MadJava Production Journal

Merry Christmas: A Year Long Wrap Up, or How We Spent The Year 2010

2010-12-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

Is it really that time of the year already? Have y'all bought your gifts, wrapped them up fondly, and baked your holiday pies? (And not necessarily in that order?)

The past 2010 year had seemed like a blur at times, and had seemed sluggishly slow at times. Most of the year was spent working at New Mexico State University, for their local PBS station, KRWG-TV. We actually started back in October 2009, and officially ended in November 2010. The show we produced was about agriculture, about how your food (and other items) gets to your table or home. Here's a write up from one of our bosses, Glen Cerny describing our project.

Here's Madeline and cameraman Eddie Hernandez shooting during cotton harvest back in October 2009.

We managed to produce 13 half hour episodes. Initially, it was just the two of us, with the occasional help from other cameramen, like Eddie Hernandez. But after a few grueling months of trying to produce 13 episodic half hour shows, KRWG hired a second camera/editor, Joe Widmer, to help us along.

Jeff and Madeline at a cattle ranch near Playas, New Mexico in December of 2009.

Not all of our year was spent on this project (though it felt like we were often times consumed by it). We've had an addition to our family...a puppy! We came home after work, and while washing my hands at the sink, I looked out the kitchen window and noticed a puppy moving around the flower bed. I yell out, "Holy $#@! What the hell is that!?!" And Madeline raced in madly to see what the ruckus was and I point outside toward the puppy. Well, to make a long story short, we named the puppy "OhNo", cause he's a little terror around the house and we'd always shout an expletive everytime and any time he did something.

The many faces of OhNo. (We really did decide to get rid of him. And that lasted all of one week!)

We also adopted a cat from the Anselmo Family in Upland, CA. Her name is "P.O." or "PeeOh", cause my Dad and sister Jenny found her at a post office many years ago. She's a tiny, old cat; and seems right at home here in Texas.

Here's P.O. helping us go through our laundry. Man, I really have to put those clean clothes away!

And so, after finishing such a monumental video project, we're glad to have some time off, and we got to visit some friends and family in California before the holidays. (And Madeline even made time for a short visit with dear friends in St. Louis! I'm going with her next time :)

Cousin Naomi, sister Jenny, nephews Aaron and Loren enjoying some Japanese BBQ at Gyu-Kaku in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

We joined our friends Tom, Lee, Marlene, David, Mark, and Crystal for brunch at the Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach, CA. We even took a stroll at the beach, to glimpse the Pacific Ocean.

Afterward, we traveled to Monument Valley to help out Nathan and Christy for their monumental move to Elephant Butte, NM. It was a bittersweet move for them as they said their goodbyes to lifelong friends in Monument Valley, packed up the trailer, and headed out for their new life in New Mexico.

Nathan, Christy, and their dog Gizmo at their old Monument Valley home. The first of two trailers they packed, amongst the monuments. Merrick, Vivi, and Dessa strapped and ready for the long drive.

All in all, through some challenging times, we've felt very blessed and very lucky. We have family and friends that we love and love us. And that's what we're really thankful for. The next year holds really good promise for us. (And there may be a few surprises along the way!) We wish y'all love and happiness in the coming year.

Elephant Butte Weekend Of Lights December 2009

2009-12-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks!

We've been away a while from our blog lately, and haven't been keeping up. (But some of you are updated with our Facebook pages :)

Here's a recent 30 second commercial we put together for the Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce which aired in El Paso, on an ABC-channel affiliate. It has footage we shot many years ago, just a few months after we got our video camera.

Anyway, enjoy the commercial (voiced by the lovely Madeline :), and we promise to stay a bit more current with our blog.

Elephant Butte Events for 2009

2009-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is a commercial produced for the Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce, and will be airing on ABC Channel affiliate KVIA in El Paso, TX starting in September.

The footage was captured from 2007 (for the Elephant Man Triathlon), and from 2008 (for the Elephant Butte Days Celebration, and for the Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta). We actually shot all the footage with our small HDV-cam, the Canon HV30, and we're really amazed with the spectacular results! (Y'all might also notice Madeline's lovely voice narrating this piece :)

Enjoy!

Cumbres and Toltec Railroad Opening Day May 2009

2009-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from the opening day of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, back on Memorial Day weekend, May 2009, in Chama, NM. We interviewed Tim Tennant, president of the Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad about being a volunteer to help maintain the trains and railroads, and to educate folks about the history of the railroad.

It was a cold, and sometimes rainy day when we were shooting. But the amazing scenery and the train ride more than made up for it!

Opening Day for Cumbres & Toltec Railroad May 2009 from Jeff Anselmo on Vimeo.

Santa Rosa. Naturally!

2009-07-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Just finished putting together this short video clip for the city of Santa Rosa, NM, also known as the City of Natural Lakes.

We had alot of fun in Santa Rosa, really enjoying the natural beauty it has to offer.

Hope you like it!

Elephant Butte Inn & Ivory Spa and Marina Del Sur Commercials

2009-06-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are two commercials produced for the Elephant Butte Inn & Ivory Spa and for Marina Del Sur located in Elephant Butte, NM. These started airing early in May in El Paso on an ABC-affiliate channel.

Sierra County NM May 2009

2009-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

The month of May 2009 has been really busy for us. We've travelled up and down the state of New Mexico, going up north to Chama, NM, then finally south to Carlsbad, NM. We hope to post photos and videos of our travels soon.

Anyway, here is a 30 second commercial we produced for the cities of Truth Or Consequences, and Elephant Butte New Mexico which airs on an ABC-affiliate channel in El Paso.

Enjoy!

2009-05-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

This video was shot back in November 2008, a week before Thanksgiving, and a week before our friends Dawn and Blake got married. We shot at Dawn's family farm located in Lemitar, NM, a very small town just north of Socorro (where Madeline and I got married--see the connection here folks?)

Enjoy!

Dawn & Blake Pre Wedding Video from Jeff Anselmo on Vimeo.

MadJava Has Moved!!!

2009-04-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Jeff and Madeline's New Home!

After a short 3 months of construction, we finally move into our beautiful new house!

The open floor plan allows plenty of room for Madeline's baby grand piano.

Notice the 'college dorm room' style entertainment center. Yeah, we need to do some furniture shopping.

Augie, our dog, is just 'chillin' under our new dining room set.

The trash can may be ugly, but our kitchen is super stylin!

The master bathroom.

The giant jacuzzi bath tub... ahhhhh... need I say more?

Freshly laid sod.

Our backyard... open for parties!

Route to Tucumcari, NM

2009-03-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Back in February 28th 2009, me and Madeline was sent out by the Idea Group to shoot for a day at Tucumcari, New Mexico. Some of you may know that Tucumcari lies at the eastern part of New Mexico, about 100 miles to Amarillo, Texas, on the US-Intersate 40 highway.

Tucumcari, NM also lies along historic Route 66. Just like the sign says :)

Along Tucumcari's main drag are some old motels that have been restored to their vintage style.

Did you know that Tucumcari hosts a rich collection of Dinosaur fossils, bronze recreations, and even dinosaur eggs? Where do I look for more information, you may ask? Well, at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, of course!

One of many fossils found at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum.

In this photo, student Mark Mancini is carefully drilling away bits of plaster covering a fossil bone. What? You didn't know that the Dinosaur Museum is also a classroom, and part of a community college? Find out more at Mesalands Community College!

This is Tucumcari's old train station that the city is trying to restore. Notice the missing letters.

Close up of the Tucumcari train station facade in early morning sunlight.

Tucumcari also has the "world's tallest classroom." It is a training facility for future wind farm technicians, and folks to help maintain wind farms.

Back To Clovis, NM

2009-03-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

On March 18th and 19th, MadJava and the Idea Group went back to Clovis, NM to shoot additional footage for the Norman and Vi Petty Rock and Roll Museum. It was great to see old friends (big hello to Ernie Kos, Chase Gentry, Nancy Gentry, and Nick Mondragon!), and meet some new ones (big hello to Val Alarcon, from the Idea Group, and Ashlee Stallings from the Clovis Chamber).

Johnny Rogers a.k.a. "Buddy Holly" performing in the Norman Petty Studios. The Petty Studios was used to record various Buddy Holly hits. Notice the ribbon microphone, used in many original recordings.

We set up this shot to be more dramatic. We used one key light to cast a heavy shadow, then later shot that shadow of "Buddy Holly".

Lisa Dunagan as "Vi Petty" playing on the original studio piano used in many recordings.

Chillin' in a sweet 1957 Ford Thunderbird on a country road. (Thanks to Dan Strickland for providing the cars!)

Posing in the '57 Ford convertible. It was a cold, windy morning, but we had fun following the car around country roads.

Me, Madeline, Jim Glover from the Idea Group, and Johnny Rogers in another cool ole' convertible! I think this was a Ford Fairlane (not sure of the year), but if we owned one I could certainly tell you (hint, hint Dan :)

Shooting the sock-hop scene at the museum. A '50s diner was setup and recreated beautifully before entering the display area of the museum.

Our 1950s sock-hop re-enactment scene, with local actors from the Clovis area.

Me and Madeline posing with the sock-hop cast. The kids who graciously volunteered their time are from Clovis High School. Thank you everyone! Y'all were great!

Taos Trippin' part 2

2008-10-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

After one night in Taos, we headed off to Colorado. But before we did that, we stopped by the Rio Grande Gorge, just a few miles north of Taos.

Can you spot Madeline looking out on the bridge?

The bridge spans 1,280 feet across the gorge, and is the third highest bridge in the United States (thanks Wikipedia!).

Please do not try this at home. No sneaker was harmed during photography.

Us, standing precariously on the bridge, but smiling for the camera anyway.

Taos Trippin' part 1

2008-10-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

After working in Santa Fe, we had a few days off before our next project. So, we decided to mix some pleasure with our business, by stopping in Taos, NM. Madeline and I had never been to Taos, and thought it'd be a great idea to visit.

On the way to Taos, we saw this trailer stand, and Madeline insisted we stop and sample the goods. We ended up with pinon nuts. No jerky!

We stayed at the Sun God Lodge, a boutique motel, with an old southwest design flair.

Downtown plaza in Taos.

The Coyote Moon is an eclectic arts store, filled with unique hand-painted "diablos"

and angels, and a variety of Mexican folkart (http://www.johndunnshops.com/CoyoteMoon.html). Luis and Cristina are the owners of Coyote Moon who've moved to Taos from Southern California. Next time, we'll get photos of the inside of their cool shop!

We had dinner here at this brew pub and restaurant (http://www.eskesbrewpub.com/index.html). We suggest ordering the Taos Green Chile Beer. Yeah, it's got some kick to it!

Santa Fe Gardening

2008-10-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Our company was brought back together for a project in Santa Fe, NM during Sept. 25th and 26th. With our business partner Jim Glover, we've shot a training manual for High Country Gardens in Santa Fe (http://www.highcountrygardens.com/). David and Ava Salman, husband and wife team, started High Country Gardens as a mail order division of their Santa Fe Greenhouses in New Mexico. The garden specializes in drought tolerant plants, using organic materials.

Just a snapshot of beautiful plants and flowers at High Country Gardens.

David Salman, owner of High Country Gardens, demonstrating proper plant care.

Jim Glover letting me know which plants to shoot.

Madeline and I at the entrance of High Country Gardens.

Clovis Music Fest and Golf Shootout

2008-10-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the very short history of our company, Madeline and I have taken on two separate jobs occurring at the same time. We've had to temporarily part ways to tackle these two projects. And it was a challenge for us to be away from each other for oh so long.

Madeline was hired to photograph the New Mexico Golf Shootout (http://nmshootout.com/home-page.php) on Friday Sept 5th, located in Elephant Butte, NM. Armed with a Nikon D80 and an 18mm to 135mm lens, Madd took photos from 9AM, covering the event festivities, leading up to the golf tourney, which started at high noon. After the tourney, Madd got a brief break, then covered the rest of the shootout 'til 5PM.

Captured moments by Madeline during the New Mexico Shootout 2008.

On Wednesday Sept. 3rd ('til Sunday afternoon on Sept. 7th), I made the long drive to Clovis, NM (about a 6 hour drive from El Paso) to shoot the grand opening of the Norman and Vi Petty Rock N' Roll Museum (http://www.pettymuseum.com/), and cover the annual Clovis Music Festival. Just a bit of history, Norman Petty was a producer for artists like Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and many others. His recording studio (http://www.superoldies.com/pettystudios.html) is located in Clovis, New Mexico, and is lovingly cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Broad. The new museum houses an amazing collection of photos, musical instruments, records, and even Norman Petty's old recording equipment that recorded Buddy Holly's songs!

Records, instruments, and photos behind a glass room. This replica Fender Stratocaster hanging from the ceiling is what guests will see first when entering the museum.

The opening was packed, wall to wall people. You can barely see me amidst the crowd.

Performing as Buddy Holly, John Mueller singing "Peggy Sue", and dancing along is the one and only Peggy Sue Gerron, the inspiration for the song! The two gentlemen are Stan Lark and George Tomsco, one half of The Fireballs (remember the hit, "Sugar Shack"?)

The Clovis Music Festival is an annual event and hosts legendary musicians like Bobby Vee, Tommy Allsup (one of Buddy Holly's Crickets), the Chiffons, Chris Montes, as well as a tribute to Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Roy Orbison. Me and our business associate Jim Glover, interviewed many artists and musicians who had recorded at the Norman Petty Studios. I also had a chance to cover a bit of the actual 3-night concert, though it was a bit tough keeping the camera steady while trying to dance and sing along to the music!

Tommy Allsup on guitar, Bobby Vee, and the Chiffons performing at the Clovis Music Festival '08.

Me, "Buddy Holly", and Tommy Allsup at the Norman Petty Studios.

And last and certainly not least are these two photos with me and our production assistant, Nick Mondragon, for the Clovis project. Nick did a tremendous job lugging around lights, cases, and other production equipment all over Clovis. He was also our go to guy for directions in town. He also knew pretty much everyone in town which helped out during our interviews. But mostly Nick is a very nice guy! Thanks, Nick.

Me and Nick "recording" our hit song in the lovingly re-created Norman Petty Recording Studios at the museum. (I'll definitely be keeping my day job...)

Weekend Wildflower

2008-09-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, me and Madeline went to Elephant Butte, NM for a photo shoot. Madeline took photos of our hair stylist Anette's three boys. It was a fun shoot, as we had them climb up a tree, pose in front of desert foliage, and roll around on the lawn.

We also visited Madd's folks, Gerald and Susie, and their soon-to-be-completed new home. It's really close to being done, just laying the concrete around the house, a wall or two, some fencing, and wha-la! We'll take more detailed photos in the coming weeks.

View from their patio. (Notice the manicured dirt. This photo was taken about a month earlier; but rest assured that the patio area has now been paved nicely with concrete.)

Side view of the new house, from the patio point of view. (The architectural style can be called Tuscan. But after nearly a year of building the house, sometimes Gerald has called it by different names.)

But as we were driving back home, we noticed a patch of wildflowers blooming by the side of the road. We had to stop and admire it, and of course, take pictures.

MadJava Production Journal Blog Created!

2008-09-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Folks!

Thought we'd finally join the blog community and set up our own blog site. What we thought we'd do was fill these pages with some current news of our projects, and photos. But we'd also like to incorporate some personal thoughts and introspection along the way. Hopefully make it fun too! So, on with the current news...

At this time, we're busy finishing up a couple of projects for Gouldings' Lodge (located in Monument Valley, Utah--home of John Wayne's and John Ford's classic Western films). Madeline is finishing up with archiving old photos from the lodge's Trading Post Museum. And I'm putting together a channel guide video for viewing in their motel rooms. (And it'll be sometime in October that we'll be heading back to Monument Valley, stay tuned.)

Here are some photos last taken in August when my family (the Anselmo side :) drove out and visited Monument Valley for the first time:

Family photo with Jenny, Dad, Mom, nephew Loren, Madeline, me, and nephew Aaron.

Jenny and Loren sitting pretty on the pretty rock.

Jenny and Aaron inside the stagecoach. Yee-haa!

Loren contemplating life as he knows it.

Nathan (Madeline's brother), Christy (sister-in-law), and their twin girls Odessa and Genevive.

Odessa looks around for her baby bottle.