Well, dear readers, I’ve just had an evening filled with detective work. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, have just had an evening filled with detective work. Something about the master for our new release was bothering me – it’s BEEN bothering me for days and I could not put my finger on what it was, but it had something to do with a piece of information I’d read concerning the main title of the film that the soundtrack is from. So, even though the master had been sent (arriving at the pressing plant today), I went back and listened to the main title again. I found it slightly odd that the main title had not been on our source tapes, and finally I figured out why. I also couldn’t understand why our first two tracks sounded so similar – and finally figured out why. It’s because they are, in fact, the exact same track with a little futzing. Once I realized that I remembered what I read – that originally this film was to have no title sequence. When one was added, music was pulled from two cues to create the main title. Because the main title hadn’t been on our tapes, I pulled it from the Blu and Ray, but I really did not like the sound as compared to everything else on our CD. My mastering guy listened and figured out the second part of the mystery – I’d figured out that they’d simply started the main title music eight seconds into what is our second track, and they’d gotten out of that second track about eleven seconds early. The mastering guy, armed with that information, then figured out they’d edited in a second piece about a minute in – just about thirty seconds’ worth, at which point it went back to our second track. He had no clew as to where that thirty seconds had come from, but thankfully once I’d listened to that section I got lucky and found it right away in our fourth track. So, now that we had the mystery solved, I had to make a decision – I didn’t really want the main title track next to the second track because it was, except for thirty seconds in the middle, identical, and that was what had been bugging me for the last few days. So, I made the decision to put the main title at the end, as a bonus track. And then, the mastering guy was able to go in and recreate exactly what they’d done but from our better-sounding tapes. So, now we have everything in great sound and people get the main title exactly as edited for the film.
That wasn’t the end of it, however. I then had to go into the liner notes and explain all of that. Thankfully, the packaging was going in this morning, so we were able to fix the track titles and I was able to add the note of explanation about the main title. I then e-mailed the pressing plant and told them to immediately trash what they’re getting this morning and that they’d have a new version Thursday morning. And that was I how I spent my evening, or most of it. The other part of the evening was spent in finishing liner notes for what is going to be the 100th Kritzerland CD release. I hadn’t quite realized how close to that milestone we were but it’s just three titles away, I think. We’ll be having a big ol’ celebration – I’m figuring out what we’ll do but it may involve a partay of some sort, perhaps concurrent with the release partay for the Blu and Ray of Nudie Musical. We shall see.
The rest of the day had been okay, although all throughout the day and evening I was having anger issues with my handy-dandy desktop computer, which is behaving erratically and slowly these days and I’m not sure why. I did a repair disc permissions thing but it didn’t really help all that much. Maybe it’s just Time Warner being retarded – I really have no idea other than it’s very annoying. I did get a very good night’s sleep. My editor came by with a DVD of the first two episodes so that I’d be able to hear the off-camera dialogue, which we’ll be replacing with newly recorded wild lines this very day. He’d made the fixes we’d discussed and the episodes play very well now – they are funny and move right along. I do still have to do some fine-tuning – there are a couple of awkward shots and a couple of moments where the timing still isn’t quite right, but when we put in the newly recorded dialogue we will fine-tune each episode. I’m very pleased with the look of everything, too, and the performances are all wonderful.
Then I did the four-mile jog, after which I had some matzo brei and a bagel at Jerry’s Deli. Then I went to the printing place and picked up the Nudie Musical Blu-Ray sleeves that we’ll be signing. After that, I went to the mail place where I picked up a couple of packages – two packages that I knew were being delivered weren’t there – they did arrive about two hours later, so I guess I’ll get those today. After that, I came home and did work on the computer, after which I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The 10th Victim, starring Mr. Marcello Mastroianni and Miss Ursula Andress, directed by Elio Petri. I saw it when it came out and enjoyed it but didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the pop-arty Modesty Blaise. I owned it on DVD but the transfer wasn’t very good and I never got beyond the opening scene. Seeing it again all these years later was fun. It’s about a reality game called The Big Hunt, where there’s a tracker and a victim – only one will be alive at the end of the game. It’s a satire, of course, but not especially funny. The actors are all fine, but it’s the look of the film that provides a lot of the fun. And I’m happy to say, that whatever source they went from, the color is finally what it should be – crazy, bold, saturated, and it really pops now. It’s so great to see a film like this that’s only had substandard releases on video, look so beautiful. And I have to give a call out to the supremely wonderful lounge score by Piero Piccioni.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must be up early and therefore need my beauty sleep after the evening’s detective work.
Today, I must be up early and to my engineer’s house by ten. We will first record the lyric flub that Melody did, and then one line of patter she forgot that is an important part of a set-up. That will probably only take about twenty minutes, after which I’ll record the off-camera dialogue, which will take about an hour, maybe a little more. Then I’m supposed to get the pressed check disc of Nudie Musical, which I’ll give the once over and approve. We had a little hiccup yesterday having to do with the documentary on the Blu-Ray, but hopefully it was all solved, at least I never heard anything to the contrary and since the hiccup happened early in the day and we did the damage control right then, I’m praying that it all is fine now, especially as we never heard anything further about it. After that, I have errands and whatnot to do, packages to pick up, food to eat, and work to do on the computer. I may or may not be taping a radio show with our very own Mr. Donald Feltham. I’ll probably find out when I get up in the morning.
Tomorrow, I have a work session with Alet, then a little meeting about an upcoming CD project. Friday there’s a lot going on and then I’m seeing a screening. The weekend will hopefully not be too too busy, and I know I’m seeing a play on Saturday night.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, record stuff, I must do the four-mile jog, pick up a check disc, pick up packages, eat, and maybe tape a radio show. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, proud of my little detective work.