Traci Goudie Turns It On

To paraphrase an old truth: Behind every good artist may just beanother good artist. The CD packaging and a music video for the new Patty Griffin CD 1000Kisses have been created by Traci Goudie, an emerging force in themusic video field.

Goudie, who has her own Texas-based production company, Ghetto Sushi Bowl, threweverything she had into this project. And she has a lot. She designedthe CD cover, in part with her still photography; she will direct themusic video; and she will provide the visual effects in that video,using her technical skills on tools that range from a Quantel Henry toMac Photoshop and AfterEffects.

The Griffin CD was released in April. The music video shoot, onSuper 16, will begin in mid-June. This is Griffin's third commercialrelease. The Dixie Chicks' last tour was named after a song of hersthat they covered. Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt cover her songs aswell.

Goudie has worked with Griffin for awhile and it is the music videodirector's incremental approach that has made this such a winningunion. "She's a true artist of great caliber and, as a person, quiteshy so as our friendship developed we did a couple of shoots for mybook, for fun, and we felt comfortable together," says Goudie. "I sentmy book to her manager and landed the job for shooting the photographyfor the CD packaging and the design and layout. They started to trustme more and I started to do all of her ads and all of the pressphotography, a documentary, a little live video that she's selling asmerchandise and now the music video."

This is much the way Goudie's career has gone, from one steppingstone to another. She began as a graphic designer then became aphotographer, incorporating digital work from her effects backgroundinto her stills. A couple of shows opened the door for doing musicphotography which she parlayed into doing music videos.

"I just specialize in interpreting music into visual imagery,through photography or video or the design of packaging," she says.Goudie shoots film and video for the stills. For the video work, sheuses an XL1, recording most of the things she does for a currentdocumentary, and has worked with formats ranging from 35mm to Super 8.In the post field, she trained on a Discreet Flame and is adept withmany other effects and compositing packages.

Goudie has been shooting and directing music videos for three years.Her big break was an 11-minute piece she did for the BBC Channel 4 ofthe indie punk band The Trail of Dead (for whom she had previously donestill photos) that led to a video on MTV.

"Here's an example of my favorite part of the job. I was hired byMCA a couple weeks ago to document both on video and stills, PattyGriffin recording a Patsy Cline tribute for them. So I got to go in thestudio and be within a foot of her as she transcends and sings thisbrilliant Patsy Cline song. It was so touching. To be intimatelyinvolved with the caliber of artists that I'm getting to work with, Ijust feel really lucky," says Goudie.

Austin-born, Goudie is atuned to this Texas town's music scene butfinds that her clients come from outside as well. The Trail of Dead isAustin-based, but they skyrocketed in Europe, and as a result the needfor more imagery arose, and they later signed with Interscope here inthe states.

Patti Griffin is a Boston transplant. "It's weird. I've found thateven though I live here, the success I've gained has been throughchannels that have been outside of here. It helps that there is amystique associated with Austin. It also hinders in a way because it'sthe southwestern region and a lot of people don¹t associatesuccessful editorial or post or directors with here. It's kind of adouble-edged sword," says Goudie. "Sometimes it's really great butother times I'll probably have to prove myself being female and beingfrom the southwest." But not to everyone. Patty Griffin already knowsher story and has wholeheartedly signed on.