Adam Kontras.com - The LA Premiere...




8:58 PM, Monday, September 22nd 2003: The following is a somewhat technical journal entry that could very easily bore the hell out of you. I care just enough to warn you guys, but not to actually keep from writing it. I enjoy these entries and think it’s simply astounding all the shit that can possibly happen to one person on one project. More than anything – I was a flip of a coin away from the most catastrophic loss of data I’ve ever experienced. Welcome to the hell that was my week. So I’m adding the final extras to the DVD on Tuesday…really fine-tuning it. The show turned out perfect, my only wish was more audience shots – but the nature of 4tvs makes it nearly impossible to cut-away, as well there weren’t too many great shots as Marty’s angles were limited. But 10 cut-aways is pretty good. I go to burn the first disc. The moment. And it won’t accept the live show file because the audio is at 32 khz. (sigh). No problem, it’ll just take a little more time, but we recorded the DAT at 48 khz and I can remix the entire fuggin show. What’s 5-6 hours of my day. But alas, the moment the show is about to start, the DAT goes blank. NOW, we’re in some shit. Called up my dad – he can’t figure out what happened, we’re 2 bumbling greeks trying to screw in a light bulb from 2500 miles away. Now I could just render the file at 48 and it would work – but it turns all the audio into this tinny/internet sound. I just couldn’t do it. After all this work – to have the finished product sound like that. So I decide to play it off the computer and record the sound on my DAT – then re-import it and see if it syncs. As I’m closing out the program after doing this…clank. Clank chug chug. It’s actually more of a chink chink sound, but that’s not very PC. I realize right away that it’s a sign of my harddrive going bad. I go to shut down and everything’s frozen. I manually reboot, and it goes to this screen: Press A to Reboot. I do, and it goes to the same screen. It’s kinda like the 2 sided business card that says “The answer to ‘How to keep an idiot busy’ on the other side of this card!” and of course it says the same on that opposite side. Basically the computer couldn’t see my C Drive as it was dead. As I took out the drive and looked at the warranty that read “MAY 2000 - AUGUST 2003” I told Murphy to bite me. This is nearly as devastating as when I lost the Dewey footage back in June, but luckily my other 2 drives held the really important video stuff. C is just every program that I’ll need to re-install and some video clips that are indeed lost forever. Unfortunately at this moment, I don’t know what the hell those are. LOL. As I can’t look at the drive. In the coming days however I’ll figure it out. The worst part of all this is that I need XP on any new drive I would buy. The version I have is an upgrade – and my VAIO discs that would give me 98 SE have some error screen that always comes up that I haven’t talked to Sony about yet. So I somehow need to buy a new harddrive with XP already on it. Without it, I can’t see my 200 gig harddrive which has all the stuff to burn the DVDs. And at this point getting all the DVDs burned is the utmost priority. So a brand fuggin new Vaio it is. (sigh). I was somewhat due as it had been 3 years since I got a new computer, but I didn’t really NEEEEED one. I’m not a person who needs the fastest computer. I just need what will get the job done – and my ANCIENT P3 750 was just fine. That being said – this P4 2.8 is pretty fuggin cool, but it’s such a bittersweet cool. I’m completely depressed I had to blow all this money. It sucks too ‘cause buying a computer should be really fun. It’s like buying a new gaming console for a geek like me – but under these circumstances it’s totally stressful. So I finally get everything up and running and load just enough programs to start and finish the DVD job…and I import that audio from the DAT. Bring it to the timeline and it is somehow 7 seconds SHORTER than the audio I recorded it from. Of course it fucking is. That makes absolutely no logical sense – so why not? I decided to record it internally, playing AND recording on the PC so no tape was involved… 7 seconds shorter. So I did what any rational human being would do. I went through the entire 30 minute piece frame by frame and doubled audio frames in random spots where it would be least detectable spaced evenly throughout the show. Once that was done I started the process of burning and everything went according to plan. I was able to get all the DVDs done and out the door on Saturday. Late, yes. But considering what happened – a friggin’ miracle. Unfortunately I now only have 2 days off to rebuild the 4tvs towers and get ready for the 10/1 show. Hopefully all goes well. I’m torn between being exhilarated by how busy I am, and wanting to bitch about it. You sort’ve go into a “mode” with computer problems. In order to solve things like this you have to allow HUGE fucking disasters to barely phase you. You just store the anger somewhere and deal with the problem at hand as fast as humanly possible. I’m very good at that – but the release has to come out at some point. I guess that’s what the stage is for. I gotta admit – I’m REALLY looking forward to performing both shows again on the 1st. I want to tour. I want to tour so friggin’ bad. I want to do the show 100 times all over the country. I want to meet new people, show them 4tvs – build an emailing list…. I want to push it. I’ve done all this work to make the show and it needs to be shown all over the country – not just in LA or Columbus. I have to find a way to pull it off. Although…could I do it without a booking agent? Could I just flood the entire west coast Student Activities Directors with promo packs and DVDs of the shows? And then plan my own little tour? Christ could I even arrange all that with a Full-Time Job? Something to start in the Spring of 2004? Hmmm. I’m sure I could book a few, but in order to make this happen I’d need about 20 shows over a period of 2 months all paying enough to cover gas/food/hotel AND cover at least what I’m making now to send home. And even that’s risky – because…then what? I couldn’t come back to this job after 2 months off. AHHH. Man I just know I have to do it. I just have to. It’s just too good to not tour. The right manager could go gangbusters on this I just know it. As I type that line, I know I will look back on this in a year with a knowing grin. Here’s to the future. Oh and anyone who wants the DVDs - $20 a piece, $35 for both. And for those of you who have it – tell me what you thought of everything. Adam PS - The video is actually a flash movie showing how vaio can be a multimedia link to all your entertainment. Very cool and very styilin'. If your computer doesn't know what to open it with - choose internet explorer.