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YOUR BRIDGE TO BRILLIANCE
The tools of technocracy are fun!
Sarah Connor tried to warn us but we just didn’t listen. Now we are becoming friends with artificial intelligence and telling it all of our secrets.
They fooled us with the world wide web, then with computer phones, “smart” devices and anti-social media, until we became fully inured. The new generation is fully plugged in from day one, allowing the machine to become an extension of themselves.
Remember that Terminator and The Matrix are the same story! We are slipping into the simulation day by day and neither John Connor nor Neo are coming to save you… so you might as well have some fun with it.
As I put on a post once, if you can’t beat the technocracy, you may as well join it subversively.
I succumbed to the machine and made some entertaining movie posters and fake album covers, ranging from fantasy and parody to satires and bad jokes.
If the machine terminates me, at least I had some fun with it first.
Enjoy:
Whoever wrote the movie we are living through needs to be fired… or, as HR would say, terminated!
Jealous of the Dead
A short story.
The man approached the church doors. To his surprise, they were unlocked. He approached the empty altar and sat down at the front pew, not knowing what to do. He had half a mind to pray, but didn’t know what to say. So he stood up, turned around and headed back outside. On his way out, he saw a pad of paper and some tiny pencils near the entrance. He impulsively grabbed a sheet and a tiny pencil, thinking he could collect his thoughts by writing instead of orison.
The man walked outside toward the cemetery and approached a tiny grave with the name of his son and only one date which marked both the birth and death date, a technicality since his son had died two days prior to the induced stillbirth, the tragic result of E. Coli poisoning from a bad can of corn beef which was cooked during the storm. Turns out millions of pounds of food had been contaminated that year. The man seethed thinking about how those bastards would never be held accountable for destroying so many lives.
His mind had not found peace since that day. They say time heals all wounds, but these wounds and this grief had only grown deeper with time. In vulnerable moments like these, he found himself going to dark places, thinking he could only find peace through some extreme measure. Like ending it all. Maybe taking the whole world with him. He fantasized about putting a silver bullet in the temple of every vampire and parasite who had wronged him. Everyone who had let him down. Everyone who he could blame for what he could no longer change: the past.
He thought of holding his son today, one year later. He could no longer bear to see the happiness in others, the joy in parents raising their children as normal people do. Sometimes he could only focus on the rage and the grief and the horror. In the burning fury of his worst moments, he felt he could genocide the entire world, only to stop himself short as he realized what a prohibitively expensive proposition that would be. Nothing would bring back his son.
The man could hardly bear to be at the gravesite. But as he turned around, he saw a chintzy sign that said “gratitude.” That was an emotion he had not felt in a long time. So he sat down with his paper and tiny pencil and decided to write a letter for his son, a letter his son could never read but one that needed to be expressed nonetheless, at least for his own mental clarity.
“Dear son, I’m supposed to be grateful. And I would be if I had you in my arms. My pain is only a reflection of the gratitude I once had knowing you were coming into my life. But this life is no joy. This society is no fun. And if I can truly be selfless, I can tell you honestly that you are lucky not to be here. And I am grateful for that.
You will never have to wait in line at the DMV. You will never have to pay taxes. You will never have to go to the mental prison system we call school and be indoctrinated for the most precious years of your life, leaving only early mornings and evenings to spend time with your parents.
You will never have to worry about mommy and daddy. You won’t have to lament the sorrows that plague them both. Mental health will not be a problem for you because you never got a chance to become fully embodied. You will not have to deal with lies and treachery. You will never need to repent for any sins because you have none. You are forever pure and innocent and remain so today in whichever realm you live in.
You will never have to deal with QR codes, CAPTCHA tests and 2-factor authentications; apps, social media, emails and passwords; endless advertisements, memberships, subscriptions and free trials; junk mail, spam and robo-calls; robots, “smart” devices, AI, Neuralink and face recognition technology; propaganda and mind-control; TSA, cops and patdowns; bureaucracy and politics; zealots who kill infants and the brainwashed demons who celebrate them; cowards, sycophants, hypocrites and fanatics; entertainers, bloviators, ignoramuses and deceivers; recycled actors, fake celebrities and braindead influencers; genderless Bolsheviks and puppet masters from the cult of Saturn; censorship and Big Brother; rent, mortgage and inflation; banks, cryptos and debts; scams, credit cards and interest rates; vaccinations, compliance, middle management and shitty jobs. You have been spared all the bullshit we deal with every day just to exist in society. For that, I am grateful.
It’s just that I’m selfish. And I wanted you here in my arms. Instead, I have to roam the earth, jealous of the dead, spiritually broken and lamenting what could have been. But maybe I can find gratitude in the little things you don’t have to deal with. Every time I’m stuck in traffic, every time somebody is cruel, every time I have to make a payment to some evil corporation, I will be grateful that you don’t have to. Once the third world war starts and the bombs start falling—and they will—I will be most grateful that you don’t have to endure that pain.
Most of all, I can find gratitude that I got to hold you in your mother’s belly. And although I only got to see you for one brief day—and you were already gone—I guess I’m grateful for that moment, too. I’m grateful for this grave stone, so I can come visit you, no matter how much it pains me. So thank you for coming into my life. That’s all I really have to say.”
He grabbed his lighter and burned the letter above his son’s grave, watching it smolder into ashes. The wind blew and the birds chirped on that cool autumn morning. The father enjoyed the crisp silence for a moment. All those feelings were still inside him. He thought, once again, about blowing up the entire world if it might bring him an ounce of comfort. But nothing could bring back his son.
What he did have was a cat—black as his soul—waiting for him back home. And he would soon go hold him in his lap, drink a cup of tea and watch Night Court. And that small joy would get him through another day.
A Tribute to Dozzer
A tribute to my friend Donn Bugher, known by his friends as Dozzer Donn, now riding his chopper in heaven.
Donn, you appeared in my life at a time when I felt separate from the world. I found comfort in the desert mountains of Western Arizona, where we met. You faced challenges of your own, but stayed tenacious in making a home for your family, fixing up your Harley, going out with your biker community and showing up for your friends and neighbors. Some people couldn’t handle your larger-than-life feelings, but I could see you always came from a place of caring and loving your fellow man. You were a great neighbor; a generous friend; and I will miss you. I will cherish the time we spent recently at the Saddle Sore Ranch and I’m glad I’ve got some video to prove it. And even though you didn’t like to be in front of the camera, I did get a great shot of you riding up on your Harley…
May you continue riding with the angels, brother. Much love to you and your dear widow, Heather, and all the animals and people who have been blessed by knowing you.
Matthew
The Compass Within
The Compass Within is a circus performance which must be seen to be believed. People big and small join together to create a sensational experience which highlights creativity, athletic discipline and the spirit of adventure.
Here’s a little taste:
As I filmed these talented people, I found myself appreciating the great deal of love and attention which poured into their performances, navigating through the elements and the cardinal directions to guide us on our way.
I invite you to check out this playlist I made to experience the full show.
Enjoy The Compass Within:
Matthew
Leddy Set Go Productions
Instagram: LeddySetGo
Website: leddysetgo.tv
Reflections on a Year of Life and Film
The last year I have experienced joy, pain, sunshine and rain. Since we live in the digital age and I happen to produce videos, I can look back at this playlist and it reflects moments from my life; the good, the bad, the beautiful and everything in between. You can view this playlist of my recent film work to see what I mean.
Despite tumultuous changes and terrible tragedies, there have been a few people and some memorable experiences which continue to give me hope and joy. I filmed some great musical moments, bold performances and magnanimous movements. I got to put my equipment to good use as I documented Sam and Leah’s wedding, which connected me to a wider community and opened up new opportunities. As I sail upon uncertain waters, seeking true North, I am grateful to have a camera to capture it all and the ability to share it with you.
For all three of you who read this blog, thanks for being here… and stay tuned for my next post which will display creativity beyond your wildest dreams.
Good day and godspeed!
Matthew
Leddy Set Go Productions
Instagram: @ leddysetgo
leddysetgo.tv
Sam and Leah’s wedding
@leddysetgotv had a superb time in Leicester, North Carolina at Sam and Leah’s wedding last weekend and we had the honor of documenting this wonderful event! Below you will see the video we made to forever remember this special day of matrimony. Special thanks to the bride and groom for including us, to Krisstal for additional photography, to Ian for lending us his awesome drone, to Franny’s Farm for hosting us, to the fire dancing crew, especially Iridesza Qilin for her featured performance and to all the family, crew and guests who brought their best energy and photogenic good looks to the party.
It appears YouTube has restricted embedding this video. Try this direct link instead:
https://youtu.be/hc6jxbEETEs?si=mjeyTljJSaO_awc8
If you want to take a deeper look into our photo shoot and different angles of the ceremony, you can click on this google drive link and explore:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qIbNevAhV4NzAvo1G7ScI5X37xTJe7Tc?usp=sharing
If you need somebody awesome to document your next special event, feel free to drop us a line using this contact page.
Wishing all lovers good fortune and a prosperous future full of love!
Sincerely,
Matthew
Leddy Set Go Productions
leddysetgo.tv
IG / X / TikTok: @LeddySetGo
Spring Dance Party 2025!
If you are in Western North Carolina, come join us for our party celebrating birthdays and a new season this March 16th, 2025… New details will be posted here so save the link, mark your calendar… and go dust off your dancing shoes!
@LeddySetGo
how to live after death
It’s not an easy subject, but it’s one we all endure sooner or later. When death arrives, we must face those uncomfortable feelings of loss and grief. It’s bad enough when it’s an expected death, worse yet when it’s not; when the grim reaper comes by surprise to upend your life. The worst yet is when tragedy strikes repeatedly without leaving you a chance to catch your breath. This describes the last year of my life.
I thought I had lost so much when a thief ransacked my property, stealing all of my valuables and things I had worked on for years. Now I look back at that time with nostalgia as I had not yet lost the things that are most precious to me. In the late autumn season, a highly unusual storm decimated Western North Carolina and the people’s way of life here. Friends lost their properties, their businesses and many lost their lives along the rivers when a torrent of biblical proportions–over 40 trillion gallons of water–barrelled down these mountains, taking everything in its path. This moment was shocking, but not yet nearly the worst for us.
Just as we started to recover our utilities and our lives, my pregnant girlfriend and I fell ill due to some emergency prepared food that contained E. coli. Only two weeks shy of his due date, little Walter lost his heartbeat, and our lives were shattered.
As friends and strangers grieved with us and showered us with love, the path forward for my partner and I became uncertain, tainted by the sharp sting of loss. Thank God almighty we were both able to find some sort of deeper understanding, knowing that souls live on, even when they leave our bodies. So, although we cried tears of sorrow, we held onto love, knowing little Walter’s soul can serve a higher purpose above the limits of this material world.
As we rested our weary hearts, we made a new friend and lost him only a month later. His name was Cory, and he was a sweet, gentle soul who carried the burdens of this world on his shoulders. In his familiar attempt to escape pain, he lost his life and tested our will once again.
I recall spending time with him upon a rooftop, admiring a fresh new mural about overcoming tragedy. It was all joined together like in the Japanese custom of binding broken ceramic with gold, an appropriate metaphor for healing. Although the grief will always be there, we can bind together the pieces of our broken hearts with love. We can honor our absent friends by living well. And we can be present for our loved ones when they need to grieve.
Any grieving parent knows that healing is not a straight line. It’s more like a roller coaster. But if you still have breath in your lungs and a song in your heart, you can turn those tears into compassion for others, and we can help each other through the darkest of days. The odd consolation of it all is that we are not alone. Our pain, although specific, is not unique. Pain is pain and grief is grief, whether you lose a relationship, a job, a prized possession, a relative, a friend or a child. Your pain is valid and you need to feel it fully so you can bind the pieces back together with love. These feelings are uncomfortable and difficult. I certainly never wanted to be the one to talk or write about them. But if my words can console you in your grief, then it’s worth it. If I can overcome my losses, I know you can too.
Even though grief never truly ends, overcoming our own tragedies can help others overcome theirs. It’s one of those things that usually remains unspoken. But I find that words can heal. That’s all I’m really trying to do here. If we are alive, then we should cherish those we love and be compassionate to those who challenge us. Our time will come one day too, but until then we have a chance to be there for others just as others have shown up for us. We’ve got to “get busy living or get busy dying”… and since we are still here, I suggest we live fully and generously. It’s what makes it all worthwhile.
Just a few thoughts to ring in the new year. May yours be full of life.
Matthew
In Memoriam: Cory Benjamin Shepherd
The following is a dedication to our dear friend, Cory Benjamin Shepherd (1993-2024), who overcame so much in his life but succumbed to his battle with opiates on thanksgiving weekend. Those who contributed to this memoriam only knew him for the last month of his life, yet it remains clear that Cory left an indelible impression marked by kindness, service and love.
For those who wish to spend some time with Cory, here is a playlist featuring a dedication video from our time together followed by raw extended video clips and some promotional videos where he appeared.
From Matthew A. Leddy:
Cory, I only knew you for a month but I feel like I’ve known you for lifetimes. I met you on Day of the Dead and you left us on Thanksgiving. We played music together and your bittersweet melodies made their way into our hearts. Your presence was filled with poetry and your absence leaves us with the soulful echo of a life cut too short. You reflected the best qualities of any man: kindness, curiosity, passion, creativity, artistry, enthusiasm, compassion, altruism, and a true spiritual yearning to improve oneself. Despite your burdens, your heart was open and you were always of service to others. You showed up and shared your beautiful soul which I know is now in the heavenly realm. I got to hang out with your sweet dog Loretta while you were at work and, when you returned home to the farm, we shared philosophical exchanges and hopeful plans for the future. You volunteered to help at every party and function that we hosted and you were the life of the party around the campfire, playing soulful old country tunes and fearlessly expressing your tuneful talents. You sat with me as I edited videos, soaking it all in, always a diligent student. You told me about the vision for your music: how you nurtured your songs and sought perfection while always embracing collaboration with the right people. You shined around the campfire and were an essential part of our hit band The Franimals. At least we thought we were a hit! And everyone around the campfire agreed. I could tell you embraced being part of a loving community and I enjoyed those little things like helping you align your trailer, just as Krisstal aligned your body through massage and her nourishing home cooking. Despite your vulnerability, you showed up, stepped up, sought wisdom, embraced healing and you always nurtured your friendships.
I cherish those moments. I’m grateful to have captured some of our memories together so others may see the joy we shared in this small slice of heaven on earth — where people gather, play, sing and dance around campfires and paint murals on walls just to brighten the day. You certainly brightened every day we shared with you. The pain of losing you is only eclipsed by the joy of having known you.
The night of your passing, a small black stray cat showed up to adopt my family. I like to think of that cat as your soul coming to say hello and offer us comfort. We named that cat Knight and I like to think of you as a knight in shining armor, protecting sacred virtues like truth, wisdom, and kindness. I also noticed the actor in the new Gladiator movie looks just like you, a surprising realization since I was watching it during the time of your passing. I know our hearts will heal as you would wish–so I only want to comfort your soul and let you know you did your very best. Your kindness will ripple through our community and in the memories of those who knew you and loved you. I love you, man. Enjoy your angel wings and your jam sessions with Jesus.
I read a quote today that reminded me of you:
“The finest souls are those who gulped pain and avoided making others taste it.” -Nizar Qabbani
from Kathryn Binks:
To Our Beloved Cory
Those who knew Cory would say he had a heart that resonated like the strings of his beloved guitar—gentle, vibrant, and endlessly kind.
Cory lived his life as a mysterious melody, and his guitar was its voice. His music—songs for his past struggles, his passion for rebirthing a new life, and for the quiet dreams that lived in his heart.
Cory was not just a musician. He was a man of motion, a strong masculine, as committed to strengthening his body as he was to nurturing his soul. Fitness was his sanctuary, where he pushed his limits, sculpting himself with the same care and precision he gave his music. Each lift, each run, was a testament to his belief in progress—physical, mental, and spiritual.
Cory was a seeker. Recently, he’d embarked on a new journey, one that wasn’t mapped out by muscle memory or musical scales. It was a spiritual path, still uncharted and mysterious. He approached it with the same openness he brought to everything in life.
His kindness was the thread that bound all these facets of his life together. Whether sharing his latest guitar song, encouraging us to jog around the farm, or wondering about the mysteries of the universe, Cory’s presence was like a warm embrace and hug.
To those around him, Cory was a reminder of the beauty in balance—of strength and softness, passion and peace. His music plays on, not just in the notes he struck but in the hearts he touched. Though his spiritual journey had only just begun, his life was already a testament to a soul deeply in tune with the harmony of the universe.
Cory’s legacy is simple but profound: a melody of kindness, composed in love and lived with grace. We will miss him dearly. Rest in peace, my dear friend.
Love, Kathryn
from Katie Yates:
The first time I ever heard Cory sing and play guitar, he played one of my favorite songs; it’s a sad song but a heartfelt one, Follow you to Virgie by Tyler Childers. My heart opened to Cory from that moment on. I became so curious about him and wanted to encourage him; he had this sweet kindness about him that I found so endearing. Every time we would get to talking we’d have to be careful not to talk each other’s ear off. Most of our conversations we had to cut short because one of us was starting to run late to something else. I wish we had more time together to pick up those threads we were weaving, but I still feel his presence with me and I look forward to meeting him again one day when it’s my time. I love him so much and he’s made a forever impression on me.
from Arturo Mora:
Cory Benjamin was one of the most mindful and respectful individuals I ever met. He stood strong for his values and beliefs, and witnessing his ability to shift his destiny after everything he endured was truly inspiring. I, along with many others, will remember him as a remarkable musician, a loyal friend, and a free-spirited soul. The circumstances surrounding his passing are mysterious, yet it brings me hope to envision him thriving in the life he embraced during his final weeks. We honor his passion for music, deep spiritual connection, and unwavering willingness to serve others. You will always live in our hearts as that magnificent human who was ever ready to help and share a smile.
We wish all who read this God’s comfort and deep healing as we remember our brother Cory.
In Memoriam: Walter David Leddy
(January – October 2024 in utero)
In Western North Carolina in late September – early October 2024, my life quickly shifted from worrying about the crypto markets to worrying about getting power and potable water for my family to grieving the loss of my unborn son.
This letter is for him.
Dear Walter,
I’m so sorry for losing you, yet so grateful you came into our lives to make us better. You brought out the best in everyone. I wrote you so many letters and recorded voice memos so that I could share them with you one day. But now you’ve been spared a life on this torrid, cruel, dense earth and your soul can serve a higher purpose in the ethereal realm. Your mama Krisstal has a vivid connection with the angels and she has shown me that souls like yours—brand new beings of pure light—can do wonderful things from hidden places. And if that means you’ve been spared from suffering in the dark, heavy density of this broken world, then maybe I can find peace in that one day. One day.
You were so great. You told your mama what kinds of food you liked. You loved healthy fats and sweets and savory treats and you danced and kicked when you were excited. I would sing and play guitar for you and you would tell your mom, “my dad is music!” I could feel your joyful, boisterous, mischevious energy and I loved every moment.
Today, when I saw you, Walter, I cried tears of sadness when they should have been tears of joy. I am so sad, Walter. Sad I never got to watch you grow, train you in martial arts, teach you guitar, hike through nature together, swim down pristine rivers and watch you fall in love. You are pure love and continue to be pure love, wherever you are.
Walter the watery light warrior, you were ready to shine your light. We had the best baby shower for you and all your admirers were there celebrating and blessing you.
For the last eight and a half months, my life no longer mattered because I lived for you. Every decision I’ve made has been for you. And now that you’re gone, I’m not sure why I’m here. You would probably tell me I’m here to help, to share joy and to lessen suffering. I don’t know if I’m ready to do that without you, Walter. But I’ll try.
I have experienced loss before and so has your mother. We have seen the selfishness and cruelty of people who destroy life for their own gain. We are being attacked every day by those who never found the love that shines in you. So you will be my guiding light, my son, so I don’t end up like them. Then maybe, one day, I’ll be more like you: pure light, pure joy and pure love.
One day.
I love you, Walter David Leddy.
Infinite love,
your papa
Matthew August Leddy
watching you light up the night sky ✨
There will be a funeral service for close friends and family blessing Walter David Leddy at 11AM on Monday, October 14th, 2024, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, St. Luke’s will accept donations for a memorial site dedicated to sweet baby Walter. 🙏🏼
To honor his soul, we will donate baby supplies and offer emotional support to mothers and fathers in need during the recovery of Western North Carolina. We are calling this venture WALTER CARES.
🕊️
Inquiries: matthew@leddysetgo.tv
Some postcards for your Christmas stocking
‘Tis the season of giving, at least according to every corporation trying to hit their yearly financial goals… and since I cannot afford to send each and every one of you a Starbucks or Amazon or Cracker Barrel gift card this Christmas, I hope you will accept some free digital postcards from my personal photo collection. I took these photographs over the last couple of years ever since I got a digital Leica camera. It has allowed me to significantly elevate the production value of my selfies and, on occasion, even capture some gems. So, in the spirit of giving, please feel free to download these photos and save them as your computer’s wallpaper or screensaver or paint them over your neighbor’s house… what you do with them is really none of my business!
If you would like a high definition printed copy of any of my photos, feel free to reach out to me here or through Instagram.
Thanks to all of my photo models, human and animal alike… and have a very merry Christmas of 2023 as we prepare to tolerate each other for yet another wild and crazy year!
Matthew
Leddy Set Go Productions
Thanks!
@LeddySetGo
REPURPOSE
This blog post is a sort of sequel to my last one about editing images and sounds in harmony. In the process of repurposing old videos with new sounds, I discovered a spark of creativity that is useful in just about any endeavor. I took the old adage that “perfection is the enemy of the good” and ran with it with the impulsivity of a child. Take a look at this playlist of new “music videos” I just created.
You will probably notice familiar characters, movies and pop stars interwoven within the sonic fabric I made here. At the risk of losing any perceived mystery as an artist, I will confess my process which is obviously not entirely organic. What I mean is that I took the creative impulse and channeled it through the technology I have accessible to me on my laptop. We sometimes take for granted the incredible tools available at our fingertips, evolving exponentially day by day.
In essence, I played around with garageband software and the musical loops built within, mixed those sounds with some pop jingles, tweaking and sometimes reversing them, until I came up with something approaching electronic dance music. I have always had an aversion to making music this way, preferring instead the organic approach of “jamming” with other musicians. But what sounds great in a room does not always translate to the internet. So I took these little songs and built videos from repurposed footage around them and was pleasantly surprised by the results, especially because it took so little effort to make them sync up properly. I think it worked out because I turned off my self-critical inner voice and just experimented until it worked.
So, which came first? The music or the videos? Without a doubt, the music came first… and each track inspired the concept for its corresponding video. To my delight, the spacey sounding tune I made from a remixed Röyksopp track called “In Space” (my favorite electronic song ever) lined up perfectly with the famous “Blue Danube” scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey (my favorite space propaganda film). The string melody from the James Bond tune “You Only Live Twice”, reversed and remixed into a new song, lined up effortlessly with the trailer for the film of the same name. A house music dance track I made at 136 beats per minute (inspired by the ’90s EDM track “Sandstorm”) needed some dialogue to spice it up so I found the “choose life” scene from the Trainspotting sequel, mixed it with the opening “choose life” scene from the original movie and suddenly discovered a satisfying music video worthy of Danny Boyle’s bold cinematic vision. The other tracks incorporate deep house, industrial, latin mambo, jungle rhythms and old school hip hop to create familiar but new sounds which I complemented with images of Prince, Guns N’ Roses, Ryan Paris and the characters from The Mambo Kings. It was all pretty spontaneous but it came together easily in less than a week.
I don’t share these videos as some grand statement about my creative genius. On the contrary, these are throwaway musical experiments that seem appropriate for the endless sea of stylish internet sh*tposting. It was actually my buddy Ryan who introduced me to the vaporwave retro sounds of George Clanton who I went to see live in Appalachia. It made me realize you don’t need much to be an artist… just some accessible technology, some basic skills, some microphones and lots of creativity. That show sparked a new vision for me and helped me spawn these weird little videos.
The challenge many artists face is a question of identity and how to reach an audience, especially in the oversaturated digital world we live in where everybody is vying for attention. I suddenly had to reconcile between my various digital accounts and decide how to market myself. It used to be easier when I was a first gen facebook face and could reach out to thousands of friends and followers instantaneously. But Big Brother booted me off their platform for thought crimes, apparently, and I had to start over from scratch. Since YouTube took punitive measures to limit my reach as a content creator due to some controversial documentary videos I posted regarding the last election, I have an uphill battle to get new viewers. The internet is not a meritocracy. Any tool can be used for evil or for good… so I am taking advantage of all these tools–Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube— and trying to use them for good. It’s not ideal but it’s pretty cool to be able to make something and share it with the world without ever leaving the house. An introvert’s dream.
If nothing else, I hope my little videos and blog posts inspire you to be impulsive, creative and artistic in every endeavor you pursue. We live in a society where people think they need permission, money, an agent, a union or a record contract to feel validated. The problem then is you are likely to sell your soul to the highest bidder and lose your integrity as a free man or woman. The technocracy is going to keep controlling the narrative… but it’s hard to control a free spirit who lives by his own rules. So keep your mind open and make cool things before you die. That’s my motto. And if you feel like your life has lost its purpose, simply take a deep breath and repurpose your life.
That’s why I called this project “Repurpose”… and, on a final note, I think I found the perfect title for my next project, which will attempt to make music in a totalitarian digital world controlled by algorithms… So, yes, you can look forward to my forthcoming album which is sure to be called “Algo-Rhythms.”
LMAO!
P.S. If you hate YouTube as much as I do, you can see all my videos (including the censored ones) without ads backed up on Odysee 🙂
moving pictures and music in harmony
Today I feel compelled to share a quick lesson on editing film footage with music. Although it may seem elementary, a simple marriage of sight and sound, it can make the difference between an awesome experience and an audience’s lackluster indifference. In the spirit of showing instead of telling, let me start by showing you my latest edit I have decided to call “batrock.”
In the video above, you will notice Chinese Batman on a snowboard in hot pursuit of Chinese Joker on skis, then a similar scenario followed by a dangerous base jump, concluded by a news report about a serious Batman going about his day, cheering people up. Essentially, I repurposed these fan-made / cosplay / extreme sports scenarios to align with a raw and original rock ‘n roll score that needed visuals. To my surprise, the footage and the music lined up very well and only required a little snipping and moving to land in the right spot. This pleased me enough to throw it up on YouTube and reminisce about some musical movie experiments I have tried before.
When I started editing video clips, it came from necessity. As an ambitious young actor with a laptop and a few video clips, I decided to cut my footage down to two minutes, add a pounding rock score and create my first show reel… back before YouTube even allowed high quality video uploads.
Having learned a thing or two about filmmaking in school, it was now time to turn theory into action by filming, editing and sometimes scoring my own movies. This soon turned into my first job as a videographer and editor for a small but enterprising theater in Los Angeles. I learned how to consolidate hours of footage into a couple of minutes and sync it with an appropriate musical score. Once I got this art down to a science, it became easier and quicker to “trim the fat” from my videos and give the audience a satisfying experience.
After that job ended, my creative work naturally gravitated towards documentaries which almost always needed musical accompaniment. A few examples:
Sometimes, however, the sounds and music can be found within a real life scene and all you need to do as an editor is find it and overlay it on top of the right visuals. Usually you can cut together all the essential clips to make your point and then find the sounds from the scene which best support those visuals. This creates a more authentic experience for the viewer by immersing them in the sights and sounds from that moment. For example:
When I got really ambitious, I created entire short films where the music was an integral part of the story. In some cases, the music was incidental but still important to set the tone and transition from one scene to the next. Some examples:
In my most extreme case, I documented a controversial historical event, set it to music and soon got kicked off of social media just for the audacity of being there. In this case, being a “citizen journalist” was no excuse for the crime of documenting reality.
There is no textbook-type lesson here, only an appeal to let your creativity, spontaneity and diligence guide you until you create something that is satisfying to watch over and over. Whether you want to make a digital scrapbook of memories, a music video, a comedy, an action-thriller movie or even a groundbreaking documentary of cultural importance, it is essential to make a harmonious marriage of sights and sounds.
I once heard somebody say that in time people will forget small details but they will always remember how you made them feel. Movies are no different. The viewer will always remember how they felt unless they were completely bored. Once you have intelligently designed your story, the quickest way to move your audience is by carefully picking film and score elements that evoke powerful feelings. No matter the genre or style, the right sights and sounds will take your idea from a theory to a memorable reality. So stop telling everyone about your genius ideas and start showing them, one video and audio clip at a time.
-Matthew
Plato’s Allegory of the American Dream
In Plato’s allegory of the cave, the captives believe only in the shadow figures projected against the wall, oblivious to the vast world beyond their sight. How are we, today, any different than those captives? For most of us, the collective illusions impressed upon our consciousness is all we know and all we care to know. But since 2020 the veil of illusion has started to lift and, for many, this has allowed us to climb out of Plato’s cave and see reality for the first time.
As I type away these radical anti-social ramblings in the seating area of a small town Safeway grocery store, the irony is not lost on me that I am a part of this inhumane society whether I like it or not. But what is so bad about being a part of society, you may ask? I wonder the same thing as I greet the young European beauty at the register, spending the best days of her youth chasing the American dream of being able to afford a bed and three meals every day, then gaining the right accreditations and debts required to be a professional in a field where her entire purpose will be to maintain the status quo… and, on her nights and weekends, maybe she can get married and, if money allows, have a child. Boomers will not understand this struggle.
So what is so bad about chasing the American dream? Given the alternatives of incarceration or death by starvation, it’s really not so bad. People seem relatively happy working their 8-hour daily shifts and hoping for that overtime bonus, oblivious to the impending financial collapse and an array of other destructive forces currently being unleashed upon our nation. In our American version of Plato’s cave, we have grit and believe we can get anywhere with enough hard work. And the government is here to help us. Everything will be alright.
My problem is that I am a hopeless idealist who has escaped the cave of illusions, at least in my mind. Doctors would probably define this state of being as “psychotic” but I prefer the term “enlightened.” Once you escape the cave, you will not immediately see the full scope of lies you have been fed since birth but you will become less attached to the illusions that used to define your personality, your fears and your passions. You may not immediately notice the color changes but you will astutely observe, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” And that’s just the beginning of your journey down the symbolic yellow brick road.
There is nothing wrong with staying in Kansas or in Plato’s cave or in the illusion of the American dream. Many people enjoy it and it is certainly less painful than being cynical about absolutely everything. But it takes a particular delusion to believe in a society where we pay taxes thrice on every dollar we earn or spend; where millions of people who couldn’t cut it are discarded in the streets; where the food we eat slowly kills us and so do the professionals who are paid handsomely to save you; where spending the majority of your waking hours with the people you love is an impossibility. How demoralized must one be to believe in and defend those who have orchestrated such a society for our entire lives?
As the AI-powered death drones begin to pinpoint my location and target me for immediate termination due to wrongthink, I realize I don’t have very long to get my point across. So I will have to limit my metaphors and cut to the chase. You don’t really need a metaphor to observe the outrageousness of what we have come to consider normal. In the name of safety, we have given up our inalienable rights. In the name of convenience, we have given up our privacy. In the name of tolerance, we tolerate the obliteration of our family unit and, for no good reason at all, we already gave up our stewardship over the earth.
It should never have been this way. And, were it not for a well-organized infiltration of vipers, it never would have been. What we need right now, against all odds, is for men to claim their birthright and women to conspire with them to remember our destiny as God’s creatures. We are meant to build, create, love, learn, grow, invent, claim, conquer and own what is ours. To do so, there is much we need to unlearn and destroy in our minds. What we believe influences what we do and when we believe in lies we do stupid things. So, before the drones get me, I must ask: what will you believe in?… the rules of society? or the eternal flame of creation which burns in the heart of man?
In an ideal world, a world in which I am considered healthy instead of crazy, I envision families with children by the dozen who eat fresh food off the land and each build their own little kingdom without the money man to interfere with their affairs. This would be a world in which you reap the rewards of your own labor—with every room you build, every seed you plant and every child you raise. Your time would be your own, not that of some international corporation that treats you like cattle. Your choices would be your own, not dependent on some bureaucrat you have never met. While still interconnected with the lives of your neighbors, your land and your life would be sovereign. You would leave a legacy and strengthen your bloodline with each generation. I consider this a beautiful vision. The government, however, considers it lawless.
I can hear the buzzing of the drones. They are triangulating my coordinates and activating their extermination lazers. I don’t have much time to get my message across. Please, if you read this, take heed but remember this calling: you are not a victim inside a cave. You are one of God’s victorious children, here to obliterate lies and claim a life of truth. Go forth and multiply and create your own little heavenly kingdom here without asking for permission. Build your own castle upon a firm foundation and live righteously even if society falls into a hellish abyss. That is your calling, if you can read this message before Skynet consumes it forever.
The drones are closing in. It has been an honor to serve in these final moments of man’s fight for freedom.
Just remember, there’s no fate but what we make for ourselves.
Welcome to LeddySetGo!
We are delighted that you’ve stumbled upon our page. Who are we? We are a community of content creators brought together by me, Matthew August Leddy, with the goal of enlightening, titillating, challenging and expanding our consciousness through mind-bending artistic creations. But we know that seeing is believing, so please take a look at this playlist of trailers of our weird and kooky body of work:
We invite you to join our community by subscribing to our website and social channels.
Thanks!
-Matthew
OPT OUT (a short film)
We are pleased to share our latest creation, a short film called
OPT OUT
It’s about love and fascism and robots and transhumanism and humanity’s perpetual fight for freedom.
It also has a cute dog.
Here is the link to the short film: https://youtu.be/Wys9sn_Mi2s
And here is a playlist with the trailer, the short film and two behind-the-scenes videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR9VBFMSEe8xMkKzsHpLAcVdnHgSCDMBz
Our distribution plan for this film is LOVE so we’re sharing the love with you and invite you to pay it forward to your loved ones.
Here at @leddysetgotv we are creating cool things collectively and organically. So please share the love and tell us what we should make next. If you want an associate producer credit, your donation and ideas will be applied to our next creative projects.
Please click here to contribute https://leddysetgo.tv/2020/08/10/wanna-be-an-associate-producer/
We only send fun-filled emails out once in a blue moon so please reach out to be added to our mailing list. You can always OPT OUT but we will have to send the robots after you. Thanks for tuning in!
Matthew
Leddy Set Go Productions
@leddysetgo
Kafkaesque, a radio thriller
Kafkaesque, a radio thriller
trailer and podcast pilot
A penniless transient takes shelter with an emotionally distraught female friend. One of them has a secret, evil agenda. The question is who? And who will get out alive?
Leddy Set Go Productions
presents
Kafkaesque
a psychological thriller audio experience
and television pilot proof-of-concept
available on YouTube
and wherever you get your podcasts!
Written and directed by Matthew Leddy.
Starring: Annelisha Dixon, Matthew Leddy, Keith Ewell, Al Gerschutz, Autumn Palen and Chad and Cody Heffelfinger Original video footage, director of photography + poster art: Autumn Palen
This presentation contains some explicit language, drug use and scary moments.
Recommended for mature audiences only.
audio + video:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR9VBFMSEe8ylheCJk7FFkTuMxRz4jYU1
audio only:
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/leddysetgo
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32wCdmWzQ3D8kgFmJrpfOB
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kafkaesque-a-radio-thriller/id1517440797
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yNTIxYTYxOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D
Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/kafkaesque-a-radio-thriller
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1517440797/kafkaesque-a-radio-thriller
Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/rxba7p4l
Castro: https://castro.fm/podcast/12f66c5d-8fdc-4c55-bdd0-13d6517f12f8
Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/kafkaesque-a-radio-thriller-8jdNpj
Leddy Set Go Productions:
http://www.LeddySetGo.tv
http://www.Facebook.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.YouTube.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.Instagram.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.Twitter.com/LeddySetGo
Reels, reels, reels!
Our goal at Leddy Set Go Productions is to break down the barriers of the establishment film world to create fun, compelling work and make an impact with like-minded artists. Here is a small sample of the work we have already created together, along with some shameless self-promotion by our head honcho. Please reach out to us to help you with your next production, to hire any of our talented artists or just to say, “hey!” If you’re here, you’re already part of our community. Thanks a bunch! Mil gracias!
@LeddySetGo
www.LeddySetGo.tv
www.Facebook.com/LeddySetGo
www.YouTube.com/LeddySetGo
www.Instagram.com/LeddySetGo
www.Twitter.com/LeddySetGo
Actualize!, a short film inspired by Danny Elfman
At 11:11 AM on 11/11/17, Actualize! premiered on YouTube.com/LeddySetGo
In the pursuit of self-actualization, a man must sacrifice his body, his time and his love before he can see clearly. Actualize! is a short film featuring a score by Danny Elfman, produced by Leddy Set Go Productions for the Film Independent Rabbit & Rogue challenge, allowing filmmakers to create a story inspired by compositions in Elfman’s Rabbit & Rogue ballet, previously unused in film. This unique opportunity allowed friends from Leddy Set Go Productions to weave a fantastical story about our human potential and the sacrifices needed to self-actualize. Enjoy it in glorious 4K!
Enjoy our production stills and please subscribe to our channels for more original creative content coming soon!
@LeddySetGo
http://www.Facebook.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.YouTube.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.Instagram.com/LeddySetGo
http://www.Twitter.com/LeddySetGo
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