Kordt's Blog

How does it feel to float in slow motion amid snowy treetops? Check out this remote control aerial sequence!

Cool video from Henning Sandstrom called “Midwinter in Sweden.” Shot using a remote control helicopter model.

Mashups for Meaning in Ableton Live

Important disclaimer: If mashups offend you, please ignore this post. If everything you listen to has to sound "just like the record", don't listen. If you like collaging different audio elements, this article is for you!

For mashups and remixes, Ableton Live is the perfect tool. You can beat-match source materials, perform new elements to sync with the source material, add loops and even combine audio elements that were recorded at two different tempos and two different keys, perfectly in sync and tune (if you know what you're doing. LOL)

But even cooler is the idea of combining elements that add meaning to each other.

For example, Paul McCartney wrote the song Blackbird as a punning play on the British slang "bird" for woman. He's revealed in numerous interviews that the meaning behind Blackbird was a cry for civil rights. His "blackbird" is an African-American woman singing soulfully about freedom and justice. 

So who better to combine in a mashup then Aretha Franklin singing "Somewhere" from West Side Story? The message "There's a place for us" melds nicely with McCartney's message "You were only waiting for this moment to arrive."

Of course the fun here is that McCartney's song changes time signature fairly randomly - with three, four, five, six and seven beat measures. Though the beat is rock solid and steady, the groupings of beats have to be adjusted for within Live. As you can see from the cover art screen capture, I did plenty of cutting and pasting to make all the elements match up to the beat. 

The Money Shot

Idea Index: Graphic Effects and Typographic Treatments by Jim Krause

Sit! Stay! Be Creative!

It's tough to be creative on command. And with deadlines looming, you can't wait for inspiration to strike. That's where Idea Index comes in. Don't let the small size fool you. Inside you'll discover thousands of big ideas for graphic effects and type treatments— via hundreds of prompts designed to stimulate creativity.

The cool thing about the Idea Index is applying this encyclopedia of effects and techniques in other art forms. 

Stuck on a creative project? Whip open the Idea Index at random and choose an effect. For example:

How can you use "Contrast In Weight" effect to make a sound mix more unique? Thin out the snare with EQ and beef up the bass drum? How about a little room ambience to give that flat synth part a little more presence?

How about using the "Graffiti" effect in your writing? Is there a bit of graffiti that influences the actions or thoughts of one of your characters?

Under the effect "Ornament", author Jim Krause suggests "Surprise the viewer with an ornate presentation of a common subject." How could you apply this to that documentary film you're working on?

Idea Index lists over 300 graphic effects and techniques with a page of prompts and at least 3 visuals per effect.

Creative Tools - Video

GoPro - Not Just For Adventure Sports What can you do with a GoPro? Since GoPros come with a fixed wide-angle lens, this shooter used the wide angle lens to the best advantage including:

Shooting high shots looking down.

Placing the camera on or near the ground to capture a wide field of view while including a close up texture - all while creating a dramatic perspective. The low angle is enhanced by the use of slow motion (shooting at the GoPro’s highest frame rate and then playing back at normal speed). 

Placing the GoPro inside or attached to moving objects (inside a beach pail looking up, attached to a moving bicycle, etc.)