Trying to manage a large crew on a shoot is always a little daunting, but being discrete (i.e. not to attract too much attention) and shooting an entire set in the space of two hours with failing light is definitely a challenge. But hey, I’m game.

The Outbreak – Terra 1138, was definitely one of those occasions. The location was a remote spot in Ventura County; remote enough to cause a number of delays as crew, models and MUA tried to make their way to the location. Then to top it off, one of the guy’s taillights got blown out and had to be fixed immediately, following friendly a stop by the boys from the California Highway Patrol.

I’ve been looking for a new laptop and trying to find something that has an 8-bit screen, i.e. something that will give me print quality color proofing. You’d think that would be an easy task given the number of high-end laptops on the market these days, but alas no. My first thought was of course an Apple MacBook Pro – you’d think that would do it right? Wrong.

Apple, in their great wisdom and cost cutting drives opted to use a single light source (white) for their new LED screens. And while they may look nice and glossy, they still use dithering to create the illusion of a full color pallet. Pretty much all laptops on the market (with a few exceptions listed below) use 6 bit color output. Meaning they only produce thousands of color, not millions as many of the manufacturers claim.

The way they do this, is through a technique called dithering. Dithering uses two adjacent pixels displaying two separate colors, to create the illusion of a third color. It’s a way of tricking the eye, which is fine for general use, but if you need to see the true colors of your designs or photos, you need to see millions or colors, not thousands.

Once in a while a track comes along that’s so good that it becomes something of a cultural phenomenon - even if most of us don’t even notice it. Such is the case with Eels, Souljacker Pt1. I was watching The Devil's Rejects the other night and Souljacker started to play - I had to ask myself “how many movies has this track been used in?” I know of at least three – namely, The Devil's Rejects, Hot Fuzz and Rest Stop II, and I’m sure there are probably more.

Just when you though Japanese horror films couldn’t get any crazier, along comes a trailer so brilliantly insane that you can help but gawp in awe. Cult director Noboru Iguchi, the man behind the runaway hit Machine Girl, recently posted a clip for his latest venture “RoboGeisha” on YouTube, creating an overnight sensation.

MachineGirl was Noboru’s first big success in the US, due in no small part to its huge viral success. His latest work RoboGeisha looks set to dwarf the success of MachineGirl, propelling Noboru to a whole new level.

The following clip is mind bogglingly beautiful in its wonderfully kitsch craziness. Be warned though, this is NOT safe for work; there are a couple of very strange and slightly disturbing scenes, such as a girl stabbed in the butt, who subsequently squirts blood from the aforementioned area. Other than that, this clip is one of the most entertaining things you will ever see.

As the title might suggest, this is a simple, beginner's guide to setting up an independent record label that will hopefully answer some of the basic questions of 'How to set up a record label' for anyone thinking of getting into the business. These are some of the key points that I learned first hand as Director of A&R for Busy Boy Records.

This guide is intended purely as a guideline and in no way covers all the complexities and problems that may face a fledgling record label. The first thing you have to ask yourself is 'Am I ready for this?' Are you that committed that you should be committed? If so, you might be halfway there. If your label is going to be a success you are going to need a number of things to get started, including but not limited to: initiative, drive, communication skills, talent (A&R), money, business plan & strategy, contacts (or the ability to make them), the desire to work eighteen hours a day, and some good friends to keep you grounded during the highs and pick you up during the lows. The music industry is a business like any other business, and business people aren't always nice. The music industry is no exception, having more than its fair share of sharks. There's no such thing as a free ride. Unfortunately people who are desperate to be heard or close a deal are easy pickings; be careful what you sign and try and look like you're coming from a position of strength. Seeing through the BS and taking your time can save a lot of aggro later.