2012!

2012 has been probably the most rewarding year for me professionally, bringing so many great, fun, humbling and challenging projects and so many opportunities to explore different styles of art and design. I wrapped up WORLD ON A WIRE and started THE QATSI TRILOGY for The Criterion Collection, three theatrical one-sheets including posters for two of the most acclaimed films of the year in HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE and ELENA, designed several prints for Spoke Art and the Castro Theatre including two for Wes Anderson movies and one for the new greatest film of all time, a few more for the Belcourt Theatre including their Hitchcock and Bresson retrospectives, a design for the Japanese release of Bresson's FOUR NIGHTS OF A DREAMER, a print for the Nashville Film Festival, three album covers including my first soundtrack cover for Death Waltz Recording Company, a book cover, a restaurant logo, three pieces for the Nashville Symphony, gig posters for Hotels and Highways, Mia Dyson and Natural Child, and countless other posters and projects that I fit in just for fun.

As of press time, my top ten films of the year are as follows, not having seen DJANGO UNCHAINED, ZERO DARK THIRTY, RUST AND BONE, THE KID WITH A BIKE, or OSLO AUGUST 31ST...

1. SAMSARA
2. HOLY MOTORS
3. AMOUR
4. THE MASTER
5. THE TURIN HORSE
6. LIFE OF PI
7. THE COMEDY
8. TCHOUPITOULAS
9. THIS IS NOT A FILM
10. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

...with honorable mention going to ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA, THE DEEP BLUE SEA, GOODBYE FIRST LOVE, ELENA, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, MOONRISE KINGDOM, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, COSMOPOLIS, LINCOLN and TIM AND ERIC'S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE.

For the first time, I watched over three times as many older films as I did new ones, and thus had the most rewarding film-watching year of my life thus far. My top ten older films I saw this year were L'ARGENT (and every other Bresson film), THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE, POSSESSION, DAISIES, YI YI, ORNETTE: MADE IN AMERICA, MELODY, CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, BLACK JACK and ETOILE.

I haven't kept up with enough new records to list my favorites of the year, but Melody's Echo Chamber, Daniel Bachman, Zac Clark, Mia Dyson, Four Tet and Tame Impala got the most play on my turntables in 2012.

Getting ready to finish out this marathon year with my fourth-annual New Year's Eve concert with My So-Called Band, the Ultimate 90's Experience. Thanks to all my clients, friends, bandmates and family for such an artistically inspiring year, and I look forward to another one in 2013!