Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983

Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983
STMcC in downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

EXPLORE THE WEST (With A Cup Of Coffee)

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'WESTERN LIGHT'
featuring music from Windham Hill artists
1984
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Remember when you were 5 years old and you were the toughest, fastest-shootin' lawman in the Old West? The large family dog was your faithful steed, and the Indian warrior hiding in them thar rocks was really just your kid brother ducking behind your dad's favorite TV chair. Face it, there is a cherished residue from those wonderful years tucked into a pocket of your heart, and you still carry it around and examine it from time to time. Hey, that's OK -- not OK Corral, but OK.
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Well, guess what! You can still explore The West from the comfort of your own living room! It is the first-class photography that makes Windham Hill's 'WESTERN LIGHT' a stellar video travelogue. Myriad magical Western places are explored by the sympathetic camera, including Monument Valley on the Utah / Airheadzona border (made famous in John Ford's Westerns) and Bodie, the California State Historic Park, which is probably the best preserved Nineteenth Century ghost town in America.
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The concept & cinematography style were obviously "borrowed" from the masterpiece film KOYAANISQATSI, which had been released just a year earlier in 1983.
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For those of you who are interested in the technical aspects of such things: Kodak 7291 and 7294 film stock was used and transferred to video tape for editing. The final 1" videotape edited master and the 1" 1610 PCM digital audio source were then transferred to VHS and Beta stereo Hi-fi videocassettes. Three basic 16mm cameras were used. The ground shots (at 30 frames per second) were done with a high speed Arriflex 16SR, the aerial footage was shot with an Eclair from a fixed wing mount and a Bolex was used for the time lapse photography. Three different lenses were used: a fixed 5.9, a 10-150 zoom and a 12-240 zoom. Various filters were used throughout including a coral-3, a fog filter and a polarizing filter. I don't know what most of that means, but it sounds as impressive as the results look!
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At a time when we have grown accustomed to sound-bites and jump-cuts, here the camera rebels by lovingly and leisurely caressing the Western landscape, giving the viewer ample time to experience its nuance. The slightly "new age" soundtrack is made up of instrumental pieces from a variety of Windham Hill artists. What on paper would seem to be a very odd marriage indeed, turns out to be a surprisingly perfect tandem. Many's the night I've come home from work and unwound by viewing this extraordinarily beautiful production. At 55 minutes running time, this is perhaps the one DVD in my collection which has been played more than any other. Highly recommended! This is the next best thing to being in the West... on horseback.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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6 comments:

  1. Sheboyganboy Six says...

    I can personally attest that this is one awesome viewing experience. A good friend (hmmm... wonder who?) sent me his OLD VHS copy recently, and my wife and I have enjoyed watching it several times already.

    It has a VERY soothing effect after a long day. The spectacular landscapes, combined with the Windham Hill music, give one a reassuring sense of the grandeur and permanence of God's creation.

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    1. Great comment, and I'm pleased that you liked it so much, McBrother Sixgun!

      You've seen it several times already? Now you can understand how it's possible for it to be my single most watched DVD of all. It's not a major time investment and it demands nothing from the viewer... but eyes and ears.

      It really is relaxing, and so beautiful. Whereas 'Koyaanisqatsi' is a kind of assault on the ears, eyes and mind, 'Western Light' just caresses one and say, "Appreciate what's always there, whether you are or not."

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

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  2. You've talked me into a purchase, Reno! I've already listened to several clips by Windham Hill on You Tube and am convinced I'll love the 'Western Light' DVD. There truly isn't anything like cruising the west on horseback, but this promises to be a right close second ;-)

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    1. dIEDRE ~
      You will love it and probably watch it more often than you think. It's perfect for unwinding.

      I'd watched 'WESTERN LIGHT' probably 25-30 times before I ever had the chance to visit Monument Valley. That video had me clamoring to get there.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  3. Dern, I know nothing of Windham Hill...I gotta brush up. I do know something about coffee, though. Does that count?

    COMMENTS NO ONE ASKS FOR:
    According to Reader's Digest, in Italian, the word espresso literally means "when something is forced out." Which makes me wonder: if I really don't have an intelligent comment, but feel like I should say something just to show support and that I was here -- have I just expressoed? Did I verb that noun with reckless abandon?

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    1. Coffee is good! There would be no employment without coffee. God knew what He was doing when He created the coffee bean BEFORE He created Adam. How was Adam going to wake up if God hadn't already created the "caffeine bean"?

      You espressoed your view on espresso quite well-o.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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