You hear it all of the time…Support your local talent. The support they get is sometimes the the push they get to keep performing their art in public. What you don’t hear all the time is the question local artists ask themselves, “Can I go full time?” When is the time artists ask themselves “Can I pursue my passion full time?” In truth they probably ask themselves that all the time. The real question would have to be, when is it they answer the question with “Yes I can!”.
David Christopher has answered this question with “Yes I can”, quite some years ago now. I had the privilege of witnessing two of his live gigs here in Canberra very recently. One at King O’Malleys in Civic Canberra and the other at A Bite To Eat in Chifley shops Canberra.
So as an audience member I felt honoured to be supporting such local talent. As a whole, a bunch, a hungry mob of fans insatiably devouring entertainment like its their last meal, are we giving enough back to the local talent we so love to listen to and watch? Personally I don’t think so. Yes Okay, the artists get immediate feedback through their live gigs and if you could live off praise alone I dare say that would be the most satisfying job in the world. Its so easy now to enjoy entertainment for free. I think the onus has come back onto the audience to give back to the artist. So how do we do that? Sharing has become easy and like breathing these days too and in a way we do help the artists by face-booking, twittering and the like to our friends. We can go further and the options are a natural next step, like buying CD’s or paying for and downloading their music. I know in my mind there is a nagging moral question in the back of my mind when I am a member of the hungry audience enjoying the nights performance. “How can I give back to this artist whom has entertained me so well tonight?”
David Christopher dropped his latest single this year in May 2012. The lyrics were written by Michael Lee and music composed and performed by David Christopher. A great combination melded together by these two artists sees the birth of a great song.
I had the honour of producing a music video to this single and in a way, my way of giving back to some truly talented artists. I like giving back in this way as I get to creatively express myself using their talent to promote their talent. Can only be good, when done right.
The squirrels have been very busy over the last two weeks up and down selected pine trees. This one pine amongst the white snow fascinated me and has such beauty in the snow surrounding it.
The sun has always been a great attraction for me in photos and playing with foreground gives an otherwise normal scene such beauty. The filter used in this photo intensifies the light and darkness at the same time. It’s actually taken in the middle of the day.
Another foreground to the sun for me is the fantastic sheets of ice that slowly slide off of roofs in winter here in Sweden.
So this is the first draft proposal to the Throat Clearer episode, that I sent to krumbine. So over the years I have been on this earth I have come across numerous throat clearer’s. I had a Grandfather, rest his soul, who used to clear his throat more than several times in a four-hour period. I’m guessing how often, but it was quite disgusting being in the same house when he cleared his throat. I have worked with a person who cleared his throat every time he would enter a room. I amuse myself with the theory that he is trying to assert his dominance with his throat clearing ability. Sort of like an inferior complex, it’s a game in his own mind. And of course there are others who do have a legitimate medical reason, like an excessive build up of phlegm. I myself have had this problem from time to time.
Now the twist to this sometimes socially awkward problem is inspired by Seinfeld. Elaine, Jerry, Kramer and George would all have ridiculous reasons for breaking up with their partner and this one fits in that category, perfectly.
Webcams proposal 4
Characters
A = female
B = male or female
C = male or female
D = male
A
So I dropped him like a hot potato!
B
Oh you go girl! But really, it cant be that bad?!
C
Who’s dropping who? Give me the goss, the goss, goss, goss! Like yesterday.
B
OK, Brittany here dropped Drake cause he clears his throat, like, like, nobodies business.
C
You’re kidding me?! That hunk a man meat, dropped like a hot potato because he clears his throat?
A
That’s right. Totally weirds me out!
C
Kinda harsh don’t you think?
A
(Resolute)
You wanna talk harsh baby. Like, try standing in the same room when he clears his throat?
B
So have you told him why?
A
Oh, …I haven’t quite told him yet.
C
So we’re witnessing a break up before the break up?
B
Really? Like, like you’re ok with telling us before him?
A
Oh totally cool as a cucumber!
C
So this is some weird shit right here. Give us an example of how he might clear his throat.
B
Yeah and we can tell you if its, like a dumpable offense.
A
Ok then.
(clears throat as if shifting a truck load of phlegm)
C
(blown away)
Oh wow!
A
I know, see?!
B
(convinced)
Oh now that sounds like a cry for help.
C
Cry for help?!
A
No, its shocking! You never know what I might, like, like catch!
C
Have you asked him if he has a problem at all?
A
Like derr! Its clear he has a problem, don’t need to ask.
B
He’s overdoing it, he has issues!
A
Issues?!
C
He might have a dairy intolerance.
A
But he doesn’t work at a dairy.
C
No I mean a build up of phlegm as a reaction to dairy products he eats.
A
Huh?
B
An inferiority complex.
A
Infer-whaty plex?
B
Like, he’s asserting his dominance by clearing his throat, extremely hard and loud, for everyone to hear.
A
(confused look)
C
I’m putting my money on lactose intolerant.
B
Like, inferiority complex, all my money!
C
Is it really worth it?
D
(clears throat)
Is what worth what?
B
If Brittany should drop Drake because, like, he clears his throat like T-Rex would.
(puts hand over mouth, realising the cats out of the bag)
A
Oh they don’t know what they are talking about Drake. Don’t listen to them. How did it, like go at the doctors?
D
(clears throat)
Doc says I should cut back on dairy intake.
C
Boo yeah! Can you feel it?! Feel the righteousness!
B
(defeated)
Oh my god!
D
(clears throat)
So when were you going to tell me? After telling the local newspaper?
A
Like, like I was just kidding Drake.
B
Sounds like Brittany needs to apologise to Drake.
A
Ah yes, like, I need to apologise to you Drake.
D
(waiting for the apology)
OK?
C
Oh this is awkward. Exit stage left.
(turns off cam)
B
(grimaced look of embarrassment as turns off cam)
Recently I had been approved for partnership on YouTube and since then I have been stuck in the middle without an AdSense account. Without this AdSense account I am like a dog without a bone, not complete. Its like I have the right to be a dog, but I have to tone it down, because without the bone I may as well be a cat. So who out there hears a small cat meowing, hissing and raising his back hairs with complaints? Well these three people whom I call colleagues made a video in support for me to raise that all elusive AdSense account high in the air and chant “We are the champions, my friend. And we’ll keep on fighting till the end”. So while I have the full confidence this will happen, it hasn’t happened yet, but my friends are in my corner raising awareness and fighting the fight. Thank you so much guys, I am officially pouring the sugar on the love. You guys rock!!!
MattyHo07 and Chris LeBrane acting naturally!
Great episode of the “Beanie Boy Show” from krumbine.
I haven’t blogged in this blog for nearly a month now. I feel a little guilty for that. Really I don’t know why, or I should say I do know why. It’s one of those “Promises I have made to myself to post regularly here and haven’t followed through with guilt trips”. Really I’m over it now. There will be more blogs on the first drafts that made it to the final cuts of webcams in the future. They have ground to a halt because of laptop problems.
Update: HP laptop decided not to recognize the DVD drive around April this year. I got by without using it and now about two weeks ago the sound just drops out. Relying heavily on video medium as a source of creativity has really upped the anti on my proactiveness. This problem sometimes
consumes me and after a few hours struggling through troubleshooting, recovery manager and reinstalling driver software, I’m back at square one. Up shit creek without a paddle, or a laptop without sound and a DVD drive. This routine I have carried out in varying detail and ways, more than several times. So I decided to hand my laptop over to Rune, a friend of mine. I’m hoping his knowledge and expertise will rub off on the gods of all things laptopish. I also have a feeling it might be dusty in the inner workings of the laptop. It has been easily overheating.
Whether that makes it overheat and affect the graphic and sound card I don’t know.
Fairly important for me to get this laptop fixed within the next couple of days as I am involved in the “One day on Earth” project, which is due on the 10th November. The idea is to film anything you like on the 24 hours of 10/10-10. I filmed and interviewed a friend during the preparations of the Elk hunting season, which started on 11/10-10 here in Sweden, just a day after filming. You upload your film and the organizers pick the best films from around the world to make a feature length film, a sort of world diary for that day.
The other important project I need to edit is the Indiana Jones film we shot with my son and his friends back in October. We try to make at least one film with the kids each year. They get a real buzz out of shooting and watching the final product.
I have been enjoying the writing process in webcams format and found myself working on more than one script at a time. That is not something I like doing because it inevitably means I drop the ball completely on one or all of them.
As for subjects to write about, I like to keep a variety of themes going. I listen to many podcasts and read news fed to
My iPhone regularly. The research into subjects is initially to give my characters a little depth. I think it’s important for some of the characters to know about the core subject of every, on average 5 to 7 minute episode. In fact I am listening to a podcast right now called “Beer Sessions”. All about craft beers. I think I might centre a script around this episode. It’s all about malts and the malting process. I used to brew my own beer back in the 90’s and never knew too much about the malt process. Malt was something you just bought to add flavor and character to your home brew. Turns out its quite an important process in a great tasting beer.
Ladies, do you like the idea of receiving flowers from complete strangers? While it’s not common in the western world for males to receive flowers, it has a complimentary gesture. Kinda makes you feel good about yourself, might even make you smile for the rest of the day.
While listening to a radio talk back podcast from Australia, in which they conducted an experiment of a man offering to buy women, who are complete strangers some flowers. Now admittedly in this context it did have a creepy undertone to it, but by enlarge there was positive reactions from the ladies and it was agreed on that those who felt positive about it, were secure and confident within themselves and in fact in a relationship. Anyway I digress and I kind of went down the wrong path. You see I received a shout out from someone on You Tube along with other people, some of whom I collaborate with on You Tube. What has this got to do with flowers you ask. Well in a way I likened this shout out by Melissa Gott as a bunch of flowers. It made me smile for the rest of the day.
The shout out was titled “Greats”. It was such a thoughtful and nice thing to do and well, an ego booster to say the least. Now I don’t consider myself great, you are only as good as your last film, blog, story, book, artwork or whatever you dabble or obsess over as a vocation. Anyway click on the links below and show Melissa some love.
The idea this could be a great entertaining webcams script only came to me after watching a very long vlog on the same subject by thechurchofdave. I think its a very important subject in so many ways. I personally believe we humans do not generate energy and produce products for consumption with the earth and environment in mind, often enough. If there is an alternative to produce products with resources from the earth, that leaves less of a footprint and is renewable, then we owe it to ourselves and the earth to choose that way. weighing up the pro’s and con’s of each alternative is so important, especially when one of those alternatives involves using a fossil fuel.
This subject certainly has enough different points of view to create characters holding polarizing points of views. And it seemed simple enough to me to have one of those characters offering up himself as “The champion”, of a renewable resource that arguably puts all other alternatives to shame. Seeing as how the whole world needs some pretty hard convincing on the worth of this resource, despite the proven facts, it makes for a pretty heated discussion.
So I started writing a script, with education and entertainment in mind. The main thing was to get across the facts, plain and simple, but entertaining at the same time. I did feel that thechurchofdave should play the role of “The Champion of Industrial Grade Hemp”. After all, the idea did come from watching his vlog. After delays upon delays due to technical difficulties, Dave couldn’t play the part, the back up guy fell short of time to finish the lines and so krumbine filled the role. And boy did he make it his role. By far this role had the longest monologues to date, plus they were full of facts that had to be right-Its all there in history. Full credit to krumbine for making this webcams work, you da man Jordan.
Speaking of making it work, I personally wrote three first drafts, as it were. Each time I wrote another from the first I cut out some facts that I thought we could do without. It was way too long.
Krumbine did his own fact-finding research and added some facts into the dialogue. It’s a fine line, how much vital information do you include in such a script without losing your audience? Personally I think we came up with the right amount, to entertain, educate and open people’s eyes. Or at least put it out there, there is a better way.
Anyway, here is the first draft proposal I sent to krumbine, of what turned out to be the longest webcams running at just over 12 minutes.
Webcams Proposal
Only Sheeple Boycott BP.
Characters A = male or female
B = male
C = male or female
D = male
A
I say boycott BP!
(resolute and said with conviction)
B
And whats that going to do?
A
Its going to stop the oil spills like the one off the gulf of Mexico.
B
And you think the demand for oil will disappear, just because a bunch of people are boycotting BP? Auugh, think again!
A
No it will send a message.
B
And what message is that? That you don’t know what to do and you are concerned?
C
Concerned about what?
B
I’m concerned about people complaining without giving educated solutions.
C
Educated solutions to what?
A
The amount of wildlife affected by this oil spill off the gulf of Mexico has me in a spin.
B
Oh man, the irony of it all!!!
A
What irony?! (a little pissed off)
B
To see the poor animals affected by this oil spill, you have to look through the material its slathered in!
C
What the hell are you saying? You have to look through oil to see the footage of these poor animals? (makes a loopy crazy motion with hand and face)
B
What do you think computer monitors and various other parts of computers are made of? Butter?! Come on get your head out of your ass! (or the sand)
C
Aha I see your point. But really all us little people can do is boycott, we are powerless without numbers, right?
A
Yeah really, we don’t have a say! We need the numbers.
B
Yeah, we need the numbers, a bunch of people proving they know jack shit about whatever they are screaming about! Wow man, remind me never to come to your rally, demonstration or protest in the future. Its your fault!
A
What?! I was nowhere near the gulf of Mexico!
B
You don’t have to be near this tragedy to contribute, you just have to contribute to demand. And when demand is there, it creates a reason for supply.
C
So all of a sudden its her/his fault?!
Note::(do this line twice, both her and he)
B
And your fault!
(directed at C)
C
Hey man, I’m a tree huggin’ hippie at heart. I would never do anything to screw up nature like this oil spill has.
B
Do me a favor, stop complaining! If you want to complain, complain about the lack of alternatives to the oil industry.
A
There is no alternatives to that black gold! Oil is master!
C
Yeah, its king! We have no choice.
B
Oh come on guys, you have a computer, which oil helped to produce. Google it!
A
Ok , I can see you are busting at the seems to tell us, whats on your mind?
C
Yeah smarty pants, deliver the milk!
A
Deliver the milk?
C
So I like milk?!
B
Us humans need NOT, be so reliant on one resource. There are other alternatives which give back to the earth on which we live.
A
Well there’s the electric car.
B
Yes and that was fun while it lasted! Gee’s you guys are lame! Research this for yourself, get informed man!
C
Look we are here now, so make with your golden egg and tell us what you think.
A
Yeah and then we can google that.
(laughs)
B
Ok so, do you guys like the plastic bottles your fancy water comes in?
A & C
Yes
B
Do you guys like the computers you are talking through right now?
A & C
Yes
B
Do you guys like the motor car you drive around in?
A & C
Yes
B
Do you guys like the oxygen you breathe? Do you guys like the forests, we have left on this planet?
A & C
Yes and yes
C
I want milk! Give me the milk!!
A
Again with the milk?!
B
You both aren’t going to like this!
C
Oh come on, spill the milk!
A
Dude, you have a milk stained mind!
B
Industrial grade hemp!
C
Weed?!
A
Oh man, you’re some dope smoking hippie who wants a reason to grow the weed you’re smoking!
B
See now there’s where you are wrong! If I smoked industrial grade hemp I would just get a headache and I would be wasting a valuable resource.
A
But hemp can’t possibly be the answer to crude oil dependency!
B
What it does do is create an alternative to products made from oil and wood.
C
Which means oil is still king.
B
Augh!!! Wrong, it could actually make the dependency on oil obsolete!
C
But it’s still marijuana and that’s illegal.
B
No it’s not marijuana, its industrial grade hemp. Its been associated with marijuana because it’s the same genus of plant, and lets just say a certain percentage of people got a little creative with the facts on this matter, all in the name of the mighty dollar.
A
So you are saying…?
B
Well some say there was an eradication conspiracy back in the 1930’s.
C
Errada what?!
B
Dude, both Henry Ford and Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine by the way, designed their vehicles to be powered by plant-based fuels.
C
So what happened?
B
A well orchestrated public relations campaign happened, is what happened. Its called business, good business, in this case, at the expense of this planet, if we keep on using the amount of oil the demand is demanding.
A
I’m still not following, I don’t understand.
B
Henry Ford in the 1930’s liked to grow industrial hemp on his property to demonstrate the efficiency of methanol production, to power his cars.
A
Wow, you can make methanol from hemp?
B
Yes, you see its great with a little education you can go places. And another example of the versatility of hemp is …plastic, rayon and cellophane made from hemp are biodegradable.
C
So maybe we actually don’t need to use so much oil in the first place.
B
It’s simply a matter of good business, make your competition look bad, so you can sell more of your product, simple!
A
I’m still sceptical.
B
Don’t worry, being sceptical is healthy, kind of encourages the truth to come out. Just don’t be a sheeple and complain without knowing what you are screaming about.
A
Hey I’m no sheeple, man!
B
Well just keep listening to my solutions, maybe you will change your mind. And by the way, they aren’t mine-they are proven facts! Believe me there is plenty to go along with my complaining, enough to make you think you are eating them for breakfast. BAA BAA!
A
I’m no sheeple!
C
Ha ha, BAA BAA!
A
(disgruntled look)
C
So you said something about wood. Hemp cant replace wood products surely, its not a tree.
B
BAA BAA! You come from the same flock of sheeple I see.
C
No way! The paper industry world-wide, is huge. You must be smoking too much weed if you think it can replace the forest industry.
B
BAA BAA! Hemp fibreboard is stronger than wood, hemp houses are as strong as cement houses and are better insulated.
C
Ok, but the paper?
B
BAA BAA! I’m getting to that. Hemp paper will last up to 1,500 years and hemp cloth is stronger than cotton. Cotton requires more pesticides than any other agricultural product.
Anything made from oil or wood, can be made from hemp.
A
We really havent got long before it’s too late and we run out of oil. Introducing hemp into the industry as an energy source would take too long.
B
BAA BAA! It wouldn’t take long at all. The day I see a gasoline pump next to a hemp gasoline pump, is the day we all begin to have a choice.
Historical tradition favors the use of hemp. The US constitution, the declaration of independence, the Gutenberg bible, and Old Glory (The United States first flag) were all made of hemp.
D
OMG! Not another hippie, pot smoking, side-show freak talking up the use of hemp!
A and C
BAA BAA, get your head out of your own ass, sheeple boy!
B
(laughing out loud, so hard)
D
My own ass? Whats a sheeple?!
A
You! BAA BAA!
C
We consumers need alternatives to make an informed choice!
D
This is about the current oil leak off the gulf of Mexico isn’t it?
The best way is to boycott BP.
C
And you think the demand for oil will disappear just because a bunch of people are boycotting BP? Auuugh, think again!
D
It will send the right message.
A B C
BAA BAA, sheeple boy!!
(All sign off together)
D
(shakes head)
What a strange bunch of people.
(inner dialogue-I think I might google hemp, or maybe sheeple, yeah sheeple!)
End credits.
Click past the break to see the changes and final product below.
Picking around on a piece of ground in my home town. Waiting for something or someone to show me the way. Unfortunately thats what I generally do. Instead of going out there and creating my world and future.
Slept in late in the morning saturday and sunday. Before these mornings I had stayed up late on the internet, kidding myself my online presence was in some way of any kind of substance and real. In truth its only holding a reality that turns into a forgotten html code as quickly as it is posted.
I had to use this verse from Pink Floyd’s song, in the beginning of this post, because one-I’m trying to learn how to play the song on guitar and two-I’m so anonymous, it doesn’t matter!
So who watches TV anymore? I know that I feel guilty for not using my mind and sitting in front of the box, being stupified into comfortably numbness, for the longest time now.
Why turn on the idiot box when you can turn the internet on, create, collaborate and have fun with people from all over the world. Theres where the inspiration is!
Some real viable entertainment is out there being produced free of charge. Its exciting, all you have to do is put your hand up and people will work with you on inspired ideas-Turn an idea into real entertainment. Ten to fifteen years ago, this sort of thing was just a dream someone dreamt. Now its reality.
Music is being produced just waiting and begging to be inserted into something creative. Best thing of all its skills being given to other skills to put together as entertainment, payment is, more exposure. No money has been exchanged between all whom are working on an idea.
No wonder the big entertainment companies want to limit what you can see free on the internet. These days if you see it on TV, then its second hand. It was hot when it was viewed online!
Just today I made a discovery referred to me by FAB-Fataussiebarstard of youtube. A channel called Jimmy Hook. He has a real knack of telling a story and has put together a series that spans 14 episodes so far. It features youtube account holders who want to be a part of something creative. Let me tell you, it is creative and very well done.
So the next time you go to turn the TV on, do yourself a favor, turn to the internet instead and dust off those creative aspirations. Get involved!!
Thanks for reading and checking out my blog. Stay creatively you, BC.
PS. Here is one chick who inspires me every time she performs, Mysti Mayhem.
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