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Author Archives: dannyashkenasi
Up Close and Personal with the Maine Monument
The other day I was walking 35 blocks from the Upper West Side to Midtown, when I lingered at the Maine Monument at Columbus Circle to take some up close and personal pics of its statues. The … Continue reading
Introducing the New Headshots
A few weeks ago I shared my head shot bloopers with you, those moments during my head shot photo shoot that went rather wrong, amusingly so. Today I share the final versions of my actual new head shots. The … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, Notes in the News
Tagged actor, Beard, clean shave, Danny Ashkenasi, headshots, retouching
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THE DAY I MURDERED MY HUSBAND – Tell-Tale Shoot Diary #3
Welcome back to the “Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” film shoot diary, and the day I murdered my husband. Repeatedly. Take after take after take. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” centers on a “very very dreadfully … Continue reading
Posted in Cinema Scope, Literary Lyricism, Musicabilia
Tagged assault, Austin Lepri, black and white, chamber piece, cinematography, Ed Elder, Edgar Allan Poe, eye, flashback, Jason Chua, movie, murder, musicabre, musical, Opera, pas a deux, set, short film, The Tell-Tale Heart, vulture
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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
4/15/19 – 4:40pm EDT I am watching with horror and sadness the incredible destruction by fire of Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral. In grief and helplessness I decided to go through the pictures I took when Ed and I visited … Continue reading
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing
Tagged art, Cathedral, Notre Dame, Paris, photography, religious, sculpture, stain glass
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FIRST GRADE ALIENS RIDE PEOPLE’S HEADS!
Another Year, Another Silly First Grade Opera! Actually, another three first grade operas at the Brooklyn Children’s School, created, written, composed and performed by first graders themselves, under the direction of their teachers and their teaching artist Mister Danny. … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, The Teaching Artist
Tagged aliens, brooklyn, car wash, Children's School, dog, first grade, Opera, pet, silly, slobber, teaching artist
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VERSAILLES – A Walk in the Park (and what a Park!)
A detailed guided tour through the baroque mythological splendors and eye popping and head scratching extravagance of the park of Versailles. The park grounds of Versailles are immense and splendid. Below a map of the whole park: Only the bottom … Continue reading
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing
Tagged Apollo, Apollo's Bath Grove, Bacchus, ballroom, Ceres, Chateau, Colonnade, cove, dragon, Ed Elder, Enceladus, Flora Fountain, Fountain, gardens, Girandole, Grand Canal, Hades, Hermitage, King's Garden, Latona, Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Mirror Fountain, mythology, Neptune, Orangery, park, Parterre, Persephone, sensuality, statues, Sun King, Trianon, Versailles, water, Water Theatre Fountain
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A logo for FREDRICK BYERS
I’ve been producing theater with my husband Ed as “Fredrick Byers Productions” for some time now, since 2002 I believe. Now that we are producing a short film I thought it was about time I realize my vision for … Continue reading
TELL-TALE PRATFALL – Tell-Tale Shoot Diary #2
One for the blooper reel, except… It was one of the least difficult set-ups of the Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre shoot. Just me coming down the stairs – a flash back to when the murderer, fresh from … Continue reading
Posted in Cinema Scope, Musicabilia
Tagged black and white, blooper, blooper reel, camera, Cinema, Edgar Allan Poe, Jason Chua, lens, murder, musicabre, pratfall, short film, The Tell-Tale Heart
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HEAD SHOTS BLOOPER GALLERY
I needed new head shots. I also knew I’d be shaving my beard for the Tell-Tale Heart shoot. So I scheduled a head shot photo shoot right before the Tell-Tale film shoot in order to schedule my shave in … Continue reading
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Live! On Stage
Tagged 8X10, actor, Beard, blooper, clean shave, head shot, photography
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TELL-TALE PEEK INTO THE ON SET MONITOR – Tell-Tale Shoot Diary #1
Last week was production week for the short film “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre“. One day of set-up, 6 days of shooting, 9-10 hour days that by the weekend became 11-15 hour days. Everyone worked very hard and … Continue reading
SUN GLARE, 46th Street, Early February
Specifically February 4, 8am, on 46th street between 7th and 6th avenues. Do you too see animal faces in the steam? A boar, a schnauzer, a fox? … or maybe Fuchur AKA Falkor the … Continue reading
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope
Tagged 46th street, animals, dolphins, Falkor, Fuchur, glare, Neverending Story, New York City, photography, photos, steam, sun, Times Square
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3rd Grade Choir Presents Love & Life with the Beatles
A fainting spell nearly derailed the whole concert. But it was still a rousing success. When I plan choir concerts for elementary student performers, I hope to choose songs that will appeal to the age group but also … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On, The Teaching Artist
Tagged 3rd grade, A Day in the Life, All You Need Is Love, Blackbird, choir, concert, Elementary School, fainting, Hey Jude, Michelle, Obladi Oblada, She Loves You, Sie Liebt Dich, The Beatles, Tribeca, Within You Without You, World Trade Center, Yellow Submarine
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TELL-TALE CELLO DOUBLES
In “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” the music is scored for three cellos. And Friday evening three cello players were sitting in my living room practicing their cello parts for the shoot. Because for key scenes, you won’t just … Continue reading
TELL-TALE CAMERA TEST
Yesterday I met my Director of Photography Jason Chua at the film equipment rental place to do some camera tests in preparation for our upcoming “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” film shoot. For me that mostly meant standing … Continue reading
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope
Tagged a musicabre, camera, Cinema, Director of Photography, filter, Jason Chua, lens, pale blue eye, photography, RED, short film, test, The Tell-Tale Heart
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