Harry Potter Comic

I don't really know why I drew a Harry Potter cartoon. It doesn't even really look like Harry or Malfoy, but yeah...you get the idea. I always felt, while reading the books, that if Harry got unreasonably aggressive and just started screaming obscenities at Malfoy from year one, not only would Draco have backed off, but Harry would have looked like a total bad ass. I settled on drawing this after I couldn't think of a logical, narrative reason why Harry or any other character would be pooping their pants. Maybe I'll draw that anyway. Yeah...maybe.

Lady GaGa Sketch on Fox News

Here is a list of mostly everyone that was involved:

Featuring: Justin Brown, Talyor Sele, Andrew Ford, Rachel Geiman, and Grace Helbig. Written and directed by Steven Levine, Daniel Spenser, and Michael Antonucci. Lyrics sung by Whitney Gardner. Costume design by Elaine Haswell. Make up by Emilia Adamkiewicz. Shot by Noah Yuan-Vogel.

And here's Bill O'Reilly calling it "pinheady:"

Lady GaGa Shoot

I know I haven't posted in a while...but it's Christmas early with this new amazing post! I shot a short script with Captain Hippo a few days ago about a Lady GaGa Christmas album. It was my first time on set with the Canon 7D, which belonged to our DP, Noah Yuan-Vogel.









And here's a picture of me pretending to know what I'm doing:







They were lip-syncing to pre-recorded music so I got to say, "Roll camera...roll playback," like a bad ass.

Anyway, yeah. It was the first thing I've directed that involved original music, wardrobe and make-up changes and choreography. And it was weird seeing so many people work so hard on a script that was written by Dan, Mike and I while we were eating burritos. It was a lot of fun and hopefully it will come out alright. That's what she said.

Sometimes I Don't Know Storyboards

I thought it might be interesting to compare the storyboards for my senior thesis film to the finished image. The storyboards were drawn weeks before shooting. I think we did a good job of sticking to them.

Here are comparisons of Scenes 1-3 and Scene 6












I'm going to try to post the final cuts of these scenes sometime next week. I still have some sound and color work to do on them.

Inaction In Action

Howdy.

I told a friend that I would try to write an entry after two drinks. I then realized two-drink Steve probably wouldn't write anything...he'd just stare longingly at a wall and make everyone uncomfortable.

However, I feel two or three days without sleep yields similar head-space. So maybe after I write and edit down some thoughts I will post them. Maybe.

I've also been trying to write a few short stories. It is taking a while. None of them have a point. Does that mean something? Exercises in worthlessness.

Anywho, just a heads-up on that.

This whole island smells like fast food. Sometimes I want to move to Vermont. I could be that interesting recluse who may or may not have been famous. They'd publish my journal someday after I died. Lit majors would swap interesting facts about me: "I read that he never ate solids, he only drank tea." "I heard he would train his cats to act out his plays. I love him." That'd be something.

Personal question of the week: Why do I create dialogue for moments I know will never happen?

Favorite pick up line of the week: Do you like ant-farms?

Director of Photography Reel

Director of Photography Reel from Steven Levine on Vimeo.

Kicking off my October posts with my cinematography reel. I didn't include anything from films I have directed. That's a different reel that will hopefully be finished soon. In this reel are selects from a few films I shot last year, including:

Mickey dir. Daniel Ferrara
East Brighton dir. Anna Todd
Porcelain dir. Emily Wilson
Trust Me dir. Roberto Rizzo

There are also a few clips from various Captain Hippo comedy sketches. Hope you enjoy.

Bear Mountain

I went to Bear Mountain today to kick off the Fall season. I took some pictures from the top. In the last one you can see Manhattan in the distance. Fun stuff.

Trust Me Scene

This is the only scene in the short film Trust Me that I shot. The rest was shot by Shan Huang and the entire short was cut by Taylor Williams. It is also the only scene in the short that is hand-held. I also sound mixed the sucker. I had no control over the choice of music. Anyway, this thing was shot on an HVX with a 35mm lens adapter. When the adapter was working correctly the footage looked pretty good.

I have also decided I am quitting show business and joining a traveling circus. We're going to hit all the major cities. I will be performing as Stevonius: King of the Lions: Kings of the Jungle®. I will be logging my efforts to bond with my new feline work associates. Here is a picture so you can get an idea of the dangers I am working with here:

Trust Me Premier

Here's the cast and crew of the short film "Trust Me." The crew being me and my two friends Shan and Taylor. I'm the tall, awkward guy all the way on the right...the one who doesn't know quite where to be or what to do with his body.

We went on stage after the first screening for a short Q&A. I was surprised nobody asked me anything about the sound recording or mixing. "Was that real wind?" Oh, wouldn't you like to know. Anyway, it was a strange experience. I don't want to say anything bad about the film...the sound could have been better.

Interactions I Wish I Avoided: August 31st

• I passed a man in the subway handing out pamphlets for Jews for Jesus. As I passed he asked "Are you Jewish?" For some reason I responded with "Are you?" with way more hostility than was warranted.
• Why do people think "Big Guy" is a nice thing to call someone? That's not going to get your free hip-hop demo CD handed out any faster, guy waiting at the top of the escalator.
  
• I was waiting at a pharmacy. I guess the woman working there knew me because she mentioned how I "keep getting taller." I said "Hopefully these pills will put a stop to that." She didn't know if she was supposed to laugh.

Mickey Scores

Another doodle found in a notebook from who-knows-when. I wish every Mickey cartoon started and/or ended like this. I left the scan of the book's spiral...so, check that shit out.

Farmingdale Hawks

I remember very little from this time in my life. I remember never quite understanding how the game was played. I remember quitting because the helmet hurt my head. Well, who's laughing now Albany Avenue Elementary?! Where's your blog?!

Why does the bus say "ward" over the door?

Passin' On Class

A cartoon directed and animated by my friend Mike Antonucci. I helped write it and also did the voice of Steve...cause I'm Steve.

Class of 2009

A photo of me with some of the coolest people I know.

Alfie the Wonderboy

I guess I drew this two years ago. Alfie had very little control of his life.

Pillow Land

Another comic.

Hide The Murder Weapon

A Jimmy and Billy cartoon. Again...stupid but fun to color.

Doodle 2

Select scribbles from various pages of a notebook.

Noise Core Band

I know its stupid, but it was fun to color.

Sleep

I keep having the same dreams over and over. Some of them are pretty blatant in meaning...I attribute all of them to stress. Here are some key plot points:

• Friends drop me off at an amusement park while they go run errands together. A staff member assures me I'll fit on the ride. I don't. Everyone laughs, including the small children waiting on line, while they try to break open part of the ride to get me out.
• I'm driving down a commercial street and my breaks never stop my car completely, causing me to run several red lights. I keep putting more and more pressure on the break but the car only slows, it never stops.
• I'm in a plastic toy box on a shelf in a toy store. Girls are buying the toys around me, opening them and playing with them. In front of me is an employee explaining to a very obese woman that she shouldn't take me out of my package because I'm worth a lot of money unopened.
• I look down to discover I have ripped both knees of my jeans...which sucks.
  
• I'm running late for something because I have to wait for my computer to finish rendering video.
• My dog is lying on the floor with a metal brace around his head. We have a new puppy that we don't like as much.
  

Here are some favorites from my childhood:

• I've been kidnapped by a cartoon pizza man in some crazy factory. My babysitter is right outside the window but she doesn't hear me screaming.
• I'm being attacked by a giant spider.
• I'm in a swimming pool with every girl I've ever liked and I'm really self-conscious.
• I'm trapped in a haunted house.
• I live in Star Wars.
  

Wedding

Stills I pulled and messed with from a wedding I shot. I think they'd make good alternative rock album covers.

Friday

A short I wrote and directed sophomore year for my narrative class. There are some others on my Youtube page. Yeah, I used Modest Mouse...what are you gonna do about it? Something? Please don't.

Space Dinos

The best thing that came out of my Oceanography class. On this paper is everything you need to know about Space Dinosaurs (dinosaurs that occupy the outer limits of space). This image is best viewed while listening to the Disturbed song "Down With the Sickness." I should pitch this to Nickelodeon or Michael Bay.

Spidy Spider

A story I wrote when I was a kid...I think it's a very complex narrative. Anyway, this actually happened.

Governor

I'm going to start coloring and uploading some of my favorite cartoons.

Doodle 1

A drawing I did on the back of a Post-It® note.

Opening Statement

Testing out Blogger...giving myself as many opportunities to dump my opinions on others.