More Rats & Gassers Posters & Merch

Added quite a few more posters today on our Cafe Press pages. 

New Rats & Gassers Poster

Made a new poster for Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. This one features pin-up model Cara Mia at Steve Leary's Shop.  I took this set of photographs along with some video for the film. The poster is available through our Cafe Press webpages.

Big Sandy

Our prayers go out to the families in Sandy's path!

Old Gear

Broke out the old gear to add to the home studio. Sold a lot of gear the last few months and had some things (like my Boss SE-50 and Roland S-550) that are useful but going unused. I am trying to skinny up my recording set-up and not just buy things I never use and that sit and collect dust.

"Rat Rods"

I am surprise at how many Hot Rod Guys are insulted or get all bent out of shape by the term "Rat Rod." It reminds me of "Punk Rock" back in the early '80's. This one dink on a message board told me that the Rat Rod Guys were inferior and their rides were crap and how dare they call their cars "Rats" and that was stupid because you don't call Hot Rods "Hots." When "Punk" became a term for the music I was making in 1981, I embraced it. It killed the "Sleeper Rock" of the time and re-birthed not only Ska, Rockabilly, New Wave etc. but eventually Metal and Hip Hop. Rat Rods have spark a new interest in Hot Rods from a younger generation and helped kill Street Rods (aka Sleeper Rock) and rebirth Traditional Hot Rodding (guys who didn't like the Rats but wanted the credibility of a DIY ride as opposed to a 1-800-BUYMYROD approach).

MORE FILE CONVERSIONS ACK!

Just found two more folders of files that need conversion from .mts to .mov files! I thought I was done with this! Ack ack ack! 

ReasonSync Video Player for Reason 6.5

This is the program I have been waiting for! I am an avid Propellerheads Reason user and have always wished there was an easy way to sync video with Reason, especially now since you can record audio directly into the program. I sent an e-mail to the Propellerheads "Suggestion" e-mail inbox saying "why the hell don't you guys support film makers with a video player ap for Reason." They replied saying that a third party already made such an application called ReasonSync! I went to their website and downloaded the program and...it didn't work. The prompt said my older laptop was incompatible with the program. I contacted the company and to my surprise they e-miled me back in a few minutes! Josh Levy who designed the program and owns the company e-mailed me asking details about what was going on with the install. I told him and within a few hours he told me that, in fact, the program was not designed to run on older 32bit configured machines, but he would redesign a version just for me! Well- not just for me, it was also to his benefit since any other older laptop user would have the same issue. Now that's customer service! I got the beta version within 24 hours and it worked flawlessly (so far). Amazing. Now to stress how epic this is for me- much of Rat Rod Rockers! was scored on Reason, but I would have to bounce music tracks between Final Cut Pro, Reason and Cubase. Now I can just take the rough cut video to Reason score and adjust, bounce to Final Cut Pro and I am done! Potentially hours and hours of time saved in editing and scoring!!! Reason has so many cool RackExtensions, Line 6 amp effects, etc. I really prefer it to Pro Tools and Cubase. Best of all ReasonSync is like $30! The website is http://www.reasonsync.com/ReasonSync.html I highly recommend it!

File Conversions Done!

Robb Newby (left) and D.A. Sebasstian (right) set up a GoPro HD on poles
infront of Robb's pick-up during filming his segment for Rats & Gassers.

So I finally found all older MTS files (one batch I hadn't saved to disc and was stashed on my computers internal drive). Wow- this was alot of work! It wouldn't have been a such a big deal, but I realized AFTER I had converted all the Canon HF-G10 .mts files to .mov files  that I had to re-do everything with the Brorsoft MTS conversion program. As I was editing a friends wedding video, I noticed occasion frame duplication, meaning I done a proper 30 fps to 24fps conversion. Better then than after I was halfway through editing Rats & Gassers! Now everything works and looks perfect and I can finally dig in. 

Old Gear

I bought the KMS-30 and DDM-220 new back in 1984. I found the
Boss DR-55 in an Atlanta music store in 1987. Talked the guy
down from $60 to $40. 

Yamaha CS1x- a very cool synth for the time. Nice fat sounds.

Selling old gear is becoming an addiction for me! I found a cat who collects old analog drum machines and synths and he has bought this batch of kit from me, Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-55, Korg KMS-30 MIDI/DIN/TAPE SyncBox (very rare), Korg DDM-220 and my Yamaha CS1x synth. Since I have moved completely to Reason 6.5 as my main recording setup (and before when I was using Cubase VST5 and Reason 4 on my G4 tower) I seldom even turned on the Yamaha nor un-boxed any of my old drum machines. After this last move, I realized how many boxes of stuff I had that...well...sat in boxes. I am going through a purging stage, trying to skinny up my life. Too much crap...now not as much. :)

Ohh Well

Ever done something so wrong- but in a professional way? I just did. I was asked to participate in an online competition about unique Northwest types. I did one autobiographical style on being a Indie-Film Maker in the Northwest. I didn't realize that most were third person character type clips until after I uploaded mine. Oh well. Not so much wasted time. First, I got serious about ADR narration on this clip, which I will be doing tons of for my new documentary. Second, sections of this clip can be used as a demo reel if I don't place in the competition. So glass half full.

Line 6 KB37

This (Line 6 KB37) is my main keyboard now. Goes directly into Reason 6.5. Also has usb out, audio ins/outs, footswitch ins, accurate audio meters, etc. so it truly is a one size fits all solution to computer based music creation. I can do more with this and a laptop than I used to be able to with a room full of synths, samplers, amps, effects and drum machines. 

Last Lap Of File Conversions

I am on the last lap of the File Conversion Grand Prix! These are all files I shot on the Canon HF-G10 that come out of the camera as .MTS files which are unable by most editing programs. I had tried one process a few months ago and thought they would work, but on closer inspection found added frames on the playback. I discovered this while editing a friends wedding video. So I re-did and re-done all of the multi-gigs of data. Ack.

Our New (To Us) 1993 Chrysler Concorde

Just bought a 1993 Chrysler Concorde for $2,750. Has 79,000 miles and is very very clean. New around town family car. Didn't want to get in too deep with a commuter car while I am getting the '66 Charger done. Eventually I will need to buy a big Dodge pick-up as a support vehicle for Go-Kustom Films. Maybe a flatbed that I can put a small camera crane rig on. 

Northwest Fall Skies

Love this time of year in the Northwestern US of A. The skies get crazy cloud coverage that breaks apart and makes me smile. Took this driving on I99 on my cell phone.

Even More File Conversions For Rats & Gassers

Still organizing files and converting into Final Cut Pro usable files. I did quite a bit of filming all summer at various events and car shows, and even though that footage was primarily for Go-Kustom TV some of it will end up in Rats & Gassers.

Also sold my Korg Electribe A - EA1 last night.  I have sold most of my outboard synth gear in the last few months. Good to get cash for things I am not using- especially when I am now working almost exclusively on Reason 6.5.

More Rats & Gassers File Conversions

More file conversions for Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. Getting close to having all files maximized and ready for editing. I went back and reduced the GoPro footage from 1920x1080 to 1280x720 frame size. This saves tons of disc space and since even the HD version of this film will be 720p (1280x720) no need for the extra size. Opened up over 120 gigs of space! Now I can convert all Go-Kustom TV footage from MTS format to usable .mov files. This is important because I need to review the Go-Kustom TV footage for inclusion in the film and last week I had filed my 2TB drive! Now I am good to go. 

Rats & Gassers File Conversion

More file conversions for my documentary Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. So much to convert it is amazing how much footage I shot for this film! 

Brorsoft MTS Converter

Been using the Brorsoft MTS Converter program for Mac the last week. Works really well for getting Canon HF-G10 MTS files into usable .mov files for Final Cut Pro. It has a really cool function of combining multiple MTS files into one big file. This is useful as the final Brorsoft converted files still get a prompt from Final Cut Pro about the files not being completely compatible (though they play and render just fine) on the FCP timeline. This means I still have to run the Brorsoft Converted Files through MPEG Streamclip to get the perfect FCP compatible files, but they look and play better than the multi-step process I was using before. 

Elusive Copyrights

So I am trying to track down the copyright holder of a 1933 picture I want to use in Rats & Gassers. The book I found it in is 20 years out of print! Most of the pics in the book are attributed to Chrysler Corporation, so I emailed their Archives Department to see if they had the rights to the photograph. They replied the next day saying the photo was not in their archives.  I then decided to contact the publisher directly. They didn't have the title listed in amy of their databases. They referred me to a copyright website who also didn't have the ISBN or title on file. I found out the author had done a book signing in 2010 (so at least he probably isn't deceased) on a website. I contacted that website to see if I can locate the authors info and find out if he indeed has rights to the picture. I haven't heard back yet. I can not find thr authors contact info anywhere on the internet, so this may be my only hope of contacting him directly. All this for a 20 second use of a picture in my film!  Documentary film research is tedious! Ack!

Hot Rod History

This is Barney Olfield next to a new Dodge that was prepped for racing, by stripping the fenders and lightening the car. This look has prevailed for 80 years!

1/25th Scale Revell 1932 Ford Sedan

Just bought this 1/25th Scale Revell 1932 Ford Sedan model kit for Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. Hard to explain just wait and see.

Hot Rod Movie Bash @ Dante's

The Demolition Kings

Official Go-Girls Kitty Mansfield & Jean Viva

The Resident Kings

Jim Davies (singer) looks at himself on the big screen as
Detective Lloyd- that must be trippy

Sean Burnell (Demolition Kings)  and David J. Nance
(who played Buhgabaa in Hot Rod Girls Save The World)

Sweetpea gets a spankin' from Kitty

Well sometimes things don't go as planned. Last night was one of those times. The bands got pushed back to 10PM, because of the Huskies football game and our turnout was light. I know it was a stretch to get our normal crowd into a sports bar in the University District, but you have to try. The venue was only a few blocks from where Kimberly Lynn Layfield was gunned down and the night was supposed to be a tribute to her by showing Hot Rod Girls Save The World, which she stared in. We had two Go-Girls, Kitty Mansfield and Jean Viva helping out at our merch table, though we didn't sell much of anything. The bands did great, even with our impromptu P.A. system. First up was The Demolition Kings, with a heavy blues rock sound followed by The Resident Kings with a more Cult-like punk sound. We were supposed to show the film after the band, but decided to run it during the bands and then call it a night, especially as the after hours, college kids started showing up. They wanted to dance and drink, not watch Hot Rod Films. I did get some good footage for Go-Kustom TV and it was very cool to catch up some old friends. Live and learn. 

Rats & Gassers Pin-Up Shoot

Went over to Steve Leary's house to shoot with his '36 Ford and '29 Whippet for Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride and a magazine article I am putting together. Model Cara Mia rocked the set and Steve's wife even gave us ice cream! So nice. I used both my Canon 7D for photos and my Canon HF-G10 for video.

Work For Free!

During my job search I am truly amazed at how many bands and companies think a pro videographer with thousands of dollars in equipment and experience SHOULD work for free or "for promotional consideration." As a musician I have given away dozens of tracks to projects and understand struggling artists and support creative exchange, but if you are gonna start a company and you want REAL video work, then budget it into your ass....OR ask Uncle Bob to break out his dusty Super 8 and have fun working with that mess.

Rats & Gassers Screen Animations

Working on more animation for the narration of Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. the animation is mild, mostly just flyby type lettering. I haven't written the narration, but know what I roughly want to say and what will be needed to fill the screen while I'm talking. 

I have also been selling lots of gear the last few months, since our Arts School closed. Mostly to pay bills (since I am not working full time) and slim down my studio. After the last move, I realized how much gear I have that I never even turn on. Why keep it? I am really moving towards a full Reason 6.5 centric set-up, especially after demoing  the some of the new Rack Extensions for Reason.  I recently sold my Korg MicroKORG, Roland SH-32,  Boss GT-3, Fender 12 string guitar, Boss RC-3 Loop Station, Boss RE-20 Tape Echo, Digitech RV-7 Reverb, Roland GK-3B Bass Pick-Up and Behringer Xenyx 2442 Mixer.