Video Productions by Patrick Flaherty

Preparing for NX35

2010-04-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

Here we go again...
In March 2009 I had just returned from shooting a feature length film and I was eager to get my hands on a camera and shoot pretty much anything. It just so happened that NX35 was rolling through town and I had always had an interest in filming the local music scene here in Denton. Josh Butler, of the Texas Filmmakers, and I approached the NX35 staff and asked if they would mind us shooting part of the festival. I was told they had already hired a crew and that they wouldn't mind if I shot a little here and there. So I did, 3 out of the 4 nights. As it turned out I was the only one that did, their crew fell through I think. Here is what I shot...

Following NX35 I found myself more and more drawn to this music scene. I think that after seeing Monotonix crowd surf their way out of Hailey's really did it for me. I had gone to Hailey's for years and seen a handful of bands rock that place. But to see a band play on the shoulders of their new found fans is an amazing feat in itself. I was curious and intrigued as to what more this town might offer. As the year progressed and NX35 prepared for 2010, their interests in expansion on 2009's event became very clear when they locked in Midlake and the Flaming Lips to perform. I thought it to be a rumor for quite awhile, but after many confirmations and great effort by the staff of NX35, rumor became reality.

In between North By's I spent some time delving deep into the Denton Music Scene. I got pretty involved with My Denton Music, as mentioned in previous posts, and I made many new awesome friends. It's not that difficult to get sucked into the music here, spend a weekend following a band around or a night show hopping and it'll grab you. As North By approached I knew that I had to prepare. As I've discovered over the years, shooting video, is that there are moments in which I'll find myself capturing a rare moment in which the moons align and I get an amazing shot. I could count those moments with my fingers prior to NX35 2010. My Monotonix moment was one of them, Spoonfed Tribe at Fry St Fair, and lots more that I'll bring up at a later date. The point is, I didn't want to miss that moment this year. I was going to shoot everything I possibly could.

I posted the following on my facebook profile a few days before the festival to give everyone a heads up. I was going to tear apart Denton. Now, weeks later, I think I did just that.

"The music is upon us...
NX35 is about to lay the smack down on the small city of Denton this weekend and I am more excited than ever! By the time this festival is over I believe Denton will have changed dramatically. I have on occasion been the man behind the camera at many a shows; this coming weekend will be no different. I just bought a case of Red bull this morning, cause lord knows I'm gonna need it. My goal is to shoot as many bands and interviews as possible over the next week. I've secretly been shooting a documentary about the music scene here and I feel this weekend a story will be born, if it hasn't already. Denton is a wonderful place and I dig everything that goes on here.

During NX35, I will be constantly on the move, from venue to venue and show to show. My plan of attack for all these shows is as follows:
-Arrive at a venue.
-Setup camera in the back and get a long wide shot of the band performing one song, beginning to end.
-Move to the stage get a few B-Roll shots: Close-ups, Instrument shots, Crowd shots, etc...
-Possibly get a quick interview with an audience or band member (this depends on how busy I am)
-Pack up and move out.

I'd like to stay for the whole show at each venue, but there is just way to much going on. That being said I need some help throughout the weekend. If you are a band, fan or friend and you are attending any of the shows I have listed below please feel free to send me a message through twitter @patflaherty or email me and I'll send you my phone #, and let me know when you are GOING on. I will try and make it to every show, but I am only one man and I can only be in one place at one time. There will be people helping me out, but we are going to be extremely busy.

In the next few weeks I will make all of my footage public and I will cut-up the clips and make you a youtube video if you'd like, I Promise! Also if you are listed below or if you are performing at a show and don't want to be filmed please let me know and I will plan accordingly.

Thanks. Denton you stay sexy...

-Pat

THURSDAY
1) SWEETWATER Glen Farris, JUPITER HOUSE Delmore Pilcrow, HYDRANT Roy Robertson ANDYS Drink to Victory, DANS Jacob Metcalf
2) J & JS Parata, SWEETWATER Seryn, HAILEYS Saboteur, DANS OK Sweetheart, RGRS Manned Missiles
3) DANS RTB2, HYDRANT A.M. Ramblers, SWEETWATER Polycorns, HAILEYS The Crash That Took Me
4) CIRCA 77 Andrew Tinker, TX 8 BALLThe Bizarro Kids, ANDYS New Science Projects, JUPITER HOUSE Fox & The Bird, DANS Carrie Rodriguez, SWEETWATER Doug Burr, HAILEYS This Will Destroy You
5) HYDRANT The Cut Off, BOILER ROOM Snarky Puppy

FRIDAY
1) DANS (Odyssey)This Old House, JUPITER HOUSE Monastery, HYDRANT Handbrake, BANTER Lane & Paul, TX 8 BALLThe Phuss
2) TX 8 BALL Bridges and Blinking Lights, ANDYS Spooky Folk, BOILER ROOM PVC Street Gang, SWEETWATER Le Not So Hot Klub De Denton
3) HAILEYS Ferguson & Geronimo, SWEETWATER Pinebox Serenade, BOILER ROOM Record Hop, ANDYS Mount Righteous, J & JS Hope Trust
4) DANS Sarah Jaffe, BOILER ROOM Health, SWEETWATER Boxcar Bandits
5) RGRS Indian Jewelry, SWEETWATER Whiskey Folk Ramblers, ANDYS Sleep Whale

SATURDAY
-FAIR GROUNDS Midlake & Flaming Lips
-Changing Nature of Music Journalism
1) BOILER ROOM Trebuchet, DANS Robert Gomez, RGRS Eaton Lake Tonics
2) BOILER ROOM Oso Closo, SWEETWATER Dan Montgomery, ANDYS Sarah Reddington, HYDRANT Sarah Renfro
3) TX 8 BALL Dust Congress, BANTER Warren Jackson Hearne and the Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers, HAILEYS Matthew and The Arrogant Sea, BOILER ROOM 420 Blues, DANS Slobberbone
4) RGRS Telegraph Canyon, J & JS The Heelers, BANTER The Naptime Shake, TX 8 BALL Shiny Around The Edges
5) HAILEYS The Black Angels
6) TX 8 BALL I Heart Lung

SUNDAY
-Music in the basement of Recycled Books
-40 Bands / 80 Minutes
-8 Track Museum
-Many Songs Told
1) BOILER ROOM Fish Boy, TX 8 BALL The Clouds Are Ghost
2) SWEETWATER The Slow Burners, HAILEYS Pomegranates, DANS The Middle East, RGRS Ishi
3) RGRS French Horn Rebellion, DANS Kissaway Trail, SWEETWATER Western Giants, JUPITER HOUSE Thunder Power, CIRCA 77 The Hand Combine
4) CIRCA 77 Baruch The Scribe, ANDYS Yeah Def, HAILEYS Walkmen
5) J & JS Unwed Sailor, HYDRANT The Fieros, ANDYS Dem Southerfolkz, BOILER ROOM Giggle Party, RGRS Neon Indian
6) BOILER ROOM Smile Smile, ANDYS Damaged Good$
7) ANDYS DJ MomJeans

The numbers indicate which band number they are at each venue; performance times are a tough thing to judge by, band order I've found to be easier. I listed them this way so I can smoothly move from venue to venue with minimal walking. Come Monday I'm sure my feet probably are going to fall off, any rides along the way would be much appreciated. The 25 pound camera I'm going to be carrying will be the end of me, for sure."

4 Days and over 60 bands. I did a web-stream from Boiler Room every night of the conference as well as shooting over 30 hours of video. I probably walked 20 miles over the length of 4 days and saw things that no one else saw in the small town of Denton. Was it worth it?

Wayne Coyne Under My Parachute from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Yes!

I'm making a feature-length documentary about the music of Denton.

...I set out on Thursday to find a story, only to realize that the story was there all along...

Thin Line Complete

2010-04-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Thin Line was a success!
With three times the attendance since last years festival and almost double the revenue, Thin Line Film Fest was a success in many respects. I was assigned the task of shuttling the filmmakers to and from the airport; although this may sound like a simple task, I was in fact always on the move. As soon as I'd drop someone off I'd have to turn around and head back to the airport to pick someone up, I rather enjoyed it to be honest. I was given a nice sports car to drive for 5 days and I enjoy driving thru the airport, travel interests me on many levels.
Before each of the films my graphical intro played for all to see. It's cool to edit something on a computer, but to see it projected on a giant screen in HD is hands down the coolest!

Of the many filmmakers that I met during the festival, one of the coolest and most interesting was Joshua Spencer (the director of Fight For Water). Thin Line Film Fest was the films international premiere and his first film festival. We hung out quite a bit and I learned a great deal from him...

During the festival Bobette Buster came and gave a lecture on the principles of making a documentary film. This was a very interesting event and I learned a great deal. Almost all of the filmmakers that attended the festival were here and they provided great insight into what it takes to make a successful documentary film.

I was so excited to meet Nick, of On a Carousel of Sound We Go Round. His film was on my list of not to miss during the festival, and my favorite for the entire weekend. His style of editing and capturing the bands performance really struck a chord with me and inspired me in many ways. I left that film that evening completely floored and excited about music.

All in all Thin Line Film Fest was a learning experience for me. I saw dozens of movies, met tons of filmmakers and spent the weeks following the festival thinking alot about making a documentary feature myself. There's alot that one has to go through to get it right. Next year I hope to have something in the festival, whether its something small or large. All I can say at this point is my presence will be known...

Thin Line Film Fest

2010-02-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

Denton goes Hollywood?!
When I'm not editing a musical performance or working on a blog I'm involved with the Texas Filmmakers in Denton, Texas. I've been a member since its inception and have supported them since Day 1. Lately I've been busy helping the men and women of Thin Line Film Fest get things together for their 3rd International Film Festival. I'm very excited to be part of such an amazing event in our little town of Denton, Texas. Over the past few months Josh Butler and his small team have been receiving films from all over the world at the Texas Filmmakers studio in Denton, and I have had the chance to catch a quick glance at a few of the films. Gasland has been made for a many a discussion among filmmakers in the TF offices and most recently last night at its premiere at the Fine Arts theater. It's shocking how most of the country just does not know how harmful this method of drilling is. The film was frightening and really fun to watch. Here is a preview:

Another film that has me very excited is On A Carousel of Sound, We Go Round. Which is a film about a band on the road and their struggles for success. The film also discusses music in the media and how they work hand in hand. I really am excited about seeing this film and meeting the filmmaker.

My main job over the next few days with the festival is shuttling the filmmakers from the airport to Denton, which is a blast. I've learned so much already from the filmmakers and their films. Making a film is a difficult task and I'm learning from the best on how they were able to get it done.

I've been working on some graphics and video promotional videos for the Thin Line Film Fest for a few weeks now. Here are some examples of what I was able to put together...

My Denton Music Advertisement

2010-01-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting...
I have been extremely busy behind scenes revamping this blog and creating 4 more that coincide with what is going on here. I don't really want to get into it just yet, but lets just say that I am developing some really neat things. Alot of it is internet driven media which includes pod-casts, a streaming radio and television network and a number of other things. I'll discuss them further when I feel that I am more prepared to make things available. I'm thinking mid-February for a launch...

Besides this I've been extremely busy with a number of other projects, most musical in nature. My Denton Music and I have teamed up in the recent months with local businesses to create a few advertisements. Our first business was a long time supporter of My Denton Music and local musicians...

2nd Street Promo from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

After a fun filled evening of Halloween celebrations it was time to get down to business to shoot this commercial. We dragged some semi-hung over friends out to the business, setup some dolly track, did a little shopping and generally had a good time. The Boiler Room was our next client and they wanted a more rock feel for their commercial...

Boiler Room Promo from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Well they didn't specifically say that, but just based on its name and my frequent visits I knew a commercial set to the tune of Trebuchet's Blackbeard would fit the venue just right. For this commercial I made a visit to the Boiler Room every night in a weeks time and really had some fun getting some drinks and getting some shots...

Look forward to many more advertisements with My Denton Music and supporting local Denton businesses...

The Sarah Crisman Show: Doug Benson!?

2009-12-26T22:39:00.001-08:00

Doug Benson, Sarah Crisman and I sit down for a movie or at least to be in one.
For weeks now Sarah has been telling everyone I know of our newest guest on The Crisman show, Doug Benson. At first I was like 'Doug Benson, Doug Benson, that name sounds so familiar.' And then I had an A-ha moment and it hit me when I realized the star of Super High Me wanted to be on our show!? And he had watched our Pentagrass episode!? Someone plugged into the Hollywood scene was taking notice of The Sarah Crisman Show and my hard work to make it possible!? I felt honored more than anything to be able to be part of this episode and meet the man behind a counter movement in the reformation of drug laws in America.
Sarah had arranged for us to meet Doug at the Angelika in Dallas at Mockingbird Station to film our next episode. Early that morning I rushed to grab my gear, gassed up the van and made my journey from little D to Big D. Amidst the pouring rain and bumper to bumper traffic I was able to make it just in time to barely set up my shot and hang a Crisman Show sign before the man himself was in our presence. I've heard people say that Sarah's interview in this episode was alot like watching a couple on their first date. It was a bit awkward for both of them at first, but after a few rounds of Q & A the butterflies faded and they really got down to business.

The Sarah Crisman Show: Doug Benson from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

I wish I could of put more clips into this episode, they talked for a good half hour about a wide range of topics; including Sarah's outlook on the 4 most famous people that have come out of Dallas, which included...

The Sarah Crisman Show: Doug Benson Bonus Episode from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Following the interview we spoke with Doug about shooting part of his performance at Hyena's, around the corner, later that night. He agreed, but asked that we only shoot the first 5 minutes of his performance. So we shook his hand, I packed up the gear and I made my way back to little D to finish packing for a trip I was going on that weekend. Around 6 or so I threw some things in the van and again made the trek back to Mockingbird Station, but this time I was pretty excited because I was getting to see live stand-up comedy (for the first time, ya I know I live under a rock). The comedians were hilarious and Doug's set had me rolling on the floor. I was only able to put the very beginning of his set on the Crisman Show, here is the what I left out.

After the show we had our photos taken with Doug and we met the other comedians. We hung around for awhile, laughing and telling stories which was cool. As we did this I attempted to tear a piece of my pant leg off that was bugging me, but was having no success. I mentioned this to drunk Crisman (she had been drinking champagne since 3) who quickly volunteered to assist me in my time of need. She bent down and proceeded to rip my pants all the way up to the back of my knee. I tell you this cause at the time it was pretty funny and at the same time rather uncomfortable for yours truly.

We had a blast hanging out with Doug, but Sarah and I had to depart, rather quickly in fact. Our next stop was Lafayette, Louisiana and we were going to drive through the night to get there in time. Our journey there and the events that transpired is in itself a completely different amazing story. We said our farewells and told Doug to give us a holler next time he was in town, which I hope he does. It would be awesome to show him a good time in DFW...

Rockin with Rhett: The Battle of New Orleans

2009-11-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Rockin' with Rhett's newest music video is way over due.
This is one of the only bands I can honestly say I've watched grow. When I first met these guys they were a failing punk band, titled Nuns on Tha Run. They were, at one time, really popular and really killing it on stage in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but all good things come to an end. When the band broke up Rhett and Nathan were left carrying the torch. They did a few acts as a punk duet still garnishing the Nuns on Tha Run title. As a duo Rhett and Nathan wrote some really fun songs. Alot of Rhett’s songs at this time had to do alot with our current state of partying. Whether it is dating a goat with a 3 to 6 inch horn or buying an economy sized box of tampons at the store, this period of music with Rhett and Nathan was very enjoyable.

In time the novelty of these songs began to wear thin and Rhett’s interest in super stardom pushed his music in a completely different direction. I think we were all surprised when Rhett told us he was working on a kids CD. Over the next few months his classic melodies transformed into children rock overtures. The pirate, Walrus, Turkey and Lunchbox song each got a complete make over for Rhett’s new album Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. After awhile of getting used to the new rock styling’s of Rhett Hulcy and Nathan Cash it was clear that they were ready to conquer this market once their first CD was completed. It wasn't long before Rhett and I began discussing the making of the pirate music video. Since then there has also been lots of talk as to the creation of a kids TV show, featuring each of Rhett’s songs. Although nothing really has developed, it is obvious one day Rhett, Nathan and I may still test our skills at completing a TV show. Their performance live is a show in itself, with giant hammers, oversized cell phones, attacking penguins, puppet shows and the occasional joke or 2. I can't wait to take this to the next level.

A few months ago I was looking through old videos we had shot back in our hay dayz when I stumbled upon a performance of Rhett and Nathan in their practice room in Anna. They were trying their hands at a cover of the Battle of New Orleans for their kids CD. It might have been the third of forth time to play the thing, but it still is awesome. Rhett doesn't know the words (note the paper taped to the mic stand) and Nathan is unsteady on his beat. This is Rockin with Rhett in its youth...

...Today it is something completely different. I approached Rhett about shooting a video similar to Weezer's 'Say it Aint So' for their song 'Battle of New Orleans' in their practice room. The day before my birthday we found time to shoot the thing. After grabbing every lamp in the house, setting up the drum kit, plugging in the amps and hanging the Rockin with Rhett banner we decided we needed to move the couch out of the room. We probably spent more time moving that thing that we did shooting the entire video. After 12 different angles and listening to the song on repeat a few dozen times, we tried something out I've always wanted to give a try and that was to tape my camera to the guitar. We did it and it looked phenomenal. The video turned out great in the end. I really feel that I caught Rhett and Nathan in their raw rock element during this music video. I look forward to shooting many more and hopefully dawning some robot attire for one of Rhett’s new songs. Check it out; let us know what you think...

Rockin' with Rhett: Battle of New Orleans from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

The Sarah Crisman Halloween Episodes

2009-10-30T12:04:00.001-07:00

CAPTAINS LOG, Star date October 30th, 2009.
I just finished the second of 2 episodes that were shot this Sunday for the infamous Sarah Crisman Show. After 2 months of concert DVDs, band tours and music videos I hit it hard to bring you two new episodes of the Crisman show just in time for the 2 featured bands, Spooky Folk and Pentagrass, shows that will be going on this evening. I can honestly say that a new episode was way over due.

We started out our day at an undisclosed cemetery with a few of the guys for the band Pentagrass. After a few shots and camera malfunctions the show continued and we got some amazing interview footage. By amazing I mean I just so happened to find myself filming them defiling a tombstone and gouging the eyes of a plastic Jesus that I had in my van. This was the second time I had met the band since their My Denton Music Showcase a few months back and I can honestly say they are quite the interesting bunch. We packed up the mini-van and made our way to the Denton courthouse to retrieve band number 2 on our Crisman Show adventure.

It was quite a relieving site to find two members of the indie group, Spooky Folk awaiting us with instruments in hand, versus Pentagrass and their knifes and matches. Kaleo with his guitar and Petra with her violin serenaded us with the most excellent driving music I have ever experienced as we made our quick drive down to Lewisville to check out the Parker Haunted House. Earlier that morning I had checked the Doppler and the Weather channel and was assured that no rain was in our forecast; this was quite the contrary to what was to come. We quickly unpacked a few choice items and made our way quickly into the indoor haunted house, as drops of rain soon began to fall. After a few frightful turns and actually finding ourselves lost at one point in the haunted house, we found our way to safety. Following this I quickly setup a shot in front of the hearse for the band to perform the intro to the Crisman show. After a few takes we got the shot, packed up and made out way back to Denton to shoot an interview with the band. As fate would have it and probably due to the nature of our wickedness, hell opened up and it began to rain harder than I’ve seen in a long time.

The show must go on and of course it did. Even in the pouring rain we were still able to get probably one of my favorite interviews and band music videos to this date. I’m sure it was quite the site for anyone that was driving by the square on that fateful night to see Sarah and I huddled under her little umbrella as I tried to shoot a performance that I will never forget. It was a definitely a special moment for both Sarah and I, as Petra and Kaleo jammed out to a wonderful tune.

The Sarah Crisman Show: Spooky Folk from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

At this point both Sarah and I were soaked to the bone, but we still had one more stop before this night could end and that would be in the confines of the Oso Closo/Pentagrass compound for a private performance by the satanic bluegrass wonder. After a bit of fine tuning the entire band was serenading us and a few others with their version of the Crisman Show theme song and a few of their other deeply disturbing tunes. It was incredible to say the least.

The Sarah Crisman Show: Pentagrass from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

As we made our way home from the Pentagrass show a familiar melody found its way onto the EDGE’s local show that wrapped up our evening very nicely. It was the live performance of Oso Closo at Tree’s a few weeks back and it was spectacular. That night I rediscovered how awesome these bands are, as well as this town. I look forward to many more shows and discovering something completely new inside Denton.

If you have the chance definitely make sure you make it out tonight to see Pentagrass at the Boiler Room in Denton or The Spooky Folk at the Cavern in Dallas. I wish I could make it to both.

The Trebuchet Experience

2009-08-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Crisman Show, Crisman Show?!

Gas up the Blue van and grab your panty hose. It's time for the Sarah Crisman Show. By far the most eccentric episode to date; a Crisman kidnapping and zombie attack are key for a trebuchet experience.

I grabbed my gear and loaded up the van before meeting up with the Crisman and invading the Trebuchet compound. Upon our arrival we put on our thinking caps and tried to figure an appropriate beginning for their episode. A quick glance at their big blue van reminded me of the scene from the movie Old School in which Will Farrell kidnaps rush members for their fraternity. It was discussed and then decided. We were going to kidnap Sarah Crisman and it was going to be glorious!

We made a quick dash to the gas station to get our hosiery and then it went down. Scared a few peeps in the process, but it was awesome. Following the kidnapping we returned to the trebuchet casa to conduct and interview, which went well. What I found interesting about this band is how much this house was a part of their band. They write, record, edit and party in every room of the house. Their next album will undoubtedly be amazing and I can’t wait to hear it finished. They’ve asked me to film a making of DVD for their next album and I hope I can capture what makes trebuchet the next great underground rock band.

Anyways, back to the show. I don’t know how it was decided or why for that matter it was necessary to have a zombie in the episode, but I was told it needed to happen, and it did. From what I hear zombie attacks will be a big part of their next CD, which is damn cool in my opinion.

The Sarah Crisman Show: Trebuchet from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Following the interview I set up a shot to shoot a promo for the next My Denton Music Showcase. After a few shots we nailed it and it turned out great.

The Showcase went down a few weeks later and I quickly scrambled to put this one together. It turned out alright; we had 2 cameras this time and a make shift switcher. Streaming a concert online is a funny thing. Sometimes your online viewership is way high, sometimes it’s not so much. That was the case here I guess you could say. We did promote the hell out of this show and what little viewers we had online we made up for in attendance at the show. It was packed, for all 4 bands that played. Each act brought it and the Boiler Room was a bumpin’.

Since then I’ve found myself kickin’ it with the trebuchet cats from time to time. Even made a trip to ACL with the clan, but that’s a different story. Anyways, if you haven’t already listened to this band, DO IT! And prepare to have your face melted off...

2009-08-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

And the band marches on...
The Sarah Crisman show continues, this time with the incredible rock duo RTB2.

They may not of been the headliner for the My Denton Showcase last month, but they sure rocked the house. Having listened to that stream on repeat a number of times, I can honestly say I have listened to this group play more than most people. I had seen them perform a few months back with some friends at Hailey's and was not really expecting them to 'bring the thunder' like these 2 did. Their music blisters my ear drums and keeps me coming back for more. In fact their cd is on a constant loop on my radio and always played at the proper level, REALLY FREAKIN LOUD!

Anyways enough of the praise. We met the band at Fuzzy's on a nice rainy afternoon a few weeks back to shoot another episode of the Sarah Crisman Show. After we chowed down on some taco's and read over their article about them in the Quick, we ran outside to shoot an aloborate storyboarded intro for the show (which turned out awesome)! We then conducted the interview admist the ever increasing lunch crowd and intermitent rain. In the end the show turned out great and is becoming really fun to shoot and edit. The next episode, with Trebuchet, is probably my favorite so far. I don't know what to expect after what went down. Anyways check out the RTB2 madness and let me know what you think...

The Sarah Crisman Show: RTB2 from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Motion Graphics

2009-08-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Groovy Dude...
On my quest to become Captain Amazing, in the video world that is, I'd like to submit the following for your consideration. As I've spoken about before I've been called upon to create an animated logo for the CLEAR Department at UNT. I've posted a few of my video's on here (here, here and here) and it's time for an update. Our Department is quickly trying to get me to finish this cube so that we can start posting it on iPod university for students to view classes and see whats going on at the University of North Texas. With that in mind I've had to readjust a few things so that my animated cube looks good on an iPod screen.
For one thing, I've taken the logo above and added it to my composition so that it matches with the already created logo as close as possible. Once I did this I went about adjusting the format of the composition; before when I was first using Motion I was kind of just playing around. Now I'm perfecting my angles and creating my own 3D schemes. Here is what the old composition has turned into:

Cube Tornado with Video from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

After finishing this video and readjusting everything (aligning the camera and the cube faces) I felt like I could do alot more with this project, being a perfectionist and all. So I took it one step further and and I came up with this:

HD Cube with no background from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

I then took the white background and added in some lights (just for fun). I also pushed this composition into the HD sphere and spent a little while getting used to long render times and large compositions. My work has opted to buy me more ram for my computer in fact, some time next week I'll be rocking 8 gigs! I eventually replaced these drop zones with video and audio, I just wanted you to get a feel for what it looks like. I also slowed down some animation in parts and sped it up as well to make it more smooth. All and all its looking alot better than it was before.

HD cube with white background and lights from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

I've also been trying my hand at some After Effects tutorials, with hopes of creating a few logos that I wouldn't be able to create with Motion. Namely I've been working on a Logo for our Denton ROCKS segments that I've been shooting. Here is the early stages of awesomeness:

D from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

As I'm sitting here writing this I'm attempting to upload a promo video I've created for the next My Denton Music Showcase that is coming up at the end of the month which I'm pretty excited about. This time we're laying out the red carpet for Trebuchet, which is made up of a group of pretty laid back guys. We shot a "Sarah Crisman Show" episode with them the other day and it was a blast. Lets just say pantyhose and zombie blood were a necessity for this shoot and definitely made for some really good laughs. I hope to have this segment and an episode with RTB2 edited and online by the middle of next week. These shows are really starting to get to be alot of fun...

Trebuchet Promo from Pat Flaherty on Vimeo.

My Denton Music Showcase and Denton Rocks developments

2009-07-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Denton has been a Rockin'...

Alot, I repeat, ALOT has happened since I last spoke about Denton ROCKS and the Denton music scene. More than ever I've found myself more involved in the scene and am loving every minute of it. My ties with My Denton Music namely have increased in a number of ways. From my initial introduction to the group, Tony Spiro, the owner has requested my assistance in the inclusion and creation of video media for the My Denton Music website. Last weekend was our "first in a series of greatness" as was described by Sarah Crisman who I've just recently become acquainted with. I produced what, I'm pretty sure, was the first live streaming broadcast from a venue in Denton, Texas. Saturday July, 18th from Hailey's we broadcasted the following show...

Video clips at Ustream
this stream will only be available when it is being broadcast, check My Denton Music for more info.

I had been preparing for this broadcast for a number of months prior to our launch that evening. I knew that this was an excellent opportunity for me and I knew I didn't want to half ass it. I wanted people to watch our stream and experience a professionally shot program. I wanted it to be more than just a camera set up at a bar; I wanted it to be a show. It took a great deal of effort on my part to make this all possible, but in the end it turned out great and I can't wait to shoot more.

Tony had booked a number of great acts for the first My Denton Music Showcase, some of which I had never heard of. Oso Closo was to be the headliner. So I did some research, found out when they would be playing and I went to a few of their shows to get some footage of them rockin out. A few weeks later I met Tony at The GreenHouse in Denton, where he introduced me to Sarah Crisman. She was interested in interviewing bands in Denton and creating a web-series that would appear on My Denton Music. I grabbed a microphone and a camera, and she grabbed the band Oso Closo for an interview. We shot that interview out side at The GreenHouse and then we had them preform some songs inside...

OSO CLOSO from Bombastic Media on Vimeo.

After this we booked it over to Hailey's. I wanted to map out how we would shoot the My Denton Music Showcase and at the same time I wanted to get an interview with someone that worked at Hailey's. Sarah grabbed Heath Squires and pulled him outside, where we shot this promo for the bar...

Hailey's Interview from Bombastic Media on Vimeo.

I was so happy when Heath mentioned the Monotonix show that happened there a few months back. It was probably one of my favorite Hailey's experiences as well. A band that plays on the shoulders of fans and takes the music literally to the streets gets a gold star in my book. With most of these interviews and segments I've shot with Sarah I'm not only meeting lots of great musicians and interesting people, but I'm asking questions and finding ideas for my documentary I'm shooting about the scene. This project gets bigger and more interesting every day I'm a part of it. I'm excited about the possibilities that lie in the future and what this town has become.

little bit of extra footage we shot for the MDM showcase that never found its way into the program

Definitely check back here periodically for updates on bands Sarah and I are interviewing and shows that are coming through Denton. My Denton Music is putting on another showcase in August, this time Live from The Boiler Room. Trebuchet is set to headline and they know how to kick it...

Cooking Show: CLEAR production

2009-07-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yum yum…
I’ve been working at the University of North Texas in the CLEAR department for over a year now. While working there I’ve been given a number of tasks while I've been an Audio Visual Assistant. I’ve shot a lot of online classes and spent a lot of time editing these with Final Cut Pro and Motion. Lately, due to repetition and prior knowledge of these editing applications my editing time has been greatly reduced. I can edit a class in a fraction of the time it took me to edit one before. When I first started using Final Cut Pro I spent a few days attempting to learn how to use the Multi-Camera editing feature. It didn’t take me long to do so, but I never really had a need to seriously apply it, until recently. A lot of the videos that I edit in the CLEAR department contain a number of different angles on the same subject or material. Rather it be a PowerPoint presentation and a presenter or a classroom instruction with a number of different angles. I had for the longest time just gone back and forth between the two to pick out my angles, but with this last project I had decided to actually try and apply the Multi-Camera feature to my editing. It took me a bit to figure it out, but after awhile of troubleshooting I was able to cut between a number of different angles in this cooking show quickly and finish the project in no time.

What was cool about the Cooking show is that we brought in what we dubbed our special effects camera and set it up over the stove as our chef was cooking and over the island to get some really neat shots. It turned out really neat in the end and became a 45-minute show, with 6 parts, for students to browse through for one of their classes. The house that we shot in was really nice for a home in Denton and the kitchen was completely decked out. Just recently our department procured 2 new HD Panasonic 150 cameras and a number of lenses. So I imagine in the next few months we’ll start pumping out a few HD programs, which I’m really excited about.

Cookin' Show from Pat Flaherty on Vimeo.

Muse Art?

2009-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

I just got served…
It's been awhile since I've posted, for a number of reasons. Mainly, more than anything, I've been a busy boy. School is out for summer and finding work is harder than ever. On occasion I've found work on craigslist.com where film or tv crews post ads. I've heard from these crews that responses to postings on craigslist are sometimes overwhelming. One person for instance told me she had over 50 responses to a posting within the first 30 minutes it was available online. Yet for a recent graduate and film makers alike this is probably the easiest way to find work, aside from word of mouth.

A little over 3 weeks ago I received a phone call at 7 in the morning from one of my friends that has helped me get film work here and there for some time now. He informs me that a guy from Dallas is shooting a TV show at noon and needs a crew to film. Half awake I rolled out of bed, grabbed some gear, met up with a friend and booked it to Dallas to shoot a TV pilot.

The premise of the show, as we soon found out, was simple: Expose the community to underground art in the Dallas/Fort Worth community. We shot the show sort of like MTV Cribs and had the guests show us around their venue and talk about what they had to offer.

After we shot the show, the producer pressured us into quickly editing and making the show available. We had to act fast cause he wanted the show to air on channel 52 the following week. We also had to work quickly because investors had to view the program beforehand and contribute their commercials. Following a series of lengthy editing days I was able to finish the show. It was totally ready to air, except our producer disappeared. When this happened the show in a way fell apart.

A few days later I was able to get back in touch with the producer, but the trust that was there before had faded. We had the show ready and at this point we had serious doubts if it would ever air. I was hearing all different kinds of stories about what was happening, asked to change the show to air on a different network, payment issue after payment issue...

To make a long story short I learned a number of lessons while shooting and working on Muse ART:

Get everything in writing
Keep track of your hours and what it is you're working on exactly
Pay attention to everyone that is working on your crew
Understand that trust can be misleading

In the end we were never paid for the work we did on this show, and I imagine we never will be. I busted my balls to get this show finished and ready to go on TV and I'll be damned if it's going to sit on a shelf and collect dust. This project alone forced me to move out of my apartment, have my phone shut off twice, and my back account overdrawn who knows how many times. With the economy how it is ambition makes failure seem impossible...

Muse Art Episode 1 from Pat Flaherty on Vimeo.

Lightning Bear Productions

2009-05-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Nice to be around fellow filmmakers...
For awhile now I have found a number of freelance jobs just by checking posts on Craigslist for production work and experience in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. It hasn't made me rich but it's helped pay a few bills. The experience I've gotten has definitely paid off. I recently attended a business seminar that they had for RTVF students at the University of North Texas for advice on updating my resume and my real. After a few seminars I became aquainted with Michael Brown of Lightning Bear studios (which is based out of Denton, TX). Him and I spoke briefly and he asked me to help him shoot a pilot for a TV program he was trying to develop. The following weekend I was put to work, swinging a boom and adjusting audio levels. Despite the rain and small crew, we were able to put together a decent pilot episode. Our DP, Kevin Keller had an awesome steadicam that we put to good use during this production. Later this summer I scored a job being the Assistant Director on a short film that will be shot in the DFW area and Kevin is slated to be our DP as well. Small world I guess. Here's some photo's from the ReInvented TV pilot shoot...

Following this production I was asked to help on a few other productions that Lightning Bear studio's would be working on in the next few months. Namely they are working on shooting a series of shows that are going to be made at the Pour House in Denton titled Beer, Babes and Movies. This show revolves around a group of guys giving their ten cents on films that are out in theaters right now. It will be a live show and will air on all of the screens that blanket the walls of the Pour House. It should be pretty cool. Also, over the past few weeks I've been in and out of their studio helping a graduate student edit her film for one of her classes. With a really short dealine I've had to pull all nighter's with the graduate student to finish her project on time. Her original edit of the film was terrible and had to be completely scraped. I had to start over from square one and attempt to create a story out of nothing. I still can't believe how well it came out in the end and how grueling an editing project this was. All together I was able to finish this film in a little under 20 hours, starting from scratch and working with out breaks for 3 nights all together. The graduate student took final credit for the edit and the film, although I did alot of the grunt work along with Micheal. All and all I'm proud of the way it turned out, hope you enjoy it.

The Robinhood of Texas: The Making of Sam Bass from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Lunar Disc Golf

2009-05-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ch-ch-check it out...
I threw this together real quick at my UNT job. Gosh I love Motion! Turned a 3 or 4 hour project in to like 20 minutes. Using Motion's motion tracking feature I selected the LED on the light up disc and hit enter. In a matter of minutes Motion had mapped out the path the disc had taken through the air. All I did was add a particle emitter, some glow features and a vignette. It turned out really cool, but I know this is only going to get easier and a heck of a lot cooler. I'm really just warming up to the capabilites of this program (Motion) and I know I can make some really intense video light paintings. This is just the beginning...

Lunar Disc Golf from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Denton ROCKS promo

2009-05-11T11:02:00.001-07:00

It has begun...
So I finally cut it. After years and years of procrastination and laziness I finally bit the bullet and cut together a promo video. In the video there are primarily clips from NX35 and Fry St. Fair. In reality there is lots and lots of stuff I'm leaving out. I've shot over 100 hours worth of footage in the past few years, in this promo you are really only seeing about 5 hours worth of it. That doesn't mean that in the future you can expect not to see it, cause you will. There is just alot of finessing that needs to happen before then. I've got so much good video, sound bites and interviews that I'm just now figuring out what I can do with. I'm beginning to lay out a story in my head and soon I'll put it to paper. There is alot of developing and observation I have to go through before then. Check this out...

Denton ROCKS promo from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

In the next few months I plan to conduct interviews like nobodies business and shoot alot more material. Namely I intend on making a few trips to Deep Ellum, capture some Jazz concerts at UNT, and create a number of advertisement commercials for local Denton venues. I've become acquainted with My Denton Music organization and will be working with them hand in hand in the next few months. You can expect to see some of my photo's, video's and reviews on their web-site very soon. Make sure you check their web-site out: http://www.mydentonmusic.com/

Bombastic LOGO

2009-04-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's official...
After many years of thought I've finally decided on a production name for my work. Back in high school my production name was Movie Crew, this only stuck with me for a few years. I then tried out a few others, not finding anything serious until I got into college. I was trying for the longest time to run with the production name Ponder St. Productions when I was living at the yellow house on Ponder st, but that fell through (I even registered for a domain name). It's taken me time to decide on something and I think I've picked a winner. I spent alot of time thinking back to songs, movies and ideas that have followed me throughout the years and then it dawned on me. I don't know what it is, but this music video struck a chord with me in middle school and I believe is an understatement for the quality and direction I want to take my material...

Alright all jokes aside, I just dig that style. So much that I've decided to call my production company after it. In the following months I will be creating music video's, television shows, short films and radio broadcast. Each with a Bombastic Production tag line (A Bombastic music video prod., A Bombastic tv show, etc). Below are some prototype logos I've cooked up...

I really like the sound effects from the old asteroids game so I went ahead and added those in and tweaked a lazer that changes sizes in reference to the sound...

I then took this and changed it up a bit more and added a little guitar riff at the end...

More to come...

CLEAR logo progress

2009-04-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Updatin'...
Made a few changes to the logo. Trying to speed things up a bit, while at the same time letting the viewer see more of what is happening on the faces of the cube. It's looking alot smoother, what do you think?

Which video is better?

2009-04-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Attention!!!
I'm trying to figure out which of these video's looks better for my blog. I've uploaded both of these logo video's on blogger and vimeo, and am trying to see which one encoded better. When I watched the video on blogger it was really choppy, but on vimeo it appeared a bit clearer. I don't know if it's my computer or if I should re-encode these video's. Let me know what you think...

CLEAR logo from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Clear Logo with Drop Zones from patrick flaherty on Vimeo.

Clear LOGO

2009-04-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm breathing now...
It's taken me about a month to adjust myself to this hectic work schedule, but I suppose I'm pretty well acclimated to it now. I'm still working M-F 6am-5pm and the money is pretty good. It's nice to wake up early everyday and watch the sunrise from the comfort of my school bus as I drive the kids to and from school every morning. Yet, the return in the afternoon to finish my shift is always a trial. My elementary kids and high school students are pretty laid back and chill. Middle school kids, like in the past, are sometimes a test of my patience. When I drove before the kids used to drive me banana's. Now I just think that they are kind of entertaining. I just hope I have the patience that I do now to deal with a middle school teenager of my own someday.

A few recent developments:

I've finally splurged and bought myself a Blue-Ray burner so that I can start burning my own Blue-Ray discs for my portfolio. I figured that when I finally put together my reel, which should be towards the end of this summer, that I'm going to have tons and tons of video files that I'd like to send to potential business opportunities. I know that I'd like to send them a quality product, with quality video files and I know they won't fit on a DVD (and look good). I know some businesses wont have Blue-Ray capabilities, but I hope that that helps me stand out.

I've also purchased my own SLR camera. This has been a long time coming, but I'm glad that I finally have one of my own. I will definitely put it to good use this coming weekend, for Denton's Arts and Jazzfest. I hope I can do a few light paintings there in the crowds! Check back next week for some photo's

I've also uploaded some of the graphics that I've been working on for my job here at UNT. They have been training me how to use Motion and I've gotten quite good at it. I've been working on their logo, which is a cube. I found out through a bit of research that you can't import 3D objects into Motion. Which would be really cool because I've just started becoming a fan of animation in a 3D space. It's very difficult to work with, but fun at the same time. After a little trouble shooting I was able to create a cube and animate it:

It took me awhile to get the background right and the text to fly through the cube, but after alot of trial and error I was able to get a clean video. I then took my cube and added a bunch of drop zones. Now with the click of a mouse, I can put whatever video clip I want onto any face of the cube:

I showed these video's to my head boss today and they are very excited about what it's turning into. I went ahead and flipped the video's over so that they face the camera, right side up, and I'm working on making the video's fly together to form the cube (kind of like a tornado). This graphic could get very interesting in the next few months.

Back From LA

2009-03-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Louisiana that is...
Well I've been back for a for a few weeks now and I've been more busy than ever. Working on the film was very hard and I'm still surprised I made it back in one piece. We failed to finish the film even though we got 3/4ths of it completed. In the end we ran out of money and it was time to head home. I don't think I could of lasted much longer considering the shape my car was in and still is, and the fact that I am in dire need of money. The footage we got is amazing, hands down, and I'm very proud of that. The whole experience taught me alot about the politics of film making and knowing where your responsibilities lie. I came on board to be the camera operator, but due to the size of our crew I was forced into a number of positions. Namely, I was also the crew truck driver for the length of the film. I assisted in Grip and Electric, performed the duties of the 2nd AC and helped move our equipment and company all over the Northwest part of Louisiana. Looking back now, despite the hard work and living conditions, I had a great time. I hope that the film is finished and that I get to see it on the big screen.

Since I've gotten back I've been driving buses again up in Denton and they've been working me hard. I haven't had a break since I've gotten back really. I've been waking up at 4 everyday, driving to Denton, working till 5, driving back home, and doing the same thing all over again. I haven't had any free time really, but when I do I'm usually in my bed, like I am now, sleeping. I've tried to edit some of the footage that I shot during the production, but my camera is DEAD. I let them barrow my camera to capture footage under the guarantee that it would be cleaned and fixed if broken when the film is done. My camera broke half way through the production and has been acting up ever since. It finally called it quits earlier last week. I've tried to find a place that will repair Canon cameras and it looks like I'm going to have to send it somewhere. Well I hope it gets fixed, I really depend on it to make a few bucks here and there. I will get some footage on here soon, when I get the free time. So stay tuned...

CottonMouth Creek is truckin on...

2009-02-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm pooped...
We are so very busy making this movie, I can't see straight. I've been working so many different jobs, from grip to electric, camera operator to 2nd AC, and truck driver to truck loader. To say I'm a bit exhausted is an understatement. We are behind and badly trying to get back on track. We are understaffed and its beginning to take a toll on everyone. We are so behind that we spent all day yesterday working on our day off. I'd be surprised if we are able to finish this film by next friday. Here is a glimpse at my living quarters during the shoot. Ya thats right, I have my own trailer. Right by a swamp...

Also check out our camera team and our grip and electric team. We are having a great time goofing around and making a movie...

I'm gonna keep rolling with the punches and I'll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned I'll try and keep ya updated. Round 1 is over Round 2 (next week) has just begun...

Great Barrier Reef Application

2009-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

Wish me luck...
Well I found some of the footage I shot for the Great Barrier Reef job posting I found online. I spent a few hours trying to get this video together and submitted on time. I'm really not sure if I might be eligible for the job posting, but I do hope that I am a consideration. How cool would it be to spend six months chillin on an island? Nothing sounds cooler than that! If I made it I would probably never come back, seriously. Any way check out my submission below and tell me what ya think...

On a lighter note, I am still busy getting things ready for this feature film CottonMouth Creek. We start production tomorrow and there are still a million things that need to be done. I am so excited and at the same time very nervous. There is alot of work that I have put into this project and I hope that it shows. When this is all said and done we are going to have an amazing film. This, I am very certain about. I will keep you posted as things move forward and time permits. I am living in a very run down trailer and without internet access. So when I get the chance to get on here, I'll let you know whats happening. Again wish us luck!

Black Monday

2009-02-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Good old times...
I thought that since I'm shooting a horror film in Louisiana that it would be appropriate for me to post one of my first films that I ever put together. I made this when I was a sophomore in High school and it shows. This was back when my friends and I used to goof around at the lake house and at our neighbors abandoned home. We probably tore down a dozen walls in that building, before it was leveled. I had a little story that I schemed up for this film, but when it came time to edit it all together there are was just not enough time- thus creating alot of plot holes. Take for instance, why and how does John die, what happens to Scott in the end, is there really a sequel...

...I've never seen it.

Cottonmouth Creek is in Production!

2009-02-19T02:28:00.000-08:00

I'm a chillin' by the bayou...
Well I made it! I'm finally here in Shreveport, Louisiana for the duration of the film CottonMouth Creek. It feels like I've been preparing for this film for a long time now, I'm just glad that I am here and that production is in full swing. Tomorrow we will pick up our moving truck that we will use to move our equipment from location to location. One of my responsibilities, other that being the camera operator, is now driving the truck everywhere. I left my car at home (which was pretty smashed up after a wreck I was in Saturday evening, not my fault) and was planning to bum a ride around town. Now I'm definitely going to be super busy, because I have to stick around everyday until the production is over and then I have to be the first one awake and at the set every morning. This really isn't a bad thing, it just means I will be working very long hours. Needless to say I'm not going to be going out much, if at all. 2 weeks of 12 hour days is going to make Patrick a tired boy. After the truck is loaded up with our equipment and organized we are going to spend some time shooting some material to get comfortable using the equipment and so everyone understands how things are going to work.

In the mean time keep checking back here, I'll keep posting video on here as it becomes available. I am going to be a busy bee, but I'll let you know how it goes. Check out this video below that I put together from our location scouting a few weeks back. It has our creature in costume, some script runthroughs, the locations that we are shooting at and a few of the people that make up our crew...

As for right now, I'm probably gonna get some shut eye. I stayed up really late last night shooting video for a quick little promo I was going to try and edit tonight. But thanks to my hectic squedule, I accidently left that work at home. I'm kicking myself right now, literaly and figuratively. Figures, the one thing I worked on until 4 in the morning shooting and editing gets left on my bed. Basically I saw an article online referencing an amazing job. So I gave it a look and thought what the hey. I'll make a quick video. So I shot it and left it at home. Oh well!

Jone's Soda Commercial Up For Competition!

2009-02-11T23:20:00.001-08:00

Hey check out this commercial I made a few months ago for Jone's Soda! I submitted it to this commercial competition that Zooppa is having for Jone's Soda. If we win we could win some serious cash, which is by no means a bad thing. Anyway check out our videos and help cast your vote. Thanks!

Solar Car Race

2009-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Shocking...
I decided to post a video that I put together for my job at UNT. We shot this during finals week and I put it together to create a documentary-esque portrayal of the solar powered cars that raced in the Research building at the university. It really was pretty cool to watch them setup their cars and solar panels and then have them race. After a few hours though it kind of lost its zeal. Anyway check out the video, I edited it and created the song that plays in the first minute. Enjoy...

I'm A GigaPan

2009-02-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

How many times can you find me?
My job at UNT just acquired a Gigapan, exactly like the one that photographed the Obama Inauguration. Basically it is a robotic mount that you place on top of a tripod. Once you activate it it rotates in a 180 or 360 (it just depends on the settings that you set) and snaps hundreds of photos. The process is quite slow, so people or cars that move by are only in focus when the camera snaps the picture. I ran around and stood as still as possible as the camera swung by to get in focus. Once the device was finished shooting the photos, we had to upload the photos and with the aid of a program we were able to smoothly stitch them together to create one really smooth panoramic photo. It turned out really cool...

You can view this panoramic photo larger on the GigaPan website. Also check out the Obama Inauguration GigaPan photo if you haven't already seen it.

Did you make it to the Obama Inauguration?

2009-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

Howdy Folks...
I've begun work on putting together a documentary film that focuses on the untold story of the journey millions of people made to be part of the historical inauguration of Barack Obama. I am looking for individuals in the Denton community to share their videos, photographs and stories of their journey to the inauguration.

This documentary is not about speeches, oaths or dignitaries. It is not about the millions of people around the world who tuned in to view the inauguration from the comfort of their homes, businesses or the internet. It is about the historical number of people who were compelled to not watch history being made, but to be a part of it. Despite the frigid temperatures or the vastly overwhelmed transportation systems, they were not deterred. I am calling out for others, like me, who set out to make the difficult journey to Washington Mall whether they made it or not. I will interweave other individual's experiences together to create a behind-the-scenes video that gives the viewer an idea of what it took to be part of such a historic event.

Cottonmouth Creek Auditions

2009-01-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've been a busy boy...
With help from a friend, Josh Butler (President of Texas Filmmakers), I've gotten a job as a camera operator for a feature length film that is being made next month in Shreveport, Louisiana. It's going to be a great time, I'm totally pumped. The shoot should take about 2 weeks of 12+ hour days. I'm heading back there this weekend to finish up with some auditions and do some more location scouting. Also, we're going to test out a camera dolly and camera boom that the Texas Filmmakers has. All and all when we are all said and done, this experience should really pay off for me in the end. I'll keep you posted on pre-production as it unwinds and production when it gets into full swing. Check out the little video I put together real quick from my trip out there a few weeks ago.

Also stay tuned for some for some clips from my rescent journey to the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. It was an incredible adventure. I'm working hard on putting a documentary together with my self and my dad, as well as others that made the journey.

Float On remix

2009-01-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

And we'll all float on...
The following video is a short I made for one of classes at UNT (Film Styles). I had a blast making it! On two separate occasions we filled my apartment with balloon's, and when I say filled, I mean it. For at least a week after each incident we had to learn to live with the balloons. There were times in which I would have to push them out from under my sheets, or out of the shower. Every time that I left the house a few seemed to want to follow along. In the movie Rhett is attacked and killed by balloons, while in reality I almost suffered the same fate. I'm alive now and have been ballon free for a few years now. Haha. I originally got the idea for this movie from the Don Hertzfeldt cartoon, "Billy's Balloon." I put my own spin on the idea when I shot "Float On." I am a big fan of Modest Mouse and their songs as well as the thought of killer balloons. I originally wanted to shoot it as a clown being chased by balloon animals, but I believe this version is alot sweeter...

In this version of the video I edited out everyone's hand that threw balloons in through the window as well as from behind the stove. There are a few other things that I added to this version. Namely a shorter beginning as well as the balloon picking up the knife and stabbing Rhett. I mastered the audio as well. All and all I'm very proud of this version. This video has been shown at the Angelika theater in downtown Dallas, in a short film festival. When I first made it I didn't have the skills to remove the hands. But now that I do, it only took me a few hours...

The Tomato

2009-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Is toast...

A few years ago I filmed this video of The Tomato, long before it was subsequently burnt to the ground. I met alot of my now friends there on many an occasion. Just this past year I was asked if this video could be used in a documentary about the burning of fry st. My video appears along side Brave Combo, who is a Grammy Award winning polka band. Anyway, the documentary is coming out on dvd and my friend has sold well over 200 copies. It's a hit in Denton and for anyone who has ever eaten there. Boy howdy do I miss the place...

Check out this video titled: Bohemia Rising Trailer and Brave Combo's Denton Polka

Liquid Bounce

2008-12-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

Bada-bing Bada-boom...
Attention Ladies and Gentlemen! For your viewing pleasure I bring you a true treat. I've followed a few bands while I was a resident of Denton, and this just so happened to be one of my favorites. The Denton sound is like nothing I've ever heard of. A number of students come to the University of North Texas to study music and its because of this that Denton bleeds upbeat eccentric musical artists. There may not be many extremely popular bands, but as a whole I can honestly say they are the best around. The atmosphere and genre's that Denton has produced are completely new and different than anything I've ever seen. To see and watch a band perform online is one thing. To see them live, among their friends and other fans is another. Liquid Bounce is a band that must be experienced. They are an inspiration to me and a few other like minded individuals. Enjoy...

Jones Soda Finished Product

2008-12-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

And there ya go...
Below are the finished commercials that I helped to add animation to. They turned out pretty good in the end. The girl did not do as good as the guy did on camera. Believe it or not the girl was an actress that they hired for the shoot. They spent 3 hours giving her fake tattoo's before the shoot, which really didn't show up that well in the final commercial. I went to the final screening of the commercials and ours definitely stood out. In a class of amateur communication design students there were a few notable commercials that were produced. Namely it depended on the production budget. One crew dropped a few thousand bucks on a high end camera production company, which produced an awesome Levi's commercial. All and all I learned that advertising is a very simple way to make a great deal of money. With a descent concept, a few bucks and a mediocre crew, a quality commercial is not that difficult to make. Anyway check out the clips, they're only 30 seconds a piece.

Here are are a few of the other entries that were submitted by other students.

Jones Bottle Animation

2008-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Ch-ch-check it out...
I was suggested by a friend to do some animation for a Jones Soda commercial. Below is a small clip from the commercial that I animated. It took me a few days to pull it off, cause I really didn't have much to work with. The background that they filmed in front of was very dark and had a blue tint to it. I had to change the color of the background and animate the label so that it looked a bit more natural. I'll post some examples of the rest of the process. It came out pretty cool in the end.

Press Photo's take 2

2008-12-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

This time I think we got it...
I took these photo's a few weeks back so that Rhett and Nathan could finish making his press pack. I think we can still get a few more photo's. It was a bit cloudy the day that we were trying to shoot these. Hopefully we'll take another crack at it sometime really soon.

We've been eagerly brainstorming ideas for a kids television show. It's been tough trying to figure out where to begin, we are still having difficulty trying to figure out a solid theme for the show. Our best idea right now for a theme is imagination. Through this theme Rhett can imagine himself as a pirate and he will start singing the song, or with a roommate that is a walrus and then break into song. I've been concentrating on creating characters for the show. So far I've thought up a mad scientist who creates a robot and a few other things for Rhett and and the band. I've also thought up a character named Mr. Grin who has been in the business of adding a laugh track to televisions show since the beginning of time. Also I've thought up a character named Corporal Punishment who is Rhett's uncle. Corporal Punishment is a retired drill Sargent who always has a temper, constantly makes Rhett do push-ups, he is loud in inappropriate places, and he has a soft side for kittens. All and all its coming along. I hope that by the end of this year we have a good idea where we want to take this show. In the mean time check out these photo's...

click on images below to make them bigger

Crew

2008-11-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

We were pretty silly back then...
When I think back to high school there are a few things that I remember. I remember hanging out at the lake with a few really good friends, I remember driving through the tunnel at town square, I remember hanging out with members of the band, I remember making really bad movies, and I can remember goofing off with the crew.

The crew had been started one year before I joined it. It was still a new thing for Carroll, so I knew we could get away with alot. We pushed and pulled off a few things that I know the Crew today would not be able to pull off. I'm not one to brag, I'm just trying to say that I was with the crew that for a time when it was out of control...

Scrap Attack 2006

2008-11-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

Look out cause here they come...
2 years ago I was desperately trying to start a TV show called Wasted Talent, in it we would have a wide assortment of characters and special guests. I fell in love with the idea of having guys and girls on tall bikes fighting each other after spending the evening at a party with just such a feat. As weird as the bikes look and the people act crazy things are just bound to happen. I spent alot of time trying to track down the source of this mayhem in the Denton area. It wasn't long until I found out that it originated in the New York area and found its way to Dallas, before it was brought to Denton. A group that sparked my attention was called the Sprocket Zombies who specialized in creating mutant bikes. I contacted them and they hit me back with details of a Scrap Attack that was in the works. I grabbed a camera and weathered a storm that was brewing in the Deep Ellum area when I met up with these guys. Once I arrived a car threw a tire off a bridge that almost smashed into where we were standing. After that I turned to find guys and girls throwing water balloons at on coming cars. All in all it was a mess of bicycles, trash, diapers, rain and an old bible. We braved the storm and smashed a few bikes in the process. Check out the video below, it is scraptastic...

Halloween Party 2008

2008-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Was a success...
It feels like I've been partying and goofing around ever since the 48 hours of hell. We haven't really been busting out much new material, we've really just been having a great time.

Our Halloween was a blast! I opted to go as a kissing booth, which was a big hit at the party we went to. I had a bet against me that I wouldn't get a single kiss, which didn't last long. We were at an open bar with a bunch of cute girls. Let's just say I got about 20 nice little kisses. Which was killer. I hope I didn't get the herpes. haha.

I went as the same costume both nights Halloween weekend and come Saturday I was ready to retire the booth. I went ahead and put some of the video I shot that night together. Keep in mind I was walking around filming in a giant box, it's shaky in parts. Ya check it out below...

Rockin with Rhett Photo Shoot

2008-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Wish we hadn't deleted the good stuff...
We spent last night shooting photos for a Rockin with Rhett press pack. We started shooting around sunset time and got alot of really great photo's, but in the process of moving locations we lost all of our photo's. Oh well, it happens. Which means we are going to have to re shoot. We need to shoot some more photos anyways. We've started getting materials together so that we can build a train for the puppet show. It shouldn't be to long now till we have the train built and a video to help publicize the show. We've been discussing alot of different directions we'd like to take the Rockin with Rhett show. It's just a matter of time until things start moving in that direction. But, we are thinking big and grand; and we're looking forward to asking for some sponsorship here real soon. It's all very exciting, in the mean time check out some of the photos we got last night...

click on picture to make it bigger

Weezer Was Awesome

2008-10-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Blew my mind...

Last night was amazing! I had bought pit seats a few months back and we were right in the middle of all the action. Probably the coolest show I've ever been to. They covered Pink Floyd and the lead singer from Angel's and Airwaves (Blink 182) sang the sweater song. We got there early and did some tailgating, where we ran into a guy who played the spoons on the stage with a bunch of other local musicians during Beverly Hills. All and all we had a great time. Can't wait to see them again!

Here's some video's I found online from the show:

Pink Floyd Cover: Time

Beverly Hills

There is nothing better than seeing your favorite band with good friends.

48 Hours of Hell Take 2

2008-10-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

Back at it again...

Well we did it. Come Friday I was very hesitant about doing the 48 Hours of Hell again. But I decided to throw caution into the wind and give it another try. We were late getting our video turned in, but I think we did a great job with what we had and what little time that we had. My computer crashed multiple times and I had a birthday to celebrate, so the 48 hours wasn't my top priority. I'm just glad that it's over and done with. We're going to have this shown along with all of the other teams that competed in the festival, which I've heard was 12 teams. We are not eligible for the prize money, but we might be eligible for the audience award. So if you got nothing else to do Wednesday night then come out and give us some support at Art House 6 in Denton at 8:30 as we watch all of the films.

Watch it here

Sleepy Hollow 2

2008-10-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

48 Hours of Hell, this weekend...

After careful consideration I have decided that I'm not going to participate in this years 48 Hours of Hell, mainly due to financial issues. I've got a few bucks, but not enough to afford the rental of that DeLorean. The guy wanted 300 bucks for the rental of his car, that doesn't mean we actually get the car for our shoot to drive around. The 300 dollars is for the guy to bring his car to a mall and for us to sit in it and ride around in. We can't drive it! Which is the main reason I wanted the car for. I will be turning 25 and at that age I can start renting cars. I thought a DeLorean for my first rental would be a tough item to top. I wanted to gun that baby up to 88 mph and see some wicked shit. But instead I've decided to take it easy, get a keg, have some people over and possibly do some light painting. I might try and do the 48 Hours of Hell still, I'm just gonna do it without the DeLorean. I'll save the idea of using that guys car for a video for something in the future.

In the mean time enjoy this uncut version of our 48 hours of hell video we made 2 years ago. We had no idea what we were going to film for this video until the last minute. Our theme was the 7 deadly sins, our prop had to be a pumpkin or an 8 ball, our phrase of dialogue was "the hounds of hell are unrelenting," and our location was a shady place. We, out of all the groups, made a a comedy. Which is hilarious. We tried to make this film as crappy as possible, which we definitely pulled off. The audio is out of sync in places, and the quality is hit or miss. But it gets the idea across. Enjoy...

Updated Pirate Video

2008-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Much better Pirate version...

Went back to the old cutting board to get this version of the pirate video. We decided to spend a bit more time on the ending than we had in the past. This version flows so much better than the original. We were in such a rush to get this video out before that we kind of neglected the ending. Here it is now, the now complete version. Enjoy...

First video I ever made

2008-10-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Talk about old...

I never knew what I wanted to do with my life until I made this video. I spent maybe 2 months making this thing in a computer class in high school. This was back when I didn't know what I was doing, when I used to edit on photoshop and with after effects. Basically this video is me goofing off on programs that I had just learned. I wasn't really going for perfection when I made it, I was just having fun. I was glued to that computer though, I used to love going to that class. I'm just glad I was able to find a copy that worked, cause there was only one copy ever made.

The old ski trip

2008-10-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

Anglefire, New Mexico
Here's some more old stuff I found in the back of my closet. The tape was a little cruddied up so I lost alot of footage. Some things that were pretty funny. Check it out though. my old pal Ryan does some pretty funny things to the camera...

Back To The Future

2008-10-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Once we hit 88mph, you're gonna see some wicked shit...
Okay so change of plans, next weekend is the Texas Filmmakers 48 Hours of Hell. I'm currently trying to get a team together to shoot a short film next weekend. We have competed in this festival before and have won the much coveted Audience Award for Best Picture. During this competition we have 2 days to write, shoot and edit a film. At the start of the festival we approach our task blind. We can only plan a few elements we would like to use in the film, because elements of our film are determined at the beginning of the festival. A few months back a friend of mine suggested that I rent a DeLorean for my birthday, cause I'm turning 25. I looked into and found a guy who owns a DeLorean, and has decked it out to look exactly like the Time Machine in Back to the Future. I was thinking we could structure our film around a Back to the Future theme. It is of my opinion that we should shoot a really simple comedy for this festival. Everyone shoots a really bad horror film and does not win. There is a cash prize for the winners and it's going to be screened at Art House Six on the 22nd.

I originally wanted to do something simple for my birthday, but then i got to thinking about it and i realized that there is nothing I want to do more than shoot a movie. When I found out that this guy had a DeLorean I knew we had to do something. There are not many times in your life in which you are given an opportunity to do something so cool. I do need lots of help, being handicaped and all. Which is where I'm having trouble. I've been asking people left and right if there interested and have found nothing definite. Odds are I'll probably do what I did last time and create a team at the last minute. That usually works best for me. If you're interested let me know...

The old lake house

2008-10-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Look what I found...
I was watching some of the old tapes I had recorded back in high school and stumbled upon two pretty random, funny scenes. One of them is us acting a fool and the other is us just chilling and watching the sunset. Everything in these videos is a direct representation of most of the memories of my old lake house that I have. Gosh I miss that place and the techno...

Disney, Look out...

2008-10-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Job interview...
Well I had a job interview this afternoon for a chance to make it back to Florida. I was asked alot of questions, like what are some tough spots you have had to work out of, are you a team player, can you lead, etc... It came down to me being asked to move on to the next stage of interviews from other departments. Two positions are for me to be a photographer, which would be freaking sweet. Getting payed to walk around and take people's pictures seems like a blast. Another position is with the Disney cruise lines. In this position I could be asked to go out on the cruise at least once a month, which is no problem for me. I'm getting excited. Lord knows I'm gonna miss a bunch of people once (if) I do travel back to Florida. If I do make it out there, promise me somebody is going to come visit. It's real cheap when you do disney with me; only 100 bucks for a three day cruise, it's free to get into all of the parks, and i can sneak you back stage and see cinderella smoking a cigarette.

Costa Rica Zip Lining Was...

2008-10-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Awesome...
I haven't watched this stuff in over 3 or 4 years and wow, that trip was awesome. I had completely forgotten about how much fun the canopy tour was in our trip and how i thought it would be awesome to video tape us flying through the rain forest. Some of the shots are pretty shaky, and some are kind of grainy. So please be patient if you do watch the following video. This was before I knew how to videotape...

Poop Factory

2008-10-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Old footage in the wrong hands...
I put together this video from old clips i shot on a field trip we took to a sewage treatment plant. Overall the quality is pretty bad, but i think it gets the idea across. The idea of taking a bunch of high school kids to a poop factory to watch them turn it into water, just strikes me as odd and funny at the same time. I could only imagine being employed at such an establishment. I'm sure you wouldn't have to many friends, on the account of you smelling of poo daily. But on the bright side you could always claim that your job is the shit!

Archival

2008-10-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling it necessary to archive my life right now...
I have been wrapping my mind around where I am right now alot lately. My Parents, as well as myself, are concerned about where my future is going to take me. Bills are starting to pile up and it's time for me to get back to working. Back to making a serious living. They want me to make it so that they don't have to worry. They want me better than anyone in the world. So where do I start?

I have a distinct feeling that I need to run away for a long time. To a place that allows me to run wild. I've felt chained to Denton and Southlake for a long time now. I'm now more than ever ready to EXPLODE out of here. It's not that I don't love Denton and Southlake, or the people living there. I love everything about living here. I'm just at that point in my life when I want to go on an adventure, a very long foolish one. I want to explore and appreciate being young and stupid for as long as possible. There may be no NEVERLAND, but I sure can try and make one.

So if I'm going to be leaving I thought it to be appropriate for me to try and make a farewell video, shot like a documentary. It will contain footage from all points of my life. I've been filming things over the place, for a long time now. Sometimes for no reason at all. Who knows what this mess might turn into. There are hours of things we've shot that are flat stupid. Some things are really funny, some sad, some gross, and some just really really cool. I never thought I'd ever go back through these things, but it's the only time I'm ever going to invest for a while, in something I really want to spend time on. In the end I may just have a portfolio, or a film. The theme for the film is where I'm getting held up. But I think I'm going to find that out real soon.

So far I'm thinking of a few things.
It's got to have 3 parts.

I was thinking for starters. Maybe a story about finding Denton, letting it leave its mark on me, while at the same time I find a way for me to leave a mark on it. Practically a documentary centered around a salute to Denton, and a thanks for the good times.

I'm beginning to think that this could be fun.

In the mean time I've been reviewing old videos I made in high school. They are pretty funny, and really amateur. But they are pretty entertaining. One thing in particular I've been watching is footage I got when we visited the poop factory back in science classes. Which is hilarious by the way. I'll post that soon. Another thing that I haven't seen in forever is the footage I shot when I went to Costa Rica. It was such an awesome trip, that I almost completely forgot about. In it we go ziplining through the rainforest, white water rafting, and we played soccer with the native kids. It's really cool.

The weather outside tonight reminds me of how it felt being out there. I've been listening to Jack Johnson while watching these video's which fits really well. I'll throw some songs in with these video's real soon. Only problem is I'm missing a few tapes, i need to hunt down people that went on this trip with me and see if i can barrow their video. I just want it cataloged I guess. We'll see what happens...

I saw this and thought it was pretty funny.

I'm gone man

2008-10-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Solid gone...

I only wish my leg was healed. I'm dying to dance. Lord knows I try, but I tell you what, I really want to shake my booty...

Dance Like No One Is Watching

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.

He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Thought for the day: "Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

i rarely feel embarrassed when i act a fool, this explains why i love shakin my booty on occasion. i bought a shirt a while back and i thought this story hit it right on the mark. motto for life: dance like no one's watching...

if i become anything in my life, i hope it entails dancing everywhere and anywhere like this guy...

Pirate video a success and light painting!

2008-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Pirate Video hits it big! Check out our light painting below...
Well, looks like our pirate video has been a bigger success than we thought. Come Sunday we we're well over 750 views, and come Wednesday we were pushing 1000. Now we have hit over 1,200 and more views keep popping up everyday on Youtube. One really neat feature that Youtube has on their website is an insight application which shows how people our navigating to our video, it also shows us what type of demographic is viewing our video, it shows us where in the world people are viewing our video and it shows us how much of our video people are viewing compared to an average video.

The most popular viewing day was Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19th, when we had over 400 views. Monday saw a big spike in views, but it's been leveling off lately. I'd imagine it might go back up around Halloween time, but who knows?

In reference to the demographics that are viewing the video a majority of our viewers are male's 55-64 and women 35-44. Which is rather odd, I guess alot of parents and grandparents are watchin the pirate video.

We have people in Canada, Denmark, and Austria watchin the song too. Who knew we had fans out there? Most of the people that found there way to our video were from Myspace, facebook or Youtube.

Probably the best part about the insight application on Youtube is the Hot Spots indicator which shows us when people are watching our video and when they are shutting off. Not surprising for us is the point in the above graph when people tune away towards the end of the video. Both Rhett and I are not satisfied with the final version of the Pirate Song. Maybe in the next few days we can get back in the studio and add some finishing touches to our video.

Light Painting...

This past weekend Rhett and I and a few old friends got down and dirty and volunteered our time helping out on Denton's local documentary film festival, Thin Line Film Fest. This was there second year giving it a try and let me tell you we had a blast. Friday night Rhett and I helped out with some light painting, which is really easy, creative and alot of fun to do. It took us about 30 minutes to get settled in and then cool pictures started popping out left and right. The way light painting works is you set your camera to BULB and hit the shutter button to start taking the picture, after about 30 to 60 seconds you hit the shutter button again to stop taking the photo. During that time you can do what ever you want in front of the camera with lights and it will be part of the picture. In essence you can write your name in mid air with a flash light and then that image will be added to photo. It's really quite fun, and really addicting. We did this both Friday and Saturday and by the end of it we had some amazing stuff. The best part about it was the fact that the party where we shooting these pictures had an open bar. So we put away a few drinks in the process.

My birthday is coming up real quick and I'm thinkin about shooting some light painting photo's around the house. So if you're interested in being in a few photo's then make sure you come out on October 18th! More photo's to come...

(Click on the above pictures to make them bigger, if you're interested in our statistics.)

International Talk Like A Pirate Day is finally over

2008-09-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

International Talk Like A Pirate Day was a success!
I thought I'd get back into the swing of writing blogs, just right after my Pirate Experience was coming to an end. For the last few month's my friend Rhett and I have been hard at work trying to put together a music video for his famous pirate song. Two months ago I would of never guessed I'd be laying here with my leg in stitches and having this video completed. I feel so accomplished right now!

Early this morning I woke up and went straight to work, as I madly tried to upload a video so that we could start emailing it to our fans. (I was glad that it was finally pirate day, cause let me tell ya I'm more than ready to put Being A Pirate to bed for a little while). Anyway, got the video uploaded and began sending it to everyone under the sun. Come afternoon Rhett calls me and asks me to send Jessie a DJ on our local radio station, KDGE 102.1 the edge, an mp3. Took me a while to get it together, but I did. It was cool knowing that the mp3 I was making was going to be on the radio. A few hours later, Rhett and I were glued to the radio where we heard the DJ praise our song and video for hours. She kept asking people to stay tuned for the song, that was supposed to play at 5. I recall Rhett telling me over the phone as we waited for the song to finally play, "Man 5'oclock doesn't come fast enough." But come 5, the song was blasting all over DFW. It was awesome! The DJ even posted our video on her blog, which made me super excited. Check out her blog.

At the end of the day our video has had over 300 views, which is the most we've ever gotten in a single day for any video we've ever made. I bet by the end of the weekend it will probably be over 500. Right now I'm content with the numbers. I'm just glad that Rhett and I were able to bring a smile to people's faces. I'm glad we were able to get it finished. I'm glad I was able to finish this thing even after I had to have an operation on my leg last week. (I'm still bed ridden) Wish I really could go out and celebrate being a pirate with the crew, but there's a time and place for that. My time will come. I will eventually be healed. Well there is alot more that I'll add here in the next few days. But before I go, here be our brand new Pirate Music video, it be rated ARR:

Rockin' with Rhett: The Pirate Song (Official Music Video) by Patrick Flaherty Rhett Hulcy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.youtube.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://pflaherty.blogspot.com/.