Author Topic: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video  (Read 1618 times)

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Offline MinistryOfLostSouls

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Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« on: March 04, 2014, 05:32:49 PM »
Hey DT fans,

I have been a Dream Theater fan since the radio world premier of Pull Me Under.  I recently had the pleasure of working with Jordan on an experimental film for his song 'Ra,' which was performed live on the Rudess Morgenstein Project tour, last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOL8YxX-iEs

I sat down and wrote a moderately humorous story about what it was like to meet, work with, and then get to know Jordan as a friend, over the last couple of months.  Don't worry, Jordan has already read it. :lol

Check it out:  https://mattberdyckrules.blogspot.com/2014/03/things-i-learned-about-and-from-dream.html

Special thanks to all the DT fans I met in Miami Beach, last week, who were getting off the Progressive Nation Cruise.  Over the course of the day I signed like twenty autographs and now all the hot chicks who live in my neighborhood think I'm famous.  Unreal. 

All the best,
Matthew
« Last Edit: March 04, 2014, 08:26:27 PM by MinistryOfLostSouls »

Offline countoftuscany42

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2014, 05:36:24 PM »
looking forward to reading this since I happen to be in a few shots of the "Ra" video  :metal
Great show, was front row the whole time and the shots of Jordan signing a stack of albums is me   :biggrin:
Love the video too, thought it turned out great even though i would have loved for a dvd of that tour

Offline MinistryOfLostSouls

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2014, 05:47:46 PM »
looking forward to reading this since I happen to be in a few shots of the "Ra" video  :metal
Great show, was front row the whole time and the shots of Jordan signing a stack of albums is me   :biggrin:
Love the video too, thought it turned out great even though i would have loved for a dvd of that tour

Oh hey dude! I actually have a special video planned of that footage of Jordan signing your albums.  That was the first time Jordan had seen the LP box set cover.  It's a pretty cool piece of film.  I'll have it out shortly.  This guys signed DT album collection is spectacular to say the least!




To answer the question about a full DVD release:

I did this with one camera over two nights.  While I do have a full, unreleased, audio recording of the Philly show, the track used in the video is from New York two nights later, I do not have full streams of video.  As you can see I ran my ass off all over the venue to make it look like I used multiple cameras.

I do not have the full recording of New York.  The recording we captured in Philly was great, but Gianluca, Jordan's long time tech and Pro Tools guru, got a better recording and then created the master that was used in the final version of the video. 


Random trivia:

I ended up mixing the Philly version at the other Les E. Claypool's post studio, not the Primus bassist, the legendary sound recordist for Akira, in L.A., which also houses the space ship set that was used on the new Billy Ray Cyrus, rap, Achy Breaky Heart video, with the stage manager, who runs the place, being a former Dream Theater employee.   The complex also houses the green screen used by College Humor, and Sofia Coppola for the car accident scene in Bling Ring. 

If anyone has any questions about the video or feel free to ask!


« Last Edit: March 04, 2014, 09:14:46 PM by MinistryOfLostSouls »

Offline Tom Bombadil

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2014, 09:31:46 PM »
I still regret not going to that show in Philly. Shoulda just skipped the damn schoolwork.

Offline rumborak

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2014, 09:57:38 PM »
Cool video. After watching it I was left wondering though: who plays the guitar parts there?
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2014, 10:00:24 PM »
Cool video. After watching it I was left wondering though: who plays the guitar parts there?

The guitar and all other background instruments are part of the backing track which is just the studio track. According to wikipedia, the guitar on Ra was Vinnie Moore.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline rumborak

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2014, 10:04:44 PM »
I don't want to mar this thread with this discussion, but I'm a sad panda at this massive use of click and backing tracks lately.
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2014, 10:09:29 PM »
I don't want to mar this thread with this discussion, but I'm a sad panda at this massive use of click and backing tracks lately.

Considering it's a two man performance for an existing song with several layers, I don't see a problem in this instance.
For a full band, I don't have a problem with a click, although I'm not big on backing tracks.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline JayOctavarium

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2014, 10:40:02 PM »
I don't want to mar this thread with this discussion, but I'm a sad panda at this massive use of click and backing tracks lately.

Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LEsyAf00VU

:neverusethis:
I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

-BlobVanDam on "Scarred"

Offline rumborak

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2014, 10:49:19 PM »
I actually have no problem with that kind of use of a backing track. That's a clinic, it has a very different purpose.
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline MinistryOfLostSouls

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Re: Making the Philadelphia Experiment "Ra" (Live) video
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2014, 11:57:35 PM »
While he was on stage at both shows, Jordan said that he was excited to do the Rudess Morgenstein Project because a lot of Dream Theater's parts are him only using one hand.  With RMP he got to use both hands through most of the show.  The backing tracks are just icing.

Random trivia:

The first guy in the video, helping Jordan with his keyboard is Ariel Shafir, a brilliant Berklee College of music educated drummer who collaborated with Jordan on the song  'Bad News Jitterbug' by Eyal Amir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql6LpUhiFO8

« Last Edit: March 05, 2014, 03:00:56 AM by MinistryOfLostSouls »