Friday, October 14, 2016

A Second GT 3000 Music Video

two ghosts twirl through the burial ground
I storyboarded a music video for "Burial Ground" and I filmed myself singing it... so I have the important parts to make another music video.
a sketch of the burial ground
I'm cautious about it at this time because I started with a new client recently (I do storyboards for animation) and I want my work habits to be solid first before I dabble in a side project.
However, I'm starting to feel like the timing is coming for me to be able to start making the video...
You can stream Burial Ground here- http://ghostrain3000.com/track/burial-ground

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Ghostrain 3000 is back On the charts!

such great news
Ghostrain 3000 (that's me) had charted on Kamloops college radio as record 9 of 30 in all albums played for early october. And is 2 of 10 in the roots album section!

In 2006 I released my second album "let the record show". I sent it to roughly 20 college radio stations. I can't tell you how many stations played it (likely all of them since it's what they do and college radio is very good about playing music they're sent) but I do know that album charted here and there and also since I registered all my music with SOCAN (the Canadian music copyright association {not the right name}) I even got paid some royalties. What's insane is that in 2015 I was still receiving some royalties from my 2006 album and was actually one of the reasons I got back into music.

I didnt know it at the time the time but I would eventually make a few hundred dollars in royalty payments for that 2006 album from college radio play alone.
Recently, i sent out one promo cd for my latest album "the longest moment is now". I just got an automatic email in October that I'm charting in Kamloops. I couldn't have received better news.
That same day I was having an argument with my client about some work mumbo jumbo, I was on day 33 of 36 of not drinking, I stubbed my toe, I felt generally down. So the charting news made me feel like life wasn't all bad!

I reached out to the radio station to see if they would like some GT 3000 swag because I'll be in Kamloops in a couple weeks to visit my youngest brothers new baby boy (!). Hopefully they respond and maybe I can get them some CDs, stickers and a t-shirt to give away heck maybe I can get an interview. I will contemplate what value I can provide the radio station... I'll think it over and post about it tomorrow.

"Winter always gives in to spring."

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Official Music Video for "The Weathered Hand" is finally here!



Check out new the music video and please give it a share :) Thank you so much.
Get the new album "The Longest Moment is Now". Available for pre-order on itunes!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting facts about the music video -
- I built and animated the 3d environment of the pine trees in a browser 3d program called 3dtin.
- I shot all the live footage on my iphone with a clip on, wide angle lens. Get it here.
- I composited some of the footage in my iphone in an app called vid.lay. Get it here.
- I edited the green screen footage of myself and the other footage in Premiere CC. (I found a version from a torrent sit that rhymes with Birate Pay)
- I did a lot of experiments to see what worked and what didn't.

I'm working on a longer article about how I made the video and did the green screen. Feel free to sign up to the blog to catch that post.    

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Video - The Making Of "The Weathered Hand" Music Video

This making of video of "The Weathered Hand" was a riot to do. I wanted to do some promotional thing for the video but wanted to true to the independent nature of the process so here you have it. Be sure to watch til the end for the munchkin green screen explosion. Thanks so much.

Monday, July 4, 2016

The First Single "Burial Ground" Drops from New Record

Hi! I forgot to post about dropping the new single last week.

I've embedded it here. Thank's for listening!





The new album is going to be released on iTunes, Google Music, Spotify, Rdio, Pandora and on CD on August 26, 2016.

My last two albums I released around my birthday as well :)  

The Making Of "The Weathered Hand" Music Video

Over the weekend I made a "the making of", sort of a trailer for the "Weathered Hand" music video.

I see other artists doing trailers for their music videos so I thought that was a good idea. I'll launch it at peek Facebook time, this coming 1 pm on Wednesday.

Oh, I put the kids at the end of it breaking through the green screen! Pretty hilarious.









Monday, June 27, 2016

The Remastered CDs are Ready to be picked up!

Since I had to remaster my CDs I had to get them reburned but I used the wallet cases from the first mastering (the one that I butchered...). Anyways, they are ready for pick up!

The next step after picking them up will be printing out my one sheet presskit and getting some mailers together for college radio, magazine and music blog review and radio play.

I just had to get the "glamour" ones. Oh yeah...


Sunday, June 26, 2016

"Burial Ground" the first single from new album "The Longest Moment is Now" has dropped.

Burial Ground was a song that came together quickly. I'm glad it's on this album, I'm glad it turned out as well as it did, I'm super glad that Paul O'Brien, audio engineer and friend, recorded it with me.

We played a genuine hammond organ on the track with spinning speaker and all. I wish I showcased it more in the mix. Oh well, each part relegated to their position.

Here it is at last, out in the public.


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Do It Yourself Music Video - Not Easy, But Sure is Fun

So I made my own music video... Now while that may have many people assuming it's gonna suck, just hold on.

Granted it's not slick but you can do some really super cool things with a laptop and a smart phone with a decent camera (which is every smart phone these days).

Firstly and most importantly, envision your music video. I sat and thought about it for maybe a week as I also was filming stuff around my neighborhood that I thought might be cool to be in a video.

Actually, the first ideas I had were epic. It's important to get these ideas out. and then out of the way. So then I moved onto thinking about practicality. I needed to be able to make a video for next to nothing.

After another week of mulling and shooting more video I felt like I had it figured. I would make some sort of trippy footage and then rear project it onto a screen behind me while I played my guitar in the fore ground. In a nutshell and that's kind of what I did except rear screen projection turned out to be disappointing and very difficult to look good. I managed to figure out green screening and that worked out best.

I should explain. I thought rear screen because green screen used to be a technicians job, not something I could do. Turns out I could and did do just that because technology has become so fluid and easy (hah, well comparatively) that I figured it out with a few youtube videos and some articles.

Oh, and a lot, a lot, a lot of experiments and tests. Making art, film, music is a lot like engineering. You've got the blue print, the plans, you understand everything pretty well, but until you lay your hands to the materials you won't really know if the peg will go in the hole, or the rocket will fly straight or the 10$ green screen made from wrapping paper, will actually work.

Yes, 5 rolls of wrapping paper. I did this set up twice for 10$. 
 I'll expand this post.
Displaying IMG_9775.JPG    

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Mastering is Complete and sounds Amazing

So, one thing you should never, ever do is master your own music...

I did!

And then I pressed 100 cds and then... it sounded so bad I had to throw those 100 cds in the trash! When your life partner listens to the newly MASTERED music and says, "Hm... I'm just going to adjust the bass... Nope, that wasn't it maybe the treble is off... hm... nope...hm."

Then you know you're deeply fxcked.

And then when the president of your label calls you and has listened to 10 seconds of the newly MASTERED music and says, "What the fxck is this bullshxt?! Redo it, fix it! Holy fxck attack! No radio on the planet is going to play this shxt!" Then hangs up abruptly. You really know you fxcked up...

100 of these recycled... But hey 100 new ones on the way!

I then called Eric Williamson at IndiePool (who pressed the 100 cds) and humbly explained that I screwed up and would need ACTUAL mastering done.

Well, I just got it yesterday: played it in the car, the bad stereo, the good stereo, the mini speaker, the iphone, and the head phones. Sounds amazing. And I know because MY mastering sounded like garbage on everything 'cept headphones... So there you have it.

----------------------------------------
I have to thank Eric so much for his quick responses, patience and understanding and Indiepool for being a low cost solution to my big problems. God damn, pay for the mastering...

Yes, I will shamelessly plug these helpful people called http://indiepool.ca/ for many reasons plus the ones cited above. I look forward to working with them in the future 'cause they so damn nice.