oh -- this rocked! thanks for sharing! happy thanksgiving.

My Mother broke her neck one Christmas. No fun.

Thanks for taking us along for Thanksgiving Justin. Certainly different from last weeks movie!
This video was very charming and a keeper for years to come.

this is nice. but, regarding your technical problems, in this, and every one of your films: why not use these exercises to actually practice your technique? for instance, you could uh... get some lamps, a decent camera, a microphone. then like, compose your shots? if you can't afford a decent rig (which seems hard to believe), can't you borrow it all from USC? If not, what exactly is the point of film school? You already are ace at the low-budge media production, why not use your current position to hone your production values? It would be dumb to spend 3 years in film school and end up with a portfolio that any kid with a $700 video camera could put together.

Justin - There are many alternatives for microphones. The mic you have is probably an omni microphone, meaning it picks up sound from all directions. This can be good if you are in a quiet setting, or want alot of ambient noise. A shotgun microphone may be a better alternative for you, especially in situations like the interview you show in your picture. A shotgun microphone rejects alot of ambient sound coming from the back and sides. A cardiod pattern microphone also rejects sound, just at a lower level. These are called uni-directional microphones. The mic you have is most likely powered by your camera (at something like 1.5 volts or so). You can find alot of good quality microphones which are powered by an internal battery that are easy to use and terminate in a 1/8" plug (like the kind that plugs into your camera, the same size as the phone plug on your walkman). Sony and Audio Technica are two companies that come to mind for these types of mics. Sony makes a couple that have selectable pickup patterns so you can switch from omni to card to hypercard and some patterns in between. For Sony you could check out model #'s MS908C, S930C, or the MS957 (best one). Audio Technica makes one called the ATR-25 which is decent, or for a little more $$$ you could use an AT822. The MS957, and AT822 are pretty good quality mics. Low self noise (so you dont hear so much hiss in quiet recording situations). They are intermediate level mics. Finally if you wanted to get really serious you could get some phantom powered microphones, shotgun or cardiod. But then you are starting to run into around $500 minimum. Ebay is a great source for this stuff, just buy from folks with high feedback ratings. Sorry to ramble, Im a soundman and kind of a geek about stuff like this. Good luck to you, been enjoying this site for years.

Justin, this is taking over 6 minutes to download from an apartment in Brooklyn with a Cable Modem that at times is 3 megabits fast. Damn! You are so inconsiderate. Next time I expect you to zipchunk your video and email it to my gee-male account.

Gobble, gobble.

I think this film is the sharpest, narratively, of the whole crop. You chose a theme, stuck to it, and effectively wove a message through the entire piece. A strong takeaway about the connection between hearts, tastes, and traditions - one that reflects your feelings as well as those of your family. Well done.

And so... I take back what I said when we visited in Chicago. With documentary - you are solid. It's the arc of a fictional narrative that you'll have to work at.

Where did you get the © rights reserved t-shirt?

awww, the video was really fascinating and heartwarming... thanks for sharing, Justin!

The best part was the trip to the Greek supermarket.

A stunning piece. Having been introduced to your family via html, mov added a new dynamic. I particularly liked the USSR-era world map hanging above the telephone as a backdrop to your stepfather.

i think this is your best vid yet.

of course i'm a big fan of Tday and anything involving food shared amongst family and friends. ours was so great this year...30 people young and old; including 3 Bulgarians, 2 Japanese girls, an 83 year old German man, 2 British ladies, and assorted San Francisco geeks and freaks.

everyone made their own favorite dish, and anyone who hadn't been to a Thanksgiving before got a wishbone.