So… you remember the music video I did a while back for “Mr . Snooze”, the quirky/blusey/rocky/Irish Trad-like number by Cavan artist Daragh Slacke?
No?
OK heres a quick refresher:
Remember now?
OK well as you might remember this music video was shot over the course of about 4/5 days, spaced out over several weeks (College work and production planning permitting) – So with so many days of shooting taking place, and with so many creative heads involved in each day – It was inevitable that there would be a surplus of footage taken. Between extra takes, abandoned scenes, hilarious out-takes and A LOT of random banter on set – I found myself playing through some great footage while editing the music video, that would other wise be going to waste on the metaphorical ‘cutting room floor’. So, once the music video was done and dusted, and with possibly a little too much free time on hand, I found myself putting together a small ‘making of’ documentary (Partly ‘for the craic’), collecting all my favourite bits from the extra footage. To add some flavour of serious commentary over this piece, I then managed to wrangle the videos two stars; Ronan & Daragh, into sitting down in front of the camera for me to ponder and reflect on their days at shooting, and the varied people who volunteered their time and got involved each day for free.
I’ll admit I possibly could of made this final video a BIT shorter (Its just under 20mins long), but a lot of work went into the music video by all those involved – and with only 5% of the overall footage taken making it into “Mr.Snooze” (and a lot of that comedy gold), I wanted to show as much as possible. Hopefully you get an idea from this little doc of all the effort these guys put into helping us make the music video, and all that didn’t make the final cut.
Also, apologies for the terribly low audio in some of the interview footage with Ronan & Daragh. Unfortunately, I didnt have a good external microphone at hand and had to rely on the cameras mounted mic. I’ve bumped up the audio as much as possible without harming any speakers/headphones, so hopefully you can hear their mindless banter OK. Afterall, this was just a wee side project I set myself back then and with it resulting in a reasonably substantial piece, I though it only right to upload it to YouTube for others to watch as a companion to “Mr.Snooze”.
Finally, yes I know its been well over a year since “Mr.Snooze” was uploaded and so “It Was All A Still” may be old news, but sure, hey – Good things come to those who wait.
Hope you enjoy the doc and feel free to comment here below, or below the video itself on my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TheImfamousDiv, on your thoughts – be them good or bad!
Hiya folks! So I’ve been going through some old hard drives recently, organising files and looking through old projects, when I happened upon some live video footage from a few events during 2011. The first here was a live performance by fantastic Cavan band The Radioactive Grandma, who played at the opening of The Gonzo Theatre’s Album launch night back in May 2011.
Unfortunately, the physical Gonzo Theatre itself which once resided above the Imperial Hotel, Cavan Town, no longer exists. However the Gonzo Theatre group themselves are still going strong and continue to stage shows throughout the country. For more info on The Gonzo Theatre, check out their website at http://thegonzotheatre.blogspot.ie/ or check out my documentary “Going Gonzo” about the early beginnings of the theatre and the motivations of those involved:
So back to the live footage. Here are a few songs performed by The Radioactive Grandma in the Gonzo Theatre on that fateful night in June 2011:
On Saturday (18th August 2012), we started off the day chatting to festival founder Ed Ward about his role in the Entertainment department of the festival. As it was still early morning and the festival was still a few hours from opening, we got to sit up on the Coors Light/ Parkview stage and watch a soundcheck with the bluegrass and Irish traditional music collaboration High Roads and Railroads. This is a combination of the bluegrass band the Ebony Hillbillies and the Irish traditional band Téada, who performed together at Irish Fest this year as part of the festivals bluegrass feature. It was fascinating to watch each performer go through individual sound checks, and with such a diverse array of musical styles being put together, it was interesting seeing them all finding that comfort zone where they could each play off each other.
Watching High Roads and Railroads sound-checking with Ed Ward.
Watching High Roads and Railroads sound-checking with Ed Ward.
Next up, I went to check out an upcoming Irish music band called Tallymoore – featuring Sean Ward on percussions and additional vocals. It was interesting to see a band with so many vocalists as well as guitarists and a great violinist. The performance was in The Snug, so as the name suggests, this stage made it a cozy performance with a small crowd.
Tallymoore performing at The Snug on Saturday.
Scythian performing at the Tipperary stage Saturday night.
That evening I went to see Scythian perform again at the Tipperary stage, a band fast becoming my favorite of the festival simply for their energetic and crowd-involving live performances (Immigrant Roadshow album is awesome!). It was interesting to see a large part of the crowd to the rear creating a little arena where a tower of beer cups would be built for people to attempt to jump over (Harder that it looks).
Festival goers jumping cup towers at Scythians performance Saturday night.
Forgetting to record some video of Scythian Saturday night, I did manage to get footage Sunday. Most of their great song (Yet hard to find online) “Those were the days’, which I have available to view on my YouTube channel:
-
Sunday (19th August 2012), started off with us helping out at the annual festival Sunday morning Food Drive. This is where the Hunger Taskforce of Milwaukee, a volunteer group who collect food from public donations, and distribute it out to local charities. Here we helped the Hunger Taskforce guys at the gates collect bags of donated food and load it onto the taskforce lorry. People who donated food at the gates could then enter the festival grounds for free (A great idea I though, as you would be surprised just how many people would do so if suggested).
At the food drive Sunday morning.
At the food drive Sunday morning.
Next, we attended the annual Irish Fest Mass, a massive Catholic mass which meets each year on the Sunday morning of the festival in the near by Marcus Amptheatre. This year it held a congregation of up to 10,000 attendees. Here we observed the mass and how it was carried out. Never heard the sound of 10,000 people simultaneously standing up or sitting down in one large enclosed space!
View of the mass alter.
10,000 strong crowd at the Irish Fest mass.
Then it was back to the festival grounds proper to catch Tallymoore performing on the much larger Aer Lingus stage.
Tallymoore performing on the Aer Lingus stage on Sunday.
Here I finally managed to record some footage of Tallymoore performing ‘Whiskey in the jar:
Luckily I also got to catch High Roads and Railroads perform on the Coors Light/ Parkview stage again.
High Roads and Railroads performing at the Coors Light/ Parkview stage Sunday.
Fortunately I managed to record some footage of High Roads and Railroads during their Sunday performance, which is available to watch on my YouTube channel:
The rest of the day saw more and more crowds pour in as the festival neared its close.
Sunday crowds at the festival.
Sunday crowds at the festival.
By mid afternoon, the skies opened and the festival was hit with torrential rain. As we were on our tour of the grounds with the festivals Beverages team, we were lucky to grab shelter in the nearest bar, surrounded by soaked festival goers…
Taking shelter in a bar during a downpour.
Once the rain had cleared and our Beverages tour was over, we headed to the Jameson Cottage to take part in some whiskey tasting with Gate 6′s Pat Brown. I could now tell you the difference between a regular Jameson whiskey, a 12 year old Jameson whiskey, an 18 year old Jameson whiskey or a Jim Beam whiskey (All nice except the Jim Beam…). Oh and don’t mention the ‘whiskey robbery’ to Fiona what ever you do…
Whiskey tasting with Pat at the Jameson cottage.
After that, I headed to The Village Pub stage to catch an intimate gig with Irish musicians Larry Nugent and Patsy O’Brien. Legends…
Larry Nugent and Patsy O’Brien performing on The Village Pub stage.
That evening, the festival was coming to a close. So with all other performances and stages now finished, many performers and volunteers got on stage for a last farewell to the crowds and a few last songs sang on stage together in the festivals annual Scattering. Myself and the other interns; Fiona, Aine and Grace, watched with other volunteers from our golf carts down in the crowd.
The Scattering – Musicians and volunteers perform on stage.
The Scattering as seen from backstage.
Fireworks at the scattering.
Fireworks at the scattering.
Least to say, there were a few tears shed as we sang and cheered to the end of an amazing festival and a great time together.
Fiona, Grace, Rob, Aine and myself at the end of the Scattering.
Me, Fiona, Cathy Ward, Aine and Grace at the Scattering.
Once things were wrapped up on the festival grounds, we all headed back to the hotel where the post-festival sessions kicked off for the night. Musicians from several bands mingled with volunteers and dignitaries to chat and play together …It was a late night
Late night session at the hotel that night.
One of the lads from Scythian with Caitlin Ward and Basil McCrea.
Eileen Carpenter and Grace L Russell with the lads at the hotel that night.
Late night session at the hotel that night.
-
On Monday (20th August 2012), after helping out down on the grounds taking down installations and packing equipment away to the Irish Fest Centre down in Wauwatosa – it was time to say goodbye…
-
Giving me a place to stay, well fed and watered for 2 weeks and providing plenty of joyful banter during my stay, the Orlovskys were a welcoming family to stay with. I hope to keep in touch with them and who knows, maybe i’ll be working with them at another year of Irish Fest yet?
Me with Patty and Mark Orlovsky after Irish Fest 2012.
Thanks to the Orlovsky’s dog Jameson, for making me feel welcome on my first day in Milwaukee by getting sick on my bed. Good dog Jameson!
Jameson
As for the other volunteers at the festival, and my fellow comrades Aine, Fiona and Grace, it was all over too quickly. We said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch online (Which with marvels such as Facebook and Twitter, aint so hard to do now thankfully). After some hugs and goodbyes we parted ways…
Sláinte
Note to self: Plan next trip to sunny Milwaukee and another year at Irish Fest!
See all you guys soon!
Slán
-
-
UPDATE: Putting together a compilation video of several video clips I recorded over the course of Sunday at the festival and a bit of the Wisconsin State Fair so hopefully will post that up soon. Stay tuned!
So i was recently doing a search online to check out related links for the PurplePeanutProductions name i use for my videos (a good thing to do every now and again just to stay on top of where your content is featuring and to who). PurplePeanutProductions is the little animated name you would see at the beginning and end of some of my videos to date (even though it would often just be me making the entire thing so ‘production’ was probably overstating sometimes). Unfortunately, ive found that there is a registered business under that name based in Boston, Massachusetts …So ive decided to stop using it. A bit sad really, because i was beginning to grow fond of that name and its repetitive ‘P’ pronouncement. Odd too, considering that i checked online when coming up with the name, to make sure it wasn’t already taken (and i couldint see it anywhere), and yet this other business has been going for 15 years? Maybe i missed it…
Anyways, its a nice time for change. Its also probably for the best as it would be easier to just use one trademark name or product stamp on every piece of media i make, PurplePeanutProductions only really made sense for video; but i make other stuff too!
So, yep, time for change. New name. Hmm…Something simple… Makes instant sense… Its me, so it should have my name on it… It may be on different types of media… So, how about: Eamonn Cahill Media? That would work!
Thats what im going with from here on anyways, although content already online such as videos on YouTube or Vimeo to date will stay unchanged as they have kinda already got out there and a re-edit for the sake of a logo would mean re-uploading and starting from scratch. Im trying out a few different logo designs too so tell me what you think! Any suggestions are welcome!
Heres one possible design so far:
Eamonn Cahill Media - Logo design 1
Pretty simple: Red and White text with black stroke (my favorite colour combo) and an 8-bit style icon of my mug (Im an avid NES/ Nintendo and Super Nintendo gamer and 8-bit/ Chiptune music fan).
Another possible one is:
Eamonn Cahill Media - Logo design 2
Similar: Same text and colours, but with a cartoon character head (super-mouse character called Peanut! from a short animation i once did). Loved this little character, but i suppose it makes the whole thing a bit too cartoony.
Tell me what you think ! Im not afraid of criticism!
Yep its true, my wickle music video for Daragh Slacke’s – Mr. Snooze (Official music video), has now been viewed 1000 times (And counting) on YouTube! ***Fact***
“reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined”
On the 26th of January 2012, the Irish government passed new legislation aimed at the control of un-copyrighted and pirated material both over physical state borders and virtual borders online. In addition to this, this new ‘Irish SOPA‘ (a joint legislation known as ACTA) makes it easier for holders of copyright, such as large movie companies and record labels, to call for legal action to be taken against individuals they deem to be infringing on copyright, essentially enabling a new environment online where websites can be pulled/restricted and users persecuted for sharing copyrighted material. Affecting sites supporting the sharing of information such as Wikipedia or Twitter. This was passed without parliamentary discussion or a say on the matter by Irish citizens, even when 80,000 individual anti-ACTA signatures were signed online. Meanwhile, state news on RTE chooses not to cover a story involving huge implications for free speech on the Internet and legislation with such a large number of citizens in opposition. As an active user of Twitter, i get a regular feed of information important to me, from sources worldwide, fed on to my Twitter feed page as its is announced. Keeping me up to date, and giving me information and opinions from many sides of an event, i like to think i am quite informed on world events and aware of things of importantance to me, or which affect me in some way. Maybe not everything, but pretty close. As such, prior to the day this ‘Irish SOPA’ legislation was due to be passed, i was made aware of it and its possible implications to me as a media student and an Internet user. I continued to follow news of it as it came, involved myself in some capacity by signing some of the ‘Anti-ACTA’ petitions organized online, and watched video footage uploaded or streamed online from news sites and video sharing sites on the topic. I followed news on similar situations across Europe of other ACTA-like laws or legislations and the previous SOPA bill considered in the United States. I also followed the retaliatory actions of Internet hackers and virtual anti-ACTA/SOPA activists such as Anonymous and their downing of government department, music label and other websites online.
Had i solely watched state televised news, which aims to provide information to its viewers of domestic and world events, i would not of heard a single word about Irelands ACTA legislation or of the massive opposition it garnered online.
-
Being an active user online, i frequent social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, read over blogs posted by others online, and watch several videos on sites such as YouTube and Vimeo; all in the space of a day, many times seven days a week. I rarely ever watch news on terrestrial or satellite TV, only watching it in passing when another person is doing so. In fact, i can certainly say that i currently dont actively watch any TV; that is to say, that if an internet connection is available, whether by mobile broadband or public WiFI, i would choose to view media online rather than on TV. The Internet provides a freedom of vast information, compiled and continually by milliions of active users worldwide. Recent technology such as smart-phones, broadband, WiFi and laptops have added to the Internet and computers, to provide a easily accessible network, making the searching and gathering of information far easier than it has ever been. Online, video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo allow users to upload videos captured on digital cameras or camera phones from any location with Internet access, allowing that footage to be shared with others across the world. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook provide users with the tools to connect with others online, develop a vast network of contacts, upload and share information, form relationships, organize groups and mobilize physical events; drawing together individuals of shared interests from all corners of society. Thoughts and ideas on the world are given an outlet through the use of independent blogs and community forums, where users can speak openly and converse with others on issues important to them, without fear of suppression for speaking their minds. All these tools combined, create a ‘global community’ of people worldwide, largely devoid of the physical defects of the physical world.
To the more conservative, or those of older generations, may consider my idea of a typical day, with a percent of each day spent online, a tad extreme and that this time could be spent better doing other things. My view is that a time spent online is a time spent learning about other people, places and events across the world. The traditional media outlets of yesteryear where most of our daily news and information was fed from: the televised news bulletin, the broadsheet or tabloid newspaper, or broadcast radio programs; these are limited in their resources. Programming must be scheduled, news stories gathered by teams, sources of information found and gathered, news organized into a easily comprehended story, and then broadcast at designated times. On top of this, the news given can only then be considered news if it is then received by an audience of individuals, waiting at the designated time to hear the stories and information being fed. The Internet puts aside many of these restrictions; the availability of technology to the public today, combined with the free time available before, after or between work and other activities (or ‘Cognitive Surplus’ as Clay Shirky calls it in his book ‘Cognitive Surplus‘), along with the ease of access to technology (smartphones, camera phones, Internet, social networks, video sharing sites); means anyone worldwide with the access, time and the means to contribute to online information will do so, sometimes more so than others. This new worldwide community of active virtual contributors lowers the resources needed to gather and organise new information and news; providing a vast and continuous feed of current information from sources worldwide.
Sites such as Twitter (which i admit to being quite shackled to at times) have harnessed this worldwide feed of information, allowing users to organize news and information according to their individual preferences and interests; gathering information from sources worldwide and thereby filtering this it down to news important to you. With access to a resource such as this, televised or radio broadcast news looses its immediacy and detail, as well as its relevance to you as an individual.
-
One of the days following the passing of ACTA in Dáil Éireann, got into a conversation with some friends over things we had seen on TV or online the night before. After some chat on a few funny videos seen on YouTube, some gossip from Facebook and different programmes watched on TV; i spoke about the ACTA legislation passed in Ireland a few days before, the effect it would have on the freedom the Internet and the massive opposition it has online, 80,000 signatures are not to be ignored. One or two responded to me with some passive interest in the topic, them having read something about it on a Facebook post and such, while others responded with blank faces or a simple response of “I didn’t hear about that”. With televised news or occasional use of the Internet for basic email or socializing, this major topic had simply passed them or failed to weigh an impact on them due to its lack of exposure in major media outlets.
In conclusion, if my reality is how i see “the state of things as they actually exist”, i would say mine is social media, mainly Twitter. Being the medium through which i recieve most of my information, whether by providing important details from sources of interest, links to articles or linking me to images and videos, it gathers sources of information important to me and feeds it to me there and then when it happens. So until the next most efficient social network or news feed comes along: my reality is Twitter.
Sometimes it feels better to have more than one option; tea or coffee, sticks or stones, Tayto crisps or King crisps, the original star wars trilogy or the prequels …ywos better than one. So, just to be super nice, Fabian Gillick’s ‘Oh Baby’ music video is not only available to view on YouTube, but its now available to view on Vimeo too! Awesome, i know. So check it out and see which one you prefer:
And just in case you missed it, here it is available on YouTube:
