this lossy codec

A little slow on the upstart keeping the blog current. Hard to find the inspriation sometimes…especially on uneventful days. Oh, there have been explosions & hot days swealtering in the last dog days of albuquerques summer but I had no desire to retell those days.

Yesterday, on the other hand, was unexpectedly cool & rainy. As chance would have it, we were sceduled to begin our week a couple hours NE of Abq in a ghost town called Cabezon. The clouds & rain made the day perfectly barable. There was zero dialogue scheduled so the sound crew was left to our own devices. Oh, we recorded sound on most of the shots but I doubt if 20% of what we recorded will be used (the director, Brian Cranston, was giving direction over most of it). The location had a stunning view though so the day went fairly quick. The ghost town itself, I learned, had apparently experienced it’s heyday as a moonshine epicenter, trading the booze to the natives mostly. None of that going on now. A few people still reside there. As I was wandering around I found this piñata hanging in a little courtyard(or perhaps the roof had collapsed?). Anyway, it was weird & a little creepy. I’ll let te pics tell the rest.

Not really my first post since that one was lost due to a technical glitch (beware iPhone wordpress app users). The gist of it was that the first day was a bitch with as many curve balls as could be thrown at a sound crew (500 extras, prop mic wired into real house PA, dialogue spread all over a gymnasium). I ended up needing to dial in the 30 band EQ built into the gym PA because whoever set it up was either an idiot or a moron. Needless to say, when the next pep rally happens they may wonder why the system isn’t feeding back anymore.

So that was Friday & we immediately had a much needed weekend. Today is Tuesday & the sound crew is started to catch our stride. NOT feeling an immenent fear of being fired anymore. We have spent the second half of the day back at the Q studios (where a lot of Book of Eli was shot) so it is nice to a) be in a familiar locale & b)be inside in the AC. By the way, did I mention it’s been nearly 100′ F in Albuquerque? Sheesh it’s been hot. We won’t be shooting on the stage a whole lot but it will be a welcome break when it happens (& gives me a glimmer of hope when contemplating the next 5 months).

The funny story about today happened when a baby was brought in for the scene. The (real) mother told me the baby had been born June 29 (the day before Griffin). That fact brought even further into relief the stark contrast between the scenes portrayal of a mother & newborn & the reality I experience at home. Perhaps it took me all these years to realize tv isn’t real. Huh, go figure.

Testing Posting from the field….

While on my daily walk with the dogs out in the open desert that surrounds our neighborhood one of them, Emma, caught something I hadn’t seen before. Both dogs are zealous hunters and spent pretty much the whole walk prouncing around trying to catch lizards & rabits. Only in the past couple weeks have they begun to catch them. Well, today Emma sprang what appeared to be a large spiny toad. Looking at it closely it appeared to be bleeding from it’s eye. “Oh great,” I thought,” more death & destruction in the wake of my dogs.”

After doing some cursury investigation when I got home I discovered this wikipedia article on the Horned Lizard. It appears it’s not a toad or frog at all but a lizard. What’s more, apparently one of it’s defense mechanisms is to squirt some foul tasting blood out of it’s eye! there is even a picture on the page that looks almost exactly like the pic I took of the one Emma found. Funniest part now is that Emma keeps coughing like she’s trying to get that taste out of her mouth.

I have a longstanding tradition of recording a sampling of the soundscape each year on Independence Day. It originated years ago when I was recording all the time with a little handheld recorder. For years my dad ran a fireworks stand and I often helped out. Recording the sounds of all the whizz BANGS! Snaps! & Shreeee-POPs! seemed like a natural fit for my phonological hobby. As for what has happened to all those recordings I do not know. They are spread over various mediums – cassette, minidisk, dv tape (who knows, maybe even an 8track). Perhaps this post will help motivate me to log some old recordings and post them for the world. Perhaps…

Anyway, this recording is very different form the rest. As has often been the case in recent years I didn’t remember my annual recording until the last minute. So late last Saturday night I grabbed my little MicroTrack 24/96 and walked down the street (current domestic activities keep me from straying far from home). There were only a few fireworks going off in our quiet little neighborhood. In the distance could be heard the big display(s) from closer into town. The keynote sound though, quite surprising in a desert, were these unbelievably loud frogs. We are in the monsoon season and had indeed received some heavy rains recently. I hadn’t noticed but the rains had collected in a small drainage area at the end of the block. As I got closer and closer to the small pond (pool really) the sounds of the frogs grew deafening. Every once in a while some firecrackers could be heard or else a larger mortar would explode and illuminate the sky above me. The frogs seemed hardly bothered, although they’re syncopation did alter a bit after each one. As I stood there listening I noticed how much louder and more relevent the frogs sounds were compared to all the incendiary hoopla of the fourth of july celebrations.

The most curious thing though is that these frogs exist at all. I’m told they can live underground for long periods of time (as long as 7 months). before coming up when they sense a rain storm. Amazing. This also reminded me of another fortean phenomena related to frogs that I had read about in an old issue of Fortean Times Magazine. I’m referring to quarymen who had found live frogs inside of rocks they had just broken open. Frogs falling from the skies and now coming up from the earth. What next?

Recording of July 4th, 2009 in Santa Fe, NM

Ok, things are getting weird. Actually, more likely they have always been weird and the weirdness is just becoming too common to ignore. Last week it rained tadpoles in Japan over course of several days. Being the fortean that I am, I love this stuff. Check out links here (pics too), here & here.

The common explanation is water spouts sucking up the poor creations and delivering them wherever the wind sets them down. It seems to me probable that this is sometimes the case. Still, Fort was inspired to write books that flaunted damned data in the face of the scientific establishment. It is easy and comforting to accept the most obvious solution. But (if you read the articles) it appears even the scientific authorities in the area are unwilling to accept the water spout explanation. Well then, what other explanations are there? A bunch of birds dropped them? Should we accept Fort’s theory of a super-sea hovering in the sky above our terrestrial waters? What about teleportation? Fort did coin the word in an attempt to theorize how these strange rains could be a form of migration! But even he himself did not believe such silliness. Still, what the hell is going on here?

If you need further proof(?) that there is more to the story than unseen water spouts & vomiting birds then check out this story about a place in Honduras that has been having rains of fish annually for over 100 years. As the story of the Father Subirana miracle goes, while visiting Honduras the Spanish Catholic missionary prayed for a miracle to feed all the poor people he had experienced there. The Rain of Fish (or Lluvia de Peces) has occurred ever since. Now, I’d be interested to hear anyone’s explanation for that! Sounds like an excuse for a trip to Honduras to me. If you want to dig a little deeper into the Honduran mystery check out this article. It’s auto-translated using babelfish so you may have to read between the lines to catch the meaning.

For a list of other oddities not normally associated with ‘things falling from the sky’ check out this link.

Apparently, someone has finally (after hundreds or thousands of years of mysterious rains..come on!!!) named these freak showers, “fafrotskies.” Figure that out yourself.

I’m back in the KC area for anyone local who is reading. Drop me a line.

Things wrapped up relatively smoothly last Friday (since then I’ve been in a looong slumber. The end of a show can be melancholy (at least for me anyway) and this one was probably moreso by virtue of reflecting on Cole’s passing (that memory enhanced by us filming the death sequence of a caracter that final day at the site of the worst prison riot in US history, where over 70 died). Merely letting go of a project that has completely absorbed your life for three months can leave you feeling empty, let alone bidding farewell to folks you may never see again (and at least one that is certain).

Things are transitioning here to some kind of home life. I’ve got family to see and more family to greet into this world. Lots of excitement. In the the meantime i’m looking forward to expanding this space into some areas that will hopefully keep you all interested. Until then…

z

Time passes…

z

Time passes…

z

Time passes…

Suddenly, without notice, a new post appears on your favorite blog, this lossy codec. Although the writing isn’t necessarily very good & there isn’t really any coherent theme (what’s a ‘lossy codec’ anyway?) for some reason keeping up with the trivialities of the author’s humble existence makes your own life seem more interesting. What’s he writing about today? Hmmm… What’s this? He seems to be writing about you, in the style of the old Infocom games. What a gimmick. He must be desperate. This is really bad. If you wanted to read about yourself you’d have started your own blog. You are half inclined to post a comment just to express your annoyance at his bringing you into the blog without permission. In fact, you do. There. That feels better.

z

Time passes…

Fortunately, Pam the script supervisor said this to me today which inspired me to update the blog. She wasn’t being fresh – just repeating something she had actually heard go out over the walkies. Mr. Softy is (er, was) an armor plated ice cream truck that was part of Carnegie’s convoy of thugs. The scene involved blowing Mr. Softy sky high. And boy did they. Pretty unbelievable stunt. Almost nothing left of it by the time it hit the ground. There were lots of folks taking pictures but I was holding the boom pole at the time (it sounded awesome until the crew started cheering…good grief. amateurs). I wouldn’t want to post a pic of it anyway. Too spectacular to leak. Can’t wait to see it on the big screen.

Everything else seems pretty droll compared to that. Decent weather today (cool w/ very light wind), so that was nice. I think we only recorded 3 lines all day. Two of them were Carnegie (Oldman) saying “no” in two entirely different ways. Besides that it was just car sounds, grunts & death throws. At the end of the day we wrapped both Gary Oldman & Ray Stephenson (who played his right hand man, Redridge). What an experience working with such talent.

[hmm. while editing this I just had a reflection of one reason why I write here (I'd begun to believe the self-promotion bit from last time). Really, I think part of it is about control. There is something really therapeutic in allowing my voice to document the days events, unhindered by the plentitude of bosses to which I am subservient to throughout the day. It was even nicer earlier in the week when sound got called to set LONG before we were needed and I had time to completely update an old website (built w/ apple's iWeb app). I uploaded it while writing this post. So, now you can all find something else of relevant interest at lossycodec.com. Enjoy. And keep checking back. Should be growing fast.]

The pix attached are from last week.

]I’m not sure if it is how busy I’ve been (or not been) or something weird in the stars but I just haven’t had it in me to spill some verbage onto the interscapes. For the record, we are back on the sound stage, out of the blowing wind and so, not eating as much dirt. Which is certainly nice. Still, something is a little not right. I guess the bloom is off the rose and I’m just ready for this gig to be done.

Last week Governor Richardson made a surprise appearance on set. I was standing nearby and caught a bit of the discussion he had with the producers, directors & cast. He asked them about how the incentive program had helped the movie, about how capable the crew has been, etc. Everyone had a lot of good things to say all around. Hopefully, that will keep the business coming. Afterwards Richardson shook hands with some of the crew and Denzel called all the New Mexico folks in for a group photo.

Speaking of photos, somebody pointed out this link that has a picture of yours truly booming Eli himself. A further search today turned up this link to an Entertainment Tonight video with another shot of me booming.

After starting the week back at the stage in Albuquerque the company has moved up to the old prison in Santa Fe for the final few days of shooting. Creepy & cold though it may be, the 5 minute drive from home makes it an optimum way to phase out of show mode and back into “normal existence.” On top of that, M.M. has arrived on set, adding to an already stellar cast. Though the prison is normally a gloomy place, the set that’s been created here is amazing. Like a flea market / museum of the future. I feel right at home…

Everyone seems to be feeling good and enjoying our last few days. Some wrap gifts even got handed out today; a cool t-shirt & a silver arm band with a braille message, “stay on the path.”. Pretty damn cool (you’ll have to see the movie to find out the signigance of that). Also, someone put together a ‘gag reel’ that combined footage never meant for the big screen (actors joking around etc.) & some of the special effects. It looks beautiful. Sure to be cool flick &, no doubt, do well at the box office when it opens in theaters next January. What a wild ride it has been…

Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to write more extensively in the coming weeks, though about what I know not.

As has been the pattern this week, one heinous day is followed by a beautiful one. I wish there was more to write about than the weather (or lack thereof) but today was a pretty slow day. More fx shots with very little dialogue.

We did shoot a second take of the scene we shot yesterday (& I think a 3rd as well). That took us to lunch. Sheesh. It was a complicated scene, involving the aftermath of an RPG hitting a house, with dead people, return gunfire &…oh I shouldn’t give the whole movie away.

Short week this week. We’re off tomorrow (Friday) and back at work on Sunday. So, unless something interesting happens soon…uh, not bloody likely. Right now we’re sitting around waiting on a reset for this shot. Probably another hour or so to go. Zzzzzz.

After an utterly lovely day yesterday (blue sky & no wind) we’re back in the mess today. Sustained winds of 25-35 & gusts up to 45(uh, more on that below). But those are just numbers. They should make a dirt index to describe this. Tucked away in David’s increasingly valuable pop’n'work tent provides some protection but still somehow the tent acts as a kind of sieve, only letting through the finest particulate matter. Perfect for breathing in (cough, cough).

By lunch today we had only, just barely pulled off one shot. Fortunately, it was a keeper. Very complex shot and, luckily, the sound was great as well. Very lucky indeed because after lunch the winds picked up even more (65 mph gusts?) and the day was called before we could shoot a second take. Pretty unbelievable if that’s the shot they use considering the complexity of it and number of people involved in pulling it off. David even said that it might be the first time he’s gotten it right on the first take. Crazy.

I heard several people say it was the worst they had ever seen it on set. In the end I think it came down to safety. Some folks were worried about the house coming down. Parts of the outside were indeed flying off. The pictures I took somehow don’t capture the intense grittiness of the atmosphere.

Unbelievable. Jeff Knudsen, our 2nd boom op, broke his collar bone skateboarding this weekend. Is this show cursed or what? I’m starting to refer to it as the ‘Spinal Tap Drummer Syndrome’. Anyway, really tough break for Jeff. After two weeks the team had just caught our stride and Jeff & I were both looking forward to booming some more scenes together. Ah well, he’s supposed to be all healed up in six weeks so he’ll miss this show but (hopefully) be ready for the next one.

Luckily though, David called up another familiar face to fill the boom spot – Eddie Santiago. Long time readers may remember that he was the mixer I boomed for on Doc West. He’s another great guy & I’m glad to be working with someone I already have a raport with.

Regardless, with wind gusts up to 45 mph there isn’t much to be happy about. We’re still located in the same dirt-pile-on-top-of-buried-landfill and it’s pretty miserable. Luckily, shot-wise today is pretty kush. Very few lines and mostly special effects shots (exploding Cadillac flipping through the air, flaming body parts raining down, etc). So while Eddie is out booming such oddities David & I are seeking shelter in his tent.

Looking at the pile of dirt that accumulated on each piece of equipment regardless of the tent made me really wonder how my lungs were handling this. (cough, cough..)

I have posted some photos collected from Cole’s movie life.
Full resolution downloads are available. Also, you should be able to upload photos as well.

Cole
Gittinger Photo Gallery

Fortunately we mostly shot inside today as the weather was mostinhospitable. Apparently, at higher elevations there was some pretty major snow accumulation. No snow for us though. Just a cold, dirty, dusty wind. While David was get blasted and burried in his new tent from Pop’n'Work Jeff & I were inside the house double booming. No wires today…we were ‘being bold’. It felt good to be surrounded by the focused intensity of the scene, practicing the mystical art of boom fu. It was a sharp contrast to what was going on outside. Going out required donning goggles (at the very least) & pulling a bandana over my face. This was just nasty. Even with the tent the gear got covered with dust. Btw, did I mention the location was a buried over landfill? Presumably, this explained the large quantity of plastic tampon applicators scattered everywhere. Maybe it was part of the set dressing though, hmmm…

The scenes seemed to go well. They were fast paced, hand-held camera jobs, requiring Jeff & I to move quickly and hand people off to one another. I couldn’t help thinking how surreal & unlikely it was that I would be here, booming such major talent, so early in my career. Jeff helped out a lot (as Cole always had) by giving me tips on position & whatnot. But when the camera rolled it came down to walking the thin line between acoustical instinct & cinematographic paranoia (ie. staying out of the shot). We stayed out of the shot & David seemed happy with the sound. I felt pretty good about it. Would have liked to get a little closer to Eli & Solara as the walked out the door, though.

When they handed out call sheets we discovered there was no call for tomorrow (Friday). I guess the impending storm freaked them out. As it turns out, since they called it (Murphy’s Law being as it is) the storm barely touched Albuquerque. Oh well, another long weekend (only 3 days work this week though…).

Not sure if the nastiness of the dust filled wind comes through but here’s a picture.

I had plans to record Cole’s memorial but it was not meant to be. On the day I was too wrapped up in the moment to think about such things. I suppose it’s better that way – in my experience recording an event can sometimes seperate me from the experience I am trying to preserve. Sometimes this might be acceptable (or even desirable) but on this ocassion it benefited my own need for healing to be wholly present.

And healing it was. Such a beautiful view on a lovely a day as possible. Stories were told, music was played, tears were shed and there were (I think appropriately) moments of laughter. To be there and experience the outpouring of love, support & dedication from so many is to glimpse of how many lives Cole touched in his all too brief stint on planet earth. And even while many of us struggle to make sense of his passing and come to terms with his absence I find his presence in the movement of the wind in the trees.

Over a week has passed and still I find it difficult to write about the daily trivialities of work. Still, life goes on…

The picture is from last week.

Please join us in celebration of the life of
Cole Gittinger

This Saturday, March 21
2 PM until 5 PM

KTAOS SOLAR STATION
#9 State Road 150
Taos, NM 87571

This is a casual gathering. Everyone is welcome to speak.

If you have questions or need additional information, please call Dennis at 575-770-6697.
Please feel free to forward this information. Thank you.

(Having trouble getting the map posted here. Please post a comment requesting it and I will email the map to you.)

Somehow we carry on. Even as humanity has struggled to accept and understand the passing on of its brethren, the constant momentum of time is a balm on the wound of loss. Each day it is a little easier to cope with Cole’s passing even though contemplating it for any period of time brings back the grief. I hope his family is doing ok. As for me, I’m just trying to meditate on letting him go and being at peace with it. It’s important to let him go so he can move on. His passing really doesn’t seem so different than the way he lived his life. Like someone mentioned in the comments, just another wild adventure he’s on. Off by himself on the biggest adventure of all. He’s probably grooving away in that great jazz club in the sky.