Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Fan-sourced videos


In the case of "The Kids From Yesterday", in the process of making their own compilation, the band found an existing compilation, and the collaboration was born that way. Sometimes this is the idea right from the start. So here are three bands I love, using different methods and getting different results.

Chantal Claret, "Real Girls":


One option is to have different groups choreograph moves to your song, and blend footage of their numbers together.

Why it works: With deep sympathy for those who get criticized for being flat-chested or underweight, it is nonetheless even more constant for society to tell you that any padding at all is bad and ugly and gross despite (or possibly because) it being very common. Beauty becomes a very tight standard that no one feels like they can fit.

So there is something very empowering about watching these women, with different hair, races, and body types, some dressed more for comfort, some more dressed up, but all owning their bodies, freely being seductive, and simply being beautiful.

The photography is not great, which is not surprising under the circumstances, but is noticeable. Also, that's a lot of butt shots from the Ecdysiast Studio crew; it may be butt overkill. That being said, I think it conveys the message it wants to convey, and if you have ever been unsure how to dance to this song, this should resolve your issues.

Reggie and the Full Effect, "Revenge is a Dish Best Served at Park Chan-Wook's House":


James Dewees sent out a notification to fans asking for footage of themselves dancing to the song, or if not dancing, celebrating the song in whatever manner seems best.

(I got the original invitation but I can't find it. And, no, I did not submit anything because I wanted to enjoy watching the video and I'm still struggling with the issues pertaining to the first video.
Why it works: With the album No Country For Old Musicians having been funded via a Kickstarter campaign, it seems very appropriate to have this collaboration. Hey, you all got behind the record, now let's all get behind the video. And there is some amazing creativity and cuteness between the fan submissions.

I also need to say that the editing is amazing. Despite these being amateur videos, with some of them clearly from phones, it looks really good. I am impressed.

I do want to note, and this is the song, not the video, but this title never fully displays due to length, and at the concert even he could not correctly say the full title, so if you think of it as "Korean Revenge" that's pretty normal, but I think it's important to add the "Film".

Man On Earth, "All We Want":


Fans sent in videos of them expressing what they want. Usually it is a fairly simple shot of the fan with a short hand-written message, but some are more elaborate, and it is interspersed with footage of the band performing.

Why it works: I've watched this video a lot, and it still gets me teary-eyed. Their wants range from the mundane, to fairly common aspirations, to wishes that hint at deep hurts, and there are even a couple that seem a little bit creepy (power and Pamela Anderson, specifically), but there is an overarching humanity to it, and as you feel those tugs of connection to these people, who are really not that different from you, the video starts and ends with pictures of the earth, filled with points of light. It makes the video effective, and it goes well with the song and the band.

The other two work without the musicians being included, but I think for this video it was necessary, for connecting to the music as the musicians, and for establishing their identity. Those are probably some themes we are going to explore next week, but for now, previous band reviews:

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