An Odd House in Bensonhurst

I live on the cusp of Bensonhurst and Gravesend in Brooklyn. Both are residential areas; not too quiet and not too loud. However as you drive towards Bensonhurst on 85th street, you might pass by a rather “noisy” house. The owner, Steve Campanelli, collects life size statues of icons (real and imaginary) from Elvis Presley to Betty Boop. My parents drove past this house many times and my eyes never fail to give this unique home a darting glance. Finally I decided to knock on Steve’s door and uncover the story of his statues in photos.

Steve Campanelli (left), 62, poses with Spiderman, one of many statues surrounding his home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

Campanelli’s statues and memorabilia adorn the outside of his house including the inside of his garage. The tree near his front door is no exception.

Campanelli says his strong feelings of nostalgia fueled his collection. Everything on display relates to his life growing up in Brooklyn especially during the 50’s and 60’s.

Campanelli hangs out with his first statue, Fonzi, purchased 11 years ago in Woodhaven, Queens. “That was like the needle in my arm,” he says. “I was addicted.”

This old drive-through sign is placed outside the garage. Sundaes were just $1.05.

Campanelli owns a car customized to resemble the Batmobile. A likeness of Batman, pictured here, quietly sits in his famous vehicle.

Campanelli, Spiderman, and his wife Eva (first from left) enjoy a quiet moment looking out at their statues.

The Local East Village Blog

My work was published on the Local East Village Blog! Here’s the link to the original page:

http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/on-east-ninth-street-worries-about-death-and-taxes/

Leave It Better: 2012 ReGeneration Youth Fest

Leave It Better hosted its 2012 ReGen Youth Fest at the New York Botanical Gardens this summer. Students gathered to watch the mini documentaries they filmed and also ate the vegetables they had grown earlier in the year. I had the pleasure of following these kids for an eventful day. Watch their journey here:

http://www.leaveitbetter.com/play/406/

America’s Best Restroom Nominee: Habana Outpost

Habana Outpost is an eco-eatery located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Famous for its corn on the cob, Habana Outpost is environmentally friendly in many ways. It has solar panels, utensils made from potato starch, compostable cups, recycled furniture, and a recycled kitchen! The kitchen is actually a truck! Even its bathroom keeps the environment in mind. The restroom collects rainwater to flush the toilets. This restroom is one of ten bathrooms vying for the title of “America’s Best Restroom.” I didn’t know this competition existed! Watch the video to find out more about Habana Outpost and its bathroom!

EDIT: Habana Outpost didn’t win this year’s title, but congratulations on making it to the nation’s top ten!

Union Square Peepers

Yes, you read that right – Union Square peepers. The act of peeping is staring up a woman’s skirt. I didn’t realize this was happening and I’ve been to Union Square many of times. I spoke to a man who calls himself “Normal Bob Smith” (real name Bob Hain). He has been filming and documenting these men using his camera and website for several years. Watch the video for more details about how these men do it. Some footage is taken from Bob’s website, as noted in the video, with his permission.

Summer 2011 at Leaveitbetter.com! Pancakes!

I worked at a social networking site focused around the environmental movement this summer and I’m continuing to work there until around next week. I just want to provide a link to videos that I’ve made for the site since then. It’s been a great learning experience.

The first video is a fun one – a pancake recipe! Make them at home and enjoy! Leave It Better videos

NYU Students hold Vigil for Japan after Tsunami

NYU students gathered at Gould Plaza to hold a vigil for Japan and the vicitms of the tsunami a week after the natural disaster hit the island nation.

Photos by: Connie Szeto/NYU

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Single Stream Recycling at NYU

Single stream recycling or mixed recycling is making it’s way across the nation’s universities and replacing the old dual stream system. NYU joins a list of other universities like UCLA, Tufts and Harvard in making the change. The next step is to educate students about how the new system works so the whole operation runs smoothly.

I traveled to the Bronx to check out the recycling facility that sorts recyclable material. It’s also the destination for NYU’s recyclables. What did I find most memorable? The strong soda smell.

This was my final video for the class. I’m glad I can finally take a break because making videos is incredibly time consuming, but I’m going to miss it. You can learn a lot when you walk out into the world armed with a camera, microphone, and an inquisitive mind. Thanks professor for a great semester!

Unemployment Benefits

Congress allowed unemployment benefits to expire at the end of November 2010 leaving many unemployed in New York City frustrated. They raised their voices in protest, urging for an extension of benefits but also more jobs.

My video appears very slow and I didn’t know what the problem was until someone in my class mentioned “frames per rate,” which affects the movement of the images. It was another freezing cold day and I took shelter inside a Wachovia bank after filming the protest to brainstorm a proper standup narration. The professor said I didn’t need the first bit about the cold. I thought it was a nice way to transition into the story even though it’s irrelevant to the story.

New Soup Kitchen Visitors

Every year, soup kitchens offer Thanksgiving meals to those who can’t afford to buy food for the holiday. The homeless and the poor are familiar visitors. But at the Broadway Presbyterian Church, a new group of people are also waiting in line this Thanksgiving.

I remember shooting the standup for this video about twenty times in the cold. I apologize to my classmate, who’s holding the camera, for subjecting him to an hour of wind and near freezing temperatures.

I had a major problem this week – I didn’t have a solid story! I helped my classmate film his piece earlier in the day and I had my eyes set on the soup kitchen at the Broadway Presbyterian Church. They served their food restaurant style with menus. I thought that was very unique and I wanted to cover it, but by the time we got there around 5PM, they were cleaning up and only a couple of people were eating. Luckily, with a little quick thinking, I picked up two interviews from people walking on the street. Phew!