“I am bad at interviewing people. I avoid situations in which I have to talk to anyone’s press agent. (This precludes doing pieces on most actors, a bonus in itself.) I do not like to make telephone calls, and would not like to count the mornings I have sat on some Best Western motel bed somewhere and tried to force myself to put through the call to the assistant district attorney. My only advantage as a reporter is that I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests. And it always does. That is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling somebody out.” (Didon, xiv)

For the month of June…
-Finish up promo photographs of songwriter/producer Jesse Owen Astin
-Edit of a live concert video of Band of Skulls “Light of the Morning”
-London>Amsterdam>Paris for 2 1/2 weeks
-New photographs of Josiah Leming
-Release of photo series with Lily Charlotte
-Summer promotions/event for The Motley
-Prepare to move into my downtown loft

It’s on.

From my latest photo shoot.

Los Angeles as a twenty-one year old… I don’t feel like I know this city so much anymore.  It is entirely different.  I’ve been off of school for a couple of days now and I’ve been able to spend some quality time around Los Angeles.  It is a bit uncomfortable, but I’m breaking in fast.

Many exciting things are happening this Summer…  Stay tuned from some new photographs on the site because I’m pulling out the Hasselblad this upcoming weekend for a couple of shoots!  I’ll also be going back into the darkroom to finish printing my series of photographs of Josiah Leming.  If you didn’t get a chance to purchase one of the limited prints, shoot an e-mail to inquire@mediacollective.tv – they’re still available.  To those that I owe prints to, thanks for holding in there.  They’ll be ready early next week!

In early June, I’m heading across the Atlantic Ocean to London for five days, Paris for nine and Barcelona for three.  I’m extremely excited about getting back to Londontown although I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be doing there!  That’ll all get figured out with time, but I’m sure that photographs will be taken!

I’m also planning a trip up the western Coast (a summer without a trip up north is a summer not lived.)  How could a California native get to Paris before trekking up to Seattle?

Over the next couple of weeks, The Media Collective will launch a new website and web store.  Along with a bunch of new work in the portfolio, the web store feature the limited prints, some new posters that I’ll be making and t-shirts designed for a limited edition artist series that we’ll be unveiling in about a month.

Lastly, my birthday present to myself was huge (and I’d hope much deserved…)  I’ll be moving into an incredible loft in the Historic Core are of downtown Los Angeles in late July.  It has incredible views of old buildings, provides a good platform for Rear Window-esque lurking (creepy), brick walls and wood floors, and easy access to an El Pollo Loco across the street (I’m personally more excited about the cool restaurants and bars that are opening up though.)  It’ll act as the headquarters of The Media Collective as well.

That is all for now.  If you aren’t already, be sure to follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/mattruggieri) for updates.

Happy birthday to my twin brother.  He’s coming back to the west coast on Saturday and we have some major celebrations in the works.

Gracie Hardy asked me a couple of questions and posted it on her blog.  Check it out at:
http://youwantmetorun.blogspot.com/2010/05/matthew-taylor-ruggieri-filmmaker.html

name:
Matthew Taylor Ruggieri

occupation:
Dreamer, filmmaker & photographer with an interest in music documentaries.

playlist at the moment:
BRMC, Cat Power, Coldplay, The XX, Bob Dylan, and The Allman Brothers, Wilco. I’m also waiting for the new Steel Train album.


reading at the moment:
“A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway

who is your hero?
The smiling old man that would greet everyone on the T in Boston.

what is it you most dislike about your occupation?
Getting to know my subject, capturing their core and then letting it go…all in the matter of hours or days. Letting go isn’t easy when I’m the one that walks away with the footage.

present state of mind?
Contemplative.

what is happiness to you?
Waking up, feeling rested with a blank mind, sun shining, grabbing the camera and hitting the road. Seeing things I’ve never seen before and meeting people that I’ve never met.

the perfect day:
(see above)

what is your daily uniform?
Button down, black jeans and boots.

favorite artist (of any kind)?
Ed Ruscha

favorite colour?
That yellow-greenish tone that you’ll see every once in a while below the pink in the sun’s setting sky.

3 things you can’t live without?
Socks, film, and music.

most accomplished moment?
The moment I stepped foot in London and then the moment I left. Those were the two moments that I realized that I have the coolest job in the world.

last great flick you’ve seen?
Harold and Maude.

future?
Let me know if you have a clue.

These are the people that worked wonders:::

The entire film crew.

Josiah and I

Testing the live feed.

Soundcheck.

Action.

Photographs by Kevin Marciano

May always calls for change and it is a habit to revamp The Media Collective website every summer.  So, keep your eyes out for a spankin new website within the next three weeks.  It is going to look entirely different and I’m spending a ton of time rebranding the company.  I’ve also commissioned a kick-ass artist to do some limited prints that will be on sale in the store. Of course there will be some new work up as well. I’m so excited for all of the change.  Check back at the blog and I’ll let you know when it’s up!

Cheers.

Josiah Leming’s Live Stickam Webcast from the Gibson Showroom last night had over 45,000 viewers throughout the show with an average of 2,900 people watching at all times.  Congratulations Josiah!  Thanks to the Gibson Showroom for letting us shoot there and special thanks to my video crew for making such a stunning live video feed happen: Dan Dobi, Vinnie Ferra, Isabelle Ahadzadeh, Kevin Marciano, and Madison Ruggieri – you guys rocked.

Unfortunately, the Stickam recorder didn’t record the show.  I’m currently trying to figure out how we can get one of our master files online so you all can see it.

Thanks again!

I will be directing a multi-camera live video shoot of Josiah Leming at the Gibson Showroom at 6:30PST tonight. You can check it out at www.stickam.com/josiahleming!