2000 Downloaded from http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-1KLaW68p5lK/reviews/20040106/grateful_dead_dvd_part2.html?page=all Crutchfield Advisor Reviews & Reports The Making of the Grateful Dead Live DVD The Closing of Winterland - Part II January 6, 2004 Creating The Closing of Winterland - Part II The art of audio/visual necromancy in the 21st Century by Lindsay Planer This week CrutchfieldAdvisor concludes our two-part examination of the innovative and heroic technological efforts incorporated into the Grateful Dead live concert DVD, The Closing Of Winterland (2003). This time around, we follow up our previous Q&A - with audio engineer and co-producer Jeffrey Norman - with an equally engaging conversation with video producer David Lemieux. Lemieux is not only the coproducer of the package, but also the band's audio and video archivist. As such, he is responsible for the care and feeding of the infamous Grateful Dead tape vault. We caught up with Lemieux at the band's newly reconfigured digs in Novato, California on Wednesday, November 19, 2003. CA: David, let's begin with an overview of your role as co-producer, as well as how you visually augmented Jeffrey's work. DL: For the first two months we basically worked together. Then we each did our own thing. I'd check in with him daily and hear what he'd done on both the stereo and the 5.1 mixes. To put things into a bit more context, Jeffrey told you about the issues he had losing a month of work because of the workstation, right? Well, we were also in the process of physically moving "the vault" 150 feet. In fact, the reconstruction has literally just been completed. It was weird not having access to the tapes for a while, but they are back and all is well. CA: Did you hit critical mass in the old space? DL: No, the new owners of the building we are in have leased the area that holds the studio and rehearsal room back to us. However, the space that was occupied by the vault was too valuable to them. So we disassembled and then rebuilt a new vault. We also dispersed their own solo projects to the individual band members. Everyone had a manageable collection, except for Mickey, who built his own vault. Everyone eventually worked out a good solution to their respective needs. Anyway, that is a bit of insight into what was happening on top of trying to meet our deadlines to have Closing Of Winterland readied for DVD authoring. It was an awkward time between the first of August and the middle of September, because we were getting the vault both emptied and torn down during what was essentially the meat of our work on this project. CA: Was it all downhill once you got going? My feeling is that you, like Jeffrey, were faced with continual challenges. DL: That is an understatement. There were so many challenges, it was at times quite astounding. For both of us, it was the biggest and toughest project we've collaborated on to date. That might go for all of us at Grateful Dead Productions. It was hurdle after hurdle, which makes it so exhilarating when it ended up virtually perfect. It's equally satisfying to know that there isn't anything that anyone would have changed. CA: You couldn't even really want more. DL: Exactly. After we'd made the basic decisions on content, someone commented that we weren't holding anything back and I replied, "What's the point?". We used everything that we had in our archives, and what would be the reason not to? If we can get up to three hours and 10 minutes on each disc, then let's do it. My theory was to make this something that we would not have any regrets about. I didn't want to go back and say, "Man, I wish we would have included that Bill Graham interview." We made a decision early in the process that we wanted to present the concert as the main event: First Set, Second Set, and Third Set. Everything else was bonus footage. We are not presenting a strict chronology because we did not want to have the show interrupted. I think of it from the experience as a viewer. You are at home with friends and listening in surround sound and getting a complete experience first and foremost. Then, if you want to watch the extras, they are there as well. That was the premise behind taking the 2 AM interview [with Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Ken Kesey] out and creating it as a separate side item, for example. CA: Taken on the whole, it really is more than a live concert on DVD. It is more of a multi-media time capsule. DL: That is what we want it to be. Especially given the importance that the show had, not only in the Grateful Dead canon, but as a legitimate piece of rock and roll music history. It heralds both the closing of the venue, and the effective end of an era. CA: How much a part of what you accomplished was a product of recent consumer technological advancements? DL: Basically, all of it. There is so much packed into just two DVDs. One thing is that you can play director with the alternate camera angles - which is not an option with any other consumer playback medium. There is the New Riders Of The Purple Sage montage and the Blues Brothers footage, both of which are accessible at any point. You can recreate the events as they unfolded or just watch the concert, which we figured everyone would consider as the main event. That is also the reason we chose to present it with the layout we did. In terms of the alternate angles, we had shots to draw upon occasionally with the "iso" footage that began during Fire On The Mountain. Each reel of video had significant overlap, so we could edit it seamlessly. In fact, because there was so much overlap, we never had to cut during a song. That was helpful. CA: This project was different in that both you and Jeffrey worked both apart and then brought the fruits of your respective labors back to the table, once they were completed, right? DL: Yes, exactly and I'm glad you also explored his endeavors, since that is half the story right there. There was a lot going on that he did while I was not in the room and would have had no real firsthand knowledge of. CA: Yet, the final result is undeniably seamless. Let's discuss the layout. We heard from Jeffrey how he constructed the audio elements, so why don't you correspond with your creation of the visuals? DL: We began by opening up a dialogue with our video editing and DVD authoring house, which is one and the same actually. We described the project to them and gave them all the problems we thought we were going to have. They allayed our fears and assured us that it was possible to pull it off. With that confidence, we b 2000 egan in earnest moving forward. We then examined the elements that we had, which were six reels of video program, as well as an additional four reels of "iso" shots. Incidentally, it's those "iso shots" that contained the footage we used for the alternate camera angles. Before the show actually starts, we didn't have anything in terms of interviews or, well, anything really. Between the first and second set, we had access to the interview with Bob [Weir], Mickey [Hart] and Ken Kesey. So, we made a big chart and put together a timeline of what we could conceivably use. For the most part, the unused video footage consisted of sweeping camera shots. They were taken between sets and show the crowd, tripping in unison at 3 AM or whenever. Here I should mention Frank Zamacona. Frank is one of the Bay Area's, if not America's, premier documentary film makers. He takes the materials, and on a bit of a budget . . . well, just look for yourself at the caliber of what he came up with. Frank has done quite a bit of work with Bay Area public TV station KQED, who broadcast the event live at the time. He went through their archives and located the raw news footage, which contained the various interviews and all the other elements that were being compiled for a pre-show special. The station did a big piece on the event, which is the source for the Scoop Nisker-hosted Bill Graham interview, as well as the Deadhead Q&A outside. CA: Like the clip of former Grateful Dead tape archivist, Dick Latvala? DL: Yeah. Here is the serendipitous part - when Frank put the documentary together, he must have had 10 to 15 Deadhead interviews to choose from, of which he used maybe seven. Anyway, he invited Jeffrey and I over to view what he had done so far. So, we are watching and really digging it and all of a sudden Dick comes on. Jeffrey and I look at each other and go "IT'S DICK!" Frank had no idea who it was. I mean, he was aware of the name and the Dick's Picks series [of archival live Grateful Dead releases]. But, Frank had never met Dick and had no idea what ol' Latvala looked like. When we informed Frank, he was beyond thrilled, as we all were. I mean it is only fitting. Having an audio and video release like this was Dick's dream and primary goal when he was the Grateful Dead's tape archivist. More than anything else, I wish he were here to enjoy it. Well, he obviously is . . . heck, he is on the damn thing! [laughs] We had no clue that footage of him even existed. In the course of making the documentary Frank interviewed Jeffrey and I. We had no clue he was going to create a separate Making Of The DVD mini-featurette. I thought he'd just incorporate our comments into the larger piece, maybe inter-cut them, sort of like he did with the other interviews. Had I known and if we would've had the time, I'd have given a virtual tour of the vault - especially since the old one was in the process of being dismantled. After showing folks where all the master tapes reside, I'd have walked them over - on camera - to the oven and explained the steps involved in baking the tapes. Plus, we could have been able to show Jeffrey in the process of re-amplifying Jerry's guitar track. CA: That would have really enhanced the experience of enjoying the final results. DL: Yeah, you can see how we implemented each step we took in the restoration. Especially if we could have mixed the featurette in 5.1 and offer a speaker-by-speaker before and after demonstration. Or, discretely gone around to all five channels of the mix and done a demo of the information coming from each of the speakers. To take that a step further, we could build the mix by bringing up each of the 24 tracks one at a time. So you would hear just the "snare drum" and then just the "bass" until all two dozen tracks are blended. Let people hear what each of those sounds like. Really go behind the music, you know? CA: Even non-Deadheads would get a kick out of that. Speaking of "going behind", what is the story on the New Riders Of The Purple Sage video footage you interspersed with the still photos during the Glendale Train montage? DL: We all felt it was high time that the New Riders be represented on an archival Grateful Dead release. They were so integral a part of the scene in the Bay Area, right through the '70s as well. So, I contacted Rob Bleetstein who takes care of their archive and he brought about 40 or 50 of the photos that we used. Then, a week prior to going to edit that piece, I was rooting around and found an open reel of videotape that said "New Riders December 15, 1973" and that was it. Because of the format, I figured we'd have to send it off to New York or Los Angeles for transcription onto a usable format. As it turns out, there is a place in the Bay Area called Antique Video and they turned it around in two days. What we ended up with is an awesome New Riders set on video shot from the in-house Winterland three-camera shoot. Since we had no video of the New Riders during the actual New Years Eve show, we thought we could use that as part of the montage. I am glad that the New Riders are getting some credit on a Grateful Dead release given the long history the two bands have with each other. I mean Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart were all in the earliest incarnation. CA: How about the Blues Brothers footage? DL: Frank called up one day and said that he located the KQED master tape of their set. We had a copy in our vaults, but it paled in comparison. The broadcast began with the Blues Brothers set rather than the New Riders, which was probably a time consideration. So, we spoke to our powers that be and told them that we'd really like to use some of the footage. Then, just by chance a guy who takes care of some of my finances in Canada, where I am originally from, just happens to be Danny Aykroyd's cousin and one of his best friends. This was really down to the wire, but he got us an in to the Belushi estate. Long story short, we were able to get permission because I think they understood the importance of the whole project. CA: Who originally shot the video footage? DL: Good question. My guess is that it was the folks at KQED. It was not anyone involved with the band, I know that much. CA: When you began working on marrying sound to the images, were you influenced more by what you saw or what you heard? DL: Jeffrey's 5.1 mix is really subtle and not overbearing or false. You can sit in that pocket of sound and be cocooned by the music. Let it envelope and embrace you, so what you have coming over your shoulders is a nice warm wave of sound. You probably, at times, won't notice any of the 5 speakers, because they are working so perfectly together that you are quite literally being covered by the vi 2000 brations. It is a sensory experience. When I was in the studio listening to the mix, I'd shut off one side for a second and it is like the entire sonic image deflates. That said, what you are seeing on the screen is naturally what you are also going to try and hear. It was great for us to be able to use the sync-ed up video and then, if we see Phil really dropping bombs, we can reinforce that sonically. CA: Like Garcia did when he mixed the soundtrack to The Grateful Dead Movie (1976)? DL: Exactly. That was 100% our inspiration and motivation behind doing that. It is a benefit to mixing audio to a visual and there are a couple of really inconspicuous instances of that. For example, if Bobby is playing a tasty line that got buried, we can emphasize it for maximum effect. CA: Let me pose to you a question I asked Jeffrey: How much of a difference is there between what is on the DVDs, and what was broadcast live on KQED? DL: There are some very minor changes. Maybe 5% . . . maybe. I'll give you a few examples: We'd alter the original shot whenever there were character generated graphics that said "Tune into KSAN for FM simulcast," "Happy New Year," or "Brought to you by The Gap." So, that was a creative decision to use the "iso" camera if and when that happened during the Grateful Dead's set. There were no "iso" shots for the Blues Brothers, so you will see a bit of that scroll at the very beginning of the footage. We also trimmed the tuning down a bit. For instance, between Fire On The Mountain and Me and My Uncle there is seven minutes of down time. We cut that to a minute or so, and there was a lot of text on the screen that we could remove that way. When we did the final round of video edits - synching up the audio and video as tightly as possible - we watched on two separate monitors. The one on the left was the main program or KQED broadcast, and the one on the right was the "iso" camera footage, when available. So, when we'd see that the "iso" shot was more interesting, we'd switch over. We also used a split-screen effect a few times, during Its All Over Now, I Need A Miracle, and The Other One. CA: That reminded me of the Woodstock (1970) documentary. DL: That is what everybody said. We immediately decided not to run it into the ground though, we wanted to incorporate it tastefully. Those were the most compelling times to use the effect. Now, that is something which did not end up on KQED and we felt it would make the visual composition more interesting for the modern viewer. Another really nice touch that comes to mind occurs on Around and Around, during the second or maybe the third verse. Bobby is singing lead of course, and between the lines, Donna [Jean Godchaux] unleashes a massive wail. So, the regular broadcast shot was of Bobby singing. However, the "iso" angle showed both Bobby and Donna. So, on the DVD you can see a close up of Donna bracing herself. After she expels the vocal, she gets a big smile from somebody off-stage and we see her do this cool little boogie. The same goes for the shots of Garcia and Phil as they engage each other in Dark Star or Fire On The Mountain. We chose those shots to capture moments like that because we really wanted to emphasize the interaction. But we didn't have to do that too often. The original director did a darn good job the night or morning of the show. The shots were well composed and the whole thing flows really well. CA: To see Jerry and Phil really get in each other's face and almost dance is really something that, I dare say, most Deadheads have not experienced firsthand. I saw my first show the following year [April 3, 1979 at the Charlotte Coliseum] and I never saw any of them react so physically to the music or each other. Except maybe when Weir threw his guitar down in frustration one time in the early '90s. DL: Yeah, I know what you mean. When we are all gone, years and decades from now, there will be this document of the reason that so many people got so very much from the Grateful Dead. You can't help but be moved when you see and hear the ferocity and verve that they are playing with. CA: Speaking of physical, what shape was the videotape in? I know Jeffrey told us he had to bake the audio tapes - which he described as Standard Operating Procedure for that stock. DL: They were in great shape. They had to be baked, because of the inherent problem with all Ampex tape during the late '70s. But, as you can see, [the video] really looks clean. CA: How will the successful execution of The Closing Of Winterland make future multimedia archival projects realistic for you guys to accomplish? DL: It would lend itself well to the April 17, 1972 show at the Tivoli Concerthall in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is commonly referred to as TV From the Tivoli. We have a great video and multi-track audio for that show. There are also some uses when we go to work on the various elements of The Grateful Dead Movie. More than that though, we have no trepidation about embarking on a similar venture. Now we know that while it may not be easy, it is definitely do-able. It bodes well for the future, for sure. End of interview. CrutchfieldAdvisor would again like [Grateful Dead] to extend our most sincere thanks to both David Lemieux and Jeffrey Norman for sharing their time and respective expertise. If you have made it thus far, it probably goes without saying that The Closing Of Winterland DVD is a rock and roll extravaganza of epic proportions. It reinforces why many - if not arguably most - Grateful Dead enthusiasts consider this to be one of a handful of thoroughly epic entries in the band's voluminous 30-year (1965 - 1995), 2,300-plus concert career. The band certainly rose to the occasion by performing old classics, such as the improvisational vehicle Dark Star, or the psychedelic standby St. Stephen." In fact the latter would only be performed a handful of times by the Grateful Dead in the ensuing years. They likewise bring the same impelling improvisation to several "soon-to-be" classics as well. Most notably, Stagger Lee, and I Need A Miracle - both comparatively new entries - firmly remained enthusiasts' favorites and staples in the band's perpetually rotating songbook. Equally impressive are the plethora of technological advancements that have made it possible to create an experience that goes beyond a realistic "you-are-there" experience, and into the rarefied realm of the surreal - as lucky attendees weren't even presented with so optimum a view or substantial a soundscape. Perhaps I'm just showing my age, but The Closing Of Winterland makes me pine for the youthful spirit and exuberance that compelled me to forsake normal teenage activities - like my prom, high school graduation, and hanging out at the l 1fa ocal shopping mall - for the ultimately intimate "long strange trip" that commenced nearly a quarter century ago. And I wouldn't have traded a note of that sonic sojourn I began the week after my 10th birthday for all the tangible riches in the world. Lindsay Planer is a freelance journalist and Public Radio host. He is a regular contributor to several publications, including All Music Guide and CrutchfieldAdvisor.com. . 0