Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
- Longfellow

MIchigan Film Festival 2010

The Michigan Film Fest 2010 is happening this weekend Nov 12-14. Founder, Jen Pider, described the event as "a celebration of Michigan made works and our Michigan film making community. We're hoping by displaying these Michigan made films and bringing all these film makers together and people who have worked on films together with film enthusiasts community it will just be a great networking event and make our community stronger." Organizers do not want to compete with the other 28 festivals in the state so instead of taking direct film submissions from movie makers they ask the other festivals to send in their best works. I will be performing at the Music Supervisor's Showcase, the evening of Nov. 13. Looking forward to it!

For more info, click here.

Michigan Film Fest 2010

It's now only a month away until the 2nd annual Michigan Film Fest. in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Last year I was on a panel discussing music for film and this year I'm honored to be serving on a committee. It's shaping up to be a great event, with more films, more seminars, and more speakers. Of particular interest will be the Music Supervisors Showcase, where Michigan musicians will be showing off their songs for industry professionals. (Unfortunately, this will be a private portion of the fest, for industry professionals and not open to the general public.) If you are free Nov. 12-14 and near Grand Rapids, MI, consider taking in this entertaining and informative event.

For more details, click here.

ArtPrize

Grand Rapids was host for the second year to the innovative art competition, ArtPrize. It was bigger and better than ever! It's creators describe it as "a very different art competition, the goal is for the general public and artists to collide, exchange ideas and come away changed." It is tremendously inspiring to see so much excellent and diverse art all showcased in and about the city. Not only that, but it has been a fantastic draw for the city of Grand Rapids, and further boosts it's reputation as an up and coming "cool city". I'm continually blown away with the creative and innovative spirit that is present in West Michigan and I am so glad that I call it my home!

What is Quality?

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”

William A. Foster

ART Realty Ad

I worked with Big Red Group recently to produce this advertisement for ART Realty. Some classic "elevator music" was the order of the day. Check out ART Realty if you are in the market for a new home.

A Great Quote

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

Aldous Huxley

Favorite New Plug-In

Just wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite companies, Universal Audio. I own a number of their plug-ins, which run on the fantastic UAD-2 card. I recently added the FATSO Jr. to my arsenal of Universal plug-ins, and love the effect it has on my tracks!

For those in the know, the original Empirical Labs FATSO Jr. is a Analog Tape Simulator and Compressor. It "gives users the wonderfully warm and pleasing sound of magnetic recording tape, class A transformers, and tube circuits...Specifically, the FATSO is designed to musically integrate frequencies and transients — and increase the apparent volume of your source material — in the same way classic analog equipment does."

I find that I'm using it on more and more songs, as it brings out that elusive warmth and vibe that can so often be missing in hard disc recording. For more info, click here.

June 4WALL- Fulvew Productions

This month the West Michigan Film and Video Alliance (WMFVA) 4WALL event was featuring the work of Fulvew Productions of Grand Rapids, which is owned and operated by Chris Randall and Keith Golinski. They describe their company this way... "Fulvew Productions creates professional, national quality film and video with a focus on entertaining, engaging and exciting people. We like our productions to stand out, not only in a client’s market, but anywhere in the country."

Fulvew's clients include Hanon McKendry, Gordon Foods, Meijer, Haworth, and Steelcase, to name a few. I was very impressed with the creative work they have done, not only the commercial and corporate work, but also the music videos and film shorts. It was an evening well spent, watching Fulvew's work and hearing about their experiences first hand. Follow the link below to find out more about this great company.

Fulvew Productions

Waterfront Film Festival 2010

This weekend I attended my second Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, MI. It is a wonderful event that showcases some of the best independent and documentary films being produced.

Here's how the organizers describe the fest...."In what has quickly become a tradition, the idyllic resort village of Saugatuck, Michigan comes alive each June with filmgoers, actors, producers and directors sharing the excitement as outstanding independent films from all over the United States are screened in casual, intimate settings. Entertainment professionals from Los Angeles, New York and Michigan created the Waterfront Film Festival in 1999 to provide a "middle coast" venue for independent filmmakers eager to show their work to sophisticated audiences. The festival has succeeded with growing support and recognition each year, and enthusiastic reviews from attendees."

From drama to documentary, comedy to horror, there were films for everyone; certainly more than I could fit into two days of viewing. As during my first visit to the WFF, I came away inspired by the quality and breadth of films shown, not to mention the excellence with which the fest was organized and run. I also gained a lot of fantastic scoring ideas from viewing these films. Can't wait for next year!


To find out more about the fest, click Waterfront Film Festival

Time Bomb Productions

I completed three underscore pieces for Time Bomb Productions out of Holland, MI this month. Time Bomb Prod. is owned by Randy Stephens and focuses on filming any manner of auto races and demolitions derbies. He was needing some aggressive, hard rocking tracks to use underneath his race footage. More info can be found at Git-R-Bent.

Demo for Lee Heerspink

This month I have been working with my good friend Lee Heerspink on his demo disc. Lee is a Holland, MI native who has been playing guitar for over 12 years. He currently holds a bachelors in music education from Hope College (04’), and a master of music from the University of South Florida (07’) in jazz performance. While in Tampa he was able to play professionally with some of the areas best including Jack Wilkins, Steve Davis, and Richard Drexler. Not only is Lee extremely talented, but he is a heck of a great guy!

We ended up using the Digidesign Eleven Rack for all of Lee's guitar tracks, and the tones sounded fantastic! An added bonus was that the prep time was miniscule compared to standard amp miking procedures, and he could play in the control room, tracking over the monitors. Very nice! Lee's demo also gave me the chance to use my latest plugin, the Fatso Jr. In Universal Audio's words "The Empirical Labs EL7 FATSO’s ingenious design and creative feature set gives users the wonderfully warm and pleasing sound of magnetic recording tape, class A transformers, and tube circuits." A great addition to my plugin arsenal, which really made a difference on Lee's demo.

To find out more about Lee, follow this link. Lee Heerspink

Addy Picture

Here's a photo of me (l) and Karl Koelling (r) from the Addy's back in February, taken by Grand Rapids Social Diary.

Karl owns Kairos Productions in Grand Rapids, MI and it has been my privilege to work on a number of projects with him. Karl is a true creative professional, who runs his business with integrity, and is a pleasure to work with. If you are searching for a full service production company to take you from concept to final DVD authoring, be sure to check him out.

Kairos Productions


The Addy's was my first encounter with Grand Rapids Social Diary. In their words..."The Grand Rapids Social Diary is a unique online magazine and social network designed to inform, entertain and connect West Michigan residents, nonprofit groups and businesses. It is both inspirational and aspirational, engaging readers with a smart tone and highly visual style of covering Grand Rapids’ philanthropic and cultural activities." If you are not familiar with this organization, be sure and see what they are covering.


Grand Rapids Social Diary

4WALL

Last night I attended my first West Michigan Film and Video Alliance (WMFVA) 4WALL event. 4WALL screenings take place at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids, MI, and show off the best member work and provide networking inside the production community. This month was dedicated to the best commercial and corporate work in Grand Rapids. Presenters were Kerry Rasikas and Lisa Steele of Rasikas Films, and Ken Schmidt of Ken Schmidt Productions. Once again I was blown away with the creativity and top notch work that is being done right here in West Michigan! A very fun and informative evening.

Promotional Trailer for Rob Stam

Rob Stam, who I wrote a post about last month, has started appearing as a guest speaker in support of his book "Almost Our Time". In need of a promotional trailer (and needing it "yesterday"), Karl Koelling of Kairos Productions and I whipped up this short promo that Rob has started putting to good use. The soundtrack is actually a piano piece that Rob has had floating around his head for a long time now. Glad we could record it and put it to good use!

Keystone Coaching

I wrapped up some voice-over work today for Mark de Roo, president of Keystone Coaching & Consulting. Keystone is "in the business of transforming performance for corporate professionals and organizations. (Their) objective is to facilitate your growth by helping to define your vision through goal-oriented coaching." Mark wanted to add some short educational audio clips to the site, but lacked the proper equipment to produce a professional audio sample. It was my pleasure to help him achieve his goal. Check out his "Emotional Intelligence?" audio clip by following the link below.


Keystone Coaching & Consulting

Almost Our Time

Just want to give a shout out to my friend Rob Stam on the release of his new book "Almost Our Time: Generation X Takes On America's Challenges".

Rob shares how "Generation X grew up with Star Wars, prepared to deal with the problems of a fantasy universe... but that it is assuming leadership of a very different country than the one they grew up in. Even so, if the Star Wars generation will learn and apply classic American principles they can defeat the "Debt Star" and other real world problems and pass on a better nation to their children". It is a great read and challenges us to live realistically and within our means.

Session work for Othello Productions

I laid down some electric guitar parts this weekend for Othello Productions in New Jersey. Used my Eleven Rack for it and can't say enough good things about the unit. Finally, a virtual guitar amp that feels like a real amp, and instant recall of all my settings! Love the fact that I can collaborate with people around the globe too.

Michigan Film Office's 2009 Annual Report

"Michigan's film tax incentive created more than 4,000 Michigan jobs for crew work, and another 4,000 jobs for Michigander actors and extras, according to the 2009 Michigan Film Office report made public today. The bulk of the crew jobs average $30 or more an hour..... " by Jackie Headapohl

For full story: Click here.

Startup Weekend

This past weekend I was part of what is called a "Startup Weekend". Here's how the website describes it....

"Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to a 54 hour event that builds communities, companies and projects. It is known for its quick decisions, inventive problem solving, unique facilitation technique and letting the founders show what they can do. The program has already met with success in over 52 cities and 12 countries and growing! The participants that attend a Startup Weekend decide what they want to tackle over the weekend and come out at the end with several developed companies or projects. Startup Weekend provides an unprecedented level of networking, team building, learning, and life changes for its attendees and their communities."

It was a great experience to be around such smart, highly motivated and skillful individuals and watch them do their stuff! One more reason I'm glad that I live in West Michigan. To find out more about the event, follow the link below.


Startup Weekend

Rock Your Addy Off!

What a great three days of celebrating advertising here in West Michigan. On Tuesday, the Creative Crawl allowed anyone interested in the ad industry to tour companies and meet creatives, a great way to network and find out what is going on locally. Wednesday morning offered an engaging presentation by Bob Fish, founder of Biggby Coffee, and was followed by three seminars focusing on marketing and emerging technology. Finally, Thursday night capped the week of events with the Addy Awards. Once again, I was blown away by the talent that is here in West Michigan. To find out more about the winners, visit the AAF West Michigan site.


AAF West Michigan

Third Annual Ad Fair

This will be a busy week. It is the third annual Ad Fair, celebrating world-class advertising and design products created in West Michigan. AD Fair ‘10, is a series of social, educational and celebratory events slated for February 23-25. It's Grand Rapid's version of New York’s Ad Week–celebrating the best of what the advertising and design industry brings to West Michigan. Events include the Creative Crawl, an Advertising and Marketing Workshop, a Media Auction, and finally, the Addy Awards. Looking forward to some good networking and hearing about the exciting and creative work that is done in West Michigan.

Website Goes Live!

I'm pleased to announce that the new DP Creative Audio website went live this weekend. It looks great! I'm indebted to the talent and hard work of my friends Luke Daab, Greg Smith, and Rob Stam. Thanks guys! Please take the site for a spin and let me know what you think. Better yet, spread the word about DP Creative Audio with your friends and colleagues.

Happy Holland

This just in...I live next to the second "Happiest Town" in the USA.....Holland, Michigan.

Although Boulder, Colo. came in first and Honolulu, Hawaii landed third in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index -- based on answers gathered from more than 350,000 phone surveys nationwide -- the communities aren't getting as much attention as Holland. How exactly does an area such as Holland and Ottawa County end up on a top 10 list? Mayor Kurt Dykstra's response “We are part of a community that truly cares for one another. Holland is also “in a very beautiful part of the world.”


A news crew from ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer" spent most of Wednesday in Holland working on a story about how the Tulip City landed at No. 2 in a happiness survey.


Watch the news clip: Happy Holland

Website Remodel Part 2- Daab Creative

Having developed a stronger sense of brand and vision for the company and the website, it was time to consult with my good friend Luke Daab. Luke and his wife Jenny own Daab Creative, and Luke is one of the most imaginative and inventive fellows I know. He helped me design the original website and I wanted him to be behind this second build as well. Not only is Luke a superb artist and designer, he is a pleasure to work with. Please follow the link to find out more about his company and view his portfolio.

Daab Creative

Check out Hangar 42

Hangar42 Studios: The Next Step in West Michigan Film

By Brandy Arnold

"Hangar42 Studios, which opened its doors to production this month, promises to continue the revolution of the West Michigan film industry.

The 450,000 square-feet structure located in Walker is being completely overhauled to serve as Michigan’s first fully financed major film studio.

The principals and investors behind Hangar42 are thinking big – physically and electronically. The group expects to create 50-60 administrative jobs and 750-1,000 additional jobs in its first three years. In addition, Hangar42 has one of the largest sound stages in the world and a data infrastructure that will allow production information to be shared with others across the globe in real time.

Our hope is that the studio will multiply the economic impact to the local West Michigan community and tie more companies, people and jobs to the growing film industry,” she said. “We think it offers further support that there is a lot going on in the area and it’s a great place to live and work.”"

Website Remodel Starts

I've been meaning to take the DP Creative Audio website up a notch for a while now. Step one was to seek help in the branding and copy department. Neither of these are my forte, but thankfully I have talented friends who excel at this sort of thing. I started meeting with Rob Stam, of The Big Red Group, and Greg Smith, of Black Lake Studio. Together we hashed out a great new vision for both the site and the company. I couldn't be more pleased!

I highly recommend both Rob and Greg! To find out more about them, follow the links below.

The Big Red Group

Black Lake Studio

Addy Entry Day

It's Addy time again! This year I chose to submit the songs that I created for the Kellogg's Apple Jacks "2GETHER 4EVER" games. The games needed to have a high energy, four-on-the-floor feel, yet also contain a Caribbean vibe (due to the character "CinnaMon", Apple's friend in fun). Surf over to the Apple Jacks site and click on the "Classic Fun" tab for a little leisure time activity. Play "Market Mayhem", "Inside-Out", "Signal Sk8", "Message Mixer", and "Mega Maze" to help Apple reunite with CinnaMon.

To visit the Kellogg's Apple Jacks website: Click Here