watch 1st Music Video- ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK WELCOMED!

I recently decided to try my hand at directing music videos for my friends. I can't seem to find anyone willing to give me constructive criticism that will help me become better or even help me decide if this is something i want to pursue. please have a look and let me know what you think....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvja5oBjwDc

I like the idea and think it's pretty well done.
There is a lot of room for improvement though, like in what angles you use and the over all feel of the video. You can take advantage of the fact that when the artist isn't looking at the screen you can't see his mouth so edit based on his gestures and expressions for when he's forward.

I think you did the lighting in post? With colors and stuff, so I guess I get why you only chose one camera angle.

Hello new dude

RGCMG said:

I recently decided to try my hand at directing music videos for my friends. I can't seem to find anyone willing to give me constructive criticism that will help me become better or even help me decide if this is something i want to pursue. please have a look and let me know what you think....

Click to expand...

I think you did a good job. I think there could have been some different shots and I'd like to see the performer's face. But overall I think it was a simplistic and good video with an interesting and unique visual style. Not a bad rap song either.

SuperMonroe said:

I think you did the lighting in post? With colors and stuff, so I guess I get why you only chose one camera angle.

Click to expand...

It looks like he's in front of a giant LED panel.

The image(s) is great. Beautiful. Wonderful.
But, good Lord, that was one boring video - even for a rap video, which we get all the time here, and I watch all the time here, so I really do have some context to compare this to.

As I've fully disclosed to others I'm a middle aged white guy and I really don't care for rap, but... after seeing so many of these I'm becoming increasingly aware that that's pretty much irrelevant.
I honestly think I can look beyond the music aspect and just judge a video on the video's own merit.

I'm also developing the sense that rap videos are actually REQUIRED to be repetitive and boring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mpQ6_v0Ek0 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49612

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdJWFkImXAQ from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49069

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jfriNA_f1s from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=48111 <-- I like this director's overall style, FWIW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeTRBOZUAT8 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=47813

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFPY7cX-c0 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=47358


I think you be happy for the images that you have. There.
I also think a video should be interesting. So... there. That, too.

What do think about it, what were some of the limitations you had (budget, time, locations, cooperation, etc.) and what would you like to do differently in the future?

Helpful! The lighting is actually all produced by the LED screen behind him. Is that something i should not have done?

RGCMG said:

Helpful! The lighting is actually all produced by the LED screen behind him. Is that something i should not have done?

Click to expand...

It's more what you should have done. There needs to be more shots. It's all the same thing.

rayw said:

The image(s) is great. Beautiful. Wonderful.
But, good Lord, that was one boring video - even for a rap video, which we get all the time here, and I watch all the time here, so I really do have some context to compare this to.

As I've full disclosed to others I'm a middle aged white guy and I really don't care for rap, but... after seeing so many of these I'm becoming increasingly aware that that's pretty much irrelevant.
I honestly think I can look beyond the music aspect and just judge a video on the video's own merit.

I'm also developing the sense that rap videos are actually REQUIRED to be repetitive and boring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mpQ6_v0Ek0 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49612

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdJWFkImXAQ from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49069

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jfriNA_f1s from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=48111 <-- I like this director's overall style, FWIW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeTRBOZUAT8 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=47813

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFPY7cX-c0 from http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=47358


I think you be happy for the images that you have. There.
I also think a video should be interesting. So... there. That, too.

What do think about it, what were some of the limitations you had (budget, time, locations, cooperation, etc.) and what would you like to do differently in the future?

Click to expand...

My budget was $0 so I tried to use what i had access to which was a giant LED screen. I actually shot some close up profile shots that made the artist's mouth a lot easier to see but i struggled with where to place them during the editing process. For me this is all trial and error so the things i'll be doing differently in the future primarily depend on what i learn in this forum. I'd also like to add, I greatly appreciate you looking beyond your personal preferences while discussing my video. Thanks!

Watch plenty of these and... discern a difference between what these music videos provide and what rap video are supposed to provide.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49832

I respect the difference between the two, and there clearly are, I believe I just need a better handle on WHY the differences are there in the first place so that I can provide better guidance going forward.

RGCMG said:

For me this is all trial and error so the things i'll be doing differently in the future primarily depend on what i learn in this forum. I'd also like to add, I greatly appreciate you looking beyond your personal preferences while discussing my video. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Fair enough.
Most all of us here do try to be professional and considerate.

I think it's appropriate to evaluate things in context, especially specialized things, like rap videos.
Horror and SciFi movies should be evaluated on both their general and genré appeal: you may not like gore porn or creature features, but as far as gore porn and creature features go film X does or does not appeal to the general audience but may be tits! with enthusiasts!

Same thing here as far as I'm concerned.

rayw said:

Watch plenty of these and... discern a difference between what these music videos provide and what rap video are supposed to provide.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=49832

I respect the difference between the two, and there clearly are, I believe I just need a better handle on WHY the differences are there in the first place so that I can provide better guidance going forward.

Click to expand...

I'd like to preface this by saying i am new to forums AND shooting music videos... I don't exactly understand what you are saying. Yuo want to know why my video is different than the videos in that thread?

Nah.

What makes the entire genré of rap video mind numbingly repetitive.
99.9% of them are just some dude or dudes reciting his/their rap 100% on screen to essentially himself/themselves.
No story.
No nothing else.
Just 100% guy or guys rapping. No one else involved.
Over and over and over and over again.

The song may have a story to it, but the videos almost never show that.
They're are always about some guy all alone talking to himself.
I wanna wrap my brain about what makes rap videos different from other video constructs.
WHY are they designed that way, as if to deviate from that equation would somehow disqualify it from... I dunno.

It's a video design culture question about artistic choice or the apparent absence of it.

rayw said:

Nah.

What makes the entire genré of rap video mind numbingly repetitive.
99.9% of them are just some dude or dudes reciting his/their rap 100% on screen to essentially himself/themselves.
No story.
No nothing else.
Just 100% guy or guys rapping. No one else involved.
Over and over and over and over again.

The song may have a story to it, but the videos almost never show that.
They're are always about some guy all alone talking to himself.
I wanna wrap my brain about what makes rap videos different from other video constructs.
WHY are they designed that way, as if to deviate from that equation would somehow disqualify it from... I dunno.

It's a video design culture question about artistic choice or the apparent absence of it.

Click to expand...

I understand. For me it boils down to budget, there are things i'd love to be able to shoot but i often have to rely on what locations are available for little or no money. In general I think hip-hop fans are a lot less likely to buy music, merch, etc. so what happens is the independent artists have less money to spend on videos than a rock band might. Idk... just my thoughts on the subject.

RGCMG said:

I understand. For me it boils down to budget, there are things i'd love to be able to shoot but i often have to rely on what locations are available for little or no money.

Click to expand...

Well I think we can all sympathize with that limitation.
Solidarity

In general I think hip-hop fans are a lot less likely to buy music, merch, etc. so what happens is the independent artists have less money to spend on videos than a rock band might. Idk... just my thoughts on the subject.

Click to expand...

Fair enough.



And just fer the halibut I went searching for what big budget rappers are putting out for videos.
http://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song

Time for more of my own homework.
Feel free to swipe creative ideas!


EDIT:
Alright, those McLemore vids were just way too expensive to even steal ideas from.
The one that looked closest to what we usually see here is 'Gas Pedal'.
Looks like about four or five primary locations, different camera positions and multiple approaches at each location.
If you had the opportunity to reshoot using ONLY that one massive LED screen as a location you could:
Singer + camera 90° to background
Singer + camera 45° left of background
Singer + camera 45° right of background
Singer 90° to background + camera 45° left of background
Singer 90° to background + camera 45° right of background
Singer facing background + camera paralell to background
Singer facing background + camera paralell to background
Singer facing background + camera 90° to background
Singer facing background + camera 45° left of background
Singer facing background + camera 45° right of background
Long shots
Mid shots
Close ups
Bring in a couple of relevant-to-song props or characters or other group members (could be the producer or promoter for all I care. Girlfriends and groupies are great.)
Get shots of them.
Have some mild interaction between them.


Next time... In the car. In the hallway. In the stairwell. In the parking deck or parking lot. At the house. In a hotel room. Heaven forbid - in a proper performance venue.

For me, pretty consistently, I like seeing big groups of people involved.
If the client is any good surely they have some buds, some peeps, some family that would wanna help or get involved in promoting their career.
I like that Don't Drop That Thun Thun!' video the most.
'Thrift Shop' was pretty fun, too.

rayw said:

Well I think we can all sympathize with that limitation.
Solidarity

Fair enough.



And just fer the halibut I went searching for what big budget rappers are putting out for videos.
http://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song

Holy Grail: Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake - No video
Same Love: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0
Can't Hold Us: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNSgSzhBfM
Gas Pedal: Sage The Gemini Featuring IamSu - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8LUd51IuiA
Power Trip: J. Cole Featuring Miguel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AjD7nKiUQ4
Thrift Shop: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
Crooked: Smile J. Cole Featuring TLC - no video
Don't Drop That Thun Thun!: The FiNATTiCZ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHg9VVkE9Bk
U.O.E.N.O.: Rocko Featuring Future & Rick Ross - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4d-CJBvR2M
Bad: Wale Featuring Tiara Thomas Or Rihanna - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TIIu9CERgI​

Time for more of my own homework.
Feel free to swipe creative ideas!


EDIT:
Alright, those McLemore vids were just way too expensive to even steal ideas from.
The one that looked closest to what we usually see here is 'Gas Pedal'.
Looks like about four or five primary locations, different camera positions and multiple approaches at each location.
If you had the opportunity to reshoot using ONLY that one massive LED screen as a location you could:
Singer + camera 90° to background
Singer + camera 45° left of background
Singer + camera 45° right of background
Singer 90° to background + camera 45° left of background
Singer 90° to background + camera 45° right of background
Singer facing background + camera paralell to background
Singer facing background + camera paralell to background
Singer facing background + camera 90° to background
Singer facing background + camera 45° left of background
Singer facing background + camera 45° right of background
Long shots
Mid shots
Close ups
Bring in a couple of relevant-to-song props or characters or other group members (could be the producer or promoter for all I care. Girlfriends and groupies are great.)
Get shots of them.
Have some mild interaction between them.


Next time... In the car. In the hallway. In the stairwell. In the parking deck or parking lot. At the house. In a hotel room. Heaven forbid - in a proper performance venue.

For me, pretty consistently, I like seeing big groups of people involved.
If the client is any good surely they have some buds, some peeps, some family that would wanna help or get involved in promoting their career.
I like that Don't Drop That Thun Thun!' video the most.
'Thrift Shop' was pretty fun, too.

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the feedback and ideas. I'll be putting them to use in future videos!