short films and great art

Recently we were given an assignment to check out a STASH video and pick a short film to feature in this blog. One of the criteria was to research the artist and/or production company. This is where first impressions went out the window for me. I love music, and gravitate towards artists that, not only put on a great stage show, but who have a well-developed body of work (no one-hit wonders).

The first video I considered was the AIDES “Grafitti”.

I loved the combination of Illustration over live action background footage. The piece was hugely funny and entertaining, but, when I researched the company, TBWA, France, I was less than impressed with their other efforts. Granted, they had some interesting concepts. The pieces for the Grammy awards, done in collage of u-tube style amateur videos of fans aping their favorite singers was a novel concept, but (as David Bowie once said), the Grammy’s are a testament to mediocrity, not artistic greatness. I did like the concept of portraying political prisoners behind a wrought iron fence in France, (done for amnesty international, long-time cause of Peter Gabriel,et al), but all in all their work left me empty and void, so I moved on.

The next piece I considered was a short for the BBC on the winter olympics that I loved.

The illustrations are phenomenal, but, when I investigated Red Bee media I could not find much that grabbed my attention. There was an interesting piece done for TV, but nothing absolutely spectacular, certainly nothing else drawn, which is my main focus (another dead end).

The third subject I looked at I initially ignored because I had already presented the video to the class (a requirement of the assignment). It was a short piece developed by royale studios utilizing work done by Adam Haynes. It is amazing, and I liked what I found out about both companies.

Here is a quote that accompanies the blurb of the piece at http://www.weareroyale.com/

Adam Haynes is our personal hero. Seriously have you seen his work? Not only is it CRAZY detailed and dynamic, but it’s begging to be moved. Luckily, our friends at FUEL TV provided us the opportunity to collaborate with Adam through their signature series. Adam threw down some key frames, including an insanely detailed wave that we then had the pleasure of animating.

Below is an excerpt from an interview by adam found at:

http://www.hellonekko.com/blog/interviews/adam-haynes-interview/

Adam Haynes- FUEL TV Signature Series ID from FUEL TV on Vimeo.

Biography
I was born and raised in rural Central Oregon and gained a deep respect for the outdoors at an early age. Painting and drawing were always a passion, and I decided to pursue my interests in art and nature by attending school in Bozeman, Montana. After graduation, the city beckoned, and I moved to Portland to pursue a graphic design career designing tee shirts and apparel for adidas. After a few years of computer design I began to draw and paint with more frequency, and soon began putting together an occasional show. My interests continued to move in a hand drawn direction as I strayed from computer illustration more and more. After four years, my wife and I decided to move back to Bend, Oregon to pursue a more active lifestyle and a freelance career in illustration. Two years later my client list is growing continually, the work keeps coming, and I still manage to put together an occasional show.

If you like to see more of his work check out the following sites.

http://abduzeedo.com/awesome-paintings-adam-haynes

http://www.stickfort.com/illustration_main.htm

As for royale, I was hugely impressed to find out that they were chosen to do promotion for the David Bowie inspired redo of the recently opened Lofts At Cherokee Studios.

http://vimeo.com/7970103

RC Design Federation & Lofts @ Cherokee Studios Installation from Royale on Vimeo.

We had the honor of collaborating with RC Design Federation in creating the video components for the David Bowie-inspired multi-media installation for Rock 'n' Platinum: A Designer Showcase That Interprets Music Through Design. The showcase was commissioned to introduce Lofts @ Cherokee Studios. The development pays homage to the loft's historic namesake and grounds where musical lumiaries like Bowie, Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Johnny Cash once laid down indelible recordings.
We produced two video installations - one for each level - to enhance the experiential cohesion of the "Bowie" motif. On the top level, a mesmerizing portrait of Bowie, which slowly morphs into abstractions of his various creative personas. On the lower level (as part of the more intimate Bowie "suite"), a looping four-minute montage splicing motion graphics with Bowie film clips, set to Jen's favorite rock anthem "I'm Afraid of Americans".

http://player.vimeo.com/video/7970103

http://www.weareroyale.com/work/54

Below is a detailed account of the equipment available at Cheroke in 1975, from http://davidbowiestationtostation.com./

StationToStation - original production sessions

Station To Station was originally recorded at Cherokee Recording Studios in Hollywood. The facility was just opened in 1975, and David was the first major British act to record there. I didn’t choose Cherokee because it was “the” state of the art facility in L.A., it certainly was not, but rather because it was unknown at the time. My thinking was that its anonymity would help keep us below the radar with the press, groupies and paparazzi.

We recorded in Studio 1 which was the first ever Tom Hidley-designed room and later redesigned by George Augspurger. Near-field monitors were JBL 4311s. The recording console was a Trident A Range. There were only 13 of these boards ever made and Cherokee eventually went on to own four of them. This console probably has one of the best sounding mic/line/EQ combinations to this day. David was the first artist to use the Trident A Range in “Studio 1” which helped to establish Cherokee as a world class facility.

We recorded on MCI JH-24, 24 track analogue tape machines and utilized much of what is now considered “vintage” equipment; Eventide (delays and harmonizers), EMT Echo Plates, UA/Urie and Teletronix compressors, API EQs, and DBX noise gates and compressors. Microphones were the standard array of Neumann, Shure, AKG, Sennheiser, and EVs. We also used the Dolby-A noise reduction system.

The project was mixed at The Hit Factory in New York which was my home studio and wherein I was chief recording engineer. We had a custom built console utilizing the now classic API 550 equalizers in each channel module. It had no automation, so like all mixing in those days, the mix was somewhat of a performance in itself. Every pass had small differences and sometimes it came to editing different takes together to achieve the “final” mix. TVC15 is a classic example of this. The 24 tape tracks were packed with different instrument information ending up on the same track at times. This of course made it impossible to add EQ and dynamics processing to a track for a continuous mix pass. One cannot affect a piano, saxophone and maracas in the same manner; hence the song was mixed in sections. My assistant added a second pair of hands for the most demanding sections. The multi-track machine was an Ampex MM-1000… a beast of a machine, but very reliable and the 2-trk machine was an Ampex AG-440. The outboard possessing equipment was very similar to what Cherokee had in L.A.

The Nassau concert utilized the famous Record Plant remote truck. I can’t really remember much about the equipment other than it had Ampex 24 Track analogue tape machines… probably MM-1100s. I used it several times when recording for King Biscuit, but I never concerned myself too much with the equipment. The most important thing to me in a remote live situation is having good knowledgeable assistants who know the meaning of urgency and getting the concert recorded. The monitor mix in the truck may not be perfect, but as long as the information is recorded, I know I can get it to sound good when taken back to the studio.

The new Nassau mixes were mixed at Sweetersongs East Studios in Santa Monica, California (Michele Vice-Maslin, owner) utilizing direct transfers from the original multi-track analogue tapes to ProTools HD 24/96 and a vast array of “top of the line” Plug-Ins. An Avid Control-24 board was used as the interface to the dual quad core Mac Pro. Speakers are Yamaha self powered near field monitors.

The 5.1 Station To Station was mixed at The Barn in Agoura Hills California. This was also in the Pro Tools HD 24/96 format utilizing an Avid Icon interface. Westlake monitors were used in the array. Again a vast selection of Plug- Ins from many top line suppliers was used.

When it came time to “Master” the two projects, the first engineer of choice that came to mind was Brian Gardner who had mastered the original Station To Station back in the ‘70s. At the time Brian worked for Allen Zentz Mastering in Hollywood. In those days we were still using Neumann disk cutting lathes and once all of the audio decisions were made for each song involving EQ and compression one could expect to receive a test lacquer shortly thereafter that had been cut directly on the lathe by the Mastering Engineer. Of course, everything used in the mastering chain was analogue including the half inch tape on which the project was mixed.

Brian now works at the famous Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood. Visiting Brian today for a mastering session involves carrying your hard drive tucked under your arm. The drive for these sessions contained an enormous amount of digital information. Between the Nassau concert, the 5.1 Station To Station mixes and the stereo fold down mixes (all having been mixed in Pro Tools, High Definition) there were quite a few gigabytes resting comfortably on the drive. Brian and I played through each track numerous times tweaking the EQ and dynamics. The digital information came out of the computer on their high end D/A converters and from there routed to the console for processing. All of the equipment in the audio chain at Grundman’s is still analogue, including the consoles. No computer plug-ins were used in mastering.

Finally, I think an important thing to know about both projects is that there is no Auto-Tune used on any mix. All of David’s vocals remain as they were originally recorded.

Harry Maslin
Co-producer of the original album and new mixes.

The live Nassau coliseum concert has long been one of my favorite bootlegs. Unknown guitarist Stacey Heydon was discovered by David playing in a bar in Canada. He has a knack for driving the rhythm of established songs beyond their normal pace and cadence (check out his work with Iggy pop on the 1977 tour where he was offered as a last minute replacement after Bowie departed with guitarist Ricky Gardner to record Low in France). Previously, only three tracks from this show were “officially” released…Word on a wing and Stay (with an extended solo not available on the boot), and Queen bitch, released on an obscure title by David’s former management, MAINMAN. Lou Reed’s Waiting for the man has been noticeably absent until now. It is a high-energy “must have IMO.

And, for those of you in the market for the hippest studio on the planet, here is wikipedia’s take.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lofts_at_Cherokee_Studios

Lofts At Cherokee Studios is a mixed-use development featuring 12 live/work lofts and 3 commercial condominiums. Formerly a recording studio doing business as Cherokee Studios, the site is the recording home to over 300 gold and platinum records as well as numerous film soundtracks. The site is also the former home of MGM Recording Studio. On August 31, 2007, Cherokee Studios shuttered to transform into its newest incarnation: the first LEED Platinum certified mixed-use development.

The Cherokee Studios has a rich history due, in part, to its facilities. The complex had three separate studios plus common facilities. Both Studio 1 and Studio 3 had vintage hand-made Trident A-Range Consoles made in the early '70s, while the other studio was used by vocal coach Roger Love "vocal coach to the stars". In addition to current technology, the studio claims to have one of the largest collections of vintage tube microphones in the industry. The complex was owned by the Robb brothers, Bruce, Dee and Joe, who bought them in 1975 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

According to Billboard.biz, Cherokee closed its doors on Aug 31, 2007. LA's Cherokee Studios To Close^[1]

The new lofts, a collaboration between the Robb brothers and developer REthink Development, will be designed for both LEED certification and private, home recording capability.

Lofts at Cherokee Studios are scheduled to open in Summer 2009.

Cherokee's founders, the Robb Brothers alongside famed acoustician '"George Augspurger"', Lawrence Scarpa '"Pugh + Scarpa Architects"' and '"REthink Development"' designed live/work lofts in the spirit of Cherokee (recording) Studios' Studio 1. The enhanced sound control measures and unit layouts are designed for private, home living, recording and production. The two, premium units feature dedicated music production control, isolation, and tracking space already built to professional home studio specifications. Other units can quickly be adapted for music production.

The new lofts consists of 12 condominium live/work lofts and 2,800 square feet (260 m²) of retail space. The building is 5 stories, including 1 underground level of parking, first floor retail and parking, 3 floors of lofts on floors 2 though 4 as well as a rooftop deck and green roof.

The lofts range in size from 1,200 to 2,400 square feet (220 m²). Each loft has a unique floor plan. Seven of the lofts are two-story town homes perched 30 to 50 feet (15 m) above street level. Home music production or creative space will be on the 4th floor 40 feet (12 m) above street level to maximize city skyline views, daylight and energy efficiency.

Three of the lofts are tri-level with 15-foot (4.6 m) high ceilings in the living space with mezzanines and an intermediate level that opens to the landscaped courtyard. Finally, two lofts flats have 11-foot (3.4 m) high ceilings also opening to the landscaped courtyard. All lofts have 2 to 3 bathrooms and 1 to 4 bedrooms.

These lofts' live/work spaces negate the need to commute to and from work. The design of the live/work spaces, therefore, mitigates impacts upon energy and economic resources. Furthermore, environmental impacts decrease due to the dual function of building and energy resources for home and work. As a result, residents save money on utilities by conserving energy resources.

Private, Home Recording Spaces

The individual recording spaces are designed for artists and professionals in the creative industries. Musicians, composers, producers as well as film and television animators, directors and editors can fulfill their work duties in these studios. The recording space was designed by leading acoustician George Augspurger with Cherokee Studios founder and multi-platinum producer-engineer Bruce Robb.

Green Building

Cherokee Studios is the first mixed-use building designed for LEED Platinum certification. The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or, LEED) is the world's premier and most rigorous green building rating system. LEED rates buildings on their ability to reduce impacts from energy, materials, water and transportation while improving the health of the indoor and urban environments. Platinum is the highest certification level achievable.

http://www.loftsatcherokeestudios.com/creativeLegacy/

The Legend

Cherokee Studios was one of the most significant Hollywood recording studios with over 300 Platinum and Gold albums recorded by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, David Bowie, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis.

“It was unbelievable,” says Bruce Robb of Cherokee, “You could wake up at 3 in the morning, go into Cherokee and it was like the biggest, most exciting nightclub in town. It was around the clock, with the most insane things going on in the rooms. We'd have Barry Manilow in one room, Kiss in another room and Frank Sinatra in another room. And Bob Crewe was just crankin' with disco. There were two sessions a day in each room; one would stop at 8 p.m., the next would start at 9 and go to the next morning. At one point, Joe and I were doing Sinatra, and Dee was doing [David] Bowie. Bowie would stroll into our session and invite Sinatra back into his session. We'd have Jeff Beck in doing Wired, and he'd go up to a Rod Stewart session — ‘Lemme play a solo on this track.’ There was a lot of that then; nowadays, it's a little more closed off, more driven toward the market and the brand of the group. It was more about music than marketing back then, and the artists were still leading the trends. We catered to the artist rather than the label, because those are the guys who made the records. And you know what? That's still the way we feel.”

The legacy is Elton John feeling the vibe and sitting at the piano in Studio One to write music. It is Elvis, Sinatra, Fitzgerald. It is Bob Seger recording Hollywood Nights with two different drum sets. It is warm summer nights on the roof of Cherokee Studios with the Robbs at the “Shanghai Bar and Grill”. It is Belushi living in the studio and sleeping on the floor. The legacy is the collection of stories, experiences, and creativity that make the soul of this place worth preserving.

History

In his autobiography, The Beatles producer George Martin called Cherokee Studios the best studio in America.

Cherokee Studios moved to 751 N. Fairfax in 1975 after purchasing the building from MGM Records. Originally built as Frank Sinatra’s string room, Studio One quickly became one of the most sought after large tracking rooms in existence. This special space in combination with Cherokee founder’s vision to create a recording studio built by recording artists for recording artists resulted in an atmosphere that was not replicated anywhere. Artists referred to this atmosphere as “the Vibe”. Those craving a balance of the vibe and the technical and acoustic conditions to make great music, found Cherokee to be their favored destination.

Before moving to the famous site on Fairfax, Cherokee Studios was founded by the Robb brothers in a converted barn on a ranch in Chatsworth. The brothers, successful 60’s folk rock musicians known as The Robbs, had set up the ranch as their rehearsal space. As word got out about their set up, it quickly became the place for recording artists to escape the stuffy corporate labels in favor of an environment that cultivated creativity. Now as producers and engineers, the powerful combination of the Robb brother’s commitment to the artist attracted top talent. Little Richard, Del Shannon, and Rick Nelson were soon clients and Bob Crewe produced the first Disco record at the studio. Before Cherokee was ready to take over Studio One on Fairfax, they had already cut Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic that went gold.

The studio soon outgrew its location and in 1975 they purchased Studio One from MGM. “The vibe” created by the Robb’s enthusiasm for the creative process and the acoustics designed by world famous acoustician, George Augspurger, ensured that the success continued. Overall, Cherokee Studios produced over 300 gold and platinum albums on site and an untold number of amazing stories and experiences. We expect they won’t be the last.

The Legacy in Design

Dynamic Façade. The dynamic façade emulates the inherent dynamic nature of the music created at Cherokee Studios by being in a constant state of change. The morphing skin of the building is an outward manifestation of the creativity of its residents.

Studio One’s Black Forest Wood. Materials from the recording studio are reused throughout the new building including the dark wood paneling from Germany’s Black Forest that completed Frank Sinatra’s Studio One.

History. The building entrance, signage, walkway and doors reflect the past of Cherokee Studios. Gold and platinum records, memorabilia, and reminders of the artists that recorded at Cherokee are integrated in the lobby design.

Dedicated Music Production Studio Suites. In the new Cherokee Studios the premium and music units will include home recording or editing studios designed masterfully by Cherokee Studio’s founders for music or film making.

Great artists attract great artists and projects. This is why Adam Haynes and royale studios spot for FUEL tv tops my list of great short films. Hope you found this blog informative, as well as entertaining. See you in cyberspace.