Brian Brodeur edits un-released footage for Zappa Plays Zappa tour
Working closely with Joe Travers (the Zappa Family Trust ‘vaultmeister’) and Dweezil Zappa, Brian Brodeur completed editing of never-before-seen footage of Frank Zappa for use during the 2007-08 Zappa Plays Zappa concert tour. During the tour, Dweezil Zappa leads a band, which includes Joe Travers on drums, through a diverse catalog of Zappa music. During several song performances, the ZPZ band performs with video of Frank Zappa playing along in perfect syncronization.
Video sync is accomplished thru use of a click-track, monitored by Joe Travers on-stage, and computer playback of the NTSC footage. Songs featured include Montana, Zomby Woof, Black Napkins, Dumb All Over and Muffin Man to name a few. Along with well known footage, Brodeur worked with unseen camera angles of the well-known KCET footage from the early 70s which features George Duke, Ruth Underwood and Chester Thompson. The vintage film and video of Frank Zappa feature several of Frank’s guitar solos as well as vocal performances – all of which provide the illusion of Frank performing live with the ZPZ band.
Reviews have been very positive – especially from long-time fans. In his tour blog, Dweezil wrote: “It’s really exciting to be able to play more songs onstage with Frank on video this year. The audience reactions have been amazing.” Also, referring to the Baltimore show, DZ wrote, “Once we finished Peaches we segued into Montana, featuring Frank on video. The audience was thrilled to see him on this auspicious day.”
Fan reaction has been similar. A fan from the Paris show wrote, “The videos with Frank were so cool and moving too, my god, this solo from Muffin Man is just amazing! Gave me goose bumps!” A fan from the Boston show wrote, “ The video of Frank playing along was a spectacular new technology twist and worked flawlessly giving us a very unique opportunity to experience the master and the apprentice expressing the true merging of the generations.”
In preparation for the ZPZ editing sessions, Brodeur provided assisted in setting up a complete Final Cut Pro editing suite at the famed Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studio within the Zappa house in the Hollywood Hills. Once the suite was ready, footage was digitized from DigiBeta and audio was provided from Zappa’s famed UMRK recording studio – which was one floor above the editing suite.
For a digital photos of the UMRK studio, live performances or NewYorkDVD’s Brian Brodeur, please contact Chris Pfaff at 201-218-0262 or chris@chrispfafftechmedia.com