Schizo

On April 28, 2012, in photos, by Nikos

Same side stories. Photo project, published on my Behance portfolio.

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Hipsters Gone Ballistic

On April 24, 2012, in music, by Nikos

Spinifex Quintet performs Hipsters gone ballistic (T. Klein).

Line up:
Gijs Levelt – trumpet
Tobias Klein – alto sax
Jasper Stadhouders – guitar
Gonçalo Almeida – bass
Philip Moser – drums

http://www.spinifexmusic.nl

Video by Nicolas Stamboulopoulos. Sound and light by Ron Ruiten. Recorded at Zaal 100, Amsterdam.

 

We ♥ Burlesque!

On March 21, 2012, in performance, promos, by Nikos

And now for something completely different!

live photo shoot by Mony Art
http://monyart.com

the ladies: Myscha, Yvonne, Ana, Mary, Fernanda, Natasa, Angie, Christina & Dina

filmed at Chet’s Jazz Café, Amsterdam
http://facebook.com/pages/Chets-Jazz-Caf%C3%A9/147651095250210

video by Nicolas Stamboulopoulos
http://spiralmove.com

song: Liza Minelli, “Mein Herr” (written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for the film “Cabaret”, Bob Fosse 1972). I do not own the rights for the music.

camera: Panasonic Lumix GH2 (B&W dynamic setting), lenses: Panasonic 20mm 1.7 & Nikkor 55mm 2.8 macro

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As viral as it gets

On March 10, 2012, in blog, by Nikos

64 million views on YouTube, with over 1.2 million likes and counting. In just 4 days. Boasting an additional 15.5 million views on Vimeo, 625 thousand likes on Facebook and countless followers, retweets and mentions on Twitter, Kony2012 is without doubt a phenomenally successful social media campaign. And it’s only just starting.

What’s even more impressive about Kony2012, is that it’s in no way related to the usual memes and cultural stereotypes of online socializing. There are no funny kittens, no cool gadgets and no ill-mannered celebrities around. This is serious.

The core of the Kony2012 project is a 30 minute film about a documentary filmmaker’s pledge to stop the atrocities of an African warlord and bring him to justice. Because that’s who Joseph Kony is. A man who allegedly abducts children, physically abuses them and trains them to kill and mutilate people. A monster, who has been committing crimes against humanity for the last 25 years or so. A personification of archetypal evil, completely unknown to most of us until somebody decided that the only way to catch him would be to make him world famous.

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Macromouse – a domestic prison drama

On February 20, 2012, in experimental, fiction, by Nikos

 

Adopting the narrative form of an abstract allegory, Macromouse is a one minute film of miniscule proportions. Simple story, basic camera gear and a two-inch protagonist appearing as himself (or herself – still not quite sure about that).

No animals were harmed during the making of this film. The humiliated mouse was released out in the open after filming, and has not dared to come back ever since.

Shot on the balcony of my apartment in Amsterdam with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and a Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro lens.

Sound design by my good friend Nikos Kandarakis http://www.nk.enka.me/

Action!

 

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Codarts Open Day (Jazz department)

On February 10, 2012, in music, promos, reports, by Nikos

Shot in Rotterdam, on a day with -18ºC. Surprisingly many people showed up and enjoyed good music.

Camera: Panasonic GH2, with the 14-140mm kit lens. Edited in Final Cut Pro and graded in Color.

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Run Run Run

On February 1, 2012, in music, performance, by Nikos

A star was born last week in Rotterdam, and I got lucky enough to be there to film it…

Tuur Moens & Syndicate
featuring Katerina Kozadinou

RUN RUN RUN

Composed by Tuur Moens
Lyrics and vocal melody by Katerina Kozadinou

Tuur Moens and Syndicate is comprised of an international line up, based in Rotterdam (NL), of talented musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, founded by Belgian drummer-composer Tuur Moens. The band proudly released their EP titled “Clockwise” in January 2012. “Clockwise” mixes slick dance-floor friendly world and funk music with a taste of reggae and a few dashes of electro and modern influences.

tuurmoensandsyndicate.com

Performed and recorded in BIRD jazz club
Rotterdam, Jan 26th 2012

Filmed with a Panasonic Lumix GH2 camera (hacked) at 3200 to 12800 ISO (b&w standard setting)
Lenses: Nikon 55mm 2.8 macro & Panasonic 20mm 1.7

No crew, tripod or professional rigs. All I used was a monopod.

Soul Kicking

On November 12, 2011, in blog, by Nikos

Five years ago, I attended a midnight sneak preview of Soul Kicking during Thessaloniki Film Festival. More than half the audience left before the film finished. Some were shocked by the raw physical and psychological violence in the story, while others were disgusted with the excessive use of foul language. The film proved to be prophetic, with writer/director Yannis Economides depicting accurately the tension and despair that dominate the lives of today’s middle and working class Greeks. Sometimes I wonder what happened to all those shocked and disgusted people who left the screening, unable to witness the cruelty of their own future. Maybe they got lucky enough to avoid waking up in a nightmare. Or maybe not.

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Occupy Amsterdam (15/10/11)

On October 17, 2011, in photos, reports, by Nikos

Replying to an international call for action, around 3.000 people gathered outside the Dutch stock market, in order to demonstrate their resentment to austerity policies, bank bailouts and social injustice. Here is a selection of photos I took and uploaded in Demotix.com. Video is on its way.

http://www.demotix.com/news/881535/occupy-amsterdam

The beginning is near

 

Take a closer look…

On October 1, 2011, in photos, by Nikos

Macroland (portfolio #1)

 

The saga begins…

On September 21, 2011, in blog, fiction, by Nikos

DAM VADER is a short fiction film project, which will be taking part in the Green Film Making Competition.

The story is about a man who makes a living dressed up like Darth Vader and posing for tourists in Dam Square. He hides it from his family, until one day his identity is revealed. In order to regain his lost dignity, Vader will have to confront his 16 year old son; right there, in the most central spot of Amsterdam.

Please note that this is not a Star Wars fan movie. Well, at least not a typical one… Oh, and it’s going to be made in a sustainable way. Renewable power, recyclable materials, no plastic bottles on set, etc. We’ll keep you posted about the rest.

 

Del Mar

On August 30, 2011, in photos, by Nikos

Del Mar – an IamExpat boat event (August 27th, 2011). Despite the typical Dutch weather, our 5-hour cruise on the Amsterdam IJ River was a success. Here is my personal selection of photos.

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On #UKriots

On August 10, 2011, in blog, by Nikos

To most people, the recent outburst of rioting and looting in England came as a total surprise. Both in Britain and the rest of the industrialized world, consumers of television news reports and talk shows seem shocked and disgusted, while politicians and journalists appear convinced that the violence of urban youngsters is a ‘crime and punishment’ issue that can be corrected with strict law enforcement and responsible parenting. At the same time, many leftists and liberals immediately rejected the notion of revolutionary actions being anywhere involved, since there is no evidence of a political agenda behind smashing shopping windows in order to steal a pair of sneakers.

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Gångtrafik

On July 4, 2011, in uncategorized, by Nikos

Gångtrafik is a game in which two dancers are faced with immediate tasks. Their performing skills and their personal boundaries are challenged by the lack of time to control their appearance. Placed inside public spaces, this game is perceived as a self-justified process; a conviction that the show must go on, that the conditions of the performance have to be sustained despite their conflict with the conventions of the environment. It becomes a portrait of two performers confronted with a place and time where most borders of theatre since long are dissolved. Their act is made out of trying, of not succeding.

Choreography: Sandrina Lindgren sandrinalindgren.me
Dancers: Rozemarijn De Neve & Inge Manon Hindriks
Camera & editing: Nikos Stamboulopoulos spiralmove.com

Shot in Amsterdam (Centraal Station, Spui & OT301).

 

The Battle of Greece

On June 30, 2011, in blog, by Nikos

Souvlaki anyone?

Motorcycle policemen reenact a famous scene from “Ben Hur” in the middle of Mitropoleos street (Monastiraki, Athens). They throw stun grenades to passers-by, tourists and peaceful protesters. Unprovoked. Stun grenades can cause third degree burns, sometimes even deafness or blindness. No wonder the people in Mitropoleos get upset and swear at the policemen. Among other things, they call them fascists.

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