Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Completed a rough cut of Scene 57 of Rat Rod Rockers! Having trouble with a body impact. If I run it slow motion it looks more convincing, but trying to find the right sound for the hit has been difficult. Also the transition back to regular speed film seems a little jarring. I am also trying a stop on impact type body hit. Those work well with music and in fight sequences. This, however, is not a fight scene just a single impact, so more emphasis has to be made on the one hit. I am down to two more scene sets to cull and then lots of editing. We will see if I can get this rough cut by August (original rough cut projection date).

Also saw Iron Man 2 today. Very good film. I like how they are doing the Iron Man series a hundred times better than how The Hulk or Spiderman turned out on the big screen.

Delinquet Daughters (1944) (DVD)

We watched Delinquent Daughters last night. Got it from Amazon for a mere $7.98. I heard about this and many other early Hot Rod films from the Hollywood Hotwheels DVD (see mention below).
The unrestored grainy Black & White film quality was very murky at times, especially during the night scenes. Very 1940's B-Movie, not as formulaic as the 1950's B-Movies. Actually had a car chase and featured a few early Hot Rods (called "jalopys" by the "flatfoots"). Heavy anti-Juvenile Delinquency theme and lengthy diatribe on era peer pressures throughout the film. An interesting movie to add to your vintage film collection, but not much more than that.

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Finished culling Scenes 30/32 and now working on Scene 59 of Rat Rod Rockers! This is one of the last scenes I need to pre-edit by breaking the scene apart into takes.

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Culling Scenes 30/32 for Rat Rod Rockers! This is the main Drag Race sequence in the film.

Rta Rod Rockers! Editing

Still trimming the Car Show sequence- Scene 22. Should have the takes cut apart on the timeline by this afternoon. A big difference in the morning shots versus the afternoon shots. The sun really started shining just after lunch time that day- I'll have to see if the sunny and overcast shots can sit side by side without looking out of place.

The Road (DVD)

Watched The Road last night from Netflix (on DVD). Dark dark dark film. Really rethinks the whole Apocalypse Movie Genre. None of that, "Hey look I'm the last man alive and can drive any car I want, while having fun fighting zombies with large caliber automatic weaponry." No siree- this is a kill or be killed, eat or be eaten survivalist 101 story, dumped on film and then rubbed in the dirt and ash for good measure. After watching, I really want to read the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Cormac McCarthy. I also need this one in my DVD library. Not for the squeamish (i.e. would you eat another human being to stay alive?) but really makes you think and wonder if it all ends- will it be like this?

An Interesting Day

So- got up early this morning (like I normally do), around 5:30 AM and ate breakfast, checked our bank accounts on-line, drank some coffee, etc. Then we went into my son's High School Family Counselor (with him) to talk about a few home work issues and what we could all do to help him get the grades up with only one month of school left before summer break. A good meeting. Afterward, the wife and I swung by the post office and picked up a digital camera that thankfully got correctly rerouted and made it to our P.O. Box without incident. Then I dropped the wife at our arts school and proceeded to the local Auto Parts Store to get radiator plugs to bypass my GMC van's leaking heater. The heater core has a major leak and I don't have the time right now to pull the dash and change it out. Worked on the van for an hour, disconnecting and plugging the heater, then dousing the carpets with carpet cleaner and hot water to remove the slimy accumulation of radiator fluids. Man that stuff is messy! After that, got some PCC Deli lunch and ate it with the wifey (yes I bought her lunch too). As I was digesting my lunch, the IRS calls and we talk about some outstanding tax issues, and your never gonna believe this- we actually get the issues partially resolved! Amazing! A few minutes ago I checked the mailbox and my Netflix films arrived (The Road, Evel Knievel: Spectacular Jumps and Red Dwarf: Series 1, Disc 1) along with a DVD from Amazon I bought entitled Delinquent Daughters (I'll give a review later this week). So this was a get things done day? Get things resolved day? Get lots of movies in the mailbox day? Felt productive tho. Now we have to go buy the makin's for home made nachos and watch The Road with Viggo Mortensen.

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Culling Scene 22 of Rat Rod Rockers! This is the Rat Bastards Infestation II Car Show footage. Alot to go through. Some great shots in this series. Gonna cut the scene to a swingin' instrumental music bed I wrote called Jump Back.

FIAT 500

Got these pics via Chrysler Fiat News Blog. Nasty cool looking FIATs indeed!

The Fast & The Furious (1954) (DVD)

Just got Roger Corman's The Fast & The Furious DVD in the PO Box today. Watched it immediately. Interesting premise- a truck driver is accused of killing another truck driver. On the run, the accused driver kidnaps a gal and her topless Jaguar, enters a road race to Mexico and...well I don't want to spoil the ending. Typical 1950's B-Movie cinematography and action scenes. In other words- I dug it! Except for the music. It was really dissonant and noisy and didn't fit the film at all. Besides starring in the film John Ireland was also one of the directors.

I also started writing verses for Shut Down, a tune that will be featured in Rat Rod Rockers!

New 1/25th D.B. Petty Charger Gasser Completed

New D.B. Petty Hemi Charger Gasser

New atop of old D.B. Petty Charger

Here's the new 1/25th scale version of D.B. Petty's infamous '66 Dodge Charger Gasser atop the old one. I even did plug wires on the new version- woohoo!

Hollywood Hotwheels (DVD)

Rented a very cool DVD from Netflix called Hollywood Hotwheels. Surprisingly informative and well made. Narrated by Adam West (Batman from the 1966 Batman TV Show) the documentary has commentary by Roger Corman, George Barris and Dean Jeffries. Not as much on the individual cars as I hoped for, but a very interesting perspective on where Car Kulture came from and how Hollywood has portrayed it though film.

Rat Rod Rockers! Shut Down

Here's a screen shot of the new song Shut Down on Thing One. Still using Cubase SE (long story on why I down graded from Cubase VST 5).

Life's Little Pleasures

Found out last week that Revell is reissuing the 1/25 1967 Dodge Hemi Charger plastic model in June! A few year ago, I bought every kit form Revell's last run that I could find off e-bay and through online hobby stores. I was down to one unopened kit- Charger Jonesin'! Since this is my favorite car (along with the 1966-67 Coronet) and I really dig kit bashing them into different concepts or phantom projects. So far I've made two Gasser Chargers, one Monster Truck Charger, a shortened sports car Charger (not finished yet), a funny car Charger and a DTM Charger. I pre-ordered two kits and will probably buy thirty to forty more over the next year.

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Got mucho culling done for Rat Rod Rockers! this weekend. Mostly Scene 61, which due to a script typo is actually two scenes in one. Not having the internet in the studio has actually turned into a editing boon.

Less Is More (Sometimes)

So I was having a hard time getting the sounds I wanted for this song Shut Down. I had a distorted bass guitar line that was getting mucked up by an overdriven drum loop. The song is for the Drag Race scene in Rat Rod Rockers! and features sultry rocker vocals by Nikki Alonso. Finally I just cut the drums and started new with a simpler undistorted break beat. Man- opened the song up immediately. Added a distorted guitar above the bass and now it f'n rocks!

Kustomized My Dano Baritone

I had this idea to kustomized my Danelectro Baritone (everybody keeps tellin' me I just can't leave anything the "way I bought it") when I realized (during a pick-up adjustment) that the pickguard is actually a clear plastic cover on top of a thin shiny plastic. I knew that if I could print out something cool on my inkjet printer, I would be able to sandwich the new art in between the two layers of plastic. I took the front end of the guitar apart and scanned the lower plastic piece to make a template. Then tried different images in Photoshop, settling on a scene from the Hot Rod Girls Save The World Comic book. Printed the new insert, cut it out and then put the whole thing back together. Viola- Kustom Baritone! This will work on any Dead On '67 Danelectro Guitar or Baritone.

New Studio Digs

Set up the A/V Studio in our new apartment. Tight but workable.

Burn Success...Yeah!

Finished the core file burn for Rat Rod Rockers! Finally!!! Now back to editing.

Burn Failure...Argh!

Half way through a DVD backup burn for my Rat Rod Rockers! movie files (and drive) and the computer jams up, mouse disappears, etc. I was on disc 59 0f 101- eeeeek! Took four days! Threw the 59 DVDs away and started again. This time only backing up the core Rat Rod Rockers! files. This burn spans 47 discs so...

Munster Style Postcards

Just finished the layout for new Munster Style Postcards to give out at events and shows. Gotta tell the world about our new little kustom kulture and arts periodikal.

Moving & File Backup

Text originally typed on my new Alphasmart NEO. Spent the last three days moving into our new apartment. Also had to move the major part of my studio. This is going to be awkward for awhile, since the apartment is still not setup for internet (will be shortly- gotta figure if we are going Comcast or Verizon again). In the meantime my internet access is at work. Also as we have been moving in, I took the down time to backup the Rat Rod Rockers! film files to DVD (101 discs- each take 20 minutes to burn and verify!). I do have tape backup of the film, but once you start editing you need the exact media files to match the edited points. When you dump from tape into a computer system start and stop times can be off which throw your edits off. The editing system is working with blocks of media and when recaptured even a few frames less in the media block can screw your scene up big time.
Also just got more pics of Hot od Heidi and Teri Aslett from Zombie Crush (husband and wife photo team) for Munster Style. They are excellent! This publication is gonna rock people!

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Working on Scene 38. Was going to just break the takes apart, but decided to finish the edit on this scene so I can link it with surrounding scenes and create another edited block. These blocks work as little editing islands. Also started pre-ordering my product for this summer set of car shows we will have vendor booths at. Car show season starts next month!

Rat Rod Rockers! Editing

Working on culling, reviewing and separating takes for various scenes of Rat Rod Rockers! Came across this great take of actress Ivy Sawdon, who plays Stephanie Milldue. The sun was so bright through the Hot Rod's windshield that it acted like a mirror and you actually can see Ivy's face perfectly clear in the shots. It is intermittent and a very very cool effect. Also today, Cinco de Mayo, I am 19 years sober! Can't believe I've been un-drunk and un-high for that long...time just moves along doesn't it?

My Comments To TMZ About Garage Magazne (For The Record)

Below is the e-mail comment I made in reply to TMZ when they asked me why I pulled our forthcoming ad campaigns from Garage Magazine for Rat Rod Rockers! How they knew I was getting the ads ready and then pulled them when I found out about the whole Jesse/Sandra thing I do not know. TMZ is sleuthy for sure!

Well news travels fast! Garage was recently purchased by Jesse James (whom I used to have a large amount of respect for). The guy really brought fabricators and that aspect of Kustom Kulture to the forefront of pop culture with his Discovery Channel TV shows. I had no idea Garage was still around or even had been purchased by James until a friend of mine said my most recent feature film "Hot Rod Girls Save The World" (on DVD) had received an excellent review in Garage, in fact a full 1/3rd of a page worth of a good review! So I picked one up and saw James had bought out the magazine. I had friends who were pin-up cover models on the old Garage Magazine years ago. It was a real lo-fi Hot Rod publication back then with pin-ups and good kustom kulture articles. The new Garage Magazine looked a bit Hollywoodish (with Carmen Electra on the cover) and like a mouthpiece for all things Jesse- but hey they gave my film a good review...ya know! Then I started talking to their ad rep about rates etc. and scheduling a small ad campaign for my next film Rat Rod Rockers! (due out summer 2010). Shortly thereafter a film maker friend told me via Twitter that James and Bullock were separated and James had slept with some stripper chick, yadda yadda yadda. Understand I don't pay much attention to the Entertainment News Crap on TV (no offense TMZ) so hadn't heard about any of this. I was pissed. Here's this guy who's work I have great respect for and this gal who is like the perfect girl next door/sweetheart/megastar and who just won the Academy Award and both appeared to have this great relationship (working class guy and princess- like Shrek ya know) and now it's this huge scandal in the making. I was angry- how could this guy blow it so bad! Like hitting a brick wall going 200 mph without even looking! I knew a shite storm was fast approaching, so I felt it was better for our company Go-Kustom Films to cut any and all potential ties with Garage Magazine and anything related to Jesse James. Look I am a family guy, believe in God, I have two kids and great wife and I really don't want my company affiliated with someone like him. Think of all those kids who were fans of his show Monster Garage. What do you tell them now- when they had looked up to this guy as a seriously cool role model? "Well Timmy he sure builds cool motorcycles but he just can't keep that Vanilla Gorilla in his pants." - D.A. Sebasstian (quote if you want)

Studio Shake Up & Scene 54

Even with having the unfortunate news I am going to have to pack and move my A/V Studio I was able to get some editing dome on Rat Rod Rockers! Scene 54. I have slowly been packing up my studio and getting things ready to move next week. The reasons are hard to explain, other than we can not have personal Creative Spaces in our Arts School, or so we just found out. This will be a pain, but since I have such a small and modern set-up, will not be too hard to move. Not like the old days with giant consoles and racks of outboard gear. I can set up in any corner of a bedroom or living room. The Catch 242 is that this is the same gear that I also use to teach the kids before and after school music and film classes. So I will either have to buy several new computers and make a second A/V system for the school or just not teach the classes next fall.