… in the bag …

I finished tracking the song “Breakaway” today. I originally thought that I was going to not use layered vocals takes, but I was wrong.

I have twenty vocal tracks.

They are not all going at the same time, of course. There are points in the song where I have as many as 6 or 8 vocal tracks rolling at once. I kept some of the takes that I recorded while in was in Palouse last summer.

That brings my “completely tracked” song count up to four. I haven’t revisited many of the songs since my two week recording session in June. None of the others are really done and they are in various states of disrepair.

I should probably tackle “Adventure” next. I was never able to get the right guitar sound while I was in Palouse. Maybe my Grendel Dead Room will help out in that category.

… close to the end of Breakaway …

I tracked some of the final vocal takes for the song “Breakaway” from my solo record “Bits” today. I have just a few lines to go.

I hope to get this one wrapped up tomorrow…

… night timelapse script experiment …

Click the image above to play!

I am starting to learn how the scripting language in After Effects works. Tonight, I went out and shot about 6 seconds of time lapse footage with my CHDK hacked Canon A640.

I dropped these frames into AE CS3 and then created a little drum loop.

Using AE’s expression controls I was able to convert the audio into a series of keyframes that I applied to the scale (size) of the images. This creates the visual pulse to the beat.

It was a very basic experiment … but it proves to me that I can do some very interesting thing by creating audio for the sole purpose of altering video.

Hmmmm…..

… writing? …

I’m thinking about starting up a new feature length screenplay to satisfy a need for instant creative gratification. I am still chugging away on my solo record “Bits” and working on the animated music video “No Escape!”, but writing fulfills a completely different need.

… and I haven’t written anything since last year.

I have the premise worked out, but I have no idea how to frame the story yet. In the past, I have started by writing detailed outlines before setting out to flesh out the real script. I’ll probably start that way again.

It will be my third feature length screenplay. Each time I have scaled the scope of the film down, hoping that I will get the opportunity to direct one of my stories. I wrote my first screenplay in 2005. It was an epic Historical Science Fiction film. Last year I wrote a dark comedy set in the 1980’s.

The film I have in mind now could potentially be shot with some crafty city permits and no budget. It would fall into the Contemporary Science Fiction/Comedy genre.

I was writing on a PC based program called Sophocles that apparently went out of business so I may need to get a new screenwriting program.

… walkin’ down the street …

Liz made this background plate for the “No Escape!” music video for my up coming album “Bits”. I’d say we’re almost halfway done with all the background plates.

So far, this animated movie has been constructed on a scene to scene basis, created directly from a story in my head. I should probably start to sequence some of the new background plates into my working composition in After Effects to see how the imagery is keeping pace with the music. I have all of the main scenes and the story arc worked out … but I lack a detailed storyboard.

This has made the whole project less structured, but maybe a little more fun. The large pixel size and limited colors leave some room for the imagination to fill in the blanks.

… Warlords (lyrics) …

Here are the lyics to the song “Warlords”. Watch out for the sword … it’s really sharp.

Warlords

it’s all we know
to resist to replace to reload
scary
invulnerable
from a distance we watch it unfold
on and off we go

it’s all on automatic
it wouldn’t take us very long to mend this
don’t be so coy about it
you’d rather sacrifice the young than risk your image

the safety is off

*

how strong you need to be
how much you need to lead
this time we’re all in gear
to watch this catastrophe
no hand will hold or feel
this peace that couldn’t be
this time the weapons real
restart the history

the afterglow of the radioactive exposed
scary
containment holds, as the world outside it corrodes
on and off we go

villains so diplomatic
convince the meek that they’ll be young forever
enlist the disenchanted
their greatest strength is in their own dysfunction

the safety if off

*

how strong you need to be
how much you need to lead
this time we’re all in gear
to watch this catastrophe
no hand will hold or feel
this peace that couldn’t be
this time the weapons real
restart the history
can you hear the march call
pouring out of the factories
reclaim your own song
rewrite the symphony
overnight the truth falls
into a memory
what can you really do
that part’s a mystery

*To be determined …

… fall 2008 to do list …

Continuing on with my seasonal tradition …

Here is my fall 2008 to do list.

1) Finish lyrics for “Atlantis”
2) Finish lyrics for “Night Driver”
3) Finish tracking “Bits”
4) Mix “Bits”
5) Create “Bits” cover art
6) Digitally release Eureka Farm albums
7) Outline a new feature length script
8) Finish “No Escape!” video
9) Complete final post prod. for the “Combat” video
10) Outline a third music video for “Bits”
11) Finish “Armanium” VST
12) Release 1.0 versions of all BETA VST instruments

I have until December 21st to complete these items!

(This list will be updated as I complete the goals)