Your Daily Insight as told by Joan Didion

I'm not telling you to make the world better, because I don't think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I'm just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment. And if you ask me why you should bother to do that, I could tell you that the grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that's what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it.

Close-Up: Fashion Photographer Angelo Pennetta's "Outtakes"

We find it impressive that in the mere two years that Angelo Pennetta has worked as a fashion photographer he's photographed some of the world's most famous stars, musicians and just plain "beautiful" people. Of course, those photographers are a dime-a-dozen, though Pennetta manages to avoid the typical glossy magazine style--those "perfect," airbrushed moments--and succeeds in capturing faces we know in a raw (but still flattering) light. Recent shots include Dree Hemingway for the poster of her new film, "Starlet," Katy Perry for her spot in V Magazine, Raquel Zimmerman for The New York Times Style Magazine and Lindsey Wixson and Claudia Schiffer for Self Service. In the span of a few months, Pennetta's shot campaigns for Chloe, Givenchy and Pollini. Not bad, Mr. Pennetta.

But for every shot that makes it into a magazine editorial or becomes the identifying image of an ad campaign there are hundreds of photographs that never see the light of day. Thing is: A large number of those images can still be amazing, often times better than the photo a client eventually selects. So with the just-released series"Outtakes," Pennetta wanted to give those types of images a second life. 

There's some wonderfully candid moments; one of our favorites being model Linsday Wixson dropping the deadly-serious runway act and becoming real with a giant, goofy grin.

Meanwhile, see more of Pennetta's work, or sign up for one of 3rd Ward's Photography classes and capture some great outtakes of your own.

 

New Staff Welcome: Talking Shop With Our New Tech, Matt Mullen

Matt Mullen--3rd Ward's new Shop Tech--has been busy from the start, as he's working on our (if we don't say ourselves) amazing new wood shop. We managed to catch up with him for a few minutes and learned a whole lot more about him.

Check out our Q&A below, in which we talk Mullen talks yachts, rugby, delicious Italian food and--oh right--the new wood shop. 

So what are your duties as the new "Shop Tech"?

This means that I maintain all machines, blades, sanding discs/belts and anything else that is located in our wood shop. I also handle any in-house build outs of cabinets for the shop or 3rd Ward as well. I help education with jig building and prepping materials for classes. This works well as I also teach here. Currently I am teaching the Woodworking 2 // Carcass Joinery class on Sunday nights. 

Where are you originally from?

I was born in NYC and grew up in New Jersey, predominantly in Basking Ridge.

What were you up to before coming to 3rd Ward?

I was living and working in Annapolis, Maryland, building the custom interiors of sports fishing yachts. When I first moved back to Jersey last summer I was working in a custom cabinet shop in Paterson. I also started my own furniture company, Seven36 Fine Woodworking, LLC.

Wow, awesome. So, anything you've seen at 3W so far been you've found particularly inspiring?

Really everything has. I think being a part of the build out of the new wood shop and seeing how much we are going to offer our members is inspiring. It's so easy to create terrific work when you have such an amazing and technologically advanced space to utilize. Having a dedicated educational shop is something that I don't think any other similar shop offers and its such a unique and gratifying experience to share the love and knowledge of woodworking with people who are getting into it for the first time.

Any 3W events that you're especially looking forward to?

The opening of the new pro wood shop!

Haha, of course! Switching gears, when you're not helping redefine 3W's shop, what's your power restaurant (that you want to actually share with us)?

Paul and Jimmy's on 18th and Gramercy. Authentic Italian food and the owner is a good family friend. 

Nice, we're on our way. Here's a tough one: Name your favorite gadget or tool?

This is a tough question. I think right now might be our new 16" jointer in the new pro shop or the Striebig panel saw also in the new pro shop.

Sorry, that's kind of like asking a parent to pick a favorite child, isn't it? Here's an easier one: psychological horror movies or romantic comedies?

Who can pass up a good rom-com. I'll watch Sweet Home Alabama if it's on. 

What's the best thing you've seen in NYC so far in '0-12?

I guess if we're going by the actual calendar year of 2012, then I'd say RJD2 at Webster Hall.

Quick: Name your favorite cocktail.

Bourbon and ginger.

Mmmmm....bourbon and gingerrrrr. So tell us what you do when you're not here working in the shop?

I've been playing rugby since college and continue to play at the men's Division 1 level with the Village Lions RFC. We practice in the Bronx and play home games on Randall's Island. I'm also in a big hot yoga phase right now. Heavily into music and Thursday night comedy on NBC.

Nice. Anything final words you'd like to share with the masses?

Just really glad to be a part of the community that is 3rd Ward and excited to see what new, talented members are going to come in and create with our new wood shop space.

Cheers, sir. Welcome aboard.

-- John Ruscher

Your Daily Insight as told by Ray Bradbury

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. 

Kickstarter Pick: Brooklyn Grange Apiary Project

Locals might be familiar with Brooklyn Grange, a 40,000 square-foot rooftop farm (that's actually located in Long Island City, Queens) and holds open markets and supplies Brooklyn restaurants like Roberta's, Marlow & Sons, Fatty 'Cue and Juliette. Brooklyn Grange has sought funding on Kickstarter before, but this time it's for a completely new venture: bees. They already have a few apiaries on the roof to pollinate their produce, but this new initiative would add 20-30 new hives, enough to pollinate 60,000 acres. 

People get excited about bee byproducts like raw honey (anyone who's licked a fresh honeycomb knows what we're talking about), but pollination is the chief goal here--and with more frequent reports of colony collapse disorder, keeping up the bee population is a legitimate concern. As Brooklyn Grange is a community-based organization, the Kickstarter funds won't go exclusively towards buying bees and equipment--they'll also help fund an apprenticeship program training "aspiring urban beekeepers." And if these future beekeepers agree to mentor the next apprenticeship in line, they'll be given their very own hive to tend.

Furthermore, Brooklyn Grange's master beekeepers are attempting to breed a local line of bees and queens specially adapted to NYC conditions. Pledge $50 or more by Thursday, April 19th and get a jar of what we'll bet is the tastiest honey in town.

Future Fashion Stars: Project Runway Holding An NYC Open Call This Monday

Back in February we told you that Project Runway was looking for the best new fashion designers to star in its 10th season. If you didn't get your application together by the March 15 deadline, don't worry—you still have a chance to earn your spot as Tim Gunn's next protege.

Next Monday, April 9 Project Runway will be holding an open casting call right here in NYC. They'll be setting up shop at the Hilton New York at 6th Avenue and 54th Street from 10am to 4pm, so gather together your best creations and show them what you've got. Tim and Heidi probably won't be there, but you never know! Both of them do live here, after all.

Here are the details:

Please bring 5 or 6 of your garments that demonstrate your sewing skills and your fashion point of view. Please do NOT bring bridal, costumes or garments designed by you but sewn by someone else. Be prepared for only two of your garments to be looked at so choose accordingly. No models please. Also, bring a portfolio if you have one.

Whether you're an aspiring star or just discovering your love of fashion, there's always more to learn. Our many fashion classes can teach you everything from sewing and patternmaking to hatmaking and shoemaking.

-- John Ruscher

Your Daily Insight as told by Georgia O'Keeffe

I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.

Time Vacuum: Play the 8-Bit Mad Men Video Game

We've seen some mighty talented 3rd Warders working on their own charmingly retro video games in our Web Design classes--but today's lovingly-deemed Time Vacuum might raise the bar. 

See, after the Mad Men premiere last week, we were slightly shocked to hear people say that it didn't live up to their expectations or--worse yet--that they were bored. But after this last episode (directed by Jon Hamm) we have to admit we're starting to see their point. Not that we can't get into a fat Betty storyline (though it is somewhat surreal to see January Jones all chubbed out) but fat Betty is, in fact, boring. Her bitching is still boring, her new tumor is boring, even her nightmare is boring. 

Remember when watching Betty was still kind of exciting? When you couldn't wait to see how she would fail as a mother next? Well now you can go back to days of gun-toting Betty in a choose-your-own-adventure-style 8-bit video game. 

The point of the game is to fill up Don's "New Ideas, Inner Peace and Confidence" levels so he can save Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Choose the right dialogue and action paths to help take credit for Peggy's ideas (and then steal her thunder by announcing Don's plans to marry his secretary), steam roll Campbell's threat to blackmail him and send Betty off on her own private crazy train. Choose the wrong path and (spoiler) Betty will shoot Don instead of the neighbor's birds. In addition, Peggy will reveal information that triggers a heart attack and Bert Cooper will go all out ninja and slice Don in half with one of his samurai swords. 

The game is peppered with plenty of humor about drinking, smoking, philandering and episode jokes, like the fact that Don and Betty's son Bobby has been played by three different actors or that Don only married Megan because she didn't flip out when Bobby spilled the milkshake in LA.

So game designers take note: Satisfy our nostalgia appetites with pixelated graphics while simultaneously catching a pop cultularl zeitgeist and we will write about you.

-- Perrin Drumm

Call for Entries: Local Filmmakers, The Northside DIY Film Festival Deadline Draws Near

Summer is just around the corner, and we're especially excited for The L Magazine's fourth annual Northside Festival, an extravaganza of music, film art and food that's happening June 14-21 at venues across Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Part of that excitement is due to the fact that 3rd Ward's own Assistant Director, Minden Koopmans, will be serving as a judge in the Northside DIY Film Festival.

All of you local filmmakers still have time to submit your cinematic masterpiece to the festival. The deadline is April 15, and you can peruse the guidelines and other details in our previous post.

This year's winning feature will snag a $500 prize, while the winning short gets $250. A screening of both winning films will take place at Williamsburg's Nitehawk Cinema, followed by an awesome party for the filmmakers and their crew. The winners will also get credit redeemable at NYC's DCTV media arts center.

For an idea of what your competition could be like, here's the trailer for last year's winning feature film, Echotone:

-- John Ruscher

Your Daily Insight as told by Chuck Klosterman

It's far easier to write why something is terrible than why it's good. If you're reviewing a film and you decide "This is a movie I don't like," basically you can take every element of the film and find the obvious flaw, or argue that it seems ridiculous, or like a parody of itself, or that it's not as good as something similar that was done in a previous film. What's hard to do is describe why you like something. Because ultimately, the reason things move people is very amorphous. You can be cerebral about things you hate, but most of the things you like tend to be very emotive.