Adventures in Movie Maker and Microsoft Surface

About a week ago I was asked by another department who was putting together an annual report if I could create a 1 to 2 minute video about my work with Microsoft Surface here at the University of Virginia. So I wrote up a script recorded a voice over and even included some of my own music. I shot the video myself on an inexpensive digital camera and included some still I shot. Since the subject was going to be a Microsoft product; I thought I would put the whole thing together using Microsoft Movie Maker versus iMovie (I hate the new one anyway). Movie Maker was decent enough to work in. It had all the editing and special FX tools you would expect. When I was done I exported it as a High Definition WMV. Here’s the kicker. The department putting the online annual report together asked for the file to be in H.264. Movie Maker only does WMV’s and Flash for YouTube. So I put the movie together in iMovie and saved it as an H.264. The iMove file was pixelated and the audio was full of spots of static. The high definition WMV was simply gorgeous. Below is the standard definition. In the area of Surface application development; our grad student working on the project is quickly putting information together that will be used in the applications. Things like metadata about the material in the applications. Transcripts of the letter from the various signers of the Declaration of Independence are also being worked on. Me? I’ve been working on the button array that will be used to access information about the Signer you’ve accessed. I am also working on using the new Menu Element that SP1 for Surface brought us. I also would like to include a sound scheme to this batch of software. We will see about that. The good thing is the release schedule has been extended to I can take some time on this. There is only my own crazy need to get some new programs on the Surface unit soon! :-) Microsoft Surface at the University of Virginia Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

Microsoft Surface, Dead Computer, No Music, No Time...

This week as been mostly dominated by computerizing in one form or another. My current projects are surrounding phase II of application development for the Microsoft Surface unit in the “Declaring Independence” exhibit at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collection Library at the University of Virginia. I've been writing code all week. I am also writing and producing a small video about the use of Surface at the University Library. I will also be providing the music.
Speaking of music; music production has come to a halt since the studio computer has decided that it didn’t like one of its hard drives. This is at a time when I was all set to finish the latest compilation of music to send to Jingle Punks as well as start to assemble CD for release online through iTunes and other online distribution. That’s the way it goes sometimes. So this weekend will be a continuation of computerizing by reformatting hard drives and reloading software, as well as possible resurrection of my wife’s computer that has been sitting idle in the basement waiting for someone (like me) to give it life once again. Since we moved to Harmon House in the country my wife has been using one of my laptops. Being tied to a desk is short of torture for her. ;-) However she is missing having “her” computer to abuse as she pleases. While I have planned this Saturday to be the time set aside for domestic geekdom; Kung Fu sash testing, Christmas parties, and present shopping is trying to derail the planned adventure to geek land. Sunday does offer some possibilities however my schedule does tell me that I have some volunteer board meetings to attend in the early afternoon. So later afternoon and evening looks like when the train to geeksville wil be leaving. Good thing a new bag of espresso beans came home with use from central Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving; because I’ll making good use of them I can tell you. Oh yeah did I mention we might get the first blast of winter weather here in Virginia? Did I also mention that the family has been vocalizing the need to put up Christmas decorations this weekend too?? Who said artists/techies are lazy???

Full Day in New Studio/Office

Yesterday was a day off from the University and a day home in the new studio/office. This was the first full day in the new studio/office. I have noticed being on the main floor of the house meant more coffee consumed during hours spent in the studio/office than normal. HHMMM I think there is a correlation there. :-) Most of the hours were spent working on an arrangement of music for the Library at the University. However it proved too difficult a task for the amount of time I have. During that same time period I have to produce a video showing off the Microsoft Surface installation in our "Declaring Independence" exhibit at the Harrison Institute. I spent the morning putting together the monitoring system and loading some more software on the computer. Mostly yesterday was trying to figure and configure which ever DAW system I was going to use. I have an older Cakewalk Plasma DAW, but it doens't support VSTi's; I also have the latest Reaper DAW. Reaper crashed serveral times on me which lead to me not wanting to use it. I have the whole day was frustrating in that I couldn't get VSTi's to work with hardware consistantly. I actually was thinking of chucking the whole virtual synth stuff and use my vintage gear and record digital audio with FX in the box. I realize that may be limiting but less frustrating. I did record a few tracks in Plasma before running into a problem with it allowing me to record audio on a 4th track. Very strange! All of this will have to wait till after Thanksgiving.

Whew! Busy last couple of weeks!

The Living Dead Festival 2009 really grew this year. They were however plagued by rain all week so arrangements for performances had to change. The crowds were smaller than expected; but the ones who came were big fans of the movie. One of my favorite parts was the exhibit by Andrew who has collected NOFLD for over 20 years. Probably the best moment for me was a conversation with Russ Streiner who was of course Johnny in Night of the Living Dead but was also the films producer. He and I talked about me getting in touch with student and indie film makers to provide free licensed music for films. He and I along with Jack Russo will be discussing in the coming months how best to work with their students at DuBois college Film making course to deliver fresh original soundtrack music for their works. If you are or know someone who is looking for original music for soundtracks for a film please contact me. I am willing to wave licensing fees!

There are 2 new projects that just got put on the calender for me. The first is producing a 2 minute short video demo of the Microsoft Surface unit in the Declaring Independence exhibit at the UVa Special Collections Library. I'll be producing the film as well as the sound design. I also have been asked if I could record an arrangement of "a laventure" which is part of a song book that resides at the Special Collections archive at UVa. The piece of music was recently scanned and digitized. The library would like a audio sample of the piece to put online. We'll see if I can do it. I only have 3 weeks and half of next week is taken up with Thanksgiving and travel.

I have a NEW studio space. It's a new space and a new computer! I love the new space and should be producing out of it very soon.

Pictures of the 2009 Living Dead Festival and the new studio space are coming soon.

Living Dead Festival

A reminder that I'll be performing at the 2009 Living Dead Festival in Evans City Pa. where the movie was shot. The ONLY festival organized and approved by the original cast and producers including Russ Streiner, Judith Ridley and Jack Russo writer of the movie "Night of the Living Dead".
I'll be performing live cinematic horror music that will get everyone in the mood for classic horror. As spooky darkness approaches; the tone of the music changes too. Soundtrack music created live for the ghouls as they wait for the original cast to take the stage before the movie. I'll start around 5pm.
http://www.thelivingdeadfest.com/

I'm starting rehearsals this week.

Living Dead Festival 2009!

On Saturday night I had a great conversation with Gary Streiner about the 09 Living Dead Festival. Seems like it's really grown this year. It's a 2 day event with a festival like atmosphere on both days. There will be live music and DJ's. The second night will have the same stuff going on; but the big event is the outdoor screening of the movie. Gary asked if I would play live before the movie again this year. I really enjoy doing it. Live ambient electronic horror music on a spooky Halloween night! Can't get better than that. I'm planning on a slightly more involved set up so as to allow for a deeper sound. Maybe some sound samples from the movie as we get closer to the screening. Head over to I should be starting somewhere around 5pm or so.

Meanwhile back in the studio to continue on the latest set of cues to send to Jingle Punks. This weekend I completed 2 really great exciting cues that should feel at home in an action game promo or maybe a History or Discovery Channel show. I've been listening closely to some of the reality shows and I think that some of the new tracks will fit that kind of thing too. "Hell's Kitchen" for example has some cue that sound like what I'm writing now.

Living Dead Festival video score...

As we head into one of my favorite months; I started thinking about last year during October I was up to my faders in horror music. Director/Producer Gary Streiner was putting together a video montage for the 2008 Living Dead Festival in Evans City and asked me to compose some music for it. The video was made up of previously unseen photographs and posters from the movie. We were working long distance and had many late night Skype chats as I composed the music. As with many projects it came down to the wire. He was dealing with getting time in the post house to put the video together as well as new material coming in that he was hoping to shoe horn into the video while I was composing. Usually notes to me were..."Sounds great , but I need a couple more seconds cause we added a new photo to that section" or "We need to shorten the music under the titles because the program doing the titles only has one damned speed!" Gary was great to work with and enjoyed talking shop with him about past projects and of course "Night of the Living Dead". I've worked with directors before as a sound designer in the theater so it didn't surprise me when Gary said one night, "I don't know what I want, but I know what I don't want." I was said when I sent the last audio files in to be added to the video, because I wouldn't be visited by those ghouls again. I did get to play live at the festival as people came and as we all waited for the screening of the film. It was a could night; but I think that made it more memorable. So far I have not been asked to play at the event this year. To be sure I will be thinking about all the freezing ghouls in Evans City Pennsylvania. Here is the video. Enjoy!