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!
Our concept is MILK. Well done team. For the milk video everyone should do it to the video guide track again. Maxwell needs to do the claps and then sing, everyone else just stares at the camera. The shot should be head and shoulders for the first minute, slow zoom out to outstretched arm, milk and waist for the 2nd minute and minute 3 should be the reveal of what’s happening with the milk. You can’t miss. Have fun!
Careful Music 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:
Play along with the old songs once a day.
Check out the c6 open tuning lessons below. Write a song in C6. Do it Doug. Maybe we can combine them into a new song for the band.
Anna: 4/11 Nice! All the notes and structures are right. It needs to be smoother and more in the pocket. I want you to practice it with a click set to 140 bpm. Make sure you’re sticking with it especially on the fast notes in the into. I also need to see your head bopping to the click, or to the quarter notes. If you’re not feeling the actual pulse in your body the song will never feel right.
Maxwell: 4/17 Sounds great Maxwell! The instant you send me something on guitar in C6 tuning I’ll pass you on droid! HA! Now you have to!
Jack: 5/21 Nice buzz roll! Do you need to change sticks there? Intro beat sounds really good actually. That’s a tough technique. I’d maybe close up the clutch on your high hat a bit so it controls the hi hat opening more. His seems more subtle, quieter. I saw you went ahead. Sounds good, but I haven’t analyzed the drums for that part yet so I hesitate to weigh in. Nice work!
Alex: 5/29 Sounds really good! I like that you’re rocking it with a click. Try to mute the octave more accurately when you play the low E string. That’s the key to this sound. I also like to add some vibrato to the 9th fret when you stop on it when the verse kicks in. It sounds awesome to do that but you have to be careful to do the vibrato on both strings. Nice!
Audrey: 5/29 There is no way to complain about what you just sent me. Well played! That mono synth trick is pretty sweet right? You should spend some time improvising with that technique. Try a different key. If you hold the root note in the left hand it’ll sound happy, like cherub rock. If you hold the 6th note of the scale with the left hand it’ll sound mean, like me. If you switch between different notes in the left hand you have a chord progression that’s a cool riff at the same time, Do it Doug!
Hymn for a droid structure: Intro 3x, verse 2x, Prechorus, Chorus, Intro, Bridge 8x, Chorus, Intro Done-zo
Current songs edited to match our key and arrangement:
Uniform Heights Arrangement Jank
Uniform Heights Arrangement Milkman
Uniform Heights Arrangement Hymn for a Droid
Uniform Heights Arrangement Cherub Rock
Videos: