Miscellaneous Creativity

Radio Interview with Worship Factory

2011-11-22T13:55:00.001-08:00

I did a radio interview the other day for a really cool group of people at KKLA 99.5 in Los Angeles. They are called Worship Factory and they support Christian artists of all shapes - singers, painters, dancers, musicians, authors, you name it. They believe that your talent can be used not only as a way to point people to God but also as a direct communication to God - as in a prayer.

Couldn't agree more. You may have read about the TRIBE on here, and that's exactly been our approach.

Check out the podcast of the interview right now by going to their site and clicking through on my picture. http://worshipfactory.net/

Long live the Factory!

The Rapha Chronicles: Book 1 THE FALL - Teaser Trailer

2011-11-13T22:37:00.000-08:00

This is a short trailer I put together for Chana's new novel.

Drumming for a Lifetime, pt 14

2011-07-01T00:42:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest video project. Usually I do work for others but this is an original idea I put together for a worship concert at church. Enjoy and then let me hear your feedback!

GoPro Hero HD Camera Love

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely loving my new GoPro camera.

I might actually write poetry for it.

Why not, everything is has given me
so far is art.

Instead, I may just shoot like crazy with it.

And make cool videos with it.

Like this one:

http://youtu.be/x5xVkGgrDh4

Now you see it, right?

Tell 'em I sent you when you order yours.

From Dorothy to Disney

2011-06-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

I'm going to work for Disney in a week.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Hello Steamboat Willie

I've had a great time on "Dorothy of OZ" over the last 18 months but an opportunity came up that I felt I should pursue. I'll be working on a show that John Lasseter created called "Planes 2". All I can tell you for now is that it's going to be a spin-off of the "Cars" world. Once I get there and figure out what's okay to share, I'll give more info I'm sure.

Here's a little sneak-peek info from John Lasseter on "Planes 1" (at the Oscars 2011):
http://tinyurl.com/3tkpb5y

I've always had a desire to work for The Mouse, and this situation looks very promising. Can't wait to get started!

More later...

"Dorothy of OZ" Teaser Poster

2011-03-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

My editing gig has kept me busy! Today I noticed that the poster had been released. I know there will be many variations before the film finally comes out, but I like this first go.

Dorothy of OZ - Snapshot

2010-11-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

This is a promotional shot of Dan Aykroyd during the studio recording for Dorothy of OZ. He plays the Scarecrow. In the background you can see a still image from the storyboard animatic I have been helping edit.

Dan Aykroyd

As opposed to live-action films where you shoot the footage first and then cut it all together, in animation you record the voices first, then animate the footage. This allows the animators to match the animated performance of the character with the voice.

I think of two of my favorite voice performances in animation and wonder what effect they had on their respective animators. One is Jane from Tarzan. Minnie Driver's incredible performance allowed supervising animator Ken Duncan to have tons of fun with her on-screen. And perhaps my favorite voice performance in animation to date would have to be Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove. Patrick Warburton is out-of-his-mind fantastic as Kronk, and supervising animator Tony Bancroft had a field-day with him.

We have also been getting some great performances from Dan and the rest of the OZ cast. The animation studio is working to get some iconic magic like the above mentioned films as well. It's due out in 2012... hmmm, isn't that when the Mayan calendar runs out... let's hope it's releases earlier in the year, before any of that takes place.

Here They Go Again

2010-09-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

Ok Go is notorious for great music videos shot continuous (no cuts). Like this now classic and
this one, oh and this amazing mechanical feat. Here's their latest effort.

Dorothy of OZ - The Animatic Editing Phase

2010-09-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

I like puzzles. A couple of weeks ago I did a 1,000 piece puzzle of San Diego with my kids. It was fun, and when it was finished we felt like we'd really accomplished something.

Before we started though, it was intimidating to look down at the island in our kitchen and see 1,000 pieces extracted from the box, half of them upside-down, waiting to be connected with the rest. I also noticed how much space I needed on the island for all the pieces when they were not put together yet. It was like twice the space.

I suppose you could equate editing an animated feature with putting together one of those 18,000 piece puzzles you see at the game shops (but would probably never buy).

BEFORE ANIMATION EVEN BEGINS, lots of pieces, and lots of details must be assembled. The process of combining scripting, dialogue recording (temp and production), song recording, story-boarding, sound effects and the temp score, is intense. Plus, each of these parts go through many versions and changes during the development and pre-production phases, that you end up cutting several versions of the film.

When you are editing, you are bringing a story tighter together, usually taking a longer early version down to a more concise film. The seconds shaved off of a too-long film are like counter space gained every time another puzzle piece is found. It's a beautiful thing.

I was describing animation editing to my Dad the other day. When you cut live action, you usually have multiple takes, multiple camera angles, and tons of variables to look at and consider when selecting a shot to go in the movie. When you're editing animation, every frame is built from scratch. You are creating moments in the scene and are dictating pacing, rhythm and performance totally from nada.

This type of editing can be a challenge, but I think my puzzle-loving self can cope. More of my experiences on "Dorothy" soon.

The Secret Behind Han Solo’s Dropped Cargo

2010-09-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Daniel Smith has created this animated short, The Solo Adventures. Pretty good fan short.

Thanks to Collider for the initial post.

Dorothy of Oz

2010-09-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last post, and a big reason for the delay has been my latest gig. I'm Associate Editor on an animated feature called "Dorothy of OZ". It's based on the sequel written by Roger Baum, great-grandson of Frank Baum, author of the classic, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Click the "read more".

I've been on this film since last November, and the job has taken a toll on my schedule. What I want to attempt doing now, is chronicle the journey I've been on and share some of the experiences I've had here.

The cast is very strong, with Lea Michelle (Glee) as Dorothy, Martin Short as a new character called the Jester, and Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Kelsey Grammer playing the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man respectively. There are more fun characters as well. Collider did a good write-up on it a few months ago.

Lea Michelle and some early concept art for Dorothy:

I'm working under veteran film editor Dan Molina. He has several notches on his belt as a film editor, including An American Tail, Cats Don't Dance and Chicken Little, just to name a few. He's a great editor and an even greater guy. I couldn't have asked for a better man to show me the ropes in the feature editing realm.

People ask me all the time if I miss doing sound design and sound editing full time. The answer is "yes!", but I also love the creative input you have as a picture editor. For instance, usually when you're working a sound job, you get the work print of the latest cut of the film sent to you to hash out sound ideas, cut dialogue or fx, whatever. It's a highly creative process, and with care, your sound tracks will transform the images on film into a new world.

The beauty of picture editing is that you get to have influence on the story itself. The pacing, the order of the shots and direct access to the director during the early cuts all have a profound effect on the film. This is what attracted me to cutting picture on a large scale.

It's issues like these and more that I'll be discussing in future posts.
Stick around.

things are brewing

2010-08-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

be back soon

Dove Films

2009-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

They've done it again. Dove has been busy making some very important short films directed at communicating what real beauty is... and isn't. Here's a great one. It's about 1 minute long.

Go here:
Dove Films

(There are a few more films there as well that are worth checking out)

It's Never Too Late to Learn a New Skill

2009-09-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well, today became the first day for me to be credited for my work in the Picture Editor category on television. Up to now, I have been in the sound departments for many animated TV shows on WB and Cartoon Network, like The Justice League, The Batman, Teen Titans, Duck Dodgers, etc, etc...
Though I have been cutting picture at my home studio for some time, I have never been credited for it on my IMDB or a TV credit roll until today.

Dinosaur Train has been my first regular-full-time-picture editing gig, and though I was capable of the task, many times I felt inadequate in my experience level because previously, my career had centered on sound work.

My view is that the producers (mainly Sue Bea Montgomery) took a bit of a risk on me when they brought me on last November "to be the editor on this new kid's show that'll debut sometime WAY into next year" (today). She told me she was looking for an editor that could cut picture and sound. I fit that requirement, though I had no idea what 80 episodes of it would feel like.

Let's just say that I've come a long way in 10 months, and though I'm still not a picture editing guru, I have confidence in my work and feel like I can fit in on crews of either type.

I still have a love for film sound and designing sound for picture. I must add though, that I do enjoy the benefits of being editor too. Being 44, I never thought I'd have a passion for learning and implementing new stuff like this, but I absolutely thrive on it.

Do I wish for some of the cuts I've made to come back? Yep, but going forward I know what to look for and how to better communicate; not just with directors and producers, but also by using sound fx and visuals.

We're about 2/3 of the way there on completing this series, so there's even more time to grow along the way. When this is over, we'll see what comes my way for work, but at least my options are now doubled.

Let me encourage you to learn something new today. Something you've always been interested in or have lightly dabbled in. You never know, maybe someday someone will end up paying you to do it.

Septum Surgery is A Lot of Fun

2009-09-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ooooowwwwww! For years now, I've been told I have sleep apnea, and a massively deviated septum. I guess I lived with it long enough to want to do something about it.

Yesterday, I had my face amputated. At least, that's what it feels like.

I can't imagine going through something like this for purely cosmetic reasons, yet people do that everyday. Bottom line is that surgifying your body for any reason takes it's toll.

The good news is that the docs say it went well, and as soon as the agony of recovery is over, I'll breathe like a new man.

I'm looking at it like a trade: a bit of misery for breathing while I sleep, a chance of snoring less (Chana rejoices), and perhaps an enhanced sense of smell.

Extra-Extra, read all about it: WebMD.

Man on a Mission

2009-07-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

My good friend Byron is in week 2 of what he's calling "The 52 Week Experiment."

Check out his site: themodus360.

Try to not be inspired.

Drumming For A Lifetime, pt. 13

2009-07-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something different... CHECK THIS GUY OUT. A friend of mine sent this link to me, and man, talk about pushing some limits of technology in drumming and rhythmic expression.

His style may not be your cup of tea (it's not necessarily mine), but it's undeniable how forward thinking and creative this guy is. Hang around on his site for a while.

Guideposts Magazine is Chana's Debut

2009-07-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Chana wrote a short story a few months ago that got accepted by Guideposts magazine. It's in their August 2009 edition. It's her publishing debut (outside of the college paper she wrote for), so we're very excited for her. (She also has other excellent stuff just ready for publishing - something I'll blog about soon. Her novels are great.)

Here's the online link, but I warn you, there's no picture of Chana in the online version. You have to get the hard copy of the mag for that. (so worth it)

Anyway, click here for the online copy.

Dinosaur Train Commercial

2009-06-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Finally, "Dinosaur Train" is trickling onto the web. Here's a TV spot PBS created out of some of our footage. (click through to the youtube site so you can see it in it's 16x9 glory)

"Dinosaur Train" Makes Smithsonian.com

2009-06-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Smithsonian.com posted a mention about the show I'm working on at Jim Henson Co. We've had so little web presence, I was happy to find it. Check it out.

Henson's 11

2009-04-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Working at Jim Henson Co, I have a special appreciation for this. Hopefully it won't get pulled. Enjoy.

BTW, go ahead and click through to the YouTube site, 'cause for some reason it's not showing the full frame here. :(

Sky's Star Wars Storyboard

2009-04-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the infamous drawing mentioned in the previous post. Not a great scan, but you can see all the details, including George's signature.

2009 MPSE Awards

2009-04-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

A few of weeks ago, Chana and I went to the 2009 MPSE Awards show, and we came away winners in more ways than one.

It's an expensive ticket to get in, even if you're nominated, so we don't usually go to this show. But this year became the exception when I learned that sound designer Ben Burtt was receiving a Career Achievement Award. Besides that link, you can also learn lots about him here, and here.

I became acquainted with Ben on (of all places) the volleyball court at Skywalker Sound in 2004. Later, during my time at WB Animation, I was able to uncover some ancient sound effects information and other relics for him, and it was nice to be able to do a favor for a man who has given us all so much. So needless to say, it was an easy decision to go to see him and a multitude of my friends that would be coming from Skywalker Sound.

(pictured with Ben)

The really good parts:

When Sky, our 8 year old, heard that George Lucas (heretofore to be referred to as GL) would also be in attendance to introduce Ben for his award, he immediately went to his room and drew a picture for him, then proudly handed it to Chana with the small request: "Give this to George Lucas."

Wondering if an encounter with GL would be possible in a crowded venue, we arrived in style in our minivan as they were closing the valet garage. I somehow talked our way into the last spot, impressing Chana with my negotiating skills. We should have recognized this fortune as a sign that it would be a good night.

During dinner, we made our way around the ballroom, connecting with several friends from LA and the SF Bay area. We approached Ben and GL's table, and in his usual gracious manner, Ben greeted me like an old friend. Chana and I hadn't met his wife Peg before, so he introduced her to us, and she and Chana immediately hit it off. So much so, that when Ben and I had exhausted our conversation, they were still at it, with one of those conversations that you feel like you're intruding if you're standing anywhere nearby.

So, I made off for other friends to find. In the meantime, Chana had been holding Sky's drawing in her hand this whole time, with GL sitting right next to where she was standing. She finally told Peg what Sky had hoped for, but said she was apprehensive about approaching him like a schoolgirl fan at an event like this.

Peg said, "Let's get Ben to do it." She pulled Ben over and explained the situation. Ben graciously got GL's attention and introduced him to Chana. She explained to him that Sky (whose name George loved) wanted to give him this drawing.

(photos courtesy of Peg Burtt)

GL opened it up and as he looked at the space battle on the page, he said, "Hey Ben, look, it's a storyboard for our next movie!" He thought a moment more and then said, "How 'bout I sign this and give it back to him." We had never even thought of this, being so focused on getting it to him, but what a blessing to be able to return it to Sky for a keepsake he will always cherish.

Academy Awards - Sound Category Results

2009-02-23T02:19:00.000-08:00

Well, well. The huge wave of 'awards' love Slumdog Millionaire enjoyed, spilled over into the Best Sound Mixing category Sunday night with a win. Congrats guys!

Selfishly, I was disappointed that none of my friends took home the hardware. My expectations were that it would be a close race between The Dark Knight and Wall-E. Both films deserved it, but Slumdog came out on top.

The Dark Knight did win the Best Sound Editing category, and this was no surprise. I also expected this to be a close one with Wall-E, which has phenomenal sounding tracks. The Dark Knight took it, and congrats to Richard King for that.

Very soon I'll post some pics from the MPSE (Motion Picture Sound Editors) awards show I went to on Saturday night, and not to give anything away, but our team won again this year! More to come...

The Smell of Blueberries on the Road

2009-02-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

The schnoz is an amazing mechanism. One tiny whiff, and you can be transported to distant memories of your childhood. It's happened to me many times throughout my life, yet each time it occurs, I'm still surprised at the power behind the "recall".

As you might expect, one of the benefits of riding a motorcycle is being out of "the cage" of an automobile, to experience the elements without barriers. What you might also expect, is the interesting smells (some pleasant, some not so much) you encounter while out in the open air.

Of all the various aromas to bump into while riding, I admit that frosted blueberry pop tarts was toward the bottom of my list of expectations. I've smelled it twice, in different places; once in a rural area, once in the city, but the scent was unmistakable. I was transported to the times I enjoyed my favorite flavor of pop tarts and wished there was a plate of them in front of me, hot and fresh out of the toaster.

I don't get many pop tarts these days, but it's nice to relive them through these unexpected moments. What aroma has taken you back lately?

Oscar Nods: Sound Categories

2009-01-28T22:15:00.000-08:00

Getting past the headlines of Oscar nominations, I'd like to turn focus upon the categories I feel are more interesting and (more importantly) less influenced by the millions spent on 'consideration' campaigns: Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

When I looked at the Editing and Mixing lists, I felt like each film deserved to be on it, but what I didn't expect was to personally know so many of the nominees. I guess the more I work in this business, the more I acquaint myself and work with some super-stud sound people. Some of them have been my sound heroes for a long time, and some I can truthfully call friends.

Sound Editing

The Dark Knight
Richard King

I don't know him, and I haven't worked with him... yet. For lack of a better pun, he's pretty much the "King" of sound in LA.

This movie has a front-runner presence on this list. I went to a sound-show a couple months ago highlighting the sound editing and music editing for this film. Very impressive.

Iron Man
Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes

I know these guys through my times working up north at Skywalker Sound. Ironically (notice the use of the word "iron" there), both Frank and Chris were in talks to sound supervise "Hoodwinked" before Tom Myers came on. This is Frank's 1st nomination, and Chris's 11th. Chris has won 4 times, and he's a motorcycle rider, so I have to give him a good chance here.

Slumdog Millionaire
Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers

Don't know these guys, but they are riding an excellent wave of goodwill the academy feels towards this film. They could surprise us with a darkhorse victory.

Wall-E
Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood

Both friends through Skywalker. Ben is the most influential sound designer of the age, being the creator of all of the Star Wars sound effects including R2-D2, lightsabers, you name it. I could write a 900 page blog about him and still not cover his accomplishments or his love for the study of film sound.

He's still at it and with his latest feat, Wall-E. He not only sound designed it, but he also created the voice for the lead character. His and Matt's attention to detail here are unprecedented, especially considering the movie being largely sound effects laden. I give Wall-E a huge chance in this category.

Wanted
Wylie Stateman

I haven't seen it, but it reviewed well, and pretty much anything Wylie does, gets the Academy's attention. I don't expect it to beat out The Dark Knight, or Wall-E, but you never know.

Sound Mixing

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten

I only know Michael from waiting in line for lunch at Skywalker, but he's an excellent mixer with a ginormous resume. Whatever he works on sounds awesome. Oscar certainly loves Benjamin Button, so this one could ride that wave.

The Dark Knight
Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick

Gary has become a good friend of mine since he was a mixer on "Hoodwinked". He and Lora also mixed "Batman Begins". I have high expectations that this will be a front-runner in this category as well. As much as I like the sound editing on this picture, I like the mixing more.

Slumdog Millionaire
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty

Again, the academy loves darkhorse nominees sometimes, and in this category, this qualifies. Anything can happen. Plus, with a name like Pookutty, how can you go wrong?

Wall-E
Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt

Tom was sound supervisor and another mixer on "Hoodwinked", and through the experience of working with him, he became a good friend to me, bestowing all sorts of great advice and encouragement. His work has been overlooked too many times by the academy, and I'm so happy for him. He rounds out an amazing team including Ben and Michael. This is my other front-runner choice in this category. (BTW - Tom is a madman on the racquetball court. Take him on at your own peril.)

Wanted
Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

I don't see this film competing against the favorites here, but again, there are no locks!

This year's categories are chock-full of amazing work. It will be interesting. What's your take? Who will emerge as the winners?

Catching Up

2009-01-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Too many things have happened since my last real entry, so I’ll just try to do a bit of catch-up work, and then I‘ll get back to blogging in my semi-regular way.

In November, I started a new job. I’m a picture editor at Jim Henson Co. Above is the building I'm working in now. I admit it's pretty cool to be working for the company founded by the man who created the Muppets!

This is a departure career-wise for me, because I’ve been strictly in sound for so long, but I’ve enjoyed the change and the challenge of it. I still cut sound effects for my storyboard reels, so that’s keeping me sharp in that arena.

The show is for pre-school age kids and very cute. It’s called “Dinosaur Train”, which will debut Labor Day week on PBS this year. It’s CG animation and sort of new territory for Henson Co, but so far so good. As soon as I’m allowed, I’ll post some images from the show.

One of my goodest friends in LA, Dan Molina also joined the crew at the beginning of this year, so it has become that much more fun to go to work. He is a seasoned film and sound editor, whom I have already told that I will unapologetically steal as many ideas and tricks of the trade from.

I am sure I’ll so more sound work in the future, either at WB or Skywalker Sound, both of which have been very good to me in the past but I’m just going to ride this wave while it’s here. Jobs in the film industry aren’t necessarily abundant right now, so I’m happy to have this one.

One major downside of this gig is that now I’m driving all the way into Hollywood. My commute just grew by about 1 million cars. I go less crazy when I commute on my motorcycle, but I also have more road-raged drivers to worry about.

Ugh.

BTW, in case you haven’t visited, Hollywood is anything but glamorous.

We stayed home for Christmas and New Years. I’m sure I don’t need to explain how nice it is to be home for the holidays.

We went to Travel Town in Griffith Park for our friend Elliot Edwards’ 2nd birthday party.

Last week we we're in Oklahoma for my Grandmother Esther’s Memorial service. We were finally able to bring her to her final resting place alongside her husband Lester. Esther and Lester are finally reunited after so many years. I know they’re having a great time together.

The other night, McKenna our 10 year old, had a dream about Esther running around a playing with our family. I know she was given a picture of the future when we’re all together in heaven. That’ll be a sight!

Coming soon:
I’ll be back with more industry/editing related stuff soon. I’ll take you along with me on that adventure, sharing Final Cut Pro tricks and insights on editing as I discover them.

I’ll give you some glimpses of the Henson lot as well. The history is amazing, since it used to be the Charlie Chapman lot.

Plus, I’ll share with you my favorite addictive podcast.

Coming Soon!

2009-01-04T23:18:00.000-08:00

... another blog entry from Mark!!!

This delay has been longer than I thought I would take, but I'm gearing up for some new entries in the immediate future.

See you soon!

Report: Mexico Missions with Amor Ministries

2008-11-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

This is a guest blog from Chana. She kept a daily diary of our trip to Mexico this past weekend. We had an amazing time, and in 3 days of work, we built 1.5 houses for some wonderful families. I'll try to post some photos as soon as I can. MK

Friday, November 14, 2008

In Mexico with Amor Ministries. It’s almost 5 a.m. I probably got more sleep than usual but it was interrupted with McKenna’s tossing and turning and the blind roosters that crow all night. Mark and I are sharing a tent with McK and Micah has the small one to himself. He’s really digging that.

I’ve enjoyed the stars this morning and can see all my favorites although the moon is full.

We had fun on the ride here yesterday. McKenna and I rode in the back of the big church van that seats 11 people. Played a game called “Catchphrase” that got everyone going. The Beebe family, Jim, Jessie and Jeff, are really cool. He brought the games and when we weren’t being silly with that obnoxious, beeping thing, he and his kids were playing poker with imaginary money.

Had hotdogs and s’mores last night as well as plenty of good conversation although I still wish Mark had brought a guitar since that was so great last time.

One of our crew, Jillian, talked to me quite a while. She works with Disney setting up their excursions and doing various acquisitions and promotions for them. She was very interested in my writing and asked to read something I’ve written. I’d love to comply, but it would require reading from the computer since I don’t have any hard copies with me.

It was hard to leave Hannah, Sky and Maddie yesterday especially since Hannah will have to leave before we get back Sunday. Just love that girl. Also hard to believe she was sixteen when she came here with us three years ago. How I pray our kids find mates like her who love God with all their heart and spread light wherever they go.

Ah! I see the computer is charging through the pick-up battery. Cool.

Well, guess I’ll work on something else now. Hope I don’t regret the sleep loss later. If I can somehow eat a bit more healthy, I should be okay. Have to admit the hot marshmallow and graham crackers last night were yummy!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Yesterday was amazing but tiring. The house we worked on was already framed so we set about strengthening the wire in the walls and preparing it for tarpaper and chicken wire. I’d never stucco'd a house before, now I have. The stucco is a bit easier to mix than concrete but still labor intensive. The crew was absolutely amazing and a few of the guys had to refit door frames and such, fixing what was already there. They were lifesavers. A couple of them do construction for a living. They certainly moved us much farther along than was expected.

A few kids and kitties were always in attendance. Had a chance to pray for an older boy named Jose for healing since his mother told me he was sick and was on the way to the doctor. Also prayed for a kitten that appeared completely listless and on its last legs. Later it was running from a little boy that was terrorizing any cat that came in sight. Micah and McKenna kept trying to help the cat but eventually we just had to say, “Okay cat, you’re on your own.”

Micah also saw someone kick this really cool looking black dog so he tossed a piece of beef jerky to it. I thought it was going to stowaway in the van when we left since it seemed determined to stick to Micah no matter what.

NOW I’m getting tired whereas an hour and a half ago—right before 4 a.m.—I was raring to go. Figures.

I’ve been praying quite a bit this a.m. for safety for us and the families at home as well as outreach opportunities while we’re here. We’ll be doing a slab today so there’ll be tons more mixing and spreading. Maybe the stucco guys will just be glad it won’t require them to push up like they had to with the stucco. God be our strength, our glory and the lifter of our heads and arms. BTW, thank you for a pretty decent night’s sleep. I may catch a few winks right now.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Wow! What a night! As McKenna kept saying, “At least we’ll never forget it.”

The wind created such a fierce sandstorm when we returned to camp we finally sought refuge in the women’s showers—the only place sheltered from the wind. It was hilarious to see all our little camp chairs gathered in a big circle inside these stark concrete walls. Ya’d think we were vacationing in a concentration camp.

Think it’s kinda funny I spent about ten minutes walking around the camp, praying the wind would stop only to experience such an unforgettably crazy evening BECAUSE OF the wind. The bonding of that time was much richer than an uneventful night of s’mores around the campfire.

Brandon and Beth had ordered these amazing tacos from town to bring to camp. Good thing since it would have been impossible to cook in that wind. It woulda been water and Clif bars for a hungry, dirty, exhausted crew.

Most of the group gave up on trying to sleep in tents in the 80 plus mph winds. A few pulled their stuff in the women’s showers. Even there, tents wouldn’t work since some places were like a wind tunnel. Mark and Micah toughed it out in their tents. Jessie and Jim, McKenna and I each took a seat in the van. It wasn’t too bad. I probably got more sleep than ever since I wasn’t sure when I hit the hay and just slept. Dreamed like crazy.

Guess we’ll be going back to the site where we were yesterday to put up walls and, hopefully, get through to a coat of stucco. Our crew was amazing. The foundation was poured by 2 p.m. Had a really good mixing process going on. As medic, I got my fair share of blood due to big Jeff pounding his thumb early in the day. I think it was kinda because McKenna was there asking him how to do things. Oops! How to get a pro off-track…I can totally understand what an enthusiastic distraction she can be.

As usual, she’s a ray of sunshine. She was having such an awesome time playing with the little girl of the family we were building for—little cutiepie not more than two years old with little pokey pigtails, chubby arms and a love for putting dirt on things. She and McKenna sat for a couple hours just stacking discarded wood blocks or putting handfuls of sand into cans to pour it out. Oh the forlorn expression on her face when she realized McKenna was about to leave. I soon figured out it was because she wanted to stick her hands way down into the water barrel and clean them like McKenna did. She couldn't reach the water, so Mark reached in and cupped the water for her to wash her hands, her little face making him melt in the process.

Micah’s been working hard. It was good last night to see him dorking around with Kelsey and Jeff playing Truth or Dare. They got a big kick out of daring him to river dance around the neighboring campers’ fire. He did it too—until a guy stuck his head out of the RV window to yell at him so he ran away. That was better than Kelsay’s dare to kiss one of the porto-potty seats. That’s where I woulda ended it. I at least advised her to take along an antibacterial wipe to aid her cause. Whew! Would’ve given me nightmares otherwise!

Looks like everyone’s movin’ and shakin’ now. Nothing was stirring about an hour ago, though, when I took my moonlight hanging jug shower. SOO cold but I just couldn’t stand the grit in my scalp one more minute.

Felt horrible a little while ago when I was sneaking into the pick-up to write and forgot how persnickety the alarm system is about trying to open the door with the key. It started honking loud enough to raise the dead! I’ll probably catch hell for that.

Okay maybe not. I just witnessed Ron and Mike playing Reveille on a couple big pots. They walked right up to the doorway of the women’s shower and banged away. I can only imagine how that must’ve reverberated off those concrete walls!

We talked to Hannah and the gang at home yesterday because Bill had gotten reports of a major fire in the Valencia area that had shut down the 5. They were fine but Mark told her she could evacuate to Terri’s if anything got threatening. They were unfazed and were about to go see the premier of the animated movie “Bolt”. Sounds like they’ve had their share of movies, Red Mango yogurt and In-N-Out. Gotta love it.

Monday, November 17, 2008

It’s 7 a.m. and I’m back to warm showers and Starbucks. I’m CLEAN!

Yesterday was amazing. Everyone stumbled out of their sandstorm night and put in a full day’s enthusiastic work. Had just a couple dealing with a touch of nausea and maybe dehydration later in the day but nothing serious — well, beyond a pounded finger here and there. Everyone worked hard and kept great attitudes. Got a classic picture of Mark and McKenna on the roof putting nails along the edge. Micah was happy spending most of his day up there among the roofing gods.

During lunch we all gathered in the house that now had walls and a roof and brought in the Luna family who would be living there. Little Donna, the two-yr.-old who had been playing with McKenna, sat up on a wooden perch and ate chili and fritos with her mom and dad while we talked with them through our interpreter, Daniel. What a sweet family! It was the single most gratifying mission trip experience I’ve ever had since it was so tangible. We got to see their gratitude and hear their plans for their new home as well as get wonderful feedback of their observations of our crew—that everyone worked well together and never fought and just kept doing what needed to be done, etc. How many times do ya get a chance like that?

They also said they had been a bit confused about “religion” since most seem to care more about manipulating money out of them. What a perfect opportunity we had to just GIVE to them and smile Jesus’ love.

We all gathered in front of their little house at the end of the day and big Mike (who had floated from job to job making sure the greenhorns like me didn’t screw up) picked up little Donna and brought the mom and dad to the front of the picture with him. What a golden moment!

When we drove away they were waving from inside the house and little Donna’s daddy had her perched in the window. It could have been a poster advertisement for Amor Ministries. I think the smiles inside our van were even bigger.

We had a crazy (and a bit delirious) trip back across the border. While we waited about an hour and a half to be allowed back into our country, Beth, Michael and Jessie started trying to think of 100 words using only the letters from the word "Thanksgiving". They had been doing well and were up to maybe 80 when Brandon started tossing out nuggets like “angst” and “vast” while we gasped in amazement. Right about the time they crossed the 100-word mark, Brandon started laughing and held up his cell phone to admit his success was due to wikipedia. Michael stated, “Brandon, you almost had us convinced there was a brain in there!” The word “turkey” seemed quite appropriate considering the circumstances.

As soon as we crossed the border we barreled toward In-N-Out to snarf down burgers, fries and shakes. Probably not the best idea after the chili and chips for lunch. I had ample opportunity to regret it all the way from San Diego to Valencia as we bounced along at 85 mph. Yes, Brandon was at the wheel.

We got back around 9 p.m. to unload. It was so neat to see my 16 yr.-old making a list of numbers and emails to keep in touch. Lots of hugs all around, despite our unwashed state.

It’s like microwave friendships the way people bond on mission trips. What might take years under normal circumstances is accomplished in a few hours of blood, sweat, tears and sandstorms.

Amor Ministries Trip

2008-11-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

{My apologies to all about the lack of posting recently. It's partly a result of my new gig, and partly result from my new fascination with the immediate interactive nature of facebook, which makes me lazy toward keeping the posts coming. My plan is to keep this blog going for many reasons, so bear with me as I re-organize my cheese.}

I'm leaving today on a short term mission trip to Mexico. It's with Amor Ministries, an organization that facilitates groups going into Mexico to build homes for families that don't have one.

Chana, Micah and McKenna are going as well, and we're all really excited about the trip. Chana, Micah and I went on a trip with Amor three years ago, and the result was life changing. We expect nothing less this time. I will get some pics (and maybe some video) posted soon!

Ridin' the Train

2008-11-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I start a new job at the Henson Co in Hollywood. It's as picture editor on a new children's series called "Dinosaur Train" to be aired on PBS starting next summer.

This will be the first TV show I've cut picture on, so I'm looking forward to the challenge and learning curve. Basically, my sound work stuff has been few and far between lately, so when this opportunity came up, I was happy to get it.

I will start off the job by creating animatics from the storyboards the artists create, then send those to the animators. Three months or so later, the animation will be ready for final editing.

I will continue to do sound work in the future for sure, but I have been wanting to hone my picture editing skills, and what better way than to get on a show doing it?

I'll post some artwork from the show as soon as I get my hands on some.

AN INADEQUATE NOTE OF THANKS

2008-10-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

{This is a letter I wrote to my Grandmother, Esther Faye Gilstrap (94). I read it to her Monday. She passed away last night.}

Thank you for choosing to quit your job and stay home with me, so I wouldn’t have to go to daycare.

Thank you for coloring with me on the couch everyday. I was amazed by how you stayed in the lines.

Thank you for not getting (very) angry with me when at four, I pretended to be passed out on the kitchen floor.

Thank you for sewing up the bottom of the label in my new coat, so I’d think there was a “secret pocket” in it.

Thank you for making me peanut butter and honey sandwiches everyday for lunch. I still can’t replicate your mixture.

Thank you for making me ‘koala bear’ shaped pancakes. I still can’t replicate those shapes for my kids.

Thank you for even having your own style of “bye-bye” wave whenever I left your house. Only, it hurt to see it when we moved out of your house.

Thank you for taking me to TG&Y whenever I came back for visits. Every model I made was for you, and my mediocre craftsmanship was always met with great accolades. And with every Lincoln Log home I built for you, you made me feel like a master architect.

Thank you for sending me money right when I seemed to need it most, and then telling me to spend it on something frivolous.

Thank you for nurturing a wonderful marriage with Granddaddy. You taught me how a selfless relationship is done. And by the way, thank you for being a model for the type of woman I would look for as a wife.

Thank you for opening yourself up to Chana when I first brought her to meet you. I witnessed kindred spirits bonding that night.

Thank you for contributing to our move to California. It would not have happened without you.

Thank you for teaching me about basic human kindness. You have left an indelible mark on my life and I am, in many ways, the man I am because of you.

Thank you for living to an age old enough for me to have the opportunity to get smart enough to really BE thankful; to know what I have been given.

Thank you, that when I am granted passage to heaven, we can again sit together on a couch somewhere and color. And this time, I will try harder to stay in the lines.

Thank you Grandmommy. I love you forever.

iPhone, How I Love Thee

2008-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

...but thou hast come at a great price.

I officially drank the iPhone kool-aid last week, by ending my 30 day trial early and porting my permanent cell # over. It's everything you've heard and more, living up to the "Phantom Menace" sized hype.

So if I'm so high on this marvel, what do I mean by great price? Before defecting totally from Verizon, they told me, "Make sure you don't have any voice messages, 'cause you'll lose what's there." I thought, "I don't have any new voice messages on there, 'cause I've been forwarding my number to the iPhone."

I forgot about my saved ones.

When I realized I lost my saved messages (30 minutes after it was too late), I was broken-hearted. I literally grieved for them. Sounds stupid I know, but let me explain what I lost.

I still had the message when Chana called me to tell me Maddie had peed on the potty the first time ever. It was hilarious, and I can still remember Maddies tiny voice telling me what she'd done, and asking for her treat!

I still had the message when Sky called me just to talk. He was 5, and decided he'd call me to chat, for no reason. I love that.

I still had the message from my Dad when he called me with pride in his voice, because he had received the Emmy I shipped to him.

I had many others, some silly, some more of keepsakes than anything else. My great mistake was putting off recording them to my computer over the last couple of years. I thought about it so many times, but never went through with it; and me, a sound guy for a living... sloppy.

The moment I figured out I had lost them, I prayed for God to embed them in my brain. I don't ever want to forget the sound of those voices. My only choice is to learn from this, and realize that there will be countless more beautiful messages from loved ones... messages that I will backup.

London Blog

2008-09-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Triibe: On the south bank overlooking the River Thames, across from Parliament is Gyle, Adam, Ron, Daniel, Robert and Mark.

I've been back for over a week from my "Triibe Goes to the UK" trip, and though the jet-lag has worn off, the impact hasn't. The 24-7 Prayer ILG (International Leadership Gathering) was a great conference that included 24-7 leaders from around the world. Real movers and shakers here.

Triibe was happy to be part of the program, but we were equally humbled by the company we were in. (I liberated the above performance photo from Carla Harding's blog, Amazed and Confused)

We stayed at a hotel about 30 minutes away from the venue, so we were using the buses constantly. Gyle, our awesome den-mother, kept us on budget and on the same bus.

Next to our hotel was a regional cricket field called the Rose Bowl, where we took our morning walks and prayer-times before each day began. It was a great time to get out with just a bunch of guys who love God, who were there for the same purpose - to serve. We have more international invites to play, so hopefully we'll be able to take advantage of those soon.

Set up at Central Hall in Southampton

Triibe in front of the coffee chain that put Britain on the map, Starbucks. Pictured with us in the middle is Doug Ross, a great DJ with a greater heart.

With Pete Greig, the man behind the beginning of the 24-7 prayer movement, author of Red Moon Rising, God on Mute and The Vision.

More shots from London town.

Mark taking Ron's photo. (Taken by Adam)

Is that a government office building or Buckingham Palace?

Big Ben at night.

Bound for the UK

2008-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow for the UK. The Triibe is playing in Southampton this weekend for three nights. I've never been there, so I'm looking forward to it. We built in a little extra time to look around, but not enough.

Some of my favorite people on the planet are going on this trip, so that's a huge plus as well. I'll give you a report on the events when I get back.

Jack Done R-U-N-N-O-F-T

2008-09-08T16:15:00.001-07:00

Last week, Jack (our Siberian Husky) decided he would like a break from us, so he slipped out of his collar and bolted like an Olympic sprinter from Jamaica. It was dark, and he's mostly blind, but he still eluded capture while we looked for him the next few hours.

I made up flyers before going to bed, and Chana and Micah put them out early in the morning, and we were so happy to hear from someone around 10am. A nice lady a few blocks away had put him in her back yard for the night; knowing he must belong to someone, even though he was without his collar.

Jack has run off before, it's a 'husky' thing and they just love go explore. However, we have never had to look for him longer than about an hour. We were all so excited, the whole family went to pick him up. Immediately after picking him up, we went straight to Petco to get a harness-style collar he can't slip out of.

Convenient Truth

2008-09-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

You've probably already thought of this before, but these women could be sisters. They border on identical twin looks. Separated-at-birth type similarities.

So, my theory is that if the McCain/Palin ticket wins, I guess Tina could be a body double for the VP in high risk situations. Come to think of it, if they lose, I guess Sarah Palin could be a stand-in for Tina on "30 Rock". Convenient for both, you think?

Drumming For A Lifetime, pt. 12

2008-08-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Pass It On

The other day, I was playing ping-pong with the kids. It was McKenna's turn to play me, so Madeline went over to this little electronic keyboard we have. She likes to turn it on and run the beat-box on it. So after a few minutes of playing pong to the beat, inspiration struck. I busted out my bag of percussion toys for a full-on jam session.

We've played music together before, but this time I described how to play the percussion instruments correctly, and we played along with the different style beats on the keyboard. Chana came home after a while and joined in. Micah was out and missed the fun.

The kids did a good job staying on the beat, and enjoyed finding different ways to get unique sounds out of the instruments.

Travel Log

2008-08-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Tulsa-town this weekend to rehearse with the Triibe. We are going to England next month for an international leadership conference, and we have been wanting to prepare some new material.

During my trip here, I had a little fun making notes about odd things I noticed. Here's some of my miscellaneous thoughts:

Generosity Stolen

Location: Las Vegas Airport

Situation: In between flights, at the cashier, buying my personal pan pizza, m&m’s and water. (hey, at least I got water)

Total: $10.96 USD

Cashier: “That’s eleven hundred”, with a slight chuckle at her own ability to break down dollar amounts into the hundreds.

Me: “Oookay, here ya go”, giving her eleven bucks.

Cashier: “Thank you.” She closes the drawer and looks to the next sap.

I say “sure”, or something and walk away.

At first I thought, no biggie, it’s four cents. Then I thought deeper into it.

I would normally say, “please keep the change”, not wanting to deal with the pennies, etc. You see those change cups by registers all the time, and I frequently throw coinage in them. My beef was that I wasn’t given the option to give the money away. I was robbed of that “to give is better than to receive” feeling.

As I ponder my shallowness while waiting at my gate, an m&m bounces off my front tooth as I try to toss it in my mouth, then I realize that I have never thought it odd when a cashier forgives a few cents owed to them, like if a total is $11.04. I pick up the m&m and move on with my life.

On airport bathrooms:

I love going to the bathroom at airports these days. Everything is automated. You don’t have to touch anything that doesn’t belong to you. There is no main door, the toilets & urinals flush automatically, the sink is automatic, now even the soap is automated. The towel dispensers are automatic, but I guess I don’t wave nice enough for them to spit out towels for me. Wave wave wave. Stop, look, wait. Wave wa- there's a towel. Repeat.

On airplane windows:

I’m 6’1”. (and a half – I have to say that as I vainly try to keep up with my oldest son who is about 6’3”) Anyhoo, I’m 6’1”. Tall, but not super tall. Not freakishly Yao-tall. So, why are all airplane windows designed for people 5’4” and below? It’s a neck breaker to take a peep through them.

On airplane comforts:

I have a new invention idea. I know I’ll never market this idea, so you can have it. (just send me a nice gift card if it does well for you) It’s a travel aid called “No Splay”. It would be a simple Velcro strap you wrap around your legs, to keep them together as you nod off in your undersized seat on the plane. This cuts down on the awkward involuntary leg bumping with your neighbors. (thanks Martin for the name)

On window gazing:

While flying, where does that barrier exist between the houses, cars, roads looking like a clean, beautiful and elaborate train set, to just some regular, full-size houses, cars and roads? I think about 50 feet up, there is a magical line where everything transforms to the coolest toy collection ever, and I have always wanted to play with it.

Modern Technology is a Good Thing

2008-08-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Above is a screen grab of a Skype session with my youngest daughter Maddie. I've been at Skywalker Sound all week, and last night she lost a toof (tooth). I am bummed I wasn't there for the fun, but this morning I got to see her, so I'm happier.

Sometimes technology weighs us down, puts a leash on us, and generally drives us crazy. Sometimes it allows us to connect in ways that keep us feeling close, even though we're far away.

Oh, Chana told me she cried, 'cause she swallowed it! Not 'cause it hurt, but because she thought she wouldn't score a visit from the Toof Fairy!

Epic PCH Motorcycle Ride Report

2008-08-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I rode my motorcycle home from Marin County... the loooong way. I have wanted to ride the PCH through Big Sur for a while now, and finally got the chance. I was on the road about 12.5 hours and 465 miles, and it was a great adventure; my longest ride to date.

I stopped an annoyingly large amount of times for pics. If I had been riding with anyone that day, I think they would've left me behind about halfway through. Here's a bit of a photo journal of it. (click on the pics for bigger sizes)

I left San Fran at about 5:30am. The above pic was taken on Conzelman Rd, on the north side of the Golden Gate bridge. The fog was so thick, you wouldn't even know the Pacific was there, much less an enormous bridge in the background.

Below, a little daylight allowed me to start getting half a view.

A few more early morning foggy pics:

Before long I found myself in Carmel. On a whim, I turned off PCH at Ocean Ave, followed it toward the water, and rode through this quaint town set back in time.

Carmel by the beach is gorgeous. The sun finally decided to make an appearance about now.

One thing I love about riding a motorcycle, but didn't expect when I started, is people come up to you and start talking about your bike, their bikes, your destination, whatever. People who would normally pass me by, will stop and talk to me because of this wonderful connection. This is Paul, and he and I had a great conversation by the beach about motorcycling. I chased him down later to get this pic of him in his sweet 50 year-old Cadillac.

The beach on the south side of Carmel.

Leaving south from Carmel is the beginning of the twisties (curvy roads). This sign promised good times, and boy, it delivered! They should just put a big sign up with a smiley face on it, 'cause that's what it gives you.

The heavy fog came and went throughout the day.

One of my favorite bridges of the day: Big Creek Bridge. First is close up, second in mirror, and third is distant.

I'll wrap it up with a few random coastal shots.

Monday, I'm making the trip back up to Skywalker Sound for more Clone Wars stuff, and if time allows, you can bet I'll be on this route in reverse.

I finally bought a new seat with gel inserts, so hopefully the long rides won't keep me squirmin'!

Simon's Cat 'TV Dinner'

2008-07-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've become a big fan of the "Simon's Cat" series. Here's the latest. FYI, this is EXACTLY how my siamese cat Asia acts. And as usual with these, the sound effects make the video.

Star Wars, Now In Mandarin

2008-07-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I printmastered my first foreign version of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" mix today. It was a lightning fast mix; only three days! Star Wars is cool in Swedish though. The Dolby guy came in and monitored all the outputs with me, and I learned a lot about his side of the process.

More good news is that I've been asked to work here again next week. I'm dubbing the Taiwanese Mandarin version then. (I was to have a week off between my two weeks here) So, tomorrow I ride home, then the next day I ride back. That's a lot of riding just for 20 hours at home, but it's worth it to see Chana and the kids.

More sound news later. I gotta go. I'm getting hungry for oranges.

Chana Update

2008-07-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give an update on Chana's condition. She's getting around better today, though she's still hurting.

Thanks so much for the prayers and thoughts. When there's more, I'll let you know.

UPDATE: The X-rays are negative, so Chana will be taking it slow and sure. At least she won't have to deal with bone mending!

Please Pray For Chana

2008-07-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Chana took a fall from a tree (what can I say, she's still a tom-boy) and injured her ribs, neck and back. She is able to move about with extreme difficulty. At first the pain was merely severe, and she thought it would subside in time. It has steadily gotten worse and has become agonizing.

She has been x-ray'd, and we're still waiting for results. Unfortunately, I'm in Nor Cal on a job and can't be home until Saturday. Our family friend, Hannah is still with us, but she leaves on Saturday. She will be a great help until she leaves though, so I'm thankful that she is there. Of course, if I get news that Chana is in need of serious attention (hospitalization, etc), or just wants me to come home, I will be home before that.

Please pray for Chana's recovery. Please pray that there is nothing seriously injured, and she will be able to return to normal health immediately. God is the God of healing, and we believe He still does miracles. Please pray for this.

Thank you so much.

Mark

Dancing Across The Globe

2008-07-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Melanie's blog. If you spend a gazillion dollars on travel, or own your own airline, you too can make a video like this.

The Clone Wars & Skywalker Sound

2008-07-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I have been hired by Skywalker Sound to work on the animated feature, The Clone Wars. I've been brought on to help with the foreign language mixes. We are creating about two dozen foreign language mixes for this world-wide release. I'll be re-recording the Swedish and Catalan versions, starting next week.

Excuse me while I geek-out a bit; it is such an honor for me to have the opportunity to work on anything officially Star Wars related. After all, it is the most storied and legendary film franchise in history. I'm truly thankful.

**Educational Tangent**
I have to admit, I'd never heard of Catalan before. It turns out that it is understood by about 11 million people, and used mostly in Spain and remote parts of France. I would've missed that question on Jeopardy.

It's a two week job, so not necessarily a long-term position, but one thing leads to another, as they say.

This comes at a good time, because the start date for my other "next gig" has been delayed again and again over the last several weeks. That one will happen, just not in my time frame it seems. (as soon as "Escape From Planet Earth" starts for me, I'll fill you in on all the details, and I'm also planning a video blog series based on it)

So, right now I'm just prepping the Suzuki for a long-distance run up to Marin County. It should be a beautiful ride up the coast.

Be sure and check out the Star Wars site. There are a lot of great videos to whet your appetite for this movie. From what I've seen, it looks incredible.

Filmmaking To Make A Difference

2008-06-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you watched an "important" film?

Keith, a friend of mine, worked on this documentary short, "Hakani". It spells out, (with disturbing clarity) what still takes place within many of Brazil's indigenous tribes: infanticide.

Hakani is about one of the few fortunate ones. She is a survivor.

In short, hundreds of children each year are buried alive by their families if they are mentally or physically challenged, or even presumed "soulless" or "cursed" by tribe elders or witch-doctors. Unfortunately, only a few of the families rebel against these death sentences.

Amazingly, the Brazilian government remains split over the necessity to include these people among the nation's constitutional bylaws that protect humans from heinous acts like this.

Getting the word out to the rest of the world is what this film is about, and it is certainly part of what will sway the world to pressure human-rights protection in this matter.

Please watch this doc directed by David Cunningham. It is not easy to sit through, but it is "important" enough to warrant your time.

Visit Hakani.org.

Emmy Awards '08

2008-06-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the Daytime Emmy Awards show (for below-the-line players) was held Friday night in New York City. We (our sound team from WB) were nominated again in the "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Live Action and Animation" category.

Too bad that Warner Bros thought it was not in their best financial interest to send out the team from LA to the show. However, I did have a couple of calls from nice friends who did go, telling me that we won for The Batman again this year!

Honestly, I was pretty surprised about the win; The Batman has been a perennial winner (this is our fourth win in a row on The Batman show for sound editing, and my fifth Emmy overall), so I figured that our luck had probably run out. Naturally, I'm glad the judges disagreed with me.

When I started working at WB, I had no idea I would be in the position to win awards too. Awards? I was looking for a paycheck really. I have found it an honor to work on such great shows while at WB Animation. I can still remember shortly after I joined the crew, I called Chana to telling her, "I just edited my first 'Zoinks!' Casey Kasem said 'Zoinks!' and-and-and I just cut it into the show!" I'm such a nerd, but it's also legendary stuff. What a privilege.

So thank God for the icing on this big slice of cake, and now as I move on to another chapter of my sound career, I will still believe that the greatest award (reward) is getting to do what I love, no matter whether there are tangible accolades or not.

U2 Vertigo - The Best iPod Commercial Ever

2008-06-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Funny how I always forget that almost anything is available on YouTube. When this came out a few years ago, I couldn't believe the energy. IMHO it's much better than the "official" Vertigo video, even though it's been abridged. Get some headphones, or crank up the speakers, 'cause this is a treat.

Long Way Round - High Adventure On A Bike

2008-05-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the book Long Way Round. It's by enthusiasts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Long time friends, their plans to take a ride through Scotland turned into riding around the world and making a TV show about it along the way.

Ewan and Charley rode from London to New York City - going EAST. Lots of trials and near trip-ending moments happened along the way. It's in book form and on DVD.

I can't imagine having the time to go on such a great trip as this (3.5 months on the road, with 4 months prep-time), but I would love to experience the magical moments they experienced as they rode through Prague, or outer Mongolia, where the roads just aren't roads, they're muddy bogs.

Riding well equipped BMW 1150's, they were geared up for just about every possible incident, except they didn't expect to be so radically changed when they finished. It's a good read, so check it out.

BTW - They have since completed another journey from Scotland to the tip of Africa, calling that Long Way Down.

Drumming For A Lifetime, pt. 11

2008-05-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Thy Will Be Done...

I have two drum sets. I've had one of them ever since I started playing. I got it for my birthday in May of '79. It's a small vintage WFL kit. I have recorded with it tons of times; it may not look like much, but it sounds amazing.

I also have a gorgeous DW (Drum Workshop) kit that looks good, sounds good, and is basically perfect. (shown are my craigslist pics)

IMO, I haven't been able to play enough lately to warrant owning two kits, so I put the DW's up for sale. (I can't part with the WFL's)

Well, usually I have really good luck selling equipment, but every once in a while, I meet an almost supernatural resistance in selling something.

It's like God is saying, "Um, you're not finished with those yet... keep 'em." Unfortunately it takes me about 20 times longer than the average person to decipher God's voice, so I kept them up for sale for what felt like forever. Nothing. Not one serious call.

I'm not complaining, these are sweet drums. I just thought they deserved more action. Well, here's to the action they'll see that's apparently on the way.

By the way, my wife and kids were sick about it when they heard I was trying to sell the DW's - they're very pleased that they didn't sell, and that I've decided to keep them. Maybe I should have listened to them in the first place.

UPDATE: 07-03-08 - Got these sold today. My guess is that God knew I need the money more right now than when I was first trying to sell. It's all good.

On Any Sunday

2008-05-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a movie I saw back when I was just a wee tyke. "On Any Sunday" is a documentary on various types of motorcycle riding and racing, and in my opinion, still captures the heart of why so many people place themselves at risk to ride; for the sheer joy of it. The motorcycles may have changed since the film was released (1971), but the love for the sport is bigger than ever.

The man who financed the movie, Steve McQueen, a.k.a. the king of cool, also starred in it. He was a motorcycling aficionado and had a lot of racing experience. He was once a top-ten ranked amateur dirt track racer. Early in pre-production, director Bruce Brown contacted him about putting up the money. McQueen replied that his company made films, they didn't finance them. Brown replied with, "Well then you can't be in it." The next day, Steve called him back and said "Okay, let's make it."

If you're an avid rider, or even merely interested in motorcycles (or ladies, if you are in love with Steve McQueen), you should check this film out. It's loads of fun.

Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6

2008-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m days away from the end of another restoration project, and as usual, the toughest issues always seem to come at the end of the project. Some of the original sound sources aren’t useable, which is frustrating, since they usually give the best results.

Since I’m working with (up to) 78-year-old film sound elements, they are unpredictable in their condition and quality. Lucky for me, I have some very good alternative sources I can go to. I will eventually get this wrapped up to everyone’s satisfaction. Look for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 release in the fall ‘08. (BTW: if you don’t have volumes 1 through 5 yet, what are you waiting for??)

Next, Looney Tunes FAQ's for Mark.

1) Do you get a screen credit for restoring these gems?

A: Nope. My name is nowhere near the packaging of these classics, but since all I'm doing is supervising the audio restoration, I don't think it would be appropriate anyway. The credit for these babies still ALL belongs to the original crews who made them.

2) Are they appropriate for my kids to watch?

A: In general, yes, absolutely. However, given the era they were produced (the 30's through the 60's), there are a few times when I have to say to my kids, "we don't make fun of indians, do we." Or, "You do know that shooting somebody from that range won't just make them covered with gun powder and mess up their hair, right?" So far, so good.

My suggestion: you love these cartoons anyway, watch them with your kids. Then you can explain to them that dynamite isn't really so available in the real world.

3) Did you realize that you have the coolest job ever?

A: Yes, but unfortunately my time here is coming to an end. As for what's next? After this project I’m working on a few possibilities, mostly feature film related. As soon as I get a deal signed, I’ll share – I don’t want to jinx it – not that I’m superstitious or anything – although I generally stay away from all ladders, mirrors, black cats, anything with the #13 on it, and fruit smoothies with bananas.

Say It Now

2008-05-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my Grandmother Esther (we still call her Grandmommy). She might be the person able to claim the highest amount of influence over who I am today. While she deserves parades and trophies, a star on the "walk of fame", or any other imaginable accolade, she has gone through life largely unnoticed by the outside world.

To me however, she was the one who quit her job to stay at home and keep me while my Mom worked. She fit me in her chair with her while we colored together, and she would genuinely praise my Lincoln Logs homes or car models I haphazardly built for her.

Luckily, she is still around, and I have had ample opportunity to tell her of the impact she's had on my life. We've always been close, and will always be. At two weeks shy of 94, she still has the chipper attitude and sweet personality I loved her for as a child.

Please pray for her, as she's been struggling hard with health issues. Perhaps one day I'll go into all she's dealing with, but for now, please pray for her comfort and peace. I know she's ready to move on (she's said so), so when that time comes, I will reluctantly rejoice for her.

Now, I'd like to challenge you to think of the person to whom you owe more to than you could ever give back. If you can, go and tell them what they have meant to you.

Writer's Block

2008-05-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Emmy Nominations

2008-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today, the TV Academy released its nominations for the Daytime Emmys. Our sound team received three nominations in the Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing category. Our perennial winner, "The Batman" is one of the nominations; with "Legion of Super Heroes" and "Loonatics Unleashed" rounding out the three. “The Batman” has won the past three years running (the first year it tied with another one of our shows "Xiaolin Showdown") so it will be interesting to see if it will remain dominant.

We have three out of the five possible shows nominated, so a 60% chance is nice (yes, I can do simple math), but the two other nominees are very strong shows, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either one of them take it this year. PBS’s "Curious George" and Disney’s "Johnny and the Sprites" are the other contenders.

The real bummer is that the Creative Arts show (which is where the non-exciting Susan Lucci-less behind-the-scenes version of the Emmy awards are presented) will be held in New York City this year. They have always been in Los Angeles, and therefore pretty convenient to attend. I’m confident that Warner Bros is not going to send us on an all-expense paid trip to the Big Apple, so I’ll most likely be tuning in to the webcast. I'll keep you updated.

Guillermo del Toro to direct 'Hobbit'

2008-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

The man behind 'Pan's Labyrinth' has just signed with New Line to direct the 'Hobbit'. It's been a long time coming for this project to finally have a captain. As I stated earlier, it's too bad Peter Jackson is committed elsewhere and cannot direct, but at least he's producing, it's being done in New Zealand, and del Toro kinda looks Hobbit-ish like Jackson.

Here is the full Variety article published Friday.

Falling in the category of...

2008-04-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

NOW I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING!!!

I wonder how many accidents this guy has caused, just from people around him rubber-necking. I caught this guy going down the 5 freeway on my way to work this morning.

I somehow managed to not have my own car crash while using my awesome (not so much) phone-camera to capture this tribute to automotive mental breakdown.

This is truly miscellaneous creativity, but not the variety I want to hail often. I just thought this one was to good to pass up. Do you think Xzibit would be impressed? What's the craziest thing you've done to "pimp" your ride?

Foreshadowing

2008-04-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I did sound design on this film short "Foreshadowing" for Steelehouse Productions in Tulsa. It played the festival circuit afterwards. I just found out it's on YouTube.

There was no production sound to work with, so the entire soundtrack had to be created from scratch; down to the voice work by Chana and myself. (notice the exquisite scream Chana belts out near the end) John Mark Painter did the whistle-provoking score.

The director Mark Steele gave me a lot of freedom with the sound effects, and it was a great experience. We mixed it at Todd AO in Studio City.

Decisions, Decisions

2008-04-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have to upgrade my field recording gear this year. I'm going to be doing a lot of sound effects acquisition for my next project, so it's time to move on from the HHB minidisc recorder. It's a killer recorder, but I'm ready to get away from minidiscs as a medium.

I've been looking at Sound Devices gear. It seems to be what I need, but now the (semi)hard decisions need to be made. Do I buy strictly for sfx recording, in which case I don't really need the timecode features, making it about six benjamins cheaper. But if I want to ever use it for a shoot, TC would be kinda handy.

There's more though. What if I want to record surround ambiences? They make 4 and 8 track recorders too, but those little additions add big bucks. So I might have to settle for stereo for now. We'll see...

Then there's the microphone debate. I'm upgrading those too. I've just about decided upon the Oktava 012's. Apparently they are in thousands of production mixers and sound designer's mic lockers, plus the price is very good for high-end mics.

But I've been impressed by the Sanken mics too. Their CSS-5 is a switchable mono/stereo shotgun mic I looked at while at NAB last year. It's impressive, but the price tag is about three times the amount of a stereo pair of Oktava's. Monday and Tuesday I'll be back at NAB cramming as much info on this type of gear into my head as I can. Hopefully I'll come away with a set plan, and an affordable one.

He Was American, and Proud of it

2008-04-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Ahh, to return to the day when people could speak like this on TV without anyone thinking they were crazy. This is a clip from Dean Martin's show featuring John Wayne speaking about how he'll raise his daughter.

Held Hostage

2008-04-10T05:28:00.000-07:00

PHOTO: Stock shot of jet taking off from tarmac...

I arrived in Dallas Tuesday to help celebrate my Dad's retirement. Nice party, good food, etc. We have had a good time hanging out (my sister and brother are here too, so it's a strange-but-nice family dynamic again.

For some reason (okay, it's some wiring deal on a ton of their planes), American keeps canceling my flight out of Dallas. It's like Hotel California; I've entered, but I can never leave. Yesterday morning, I got a call at 6:45 am (mind you that's 4:45 am pacific time, which I'm still on btw) from the AA flight info computer, giving me the news of my first cancellation. Nice.

I'm not complaining. Yesterday afternoon, my Dad gave me one of his old sets of golf clubs... that's cool. I haven't been on the links in 10 years, but I'll probably venture out to embarrass myself soon with my new weapons.

This morning, while checking my gate info online, I noticed that the flight was again canceled. No rude early morning call this time. Man, am I glad I didn't head to DFW and fight through it there.

The hard part is being away from the family. My wife is holding down the fort (and is perfectly capable of doing so, make no mistake) but I wasn't mentally prepared to be away from home this long - or work for that matter, but that's another thread.

Right now, I'm on the phone (er, on ever-hold) with American to see about getting a lottery seat on the next flight out. Holding breath... okay I breathed... holding... okay forget it, I'm just going to be over here waiting... tapping foot... mmm, easier.

Okay, the real person from the airline finally picked up and put me on another plane headed out this evening. Can I assume that the wiring on this plane is a-ok? Another day of work missed. I wonder if this flight is going to really go out, or is this just another tease?

For now I'm just blogging on my Dad's PC, which means I am not sure how to use it for the picture I wanted for this entry. That's okay, I don't care. Soon enough I'll be home to the Macs in the studio.

You can use whatever mental imagery you want for the implied photo above. (though, I do prefer you to conjure a working plane coming in for a perfect landing... on time... you get the picture)

The Passing of a Legend

2008-04-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

One of my heroes just died. Charlton Heston passed away at age 84 this past evening. He was most definitely one of the few remaining true stars of the silver screen - a group of people that has almost completely left us. He had class, high morals, and he was even married to the same woman (Lydia) for 64 years.

His acting accomplishments are well documented, but I have to say that I believe it takes a larger-than-life man to play the roles of Judah Ben Hur (for which he won an Oscar), Moses and John the Baptist. The man that can pull off all of those roles in one lifetime without it going completely to his head deserves everyone's respect.

Some of my favorites of his other roles include: George Taylor in "Planet of the Apes", Stewart Graff in "Earthquake", Capt. Matthew Garth in "Midway" and Robert Neville in "The Omega Man" - a movie that Will Smith just remade entitled "I Am Legend". He also had the small but important role of Henry Hooker in one of my all-time favorite westerns, "Tombstone".

He was a man's man, not just because of the roles he played, but because of what he stood for. He was an Air Force veteran, a social activist in his latter years, and in 2003, he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this nation's highest civilian honor.

As I said, there aren't many genuine Hollywood stars left. I am however thankful he came along to fill the need Hollywood had for a true hero.

Charlton Heston has left an opening for the next genuine Hollywood hero. Who can possibly fill it?

New Projects Now Out on DVD

2008-04-05T00:50:00.001-07:00

Last fall and early winter, I mixed a couple of indie features (one documentary and one drama-mentary), and they have finally come out on the market.

Morristown is a feature-length drama/documentary based on a ballet school in a small town of the same name. We had several sound challenges, but overall I think it came out sounding very good. (And myself being someone with a limited eye for dance, I think there's some great stuff of that sort in there too.) Check it out at: morristownthemovie.com. (no imdb page as of yet)

The Sophisticated Misfit is a documentary that follows the life and art of Los Angeles based artist Josh Agle (aka: Shag). He has a remarkable style that is often imitated, though never really equaled. (That's his work above.) See about getting the movie HERE. I have fallen into his fan-base, though unfortunately, I'll probably never have the opportunity to get one of his original pieces.

This film also had challenges in the production sound, but we got it dialed in pretty well, and I think the content of both of these movies makes up for any of the sound flaws. The filmmakers, Christo Garcia (Morristown) and Mark Chervinsky (Sophisticated Misfit) are now film partners, so they are collaborating on their projects. They make a good team.

He Is Risen

2008-03-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

He has resurrected me too.

The Awareness Test

2008-03-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

You may be surprised:

Sound Effects Doing Their Job

2008-03-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is a great example of sound effects telling the story. The animation for Simon's Cat is excellent, but it's the sound that makes me laugh. Never underestimate the power of a quality soundtrack.

Drumming For A Lifetime, pt. 10

2008-03-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

It's self explanatory, and it's beautiful.

Riding Again...

2008-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, this isn't a photo of me, but it's how I feel on the inside again, because after a little over two weeks off, I am finally riding again.

I was sick for a week, then the California rains came for the entire next week (I'm not hardcore enough to choose to ride in the rain).

Though waiting for the rains to end was a bummer, the payoff of our way-ahead-of-schedule rainfall for the year has left us with gorgeously green mountains, where they had been a deserty dull brown the past couple of years.

I know what you're thinking: "That looks like Austria, circa 1965, and maybe a screen-grab from 'The Sound of Music.'" ..................... Yes, okay maybe, but I couldn't find any good pics of So-Cal mountains that have a greenish hue to get my point across.

All that to say, I'm glad to be riding again and the scenery is even more amazing than usual. Knowing California, the green will fade to brown again as the rains become a distant memory. That will just make it all the more sweet again when the rains come again.

2 Golden Reel Wins!

2008-02-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend this year's MPSE Golden Reel Awards, and much thanks to God it wasn't one of those "you must be present to win" type things.

"The Batman" and "Superman: Doomsday" came away winners Saturday. And oddly enough, they both tied with other shows in their categories. Here's a section of the Hollywood Reporter article:

"The Batman" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" tied in the category for TV animation, "Starcraft" was honored for computer entertainment, and "Return to House on Haunted Hill" and "Superman Doomsday" tied for direct to video.

It's an honor to finally win one of these, as they are voted on by other sound editors. For more on MPSE, go HERE.

Oscar Sound 2-fer

2008-02-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Bourne Ultimatum pulled off a double Academy Award win in the sound categories tonight, "Best Sound Editing" and "Best Sound Mixing". It's a great movie, great sound effects, and great mixing. Check it out.

The last films to win in both categories: King Kong (2006), and before that, Master and Commander (2004).

MPSE Golden Reel Awards Nominations

2008-02-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

The sound team I'm a part of at WB Animation has been nominated thrice for the MPSE Golden Reels this year. I have eight previous Golden Reel noms, but no wins, so it'd be very cool to finally leave with a win this time.

"Superman: Doomsday" is in the "Best Sound Editing – Direct to Video" category, and "The Batman" and "Loonatics Unleashed" are in another category, "Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated".

Wish us luck next Saturday!

Ding - Dong, The Strike is Dead!

2008-02-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

After something like $20 million a day, and something like $3 billion (yes, that's a "B") total revenues lost, the quarter-long strike is finally over.

The trickle-down effect has been substantial, and the recovery won't be immediate, but the film/TV industry here in LA seems to be breathing air with an element of hope in it again.

The unfortunate reality is that much of production slated for now, was pushed through earlier last fall (pre-strike), or canned indefinitely. The shows that are still alive on paper, will take a few weeks to rev back up to production speed again, and then there's post-production, and so on etc, before it can be aired. The very unfortunate reality, is that we will feel the effects of this 3 month strike for at least another season.

So speaking of "reality", let's hope you enjoy your reality TV shows, because for the next several weeks, they are still what's for dinner in prime-time!

Proof That Smart People Like Cartoons & Stuff

2008-02-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

Boy, was I surprised to rate at this reading level! I think it means that smart people like cartoons, drums and motorcycles. What else could it be?

WB's Academy Awards Animation Collection

2008-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is one I worked on last summer. It's a collection of Oscar winners and nominees for animation since the early days. It's being released February 12th.

One great thing about it, is that it represents different worlds of classic animation, by including all the libraries under the WB umbrella. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies are here, but Popeye, Tom & Jerry, Droopy and Superman are among the winners and nominees as well. This is considered the best of the best.

Check it out.
The Academy Awards Collection

Peter Jackson Officially Attached to the Hobbit!

2008-01-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is a "Lord of the Rings" fan has been wishing for this: That Peter Jackson would make up with New line Cinema, and both realize that there is another mountain of money just waiting to pour into their pockets, if they made a film based on LOTR's prequel novel, "The Hobbit".

It's based on hobbit Bilbo Baggins' adventures and the finding of the "one ring". The ring plays a key role, but the true story is about the transformation of Bilbo from comfortable hobbit to gutsy pseudo-outlaw.

Here are some excerpts from the press release:
* MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.

* Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

* Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) Trilogy.

Said Peter Jackson, “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world. We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey.”

“Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making ‘The Hobbit,’” said Sloan, MGM’s Chairman and CEO. “Now that we are all in agreement on ‘The Hobbit,’ we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film.”

Click on this map for a larger view:
You can read about it in full at "The Hobbit Blog".

Canyon Riding

2007-12-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of months (and about 1,300 miles) behind me on my motorcycle now. It's been a vast education to say the least, but I have had some great experiences. (The pic above is overlooking the Bouquet Reservoir)

I'd have to say that my favorite times so far have all happened on my canyon joy-rides. There's such a good feeling that accompanies winding around the twisting roads through the mountains and around the lakes, etc. It is definitely giving me more appreciation for California, as these roads are plentiful, very well maintained, and usually uncrowded.

Today I rode a new one (to me anyway). Little Tujunga Canyon Road was built in the 30's, and may be the perfect canyon road. Clicking on the link will take you to pashnit.com's page on this paradise of a moto-ride. The author of the article said it best; "If God had a motorcycle, He'd be here." I believe it after riding this road today. Maybe by viewing the photos, you can imagine why.

I don't know how I lucked out so well today, but I went several minutes at a time without seeing another soul on the road, in either direction. During my entire time on the canyon road, I maybe encountered a dozen vehicles. The road is almost 20 miles long.

In Southern California, that has to be a miracle. I just decided to savor it, because such a miracle may never happen again. (Little Tujunga pics stolen from pashnit.com)

This canyon riding thing is becoming a true passion.

Dallas - Season 7 - The Chana Episodes

2007-12-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

Dallas season 7 was finally released on DVD this past summer. Chana played the character "Dee" (a girl interested in Christopher Atkins' character "Peter") for three episodes.

Chana always downplays her role on the show, but sometimes I think she's forgotten what a big deal the show was back then. It was much bigger than "Heroes" or "Lost" are today, and I still remember her in the show, even though her role was small. (yes, I watched Dallas - I had to, I lived in "Big D" at the time - they had pop quizzes in school the next day)

Here's a short scene I posted to YouTube. If only all 'soap opera' type shows could be this short. (I think you'll notice that men's swimsuit fashion has come a long way since then.)

Her credit is as "Chana Vowell", so it's before I came along and took her away from all that inevitable fame and fortune. (Obviously, I tinkered with the end credits; she didn't really make the whole show by herself.)

Drumming For A Lifetime pt.9

2007-12-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of the Dallas-based band I occasionally play with. We used to be known as 'The Calling', but that was 20 years ago, then we broke up. In the late 80's, we had a pretty decent following in the Texas and Oklahoma region.

A year or so ago, we started playing together again, but the name 'The Calling' had been used by a flash-in-the-pan group a few years ago, so we couldn't use it again. The never-ending struggle to rename the band has plagued us for a year, so we just ignore people when they ask, and turn up the amps. One day, we'll agree on a new moniker.

This is a song called "Time Passes", and I think it's not a bad rendition of it, considering what you're hearing is a dry feed from the mixing console.

We had four cameras shooting that night, but they had no game-plan. It took a while to sort out the footage and come up with a good edit of the song. Oh, fyi, Micah (my oldest) ran lights for us that night, but unfortunately the available lighting he had to work with was a disaster.

Here it is, enjoy.

Time To Catch Up

2007-12-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time away from blogging, and if you're still coming by, thanks!

A lot has been happening over the last 6 weeks or so, so let's get to it.

I am now a motorcycle rider. I have been researching this world for several months now, and I finally took my Motorcycle Safety Course and got my license. A month ago I bought a bike. After much hemming and hawing, I went with the Suzuki DL650. It's a great bike for commuting and can go on dirt roads too.

You know you want one.

Speaking of biking, thanks to my friend Jason, I was able to take Micah out dirt biking for his 15th birthday. We were both smitten, and we've vowed to go back soon.

We also took the kids to the El Capitan to see the recently refurbished "Jungle Book", set up by our friend Brenda. On the way to the theater, we met up with The Batman and Super Girl. (I love how McKenna is in her Super Girl pose.)

I took this at a nearby park we frequent. It might have to go on an album cover sometime. Or... not, but it's cool.

Oh, and it rained once. Weird.

And last but definitely not least, Micah made this for his youth pastor Steve for Christmas. Micah has a couple snakes and a lizard. Steve has a problem with reptiles, so Micah gave him this thoughtful gift. Kinda creepy, but I also think it's brilliant.

Inspiration For Pushing The Human Race Forward

2007-10-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

About 7-8 years ago, Apple came out with the ad campaign "Think Different". You may remember it. I didn't think much of it (positive or negative) when I saw it at first.

But, in the summer of 2001, we were preparing to move from Tulsa, OK to Los Angeles - a risky move with a full-sized family.

I needed inspiration; I needed motivation. During that summer before moving, I again saw this ad, and the words grabbed me in a new way.

At that time, I needed to hear that doing something out of the ordinary was OK; that doing something risky was not just acceptable, but necessary for me to reach into the depths of my potential. Some people can reach their potential living in one place for their whole lives, but I needed a new environment.

I was fortunate to have a wife in Chana, that was right there with me, dreaming, scheming, praying and planning. If we weren't aligned, I don't think I could've or would've base-jumped into the unknown that is LA.

Here's the text of the ad:

Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some see them as the crazy ones,
We see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world,
Are the ones who do.

Click here to see the ad on YouTube.

Click here to see an alternate (and creative) version of the ad.

Sometimes it's easy to forget all of the little links in the chain that helped take you from point A to B, and I had forgotten about this one. I'm glad to revisit it now, 'cause it still inspires me.

Think different my friends.

And think big.

California is a Great Place to Live

2007-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

I really do think that California is a great place to live, but for every wonderful thing about it, there are a few hazards too. Earthquakes, mudslides and the fires, and those are just some of the natural ones.

Thank God for the thousands of great firefighters that have worked tirelessly so save what they can. I know that they saved our home on Monday for a start.

According to the reports on TV Sunday evening, one of the fires several miles away had hopped many ridges among the hills and canyons because of the crazy winds, and the reports started mentioning evacuations and roads I knew to be in our neighborhood.

The "Agua Dulce" fire (which started very close to my sister Terri's place Sunday) - moved several miles and became the "Canyon Country", aka the "Buckweed" fire. The "Buckweed" fire now bordered on Saugus (our community) and came within about 1/4 mile of our house, as the crow flies.

We have a mountain (okay, it's a really big hill) right behind our house, and I was getting curious about how close the danger was getting to us.

So Sunday evening, I decided to climb to the top just before dark to check it out for myself.

WARNING: If you ever decide to climb anything during 70mph gusts of wind, you're stupid.

I'm stupid.

After almost getting blown off the hill several times as if I had the mass of a sheet of paper, I finally made it to the top and had a terrific view of the flames, that were at this point within a half mile from us. I tried to get some phone-camera pictures, but they don't do it justice.

Here's the fire just two ridges away:

This is the view from the opposite direction at the same time. This is of the "Castaic" or "Ranch" fire about 6 miles away, and on Monday, the fire crews feared these two merging. We were one block from being evacuated. (many of our friends were evacuated though)

By late Monday - early Tuesday, it was looking much better in our immediate area, thanks to the fire crews. This is a picture I took a couple days later. It's hard to tell, but the dot between the trees is the sun, and because of the stuff in the air, it was glowing a nice apocalyptic RED.

I have decided that if we are to remain California residents, we will buy one of these converted DC-10's and keep it in our garage in case the winds bring fire with them again next time.

Please keep in prayer, the 1500+ families who have lost lives, homes and businesses this week, and pray for the safety of all those fighting the fires. It's still not over.

Here is an extremely detailed map of each fire including the amount of
firefighters used, containment, acres burned and date and time. Click on the "Buckweed" fire if you want to see what went on in our immediate area.

Go to Google Maps

Looney Tunes Volume 5 Releasing Soon...

2007-10-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Another great Looney Tunes DVD collection is coming out October 30th.

It took about 7 months for me to wrangle the audio restoration of this volume. We had some tough issues with some of the old film elements, and that kept putting us off course. But eventually we managed to get 'em all together for this release.

I think it's a strong collection. It includes a couple of my 'Bugs' favorites, like "A Star is Bored" and "Buccaneer Bunny".

The new rumor is that we'll be starting on Volume 6 very soon. Little did I know when I watched these great cartoons as a kid, that I'd have the opportunity to work on them one day. I'm thankful for that!

Check it out HERE.

Okay, all time favorite Looney Tune... easy, "Rabbit of Seville".
Tell me what your favorite Looney Tune is...

The Scottish Highland Games

2007-10-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the Highland Games Saturday in Ventura. Anyway, it's a crazy sub-culture-thing that I never knew existed until 4-5 years ago, when our friend Brenda invited us for the first time.

Chana and I like to go because of the interesting folks you meet, plus she and Brenda went to Scotland about 4 years ago. I really like to watch the strongman competitions too. I'd participate, but I don't want to embarrass anyone (myself), plus I'm not Scottish, you know.

The kids like to go, 'cause they usually get to pick out some kind of toy weapon. (we're such good parents) Also, the kids love haggis! Not really, but there is a band that plays there every year called Bad Haggis. Think 'funk with bagpipes'. It actually works and they're great players.

The above picture was taken when we went in May this year - my camera was full this trip. In the Ravenswood Leather booth they had all sorts of leather garments for warriors and ladies from medieval times. This girl helped Chana pour herself into that leather dress. Too bad it was about $1,000, or I would've gladly got her about three of them... woo!

There's No Business Like Snow Business

2007-10-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

This past week, crews were prepping the WB Ranch backlot for a Walmart commercial. My guess is the ad has something to do with snow and cold things and holidays and wintery stuff like that.

First, they laid drift foundations with ordinary Christmas bedding.

Then they sprayed over it with a white pasty texture, kinda like old ceiling texture.

They even flocked the trees. Great detail!

I thought this car in the "Bewitched" house's driveway was nicely covered too.

Me in front of the "Griswold's" ( was used in the "Vacation" movie series).

The truck responsible. Snow Business

This shot below was taken on July 23rd, on the WB main lot. Here they actually were spraying real ice on this street. It was about 100 degrees outside, so they were laying it on pretty thick. (again, forgive the phone-camera quality)

I guess that's about as close as I will be getting to a blizzard in LA anytime soon.

Remember Me

2007-10-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

This video was created by 16-year-old Lizzie Palmer. I'd say she gets it. Not only does she do honor to the subject, but she has a real talent. Check it out.

Two Great Loves Come Together

2007-09-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

I love drums.

I love computers. (er, better just say I love Macs)

I never dreamed of combining them in such a creative way.

Like a beautifully formed Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on acid, Spotswood Custom Computers will build you a computer out of a wooden cylinder, and attach hardware from bass drums (various styles), bringing together two of my favorite things - yes, these two things would definitely go in my version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things".

I don't know who thought of this, furthermore, I don't know who's buying these.

All I can say is God Bless 'Em!

Check out their gallery.

What two things would you like to see blended together?

Still A Wonderful World

2007-09-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

New Responsibilities at WB

2007-09-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

I just started back at WB Animation for another season of "The Batman", and another restoration project of the classic "Looney Tunes" shorts. It's good to be back, seeing as they don't pay you when you stay at home and don't work for them. It's been 6 weeks, I hope I can remember what all these knobs are for.

Another exciting duty I've been given this time though, is to keep our new patch-bay connected properly. This is a photo of me reading the diagram, trying to keep straight all those insert possibilities. I'm honestly flummoxed, because it's too darn technical.

What do they expect? I'm an editor, not a rocket scientist! Do I plug it into the one with the glowing light, or just try 'em all? I have to hurry, 'cause Mel Blanc's waiting to start his voice session.

Obviously, I will not last long here unless I get my act together. If you know anything about these new patch-bays, please let me know.

Remember...

2007-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Your problems could always get worse.

The Secret Handshake

2007-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

About three years ago, our 9 yr old daughter McKenna told me she wanted to create a "secret handshake" with me. At first, I was like "whatever", but then I realized it was a chance to have a special thing with her that we could carry on for years and years.

The Handshake: A Brief History

Most people think that the handshake
has always been a cordial greeting,
but the some sources say the truth is the opposite.
The handshake supposedly originated when
opposing enemies came together for talks.

The second they would set aside their weapons,

they would grasp the other's arm to keep them
from picking up their weapons again.

This later evolved into a sign of trust and has passed on from
culture to culture, generation to generation,
to become the casual greeting it is today.

(My theory is that the warrior on the left still had significant leverage
and threw the other man into the nearby well, but I have no proof.)

(images stolen from the classic film short, "We Do It Because")

Anyway, now I have separate secret handshakes I do nightly with McKenna and our seven yr old son Sky. Maddie, our 5 yr old, likes to play pat-a-cake and call that our "secret handshake", but I know sometime soon, we'll come up with our own "real" shake.

I'm still working on our 14 yr old. No interest there yet. Maybe if I put on a viking helmet, he'll be into it?

Okay, so while we're at it...

2007-07-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow I put together for Chana's birthday a couple of years ago for her birthday. Obviously I'm biased, but I love this slideshow, and I could watch it over and again. The combo of song ("Comfortable", by Fleming and John) and images is perfect. Hope you enjoy it!

(BTW - I promise not to make you watch all of our family movies.)

Sleeping Cutie

2007-07-26T02:11:00.000-07:00

We made this in 2003, and I just recently dug it out. We were playing around, and it kinda turned into a video shoot. I love it because it took no coaxing to get the kids to participate. These days, they're much more self-aware.

Sending Out an S.O.S.

2007-07-21T01:27:00.001-07:00

Since I have never blogged about The Police (your eyes may now roll), I thought I'd treat you to a short film my wife Chana put together with our kids and some of our friend's kids. She has always wanted to ask some of these questions to the band (the questions start about halfway through), and since she couldn't get to the band when they came through town, she thought this might one day produce some answers.

Miscellaneous Creativity - Blogging 101

2007-07-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is post #101 for Miscellaneous Creativity,
not a class on blogging.

Not that you couldn't use a class. I'm sure you have a lot to learn about blogging, or you wouldn't be here reading my posts and trying to glean what wisdom you can from them. I resent it not, as I feel it is my calling to pass along as much temporal glee to your lives as possible. To quote Lina Lamont from "Singing in the Rain",

"If we bring a little joy into your humdrum lives, it makes us feel as though our hard work ain't been in vain for nothin'. Bless you all."

To celebrate the momentous occasion of reaching 101 posts, I have decided to revisit my three favorite posts I've produced since starting this work of art.

Timpani roll please...

#3 Drumming For A Lifetime, pt.4

#2 My Trip To Outer Space

And the #1 post:

#1 I've Got A Fever

Film & Hollywood History Blog

2007-07-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Lost and Found is a site I have referred you to a few times as a good source of accurate film sound and history facts.

They also have a BLOG, and Steve Lee, the head of Hollywood Lost and Found and seasoned film sound historian, has asked yours truly to be a contributor to it. That's an honor, so I jumped at it.

The pressure's on, because I've never "written" for someone else. Well, here goes. Please stop by and check it out.

More Miscellanious WB Photos

2007-07-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from the WB main lot. This is the theater. I have always enjoyed walking by this beautiful place. The WB water tower stands in the background, which is now a historical landmark.

These vehicles arrived yesterday to be used in some unmentionable iconic film. I can't say the name, but the title has something to do with a state in the upper midwest, and it's the fourth film in the series. You're on your own.

This is an old diner they brought onto the Ranch lot. It sat about 100 feet from my door, so it was interesting watching them dress it for a shoot. (i have no idea what production this was for)

Finally, this is a mural WB Animation had painted. It literally sits just outside my office. My phone camera doesn't do it justice, but the renditions are impeccable. The men are (L-R) Iwao Takamoto, Joseph Barbera, and Bill Hanna. So, obviously this is a Hanna/Barbera tribute. We have other murals with the Warner characters on them, etc, but this one is cool, 'cause it's brand new.

Hitchcock's Filmmaking Notes

2007-07-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

I ran across this site on Kottke.org that discusses Alfred Hitchcock's filmmaking techniques. This is a very interesting read.

Hitchcock was an innovator, but he was also a storytelling purist. He was careful not to abandon the cornerstones of good storytelling in order to show us a new camera trick, etc. His motto: keep the story simple.

iPhone Shuffle

2007-07-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

A filmmaker friend of mine, Jason Connell (who also did "Strictly Background") made this short film spoof. Have fun!