The mixmaking world has not had a revolutionary project come their way since Mixtapelive’s A Walk In Their Shoes. But if the trailer is any indication for H4L’s Prodigies, something extraordinary is upon us. Any mix by an H4L crew member is reason enough to get excited, but with such gifted mixers like Domino, Venom, and renhigotrare combining their talents, is their any reason why Prodigies won’t be The Godfather of Mixmaking?

Mixes are usually judged by their story, audio, editing, and general creativity. With Domino, Venom, and Gotrare you are getting the best of both worlds. While they are all incredibly talented mixers, they each excel at different aspects. Gotrare is superb with audio, pacing, and highlights, with a unique ability to suck you in and put you courtside. Domino is ridiculously creative with his editing, and has a sixth sense when it comes to his attention to detail. He is widely considered to be one of the most innovative mixers in history. And then there is Venom, whose artful approach to mixmaking and his commitment to story-telling has become that of mixmaking lore. All three, mixmaking legends in their own right, have combined their talents to take us on a journey that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.

Hell, the trailer is better than most mixes. Even if you only have a mild appreciation for the art of mixmaking, you have to appreciate the way they structured the Prodigies trailer. Showing Kobe announcing his entry into the draft, followed by David Stern announcing KG as the 5th pick in the 1995 draft, and then showing Lebron as “The Cavaliers select Lebron James”; was a brilliant sequence.  The carefully selected audio is poignant, and goes hand-in-hand with their beautiful choice of music. The decision to give it the feel of a documentary, what with the interviews of players and the dark, archive-like footage is something you have no choice but marvel at. The color correction and the text give the trailer the perfect mood.

Dinoman (we’ll get to him in a minute) has called me out before about how I always say a mix is “the best”at something. Well, excuse me while I proclaim that this is the best trailer for a mix ever made. The meticulous attention to detail is jaw-dropping. The way the music picks up and shows the credits “Venom”, “Domino”, “Gotrare”,  with the quotes calling them the mixers of their generation feels and looks so professional it’s ridiculous. Had I not known better I would have mistook this for a real motion picture.

Hats off to you: Domino, Venom, and renhigotrare, as your commitment to mixmaking has created yet another masterpiece. The three of you give the rest of us something to strive for and have no doubt inspired a whole new generation of mixmakers with your creativity, innovation, and editing genius and you continue to raise the bar. I am confidant that in June, my expectations, which you have just sent skyward, will be met and surpassed.

Hoops4Life has become synonymous with excellence and success in the past few years. While there is no official Mixmaker Hall of Fame, H4L is the stand-in. There is no higher honor or achievement than being invited to become apart of the greatest mixing crew around. Their membership is virtually a  who’s-who of Legends: Arlubas, Mixtapelive, Ld2k, Domino, renhigotrare, and Venom. They are M2’s New York Yankees. So I extend my congratulations to Dinoman, as the newest addition to their already amazing squad. He has helped shape mixmaking in the past year with his amazing use of effects and story-telling and to see him finally get his due as a mixmaker is great to see. I have a feeling Dinoman’s best work is yet to come.

Oh, and uh…by the way. Yours truly will be the first one to see -and review- Prodigies, as I have already been promised a sneak-peek in the coming weeks. Jealous?

“God promised Abraham that he would not destroy Sodom if he could find ten righteous men… I have a feeling that for Baseball it may come down to one.”

After the 1994 strike, attendance was down and fanbases were destroyed. America’s favorite past time had become a cestpool of greed and corruption. The corporate fatcats that ran baseball were getting worried. Their wallets were suddenly becoming thinner, not fatter. What to do…What to do? In 1998, the answer to their problems came in the form of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The solution was simple: turn a blind eye. As the balls sailed over the fences and the money rolled in, baseball became enshrouded in darkness, finally succombing to corruption. The dishonest face of baseball was ever-shifting and changing: Canseco, McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, A-Rod.

Alex Rodriguez is everything that is wrong with baseball. A-Rod hits the most homeruns, plays for the biggest market in baseball, has the largest contract, *had* the trophey wife and graced the covor of tabloids, and just admitted he took steroids. If there is a Gotham City in sports, look no further than Major League Baseball.

“I Believe in Albert Pujols.”

If there is one ray, one glimmer of light left in baseball, it is Albert Pujols. The antithesis of Alex Rodriguez. He is the hero baseball needs, the hero baseball deserves. Pujols does not play in the biggest market in baseball, he plays where baseball is purest: St. Louis. A city that pales in comparison to New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. But the fans loyally pack the stadiums day in, and day out. They cheer for nice catches, no matter the team and rarely boo. In Boston, there is baseball season, basketball season, and football season. In St. Louis, it’s either baseball season or it’s offseason. Pujols loves playing for St. Louis and expects to finish his career there. He shows little interest in going where the cameras are, or making a brand out of his name.

Pujols was never a baseball prodigy. He went to a community college and was drafted in the 13th round. Scouts didn’t think he had a position or a “baseball body”. Everything Pujols has, he has earned the hard way. He not only hits, he snags baseballs left and right at 1st base, winning a Gold Glove in 2007, and having the highest range factor among first basemen. Pujols is not just some muscle-bound slugger who picks his nose on defense, waiting for his turn to bat, he accels at every aspect of the game.

“It’s who I am underneath. It’s what I do that defines me.”

Baseball does not define Albert Pujols. Last year, he won the Roberto Clemente Award, which is an award given to the player that “best exemplfies the game of baseball”. Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash, on his way to deliver supplies to Nicaragua. Pujols said that it was the most meaningful award he ever won. For those that forgot, Pujols won the MVP for the second time that year too.

Albert Pujols is more than just a baseball player. He married his wife, even after learning she had a child with down syndrome. Every year, Pujols takes part in the St. Louis Buddy Walk (which he is the chairman of) to raise money and awareness for children with down syndrome. He and his wife run The Pujols Family Foundation, which journies to the Domican Republic each year, with a team of doctors and dentists, to give care to poor communities (Pujols and his wife go with them by the way). Pujols believes baseball is God’s way of allowing him to help people. It gives him the money and the influence to do so. Nothing more. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Pujols said, “There is something more important to me—my relationship with Jesus Christ and caring about others. More than this baseball. This baseball is nothing to me.” That is all you need to know about Albert Pujols. He realizes that there is more to life than baseball.

“Because sometimes…the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded”

Baseball is in a dark era where the question is not “Who took steriods?”, but “Who did not take steriods? And why not?”. Albert Pujols answer to that question is one of almost surprising simplicity, and is remarkably satisfactory. “I fear God too much to do any stupid thing like that.” Pujols is a decent man, in an indecent time. What baseball needs to realize is that no diving catch, no 98 mile per hour pitch, no 160 win season, no home run, no matter how far, will lift the dark cloud that hangs over the game. It will take more, much more. It will take a man who realizes it’s not about the money. It will take someone who loves the game, but realizes it is just that. It will take a hero who does more than just hit a baseball. I believe it will take Albert Pujols.

“I don’t want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community and who gave back. That’s the guy I want to be remembered as when I’m done wearing this uniform. That’s from the bottom of my heart.”-Albert Pujols

ALBERT PUJOLS

BASEBALL’S WHITE KNIGHT

]]> http://mixmakers.net/baseball/albert-pujols-baseballs-white-knight/feed/ 0 http://mixmakers.net/other/all/divided-paths-review/ http://mixmakers.net/other/all/divided-paths-review/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:41:49 +0000 nitelite http://mixmakers.net/?p=225

To know Domino completed this mix in three hours is as disappointing as it is amazing. The concept of the mix is epic, as it spans Lebron’s career and his evolution from “Kid” to “King”. However, it is neatly downsized to just over two minutes. It transitions nicely from stage to stage with an impressive array of clips that hold the viewer’s attention. It is hard to imagine what could have been achieved had he put more time into an already visually stunning mix.

One can only hope Domino decides to revisit this mix somewhere down the line and release a “director’s cut”.

Renhigotrare has returned to mixmaking in a big way with his October/November Highlight Mix that utilizes the fast-paced/quick cut style popularized by TNT. This approach to mixmaking is not uncommon, but Gotrare does it in such an entertaining and skillful manner that some M2 members wondered if he actually does work for TNT.

Gotrare has been a fixture on M2 for quite some time, creating YouTube classics such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan: Moment of Truth and The Greatest Sport.

His explosive style can best be defined as a hybrid of old school values and new era techniques. Gotrare, unlike many mixers today, keeps viewers glued to the screen by expertly showing multiple camera angles for each action, while building the intensity with every clip. He resists the urge to saturate his videos with needless effects, but rather uses fx to enrich them with subtle color corrections, velocity control, and abstract texts that add just the right amount of flair to his mix.

Gotrare’s clip selection is something to marvel at as he manipulates the viewer’s emotions with thunderous dunks, while showcasing the raw intensity and fierceness from the players that every NBA fanatic thrives off of.

However, the most glaring and noteworthy achievement in the October/November mix is Gotrare’s sound editing/mixing. Whether it be enhancing sounds to convey the awe and simplistic beauty whenever Lebron thrusts the chalk into the air, or distorting the audio of a player’s yell into a primal roar, Gotrare’s skills in this area are unmatched in the world of mixmaking. He makes the viewer feel a part of the action by using in-game audio like sneaker-squeaks, grunts, groans, net-swishes, and whistle blows.

Viewers no longer have to wait till game time to experience the NBA, Gotrare has made it a click away.

And Gotrare only sweetened the deal for his legion of fans when he announced that these mixes would become a monthly endeavor for him. So if you want the ultimate recap of last month’s action in the NBA, Gotrare has you covered on his YouTube channel.