Frequent collaborator, Andy Sahlstrohm is applying to NYU ITP.
Below is a recommendation letter written on his behalf.
To Whom it May Concern,                     November 30, 2013
 I met Andy in a Bushwick band's basement.  We were introduced because a mutual friend thought we’d be a good team to orchestrate his band’s interactive light show. It was the spring and I didn’t think I would still know Andy in the summer or the fall, but I soon knew his FaceTime call.  Who else uses FaceTime to call someone they just met?
 I am a multimedia producer. I've primarily facilitated film and interactive installations. I have initiated large projects with notable people, in notable places and I am accustomed to managing six-figure budgets as well as navigating experiments with no budget. I've worked with all kinds of artists and am proud of the reputation I've established with my collaborators and commissioners. I received my bachelors degree from NYU's Stern School of Business with a concentration in Entertainment, Media and Technology and a minor in Producing from Tisch.  I didn't go to ITP, but I'm friends with a lot of people who did and I work with a lot of them too. Andy will complement the environment at your institution.
 Money is the native language I speak. I went to business school, but know how to talk to artists. So, when I met Andy I spoke to him in that context. I offered to hire him to build a mechanized dolly for film productions. Andy never took my money. He never let that happen; because Andy knew we had to be friends. As friends, we'd be passionate about the things we make and that passion will translate into the quality of the goods. Made with love; It's gotta be fun.
 Andy taught me to look at nature again. It's so easy to get caught up in the urbanity. The religion of rat race is fine. It's good to worship something, but too much worship of the same thing is no good. You've got to get out and worship something else. Variety of worship is the spice of life. Don't let that love get stale. Spread it around. A good place to spread love is outside. You can learn a lot about the Earth, and in turn, learn a lot about yourself. We do have quite a bit in common after all.
 I wanted Andy to help me build a motorized, curved dolly track. The track would sit on two tripods. The camera is attached to a motorized mount which glides around the curved track. This would allow us to achieve a moving timelapse rotating around a singers head for a music video or something. That was the extent of my vision.
 Andy suggested modifications that took my idea to the next level. Instead of a track on two tripods, why not build something akin to a jib crane and have it rotate on top of one tripod. A detachable jib is more compact and circumvents New York City permit requirements.  Also, by fabricating a jib instead of dolly track we can operate in motorized mode for motion-controlled timelapse or manually as a traditional jib for video. With the jib as a foundation, we open up the possibility of camera movement along more than one axis. In my original idea the camera only moved along the x-axis. Andy’s idea allowed for simultaneous movement along both the “x” and “y” planes. Â
 Later, we added a third degree of movement at the anterior of the jib where the camera mounts. This allows for inverse kinemtatic movement of the camera and the jib. An application for inverse kinematics in this context can be to rotate around a subject’s head while the area of the frame occupied by the subject’s head is maintained constant. This is a difficult technique to achieve without very expensive equipment.  Andy built this machine (we call it RoboButter) with materials sourced from the local hardware store and scraps he found at thrift shops as well as on the street in Bushwick.
 After completing the physical construction of RoboButter an ITP alumni / friend helped us to code and solder an Arduino-powered controller and then I was off to shoot hyperlapses across the continent.  By the time I returned, Andy had constructed several iterations of dollies, jibs and other mechanized film equipment. His playful experiments are more practical and precise than a lot of the gear my colleagues rent and it is way less expensive.  Â
 Our goal is to create a machine that can carry a camera intelligently and with precision. The machine will utilize a variety of sensors. Functionality in timelapse (minor, incremental movements), slow-motion (rapid, fluid movement) and normal (24fps, smooth movement) modalities is our aim for future designs.  Control will be exercised remotely through a tablet. The branding will be fun and relatable. Andy’s vision is for the camera to operate in isolation so that it can capture the moments of its subjects’ “scenes” most authentically. In order to do this well, the camera may need to use facial recognition to inspire a closeup zoom or perhaps employ heart-monitoring technology in order to dolly forward.
 Andy and I have lived in New York for the same amount of time. A lot of what was once exciting is not exciting anymore and there's a whole lot of new stuff to be excited about. It's worth mentioning because I feel Andy's at the point in his relationship with New York where he calls it home. He is a citizen of his community now and he knows it's time to give back as any citizen knows he should. It's easy to take in, to consume the diversions. But, to produce, make, collaborate….with your hands, with friends….relentlessly, without regard for day, night, time...without caring about if you called your collaborator yesterday...it’s ok to call again the next day. The rules of creative etiquette are what you make then. Andy makes them conducive for creating. Many people do not.
 The honest thinking Andy employs is contagious. I am writing this on my iPhone while walking along the Brooklyn waterfront. The sun is setting. This is the setting I need to get in touch with creativity. The genesis of a useful recommendation letter is a creative act too! Andy helped me recognize that - to love nature and technology together; and to embrace FaceTime.
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