Looks Pretty, Will You Talk About It in the Morning?

Franklyn. I'd rather the alternate world were "reality". I dunno. Looks pretty though.

Sleeping Kittens

This is the page you want to look at before going to sleep. Kittens kittens sleepy kittens...

And um... yeah. I have no idea what's going on here.

What's Wrong

You know what's wrong? Ligers are wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

Vyper Rosin

Find the other side of the world. (Although you're gonna end up off the South Western coast of Australia if you live anywhere in these contiguous United States, not China -- as we children digging holes in the backyard were so oft told.)

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And here is the most disturbing thing I've found on the Interwebs today. Here's two things which don't go together: "fetish" and "Mario Brothers".

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So my Peavey Vypyr amp.

At $200 I decided it wasn't nearly expensive enough. So I put a used Celestion Alnico Blue speaker in it, which more than doubles its price.

There. Now it's much better. The sound is all three-dimensional. So I like to tell myself. "Drew, the amp sounds so much better with the new speaker. Gosh, it sounds amazing." That's what you tell me.

Yes, it's impossible to really A/B the stock Peavey speaker with the Celestion. And I'm perfectly aware that the psychological effect of my thinking there's a Celestion in the cabinet is probably more powerful than the actual effect of the speaker. But that's just how it is.

That being said, I'm really enjoying the Plexi model on the Vypyr. I'm not so much a fan of the "overdrive overdrive overdrive" sound of the modern amp models. But I'm not so much a fan of those real amps either.

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But now I also have a violin bow.

I need to get rosin for it though...

That and This

"I'm not the sort of fuckwit who tries to derive patterns off two lousy data points."

It takes a while to get there, but that's Rogers.

I got my Peavey Vypyr 30-watt amp. My first impression is that it is 1. bright (in that it really doesn't want to reproduce the octave below a low E on a guitar at all) and 2. I don't like the headphone output as well as the speaker output.
For real-world recording the lack of extreme low end might not matter. Also, it's mono (which surprised me because I've been using a Behringer POD ripoff all this time.) But the amp seems to need a little "space" to breathe and now I'm considering taking my Celestion Alnico Blue speaker out of my Twin Reverb and putting it in the Vypyr.

I have the flu but as I got my flu shot earlier this year it's not as bad as full blown flu. To protect my fellow humans I got some of that 62% alcohol soap stuff which I use assiduously.

And have you noticed that kids these days have been taught to cough into their sleeves rather than their hands? That new teaching must have happened sometime in the 80's.

We have to deliver a movie by the end of this month. I don't know exactly where we are with our CGI right now. We have to sign off on reels and make flattened versions for the lab -- including full-frame 1.33:1 masters. Hoo freakin ray. Time to pan-and-scan. But that won't be happening for at least a week yet.

To Do When Sick

1. You can watch all of the episodes of The Prisoner on the interwebs.
2. You can take an ambien and write three pages of dialog which you don't remember the next morning.*
3. Nap frequently and purposefully.
4. Finish mixing reel 3 of Alien Uprising.
5. Read the Amazon reviews of Ari Brouillette (start with his review of The Secret).
6. Open a Spreadshirt shop.
7. Read R2D2's Twitter feed.
8. Stare endlessly at blank surfaces on walls and ceiling.
9. Wonder if between #3 and #8 you are slowly becoming the cat.**

*Indeed you are quite surprised to find you're up past page 10.
**You wonder if #2 is part of the cat-like behavior.

Random 44

Haven't been feeling so well lately. Here are random things from the last couple days.

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Troispommes has the best jelly doughnuts in New York City (only available on weekends.)

With all this stuff about Madoff going around I think I'm going to start my own Fonzi scheme.

I'm going to walk around in a leather jacket and say "Ayyyyyyy."
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The Japanese distributor does the greatest artwork. I'm sorry I can't show it to you yet. But it totally rocks. If you're around the studio though, ask to see it!

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Here is an article on how webvertizing might be on its way down. Interestingly, regular television is still very liked by advertisers. The web doesn't deliver what they really like.

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Oh Come On...

I found these appalling instructions for getting After Effects to stop making that loud ringing sound when it finishes a render. Obviously it's vastly easier to do on a PC than a Mac. Still, wouldn't it be nice if the stupid sound were an option?

Mac Instructions:

1. Copy your After Effects Application. If you mess up and you want to go back to the "prrrrllling", you will still have the original and won't have to reinstall AE.
2. Export the sound file you want to use from Quicktime as a System 7 sound. Open this file with ResEdit, open the SND resources, copy the ID 9 resource. Get ResEdit here.
3. Open your AE application copy.
4. Find the SND resource and double click.
5. Paste ( command-V) your new sound. Delete the original resource with ID 128.
6. Get info on your new sound resource (highlight and command-I), rename something like "Rendering Completed - new", give it the ID 128. Click "purgeable". Save.
7. Listen to your new sound by highlighting ID 128 and selecting "Try Sound" from the SND pulldown menu on the top of the screen.
8. You can do the same with the "Baaaaa!" if you want. It's is located in the same folder.
9. Make AE present a polite apology instead of the "Baaaaaa!". Download Quickspeech, to create any text file into a quicktime file using Speech Manager.

Windows Instructions:

By Frankie

AE will play the following files instead of the default .wav files if these files are placed in the \aftereffects\prefs directory.

rnd_okay.wav
rnd_fail.wav

I made mine silent wave files, so now I don't hear anything after a render is completed.

Open Source Music

Wikipedia has a bunch of open-source classical music in the ogg format. The quality of the performances has a wide variance. Some of it is pretty good. It almost always needs a bit more reverb to smooth things out. Or maybe that's just me.

The Fulda symphony orchestra has some CD's online here.

Musopen seems to be a central warehouse of open source music. The trick is that typically the music itself has to be in the public domain and the recording has to be "copyleft" or "open source" of some type.

I actually have a little bit of music which could become open source. I should release it that way.
I should at least contribute some of the sound effects I've recorded to freesound.org.

Jamendo has some open source music. As far as I can tell most of it wants you to distribute derivative works with the same license. I presume that these tracks by Piotr Pawlowski are "sample orchestrated" rather than recorded with a real orchestra, but they're rather good.

I'm using some Dvorak to "compose"* some music for Mac Rogers' Universal Robots.

I can't wait to get my violin bow so I can pretend I'm Jimmy Page play some guitar col legno for horror sequences in Alien Uprising.

*I know, I know, lots of people compose with loops of classical music. If I really end up doing something complex I may call myself the "composer". If it's just loops of bits of music then I think we're really only "music editing" here.

Deliverables

Here's a boring post for you. So I included a bunny. But I need this list to keep referring to.

We have a fairly hearty set of deliverables for our North American distribution on Alien Uprising. They include a bunch of things, but I'm selecting out the ones which are going to be the biggest deal for use to create. We have to deliver all these things, along with the movie itself, in about 30 days.

A legible .pdf of each document, in addition to providing originals where required:

1. Chain of title -including but not limited to: Documents from writers, authors and others vesting the story and screenplay in the name of Licensor;
Copyright Report from Thomson and Thomson or Dennis Angel no older than 60 days from the date of delivery of same to Distributor.
Title Report from Thomson or Thomson or Dennis Angel, with title opinion from Denis Angel or other approved Distributor law firm.
Copyright Registration of the Screenplay, with filing receipt if the copyright filing number is not stamped on the form.
Copyright Registration of the Film, in the name of Licensor, with filing receipt if the copyright filing number is not stamped on the form.
IF possible, please include a summary outline of the chain of title for the Film, in chronological order and listing the document and date thereof.

2. Cast and Crew Agreements – for each person listed in the billing block or main titles (as well as any type of producer, director, writer, editor, music supervisor, casting director, choreographer, production designer, costume designer, creature or effects designer or creator, composer, or director of photography, whether credited in the main titles or billing block or not). Agreements must contain provisions for: work for hire, assignment of rights, right to use name and likeness in publicity, and waiver of injunctive relief/right of termination.

3. Music – must deliver:

1. Music cue sheet – in proper form, listing song, duration, use, publisher.

2. Composer agreement, with list of which songs on cue sheet are composed.

3. Synchronization and master use license for all songs (unless use license is not applicable). Licenses must contain: proper grant of rights to utilize the music in the film as contemplated by this agreement, must contain waiver of injunctive relief.

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2. VIDEO ELEMENTS: PHYSICAL DELIVERY of a) NTSC 4:3: One (1) Digital Beta NTSC 4:3 (1:33:1, 720 x 480) videotape master (with 100% Q.C.) of the Film. b) High Definition Master: Not Applicable. c) NTSC Letterbox: Not Applicable. d) NTSC 16x9: One (1) Digital Beta NTSC 16x9 (2.35:1, 720 x 388) videotape master (with 100% Q.C.) of the Film.

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3. DIALOGUE, MUSIC AND EFFECTS: One (1) DA88 or AIFF file six track master of the soundtrack of the Film containing separate stereo dialogue, stereo music and stereo effects tracks. If six track is not available, then one DA88 or AIFF file three track master soundtrack of the Film containing separate mono dialogue, mono music and mono effects tracks. In addition to the foregoing, the Pro Tools session stems shall be provided on a DVD-R.

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7. STILLS PHYSICAL DELIVERY of either a CD containing at least 150 digital color photos (of acceptable quality/resolution), or negatives and sample positive prints, of a sufficient number of still photographs of scenes and characters in the Film suitable for use in the preparation of advertising, exploitation and publicity material for the Film, cleared for unrestricted use by Distributor.

8. DOCUMENTS.

a) Literary Materials. ACCESS to copies of the story, screenplay and final shooting script of the FILM, and other literary material relating to the FILM, including, without limitation, all preliminary drafts, treatments and continuities.

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All textless titles, foreign titles, or textless sections should be recorded 2 minutes after end of program on part 2 of the D-1 or digibeta masters. The time code on the textless section should match that of the texted D-1 or digibeta source. Slate should indicate if textless materials are present.All films rated by the MPAA should have rating tags at the end of the program (NTSC only). A written 100% quality control report from the video facility approved by Distributor must be prepared for each video master described above.

e) NTSC 1/2" Cassette: Fifteen (15) NTSC 1/2" cassettes of the Feature and Trailer (full frame version only) OR thirteen (13) Region 1 DVD’s (or 1/2” NTSC cassettes) and two (2) NTSC 1/2" cassettes of the Feature and Trailer (full frame version only). Cassettes should have visible time code that matches the source elements.

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d) Synopsis: A brief synopsis in the English language of the story of the Film (one typewritten page in length).

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h) Contracts. As requested by Distributor, from time to time, PHYSICAL DELIVERY of duplicate originals or legible copies of all agreements, licenses, waivers or other documents

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j) Dialogue/Continuity PHYSICAL DELIVERY of two copies of a combined dialogue, continuity and spotting list of the theatrical version of the Film, including description of action of the Film as finally edited for release conforming to the format of release scripts used by Distributor from which such scripts may be printed. The screen footage of each reel in feet and frames shall be indicated at the end of each reel with total screen footage by reels on the front sheet. PHYSICAL DELIVERY of a continuity list of the television version, when available, of the Film including spotting for subtitles, when applicable.

k) Certificate of Origin. PHYSICAL DELIVERY of one (1) certificate of origin of the FILM, duly notarized and signed by Producer, specifying the country of origin of the FILM.

n) Final Main and End Credits. PHYSICAL DELIVERY of one (1) typewritten copy of the final main and end titles of the FILM as they appear on the original negative.

p) Aspect Ratio. PHYSICAL DELIVERY of a statement as to the aspect ratio and film stock of the Film.

q) Running Time. PHYSICAL DELIVERY of a statement of the exact running time of the Film.

Copyright Info

Whew, after much struggle I managed to register the copyright on the screenplay to Alien Uprising. We need to have this information for North American distribution:

Claim Id:		1-2FRBIP		Case #:		1-147401231
		Title:	0802 Alien Uprising

Planes and Squirrels

Here's a picture of my dad in his airplane. It was taken by my stepmom Iona.

Do you need to follow a twitter feed of a common squirrel? You may...

I am engaged in mortal battle with the Internet connection here at my studio at Manhattan Theatre Source.

So far the slow Internet is winning.

The Internet is my Notebook

Dreamworks has the rights to Ghost in the Shell.

You yourself always wondered about the Arafat/Ringo Starr connection.

Last Blood. The comic is online. Vampires must help humans against the zombie apocalypse or there won't be humans for vampire food anymore.

Hiding in Time is about a witness-protection program where witnesses are put into various time periods. Assassins have, of course, figured out where they are and complications ensue.

I remember reading a short story once about a criminal who was sent back in time (I think to the Nazi invasion of Poland). He had managed to survive so the authorities sent an agent to find him, arrest him, and drop him off at the Spanish Inquisition or some such.)

How would anyone make a Cowboy Bebop movie?

It's a Lifestyle Choice

So I'm watching The Terminator on TV and I change the channel during a commercial and instead watch the last hour of Pride and Prejudice.

Now before you make any assumptions about me I'll go ahead and admit that I had a crush on both Julie Andrews and Barbara Streisand when I was little. (And yes, I still have a crush on Julie Andrews.)

But I don't understand how you can make the assumption that you're making about me because instead of watching this:

I elected to watch this: