JoCo Day 2013

edited September 2013 in JoCo Projects
Colleenky isn't certain
But she thinks that maybe this could be the year
When they defeat procrastination forever...

Wishful thinking, I know. But maybe, just maybe, we might get the JoCo Day project done before Dec 5. What say you?

I will resubmit my idea that we could do a filk project based on Jingle Bell Rock, because he hates that song. And I am mean.

JoCo Day, JoCo Day, JoCo Day Rock....
Shamble up, JoCo fans, shuffle your feet....

See? Catchy! ;-)
«13

Comments

  • edited September 2013
    How about something based on "Drive?" He has said he did not like the way the song came out.... Perhaps we can make some, er, improvements? Maybe ditch (or spoof) the caveman lyrics?
  • Hey, we almost always get it done by Dec 1.

    Idea I just pulled out of my [REDACTED] for the sake of adding an idea to this post: A non-marriage-related version of Extremely Old With You. We could tease about being so old that even the audience forgets his lyrics, and all of us look older than the average snorks on the cruises.
  • edited September 2013
    @Angelastic funny you should mention that... I was thinking of trying to do that one as my "Paul & Storm unsung favorite" for my Karaoke this next year
  • edited November 2013
    Okay, people, we have 12 days. Start implementing whatever ideas you happen to have, as if we'd already agreed on them, and others will rally around you and add their bits.

    ETA: For inspiration, I think this playlist has all the previous JoCo Day videos, though YouTube is giving me an error for now.
  • I'm down with helping. 
  • A WILD IDEA APPEARED! This will be simple, yet touching. Record a short video (or just make a picture/write something/whatever you can) saying something that has happened in your life because of Jonathan Coulton. It could be something big ('Because of Jonathan Coulton, I quit my job to follow my dream of becoming a…') or something small ('Because of Jonathan Coulton, I laughed at a song I was listening through headphones today and my co-workers think I'm nuts.') Something direct, or something indirect. Or we could do it with everyone not speaking and just holding up a sign saying what it was, a la the Geek Girl video. Whoever does the first thing sets the direction!

    Make several/make a long one that could easily be separated into things if there are several ways he has influenced your life; too much footage makes things easier than too little, and there's not time to get a lot of people into it. Tell anyone whose life you think JoCo has changed in some way to join in (it'd be nice to get, say, Len Peralta in on this! Code monkey dance Emily?)

    We can just stick them all together with a karaoke version of A Talk With George in the background, and we're done!
  • I think this is a great idea!
  • Thirded!

    Are we using a song? Signs if we are, spoken if not. I have all things Whovian this weekend, but I'll get onto this straight afterwards.
  • I'm generally terrified by the sound of my own voice, but I would gladly record some video of me holding a sign for this project :)
  • @Thalandor46: Well then, I guess that means we're using a song! So I'll say that we'll just use an existing JoCo song such as A Talk With George (although we already filked that a few years ago. Any other songs that convey someone's influence on people's lives?) and then all the musical people on this forum will add bits and pieces to it and before we know it there'll be a full-blown cover. Because that's how things work around here.
  • Hooray! @Angelastic saves the day!
  • No no, @Angelastic saves the date. (Not really. But a reminder on a calendar would be a smart idea.)

    I was just thinking, we could still have JoCo Day Rock, Drive, or Extremely Old With You (or Space Doggity? Because that song's all about JoCo) as the song. But to do our own song we'd need some kind of music-y person to save the day… ;)
  • I have a clip to kick things off. How do we share? I can give a dropbox link. 
  • edited November 2013
    YAY! Here I was telling people to go ahead and record things to kick things off, and I hadn't even done one myself yet. @thefoodgeek rolled a critical hit for initiative, or some other RPG jargon I don't fully understand. Here is the box shared folder we've been using to share previous JoCo Day and Mandelbrot Set files. I think you have to sign up for an account, but after that you should be able to upload files there (link copied from a post by @Bry on page 2 of the last JoCo Day thread; I hope it's the right one.)

    Edit: I added a JoCoDay 2013 folder. I am going to go to bed now, and by the magic of cross-timezone collaboration, I should find some things in that folder by morning. Then I will record my own when I'm all fresh and awake-looking. Eventually, somebody will volunteer edit the video. It might be me, but my computer's getting old and its hard drive is getting full and I'm a bit busy looking for an apartment, so it would be better if it were someone else.
  • edited November 2013
    Holy monkeys flinging poo, I think we have our intro/song! @srdownie sent me a video (apparently he doesn't have access to the box thing; maybe I posted the wrong link, or @Colleenky, the account owner, has to do something?) of himself singing a couple of lines from Monkey Shines:

    Is it really living, if you're living by the letter?
    How many monkeys does it take to change a lifetime?

    If we start with that, then (perhaps after someone says/holds up a sign saying 'just one') have a succession of monkeys saying or holding up signs about how he's changed our lifetimes, it'll be great! We could go straight from that into the rest of the official recording of that song (which even, conveniently, has 'JoCo…' sung in the background) while we hold up signs, but it would be a bit short. Anyone want to record an extended version, possibly with new lyrics (and lots more 'JoCo…')? Maybe even some bits of My Monkey could be worked in.
  • I just uploaded some videos of me with signs to the box folder. I go through three signs just in case we need more, but it's basically the second one that I would most want included, and the third one maybe separately after some other people's signs iff there's room for it.The first sign just says 'Because of Jonathan Coulton' and it could be used to introduce what the signs mean, so other people don't necessarily need to write that part on their signs. I also did a fake out-take for that (where I have the sign upside down, despite the fact that it has arrows on it) in case it would be useful. The audio for my videos should not be used. If we end up doing a speaking thing instead of a sign thing, I can redo it that way.

    If you're doing signs, make sure the writing is fairly large and easy to read. Basically following the submission guidelines for the Doubleclicks' Geek Girl video should work for this too.

    If you'd prefer to speak or do something else rather than doing signs, feel free; it'll all work out somehow.

    @thefoodgeek, are you able to upload to the box.com folder? Here's a link to the JoCo Day 2013 folder which is only for collaborators (I think it's easy to become a collaborator; you just click a link… but I could be wrong.) Or should I make it public? Four JoCo days and I still don't remember how we usually do this.
  • @angelastic, it says that I don't have permission to upload; I am a Viewer. I'll probably need to re-record my video to fit the guidelines a bit better in any case. Mine's 4 signs at about 20 seconds total, rather than something closer to 5 seconds. 
  • 4 signs at 20 seconds is probably fine! I'm sure it can be edited down/sped up/a sign or two cut out if need be. Too much footage is usually better than too little, unless you're The Doubleclicks and you have hundreds of people submitting clips. I was mainly thinking the things about legibility and so on would be applicable to our video.

    Ooh! I just figured out how to make collaborators into editors. @thefoodgeek and @srdownie should be able to upload now (but I already uploaded @srdownie's contribution myself.)
  • edited November 2013
    Shhh.

    While @Angelastic is sleeping, I uploaded two files that could allow the shortish original "Monkey Shines" to accommodate much more information.

    * Monkey_Shines_Complete_sans_lead_vocals.mp3 is just that: A de-vocalized version of the original tune. Of course, when one extracts lead vocals after the fact (in the absence of the original stems), one loses a considerable amount of audio fidelity. This may not be a problem since some folks might want to add their own audio bits (musical, narrative, or cowbell) to the digital ensemble.

    * Monkey Shines Plus.mp3 is a quick, crude demonstration of how audio tools - in this case Ableton Live - can be used to stretch, bend, remix, and otherwise deface existing masterpieces. We can make this little sucker into a 25-hour sonic marathon that even Pharrell Williams would envy.

    If you can use any of this, fine. If not, fine.
  • Oh my goodness, I definitely want to be involved--especially knowing the concept--if I can work it out time-wise. I confess I only skimmed this thread so far, but I wanted to reply quick. I'll read more soon and hopefully submit something, but what's the deadline for when you need stuff? (forgive me if it's in the thread somewhere).
  • @tiguh Preferably before November 30? This usually gets edited down to the wire.
  • edited November 2013
    Yay! I love it when people do cool things while I'm asleep.

    I was thinking, if we start it with @srdownie's clip (which ends with the line 'How many monkeys does it take to change a lifetime?') the next part has 'JoCo…' pretty clearly in the backing vocals, so maybe the next person shown could hold up (or wave around, possibly while singing, or have it descend from the Heavens on a crane, baked into a cake… I know not to underestimate people here) a sign saying, 'just JoCo!' (edit: Or, 'just one: JoCo!') and then we go on to all the other signs.
  • If I were to make a clip, how would I get it to you?
  • edited November 2013
    If you have a box.com account (which is free) I think you can go here, add yourself as a collaborator, then when I notice it I can give you editing rights and you can upload there. But if that's too complicated, just put the video on some other file sharing site (not YouTube) and post the link.

    Edit: Just made the JoCo Day 2013 folder open to all, since I realised the previous ones were. Maybe this will make things easier.
  • One more idle notion and then I have to go do the things I've been trying to put off.

    You can use chunks of other Coulton songs. Nabobs and boffins have distributed software - Audacity, for my crude example - that allow chunks of music to be (rather unceremoniously) pitch and/or time shifted.

    A very short example of such finagling is now in the JoCo Day folder: Good Morning Monkey.

    Since we have the stems for all of the Art Heart material, those are the cleanest and most convenient sources at hand. Maybe JoCo will serve up more stems soon, knowing they'll be used against him at a later date?
  • Nice finagling. :) The stems for everything on JoCo Looks Back are also available (and there's a thread with some things people did with them.) Quite some such finagling was done for the 2012 JoCo Day video, and it was great!

    I saw @thefoodgeek's video and I think it's really sweet and should work the way it is. Having too many nice things to say and not enough music to go with it will be good problem to have (and anyway, it looks like a problem we [by which I currently mean @srdownie] can solve.)
  • I need to be part of this again! A bit confused about what to contribute. It's me holding a sign saying how JoCo changed my life, right? Following the Doubleclicks' guidelines, and submitted to the Box?
  • That's about right, yeah! Or you can cycle through several signs if you want, just be aware they might not all be used (depending on how long of a soundtrack we have.)
  • Ping! Does everyone who wanted to do something for this still remember that they were going to do it? :) I might put together a mock-up with the scant footage we have and the normal version of the song tomorrow night if I get time.

    Also, you know what else JoCo would probably like for his birthday? Seeing the JCCC4 video funded. Pretty much the same deadline for both.
  • edited November 2013
    I remember!  Been traveling for a couple days.  Back now, I'll try to take a shot or two later tonight :)

    (or if not, definitely tomorrow)
  • I've been working my derrière off trying to complete projects before the (US) Thanksgiving holiday; want to submit something but haven't had time. Will get something to you shortly.
  • Awaiting upload privileges :)
  • Hello! I am doing this! I need to review the posts to clarify exactly what I'm doing and should get some bits uploaded today.
  • @Thalandor46: Upload privileges granted!
  • Excellent!  I've uploaded a sincere one (jccc) and a silly one (wrr).  Feel free to use both, but if you end up only using one, please use the sincere one :)
  • edited November 2013
    Oh! Should we put people's names/locations in the video, like we did other times? If so, please say which name/location you would like to appear!

    Edit: Also, do you think there should be a tumblr for other people to add their signs when it's too late for the video, or does that only work if you're The Doubleclicks and you have hundreds of people submitting clips?
  • All righty, I've just uploaded seven clips. My top preference would be to use the People videos, parts 1 and 2. Use the rest as you see fit.

    @Angelastic, to answer your questions...

    1) Colleenky and Cybermudgeon, Pennsylvania, USA

    2) Maybe it might be best to wait and see if there's a need for the Tumblr.

  • "Because of you, your monkeys shine wherever they go." :)
  • edited November 2013
    I just finished making a quick and dirty proof of concept, but now I'm going to add @Colleenky's parts to it. People 1 and 2 are so squweeeeeet. :D With these videos, I at last have enough that I will need to choose which signs to keep rather than keeping everything. But I wonder if the 'Soundtrack' part (for those who haven't downloaded the video, she has signs saying 'JoCo's music is the soundtrack for my life/There's a JoCo song for EVERY occasion :)') could be used to segue into another song.

    Edit: I haven't worked out the timing of everything else for the next draft yet (and I probably shouldn't until more footage and ideas come in) but by accident I just happened to get @Colleenky's clips perfectly timed with the 'once you learn how to love, it's time to let it show' part. :) (For those who haven't seen the clips, she met Cybermudgeon, learned how to love, and lets it show.)
  • I just went through all the stuff in the folder and I gotta say, you guys are amazing! (Not that I didn't know that already). You want something done and it gets done. Boom! That's it! So great. :)

    Alex is working today but I'm hoping to get him involved and we'll hopefully submit something tonight or tomorrow. Sunday is JoCo's actual birthday, right?
  • I wanted to, but just haven't made the time, and forgot about it since last time I was here in the forums. (If it had been mentioned more on fb, I might have remembered.) Anyway, I also can't think of what to say, I don't want to be too silly or too mushy.
  • edited November 2013
    Okay, I've edited that post too many times, I think it's time for a new one. @srdownie, just a crazy idea, do you think there's a way/reason to segue from the 'go' of 'this monkey shines wherever he goooooooooes' into 'go, Soterios Johnson, go!' or some other 'go' song? Not that that song particularly has anything to do with it, unless there are people dancing or with signs about teaching dance classes on a cruise ship or something. I did say it was a crazy idea. Maybe it will trigger better ideas from other people.

    You know, I think I'll just go to bed, and see what there is in the morning. I should note that in the quick and dirty proof of concept, there are some titles which would be better if they were people holding up signs (not necessarily with the same wording), and there is some singing slapped on top of the original recording which would be better if it were properly mixed or whatever. I have to go visit an apartment tomorrow, but after that I can do video stuff all night and even into JoCo Day here when it's not JoCo Day there yet. Or someone else can do it, I don't mind.

    Edit: @Gina, nothing is too silly or too mushy!
    @tiguh, that's why I love JoCo Day. It usually seems like there's no way it will be done in time, and then suddenly, Boom! Amazing things happen while I'm sleeping. Sometimes even when I'm awake. When I make videos myself, it takes ages to get good enough footage, but here, all I have to do is nag a bit (sorry!) and the next thing I know there is too much awesome footage to fit in one video.
  • edited November 2013
    Hey! JoCo Day Quick & Dirty Proof of Concept works! Cool!

    Edit: @Angelastic, I'm not at my main, heavy-duty editing iMac right now. But I'll see what I can contribute from my Air-ish Book right away.
  • edited November 2013
    I briefly considered trying to weld "When You Go" to "Monkey Shines," but WYG is too lugubrious (in a manly way, of course).

    So I uploaded one suggestion of how MS might be woven in with to "Go, Soterios Johnson, go!" My crudely assembled illustration is the "Go Monkey Shines Go" file.

    I hope that idea complements what you had in mind. At least it enable us to highlight JoCo's slender hips.
  • edited November 2013
    One more idea: If you wanted a famous "legit" opening to the mix, I uploaded the a slice of a string section from Dvorak's beloved 9th Symphony ("New World") in the Dvorak_9_Strings_Bar_1 file. This lick opens the third movement ("Scherzo: Molto Vivace").

    To hear what that might sound like in the context of opening JoCo's celebratory opus, I also uploaded the New_World_Monkey_preview file. Molto vivace!
  • I also uploaded a different take on Go Monkey Shines Go, where the two songs overlap their respective "gos" (Go Monkey Shines Go 2.mp3).
  • Hi ya'll
    I took a stab at a quick edit to make Monkey Shines longer, but now I'm not sure how to upload it. I assume I need to create an account on box?

    It's still only 1:24, but that's longer than it was.

    Btw, thanks @angelastic for the plug! 24 hours left on our kickstarter!
  • Do we still need to be ok'd or accepted into the group in order to upload stuff?

    Btw, Arrgh.
Sign In or Register to comment.