Music/Concept Videos
I Dream In Stereo. I Dream In Stereo (Best Music Video award, Garden State Film Festival, 2008) is a multi-layered music video that brings to life a song I wrote about the sonic aspects of dreaming. The video combines stop-motion animation, full-motion video clips and overlays, still photos, and text to create an absorbing, light-hearted blend.
In OCD (Best Music Video award at the Big Apple Film Festival, NYC; Indie Gathering Festival, Cleveland, OH; and Anaheim FilmFest, CA, during the 2018/19 season), based on a song I wrote on the subject, I take a lighthearted look at obsessive-compulsive disorder. The video incorporates gentle humor, innovative sight-gags, educational elements, and a positive message for OCD’ers. Everyone can relate to this EXACTLY five-minute video, because there’s a bit of OCD in all of us. (True tidbit: actor/comedian Steve Martin said this video “is inventive – a really funny piece – everyone should watch this!”) (Actually I don’t know if he said the “!” because I wasn’t in the room with him.)
Cradle To Grave. Cradle To Grave started out as a song I wrote in the 1990s, with lyrics in the form of a fable about interstellar travelers who bring peace to each civilization they encounter. At the time, I jokingly described it as being “based on an untitled story yet to be written.” Over the years I revisited the song, revising and re-recording it while thinking it could also serve as “the soundtrack of a film yet to be shot.” In 2012 I finally made that film.
It Doesn’t Make Sense. In this video, I take on the role of detached observer in commenting on our so-called “modern” society, using still photos to illustrate the intense lyrics. World politics and socio-economic disparity are the dominant themes.
Vocabulary in C Major. This is an a cappella song in which I did 58 vocal parts. I made a simple (and useless) video of the recording software in action during playback, highlighting the audio waveforms of the various vocal tracks, just so the song would be readily available to listen to here (YouTube requires visual content even if you just want the audio to play).
Live Performance Videos
String Theory Quartet version of Let’s Resonate. This is the first and so far only public performance of my newest song. It differs from the recorded version primarily in that the lead guitar is replaced by a violin.
String Theory Quartet version of Born Too Soon. This is one of the best live performances of the song, done by the original lineup of String Theory Quartet.
Other GLASERBEAM Music Videos
Doppler Effect. This was an idea I had for years – making a percussion video using objects found outdoors. The live sound of the on-camera drumming is blended with a polyrhythmic backing track I had recorded years before for a music CD. I used four outdoor locations that had good-sounding objects – a civic center, a strip-mall parking lot, a scrap metal recycling yard, and a playground. At the playground, my cameraman S. Marchillo and I were reluctant to roll camera until all the families had left, but the families said we could “play through” so I drummed around them – and that scene turned into the centerpiece of the film.
Turntable Illusions. I bought a picture book, “Turntable Illusions,” consisting of black-and-white optical illusions on 12″ x 12″ tear-out pages. The sheets are intended to be spun at various speeds on a record player. I filmed my favorite ones and synchronized the sequences to a prog-rock instrumental I’d written/recorded with lead guitarist Steve Thomas. The first scene shows a page being torn from the book and placed on the turntable, establishing the low-tech roots of the video. Enjoy!
Organism. For several warm August days, thousands of starlings descended like raindrops from cruising altitude at dusk and gathered near the Kmart in Diamond Bar, CA. Floating on air currents like swimmers carried by waves, they played in the wind for an hour, at times acting like a single, pulsating organism, before finally settling on a large tree. I filmed this performance for two nights, using a dynamic style of camerawork, edited it down to 8 minutes, and created an ethereal soundtrack.
GLASERBEAM Comedy Videos
I pulled out all the stops and hired a cast and crew to help pull off my latest comedy, Bathroom Humor. For this 10-minute piece, I turned my attention to that never-ending source of male frustration, the public washroom, outlining the subtleties, pitfalls, and protocol associated with the “facilities.” This film had its world premiere June 15, 2019, at the California International Shorts Festival in Santa Monica.
The Glaser 3000 System. Everybody needs the Glaser 3000 System – it’s AMAZING, and there’s nothing to it!!! My first commercial parody introduces demented pitchman Glaserbeam.
The AMAZING Esca-ciser. Our demented pitchman “Glaserbeam” is back! In his AMAZING 4-minute infomercial (2009 Nevada Film Festival “Golden Reel” Award Winner) he hawks yet another exciting non-product, making a breathtaking assortment of outrageous claims that would have even P.T. Barnum reaching for his checkbook. Sit back and enjoy Glaserbeam’s jumbled world of half-truths, frightening disclaimers, and never-ending shipping & handling fees. (True tidbit: Steve Martin said this video is “funny.”)
GLASERBEAM Miscellaneous Videos
Absolut® Madness. This is a video tour of a conceptual art piece I designed and built in 2015. It aims to illuminate the issue of drunk driving through an assemblage of unusual objects and unique lighting. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this piece will be donated to two charities committed to ending impaired motor vehicle operation: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD.org) and the National Motorcycle Safety Fund (NMSFund.com).
Wedding Videography. On rare occasions I accept assignments to film weddings. This is an 8-minute condensed version of a 90-minute video I made for the happy couple. I used two HD camcorders for the ceremony and one HD camcorder for the reception.
GLASERBEAM 