Blow Your Mind (Dumb Dog Trick #264)

Why do I make Dumb Dog Trick videos?

I started doing photography in black and white. Developing photos in the darkroom. Eventually I stopped because, even though my prints were large and beautiful, it was such a pain in the ass to make them. I started making videos when digital technology made it easier to make short films or videos than it used to be to make a single print.

Dumb Dog Tricks is obviously inspired by the David Letterman Show's Stupid Pet Tricks. Did you know that when Animal Planet started Pet Star, Animal Planet got Letterman's Stupid Pet Trick coordinator to round up the talent. And, yes, I was turned down from Pet Star by that dude (can't remember his name) because my act didn't have "pop." But, heck, to be honest, he was pretty nice about it. He was also one of the few people I ever had a real chance to talk about it with. Early days of email. I also think the guy worked pretty hard wrangling a selection of animals. Lots of dog candidates.

So, what do you do? Make your own show.

Who needs pop when I got Dumb Dog Tricks? The point of Dumb Dog Tricks and really any dumb dog video, very funny dog video or what-have-you worth watching is to share the love and fun that pet ownership brings.

I pray you be easily entertained, however, as Dumb Dog Tricks are like Modern Art, the mystique is elusive, if you know what I mean. And how could you know what I mean! Har! Get it? It's that dumb.

What did I just watch? Why did I just watch that? What the hell? I want those :42 back. Hey look, there's links to more of these stupid videos. Hmm I'll try this one.

It has taken me about three years to balance the level of corniness with the immense stupidity and proper tone. It has not come easy. The theme music sound was made by scraping a '57 Chevy bumper against a curb. The photos appear chaotic, even paleolithic in their stark simplicity. The sound of the crazy man's voice conjures images of cigars, cognac and whispered secrets.

The experience of a dumb dog trick visually is similar to what one think when one of our pets leaves a surprise on the carpet -- What the crap is that?

Peace and love to all throughout the land.

Jimmy Jump

SUPER DOG BOWL SQUEAKY SONG (Canine Symphony Orchestra)

REMEMBER TO WALK THE DOG.

"SUPER DOG BOWL HALFTIME SHOW" audition tape by the Canine Symphony Orchestra.

Every Sunday my buddies and I meet to run our dogs. We meet around 9:30a.m. Would the NFC AND AFC AND NFL and ESPN and NBC and OMG and WTF please schedule the big game to start around 11:15? I'm usually back from my dogwalk by then. That would be super!

Do I really care who wins? Nope. I care a whole lot more about the commercials. Funny Super Bowl Commercials. Love 'em. I can't wait to see the big Doritos contest entries and winner. Those so rock. I love those videos.

When I was first using Imovie to edit videos, I got so that I would edit on and on and really focus on projects. This one is a stop motion collage of various dog sounds -- squeaky toys, barks and growls. Yeah, it is perhaps the most annoying song ever written.It's not even music. Hitting the bell on the annoyance chart is good for something, right? Let me know if anyone knows anyone looking for a series of disjointed dog grumble sounds strung together. It's like the Movie Ishtar condensed into 90 seconds. Har! I keep intending to re-upload it with greatly improved sound. Hasn't happened yet. Might not quite be as annoying if I did that. Arrr! But I got really captivated for a while with making stop-motion sound and motion set to music. My best one IMHB is Musical Chairs for Dogs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIDXLJLvZcY It's far from perfect, but it was fun to make and I enjoy watching the end result. Back in the 1960's they would do cool stop motions of guys scooting their behinds along the ground, then clip it together, make it go fast, and put some racecar sounds over the top. Big inspiration to me. I keep intending to do a take on that ... yeah, that would be cool. Oughta do that. Any suggestions anyone? Yeah, a parody of Onision's "I'm a Banana" song. That's a cool idea. But it would have to be Red Dog singing I'm a Chihuahua. That would work for my talent pool. As for
FOOTBALL? Dogs don't care about football. But a dog who gets a good walk in the morning will be you winter snuggle buddy while you through the whole football game.

Here's a video I just did. I think in the three years I have done Youtube I have learned a lot. I'm self taught, but I can at least put together a weird little story if I put my mind to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxfesK9qM4o

Actually, this song was originally entitled "We Love Canada." And as much as we do love Canada, the sound on it just wasn't very good. Meanwhile, the nice folks at Apple came out with ilife 11, and the upgrades to Garageband and imovie allowed me to make mondo improvements in the sound.

I'm not kidding about the remember to walk the dog stuff on these big football Sundays. DON'T FORGET TO WALK THE DOG! Don't sit on the couch all day, stuffing your face. At least go out and walk the dog first.