Historias sob o luar pt1

Um fulano chinês contou-me que uma altura em que morava com uma tia assistia a um curioso fenómeno humano: A senhora sua tia tinha por hábito mais ou menos regular - a meio do sono profundo - começar a prosar alto e bom som, de um jeito muito solene pouco característico da sua educação básica, acerca dos mais fantásticos e bizarros acontecimentos e temáticas. Ele contava que mesmo que continuasse a dormir fingindo não ouvir a mulher insistia e palestreava virtuosamente durante cerca de 2 minutos. Uma altura palreou qualquer coisa altamente elaborada sobre como a possibilidade de mensurar a força gravítica de um objecto celeste implicaria primeiramente desenvolver uma noção de tridimensionalidade do tempo... Sobrenatural! No fim assobiava muito alto, dizia um palavrão qualquer, e deitava-se novamente. A mulher sua tia desmente tais acontecimentos, argumentando que "eles querem é livrar-se de mim e meter-me num lar!"


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No andar de baixo vive um pulmão gigante, um formidável e sinistro engenho biológico que qualquer força macabra ali plantou, suportado por dezenas de pequenos baraços amarrados ao tecto e paredes da sala e ocupando praticamente toda a área da mesma. Num andamento Larghissimo ele inspira profundamente todo o ar da sala fazendo uma gigante mas silenciosa massa de ar atravessar todo o prédio.




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A mulher dos olhos de cristal. No lugar dos olhos ela tinha umas esferas polidas de um mineral esbranquiçado com pequenos pontos verdes desenhados no lugar da iris. Então estava sempre fitando lá ao longe o horizonte.. a mulher dos olhos de cristal.. mesmo quando vinha a subir a raquítica escadaria até ao quinto andar, a mulherzinha trazia sempre os olhos decididos a fitar o além! Como se as mais formidáveis maravilhas estivessem a acontecer muito para lá das decrépitas paredes.




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Havia um senhor merceeiro muuito muuito velho que vendia legumes e frutas na Rua de Gondarem. Aparecia sempre às terças-feiras pelas 10:30 da manhã, montado num carro de madeira velho e podre, e puxado por um cavalo igualmente caquético. Diz-se que são extremamente velhos... O Dr. Barros contou numa ocasião na padaria que já os seus bisavós - da mãe - lhe compravam leguminosas naquela mesma zona... há uns bons 80 anos... tudo parecia indicar que ao contrário dos restantes mortais, tanto o homem como o cavalo, por alquímias ancestrais, mantinham exactamente o mesmo aspecto, sabe-se lá à quantos séculos! A verdade é que ninguém até hoje conseguiu saber mais acerca deste elfo merceeiro, muitos vizinhos dizem até nunca o ter visto.







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Todos os dias o Zé Mendigo mendigava junto ao semáforo. Todos os dias com um aspecto diferente, mas sempre miserável, sujo e descalço. Fazia questão de saudar sempre todas pessoas que passavam com um sinal de "fixe" esticando o dedo mindinho e o polegar da mão direita (a única que lhe restava, dizem que a sua família tinha um grande negócio de pirotecnia lá prós lados de Barranco do Inferno). Certo dia uma mulher pára no semáforo e para sua perplexidade vê o Zé Mendigo e o seu cabelo oleoso vestido e engravatado num fato impecável, apenas ou dois ou três números acima do seu. Sentado no chão de olhos fechados desfrutando do sol primaveril do meio-dia o desgraçado não reage ao som dos carros a parar no semáforo! Éste marafade d'um cabrão... Animada, a senhora abre a janela do carro e estende-lhe uma nota de 5 euros:
"Pegue lá para o almoço Senhor José!"
O eremita abre os olhos surpreendido e solta uma gargalhada:
"Grato pelo gesto nobre senhora, mas já almocei!" 🤙🏽




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Todos falam de pudim. Pudim de ovos, pudim francês, pudim flan... Mas não havia melhor pudim no mundo do que o da Dona Alice. Era um pudim pouco falado, já que Alice apenas o fazia pelo Natal e Páscoa, ficando o seu consumo reservado ao voraz apetite da sua família, lixeiros de profissão. Certo dia Alice é alvo de feitiçarias da bruxa da aldeia, encomendadas certamente por qualquer invejosa da sua receita divina. Acontece que fruto dos bruxêdos o corpo da Dona Alice é tomado por um espírito demoníaco que a obriga a ficar acamada. Nenhum exorcista conseguiu ainda expulsar o demónio que impede o acesso à sagrada receita do Pudim d'Álice.






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...continua...

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - after 6 years the mk2 of my beloved camera is here! EDIT: Why I sold the BMPCC and got a Sony A7III

I must express how much happy I was this early week when I saw Blackmagic FINALLY announcing a successor to the Pocket Cinema Camera.

The original 16mm Pocket Camera was my first digital camera ever - I didn't have a digital stills camera neither - and it was really an inspiring tool at the time, I've shoot all my school films and smaller projects on that little camera. At that time all the folks where going after Canon 600D, the more ambitious to the hacked GH2, but the sexiest piece of video making was the 5D Mark II.

I remember exactly the day the Pocket was announced I was practically ready to buy a used (but in very nice state) Canon 7D, and the moment I saw it's specs I said "This is absolutely it", although the fact that the 7D appeared to be more versatile and of most value, and although the Pocket was a dedicated video camera with no large megapixel photography skills, I sensed the Pocket would be a game changer... So I got it...

This last one with LCDVF and an old Angenieux 12-120 16mm cine lens

And even 5 or 6 years later it still is (or was untill 3 days now) in a kind of undisputed territory and bang for buck category, 1080p professional 10 bit prores and raw 12 bit for 990€??? Can you imagine how big this was back in 2013? And I knew the super 16mm sensor size wasn't such a deal breaker for me, for I knew there were awesome super 16 designed lenses from Arri, Zeiss, Angenieux, etc, I could rent at relative low price, and even old CCTV lenses on the second hand market that would work great, besides my Canon FD's for Full Frame. I found an amazing Cosmicar 12.5mm f1.4 (you read that correctly) for... 20€!!! And it was very, very small, and very very interesting. I miss that lens...

 "Ai Vida que a Morte já Tarda" 2014 my first short as a director in film school

Didn't go so well, but i like this shot!

I remember getting the camera and experiencing the outstanding ProRes workflow on my old Windows Toshiba Satellite a355 laptop, with 4gb of RAM and Intel Core 2 Duo. This laptop was quite well featured at the time, but it struggled with AVCHD and MPEG4. I was completely blown away to see my footage running at real 24fps in premiere in Full HD with no bumps or drop frames, smooth as butter, it really was a joy I never experienced before and it definitely made editing more fun, intuitive and fast. But that was just part of the joy, when I started messing around with color correction and exposure compensation, my balls fell on the ground. I was in love. We had an amazing time for 4 years... Unfortunately it was stollen back in 2016...

who said it didn't take photos?? I took amazing photograms with it!

Serra de Montemuro, Portugal

 on set

 Pimping an old cctv zoom lens to correct the flange distance

and remove the stepping of the iris ring

 "Pequena Natureza" 2015 Directed by Bernardo Nabais

Melgaço, Portugal 

"Palhaços" 2015 Directed by Pedro Crispim

"Endo Exo Genesis" 2015 by me and some friends

Now that I think about it, as I write this "homage" to the BMPCC, I may say that part of the reason I ended up getting more and more into Cinematography and lightning (eventually doing a Master Degree on that topic) was because of the experience I was having with this camera. Christian Berger, DoP of Haneke films, whom I had the chance to meet at a film festival here in Portugal said how much he loved small cameras, how much these small cameras help him, daily, to better understand certain light behaviours and subtleties. He said something like "the best way to learn how light behaves is to observe, wonder, and grab these little moments as fast as possible, with any camera". 

The sun reflected in my bedroom's floor. Beautifull natural key-light

Grabbing these little daily things with the pocket really helped me to understand many things relative to color and light (reflection, diffusion, intensity, working with available natural light, etc). And the fact that the BMPCC was so small was undoubtedly a stealth bonus that permitted to get into other peoples or places intimacy without troubling them too much.

 "Fancy coffee and the ghost client"

Foz, Portugal

 Mia, the queen of cats, on the opening of the mosquito hunting season

 Boticas, Portugal

 Porto, Portugal

 Matosinhos, Portugal

The Blackmagic Pocket was a really important tool to me as a film student,

helped me out successfully doing first films, docs and experimentation.

It has given me much more than what it costed, I paid it many times.

 :'(

So... it's time to talk about this one!

Mr. Grant Petty... First of all, congratulations, but... There was something that kind of annoyed me in the presentation you did at NAB Las Vegas... "The Blackmagic Ursa is the camera you shoot people with, the Pocket Cinema Camera is the camera you shoot yourself with" 

"Say what old sport?"

Really???? 

I wasn't expecting that..... 

I mean... Mixed feelings right there... And that front record button......... Isn't the one on the top as accessible as that one??? That feature right there is the only thing I really don't like... It may even end up being usefull at some occasion... But the fact it was thought out to people "shoot selfies"... It's like selling astronaut suits to farmers, no? Nothing against farmers, i'm from a family of farmers! We would sure put good use to an astronaut suit... 

You have such powerful cameras, and you seem to be trying to sell them to kids! Kids are smart, they dont need that fancy glitter marketing, they know what's good, and the Pro's really dont like this marketing. I think, for example, for rental houses, it disbelieves Blackmagic, somewhow... They have Arri's and Red's, now they will buy a selfie toy camera?

Blackmagic's marketing team... I dunno.. They have kind of bad taste, IMO... I don't believe it were Youtubers that bought the previous Blackmagic Pocket in the past... Maybe i'm wrong.. The whole catalog is crowded with these sterile, HDR, ultra high definition clean pics of awesome boys and girls having a blast while shooting Blackmagic with no decent rigs at all, just bareknuckle camera... I really wanted to say how much ABSURD this feels to me, trying to market this camera to people who shot selfies? 

"We are very mindfull of people who shoot themselves" - Grant Petty at NAB Live Press in 2018...

Hilarious and absurd...

MOVING ON

It's such an awesome camera!!!!! 4K RAW/PRORES 60FPS? 120FPS 1080P? DIRECT RECORDING TO A F*CN! EXTERNAL DRIVE? DUAL NATIVE ISO??? :0

It was a total shock, as it should be ;) Congrats to Blackmagic, you have a faithfull follower! 

Built in 3D LUT's is also fantastic, bluetooth (can prove very usefull for wireless menu control), mini xlr... Dedicated stills button! I like that! No more time lapsing at 1FPS to get a shot. They even put an industry standard 12V RS!! How cool is that? I would however prefer a BNC type SDI output instead of the hdmi, but being the big hdmi is OK.

Patterns are repeating, as I was getting ready to invest on the Sony A7III, I'm pretty sure I will be investing on this one instead, as my main activity is towards video... Just waiting for same sample footage to test it out... (continues down)

The sensor size is 18.96x10mm, or aprx 1.9x1cm, wich is almost a 2:1, wider than 16:9 and 1.85 we all know. This new Pocket sensor is actually bigger than the 2.5K sensor we all know and love on the first BMCC which was 15.6x8.8mm

To remind us all, Super 16mm is 12.52x7.41mm and Super 35mm (4perf) is 24.89x18.66mm.

The aspect of the sensor, however, is worth of appreciation in comparison to other Micro Four Thirds sensor, the GH5 for example:

The Lumix sensor is taller and narrower, more into 4:3 ratio territory, the new sensor on the Pocket4K has a ratio of almost 2:1... wider then 16:9 (1.77x1), slightly larger than 1.85 cinemascope (x1).

 So this "Micro Four Thirds" sensor on the BMPCC4K has wider window but it's shorter... I guess that's why they call it a Cinema Camera... I mean, I think I may have prefered for a squarer aspect ratio, like 1.66, but from a sensor design aspect it's clearly on Blackmagic's favor to go for wider aspect, in fact, our tv's are getting widder too... All those cropped 1.85's are gone this way, users looking for wider perspective may now enjoy all of their pixels. But... Only will happen if Open Gate feature is available, WICH, would be awesome...

(Just to mention... that imo the ALEV III is the best cinematic sensor in the world, hands down...)

I calculated the diagonal on this sensor, it's 21.435 so I guess this is not the Sony sensor I thought it could be... But I could be wrong... Sony has an interesting sensor on the shelf the IMX294CJK (not friendly), which is a 4/3 sized one very similar to this:

It's an ExmorR (sony's most efficient pixel structure, present in the A7III), wich would explain the claimed exceptional low noise) and they also name it STARVIS (refering to the back-illuminated pixel technology), but for what I understand this sensor is more targeted for security cameras because of it's good low light performance at high ISO's.. But isn't that why people buy a7S's? But the diagonal on this one is different, 21.63... But... I have my suspicious they've worked with Sony on this one, I could be wrong. Check out it's speeds:

 Here's all the official info about that sensor: https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/products_en/new_pro/may_2017/imx294cjk_e.html

Knowing that (who makes the sensor) is kind of cool. I liked to learn the sensors on some cameras where made by companies like Toshiba, Panasonic, and thinking about the images those cameras made, maybe helps in understanding better each ones characteristics. I don't remember well if I read something about the first BMPCC having a sensor made from other brand... I liked it's texture, I hope this sensor retains that same texture, possibly it will, thanks to that crystalline 12bit RAW.

Oh, and Dual-Native ISO! That's a BIG thing. What it means is that you have two different ISO settings capable of delivering the same number of stops above and under the 18% mid grey. In other words, you dont have to sacrifice highlights on a low ISO nor getting muddy shadows with high ISO. The name "Dual-Native" is self explanatory, at least if you know what were talking about.  If not: it's a bit like having two different speeds of the same stock film, like Vision 3 50D and 250D. They try to perform very identically in respect of dynamic range distribution in relation to the middle grey, color reproduction, noise structure... 

So I'm guessing 800 and 6.400 are the Natives. But it seems they are saying that performance with 25.650 - Dynamic range wise - is as good as with 800, succesfully shifting the middle grey bellow about 4 stops... Nice!

LATER EDIT

The actual Natives are 400 and 3200.

I think I would have prefered to see the dual native only kicking at 2000 iso, so that 1250 and 1600 allowed more DR in the highlights (for some dark silhouette/bright sky background shoots, which is pretty usefull). Guess for those shots will be sticking with ISO 1000

I dont know much about sensor engineering but I would like to see the middle grey "tuned" 2 stops bellow across the whole chart. 
Anyway, one can work around this and it will be interesting to test it in real life. Great job from Blackmagic for putting out these charts, not even RED does this, and it's very useful.

BTW here is the original pocket Dynamic Range Chart

But another thing that I really liked about the Pocket Cinema Camera, is it's educational factor, as a learning tool is great, thanks to it's simplicity and efficiency. I learned to expose! I very very rarely changed the ISO on the BMPCC, neither the Shutter Angle. I exposed with iris, ND's, and light control. And I enjoy working like that. I'm really not into the hype of scrolling through crazy extreme ISO's not knowing how that is affecting my dynamic range. I prefer to keep it simple, knowing what I can count with, and what iI cannot, working around those things, create better lightning conditions, get faster lenses, use a matebox with filters. Having that "limitation" made me know how digital sensors and exposure works, what you win and what you loose when messing with the ISO. Thanks to that I found myself exposing situations with abundant light or very high key with high ISO's, instead of a low ISO like some people tend to do without really understand what they're doing, to get those little details on the clouds and the white walls. 

If you're into Digital Cinematography you must understand this!

I would like to understand better how dual native gain works, previously I thought it could be achieved by running the camera at different Voltages (like switching from 12V working to 24V), but now i'm guessing it has to do with how the ADC's (analog to digital converter's) are working...

Active Micro Four Thirds mount was what we liked in the BMPCC so we have it again, most practical and logical choice (imagine if the camera came only with EF mount.... terrible no?)

Now that I think about it I remember when the M4/3 sensor came out with the Panasonic AG-AF101

Remember this one? 

Should I remember that this was the first camera of it's kind? I mean, 5000$ for a Full HD camera (with the AVCHD getting broader acceptance) with a sensor larger than Super 16, and, above all, interchangeable lenses. This was the thing back in that day!! A 2010 review by Nigel Cooper may refresh our minds http://www.dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=246

I remember that I thought the Micro Four Thirds sensor would be a one of a kind experience in this camera, I never imagined Micro Four Thirds would grow so much as a lens mounting system nor as a sensor size. Now we see fully featured photography cameras featuring this sensor size and mounting system, as well as a wide range of lenses designed for this specific format. Panasonic now only offers S35 solutions, and with the ability to crop into these new sensors pretty much justifies why. 

SO

What I like:

- 10 bit PRORES HQ baby, gotta love working with ProRes...

- 4K and 1080p modes.

- Built in 3D LUT's (will it be possible to import your own LUT's?)

- Blackmagic Colour Science
- Up to 120 FPS

- Same 13 stops DR (enough for me)

- Included Davinci Resolve 15 (worth a couple of dollars alone)

- Direct recording to external drive via USB-C

- Dedicated buttons, including 3 Function ones.

- Keeping that SD slot there

- Mini XLR is very nice as well

- Nice spectrogram and meters

- Knowing that it delivers to Netflix standards. That's cool...

- and finally... the Price man... 1295$, only 300$ more thant the previous BMPCC. Such potential  packed under those 1300$.

What I don't like:

- Selfie button - hate that

- No physical buttons to navigate the menu... Which means if I get some appropriate EVF hood like my previous LCDVF I will have to take it off to change something in the menu. But maybe with the help of the new dedicated Fn's, and other buttons, trips to the menu will be more periodical.

- HDMI. Altough far better than the micro hdmi on the original BMPCC I would much prefer a standard BNC SDI connector. But it's ok...

- It only arrives in September!! :/ 

What I hope it will have:
- OPEN GATE mode (I would't mind if it was 25FPS max this way)

- Ability to power external accessories via the 12V RS

- Future firmware adding ProResRAW format (would be a hell lot of value...)

- Ability to crop into the sensor  (S16)

- Minimum but good weather sealing (rain, dust...)

What I hope it will not have:

- Drop Frames!6

- Overheating!

My previous BMPCC never, never let me down. Never one single drop frame or interrupted take because of overheating or whatever. 

It's not a perfect camera for everyone, but it's quite perfect for what I expect to do with it, exercises, small films and experiments, small docs, location scouting, etc. Some noobs will cry "oh if it had built in stabilization... or flippy-fluppy screen... or 256.874.358 ISO... or bigger sensor... or global shutter..." 

I like to put on my cork sniffier outfit and tell them "It's a Digital Cinema Camera. And it cost's 1295$. So shut the fuck up, go to school".

I hope that after testing I can confidently say that! 

Hahahaha

This ends this weird review-thoughts-homage-whatever. Dunno why I wrote it in English...

Have a nice day!

EDIT 2020:

So immediately after the first batches arrived to Lisbon I grabbed one. You guys may not believe it but I had the camera for 5 days and then sold it for 200€ less and bought the AMAZING Sony A7III. Why?

Video quality was astounding as expected, the camera felt well built and I was loving it's peaking and false colour, as well as loading in Luts. But the drawbacks I experienced were just too much for the style of situations I would put it through. I didn't know but the main thing I wanted out of a camera was to have fun and grab inspiring moments.

The BMPC IS NOT A FUN A CAMERA:

- Battery life is terrible

- Form factor is terrible

- The camera felt huge and was drawing too much attention on the street

- Lack of autofocus, program exposure and stabilization meant more time and attention for camera setup, less time and attention to delve into the action and grab the shot.

So after I got home after some first street tests I understood this was really not the camera I was looking for and I made a bad decision because I was stuck at home looking at dynamic range charts and video bit depths comparisons instead of acknowledging what my true needs were.

I was looking for a camera mainly for inspiration and study of light behaviour and post production workflow, but I also wanted a camera that I could fit in a professional workflow when there was an opportunity, and as a Cinematographer I had to have those 10 bit prores, I simply could not accept 8 bit 420. Well, turns out I realised something I was denying when I chose the BMPC:

 1 - The best camera there is is the one that is strapped to your shoulder when interesting situations occur, and chances are the bigger your camera setup the less likely it will be strapped to your shoulder that day lightning was AMAZING and you just had your Iphone with its pinky fingernail sized 1/32" sensor.

2 - The best camera to learn and have fun is a large sensor (> 1") small, light and discreet camera, that is instantly ready to shoot and deliver well exposed and focused images. Many times your Iphone is really the best camera there is, because it's ALLWAYS with you.

Having the BMPCC in my hands while shooting felt like there was always something between me and the subject. The camera was between me and the subject, like an obstacle I always had to manage and deal with before I could concentrate on what was happening and what I wanted to grab. Having the A7III in my hands I fell like there is nothing between me and the subject, I know I can turn on the camera, have it in program auto, start approaching the subject without even looking through the viewfinder, understanding the light direction and how the rest of the environment was framing and interacting with the subject, scouting to see how much attention I'm drawing (I still didn't even pull the camera up to my face), and finally in not more than 5 seconds pull the camera up and shooting a perfectly exposed and focused shot.

 Main relevant differences between both is really the amount of time you have to dedicate to the camera VS the amount of time you have to dedicate to the subject/environment.
For the BMPC I needed 15 seconds for camera and were left with 5 for subject, and response time if the situation changed was very laggy, A7III I have 15 seconds for subject and 5 to no time for camera, I can just shot it from bellow my waist in full auto.

Without me understanding it it was not the camera needed, I was wowed by its specs and price and convinced myself I would make better images that way. I was making terrible images with that camera! Setting up a shot took too many time and attention, many times the situation I was trying to grab simply disappeared, shots were shaky, out of focus, bad framing...

There was an opportunity for a small fashion film job for me to do some B Roll shots with the BMPC, so I made a list of accessories I would need to have the camera fully operational, cage, external monitor, follow focus, battery solution, gimbal, etc etc. Needless to say I had to spend another 2000 to 3000€ to have the camera ready for pro work - I didn't.

Pro work we allways have Alexas or at the very least a Sony FS7, so there was really no need for me to invest in this complicated setup. Of course that doesn't mean its not a great camera for other people, a friend of mine has a beautifull rig for the BMPC and is making great small corporate videos and fashion films. But he's not going out with the camera on vacations or for inspiration. It's a professional camera that needs professional rigging and a focus puller. It's not a pocket allways with you camera.

If you're looking for a Pro camera for Pro workflows, you're probably no even reading this and you know exactly what camera you need. If you're an enthusiast or just getting into videography or photography and you're looking for a new or first camera my advice is: don't let great specs overshadow what really makes a camera great for your needs, you learn more from a small and simple camera that is allways with you than you will with a huge and expensive setup, because the latter wont be with you when the best situations happen. The Sony A7III is a BEAST of a camera because it features a gorgeous full frame in a very compact form factor, pair it with the amazing Zeiss 35mm 2.8 or the 55mm 1.8 and you have a crazy powerfull yet compact setup. I'm having much more fun and making WAY better shots with it, not just because of its specs, but mainly because it's small size and great battery life, I know I can just grab and go while quickly leaving home for some coffee or just a walkaround. The Fuji X100 is another interesting camera if you just want photos, it's roughly the same size as the A7III, yet even simpler and easy to carry out since you only have the built in lens option. The Sony RX100V is another great camera. Really the most important things are small size, simple form factor, battery life, sensor size.

The best camera there is is the one that is with you. The camera that will most likely be with you is a small camera with decent battery performance, autofocus and some kind of stabilization (for video). With that camera you will actually leave home with it, and when the time comes there will be no distractions between you and your subject, and this is crucial to become a better photographer/videographer.

the immortal game

Chase Bliss Audio Tonal Recall - "Polaroid Memories" factory preset right slot

So I recently got the Tonal Recall from Chase Bliss Audio - maybe will review it here someday later, but overall absolutely AMAZING pedal.

So here's the thing:
While testing the presets on the lower toggle I accidentally saved a new preset into the right slot (wich is memory slot 1 btw), and lost the amazing sounding preset that came in that slot from the factory.

I tried to dial it in again but couldn't quite nail it, so I decided to email Joel Korte (Chase Bliss Audio Boss) and Zack Warpinsky (Chase Bliss Audio Lead Tech) (very nice folks) about the settings, and they were - as allways - super kind to give the correct setting.

It uses both bucket brigade chips simultaneously to create sort of a dual delay, washed reverb like sound, with a medium square modulation happening and 100% dry delayed signal. It sounds absolutely divine. As Knobs puts it "if a polaroid made sound, this would be it"

So here are the settings along with an image I photoshoped for you guys:

Tone - 3 o'clock
Mix - Full
Time - Full (550 ms)
Regen - 3 o'clock (or just before oscilating)
Modulation - Square wave
Rate - 11 o'clock
Depth - 1 o'clock
Trails Dip Switch - On

I also like to play this with a bit of dry signal, with the mix at around 3 o'clock. And I also like to dial the rate a bit higher and the depth a bit lower. Another really fun thing to do in this mode is to ramp the time and mix from all the way down to all the way up (no bouncing)

Hope someone finds this usefull!
Been loving this pedal, the momentary mode with trails is amazing!

Cheers

#chasebliss #chaseblissaudio #pedal #delay #analog #tonal #recall #tonalrecall #bbd #settings #factory #reset #reverb

A Sociedade do Espectaculo - Parte 22

Um dia, tinha eu os 7 ou 8 anos - lembro-me perfeitamente - estava a passear com os meus avós e passamos por uma menina cigana também com os 7 anos a pedir esmolas em troca dos seus talentos musicais ao acordeão. A minha avó deu-me uma moeda para dar à menina, e todo vaidoso atirei a moeda em estilo de truque, como via nos filmes e bandas desenhadas, catapultando-a no ar com o polegar e fazendo-a girar até cair em cheio no pote de moedas.

A minha avó repreendeu-me com o dedo indicador erguido em frente aos lábios "isso não se faz, é muito feio!". Obrigou-me a ir pedir desculpa à menina e dar-lhe um beijo, juntamente com outra moeda entregue em mãos. Ensinou-me - vagamente - o que era a humildade e a bondade.

                                                          -     -     -     -     -     -     -

Hoje, num estádio de futebol, antes de uma partida, num "acto heróico e solene que demonstra que ainda existe esperança e bondade na humanidade" as claques atiram/arremessam/jogam brinquedos para o relvado - com a mesma brutalidade como quando atiram isqueiros, cadeiras ou petardos - para estes serem recolhidos para caridade, 51 363 pessoas filmam e fotografam, as redes sociais deliram com a nobreza deste acto, os likes disparam, "Humankind <3" lê-se no título dos vídeos. "AMEN" lê-se no comment mais votado.

"  <3  "

Os que mendigavam à porta do estádio nessa noite, mendigaram nas noite seguintes também.
Os sem abrigo que dormiam nas escadas do metro onde as claques passaram continuam a dormir nas mesmas escadas. Mas agora tinham ursinhos de peluche!!
Ah, e provavelmente a condição da menina cigana também não foi revolucionada...

A indiferença transforma-se numa nova virtude e é socialmente legitimada com novos gestos e códigos pelos embaixadores da bondade, armados de ursos de peluche e smartphones.
É curiosa a similaridade entre os gestos de descartar e ajudar. Curiosa e negra, sádica.

" <3 humankind "


#catch22

 ‘A narrativa é inadequada para transmitir factos e verdades.’ Barthes.

‘the text is most informative when it deviates unpredictably from one of its

codes, creating effects which stand out against this uniform background’.

Terry Eagleton.

 ‘A dust-cloud of meaningless signs capable of conspiring against visual convictions

(...) Don’t pretend to mean this or that. (...) It’s the formal structure

 that creates drama.’

John Smith

Carta para um amigo

... one should allways speak what’s in one’s heart… Ou pelo menos assim nos incita a nossa educação “romântica” e as músicas que cantamos de goelas abertas nos festivais, “speak your mind!” e não sei quê. A nossa tendência em romanticizar aspectos da vida eminentemente ambíguos e pulsionais, e dessa forma conseguir lidar de uma forma aparentemente mais saudavel com o facto de não compreendermos as nossas próprias emoções, é, numa primeira camada, divertida, entretem, numa segunda ate pode parecer interessante, porque de repente há uma série de experiencias e palavras comuns entre as pessoas, mas numa camada mais profunda - ou numa anticamada - afigura-se absolutamente pointless, waste of time. Um esforço entropico, mas do qual resulta, inegavelmente, boa música e arte interessante. Portanto podes ir por aí, viver esse sofrimento, sentires compaixão ou empatia por quem parece sentir algo parecido, juntos fortalecerem esse simpatia e acharem novas palavras e formas de falar sobre ela, sublimar essa cena em música ou poesia, whatever, parece-me bem, e muitas pessoas parece que se dão bem a lidar com as coisas assim. 

Mas neste momento eu não sou a pessoa para chorar contigo. Apenas te posso disruptar (esta palavra não existe, mas vem de disruptivo/disrupção), o que me parece muito mais divertido e amigo. Pelo menos eu cada vez mais admiro e estimo as pessoas que de uma forma gentil e graciosa desvalorizam os meus complexos sentimentais e episódios Freudianos, riem-se deles, e me mostraram como tantas outras coisas incríveis aconteceram por aí ao mesmo tempo que eu andava tão perturbado e negro, e como a beleza da vida está em não saber o que vem a seguir, no imprevisto, na aventura, e na transformação. Já não me esforço muito para compreender certos fenómenos, ocorrências, arbitrariedades, e coisas de uma forma a que mais tarde as possa explicar às pessoas. Eu próprio já nasci e renasci demasiadas vezes. Palavra que sinto mesmo isso.

Compreendo que te sintas revoltado por não teres exteriorizado esse sentimentos na respectiva altura, eu também tenho episódios passados confusos na minha memória, todos temos. inícios sem fins, coisas que não aprazam. e que volta e meia me arreliam, mas só assim é quando eu estou mesmo entediado, tipo marasmo. Mas cada vez mais me molestam menos simplesmente porque aprendi a aceitar que sou um ser pulsional e temperamental em constante transformação, e que a origem destas pulsões transcendem 1- a minha capacidade cognitiva em compreende-las dentro de um sistema logico de causa-efeito que possa facilmente ser comunicavel por palavras (aquilo me mais me fascina é a capacidade da imaginação renderizar obsoleta esta necessidade lógica de causa-efeito para explicar ou representar uma coisa, tipo um filme do Lynch ou Tarkovsky ou Apichatpong) 2- e a minha vontade em despender tempo para tentar compreende-las com base no que outras pessoas viveram e escreveram.

Simplesmente já não me apetece gastar energia a pensar nisso. Volta e meia posso fazê-lo, mas é tipo um velho hábito, como acabar de fumar um cigarro e tentar catapultar a ponta o mais longe possível usando apenas o dedo do meio e o polegar. Um exercicio. Prefiro direccionar essa energia para a minha criatividade, de alguma forma. Até porque isto tudo é absolutamente insignificante comparado com a imensidão do cosmos e a propagação e dilatação do espaço-tempo. Pode-nos ajudar a criar sistemas de compreensão, chama-lhe psicologia ou psicanálise, mas no fundo parecem-me formas diferentes de fazer a mesma coisa, e essa coisa hoje parece-me simplesmente redundante, desinteressante, inócua, improdutiva, desactualizada.

Com isto tudo não quero dizer que me estou a cagar para os teus sentimentos. Recebi-os com estima e estima-los-ei. 
Espero ter-te estimulado a superar as tuas mágoas e avançar em frente rumo ao desconhecido. O belo desconhecido.

Há que ser pragmático. Reconhecer a carência que nos está a levar a querer ressuscitar sentimentos e fantasmas mais-que-mortos do passado, enumerar soluções, escolher uma - a mais pulsional, e seguir rumo a uma nova metamorfose. 

Felizmente há luar!