Updated my old pumpkin music video

[John K Jordan]

I made this pumpkin carving video one day 36 years ago, done all in one take since I had no way to edit video then. I'd pick up the pumpkin, make a few cuts, then put it back down and push a button on the recorder which captured 8 frames. Repeat. Took about 4 hours to setup and record. (I was home sick with the flu and a fever and got really bored so I made a video!)

A few days later I spent 9 hours writing, practicing, and recording the music on my midi synthesizers.

Sorry for the low resolution! But hey.

This version is shortened from the original with a few minor edits and a title added. Perhaps some day I'll make a completely new one, maybe with some how-to.



https://youtu.be/Lje7FCSSOrw

JKJ

[Mel Fulks]

Nice work, John. Those things take time! When my son was in early elementary school we made a little Play-Doh character and animated
it with a ,even then old , Brownie Movie Camera. It came in under $20…..but didn’t make any money.

[roger wiegand]

Nice! More art than any pumpkin I ever carved!

[John K Jordan]

Thanks!

I started carving like that in the late 70s after seeing a creative neighbor cut away some of the pumpkin skin which let light through, scooping the inside to control the amount of light. He mostly had some thin carved lines but I stole the concept and took off running, making a few almost every year. At the time no one I knew had seen that technique used. Now it’s not uncommon.

I've had people talk me into selling some to them for Halloween. Considering how quickly jack-o-lanterns deteriorate that was expensive art investment!
I was asked to do several classes and demonstrations. When I set up displays I use electric lights inside:

Here are some from 2001. These things look a LOT better with internal lighting!

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Mel, I've done some of that too! Inspired by Claymation and Wallace and Gromit. One son and I also did an animation with Legos, but with video capture - I never tried it with film!
A friend visiting from Italy was carrying my digital SLR around the farm and afterwards I found where she had made a little figure from wire and took dozens of clever action shots from a tripod. I should try that with wire.

Hey, just for fun, here is some more vegetable "art", turned on the lathe many years ago:

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JKJ

[Mike Soaper]

Nice pumpkins!

Since you like Wallace and Grommet, and it's Halloween, you might want to check out their movie "Curse of the Were-Rabbit"

[John K Jordan]

Nice pumpkins!

Since you like Wallace and Grommet, and it's Halloween, you might want to check out their movie "Curse of the Were-Rabbit"

Thanks, I will! (Just ordered the DVD, will arrive Mon but that's close enough.) We have all the shorts.