to remind myself that accidentally already live my life the way that this author suggests. Go get to it.
Read Below:
Saint Frank Coffee Roasters
I can’t remember where we were sitting, but from over my tiny cappuccino this giant “F” caught my eye. On closer inspection I realized it was by a brand I’d heard of before called St. Frank. In fact, I’m pretty sure this company is owned or run by someone I know personally, though honestly I’m not quite sure anymore.
The packaging is “Wow” and jumps off the shelf. I was excited to brew a batch of St. Frank out of San Francisco at home.
A few things to note about the roast as realized from the label on the front. This roast was called the “Las Nubes” from Honduras. Even more intimate information tells me that it was grown by Alexi Moreno in El Cedral, Santa Barbara Honduras. How awesome is that? It truly brings a face to the farmer that created the first thing you drink in the morning.
This roast is “YEOWZA”. A very light roast that almost hits you like a ton of bricks. Usually I’m slightly offended by flavor like this, but for some reason in St. Frank’s capacity, it was wonderful. Sure it had me bouncing off the walls making my 3 year old say “whats up with papa?” But he wasn’t complaining when I was ready to play with him all day.
This thing is great, and hopefully some day I’d like to enjoy St. Frank in it’s natural habitat. The city by the bay.
Saint Frank Coffee
2340 Polk Street,
San Francisco, CA 94109
The 2016 Holiday Greeting
I thought I'd do a little write up on my business Holiday Greeting card this year. Otherwise, you know, all that work only gets seen by maybe forty people tops. This is just another piece of creative that I made at the end of the year to say thank you to all of the client's I had the opportunity to work with over two thousand sixteen.
First off, a little business card pictured top. Paired with a "thank you" note, a picture of some coffee. I bag of Blue Bottle's Perfect Grind all placed into an envelope for delivery.
Excuse the wrinkled envelope. My tiny boy Elliot got a hold of the card before I could take a picture of it.
The Blue Bottle perfect grind packets have worked well for me as far as gifts go. They're small, easy to ship, taste great, and are the perfect compliment to my personality (love of coffee, and need for caffeine).
Inside the "Thank You" note was a list of very confidential thank you letters, and personal messages. However, there was also a link to a fun little film I made specifically for my 2016 clients.
Now being about four months removed, may as well show it off. It's a bit of a rendition of my "Coffee for the Creative" film, but with a yearly twist. I linked to an unlisted URL which is below as well as a short film of "thanks."
http://www.johneightclip.com/thanks2016
