The Making of the DVD “Lights...Camera...RRR!”

 

There are lots of moving parts in making a moving picture, or for that matter, a collection of music videos. I found this out while making “Lights...Camera..RRR!” (a take-off on the Hollywood cliche “Lights, Camera, Action!”). Lets go behind the scenes, or below deck as it were, for the details.

What was the original concept? I wanted to show the interaction between myself as Rockin' Ron the Friendly Pirate and my audience, as well as demonstrating the movements in the songs. I reckoned the best way to do this would be in a concert setting.

Where to stage the concert? The Cambridge Elementary School Gym in Jeffersonville, Vermont was chosen for several reasons. This is a nearby port for me fanbase, it can accommodate a large crowd, but most importantly, it has a historic hand-painted town curtain depicting a castle, a ship, and waves. Perfect for a pirate backdrop!

Who would film and edit the videos? I chose Matt Richardson of Bear Pond Productions because of his work for Smugglers' Notch Resort and the Stowe Performing Arts Center. For the “shoot” Matt decided on having two hand-held cameras (Matt along with Nick Stephani), and one stationary camera (like at high school basketball games). We also shot some solo scenes of me before the crowd arrived.

Another decision was to use the recordings of the tracks as they appear on my CD “Give Me an RRR!”. This process would make editing much easier than recording the tracks live . Because I was miming the songs, I briefly considered calling the DVD “Loose Ships, Lip Sync” (a play on the war adage “loose lips, sink ships”).

I choose Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 1pm for the concert. A multitude of mateys, a bevy of buccaneers, and a crew of pirate-crazed kids and adults came aboard for the fun and filming. It didn't hurt that it was an overcast and rainy day, so an indoor kids activity was welcomed.

What about the DVD packaging? I wanted a professional, and Steph Campbell of sbc design came highly recommended. I asked her to come up with a logo and a font as part of the packaging design process. These elements would be integrated into the videos. We went through various logos and cover designs until we came up with the existing package.

When Matt finished editing and Steph completed the design, these components were sent to Disc Makers in New Jersey. About three weeks later a boat load of boxes washed ashore. I originally planned on coming out with the DVD in the summer of 2012, but as we got to August, I decided that I would celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th by having a Release PaRRRty. Cap'n Slappy and Chumbucket did not attend, but 4 score of me mateys did!

Why did I want to make a DVD of music videos, is this a vanity project? Well, yes, I am an artist after all, and I want people to appreciate my creations. Is it commerce? Of course, I spent money to make it and I'd like to make it back and then some (I am a pirate, and pirates like most people... like treasure). I wanted videos for YouTube to market meself. I wanted an 'audition tape' for those who bring entertainment to schools, libraries, and other venues. This collection of videos could also serve as the basis for a future TV show... so,stay tuned, me hearties!