Goes to Twelve

Video: My Review of the Winning Song for Eurovision 2013

Mark — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:10:55 +0000

In the weeks leading up to the 2013 Eurovision song contest, Overthinking It created a video series that reviewed all 39 entries and, not coincidentally, attracted the ire of 39 European countries.

I was lucky enough to have reviewed the song that wound up winning it all, “Only Teardrops” by Emmelie de Forest from Denmark. Watch the video here:

And watch the rest of our Eurovision videos on our YouTube channel. Read the comments on those videos, if you dare.

Video: Mirror Visions Ensemble Carnegie Hall Concert Teaser

Mark — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:03:24 +0000

Mirror Visions Ensemble presents “Concert à la carte: music inspired by food,” May 11, 2013, at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall:

I created this video advertisement for Mirror Visions Ensemble’s upcoming concert using footage from a previous performance. For more information on Mirror Visions Ensemble and their upcoming concert, visit their website.

Overthinking Eurovision – A new video series from Overthinking It

Mark — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:26:35 +0000

We’ve launched a new video series on Overthinking It: we’re reviewing all 39 entries in this year’s Eurovision song competition. I kicked off the series by reviewing (and sometimes skewering) songs by Malta, Norway, and Albania.

To get the latest videos, visit the Eurovision 2013 page on OverthinkingIt.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

OverthinkingIt.com in Wired Magazine

Mark — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:45:47 +0000

OverthinkingIt.com was commissioned to produce an infographic for Wired magazine’s April issue! We crunched a ton of data and produced (with the help of Wired‘s art department) this snazzy infographic charting the rise of cable TV as seen through Emmy nominations.

Be sure to click through to Wired to see the interactive version.

Photos: Taiwan 2013

Mark — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:06:52 +0000

For the second year in a row, I travelled to Taiwan to visit my girlfriend’s family for the Chinese (Lunar) New Year. Last year’s trip tilted more towards major tourist attractions in Taipei; this year was spent less in Taipei and more in the beautiful Taiwanese countryside.

New Websites: Public Works Partners, Ian Lowe

Mark — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:32:08 +0000

Two new websites that I designed and/or developed recently went live!

Public Works Partners

When I’m not running OverthinkingIt.com, I’m a consultant-cum-IT utility guy at Public Works Partners, a management consulting firm that works with nonprofits and government agencies.

We recently launched our new company brand and website. I did the development work to execute the beautiful design created by Three Furies:

Visit the site here.

Ian Lowe

Ian Lowe is an actor, singer, and pianist, and now he has a website that’s just as impressive as his talents on stage!

I did both the design and the development for this website.

Visit the site here. Also, try it out on your cell phone to see the mobile-friendly design!

Music: “I Scened A Scene,” a Les Misérables Parody

Mark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:10:47 +0000

This is a few months late, but in the interest of cataloguing my significant multimedia projects on this site, I present with great pride the Les Mis Parody, “I Scened A Scene.”

I recorded the audio and edited the music video. Vira Slywotzky provided the vocals; Pete Fenzel wrote the lyrics.

Lyrics and additional commentary are on–where else–OverthinkingIt.com.

Music: “Remember Bane,” the “Dark Knight Rises” Parody of “November Rain”

Mark — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:00:40 +0000

This premiered on OverthinkingIt.com a few weeks ago; I’m posting on my site for those who missed it, and for my own archival purposes.

At our Geek Week live performance in May, we debuted an epic Bane-themed parody of the epic Guns ‘n’ Roses song “November Rain.” We were capturing the anxiety of the moment: the disappointment that Bane, and not a better-known Batman villain was chosen, the concern over Bane’s muffled voice, and most of all, the fear that the movie couldn’t live up to its impossibly high expectations.

Now that the movie is upon us and the reviews are in, it appears that those fears are largely unfounded and that the movie will be a resounding success. But we still felt it important–nay, necessary–to memorialize the collective anxiety of that moment in the form of a proper recorded song and music video.

Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you “Remember Bane.”

I’m on vocals doing my best Axl Rose impression. Instrumentals are from a prerecorded karaoke track.

Music: “Never Going Back Again” with Mike Delouis

Mark — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:00:49 +0000

Mike Delouis, the fabulous singer who turned in an amazing rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” at my 30th birthday concert, sings this wonderful cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, “Never Going Back Again.” I accompany on guitar.

Photos: Belmont Stakes

Mark — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 20:36:10 +0000

On June 9, 2012, I went to Elmont, NY, in Long Island to see the Belmont Stakes. The Triple Crown winner, “I’ll Have Another,” dropped out at the last minute, but that didn’t take away from the excitement of the race track: powerful horses whizzing by at breakneck speeds, impossibly close finishes, and the lurid appeal of gambling.

I put $2 on horse picked somewhat at random (“Optimizer,” if you must know), but unfortunately, the bet didn’t pay off. “Union Rags” finished first and presumably made some people rich, or at least richer than they were going into the day.