critique the video

[nostatic]

As part of a contest sponsored by Tower Records and Fuse.com (I think), we're entering a 2 minute edit of one of our songs along with a 1 minute video. The winner gets some stuff (a "real" video paid for I think...you can tell I'm on top of this stuff). At any rate, please take your potshots at what I whipped up in a few hours. About 20 minutes of shooting video Monday night at rehearsal, then a couple hours editing today:

http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/sfVideo4-low.mov (1Mb)
http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/sfVideo4-med.mov (2Mb)
http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/sfVideo4-high.mov (5Mb)

All three are the same video...-med is recommended as the best compromise in size/compression quality (if you've got a high-speed connection).

The song edit is at:

http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/promises-2min.mp3

[emwporsche]

no go

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Plays OK in Xine on Gentoo 2004.1

However, I'd work on the audio for the "intro" clips.

And a few explosions never hurt a film's viewability.

[Icemaster]

[i]And a few explosions never hurt a film's viewability. [/B]

Never underestimate the power of a few gratuitous car chases and boob shots.

Just kidding.

Looks good, the audio on the intros is a little low comparitively, but damn your lead's got some nice pipes.

[RickM]

I liked it alot. I came away with the same impression regardless of the compression.

The one thing that I thought intefered with the continuity was cutting away to the street for each member to introduce themselves. It didn't seem graceful or fluid enough to me.

The song sounds like it will be good in it's entirety as well. My imagination is finishing it in the meantime....lol. (for some reason going in a "Blood and Roses" direction....)

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I agree, the transitions need a little work. If you can fade the music into/out of the introductions that would help.

[nostatic]

the problem is doing fades like that takes time, and with only 58 seconds to work with, it is tough. The quick cuts are done that way for a purpose, but they aren't as clean as I'd like. As for the audio going with those things, you should hear how it sounded before I "massaged it" with some plugins. Note to self: don't listen to guitar player when he says, "hey, let's record the interviews outside infront of the 405 freeway".

I'll likely re-record the interview parts tonight and recut. I did somewhat "classic" documentary interviews asking favorite bands, what's in their cd player right now, why did they come to LA, etc, and I was thinking that I would use more of that, but I hit upon using the "choir" section of the cong with visuals, and just introducing the band members

I think recutting the "bang" loop might make it sound like there was more or a fade in/out of the intros. More work to be done....

And yes, she has some serious pipes.

[RickM]

Cut over to all of you around the 911...interviewing one at a time in a whited-out room. One on the hood, the other half sitting on one fender, she's out the sunroof resting on crossed arms....so you're all there but interviewed separately.

Kinda like what the Monkeys would do. (Plus you get a 911 in there)

[RickM]

BTW, The 911 will symbolize uniqueness, precision and classic style.

[nostatic]

hmm....the Monkees, a 911, woman through the sunroof...I like it!

Are you sure you don't work in the industry?

Now...where are those flash pots?

[techweenie]

Nice sound. If you had a few frames on each 'side' of the bandmember intro cuts, I think it might help. You get into a rhythm of anticipating the bust of music and the image of the person. maybe if just each instrument they individually play was used for each intro...? Then the burst of sound would be the effect of all ofthem together...?

[nostatic]

Originally posted by techweenie
Nice sound. If you had a few frames on each 'side' of the bandmember intro cuts, I think it might help. You get into a rhythm of anticipating the bust of music and the image of the person. maybe if just each instrument they individually play was used for each intro...? Then the burst of sound would be the effect of all ofthem together...?

interesting idea. I'll see if I can yank some audio and try that.

[RickM]

So, what's the word? Any new review material?

[nostatic]

I've done some minor variations on the theme at:

http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/

But no major redo. I actually started doing one from scratch but had a glitch and lost a bunch of work. Then I've spent most of the week actually working (bastards), and now I'm sick, and we head into the studio tomorrow. I think I'm just going to go with:

http://fry.annenberg.edu/sf/sfVidFinal-320.mp4

and call it a day. There are some nasty audio artifacts that I can't get rid of unless I recapture the footage. I'll do another one when I get some more time and energy. I find that I work in spurts, and this spurt has spurted itself out (and no, I don't have pictures of that process)

[azasadny]

Excellent music! I especially like the bass and the lead singer's voice. I'm a drummer, so I listen carefully to drums/bass and you guys are tight!!!

[nostatic]

thanks...I'll take the compliment as I'm the bass player It's a fretless 5-string Zon with Lightwave optical pickups.

That is actually a fairly lo-tech diy recording too. I took my powerbook to our rehearsal space, put 4 mics on the drums (x-y cross overhead, one on snare/hi hat and one on the kick). Guitar amp is mic'd, bass went direct and our vocalist sang live through the PA (so there is some bleed on the drum mics). Used a MOTU 896 interface and tracked using Logic. She overdubbed the various vocal tracks in my home studio. The choir thing is something we cooked up on the spur of the moment.

The drummer is 21 years old, and a monster with great feel and chops. Very fun to play with.

There are some more samples at http://www.simpleflower.com/sounds.php. We also spent yesterday in the studio and tracked 5 more songs along with a few "jams" that might make the next album.