A Word about the 'Navigator'
   - a video I'd like to dedicate to Jim Schroeder (1969-1988).

       

     There were two in that car the night of January '88 - besides
Jeff, there was his 'co-pilot' or 'navigator' Jim Schroeder sitting right
beside him in the passenger seat.  Jim as I recall, was a master at
editing video. I always remember him at the editing controls in the
Dearborn High School's video department control booth.  He also
was instrumental in producing many episodes of Dearborn's own
'Back-Porch Video' show that broadcasted live from a studio at
what was once Group-W cable.

     I always felt comforted when he was in charge of the studio as
I worked the sound board for several episodes of Back-Porch. He
knew what to do, when to roll the tape, when to cut to the next
camera and when to roll the commercial - he had great talent that
would have served him well had events been different.

     The video I've found in my archives features Jim as 'the camera
man'. I had a video project that was due that I had put off till the
last moment for Russ Gibb's class (Dearborn High's video instructor
and 'father' to all who were in video production - all who were in
video production were known as 'Gibblets'). I begged Jim to help me
get some footage for my 'Cars' video - to which he was more than
happy to help.

     All footage you see in the following video was Jim's doing (all
editing and special video effects were my doing). The Mustang in
the video (that we were driving in while filming) was my infamous
'79 Notchback 2.3L Turbo. Jim held the Sony 8mm camera out
of the window while I was driving to get most of the footage.
In the closing scene, he actaully got in the trunk - which on a
notchback Mustang was quite small and again held the camera
down low to the ground to get that 'awesome' angle. As I recall,
he yelled at me more than once for accelerating too fast where the
trunk lid would come down and hit his head!

     Jim was very proud of that shot - and I was proud of him...
We all will miss you - but we will see you again... Thank you Jim!

Music By:

Gary Numan - "The Pleasure Principle" - 1979.
                             "Cars"

Video:               Cars.mpg / Cars.mp4

Joseph W. Priskorn 10/29/08
 

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