I’ve made films around some of my music and have a few more in mind to work on over the summer. Most of my films use original music that I have composed, either with that film in mind or I’ll find that a piece of music I’ve created happens to work with it. Here is where you will find films that I have created around a specific song or composition.
House of the Rising Sun Music Video (2006/2025)
I produced, performed and recorded this song in 2006, playing all of the guitars on my ’65 Fender Jaguar, with some added drum tracks. Dan Ransom sang and performed all of the vocals.
Here is a video I just finished using public domain footage and also some really beautiful photographs. Full Credits are listed on the video. The beautiful New Orleans houses are from the Library of Congress and were taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston between 1937 and 1938.
West of Center Music Video (2002/2025)
West of Center is a short Western film I wrote and directed in 2001. We were at Baker camp in upstate New York shooting the film on the weekend prior to 9/11 so the experience of creating it is pretty entwined with what happened only a few days later. I will post the entire film in the near future. This is a music film/video that makes use of footage from the film and other sources (Original footage I shot and a few clips of Public Domain footage that is credited and acknowledged.
I wrote, performed and produced the theme song called West of Center in 2002 and did a final mix around 2005. The instruments used are my 1965 Fender Jaguar, an unknown bass guitar and a drum track that I created from loops and other recordings.
The film and music video stars Arnold C. Baker II, William Thomas, Marie Valere, and George Vlachos. Richard Poller did Sound Recording. John Rapoport shot camera. Holly Leavy created makeup and wardrobe.
This is a version with lyric titles, I will also post a version without the words.
Clips were used from the film WINDS OF THE WASTELAND, Directed by Mack V. Wright, 1936, Republic Pictures
Starring John Wayne, Phyllis Fraser and Lew Kelly as Rocky O’Brien
Usage – Public Domain Mark 1.0
Total Running time is 5:40.
Frenzy (2002/2012)
Guitar, Drum Track.
The song Frenzy was written and produced by Thomas W. Campbell in 2001 on a Fostex Four Track Cassete Recorder and mixed in 2002.
The video was shot on the DV format and edited in Final Cut Pro in 2012. Dan Ransom appears as the Subway Dweller.
Music and video recorded, shot and produced in New York City.
The Fight (2002) Animation in Development
The Fight – The Song and Music were recorded 2002 on West 109th Street. I really like the way the instruments sound in this song. Again, th recordings were made on a four track Cassette recorder. The tape hiss is pretty apparent at the beginning of the song before the instruments begin to build. The Analog files were digitized and the song was remixed in 2014.
The guitar was my Fender Jaguar, and there was some bass guitar (if I remember correctly) and a few drum loops and basic patterns. Animation is in progress (Am giving it some good thought). The fight really happened one day on West 109th Street!
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