"The Sweet Bell That Tolls" released

Here's a master track of "The Sweet Bell That Tolls". After Ron's quarrel with Denise he heads down to Frank's Tavern to perform at the weekly open mic contest. He really lights the place up and the crowd goes wild! It's sung by Joseph d. Castro with backup vocals from Jody Haught.

    

I'm going to the moon!

NASA's Artemis I will be the first uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The flight paves the way toward landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon! Here's your opportunity to join me on this historical flight. Just follow the link below to get your boarding pass and add your name on a flash drive that will fly aboard Artemis.

https://www.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-artemis/

Mothers Day song release

Here's a link to a song I wrote for my mother. She passed away nearly ten years ago, but I still think about her all the time. She always encouraged me and would often say that "my someday will come". I added "if only in my mind" recently. It seemed only appropriate to distribute it to the streaming music services on Mothers Day. It's sung by Blake Nawa'a and David Traugh provided the orchestration. We finished it up in April 2022.

    

Canvas Rebel Interview

Here's a link to a short interview with me and the folks at Canvas Rebel Magazine. My shows are picking up some momentum now that theaters are opening up again, but this article is really more about the inspiration that happens behind the scenes with music theater projects. I'm glad they used material from my early life in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Canvas Rebel Interview

It's always interesting to see which parts of these interviews the publisher decides to use. I think Canvas Rebel tries to focus on the things that creative people undertake that might be beneficial for others who are dealing with similar issues and/or circumstances; in any case, it's nice that they draw attention to the human moments too.

Playing Scottish Cèilidh music on accordion

Last Saturday was a milestone! I played my first Cèilidh, well sort of. Here's what happened; some local theater friends volunteered to learn how to dance at a Cèilidh while I played the accordion. Back in 2019, after a short visit to the Isle of Eigg, a small island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, I decided to incorporate Scottish Cèilidh music into a music theatre show about the island. I worked with several professional accordionists on Skype during the Pandemic. Mike Aman owns Monarch Accordions and we worked on my repertoire and technique. His accordion orchestras are legendary and his daughter is a national accordion champion. Sandy Brechin is in Edinburgh and he's one of Scotland's best known Cèilidh accordionists.

Cèilidh Dance Training

In any case, earlier this year it felt like it was time to come out of the woodwork so I reached out to several local organizations specializing in Scottish dance and one of them connected me with a Scottish couple living in Colorado who were involved with Cèilidh dancing in Scotland. We had a Skype call to discuss the specifics and penciled in a date to get together. Everyone was eager to participate and learn more about the dances and the culture behind them too. Playing the music was the easy part and everything seemed to flow naturally. We played tune sets for a Gay Gordon, a Reel and a Jig and it was so much fun! 🎭

"Live for Today" released

Here's a master track of "Live for Today". During the first therapy session Denise explains to the group that her husband is the one that has driven her to seek consultation and that she can't get the images of him dressed like a woman out of her mind. Mark tries to help with a simple counting exercise and she admits that when she goes online and flirts with other men her problems seem to fade away. It's sung by Sienna Stocky with Mark and Luke Colombo singing the backup vocals.

    

Alsup songs on YouTube Music

YouTube has been around for a long time. It started out as a streaming video service and over the years it's been trying to figure out how to best serve musicians and their listeners. I remember creating videos with a single image so I could upload a song to YouTube; eventually, Google Play came along, but it was discontinued in 2020 and customers had to migrate their music to Google Music instead. Today, YouTube Music behaves like most streaming music sites and it's free to use, but you'll have to get a YouTube Premium Membership for ad-free listening and/or download music to listen offline, in the background.

April Alsup songs on YouTube music

Here's the link to the official April Alsup Google music channel. I can't wait to hear from all the Google peeps out there. I'm planning to add more songs each month so please hit the SUBSCRIBE button if you want to stay up-to-date with all my music. Peace! ✌

Introducing April Alsup Radio

I finally got approval for an artist account on Apple music and it includes a radio station for my music. It made me think about how Wolfman Jack would spin 45s for the AM radio in my Chevy back in the day. It's amazing how much the landscape for music has changed over my lifetime. It seems like we use our phones and the Internet just as much as records, tapes, CDs and the airwaves to listen to music anymore. In any case, I wish I could hear the Wolfman Jack introduce my latest song...I can hear it now (in a raspy voice), "It's the Sweet Bell that Tolls... coming to April Alsup in West Virginia". 👹

Alsup music for Amazon Prime customers

Here's a link to my Amazon Artist Account. It's my understanding that if you use Prime for things like groceries, television and/or product specials on Amazon you'll have direct access to all my songs and it's FREE! I can't wait to hear from all the Prime peeps out there. I'm planning to add more songs each month too. Enjoy!

New streaming music services for 2022

We've expanded our streaming music services for 2022 to include; SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple, Amazon and YouTube. We want to make sure everyone has the choice to hear April Alsup songs on their favorite online music platform. Select any of the icons below to access April Alsup music and please let us know your thoughts. We love hearing from you! Peace ☮

    

"A Song For My Piano" released on Spotify

We've released "A Song For My Piano" as a single on Spotify. WYSIWYG opens and closes with Ron singing to his piano. He considers music a godsend, something he can rely on to express feelings he finds hard to talk about. It's sung by Blake Nawa'a and it was completed in January 2022.

Using QR Codes for theater programs

I've always had a genuine interest in environmental science. As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I witnessed an increased emphasis on being good stewards of our planet. Today, there seems to be a greater sense of urgency to embrace this philosophy in whatever way we can and as a result, I've adopted an electronic media strategy for delivering scripts, scores and even our theatrical programs to performing arts organizations, producers, artists and our fans. Over the last few years, we've been recognized as a "green" leader for the music theater industry by several prominent music theatre organizations and festivals.

2018 WYSIWWG Festival Program

Let's start to get away from providing all our music theater collateral in hard copy form. There are so many benefits to going "digital". With all the iterations that take place from the beginning of a music theatre project to it's final production it's truly mind-boggling the amount of waste we create for our beloved planet to deal with. Please consider this the next time you mount a show.

Composing music theatre works during the pandemic

I've been composing the music for a new musical theater piece about a small island in the Hebrides over the last couple of years and the pandemic was not going to stop me. It's amazing that we live in a time where we can regularly meet with people who are sometimes thousands of miles away using the internet.

It was important for me to capture the nuances of Scottish Ceilidh music, so I started working with several professional accordionists on Skype during the Pandemic. Mike Aman owns Monarch Accordions and we work on my repertoire and technique. His accordion orchestras are legendary and his daughter is a national accordion champion. Sandy Brechin is in Edinburgh and he's one of Scotland's best known Ceilidh accordionists.

Insta360 underwater camera enclosure

Here's some underwater video footage of some exotic fish. I used the One X bullet time string to lower the Insta360 underwater enclosure with the One X 360 camera into Gates Pond at the Denver Botanic Gardens. In post I used the Insta360 software to add keyframes and VideoPad for video editing and stock music.

The consistency of the spherical images created by the plastic enclosure make the content nearly unusable for any thing other than reconnaissance footage.

Canadian geese on Grasmere Lake

Here's a couple of framed-up videos of some geese on Grasmere Lake in Denver. I tethered the 360° camera to a drone and used the Insta360 software to add keyframes and VideoPad for video editing and stock music.

I like how the Insta 360 One X gyro keeps everything relatively stable since the camera is upside down on a short string under the drone, but I was disappointed in the artifacts created by the Insta360 underwater enclosure.

360° Video of Blossoms of Light 2021

Here's a 360° immersive video of the Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It's a seasonal event that starts in November and goes through January. It's still pretty warm in Colorado and we haven't had any measurable snowfall yet. The complete tour takes about 20 minutes, but I have several scenes on my YouTube channel a little later in the evening for anyone interested.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

360° Video on Georgetown Loop Railroad

Here's a 360° immersive video of the Georgetown Loop Railroad in Colorado. We've had a longer than usual Fall this year and the Railroad authority extended the season as a result, but much of the Fall Foilage and colors were gone. The train climbs over 600 feet between Georgetown and Silver Plume and takes about 20 minutes.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

360° Video on Grasmere Lake at Wash Park

Here's a 360° immersive video on Grasmere Lake at Washington Park in Denver. I used the bullet time string to hang the camera under the drone and get it out of the picture frame. One nice feature of the Insta 360° is the auto gyro that sets the horizon in post even it the camera is upside down and swinging when shooting the scene.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

360° Video on Broadway in Nashville

Here's a 360° immersive video of walking up the North side of Broadway between 4th and John Lewis Way in Nashville. It's amazing how many different bands you can hear on this street on any given night and in the Summer the windows are mostly open. This place is truly Music City, one block North is Ryman Auditorium where Bluegrass was born and one block South is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

360° Video of the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis

Here are a couple of immersive videos of the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis. The arch was built to commemorate President Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and was completed in 1963. I stayed at the Hyatt across the street from the complex. WTH...it was so windy, but a perfect contrast to a long day of traveling across Kansas from Denver.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

"Hoopla" released on Spotify

We've released "Hoopla" as a single on Spotify. The scene takes place right after April's opening soliloquy and includes the entire cast. She's just told the audience that she's finally finished her Musical and wants to start it off with a big number. Hey, what's all the Hoopla...dressing up it's soooo fun! It's sung by Jessica Sotwick, Tony Domenick & Blake Nawa'a and it was completed in July/August 2021.

Master Track for "IT'S A FEELING"

Here's a master track of "It's a Feeling". This is where April sings a song she has written for Carl online and they start to falling more and more in love...in cyberspace that is! It's a solo song sung by Blake Nawa'a and it was completed in July/August 2021.

April Alsup · Master Track: IT'S A FEELING

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "It's a Feeling" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse for your audition...Good Luck!

360° Video of Lost Eden Canyon at Lake Powell

Here's an immersive 360° video of Lost Eden Canyon at Lake Powell. This particular canyon is only accessible by boat and is across from Halls Landing. The water levels this year were as low as I've ever seen them. I stayed at the Defiance Hotel in Bull Frog, it has 48 rooms and is run by the Utah State Park Service. WTH...it was Hot...over 100, but the water temperature was perfect for cooling off.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

We love our WYSIWYG Website Peeps

When you go to a website the operating system collects and stores your IP address in log files. Analytic applications use reverse lookups tables to identify the general location of that address. It does not identify you as a person, but it is relatively accurate at identifying the country/state of the IP address; in any case, we enjoy seeing all the different places our WYSIWYG peeps are from.

Hypnosis Scene Finale

Here's a master track of "In the Harmony". Brandon Bill is the therapist and the singers are Blake Nawa'a, Tony Domenick and Jessica Sotwick. It's the finale of the show and the moment where April and Carl embrace and kiss while under hypnosis. After the therapy session, April confesses to Carl that she is in fact Mary from online and is in love with him too. Carl can't believe it and becomes angry while Mark and Denise try to calm everyone down.

April Alsup · Master Track: IN THE HARMONY

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "In the Harmony" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse for your audition...Good Luck!

New Website Design 2021!

We've refreshed the website for 2021! We're still using the Miracle Mile picture I took at the Edinburgh Festival a few years back. The new website is responsive so it will automatically adapt to your device (laptop, phone and/or tablet). There's still plenty of information about me, upcoming shows and news. To check it out just go to (www.alsup.org) and please let us know what you think.

April Alsup Website Design (www.alsup.org)

Thank You Wayne Dyer!

It was a sleepless night long long ago, I turned on the television and watched a late night motivational speaker named Wayne Dyer on PBS. The episode was mesmerizing and relevant for me at the time and it provided a lot of the inspiration for the song "Some Things Never Change". I always wanted to thank him for that. 🎭

April Alsup · Master Track: SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "Some Things Never Change" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse for your audition...Good Luck!

"All Men Want Is S.E.X." released on Spotify

We've released "All Men Want Is SEX" as a single on Spotify. This is where Denise let's April in on a little secret she has, that "ALL MEN WANT IS SEX!". The possibilities intrigue April, but she wants to know more too. It's sung by Jessica Sotwick and Blake Nawa'a and it was completed in April/May 2021.

Colorado Shoutout Interview

I was recently selected by Los Angeles based Voyage Group for the Colorado Shoutout series. They focus on topics that are relevant to the general public and do it in a way that puts artists and creatives at the center of the conversations. The article is about the inspiration behind someone who writes music theater works. I find it difficult to articulate my past, but it was pretty painless this time around. To read the interview and see all the pictures select the link below.

Read the Interview at:
https://shoutoutcolorado.com/meet-april-alsup-composer-of-musical-theatre/

It's just the Web...The World Wide Web!

Here's a master track for "The World Wide Web". It takes place online as the characters exploit their inner desires. It's sung by Tony Domenick, Jessica Sotwick and Blake Nawa'a. You can download the sheet music and/or the libretto from the WYSIWYG website to follow along with all the different parts.

April Alsup · Master Track: WORLD WIDE WEB

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "The World Wide Web" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse for your audition...Good Luck!

"Dreaming Again" single released on Spotify

We've released "Dreaming Again" as a "Radio Mix" single on Spotify. It's actually a collection of songs that get going after the therapy group gets a bit too inebriated at Frank's Tavern. It starts with the end of the Drinking Song and works its way through Secret Emotions, Dreaming Again and Some Dreams Come True. It's sung by Blake Nawa'a and Tony Domenick and it was completed in February 2021.

Preparing for an audition, need the libretto and/or music. WTH...check out out the blog post "WYSIWYG Six-Minute Performance Teaser" on mounting the scene "Dreaming Again" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse...Good Luck!

"For the Best" single released on Spotify

We've released the single "For the Best" on Spotify. It takes place at Frank's Tavern as Denise and Carl wait for the therapy group to arrive for some after hours fun. Denise is really putting the move on, she tells Carl he should get out more, enjoy life and "smell the roses". It's sung by Anne Jenness and Tony Domenick and it was completed in February 2021

Forbes article features yours truly

Here's an article in Forbes that describes my music like the memories of an enchanting voyage. It mentions several of my shows and the affect they have on people; for what it's worth, once you find a compelling story, it's really pretty easy. Just stick with it and let the fruits of your labor coalesce.

"Traveling along the inspiring wavelengths of music"

"I'm in it for good" single released on Spotify

We've released the single "I'm in it for good" on Spotify. It was our first attempt at coordinating all the various aspects of a recording studio virtually. We didn't want a lot of complexity so we picked a solo song from WYSIWYG to test the concept and it turned out great. It's sung by Blake Nawa'a and we completed it in August 2020.

Distributing your Musical's soundtrack "Indie" style

"Indie" is short for "independent" and independently released music is not financially associated to any of the three major labels (Sony, Universal and Warner). "Indie" does not refer to a style of music; it refers to the financial circumstances of its distribution.

Creating an "Indie" label or brand is pretty easy, but you need to get a GTIN from GS1 US so your brand can be uniquely identified online before your Musicals' soundtracks will be available on Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon and the plethora of other streaming music sites. For example, our newly-formed "Indie" label name is April Alsup Records. The good news is that most of the streaming services will pay the artists royalties directly for each time someone listens to your Musical's songs.

Online Scene Segue - Spotify EP Release
February 12, 2021

We've been using Soundcloud for a variety of music theater applications. Their platform is very powerful for music theater composers because not all music is suitable for the airwaves; for example, we provide rehearsal and master tracks for theater companies, casting directors and actors that are preparing for auditions and/or performances.

Unfortunately, Soundcloud doesn't have significant market share for streaming commercial music tracks and if you plan to monetize your Musical's soundtrack with a radio mix then you'll want to look into their distribution functionality called "Repost". It supports all the major streaming channels and it is free for Soundcloud premium members.

"WYSIWYG Online Scene" EP released on Spotify

We've released the EP "WYSIWYG Online Scene" on Spotify. There are 2 songs (Up to Us and Secret Admirer) with some short dialougue in the middle. The scene takes place online and the songs represent the juxtaposition of "love" and "lust" on the web. The singers are Tony Domenick, Blake Nawa'a and Anne Jenness and we completed it in November 2020.

Flying a Drone Indoors

Flying a drone indoors can be challenging, but WTH...if the space is large enough and your drone is smart enough it can be a lot of fun and take the place of a boom shot for some applications.

A new URL designation for Musicals

I'm not sure how many people noticed, but last year a lot of new TLD (top level domain) name options were added to the web. I think "the powers that be" realized that the current set of TLDs, (i.e. com, org, net, edu, gov) was just too limited. With all the industry overlap, it was becoming harder and harder to find short, easy to remember internet addresses and many of us had just resorted to using long convoluted names like "www.wysiwygthemusical.com" or "www.theageofsisyphus.com".

In any case, the new TLD "show" caught our eye because Oxford defines the term as "a play or other stage performance, especially a musical". We have several shows in development right now and WTH... with the new year, it seemed like a good time to update and standardize all our shows with the new TLD. These days if your website is secure you don't really need the protocol prefix and the default subdomain is www in most web browsers.

Here are our new URLs:

wysiwyg.show

sisyphus.show

eigg.show

We'll plan to redirect our older URLs for the time being since a lot of people use those addresses in links on their web pages, but at the end of the day, having a similar, easy to remember moniker that accurately describes our various works, was very appealing to us. What do you think? We'd love to hear from you!

WYSIWYG Online Scene Segue Love to Lust

Here's a master track of the online scene right before the finale in WYSIWYG. There are 2 songs (Up to Us and Secret Admirer) with a short recitative in the middle. The scene takes place online and the songs represent the juxtaposition of love and lust on the web. The singers are Tony Domenick, Blake Nawa'a and Anne Jenness and all the segments were recorded remotely in October and November 2020.

April Alsup · Master Track: ONLINE SCENE SEGUE

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download the public domain sheet music for "Up to Us" and "Secret Admirer" from our website and sing along with the SOUNDCLOUD rehearsal tracks to practice your part. Good Luck!

DIY 20 Dollar PDF document page turner

So I’ve been learning to play the accordion lately and I'm now at the point where I can read accordion sheet music arrangements fairly well. There are definitely some nuances with the notation to get used to. Also, it's just not that easy to turn your sheet music with the instrument between you and the music stand. I like reading digital music on my tablet, but it still feels clumsy to swipe the page and get reacclimated all in time. WTH… these accordion arrangements can have a lot of pages! If you're using PDF documents here's an easy, cheap way to make a Bluetooth enabled footpad to go forward and backward in your music. 

Accordion Music at the Cheeseman Park Pavilion

Over the last few years I've been working on a new Musical with playwright Mark Sbani about the Peoples Republic of Eigg, as it's been jokingly referred to in the Scottish media. So back in July, I decided to learn how to play the accordion and figure out how to fit it into the ensemble. I had never written for a Ceilidh band, but I love the music, the people and the atmosphere of this little place and WTH...it's just another keyboard...right? 🎭😀

My first acting competition

In 1974, I participated in the state forensics festival at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Our team placed third overall and I received third place honors for dramatic interpretation. The event was sponsored by NSDA (National Speech and Debate Association). Everyone back home was so excited and supportive.

Funny, I'm not sure I had ever been out of the Parkersburg area before that; in any case, the support helped more than anyone may ever know. It's been such a wonderful ride since then and I've made so many great friends in the performing arts along the way.

Hugs for all those alsup.org website peeps

It's really nice to find out your website is getting visitors from all sorts of cool places around the world. I wish I could have given each of you a hug when you arrived. The site has had roughly 10,000 visits, 5,000 users, 30,000 page views and the average time on the site is almost 5 minutes now. WTH...here's your belated hug! 🤗

"I'm in it for good" with Blake Nawa'a

Here's a master track of "I'm in it for good" sung by Blake Nawa'a, August 2020. The vocal recording, mixing and mastering were actually done remotely. It's rewarding to finish a song, it takes a lot of time and there are a lot of moving parts; fortunately, there's a nice sense of accomplishment when it's all done. Great job everyone...Enjoy!

April Alsup · I'M IN IT FOR GOOD - Vocal Master

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "I'm in it for good" and sing along then use SOUNDCLOUD rehearsal tracks to practice your part. Good Luck!

Denver Voyage Interview (May 2020)

I was recently selected as one of Denver's most inspiring stories by Voyage Denver. To read the interview and see all the pictures select the link below. I guess I find it hard to articulate my past, but WTH...it's nice to get recognized for who I am today.

Denver Voyage May 2020

http://voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-april-alsup-april-alsup-cheeseman-park

Rehearsal track for "HOOPLA"

Here's our latest rehearsal track for "Hoopla". We added a cowbell and a baritone sax to enhance the groove in the second verse to really get things going. You can review all the new rehearsal tracks at the WYSIWYG website by selecting the submenu "Performance Materials" under "The Work" menu.

April Alsup · HOOPLA

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "Hoopla" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse your part. Good Luck!

Rehearsal track for "ONLY THE LONELY"

Here's our latest rehearsal track for "Only the lonely". We've added a bridge where Denise reminisces visiting the Latin Quarter in Paris with her husband Ron, but the scene quickly deteriorates as she comes back to reality. You can review all the new rehearsal tracks at the WYSIWYG website by selecting the submenu "Performance Materials" under "The Work" menu.

April Alsup · ONLY THE LONELY

Preparing for an audition? WTH...now you can download our public domain Sheet Music for "Only the Lonely" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse your part. Good Luck!

Rehearsal Track for "ALL MEN WANT IS SEX"

We've been enhancing the musical accompaniment for WYSIWYG lately and we'd like to provide a professional audio track for every song in the performance package in the near future, go to the WYSIWYG website for the new materials.

April Alsup · ALL MEN WANT IS SEX

Preparing for an audition? WTH...download our public domain Sheet Music for "ALL MEN WANT IS SEX" and use SOUNDCLOUD to rehearse your part. Good Luck!

Using the Insta360 One X while Skiing in Breckenridge

The Insta360 One X is a nice supplement for your next ski trip. It's really easy to put the One X (or any 360° camera) on a selfie stick and capture footage of your ski partner and frame it up in Premiere using the GoPro keyframe effects add-in. There's several bullet time examples using a string to swing the camera included too. I suggest using Google Earth to find a ski in/out facility with access to a remote place to fly your drone for a nice aerial photo to start and end your video and WTH... just use VideoPad to add a title and a sound track.

Adventure Italy 2020

I'm going to Italy next year, there's so much antiquity and culture there. I've always been enamored with Pompeii and having the opportunity to fly my drone over the ruins and off the Amalfi Coast is something I just couldn't pass up. Also, I've never been to a Masters 1,000 event and WTH...there were some fabulous seats available for the finals. I can't wait to see who plays on Sunday next year in Rome. so stay tuned, there's more to come.

Blossoms of Light Virtual Tour at Denver Botanic Garden

This year I had the opportunity to shoot a 360 video at Blossoms of Lights in the Denver Botanic Garden. I mounted an Insta 360 1X on a selfie stick and walked the tour. It was hit or miss since I was shooting lots of static photos too; in any case, WTH...I know I could get smoother, higher quality footage mounting the camera on a drone and shooting in cinematic mode, but I would need to coordinate with the Gardens on something like that.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

DJI Aerial Photography Academy Training Course Gathering

I couldn't help accepting an invitation to attend the 2019 DJI Aerial Photography Academy training course in Denver this week. It was hosted by two former DJI employees and they did a nice job of delivering the inside scoop on the drone industry (past and present), as well as, insight on the tips and tricks professional photographers are using to get the most out of the technology.

I would recommend this course for anyone interested in Aerial Photography using DJI products. They discussed the in and outs related to; government regulations and guidelines, business opportunities and best practices, as well as, how to get the best results using the plethora of hardware and software tools out there to make it all happen. WTH...it was nice to sit with people from all walks of life and hear the different ways they were using the technology.

Shooting 360° videos and framing in post production

I've been experimenting with 360° videos lately. In an earlier post I showed an interactive 360° video using the Ricoh Theta SC mounted on top of a drone. It's 4K, but I think the overall quality suffers a bit due to capturing the entire sphere. The Insta360 One X camera is 5K, but it has similar quality issues. The Ricoh Theta Z1 has a 1" sensor, so WTH...perhaps I'll see if I can get my hands on it.

In any event, it was pretty easy to capture footage with the Insta360 One X on a selfie stick and frame the results in post using Premiere and the GoPro keyframe plugin. Think of it as 360° video that you can frame from any angle on the sphere in post processing.

Colorado Fall Foliage near Georgetown in 2019

I couldn't resist shooting one more day of Fall foliage around Clear Creek, Georgetown and Quanella Pass. All the leaves drop off this time of year and it's so hard to get around after the first snow storm, but WTH...it's Colorado, it'll be 70° by the weekend!

Mounting a 360 degree camera on a drone

I've been experimenting with shots using a 360 degree camera (Theta SC) mounted on a drone (Mavic 2 Pro). There's some issues, but WTH...it's new functionality and it goes with the territory; in any case, just click and drag your mouse over the video to explore the video. My guess is we'll start seeing more of this sort of thing.

Apple iPhones require a 360° plugin like VLC.

Traveling by rental car around the United Kingdom

I spent a little over a week in the United Kingdom this Summer, WTH...you have to get out and see new places and make new friends every once in a while. I arrived in Edinburgh from Munich for the last weekend of EIF and Fringe and stayed at the University. It was rocking and certainly a must do for all theatre enthusiasts. After three days of taking in the festivities it was off to Derbyshire to visit the area my ancestors came from and then to Liverpool for some Beatle nostalgia.

Next stop was the Isle of Eigg. I've been writing songs about this place for several years now and visiting the island did not disappoint me. I made new friends from Ayr, met Charlie and Maggie, explored Massacre Cave and even took a run on the "Singing Sands" of Laig Bay. It was really a great experience.

EIF and Fringe 2019, That's a wrap!

I traveled across the the pond to experience EIF and Fringe this year. The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) is an annual event of performing arts in Scotland. I saw three shows and took in the night walk too. It was nice meeting some of the creative folks for the festival. The shows here are innovative and WTH...let's figure out how to get WYSIWYG here. 😊

Adventure Deutschland to the old east Germany and beyond

I spent a week in Deutschland this August with old friends. WTH...It's important to get out and actually live life once in a while. My dad had an expression, "live to work?", "work to live?"; in any case, I have a close friend in Augsburg and he is always ready to take on another adventure. After seeing some local sites around Bavaria we traveled north to Leipzig and Dessau in old East Germany. It was great visiting the area and catching up.

Creating an online newsroom using a green screen

Putting together the newsroom for an online TV channel with limited resources can be challenging, but WTH...I've been working with green screens for decades and I'm familiar with the plethora of hardware and software needed to make it happen. Fortunately, my apartment has high ceilings.

I think the question and answer format simplifies the process and allows us to quickly develop a script for each episode. In most cases, our work flow consists of capturing each part separately and bringing it all together in post. Here's our first ReThink Baptist TV episode: The Soul Box Project.