Video Project!
Actual Music Video Instructions:
In this video there is no reason to use headphones when you play the guide track, just play it on something nice and loud. We will not be using any audio from this video. Feel free to talk while you’re making it. If you’re playing you should attempt to play the actual song so it looks a little like it’s lining up with the music but it’s not super important. If you’re singing you should actually sing so your lips line up with the music. If you can do the claps in the beginning without messing up your video please do them! KEEP THAT CAMERA SIDEWAYS!
We’re doing the concept where someone will throw things at you while you play the song. Use the video guide track above and please do the claps. Everyone should aim for a waist up shot and a serious face. Feel free to send me more than one take if you want. Remember, you’ll only be on camera for a 6th of the video so if something goes wrong for a second you’re still OK. Have fun!
Careful Video Instructions:
The first video we’ll be making is the “careful” video. For this one the goal is to carefully play the song so we have a good audio track for the final video. I’ll also be using the video from this round to make our “studio” video. To make this video grab some headphones and play along with the video guide track that’s above. In the intro you’ll hear my count, then a clap, another clap and then one more count. After you hear the first count you should clap along with both claps and after the second count start playing the song. The claps are important, if you don’t quite get it right start again. These claps will sync up your video and audio with the rest of the band so if they’re early or late you’ll be out of time in the video. You should play the song as well as you can, maybe do a few takes. DON’T STRESS about perfection though! I can fix a few mistakes in post production so if you crush the whole song but miss a note at the end you’re done. Below are the guidelines for each instrument that will help you get good audio and video so please make sure you read yours before you start. Have fun!
Guidelines for Everyone:
Hold your camera sideways (landscape/horizontal format). No vertical video!
Use headphones to listen to the guide track.
Record in a quiet room. Every sound in your video will end up in the final videos.
Rooms with less echo are better to record in, you’ll sound better. Rooms with furniture, carpet and curtains work well.
Keep your camera steady. If possible, put it on something instead of holding it.
If possible have a solid color for a background, like a painted wall.
You should have plenty of light on you but make sure it’s NOT coming from behind you.
No need to look at the camera, pretend it’s not there.
Phones almost always have better cameras than laptops so if possible use your phone.
Don’t trim the video’s beginning or end. I’ll handle that.
Vocal Video Guidelines:
Keep the camera close. Aim for a head and upper body shot from the side like THIS.
Sing loud, don’t hold back!
Drums Video Guidelines:
A real challenge for recording drums is getting the cymbals to not drown out the other drums.
Play the cymbals lightly and other drums loud. Kick and Snare are most important!
If you have time try a few different camera positions and see which one has the quietest cymbals. Holding the camera close to the floor can help. Try somewhere around the kick drum looking up at the drummer’s face like THIS.
Guitar and Bass Video Guidelines:
Tune right before you make the video! I can help tune on zoom if you don’t have a tuner, just email or text me to set up a time.
Use your amp and turn it up! As long as you can hear the music in the headphones you’re not too loud.
Aim for a video that has your head and most of your instrument like THIS.
If you don’t have an amp it’s VERY important that the room is quiet. I’ll be boosting the signal a lot so any background noise will get boosted too. Play loud but don’t beat on it. Holding the camera like THIS will help.
Keys Video Guidelines:
If you’re playing a piano try holding the camera like THIS. Play normally.
If you are playing a keyboard THIS is a good angle. Keep the volume high.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 3:30 The Refractionists 2:30
Radio Fire 3:30
Five More Minutes 2:00
Livewire 8:00
Louisa/Nina/Sunny/Maya/Sybil 4:30 The Osmos 3:30
The Daylights 3:30 Melophobia 4:30
The Vowels
3:00
Marin/Isla/Becca/Jessie/Lucille 9:00
Title Wave 5:30
Hebron Lames 4:30
Ballpit 4:30
Death Destroyer 5:30
The Nevers 4:00
Night Mares 10:00
Decades 5:30
Avani/Fiona/Layla/Nico Band 5:30
Kilonova 5:30
Unicorn Fury 6:30
The Hazards 5:00
The Bloodhunters 11:00
Empire Scorn 7:30
TTADA 6:30
The Favorites 7:30
The Irrelevants 6:00
Ship to Saturn 7:30
Imperfect Strangers
Current Assignment:
Everybody: Play along with the old songs once a day
Zombie Structure: Intro, Chorus 2x, Verse 5x, Chorus 3x, Verse 5x, Chorus 4x, Bridge 4x, Chorus (Solo) 3x, Bridge 3x Done.
George: 5/18 Nice George! The hard part is done, learning the chords is the hardest part. The stemming pattern for the intro is a little tough, let’s skip that for now and use those chords for the verse. In that part you just hit each chord once and hold it for 4 beats. It’s a perfect way to get used to those complex chords. Also take a look at the chorus. In your next video send me you playing the verse, and whatever attempt you can make on the chorus. It does NOT have to be perfect. Also check your tuning one more time, I think your A string is tuned to an A#. Nice work G!
Sofia: 5/14 First Video! Nice! The song sounds great. I’d like to hear everything be a little louder and more intense but the main thing I’d like you to nail is those intentional voice cracks she does. Check out this video. He has lots of tattoos and a Kiss poster. I think it’ll be useful.
Sasha: 5/26. This is sounding great Sasha! The main thing to fix before passing is the verses. You tend to switch each chord before you should. I think you may be following the vocals. She starts each line before the chord changes so if you follow her you’ll be early. Listen to your own video, the second verse, especially the first half is right on, it doesn’t have that issue at all. If you can get both verses to sound like that the song is done. You may want to try turnign the keyboard way down and the music way up. That might just do it. If you can only hear the vocals you’re going to follow them. The rest sounds great!
Olivia: 5/26 Yo Olivia! This is sounding great except for just one thing, the timing in the verses. You’re still changing chords a beat or two ahead of the band. Can you send me a video of you clapping with every chord change in one of the verses of the song? Listen to it carefully a few times first and really try to hear where the band changes chords. You can listen to the bass too. Once we have those claps sorted out we’ll try it with guitar again and I bet it works.
Carlo: 5/15 The beats sounds great! The extra snare is now in the right place in the pattern and the extra tom sounds dope. Your floor tom sounds very mean, I love how it’s tuned. Watching your video got me thinking you should move your throne about 6 inches towards the kit and make sure your kick drum foot is more on the pedal. you’ll have more leverage. To pass I need you to make it to the end. I’m wondering if you’re playing along with the version on the band page? It should be about 5 minutes long. I also need you to make your transitions happen. You have to know where to change, it’s not enough to hear the band change and then follow them a beat later. Solid job!
Esme: 5/19 Bastille is sounding great! I really like your accents on the chorus. I noticed you didn’t get tripped up by my mistake in the video about the 3rd chorus. Well done. There’s a few mistakes here and there just because it’s new. They’re of no concern, they’ll disappear with a little more practice. Here’s a couple of goals. I’d like there to be NO gaps between the notes in the bridge. It’s a fairly easy part so it’s a good opportunity to practice switching with no gaps. I mostly like your fingering for that part but it might make sense to use your second finger for the last note, freeing up your first finger to get ready for the beginning. Try to hold each note until the last possible millisecond and then switch as fast as possible. When you switch from the first note to the second note start with your finger on the first note a little flat and then roll it up onto the second note. It’s a good trick for playing the same fret on two adjacent strings with no gap. I can explain that in more detail tomorrow on zoom. Also why don’t you sing the intro along with playing it? You can do that at the beginning and end as well as in those spots in the chorus where it shows up. nice work!
Current songs edited to match our key and arrangement:
Band of Horses Funeral Verse, Heavy Verse, Chorus, Verse, Heavy Verse, Chorus, Ending
Videos: