Restless Dream of Youth

Got my tickets/got my visa!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:51:13 -0400

My tickets to Moscow have been purchased and my Visa granted! The dats have changed though. Leaving July 16 returning August 8.

Another view where I’ll be in a couple of weeks.

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:10:11 -0400

Another view where I’ll be in a couple of weeks.

Vacation!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:58:30 -0400

Leaving today on our first vacation since 2001! Back in three weeks, then off overseas.

Mongol

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:06:00 -0400

I was alerted to this movie by my uncle in England. It is just starting to open in very limited release here in the states. It takes place and was filmed in the area that I will be travelling to in a few weeks so I would love to see it before I go. But I’m afraid I wan’t have the opportunity until I get back since it doesn’t look like it will be in a theater around here very soon.

Wireless headphones

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:12:23 -0400

I came up with a great solution for keeping the kids happy on the 1200 mile drive next week. We needed to get audio distributed to three kids in a minivan from the portable DVD player. Wireless headphones are SO expensive and three headphones with cords just don’t work out of one mini jack. So I hit on the idea of using the FM transmitter from my MP3 (which I got for $12!) and the kids MP3 players that have built in FM tuners. They are 1 Gig very basic players that we got for $10 each. So I plug the transmitter into the output from the portable DVD and the kids tune in on their MP3s.

Perfect!

Hail damage! That bump is from a ping pong ball sized piece in...

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:42:00 -0400

Hail damage! That bump is from a ping pong ball sized piece in 60 mph winds.

Prepping for remote (really remote!) recording

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:33:00 -0400

The main reason for me to travel to Siberia is to mix the film right there to take the logistical challenges of mixing back in the U.S. out of the equation. This has, however, created other technical challenges. The laptops that we record on are set up specifically to do just that task. They are actually really beefy desktop CPUs with separate video cards and three physical hard drive for redundancy and to keep the video reference material separate from data. All wrapped up in a laptop case.

Anyway, I have different reference files (music cues, foley, and FXs) and different mix templates and I needed to get those as well as a couple of other tools than I use onto the laptop I’m taking and then create the session that I’ll be working in and get it to use all of the files that I just transferred. So I did all of that and opened up the blank session and told it where all the reference files were on the computer and it’s all working! So now I have the project ready to go. All we need now are the recordings from the actors. I’ll take those recordings when we have finished (actually at the end of each day I’ll get that day’s recordings) and edit for lip synch as we go.

So the plan then is that once all of the voices have been recorded it should only take me one additional day to edit, since I will be editing as we go. Then a couple days to mix. A couple days to review and rerecord anything they want to change and edit and mix those parts again.

So this is a big deal for me having my laptop ready to go. We also did a system check on everything else (the recording laptop, mics, interfaces, etc.) and so from an equipment standpoint it’s ready.

Now I just have to get through the non tech portion of the to do list!

Traditional Altai ‘throat singing’. I want to learn...

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:39:41 -0400

Traditional Altai ‘throat singing’. I want to learn how to do this!

Altai language folk song with traditional dress. I’ll...

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:21 -0400

Altai language folk song with traditional dress. I’ll post others as we work our way towads Siberia!

Russian Visa

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:53:52 -0400

I started filling out my Visa application today to go to Siberia next month. Here are the best two questions:

1. Do you have any specialised skills in fire-arms and explosives, or nuclear, biological or chemical activities?

2. Have you ever been involved in an armed conflict as a victim?

Awesome! China didn’t even ask those.

This is the village in Siberia where I will be traveling and...

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:40:32 -0400

This is the village in Siberia where I will be traveling and recording next month.

Stanley!!!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:22:53 -0400

Stanley!!!

It’s a good day for my hometown!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:18:09 -0400

It’s a good day for my hometown!

This 4.5 foot rattler was by my house on Sunday. I love the...

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:24:00 -0400

This 4.5 foot rattler was by my house on Sunday. I love the wildlife here. I’ve been seeing the gators most days after work as well. Now we’re in the mid 90’s they are coming to life!

I assume this is Germany as it was the background picture from a...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:55:00 -0400

I assume this is Germany as it was the background picture from a clasical pianist who sent a friend request on Myspace. The album is Bach - Goldberg Variations, hence my guess as to the picture location. A fine recording on Telarc but I only ‘friend’ people I know so I denied her. A nice picture though.

"Lit up with anticipationWe arrive at the launching siteThe sky is still dark, nearing dawnOn the..."

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:25:17 -0400

“

Lit up with anticipation
We arrive at the launching site
The sky is still dark, nearing dawn
On the Florida coastline

The earth beneath us starts to tremble
With the spreading of a low black cloud
A thunderous roar shakes the air
Like the whole world exploding

Like a pillar of cloud
The smoke lingers high in the air
In fascination
With the eyes of the world
We stare…

”

- Countdown - Rush - Signals

This is from the NASA website from yesterday’s launch

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:23:00 -0400

This is from the NASA website from yesterday’s launch

This is where I was yesterday.

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:21:16 -0400

This is where I was yesterday.

This is by the pasture right out by the main road by us. ...

Sat, 31 May 2008 06:57:13 -0400

This is by the pasture right out by the main road by us. That’s the thing; he’s shooting right by the road with people around. Strange.

I’m not one for funny animal videos, but this made me...

Fri, 30 May 2008 20:02:34 -0400

I’m not one for funny animal videos, but this made me laugh!