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Fanedit of Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes - Concert Cut (122 Minutes, Restored Audio/Video)

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    Fanedit of Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes - Concert Cut (122 Minutes, Restored Audio/Video)

    Hey fellow Zappa fans!

    I’ve spent a lot of time working on a fanedit of Baby Snakes that focuses entirely on the live concert footage. The original movie had a lot of cuts and interruptions, so I’ve put together a 122-minute version that restores full performances wherever possible. I also synced the film with the Halloween 77 box set audio, which sounds way better than the original DVD track.

    The video was upscaled to 2160p after addressing various issues like compression artifacts, edge enhancements, and crushed black levels. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid improvement over the original DVD, and definitely worth a watch if you’re into Zappa's live shows!

    If you’re interested, feel free to DM me, and I’ll share the link!

    -----------------------------------

    About This Fanedit:

    This fan edit of Frank Zappa's Baby Snakes focuses entirely on the live concert portion of the original film, trimming away animations, backstage footage, and interruptions to present a more cohesive and uninterrupted concert experience. At 122 minutes long, this version restores the concert's flow and brings the full musical performances to the forefront, creating a more immersive and engaging experience for Zappa fans.

    The original film often cuts or splits live songs, leaving some tracks incomplete. My goal was to restore the full performances wherever possible, and in some cases, reconstruct the concert to match the original setlist flow. I used the newly remixed, high-quality audio from the Halloween 77 box set, syncing it with the film’s visuals to replace the lower-bitrate AC3 audio found on the DVD. Extensive audio work was required, as many parts of the original film were overdubbed or edited in a way that disrupted the music. The result is a far more polished and authentic sound.

    I hope this edit provides a fresh way to experience Baby Snakes, focusing solely on the incredible live performance from Zappa and his band during their legendary 1977 Halloween run. Enjoy the show!

    -----------------------------------

    Key Restoration Highlights:
    • Wherever possible, songs are restored to their full versions, including "I Have Been In You," "Pound For A Brown," and "Conehead," which were only partially included in the original film. While a significant portion of the concert remains missing, these tracks have been carefully reconstructed to provide the most authentic and uninterrupted performances available from the existing footage.
    • While I aimed to present the songs in their original running order, it's important to note that the band did not play the same setlist every night. As a result, this edit is an approximation of the full concert experience. It also combines split performances, such as "King Kong," into a single, continuous track for a more cohesive listening experience.
    • The audio in this fan edit is based on the Halloween 77 box set's modern stereo remixes, which are free of the overdubs that marred the original film's audio. I painstakingly synced these remixes to the film, using the original mixes as a guide. Where footage was missing, creative solutions were used, such as filling gaps with backstage shots or Bruce Bickford’s animations to maintain visual continuity.

    #2
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    Special Thanks
    -----------------------------------------
    This project would not have been possible without the invaluable help of Román García Albertos and his website Donlope.net. Román meticulously detailed every edit and provided the timestamps for the performances featured in the original film, as well as their corresponding moments in the Halloween 77 soundtrack. His research was instrumental in ensuring this edit could be completed accurately and faithfully.

    -----------------------------------------
    Tracklist
    -----------------------------------------
    Introduction – 00:00:00.000
    The Poodle Lecture – 00:00:50.000
    City Of Tiny Lites – 00:06:11.000
    Pound For A Brown – 00:13:04.000
    I Have Been In You – 00:22:16.000
    King Kong – 00:30:58.000
    Terry's Drum Solo – 00:39:23.000
    Disco Boy – 00:42:18.000
    The Demise Of The Imported Rubber Goods Mask – 00:46:18.000
    Bobby Brown Goes Down – 00:52:01.000
    Conehead (Instrumental) – 00:55:45.000
    Titties 'N' Beer – 00:59:05.000
    Halloween Audience Participation – 01:05:27.000
    The Black Page #2 – 01:12:02.000
    Jones Crusher – 01:14:54.000
    Broken Hearts Are For Assholes – 01:17:51.000
    Punky's Whips – 01:21:41.000
    Halloween Encore Audience – 01:32:56.000
    Dinah-Moe Humm – 01:34:29.000
    Camarillo Brillo – 01:41:12.000
    Muffin Man – 01:44:37.000
    San Ber'dino – 01:49:37.000
    Black Napkins – 01:54:39.000

    -----------------------------------------
    Notable Edits
    -----------------------------------------
    *** Pound For A Brown ***
    The original film includes the second half of the October 30th performance and a brief bass solo from October 31st. Since "City Of Tiny Lites" ended with the October 30th performance, I decided to use the first half of "Pound For A Brown" from the same night to maintain continuity. Careful audio editing was required to seamlessly join the two performances from different nights, while still preserving the visuals.

    *** Conehead (Instrumental) ***
    Originally, this track featured a lengthy guitar solo lasting about 7 minutes. In my edit, I reduced it to around 3 minutes to create a tighter, more focused performance, while still showcasing the musicianship of Zappa's band.

    *** King Kong ***
    In the original film, this track was split into two parts at different points. I restored the full performance by joining the two halves together, using creative editing techniques and brief cutaways to fill in any missing footage. The result is a more continuous and coherent version of the performance.

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    Technical Details
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    Format: MKV (with chapters)
    Audio: Original PCM soundtrack (48 kHz, 16-bit)
    Video: x264, two-pass encoding (veryslow, grain profile)
    File Size: 10GB

    -----------------------------------------
    Image Quality
    -----------------------------------------

    The source for this edit is the original NTSC DVD, which was invert telecined to restore the film’s native 24fps framerate. The DVD presented several challenges, including heavy compression artifacts, excessive edge enhancements, crushed black levels, overbright highlights, and a burned-in noise reduction effect that introduced ghost trails during low-light scenes.

    I invested significant time in enhancing the image, reversing many of these issues as much as possible. The process involved carefully refining the source material with a blend of modern tools and techniques, including upscaling the footage to 2160p. To maintain the original look and feel, I selectively retained elements of the unfiltered DVD footage and applied film grain to prevent the overly smooth or artificial appearance often associated with upscaling.

    While this restoration is a major improvement over the original DVD, it's not meant to replace a true 4K scan of the original film. It is, however, a thoughtfully crafted version that respects the original aesthetic while making the best of the available materials—until an official restoration is done by the Zappa Family Trust.​

    Comment


      #3
      Watched this last night - it looks and sounds great and the synching is excellent! Nice job Eckoes!

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