Moments of Freedom, Part 1

Hey Gang!

Welcome to my life…

Where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems. I’m Freedom and I’ll be your host, coming at you from within…

The Depths of Geistopiaaaaaaaaaa

Velcum to my Life ees a prochect, un experiment een Life unt ART, A liwing storyboard, if you vill. Eet’s premise ees zat you can, and do, experience za life you choose. Eet ees based on za Veel of Life unt za ARTs for za New Millennium as life building tools. Ya. Eet’s true.

Welcome to my Life is an ITV Studios/Geist…House production. JustUs Productions, the parent company, would like to give a ‘Shout-Out’ to the following for their ongoing, and oft times unknowing, inspiration and support:

Princess Cuddlebug

Princess Sunshine

Craze & Co.

The Shaman

The Pillar

The Entire Putt-Putt-Putter Clan

FaeriePrincess

G-Man

Berton

The Baker of the CornBread

Andy-Pandy

The VanMan (may he R.I.P.)

Messengers of the Galactic Federation

Senior SwankyPants

The General

The White Rose

JoJo Dancer

Osteen, the Son

The Faery-Taler

The Nameless One

Lud-wigi

Sir Thomas

Saint Diane…and You

The Socialite

Redds

Hoagie

The Lost One

The Wandering One

Brother Alan

Brother Love

Mellie

Her Jenniness

The Jersey Adventure

Dar-Dar ‘Brinks’

Zason

Issy

Professor Siggy Chong

The Unc-countant

The Cuz

The CH-Ekhardt One

San Francisco

The Girl

Mudder

Mudslide Bill

The Cowboy

Danny Boy

Not-Bob

W.M.J.B.

The Balletic One

Brother Baggins (& His Wife)

The Ziatonic Antagonist

Otto

Pasturizer

The Piz-Niffer

Dancing Queen

Downtown Encyclopedia Brown

Mama Rabbit

And, of course, a very generous sponsor who pretends to want to be anonymous.

(*Semi-Legal mumbo-jumbo jargon fine print – my thoughts, my words. Bug off if you think you theivin’ them.*)

It is Sunday, April 12, 2015. Time….Forgiving.

Fuckin’ run with it

That’s it. Just run with it. Take what you are given and run with it.

If we are going to believe, then we must believe

I think for many of us it is very easy to claim a belief. It becomes a bit more challenging to actually live it. If we are going to believe…then we must believe. It’s the only way it works.

The Magic is in the music

I believe in the magic of music to begin with. I believe it affects us – mentally, emotionally, spiritually and, yes, physically as well.

In this particular instance, though I am fairly certain that it refers to the videos specifically. The journey itself is very interesting. But, also, you can  understand just where some of the clips actually fell in my night just by listening to what is playing.

Feedback

Feedback has always been my favorite part of WTML, and also, the one I get to play with the least. I have long said that this is actually the most vital part of the project and have strongly encouraged folks to leave comments, questions and the like.

I have come to the conclusion that Feedback does not need be limited by audience participation. Feedback can be both yours and mine. Very often as the ‘Director’ and meta-science mind behind the project I think of things after the fact or I see something during the editing process…or I just decide there is another level to it all and wish to share it.

In the past, I have referred to these thoughts and observations as ‘Director’s Notes.’ They shall now live under Feedback.

This post is going to be a lot of Feedback, compared to most.

In fact, this post is going to be a lot of a lot of things compared to posts past. So let’s start there.

Unlike most of the posts in the past, these videos do not take place over the course of a week. This is all one night – 5 1/2 hours solid of filming.

I have to say that it al kind of took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to be what it was. I have been filming lately so that wasn’t so odd. There was something else. Despite the fact that I have watched these videos over and over again, I still cannot tell you what it is. I only know that it is there.

This filming session was just jam-packed with stuff going on…on one level or another. It took me a very long time to sift through it all. There was so much information put across in so many ways. There were so many stories and moments.

Some of the stories were ones that I know I have told before but never made a final cut. So, I felt it was time.

Some of the information is visual. Most of it is audial (in one form or another.) Some of it is for everyone at large. Some of it is there for a particular person or persons to grab hold of. Some of it…is just there for me.

Remember…I’m not just ‘The Subject,’ I am a viewer as well.

I assure you, every clip in these videos is there very specifically. Even the ones you don’t get. Believe me, there are some that I do not get, but, try as I might, I just couldn’t bring myself to cut them.

This brings me to the next difference between this post and those of yesteryear.

Though I don’t truly ever see WTML on television, I have used television programing as my model. If WTML were an hour long program then it would have a running time of approximately 47 minutes with time for commercials.

This was my base. I would run 47 minutes with 13 minutes left for…potential sponsors. There were 3 videos. Each video would run about 16 minutes +/-.

The following 3 videos are about 19-20 minutes a piece.

Wait, there’s more.

If you took notice to the title of this post, then you may have seen that it read “Part 1.”

Yup.

There are three more 19-20 minute videos for next week.

I apologize for this. I really do. But, let me just say that I have watched these videos over and over and over again. Not only have I not found myself bored or distracted (but, from time to time), but I noticed that several times at the end of a video I felt like I was left hanging. Like, “man, what a place to cut out…what happens next?”

Of course, I knew what happened next. So…I can only hope you find yourself as intrigued as I was.

I feel like I learned something about these posts during this editing project. I took notice to how there are definitely distinct sections of the video. I guess I could say I took a look at things from a format aspect. There is a format there. I feel like it’s always been there but has been difficult to highlight.

In these posts I used 2 particular effects that I have come to enjoy and I think they will remain for a while. For me, they seemed to add a bit of depth to the storytelling and they helped define these different sections, and mindsets, of the video.

Following is a list of segments (that’s a much better word) that I detected during the editing process. I have also pointed them out in the videos. I will most likely continue to do this in some way moving forward. I am not sure I like how it was done in these videos, but for the purposes of these videos it works.

The Prelude – This is a collection of clips from throughout the night, or week. Sometimes they are completely random. Sometimes they point to very specific moments in the videos that follow. In either case, The Prelude is there to set the tone…or the mood. (if I wanted to rhyme.)

The Intro – This is as it has always been. After having said it again, and listening to it time and time again, I have come to the conclusion that The Intro really says it all. It tells you anything you need to know about these posts and this project.

Theme, Lesson & Observation of the Week – I think these are self explanatory. But, they are there as they have always been so I thought I would list them.

The Opening Monologue – This is a more ‘video specific’ moment. It, like the Prelude, helps sets the stage for the videos. It explains where we are at the tie and what is going on. It is my ‘Johnny Carson moment.’

Clip Segues – Again, these are some random clips from throughout the filming. These are used to break up the monotony and take a break from the main video. I feel they give a bit of release as well as a moment to process. I also use them sometimes to help transition fro one video to the next.

The Body – This is the meat and potatoes of the video. This is what it is all about. The main storyline.

Along the way I discovered a different element – Features. These are little moments or stories that don’t fit with the main body but should be shared. (For one reason or another.)

Then there is The Closing. ‘Nough said.

And, The Outtakes. Once again these are random clips. If I were officially rolling credits at the end, they would appear as the outtakes. For now, they appear as all other clips appear…only at the end.

I think that says everything I want to say at the moment. So, now, I am going to turn the reigns back over to Freedom….

Hey Gang! Wassup?

I know. I know. I said I was done, and believe me, at the time I was.

I do not wish to get into what life was then right now. Now is not the time for that. But it will all be covered somewhere along the way.

For now, let’s just focus on being here. I’m back and I fear there is no turning away.

Let’s talk about these videos.

This was, I say in the beginning, a very intense night for me. I , in no way, had expected that I was going to go through what I did. This was a Journey of magnitude for me. I still, even after editing it, am just floored by the intensity of it all – what it was, where it went, and what I was left with in the end.

As you watch these 3 videos and then the next 3, please keep in mind that there was originally 3 1/2 more hours just like it. It was a constant, non-stop experience. I didn’t even know when I started what it was going to turn out to be.

I had no clue.

I do not want to say too much more about what happens because I want for you to experience it just as I did – in the moment.

I do want to point out that when we get to ‘The CD’ (and you’ll know when that is) each and every song on the CD does make it into the Body of the video. So you have it, in order, if you ever choose to listen to it deeper.

With that being said….

Awaaaaaaaaayyyy we goooooo…….

 

Moments of Freedom, pt. 1-a

In this Episode:

The Prelude; The Intro; Theme, Lesson and Observation of the Week; The Opening Monologue; The Body, Pt. 1 - For the Record, Senor Swanky; It's Been Crazy; Prophecy; The FB Post; Pink Floyd - wrong trip; Response 1; "This is a test"; Great Debt; The Polka Hour Begins

 

Moments of Freedom, pt. 1-b

In this Episode:

The Body, pt. 1 (con't.) - What's goin on?; General Response; More going on...and loving it; Release & Revelry; Is that a wood joke?; The Fiddle Man; 1st Clip Segue - (To break up the monotony and fill in the gaps. These are little moments along the way.) Miscellaneous; All Dressed Up; The Lord's Name; CD 'Disclosure;The Body, pt. 2 - New Albumin; Finding 'the CD'; Kickin' & Screamin'; Gettin' Serious (Yeah, right); 1st Confession; The Roller Coaster; 2nd Confession and a poem; Takin' it to 'The Man, or Kickin' & Screamin' pt 2; 3rd Confession; The Lesson of it all; The Three-Fold Song; 2nd Clip Segue - St. Paddy's Day Redemption

 

Moments of Freedom, pt. 1-c

In this Episode:

The Sermon & The Rant; The Body, pt. 3 - Theme Song for my love life; Love the loves I had; All her; Anticipation of a need; Tracing the story; A Real Moment; The Curious Song; Starting the Bag; "Nasty Shit"; A message for Jo-Jo; The "unofficial" closing

 

From here in Geistopia, for now and for always, I am your beloved Rev. wishing you…

Love

Light

Peace

and Freakishness.

 

Find Rev. Matt on Facebook on the Rev Matt and WTML pages