Comments on: The Grave Dug by Beasts (videopoem)

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:52:50 +0000

In reply to rr.

Well, I so altered it from the original — it was a up-tempo funk tune — I wasn’t sure the artists would want a credit, though under the terms of their CC license, I guess I do owe it to them.

By: rr

rr — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:27:27 +0000

Hmm. I couldn’t see a credit for the background accompaniment. Like the orifice.

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 03:50:56 +0000

Thanks, Joan and Dick (and Natalie for clarifying your point). I guess my intent with the reading style here was to make it sound like someone talking to himself rather than to others, as I’ve heard hermits are wont to do. :)

By: Joan

Joan — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:24:42 +0000

I don’t want to make anemone out of anyone lest there be a vocal coach in the mix, :) but since I have never heard Dave’s voice, I was curious. I listened to his poetic recitation from the podium in England. It was great to hear your voice, Dave. A nice voice it is, , and I enjoyed the self deprecating humor as well. Then I went back again to the present version. There is indeed a marked difference in cadence and tone from the reading in England and the podcast. Maybe there is something about the beat and the music with the sea creature that brings out the cantor in you, Dave. (grin).
At any rate, it’s a brilliant juxtaposition of poem and sea critter. Plus! I can now add Hicks-Jenkinsian red to my palette.

By: Dick

Dick — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:40:32 +0000

A beautiful synthesis, Dave. And I enjoyed the sense of cantor in the voice.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:39:01 +0000

Dave, what I meant was that the way you read the poem wasn’t your normal way of speaking.

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:56:51 +0000

In reply to Natalie. Thanks. Actually, that was my normal conversational voice, only quieter than usual because I had my mouth right up to the mike. I'm not sure I like the effect, either.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:21:08 +0000

I echo all that Clive and Jean said but I do have one reservation:
I wish that you had read the words in your ordinary, conversational voice instead of the somewhat sing-song tone that you adopted. I feel that the background soundtrack and the video are strange and strong enough not to need any embellishments to the poem, spoken straightforwardly.
Apart from that, it’s beautiful!

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:28:35 +0000

In reply to Jean. O.K., that makes two people whose aesthetic judgements I highly value giving this a thumbs-up. Maybe it's a keeper! And yes, I thought that was a very Hicks-Jenkinsian red. (I didn't monkey with saturation at all; I simply darkened the video a little to increase the contrast between beast/grave and background.)

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:24:58 +0000

In reply to Clive Hicks-Jenkins. Clive! I'm awfully glad you like it. I wasn't sure if I still would this morning. Maybe if I cut in scenes from something completely different, as I did in the videopoem for Peter Stephens' "hollow," it would jazz it up. But then I think, no, jazzing up is exactly what it doesn't need... You've probably already figured this out, but for best effect click on HD (then pause it and wait for it to load if you're on a slower internet connection), and click the little four-arrows icon to expand to full screen.