Wednesday 14 October 2009
Feedback from Industry Practitioners.
I e-mailed David O'Neill, a director i met recently, and asked him what he thought. this is what he said.
Hi Tim
Wow! love the band, they're great. Good find.
As far as the video is concerned, its a live performance film, shot in a studio environment which is familiar territory, so you expect it to be quite straightforward/raw and about the music. The lighting is dark and moody which gives it atmosphere. the guy with the white shirt is overlit though and when you cut to him it breaks the mood a little. there is a moment where you see a white plug in a socket which catches the eye, but otherwise its all fine. Good to see some more close ups of hands on guitars etc. I'd throw in a bit more of that if you've got it, as the camera movement and frame size is a little repetitive.
The lead singer is so key to the bands identity, that I wanted to read a bit more in his face, so I'd have given him a little more light. I've seen a lot of films like this, and to be honest, its about selling the band. If the band is shit the video won't keep me there, but they're great, a bit like early Cure, so I wanted to hear the whole thing. Their next step is to find a way of getting people to be more excited about them, which is about stage performance/personality and style/image.
Dx
Hi Tim
Wow! love the band, they're great. Good find.
As far as the video is concerned, its a live performance film, shot in a studio environment which is familiar territory, so you expect it to be quite straightforward/raw and about the music. The lighting is dark and moody which gives it atmosphere. the guy with the white shirt is overlit though and when you cut to him it breaks the mood a little. there is a moment where you see a white plug in a socket which catches the eye, but otherwise its all fine. Good to see some more close ups of hands on guitars etc. I'd throw in a bit more of that if you've got it, as the camera movement and frame size is a little repetitive.
The lead singer is so key to the bands identity, that I wanted to read a bit more in his face, so I'd have given him a little more light. I've seen a lot of films like this, and to be honest, its about selling the band. If the band is shit the video won't keep me there, but they're great, a bit like early Cure, so I wanted to hear the whole thing. Their next step is to find a way of getting people to be more excited about them, which is about stage performance/personality and style/image.
Dx
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Importance of Commission for Media Practitioners
Commissioned work is important for any media practitioners in terms of portfolio and skills. Being able to create your own work and formulate ideas into products is good, but being able to be given someone else’s idea and create something for them is arguably as useful. if you can show that you have worked on a commission, it shows you have been able to work closely with a client for a given target, and have created something of a standard that they are happy with.
Having a portfolio of work with commissioned pieces can also be helpful in getting you further work. If, for example, you were commissioned to make an advert for a product, and you made a successful advert that the client was happy with, you could show that advert to another potential client as an example of what you can do. If they think the advert is good, they might ask you to create one for them. Alternatively, if you make a product that the client is happy with, they might ask you to create something else for them later on as you did good work.
However, if you create something that is delivered late or unfinished, the response could turn against you. If you seem like you have only done half a job, then the client may fire you, and recommend that other industry professionals don’t work with you in future. If your name gets recognized as somebody that can’t do work to a brief or deadline, you may find it very hard to find work in the industry.
Some people can also choose to specialize in certain areas, so they choose to find commissions in music videos or adverts, so they can ensure they do very good products for each commission instead of trying to do lots of different things and doing them all averagely. This could be good, as you could earn a reputation as being good at that certain area of the industry, however it could also mean people see you as a music video person, so wouldn’t consider you to create something else for them. This can significantly reduce the amount of paid work you can get and therefore you have to try and work harder to get out of a cycle of just making the same things over and over again.
Having a portfolio of work with commissioned pieces can also be helpful in getting you further work. If, for example, you were commissioned to make an advert for a product, and you made a successful advert that the client was happy with, you could show that advert to another potential client as an example of what you can do. If they think the advert is good, they might ask you to create one for them. Alternatively, if you make a product that the client is happy with, they might ask you to create something else for them later on as you did good work.
However, if you create something that is delivered late or unfinished, the response could turn against you. If you seem like you have only done half a job, then the client may fire you, and recommend that other industry professionals don’t work with you in future. If your name gets recognized as somebody that can’t do work to a brief or deadline, you may find it very hard to find work in the industry.
Some people can also choose to specialize in certain areas, so they choose to find commissions in music videos or adverts, so they can ensure they do very good products for each commission instead of trying to do lots of different things and doing them all averagely. This could be good, as you could earn a reputation as being good at that certain area of the industry, however it could also mean people see you as a music video person, so wouldn’t consider you to create something else for them. This can significantly reduce the amount of paid work you can get and therefore you have to try and work harder to get out of a cycle of just making the same things over and over again.
Monday 12 October 2009
Audience Feedback
I posted my video on facebook, and asked some people for feedback. I got several responses, however my friends aren't fantastic at giving feedback or answering questions. but this is what they said. The general feeling was that the video was very well done, but nobody really told me i should change anything.
I also put the video on YouTube and Vimeo, and collected some responses from there. I also showed the video to my family and friends 
when they watched it, and asked them to show people they knew so i could get some decent feedback. Most people really liked the video, they said it was really good. One or two said it was alright but they didn't think it was anything special and a few people just said they didn't like it.
when they watched it, and asked them to show people they knew so i could get some decent feedback. Most people really liked the video, they said it was really good. One or two said it was alright but they didn't think it was anything special and a few people just said they didn't like it.Unfortunately, nobody really told me any ways i could improve it, so the feedback may not prove to be very useful anyway.
Sunday 11 October 2009
Editing
I thought this video was quite easy to sync up, because a lot of our footage of the singer, he had his hand covering his mouth, so you couldn't really tell what he was saying anyway. This makes it slightly harder to prove we did any lip syncing, as does the effects we used over the singer. We removed a few of the effects from the start of the video so you could see a bit of lip syncing, and put more effects on at the end, so it sort of builds up as the song progresses.
After we had cut the footage down into shorter bits that we thought went well with the video, we watched it and decided there was something missing. We figured that if we added some effects we could give our video an extra little kick that it needed to be a success. We started with an effect called motion blur, which was used on the shots rotating round the singer. We thought this looked AWESOME, so it was used on a few more shots. We then found an effect called 'Bad TV', which cuts the shot in half and makes look like a broken TV. In order to make this shot more interesting, i copied the footage it was used in, placed it above the other footage so i could move them up and down at the same time and it would look like the screen was rolling properly. There is another effect being used called 'Echo', which isn't used as much as the others, but we decided it would look good in some places. It basically plays the footage over itself a few times within a split second of each other. I think it looks good.
After we had cut the footage down into shorter bits that we thought went well with the video, we watched it and decided there was something missing. We figured that if we added some effects we could give our video an extra little kick that it needed to be a success. We started with an effect called motion blur, which was used on the shots rotating round the singer. We thought this looked AWESOME, so it was used on a few more shots. We then found an effect called 'Bad TV', which cuts the shot in half and makes look like a broken TV. In order to make this shot more interesting, i copied the footage it was used in, placed it above the other footage so i could move them up and down at the same time and it would look like the screen was rolling properly. There is another effect being used called 'Echo', which isn't used as much as the others, but we decided it would look good in some places. It basically plays the footage over itself a few times within a split second of each other. I think it looks good.
Friday 9 October 2009
Feedback from band on rough cut 2
They liked some of the effects, some not so much. They liked the CCTV/blurred effects they used, and it allowed some of the badly framed shots to look much better. Originally, we didn't have so many effects, they told us to put more in. If we started with the CCTV effect, we should put it near the end, as well. We had some other effects that they didn't like, so we removed them.
We had to sync up some more of the vocals at the start of the video. With the effects, they were unable to see if we had synced it up properly. They suggested that we should do it more at the start to cover the sync errors. We also had to use the footage of the guitar during the guitar solo and not of the bassist. In our new edited version, we included the guitar.
They liked the fact that it was quite dark when it is shown on different screens, which made them more mysterious. They liked that, but they also liked that you could clearly see who it was the rest of the time, as that was one of the key thing they wanted.
We had to sync up some more of the vocals at the start of the video. With the effects, they were unable to see if we had synced it up properly. They suggested that we should do it more at the start to cover the sync errors. We also had to use the footage of the guitar during the guitar solo and not of the bassist. In our new edited version, we included the guitar.
They liked the fact that it was quite dark when it is shown on different screens, which made them more mysterious. They liked that, but they also liked that you could clearly see who it was the rest of the time, as that was one of the key thing they wanted.
Thursday 8 October 2009
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Feedback from the Band
The band watched the first rough cut i made the other day, and gave us some feedback. Basically, they said that if it is entirely performance based, we shouldn't cut from singer to different angle of singer, which i did accidentally as the different layers were on top of each other, so when i cut a bit out of one, it just showed the one beneath it, and i put the 2 of the singer on top of each other.
I also need to sync it up a bit more, some of the singing is slightly out, which i only noticed after watching the video a few times, and there is a bit of the drummer at the end which is totally out of sync. I also put in a lot of footage of the drummer, and should probably use something else.
They did like the speed of the video, they said it kept the pace up and worked for the song. They were also pleased we decided against the narrative because they said it would have slowed it down.
When i was first editing this, i really like the quick cuts at the start, but the more i watch it, the less i like it, because it just seems too quick and out of place. I prefer the slower cuts that start about halfway through. I also think it would be easier to use slower cuts because it means i can use the other footage at other points in the video. The music all sort of blurs into itself so there isn't really definitive tunes to try and sync to, which means i can put some bits of footage pretty much anywhere in the video
I also need to sync it up a bit more, some of the singing is slightly out, which i only noticed after watching the video a few times, and there is a bit of the drummer at the end which is totally out of sync. I also put in a lot of footage of the drummer, and should probably use something else.
They did like the speed of the video, they said it kept the pace up and worked for the song. They were also pleased we decided against the narrative because they said it would have slowed it down.
When i was first editing this, i really like the quick cuts at the start, but the more i watch it, the less i like it, because it just seems too quick and out of place. I prefer the slower cuts that start about halfway through. I also think it would be easier to use slower cuts because it means i can use the other footage at other points in the video. The music all sort of blurs into itself so there isn't really definitive tunes to try and sync to, which means i can put some bits of footage pretty much anywhere in the video
Sunday 4 October 2009
Rough Cut
This is the initial rough cut for our music video. I edited this together in about an hour earlier, so it isn't perfect. As we are now only using the footage from the rehearsal space, this gives an idea of what our video may look like in the end.
Friday 2 October 2009
Change of plan
We had decided that we were going to use some footage of the band in their rehearsal, and some of their live gig at the Junction. We had planned on filming some of the show tonight, as we were told they were playing around half 7. However in reality they are apparently not playing until half past 9, and neither me or mike can hang around long enough to get the film and get home, due to relying on public transport to get home. We cleared this with the band, because if they had been really set on having some live footage in the video we would havehad to film some, but they said it was alright, providing the finished video kept a good level of interest for long enough.
Filming
Today, me and Mike went filming for our music video. We had arranged with the band to film during their practice session, so we could basically get some footage of the band and assorted close ups and whatnot of them as they played the song. We got the band to play through the song about 8 times, and filmed it in different ways to get different footage each time. This is so we have plenty of footage to sort through, so there is no chance that we can miss any part of the song. We have also organized to get some footage when they play at the Junction on Friday. Simon has kindly said we can go on stage and get some shots into the crowd, and we are also hoping to get some video footage from in the crowd, looking up at them.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Target Audience
This is basically the target audience for our video. The kind of faceless mainstream indie kid who buys everything from Top Shop and stays well within mainstream styles. Totally not the kind of people i generally hang out with, but that's who the band think their target audience is, that's basically who the band are and that's who i'm aiming the video at.
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Risk Assessment / Health and Safety
There are a number of risks to be considered while filming a music video.
For a start, we are filming the majority of it in a small room with not much light, lots of cables of assorted expensive instruments. For a start, while filming, i am planning to move around a lot to get more interesting footage, which means i will have to pay attention to what i'm filming and pay attention to the assorted cables that will be draped around the room.
There also isn't much light in the rehearsal room we are filming in, so that adds to the potential danger of tripping and hurting myself.
If we are filming at the Junction, again, we have to be careful of any wires, but if we are in the crowd we have more problems.
People may spill drinks on the floor so it could get quite slippery and we could fall.
Crowds in gigs can get very exitable and it has potential to get pretty damn hot, so i need to ensure i have water and don't get de-hydrated.
Also we obviously need to ensure we don't break any of the equipment because i sure as hell can't afford to replace any of it.h
For a start, we are filming the majority of it in a small room with not much light, lots of cables of assorted expensive instruments. For a start, while filming, i am planning to move around a lot to get more interesting footage, which means i will have to pay attention to what i'm filming and pay attention to the assorted cables that will be draped around the room.
There also isn't much light in the rehearsal room we are filming in, so that adds to the potential danger of tripping and hurting myself.
If we are filming at the Junction, again, we have to be careful of any wires, but if we are in the crowd we have more problems.
People may spill drinks on the floor so it could get quite slippery and we could fall.
Crowds in gigs can get very exitable and it has potential to get pretty damn hot, so i need to ensure i have water and don't get de-hydrated.
Also we obviously need to ensure we don't break any of the equipment because i sure as hell can't afford to replace any of it.h
Monday 28 September 2009
Saturday 26 September 2009
Shot List
These are the different camera angles we are hoping to get whilst filming the band's performances.
1) A mid-shot of the band playing together
2) A mid shot of the band playing from behind
3) A mid shot of the vocalist
4) a close up of the vocalist's face
5) A side on shot of the vocalist
6) A pan around shot of the vocalist
7) A pan around shot of the guitarist
8) A pan around shot of the drummer
9) A mid-shot of the guitarist
10) A close up of the guitar itself
11) A high angle shot of the guitarist
12) A close up of the guitar (only the solo)
13) A mid-shot of the drummer
14) A close-up of the drummer
15) A high angle shot of the drummer
Any crowd shots of their gig at the Junction on the 16th October may also be used.
After showingthis shotlist to the band, they seemed to like the idea of a fast paced video with lots of motion and close ups, but were quite insistant we did a lot of footage of them, not their instruments.
1) A mid-shot of the band playing together
2) A mid shot of the band playing from behind
3) A mid shot of the vocalist
4) a close up of the vocalist's face
5) A side on shot of the vocalist
6) A pan around shot of the vocalist
7) A pan around shot of the guitarist
8) A pan around shot of the drummer
9) A mid-shot of the guitarist
10) A close up of the guitar itself
11) A high angle shot of the guitarist
12) A close up of the guitar (only the solo)
13) A mid-shot of the drummer
14) A close-up of the drummer
15) A high angle shot of the drummer
Any crowd shots of their gig at the Junction on the 16th October may also be used.
After showingthis shotlist to the band, they seemed to like the idea of a fast paced video with lots of motion and close ups, but were quite insistant we did a lot of footage of them, not their instruments.
Budget
Ultimately, we were lucky in a sense that we didn't have to pay anything to create this video. We were allowed to borrow all the equipment we needed from college so it was free. Had we been a proper production company, however, the costs would have been great for the camera we used and the equipment and software we were using to create our final product.
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Potential Problems
The main problem I see is not really being able to get the band together at the same time to film the video. This is because they are all from different parts of Cambridge and go to different colleges, so their timetables will be very different. We could possibly film on a Saturday when all of the band are free.
Filming at the band's gig may also be a problem as we may not be allowed in to film them on the stage. A way to get around this is by asking the Junction if we were allowed to film. If that doesn't work, we could do some undercover filming from the crowd.
Filming at the band's gig may also be a problem as we may not be allowed in to film them on the stage. A way to get around this is by asking the Junction if we were allowed to film. If that doesn't work, we could do some undercover filming from the crowd.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Final Idea
After going back to the band with another idea for what we could do, they have agreed. We are going to go down to their rehearsal space and film them playing through the song several times. The shots will be mostly moving as it is a small space and quite a fast paced song, so having static or slow camera shots will really slow down the pace of the song. The band also liked the idea of having some footage of them playing live at the Junction, but said it wasn't vital if we could keep the video going for long enough. We suggested the narrative, the guy running to the show, but they weren't too sure about that, as they said any narrative in the video should link in with the songs content and someone running to a show isn't even close to the point they want to make with the song. Because of this, we have decided to keep the video performance based, similar to the Paramore video for Ignorance.
Saturday 19 September 2009
Ideas
Despite the band commissioning us to make them a video, they gave us quite a lot of freedom with it. They want a music video, but don't seem entirely sure what they want it to do, so Mike and I came up with some suggestions for what it could be, and pitched them to them.
First, we came up with the band going on the top of a Cambridge City Sightseeing bus. They would be playing invisible instruments as they toured the sights of Cambridge. The band weren't too impressed with the idea. They said that it ruined the theme of the song, so we decided to scrap that idea. I'm glad we did, it's not a great idea and i think would look far too much like a student video.
I think our best idea would be to feature the band playing at a gig, preferably playing at the Junction but we could put up with the hall at College. We may also have a narrative featuring someone running to get to the gig on time, whilst intercutting between the two. As he reaches the Junction, the video would fade out or possibly have him running into the Junction and showing the band packing up after the gig.
We also know that the band are due to play a live gig at the Junction on the 16th October, so we were hoping to go there and film possible crowd shots and a few of the band playing. This would be brief as trying to sync the performance up with the track, would be too time consuming for the time we have got to do this.
The band came up with a suggestion that was something along the lines of them all playing naked. I'm not sure what it is with bands and doing things naked, but we decided it would be inappropriate and there was no way in hell i was going to film it. Thankfully i don't think they were entirely serious about the idea as it was a commission and if they had told us that's what they wanted and nothing else would work we would have had to find a new commission to do.
First, we came up with the band going on the top of a Cambridge City Sightseeing bus. They would be playing invisible instruments as they toured the sights of Cambridge. The band weren't too impressed with the idea. They said that it ruined the theme of the song, so we decided to scrap that idea. I'm glad we did, it's not a great idea and i think would look far too much like a student video.
I think our best idea would be to feature the band playing at a gig, preferably playing at the Junction but we could put up with the hall at College. We may also have a narrative featuring someone running to get to the gig on time, whilst intercutting between the two. As he reaches the Junction, the video would fade out or possibly have him running into the Junction and showing the band packing up after the gig.
We also know that the band are due to play a live gig at the Junction on the 16th October, so we were hoping to go there and film possible crowd shots and a few of the band playing. This would be brief as trying to sync the performance up with the track, would be too time consuming for the time we have got to do this.
The band came up with a suggestion that was something along the lines of them all playing naked. I'm not sure what it is with bands and doing things naked, but we decided it would be inappropriate and there was no way in hell i was going to film it. Thankfully i don't think they were entirely serious about the idea as it was a commission and if they had told us that's what they wanted and nothing else would work we would have had to find a new commission to do.
Friday 18 September 2009
More Video Research
I have done some more research into more videos that are a similar genre to the one we are using. These videos are all very different and use completely different styles. They all have pros and cons, and i thought it would be good to look at the different kinds of video we could create given ones that have been made and worked really well.
Linkin Park, Given Up. Filmed entirely with live footage from concerts, works well, quick cuts, fast paced song. Use of shots from crowd, not clean shots from HQ cameras etc. Use this idea?
Tenacious D, Wonderboy. Mainly story based, predominantly story based, little if any show or band singing as they are portraying characters other than the band.
FatBoy Slim, Weapon of Choice. Has absolutely nothing to do with the song, simply a guy dancing around somewhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNAr5tzZxdk Cartoons, Witch Doctor. My passing suggestion of taking some acid and coming up with an idea seems to be somewhat taken already with many videos fromt he 90's such as this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNAr5tzZxdk Cartoons, Witch Doctor. My passing suggestion of taking some acid and coming up with an idea seems to be somewhat taken already with many videos fromt he 90's such as this one.
Bowling for Soup, My Wena 2 versions, original ridiculous video, video compliments listeners initial idea of what song is about by showing you a giant dick walking around. The song is actually about a dog, as is revealed at the end.
Bowling for Soup. Clean Version. Changed from dick to mainly clips of dog with band playing in middle of road. Changed so suitable for TV and a younger audience.
Nickelback, Rockstar. This video is comprised completely of guests and 'normies' singing the song, and throughout the entire video only gives each person a few seconds at a time. It then ends with the band playing live onstage, so throws in a different style of video.
Thursday 17 September 2009
Second meeting with the band
After doing some research into music videos, i had another meeting with the band in a hope of sorting out exactly what they want in their video and how they want it to look. As it is a commission, it's really their decision as to what goes in the video and what doesn't so we need to clear everything with them before.
They are still unsure about what they want, apart from them being in it. They definately have to be in it, so i'm thinking probably a performance video. We asked them about using a narrative in the video, and they seemed unsure. One of them said "I don't know about a story.. It's gotta be relevant, can you keep it relevant to the song?"
We wanted to create a narrative that fitted in with the theme of the song, but as the theme was about the war in Iraq and people dying, we decided to scrap that idea as we couldn't really kill anyone and get away with it, and faking it can look pretty stupid sometimes, especially with students who don't really take it seriously.
If we tried to re-create a war theme, we would basically be tryin
g to recreate the My Chemical Romance video for Ghost of You. This video was clearly a big budget thing, and looks effective because of that. If we tried to create something like this with a low budget it would look ridiculous, so we decided to go with a performance based video, unless we could think of something much better.
We decided it would be hard to create a narrative that worked with the song and stayed true to the message it was giving, so i think the idea of a performance based video, is how we're going to play this one.
They are still unsure about what they want, apart from them being in it. They definately have to be in it, so i'm thinking probably a performance video. We asked them about using a narrative in the video, and they seemed unsure. One of them said "I don't know about a story.. It's gotta be relevant, can you keep it relevant to the song?"
We wanted to create a narrative that fitted in with the theme of the song, but as the theme was about the war in Iraq and people dying, we decided to scrap that idea as we couldn't really kill anyone and get away with it, and faking it can look pretty stupid sometimes, especially with students who don't really take it seriously.
If we tried to re-create a war theme, we would basically be tryin
g to recreate the My Chemical Romance video for Ghost of You. This video was clearly a big budget thing, and looks effective because of that. If we tried to create something like this with a low budget it would look ridiculous, so we decided to go with a performance based video, unless we could think of something much better.We decided it would be hard to create a narrative that worked with the song and stayed true to the message it was giving, so i think the idea of a performance based video, is how we're going to play this one.
Music Video Research
I have been looking at many different music videos to get an idea about how they work. We need to create a video that is different to anything else, but at the same time similar in style to the genre of the music. This was relatively easy as i watch loads of music videos on TV, but very few of them are particularly interesting. This, however is not the case for all videos as a few of them are fantastic.
I like this video because it is utterly bizarre. The coloured in eyes make the people look incredibly weird, while the coloured in, slightly jumpy effect as the stopmotion makes it look really cool.
I really like this video, and most of Michael Jacksons other videos, but i really like this one because i think it is incredibly cleverly done. The way they swap between scenes by using things that are in the scene already, such as when they go from dancing in the street in the snow, to the cossacks, the scene is changed as a white car drives past the screen obscuring the view, so you don't notice the scene is different until it is completely gone from view. I also really like the ending, where they have the different people singing the song and it changes between them. I'm not sure how this was done, as a similar thing could be done by simply fading in and out different footage, providing the eyes are kept in the same position during the transition. However i think something different has been done with this video as it doesn't just fade out it looks like it's been sort of rubbed out bit by bit.
I love the bit right at the start of this video where he rips his face off and then smashes his skull, to reveal himself again. I have no idea how it was done but i think it looks amazing. I also like it when the dancers are jumping around on the walls and the ceilings, as it gives the video a totally different feel to it.
I like this video because it shows that a music video can be entirely story based without needing to show the band physically playing their instruments. Many music videos rely quite heavily on featuring the band either playing their instruments or doing things as the band. This one doesn't and i think it sticks out because of it.
I like this video because it is utterly bizarre. The coloured in eyes make the people look incredibly weird, while the coloured in, slightly jumpy effect as the stopmotion makes it look really cool.
I really like this video, and most of Michael Jacksons other videos, but i really like this one because i think it is incredibly cleverly done. The way they swap between scenes by using things that are in the scene already, such as when they go from dancing in the street in the snow, to the cossacks, the scene is changed as a white car drives past the screen obscuring the view, so you don't notice the scene is different until it is completely gone from view. I also really like the ending, where they have the different people singing the song and it changes between them. I'm not sure how this was done, as a similar thing could be done by simply fading in and out different footage, providing the eyes are kept in the same position during the transition. However i think something different has been done with this video as it doesn't just fade out it looks like it's been sort of rubbed out bit by bit.
I love the bit right at the start of this video where he rips his face off and then smashes his skull, to reveal himself again. I have no idea how it was done but i think it looks amazing. I also like it when the dancers are jumping around on the walls and the ceilings, as it gives the video a totally different feel to it.
I like this video because it shows that a music video can be entirely story based without needing to show the band physically playing their instruments. Many music videos rely quite heavily on featuring the band either playing their instruments or doing things as the band. This one doesn't and i think it sticks out because of it.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Lyrics to the Song
These are the lyrics to the song 'Oil' that i have been commissioned to make a video for:
Slipping and sliding
And pulling you under.
Convincing you your going
In the right direction.
Releasing, reloading, aiming and firing
Convincing you it's for your own protection.
How do you sleep at night?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Soldiers are fighting and killing and dying.
Fighting in a war that nobody wanted
Waring and dying and killing to live.
Fighting in a war that leaves them haunted.
How do you sleep at night?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Slipping and sliding
And pulling you under.
Convincing you your going
In the right direction.
Releasing, reloading, aiming and firing
Convincing you it's for your own protection.
How do you sleep at night?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Soldiers are fighting and killing and dying.
Fighting in a war that nobody wanted
Waring and dying and killing to live.
Fighting in a war that leaves them haunted.
How do you sleep at night?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Ain't it a nightmare to see your sons out there?
Fightin' in a war that nobody wanted
To think of the loss, yeah?
Think of the time.
Hundreds a day for one mans crimes.
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
Was it really worth it?
How to Kill a Conversation First Meeting
Mike and I have been approached by a local band in Cambridge called How to Kill a Conversation, and they have commission us to make a music video for them. We have been given an MP3 of their song 'Oil' which they would like a video for. HtKaC are quite big in Cambridge and play shows quite regularly in assorted pubs and clubs, and have played at the Junction on several occasions. They are an indie band, and their music is aimed at teenagers. They lyrical content in some of their songs may be slightly adult, not offensive, but quite serious. Oil, for example is about the war, as opposed to many 'teenage' bands who just sing about their latest girlfriend or their new shoes.
The music, while appropriate for basically any age, is most popular amongst people aged 14-18. This is probably due to the quite poppy nature of the music. It's the sort of mainstream faceless pop music that records companies adore. I think we can make quite a good video for this. We had a brief discussion about the kind of video they want, wether they want it narrative or performance based and if they want it to be them doing the narrative if we use any, or other people.
They seemed somewhat unsure about what they wanted, to be honest, and the most helpful thing that was said was "It's got to be us. I want people to see us."
The music, while appropriate for basically any age, is most popular amongst people aged 14-18. This is probably due to the quite poppy nature of the music. It's the sort of mainstream faceless pop music that records companies adore. I think we can make quite a good video for this. We had a brief discussion about the kind of video they want, wether they want it narrative or performance based and if they want it to be them doing the narrative if we use any, or other people.
They seemed somewhat unsure about what they wanted, to be honest, and the most helpful thing that was said was "It's got to be us. I want people to see us."
Monday 14 September 2009
What is a commission?
A commission is when a person or company hire you to create something for them. For a commission to work, you need two things. You need equipment to do the work, and someone to want some work done.
Usually, the first thing that happens, is that someone sees some work you have done and likes it.
If they want something made, but don't have the skills or equipment necessary, they may request you make something for them.
You would then have meetings with the client to discuss what they want and what you can actually make until you come to a good compromise.
You then go and produce whatever it is the client wants.
You show it to the client, and they say what they like, what they don't like and what they want you to do about it.
You then re-edit your product to meet their expectations.
They pay you.
Usually, the first thing that happens, is that someone sees some work you have done and likes it.
If they want something made, but don't have the skills or equipment necessary, they may request you make something for them.
You would then have meetings with the client to discuss what they want and what you can actually make until you come to a good compromise.
You then go and produce whatever it is the client wants.
You show it to the client, and they say what they like, what they don't like and what they want you to do about it.
You then re-edit your product to meet their expectations.
They pay you.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Previous Commissions
I have been involved in several previous commissions, we worked with Sawston Cinema trying to create a logo for them, but they didn't really like our ideas, and decided to use one of their own.
I was also commissioned by the Health and Social Care department at college, to create some educational videos at one of their H&SC days at Bottisham Village College. They asked me because they knew i had access to the equipment and it would be good experience for me. Me and Alex were asked to go to Bottisham VC with the H&SC students, and film as much as the day as we could. We were then asked to produce 3 videos of varying length that could be used in lessons and would be at least slightly beneficial to the students. The longest video was about 20 minutes long, and was quite easy as we kept in a lot of the interesting footage. This included the crash re-enactment, the activities that were going on throughout the day. We also included some interviews with students and teachers and gave a good feel about what the day was like. The next one was half as long, we cut some of the crash, some of the interviews and a bit of the activities. The short one was harder, as it was going to be shown more, and had to be interesting, but informative at the same time. I spent a long time trying to edit this so it worked, but every time it was either informative and dull, or exiting and useless. After a while, i decided the best interview i had shoudl go in, as it gave a good idea of what was going on, and i would show brief clips of the activities and the crash. I only kept in the most interesting bits of the crash, the emergency service vehicles turning up, them cutting the roof off and dragging the casualties out etc.
When i gave my videos to the H&SC staff, they loved them. They have also been used by the people who organised the whole event as a way of showing what they do. This commission was successful, even though after i gave them the videos they didn't even bother saying thanks, just took them. I don't really mind, i know people who have seen them being used so my work is being shown even if i'm not being credited for it.
I have also been commission by the English and Media Center to write an article for Media Magazine, which i did. I wrote an article about censorship in the media and it got published in the magazine.
I was also commissioned by the Health and Social Care department at college, to create some educational videos at one of their H&SC days at Bottisham Village College. They asked me because they knew i had access to the equipment and it would be good experience for me. Me and Alex were asked to go to Bottisham VC with the H&SC students, and film as much as the day as we could. We were then asked to produce 3 videos of varying length that could be used in lessons and would be at least slightly beneficial to the students. The longest video was about 20 minutes long, and was quite easy as we kept in a lot of the interesting footage. This included the crash re-enactment, the activities that were going on throughout the day. We also included some interviews with students and teachers and gave a good feel about what the day was like. The next one was half as long, we cut some of the crash, some of the interviews and a bit of the activities. The short one was harder, as it was going to be shown more, and had to be interesting, but informative at the same time. I spent a long time trying to edit this so it worked, but every time it was either informative and dull, or exiting and useless. After a while, i decided the best interview i had shoudl go in, as it gave a good idea of what was going on, and i would show brief clips of the activities and the crash. I only kept in the most interesting bits of the crash, the emergency service vehicles turning up, them cutting the roof off and dragging the casualties out etc.
When i gave my videos to the H&SC staff, they loved them. They have also been used by the people who organised the whole event as a way of showing what they do. This commission was successful, even though after i gave them the videos they didn't even bother saying thanks, just took them. I don't really mind, i know people who have seen them being used so my work is being shown even if i'm not being credited for it.
I have also been commission by the English and Media Center to write an article for Media Magazine, which i did. I wrote an article about censorship in the media and it got published in the magazine.
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