Final Presentation

Here is my video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL6sBEFU_aM&feature=g-upl

I would have embedded it into the post, but I guess I'm still a little technologically daft.

I'm very grateful to have been through this class, for it forced me to do what I have been capable of for many years. I've learned the lesson that I've got to start applying myself in life, so that I don't just end up as that hobo on a park bench playing a game boy and owing everybody money.

Thanks again Rob. :D

Week 10

Project is being converted, clipped and worked on in other ways as well. Finally ripped Last Action Hero to my computer, so I was able to add in clips from the movie. I'm actually very proud of what came out of this, I was nothing but lazy throughout this term and I still managed to catch up and make a really great video (or at least soon to be). I sat down scanning the movie and very carefully picked which clips to insert into the video, and I can tell I chose wisely.

All I need now is to do a few clever editing tricks to spice up the usually monotonous youtube fan video. I guess I have a bit of trouble being too stoked about it considering I made the damn thing. Nevertheless I feel really accomplished, and have learned a lot about myself this term. This project inspired me to cover more songs on the guitar, and to take a new interest in my new hobby of video editing.

Update 009

I've finally realized what I've done. The truth is that I have royally fucked up this term. My only slightly valid excuse is that I have been making the transition from on-campus college life to life as a commuter. My old study habits have failed me and it became obvious mid-term that I needed to make a change. However, by the time that change had been made, it was too late.

I'm not even able to picture the cool screen effects for this video I am making, basically it will be the master track of Megadeth's original song "Angry Again", with my visually strumming along inserted with clips of the movie "Last Action Hero". The action-satire of the early 1990's is what initially popularized the song, and it is one of my personal favorites to date, both the movie and the song. The bias of the average youtube user will rip me a new asshole, but hey, I deserve it for being so fucking lazy.

As I was going to record the audio for my own playing of the song, I remembered that the hardware I used for such actions in the past had mysteriously broken on me years ago, casting me deeper into a pit of uncertainty. At this point, straight C's would be a wet dream come true for the end of this term. But this has taught me an important lesson, the lesson that I had better pull myself together before I end up on academic suspension.

Eighth update

All of the basic video clips are adjusted to the master track. All that remains now is the ripping of Last Action Hero and the recording of my own audio from home. I will be ordering a used copy of the movie from amazon with over-night shipping to make the process quite a bit faster as far as the issue of the movie goes. Ripping straight from netflix could potentially be illegal in my current jurisdiction of the law, so to buy the DVD first will make me feel much safer about it. It's a great movie, so I won't mind watching it over a few times to make my choices of favorite scenes.

I have downloaded audacity onto my laptop at home, and dug up my old microphones, mic stands and affiliated attachments to begin recording the audio as soon as possible. While it will be frustrating, the result will make me feel like I have learned something fun and interesting. Might have to buy another 1/8" converter, unfortunately. Regardless, I look forward to it ending.

Seven was the name, and this update had game...

After learning a little bit about final cut pro with Rob's help, I proceeded to carefully align the visual elements of my guitar playing with the master track, ripped from youtube. Proving to be a decently tedious affair, I realize now that I will have to leave some spots of my actually playing either blank or have something else be shown. After a bit of thinking, I have decided that I am going to rip Last Action Hero the movie to my computer, and carry it on a thumb drive to the computer lab on a future date. After copying it to final cut, I will be adding some choice clips of a very underrated flick to this music video, which I think would have been a good idea even if I hadn't had any issues with timing. The human eye can only be amused for a small amount of time by one type of stimulus.

I will also be re-recording my own audio from home, so that nobody on youtube can say I'm faking it.

Take the number of my last update and add 1...THIS is that number update!

We have begun recording guitar tracks and I must say that it is pretty tedious. Not only is playing the guitar parts correctly an issue, Robert and I spend a good amount of time getting JUST the right camera angle for each shoot. For anyone who has not tried it before, the recording is actually almost never very much fun. The result is what is to look forward to, and that is what I am doing right now.

After a hectic week, we finally got all of the guitar tracks recorded. That is to say, all of the VIDEO tracks recorded. In all honesty, I am thinking it might be a good idea to re-record the guitar solo, because I am not entirely sure I did it correctly down to the absurdly finite detail (this is a joke, and THIS is the part where you start giggling through your nose). I will be doing my best to get the audio recorded on my own at home using a free audio-recording software known as audacity. Hopefully there is more time to do some fine-tuning than I think, because I would honestly like this video to stand out above the current cover videos on youtube.

Midterm Report (update five)

I have finally begun practicing the song "Angry Again" by Megadeth on my guitar. It is rather tedious, as is learning any other song, if you ask me. For the most part, I am an improv guitar player. This means that usually I play my own music, songs that I have made, or that I have made with a few legitimate colleagues. I already know that learning the guitar solo will be the hardest part, but I also know that it will be a very helpful step in more than just one area.

It's fun to know that we as a class get to meet in the RVTV building now. The old classroom was a bit boring and honestly (at first) made the entire class as a whole seem the same way. The computer lab is superb- all of the latest and greatest recording software, including final cut pro, which would have costed me a lot of freakin' money to get on MY computer. Final Cut has to be what I am the most excited about for this project- learning how to edit videos with professional software will open my eyes to a whole new world!

Update to the fourth power

Robert and I have discussed the potential of using a studio in the RVTV building for the visual recording of guitar tracks. I still get to play a fun little game of catch up in my other classes, but simultaneously I am listening to megadeth every second that I drive, seeing as how I have the last action hero soundtrack playing in my car. I figured I might as well annoy myself with it, but the only issue is that I'm still not annoyed! After picking up my guitar today for the first time in a while, I see that I have most certainly not lost my edge, my magic, my mojo, and any other name you can come up with for it. The guitar solo is sounding easier and easier each successive time I take a listen, so learning it won't be that big of a deal. Either that, or it will be, but it won't be anything I can't handle. ;)

Update #3

As of now my project only remains a conceived work of art- due to a loss of my laptop (until very recently) and a general lack of rest and uprising of discord in my life, I have yet to finish learning the guitar solo. However I have already mastered the rhythm parts, so that should make things much easier. I am most looking forward to working with final cut pro, for I have been wanting to work with said software for a very long time now, and I have had no prior opportunities, to my disappointment. I am very happy to have my laptop back so that I may resume my schoolwork along with my casual projects and research.

Life tasted bland for a second there.

A New Proposal

Cyborg Turkey nailed me with a brick of unoriginality right in the head. I felt uninspired and so now I have a new proposal. I am wanting to make a new cover video of the song "Angry Again" by Megadeth. After looking at many cover videos on youtube with Robert, we discovered that little creativity was used in these videos, and that musically, most of these videos were off-key from the original recording. This is an error I intend to correct.

What I am thinking is not one video, but several videos put into one with some neat little special effects. One effect we discussed was where multiple videos will overlap each other, intended for the guitar solo portion of our show. Another idea I came up with was to have three screens going at once (possible four, with the fourth being my friend Ryan playing drums to the song), and as the song progresses, the screens will split, switch places, and physically overlap each other, adding a visual appeal to the song (certainly not that the original video was not pretty enough). For the background, we talked about a black screen with other mild effects going on. This was considered the best idea because it will cause the most seizures as possible (kidding).

There are roughly 6 weeks left in the term, so for a time line I am thinking an even split:

For the first two weeks, I will be mastering the song from front to back to ensure perfection in the video.

Next, I will film each portion of the video as quickly, yet diligently as possible seeing as how we only get one week with a video camera.

Finally I will spend the rest of my time formatting my videos (including audio) in final cut pro. I am hoping to be able to use the labs in the RVTV building, because they are pretty cool- two monitors are better than one, especially in this kind of situation.

I am hoping Robert will be a little more pleased with this proposal, because I know for a fact that I am. To any and all readers, hope you enjoyed reading!

Cyborg Turkey

For my project, some friends and I will be taking some old ideas and bringing them to life. As huge fans of the Adult Swim sitcom Robot Chicken, we will be making multi-second micro-skits in a five to ten minute compilation. As of now, the materials we will be needing for any skits or exactly which skits we will be using are unknown. All that is for certain at this point is that it will be a blast!

It probably all began back in 2005 when robot chicken started. Actually about a year or two before-hand. Past friends and I have always thought of making a silly little sitcom of our own. And the best part is that every idea we came up with, even back in the day, would never exceed about two-minutes in length. Monty Python was always a huge influence, more so on others than myself, but their ideas from that influence would then influence me, so I still get to claim Monthy Python as an influence.

To get an idea of what the outcome will be, try watching an episode or two, or maybe even just a youtube clip of robot chicken. It is the absurd and random humorist's gold mine. As an aspiring comedian myself, I would easily consider robot chicken a monumental influence, as well as George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Sam Kinison. Though, the list certainly does not end at this point. I will be updating this blog to insert a clip of robot chicken so that you may receive a sample of our humor. As for the title of "Cyborg Turkey", it is merely to get the attention of robot chicken creators. Long story short, we want to be writer's for Robot Chicken. And in case I didn't say it enough, Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken.

Week 1 Update

A few ideas I have for my digital media project are a music video depicting my friends Mike, David and I playing rock band. David will be playing guitar, Mike will be on vocals (Mike on Mic), and I will be on drums. What's going to be absolutely hilarious about this is Mike's choice of singing style- none whatsoever. Mike does not sing, he screams at the top of his lungs. We will be playing a song called ballroom blitz by a band called sweet, a rather girly sounding song. This will make the whole thing that much more absurd and therefore that much more hilarious.

Another idea I have is to shoot a fun little youtube video where I will be depicted in multiple screens playing each guitar part to the song "Angry Again" by Megadeth. I have never done this before, and once I get it down, it's possible I could make it into a regular hobby. Either that, or I could utilize the technique to make more complex projects in the future that much less so. It should be fun regardless of difficulty, I have been playing guitar for seven years, and I'm not exactly sure where I would be if I never picked it up. And the pride attained from completion goes without saying.

My last idea which seems the most likely to be executed at this point is a documentary on dark comedy. This will include descendants such as shock humor. A thorough explanation will be given in this film to anyone who may think it is nothing but pure evil, devoid of any artistic merit. I have already collaborated with one Grady Gannon, who has a similar idea for a movie depicting the darkest of comedy. I think what we come up with will be pure, dark gold. =]