This is where thoughts become things.

Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my personal lair on the Internet. This is where I write about storytelling, activism, technology and pop culture. Sometimes I post videos. I update my lair when the mood strikes me. Follow me on Twitter for daily updates (@dcap).

Tag : interview

Press: AM & DCAP on Fatcap.com

Graffiti/street art/lifestyle/community portal Fatcap.com recently did an interview with AM on our residency in Paris. They included photos from my Paris series and some of my videos. I love the way my photo looks on their homepage so wanted to capture it for my memories:

Fatcap interview with AM and DCAP

Excerpt from AM’s interiew:

Are there any current projects you are working on, and what should we look for next from you?

Well Paris is the first stop for this film, we are planning on going to Argentinaand South Africa. I am also working on a new series of cityscapes inspired by my travels when I return to NY. I have a solo show coming up in Philly this winter and I will be painting at Art Basel in Miami. YOUNITY also has another exhibition coming up next fall.

I like that my photo on their homepage is an example of the diverse talents that people with a graffiti/street art background often have. When I wasn’t documenting AM wheatpasting, catching tags, or doing pieces, there were plenty of moments like these where she was in her studio immersed in printmaking or other mediums.

No “street artist” is the same. Some show their work in galleries, others keep it on trains and tunnels. Many graffiti writers these days have art degrees, while others barely finished High School. Some stencil and tag but still decline the “writer” or “street artist” label. Despite each unique circumstance, the love for art and a desire to express themselves is what ultimately ties street artists together.

I can’t wait to document more female graffiti artists like AM in my remaining days in NYC and when I am in CA for three months. You can find more updates on my progress on http://grrrlweinparis.tumblr.com.

My Encounter With Horror Icon George A. Romero

On May 17, 2010, I produced and shot an interview between MTV Tr3s Associate Producer Sandra Roldán and director George A. Romero. “Survival of the Dead” hits theaters today (May 28), but I already saw it on May 2nd, so HA HA! *Nelson laugh*

Did I mention I am an insane zombie fan?

We’ve been rolling out clips and related blog posts from the interview on Blogamole.

Here is one of my favorites:

This shoot was a labor of love. As many folks already know, MTV Tr3s is in the middle of a huge reboot. In addition to changing the brand to Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the channel and all online & mobile properties have a bunch of surprises for July 12.

Suffice it so say, my team and I have been incredibly busy and don’t have time for many shoots between now and July. When I found out that there wasn’t anyone available from production, I had to make a quick decision. Romero or no Romero? Did I even have to ask myself that? HELLO.

It was an easy decision to collaborate with Sandra on this shoot. She is a fan as well, and despite our insane workload, we knew we couldn’t pass this up. We slammed through other assignments, prepped a list of questions, coordinated with Romero’s team and made it happen, DIY style.

I shot the interview on a Panasonic DVX100B, the only camera that was readily available. We had wireless lav issues so luckily we can prepared with a stick mic. Romero felt comfortable sitting in front of a sun-filled window, so we did the best that we could with the set up.

After the shoot, I kept a laptop near my desk and edited our clips on Final Cut (while simultaneously working on my PC). During some parts of the day, I would be editing with my right hand while typing with my left.

Right now, we have a standing marquee promo on MTVTr3s.com that links to our ongoing coverage. We’ll be rolling out content until mid June.

And those, my friends, are the crazy lengths that fans go to.

It was refreshing to be around a director who was very down-to-earth, friendly and open. I am sure it didn’t hurt that Sandra is easy on the eyes; at one point I needed Romero to look in her direction and asked him if he would. He responded playfully by saying “No, I definitely don’t mind looking at her!” His energy was like a rough around the edges, mischievous uncle.

At the end of the interview, I told Romero what I thought about “Tomboy,” one of the characters in “Survival of the Dead.” I shared that I was glad he made the most intelligent and longest-surviving star of the film an (openly) queer Latina soldier.

His eyes literally twinkled when he replied, smiling:

“Yes, when you’re not jailed by the system you can show characters that normally don’t get represented, it’s nice.”

That statement and his cheerful response totally made up for the fact that “Tomboy” is masturbating wildly for no apparent reason in her opening scene.

My interpretation for that scene is that initially we don’t know “Tomboy” is a lesbian and sexualizing her made it easier for the audience to see her as feminine/attractive/acceptable after her identity is revealed. She has a very confident personality and the other characters respect and care for her.

I suspect that the gratuitous wacking off was just a spoonful of perverted sugar to make her reality go down for the boys in the audience.

GO, ROMERO!

Q&A With RAT TABLE Creator Jeeves Basu

Ben. Willard’s Socrates. Splinter. The Bubonic Plague. The Secret of NIMH. The word ‘rat’ might conjour the aformentioned pop culture zeitgeists, but these misunderstood rodents have never been poised to change the face of design — until now.

Enter RAT TABLE: a miraculous object that will be created entirely by rats.

(Visit RATTABLE.COM for project updates, video previews and more.)

Is RAT TABLE simply Jeeves Basu‘s crazy art project, a statement on commercialism or an ingenius marketing stunt? Like a pair of tiny incisors gnawing a small hole underneath your bedroom door, time will reveal.

If the recent Cool Hunting blurb on Rat Table left you unsatisfied, indulge your obession with Rattus norvegicus on The Lair and take a peek into the twisted, brilliant mind of Jeeves Basu … (more…)