Bryan Hazard of Color Theory has written a great article to help musicians get started and have a presence on TheSixtyOne.com. It's his favorite music site (and mine), and he has great advice.
Read the article: What artists should know about thesixtyone .
Music from music fans for music fans...
A Conversation with Garcia Freundt
I was contacted about the band Modernage about reviewing their album Sirhan Sirhan. The music is fantastic, with sort of a Joy Division feel, but with much more warmth and melody. What really struck me, though, was the cool video. I had recently been complaining about how videos nowadays just seem like a way to market a band and there's a lack of art in a lot of music videos. The music video for the song Creatures uses stop motion with wired up stuffed toys. What is also great about Creatures is that the video was created by a band member. I talk with the multi-talented Garcia Freundt of Modernage, musician and visual effects artist.
MY: You did an amazing stop motion video for your band Modernage for the song Creatures. Do you have a background in photography and video?
GF: I've been working on tv and film for about 12 years. I've never been into photography, just took a couple of classes in college, but I'm thinking of buying a still camera but mainly to work more on stop motion.
MY: Have you done much stop motion work? This looks like a huge undertaking.
GF: This is my second project with stop motion. I've always liked stop motion because it is a unique medium. I fell in love with the textures of the environment and the not-so-perfect movements. My opportunity to explore this medium for the first time was last year, when I was asked to develop some Halloween IDs for a TV cable network. I instantly knew that it would be a great opportunity to create a bizarre world... the short length of the pieces - 10 to 12 seconds - was perfect for a first timer using this technique.
Another reason I like stop motion is the fact that you don't have to work with a lot of people. It's kinda like sculpting and painting, it's very different that normal filmmaking. Roberto Vasconcelos, a great DP I love to work with, worked with me on all the shots with the yellow background, but that's the only person I had to work with.
MY: One shot in the beginning that grabbed me was the change of focus from the rocker to the marble. There's a lot narrow depth of field shifts thought the video, actually. Was that type of effect something you pulled off in camera or in post?
GF: That change of focus was done just with the camera. I was using an HVX200. For the stop motion, I just used the feature in which the camera takes only 2 frames each time you press the record button. In that rack focus I was rolling at 24fpsand with one hand out of the frame I was moving the rocking chair and with the other one I was turning the focus wheel. In general, I've always loved a narrow depth of field and using mainly close-ups to tell stories, and it's easier to get a narrow depth of field when using tight close ups.. so it just works for me.
MY:I'm guessing you took large images and did your pans and zooms in a program like After Effects. Can you talk a bit about your post production process?
GF: Almost all the pans and zooms were done with the camera rolling at 24fps. I tried to stay away from moving the puppets while doing camera moves... maybe for the next project.
MY: What type of plug-ins do you like to use? For the film effect for example, did you use a plugin on that or use some other method to achieve the old film look?
GF: For the film look I just put a vignette (to give it a more fairy tale look) and just added some grain to reduce the sharpness of the video.
MY: Nice particles too!It looks like you shot a portion of it over greenscreen too. You really have a lot of different techniques in a single video!
GF: The only 3 sequences with post effects where done with Motion; the first one is the ball going up and turning into a "planet". The second was the pink puppet going up to the planet (the puppet was on a green screen). The last one was a composite the grey puppet looking at the pink one who is in the planet. The star field is a Motion particle.
MY: I love Motion particles. They're so easy to use and so fast. I'll admit, I've only done stop motion work once and it was in college. It didn't turn out too well. I know stop motion can be tedious work... everything must be so precise. Do you have any methods that you use to time things out?
GF: It really didn't take me a lot of time to do the filming, maybe 20 to 25 hours. The post didn't take me that much either, just working on the three composites I described earlier. With stop motion you don't do much editing, because you don't do any coverage - its very time consuming; you just plan every scene and know in you head how it's going to cut. However, the pre-production part was the longest one but to me the most fun - it took me 5 months, working whenever I had a chance; this involved designing and sewing the puppets and building and painting the set. I guess I didn't want it to end because I love doing stuff with my hands.
MY: So, the dolls... did you put wires inside to get them to pose or did you have another technique?
Yes, I used wires. Now I'm actually learning how to make proper dolls with armatures. The dolls I made were very rudimentary, and I had a lot of problems making them stand right or to have controlled movements...it was a bit of a nightmare, but a learning experience.
MY: How long did it take to make the video? Did you learn any good tricks?
GF: Over a period of seven months, working on it whenever I felt like it. If I had worked on it not taking breaks, maybe 20 days for pre-pro, 6 days for filming and 5 days for post. I started working on it long before the song was recorded. For me, like everything I do, it is just a stepping stone: don't make the same mistakes and build on the good things. I learn by doing.
MY: The opening scene reminds me of something by The Brothers Quay? Do you have any influences in your work? That moving potato is very creepy! The "eyes" look like tentacles.
GF: Yes, among my favorites are the Quay Brothers, Henry Selick and the works of czech animators like Jirí Trnka and Jan Svankmajer. I included the potato cause I always like the "eyes" that grow on them. It gives the potato character...
MY: What do you do in the band?
GF: Keyboards, guitars...and the videos.
MY: When you do a video like this for your band, does everyone have input or do you just do what you envision?
GF: I enjoy doing videos for Modernage mainly because I love the music. I love Mario's lyrics because he has a great sense of storytelling. When I heard the track I felt that it would be good for stop motion. I do most of my creative thinking in bed, right before going to sleep, when my mind is in that weird half-sleep state. I developed the main story line in my head and on the next band rehearsal I showed Mario, the singer, the IDs I had done using this technique, to see his reaction and propose to do a stop motion video for "Creatures", since he was the one who wrote the song. After I showed him the IDs, before I proposed anything, he said: "that's exactly what we should do with Creatures!".. and with that I started working on it.
MY: Have you done other videos as well?
Creatures" is the fourth video I've done for Modernage. I've also done one for a band called "Santos Renuentes" and another one for "Union Cell".
The other 3 Modernage videos are here if you wanna take a look:
- 7/9/12 video for Modernage's 7/9/12 from the EP Sirhan Sirhan.
- Bella - The second video-single off of Modernage's debut EP Receiver.
- Four Eleven - The first hit video off of Modernage's 'Receiver' EP.
MY: Thanks so much for the interview. Best of luck with your music and music video careers! I really love your video work. You have a lot of variety in your style and you're so talented in both fields.
GF: Thanks again!
Video: The Crystal Method - Drown In The Now
Directed by Alexandre Moors and Jessica Brillhart. Here are some excerpts of an interview the directors did for Flavorwire.
The Crystal Method's new video, Drown In The Now (featuring Matisyahu) from the May 2009 release, Divided By Night.
Flavorwire: Tell us about the concept behind the video. It has some echoes of Sin City/The Spirit - was that intentional?
Alexandre Moors: Kind of. The label definitely referred to it at the beginning. They liked the black-and-white urban animated style that would fit within the Crystal Method album aesthetic. But, from the beginning, we aimed at taking it somewhere fresh and unique.
Flavorwire: What was the process involved in creating the animated world?
AM: The video came out of the UVPHACTORY studio, and that's kind of what we do there, mixing live-action, 2D animation, and 3D elements - merging all these different components into one world. The trick is to make it seamless. In that way, I particularly appreciate how the live-action (Matisyahu) works within the graphics. He really blends it together and creates this iconic presence.
Jessica Brillhart: Yeah, it was a definitely collaborative effort. Alex and I came up with the groundwork, and then our team of 2D/3D animators and designers took it from there, with us pointing annoyingly at their screens, spewing whatever we thought worked or didn't. I suppose that's an obvious part of the process.
The Crystal Method - Drown In The Now from IgnitionVM on Vimeo.
The Crystal Method's new video, Drown In The Now (featuring Matisyahu) from the May 2009 release, Divided By Night.
Album Review: Quiet Company
If you're into the indie music scene, you've probably heard of Quiet Company. Their sophomore effort, Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon, came out in March. And yes, all of their songs are as blissful as the title.
But the band combines their cheery attitude with witty, well-delivered lyrics and cascading piano melodies. They'll please most pop and rock listeners, and have a unique sound that shines through the catchy music. The album kicks off with an expedition in search of love in "A Nation of Two," then winds its way through the playful "It's Better to Spend Money Like There’s No Tomorrow Than Spend Tonight Like There’s No Money."
And yes, Quiet Company does like long titles. But while the names of the tracks might be hard to read on your MP3 player's tiny screen, the songs are certainly easy on the ears.
The album primarily celebrates romantic love, but the band takes a few interesting twists and turns along the way. One of them is "My New Year's Resolution Is to Cope With My Mortality," a humorous take on fears of the afterlife.
They get back on track with a series of sunny songs, including "Well, the Truth Is…," one of the best songs on the album, and "On Husbands & Wives," a sweet exploration of a relationship.
"How to Fake Like You Are Nice & Caring," another great track, buzzes with synth melodies and strong vocal harmonies, then fades into the quiet, windswept instrumental "When I Am Empty, Dispose of Me Properly."
At 15 tracks, this outstanding album is jam-packed with sound, and when it finally winds out, it will leave listeners wishing for more. But there's certainly plenty to hear, and the album gets better on a second (and third, and fourth...) listen.
Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon is available for streaming and purchase on the band’s web site, and almost all of their songs are up on thesixtyone.
But the band combines their cheery attitude with witty, well-delivered lyrics and cascading piano melodies. They'll please most pop and rock listeners, and have a unique sound that shines through the catchy music. The album kicks off with an expedition in search of love in "A Nation of Two," then winds its way through the playful "It's Better to Spend Money Like There’s No Tomorrow Than Spend Tonight Like There’s No Money."
And yes, Quiet Company does like long titles. But while the names of the tracks might be hard to read on your MP3 player's tiny screen, the songs are certainly easy on the ears.
The album primarily celebrates romantic love, but the band takes a few interesting twists and turns along the way. One of them is "My New Year's Resolution Is to Cope With My Mortality," a humorous take on fears of the afterlife.
They get back on track with a series of sunny songs, including "Well, the Truth Is…," one of the best songs on the album, and "On Husbands & Wives," a sweet exploration of a relationship.
"How to Fake Like You Are Nice & Caring," another great track, buzzes with synth melodies and strong vocal harmonies, then fades into the quiet, windswept instrumental "When I Am Empty, Dispose of Me Properly."
At 15 tracks, this outstanding album is jam-packed with sound, and when it finally winds out, it will leave listeners wishing for more. But there's certainly plenty to hear, and the album gets better on a second (and third, and fourth...) listen.
Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon is available for streaming and purchase on the band’s web site, and almost all of their songs are up on thesixtyone.
Video: Placebo - For What It's Worth
A bit reminiscent of the IKEA scene in Trainspotting, this video has some great tracking and just looks really slick. Directed by Howard Greenhalgh. I saw them in 1998 or so in Chicago and they opened for some band. I really can't remember the headliner. We left about 3 songs in, as I came to see Placebo. I remember that the power went out during Placebo's set, which is something that I've never experienced at a concert before. They were awesome.
Placebo - For What It's Worth from Placebo on Vimeo.
Bat Bites: Music Videos... Art or Marketing?
My husband and I have the laptop hooked up to the plasma screen and we're watching music videos. It's very interesting how music videos have evolved from the height of MTV to the current day when you have to seek them out on YouTube or other places online, unless you're into hip hop videos and watch VH-1 at 8am (we're too cheap to have the extended cable with video channels ;-)
Today's videos just don't seem to have the same heart. The editing is much faster, the graphics are slicker but I sort of miss all the weird imagery (and bad synth) of the 80s... like She Bop from Cyndi Lauper and Safety Dance from Men Without Hats and Take on Me from A-Ha. Rock of Ages and Photograph from Def Leppard are 2 favorites. Other honorable mentions are Ratt's Round & Round and Guns & Roses Welcome to the Jungle. Hot for Teacher by Van Halen... now that was a great video! Okay, you've caught me... hair bands are a guilty pleasure.
It seems like it's tough to get a good video seen these days. With desktop editing systems so inexpensive any band can create a slick music video. Back in the day, an Avid would cost $50k, now you can get a full Final Cut Studio suite for $1300. Adobe's stuff is around the same cost. Render times are shorter, effects are more powerful. In my opinion, this has a lot to do with the glut of uninteresting music videos. All you need is to make your band look cool... who needs a good concept just a quick video at the release of the song... something to upload to MySpace.
I know, I sound like the crotchety old man yelling at those damn kids to get off my lawn, but there are a lot of good videos out there, you just have to know where to look. Here's one new video that I really dig: Ida Maria's I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked. Besides being a fantastically catchy tune with a great title, this has some fun 80's style motion graphics (and that speak to me... haha). I love the color scheme and the newsprint type dots are great over the green screen footage.
I thought I'd share a few places I get my music video fix online.
Today's videos just don't seem to have the same heart. The editing is much faster, the graphics are slicker but I sort of miss all the weird imagery (and bad synth) of the 80s... like She Bop from Cyndi Lauper and Safety Dance from Men Without Hats and Take on Me from A-Ha. Rock of Ages and Photograph from Def Leppard are 2 favorites. Other honorable mentions are Ratt's Round & Round and Guns & Roses Welcome to the Jungle. Hot for Teacher by Van Halen... now that was a great video! Okay, you've caught me... hair bands are a guilty pleasure.
It seems like it's tough to get a good video seen these days. With desktop editing systems so inexpensive any band can create a slick music video. Back in the day, an Avid would cost $50k, now you can get a full Final Cut Studio suite for $1300. Adobe's stuff is around the same cost. Render times are shorter, effects are more powerful. In my opinion, this has a lot to do with the glut of uninteresting music videos. All you need is to make your band look cool... who needs a good concept just a quick video at the release of the song... something to upload to MySpace.
I know, I sound like the crotchety old man yelling at those damn kids to get off my lawn, but there are a lot of good videos out there, you just have to know where to look. Here's one new video that I really dig: Ida Maria's I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked. Besides being a fantastically catchy tune with a great title, this has some fun 80's style motion graphics (and that speak to me... haha). I love the color scheme and the newsprint type dots are great over the green screen footage.
I thought I'd share a few places I get my music video fix online.
- IF:MV - probably my favorite site for new music videos
- Feed Here - Great resource for vfx and motion graphics, and often have some great music videos.
- MTV Music Video Picks
- Antville - A huge list of the lastest music videos that are user submitted.
- Video Static - News about what's in production and links to videos that are just out.
- Dazed Digital - Music, fashion and more. Nice site as well.
- Daily Motion - New videos and older ones, and lots of French people on the site... nothing wrong with that of course, it just makes it tough to understand the comments if you don't parle vous.
- QOOB - Italian site with lots of good stuff.
If you have favorite sites you visit, please post the link in the comments. Also, if you're looking for any video editing or visual effects software or plug-ins, come talk to me. I am the czarina of video plug-ins. I am not kidding. That's an official title.
American Idol... um... yeah....
I'll admit, this is the first time I've watched American Idol all season and I'm tuning in an hour into the finale.
I've realized that "frilly" singing bugs me. I don't know what the technical term would be, but it's when singers are all over the scales, you know, like Mariah Carey. I also can't stand it when singers sing over every note of the music with this frilliness. Maybe that's why I listened to The Cure and New Order for so many years. No frilliness. Like what's up with the red head and Cyndi Lauper destroying Time After Time? I do like Cyndi's pants though, and she does looks fantastic.
What did you think of this season of American? Who did you want to win? Would you still watch if Simon left the show? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the show.
I've realized that "frilly" singing bugs me. I don't know what the technical term would be, but it's when singers are all over the scales, you know, like Mariah Carey. I also can't stand it when singers sing over every note of the music with this frilliness. Maybe that's why I listened to The Cure and New Order for so many years. No frilliness. Like what's up with the red head and Cyndi Lauper destroying Time After Time? I do like Cyndi's pants though, and she does looks fantastic.
What did you think of this season of American? Who did you want to win? Would you still watch if Simon left the show? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the show.
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