Music video question.

[Alex Knappenberger]

Hey, is it OK to have the band members also act in the music video (like do the story part also)? Or would that not look/seem right for some reason? This is for a 80's style (even though they are all 16-18, heh) metal band, and I was just thinking of something classic and simple like, the lead singer stabs some dude (i don't know why though) and he calls up the other band members, and they come and chop the body up and put it into garbage bags, and put it in the back of their car, and go and burn it...thats it in a nutshell, in what I just described there, thats like 20 shots, atleast.....

Would that work?

Also, how do I do my best to make sure everyone has fun while sitting there for 8 or so hours shooting it? The band members who I am doing the music video with, were like "yeah, it should be pretty fun"....and I didn't really say anything, because I know thats not the case.

[Alex Taylor]

The Foo Fighters do it all the time :) I think it would definitely work!

I don't think you should have to worry about the waiting around, if they're all friends then it should be a fun and relaxed atmosphere for them.

[Keith Loh]

Dylan and I shot "Hit and Run" from 10am to 10pm with an average of eight people on set all the time. You have to make sure people get fed, make sure that they are occupied. They have to sit around a lot so hopefully the other people sitting with them are interesting enough to talk to. I have 10 people in the party scene and, hey, it's a party! So people stand around and talk and drink while it is happening. It's useful to have someone act as a PA who can do running around and can get people ready. Also rehearsals. Some people you can tell to go off and come back at a certain time and again it's useful to have a PA who can call these people and get them back on set. Whenever you let someone off the set then it takes time to get them back on so be aware that it slips the time. You can try scheduling people to show up at a certain time but that won't ever be definite and you will have to wait.

[Tor Salomonsen]

If it don't work, it's not because you let the musicians act. People are used to that kind of doubling. Go and watch an Elvis movie. Jailhouse rock or King Creole are probably the best.

[Alex Dunn]

Agreed, it is the accepted norm. However, if you look at all the bands in the 80's that did that kind of thing I think you'll agree it's kind of cheesy.

But bear in mind, I don't really like "concept" videos at all. I've always preferred "live" style videos, so you may want to discount my opinion

[Glen Elliott]

Look at some of the Foo Fighters videos...I'm sure it's fine for the band members to actually play characters in their own video. Besides even if it "isn't" fine...it "is"- meaning there are no "rules", better yet there are..but they are meant to be broken. It's young people like you, Alex, that are to innovate- make your own rules. :)
That's what art is about.

And your right- shoots aren't always fun. People don't realize how repedetive it can be having to do shots (sometimes) dozens of times over.

[Alex Knappenberger]

Thanks guys.

One thing I don't want this video to be is "cheesy", i've already promised them that it's not going to be "corny". Honestly, the really only way to make it not "corny" is to make it totally goofy, because think about it, they aren't serial killers and they will probably be chopping up a body in the video, and they don't do that in real life, so that automatically would make it corny, mainly to people who know them.

It's kind of like my friend, he only has been playing guitar for a few months, and he is terrible, and he is already putting together a band, and to top it off, he wants it to be serious. He is terrible, his drummer is terrible, his bassist is terrible, and he doesn't even have a vocalist yet. Like I said, the worst part about it is he is trying to make serious death metal songs, I tried to tell him people are going to laugh at them, because if they are singing some crap and sucking so bad, people will nod their heads and laugh at them, he even does it himself to some crappy local bands. BUT, like I told him, if they do all funny songs, with funny lyrics, then people won't laugh at them, instead they will laugh with them and with the funny lyrics, you know what I mean? It's the difference of being terrible musicians and having the vocalist scream "RAAAWRRR I SLIT MY WRIST AHHH!!" or having him scream "RAAAAWRR I **** MY PANTS AHH!!!"....having a song about crapping your pants instead of killing yourself (which has been done 284284 times) would instantly break the ice and have them accepted. Anyway, that sort of related to that...hahaha (oh yeah, that isn't the band the video is for, the band the video is for is awesome.)


-----------------------------------------------------------


Here, I put up a song from the band I am doing this video for (don't know what song we'll be doing though, theres like 7 of them), they are called harsh manner and are 100% local, they have been a band for like 5 years or something like that, and they are all only 16-18 years old...they rock, oh yeah, my cousin is the guitarist's girlfriend. :D There's no doubt in my mind that these dudes won't get signed sometime, the drummer and guitarist are brothers, and they are the both awesome musicians, i'm still waiting for them to get their freakin CD finished too.

ftp://24.209.60.212/HarshManner-WickedWorld.mp3
(Personal FTP, Right click > Save target as, 5MB)

[Mark Moore]

Quote:
"He is terrible, his drummer is terrible, his bassist is terrible, and he doesn't even have a vocalist yet. Like I said, the worst part about it is he is trying to make serious death metal songs, . . ."

Sounds like he is trying to make serious death for the audience!

Good luck with this. Maybe the video will somehow help them! Post a link when you're done.

[Tor Salomonsen]

Wait a minute. Was the band you were talking about (the one with all bad players and no vocalist) the same band you are making the video for? I didn't think so, but Mark obviously did.

[Mark Moore]

Oops. Did I misread the post? Sorry.

----------

I did. Sorry. I read too fast. I actually wanted to see the "bad band"!!! I'm a "Trustee" now and still can't read.

[Tor Salomonsen]

I've been playing in bands since 1965. No one has ever asked me to chop someone up. Been tempted to volunteer, though.
Here's your next music video. It's from real life: When we were young and tried to look innocent, another band in our city had a problem with their bass player. He was terrible, but he was so big that no one dared sack him. So he stayed on. This is where your next music video begins...

[Mark Moore]

Tor, that would make a great short. I bunch of guys (good musicians and one really bad one) get together to start a band. Each one begins playing and the bad one (the biggest dude in the band) can't play a lick, but no one dares to say anything.

It could be very entertaining! Sounds just like an old episode of I LOVE LUCY!!!

[Tor Salomonsen]

I have no idea what I love Lucy is, but I trust you're not being ironic with me. Anyway - another band, not permanent put together for a tour, had a guitarist (I'm not sure how you can say not very pleasant in four letters - or five - without being not very polite). But after the last set on the last day, the band ganged up and beat him up. He was a big fella too, so none of them could have taken him on alone.

[K. Forman]

I had problems trying to explain I Love Lucy to a Swedish band I was doing a Video storyboard for. Some things just don't cross the ocean, and others do. I Love Lusy was a 50's-60's sit com starring Lucielle Ball and her hubby Desi Arnez.

[John Locke]

Tor,

Just about every episode of Lucy was the same... Lucy was presented with some conundrum and instead of facing the issue, tried to sidestep it, then the comedy began. So your story is similar...although I don't believe Fred, Ethel, and Ricky beat up Lucy in the last episode.