Gabe DeLoach

Welcome.

MAY 14, 2012

AVG Commercial Wins AICE Alternative Media Award
In Septemeber 2011 National Geographic sent me and Steve Winter to Thailand to film a promo commercial for the anti-virus software company, AVG. The doc style commercial concept was developed by the innovative Richards Group (TX), which involved sticking two non-actors in a cage made of toothpicks and resin out in the jungle and having a bengal tiger test its durability. "Strength in numbers" was the motto.

One of the highlights of this job was the opportunity to work with Thailand's great production company, Living Films, led by one of the most interesting fellows I've ever met, Fred Turchetti. We spent 4 days filming the piece on a remote Tapioca farm. The crew sectioned off an acre on the side of a mountain with 10' fence (camoflauged with bamboo) to keep the trained tigers from getting loose, and the tiger trainer made me wear a kevlar vest and military helmet for protection. *Note my last - and only - line of defence hanging off my vest pocket: mace.

I impressed the AC's with my homemade 5D handheld contraption (made of yellow pine timber and redrock micro components). They all insisted on having their pictures taken with it.

The commercial went viral soon after hitting youtube - with the help of a marketing push - and last week editor Marc Stone was awarded the AICE Alternative Media Award.

This was my first commercial DP job and one of the craziest gigs I've had to date, and am proud it has done so well in the public's eye. Check it out:

DECEMBER 4, 2011

New Reel: snakes and tigers and beer and punk rock, oh my!

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NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Baltimore post punk band Double Dagger (Thrill Jockey) is breaking up after a decade-long career. To commemorate their legacy as one of the most influential bands to rise out of Baltimore, they agreed to let me document their final tour. These last performances are part of a feature length Double Dagger film scheduled to be released next summer. To illustrate the explosive energy of a DD performance - and what it's like to be in the middle of it - I've posted a clip below from a live performance of The Pyschic @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn.

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NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Some of THE HARVEST's soundtrack is now available for preview on composer Brian Lawlor's soundcloud page. I also wanted to share a short clip from the film that highlights one of Brian's tracks. In this scene Arianna and her family, en route to South Dakota in search for a respectable gobbler, visit a Cabela's in Illinois.

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

I am thrilled to announce that THE HARVEST has been accepted to premiere at the Camden International Film Festival (Maine, not NJ) September 29 - October 2. Vist CIFF's website.

THE HARVEST will be screening alongside some amazing films such as HELL AND BACK AGAIN by acclaimed war photographer and documentarian Danfung Dennis, and CRAZY HORSE by the iconic Frederick Wiseman, a personal hero of mine who's film, BELFAST (Maine), directly inspired me to make documentary films.

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JULY 27, 2011

An article about Hunt of a Lifetime and THE HARVEST hit SALON.com. Writer Robert Ito, also a contributor for the New York Times and McSweeney's The Believer, interviewed Tina, founder of the organization, and Gabe, director of THE HARVEST. His writing captures the essence of the film and brings up the controversial questions that we hoped would get the audience thinking. If you dig crazy rants, don't miss the comments section.

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FEB 23, 2011

Jay Cheel (contributor of THE DOCUMENTARY BLOG and FILMJUNK) just released the trailer for his new feature, BEAUTY DAY, a documentary that chronicles the life of Cap'n Video (Ralph Zavadil). hailing from Ontario, Zavadil filmed and hosted his own cable access show back in the early 90's. even though the show revolved around gross and dangerous stunts, it is apparent that not only was Zavadil far ahead of his time (think Jackass) but he was also an artist in the truest sense - he never doubted his motivation, never desired fame or cared what other people thought of him. sadly, after breaking his neck during a pool diving stunt and a controversial Easter episode, The Cap'n Video Show was pulled from the airwaves. 20 years later Jay finds himself documenting the resurrection of Cap'n Video as he attempts to get back on the air for the series finale he never had.

I've had a chance to see a portion of the rough cut and am very excited for the premier at MOMA for their Canadion Front screening series, March 20th. Not only is this a beautiful looking film, it's a fascinating subject that is entirely thoughtful and entertaining. Awesome Trailer Below:

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DEC 1, 2010

a small group of us are busting ass on finishing up our first documentary feature, THE HARVEST. 6 years thinking about doing it and 4 years in the making, we are finally in post production!

theharvestmovie.com went live today as well as our fundraising page on kickstarter. we hope you'll take a few minutes to learn about this project and urge you to spread the word so that this film can have a healthy life for a long time to come.

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SEPT 19, 2010

This week I am traveling to New Mexico to film the last hunt for my documentary about Hunt of a Lifetime, THE HARVEST. Thinking of how to capture the intimate moment of a father aiming a rifle for his blind son led to the purchase of a Go-Pro camera and their handlebar/seatpost clamp. Today I took it to the shooting range for a little test. Enjoy.

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July 26, 2010

I've been using the 5D a lot more lately and have had to come up with my own solution for making it hand holdable. The cheapest rig I've tried costs about $1200 - too much money for something that is clunky, inefficient, and often needs re-tightening.

I made this rig for under $600. The follow focus is the V3 from Jag35.com, the carbon fibre rods, handle, riser, and base plates are from Red Rock Micro. I also had to use two quick release plate systems that I bought from B&H a few years back. The block of wood is left over 6x8 rafter material from yellow pine timber I felled in '06, shaped with a chisel, sanded, and padded with foam from a pelican case. The aluminum angle is from Lowes, the bolts and nuts from Specialty Fasteners - a local Charlottesville den I couldn't survive without. Below is an example, shot for the 48hr Film Project.

special effects by David Ariew.

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July 24, 2010

National Geographic just published an article by photographer Steve Winter and writer/biologist/badass Douglas Chadwick about Kaziranga National Park, a tiny little park in NE India and home to a boisterous population of near-endagered, boundary-ignorant megafauna such as bengal tigers, asian elephants, and grumpy one-horned rhinos. NGM.com published a video of some footage I made with a Canon Powershot while Steve and I were attacked by a territoral rhino here.

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MAY 10, 2010

This is THE BOATMAN & THE GIANT ANT. It was filmed in the Aceh region of Sumatra while surveying for tigers. Just before we left the jungle the boatman said he wanted to tell me a story. A young survey member translated on the spot. He said, "The boatman says to you 'When I was 17 I was driving a man down river in my boat. The boat capsized in a storm and the man died.'" It was short enough for me to remember, but I wanted a second opinion. So I asked journalist Zamira Loebis to translate it for me. Here is her version:

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April 25, 2010

Just finished collaborating on this funny short film for Dogfish Head Brewery starring Will Oldham and DFH owner Sam Calagione. Directed by Ryan Collerd. Every scene was shot in one take, 100% improvised; a nice departure from the literal work I've been doing. The film premiered at the Off-Centered Film Festival in Austin April 17th and was very well received. Thanks to everyone involved.

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March 15, 2010

My 2010 reel. Shots from Sumatra, Brazil, Thailand, and a few shots from The Harvest project. Thanks to Meghan & Chris @ Redhouse Post-Productions. Music by BATTLES.