1967 Dodge Challenger?

Besides editing work on Rat Rod Rockers! I also (after dinner) loaded Reason 4 to my computer and was simultaneously reconfiguring my wife's Mac to OSX (10.4.11). Turned out for me to run Reason 4 on Thing Two (my Mac G4 500), I had to upgrade to 10.4.11 as well. As I was waiting for both computers to download the upgrades I put the finishing touches on my 1967 Dodge Challenger Phantom (what if) Concept. The idea was- what if Dodge had used the Plymouth Barracuda platform (much like Pontiac and Chevy shared the Camaro/Firebird platforms) to introduce the Challenger in 1967 instead of 1970. To make a Barracuda more Dodge-like, I filed down the hood peaks and added a cut 1968 Dodge Charger grille as well as 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T tail lights. I think this represents a very realistic mock-up of what a Challenger could have looked like if introduced in 1967. Variations between the Challenger and Barracuda would be hood, grill and tail light assembly (exactly like the variation between Camaro/Firebird in 1967). I have always loved the outline of the 1967-1969 Barracudas, but never liked the split grill and hood peak.

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Finally- with all other projects completed or set aside- I am jumping into the Rat Rod Rockers! editing. I had already laid out all scenes with correct footage, so now its snip snip cut cut time. Lets see how long it will take me to get a finished movie from this! Also today was my Birthday. 46 years old people! Feels good tho. My wife and kids got me Reason 4 music software (upgrade from Reason 3), some summer shorts and a set of Dremel attachments for my Dremel Tool. Score!

Filming For My Horse Documentary

Here are a few stills from the new Horse Documentary I am working on. I wanted to do something outside of my norm. I can't explain too much as it would give away the premise, but it will be cool. I will do a little filming every few weeks until we have all the footage we need. Dawn Spiegelberg and Megan Ayrault are film production consultants. Now this will not interfere with my Magazine Project- Munster Style or beloved feature Rat Rod Rockers! Trust me. I am a wiz at multitasking. And remember kids- "Don't Wiz On The Electric Fence!"

Social Media Flow Chart

This is the basic set-up I am currently using to express myself on the intranets. This type of set-up may be obvious to many, but ya know, maybe not so much. The direct flow is to the right on the little schematic I made. Blip.FM to Twitter to Facebook. This is great if I am playing pretend DJ (Blipping my own songs at times) as everything that hits Twitter goes downstream to Facebook (my one-two punch!). I only "catch up" on Facebook and do most of my "Socializing" on Twitter. Blip is great for musicians who want to get their music out there to the booty shakin' public. You can request to upload files directly to Blip- but it has to be approved by management first. I own a record label so they allowed me to upload part of my catalog that way. I also use YouTube to get my songs online in high quality for internet radio stations and searches. You just add a cover art pic over the audio, upload to YouTube and viola- your in business. For film makers this can be a great way to get songs from your movies soundtrack out to the public.

Speaking of YouTube, I set the Autoshare feature up as soon as I opened my Twitter account. Autoshare sends out "announcements" on Twitter, etc. whenever you upload a new video, rate a video or several other things you might be inclined to do on YouTube.

For Blogging I use Blogger (Blogspot whatever they're calling it now). It is relatively easy to link things up on Blogger. I have a little corner with my Tweets on it and a little corner with some YouTube action on it. Hey you can see all that shite right here (if you are viewing this on Blogger). S'allgood.

I am also a member of several Ning sites and love to RSS my blog in the middle of my Ning pages. Same blog all over the frickin' place. I also use all the share, apps and link features to connect as much of my media as possible. You may notice the absence of MySpace on my little flow chart. I have MySpace accounts but found them very ineffective for getting connected to anything but spam and bands looking for record deals. They have also revamped their pages again and I recently lost tons of kustom work I did on my five MySpace pages. I am done with them! The Twitter/Facebook combo is really working best for me right now.

Now of course all these sites are linked to my various Gmail accounts, which I use to monitor the whole Go-Kustom Social Media Circus Show. I have an account for my personal stuff, for my record label, my new publication, etc. Using different Gmail accounts helps you keep it separated.

My Overall Advice-
1. Use the same Avatar Pic on all pages so people can readily identify you (unless your a stalker- skip down to number 3).
2. You can create separate Personal & Company social media pages, but if your like me and your life IS YOUR WORK then don't worry about it. However if all you do is sell sell sell- then you just need company sites. You have no personal life anyhow.
3. Try to use the same "name" for all your social media sites. This may not be possible especially if your shooting for Bob123 or Jimmy321 but at least give it a try. This of course does not apply to lurkers or stalkers as they have multiple names on multiple sites and well...they're just f'n creepy people anyway.
4. Be yourself within your social media circles. Take criticism with a grain (a big grain) of salt. When I first started "Tweeting" this guy started following me and then started criticizing the frequency and length of my posts. I was new so I was like "OK- good advice buddy". Then I started think WTF!?! Who is this dumbass? Then (on purpose) I went on a Tweeting rampage and the guy immediately unfollowed me. Now I have three times the number of followers he does. Bottom line- be yourself.

Killing Machine Music Video

Finally in the home stretch with this music video. Took a long time on this one. Ended up going back to the original scene from Hot Rod Girls Save The World in unedited form to grab some new footage. I have to finish this bad boy to get started on Rat Rod Rockers! I hate starting one project when another sites uncompleted.

Hot Rod Girls Save The World (2008 Intermission Version)

Got the basic cover art done for the newest edition of Hot Rod Girls Save The World the Original 2008 Intermission Version. Did this on Thing Two (my 500 mac G4) while waiting for Thing One (my 733 G4 Mac) to render bits of the Killing Machine music video. This edition will feature the original screening version we played at the 911 Media Arts Center back in 2008. This version was screened with a half hour intermission between parts one and two. The DVD will play part one then go back to the Menu so you can take a little break and then play part two. There will also be a "bypass" button so you can play the whole film uninterrupted. This set will also include the Special Features disc from the Kustom Edition that comes out next month.

iGTO

Tried out a "nickle" color paint on the iGTO Intergalactic Muscle Car last night. an metallic paints really bring out the flaws in surfaces! The iGTO is a long way from completion but is starting to take shape.

Munster Style Ad

Created a new Munster Style banner ad for various websites the afternoon. They should start appearing on sites next week. Gotta get the word out about our new Kustom Kulture Periodical.

Model Kit Score!

Got two 1/25th scale 1968 Dodge Chargers in the mail today (ordered a week ago). Later at Fred Meyers I stumbled across a 1968 Ford Mustang. One of the Chargers will become an Intergalactic Muscle Car. The other will probably end up as a Roadster Concept. Not sure about the Mustang, but they are one of my favorite cars so I had to buy it. Also got a little work on the iGTO (Intergalactic GTO) and my 1967 Dodge Challenger Concept. Had some extra time on my hands as I was waiting for my computer to upload the Best Of Go-Kustom TV Volume 1 & 2 to Youreeeka.com These uploads take 3 hours each with a standard DSL connection. Yesterday I almost completed the Killing Machine music video featuring Super Amanda. Only a few details and holes to fill. Also decided to release yet a third version of Hot Rod Girls Save The World next week. An original festival version with an intermission break at the one hour point. I think the intermission worked really well at our first screening back in 2008. I found the original tapes and want to recreated it on DVD. This will be a Hot Rod Girl Save The World (Festival Version) with the Special Features disc.

The Mooshians Clip

Finished up the layout and script for a Hot Rod Girls Save The World Special Features clip about how I created The Mooshians and their planet in Hot Rod Girls Save The World. Most people can not fathom how complicated and difficult this was to pull off on a micro budget.

Memories...

Here's a pic my sister sent of her, Grandpa Chastain and me circa 1969. I miss Grandpa- and dig that Aluminum Christmas Tree!

First Official Munster Style Pin-Up Model

We had our first serious model submissions for Munster Style Magazine yesterday by Becky Lee of her stunning photo set shot by the Husband & Wife photo team known as Zombie Crush. The style and angles of this set are outstanding and we feel lucky to have them in Munster Style! You may remember seeing Becky Lee as the Flag Girl - Veronika Lakester in our latest Rat Rod Rockers! trailer and drag race footage that we recently posted on You Tube. Becky is also a Pin-Up Angel and even helped out last year at out Hot Rod Monsters Film Festival.

Birth Of Munster Style Magazine

Decided to get serious about starting Munster Style this week. We have a meeting of Friday with potential staff and writers to set the ground work. I started soliciting submissions and already have half dozen interviews set, people working on music features, burlesque features, movie interviews and paranormal articles. People seem excited. I want Munster Style not to be a regular magazine, but thrice yearly kustom kulture periodical, more than 200 pages in length. Very few ads (only for submitters as barter for their work). This can work with short run publishers and direct sales and subscriptions. Munster Style will be full glossy and as pristine a publication as we can make it. Shooting for a May 1st 2010 first issue release. That might be hopeful, but at this point who knows.

Hot Rod Girls Save The World Special Features DVD

Doing more work on the Special Features disc for the Hot Rod Girls Save The World (Kustom Edition) DVD. This disc was supposed to come out in November-December before Christmas but because Rat Rod Rockers! ran extra long for the filming, I couldn't get to it unto last month. I have most clips organized and the few that are left will be done by this weekend. I want to send the master disc into the pressing plant by Monday. Self imposed deadline. The current clip I am editing is about the Intergalactic Muscle Cars seen in the forthcoming Memories Of Planet Earth movie. I build these cars to be scanned into the computer and converted to 3D CGI images.

Hot Rod Girls Save The World More Screens For DVD

This Special Features disc has been one of the most difficult DVD authoring projects I have yet attempted. I want to make sure I get as much interesting facts and information on the disc as possible, so I don't have to go back and redo it in a few years. besides adding a brief town history for Anywhere, Washington, I was able to add zoom features to the Anywhere map page. It's a bit wonky, but works. Strange how much different DVD code reacts than html code.

Also got a call from my mechanic- blown head gasket on the Ford Escort. $1,100! Nursed it home and parked it. Maybe next month. The GMC Van (aka Big Bertha) has been leaking coolant like a sive. I think I located the leak source, but don't have the tools to get under the van and over the transmission, where the secondary heater hoses run to the second heating unit (it is a big big van). I will have my mechanic look tomorrow. I have been able to keep it from overheating (like it did a few nights back when I was trying to go to EMP for a friends screening), by filling the radiator directly (not the overflow box) before I run it. It takes about half a gallon each time! This gives me enough run time to take the kids to school and get back without overheating.

To top it off yesterday I was in a hurry to pick up my son. A little putt putt car cut me off and so I tried to go around. I could not get back into the turn lane so I bolt ahead of the line and was able to quick cut two lanes into the turn lane. But guess who I cut in front of (not dangerously close- just abruptly). An undercover Police SUV! The Officer comes up to the van and says, "Any weapons in that rig?" Trying to be funny I say, "Not today Officer." Then he says, "Well do you have a concealed weapons permit for when you do?" I told the Officer I was joking and he took my license- but I couldn't find my insurance card! I gave him All States number, but he couldn't get the info on the Police Car phone so he wrote me a "No Insurance Ticket"! $500! So now I have to go to court and show my little card, waste my afternoon, and still have to pay $150 of the $500 fine. When it rains it pours people.