Chrysta Bell - This Train - official music video

Director, Editor, Photographer - Dutch Rall

Photographer - David Lynch

Lighting Director - Jason Amato
Purchase the album at http://www.chrystabell.com

Special thanks - Jean Renard, Andrea Brook, Clare Surgeson, Kevin Cochran, Julia Walker, J Scott G, Duane Albrect, Erin Boubel and Dean Hurley.

This Train - written by David Lynch, John Neff and Chrysta Bell

a Black Book Angel production
La Rose Noire, LLC
all media copyright. all rights reserved

Year for a Tiger.

A room in Paris.

My shadow, about to perform deep underground in Paris at some club called Silencio designed by some fabulous American filmmaker.

Amsterdam so cold and beautiful.

Mela Lee - Los Angeles - December 12, 2011

photo: Dutch Rall

Above, a woman with pipes, chops, and the goods.

Below, a woman with pipes, chops, and the goods.

And thank you Dean for turning me on the the best piece of something I have heard in forever.

I am beginning to believe that people can change for the better.

Maybe even me.

KA is an amazing spirit and a wonderful artist.

The above is work for a live presentation of Lynch material.

I am in love with this:

you could say it's been a busy week...




Above is some concept design I'm working with, playing off of key elements by the amazing Todd Gallopo. And here is a video we made for Chrysta Bell's David Lynch project.



"...flirts with love, violence and delusion in equal measure. The devastatingly sexy video (Chrysta gyrating in lingerie forever, please?) is directed by Dutch Rall, who seems to be channeling Inland Empire’s surrealistic, after-hours LA wasteland." - PIERREISM

photo: dutch rall

Infinity Mirror

photo: dutch rall

For whatever reason, I like the reminder of these reflected clouds that I caught... that they will be here long after these building's facades crumble back into sand (even though this moment and their forms will never happen again).

They seem smugly cheerful about the fact somehow. Good for them.

Bring me deeper understanding...

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Unbelievable.

Getting better as she goes.

Optimistic.

Changing her tune.


photo: Ellen Von Unwerth

almost there. stay on target.

merge data with data

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading in the same direction, so it doesn’t matter which path you take. The only one wasting time is the one who runs around and around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

— Hindu teaching (taken from Shane's blog)

Alexander McQueen.

Ensemble, VOSS, spring/summer 2001

Savage Beauty at the Met. Thru July 31st.

http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen

Yesterday was the first real hint of summer in Austin. That moment when one remembers..."oh... yes... I would rather die a slow horrible death than be here in August."

And now (Sunday morning) some very talented musicians down the street are butchering Stevie Wonder... loudly and with enough gusto to try and get everyone to come a-runnin towards the light that shines so brightly in our "Live Music Capital of the World!!!"

So. You know. Maybe one smoke and then time to fly.

Dietrich, Seiff and Scarlett are game.

3 notes to self. 1st, 5th and 7th in C min.

‎"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - Bill S.



If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

- Kipling

...trying to get out of the night.

Sir Puppy McPuppenstien is officially ready to receive your overflowing adoration.

Simple is the complicated pursuit of what’s important. - mono-1.com

Playing a short set of originals with guitarist and friend John Peacock at the Granada Theatre in Dallas opening for TU (King Crimson's Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn) with special guest Chrysta Bell.

A big birthday needs a big sky.

West Texas shot by Dutch Rall April 22, 2011

I think someone switched the Armageddon button on the moon over Austin.

Moon orbiting the Frost Bank Tower in Austin, Texas.

And now... some perspective courtesy photographer Terje Sorgjerd.

(insert sound of boisterous hand clapping)

portraits

As a teenager, I skipped a lot of school (don't do this kids) and seemed always to end up at The Kimbell... which luckily happened(s) to be one of the most beautiful structures on the planet.

A permanent, free exhibit. A book store and coffee shop before Barnes and Noble became the thing. If anyone was curious as to why I was there at least twice a week, they never bothered to ask or run me off. I'd like to think the security guys figured that I was safe. Leave the lanky loner kid be.

I would stare at this piece by Courbet for literally hours on end. Hours. It is burned into my DNA. I close my eyes and can see it as if it's right in front of me. I'm not certain why exactly it was this particular painting that spoke to lost, adolescent me... or that if I was finally able to figure it out... that it would even posses an agreed-upon word to describe it.

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) Portrait of H.J. van Wisselingh

Certainly, it's been what I continue to chase visually over and over again, despite the subject, medium, technology or situation.

I like to imagine that it's something light can't contain - or refract thru - or reflect off of.

That it's that thing behind the eyes that tells a whole story without saying a word.

Maybe.

Tiffany Lonsdale and Farah White in 'This is a Love Story' photo by Dutch Rall

Chrysta Bell photo by Dutch Rall

Here is a better director than I working out his portrait process.

It seems he may have had some interesting demons to chase.

This is a Love Story principle photography is wrapped.

A great experience and a reminder that I love the process of making film.

And the people who make it.

Here's Ryan as he stares into the abyss of unedited footage -

March finds the Black Book Angel's shadow ebbing and flowing...

Organizing old hard drives... a favorite of model Gael Griffin -

I am pretty much in love with this:

I'm in Dallas for two weeks working as the cinematographer for my friend Ryan Harper Gray's indie film. Lenses, batteries, monitors, cables, tripods... all dressed up ready to go.

I've got a Pro Tools rig set-up in the hotel so that at night I'll be able to play with Black Book Angel music. Editing the best musicians on the planet in a crappy room on the highway is a good thing.

Here's something I shot and recorded for fun:

Started off in the wrong key and just kept going.

Nettie is a wonderfully cool artist / spirit from New Orleans.

A little insomnia. Sleep-being. Daydreaming. Prepared and made to wait. Lots to share. Middle Men mind the store while TECHnology teases and taunts. But... all is fine and good and well.
Breathing deep while waiting in the wings.



Miriam Sweeney - Subversion
from Saatchi Online

LaHendrix on the Beach

Getting Black Book Angel ready to play The Blanton's Gala.... part of which is making films to play in front of Robert Wilson... which is either foolishly insane or just basic, everyday crazy.

People named Jimmy that cover Dylan make it work seems like.

Time My Best Friend

Goodbye 2010. A year of sea changes in a changing sea.

Professionally, I quit the security of PBS, sold the house, and was able to begin focusing on some things I had been putting off, or had been making excuses for not beginning for a long time.

I've gotten to:
- play live and record with one of the world's best drummers (and nicest people) Pat Mastelotto.
- film David Lynch working in his studio with my friend Chrysta Bell to help promote their project in 2011
- produce an 11 camera shoot with Asleep and the Wheel and Willie Nelson
- produce, direct and edit a full length Ballet Austin broadcast.
- have Tony Levin (my bass hero) play on some Black Book Angel music for release this year!
- make some art for art's sake for a change.

2010 was also the year my grandmother passed away. I spent literally every weekend of my childhood with her at the ranch growing up. I'll always be thankful for her spirit and busy smile as she made sure I had something cool to drink after a Texas summer day of pretending to help my grandfather herd cattle or mend fences. I got to see her just a few days before she died and she was alert and full of stories about family I had never met. And instructions. Got to give her a hug goodbye. And that's about all you could ask for.

Here is something form Aug 6th, 2004. Found it digging thru a box this afternoon. Seems like a good New Year's weekend kinda thing. Fun to hear what I've hopefully gotten much better at and what I should try and remember to keep if I can.

Finished a rough mix / basic tracks of a new song that I really love with Chrysta Bell to hand to Pat Mastelotto this weekend.

It's for Black Book Angel and will find a life sometime in 2011. Also found an interesting 9 part process of creating patterned projections for the song in a live situation. More on this later.

The song is 6 min long. At 24 frames per second, it will contain 8,640 abstract renders... all dancing in time to the music. Here is one:

Some found light in the night.

Basically, there is not enough time in the day. I'm at the point where I need to hire someone to help with everything (music, photography, editing), or I need to stop doing something... which feels impossible.

Can I get an extension on this life-thing please and 8 more hours each day? Thanks.

Trigger and friend

Success.

The crew was great, especially Mike Dow.
Ray Benson, Kevin Patterson and everyone involved with producing the event were very gracious and helpful.
The cameras (all 11 of them) worked without a hitch.
The footage is ingested into Avid and now maybe I can relax.

beside the garden wall when stars are bright

The cameras have been reserved and the crew have confirmed, so I suppose it's official... I'll be directing the taping of Asleep at the Wheel's 40th Anniversary with Wille Nelson (and special guests) live at the Long Center November 5th.

The evening should end up being a celebration of the history of Austin music in general, and I have to admit, it's a huge responsibility to get it right.

And this one might take a little bit to distance myself from while working. Many a childhood summer afternoon was spent repositioning the needle to play Willie's Stardust on grandfather's old RCA Victor.

"Looking forward to it" doesn't even come close.

tickets here

... casts a shadow up against the sun.

Wings by Ayers Design

Promo still for Ryan Harper Gray's "This is a Love Story."

Which of us has sought the other?

an experimental monologue.



starring: D'aria Menichetti
written by: Jeni Rall
music by: Dutch Rall for Black Book Angel
photographed and edited by: Dutch Rall

all content, sounds and images copyright.
all rights reserved.

Jeni Rall, writer.

Portland, 1994 I think. A broken Pentex K1000 and worklights from Home Depot when a roll of film meant not eating dinner. Glad we skipped a meal.

Citizen Architect airs tonight on national PBS. I was lucky enough to shoot about half of the finished film and Sam the director/editor did a great job putting it all together.

here is the film's page at PBS or check your local listings.

Citizen Architect on PBS

" ...an immensely inspiring work; the kind that not only gives you faith in humanity, it makes you proud to be a part of our human race.." ratcityfilmsociety, Seattle.

citizenarchitectfilm.com